SIKORA cooperates with Jiangxi Cable, a subsidiary of Jiangxi Copper Corporation Limited manufacturing over 100 varieties of high, medium, and low-voltage cables, empowering Jiangxi Cable’s production line upgrade of 500kV extra-high voltage cables with precise measuring and control technology.

SIKORA initiated its cooperation with Jiangxi Cable over twenty years ago. The X-RAY 8000 systems have successfully operated on Jiangxi Cable’s CCV and VCV production lines for many years.

Production line upgrade of 500kV extra-high voltage cables

Driven by the growing domestic demand for extra-high voltage (EHV) power grids, Jiangxi Cable began a reconstruction and expansion project for its 500kV EHV cable production in 2023. The project involves installing 2 VCV lines for EHV cables.

The specifications for insulation eccentricity and homogeneity of wall thickness for EHV cables are significantly higher than ordinary cables. Therefore, the integrated measuring and control devices must feature advanced technology, reliable performance, and precise measurements.

Two X-RAY 8000 systems for VCV production lines

Based on the high recognition of SIKORA's technical reliability and professional service, Jiangxi Cable decided to equip each of its two new VCV production lines with two specialized systems: an X-RAY 8000 ADVANCED at the beginning and an X-RAY 8700 NXT at the end of the production line.

Installing the X-RAY 8000 ADVANCED at the hot position of the production line allows for the real-time measurement, recording, and display of cable wall thickness, eccentricity, and diameter.

X-RAY 8000 ADVANCED at Jiangxi Cable.

This precise measurement data facilitates quick adjustment to cable parameters, which significantly reduces start-up adjustment time for eccentricity and avoids excessive raw material consumption.

The X-RAY 8700 NXT, installed at the cold end of the production line, can measure the eccentricity and wall thickness of the outer shield, insulation layer, and inner shield of the cooled cable.

X-RAY 8700 NXT at Jiangxi Cable.

This ensures the timely detection and adjustment of potential deviations during production, minimizes errors caused by manual sectioning and observation, and guarantees that all cables delivered to customers meet the required high-quality standards.

"After using SIKORA's X-RAY 8000 for many years, we believe that the systems can effectively reduce material consumption during start-up eccentricity adjustment. Once production starts, only 10-30 meters of cable are needed to adjust the eccentricity to within 4%. Without the precise measurement and control by this system, it might require consuming more than ten times the material to achieve the same quality standards,” commented Liu, Chief Engineer at Jiangxi Cable.

The X-RAY 8000 ADVANCED and NXT from SIKORA provide continuous and precise monitoring of the cable production process. The systems ensure product quality while improving production efficiency and raw material utilization, thereby strengthening users’ competitive advantages.