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How to clean copper from oxides. Quick stripping of wire insulation. Application of an automatic stripper

How to clean copper from various types dirt so as not to damage the metal and make it shine again? This question is often of interest to modern needlewomen who make various decorations from copper, as well as modern housewives, who still use copper cutlery and other kitchen utensils made of this metal.

Despite the fact that copper is a fairly plastic and wear-resistant material, it is susceptible to oxidation, so when exposed to moisture, an unpleasant greenish coating appears on the surface of copper cutlery or jewelry. If you cook food in dishes made of oxidized copper, the food will acquire an unpleasant taste and smell, and will also become unsafe for health.

Also, the surface of copper products may darken, so you need to know how to clean the metal. different types pollution at home effectively and safely.

Cleaning copper at home

To clean copper at home, it is enough to use the simplest folk remedies. Experienced housewives It is not recommended to use abrasive household chemicals for cleaning metal, as such products can damage the surface of the product.

Using the example of cleaning a copper pot, we will show how to easily and quickly clean this metal from green deposits, blackness or dust.

Many people are also often interested in how to polish copper at home. For this purpose you can use special paste based on trivalent chromium oxide. The texture of this paste resembles plasticine. A piece of GOI paste is rubbed onto the cleaned copper surface, then the copper product is washed and wiped with a towel. You can polish and grind this metal using tooth powder, but finding such a product is quite difficult.

In the table below we have collected the most effective and popular folk remedies for cleaning copper products at home.

Means

Mode of application

Table vinegar

Table vinegar is very often used in households to clean various contaminants from the surface of kitchen utensils. This is because it is effective and safe remedy, which definitely will not harm either the object requiring cleaning or the person. To clean the copper surface from dirt and dust, as well as carbon deposits, it is necessary to rinse the product in the usual way and dry it. Then apply vinegar to the copper and add table salt on top. Next, you should clean the dirt using a cotton cloth in a circular motion until you reach desired result . Then all that remains is to thoroughly rinse and polish the copper product. Additional information

You can learn about this method in the video below.

Liquid soap You can effectively clean copper even from old plaque by using liquid soap or dishwashing detergent. To do this, pour water into the pan so that the product requiring cleaning can be completely contained in the liquid. Add a little liquid soap to the water and then bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat and place a copper object into the liquid. We boil the metal until the surface begins to clean itself. After this, you will need to rinse the copper item under running water and, most likely, clean it additionally with soda to remove the most stubborn stains.

Otherwise, boiling does an excellent job of removing even the oldest plaque.

Citrus You can clean copper from blackening using citrus fruits. To do this, rub the surface of the product made of this metal with half a lime, adding a little table salt or baking soda . You can also squeeze the juice from a lemon, mix the liquid with baking soda and rub the resulting mixture onto a copper surface. The effect of cleaning will be noticeable almost immediately.

Be sure to thoroughly rinse, wipe and polish the cleaned surface to prevent oxidation of the metal.

Wine vinegar and flour To independently restore the previous appearance of a copper product, you should prepare the following solution. Mix 200 milliliters of vinegar and two teaspoons of table salt in a deep bowl. Pour regular wheat flour into the bowl so that the result is a mass reminiscent of sour cream. Mix the homemade copper cleaning solution thoroughly. We thoroughly wash the copper cutlery and dry it with a towel, then fill the spoons and forks with the prepared solution.

Leave the copper to clean for 20-30 minutes. After this, we rinse the copper under running water and polish it with a dry cotton cloth. Few people know, but you can clean copper at home with ordinary ketchup without additives. To do this, it is enough to apply on the contaminated area of ​​the copper product, and then wait half an hour. After the specified time, the copper will be cleaned; all that remains is to remove the plaque and ketchup with a sponge or cloth.

Amidosulfuric acid

This method cannot be called completely folk, because we will use amidosulfuric acid. You can purchase such a product in a specialized store. Note! Only 100% copper can be cleaned in this way, because the presence of impurities in the metal can cause the product to darken. Products should be cleaned in this way in accordance with the instructions on the acid packaging. Don't forget to wear rubber gloves when working with this substance.

