WCA November 2020

Technology news

Using new wire processing equipment to increase cable assembly production

Multi-Tek, Inc specialises in the manufacture of low-voltage signal and power cable assemblies, primarily serving the semiconductor, industrial tooling and industrial electronics markets. Since its founding in 1995, the company has owned many different wire processing machines from multiple manufacturers. Multi-Tek was impressed with the longevity and user-friendly operation of its Schleuniger machines, so as its need for more equipment increased, it turned to Schleuniger. John Ferguson, engineering manager at Multi-Tek, explained, “Our production line has to adapt to a wide variety of applications, wire sizes and cable types.” After purchasing and running Schleuniger’s UniStrip 2300, JacketStrip 8310 and StripCrimp 200 for several months, the company was pleased with the reliability of the machines and level of

service and support provided. It decided to purchase several additional pieces of Schleuniger equipment over the next few years. From small bench-top wire strippers to a CrimpCenter 36 SP fully automated crimping machine, Multi-Tek now has a wide range of Schleuniger equipment. According to Mr Ferguson, “One of our biggest challenges had been processing small gauge wire on a Schleuniger competitor machine, especially when we had to deal with wire memory, which can make termination difficult.” Since upgrading to the CrimpCenter 36 SP, Multi-Tek has reduced set-up times by 40 per cent and increased processing speed by 60 per cent. Mr Ferguson added, “My favourite feature with the CrimpCenter 36 SP is being able to monitor in real-time the data from the WireCam, SmartDetect module and Crimp Force Monitor on one screen, with historical data. This has dramatically improved our crimp quality, as well as reduced the amount of time needed to correct set-up errors.” The company is also said to be impressed with Schleuniger’s MultiStrip 9480 and its versatility when processing multi- conductor cables with varied outside diameters. The indexing cutter head feature is often used to select blades appropriate for each application. “We found that the user interface on all machines is very well designed and consistent, which made it much simpler to train our employees on each new machine we’ve added,” said Mr Ferguson. Looking to the future, Mr Ferguson expects to see smaller wire harness manufacturers begin to take advantage of the networking and job management systems that have been used in larger facilities. He stated, “Our next project is to integrate our custom-built ERP system with our CrimpCenter 36 SP so that we can optimise our work orders, reduce changeover time and eliminate data entry steps.” Schleuniger, Inc www.schleuniger.com Multi-Tek, Inc www.multi-tek.com

❍ ❍ The CrimpCenter 36 SP

HFFR compound to meet demand for green products

Padanaplast, a specialist in polyolefin compounds for use in wires and cables, pipes and fittings, has launched a new HFFR grade in response to the need to reduce plastic material waste and put in place a circular economy policy. Cogegum ® AFR 1809 is a thermoplastic HFFR grade intended for use as jacket in power, signal and control cables. High mechanical performance, fire-retardant behaviour and good processability on a standard extrusion line are made available in a formulation

where high-quality and well-controlled by-product components are used. The aim is to give a new life to raw materials otherwise destined to become waste. Cogegum AFR 1809 is supplied in natural colour pellets, and can be coloured in the most common tones used in the cable industry. Padanaplast, based near Parma in Italy, operates 14 production lines certified to EN ISO 9001 and ISO EN 14001. The company, which was established in

1971, has pioneered the technology of XLPE silane crosslinkable polyethylene compounds, and has been offering HFFR compounds for cable sheathing, wire insulation, pipe and fitting applications since 1982. In 2017, the business became a member of Finproject Group, a major Italian player in crosslinkable polyolefin compounding, extrusion and moulding. Padanaplast Srl www.padanaplast.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2020

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