Introduction

Wardwell Braiding Machine Co., of Central Falls (Providence), USA, has been making braiders, pay-offs, and winders since its very first machines came off the production line nearly 100 years ago. Today the company offers a line of highly versatile equipment offering complete braiding solutions for the manufacture of wire and cable, textiles, hose, medical devices, and composite materials. In the 1980’s, Wardwell made a decision to pursue a leadership position in the world market, and instituted an aggressive plan to establish itself as the industry leader in braiding machinery and related technical services. Through a series of planned acquisitions, mergers, and alliances, Wardwell has pursued its long-range for a global presence while taking extreme care that its customer support and service keep pace.

Machinery in wide array

Wardwell-built braiders range in size from 3 to 144 carriers. Among 16-carrier machines, the industry standard, the company offers three types and 20 models bearing some of the industry’s most recognisable names, among them Rapid, Speedmaster, Dratex, and Spirka. Vertical, horizontal, double-deck, and tandem models accommodate footprint limitations and other constraints.

Beyond braiders, the company manufactures integrated and independent motorised payoffs and winders, spiraling units, longitudinal and spiral taping systems, and a full complement of replacement parts to help keep even the oldest machines running productively and profitably.

Hose braiding for reinforcing and armouring with copper wire,
stainless steel wires, textile yarns, and synthetic fibres

Research & Development

Working closely with its customers, Wardwell gains the greatest possible understanding of the difficulties they face. It is the job of the company’s Research & Development component to use this information to create solutions that help these customers improve their product quality and increase their profitability. Wardwell sees R&D primarily as the means whereby technological advances can be applied to avoiding problems in advance, while saving time, money, and exasperation for braiding machine operators. Steady increases in machine operating speeds furnish but one example of this philosophy in action.

From Wardwell R&D has come a new line of automatic winders and powered pay-offs designed to improve bobbin wind quality. Pre-existing machine lines, such as the lever arm, are more varied and productive than ever before. New machine accessories include foil-adhering and tape-application devices. Adaptations to improve operating efficiency include automatic lubrication systems, variable speed capstans, and reliable empty-bobbin detection.

Braiders, winders, pay-offs

Wardwell’s roster of braiders, winders, and pay-offs features brand-new offerings as well as industry staples that have benefited from recent technological advances. Here are brief descriptions of units representative of the Wardwell line.

The Dratex 1616 series of 16-carrier braider
The 16-carrier wire braiding machine, the most widely used around the world, reached the then-high speed of 150rpm in 1977 when Wardwell introduced the Speedmaster 150. It remained at that level until Wardwell subsidiary Schnellflechter unveiled the much-anticipated 1616/7 at Atlanta in 2001. Initially, the speed was cautiously raised to 165rpm. Additional modifications and extensive testing prompted a speed increase to the present 180rpm.

The Wardwell 16-carrier wire-braiding machine, Model Dratex 1616

The machine configuration requires that half the wires be guided alternately over and under the remaining wires to achieve the braid construction. Because of inherent limitations in the mechanical components required for this process, Schnellflechter engineers devised a way to increase speed and productivity. The Dratex 1616/7 can run a broad range of products at the maximum speed of 180rpm with a bobbin capacity of 370cm3.

Close-up of a Dratex machine

The DF 16A braiding machine
In braiding the emphasis has traditionally been on productivity, which generally means higher speed and greater bobbin capacity. While productivity remains paramount at Wardwell, new products and applications demonstrate a shift in emphasis to wire handling and tension control. The DF 16A is versatile enough to adapt to various process requirements.

Model DF16 braiding machine

The DF 16A model comes equipped with fine-wire carriers; servo drives on the pay-off, capstan, and take-up; and two dancer systems, all synchronised through computer controls of proprietary design. These features allow the DF 16A to maintain consistent tension at levels below 50 grams. Some Wardwell customers are now braiding four ends of 0.03mm copper wire over micro coax cables 0.22mm in diameter. The trend toward smaller diameter cables shielded with ever finer and fewer wires continues, and Wardwell is working today to be ready to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Automatic winder model W8-940S-WS
Wardwell has offered bobbin winders to support its braiding machines in the wire and cable industry for nearly 40 years. In 2000, the company engaged the services of Luigi Redaelli, a widely respected figure in the industry. With Mr. Redaelli’s expertise, Wardwell designed its first automatic bobbin winder, introduced at Atlanta in May of 2001. Less than a year later, in Düsseldorf, that accomplishment was succeeded by presentation of the first winder to successfully split wires from a multi-wire reel.

The new bobbin winding system, available with two or four positions, features individually driven spindles, a dancer/accumulator for precise tension control, and a multi-wire dynamic pay-off equipped with a traversing wire guide of proprietary design. This system permits the splitting-off of an even number of wires from one or two pay-offs onto two or four bobbins, respectively.

History of Wardwell Braiding Machine Co

Wardwell was founded in 1911 by the industrialist Simon Willard Wardwell. While today’s braiders incorporate advances that produce greater speed and efficiency, the method of braiding wire and yarns developed by Simon Wardwell has changed very little over the years. A visionary thinker, he was awarded 170 patents on such varied creations as an ingenious sewing machine, stamped wrenches, and a winder for the Universal Winding Machine Co. (later Leesona). Thirty-seven patents were granted to Wardwell for his braiding machine technology alone. The very first Wardwell rapid braider sold for a handsome $120, in 1915.