In order to polish a copper product for preventive purposes, you can use only fabric, for example, wool or suede. If the copper has darkened, you will have to use additional products. In the shop household chemicals You can find commercial products that are specifically designed for cleaning and polishing copper and similar metals.

Cleaning copper coins at home is easy; just use one of the methods described above. Collectors also often polish and clean copper coins in melted laundry soap.

Experienced housewives advise storing copper cutlery in special cases, putting a small piece of chalk in there. This way you can protect products from oxidation. It is recommended that copper should not be exposed to direct Sun rays. It is better not to store copper items near heaters and radiators.

If you often wear copper jewelry, try to wash and polish your bracelets and chains after each use. From prolonged contact with the skin, copper also becomes covered with a greenish coating. Moreover, such plaque may remain on the skin.

Having studied everything in detail effective means for cleaning copper, now you know how to keep objects and products made from this metal clean at home.

Consisting of two single-core conductors covered with insulation and housed in a black protective sheath. How to remove the sheath and insulation from a cable so that it is fast, safe, high quality and reliable? And by quality I mean the stability of the result obtained.

Of course, when it is possible to remove the insulation from the cable on a table, and not in a cramped electrical box, and you need to make a couple of connections, everything can be done slowly, measuredly, checking every step. What if you need to finish the apartment in a couple of days before plastering?

I tried three options for removing insulation from the cable and, as usual, settled on the third:

Cleaning with a utility knife;

Stripping special knife installer;

Cleaning with a special device.

Stripping with a stationery knife is the easiest and most affordable way stripping wires and cables. But also the lowest quality. Stripping the cable sheath is usually done in two stages. First, the shell is cut in a circle. Then the shell is cut along its length. And then she takes off, exposing separate wires in isolation.

So, if you make a cut around the cable with a utility knife and do not calculate the force, then the insulation of the wires is easily cut, which reduces the safety of such a cable in operation.

And if this is not scary when the cable has not yet been installed (you can cut off a piece and try again), then for a cable, for example, walled up in a wall, there is no room for error. When I did the wiring for my parents, I had to leave several wires cut in this way in the socket boxes.

Another problem is the cut along the length of the cable. Firstly, it is easy to cut the wire insulation lengthwise, which is even worse than cutting it. Secondly, it is easy to injure your finger if the blade slips.

The second method is with a special mounting knife. There are many models, I chose the one that is crocheted. This knife is slightly more convenient than a stationery knife. But due to the thicker blade, it can be used not with the caution of a surgeon, but more relaxed.

Although it is quite difficult for them to cut the insulation. But what makes a crochet knife useful is cutting along the cable. The hook fits securely into the cable sheath and is practically impossible to jump out of. Therefore, cutting along the cable is fast, safe and neat.

But still. Such a tool does not allow for high-quality stripping of the shell. By quality, in this context, I mean repeatability (sameness) of results for each removed shell. I recently came across this tool.

Its price varies greatly - from 600 rubles. up to 3500 rub. But in terms of quality of work there is almost no difference. The principle of its operation is as follows. Using your thumb, you pull off the bracket, under which the wire is inserted. A small knife appears from the handle, rotating around its axis.

When the cable gets there, the clamp presses it against the knife. Next, you need to wrap the tool around the cable several times. This achieves its incision.

Then, without removing the tool from the cable, you just need to pull it strongly towards the end. In this case, the knife will turn itself and begin cutting along the shell. All that remains is to remove the shell and continue installation work.

The only inconvenience of this tool is that you need to use the wheel at the end to set the cutting depth of the knife for each cable. It takes me about two minutes and a piece of cable on which I check the settings.

However, after adjustment, the quality of stripping is predictably good. I would also like to touch upon the issue of removing insulation from stripped conductors.

The tool described here does not cope well with this task, since it cannot “flatten” a thick cable, like many thin wires, it cuts the insulation only a little, pointwise, at the bottom and at the top. This is not enough for it to tear and come off. An attempt to apply force leads to scoring on the core due to the “biting” of the tool’s knives into the soft copper.

