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Automatic Cutting and Stripping Machines
Improved technology enables fast cutting, clean stripping and simple
blade changeover for various size wires.
Without a sculptor, a piece of clay or marble can never reach its
full artistic potential. Rotary, V and die blades in
automatic cutting and stripping
machines serve a similar role to help conductive wire and cable
achieve its full electric potential as part of a harness.
Within one or two seconds, these blades precisely cut each wire
or cable to a predetermined length and remove its insulation to
expose one or more inner conductors. The wires or cables are then
manually or automatically crimped by
terminal
crimping machine before being brought to the assembly
workstation, where assemblers use boards to carefully build each
harness.
At Gruber Communications, based in Phoenix, workers assemble lots
of cable harnesses for use in data centers every day. The company’s
priority since day one has been to produce high-quality cables—and
make sure that no cable conductor, or
high
voltage cable machine is ever nicked or blemished during
wire cutting and stripping machine's processing.
For more than a decade, Gruber workers used separate pneumatic
machines to cut and strip each cable. Eventually, though, CEO Pete
Gruber grew tired of the constant maintenance on the machines’ check
valves and cylinders. This led him to purchase the all-electric
EcoStrip 9300 cut and strip machine in 1998.
Made by Schleuniger AG of Switzerland, the machine’s reliability
and infrequent need for parts has enabled Gruber to substantially
increase its cable harness production over the past 18 years. In
fact, this machine continues to precisely cut and strip cables after
more than 6 million runs.
Being able to run reliably for nearly 20 years and cut and
strip millions of cables or wires is quite common for today’s
automatic machines. There are two reasons for this, say
suppliers. First is stateof- the art blade technology, which
enables fast cutting, clean stripping and simple blade
changeover for various size wires. Equally important are
operators who understand, implement and optimize each machine’s
cutting and stripping capabilities.
FROM SIMPLE TO PROGRAMMABLE
More than 90 years ago, Haaken Olsen—an up-
andcoming engineer at Artos Engineering Co.—noticed an
increased usage of insulated copper wire in
automobiles, appliances and radios. He also saw assembly workers
manually measuring wire to predetermined lengths, cutting it and
removing the insulation from both wire ends.
Believing manufacturers would be interested in buying an
automated machine that could perform this work faster, better
and more cost-effectively, Olsen went about developing one.
In 1926, Artos introduced the CS-1, the first-ever automatic CAS
machine. Olsen vowed to sell at least a dozen, but things went
much better than planned. A new industry was born, and Artos
alone has sold nearly 100,000 wire processing machines over the
past nine decades.
“Cutting and wire stripping machine machines from the 1920s to the
1950s featured mechanical designs,” explains John Olsen II,
president of Artos since 2005 and great-grandson of
Haaken. “Typically, three pair of fixed-position blades were
used to cut and strip the wire. All setup changes were
done mechanically by adjusting cams and moving blade
spacers.”
More-advanced electropneumatic CAS machines appeared in the
1960s and 1970s, allowing for push-button control of feeding
lengths. Since then, according to Olsen, CAS machines have
evolved in three areas to become much more efficient.
One is the improved operator interface, which increases the
machine’s capability to process small batch sizes and provides
full integration with a marking system (laser, inkjet, hotstamp)
or slitting device. Another is the use of servomotors for all
wire movements to increase processing precision and speed. The
third is faster machine changeover by using quick-change guides
and blades, and technology like the Artos Sencor system to
automate wire setup.
Semi- and fully automatic CAS machines come in three sizes:
benchtop, midsize and large. A benchtop model is best for low-
volume and prototyping applications. It usually requires
little setup, plugs into a standard 110- volt outlet, and is
simple to operate (push buttons, small display,
limited programming).
Despite being an entry-level machine, the benchtop EcoStrip
9380 from Schleuniger can process single wires from 30 to 8 AWG
and two wires (up to 0.12-inch diameter) in parallel. It is
operated via S. ON software on a 5.7- inch color touch screen, and
features the company’s Bricks electronic platform for precise
wire feeding by using
automatic
wire prefeeder. An optional belt feeding system can be set
for normal, roller or short mode processing.
