TCD Review wire 14 Edition

TCD Review THE LEADING GLOBAL CABLE & WIRE MAGAZINE - EDITION 13

INTERVIEW WITH

FRIEDRICH-GEORG KEHRER, DIRECTOR WIRE 2014 AND TUBE 2014 PG 10

WIRE 14 FEATURE

PG 4

SCAPA FEATURE

PG 27

PLUS:

AEI Compounds, Borealis, Scapa Cable, Nexans, Cable Factory Bitner & General Cable

SPECIAL EDITION

SUCOFLEX® TVAC The superior HUBER+SUHNER cable assemblies for thermal vacuum applications (TVAC): • Low out gassing according ECSS-Q-ST-70-02 C • Superior mechanical and electrical stability • Vented connectors for fast evacuation and venting • Excellent performance to price ratio • Perfect matched cables and connectors

from one manufacturer • Worldwide assistance and support

Huber+SuHner AG 9100 Herisau/Switzerland, hubersuhner.com

CONTENTS

TCD REVIEW page

NEWS IN DEPTH WIRE 2014 & TUBE 2014 Feature Integer Report CRU Report

04 06 09

INTERVIEW Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, Director Wire 2014 and Tube 2014

10

CABLE AND WIRE Cable and Wire News CE Cable Factory Bitner HUBER+SUHNER General Cable

12 18 21 22 23

CABLE PROJECTS Cable Project News

24

CABLE ACCESSORIES Scapa Cable Accessories News CMP Products

RAW MATERIALS

Huntsman Borealis & Borouge Raw Materials News AEI Compounds

27 28 31

33 34 35 37

CABLE PLANT ADVARIS Plasmait

38 39

POWER

Power News

Welcome TCD Review is proud to have our magazine at this year’s wire show in Düsseldorf. For this edition, we are showcasing some new and existing clients with product features, project news, and some in depth reports from our partners.

We have a special European focused cable and wire report from Integer, a pre-show report from CRU Cable and Wire, a Wire 14 feature, along with an interview from FriedrichGeorg Kehrer, Director of Wire 14.

I would like to thank all of our clients, partners and readers and hope that you enjoy our magazine and the show!

Editor: John Morrison Design and production: Jillian Moore Advertise: e:john.morrison@redmistmedia.com t: +44 (0) 1224 582902 TCD Review published by: Red Mist Media Ltd Interkab House, Links Place Aberdeen, AB11 5DY, UK t: +44 (0)1224 582902 e: info@redmistmedia.com w: www.redmistmedia.com

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OIL & GAS PROJECTS Oil & Gas Project News

44

reach further

With our range of services and products including online marketing, advertising, brand awareness, industry news and business intelligence. to find out more: www.redmistmedia.com +44 (0) 1224 582902 info@redmistmedia.com

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

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NEWS IN DEPTH

WIRE 2014 & TUBE 2014 in Düsseldorf: technology double-pack makes Düsseldorf global meeting point of an entire industry

T

he two globally leading trade fairs Wire and Tube will be staged - for the 14th time – at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 7 to 11 April 2014.

On a total net floor space of more than 100,000 square meters, they will showcase the accumulated technology prowess of the wire, cable and tube manufacturing and processing sectors. More than 2,000 exhibitors are presenting their latest technologies and products at Düsseldorf fairgrounds.

The range of offerings at Wire 2014 will cover a wide spectrum, from wire manufacturing and finishing equipment, mesh welding machinery, process engineering tools and auxiliary components all the way through to input materials and speciality wires. Innovative solutions from the cable, measurement, control and test engineering sectors round off the portfolio, and specialised sectors such as logistics, conveying systems and packaging will also be represented. In total more than 1,200 exhibitors will present their latest products and technologies on an exhibitions area of 58,000 square metres.

The wire event will be spread out across Halls 9 to 12 and 15 to 17.

The areas wire, cable and fibre optic machinery, and wire and cable production and trade will be located in Halls 9 to 12, 16 and 17. Fastener technology can be found in Hall 15; spring making and mesh welding machinery will be located in Hall 16. For the first time, the mesh welding machinery sector will have its own compact presentation forum – a Special Show in just one hall.

4

The Tube event will present its 2014 ranges in Halls 1 to 7.0 and Hall 7a.

The sector’s entire range will be on display, from tube manufacturing to tube processing and finishing. More than 1,100 exhibitors have applied on a total of 50,000 square metres.

Additional exhibits will range from tube materials, tubes and accessories, tube manufacturing machinery and second-hand equipment to process engineering tools and auxiliary components all the way through to measurement and control technology. Test technology and specialised areas such as stock automation and control systems will supplement the extensive ranges.

Tube accessories will be found in Halls 1 and 2, whereas Tube trading and manufacturing will be located in Halls 2 to 4 and Hall 7.0./7.1. Also in Hall 2 - the China Pavilion!

Look for forming technology in Hall 5 and for pipe and tube processing machinery in Halls 6 and 7a. The plant and machinery area will be in Hall 7a and sections will be found throughout Halls 1 to 7.0.

www.wire.de

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join the best 7 – 11 April 2014 Düsseldorf, Germany International Wire and Cable Trade Fair

Meeting point: wire 2014 in Düsseldorf! join the best – welcome to the world’s leading trade fair for the wire and cable industry! Those who wish to find comprehensive information about the latest innovations in wires and cables, manufacturing machinery and equipment need look no further. It can all be found here at the world’s most important exhibition – the meeting point for international experts, specialists and global market leaders.

A focal point of wire 2014: The growing importance of copper wires in automotive engineering, in telecommunication or electronics.

An important fixed date in your calendar – your visit to wire 2014 in Düsseldorf!

www.wire.de

Wire, Cable, Springmaking Fibre Optic, Wire Products and Machinery

Fastener Technology

Mesh Welding Machinery

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH P.O. Box 10 10 06 _ 40001 Düsseldorf _ Germany Tel. + 49 (0)2 11/45 60-01 _ Fax + 49 (0)2 11/45 60-6 68

www.messe-duesseldorf.de

NEWS IN DEPTH

EUROPEAN MARKETS show promising signs in 2014

T

he most important European International Wire and Cable Trade Fair held, the biennial wire Düsseldorf show will take place against a backdrop of an improving world economy. It will be the first show since 2008 where all the economies in the developed world appear to be expanding. Neither of the last two shows, held in 2010 and 2012, could match the optimism and buoyancy of 2008. At both shows there were headwinds, either from the hang-over of the Great Recession or the impact of the Eurozone crisis in 2012.

Global business optimism reached a two year high in March 2014, according to survey company Markit.

Expectations for 2014 rose sharply in the USA, the Eurozone and UK. In its World Economic Survey for Q1 2014, Germany’s Ifo Institute found that all the leading manufacturing markets in the developed world were expected to gain momentum through 2014. The downside risk to the global outlook is China’s economy.

People are concerned about the “bumps in the road”, as China moves from export-led growth to a demanddriven consumer-led economy.

