WCA MAY 2015

Technology news

WHEN looking for a cleaning system for wires and cables etc, you can often be faced with a dilemma. Which method, in general mechanical or wet-chemically, is suitable for the desired surface quality? Budget or available space is limited, and the range of manufacturers of in-line cleaning systems as well as the current market solutions is manageable. The appropriate method is difficult to determine at first glance. As a result there is often an attempt to construct and implement your own solutions only to find that the outcome is, despite intense input of time and material, inadequate. Basically, the definition of the cleaning target and the analysis of the surface texture should be at the beginning of the search. Only when these points are defined, the choice of the suitable method and, if necessary, a suitable cleaning agent, can be carried out. As mentioned, usually a subdivision in ‘mechanical cleaning’ and ‘chemical cleaning’ is made, whereby nearly all mechanical cleaning methods can be combined with the chemical cleaning. On ‘mechanical cleaning’ the contamination is removed by the mechanical frictional force of normally solid cleaning materials such as brushes, textiles and microfibres. To Wire cleaning – the dilemma

remove gross contamination from the wire surface the cleaning with brushes or textile materials is very effective. Since the surface characteristics of the wire are far from ideal due to, for example, fine cracks and defects, these methods quickly reach their limits. ‘Chemical cleaning’ means, in most cases, that a fluid exposure performs the cleaning. The performance of these methods is considerably improved by increasing the velocity of the liquid by means of high pressure, ultrasonic or steam relaxation. Cleaning processes with liquids, supported by ultrasonic, high pressure or steam, can substantially meet the challenging task of removing dirt even from the smallest surface defects. Finally, the effectiveness of the cleaning process depends on how targeted the cleaning power (force or impulse) can be applied to the contamination for a certain time. Since the choice of the appropriate cleaning method is determined by many other factors, a comprehensive analysis of all parameters should be undertaken. This is precisely the approach GEO-Reinigungstechnik GmbH has selected. For the last two decades GEO has explicitly dealt with the cleaning of continuous profiles such as wires, ribbons, strands and cables. The procedures can be tested under near-production conditions at GEO’s test laboratory and from the knowledge gained, suitable solutions can be selected and implemented. GEO-Reinigungstechnik GmbH – Germany Website : www.geo-reinigungstechnik.de ❍ Many factors should be considered when choosing the appropriate cleaning method

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Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2015

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