Cleaning Copper Wires with Ultrasonic Inline Cleaners

Cleaning copper wires is an important step in the production of copper wires and conductors. Whether for electrical applications, electronics, automotive wiring, or high-frequency signal transmission cables, the removal of drawing lubricants, oxides, metal dust, and other residues is essential to ensure optimal downstream performance, e.g. for insulation, welding, or further surface treatment. Hielscher Ultrasonics manufactures inline cleaners, which use high-power ultrasound for a contact-less, yet highly efficient cleaning.

Ultrasonic Inline Cleaning of Copper Wires

Ultrasonic inline cleaning is a highly effective, non-abrasive method for removing contaminants from copper cords, threads, and wires during continuous production. Hielscher ultrasonic inline cleaners apply high-intensity ultrasound waves in a liquid medium, generating cavitation. This acoustic cavitation is characterized by microscopic bubbles that implode near the wire surface – dislodging drawing oils, oxides, and particulates without mechanical contact. Since the copper wire passes through a narrow wire guide, the ultrasonic energy is concentrated to the surface of the endless profile ensuring a thorough cleaning.
Ultrasonic cleaning ensures uniform treatment at high line speeds, making it ideal for fine, sensitive or high-performance copper profiles.

Wire Cleaning for Your Needs: Thorough, Yet Gentle

Copper, while highly conductive and widely used, is prone to surface oxidation and contamination during wire drawing and handling. Mechanical cleaning methods, such as brushing or abrasion, risk micro-scratches or straining, which leads to quality loss or reduced electrical performance. Chemical baths, though effective in removing oils and oxides, require hazardous chemicals and complex disposal protocols. The challenge lies in ensuring a non-abrasive yet thorough method that operates seamlessly inline, without compromising the speed or integrity of the production process.

The Solution: Hielscher Ultrasonic Wire Cleaning Systems

Hielscher Ultrasonics offers advanced inline cleaning systems engineered for seamless integration into copper wire production lines. Designed specifically for endless profiles, such as fine or multi-strand copper wires, Hielscher ultrasonic systems utilize high-power ultrasound in combination with flow-optimized cleaning modules.
The high-power ultrasound in Hielscher cleaning systems not only apply vibration but intense cavitation. Ultrasonic cavitation generates liquid micro-jets in the cleaning liquid, effectively dislodging oils, oxides, and particulates from the wire surface without mechanical abrasion. Due to their inline configuration, the endless profile is cleaned in a real-time, non-contact process without interrupting the production flow.
Thanks to their modular design, Hielscher wire cleaners can be installed directly into new or existing lines with minimal engineering effort. Even at high processing speeds, the passing wire is optimally cleaned using only deionized water, mild detergents, or alkaline solutions tailored to the specific contamination. With uniform, circumferential cleaning results, Hielscher ultrasonic inline cleaners are ideal for the manufacturing of copper used in sectors such as electronics, automotive, and aerospace.

Hielscher wire cleaners remove unwanted deposits such as:

• Drawing lubricants
• Oxide films
• Dust and particulates
• Residual processing chemicals

By integrating inline ultrasonic cleaners directly into the cable production workflow, Hielscher systems provide real-time cleaning without halting or slowing down the cable production.

Modular Design: Flexible Integration and Scalability

Hielscher ultrasonic cleaners feature a robust, modular design – making them highly adaptable to a wide variety of wire dimensions, production speeds, and line configurations. Customized configurations based on specific throughput requirements and contaminant profiles guarantee optimum results.
Multiple modules can be arranged in series for enhanced cleaning intensity. For multi-wire processing, Hielscher offers special wire cleaning sonotrodes. Furthermore, the systems are available in both standalone units and fully integrable inline variants, compatible with continuous drawing, extrusion, or coating lines.
Commonly used wire cleaning modules are the ultrasonic cleaner module USCM700 and the ultrasonic 4-tank cleaning system DRS2500-4S.

Schematic plan of a inline wire cleaning system with ultrasonic processor, wire cleaning sonotrode, tanks, pumps, filters, rinsing, air wipes, and ceramic guide.