For exhibitors at the Wire Show, many will want to know whether this renewed positivity will feed through to their customers through orders for new equipment, or refurbishment of existing equipment. Markit data for March 2014 shows that the future capital expenditure plans of companies in the Eurozone, UK, and Japan are at their highest level for more than five years. In contrast, future capital expenditure in emerging markets, such as Brazil, Russia, China and India is the weakest it has been since 2009. The capital expenditure plans of Russian and Indian companies are also notably lacklustre.

European cable sector looking up in 2014 The European cable industry has struggled in recent years. After the financial crisis hit in 2008-2009, spending on infrastructure from stimulus packages in many countries softened the decline in cable demand. However, countries have subsequently reined in investment, and major infrastructure projects have experienced delays. As a result, the value of the European & CIS wire & cable market in 2012 contracted by 2.8% compared to 2011 levels, according to our Wire & Cable Data Service which tracks global demand, supply, and trade of wire and cable.

There is cause for optimism though. Macro indicators for Europe point to improved activity that should feed through into higher cable demand. Confidence in the Eurozone has risen to its highest for three years. Whilst optimism in the Eurozone still lags behind the UK and

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the USA, the business mood has brightened in three of the four largest euro nations, led by a post-crisis high in Spain, followed by Germany and France, where optimism has hit a three-year peak. In contrast in Italy, optimism has slipped slightly from a two-year peak seen at the end of 2013.

Construction output in the EU-28 countries rose by 1% year-on-year in December 2013, according to the latest Eurostat data. Although present gains in construction activity are still small, cable demand is benefiting from increased intensity of use of cables in buildings in response to greater energy and data needs. As a result, European cable demand in the construction sector is set to rise by 4% in 2014 to €9.9 billion, as estimated in our new Fire Performance Cable Focus Report.

In view of expected improvements in demand in the manufacturing and construction sectors over the coming years, our Wire & Cable Data Service forecasts average growth in European & CIS cable demand of 2.8% per annum over 2013 to 2018 to reach US$48.8 billion by 2018.

European cable makers have complex footprint of manufacturing plant One of the most important factors in tracking output in the European wire and cable industry is plant location and product mix. Prysmian, Nexans, General Cable, Lapp, Leoni, IRCE, Belden, Wilms Group, LS Cable, TKH, Tele-fonika and NKT Cables all have an extensive range of cable plants in Western and Eastern Europe.

Each of these plants has a location, and a product mix of cables in volumes and values.

Integer Research has a number of cable plant databases that track which plants are making which products, and also if any plants have been opened or closed in the last 12 months. We have found that suppliers into the cable industry are increasingly using these databases to focus their marketing efforts. For example, a supplier into the LAN data cable, electronic wire, or submarine power cable markets can focus on their potential leads, and identify which geographies to target.

Fire Performance a growing issue in the European cable sector One area where European cable makers are seeing growth is the fire performance cable market which offers high profit margins and less competition. Additionally, the introduction of new legislation means that the European fire performance market offers new and improved opportunities for market participants. Cable producers will find that there are new product categories

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NEWS IN DEPTH that have higher margins, and raw material suppliers will find that they also gain margin by increasing sales of products that help increase the fire performance of various cable designs.

The introduction of harmonised fire performance cable standards has been the source of much uncertainty and contention in the European wire and cable industry for a number of years. The replacement of the Construction Products Directive (CPD) by the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) means that since July 2013 the new legislation has made it mandatory for all construction products to be tested against harmonised EU standards and technical approvals. Under the CPR, cable manufacturers selling such cable into the EU will have to provide EU conformity declarations whereby the “reaction to fire” performance of their cable will be categorised according to different classes – the socalled “Euroclasses”.

Integer Research tackles this complex topic in our recently completed Fire Performance Cable Focus Report, providing an outlook for the consumption of fire performance cable in Europe from 2007 through 2018.

Our findings show that European fire performance cable production is projected to rise in line with growing demand over the period to 2018. Reaction to fire cable production is forecast to rise from €5.9 billion in 2012 to €7.2 billion in 2018, with significant growth from the top five economies.

Integer expects the fire resistant cable market to grow as the CPR increases the design requirements for many reaction to fire cables. This will be the biggest change in the market, prompting leading producers to adjust their product ranges as more and more regulations and buildings necessitate an increasingly complex mix of

cables through 2018.

ASEAN market shows good growth potential There are also going to be opportunities for suppliers at the wire Düsseldorf event to sell to cable makers outside Europe. Integer has just completed an extensive study on the ASEAN cable market - one of the most dynamic and promising wire and cable markets in the world.

Total insulated wire and cable consumption in the ASEAN region reached 1.5 million gross cable tonnes in 2013. The compound average growth rate (CAGR) between 2007 and 2013 was around 7% per annum, which puts the region among the fastest-growing in the world. Over the same period, only a handful of other countries/regions have witnessed similar growth rates in wire & cable demand (such as China, Brazil, and briefly the GCC countries).

With the steady growth in demand for cable we are seeing in ASEAN, the USA, Western and Eastern Europe, and parts of the Middle East, prospects for both wire and cable demand, and orders for suppliers at Wire Düsseldorf 2014 are probably the most rosy they have been since before the global financial crisis in 2008.

About Integer Research Integer Research is a specialist provider of research, data, analysis and consultancy services on the wire and cable industry, offering reports and services including: Wire & Cable Data Service Wire & Cable Focus Report: Gulf Cooperation Council Wire & Cable Focus Report: The European Market for Fire Performance Cable Wire & Cable Focus Report: ASEAN Markets Free Market papers and Contact To access free papers on the wire and cable industry, and for more information on Integer’s Wire & Cable reports and services please contact:

European cable demand has experienced highs and lows in recent years % year-onyear change

50 40 30

Real EU-28 GDP, fixed investment, and wire & cable consumption in value terms (year-on-year % change) EU-28 insulated wire & cable consumption EU-28 fixed investment EU-28 GDP

20 10 0 -10

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Ali Asaadi on +44 20 7503 1265 ali.asaadi@integerresearch.com

-20 -30 -40 -50 Source: Integer Wire & Cable Data Service, Euroconstruct, Eurostat

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200+

2014

9-11 June 2014 InterContinental Istanbul, Turkey

delegates expected

The 8th International Annual

Wire and Cable Conference

Book by 17th February and SAVE €435

www.wireandcableconference.com

Highlights for 2014 include: - NEW – a cable makers’ CEO panel discussion, looking at strategies and visions for the future - NEW – an end-users’ panel discussion including perspectives from Facebook, Siemens and other cable customers - NEW – extended power and communications steams, including customer case studies from the data, telecoms, power and transport sectors - Market overviews from host country Turkey plus China, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East - Raw materials updates on copper, aluminium and fibre - The global economic outlook and its impact on wire & cable markets If you want an effective means of learning about the future of wire & cable markets, then you need to consider the speaker forum & networking opportunities offered throughout CRU”s Wire & Cable conference.

