Cable Extrusion Lines. Cables. Quality Control. Profitability

Conductors used to transmit electrical current or telecommunications signals must be electrically insulated. To achieve this, elastomers or thermoplastics with the appropriate dielectric properties are used.

Extrusion is a manufacturing process for producing parts with a constant cross-sectional area. In most cases, the shaping of cable insulation materials is performed using a single-screw extruder. The extruder’s function is to plasticize the insulation material in order to push it into the extrusion (or forming) die, where it is deposited around the conductor passing through it.

However, the extruder alone is not enough to guarantee product quality. Other components along the production line also play an important role. In addition to the extrusion unit (extruder and die), all lines include pay-offs, cooling tanks, diameter measurement devices, and winders.

Each line is specific to the intended type of production, which can be classified into various segments of the cable market, corresponding to different ranges of cable diameters. These segments are traditionally power transmission, copper-wire telecommunications, and fiber-optic telecommunications.

In this article, we begin by introducing the various types of cables, providing a few examples.

To ensure product quality, various measurement components are used in an extrusion line. These components support the quality control process.

The factors that influence a line's economic profitability are then presented.

The increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence is helping to automate the management of collected measurement data. It ensures better quality control and enables predictive maintenance.

Integrating this artificial intelligence with process control systems enables a more user-friendly interface. For example, it contributes to statistical process control.