Meltech develops cost-competitive, compact coating and jacketing lines
Wire processing specialist, Meltech Engineering Ltd has developed a new approach to manufacturing silicone rubber coated, single and multi-core wires, and low-halogen jacketed cables. The Meltech machines are complete production lines, requiring less space yet achieving higher production speeds than existing manufacturing techniques.

Faster Silicone Rubber Coating
Until now silicone rubber coating of wire has meant feeding the coated wire through salt baths or steam to provide the heat needed to cure the coating. Typically the baths can be up to 100 metres long, from which the wire emerges and is then dried.

Meltech has taken a new approach that uses an infra-red oven to heat and cure the silicone rubber in a fraction of the time taken with salt baths. And, at 12 metres, the oven is also significantly shorter, reducing the space needed for coating operations. In combination with Meltech’s automated pay-off and coiling machines, manufacturers can expects to achieve typical production speeds of up to 140 metres per minute.

Fire Retardant Jacketing Line
The Meltech fire retardant jacketing line uses Meltech’s proprietary SZ strander technology. This is designed to simplify the manufacturing process by using the strander in line with the jacketing process, thereby reducing two processes to one.

"We’ve drawn on our knowledge of sophisticated heating control and automated coiling experience to develop a production line specifically for companies wishing to enter the fire retardant cable market. The jacketing and coating lines are compact and competitively priced at around 400,000 Euro each to give companies the opportunity to enter this growing market with a highly efficient manufacturing operation,” said Peter Drever, Sales Director, Meltech Engineering Ltd.

Back to News