WCA November 2021

Technology news

Electron beam compounds Mixer SpA has provided compounds and product solutions for 25 years, keeping up with new developments in the wire and cable industry. Under the EKOPREN ® brand, the company offers enhanced and tuned grades to meet challenging specifications.

Mixer has used its proprietary know- how in the formulation and develop- ment of compounds for electron beam crosslinking to offer a wide range of customised solutions for specific applications. Products of particular interest for the market have been developed for rolling stock power and control cables in railways, tomeet EI104 and EM109 specifications. According to the EN 50264 standard, the resulting halogen-free cable features special fire performance, in addition to robustness and flexibility. Another notable product is a grade for solar cable applications, complying with the EN 50618 standard. PV systems require low-smoke, halogen-free, flame-retardant cables that are UV stabilised for an extended period of use outdoors, often in demanding climatic conditions. Mixer SpA www.mixercompounds.com

completes its product line with flame- retardant thermoplastic beddings – an added value for cables to measure up with the stringent requirements of international fire safety standards, including those set by CPR, UL, IEC and other regulatory bodies. With a market presence in the USA, Russia, China and India, Mixer is increasingly seeing the installation of electron beam accelerators, confirming that e-beam crosslinking is a state-of- the-art technology for wire and cables.

The EKOPREN range features rubber insulation and sheathing compounds that can be crosslinked by standard CV lines or by electron beam irradiation, for use in industrial, automotive, photovoltaic and railway cables. Mixer

❍ EKOPREN crosslinkable rubber compounds for low voltage insulation (left) and sheathing

3D bender with servo cutter AIM’s new AFES-3DxT line is an updated five servo-axis turret tool- changer machine with a fast servo cutter.

simulation with collision detection, auto pilot speed/load monitoring, touchscreen monitors, Microsoft Windows, 5 hp wire payoff, “Dial-A- Service” for remote support via the Internet, and a maintenance module that reminds users about necessary work for zero downtime. Available options include automatic bend setup with AccuCal, easy production statistics with AccuTrack, 24/7 online AIM Academy training, Faro, Romer and Aicon CMM communications for automatic pro- grammer corrections, integration with robots, and STEP and IGES file importing.

The turret head indexing tool changer provides flexibility in wire forming capability, while the new servo-cut ensures fast and quiet production. Standard features include DXF, LRA and XYZ import, animated bending

In all instances, wire can be fed directly from a coil, straightened, bent and cut using a software package that provides flexibility and simplicity in programming and is offered in all “universal” languages. AIM, Inc www.aimmachines.com

❍ AIM’s AFES 3D8T

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Wire & Cable ASIA – November 2021