Paul Bryant, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, IEWC Sponsored by

Although this was my first CRU conference, it will not be my last. The presentations, data and networking opportunities made this a very worthwhile conference for me and I would say any other person doing business in the wire & cable industry.

Howard H Atkins, VP Business Development, General Cable Corporation Media Partner:

Organised by CRU Events

NEWS IN DEPTH

CRU REPORT

cables makes a partial contributor to the growth in this segment, but the main driver is the increasing investment in new power generation and transmission facilities, such as wind farms. Aluminium cables often are used to connect wind turbines to the grid, and this is a relatively new and high-growth application sector.

C

The world’s optical cable market also is heavily influenced by developments in China, which represented 49% of the world market in 2013. The world total in 2013 was 253 million km of fiber installed in all types of communications networks. This was the first time annual demand has exceeded a quarter billion fibre-km. CRU completed its assessment of the 2013 optical cable market in February 2014 and published its findings in its Telecom Cables Market Outlook.

Metallic and optical cable markets show 3% to 4% annual growth in 2013 RU has completed its assessment of the insulated wire and cable market and the fibre optic cable market in 2013. Metallic wire and cable consumption was 3.1% higher in 2013 than in 2012.

Optical cable consumption was up 3.6%. The metallic cable percentage is based on the quantity consumed in terms of conductor tones. The optical cable percentage is based on the amount of fibre in cable that was installed in communication networks during the year.

The 2013 metallic cable market’s year-on-year growth rate was similar to the global market’s increase from 2011 to 2012, but lower than the 20-year historical average annual growth rate of 4.1%, going back to 1992. This conclusion is from the January edition of CRU’s Wire and Cable Market Outlook, a quarterly report with data on the world markets by region and cable type. Rob Daniels, CRU principal consultant and lead author of the Wire and Cable Market Outlook, said, “there was a slight upturn in the last quarter of 2013, but no major shocks considering the market’s performance as the year progressed.”

Mr. Daniels noted that China’s growth in H2 2013 was better than market participants had expected, especially after a comparatively weak first half. Europe’s consumption of wire and cable, on the other hand, had been expected to show some improvement in the second half, but the region’s economy didn’t improve as hoped and cable demand for the full year fell short of earlier forecasts. For the full year, Europe’s cable market posted a negative yearon-year percent change in 2013, although the downturn was less severe than in 2012.

The report’s data on cable types show that aluminium power cable had the strongest yearon-year growth in 2013 – 6% compared with the average of 3.1% for all cable types, based on conductor tonnes.

The substitution of aluminium conductors for copper on power

The February report also says that the 3.6% growth in 2013 was the optical cable market’s lowest year-on-year growth since 2004. Patrick Fay, a CRU senior analyst and the lead author on the Telecom Cables report, said that in 2004, the optical cable market was recovering from a major multi-year collapse in telecom spending – basically a correction after significant overspending in the late 1990s, 2000, and 2001. As the recovery progressed from 2004 to 2012, demand in China and other key markets ramped up significantly. Mr. Fay noted that the growth in China’s market during 2009 was so strong that it offset the effects of the recession in the rest of the world, driving a double-digit annual growth rate in the 2009 worldwide optical cable total.

Why did 2013 have a slowdown? Mr. Fay said that China’s growth was quite low, due to some delays on the part of the country’s telecom authority in issuing key licenses needed for building the 4G mobile networks.

The licenses were not issued until December, and this in turn contributed to delays on the part of China Mobile, in placing orders for optical cable.

Mr. Fay pointed out that China Mobile is not only China’s largest customer for optical cable but it also is the world’s largest customer. China Mobile accounted for about 40% of China’s 2013 optical cable consumption and 20% of the world’s total. Unlike the mobile networks in the US and other countries, China’s three mobile companies have used fibre throughout their networks to tie the cellular antennas together and for all terrestrial and backbone traffic. Other markets have a mix of fibre, copper, and microwave links in their cellular infrastructure.

www.thecabledirectory.com www.thecabledirectory.com- -TCD TCDReview ReviewEdition Edition13, 12,2014 2014

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INTERVIEW

INSIGHTS FROM THE INDUSTRY

In April, wire and Tube takes place again simultaneously in Düsseldorf.

What is the overall economical status in these industries?

As we all know, the steel industry is at the beginning of the supply chain, making it a reliable indicator for the rest of the economy. As the largest raw steel producer in the EU, Germany – with 42.7 million tons in the year 2012 – is number 7 worldwide. Germany is also number 7, behind South Korea, in the area of hot-rolled products.

The steel industry is looking to 2014 with optimism: according to the Steel Trade Association, an upswing in the steel industry is expected. In spite of all uncertainties, the association expects a production increase of approximately 3% in 2014. The global demand for steel also remains on a growth course.

The NE metal industry also recorded an economic upswing in the first half of 2013. 70% of the companies surveyed in the NE metal industry assess their current business situation as good or typical for the season, as was reported by the German Metals Trade Association.

The production level for 2013 is anticipated to be similar to that of 2012.

The perspectives are also on the positive side: More than 85% of the companies predict equally good or better business in the coming six months.

Aluminium manufacturers can expect stable business results. In fact, production levels in 2013 may surpass those from 2012. The mood in the industry, which is benefiting from the trend to increasingly lighter cars and aircraft, could be described as “cautiously optimistic”.

Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, Director

Interview with FriedrichGeorg Kehrer, Director Wire 2014 and Tube 2014

10

German NE companies produced a total of approximately four million tons of NE metals in the first half of 2013.

43% of this product was exported.

In summary, the economic climate inside of which wire and Tube will take place in April seems quite favourable.

What was the state of affairs, five months before the trade fairs begin?

To begin with, we are confident that we will achieve a good level of registrations again with the 2014 fairs. Once more we are expecting more than 2,200

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INTERVIEW companies and more than 100,000 square metres of rented space. 15 exhibition halls are occupied.

Shortly before wire 2014 begins, more than 58,000 square metres are booked in halls 9 through 12 and 15 through 17. That is already more than the total space booked in 2012, and with that the exhibition halls for wire 2014 are full.

For Tube, 50,000 square metres have already been booked. In 2012 the total space occupied in halls 1 through 7a was 48,500 square metres. Again here we are seeing the trend toward larger stands and a more substantial trade fair presence – a development that was observed in the previous events.

What status do the wire and Tube trade fairs have internationally?

“

How are the focal points of the offerings distributed among the halls?

At wire 2014, wire, cable and fibreglass machines will be located in halls 9 through 12, 16 and 17. The areas of wire and cable production will also be found there, as will trade.

Forming (fastener technology) will again be presented in hall 15, and spring making and mesh welding machine exhibitors will be in hall 16.

As the largest raw steel producer in the EU, Germany – with 42.7 million tons in the year 2012 – is number 7 worldwide. Germany is also number 7, behind South Korea, in the area of hot-rolled products.

