EuroWire March 2023

Focus On GERMANY

Photo: Maheshkumar Painam • www.unsplash.com

Wire and cable surface treatment

cord wound around a wire, strand or insulated cable multiple times, moving slowly under push- and pull-controlled conditions, creating a multiple 360° contact between the constantly renewed cleaning cord and the wire. Friction power on the wire increases linearly with the wire speed. This means the friction energy per wire surface unit, and therefore also efficiency, is independent of the wire speed. Helicord can be run at drawing speeds. The use of liquids, such as water-based tensides, organic solvents, oil or a variety of dispersions, may be desirable or even required for both cleaning and coating processes, depending on the application in question. As any liquid is applied in the process zone where it is needed, only tiny amounts are required – typically below 10ml/min – which provides an advantage over chemical or ultrasonic cleaning and many liquid application methods. For the welding wire industry, various welding wire-finishing cords are available, combining the properties of solid finishing materials with the precision of Helicord coating. Other

Established as a small company in 1982 and active for the first few years exclusively in the then-flourishing magnet wire industry, Boockmann Engineering has more than 35 years of experience in bringing together precision and environmental protection standards while providing customer-specific solutions. In the early years, growth and reputation for magnet wire surface treatment came from a focus on problem solving, and working with customers until their requirements were fulfilled and their production lines ran reliably. The company has since gathered knowledge in many fields and widened the scope of products and services to cater to a larger part of the wire and cable industry. It still focuses on delivering solutions rather than products, providing after-sales service and access to its wide knowledge base, and aims at full performance while keeping the ecological footprint as small as possible. Helicord® technology for wire and cable surface treatment is based on friction between a fast-moving wire and a textile Boockmann Engineering’s

Helicord machine model NB58

applications include cleaning insulated cable, applying primers or dispersions such as water- or solvent-based PTFE dispersions to bare wire or insulated cable, and removing inkjet misprints from cable. Available in different shapes and sizes, the range of Helicord machines covers applications from wiping off loosely adhering dust and metal particles, to a two-step process for abrasive grinding and finishing. Product diameters range from fine wire to cables of up to 18mm. Boockmann Engineering GmbH www.boockmann.com

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March 2023