TECHNOLOGY NEWS:
Niehoff Builds User-Specific Cable Spooling Systems
Cable spooling systems and the types of cable bundles created by them strongly affect the profitability of cable producers and harness makers. Maschinenfabrik Niehoff has developed different automotive cable coiling systems which meet the specific requirements of cable producers and harness makers. In Asia, spoolers are widely used which wind the cable arriving from the extrusion line into spool-less coils. In Europe and America, cable producers increasingly apply the Niehoff Package System (NPS) which is based on specially designed spoolers and collapsible multi-way spools made of plastic. In order to optimise the handling of coils and spools, Niehoff has also developed specific transport systems.
The SR 400 D type spooler from Niehoff is designed like a double spooler and continuously winds insulated cables into coils. The spooler is primarily used in tandem operation with an extrusion line. The standard version is built for manual coil packaging, while the automatic version enables a fully automatic strapping and palettising of the coils. Both versions are designed to work in non-stop operation with a cycle time of approximately 1 min per coil. The coils are ejected without the help of an interposed coiling accumulator at full production speed. The spooler equipped with a PLC and corresponding electrical systems can be flexibly integrated in all extrusion lines. The machine can coil copper cables with a cross-section of 0.25 to 4 mm_ and an outer diameter of 1.0 to 5.0 mm at production speeds of up to 1,000 m/min (Fig. 1).
At the end of the 1980s, Niehoff introduced the Niehoff Package System (NPS) which is protected by several patents and has been extended ever since. Primarily designed for insulated motor vehicle cables, the NPS has been continuously developed according to the increasing demands of the cable producers. The NPS double spoolers built in different configurations wind the cables arriving at high speed from an extrusion line onto specially designed multi-way spools made of ABS plastic and create a precisely selectable, anti-slip winding pattern. The range of NPS spools includes 600/400, 400/400, 400/250, 400/150, and 284/400 spools as well as a special version of the NPS 400/400 spool for the thermal cross-linking of PE insulated cables. The first figure specifies the flange diameter and the second one the traversing width. The spool NPS 400 / 150 is particularly suitable for the just-in-time delivery of small cable quantities as the traversing width is only 150 mm. The maximum capacity is 10 dm_. Depending on the type and the diameter of a cable, about 28 to 33 kg cable can be wound on the spool. The NPS spools are used for cable with a cross-section of 0.35 to 6 mm_ (Figs. 2 and 3).
When selecting the system and the type of bundle it is important to ensure that the cable is not damaged during spooling and transport and can later be unwound properly and at the required speed. Also harness makers are increasingly obliged to stock a growing variety of cables in type, cross-section, and colour. In future, more bundles with shorter cable lengths will be required. If only a part of the coiled length is required, NPS spools are better than spool-less coils: The harness maker uses the required quantities of cable from NPS spools repacking the partial spool and saving it for further use on demand. With the NPS laying technique and the spool geometry, the material is unable to slip, and a tanglefree pay-off at full speed of the crimping machine is always guaranteed. Bundles wound on the NPS spools 400/250 and 400/150 are a really good alternative to cable coils.
Empty NPS spools are dismantled and their various components stacked in minimum space one inside the other. Returned in this form to the cable manufacturer, the spools can be easily reassembled and are ready for immediate reloading. Another advantage is that NPS spools require no additional packaging material: Therefore, there are no further packaging costs and no costs for the expensive waste disposal of used packaging material.
Company: |
Niehoff GmbH & Co. KG |
Country: |
Germany |
Fax: |
+49 91 2297 7155 |
Email: |
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Website: |
www.niehoff.de |