Archive for wireprocess

Processing with Lasers

July 30, 2015 Control Laser Comments Off on Processing with Lasers

Laser Processing is a very well established technology that is used in a large range of applications. In fact 2015 is the 50th anniversary of the first industrial laser. Industries such as Medical and Industrial manufacturing facilities use lasers. Wire Processing has well defined processing methods: measure to length, cut and marking of wire, wire stripping, crimping terminals, assembling to a wire harness and electrical testing. A number of other methods are also deployed such as Ultrasonic Splicing and Heat Shrink Tube Processing. The laser as a technology in wire processing supports applications that cannot be done with a traditional wire stripping or marking method. In these cases, contact processing of wire (blades, hot impression onto insulation) runs a risk of damage to the insulation or conductors. This is very critical in mission critical applications such as medical and aerospace. A wire harness or wire lead is a component of a larger assembly which can include enclosures and connection to other electrical devices and electronics such as printed circuit boards. Even these assemblies have application possibilities with lasers. In this posting we will demonstrate some of these applications.

Wire Stripping

Lasers are used in applications such as Teflon coated twisted pair cable, where contact with a blade risks nicking the insulation on the inner conductors or the braided shield.

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Marking and Engraving

A laser can be used to apply a mark to a number of materials including metal and plastic.  By adjusting the focal point of the laser, a mark can be applied to the surface or engrave deep into the surface of the material being marked.

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IC Decapsulation

Lasers can be used in IC Decapsulation to remove layers of material to inspect the chip’s underlying circuits.

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Cutting

Laser cutting is a common application in manufacturing.  A laser can cut materials to length as well as complex assemblies with many cuts or holes as illustrated below.

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Welding

Laser welding is used in a number of applications including jewelry. Lasers provide localized heat with short cycle time to minimize distortion of surrounding materials

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TJ Curtis Technologies Inc and our WireProcess Specialties Division provide solutions to companies who manufacture a large range of products. We are constantly looking for ways to help our customers improve their productivity and reduce processing costs. Connect Your Way today to begin.

Wire Processing Solutions for Communication Cables

July 16, 2015 Application Illustrations, Carpenter Manufacturing, Judco Mfg, Schaefer Megomat, Wezag Tools Comments Off on Wire Processing Solutions for Communication Cables

Wire Processing Techniques span a number of assembly categories. In this posting we cover some of the processing methods used in assembling a communication cable.

We will focus on a  few cable types that represent the wider variety of communications cable assemblies and share processing methods.

Coaxial Cable

Coax cable generally has several layers including an outer jacket, woven metal shield and dielectric insulation over a center conductor.  Most applications require two or three stage stripping. This wire is normally crimped into a round coaxial connector. Stripping specifications are specified by the connector manufacturer to match the connector. The connectors are loose piece and have a pin that is crimped to the center conductor and the housing is placed over the wire and crimped on. The trend of coaxial cable is consistent with other wire, that is the range is increasing. We are seeing micro coax cables and at the other end large cable such as LMR400 for large telecomm installations such as cell towers.

Wire Cut to Length.

As this wire is typically stripped in two or three stages in an offline process (see Wire Strip), wire is separately cut to length.

Model 31 manual cutter from Carpenter Manufacturing

Model 31 manual cutter from Carpenter Manufacturing

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Wire Strip

As mentioned above, this wire is normally stripped in two of three stages in a fixed strip length that is specified by the connector manufacturer. These multiple stages are processed using a programmable unit which can process multiple strips in sequence. Or separating the two or three processes onto separately adjusted stripping heads. See illustrations below.

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Carpenter Model 74

Schaefer ST730 Coaxial Wire Stripper

Schaefer ST730 Coaxial Wire Stripper

Rittmeyer Beri.Co.Max Coaxial Wire Stripper for large cable.

Rittmeyer Beri.Co.Max Coaxial Wire Stripper for large cable.

Crimp

Crimping coaxial connectors is also a two step process. A terminal is crimped to the center conductor. The connector housing is assembled over the wire and crimped to the insulation. The crimp is normally hex shaped.  Hand or bench equipment for loose piece terminals is used to crimp both the center conductor and connector housing.

Wezag CS30 Hand Crimp Tool

Wezag CS30 Hand Crimp Tool

CS300 Electric Crimper for Loose Piece terminals.

