Application of new technologies in the drawing of aluminium wire

Aluminium is a good thermal and electrical conductor, which has seen it replace copper in many electrical applications.Aluminium provides a lower weight to current-carrying ratio compared to copper. Although in use for several decades in the power distribution sector (i.e. MV and LV cables, as well as OHL and OPGW), the automotive manufacturing represents the brightest growth potential for aluminium wire and cable. As automakers and suppliers continuously look for new solutions to reduce weight, aluminium is a popular candidate for applications that require high current, such as large cables under the hood. Moreover, we may envisage other applications that in the near future will use this metal as the primary conductor core material: from the rolling stock to the off-shore (platform) cables, aeronautics and military.Basically any place where the importance of weight is crucial.The aim of this paper is to present the latest technical solutions developed by Sampsistemi for the production of roundand shaped wire for power cord and the new advancements in multiwire drawing and in-line annealing technologies toguarantee a better quality of the final product.