WCA March 2025

Technology News

Fully automatic spooling and rewinding solutions With a legacy spanning more than 200 years, Swedish wire machinery manufacturer Lämneå Bruk has focused more on its fully automatic lines in recent years. Automation boosts

efficiency and allows a reduction in labour costs while maintaining quality and productivity. From spoolers to coilers and rewinding lines, Lämneå Bruk offers applications designed to further automate and streamline processes for modern wire production. The Fully Automatic Rewinding Line is a versatile machine for the respooling of flat and round wire, with both vertical and horizontal payoff. The line’s multi ple payoffs enable maximum uptime. To increase user-friendliness and conveni ence, the spool handling is prepared for AGV trucks. The line is suitable for differ ent spool types up to 1,000kg. For effective, smooth wire spooling from tape start to end, Lämneå Bruk’s Automatic Spooling Machine features efficient processing through automatic spool change; spooling with automatic wire cutting; and a 60-second changeover time from full speed to stop and back to full speed. The machine is suitable for accumulating 5 + 5 spools and allows wire samples to be taken directly from the spool into the machine. The full spool stand is on bearings and can easily be rotated during wrapping.

Fully Automatic Precision Layer Winder

The Fully Automatic Precision Layer Winder – one of Lämneå Bruk’s bestsellers – combines speed, safety, user-friendliness and precise wire laying to a 100 th of a millimetre. The spools are changed fully automatically, with servo-drive motor-operated tooling for continuous production at speeds of up to 35m/sec. For a smooth and efficient process, the fastening of the finishing end is also made by servomotor. The servomotor is customisable, with customers able to choose between Siemens, Lenze and Allen Bradley. To add to the flexibility, the spool supply magazine can handle different types of spools such as wire baskets, plastic and fibre spools without adjustment.

In response to customer demand, the Fully Automatic Precision Layer Winder is available for spool diameters of 100, 200, 300 or 450mm. A palletising robot is available as an optional add-on for the Fully Automatic Precision Layer Winder. The robot checks the total weight of the finished spools. If a discrepancy is identified, the robot sets the spool aside for checking by staff, and continues with the next spool for an uninterrupted process. If everything is in accordance with the quality standards, the finished spools can be moved onto pallets for labelling and final packaging.

Lämneå Bruk AB www.lamnea.com

The challenge of tracking in medium-voltage cables Electrical energy must be transported over long distances before reaching the end user. High-voltage cables distribute power on a wide scale, and medium voltage cables play a key role in regional distribution. However, these cables are exposed to adverse environmental conditions, such as dust, humidity and vegetation – factors that can trigger a phenomenon known as tracking. conditions. Using this masterbatch with a wide variety of polymers can eliminate the need to rely on specific compounds, offering manufacturers greater freedom in their production processes. its durability, ensuring greater cable safety and efficiency. The masterbatches also include antioxidants. Delta Tecnic masterbatches

that comply with anti-tracking standards are available in black and grey colours. For aesthetic reasons and visual integration into the environment, the grey colour is preferred in Latin America, where the cables are usually installed aerially. The company has designed solutions adapted to such geographical needs, allowing manufacturers to meet the requirements of each market without compromising performance. In addition to their application in medium-voltage cables, Delta Tecnic’s masterbatches can be effective in the protection of fibre optic cables, which are also exposed to adverse environmental conditions that can affect their performance. Delta Tecnic SA www.deltatecnic.com

“We want to give manufacturers the freedom to choose the polymer they want to use to build the cable sheath and, at the same time, take advantage of the benefits of our masterbatch,” said Manuel Miret, area manager and new product developer at Delta Tecnic. “The additive package included in our solution is strictly conceived to avoid the destruction of the plastic in the face of magnetic fields.” The lifetime of the coating on a cable affected by the tracking effect can be reduced, degrading in months or years under adverse conditions such as high humidity, pollution and intense electric fields. However, advanced coatings incorporating solutions such as Delta Tecnic’s masterbatches, designed to prevent this phenomenon, can extend

Tracking is a destructive effect that affects cable sheathing due to magnetic fields generated by the proximity of several cables. The phenomenon can compromise the safety and efficiency of the electrical distribution network, posing a critical challenge for cable manufacturers. Delta Tecnic has developed a master- batch that is designed to prevent the tracking effect in medium-voltage cables. Its formulation incorporates additives that act as a protective barrier against damage caused by magnetic fields and adverse environmental

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March 2025