| Wire and cable do not generally come with all the | | | | the braid machine onto a larger spool or payoff. |
| modifications needed for a specific application. For | | | | Cut & Strip |
| example, your application could call for wire with ink-jet | | | | Having your wire cut and stripped saves time and |
| printing for easy identification during installation and | | | | money and prevents excessive waste. Let’s say |
| usage. Similarly, you may want your wires dyed | | | | you need 1000 four-inch pieces of wire to install in |
| various colors for prompt circuit identification. This is | | | | printers that you manufacture. For each piece, you |
| where value-added manufacturers take over. | | | | need .5 inches of wire exposed on the ends. Instead |
| Several manufacturers supply distributors, wire | | | | of having your factory workers manually cut each |
| harness manufacturers, and OEMs with value-added | | | | piece off the reel and then remove the insulation from |
| services for wire and cable products. A value-added | | | | the ends, have your value-added manufacturer |
| service indicates a customization on an order that | | | | complete the process for you. |
| goes beyond a basic or core service. In other words, it | | | | The cut and strip process starts at one end of a cut |
| benefits the end user by “adding value” to the | | | | and strip machine where a reel is held in what is called |
| standard service offered. | | | | a “payoff.” The machine operator enters the |
| In the electrical wire and cable industry, value-added | | | | overall length and desired cut and strip measurements |
| services include braiding, cut and strip, printing, | | | | for the pieces. Next, the wire is fed through a set of |
| bar-coding, dyeing, custom put ups, striping, and more. | | | | pressure-sensitive wheels that hold the wire tautly. |
| These services can be broken down into four main | | | | Then the wire is passed through a pair of blades that |
| categories – Identification Solutions, Installation | | | | strip the insulation, as it can sense where the bare wire |
| Solutions, Labeling Solutions, and Packaging Solutions. | | | | begins. The wire is then pulled to the end to make the |
| Identification Solutions: Striping, Dyeing, and Printing | | | | length cut. Finally, it is pulled backward slightly in order |
| Striping and Dyeing | | | | to make the final ‘strip’ cut. The pieces of |
| Manufacturers and distributors of electrical wire often | | | | insulation cut for the strip can be left on the end of the |
| add stripes or dye a base wire another color. These | | | | wire to prevent the strands from fraying. This |
| processes are multifunctional as they add value to the | | | | detached piece of insulation is called the slug. |
| product, differentiate the wire for circuit identification | | | | The final cut and stripped wire is dropped into a bin. |
| and help control inventory volumes of stocked material. | | | | The machine will finish the process for the total |
| In order to dye a wire, a specially-built machine feeds | | | | amount of wire length the machine operator entered |
| the wire product through a system of pulleys. First, the | | | | at the beginning. |
| wire passes through a “wiper,” a foam circle | | | | Labeling Solutions: UL/CSA Labels, RFID, Custom |
| that encompasses the entire cable. The jacket of the | | | | Labels, Bar-Coding |
| wire absorbs a formulated dye that is present in the | | | | UL & CSA Labels |
| foam. After passing through the wiper, the wire goes | | | | Wire and cable products can be sent pre-labeled with |
| into a heat tower to cure and dry. | | | | UL and CSA tags. Use of these tags ensures that |
| Striping, which many manufacturers offer for extruded | | | | products will arrive at the delivery-point already |
| wire, is performed in the same machine as dyeing. | | | | marked to meet internal classifications, aiding in proper |
| However, for striping, the wire does not pass through | | | | identification and distribution upon receipt. |
| a foam wiper. Instead, the wire passes through a | | | | RFID & Government Labels |
| striper head that spins around the wire before it goes | | | | RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is another |
| into the dryer tower. | | | | Value-Added option to pre-label products for ease of |
| The produced stripes are either longitudinal or spiral. | | | | receipt. These labels are encoded with a radio |
| Post-production striping usually generates a spiral stripe, | | | | frequency that can be “read” by a transponder. |
| like that on a candy cane. Longitudinal stripes, which run | | | | RFID labels provide more than the basic information |
| along the side of a wire, are also available | | | | offered by a standard print label or even a bar-code, |
| post-production, but are not as common as the spiral | | | | and can be read at long distances. |
| type. Contrasting stripes are generally used when | | | | Value-added manufacturers will also produce |
| more than ten circuits have to be identified. | | | | Government labels. These specify any |
| Almost all insulations are able to be striped, including | | | | government-level classifications of Mil-Spec wires and |
| PVC, rubber, silicone, and PTFE. Similar to striping, most | | | | cables, and can aid in tracking and inventory. |
| PVC compounds can be dyed to individual | | | | Custom Shipping Labels |
| specifications without encountering any problems. | | | | Custom shipping labels include the specific information |
| However, some compounds that are CV-cured or | | | | a company requires to meet their standards right on |
| irradiated are not able to be dyed because they were | | | | the package. The types of information likely to be |
| originally designed to repel both petroleum- and | | | | found on a custom shipping label, aside from the |
| alkaline-based chemicals. The color will not soak into | | | | shipping address, include Part Number, Supplier Part |
| the insulation and is prone to flaking. | | | | Number, PO Number, Lot Number, and Date. |
| Printing | | | | Bar-Coding |
| In addition to common striping and dyeing methods, | | | | This service will print the needed information right on |
| there are other ways of marking wire for identification. | | | | the shipping label in the bar-code standard the |