Midsize machines are designed for medium-
volume applications, which suppliers define as processing up to
a few thousand wires or cables per week. These machines may
or may not be standalone, but they are bigger and offer more
programming options than benchtop models.
One such unit is the CS-326 from Artos. The fully electric,
servo-driven machine processes wire and cable from 30 to 4 AWG
or 0.5 inch OD. It cuts wire to a length of 0.25 inch to
3,250 feet. Minimum and maximum stripping lengths are 0.01 inch
and 39 inches, respectively.
The machine features the Sencor system that senses the conductor
within the wire and automatically sets blades at the proper
stripping diameter. This technology reduces wire waste,
shortens setup time and monitors blade wear.
Separate accessories enable the unit to cut Kevlar-insulated wire
and strip coaxial and ignition cables. An optional work table
lets companies easily move the 400-pound machine to any
workstation.
Schleuniger offers six versions of its MultiStrip 9480 machine to
cover a wide range of applications (32 to 8 AWG wire) and
budgets. Four models (MR, RS, RSX and RX) feature a fully
programmable rotary incision unit capable of processing
coaxial and multilayer cables. A multiposition indexing cutter
head, standard on all models except the S, accepts
blade cassettes that change out quickly and easily. The machine
cuts and strips wire as short as 2.3 inches and as long as 3,281
feet. In short mode, wires as short as 0.375 inch, with a 0.125-inch
strip length on each end, can be processed.
Large machines are for high-volume (up to several thousand pieces
per shift) processing of singleconductor wire as large as
4/0 AWG, and multiconductor or shielded cable up to
1.5 inches OD. These standalone units feature large
cutter heads, infeed and outfeed mechanisms, an HMI
and multiple protocol interfaces. Users of these
machines usually require one to two days of hands-on
operations training by the supplier.
Most large machines can also be networked with other
assembly machines via a plant’s ERP and MES software.
Manufacturers especially like this capability because
it provides full traceability for every job, and enables them to
track how many cycles each machine has completed and when
maintenance should be scheduled.
Artos’ CS-327 machine processes cables as large as 4/0 AWG
or 1.37 inches in diameter, including battery and welding
cables, power cables for appliances, and multiconductor
cables for signal and power. The unit’s dualblade cutter head
and belt infeed and outfeed systems are servo-driven. Minimum
wire cut length is 10 inches in standard mode and less than
2 inches in short mode. Strip lengths are programmable to 40
inches.
Also standard are an integrated length encoder for accuracy and
quality, an HMI for PC operator control and a removable wire
scrap collection tray. Options include a three-blade cutter head
for high-speed processing and special tooling for steel cables.
FEWER CHALLENGES THAN BEFORE
“In the 1950s, the average harness in an American car contained
fewer than 50 wires,” notes Rob Boyd, senior product manager at
Schleuniger. “Today’s car features many harnesses that
have hundreds of wires of varying gauges and lengths. As a
result, harness makers need versatile
automatic cutting machine and stripping machines to meet this
challenge.”
They also need to make sure that their machine operators are
trained to understand the dynamics that exist between wire
insulation (depending on wire supplier), nonsymmetrical
wire, and blade design and performance limitations. Tim Crider,
sales director at Komax Wire, cites as an example the lower
margin of error when processing PVC-insulated wire as compared
to Teflon-insulated wire. Because PVC is softer and less
challenging to cut and strip, the operator doesn’t need to
pay as close attention to process parameters, blade positioning
and wear.
Komax’s Kappa 331 machine addresses these and many
other challenging applications. It processes wire from 24 to 2
AWG and cable up to 0.63 inch OD in large and small batches. The
unit also performs full and partial pull-off operations on
single conductors and individual coax layers, and strips the
outer jackets from cables with or without shielding.
A key feature is the Kappa Sensorik laser sensor, which
automatically detects the wire conductor and uses inductive
measuring to determine its diameter. The sensor and a
chargecoupled device (CCD) line optically measure the outside
cable diameter and then check that the cable is present during
processing. This feature greatly shortens setup time and
changeover, and reduces operating errors.