Wezag CS300 Electric Crimper for Loose Piece terminals.

 

Automated processing of coaxial wire is possible for high volume applications.

RJ11 and RJ45 Cables

Cut and Strip

Cut and strip of RJ11 or RJ45 is possible. This wire is either flat (as pictured below) or round. Flat or radius blades are required to provide the desired nick and scrape free results.

RJ11 Parallel Wire Stripped on Carpenter Compu-Strip 97A.

RJ11 Parallel Wire Stripped on Carpenter Compu-Strip 97A.

Strip

Inner conductors and the outer jacket (round cable) can also be stripped stripped using rotary or blade style of wire strippers as illustrated below. Results are application dependent as some wire is irregular in shape.

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Carpenter Model 72C

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Carpenter Model 78

Crimp

Modular plugs are loose piece and require a linear action crimp head to crimp (Insulation displacement) modular plugs. The crimp heads are designed to process all leads at one time. Crimping can be done on the CS300 as pictured above or a pneumatic powered crimper like the SSC below.

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Multi-Conductor Cables

Cut and Strip

A cut and strip machine as described for the RJ11/45 wire above can also be used to remove the outer jacket of a multi-conductor wire.  Radius blades may be required for some applications. For larger volume applications, wire processing machines are available where the outer jacket and inner conductors are processed at the same time.

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Strip

In addition to the outer jacket stripping using a bench top rotary as described above, larger cross sections and longer strip lengths may require a heavy duty wire stripper as illustrated below.

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Crimp

Crimping can be loose piece using the CS300 or SSC as described above or reel form terminals on strip.

Side Feed applicator from Applitek.

Side Feed applicator from Applitek.

Summary

As shown by the above applications, there are cross over techniques to these three examples. And by extension, other similar communication wire types. Finding the proper mix of processing methods is important to optimize a specific customer requirement. And that requires a partner that has the broad application knowledge and connections to produce the desired result.  WireProcess Specialties is that partner. We have the resources and partnerships you need. Connect Your Way to WireProcess Specialties.

Make or Buy: It’s your choice

July 9, 2015 General-Business-Commentary Comments Off on Make or Buy: It’s your choice

To produce your sub-assemblies in house or purchase them from an outside vendor. That is a question that OEM Manufacfturers ask themselves constantly. Is there a clear answer? Not really, read on..

The topic of this post states “It’s your choice. As part of the decision making process have you considered all of the factors in your decision?  Each company and situation is different but the factors used to make a decision are fairly common.  So let’s uncover them.

Buying Sub-Assemblies: The Advantages

Buying from an outside vendor does have it’s advantages.

  • No Capital investment.
  • Application specific expertise from Vendor
  • No raw material inventory to maintain.
  • No direct labor required.

Making Sub-Assemblies: The Advantages

Making your own sub-assemblies also has clear advantages

  • Production Flexibility
  • Not waiting for Vendor lead time.
  • Preserve raw material in a non-processed state and producing lower quantities as needed.
  • Not paying overhead cost and profit margins as part of the Vendor price.

Simplicity vs Complexity, a sliding scale.

Most decisions are made based on a number of factors. In general our observation is there is a sliding scale of complexity which when all factors are combined, provides a clearer decision making process.

Processing steps: Simple one or two step assembly to complex multi step assembly. For example, measure, cut and strip being one or two steps and terminal crimping being another to form a single wire lead. More complex assemblies include terminal block loading, heat shrink or convoluted tube covering over multiple wires. Producing a complete wire harness.

Capital Investment: Single (cut, strip or crimp) or two stage (cut and strip) processing tools are fairly low cost. Adding additional processing steps like the above mentioned block load, heat shrinking adds additional capital cost. Leasing processing tools through lease to purchasing programs can spread the cost of the capital investment over time.

Volume: Low volume assemblies are easier to make in house as they do not take up a lot of resources, high volume is easier to move to an outside vendor to preserve resources.

Floor space: A few small bench top machines do not take up a lot of space. But consider space for raw materials (wire, terminals, tubing etc..). As the processing steps and volumes increase, additional space may be required.

Labour: Do you have sufficient labour resources to set up, operate and maintain equipment required? Also do you have or can you acquire the assembly knowledge to produce quality assemblies. Are your labour costs higher (or lower) than an outside vendor?

