PREHEATER Inductive Wire Preheating System
Inductive wire preheating for accurate and consistent wire preheat temperature over a wider range of line speeds
Ensures uniform conductor temperature to maintain insulation adhesion, remove moisture and meet overall product consistency
Why PREHEATER?
The Zumbach PREHEATER uses inductive heating to bring wire conductors to a precise, uniform temperature before insulation. The wire is guided around sheaves and through an inductor to form an electrical loop. The current induced into the conductor will be automatically adjusted based on material, line speed, ambient conductor temperature, and target wire temperature. By ensuring consistent wire temperature, the PREHEATER makes extrusion more stable, repeatable, and fully controllable, with optional closed-loop temperature control via the AUTAC 300.
- Contactless inductive heating: No slip ring contacts, no mechanical wear, no maintenance downtime.
- Precise temperature control: Target temperature held constant even during changes in line speed.
- Seamlessly integrates into any extrusion line: Supports legacy as well as current fieldbus integration like EtherNet/IP and PROFINET; ready for integration with PLC/SCADA and Zumbach USYS® processors.
- Easy set-up for the operator:PREHEATER provides up to 20 configurable material recipes.
- Built-in webserver with PoE port: Allows for connection of a VISU-Touch display to provide a graphical user interface for the operator to interact with the system.
Properties
- Inductive heating technology (no slip rings)
- Automatic power control based on line speed and process parameters
- Integrated wire/line speed encoder
- Material library for fast setup
- Multiple communication interfaces (EtherNet / fieldbus / serial)
- Integrated web server for local or remote access
- PoE port for direct connection of VISU-Touch display
- Optional closed-loop temperature control with AUTAC 300
- Optional fine wire sheave configuration for small diameters
- Robust, reliable industrial design with self-diagnostic tools
Benefits
- Uniform conductor temperature providing consistent insulation quality and improved Cpk
- Shorter start-up time reducing scrap at the beginning of production
- Automatic speed-linked control, no manual adjustment required
- Precise temperature control for stable, repeatable extrusion
- Higher line speeds for increased productivity without quality loss
- Maintains proper insulation adhesion
- Conductor surface cleaning removes oil and moisture before extrusion
- Enhanced insulation durability for lower risk of cracking in use
- Reduced operator dependency with fewer errors
- Automatic recipe handling with USYS® integration
Object temperature (°C)
Min. object diameter (mm)
Max. object diameter (mm)
Line speed (m/min)
Technical data
For accessories and detailed product information, refer to the respective brochures
PREHEATER WST8
- Max. object diameter
- 3.5 mm / 0.14″
- Min. object diameter
- 0.32 mm / 0.012″
- Object temperature
- 200°C / 380°F
- Line speed
- 6 – 2500 m/min. / 19.7 – 8202.1 ft./min.
- Brochure
- PREHEATER WST8 (PDF, 8.3 MB)
PREHEATER WST16
- Max. object diameter
- 5.7 mm / 0.22″
- Min. object diameter
- 0.32 mm / 0.012″
- Object temperature
- 200°C / 380°F
- Line speed
- 6 – 2500 m/min. / 19.7 – 8202.1 ft./min.
- Brochure
- PREHEATER WST16 (PDF, 8.3 MB)
PREHEATER WST25
- Max. object diameter
- 5.7 mm / 0.22″
- Min. object diameter
- 0.32 mm / 0.012″
- Object temperature
- 200°C / 380°F
- Line speed
- 6 – 2500 m/min. / 19.7 – 8202.1 ft./min.
- Brochure
- PREHEATER WST25 (PDF, 8.3 MB)
AUTAC
- Object diameter
- 0.2 … 7 mm / 0.008 … 0.27″
- Object temperature
- 10°C / 50°F … 300°C / 572°F
- Line speed
- 1’500 m/min (optional 2’500 m/min)
- Brochure
- AUTAC 300 (PDF, 968.65 KB)
VISU-Touch
- Number of sensors (ODAC®, CAPAC® etc.)