The two trade fairs are worldwide by far the leading trade fairs in their respective industries. As a platform for “mother trade fairs”, Düsseldorf is internationally the number one meeting place for steel experts and professionals in the NE metals segment from around the globe. Here, technological innovations in the wire, cable and tube industries are presented.

Here, exhibitors meet with their international clientele and establish new contacts for future business. No expanding company can afford not to show their colours in Düsseldorf.

What is different compared with the previous events in 2012?

One thing that is different in 2014 is an even stronger classification of the individual exhibition areas.

There is for example a shift of emphasis at wire: For the first time, all exhibitors in the area of mesh welding machines are consolidated together in hall 16. Around 20 companies will be presenting their latest products on roughly 2,000 square metres. Here, companies such as Schlatter, EVG, Ideal and PEDAX will show concentrated technological power in one exhibition hall.

”

At Tube 2014, tube accessories will be located in halls 1 and 2. Tube trade and manufacturing will be in hall 2, as well as in halls 3, 4, 7.0 and 7.1. The China Pavilion will also be in hall 2.

Tube-Forming technology will be located in hall 5, and tube processing machines will be shown in halls 6 and 7a. Machines and systems will also be in hall 7a. Profiles will be located throughout halls 1 through 7.0.

Where do most of the exhibitors come from?

Traditionally, exhibitors from Italy, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Germany are strongly represented. The majority of the exhibitors from overseas are from the USA, India, Taiwan and China.

Which countries do most of the visitors of wire and Tube come from?

Once again we are expecting around 70,000 trade visitors over the five days of the trade fairs. The majority of the trade fair visitors come from the strongest production and customer countries, such as Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Turkey and Germany. Overseas visitors come primarily from the USA, Brazil, India and China.

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CABLE & WIRE NEWS

CABLE AND WIRE NEWS

Updates from the industry HUBER+SUHNER expands solar cable portfolio

OFS Introduces AllWave®+ Fibre

OFS, has introduced AllWave®+ Zero Water Peak (ZWP) Single-Mode Optical fibre, a full-spectrum fibre that can bend to the demands of FTTx, Metro, and Backhaul networks.

AllWave+ fibre offers the same exceptional performance and specifications as OFS’ award winning AllWave fibre, with added features including a 40% smaller bend radius, 50% lower bend loss, and 33% improved polarization mode dispersion (PMD), whilst maintaining a 9.2 micron nominal mode field diameter to minimize splice loss to existing single-mode fibres.

HUBER+SUHNER launches new RADOX® solar cables. They comply with the latest EN-standard and are designed for higher system voltage and ACPV applications. As a result of successful testing and approval by the TUV Rhineland testing authority, HUBER+SUHNER now offers a significantly improved RADOX WW cable generation.

Testing by the TUV Rhineland authority is important for acceptance in the solar cable market. HUBER+SUHNER initiated these tests and passed them successfully. The tried and tested dual classified RADOX® Solar SMART cable will remain part of the solar cable range and is particularly suitable for the UL market.

Suitable for confined spaces

Two cables have been developed for applications with system operating voltages of up to 1000V DC: RADOX® Solar 125 WW and RADOX® Solar 125 RW. RADOX® Solar 125 WW is designed for standard use in PV installations up to 1000V. RADOX® Solar 125 RW is a specialisation of the WW version. The wall thickness of the RW version corresponds to the minimum thickness required by 2Pfg1169/08.07. This results in a slim, very flexible cable which is particularly suitable for use in confined spaces.

This cable is slightly more cost-efficient than the standard version due to the thinner wall thickness. It should be noted that the RW version is only approved in accordance with the currently valid 2Pfg1169/08.07.

By contrast, the WW version satisfies the current 2Pfg1169/08.07 and also complies with the future EN50618 standard.

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AllWave+ fibre is a combination ITU-T G.652.D and G.657.A1 compliant fibre that can prevent network disruptions from inadvertent fibre bending that can occur in closures or terminals, and enables smaller cable packaging to help ease cable handling and lower cable installation costs. The multi-conductor paralleled wire barrel packing system is available with THHN 14 - 10 AWG cable, and with 4, 5, 6, or 7 conductors.

The barrel package is available in a variety of wire color bundles.

R&M strengthens its existing structured cabling business in India

Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) has acquired the business activities and operating assets of Advanced Fiber Systems (AFS) in India. AFS is a highly reputed manufacturer of fiber-optic products and solutions for the Public Network market and has been an R&M certified assembly partner for the E-2000TM connector for several years. AFS was founded in 2002 and has its production facility located in Bangalore. The management and all employees of AFS will transfer to R&M in India.

This acquisition provides R&M with the industrial platform to strengthen its existing structured cabling business in India and addresses new strategic market segments. Laurent Amestoy, Executive VP of R&M Asia-Pacific commented: “We are very excited about the benefits and potential of this acquisition. R&M has achieved tremendous growth in India since beginning operations in 2006. This acquisition is a key milestone to further expand our business in India. We can now actively participate in the growing fiber-optic network deployments, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) roll-outs and Data Center projects. I remain confident that our highquality approach and greater local presence will take us to the next level in India.”

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CABLE & WIRE NEWS Nexans and TeliSwitch Automatic Optical Distribution Frame (AODF) put a robot in charge of fiber optic cross

TE Connectivity announces new hybrid fiber/power cable system for small cell and other network access devices

This TeliSwitch unique patented AODF technology, which relies on a robot to make totally repeatable and reliable physical patch-cord connections around a specialized cylindrical geometry, can be deployed as part of a fully integrated turnkey solution utilizing the Nexans range of FTTH cables, connectors, patch-cords and splitters.

The powered fiber cable system from TE eliminates the complexity of small cell installation and allows small cell devices to be placed exactly where they are needed for maximum 4G wireless coverage by combining power and optical fiber communications into one system. The system incorporates everything needed to power and communicate with a small cell – including the power supply, a hybrid cable and a remote powering unit that corrects for DC line loss to eliminate the need for electrical design calculations.

Nexans and TeliSwitch have formed a partnership to promote the innovative suite of Automatic Optical Distribution Frame (AODF) solutions that offers the potential for FTTH operators to dramatically reduce their network reconfiguration and service times, especially for PoP (Point of Presence) installations in remote, hard to reach locations.

Panduit Signature Core™ Fiber Optic Cabling System enables Cisco 40G BiDi optical module to reach 150 meters

“

TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity, announced a new solution to speed and simplify the installation, powering, and communication with small cells and other network access devices.

Nexans and TeliSwitch have formed a partnership to promote the innovative suite of Automatic Optical Distribution Frame (AODF) solutions that offers the potential for FTTH operators.

Panduit Corp. is proud to announce that its Signature Core™ Fiber Optic Cabling System enables Cisco’s 40G BiDi optical modules to reach 150 meters and is the only multimode fiber that allows Cisco to achieve this capability.

