wiredInUSA - June 2016
56
copper-clad aluminum winding wires. The
combination exploits the advantages of
both materials for a high performance yet
lightweight transformer, so the company
took the opportunity of May’s CWIEME
Berlin to hold a seminar to address the
transformer weight issue.
“We havebeen supplying copper-aluminum
combinations for busbars and connectors
in switchboards, distribution boards,
substations and battery banks to all
the major players in Europe and North
America for more than 30 years. However,
the benefits of copper-clad aluminum for
certain types of transformers are generally
not very well known,” said Kevin Jürgens
from Wickeder Westfalenstahl’s product
technology department.
Jürgens’ session, entitled “Transforming
ideas: clad metal solutions”, explained
how the cladding process works and which
cladding designs Wickeder Westfalenstahl
can produce, as well as cladding solutions
for specific transformer applications.
New robot cable
SAB Bröckskes, a German manufacturer
of special cables, has introduced a
new control cable for robot drag chain
applications, engineered for use in paint
robots, axis 7.
When used within a paint shop, cables
are in contact with highly aggressive
chemicals such as coatings, solvents and
lubricants. SAB Bröckskes’ new cable is
said to have the necessary ruggedness
for drag chain applications combined
with resistance against the specific
environmental conditions associated with
robotic painting applications.
The insulation and sheath compounds
are especially engineered for flame and
chemical resistance (it fulfills the FT4 flame
test), while the robust construction is
essential for continuous flexing.
In development, SAB Bröckskes put the
construction elements and materials
through extensive endurance tests under
real operating conditions.
The materials were also exposed to harsh
chemicals in the laboratory to simulate the
environment of the paint shop before the
cable was released for mass production.
The new control cable is in addition to
an existing range for the robot industry
S
S
New control cable from SAB Bröckskes
Photograph courtesy of SAB Bröckskes