Copper wires and cables are very common in our lives.

Yet we hardly make any effort to know how they are manufactured. Many VIPs and media persons get opportunities to visit copper wire manufacturers premises, but common persons hardly get any chance to see them.

For the benefit of those who are unaware, here is a brief of what goes on in a typical copper wire manufacturer’s unit.

Wire Draw

The first process is wire draw. Here around 7000 kg coils of appropriate gauges are drawn from copper rods. During the process of drawing, the copper rods are pulled through a series of diamond dies that systematically reduces the size of the rods to achieve the required dimensions.

The rod and dies are continually flooded by coolants and lubricants to maintain the process of drawing working and keep them from overheating.

After the process of drawing the wires become brittle and are prone to fracture. Therefore to maintain the flexibility of wires they are annealed by passing a large amount of electric current to raise their temperatures to nearly 550°C.

The softened wire then passes through extruders where plastic coating is applied. After passing through the extruders, the coated wires traveling at high speeds passes through cooling troughs and thereafter coiled into reels.

It is at this stage the wires the wires are measured thoroughly to see if they are within allowable tolerances. The wires are also tested for electrical properties such as capacitance and resistance.

Twisting and stranding

In the next stage, the insulated wires are twisted into pairs. Typically the standard insulation colors are combined with various industry standard pair combinations.

A high level of engineering precision is required in this job because the twist operation involves repeated transfer of steel reels of insulated and twisted wires.

Cabling and jacketing

In a stringent engineering process the wires are cabled and jacketed appropriately. Care is taken to ensure that the cables are dried adequately and the top layer of the jacket is heated so that markings can be imprinted on them.

Shipping

In the final stage, copper wire manufacturers   wind the finished cables into metal or wooden reels and transport them to the final test facility.

Newer technologies and quality controls are expected to quicken process as well as improve the physical properties of the finished products. This is inevitable as the industry is very competitive and the consumer is equally discerning.

The growth of the global copper wire segment is expected to be around 7 % in the coming decade. The United States, China, France, Germany and Russia are the major markets for copper wires with India not lagging too far behind.

Copper wire use is ubiquitous. Residential places, commercial buildings, industrial complexes, appliances or circuit breakers – all need copper wires in various quantities.

With India rising fast as an emerging economy, domestic copper wire manufacturers are upbeat on their prospects. Even in this digital age copper will continue to find extensive uses. Braided to bare copper wire, the functions of copper wire are never likely to disappear soon.

Rajasthan Electric Industries is one of the leading copper wire manufacturers in India. The company’s products under the brand name “Britex” has found wide acceptance among consumers.