Longevity: What is the life span of the product? Is it sustained long enough to recover the capital equipment costs? Can the equipment be used in a next generation project?

All of these factors can be placed on a sliding scale. For example Capital Investment on assembly processing equipment may be low in relationship to the volume. Floor space may be at a premium as well as labour shortage or required processing knowledge may not be available. If the longevity of the product is high then it may make sense to bring the assembly in house. Conversely if the Capital cost is high in relation to the product life span, it would be better to utilize the existing Capital of an outside supplier.

As said in the beginning, there is no easy answer to this question. But if you consider all of the above factors and place them on a scale from simple to complex, then an objective decision can be made.

 

Methods of Marking Wire and Cable

March 19, 2015 Application Illustrations, Carpenter Manufacturing, Judco Mfg, Schaefer Megomat Comments Off on Methods of Marking Wire and Cable

Marking wire with an identifying number or character has been a necessary part of wire assembly for as long as anyone can recall. Most electrical standards require a mark identifying a specific electrical circuit for tracability in assembly and service

Methods of marking a wire continue to evolve as processing technology improves. New methods are being introduced to compliment existing processing methods which continue to be effective. The result is a wide range of processing options to meet virtually all applications and production volumes.

We will outline some of the more common processing methods and how they are applied in a production environment.

Labels

Label mark

Adhesive labels are an effective method of applying an alpha numeric mark to wire. Processing methods include manual from a box or card, labeling guns and semi automatic systems.  Label adhesion can be affected by the type of wire insulation and quality of the label itself.  Permanence can be affected by the above plus the operating environment of the wire. The operating environment can include temperature, humidity and the presence of chemicals or contaminants). Cost of application equipment can range from zero (manual) to high (semi-automated, integrated with a cut only or wire cut and strip machine).

Hot Stamp

Stamprite Machine Hot Stamp Marker

Hot stamp marking is a wire marking process that dates back to World War II.  Hot Stamp marking uses heat type and thermal marking foil to place a mark to the surface of a wire.  The wire is fed through a guide or anvil and the guide assembly lifts up to contact the heated type surface with the foil sandwiched between the type and the wire.  There are two types of hot stamp markers, separate marking type and wheels.  The separate marking type are arranged in the desired number sequence and mounted into a type holder.  In the case of a wheel type of marker, each wheel represents one character and includes the characters generally used (0-9, A-Z, blank and special marks: right and left arrow and hyphen).   Wheel type are quicker to change over and lend themselves better to manual or automatic processing. Actuation is by lever or foot pedal for manual (offline) processing and integrated into a semi or fully automated solution with actuation controlled by the automation system.

Hot stamp marking is less prone to environmental conditions that can affect the adhesion of a wire label.  Some industries specify other marking methods as the mark is imprinted to the surface of the wire using heat and there are concerns about potential damage to the insulation.  But the cycle time is limited and the heat applied is localized so this processing method is acceptable for the majority of applications.

End marking (same or different number on opposing ends of the wire) and continuous (along the length of the wire at a fixed distance) are normal processing types.  Continuous marking does slow down a semi or fully automated wire processing machine as the wire feed must stop during the stamping process.  The number of marks and distance between marks affects processing speed.

The type of thermal marking foil used, the temperature of the type and impression time are critical factors for a hot stamp mark.  The insulation type and wall thickness normally determine the foil, temperature and cycle time. Marking foil normally comes in rolls and is white or black.

Ink Jet

Ink Jet marking is a newer technology relative to hot stamp.  Ink droplets are sprayed onto the wire surface in a pattern to form a character or character string.  Ink jet marking systems are fully programmable and offer more character options than other methods.  These markers can also interface into the operating system of semi or fully automated processing systems. The interface provides programming and processing communication to the marker.  End or continuous marking is possible but It is important to note that without a programming interface between the processing machine and marker, only continuous marking can be processed.  Line speed is quicker than other processes as the process does stop to apply a mark to the wire.

There are a wide variety of pigmented and non-pigmeted inks available to suit a wide range of insulation types.  In addition, chemicals to clean the ink jet head are required to prevent dried ink from clogging the jets. Special handling of ink and chemicals is required and maintenance personnel are normally trained how to properly apply and store chemicals. Ink jet markers are typically dedicated to one type or ink due to the cleaning process required to transition from one ink type to another.

