We are extruding a .019 wall of PVC (Apex 851-NL Natural) on a 15 AWG wire with EVA Color ( White at maybe 5%) and we are seeing failure with the wires splitting length wise on the conductors when they are being bent back 180 degrees.

Hello there brygervais,

Teknor Apex offers two flexible PVC compound, 80851-B and 80851 but 80851 is specifically referred to as insulation. I imagine that this is exactly what you are using.

Some questions for thought:

1) Did the technical folks at the Vinyl Division of Teknor Apex agree with your selection of color masterbatch?

2) Does your plant have a "Munsell Color Standards" book? See web page www.munsellstore.com/default.aspx/MenuIt...6/MenuGroup/Home.htm and then select "Electrical Power Industry" Your item number is M50110. It costs $427.00. Buy two. One for the library and one for the process guys on the floor.

3) Do you use gravimetric mixers to minimize the amount of masterbatch used? (Lean manufacturing.)

4) Have you ever done any experiments to ensure you are using the minimum amount of masterbatch? (Lean manufacturing.)

5) Have you discussed your insulation splitting issue with the technical people at Teknor Apex?

Regards
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com
519 641-3212

You should ask VA content to masterbatch supplier.

We are looking into the points you brought up Peter thank-you. I'll let everyone know what we found

Hello brygervais , on a recent visit to one cable supplier in Mexico we observed the same situation that you're describing above also one of the failures mode was when we hits the cable against the floor they crack it along the cable, and the root cause for this specifically was plasticizers % on the compound was not according to the specification, we tried doing a design of experiments to get this conclusion, I hope this helps, regards

Angel

Is this a standard test? I know this is extruded wire and not Magnet wire which has some tough tests but none that would require bending the wire back on itself 180 degrees. Additionally after the physical abuse, the magnet wire must still pass electrical properties.