Llubrication of enamelled copper wires

Can you guide me which materials are used for lubrication of enamelled copper wires before the enamelled wire is taken on spools ?

Thank you for your post. Would you please clarify your question somewhat?

It sounds like you want a vanishing oil for compact spooling and to aid the subsequent payoff, but I understand this type of product is not typically used on the surface of magent wire. Is it a vanishing oil you're interested in, or something else?

Regards,
Marc Murray
Proj. Mgr., Technical Dept.
The Wire Associational International, Inc.

Thank you very much for your advice Marc.

I am quite concerned about putting any type of lubricant or liquid on just enameled magnet wire. While I am the first to admit that I am not a specialist in the enameling of magnet wire, I have watched the in-line drawing and enameling process a number of times and I cannot recall ever seeing a lubricant applied either as a fine spray or with a damp wipe.

Along with your answer, this makes me a bit nervous about the application of lubricants. On the other hand, it should be remembered that a lot of enameled wire spends its entire service life immersed in transformer oil. I therefore recommend that the person who asked this question specifically discuss the concept with each of his/ her enamel manufacturer(s) and for each type of enamel he/ she uses.

The reason for this is of course product liability and one cannot be too cautious in this regard. Remember that short and long term compatibility issues, product standards and customer requirements are always most important no matter how harmless the material seems to be.

For example, I once recall that a new production superintendent in a big telephone cable plant decided to add talc to the core of a large switchboard cable order as a preventative measure in stopping minor sticking between the PVC core and the jacket (which is also PVC and which is extruded directly over top of the core). The contamination drove the telcos crazy and every inch of the cable was returned.

The jackets were then stripped off, disposed of and the cores were wiped with clean, dry compressed air in the train shed on a temporarily installed rewind line. This took enough talc off to satisfy the telcos but of course there was still a small residual because of the boundary layer effect. When the cores were sufficiently clean, they were tested and after that, they were re-jacketed and tested again.

All this for some seemingly harmless and small amount of talcum powder put on with the best of good intentions. Talk about the cost of quality and the price of non-conformance!

Kindest regards,

Peter Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

I have seen a lot of enamelling machines with lubrication application systems. i.e. Some kind of wax is applied. Even one of the enamel manufacturers, Dr. Beck, offers a compound, Lubeckem W 10. What else one can use ? Is is correct to use wax for improving windability.

Well it would seem that you know more about it than us.

Some sort of wax would certainly seem less chemically invasive than most liquid petroleum based lubricants but saying that however should not dissuade you from talking it over with all your other enamel suppliers and getting their recommendations.

If there is no long or short term damage to the enamel, no contamination issues which could give problems to your customers (such as bonding problems with motor windings), full acceptance of the wax coating by all of your customers plus of course improved windability, then it would seem like the winning thing to do.

We indeed hope that others from the magnet wire industry will comment on this lubrication practice.

Kindest regards,

Peter Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

Lubricating magnet wire during the winding process is a very normal part of the process. Wax is one of the lubricants. In the past it has not been unusual to mix white gas and parafin wax (an extremely dangerous process) so that you have liquid. often the wax applicators will also have a small heater to insure that the wax is in a liquid state.
Another lubricant is mineral oil. We used to use mdeical grade. We used it full strength and we reduced it with isopar alcohol. The Alcohol (like the white gas) evaporates leaving the oil or wax to lubricate the wire.

Still another process is from Bockman. It involves a waxed fiber similar to dental floss. The fiber is on a reel and runs from a full reel , wraps around the wire and then goes onto a small takeup reel. This provide a "dry" type lub.

There have been attempts to put silicon into the enamel with the idea being that it would reduce friction howver most new enamelling machines have catlaysts to incinerate the solvents, provide heat for the oven, and reduce air pollution emissions. Silicon in enamel kills catalysts in a very short period of time and necessitates that they be reactivated, a service we caan provide for all types of wire enamelling systems/ovens.