EoW November 2013

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News
Technology
November 2013 31
The wire die is vital to the efficiency, quality and profitability of
a wire mill.
The die must have the correct geometry and tolerance or there
will be inconsistent quality, customer returns, increased scrapes,
operator frustration and down time.
Tolerance has equal importance as geometry. The real diameter
of dies, particularly final dies, has to be as much as possible to
the stated diameter, ie with narrow tolerance.
As to the finishing dies and when drawing thin wires, dies must
be used measuring the wire elongation instead of tolerance on
wire diameter.
To optimise the performance efficiency of the high-speed
multi-wire drawing operation, Ajex & Turner has introduced long
nibs. Wire has better finishing and fewer breakages, and the life
of the die is much more than short nib.
The company is equipped with Conoptica, the world’s highest
die inner geometry checking instrument from Norway. The print
out of bearing, blending and reduction angle can be taken to
check complete die geometry.
Guidelines for customers include:
Recut or repolish die on observation of wear ring of wire contact
to maximise die life; filter lubricant to remove metal fines to
maximise lubricant flow, wire finish and die life; do not exceed
maximum die size recommendation for blank size; decrease
bearing length for higher speed drawing; use finer grain dies
blanks for improved wire surface finish and in drawing ferrous
and plated wires; use coarser grain die blanks for drawing larger
size non-ferrous wire to provide longer die life and improved
wire dimensional control; in high temperature drawing of
tungsten and molybdenum wire, maintain reducing atmosphere
in drawing zone to minimise detrimental oxidation effects
and maximise die life; and use matched elongation die sets in
multi-wire drawing machines.
Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co – India
Website:
Wire die is vital for efficiency and quality
▲ ▲ The die must have correct geometry and tolerance
Tratos has launched the AllWave® FLEX
and the AllWave FLEX+ bend-optimised
single-mode fibre range, developed
alongside cutting-edge fibre optic
network solutions manufacturer OFS in
order to offer customers a brand new
solution for any application that requires
exceptionally small bend diameters.
Featuring a 200-micron coating, AllWave
fibres occupy 46 per cent less area than
conventional 250-micron coated fibres,
enabling them to be used in cables
with higher fibre counts per tube and in
microcables where cable diameters must
be minimised.
The bend-optimised design enables
tight, low loss bends and the coating
meets dynamic fatigue characteristics
without risking fibre strength, resulting in
long-term reliability and ultimate peace
of mind for the customer.
Mirko Gori, area sales manager for Tratos,
said: “The 200-micron Allwave FLEX+
fibres offer enhanced bend performance
and low diameter, as well as full
compatibility and compliance with the
installed base of conventional G.652.D
single-mode fibres. This makes them
an excellent choice for higher density
cables for our customers’ access networks,
enterprise networks and high-density
Fibre-to-the-Home applications.”
AllWave FLEX is an ITU-T G.657.A1
bend-optimised single-mode fibre,
providing outstanding macrobend and
microbend performance. Bending loss
is extremely low across the full usable
spectrum of wavelengths from 1,260 to
1,625nm and these fibres can be coiled
into a loop with less than 0.5 dB incurred
loss at 1,625nm and less than 0.2 dB
incurred loss at 1,550nm – five times
better than the bending performance of
conventional single-mode and leading
‘low water peak’ fibres. AllWave FLEX
is suitable for indoor applications and
Outside Plant (OSP) that require bend
radii as low as 10mm.
AllWave FLEX+ fibre offers many of
the same benefits and is the first Zero
Water Peak (ZWP) that actually exceeds
both ITU-T G.657.A2 and G.652.D
specifications. The range is suitable for
many applications in which small bend
diameters may be required, including
central office buildings, backbone cabling
in Multi Dwelling Units (MDUs) and
enterprise networks.
Tratos – Italy
Website:
APP-100 packaging
system
M Power Tech Inc has launched a new
packaging system, APP-100, for AC
power cord and DC cables that have
to be wound and tied before being
packed into a cardboard sleeve or plastic
bag.
The APP-100 includes automatic winding
and tying machines, conveying system,
paper or plastic packing machine,
labelling device, quantity counter, auto
loading system to send packed cables
into a carton, and auto box sealing
machine.
An optional palletising system is also
available to complete the production line
with less manpower and cost.
M Power Tech Inc – Taiwan
Website:
New bend-optimised fibres
fromTratos
▲ ▲ The APP-100 fromM Power Tech