Method for coloring polymer-insulated wire

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for coloring polymer-insulated wire, the wire is guided through a solvent reservoir to dissolve surface contaminants and etch the surface of the insulation, and passed between opposed wiping surfaces to wipe surface contaminants from the wire. The wire is then passed through a hot air duct to evaporate solvent remaining on its surface. The dried wire is guided through a solvent-based colorant reservoir to coat it with colorant and passed against a wiping surface to wipe excess colorant from its surface. The coated wire is passed through a hot air duct to evaporate some of the solvent in the colorant, and through a cold air duct to harden an outer surface of the colorant before it passes over a guide wheel. The hardened surface prevents adherence of the colorant to the guide wheel. The coated wire is passed by a spraying device which intermittently sprays solvent-based colorant on the wire to band encode it. The band-encoded wire is passed through a hot air duct to evaporate some of the solvent in the bands of colorant, and through a cold air duct to form a hardened outer surface skin on the bands of colorant before they pass over a guide wheel. The hardened surface skin prevents adherence of the bands of colorant to the guide wheel. The method and apparatus are useful for reclaiming polymer-insulated wire with off-standard or undesired coloration.