For the past 18 months, a large wire harness and cable
manufacturer has been using the Kappa 322 machine to cut
and strip three-conductor 14 AWG cable (40 inches long) at a
rate of 600 pieces per hour (pph). This midsize unit processes
wire from 30 to 4 AWG and enables easy setup and changeover
without tools.
“Buying a midsize machine to constantly perform heavy-duty
work is a common problem,” says Armando Zacarias, sales
and service manager at Eubanks Engineering Co. “A
machine that’s capable of processing 32 to 8 gauge wire is
really not designed to process 8 gauge wire all day
long. Using the machine that way will likely require it to
often be refurbished or rebuilt. A better approach is to buy a
machine that’s able to process wire as large as 4 gauge.”
Operators use a cassette to quickly insert and remove blades from
Eubanks’ fully programmable AirStrip 7400 machine.
Microprocessor-controlled and easy to operate, the
machine handles stranded conductor wire from 32 to 8 AWG, and
multiconductor cable up to 0.31 inch OD. It strips cable up
to 20 inches long, and can be programmed to do step and center
stripping.
A bit larger in size is the more powerful 2700-05. It cuts and
strips wire from 32 to 8 AWG, as well as multiconductor and flat
cable up to 0.31 inch wide. Operators input wire processing
parameters on the built-in keypad. Zacarias says consumer
electronics and automotive manufacturers use this machine
in high-volume, low-mix environments because of its high
production rate (up to 10,800 pph).
Another ongoing challenge is making the wire and cable as
straight as possible before it enters the CAS machine. Suppliers
often provide material on the smallest spool possible, which,
unfortunately, results in bent wire and cable that may require a
straightener.
To avoid this extra processing step, Boyd recommends thin wire be
wrapped around spools at least 10 inches in diameter. Thicker
wire and cable should be delivered on much wider barrels,
so that it unwinds in a large loop that is easy to straighten.
Improved technology enables fast cutting, clean stripping and simple
blade changeover for various size wires.
Without a sculptor, a piece of clay or marble can never reach its
full artistic potential. Rotary, V and die blades in
automatic cutting and stripping
machines serve a similar role to help conductive wire and cable
achieve its full electric potential as part of a harness.
Within one or two seconds, these blades precisely cut each wire
or cable to a predetermined length and remove its insulation to
expose one or more inner conductors. The wires or cables are then
manually or automatically crimped by
terminal
crimping machine before being brought to the assembly
workstation, where assemblers use boards to carefully build each
harness.
At Gruber Communications, based in Phoenix, workers assemble lots
of cable harnesses for use in data centers every day. The company’s
priority since day one has been to produce high-quality cables—and
make sure that no cable conductor, or
high
voltage cable machine is ever nicked or blemished during
wire cutting and stripping machine's processing.
For more than a decade, Gruber workers used separate pneumatic
machines to cut and strip each cable. Eventually, though, CEO Pete
Gruber grew tired of the constant maintenance on the machines’ check
valves and cylinders. This led him to purchase the all-electric
EcoStrip 9300 cut and strip machine in 1998.
Made by Schleuniger AG of Switzerland, the machine’s reliability
and infrequent need for parts has enabled Gruber to substantially
increase its cable harness production over the past 18 years. In
fact, this machine continues to precisely cut and strip cables after
more than 6 million runs.
Being able to run reliably for nearly 20 years and cut and
strip millions of cables or wires is quite common for today’s
automatic machines. There are two reasons for this, say
suppliers. First is stateof- the art blade technology, which
enables fast cutting, clean stripping and simple blade
changeover for various size wires. Equally important are
operators who understand, implement and optimize each machine’s
cutting and stripping capabilities.
FROM SIMPLE TO PROGRAMMABLE
More than 90 years ago, Haaken Olsen—an up-
andcoming engineer at Artos Engineering Co.—noticed an
increased usage of insulated copper wire in
automobiles, appliances and radios. He also saw assembly workers
manually measuring wire to predetermined lengths, cutting it and
removing the insulation from both wire ends.
