How to make cables? Many owners who plan to open a cable factory will have this question. For complete cable production, it mainly needs: copper/aluminium rod casting machine line, copper/aluminium rod breakdown machine, copper wire drawing machine, wire annealing machine, cable extrusion machine, high speed bunching machine, twisting machine, stranding machine and cabling machine.
This article gives a brief introduction
1. Raw Material Preparation
1.1 Conductors: Most cables use copper or aluminum as conductors. Copper is often preferred due to its high conductivity. The raw metal is processed into wires of various gauges.
1.2 Insulation Materials: These could include various types of plastic (e.g., PVC, polyethylene), rubber, or other materials depending on the cable's intended use.
1.3 Sheathing Materials: Used for the outer layer of the cable, materials can include PVC, polyurethane, or other durable substances.
2. Copper and aluminum wire drawing with annealing
The copper and aluminum rods commonly used in wires and cables are drawn through one or more drawing die holes at room temperature using a wire drawing machine to reduce their cross-section, increase their length, and improve their strength. Wire drawing is the first process for wire and cable companies, and the main process parameter for wire drawing is die matching technology.
3. Conductor twisting
In order to improve the softness of wires and cables and facilitate laying and installation, the conductive core is made of multiple single wires twisted together. From the twisting form of the conductive core, it can be divided into regular twisting and irregular twisting. Irregular twisting is further divided into bundle twisting, concentric twisting, special twisting, etc. In order to reduce the occupied area of the wire and reduce the geometric size of the cable, the conductor is twisted while using a compacting form to make the ordinary circle mutate into a semicircle, fan-shaped, tile-shaped and compacted circle. This type of conductor is mainly used in power cables.
4. Insulation extrusion
Plastic wires and cables mainly use extruded solid insulation layer. The main technical requirements for plastic insulation extrusion are:
4.1. Eccentricity: The deviation value of the extruded insulation thickness is an important indicator of the extrusion process level. Most product structural dimensions and their deviation values are clearly specified in the standards.
4.2. Smoothness: The surface of the extruded insulation layer must be smooth, and there must be no poor quality problems such as rough surface, burning, and impurities.
4.3. Density: The cross-section of the extruded insulation layer must be dense and solid, and there must be no pinholes visible to the naked eye, and no bubbles.
5. Cabling For multi-core cables
In order to ensure the degree of molding and reduce the shape of the cable, it is generally necessary to twist them into a round shape. The twisting mechanism is similar to the conductor twisting. Due to the large twisting section diameter, most of them adopt the non-back-twist method.Technical requirements for cabling: First, to prevent the twisting of the cable caused by the turning over of the special-shaped insulation core; second, to prevent the insulation layer from being scratched.Most cables are accompanied by the completion of two other processes during cabling: one is filling to ensure the roundness and stability of the cable after cabling; the other is binding to ensure that the cable core is not loose.
6. Armoring Cables
Laid underground may be subjected to a certain positive pressure during operation, and an inner steel belt armor structure can be selected. Cables laid in places with both positive pressure and tension (such as water, vertical shafts or soil with a large drop) should be selected with an inner steel wire armor structure.
7. Outer sheath
The outer sheath is a structural part that protects the insulation layer of wires and cables from erosion by environmental factors. The main function of the outer sheath is to improve the mechanical strength of wires and cables, resist chemical corrosion, moisture, water immersion, and prevent cable combustion. According to different requirements for cables, plastic sheaths are directly extruded using an extruder.
How to make cables? Many owners who plan to open a cable factory will have this question. For complete cable production, it mainly needs: copper/aluminium rod casting machine line, copper/aluminium rod breakdown machine, copper wire drawing machine, wire annealing machine, cable extrusion machine, high speed bunching machine, twisting machine, stranding machine and cabling machine.
This article gives a brief introduction
1. Raw Material Preparation
1.1 Conductors: Most cables use copper or aluminum as conductors. Copper is often preferred due to its high conductivity. The raw metal is processed into wires of various gauges.
1.2 Insulation Materials: These could include various types of plastic (e.g., PVC, polyethylene), rubber, or other materials depending on the cable's intended use.
1.3 Sheathing Materials: Used for the outer layer of the cable, materials can include PVC, polyurethane, or other durable substances.
2. Copper and aluminum wire drawing with annealing
The copper and aluminum rods commonly used in wires and cables are drawn through one or more drawing die holes at room temperature using a wire drawing machine to reduce their cross-section, increase their length, and improve their strength. Wire drawing is the first process for wire and cable companies, and the main process parameter for wire drawing is die matching technology.
3. Conductor twisting
In order to improve the softness of wires and cables and facilitate laying and installation, the conductive core is made of multiple single wires twisted together. From the twisting form of the conductive core, it can be divided into regular twisting and irregular twisting. Irregular twisting is further divided into bundle twisting, concentric twisting, special twisting, etc. In order to reduce the occupied area of the wire and reduce the geometric size of the cable, the conductor is twisted while using a compacting form to make the ordinary circle mutate into a semicircle, fan-shaped, tile-shaped and compacted circle. This type of conductor is mainly used in power cables.
4. Insulation extrusion
Plastic wires and cables mainly use extruded solid insulation layer. The main technical requirements for plastic insulation extrusion are:
4.1. Eccentricity: The deviation value of the extruded insulation thickness is an important indicator of the extrusion process level. Most product structural dimensions and their deviation values are clearly specified in the standards.
4.2. Smoothness: The surface of the extruded insulation layer must be smooth, and there must be no poor quality problems such as rough surface, burning, and impurities.
4.3. Density: The cross-section of the extruded insulation layer must be dense and solid, and there must be no pinholes visible to the naked eye, and no bubbles.
5. Cabling For multi-core cables
In order to ensure the degree of molding and reduce the shape of the cable, it is generally necessary to twist them into a round shape. The twisting mechanism is similar to the conductor twisting. Due to the large twisting section diameter, most of them adopt the non-back-twist method.Technical requirements for cabling: First, to prevent the twisting of the cable caused by the turning over of the special-shaped insulation core; second, to prevent the insulation layer from being scratched.Most cables are accompanied by the completion of two other processes during cabling: one is filling to ensure the roundness and stability of the cable after cabling; the other is binding to ensure that the cable core is not loose.
6. Armoring Cables
Laid underground may be subjected to a certain positive pressure during operation, and an inner steel belt armor structure can be selected. Cables laid in places with both positive pressure and tension (such as water, vertical shafts or soil with a large drop) should be selected with an inner steel wire armor structure.
7. Outer sheath
The outer sheath is a structural part that protects the insulation layer of wires and cables from erosion by environmental factors. The main function of the outer sheath is to improve the mechanical strength of wires and cables, resist chemical corrosion, moisture, water immersion, and prevent cable combustion. According to different requirements for cables, plastic sheaths are directly extruded using an extruder.