| Many OEM’s and harness manufacturers prefer | | | | company uses. There are two general types of |
| using printed wire in their assembled products. Printed | | | | bar-codes: linear, which is used more often, and matrix, |
| wire not only helps in the assembly of products, but | | | | which holds more data. Common linear formats are |
| also benefits installers and users of the finished | | | | UPC, generally used in retail, and MSI, generally used in |
| product. | | | | warehouse inventory. |
| One way of marking wire is with ink-jet printing. Using a | | | | Packaging Solutions: Special Packaging/Reel Sizes |
| dot matrix printer, a series of “dots” create | | | | Wire is heavy, consumes space, and is hard to keep in |
| characters on a wire. For example, in the automotive | | | | inventory. In addition, OEM’s worry about the costs |
| industry, a harness may be manufactured for turn | | | | in set-up and handling of preprocessed and |
| signals. In this case, the specific wire would be ink-jet | | | | post-processed wire. Many OEM’s that regularly |
| printed “left front turn signal” or “tail lights.” | | | | use wire have gotten special reels or spools in order |
| Each wire would be color coded in the harness and | | | | to efficiently use storage area, maintain an accurate |
| ink-jet printed, making it user-friendly and easily | | | | inventory, and keep costs to a minimum. |
| identifiable. | | | | Wire and cable distributors that cater to OEM’s |
| Another way of marking wire is hot stamping, which | | | | and harness houses have developed unique ways to |
| entails a process similar to that of a typewriter. A | | | | store wire. One such way is to use large bulk Drum |
| character-shaped “head” strikes a colored tape, | | | | “reels.” Drums are commonly constructed of |
| causing the chosen character(s) to appear on the wire. | | | | cardboard or pressed paper (with a center core of |
| Installation Solutions: Twisting, Braiding, and Cut & Strip | | | | the same material) and metal rings around the top and |
| Twisting | | | | bottom. When wire is ready to be stored, it is laid into |
| Many OEM’s need paired wire in the manufacturing | | | | the Drum using a circular motion that allows for easy |
| process. Grouping single- or multi-conductor cables into | | | | removal. Storage capacity in any given Drum can be |
| various configurations can cut installation time | | | | thousands of feet, depending on the gauge of the wire. |
| dramatically. It allows wires to lie together, which in turn | | | | However, if the Drum is rolled or damaged, the wire |
| makes working with them easier. | | | | may become almost impossible to remove. |
| In order to create paired wire, a process known as | | | | Reels and spools come in many different sizes and |
| twisting must occur. Twisting entwines multiple wires | | | | configurations for use with varying wire types. For |
| and arranges them tightly next to each other. Two, | | | | example, large 6 to 8 foot tall wooden slatted reels |
| three, and even up to eight wires can be twisted | | | | hold large gauge power cable. Many wire |
| together. | | | | manufacturers use 2,500 ft to 5,000 ft spools for |
| The process of putting wire ends into a drill and | | | | hook-up wire. |
| twisting the wire is one home-grown twisting method | | | | Small gauge wire may be spooled on a 10-inch plastic |
| that’s still practiced on the production floor. It will get | | | | spool that has a center core length of 5 to 6 inches |
| the job done to some extent, but it will not remove the | | | | and holds up to 10,000 ft. Certain factors determine the |
| natural twist in each wire. This means that if the wire is | | | | spool size you will need; one important factor is how |
| cut into small lengths, it will not stay twisted together. | | | | the wire will be used in the manufacturing process. |
| Another problem with this method is the wire acquires | | | | If the manufacturer usually cuts their wire by |
| dirt and grit on the production floor. The dirt could | | | | automated machine, the spool size or Drum size may |
| transfer to the finished product, which could then pose | | | | be critical. For example, using an automated machine, a |
| major problems. Twisting using a dedicated wire | | | | large Drum of wire can be gone in as little as 30 |
| twisting machine is the only way to get a good lay to | | | | minutes, depending on the length of the cut. Cost is |
| the wires. | | | | another factor. As an added benefit for a large reel |
| Braiding | | | | size or Drum Packs, many distributors offer discounts |
| One process that helps add protection against | | | | on bulk reels. |
| abrasion in harsh environments is braiding. | | | | With all of their unique abilities, value-added services |
| Braiding is a process in which small strands are woven | | | | conveniently customize while offering solutions for |
| together on top of a wire or cable for added | | | | precise wire and cable specifications. As an additional |
| protection. At the start of the process, numerous | | | | advantage, purchasing wire and cable from a |
| spools, also called “Bobbins,” of very small | | | | value-added manufacturer proves to be cost-effective |
| gauge wire (32-36 AWG) are inserted into a wire | | | | because everything you need can be completed in a |
| braiding machine. | | | | single location by one vendor. |
| The bobbins are each placed in a precise location | | | | Electrical wire and cable distributors have the tools to |
| within the machine and the ends of each bobbin are | | | | prepare wire for the buyer’s convenience. |
| pulled to the top of the braiding machine. Next, the | | | | Whatever the service, the value-added distributor |
| bobbins are subjected to a spinning or circular weaving | | | | offers the ability to custom-order inventory to fit |
| motion, while a wire or cable is pulled up through the | | | | individual process and storage needs. This translates |
| center of the bobbins. As the synchronized process | | | | into better usage of time and space, and that further |
| commences, a weave or braid is manufactured over | | | | translates into profit. |
| the cable. Finally, the finished product is drawn out of | | | | |