Believing manufacturers would be interested in buying an
automated machine that could perform this work faster, better
and more cost-effectively, Olsen went about developing one.
In 1926, Artos introduced the CS-1, the first-ever automatic CAS
machine. Olsen vowed to sell at least a dozen, but things went
much better than planned. A new industry was born, and Artos
alone has sold nearly 100,000 wire processing machines over the
past nine decades.
“Cutting and wire stripping machine machines from the 1920s to the
1950s featured mechanical designs,” explains John Olsen II,
president of Artos since 2005 and great-grandson of
Haaken. “Typically, three pair of fixed-position blades were
used to cut and strip the wire. All setup changes were
done mechanically by adjusting cams and moving blade
spacers.”
More-advanced electropneumatic CAS machines appeared in the
1960s and 1970s, allowing for push-button control of feeding
lengths. Since then, according to Olsen, CAS machines have
evolved in three areas to become much more efficient.
One is the improved operator interface, which increases the
machine’s capability to process small batch sizes and provides
full integration with a marking system (laser, inkjet, hotstamp)
or slitting device. Another is the use of servomotors for all
wire movements to increase processing precision and speed. The
third is faster machine changeover by using quick-change guides
and blades, and technology like the Artos Sencor system to
automate wire setup.
Semi- and fully automatic CAS machines come in three sizes:
benchtop, midsize and large. A benchtop model is best for low-
volume and prototyping applications. It usually requires
little setup, plugs into a standard 110- volt outlet, and is
simple to operate (push buttons, small display,
limited programming).
Despite being an entry-level machine, the benchtop EcoStrip
9380 from Schleuniger can process single wires from 30 to 8 AWG
and two wires (up to 0.12-inch diameter) in parallel. It is
operated via S. ON software on a 5.7- inch color touch screen, and
features the company’s Bricks electronic platform for precise
wire feeding by using
automatic
wire prefeeder. An optional belt feeding system can be set
for normal, roller or short mode processing.
Midsize machines are designed for medium-
volume applications, which suppliers define as processing up to
a few thousand wires or cables per week. These machines may
or may not be standalone, but they are bigger and offer more
programming options than benchtop models.
One such unit is the CS-326 from Artos. The fully electric,
servo-driven machine processes wire and cable from 30 to 4 AWG
or 0.5 inch OD. It cuts wire to a length of 0.25 inch to
3,250 feet. Minimum and maximum stripping lengths are 0.01 inch
and 39 inches, respectively.
The machine features the Sencor system that senses the conductor
within the wire and automatically sets blades at the proper
stripping diameter. This technology reduces wire waste,
shortens setup time and monitors blade wear.
Separate accessories enable the unit to cut Kevlar-insulated wire
and strip coaxial and ignition cables. An optional work table
lets companies easily move the 400-pound machine to any
workstation.
Schleuniger offers six versions of its MultiStrip 9480 machine to
cover a wide range of applications (32 to 8 AWG wire) and
budgets. Four models (MR, RS, RSX and RX) feature a fully
programmable rotary incision unit capable of processing
coaxial and multilayer cables. A multiposition indexing cutter
head, standard on all models except the S, accepts
blade cassettes that change out quickly and easily. The machine
cuts and strips wire as short as 2.3 inches and as long as 3,281
feet. In short mode, wires as short as 0.375 inch, with a 0.125-inch
strip length on each end, can be processed.
Large machines are for high-volume (up to several thousand pieces
per shift) processing of singleconductor wire as large as
4/0 AWG, and multiconductor or shielded cable up to
1.5 inches OD. These standalone units feature large
cutter heads, infeed and outfeed mechanisms, an HMI
and multiple protocol interfaces. Users of these
machines usually require one to two days of hands-on
operations training by the supplier.
Most large machines can also be networked with other
assembly machines via a plant’s ERP and MES software.