Permanence to an insulation can be a factor as the ink normally does not penetrate below the insulation surface.  The mark can rub off in some environments.  Using pre or post treatment methods such as plasma or UV curing can improve the adhesion of the ink to the wire.

Heat Shrink

Marking to heat shrink and applying the marked heat shrink to a wire is another method.  The heat shrink tube is marked and cut to length on a dedicated machine.  The marked heat shrink tube is applied to the wire manually using the Judco Focus Lite or heat gun.  The mark to the heat shrink is applied using methods such as hot stamp or ink jet.

Laser Marking

CLC Wire Mark

Laser marking is an emerging marking technology.  Line speed is slower than ink jet but suited for continuous marking.  Mark characters and character strings are programmable.  A black mark is the primary color as the character is burned into the insulation surface.  A marking method endorsed by military and aerospace.

Wire Process Specialties provides solutions for processing wire harnesses.  Connect Your Way to WPS to see how we can assist your company in their processing problems.

Methods of Processing Wire Assemblies.

March 10, 2015 Application Illustrations, General-Business-Commentary Comments Off on Methods of Processing Wire Assemblies.

Business conditions are more competitive than they ever have been.  Global sourcing has placed extra price pressure on companies. Competitors domestic and offshore are lobbying for business which was once secure. Profit margins are slim with little or no margin for error. Manufacturing in North America has unique challenges and those challenges are especially acute within the wire processing industry.

Regardless of the region a company is based, there is one common objective each company has.  That is finding the best processing solution that will optimize their production efficiency while lowering overall processing costs. And making the best use of people resources. The purpose of this article is to outline some of the processing types, offer examples of those processing types related to wire processing and guidelines for application.

Manual Processing Tools.

ae-header

Manual tools are the most basic of processing types.  One person and one tool process a single step in an assembly process.  Manual assembly is used in low volumes assembly, where access is restricted or where the tool needs to be brought to the work. Worker fatigue can be a factor in the use of manual tools.  This can affect overall output and quality as volumes increase. Excellent processing solutions for companies who process low volumes in a high value added production envirnoment.  Examples of manual tools include hand crimp tools, heat guns, wire strippers and wire cutters. High production flexibility with manual tools. Minimal set up and maintenance time. Acquisition cost is low.

Single Process Bench Tools.

FLG2

Single Process Bench Tools extend the manual process to a bench processing machine. One person and bench processing machine process a single step in an assembly process. Output is moderately higher than a manual process, but operator fatigue is much lower and quality is higher due to the power assist and repeatibility of these units.   High flexibility with single process bench tools, minimal to moderate set up time especially with newer motorized units.  Minimal maintenance time. Examples of single process bench tools include wire cutters, wire strippers, wire crimping (loose piece and reel mounted contacts) and heat shrink processing machines. Acquisition cost is low. Ultrasonic wire splicing and laser wire stripping are other example of a single process bench tool but the acquisition costs for these solutions are higher.

Multi-Process Bench Tools

97A

Multi-Process Bench Tools combine two or more processing steps into one machine type. One person and processing machine process a multiple step in an assembly process. Output is much higher than with more than one assembly machine processing the same steps. Processing time and labour content is lower than with manual or single processing bench tools. Set up and maintenance skills are higher while operator skills are moderately higher. Examples of multi-process bench tools are wire and tube measure to length and cut, wire measure to length cut and strip, coaxial wire strippers and terminal stripper-crimpers. Acquisition cost is moderate.

Wire Processing Automation

Megomat 2000

Automation combines many processes into a single automation system.  One operator monitoring output and unloading finished leads.  Output is generally designed for high volume global production.  Due to quick change press applicator bases and programmable motorized machine motions, set up is quick so lot sizes can be reasonably smaller.  Set up, operation and maintenance skills are high.  Examples of processes which are typically automated include terminal crimping, wire doubling (two of the same wires crimped to one terminal), wire twist flux and tin, ultrasonic wire tipping and weather seal insertion. Acquisition cost is high.

