The Uralcable plant (part of the Cable Alliance Holding, which unites the cable assets of UMMC) has updated its testing base. New rollers have been installed in the laboratory, with the help of which samples of plastic compound used for insulation of current-carrying conductors are made. The cost of the equipment exceeded 1.5 million rubles.
Plasticate is supplied to the plant in granules. They are poured into a rolling machine, where, under the influence of high temperature (up to plus 200 degrees), they are "rolled" into plates with a thickness of 0.5 to 2 mm. Samples are cut out of the plates, which are then tested for mechanical and electrical strength.
New rollers, due to temperature stability, allow to obtain plates more uniform in structure and thickness. Accordingly, the quality of sample preparation and the accuracy of test results will be higher.
- In addition, the new machine heats up three times faster than the old one, which was put into operation many decades ago. This increases the efficiency of sample preparation and ultimately affects the timing of production and shipment of products to the customer, - explained Nikita Lesnikov, head of the quality service of Uralcable JSC.
An important factor is the safety of work on new equipment: it is equipped with an emergency a stop at which the rolls are instantly spread apart in case of emergency.
It should be added that before entering production, all the material that is used for the manufacture of cable products undergoes incoming control in the testing laboratory. Insulating materials, including plastic compounds, ensure the electrical safety of cables and wires. During the tests, the compliance of the properties of the plastic compound with the requirements for the parameters of the cable product, the conditions of installation and operation is checked.
According to Nikita Lesnikov, the process of testing the sample takes on average 3-5 days, depending on the brand of the final product. As part of strengthening control over the quality of plastic compounds, each incoming batch is tested.
