Creating braided shafts? Listen to this webinar and our esteemed SteegerUSA experts to learn about
crucial factors that lead to successful braiding, including variable density patterns, system configurations
and the importance of proper set-up and maintenance.

During this 3-part presentation, you’ll learn about:

Horizontal Vs Vertical Systems, Braid Patterns and Carrier Maintenance

Vertical vs. Horizontal Machines Highlights

Vertical Braiding Equipment 

  • 2 Capstand Options
    • Flat – Great for tubing in large OD core material
    • Groove – for smaller and more lubricous materials
  • Steeger braid formers can accommodate a wide variety of material sizes and can be customized for your process.
  • Available Braid Carriers – KL80d and KL 4000 (for fiber braiding).  We can increase the size of the horn gear for larger volume requirements.
  • Vertical machines feature small foot print and operate Reel-to-Reel
  • Spool capacity can be up to 20” Diameter
  • Carrier tension pattern and density is adjustable via different roller set ups and eyelets.  Steeger offers consultation to ensure you specify the correct set-up.
  • Control Package:  Allen Bradley System allows for variable density braid run with multiple segments if needed, and can create complex catheter braiding product. The vertical braiding system can create 25 segments and save 99 recipes.

Horizontal Braiding Equipment 

  • Features the NEW Allen Bradley IMC 7 offering better response time to start and stop times.
  • New Light Tower
  • Flexibility of Horizontal system
    • Braids Reel to Reel or discrete pieces (great for start-ups)
    • Take UP Options: torque motor or dancer
    • Feed Tray for feed in and feed out
    • Automated Pick and Place System option

Vertical vs. Horizontal Machines Q&A

Steeger’s horizontal braiders have the most flexibility from a standalone machine. Horizontal braiders allow for “discrete piece braiding” and “reel to reel” applications. The Horizontal Modular platform would the choice for R&D customers or customers that may want multiple braiding heads within the 32 carrier and below category. This would allow all the flexibility of a horizontal unit plus the additional heads for patterns and product characteristics.

Our Allen Bradley IMC control system allows customers to have the software needed for recipe loading and storage, braid density entry along the length of your part, multiple segments entry, in addition to PPI, footage and RPM readout.

Our braiding team at Steeger will work with future and current customers through our lab to help dial in the braiding parameters that will guide you to a specific braider for your product. We work closely to ensure the product specs are met and record all parameters of the braiding process for quality assurance with the next braid run or machine purchase.

Braid Pattern Highlights

  • Steeger manufactures flat braiders, square braiders and coilers
  • Full Load “Regular Pattern”:  This pattern has the most flexibility out of the three symmetrical braid patterns, and least elongation when stretched.
  • Full Load Diamond Pattern:  Useful for full coverage and yields a sharper braid angle.  For applications where radial force, stiffness and rigidity are required.  (Often Used for endoscopy applications).
  • Half Load Diamond Pattern: Is a hybrid system producing both excellent radial force and compression strength, while offering the flexibility of full load regular pattern with kink resistance torquability and pushability.
  • Modular Systems:  Flex Manufacturing capacity and perfect for R&D applications.  Can accept 8, 12 or 16 carrier head with very little floor space
  • We invite you to our R&D Lab, make samples, run trials, short production ramp up.

Braid Pattern Q&A

The Full Load Regular Pattern is known for having the most Flexibility. The braid angle for this pattern is lower when compared to the other patterns if all else is the same due to the configuration of the wires (1 over 2 under 2). The other two patterns cause the wires to interlock which can cause a larger bend radius.

All the patterns can provide full coverage if you simply increase the picks per inch. The Full Load Diamond Pattern would be the answer though because it uses twice the amount of material per bobbin as the Full load regular pattern if all else is the same. The half load is half the number of wires on the machine so the full load diamond provide more material simply because it is using twice the amount of carriers/bobbins.

The Full Load Regular Pattern. Hints the name Regular Pattern because it is the most used pattern. The reason for this is throughput. This pattern runs at 100% capacity of the machine whereas the other two patterns run at 50%.