The history of Wardwell Braiding Machine Co. is closely intertwined with that of the braiding industry itself. A dramatically higher speed threshold was reached in the 1970’s when Wardwell engineers adapted their original deflector principle to build the first braiders to run at 150rpm. These machines gained great acceptance for braiding coaxial cable during a period when demand for this type of cable accelerated, and Wardwell has made a significant investment in the development of other braiding machines to meet this rapidly growing need.

Acquisitions and alliances

In the 1980’s, Wardwell began a series of strategic acquisitions and alliances with its purchase of the maypole braider division of the New England Butt Company. New capabilities were thereby added, including the manufacture of rope, cordage, medical sutures, and reinforced hose. The machines are recommended for the creation of composite parts of unusual strength and flexibility for such products as golf club shafts, fishing poles, sailboat masts, and large blades for wind generators. This acquisition was followed by a co-operative agreement with Kokubun Inc. through which Wardwell became the exclusive North American distributor for Kokubun’s line of maypole braiders.

In 1994, Wardwell acquired Schnellflechter Berlin GmbH, a German braiding machine producer with a reputation for engineering excellence and product quality. Founded in 1908, Schnellflechter is now a major supplier of wire and cable braiders to customers in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and India. Its plant was expanded to meet the rapidly increasing need for interconnect wire and cable for burgeoning broadband and computer industry applications. During this phase of growth, each new acquisition or agreement enabled Wardwell to offer more product choices and thus gain access to other parts of the world market.

Braiding with textile yarns and synthetic fibres for marine cordage, mountain
climbing rope, shoelaces, rugs, decorative cord, composite reinforcements, etc.

Wardwell’s acquisition in 2001 of Spirka Maschinenbau GmbH, a leading German braiding machine manufacturer, marked the union of two companies with a long history in the manufacture of braiding machines for wire and cable, hose, medical, and textile applications. In 2001, when Wardwell Italy was founded to offer winder and payoff sales and service throughout that region for all Wardwell, Schnellflechter, and Spirka products.

The “Enterprise Resource Planning” system

As Wardwell views it, quality control and customer service are essential and totally integrated parts of running a successful business. The company’s Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) is the result of almost three years of research. This advanced information technology system has been designed from the ground up with the goal of improving every aspect of customer service, from order entry to the tracking of shipments.

Mr David Farnum, Wardwell’s sales manager

The sales component of this new technology speeds order processing, permits blanket ordering, simplifies inventory control, provides updated information on order status, and allows real-time tracking of orders. All this is administered by an automated order configurator that compiles order entry information and streamlines its delivery to the factory floor. One of the people most closely involved in development and implementation of the system, Wardwell sales manager David Farnum, says: “Our goal was to develop a system that provided everything we needed to do a better job for our customers. The configurator makes certain all pertinent questions are asked up front when machine specs are determined, thus minimising the chance for any errors”.

Within the ERP, Wardwell captures an extensive history of each customer’s activities and changing requirements, and the solutions the company has developed to for those individual clients. This is especially helpful, says Mr. Farnum, in making sure specifications are up-to-date and that the correct parts are being ordered. He told EuroWire, “Having this kind of information at our fingertips is an invaluable resource for us in better understanding customer needs and providing the right answers”.

Braiding for coaxial cable and computer interconnect wire with copper wire, mild-steel wire, and synthetic fibres

The Wardwell Website: a valuable resource

Wardwell maintains a highly informative website as a hands-on resource for its customers. Redesigned in 2001 and updated on a regular basis, the website gives customers an overview of all machine offerings and the applications for which each machine is best suited. One of the most frequently accessed sections is the online posting of parts manuals for many of Wardwell's braiding machine models. Upon completing a basic registration form, any customers interested in this information will be able to download it. Manuals may be viewed and downloaded at www.wardwell.com by clicking on the "Parts Locator" link.

Online manuals are currently available for the following machines:

• 16-carrier rapid braider;
• 24-carrier rapid braider;
• 16-carrier Speedmaster 150;
• 24-carrier Speedmaster 100;
• 16-carrier Euro-Speedmaster 150;
• 24-carrier Euro-Speedmaster 100;
• 16-carrier Speedmaster large bobbin;
• 24-carrier Speedmaster 2000;
• 16-carrier Euro-Speedmaster 100 large bobbin;
• 24-carrier cable braider;
• 16-carrier Speedmaster large bobbin 2000.

According to Mr. Farnum, this component of the website enjoys such popularity for a simple reason: “Now customers have instant access to this key information from anywhere in the world. They can access new parts as well as historic parts manuals. With the modular design of our Parts Locator feature, they are finding that parts can be identified quickly and easily”. The Wardwell website also contains all product specifications, along with many colour photographs, information on training sessions, upcoming trade shows, and much more.

An ISO 9001/2000 certified company

Conversion to the ISO 9001:2000 standard demonstrates Wardwell’s company wide commitment to customer service and support. The new standard, with its strong emphasis on integrating customer service with sound business practices, fits seamlessly with Wardwell’s own philosophy. A core team has been named to facilitate the conversion by the end of 2003.

Conclusion

Although the past year has been a challenging one in the wire and cable industry, Wardwell sees a bright future as the market begins to rebound. The company has expended considerable effort and resources to be well positioned to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Next-generation machinery has been developed to run at high speeds, producing even higher yields. Improved quality systems and preventive maintenance measures have been implemented to minimise the likelihood of machine downtime while, and service and support have been strengthened. The new Enterprise Resource Planning system is totally focused on improving every aspect of customer service.

Wardwell R&D continues to refine existing machines and design new ones. In keeping with its commitment to expand customer service along with its own growing global presence, the company operates 17 sales offices in America, Europe, South America, Asia, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.