In the context of the rapid development of electric power, communications, new energy
and other industries, industrial cables as the core transmission carrier, the demand for
end-of-life treatment has shown explosive growth. Traditional manual stripping method
of low efficiency, safety hazards, and difficult to deal with complex cable structure. The
emergence of industrial cable stripping machine, through automation technology to
achieve efficient separation of cable skin and metal conductor, is promoting the cable
recycling industry to intelligent, large-scale transformation.
Technical principle and equipment classification
The core function of the industrial cable stripping machine is to accurately strip the cable
sheath and insulation layer of different materials through the synergistic effect of
mechanical, optical and electronic control systems. According to the differences in
processing scenarios, the mainstream equipment is divided into three main categories:
Rotary knife head type wire stripping machine
Adopting high-speed rotating alloy knives, the cutting depth is adjusted in real time by
pressure sensors, applicable to PVC and rubber sheathed cables with a diameter of 5-120mm.
The angle of the cutter head can be automatically adjusted from 15°-45°, ensuring
layer-by-layer stripping of multi-layer insulation structures (e.g. armored cables).
Laser Stripping System
Utilizing a high-precision laser beam (wavelength 1064nm) to vaporize the insulation layer,
it is particularly suitable for micro-fine cables (diameter 0.1-5mm) and special materials
(including fluorine plastic and silicone). The system can control the precision of wire
stripping at ±0.02mm through CCD visual positioning to avoid damaging the surface
of copper core.
Fully automatic assembly line equipment
Integrated feeding, measuring, stripping and sorting modules, single machine processing
speed up to 2000 meters / hour. Intelligent control system can automatically identify the
type of cable and match the corresponding process parameters, compatible with more
than 20 specifications for power cables, data cables, automotive wiring harnesses and so on.
Key technology breakthroughs and application advantages
Adaptive cutting algorithm
The built-in mechanical feedback system of the equipment can monitor the resistance of
the cutting tool in real time, and automatically adjust the speed and pressure of the knife
when it encounters cable joints and tangles. Data from an automotive wire harness
recycling project shows that this technology reduces the tool loss rate by 60% and
reduces downtime by 85%.
Multi-spectral material identification
By linking near-infrared spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence technology, the equipment
can recognize six major types of insulation materials, such as PVC, PE, XLPE, etc., within
0.3 seconds and automatically switch the cutting mode. For communication cables
containing metal shielding layer, the system can accurately strip aluminum foil and
braided mesh, and the recovery rate of copper core reaches 99.5%.
Dust closed-loop processing system
The innovatively designed negative pressure collection device can centralize the filtration
of plastic particles generated during the cutting process, together with the electrostatic
adsorption technology, so that the dust concentration in the working environment is
less than 3mg/m³, which meets OSHA occupational health standards.
Industry Application Scenario Analysis
Power engineering transformation
In the substation upgrading scenario, the wire stripping machine can handle high-voltage
cables with a cross-section of 185mm² or more, with a single-day stripping capacity of
15 tons. Through modular design, the equipment can be directly stationed at the
construction site, reducing transportation costs.
New Energy Vehicle Dismantling
For the complex structure of power battery wiring harnesses (including high-temperature
insulation layer and metal shielding mesh), the laser wire stripping system can achieve
non-destructive separation of copper and aluminum conductors without generating
heat-affected zones, and the metal purity is maintained at over 99.9%.
Submarine cable recycling
Specialized waterproof wire stripping equipment is equipped with titanium cutting
components for stable operation in salt spray environments. Through the alternating
operation of double cutter heads, it can handle armored cables with a diameter of
300mm and a weight of more than 50kg/m, and the efficiency of copper recycling
is increased by 3 times.
Economic Benefits and Environmental Value
The introduction of industrial cable stripping machine can bring multi-dimensional
value enhancement for recycling enterprises:
Optimization of operating costs: energy consumption per ton of cable processing is
reduced from 28kW-h to 9kW-h, and labor costs are reduced by 80%.
Resource value enhancement: copper core integrity rate increased from 65% to 98%,
generating an additional $4,200 per ton.
Environmental compliance: 95% purity of plastic skin recycling, which can be directly
used for regeneration pelletizing.
Flexible expansion of production capacity: the equipment supports 24-hour continuous
operation, and the processing capacity is 8-10 times that of the traditional process.
The practice of a coastal city recycling base shows that after configuring 3 automated
stripping lines, the annual metal recycling volume increases by 1,800 tons, reduces
landfill plastic waste by 6,700 tons, and reduces carbon emissions equivalent to
planting 34,000 trees.
Technology Development Trend Outlook
With the application of new materials and process upgrading, cable stripping technology
is showing three major innovative directions:
Digital twin system: real-time simulation of equipment operation status through 3D
modeling to achieve tool life prediction and preventive maintenance
AI visual quality inspection: using convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically
detect scratches, oxidation and other defects on the surface of the copper core
Superconducting magnetic sorting: secondary recycling of nano-sized copper powder,
making the resource utilization rate close to 100%.
Driven by the dual-carbon strategy, the industrial cable stripper is evolving from a single
processing equipment to an intelligent resource regeneration node. Its technological
evolution not only improves the economics of metal recycling, but also provides
industrialized solutions for the full life cycle management of cables through a
closed-loop processing model. For recycling enterprises, grasping the opportunity
of intelligent upgrading will become the key to break through in the circular
economy track.