Testing Small Diameter Copper Rod & Wire During Drawing
by Jean R. Gould, Magnetic Analysis Corp.
A turn-key eddy current test system has been installed at a large copper rod and wire producer in China. The system is fully integrated with the company’s production line and the quality of each coil of wire is accurately graded, allowing the manufacturer to match the coil quality with a specific customer’s needs and applications.
The system features Magnetic Analysis Corp.’s (MAC®) eddy current MultiMac® instrument operating with an XJH.160 encircling test coil. Working with a local firm, Ningbo NewDev Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd., a self-enclosed structure and mechanisms were designed to guide and firmly hold the 2.6 to 3.0 mm diameter product as it moves through the test.
High speed lines, which run at up to 22 mps as this one does, can have substantial vibration creating “noise”, which interferes with the test.