The Half Load Diamond Pattern is known for providing flexibility along with great kink resistance. A lot of customers change from the Full Load regular pattern on a 16 carrier machine to a Half Load Diamond Pattern on a 32 carrier machine which is the same amount of wires (16) when they want to increase push ability, torque ability, compression strength and kink resistance along with still having flexibility.

Sometimes the answer is that you need more wires in the braid. You may just need a larger machine doing the same pattern but with more wires/fibers to increase coverage, strength, change braid angle, etc.

  • You can increase density which will help with push ability by increasing the picks per inch.
  • You can change your wire type/size for different performance. Maybe your stainless-steel wire needs to be spring temper instead of annealed for radial force strength. Or just by simply increasing or decreasing the wire size can add diameter to the braid or reduce diameter which will add to or take away the strength of the braid also.
  • You can change your core size/type depending on whether or not you are looking for a specific Outside diameter or inside diameter. Sometimes certain core materials are hard to slide the braid off of and you need something that works better with the braid wire/fiber you have chosen.
  • What levers can I pull on this design and what about this design cannot be changed? The answer to this question will narrow your possibilities.
  • Can you change the material type/size?
  • Should I add or take away wires in the braid?
  • Am I concerned about braid angle or coverage or both?

Carrier Maintenance Highlights

  • KL80d Carrier can be broken down, cleaned and reassembled with ease.
  • All parts from KL80d Carrier can be removed and replaced as necessary.
  • Wear items include Carrier Feet, Ratchet Springs, Top Eyelets, Compensation Rollers.  Tending to these items helps will prevent pre-mature wear and keep the machine running at its most efficient state.
  • Carrier Performance is impacted by proper tensioning, the parts that influence the tensioning are the tension springs, ratchet springs and compensation rollers.

Carrier Maintenance Q&A

A recommended machine maintenance schedule can be found in our SteegerUSA braiding machine manual. This schedule is based off of 24/7, maximum speed operation.

Yes, the maintenance on the braiding machines can be adjusted if they are not operating 24/7 at maximum speed. Our IMC Allen Bradley machines have a machine statistics menu that shows a total accumulated time for each of the machine states. These times can be used to best align with machine maintenance. Please consult with a SteegerUSA representative before making these adjustments.

There are numerous braid parameters that go into creating a braided product. Because of this it is hard to find a one size fits all solution for machine setup. The R&D Lab at SteegerUSA has many years of experience with different type products and can help guide customers towards a recommended setup that may only require some fine tuning for their specific product. Customers can reach out to Will Hughey, or Forrest Copeland at SteegerUSA and they will help with the machine setup.

Yes, SteegerUSA offers two different services for carriers. The first is a standard carrier refurbishment. The customer will send the carriers to SteegerUSA with detailed specs of their build, and SteegerUSA will fully disassemble, clean, and replace all parts on the carriers then send them back to the customer. The Lead time for the standard carrier refurbishment is 4-6 weeks from receipt of the carriers. The second is SteegerUSA carrier exchange program. This is a program that SteegerUSA offers to allow customers to receive refurbished carriers before sending their old carriers in for refurbishment. The customer will provide detail specs of the carriers build, SteegerUSA will use inhouse carriers, build them to spec and send to the customer. Once the carriers are received by the customer, they will return the old carriers to SteegerUSA will hold the carriers until the next PO receipt and refurbish the carriers and send back to the customer. The lead time for the carrier exchange program is 4-6 weeks upon receipt of PO. Crystal Cote at SteegerUSA can provide quotes and more information on this if needed.

Watch Recording

[recording_viedo]

3 Key Insights to Create World Class Braided Shafts

Presented By: Machine Solutions

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Speakers

Paul H._Presenter Headshots

Paul Hazeres

Business Development Manager

Forrest C_Presenter Headshots

Forrest Copeland

R&D lab Manager

Will H_Presenter Headshots

Will Hughey

Product Manager

Host

Sean H_Presenter Headshots

Sean Hargett

SteegerUSA President

Handouts 

Do you have a Braiding Challenge or Application? Get in touch Today!

Contact 928-556-3109 or email sales@machinesolutions.com