WCA September 2018

Revolutionising the wire manufacturing process By Rupert Parmenter, Sicme Italia Impianti Srl, Italy

Abstract Sicme Italia Impianti has introduced its latest high- technology enamelling machine “SuperEG,” changing the way enamelled wire can be produced. It is now possible to achieve super high speed and low costs in production thanks to the use of natural gas for heating the enamelling oven. The company has already patented this technology and is in the process of getting safety certificates from governments of various countries. The origins of Sicme Italia Impianti Srl are well established. The company has always had a vocation for research and development, regarding the insulation of copper wire for use in electro technical industries. Sicme produced the first enamelling oven in 1959 to test new insulating enamels produced by the chemical industry, which would have quickly substituted the oleoresinous enamels then in use. The experience gained during the ‘fine’ tuning of this first oven enabled valuable parameters to be established for everyday use, in other words, three heat chambers, with different heat temperatures, a preheating zone, evaporation and polymerisation zone that still remain the key characteristics of any enamelling oven today. The new design of the enamelling ovens, which pushed hot air in the opposite direction of the wire travel, was another key innovation, and enabled consistent higher production levels. The introduction of catalysts reduced considerably the level of pollution; a new oven design to recirculate the air from the catalysts and highly controlled, reduced thermal consumption of the enamelling oven, and thermal bridge points were analysed in detail. The use of thermal insulation resulted in further energy savings and therefore greater efficiency. The introduction of the automatic changeover for the spools and inline drawing, etc, had a similar effect. Both Sicme and Sicme Italia Impianti focused on these key drivers of change. By the year 2000, the wire enamel industry reached a level whereby the focus on energy consumption was felt to have been optimised. Sicme technicians first promoted enamel wire manu- facturing using natural gas as a replacement for electricity

for thermal power in 1978. Sicme built 40 ovens running on natural gas, which were operational at many companies around the world, including Superior Essex, Rea Magnet Wire, Lackdraht Union, in North America, Ecuador, India, etc, and some are still operational, with good results in terms of energy consumption. The new Super Compact G machines Sicme Italia Impianti has developed run on natural gas and/or electricity for thermal power as single line machines, available for both horizontal and vertical machines. Selecting the option for electric thermal power, the oven operates like a conventional single line Compact machine, and guarantees a VxD of 180-190, with power consumption comparable to sophisticated and highly modern machines. The operation of the electric option for the operators is the same as conventional electric ovens, and Compact machines are easy to operate and maintain. Selecting the gas option, operationally nothing changes, the string-up is the same as with an electric oven, and when the main oven temperature has reached the required temperature, the applicator is filled with enamel and production starts. After having established the parameters the first time (wire diameter, type of enamel, temperature of the oven, etc) these are repeatable automatically with the same laboratory test results, Tangent Delta, elongation, springback, superfine wire and colour, etc. In order to provide further details (patent pending), the catalytic zone has been modified with specific material, resistant to the abrasive nature of the very high temperature of the flame. Furthermore, the geometry has been modified in order that the same performance may be obtained either using gas or electricity for thermal power. Each line features its own gas supply for thermal power composed of electrovalve counter, pressure reducer, micro volumetric pump for gas and of ambient air, and all the control and safety mechanisms, including extra sensors. The unique system design of the burner is under patent. Accompanying the system, tailor-made software enables easy operation of the machine. Furthermore, any experienced operator will be able to immediately start using the Super Compact G machines.

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2018