Using the Signature Core™ Fiber Optic Cabling System with Cisco’s 40G BiDi optical modules gives data center network architects and managers another option for deploying 40G Ethernet in addition to 40GBASESR4. The Signature Core™ Fiber Optic Cabling System delivers the ultimate in reach and design flexibility, compensating for both modal and chromatic dispersion to provide verified optical performance and signal integrity beyond 10/40/100 Gb/s Ethernet and 8/16 Gb/s Fiber Channel standards requirements.

Molex showcases Affinity MediSpec™ cable assembly solutions at MD&M west

Molex Incorporated introduces MediSpec™ silicone cable solutions from Affinity Medical™.

Reusable and ergonomic MediSpec silicone overmolded cable and interconnect assemblies deliver high reliability and performance in medical applications, including endoscopy, ophthalmic lasers, surgical power tools and other operating room instruments. Creating a moisture-proof chemical and mechanical bond between the cable jacket, connector and flex relief, silicone overmolding provides a stronger bond to metal connector components than thermoplastic resins. Incorporating both extruded and tubed-on silicone, the jacketed cables are durable and extremely flexible, while protecting the cable core.

”

Cisco launched a new 40G Ethernet bidirectional optical module, BiDi, providing another option in addition to the 40G Ethernet QSFP+ optical modules. The 40G BiDi optical module supports 40G Ethernet over one pair of multimode fiber while allowing 40G Ethernet to be deployed using the exact infrastructure as 10G Ethernet (10GBASE-SR). The 40G BiDi conforms to the QSFP+ Multi-Source Agreement (MSA).

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13

CABLE & WIRE NEWS

CABLE AND WIRE NEWS Updates from the industry Global Marine to rely on Nexans’ fibre optic cables for major subsea telecommunications projects in Northern Europe

Norway, will provide Ny Aalesund with high speed access to the international network.

Clipper South Platform benefits from Tratos Oil and Gas Cables

Located off the North East Coast of East Anglia, UK in the North Sea, the Clipper South gas field and its wellhead platform have been developed using Tratos Oil & Gas Cables to the value of several million Euros.

Clipper South is a substantial gas field with a wellhead platform tied by 12” pipeline to Conoco/BP’s LOGGS Platform from where gas is exported onshore to Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal, 100km away.

Nexans will supply over 1,000 km of URC-1 unrepeatered fibre optic subsea cables for high profile projects in Norway and Scotland. Global Marine Systems, a world leading marine installer and maintenance provider of submarine fibre optic cables, has ordered Nexans’ fibre optic cable for three major telecommunications projects in Northern Europe. This major contract covers the supply of around 1,050 km of Nexans URC-1 unrepeatered fibre optic cable – since this type of cable typically comprises between 24 to 48 individual fibres that is enough optical fibres when laid end to end to span the globe.

The Global Marine projects cover a wide range of applications from transmitting scientific data from an arctic observation station, offshore communication between oil platforms and providing broadband access in remote areas of Scotland.

The URC-1 cables, manufactured in Nexans’ Norway plant, are an unrepeatered design, capable of connecting land stations up to 500 km apart without the need for amplification by subsea repeaters. They feature a strong, robust construction and can be installed at water depths of up to 4000 metres.

Global Marine will deploy two fibre optic cables, each around 250 km in length, to connect the Ny Aalesund observation station on the Arctic island of Svalbard to Longyearbyen, the administrative capital. Since the satellite station at Longyearbyen is already connected to mainland Norway this extension, headed by UNINETT, an organization serving communication solution for universities, research institutes and high schools in

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As part of ongoing development work, including new production wells, Tratos Oil & Gas Cables have been used extensively throughout the field to supply power, control and signalling. Cables supplied include low and medium voltage power, control and instrumentation cables, including fire resistant variants, plus submarine and umbilical cables.

Ducab acquires UK’s AEI Cables

Ducab has announced the acquisition of AEI Cables, one of the oldest cable makers in the world. AEI, a specialist cable manufacturer, will immediately expand Ducab’s cables and wires product range, give Ducab access to specialised expertise, and also provide a point of entry into the European market with a broader range of certified and type-approved products.

The acquisition of the company, which is based near Newcastle in North-Eastern England, includes all the manufacturing assets of the business as well as 200 experienced employees.

Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Chairman Ducab, said: “Given our growth strategy, we have evaluated many opportunities, and AEI Cables is the right fit for what we see as the direction of the market – not just in the Middle East but beyond as well.”

“This is an especially strategic acquisition for Ducab as we have seen the demand growing for specialist cables in the region, and through AEI Cables, we will be able to fast-track the expertise development in our factories in the UAE”, he added.

Ducab’s MD Andrew Shaw said: “Our intention is to reinvigorate the operations at AEI Cables, and to expand

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

CABLE & WIRE NEWS both home and export sales. This is our first plant overseas, and the expertise of the staff, the library of certifications and approvals, the strong client-base and the market reputation of AEI have all played key roles in our decision”.

Datwyler Cabling Solutions continues to invest in production in Switzerland and China 27 years ago on the Altdorf site, Datwyler was one of the first Swiss companies to begin producing fibre optic cable, and Datwyler has now been manufacturing in China for 15 years.

Datwyler Cabling Solutions intends using these many years of know-how to profit from the rapidly growing demand for fibre optic cable.

“

investment programme. Since 2011 roughly 24.3 million euros have been invested in the Swiss cable plant: by the end of 2013, 17 million will have gone into modernisation and the acquisition of new production facilities, with 13 million into renewing the building infrastructure.

Investment produces more efficient, more highly automated systems and optimised procedures and processes, which means that the Altdorf site will remain competitive, even in a challenging international environment.

Global Marine Systems has ordered Nexans’ fibre optic cable for three major telecommunications projects in Northern Europe.

To this end, the company will be investing a further 8.1 million euros – in its fibre optic cable production facilities.

In Altdorf the modernisation of fibre optic cable fabrication ties up seamlessly with the on-going

In future, Datwyler Cabling Solutions will operate two centres of excellence for the production of fibre optic cables: the technologically sophisticated cables for outdoor use will be fabricated exclusively in Altdorf, while the personnel-intensive cables for indoor applications will be manufactured and assembled in Datwyler’s new plant in Taicang. Datwyler Cabling Solutions can thus utilise the specific strengths of both sites and increase its global competitiveness.

”

CABLE & WIRE NEWS

CE-MARKING OF CABLES will soon be mandatory

W

ith effect from 1st July 2013, or as soon as an applicable product standard is available, construction products must be CE marked in accordance with the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Up until now, there has been no available product standard for cables, but work is now in progress

by CENELEC (European Committee for Electro technical Standardisation) on producing such a standard.

CENELEC TC20 has issued the following timetable for planned publication of CE marking documents:

prhEN 50575: This product standard

for power, control and communication

cables is planned for publication

during Q2 2014. CE-marking of cables

can start when this document is published.

