New Gamma 333 PC-B from Contax - Greater Accuracy and Speed for a Wider Variety of Wires

Contax Ltd - UK

24 September 2007

Production automation system specialist, Contax Ltd, has launched the new Komax
Gamma 333 PC-B, a new wire processing system that can handle thin wall insulation wires and other delicate insulation types. This makes it capable of a wider variety of applications beyond the traditional white goods, electrical cabinate and simple automotive applications covered by the standard Gamma 333.

The new Gamma 333 PC-B now uses the same technology as Komax’s larger Alpha system, resulting in faster speeds and greater accuracy. The top wire speed is over a third faster than the older Gamma 333 system, with an increase in acceleration of 25 percent.

This is due to the new high acceleration, low pressure, high friction drive belts that are used to move the wire being processed. As this offers a more gentle and precise method of transmission, the Gamma 333 PC-B can handle thin wall materials without damage. Furthermore, it eliminates the problems of wire ‘slippage’ which can affect the accuracy of the length of the wire, or result in ‘scuffing’ the insulation and so damaging the wire.

Explained Phil Shorten, Wire Processing Machine Group Director at Contax Ltd, “With the Gamma 333 PC-B drive belts, there are several inches of contact between the drive and the wire. This means increased friction at lower pressure without the need for a ‘cintered’ or ‘knurled’ surface. The typical knurled drive rollers used in other wire processing systems can cause tiny indents in thin or delicate wires which are not acceptable. However drive belts leave no marking on the surface of the insulation and are far less likely to slip during the stripping process.

“High friction drive belts can be set to run at higher acceleration, without concern for ‘slipping’ which would lead to length errors. The new belt-drive PC-controlled Gamma 333 PC-B offers significant enhancements over the standard Gamma machine, increasing the maximum acceleration from 40m/s2 to 50m/s2 and boosting the top wire speed from 6 m/s to 8 m/s.

“In essence, the new Gamma 333 PC-B offers a much higher performance and broader capabilities than the older machine,” continued Phil. “Although the standard Gamma 333 system may be fine for some of our customers, this new “B” model can process a wider variety of insulation types including those regarded as ‘difficult’ by the industry. Additionally, it offers much faster speeds and greater accuracy, so leading to savings in both time and money,” he concluded.