And here the installer’s knife described above is very effective. The hook blade increases the radius of hooking the knife onto the wire, and you can quickly, in a split second, cut it along almost its entire diameter. After which the insulation is quickly and carefully removed. Plus, the hook blade prevents the knife from slipping off the wire.

Previously, in the article I discussed methods for removing protective insulation from VVG cables. In principle, when it comes to round VVG, using a special tool with a stripping bracket is justified. But one day I had to work a lot with VVG-p (flat cable). Because of this, I slightly revised my preferences.

The VVG-p cable turned out to be much more convenient and practical. It is more convenient to place it under the plaster. Generally speaking, you can save a lot of time if you do not make grooves under the plaster, but simply route the cable along the walls, and then plaster it on top. Therefore, VVG-p is preferable in this sense. The VVG-p 3×2.5 mm2 cable has a thickness of only 5.3 mm. Together with the dowel clamp - 9.3 mm. The layer of plaster, as a rule, is at least 1.5 cm, so everything grows together.

And cutting a flat cable turned out to be faster and more reliable with the same knife with a hook. You put the cable on the board and run it. The main thing is to place the blade immediately deeper into the insulation so that it pushes the veins apart and cuts between them. Surprisingly, this knife has never cut the insulation from the cores themselves.

– a crucial moment, and it makes no difference what material the wires are made of or what they are coated with as an insulating material. Coated wires in front installation work often have to be connected to each other, and when performing similar works you need to know how to properly strip the insulation from a wire. It is generally known that insulating material removed from plastic mechanically or by melting. The enamel coating must also be removed mechanically or chemically. When stripping wires, you must follow the rules for performing such work. After all, in the end, the connection of the exposed areas will be made with poor quality, which in the future can lead to system failure.

Removing insulation with a knife

The method of cutting insulating material in a circular direction using a knife blade is not correct. With this action, a notch is applied to copper material veins and in this place it can break at the most inopportune moment. This happens especially often when the wire cross-section is too thin. They break almost immediately. How to strip a wire correctly using a knife?

Note! It is necessary to place the knife almost in the same plane with the axis of the cable.

In this case, the insulating material is cut along the conductive material. The remaining pieces of coating are set aside and also removed.

We use side cutters

With this method, many often make the same mistake. The tool is taken without regard to direction cutting edges and start working. If the tool side is sharpened in the direction that coincides with the movement of the side cutters, then when removing the shell of the insulating material, a decent amount of force must be applied to close the edges of the tool. In this case, we risk cutting through the entire wire, and not just the insulating surface.

Note! You should position the tool so that the sharpening side faces in the opposite direction from the movement of your tool.

It will be necessary to create a slight reinforcing effect, and the insulation will be removed with a characteristic tube. In this case, the wire is guaranteed not to receive even the most minimal damage.

Reflow method for insulating material

It is great if you need to prepare a thin wire for installation that has a plastic safety material. Perfect for these purposes electric soldering iron. The tool must be heated and its tip lightly passed over the insulation in the place you need. Under the influence of temperature, it will heat up and in some places even melt. After this, it can be removed by hand without any problems. The copper core of the wire will not receive mechanical damage. When working with big amount For wires with a sheath made of plastic material, it is recommended to use a special device. Usually it is a wood soldering iron. This method of removing insulation is great when working with old electrical wiring. After all, after prolonged use, the plastic coating of such wires becomes very hard. If necessary, you can use a lighter or regular matches.

Removing the enamel coating

In such a situation, it is recommended to use mechanical method. You can remove the insulating material using sandpaper, or you can simply scrape it off with a knife. The sandpaper must be wrapped around the wire and twisted until the insulating coating is removed. When using a knife, the wire must be placed on a hard surface and gradually rotated around its axis, scraping the surface with the knife. If the wire diameter is not too large, it is better to use the thermochemical method. You will need a soldering iron known to us and a piece of vinyl chloride tape. Under the influence of heat, the released chlorine is able to clean the wire from the enamel applied to it. This method is excellent for radio amateurs working with high-frequency coil windings. Another little secret– a simple aspirin tablet. You need to put the cable on it, press it with a heated soldering iron and pull it along the tablet. The insulation will be perfectly removed, and the wire will receive additional tinning.