- 1
- Number of controllers
- Up to 5
- Display, int.
- 7 Inch
- Brochure
- VISU-Touch (PDF, 740.58 KB)
Proven performance worldwide
Zumbach PREHEATER systems are deployed in wire and cable extrusion lines worldwide, across a wide range of conductor types and insulation materials. Proven in continuous, high-speed production environments, they deliver reliable process stability while significantly reducing start-up scrap. With decades of expertise in inductive wire preheating, Zumbach supports both specialized manufacturers and high-volume producers, consistently improving yield, product quality, and line efficiency.
The PREHEATER integrates seamlessly with Zumbach’s USYS® monitoring and control platform, making it an ideal fit for operations already using Zumbach measurement technology.
Areas of application
Wire & Cable Extrusion:
Solid or stranded copper and aluminium conductors; data cables, LAN/CAT cables, coaxial cables, foamed or foam/skin insulation structures where dielectric consistency is critical.
Automotive & E-Mobility:
Automotive wiring harnesses, e-mobility high-voltage cables, and aerospace/defence cable production where adhesion and insulation strip force are critical parameters.
Energy & Offshore:
Energy cables including offshore platforms, wind farm applications, and subsea cables requiring tight insulation tolerances.
Specialty & Industrial Wire:
Any application where conductor-to-insulation bonding must be precisely controlled; high-speed extrusion lines requiring stable process conditions at any speed.
Frequently asked questions
Does PREHEATER work with all conductor materials?
Yes, PREHEATER provides custom material recipes and will preheat any conductive material. Material-specific parameters (resistivity, specific heat capacity, temperature coefficient, density) can be configured in the 17 customizable material recipes.
What happens if the line stops?
Heating stops automatically if line speed drops below the preset minimum, a wire break is detected, or the line stops for any reason. This safety feature prevents the conductor from overheating and prevents the operator from exposure to hot wire.
Is an external temperature sensor also required?
Not necessarily. PREHEATER calculates the precise power needed to heat the wire to the desired temperature based on conductor diameter, material properties, actual line speed, and ambient conductor temperature. To account for any heat losses on the wire between the preheater and the extruder, the optional AUTAC 300 wire temperature measurement system enables true closed-loop temperature monitoring and control .
Can it integrate into existing line control systems?
Yes. Available interfaces: EtherNet TCP/IP, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and RS-232/422/485. PREHEATER also integrates with Zumbach USYS® software for recipe management and automated parameter loading.
How many material recipes can I store?
Up to 20. 3 recipes are pre-configured (fixed) for copper, aluminium and steel. 17 are fully customizable with your own specialty material parameters (specific resistance, temperature coefficient, specific heat capacity, density).
What maintenance does PREHEATER require?
The inductive heating principle operates without slip rings, so mechanical wear is minimal. Routine checks cover the sheaves and electrical connections. For your peace of mind, Zumbach offers global service support worldwide.
Does PREHEATER support EtherNet/IP and PROFINET?
PREHEATER provides for an easy integration with Allen-Bradley PLC’s. The supplied Rockwell Automation licensed EDS AOP enables convenient integration with CompactLogix, MicroLogix and ControlLogix families of PLCs. Zumbach is a member of ODVA and the preheater is certified to conform to EtherNet/IP specifications by ODVA, the governing body for EtherNet/IP. PREHEATER also provides the PROFINET fieldbus connection for easy integration with Siemens SIMATIC family of PLCs.
How can I configure my PREHEATER?
In addition to the fieldbus connection, PREHEATER provides a dedicated EtherNet TCP/IP port for the connection to a PC, Network, Webclient, USYS® Touch or similar. PREHEATER has a built in webserver with graphical user interface to access a full range of configuration and maintenance menus. The webserver also provides the pages needed to act as a local display of real time data.
