Copper Annealing Wipes

Hello,

Don't worry about oxidation as your wire should be cold but remember that there can be water on the inner surface of the frame of the annealer. Mount the air wipe (which uses dry, clean air) in a position so that water cannot drip or splash back on to the wire. (IE) Where the wire exits the frame of the annealer.

Regards
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com
519 641-3212

hello again Kevin,

You describe a very interesting problem and here are some points to think about. My process engineering background includes the in-line drawing, annealing, preheating and insulating of intermediate size copper conductor at speeds up to approximately 7400 feet per minute.
- We never ever used a mechanical wipe to eliminate surface water on the conductor after annealing. Only filtered (clean), dry air.
- We never used any lubricant in the annealing water because it left a film on the wire that can pick up copper fines. Our annealers were kept very clean.
- If there was some residual water on the conductor for whatever reason, it would be driven off by the induction preheater immediately before extrusion.
Blackening on the wire on the other hand sounds more like the formation of cupric oxide. See WAI thread www.wirenet.org/forum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=12&Topic=387

Regards
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com
519 641-3212

Removing the anneal quench oil and installing filtered air wipes has been talked about within. Thanks, I'll push the issue.
I do see turbulence in the sight glass caused by the air wipe, and I have to lower the air pressure. This leaves excessive water and creates a mess, so I installed a larger drain at the exit end of the annealer, coupled with a mechanical wipe, and seem to maintain steady water flow. But the annealer loses amps within minutes of start up. Does this sound like a coincidental drive issue or can the changes made cause amperage loss?

KJC

Hello Again,

Firstly I don't believe in coincidences and secondly there are often two separately controlled air wipes on an electric annealer.

The first air wipe is internal and inside the cooling leg of the annealer. This is what I think you are talking about and, as you have already explained, there is very little control. The second is located where the annealed wire exits the frame of the annealer. This is very easily controlled and is the spot the wire is made completely dry. This is the air wipe I was referring to.

Regards
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com
519 641-3212

hmmm. The syncro annealer came here only with the internal air wipe. I installed an exterior wipe just in front of the preheater. But I've been fighting with this unit for quite some time. (actually both units dont work).
I've installed a seperate preheater on one unit, but I'm experiencing x-talk issues which I suspect is due to faulty annealing.
The other unit is annealing through the built in preheater.
I have recently found that the seal on the immersed annealer wheel grounds to the frame and I'm searching for an alternative seal which will never ground.(I'm still trying to find one out there).
I'm not complaining, but these units are quite challenging.

KJC

Kevin,

Grounding out to the frame from the lower (wet) contact sheave on the annealing leg is unfortunately a very common problem on "C" type Syncro annealers. I am not a fan of these annealers but there are lots of them around. The Vaughn electric annealer is a far better machine in my opinion.

Most Syncro annealers have an air wipe on the frame when the wire exits the unit.

Just so we have the terminology correct:

- The preheating leg is the distance between the driven preheating contact sheave and the driven upper contact sheave.

- The annealing leg is the distance between the driven upper contact sheave and the driven lower (wet) contact sheave.

- The cooling leg where the internal air wipe is and is the distance between the driven lower(wet)contact sheave and the electrically isolated. non-driven idler sheave on the same shaft as the driven upper contact sheave. (It is immediately after this that the second and most important air wipe is located.

- Some annealers come equipped with a reheat leg after this second air wipe. This reheat leg performs a similar function to a separate electric wire preheater often needed prior to extrusion.

Intermittent annealing could certainly give you crosstalk problems in the cable.

Regards
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com
519 641-3212