Removing fluoroplastic insulation

This is the view polymer coating, having good stable characteristics. The insulation coating is ideal, but quite expensive. It is customary to use it only for design calculations. This coating looks like a thin narrow tape tightly wrapped around a copper conductive wire. Only physical impact is suitable for removal. It is best to remove it using a sharp knife by scraping the surface layer to the required working length. Having exposed one edge, the wire is carefully bent to the side and the remaining insulating piece is cut off.

Note! If you come across a cable that has a rubber or fabric insulating surface, you can use any of the following to remove it. mechanical methods. The main condition is to strip the wires correctly, without notching them.

Application of an automatic stripper

Manual stripping of wires in large quantities may take quite a lot of time. And if there are also wires with a large number of cores, the matter will take a long time. Here you can use a special type of pliers called a stripper.

They are quite comfortable to work with. With just a little hand pressure, the insulation is removed almost instantly. Typically, for such work in everyday life, a stripper model WS-04 from a German manufacturer is used.

Such a tool has the ability to cut through and remove insulation from wires with a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 2.7 mm. This is without preliminary adjustment.

When performing adjustments, you can work with wires of a much smaller cross-section without damaging the integrity of the conductor cores.

Exist various wires and cables, some are laid along standard scheme, the second - by air. It is the first ones who have a special protective layer, which allows you to eliminate short circuits. Such a surface is subject to dismantling in the process of performing the simplest tasks. For example, this is the connection of two cables so that the contact point becomes as tight as possible and works efficiently.

The question arises: “How to remove insulation from wires?” To make this process easier, there are many various techniques and techniques. Because it is not always necessary to completely disassemble the cable; sometimes you just need to clean the contacts without damaging the main core.

In order not to make a mistake and understand exactly how to remove insulation from a wire, you should arm yourself with instructions and take as a basis correct recommendations. But without the proper tools, the work will not be completed. In addition, wires and cables may have different bases, and the methods differ accordingly.

Features of stripping insulation and problems in performing the work

Before stripping the insulation from the wires, it is worth considering some of the nuances of the process. After all, the coating can be in one layer or several. The work is done quickly, but this will require the use of a stripper.

If you don’t go into details, many people don’t see any difficulties in the procedure for cleaning a cable or wire from protection. But without sharp, cutting objects, the work will not go smoothly. As a result, there is a possibility of compromising the integrity of the wire itself. The following may happen:

  • Formation of holes in unnecessary places.
  • There is a possibility of getting hurt.
  • Damage to the conductor itself.

All this can be easily eliminated if simple and precise instructions for implementation are used. In addition, it is necessary to have special tools. There is no need to rush, even if you have experience in completing the task. It is worth at least theoretically understanding how to remove insulation from wires with a tool.

What kind of wires are there?

There are two main cores used in the process - copper and aluminum. If you remove the insulation, you will have to be careful with each type and take your time. When it comes to strength, copper retains its integrity longer than aluminum. Below we consider the properties and characteristics of each.

Aluminum:

  • Density is expressed in t/m3. More than 2.6.
  • There is no resistance to frequent bending.
  • It will not be possible to create a multi-wire core.
  • The specific resistance is negligible.
  • Density is expressed in t/m3. More than 8.8.
  • Resistance to frequent bending is present.
  • It will be possible to create a multi-wire core.
  • The resistivity is good.

From these data we can conclude that copper wire is better and its conductivity is higher. But aluminum is not reliable high level, so it is used less often. Great care will have to be taken during the cleaning process. Therefore, before removing the insulation from copper wire, it’s worth making a small notch and preparing the appropriate tool. There are not many options for working with cables and wires; it is important to choose not just a suitable method, but an effective one.

What methods are effective?

Most of the skill in removing the protective layer from a cable or wire comes with time and practice. Especially when you need to do cleaning on the thinnest possible wire.

