WCA September 2009

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products & equipment
Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2009 100
Wire cleaning
Boockmann GmbH’s Helicord technology, based on a push-pull-controlled textile
cord wrapped around a wire or cable, has been successful in cleaning round wire,
strands and insulated cables as well as in applying different types of additives,
such as corrosion inhibitors, strip aids and adhesion enhancers. The cord
is continuously fed into the process area of the machine, with the cord speed
being adjusted to the speed of the production line, thus wiping off impurities or
distributing liquids evenly on the surface.
A successful application is abrasive removal of stearates
and of thin oxide layers before plating (for example
copper on ferrous, or silver on copper alloys), where
chemical and other processes often cause health and
environmental issues, or high costs for the proper
disposal of used chemicals.
In the cable industry, removing particles from
conductors is known to decrease the number of
blowouts and failures in high voltage tests, to reduce
the risk of extruder head clogging and wire breaks,
and to increase bandwidth. Another well established
application is cleaning wire after the rod breakdown, in
order to prevent metal dust from travelling with the wire
into other parts of the production and contaminating
following production steps or processes nearby.
The main advantages of Helicord include:
Multiple 360° contact between the cable and cleaning medium •
The cleaning medium is constantly refreshed •
The process is independent of production speed •
Cleaning can be done by a dry cord, or supported by solvents or other •
cleaning liquids. Standard Helicord machines are currently capable of
treating diameters up to 20mm but require customised modifications to
handle larger diameters
Boockmann GmbH – Germany Fax: +49 9708 571
Email: Website:
Helicord technology ❍ ❍
from Boockmann
Wire treatment products and equipment
Installations for the continuous induction heat
treatment of wires, bars and tubes.
In the production of high quality steel wires
an increasing role is played by continuous
induction heat treatments, which achieve
high production rates with reduced
installation space requirements, minimum
energy consumption and a better working
environment.
The large number of ATE installations
and equipment in operation all over the world is evidence of the reliability
of this technical solution, and of customer satisfaction with the quality of the
finished product.
ATE’s production programme includes:
Induction furnaces for the in-line thermal treating of PC wires and strands •
Annealing furnaces of steel tubes, wires, strips, round and square section bars •
Annealing furnaces of non-ferrous wires, tubes strips (aluminium, copper, •
brass and precious alloys)
Hardening and tempering equipment for steel bars, tubes and wires •
Continuous through-heating of bars and tubes for subsequent hot forming •
Localised heating of steel tubes and bars •
ATE Applicazioni TermoElettroniche Srl – Italy Fax: +39 0444 406434
Email: Website:
Wire treatment equipment from ❍ ❍
ATE of Italy