WCA March 2010

news

Uhing-AVS at Goodyear

New TPEs A new series of Elexar ® thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds for wire and cable, from the Thermoplastic Elastomer Division of Teknor Apex Company, is said to provide a combination of RoHS compliance, UL-V0 flame retardance, and excellent performance over a wide range of end use conditions. The Elexar high-performance FR series includes six grades, with Shore A hardness ranging from 58 to 85, upper use temperature from 105ºC to 125ºC, low- temperature flexibility down to -50°C, excellent UV resistance and good oil resistance. For applications where appearance is critical, the compounds provide excellent colourability and non-blooming surfaces, according to Keith Saunders, market manager.

An automatic winding width control developed by Joachim Uhing KG GmbH & Co is designed to prevent the formation of undesired bulges and dents of wires wound in the flange area of spools and to relieve operators from unproductive monitoring tasks. A project running in the Luxembourg plant of tyre manufacturer Goodyear Dunlop is demonstrating the improved operation of the new AVS. The metal spools on which Goodyear Dunlop winds the 1mm-2mm thick steel tyre cord are used in several locations of the Colmar-Berg plant. During their service life some of the spools change their initial geometry considerably, bent flanges being the central issue. As a consequence many of the traversing systems, even those equipped with sensors, fail to accordingly correct the winding width and require manual intervention by operators. Accordingly, staff spend much time monitoring the winding processes. Goodyear Dunlop approached Joachim Uhing KG GmbH & Co. Aiming at providing the tyre manufacturer with a smooth winding pattern in the reversing area of the traversing system, known to be particularly critical, Uhing developed the automatic winding width control AVS. Two sensors monitor the material’s line speed and the spool speed. When a dent forms at the end of a stroke, the spool speed slightly increases in relation to the constant material speed. A third sensor identifies the position of the traversing system and reports the faulty stroke end to the controller that accordingly increases the material supply in the dent area by widening the traversing width at this stroke end until the flaw has been corrected. In case of a bulge, the spool speed will decrease along with the traversing width and consequently the material supply. This results in an optimum pattern on the spool and ensures smooth unwinding later on. The Uhing AVS is unsusceptible to soiling, since it lacks optical sensors, and can be integrated into existing traversing systems as a complete system or in parts.

❍ Elexar HPFR used for a typical cable

“Elexar HPFR compounds embody a hard-to-find combination of outstanding end-use performance and compliance with the stringent standards required in the global marketplace,” said Dr Saunders. “Conventional flame retardant TPEs not only fail to comply with the RoHS directives but are more limited in terms of flame test ratings and service temperatures. In addition, their flame retardant formulations often present the problem of blooming or surface staining.”

Teknor Apex Company – USA Fax : +1 401 728 5680 Email : tpe@teknorapex.com Website : www.teknorapex.com

Joachim Uhing KG GmbH & Co – Germany Website : www.uhing.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2010