Installation, training and ongoing support

In all categories, proper training services are critical.  The first 30 to 60 days of an installation are important especially in the automation category as the business adapts to the new installation and personnel get used to the operation of the equipment.  A good supplier commits to ensuring the installation to operation period and beyond goes smoothly and they resolve routine questions or issues as they occur.

WireProcess Specialties supplies wire processing solutions from our Global Technology Partners Group.  We have over 3 decades of service to our valued customers. Connect Your Way to find our how WPS can support your processing requirements.

Extended Processing Solutions for Wire Assembly

February 24, 2015 Application Illustrations Comments Off on Extended Processing Solutions for Wire Assembly

Wire Processing is commonly known by it’s basic processes:  wire measure to length and cut, wire stripping and crimping of a terminal to one or both ends of the wire.  These hook up wires by themselves form an electrical connection in an electrical device.  Multiple wires are grouped together to form a wire harness with multiple connections. Wire Harnesses are typically held together with cable ties and/or enapsulated in sheathing such as convoluted plastic tube, heat shrink or tape.

As a wire assembly becomes more complex and as new materials are introduced, additional processing becomes necessary.  These processes are unique and are performed on either single or multi-process machines mounted on a bench top or an automation system.  This article will cover some of these special processes that are used in a wire harness.

Wire Splicing

There are a range of methods to splice two or more wires in an assembly.  These methods range from manual processes such as solder and loose piece splice clips to more automated processes such as reel feed splices and ultrasonic wire splicing.  Different industries may embrace a specific method  of splicing.  For example, the aerospace industry uses solder sleeves as a primary splice method where the automotive industry almost exclusively uses ultrasonic.

large splice

Ultrasonic welding uses high frequency vibration and pressure to create a metallurgical bond.  The vibration of the materials causes a scrubbing motion which dislodges contaminants such as oxidization and small traces of oils used in the manufacturing process.  The result is a bond that has very low electrical resistance.  The material does not reach a melting temperature and does not depend on materials with similar melting points.  As a result small wire splices as well as large cross sections can be bonded together.  The ultrasonic weld process is also used to seal copper tubes for refrigeration, wire to terminal connecting and a great number of electrical and electronic connections.

10065

 

Wire Splicing using a semi-formed splice like the ETCO autoband  is another method to attach leads together as part of wire harness assembly.  Splice terminals are low costs and provide a tight compression crimp around the wire.

Heat Shrink Processing

Heat Shrink tube as mentioned in the introduction, is used for encapsulation of a wire harness or portion of a harness.  It is also used as an insulator over terminals and isolating connectors to eliminate shorts from bare conductor material (wire and terminals) touching one another.

The standard method of shrinking heat shrink tube is a heat gun.  Heat guns are a manual process which requires an operator to present the heat gun to the assembly or the assembly to the heat gun.  In cases of long runs of heat shrink, the operator must pass the heat gun over the tube at a steady rate.  Other methods are heat shrink ovens which have a hood and conveyor with heated elements and a blower.  The tube to be shrunk is loaded to the conveyor and passes through the oven at a set processing speed.  Both processes above use heated elements which consume a high level of energy and attract high energy costs.  With long runs of heat shrink, processing time is long.

The Focus Lite processing machines from Judco Mfg use energy efficient quartz halogen bulbs and mirrored surfaces to reflect and focus light energy to a central location.  Tube is shrunk quickly and efficiently with fraction of the energy.  Several models for processing shrink tube up to 1.5″ diameter and 16″ in length.  The FL30 is shown in the video above.

Laser Wire Stripping

Wire stripping is a common processing method as outlined in the introduction. Contact wire stripping with a blade if not set up properly can make contact with the wire which could result in a small nick in the wire.  Even with a proper set up there is a risk of putting an indent in a strand even if the surface of the strand is not compromised.  Some industries such as aerospace are shifting to non contact wire stripping.  Laser wire stripping is an emerging technology for applications requiring non contact wire stripping.  Specially effective with irregular shaped wire profiles.  The wire pictured in the video above is a twisted pair Teflon coated wire, common in aerospace applications.  Hand held, bench top and automated processing configurations are possible.