The main thing is to correctly choose the degree of application of force and pressure on the tool. In addition, the speed of work and the final result depend on the direction of movement. You will have to understand how deep the main vein is. This will determine whether it is damaged or not. Before you remove the insulation from or copper, you will have to figure out what kind of material is inside.

The most simple options carrying out the work:

  • Using a stationery or regular knife. If you chose the first option, then you should not take one that is too large, they are inconvenient to work with. The pressure should not be maximum, since their blade is quite sharp. A simple knife should have a narrow blade and high-quality sharpening.
  • Using side cutters. This convenient design, it is similar to scissors, but stronger and sharper. They are sold at any hardware store, although many always have them on hand.
  • Burning. This is another good option and less dangerous. To do this you need to use high temperature so that the winding melts. If you need to make a small release, then this method is ineffective, since a fairly large area is burned.
  • Using a stripper. This is the tool chosen by professionals.

Using a knife

How to quickly remove insulation from wires? This is the most common and effective method, but it is very traumatic. When you need to process a small number of wires at home, this option is quite suitable. The main thing you need to know is at what angle to hold the tool. You can’t do circular movements, because it’s completely ineffective. Because with this option there is a high probability of cutting the main working core. After this, the wires will become unusable.

The angle of inclination is as sharp as possible to prevent deep penetration blades into the body of the wire. Only minor slipping is allowed. You should choose the “pull away” position - such conditions are safe for the worker and for the cable itself.

Electrician's knife

An electrician's knife is the most convenient tool. It has a heel, making it quite easy to hold. At the same time, the core is protected as much as possible, your hands are safe, and the insulation is removed efficiently. This is the answer to the question: “How to quickly remove the insulation from a copper or aluminum wire?”

Side cutter - effective help

This is a metal tool with comfortable handles. But most often the work is done by craftsmen. This process requires knowing how much force to apply, otherwise the main core may be damaged. Electricians know how to carry out the stripping process. The side cutter is used in several cases:

  • When the cable is too thick, biting is done in several places along the entire length, and then the insulation is removed by hand. This option is quite suitable for inexperienced people. But the cuts must be made carefully so as not to violate the integrity of the main cable.
  • You need to run the strip along its entire length, and then remove the main winding downward.
  • Through a distance of 3 centimeters, cuts are made with a side cutter. After which you need to remove the winding in small pieces.

These are the simplest options for people without experience and more. Craftsmen can easily work with this tool. This option will help you easily remove the insulation from the wire for scrapping. To avoid damaging the main core, it is worth holding the sharpened jaws in the opposite direction of pulling and removing the insulation. This allows you to not disrupt anything and get the job done quickly.

Today there are wires on sale on which the manufacturer makes special notches during the creation process so that the insulation can be quickly removed. Therefore, before stripping the insulation from a copper wire, it is worth considering it: you may not even need tools.

Burning

This is the easiest way when you need to remove insulation to transfer wires. This is also the most effective method if the inside is made of polyvinyl chloride. When a small area needs to be treated, use a lighter or soldering iron. Under thermal influence, the winding softens and it simply comes off the wire. If the winding thickness is small, this option is the most effective.

There is one drawback - it has a smell. Therefore, work must be carried out in a room with access fresh air. Toxic emissions during the firing process negatively affect the body.

What is a stripper?

These are the tools that help you do the procedure quickly and efficiently. But not every cable is suitable for such work. The cross-section must be at least 0.2 mm. You can find it on sale or from craftsmen different kinds devices:

  • Manual stripper without add-ons. Its use is similar to working with a side cutter: notches are made, after which the winding is removed. But this option is not suitable for every section.
  • Semi-automatic At the base there is an adjustment lever that regulates the degree of pressure, after which, when the handles are closed, the main process of stripping begins.
  • Machine. This is the most the best option because it is based on several functions - cutting, stripping, crimping conductors.

As a result, this method brings many positive aspects. The main thing is that cuts in the main core are completely eliminated. As a result, this method can be called the best. It is the stripper that allows you to properly remove insulation from wires without damaging the core.

