Wire and cable do not usually come with all the modifications wanted for a specific software. For instance, your utility may call for wire with ink-jet printing for simple identification during installation and utilization. Equally, you may want your wires dyed various colors for immediate circuit identification. This is where worth-added manufacturers take over.

Several manufacturers supply distributors, wire harness manufacturers, and OEMs with worth-added services for wire and cable merchandise. A worth-added service indicates a customization on an order that goes beyond a basic or core service. In other phrases, it advantages the top user by “adding worth” to the standard service supplied.

Within the electrical wire and cable trade, worth-added companies include braiding, lower and strip, printing, bar-coding, dyeing, customized put ups, striping, and more. These services may be broken down into 4 major classes – Identification Options, Set up Solutions, Labeling Options, and Packaging Options.

Identification Solutions: Striping, Dyeing, and Printing

Striping and Dyeing

Manufacturers and distributors of electrical wire typically add stripes or dye a base wire another shade. These processes are multifunctional as they add value to the product, differentiate the wire for circuit identification and help management stock volumes of stocked material.

With a purpose to dye a wire, a specially-constructed machine feeds the wire product by way of a system of pulleys. First, the wire passes by means of a “wiper,” a foam circle that encompasses the complete cable. The jacket of the wire absorbs a formulated dye that’s current in the foam. After passing through the wiper, the wire goes into a heat tower to cure and dry.

Striping, which many manufacturers supply for extruded wire, is carried out in the same machine as dyeing. Nonetheless, for striping, the wire doesn’t cross by way of a foam wiper. Instead, the wire passes by way of a striper head that spins around the wire before it goes into the dryer tower.

The produced stripes are both longitudinal or spiral. Publish-production striping normally generates a spiral stripe, like that on a candy cane. Longitudinal stripes, which run alongside the aspect of a wire, are additionally obtainable post-manufacturing, but usually are not as common because the spiral type. Contrasting stripes are typically used when greater than ten circuits must be identified.

Virtually all insulations are able to be striped, together with PVC, rubber, silicone, and PTFE. Similar to striping, most PVC compounds could be dyed to particular person specifications with out encountering any issues. However, some compounds which might be CV-cured or irradiated are not in a position to be dyed because they were originally designed to repel both petroleum- and alkaline-based chemicals. The shade is not going to soak into the insulation and is vulnerable to flaking.

Printing

In addition to widespread striping and dyeing methods, there are different ways of marking wire for identification. Many OEMs and harness manufacturers want using printed wire in their assembled products. Printed wire not only helps within the meeting of merchandise, but additionally benefits installers and users of the completed product.

One way of marking wire is with ink-jet printing. Using a dot matrix printer, a sequence of “dots” create characters on a wire. For example, in the automotive business, a harness may be manufactured for turn alerts. In this case, the precise wire could be ink-jet printed “left front flip signal” or “tail lights.” Each wire could be color coded within the harness and ink-jet printed, making it person-friendly and easily identifiable.

Another way of marking wire is hot stamping, which entails a course of much like that of a typewriter. A character-formed “head” strikes a colored tape, causing the chosen character(s) to appear on the wire.

Installation Options: Twisting, Braiding, and Reduce & Strip

Twisting

Many OEMs want paired wire within the manufacturing process. Grouping single- or multi-conductor cables into varied configurations can lower installation time dramatically. It allows wires to lie together, which in flip makes working with them simpler.

So as to create paired wire, a process often known as twisting should happen. Twisting entwines multiple wires and arranges them tightly subsequent to one another. Two, three, and even up to eight wires could be twisted collectively.

The process of putting wire ends right into a drill and twisting the wire is one residence-grown twisting method that’s still practiced on the production flooring. It would get the job completed to some extent, however it won’t remove the pure twist in every wire. Because of this if the wire is cut into small lengths, it will not stay twisted collectively.

Another drawback with this method is the wire acquires dirt and grit on the manufacturing ground. The dirt might switch to the completed product, which could then pose major problems. Twisting utilizing a dedicated wire twisting machine is the only technique to get a very good lay to the wires.

Braiding

One course of that helps add protection towards abrasion in harsh environments is braiding.

Braiding is a process during which small strands are woven together on prime of a wire or cable for added protection. In the beginning of the process, numerous spools, also known as “Bobbins,” of very small gauge wire (32-36 AWG) are inserted into a wire braiding machine.

The bobbins are every positioned in a precise location within the machine and the ends of every bobbin are pulled to the highest of the braiding machine. Subsequent, the bobbins are subjected to a spinning or circular weaving movement, while a wire or cable is pulled up by means of the middle of the bobbins. Because the synchronized process commences, a weave or braid is manufactured over the cable. Lastly, the completed product is drawn out of the braid machine onto a bigger spool or payoff.