Weather Seal Application

Environments where water or moisture exist require extra protection.  Connectors which resiSSM_SSK_2_10de in these environments will use a weather seal to seal off the opening to a connector body.  The seal is inserted over a stripped wire and the terminal is crimped over the seal.  The seal is crimped to the insulation support portion of the terminal.  Terminals designed for weather seals will have an over sized insulation crimp to properly capture the seal. Assembly methods include manual loading, bench top loading, combination seal insertion, strip and crimping and fully automatic assembly on a cut, strip and terminate machine.  The Schaefer SSM pictured at the left is mounted to a fully automatic processing machine such as the Megomat 800 six station processing machine.

With over 30 years of experience in processing wire and cable assemblies with state of the art technology, Wire Process Specialties is equipped to provide these or other solutions to your wire processing problems.  Connect Your Way to WPS to find out more.

Wire Processing Solutions for Automation Assembly and Electrical Paneling.

January 19, 2014 Application Illustrations, Carpenter Manufacturing, Wezag Tools Comments Off on Wire Processing Solutions for Automation Assembly and Electrical Paneling.

Producing a wire assembly can be a simple process such as a simple hook up wire.  It can be as complex as a multi circuit wire harness.  Processing solutions for these wire assemblies can also be simple to complex.  The appropriate solution generally is dictated by the lot and global production size of a particular sub assembly.  Companies who’s core product is a wire assembly generally use a mix of processing solutions from manual hand tools through single process bench equipment to multi process automation.  Companies who process a wire assembly as a sub assembly installed into their core product typically use hand tools and bench top single and multi process equipment. This article focuses on solutions for low to moderate wire assembly requirements.  Companies who process electronics and printed circuit boards also fit in this category.

Manual Assembly Tools

 

Wire and Tube Cutting

Wezag SH CutterThe Wezag SH series of wire cutters are designed for cutting heavy cable.  Ratchet design and long handles provide high compression force with less physical effort.

 

31_9497The Carpenter 31 bench top wire and tube cutter is designed to cut wire and tube using a lever action.  The 31 has a 1″ high by 4″ high blade opening allowing for a large range of materials to be processed.  Separators can be added to accurately process multiple rows of material.

 

 

Wire Crimping

Featured Product

Wezag AE24-1 Wezag AE 24

The Wezag AE24 hand crimp tool is a universal hand tool designed to crimp ferrules.   A patented design from Wezag offers one universal die set to crimp ferrules from 24 to 10 awg.  No more guessing which crimp opening to use making the crimp process faster and more efficient. Ergonomic design reduces fatigue.

CS30STRATO

Wezag Tools supplies a full line of hand crimp tooling for open barrel terminals, closed barrel insulated and uninsulated terminals terminals and four point crimp for screw machine style pins.

.Powered Single Process Assembly Tools.

 Wire Stripping

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Model 78
The Carpenter 78 is a pneumatic wire stripper which can process a wide range of wire sizes.  Using easily adjustable knobs to set the wire size, strip and pull lengths, the 78 can quickly change from one wire size to the next making small lots much more cost effective.  Other options for wire stripping include rotary wire strippers to efficiently strip the wire and twist the strands.

 

Terminal Crimping

62

The Carpenter Accu-Crimp 62 is pneumatically powered and can crimp a wide range of insulated and uninsulated terminals.  The die opening is always closed for safety purposes and is opened to load the terminals by pressing the upper knob.

Wezag CS 200

The Wezag CS200 is an electric powered crimp machine for loose piece terminals.  The CS200 can accept crimp heads for standard Wezag crimp tools providing the ultimate in flexibility.

Powered Multi Process Assembly Tools.

Wire/Tube Measure and Cut

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Carpenter Compu-Cut 42C
The Compu-Cut 42C is a high performance wire and tube cutting machine with a large opening to process heavy cable, large OD tube, or several rows of material.  The 42C uses high accuracy feed motors and a powerful pneumatic cutter head.  In addition to the 42C, the Compu-Cut 33 is a smaller cutter for light duty wire and tube processing.

Wire Cut and Strip

eswthumb_97A

Compu-Strip 97A

For more information, please view our product focus on the 97A.

For high current or heavy cable applications, please refer to our article on large cable processing.

Other processing solutions include wire marking, ultrasonic wire splicing and shrinking of heat shrinkable tube.

Wire Process Specialties is equipped to supply your requirements for wire processing from simple manual tools to semi-automation and beyond.  Connect Your Way to WPS to find out how we can apply our technology to your processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Rotary vs V Blade Wire Stripping.

