WCA July 2015

37 / 64

35
Wire & Cable ASIA – July/August 2015
Technologynews
AS cable products have to meet
continuously increasing demands, wire
and cable manufacturers need
machinery which enables an energy-
raw materials, and cost-effective
manufacturing process. Furthermore,
the machines must be flexibly
adaptable to new production
requirements.
The machinery developed and built by
Maschinenfabrik Niehoff meets all
these requirements. One example is
the lever arm rotary braiding machines
of the BMV series, designed for 12, 16
or 24 spools in vertical operation.
The BMV machines feature an infinitely
variable electronic control of braiding
speed and pitch as well as an
automatic central lubrication system.
All process steps – from the pay-off of
the cable to be braided to the
individual wires and bundles of wires
and the final take-up of the braided
cable – are monitored by a quality
control system.
As an option, an empty bobbin
detection system can be installed
which ensures that a BMV machine is
stopped automatically before a
braiding bobbin is completely empty.
This system minimises waste and the
amount of residual wire left on the
bobbin.
For greater operational safety and
reliability, the temperature of slideways
is monitored by a monitoring system.
The operator can use this system for
adjusting the lubrication frequency and
amount of lubricant to optimise
lubricant consumption. As a result of
all these measures, BMV braiders can
be operated for a long time unattended
and without an operator.
The most recent innovation in the field
of the BMV braiders is the 24-carrier
lever arm rotary braiding machine BMI
124. A striking feature of the 24-spool
machine is its inclined braiding rotor.
The inclination means a cable
deflection of just 45° (instead of 90°)
on each deflection pulley – resulting in
reduced cable deformation and
improved braiding quality.
If combined with a caterpuller haul-off,
the machine can be used to
manufacture cables with diameters up
to 40mm. The BMI 124 enables
bundles of braiding wire to be
produced with maximum bundle
cross-sections of 24 x 1.5mm².
The BMV machines can be combined
with different types of taping systems
so that braiding and taping can be
performed in a single operation. This
simplifies the manufacturing process,
reduces the amount of space required
and increases the product quality
compared with when individual
process steps are used. The
experience of many cable
manufacturers has shown that one
BMV braider can be used to replace
two to three older types of braiding
machine.
Niehoff’s BMV braiding machines are
designed for the processing of bare or
coated round and flat wire made of
copper, aluminium and stainless steel
with single-wire diameters of 0.05 to
0.3 mm, as well as yarns and fibres
made of plastic.
The machines can be used for the
production of data cables, control
cables and coaxial cables, braiding for
battery cables, strand braids and for
mechanical reinforcement for pressure
hoses.
Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co
KG – Germany
Website:
Efficient, versatile and
future-pointing BMV braiding
concept
❍ Wire harness – the central nervous
system for equipment