Wire drawing machines
Local manufacturing, global standards: Niehoff's braiders and drawing lines head to wire China 2026
At wire China 2026 (booth E1D51), Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF will showcase five machines built entirely by its Chinese subsidiary, Niehoff Machinery Changzhou (NMC), under license from the German parent company. Components sourced from NIEHOFF's Schwabach headquarters and parts manufactured locally by NMC are assembled and test-run together in China, with NMC technicians handling final commissioning before any machine reaches a customer.
On display:
- MMH 121 + RM 201 multiwire drawing line
- D 402 double twist bunching machine with ARH 630 pay-off
- ARD 630 D backtwist pay-off for data cable stranding lines
- BMV 16 vertical braiding machine with integrated BAS 800 pay-off/take-up
- BMV 16 vertical braiding machine with external AH 800 \+ WH 800 pay-off/take-up systems
MMH 121 + RM 201: energy-, material-, and cost-efficient multiwire drawing and annealing
The MMH 121 + RM 201 line combines cast gearboxes and high-precision helical gears for high productivity and a low wire break rate. The RM 201 resistance annealer uses field-proven two- or three-zone annealing, with or without wire reheating, for efficient drying and energy use on larger wire sizes. The result is highly uniform wire with tight tolerances along its full length, suited for further processing into multiwire bundles or braids.
Max. speed 35 m/s; wire inlet up to 2.00 mm (Cu hard); finished diameter 0.16–0.68 mm; up to 24 wires.
D 402: high-quality double twist bunching for challenging applications
The D 402 double twist bunching machine pairs a single-bow design with an energy-saving Eco-Bow for lower power consumption than conventional bunching machines. Electric lay-length adjustment (no gear changes) and constant tension control, aided by the integrated NBAT optoelectronic system, keep spools filled with a clean winding pattern, even on fine wires at high pay-off speeds.
Max. speed 200 m/min; strand cross-section 0.013–2.5 mm²; lay length 1–75 mm (steplessly variable); up to 9,000 twists/min.
Two pay-off systems complete the stranding line-up: the ARH 630 tangential pay-off, paired with the D 402 to produce 7 x 0.08 mm conductors, and the ARD 630 D double-unit backtwist pay-off, which feeds insulated wires into pair stranding machines such as the D 802 or DSI 632, for core cable (0.254–0.813 mm²) or flexible cable (0.13–1.5 mm²) up to 3 mm in diameter.
BMV 16: precise, efficient vertical braiding for automotive coaxial cable
The BMV 16 vertical lever-arm rotary braiding machine, with 16 bobbin carriers, offers infinitely variable electronic control of line speed and braiding pitch, automatic central lubrication, and monitoring systems that support extended unattended operation. The unit on display is configured for automotive high-frequency coaxial cable production, with dancer control on both the pay-off and take-up sides and a dancer-controlled longitudinal pay-off for aluminum foil.
Machines built at NIEHOFF's German headquarters can add three patented systems: a speed boost from 175 to 200 rpm for up to 10% more output, with fewer lubrication intervals and less oil contamination; Wire Tension Control, for uniform pay-off tension from full to empty bobbin; and Coverage Control, which holds the coverage ratio steady while saving up to 10% of braiding material.
Two BMV 16 units will be on display: one with an integrated BAS 800 pay-off/take-up unit, the other with external AH 800 + WH 800 systems for 800 mm flange cable spools. Across the BMV range, the machines process bare or plated round or flat wire in copper, aluminum, or stainless steel, as well as artificial yarns and fibers, for cable screening, hollow and stranded braids, medical catheters, sanitary hoses, textile braids, and steel wire braids.
Cross-section 0.033–0.370 mm² (Cu soft); braiding pitch 3–120 mm.
wire China 2026 runs September 21–24 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Niehoff and NMC will be at booth E1D51.
