While pulling 500kcmil today an apprectice asked me, How do they make this wire? So i gave him my best answer at the time "Heavy". Afterwards i realized i have no idea how they make wire at all. Over 15 years in the trade and i really dont know? Anyone have a link or something because now i am curious! I dont want to know about Hard or soft annealing, or how its drawn down to all gauges. I want to know how the Single cable is actually assembled, Insulated, and packaged (Thhn, Xhhw) Id love to see how Welding cable or larger SO, SJO,etc. , and High Voltage cable 12kv and up??? Heck even RomeX is now making me think. I will go searching now and post a link If i find something informative.
Copper production
- Thread starter airemdwn
- Start date
- Status
This is right up my alley.
For instance, to make a #10 guage wire:
The first step is molten copper is poured into a mold maybe 1000' long and 1/8" square. Round things, and wire is round, are made with lathes. So this ignot is then mounted between centers on a very long lathe. A follower rest is used to maintain concentricity.
The next step is inserting the now round wire into the tube of insulating material which has already been pre-bored with a very long drill bit. To ease this process, the wire is cyrogenically frozen and the insulation is heated. This results in a clearance of over 0.001" which makes it about as easy as pulling 300 kcm cable in 1/2" EMT.
Finally, the almost completed wire is passed through an assembly line where little, old, Philapino ladies use an indelible, fine tipped Sharpie to write on the legend: "AWG 10 THHN OR THWN [the manufacturer doesn't really know or care which] gas and oil resistant". They don't specify that the gas is Argon and the oil is Canola.
The finished product is wound onto reels, packaged and sold.
~Peter
For instance, to make a #10 guage wire:
The first step is molten copper is poured into a mold maybe 1000' long and 1/8" square. Round things, and wire is round, are made with lathes. So this ignot is then mounted between centers on a very long lathe. A follower rest is used to maintain concentricity.
The next step is inserting the now round wire into the tube of insulating material which has already been pre-bored with a very long drill bit. To ease this process, the wire is cyrogenically frozen and the insulation is heated. This results in a clearance of over 0.001" which makes it about as easy as pulling 300 kcm cable in 1/2" EMT.
Finally, the almost completed wire is passed through an assembly line where little, old, Philapino ladies use an indelible, fine tipped Sharpie to write on the legend: "AWG 10 THHN OR THWN [the manufacturer doesn't really know or care which] gas and oil resistant". They don't specify that the gas is Argon and the oil is Canola.
The finished product is wound onto reels, packaged and sold.
~Peter
bkludecke
Senior Member
- Location
- Big Bear Lake, CA
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
That's exactly how I thought is was done!!!!!!!!!!
Bob on the left coast.
Bob on the left coast.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Peter left out one important fact:
The insulation for wire for AC is drilled with a right-hand twist, while wire for DC is drilled with a left-hand twist.
Or is it the other way around?
The insulation for wire for AC is drilled with a right-hand twist, while wire for DC is drilled with a left-hand twist.
Or is it the other way around?
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
I beat you.airemdwn said:
http://www.southwire.com/processGetArticle.do?commonId=bf99aba544bbef00VgnVCM1000002702a8c0____
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