Sweed adds cable slitter to its product line

Sweed has introduced a system for processing electric submersible pump (ESP) cable, also referred to as Reda cable. The Sweed system, operated by two people, can process up to 500,000 pounds, or 250 tons, of end-of-life cable in a month, the Gold Hill, Oregon-based company says.

Reda cable is used within the oil industry, with the steel-covered cable specifically engineered for ESPs that are deployed deep within oil wells. ESP cable scrap is generated frequently as part of routine well maintenance.

“Ensuring a continuous power supply to these critical components is of utmost importance,” Sweed says. “Therefore, it’s common practice to consider replacing the Reda cable when a pump is taken out of the well for maintenance or other reasons.”

The composition of Reda cable can vary, but most commonly features a steel outer jacket. Within that protective layer typically is three copper conductors insulated with polymer sheathing and lead insulation.

Reda cable is made in both flat and round configurations, with Sweed saying its Reda cable slitter system currently is designed for processing flat cable.

According to Sweed, its system efficiently de-spools the cable from a reel and feeds it into Sweed’s SS6K series slitter system. The slitter slices through the cable and splits the steel armoring off to convey it away to a roll-off dumpster, exposing the inner layers.

“As the cable is pushed out of the slitter system, the lead material drops into a hopper chopper that cuts it into smaller pieces and is then conveyed downstream," Sweed says. "Just before the material leaves the conveyor, an air pick-up duct is employed to eliminate any lightweight materials like paper or plastic, guaranteeing the lead is clean and free of contaminants when it is deposited into a Gaylord container.”

From there, the three copper conductors can be directed into a customized Sweed scrap chopper, where they are chopped into manageable pieces for further processing and copper recovery.

Sweed says its Reda cable slitter system maintains a daily processing rate averaging between 26,000 and 35,000 pounds per day (13 to 17.5 tons), operating at speeds ranging from 70 feet per minute up to 105 fpm.