November 8, 2012 Application Illustrations, Carpenter Manufacturing One comment

Wire stripping is a mechanical insulation separation process which can be performed by various methods.  Two of the most common methods are Rotary Blade and V Blade. This article will outline these two methods, the advantages and drawbacks.

Rotary Blade.

A wire stripper with a rotary blade has one or two blades centered around an opening that the wire is pushed through.  A wire guide sized to  the wire OD ensures the wire does not rotate in an oblong fashion and cause damage to the inner conductors.  The blades are adjusted to match the ID of the wire without nicking the inner conductors.  During processing, the blades close around the wire and rotate to slit the jacket. A number of revolutions may be required to separate the insulation slug from the wire.  This depends on the thickness and insulation type.

The rotary blades provide a very clean shoulder on the insulation.  The rotary action of the blades also twists the stands of single conductor stranded wire, which helps in the insertion of the wire to a terminal block or PC board hole prior to wave soldering.  Non concentric wire can be problematic and cause less than desirable results in nicked strands or jagged separation of the insulation. Below is the operation of the Carpenter 72C which shows the action of the rotary blade to strip wire.

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V Blade.

The V blade configuration provides good quality wire stripping of a large range of wire cross sections. This blade style is used on bench top single process wire strippers, automated cut/strip machines and fully automated work centers such as the Schaefer Megomat Primo XLT.  Adjusting a V blade wire stripper is fast and changeover to a different wire takes only a few seconds.  The angle of a V blade is typically 90 degrees.  This angle is generally accepted as the best providing optimum overall results on a wide rage of wire sizes.  Narrow entry angles such as 30 or 60 degree are also used but would be deployed on specific applications. The V blade strips the wire at four points and not the whole surface as a rotary blade does.  Special configurations like the Lakes patented Uni-V blade adds a secondary angle which provides more contact to the blade.

Other V blade configurations are full radius and tangent radius V.  The blade illustrated above is full radius blade for a Carpenter Compu-Strip 97A.  This blade is sized for a specific wire cross section.  Adjacent wire sizes cannot be stripped with a radius V blade.

The illustration above shows the Tangent radius (Lakes Precision TA-V).  The entry angle lines meet the arc at a tangent point. This type of blade, when closed, presents a diamond shaped edge profile.Advantages: By adjusting cutter head shut height, ( if insulation material and wall thickness allow), you can process
adjacent wire sizes with the same blade, or you could compensate for off-center wire extrusions.

The video below illustrates the operation of a 90 degree V blade in a Carpenter 77E heavy duty wire stripper.

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The V blade profile with its variations can process a large variety of wire sizes and insulation types.  The four point contact on the 90 degree V blade provides a lesser quality shoulder than the rotary but can be offset by the use of a full or tangent radius V blade.

Wire Process Specialties has over three decades of experience providing wire processing solutions.  How can we help you optimize your production processes with a component or processing equipment solution?  Connect Your Way to WPS today to begin the dialogue and the path to lower processing costs and higher production efficiency.

 

 

Crimp Quality Process Validation and Monitoring Part Three

August 28, 2012 Application Illustrations, C&S Technologies Comments Off on Crimp Quality Process Validation and Monitoring Part Three

This is the final installment of Crimp Quality Process Validation and Monitoring.  In part one, we discussed pre-process validation. In part two we outlined real time monitoring process during production.  In this segment, we will discuss the calibration and machine capability of crimping presses as an integral part of an overall quality strategy.

Process Capability
Process Capability is the total variation in a production process and the ability for that process to be reproduce-able over time and within stated production specifications.  Measurements during the production process are taken then grouped together to form a histogram (bell curve). The distribution of measurement results provide an indication of present conformance of the item being produced.  Process Capability is a valuable tool for making changes to improve the production process. The capability of a production process is based on multiple factors which are common among almost all production processes The major factors are People, Machine, Methods and Materials. Each factor has its own process variation and contributes to the overall process capability.

