The invention relates to a method for operating a braiding, winding or spiraling machine for braiding around, wrapping around or spiraling around a strand-like material, in particular a cable, with at least one elongate material strand formed from at least one elongate material fibre, in particular from at least one wire. In the method, a diameter of the strand-like material is measured and a feed rate of the strand-like material and/or a rotational speed at which the at least one elongate material strand moves about the longitudinal axis of the strand-like material is controlled by open-loop or closed-loop control depending on said diameter measured. A predefined degree of coverage of the strand-like material by the at least one elongate material strand can be kept substantially constant by means of an open-loop or closed-loop control of the relative feed rate of the strand-like material depending on the diameter measured.

An apparatus for detwisting wires or cables wound in spools, includes two coaxial shafts, inserted one inside another and kinematically independent, of which a first shaft is connected to a first motor and is adapted to support, by rotating it about a rotation axis, one spool, and a second shaft is connected to second motor and supports, by rotating it about the rotation axis, a detwisting cage, which is adapted to rotate about the spool. The apparatus further includes at least one take up guide for the wire/cable, which is connected to a third motor in order to rotate about the rotation axis of the cage, oscillating toward the guide and/or away from it, and elements for coordination of the rotation speed of the first shaft with the rotation speed of the take up guide.

The invention relates to a method for operating a braiding, winding or spiraling machine for braiding around, wrapping around or spiraling around a strand-like material, in particular a cable, with at least one elongate material strand formed from at least one elongate material fibre, in particular from at least one wire. In the method, a diameter of the strand-like material is measured and a feed rate of the strand-like material and/or a rotational speed at which the at least one elongate material strand moves about the longitudinal axis of the strand-like material is controlled by open-loop or closed-loop control depending on said diameter measured. A predefined degree of coverage of the strand-like material by the at least one elongate material strand can be kept substantially constant by means of an open-loop or closed-loop control of the relative feed rate of the strand-like material depending on the diameter measured.