Manufacturers especially like this capability because
it provides full traceability for every job, and enables them to
track how many cycles each machine has completed and when
maintenance should be scheduled.
Artos’ CS-327 machine processes cables as large as 4/0 AWG
or 1.37 inches in diameter, including battery and welding
cables, power cables for appliances, and multiconductor
cables for signal and power. The unit’s dualblade cutter head
and belt infeed and outfeed systems are servo-driven. Minimum
wire cut length is 10 inches in standard mode and less than
2 inches in short mode. Strip lengths are programmable to 40
inches.
Also standard are an integrated length encoder for accuracy and
quality, an HMI for PC operator control and a removable wire
scrap collection tray. Options include a three-blade cutter head
for high-speed processing and special tooling for steel cables.
FEWER CHALLENGES THAN BEFORE
“In the 1950s, the average harness in an American car contained
fewer than 50 wires,” notes Rob Boyd, senior product manager at
Schleuniger. “Today’s car features many harnesses that
have hundreds of wires of varying gauges and lengths. As a
result, harness makers need versatile
automatic cutting machine and stripping machines to meet this
challenge.”
They also need to make sure that their machine operators are
trained to understand the dynamics that exist between wire
insulation (depending on wire supplier), nonsymmetrical
wire, and blade design and performance limitations. Tim Crider,
sales director at Komax Wire, cites as an example the lower
margin of error when processing PVC-insulated wire as compared
to Teflon-insulated wire. Because PVC is softer and less
challenging to cut and strip, the operator doesn’t need to
pay as close attention to process parameters, blade positioning
and wear.
Komax’s Kappa 331 machine addresses these and many
other challenging applications. It processes wire from 24 to 2
AWG and cable up to 0.63 inch OD in large and small batches. The
unit also performs full and partial pull-off operations on
single conductors and individual coax layers, and strips the
outer jackets from cables with or without shielding.
A key feature is the Kappa Sensorik laser sensor, which
automatically detects the wire conductor and uses inductive
measuring to determine its diameter. The sensor and a
chargecoupled device (CCD) line optically measure the outside
cable diameter and then check that the cable is present during
processing. This feature greatly shortens setup time and
changeover, and reduces operating errors.
For the past 18 months, a large wire harness and cable
manufacturer has been using the Kappa 322 machine to cut
and strip three-conductor 14 AWG cable (40 inches long) at a
rate of 600 pieces per hour (pph). This midsize unit processes
wire from 30 to 4 AWG and enables easy setup and changeover
without tools.
“Buying a midsize machine to constantly perform heavy-duty
work is a common problem,” says Armando Zacarias, sales
and service manager at Eubanks Engineering Co. “A
machine that’s capable of processing 32 to 8 gauge wire is
really not designed to process 8 gauge wire all day
long. Using the machine that way will likely require it to
often be refurbished or rebuilt. A better approach is to buy a
machine that’s able to process wire as large as 4 gauge.”
Operators use a cassette to quickly insert and remove blades from
Eubanks’ fully programmable AirStrip 7400 machine.
Microprocessor-controlled and easy to operate, the
machine handles stranded conductor wire from 32 to 8 AWG, and
multiconductor cable up to 0.31 inch OD. It strips cable up
to 20 inches long, and can be programmed to do step and center
stripping.
A bit larger in size is the more powerful 2700-05. It cuts and
strips wire from 32 to 8 AWG, as well as multiconductor and flat
cable up to 0.31 inch wide. Operators input wire processing
parameters on the built-in keypad. Zacarias says consumer
electronics and automotive manufacturers use this machine
in high-volume, low-mix environments because of its high
production rate (up to 10,800 pph).
Another ongoing challenge is making the wire and cable as
straight as possible before it enters the CAS machine. Suppliers
often provide material on the smallest spool possible, which,
unfortunately, results in bent wire and cable that may require a
straightener.
To avoid this extra processing step, Boyd recommends thin wire be
wrapped around spools at least 10 inches in diameter. Thicker
wire and cable should be delivered on much wider barrels,
so that it unwinds in a large loop that is easy to straighten.