Concentrol presents the report for the ECOWILINE research project that is being carried out since 2015 within the EUREKA International Projects for Technological Cooperation program. Financed by CDTI (Center for Technological Industrial Development) a public entity under the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad. The ECOWILINE project involves the following companies: SOFILEC (France), GII, Leroy Somer (France), is currently in its fifth and final phase, and is estimated to be completed during the first four months of 2017.
EUREKA is an intergovernmental initiative to support R+D+I and cooperation in the Europe, with the goal of boosting the competitiveness of European companies by promoting the implementation of technological projects, oriented to the development of products, processes and/or services with a clear commercial focus in the international market and based on innovative technologies. It is aimed at any Spanish research company or center capable of carrying out an R+D+I and applied project in collaboration with, at least, one company or research center from another country of the EUREKA network.
The objective of ECOWILINE
The objective of the ECOWILINE project is to develop a new technology that allows the insulation of spooled up copper wires through an innovative process without solvent that is competitive in technical and economical terms.
Specifically, the project will include technical improvements in chemical formulation, where Concentrol will develop new formulations based on UV curing resins. These formulations will not contain solvents, making them less toxic and reducing the environmental impact compared to the products that are currently used in copper wire enamelling.
In search of a greener, more efficient and competitive process
As its name says, the ECOWILINE project aims to create an “eco” product. With other improvements, the new formulations will increase the mineral load, decreasing the dependence on oil, which also will provide greater thermal resistance. In addition, avoiding the use of solvents and CO2 emissions, the environmental impact will be also reduced.
Moreover, a large-scale “eco” production line adapted to industrial restrictions will be developed and it will allow the insulation of copper wires with Thermal Class 200 and beyond.
The design of the ECOWILINE project also takes into account strategic and competitive focus, since it considers the possibility of global patents, the potentiality in the market niche, and the optimization of speed and temperature of the manufacturing process to obtain a homogeneous coating.
One of the other improvements to highlight -among many others- is the possibility to obtain any shape (flat or circular in aluminum extraction) and an increase in safety. By eliminating solvents, handling and transporting the product will be much safer and the risk of fire will be reduced.