Reduce & Strip

Having your wire minimize and stripped saves money and time and prevents excessive waste. To illustrate you want one thousand 4-inch pieces of wire to put in in printers that you just manufacture. For every piece, you want .5 inches of wire uncovered on the ends. As a substitute of having your factory workers manually lower every piece off the reel after which take away the insulation from the ends, have your value-added producer complete the method for you.

The reduce and strip process begins at one end of a cut and strip machine where a reel is held in what is known as a “payoff.” The machine operator enters the overall size and desired cut and strip measurements for the pieces. Subsequent, the wire is fed by a set of strain-sensitive wheels that hold the wire tautly.

Then the wire is passed by means of a pair of blades that strip the insulation, as it may possibly sense where the bare wire begins. The wire is then pulled to the top to make the size minimize. Finally, it is pulled backward slightly with a view to make the final ‘strip’ reduce. The pieces of insulation cut for the strip will be left on the end of the wire to forestall the strands from fraying. This detached piece of insulation is called the slug.

The ultimate cut and stripped wire is dropped into a bin. The machine will end the process for the entire quantity of wire size the machine operator entered at first.

Labeling Options: UL/CSA Labels, RFID, Customized Labels, Bar-Coding

UL & CSA Labels

Wire and cable merchandise may be sent pre-labeled with UL and CSA tags. Use of these tags ensures that merchandise will arrive at the supply-point already marked to meet inside classifications, aiding in correct identification and distribution upon receipt.

RFID & Authorities Labels

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is one other Worth-Added option to pre-label products for ease of receipt. These labels are encoded with a radio frequency that can be “learn” by a transponder. RFID labels provide more than the fundamental info offered by a standard print label or even a bar-code, and might be learn at lengthy distances.

Worth-added manufacturers may also produce Authorities labels. These specify any authorities-level classifications of Mil-Spec wires and cables, and can support in monitoring and inventory.

Custom Delivery Labels

Custom transport labels embody the precise info an organization requires to meet their standards proper on the package. The types of data prone to be found on a custom shipping label, except for the transport deal with, include Half Number, Supplier Half Quantity, PO Number, Lot Number, and Date.

Bar-Coding

This service will print the wanted information right on the transport label within the bar-code customary the corporate uses. There are two common varieties of bar-codes: linear, which is used extra usually, and matrix, which holds extra knowledge. Frequent linear formats are UPC, usually used in retail, and MSI, usually utilized in warehouse inventory.

Packaging Options: Special Packaging/Reel Sizes

Wire is heavy, consumes area, and is tough to maintain in stock. In addition, OEMs worry about the costs in set-up and dealing with of preprocessed and put up-processed wire. Many OEMs that frequently use wire have gotten particular reels or spools as a way to effectively use storage area, maintain an correct stock, and keep costs to a minimum.

Wire and cable distributors that cater to OEMs and harness houses have developed unique methods to retailer wire. One such way is to make use of large bulk Drum “reels.” Drums are commonly constructed of cardboard or pressed paper (with a heart core of the same materials) and metallic rings around the top and bottom. When wire is ready to be saved, it’s laid into the Drum using a circular motion that permits for simple removal. Storage capability in any given Drum might be 1000’s of toes, relying on the gauge of the wire. Nevertheless, if the Drum is rolled or broken, the wire could become nearly unimaginable to take away.

Reels and spools are available in many different sizes and configurations to be used with various wire types. For example, massive 6 to 8 foot tall picket slatted reels hold massive gauge energy cable. Many wire manufacturers use 2,500 ft to 5,000 ft spools for hook-up wire.
Small gauge wire may be spooled on a ten-inch plastic spool that has a heart core length of 5 to six inches and holds up to 10,000 ft. Sure factors decide the spool dimension you’ll need; one important issue is how the wire will likely be used within the manufacturing process.

If the manufacturer normally cuts their wire by automated machine, the spool measurement or Drum size may be critical. For example, utilizing an automatic machine, a large Drum of wire could be gone in as little as 30 minutes, depending on the length of the cut. Value is another factor. As an additional advantage for a big reel dimension or Drum Packs, many distributors supply discounts on bulk reels.

With all of their distinctive skills, worth-added providers conveniently customise whereas providing options for exact wire and cable specifications. As an additional advantage, buying wire and cable from a worth-added producer proves to be value-effective because every thing you want will be completed in a single location by one vendor.

Electrical wire and cable distributors have the tools to arrange wire for the buyer’s convenience. Regardless of the service, the worth-added distributor gives the flexibility to custom-order inventory to fit individual process and storage wants. This translates into better usage of time and area, and that additional interprets into revenue.