CASE STUDIES

PVC Compounds for Ultra High-Speed Cable Jacketing

One of the main innovations in the cable industry was the coupling of copper drawing machines with PVC jacketing lines, allowing the jacketing speed of copper to increase from 2,000 ft/min to speeds above 6,000 ft/min, significantly boosting the productivity of cable manufacturing plants.

Once this new technology was launched into the market, an American company became a pioneer in its adoption and requested that leading PVC compound producers develop a material for THWN cable that could enable copper jacketing at 6,000 ft/min.

Alphagary Compuestos was one of the compound producers invited to develop the material.

Problem

Since it was a new technology, the PVC industry had no prior experience in developing similar materials; jacketing cable at ultra-high speeds using conventional compounds caused cracks on the cable surface, affecting its performance.

Application

Copper wire and cable jacketing by extrusion

Challenges

The main challenge was to develop a material that would produce a smooth surface without compromising the insulation capacity and performance properties required for a THWN cable. The materials available at that time were designed for speeds around 2,000 ft/min, while the customer, thanks to the new technology, was seeking a compound that could enable copper jacketing at speeds of approximately 6,000 ft/min.

Solution

After a development process that combined theoretical and technical knowledge, along with prior experience in the design, adaptation, and optimization of compound formulations for all markets, a material proposal was achieved that was successfully extruded at over 6,000 ft/min on a 22-gauge single-conductor cable, while maintaining insulation performance.

Results

The result was the development of a unique PVC compound in Mexico capable of being extruded at over 6,000 ft/min on a 22-gauge THWN single-conductor cable. This development helped us establish a strong business relationship with the client by offering a product that allowed them to fully leverage their plant’s installed capacity.

Además, el aprendizaje obtenido durante el proyecto, permitió a Alphagary Compuestos conocer y mejorar detalles con respecto a la interacción de los componentes de las formulaciones, los cuales se incorporaron al catálogo de productos no solo del mercado de cables, sino de todos los mercados en los que participamos.

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