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EN 13501-6: This classification standard is planned for publication in Q1 2014, and will enable cables to be classified. An EN13501-6 report will provide the basis for CE- marking of cables in accordance with prhEN 50575.

prCLC/TS 50576: EXAP, planned for publication in Q4 2013. Application of this document will minimise the number of tests.

SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden has already accreditation for all the test standards mentioned in prhEN 50575 , which means that SP can perform these tests today. Manufacturers can therefore already obtain information on how their products will relate to the requirements in the new classification system for cables under CPR. SP can also help to minimise the number of fire tests that must be performed, by grouping cables in product families in accordance with the EXAP document (EXAP = Extended Application).

Please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance in working out an optimum path to CE marking.

www.sp.se

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

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Email: sales@pan-intl.com Tel: ++604-3993516, ++604-3993617

Web:

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CABLE FACTORY

NEW CABLE RANGE FOR MINING + CRANE APPLICATIONS

BiTmining® BiTmining® BiTmining® BiTmining® BiTmining®

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www.bitner.com.pl

CABLE & WIRE NEWS

CABLE FACTORY BITNER Cable Factory Bitner, a leading Polish cable manufacturer, has announced the launch of its new mining and drag chain cable ranges

T

he new range of Drag Chain Cables are highly flexible power/control cables suitable for continuous movements and multiple bending.

The cables are designed and tested to withstand at 10 million bending cycles in a drag chain.

The cables are used within automated machinery, crane, offshore oil rig, industrial robot and automatic warehouse applications.

The new range of MV cables for mining and crane applications includes Its BiTmining速 range of power and flexible power cables are used for strip, open pit and underground mining facilities. The cable range is also used within Shipyard and Dock Crane operations.

Typical applications include Dredgers, Floating Docks, Mining Machinery, Submersible Pumps, Coal Cutters, Festoon Systems, Excavators, Stackers/Reclaimers, Dumpers, Mobile Cutters, Shipyard and Dock Cranes, and Containers.

The cables are ideal due to their design, which allows them to operate in high mechanical stress, operation in water, sewage and brackish water, as well as abrasion, stress and tear from chain trailing

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CABLE & WIRE NEWS

Revolutionary: RADOX® for fiber optics

T

he RADOX brand applies to HUBER+SUHNER’s specially developed insulation materials for low frequency cables, which are highly resistant to thermal, chemical, electrical and mechanical loads.

Due to a new crosslinking process these properties, that are increasingly requested from customers, are now implemented also for fiber optic cables.

The particular material properties are achieved through electron-beam crosslinking which connects the plastic molecules in a three-dimensional structure. RADOX materials withstand high temperature peaks and are resilient to bending in cold. They are resistant to liquids, abrasion, ozone and UV radiation. In addition, they are dimensionally stable, flexible, fire-resistant and have very low shrinkage. They are characterised by their long service life, making them ideal for harsh environmental conditions.

New crosslinking process Such stringent requirements are increasingly being placed on fiber optic cables. It was previously impossible to cross-link fiber optics cables without metal shields sufficiently because the required intensity of irradiation impaired the optical transmission characteristics of the fiber. Specialists from HUBER+SUHNER have now developed a new production process for crosslinked fiber optic cables that prevents primary electrons reaching and impairing the fiber. This preserves the mechanical properties and service life of the fibers.

Thus the optical transmission properties of RADOX fiber optic cables comply with ISO/IEC 11801 and IEC 60794-3-12 standards.

For harsh environmental conditions RADOX loose tube cables combine all the strengths of traditional cables and surpass them in many properties – the perfect solution for demanding industrial and

22

safety applications, especially in the automation, in the wind energy market and for the smart grids. The jacket material is halogen free RADOX EM104, which is wellknown in the rail market and meets the most stringent requirements of the EN 50264-1 standard, especially in terms of its high resistance to low temperatures, oils and liquids. The glass-armoured RADOX loose tube cables with up to 24 optical fibers are very flexible and easy to install, even in narrow cable ducts with small bending radii.

For the most demanding applications Thanks to their excellent resistance RADOX loose tube cables are ideally suited for applications in railways, on oil and gas platforms, on board ships, in tunnels and underground railway stations, or in production and processing plants. The cable is available as a cable system with pre-terminated connectors as well as a single cable. In the event of a fire, it continues to transmit data for at least 180 minutes, as per IEC 60331-25.

Other RADOX cable types are available, such as simplex cables, distribution cables with two to four fibers, which are manufactured and processed to create assemblies or cable systems. Standard and heavy-duty industrial connectors can be mounted at the cable ends.

RADOX fiber optic cables meet the highest thermal, mechanical and chemical requirements while providing excellent optical transmission characteristics and are unique on the market. They enable the implementation of new, previously impractical cabling solutions that can be installed in a short time and without the need for additional aids such as protective tubes – a fiber optic revolution.

www.hubersuhner.com

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

CABLE & WIRE NEWS

third-party testing demonstrates that General Cable’s ULTROL 60+ cables meet prior industry standards, as well as GEN III+ reactor profile requirements, and provides an independent check and balance to ensure data-integrity.

“The nuclear industry has been developing and improving reactor technology for more than five decades.

Because every reactor design has a unique DBE profile, General Cable’s integrated test program was designed to prove that its cables could withstand the worst possible environment or outcome out of numerous possibilities.

With documented performance at higher radiation and temperature levels, we are reasonably assured that ULTROL 60+ low-voltage cables will continue to perform their intended function under extreme environments.” said Koksal Tonyali, Ph.D., Director, Product Engineering and Development, Specialty Cables, General Cable North America.

With the verification of meeting the most rigorous GEN III+ reactor requirements for a 60-year operating life and beyond, ULTROL 60+ low-voltage cable is now fully ready to support the modernization and construction of pressurized and boiling water nuclear power plants worldwide.

General Cable certifies ULTROL® 60+ low-voltage safety-related class 1E cables

G

eneral Cable announced that its ULTROL® 60+ Low-Voltage Safety-Related Class 1E 60-yearlife Cable has successfully completed third-party environmental qualification testing with one-year postDBE submergence. With adherence to ASME NQA1 and US NRC 10CFR50 Appendix B requirements, the completion of this extensive testing confirms conformance of ULTROL 60+ to advanced, passive GEN III+ and legacy 40-year reactor profiles.

Kinectrics (formerly Ontario Hydro Technologies), General Cable’s choice for testing and product qualification, has completed thermal and radiation aging and Design Basis Events (DBE) proving a 60+year service life, including cable resistance to oneyear submergence test in hot boric acid solution. This

Commenting on the announcement, Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Cables, General Cable North America Robert W. Schuermann said: “This is yet another example of General Cable’s strong commitment to serve the global nuclear energy industry and fully support the industry’s commitment to supply safe, clean and reliable nuclear power for generations to come.”

