Wire drawing machines
Niehoff adds film wrapping, labeling, and automation to its NPS package system
Maschinenfabrik Niehoff has expanded its NIEHOFF Package System (NPS) — the storage and handling system already used by cable and wire harness manufacturers worldwide for automotive wire — with a new film wrapping and labeling unit, now available for the NPS double spooler types SV 402 D and SV 403 D.
A new step toward fully packaged spools
The NPS pairs SV type spoolers with collapsible NPS plastic multiway spools, giving producers a reusable, space-saving alternative to conventional spools. With the new unit, filled NPS spools can be wrapped in stretch film to secure the wire end, then labeled with content information via barcode, QR code, or RFID. A further addition allows defective spools to be sorted onto a separate conveyor belt.
The unit is available as an option on new spoolers and can also be retrofitted to spoolers already in service.
Paving the way for automation
Once wrapped and labeled, NPS spools are ready to ship. They can then be transferred to an automated guided vehicle (AGV) and moved on to the next production step, further enabling NPS automation.
SV 403 D: higher output with the same labor effort
The SV 403 D, the newer of the two spooler models covered by the new unit, handles the 0.13–0.50 mm² product range (at a cable diameter of 1.25 mm) at a maximum production speed of 2,400 m/min. Compared with its predecessor, the SV 402 D, that translates into a 30% increase in production output — more throughput without additional labor.
A system already proven in the field
Beyond the new packaging unit, the NPS remains built around the same principles that have made it a reference for automotive wire, bunched wire, strands, conductors, and cables: non-stop operation in line with extrusion machinery, automatic changeover between full and empty spools at full production speed, and a wire-laying technology that keeps packages stable and tangle-free whether spools are full or partially empty.
The reusable design adds a logistics advantage downstream, too: NPS spools support fast wire pay-off, and once empty they can be disassembled and nested inside each other, cutting the space needed for return shipping. Back at the cable manufacturer, they are quickly reassembled and reloaded for dozens of further cycles.
In the picture on top: the NPS double spooler type SV 403 D
