WCA May 2014

Technology news

Cold connections for stronger welds

profiles and strips for armouring lines. PWM also produces two powered portable cold welders. Mounted on trolleys, the air-hydraulic HP100 and HP200 models are equipped with solid steel welding heads for extra strength and stability. They provide a fast, effortless method of joining wire and strip 1mm to 6.5mm. For smaller wire sizes, 0.1mm to 1.8mm, PWM manufactures hand-held manual machines, suitable for joining wire breaks in confined spaces, as well as larger machines that can be used on a workbench or supplied with a trolley. Cold welding can be used to join dissimilar materials, for example aluminium to copper, and materials of different sizes. After 30 years at the top of the cold welding industry, PWM’s UK-based specialist team has a wealth of knowledge about cold welding techniques and applications to offer wire and cable manufacturers. The company’s worldwide network of experienced agents, together with the UK team, provides a fast and efficient back-up service and technical support for PWM products. To demonstrate the cold weld process, PWM has produced a series of videos showing its P1500, P1000, EP500, HP200 and M101 machines in action on its website. Pressure Welding Machines Ltd – UK Website : www.pwmltd.co.uk

MODERN welding technology has to be efficient, reliable and cost effective in order to help wire and cable manufacturers improve productivity and avoid downtime. Although cold pressure welding is an ancient method of joining metals that dates back to the Bronze Age, it remains popular today. The process is quick, clean and easy. It creates permanent bonds without heat, flux or fillers and the electrical integrity of the join is not affected. Cold welding is equally effective on fine wire and large rod sections, and can be used to join most non-ferrous materials, as well as various alloys. British company PWM, which celebrates its 30 th year of service to the wire and cable industry in 2014, is a specialist designer, manufacturer and supplier of cold welding equipment. The company, which has been at the forefront of cold welding technology for many years, designs and builds its high-performance machines and dies in-house to exacting quality standards. PWM cold welders are durable, reliable and accurate. They are built to last: one of PWM’s first P500 models, manufactured in 1985, is still working. The dies play a major role in the cold weld process. PWM’s are individually hand-made in matched sets to ensure complete accuracy. They can be made in industry standard or custom sizes to suit round or profile wire and rod, and PWM can produce dies to weld two different sizes of material together if required. PWM manufactures cold welders for a variety of applications, from small, hand-held manual machines suitable for joining fine wire 0.1mm diameter, to large, freestanding rod welders capable of bonding rod 30mm diameter. All PWM machines are precision engineered to produce reliable consistent welds stronger than the parent material, helping manufacturers avoid downtime, save materials and improve productivity. Clean, quiet and easy to operate, PWM cold welders are user-friendly, enabling even untrained operatives to produce consistent high quality welds. The company’s best-selling models are

the EP500 rod welder and the M101 manual cold welder, which can be used on a workbench or with a trolley. Developed to meet industry demand for a machine to join large copper rod sections up to 12.5mm and aluminium to 15mm, the electro-pneumatic EP500 is quick and easy to use and usually requires maintenance only every three years or so. The powerful P1500, launched in 1994, was the first machine of its kind to offer an economical method of cold welding copper rod up to 25mm diameter, and aluminium to 30mm. The P1500 is hydraulically powered and electronically controlled. Power consumption is minimal and the weld cycle is completed in minutes, with automatic de-flashing of the rod on completion. The manually operated M101 model has been top of PWM’s best-selling list since 1984. Precision engineered to produce strong reliable welds on copper wire 1mm to 3.6mm diameter and aluminium wire 1mm to 5mm, the versatile M101 is also used to weld ❍ The P1500 electrohydraulic rod welder from PWM

Wire cleaning for plating quality The PWC-S system performs wire cleaning and polishing in-line with wire drawing machine at 6 to 12m/s (1,200 to 2,400ft/min). The cleanliness obtained permits wire direct brass coating, copper coating, and wire cleaning prior to heat treatment and coating applications including patenting, annealing, painting, plastic coating, etc. The PWC-S wire cleaning system incorporates new technology which enables normal plant water to be converted into a unique multi-action high pressure wetting/displace/flush cleaning liquid used to clean drawn wire at high-speed, providing a smooth and glossy wire finish in plating quality. The PWC-S system effectively removes lubricant residue from the base material and is recommended for cleaning applications with wires drawn upon

severe conditions. Decalub – France

Website : www.decalub.com

31

www.read-wca.com

Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2014