General Cable is a long-standing global nuclear cable supplier with nearly 40 years of uninterrupted service. ULTROL 60+ safety-related Class 1E and safety-significant non-Class 1E low- and mediumvoltage wire and cable are uniquely positioned to meet the industry’s stringent requirements for safety, reliability and long-term performance. For technical or commercial inquiries regarding ULTROL 60+, contact us today at ULTROL60+@generalcable.com.

www.generalcable.com

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

23

NEWSPROJECTS IN DEPTH CABLE

CABLE PROJECTS

Nexans cables will boost Germany’s energy turnaround in offshore wind farm contract for DONG energy commented: “We are delighted that DONG Energy values the quality and our more than 40 years of experience with offshore cables and that we, as supplier for these offshore projects, can do out bit to promote the energy turnaround.”

Trine Borum Bojsen, Managing Director of the German wind sector at DONG Energy, said “The order for Nexans shows that the German supplier industry already occupies a key position in the international offshore business, as the outline contract with Nexans not only includes the supply of our German projects Borkum Riffgrund 1 and Gode Wind, but also the supply of our UK wind farms.”

Nexans cables will provide medium-voltage inter-array connections for DONG’s offshore wind farms Gode Wind 1 and 2 off the coast of Lower Saxony, Germany.

DONG Energy is set to increase its offshore wind power capacity in Germany after signing a contract with Nexans for the delivery and installation of 140 km of 34 kV cables. The inter-array cables will link individual turbines at the Gode Wind 1 and 2 wind farms and connect them to an offshore transformer platform, off the Lower Saxony coast in north-east Germany.

The new agreement is part of a larger outline contract between DONG energy and Nexans for the supply of a total 900 km of medium-voltage cable for internal farm cabling.

Wind energy is a vital element in Germany’s ongoing Energy Turnaround (Energiewende). The wind farms, which lie around 45 km off the coast - just off the islands of Norderney and Juist, will have a capacity of 582 MW - enough to power around 600,000 German homes. Total investment for the two projects stands at around €2.2 billion with construction commencing in Spring 2015.

At the occasion of the signing, Dirk Steinbrink Executive Vice President of High Voltage & Underwater Cables

24

Stephan Weil, Lower Saxony State Premier, who witnessed the signing of the contract, “Offshore wind energy is an essential pillar of the energy turnaround and, thanks to the high number of wind hours, makes a key contribution to the climate-friendly supply security of the future. The Gode Wind 1 and 2 wind farms are significant milestones on the path towards this goal.”

About Nexans Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of cables and cabling solutions that deliver increased performance for our customers worldwide. Nexans’ teams are committed to a partnership approach that supports customers in four main business areas: Power transmission and distribution (submarine and land), Energy resources (Oil & Gas, Mining and Renewables), Transportation (Road, Rail, Air, Sea) and Building (Commercial, Residential and Data Centers).

Nexans’ strategy is founded on continuous innovation in products, solutions and services, employee development, customer training and the introduction of safe, low -environmental- impact industrial processes. In 2013, Nexans became the first cable player to create a Foundation to introduce sustained initiatives for access to energy for disadvantaged communities worldwide.

We have an industrial presence in 40 countries and commercial activities worldwide, employing close to 26,000 people and generating sales in 2013 of nearly 6.7 billion euros.

www.nexans.com

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

NEWS IN DEPTH CABLE PROJECTS

NEWS

nkt cables providing submarine cable monitoring for Baltic 2 project

Suzlon deploys Nexans’ end to end cable solutions for wind farm projects in Brazil

After successfully using the VALCAP Load Management System for monitoring the Baltic 1 submarine power cable, the German electricity transmission system operator 50Hertz has decided to award the monitoring of the Baltic 2 project to nkt cables as well.

Both Baltic 1 and Baltic 2 are important submarine cable connections in the Baltic sea that are used to securely transport wind energy from the Offshore Wind Parks Baltic 1 and Baltic 2 to the mainland grid of 50Hertz. The monitoring system allows additional transmission capacity to be used for this purpose, and therefore provides technical as well as financial benefits.

The VALCAP Load Management System is a unique development by nkt cables that continuously monitors the conductor temperature and transmission capacity of power cables. It takes into account the impact of changing environmental conditions in the surroundings of power cables, and provides an intelligent warning and alarm system that is integrated into the customer’s infrastructure.

ABB wins $55 million submarine AC power cable contract in the UK Suzlon, one of the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers, has turned to Nexans to support its major projects in Brazil with complete end to end cable solutions that will ensure effective, efficient and reliable connections for some 150 wind turbine generators (WTGs). The total contract value is worth around €11 million.

In two framework agreements with Suzlon, Nexans is supplying its WINDLINK® LV and MV tower cables, site kits and accessories together with MV inter-array cables and HV export cables that form the connection to local substations. This enables Suzlon to benefit from advanced, fully integrated, end-to-end cable solutions that cover not only the products, but also comprehensive technical and logistical support.

While the wind farm projects are located across Brazil, Nexans is delivering the cables to Suzlon production sites around the world including Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea and Brazil.

Hemant Prabhakar, Nexans’ Group Key Account Manager for Suzlon, said: “Our high level of involvement with Suzlon is a perfect illustration of how Nexans continues to extend its service well beyond simply supplying cables to supporting wind industry customers with complete solutions, technical documentation, logistics and site supervision.”

ABB has won an order worth around US$55 million to supply a submarine AC (alternating current) power cable system for a new wind farm, located off the coast of Norfolk. The underwater cables will feed the electricity generated by the 400-megawatt (MW) Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm into the UK national grid.

The order was received from Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited, a company owned by Statoil and Statkraft.

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm will be capable of producing enough electricity to power more than 400,000 UK homes annually. The turbines will be located in waters 18-25 meters deep on a 55-squarekilometer site situated 32 kilometers (km) off the coast of the seaside town of Cromer in north Norfolk. With an installed capacity of about 400 MW, the wind farm will produce enough ‘green’ energy to displace emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 19 million tonnes over its 25year lifetime.

Electricity generated by the wind farm will be brought to shore via a seabed cable at Weybourne Hope, some 5 km west of the coastal town of Sheringham. From there, an underground cable will be laid to carry the electricity to Necton, where a purpose-built substation will enable it to be transmitted into the national grid.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

25

Where your cables go in the world is your business.

What wraps them is ours.

Cables keep our modern world connected.

That’s why cable manufacturers and engineers everywhere rely on Scapa Cable Solutions to deliver world class cable tape – and have done for over 100 years. Since we began, our cable tape could have wrapped the world almost 300 times – so when you need an expert cable protection solution, you know you can count on us.

scapa.com/en/cable sales@scapa.com

Hall 10 Stand D75

CABLE ACCESSORIES

SCAPA

Scapa Cable Protection Solutions – 102 years in the making...

A

fter 102 years of supplying protection solutions to the cable manufacturing industry, Scapa UK Ltd is investing for the next hundred years or thereabouts! It was 1912 when Lyndsay & Williams first supplied insulating tapes to power cable makers in the UK and since their acquisition by Scapa, change and expansion has been a constant. With this pedigree as a backdrop, Scapa now has one of the widest ranges of cable protection solutions in this global industry.