Cable check

When work in progress To get rid of the winding, you need to carry out actions in a clear sequence. Each cable has its own characteristics. Work on copper cable must be carried out in the following order, since it has two layers of PVC insulation:

  • Electrical power is cut off.
  • During the installation of the outlet, only a strictly defined area needs to be cleaned. 15 cm is quite enough. A person without experience should not reduce this distance. A side cutter is used for this procedure.
  • Notched top part and carefully removed.
  • The required length is set on the stripper, after which the phase and neutral conductors are placed in the tool. A complete cleanup is being done.

This is the entire scope of the work, after which you need to fix the socket. This procedure is not difficult to carry out, although mistakes are often made. The wire breaks, and further stripping has to be done.

How not to perform pressure testing?

Experts believe that removing insulation from cables and wires is not so easy. As a result, many mistakes are made that lead to the main core being undercut. The main reason is the use of the wrong tool. Therefore, there is a special list of those violations that are worth knowing not only for beginners, but also for masters:

  1. When upper layer removed and needs to be cut, often the master chooses the wrong angle, which leads to notches on the main core. Even a slight, imperceptible notch in the insulation of a current-carrying cable leads to a short circuit, and sometimes to complete failure of the entire device.
  2. Incorrect use of side cutters. They have a sharp side and a blunt side, often choosing the wrong side. As a result, there is a sharp sliding along the wire, which leads to excessive tension and compression, and this already violates the integrity of the main core.
  3. A knife with a heel is convenient, but it must be clearly directed, namely, choose the angle of inclination. A mistake made leads to the main cable being cut. And violation of secondary insulation causes more serious problems.

Everything happens due to an illiterate choice of tool. But there are also other problems: a frivolous attitude towards the procedure of cleaning the main cable or wire from the winding. Before removing the insulation from thin wire, you should know what actions you will have to perform, and do everything carefully and in a clear sequence. There are situations when the distance for work is minimal and it is unacceptable to take risks.

We repair headphones

A common problem when using headphones is a violation of the integrity of the wire. To restore it, you need to choose a simple stationery knife for the job. The procedure occurs in several stages:

  • It is necessary to find the breakdown.
  • Remove the top winding by making a neat longitudinal cut.
  • Connect the components and insulate them.

How to strip wire insulation from headphones?

You can use a sheet of sandpaper. Its grain size does not matter (the main thing is to carry out work on front side element). Place the edge of the wire on sandpaper and press on top with a soldering iron. It will melt our winding. Then its remains can be removed by hand. As a result, we get a wire without insulation. After this, you can make the connection using the same soldering iron. This is not a long procedure, but you will get positive result everyone can. There is no need to experiment; each tool does its job. When working with wires and cables, use sharp knife and stripper, in other situations it is worth selecting the appropriate devices.

Conclusion

So, we looked at how to properly remove insulation from wires. As you can see, there are different instruments and methods. You just have to choose the most suitable one and follow the instructions.

To connect wires to each other, connect to contact groups, or terminate (use terminals, sleeves, etc.), they must be stripped.

The tip of the cable, freed from insulation, becomes the weakest link in the entire multi-meter wiring. If the metal core loses its cross-section or strength, the characteristics laid down by the manufacturer will be nullified. How to remove insulation from a wire without damaging its properties?

When applied protective coating, we have to solve opposite problems. The shell should be strong but flexible. Provide protection from moisture penetration, while at the same time being easy to remove from the core.

What damage can be caused to the current-carrying conductor by careless stripping?

  1. Reducing the diameter (and therefore cross-section) of the conductor.
  2. The appearance of fractures, and therefore a decrease in strength.
  3. The appearance of hidden damage due to bending and stretching.
  4. Reducing the number of wires in multi-core cables.
  5. Left fragments of insulation on the surface of a current-carrying conductor.

Majority experienced electricians have their own secrets for cleaning wires from insulation: some remove the sheath with their teeth, many have a special (or rather favorite) tool. All methods are good if the conductor does not suffer and there is no damage to health. We will tell you about the correct technique.

How to strip a wire while maintaining its properties

Let's start with simple methods.

Knife

Used universal tool: regular pen or stationery.


