How to Easily Strip Cables?
To strip a copper wire of its insulation is one thing.
But to do the same thing to a cable is a completely different story.
The reason for this has to do with the way it is constructed.
To start off, the construction and basic principles for wires and cables are the same.
They both contain a conductive material inside, typically copper and sometimes an alloy, for the transmission of electric charge.
On the outside, they have one or sometimes multiple layers of insulation for protecting the conductive layer as well as preventing people from getting electric shocks on accidental contact.
The real difference has to do with the thickness of the wires and the cables; i.e. the thickness of both the cables as well as the wires. While normal wires have a very thin layer of wiring as well as insulation, cables tend to be much thicker.
This thickness can be a real problem to deal with, since those methods used for removing the insulation layers for wires cannot be used for cabling.
The above leaves us with the question, which is about how to effectively remove the insulating layers around the cabling wires.
Given in the steps below are details on how to easily strip cables of their insulation.
1. Knives & Other Such Tools
Using a knife to remove the insulation around copper wiring is often not possible.
This is because the thickness of the wires simply do not allow for such a thing. Given their thickness, it is very likely that in addition to the insulation being removed, the same could happen to the wires themselves, with the copper wiring getting cut in the process.
It is for this reason that most people prefer to use a cutting pliers rather than knives. In addition to this reason, there is also another concern, which is that of safety and security; using knives to remove insulation is not really a safe option.
At the same time however, using them for removing insulation from cabling is a good idea. Given the thickness of the wires, it is very unlikely that they will get damaged during the process of stripping them. There is still the issue of safety, but is something that can be dealt with by taking some basic and necessary precautions.
Alternatively, one may use other kinds of cutting tools, such as blades, box cutters, etc, which provide the same degree of functionality as a normal knife.
2. Specialized Cutting Pliers
It is not always necessary to go for knives.
On the contrary, you can use cutting pliers as well. About the only thing to note here, is that they are the specialized kind of cutting pliers, often titled as ‘heavy duty’.
These are the kinds of knives that are designed to handle higher degree of workloads, stress and operational issues, making them likely choices for stripping wires.
One of the things to be noted while using these specialized cutting pliers is that they will be a bit tougher to use than regular pliers. Depending on the thickness of the cables and the material used for their insulation, one will have to use different degrees of pressure and force, to cut through the insulation to strip the wires.
The next option worth considering, would be the use of wire-stripping machinery, which comes in one of two types; manual and automatic.
The way that these machines work, is fairly simple. Although the exact mechanism may vary, the basic idea is the same. The wires to be stripped are fed into the machine, which then processes the same, removes all of the existing insulation in the desired area, and releases the wires.
Also, the machinery, depending on the design and function, allows for the stripping function to be carried out in bulk, thereby permitting for a high degree of productivity.
In the case of bulk stripping machines, it is a good idea to go for automatic ones rather than manual, given the degree of effort required to achieve the same result.
In addition to this, it should be noted that the machinery used for stripping cables is usually far more expensive than the ones used for stripping wires, due to the higher degree of complexity and design specifications involved.
The exact nature of the operations used in the machinery will certainly vary. These are something which will require attention to be paid as well. Of the many concerns involved, one of the most important is that of the material used for the insulation, which determines the machine most ideally suited for the job. Quite often, the same companies that manufacture the cables also provide the machines for stripping them; which can prove to be handy as one need not spend much time searching for the ideal machinery. Then again, they may have ties with other companies, or at least references, to help you connect with someone who can get the job done.
4. Hammers
This is one of the more crude ways in which insulating layers around a wire can be removed.
By striking a hammer at the insulating layers around a cable, it is very easy to remove them.
There are just two limitations that are to be noted here. For one, it cannot be used on a large scale, given that it is a rather slow method. The second is that it is entirely possible that with the ‘wrong’ amount of force, one may just end up damaging the wire along with the insulation.
Another limitation, which is not always the case, is that in many cases, toughened insulation made using metallic fibers, may not be easily removed by striking them. These are often found in those cabling which are used in tough environment, where the main wires are covered by metallic fibers, typically made of steel or other alloys, wound around them.
To sum it all up, the above list of steps explains in clear detail the way in which cables can be effectively stripped of their insulation.
Depending on the nature of the wire, insulating material, installation requirements and other factors, a few other steps may also be involved. But the ones mentioned above happen to be the most important ones around.
