Tinning & Twisting UL1015 Wire

Tinning and twisting UL 1015 wire is necessary to help create a strong and reliable electrical connection. Tinning the wires with solder helps improve their conductivity and corrosion resistance, while twisting the wires helps prevent them from loosening or separating over time.

Wire tinning and twining are quick, easy and efficient if you’re a contract manufacturer with the right tooling and equipment. Learn more about the process below.

UL1015 Hook Up Wire

UL1015 hook up wire is a type of PVC-insulated wire electricians commonly use in low-voltage and low-current applications. This wire consists of bare or tinned copper conductors with a voltage rating of 600 volts. UL1015 hook up wire is popular for internally wiring appliances, electronic devices and control panels. It’s also suitable for switchboards, machine tool wiring and electronic circuits.

UL1015 hook up wire is resistant to heat, oil and moisture, making it highly versatile for many applications. With a temperature rating of 105 degrees Celsius, UL1015 hook up wire is also flame-resistant and meets the requirements of UL Standard 758 for Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) style wire.

UL1015 wire is available with a solid copper strand or multiple copper strands. A solid wire means less flexibility, so electricians use these when they want the wire to hold its form during the application. Using multiple strands of 30 AWG copper to reach a diameter of 18 AWG requires more work but allows for much more flexibility.

Cutting UL1015 18 AWG Wire on a Machine

Properly cutting UL1015 18 AWG wire is essential for ensuring a safe and reliable electrical connection, so cutting it carefully and accurately is important. Cutting UL1015 18 AWG wire on a machine requires the following simple steps to ensure a clean and accurate cut:

1. Ensure the machine is calibrated correctly and the blade is sharp and in good condition. The blade must be close enough to cut and remove the insulation but far enough to avoid scraping, nicking or cutting the copper strands. Less copper means less conductivity, which can severely hurt an application that requires a certain amount of electricity to perform. You can cut a few sample pieces to help determine the blade’s calibration.
2. Feed the wire into the machine, ensuring it’s properly aligned and secured. Use the machine’s controls to set the cutting length and speed, avoiding cutting the wire too short or too long.
3. Once the settings are in place, activate the machine and allow it to cut the wire.
4. Once the cut is complete, inspect the wire to verify a clean, accurate cut.

One problem when stripping the insulation on each end is that the numerous copper strands can get bumped and frayed while bagging, boxing and shipping. Most customers ask for each end to be tin dipped, which uniforms the strands into a single bundle and helps avoid fraying.

Tinning UL1015 18 AWG Hook Up Wire

Tinning UL1015 18 AWG hook up wire involves coating the wire with a thin layer of solder to improve its conductivity and corrosion resistance. It’s important for contract manufacturers to use lead-free solder in wire and cable product tinning because lead contains hazardous materials that get exposed during the tinning process.

Properly tinning UL1015 18 AWG hook up wire can help ensure a strong and reliable electrical connection. Use the following steps to tin UL1015 18 AWG wire:

1. Check the solder’s heat level and have a supply of flux prepared for dipping. Flux is a clear liquid that eases the solder’s burning effect, so the copper strands soak in the tin without burning from the high heat.
2. Grab two to three wires at once.
3. Remove the insulation slugs.
4. Dip the wires into flux and then dip them into the tin pot.
5. Repeat the process on the other side.

As you work through the tinning process, look for issues like large drips or globs of tin, sharp edges and bent copper strands. Frayed copper strands that haven’t yet been dipped pose the biggest issue. The solder pot will not straighten the strands, and the tin will land wherever the solid copper pieces lay.

Check for a nice twist of copper strands before dipping them into flux. A quick dip and release into and out of the solder is the best way to apply a tin coating free of globs or drips.

UL1015 18 AWG Solid Vs. Stranded Wire

If the wire needs cutting, stripping and tin dipping, why not just buy solid wire instead of going through the tinning process? The answer is to retain the wire’s flexibility. For example, a 24î UL1015 18 AWG stranded hook up wire can wrap around your wrist easily due to the 16 strands of 30 AWG copper. Compare this to a solid strand of 18 AWG copper wire that can maybe bend around your wrist jaggedly.

Once the machine has cut and stripped the hook up wire, dip the stranded copper into 800-degree Fahrenheit solder. While more labor intensive, this process allows customers to keep the wire’s flexibility without compromising the cut wire’s easy-to-use solid tip.

Cutting the wires with a hand tool takes much longer, mostly due to stripping each end’s insulation. You’d have to measure each piece for the overall length, cut evenly and consistently remove 0.25î from each end. Semi-stripping each end is more difficult because there’s pressure required to pull the insulation, and putting enough pressure to separate it yet keep it attached to the rest of the wire can be challenging.

Twisting UL1015 18 AWG Copper Wire

Twisting UL1015 18 AWG hook up wire involves twisting two or more wires together to create a secure and reliable electrical connection. Master UL1015 18 AWG wire twisting with the following steps:

1. Take two pre-tinned wires and line them up at even heights.
2. Push the wires into the twisting machine firmly, and grip the ends tightly.
3. Press the foot pedal until it stops. The foot pedal is set to spin the wires a certain number of times based on their length and the desired twists per inch. This ensures that the customer receives a consistent product with a standard set of twists per inch that meets their application tolerances.

Measuring the final product can be difficult, especially if the wire’s length changes after twisting. For example, if the specification sheet calls for a six-inch wire harness after twisting, the initial pieces must be cut to 6.25 inches to account for the shortening that occurs during twisting.

To avoid wasting time and materials, cut a few samples and tin and twist them to see the final length before cutting and tinning all the wires. This helps ensure the final product meets the required length and specifications.

Heat Shrink Tubing Printed Label Upon Request

Most contract manufacturers can add a label to the center of the wire assembly. This could be a printed label on a white surface that sticks to the harness or partially clear so it can wrap around several times.

Contract manufacturers can also print a piece of heat shrink tubing that shrinks down to the harness for a clean look. The tubing can hold the customer’s logo, part number, job number or anything else they request that can fit on the label.

When using heat shrink tubing and a heat gun to shrink the tubing to the 18 AWG wires, the operator should line up the measurements for a consistent placement on each harness. For example, putting a 1î label in the center of a 6î wire requires something as simple as a few pieces of tape on the table. Two pieces of tape lay 6î apart, one at 2.5î and one at 3.5î. Then the operator can simply put the harness on the table and see exactly where to heat the label without measuring every harness.

The heat shrink tubing label printer is necessary to create labeled heat shrink tubing markers. Less expensive label markers are available for printing sticky labels and applying them to the wires. However, the heat shrink tubing looks better, cleaner and shrinks down smoother than sticky labels.

WesBell Electronics Offers Wire Twisting Services

WesBell Electronics is a family-owned supplier of bulk wire, cable and tubing products. We also offer cable preparation and wire twining services to help you save time and money.

We’re happy to accept your custom wire or cable design specifications and fulfill your order. If you’re unsure what you need, reach out to us to discuss your application so we can help you determine the right product for the job. Request wire twisting and twining services once you’ve made a purchase for the ultimate convenience. We look forward to working with you!