Improving the use of knives, many electricians make homemade devices for stripping insulation. For example, you can use a blade from safety razor by simply screwing it to a clothespin.

Using holes of different diameters (on a clothespin), you get a universal tool for removing both the outer sheath and the coating directly on the conductors.

The simplest factory-made insulation stripping pliers work on this principle. The outer sheath is removed using calibrated holes, and conductors of small diameter are stripped using a blade with a molded hole.

Thermal method

If the question arises: how to quickly remove insulation from a wire, all means are good. Many craftsmen simply burn the ends of the conductors with a lighter or match. The method is not the best: Firstly, the cable may catch fire. Secondly, the remaining part of the shell loses its properties at a distance of 1–2 cm from the cleaned area. And finally, the conductor itself (copper or aluminum) is destroyed by such thermal effects.

Important! If applicable thermal method processing of conductors, it is necessary to ensure ventilation of the room. Any coating emits toxic smoke when heated.

If you need to quickly strip a wire, and cutting tools no - you can use a soldering iron. The tip of the conductor is burned with a hot tip, after which the insulation is easily removed.

There are thermal tools of industrial design.

Stripping wires of insulation is carried out as follows: heating elements are pressed to the cut site, the shell melts with a short pulse, the conductor remains untouched. Such devices can be stand-alone or part of soldering stations.

Advantage of wire thermocouples:

  • Heating occurs pointwise, copper or aluminum core does not change properties.
  • A thin melt line does not lead to waste of material.
  • A sealed ring is formed around the shell, preventing the penetration of moisture.

The only limitation is the insulation material. Thermal stripping is used only in cables with polyvinyl chloride insulation. The fluoroplastic or rubber shell can only be removed mechanically.

Mechanical devices for stripping industrial wires

The most popular electrician's tool is the "Insulation Stripping Complex", known by the abbreviation KSI.

The operating principle is as follows:

During the initial compression of the pliers, the conductor is clamped between the grooved jaws (as in pliers), the other end is captured by the knife mechanism. The cutting attachment is spring-loaded and does not cut through the shell to the metal. This way the current-carrying core is guaranteed to be preserved. Next, the working levers are moved apart, and the notched sheath is removed from the wire.

The length of the area to be stripped is set using a limiter, against which the front wire rests when inserted into the tool.

There are certain restrictions: the tip cannot be too long. If you need to clean a long area, the process is repeated several times. In this case, the wire does not rest against the limiter, and the shifted section of the sheath is removed manually.

The complex copes well with both mono conductors and multi-core cores. There are restrictions on the diameter of the wire: a cable with a cross-section of more than 4.0 is almost impossible to process.

The next tool is simpler. End pliers for stripping insulation.

Designed for a diameter of up to 6.0 squares; it is difficult to expose a thicker wire manually. Between the cutting tips there is a screw stop, with which the diameter of the conductor is set. The distance between the grips is chosen to be slightly larger than the diameter of the current-carrying conductor. This is done to reduce the risk of damaging the metal. After squeezing the handles, the sheath is removed with a sharp movement along the wire. Working with such a device is not as convenient as with a CSI, but this is justified by its low cost.

Nippers, or the cutting sector of pliers, work in a similar way. Only stripping the wire with their help requires some skill.

The following device is designed to work with large diameter cables. This is a complex knife with a grip.

It can be used to strip wires of any length. First, a transverse incision is made, then a longitudinal one.

After which the sheath is easily removed without damaging the central conductor.

Stripping varnish-coated conductors

Such a conductor is used in transformer windings. Instead of a dielectric sheath, a thin varnish coating is applied to the copper core. The conductor is cleaned with a knife or sandpaper.

Security measures

A conductor stripped of insulation is potentially a source of danger. After processing the wire, especially in places where it is pressed and scored, the insulation resistance should be measured. This is done when putting the electrical installation into operation, then the frequency of measuring the electrical wiring insulation is carried out according to the approved schedule.

If there is damage that reduces the protective ability of the shell, it is necessary to cut off the damaged area or put a dielectric casing on it.

That's all we wanted to say about it. To fully understand the issue, we recommend watching the video.

Video on the topic