Enamel wire is a type of winding wire, which is an electromagnetic wire made by coating a layer of insulating paint on the outside of copper, aluminum and other metal wires, and then drying and other processes.

This layer of insulating paint can insulate the wires from each other, prevent current leakage, and withstand a certain voltage.

Enamel wire is mainly used for winding electrical equipment such as motors, transformers, reactors, relays, etc. For example, in common small DC motors, enameled wire is wound around the rotor and stator of the motor. When current passes through the enameled wire winding, a magnetic field is generated, which drives the motor to rotate.

Copper is one of the most commonly used materials for making enameled wire.  

Because copper has good conductivity and low electrical resistivity, it can effectively transmit current and reduce energy loss at standard atmospheric pressure and room temperature. For example, in the process of power transmission, using copper wires can enable electricity to be transmitted to the destination with higher efficiency compared to other metals. So, many enameled wires use copper as the core material!

And copper wire, as the substrate of enameled wire, becomes enameled wire after being coated with insulating paint on its surface. The insulation paint applied can be various types such as polyester paint, polyimide paint, etc. These insulation paints can allow copper wires to safely pass current through the windings of electrical equipment without short circuiting due to contact with other components or contact between their own windings.

For example, in transformers, enameled copper wires are tightly wound together. Without insulation paint protection, current will flow between the wires, which may ultimately cause the transformer to malfunction.

Of course, enameled wire also has its drawbacks!

For example, different enameled wires have different temperature resistance levels, but overall, compared to some special high-temperature resistant materials, their temperature resistance range is narrower! Like common polyester enameled wires, the long-term use temperature is generally around 130 ℃ -155 ℃.

When used in high temperature environments, the insulation paint of enameled wires will accelerate aging. Excessive temperature can cause changes in the physical and chemical properties of insulation paint, such as softening or brittleness. Once these problems occur with the insulation paint, its insulation performance will decrease.

During the operation of the motor, if the motor is overloaded for a long time or has poor heat dissipation, the temperature environment in which the enameled wire is located may rise, exceeding its temperature resistance limit, which may cause a short circuit fault and affect the normal operation of the motor

In addition, insulation paint is also prone to damage. The insulation of enameled wire mainly relies on the outer insulation paint. In actual installation and use, enameled wires are prone to mechanical damage. If the enameled wire is in a vibrating environment or frequently bent, the insulation paint is also prone to cracking or peeling.

Some enameled wires with weak overload capacity have a certain current carrying capacity during design. When the current passing through the enameled wire exceeds its rated current, excessive heat will be generated. Due to the limited heat dissipation capacity of enameled wires, excessive heat can accelerate the aging of insulation paint and increase the resistance of metal wires.

For example, in the short-circuit fault of a transformer, the short-circuit current will instantly increase, and the enameled wire cannot withstand this overload current, which may cause damage to the insulation paint and subsequently short-circuit the transformer winding, resulting in equipment damage.

Finally, let's talk about the price. So, what are the characteristics of the price of enameled wire compared to other winding wires?

Firstly, the cost of raw materials is relatively high. Enamel wire is usually made of copper or aluminum as conductors, especially copper enameled wire. Copper is relatively expensive and accounts for a large proportion of the cost of enameled wire. When the market copper price rises, the price of enameled wire will also increase accordingly.

Secondly, the production of enameled wire requires multiple processes, including wire drawing, annealing, painting, baking, etc., to form a uniform and good insulation paint layer on the surface of the metal wire. These complex production processes increase production costs, resulting in relatively high prices for enameled wire.

However, some high-performance enameled wires, such as those that are resistant to high frequency and high voltage, have higher production process requirements and are more expensive.

The price of copper enameled wire is significantly higher than that of aluminum enameled wire. Some companies, in situations where conductivity and corrosion resistance are not high requirements, choose aluminum enameled wire in order to reduce costs. In addition, the diameter, length, and other specifications of enameled wire vary greatly, resulting in significant price differences.

Compared with some emerging high-tech winding wire materials, enameled wire, as a traditional and mature winding wire product, has a relatively stable price. In a relatively balanced market supply and demand, the price fluctuation of enameled wire is usually small. But there have also been significant fluctuations in the past two years.

Because the main raw materials for enameled wire, copper and aluminum, are greatly affected by factors such as international market supply and demand, macroeconomic situation, etc! When the price of raw materials fluctuates significantly, the price of enameled wire will also adjust accordingly. If we enter a period of global economic recovery and the demand for copper increases globally, leading to an increase in copper prices, then the price of enameled wire will also rise accordingly.

Article source: Internet

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