WCA January 2013

Technology news

Development project for pellet inspection

The cleanliness of PE material is gaining in importance at higher cable voltage classes. In particular, alternative wind energy generation in the off-shore area requires a cable network with the minimum number of joints. In order to achieve this goal, long production cycles should be run. Where production lines formerly ran from Monday to Saturday, now a continuous production run of 10 to 20 days is common. Long production cycles are achieved, for example, by leaving out the screens before the crosshead in order to ensure a constant material flow. However, the manufacture without screens also results in contaminations passing directly into the cable insulation rather than being caught. Hence there is the need for other measures to detect possible contaminations in the pellet and to remove them. itself. Contaminations are most often not only on the pellet surface, but they are also melted down in the pellet. By means of optical testing systems these contaminations cannot be detected. That is the reason why Sikora is currently developing a completely new system that differs in two ways from existing but flawed solutions: The Sikora system is based on X-ray A special challenge is the contaminated pellet

technology also contaminations in the pellet. The smallest detectable particle size is 50μm, at a throughput of up to 500kg/h. Higher throughputs are possible by installing several units in parallel. In addition, the pellet inspection is installed directly in the joint tube between the silo/octabin and the extruder. The system is consequently hermetically sealed and there is zero risk that dust particles get into the material flow. The Sikora solution for pellet inspection is suitable for both manufacturers of energy cables and pellet manufacturers within the plastics industry. ▲ ▲ Sikora’s development project “Pellet Inspection” ensures flawless pellets before starting production and detects

Sikora AG – Germany Website : www.sikora.net

Two portable non-destructive testing instruments Expanding its non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques and complementing its existing array of advanced instruments, Keighley Laboratories has invested in a portable conductivity meter, which measures the electrical conductivity of non-ferrous metals employing the eddy current method, and a pocket instrument for convenient and fast coating thickness measurement, using magnetic induction and eddy current technologies. Both measuring techniques are applicable to the aerospace, automotive, petrochemical, engineering, heat treatment and other fields and complement the specialist NDT services Keighley Laboratories already offers to industry clients. 

 Through its technical services division, Keighley Labs covers many of the mainstream NDT methods, notably magnetic particle crack detection, dye penetrant testing, ultrasonic flaw detection, magnetic permeability, positive material identification, residual magnetism and ferrite determination, as well as radiography on a sub-contract basis.

Keighley Laboratories – UK

Website : www.keighleylabs.co.uk

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2013