Copper is a very useful metal considering its wide scale application. It is used extensively as a manufacturing material in the production of engineering equipment, electrical circuits and medical utilities.
Annealed copper wires are softer and flexible enough to be extruded into even thinner wires. This is when they are best suited to undergo the process of coating. There are different types of coating done on the copper wires.
Coating of wires
Copper wires are covered in a variety of materials like plastics, rubber polymers, resins, and varnishes. Depending on the purpose, the material, thickness and the life of the insulator can be decided. Copper wires are insulated using the following methods.
Single cable
When the copper wire is single and has only one cable running inside the insulation channel, it is called a solid bare copper cable.
Co-axial cables
Two or more copper wires are wrapped in a concentric manner to give rise to a structure called coaxial cable. The two coaxial wires are separated by an insulation medium like resin or paraffin wax.
Taped wires
Two or more strands of the bare copper wires can also be tapped together using preservative materials like lead, aluminium sheaths or steel tapes. The taped wires are precursor model to the heavier stranded copper wires that are manufactured using disks and bobbins to derive huge spools of stranded copper wires.
Stranding of wires
Stranding in bare copper wires is a very important process. The flexible cables are twisted into a pair of coupled wires, much like coaxial wires. There are 10 different insulation codes for industrial applications, which often vary from one country to another. The insulated copper wires can be combined in more than 25 different ways to form the various categories of stranded copper wires.
Use of stranded copper wires
The engineering and metallurgical property of stranded copper wires are definitely better than the other types of copper wires. They are annealed, insulated and paired for better results. They are used in;
Braiding of wires
Braided copper wires are advanced siblings of the stranded wires. When more than two types of copper wires are combined in the form of multiple strands, it is called as a braid. The Braided Copper wires have higher range of applications than the solid cables as well as the much closer variety, the Stranded ones.
Braided copper wires are flexible as well as sturdier than the stranded copper wires due to their multiple stranding. Braiding of copper wires into a bundle ensures higher break resistance and strength. However, the cost of manufacturing the branded copper wires also increases as the number of strands in it increase.
Testing and transportation
Each strand of copper wires has to be tested for safety and performance. Any failure in a single item could result in the loss of the entire stock. The most common method to test the physical strength of the copper wires is to perform a High-Voltage Test after doing Core-to-Sheath test. The electrical integrity is then checked with random scales measuring the resistance, capacitance, unbalance and electromagnetism.
Annealed copper wires are softer and flexible enough to be extruded into even thinner wires. This is when they are best suited to undergo the process of coating. There are different types of coating done on the copper wires.
Copper wires are covered in a variety of materials like plastics, rubber polymers, resins, and varnishes. Depending on the purpose, the material, thickness and the life of the insulator can be decided. Copper wires are insulated using the following methods.
Single cable
When the copper wire is single and has only one cable running inside the insulation channel, it is called a solid bare copper cable.
Co-axial cables
Two or more copper wires are wrapped in a concentric manner to give rise to a structure called coaxial cable. The two coaxial wires are separated by an insulation medium like resin or paraffin wax.
Taped wires
Two or more strands of the bare copper wires can also be tapped together using preservative materials like lead, aluminium sheaths or steel tapes. The taped wires are precursor model to the heavier stranded copper wires that are manufactured using disks and bobbins to derive huge spools of stranded copper wires.
Stranding of wires
Stranding in bare copper wires is a very important process. The flexible cables are twisted into a pair of coupled wires, much like coaxial wires. There are 10 different insulation codes for industrial applications, which often vary from one country to another. The insulated copper wires can be combined in more than 25 different ways to form the various categories of stranded copper wires.
Use of stranded copper wires
The engineering and metallurgical property of stranded copper wires are definitely better than the other types of copper wires. They are annealed, insulated and paired for better results. They are used in;
- Multi-circuit electrical boards
- High resistance industrial applications
- AC line servicing
- Musical instrument cables
- Machine cables and ropeways
- Control cables
Braiding of wires
Braided copper wires are advanced siblings of the stranded wires. When more than two types of copper wires are combined in the form of multiple strands, it is called as a braid. The Braided Copper wires have higher range of applications than the solid cables as well as the much closer variety, the Stranded ones.
Braided copper wires are flexible as well as sturdier than the stranded copper wires due to their multiple stranding. Braiding of copper wires into a bundle ensures higher break resistance and strength. However, the cost of manufacturing the branded copper wires also increases as the number of strands in it increase.
Testing and transportation
Each strand of copper wires has to be tested for safety and performance. Any failure in a single item could result in the loss of the entire stock. The most common method to test the physical strength of the copper wires is to perform a High-Voltage Test after doing Core-to-Sheath test. The electrical integrity is then checked with random scales measuring the resistance, capacitance, unbalance and electromagnetism.
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