In crimping a wire to a terminal, these factors above come into play and can be controlled at the plant level in different degrees.  For example:

Considering “People” as a factor, the manual locating of a terminal in a bench top crimp press is one level of variation. Training operators improves the process and is eliminated when an automatic processing machine is deployed.  Methods can range widely but could include maintenance schedules, operator and set up personnel training, set up and operating procedures.  Effects the Machine has on the process can include the machine age (wear and tear), maintenance and overall accuracy and repeatability of the machine itself.  Machines can include the crimp press, terminal applicator and in the case of an automated machine the robotic assembly to deliver a stripped wire to the crimp press.  The factor which the producer has less control is materials which include wire, terminals and weather seals.  In the case of materials, specifications are generally established by the material manufacturer within their own production process.

Crimp Press Capability

The machine component which can cause excessive variation in the process and which is the last area companies look to for process improvement is the crimp press itself.  Even with stable materials, methods, people and crimp applicators additional process variation can occur with the crimp press.  Presses have a long production life cycle and in that time bearing, crankshafts and ram assemblies can get worn. Which will show up as piece by piece variation.

The illustration at the left shows a chart of a crimp press which was calibrated and the press was cycled to determine peak crimp force per piece.  The top chart shows the shut height measurement and the bottom chart shows reference force.  Excessive variation can be found in the force chart on a piece by piece basis.  The shut height measurement was in control where the force was not in control.

The illustration at left was the same press after maintenance was performed to tighten up the press ram assembly.  The force measurements were brought into statistical control.  The shut height measurement also improved statistically. The result of this improvement will be a process that is in better statistical control and a product which will perform consistently better piece by piece.

The tool used is the C&S PAL3001 which can calibrate a press to the industry standard shut height and take force measurement readings to determine machine capability.

 

 

 

Wire Process Specialties can supply your crimp validation equipment and in-process measurement and data collection for ongoing process improvement.  Connect You Way to WPS find out more.

Etco Insulated Quick-Connects and New Innovations

August 14, 2012 Etco Comments Off on Etco Insulated Quick-Connects and New Innovations

Wire Process Specialties has a deep and rich history with Etco Incorporated spanning more than 30 years.  Etco is a manufacturer of high quality terminal stampings in reel form for attachment by automatic crimp dies.  Our customers appreciate the consistency in people and company operating philosophy.  Etco is privately owned and operated with two facilities, the corporate office, R&D and Manufacturing in Bradenton Florida and an engineering and manufacturing facility in Warwick Rhode Island.

In the late 1980’s the need for a high performance insulated quick connector was established. A connector which has superior crimping and insulating characteristics and can be applied in one stroke of a crimp applicator. Etco answered that challenge and the Etco Insulated terminal series was born.

The basic concept of the Etco Insulated terminal is a plastic insulator partly embedded over an open barrel quick connect.  The terminal is loaded into the applicator, the terminal is crimped on the downstroke of the press and the insulator is assembled over the terminal on the upstroke of the press. This connector assembly is a more reliable and better quality connector than the closed barrel insulated terminal alternate.

The Etco applicator is a mini style which can be mounted into most crimp presses semi-automated using an operator to present the wire, or fully automatic on a swing arm style wire process machine like the Schaefer Megomat Uno.  The applicator uses a  mechanical feed system for simple but accurate terminal feeding.  The insulator is inserted over the crimped terminal using an air cylinder which is activated on the applicator upstroke.

 

The Etco Insulated terminal series includes in line female quick connects from 1/8″ to 1/4″ width.  Interlocking 1/4″ males are available to mate with the Etco female quick connects. The Etco catalogue can be found on the Etco page of wireprocess.com

 

 New Product Introduction – the Etco Fully Insulated Flag Quick Connect

 A CSA and UL recognized flag quick connect has been part of the Etco product line for many years.  The back of the terminal was open due to the terminal construction but approved by the product safety standards. New UL standards are being published which include a tighter requirement to fully enclose the metal contact.

Etco has recently introduced a back to the flag terminal to make the Etco Flag series the first in the market to meet the new UL standard.

 

 The back of the Etco flag is assembled onto the crimped terminal by an external assembly machine.  The terminal is presented into the assembly machine and activated. The terminal back is inserted into apertures in the terminal housing.

To view the advertisement from Etco on the new terminal, click here.

 

 

Etco, another valued Global Technology Partner shows how Wire Process Specialties can fully supply your wire processing needs. Connect Your Way to Wire Process Specialties to let us help you solve your wire processing challenges.

 

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