They are now a key supplier and reference partner to the world’s top manufacturers of power, subsea, control, instrumentation and fibre optic cables.

With two plants, Renfrew in Canada and Ashton, near Manchester in the UK, focusing production on cable wrapping tapes; the full range includes dielectric, semi-conducting, bituminised, fire retardant and water blocking tapes and yarns. With a world hungry for power and data connectivity and the imperative of renewable energy, the cable industry is now coming out of the doldrums and set for growth. Scapa are positioning themselves to take advantage of this expansion. Each plant has its own R&D facilities backed by a central research operation in France and the company is currently working on the next generation of water blocking tapes. As well as this intensive product development, investment in plant and process is rising too as Scapa gears for the growth in cable infrastructure projects across the globe. 102 years and counting...

Scapa Flagship Products (Ranges): SC24/200 – A high tensile semi-conducting tape for power applications CT50/113 – An insulating binding and bedding tape with high abrasion resistance SC36/65 – Used in many global subsea projects this is an easy process semi-conducting tape

Bitumen – Bitumenised tape for subsea cable applications for fibre optic and general data cables CFY range – A wide assortment of waterblocking yarns for power and data applications FR Range – Halogen free fire retardant tapes for a wide variety of applications Solutions for jointing, termination and repair of MV and HV power cables Scapa are exhibiting at WIRE 2014 in Dussdeldorf, 7-11th April 2014 in Hall 10, Stand D75 Join us to take a closer look at our product range and meet the team that can help with your enquiries.

For further information: Jeff Tate – jeff.tate@scapa.com or marketing@scapa.com

WWW.SCAPA.COM

BT1 – A subsea project staple, this bitumen tape is excellent for bedding and anti-corrosion WS(C)M range – A choice of semi-conductive and insulating seawater blocking tapes for power cables WSD range – An extensive series of waterblocking tapes

Fire retardant - Zero halogen cable tapes to meet fire survival requirements

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

27

CABLE ACCESSORIES

CABLE ACCESSORIES NEWS

Updates from the industry

Fischer Connectors launches revolutionary FiberOptic Hybrid Connector

very successful distribution network.

Weidmüller’s PZ 6 Roto L

The new PZ6 Roto L ensures secure and flexible crimping using only one tool.

The PZ6 Roto L is remarkable and innovative crimping tool which can be used to crimp accurately and securely, even in hard-to-reach places or confined cabinets.

Designed for professional use in both industry and manual trades, it guarantees consistently high-quality and precise crimping results using only this single tool.

Fischer Connectors, a worldwide leader in push-pull circular connectors, extends its Fischer FiberOptic Series with a new and revolutionary hybrid connector.

After the successful launch of the Fischer FiberOptic Series with two (FO2) and four (FO4) fibers at the end of 2012, Fischer Connectors now offers a solution with two fiber channels and two electrical contacts (FOH 2-2) in one small high performance connector.

The unique aspect of the brand new Fischer FiberOptic Series hybrid connector is that both fiber and electrical contacts are now offered in a single rugged connecting solution, allowing both power and data to be transmitted flawlessly through one connector. This saves space, money, design and installation time, and offers premium optical performance in all environments, indoor or outdoor.

Amphenol Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Astute Electronics as an authorised design solutions partner

Astute Electronics will be utilising their considerable electronics design expertise and interconnect knowledge to identify solutions for top tier OEM companies, with the confidence that Amphenol can provide industrial and military-spec connectors for use in a wide range of applications. Typically these include medical, aerospace, defense, industrial automation, lighting, consumer electronics, smart energy and telecommunications.

Amphenol Ltd and Astute Electronics have worked together in the past and are delighted to now formalise and further grow their relationship. Astute Electronics will complement Amphenol Ltd’s already existing and

28 28

The crimping of wire-end ferrules usually not only requires manual dexterity, but also individual crimping tools, along with matching contacts. Weidmüller provide a wide range of high-quality, wire-end ferrules with the PZ 6 Roto L crimping tool. This means that users are able to achieve faultless crimping results and undertake a vast range of requirements using the PZ 6 Roto L. Incorporating a flexible and a fixed crimp insert in a single tool also eliminates the need for time-consuming tool changing: Indeed, the PZ 6 Roto L allows the crimping of lines and wire ferrules (with and without plastic collars) for the entire cross-section range from 0.14 to 6.0 mm² (AWG 24–10), without the need for any other tools.

Steel-Barbed Cable Ties from 3M provide strong, reliable fastening

3M now offers a new alternative for electricians requiring rugged, reliable cable ties. 3M™ Steel-Barbed Cable Ties, launched by the 3M Electrical Markets Division, offer excellent strength and the ability to precisely tighten each tie.

Designed to fasten wire bundles and harness components quickly, the cable ties consist of a smooth nylon strap with a head, or pawl, containing a stainless steel barb.

When engaged, the barb presses into the nylon strap, providing a tight grip and a strong, long-lasting hold.

Designed without notches, the barbed cable tie from 3M has infinite locking positions. The barb can be locked at any point along the strap, allowing more precise positioning than typical ratchet-style cable ties.

The nylon strap’s ribbed pattern provides extra grip to prevent slippage.

The cable ties are sold by most major electrical product distributors. They are available in black and natural,

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

CABLE ACCESSORIES and in seven different lengths ranging from four to 28 inches.

Silver Fox labels pass more flammability and smoke emission tests

Flames tests were carried out on 1mm Fox-Flo® white and yellow labels. In both tests, these label colours satisfied the requirements of the current standards”.

Ellis Secures Shamiya Haram Expansion

The UK-based labelling solutions manufacturer, Silver Fox, has had its labels independently tested following safety concerns over a competitor’s labels.

The tests - carried out by the Interscience Fire Laboratory (IFL), in Gosport, Hampshire – relate to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Smoke and Toxicity Test and to tests for minor materials in BS 6853:1999 and non-listed items in LUL 1-085, as required by London Underground Limited (LUL). The tests show that Silver Fox’s Fox-Flo® Low Smoke Zero Halogen Tie-On Cable Labels ably meet modern safety standards.

“

Nick Michaelson, CEO of Silver Fox, explained: “Although all label manufacturers can receive an LUL certificate, owing to the low weight cutoff criteria of 100 grams, we were horrified when we conducted our own internal test - of setting light to similar looking labels to Silver Fox’s which are used extensively on LUL applications. We published the results in the form of a video, available on YouTube.

Emperor cable cleats from Ellis have been specified for installation in one of the biggest construction projects currently underway in Saudi Arabia.

3M now offers a new alternative for electricians requiring rugged, reliable cable ties - 3M™ Steel-Barbed Cable Ties

“As the video shows, the competitor’s label starts to burn after only ten seconds and it propagates quickly, beginning to emit burning particles and black smoke.

However, the Fox-Flo® label doesn’t even start to burn after 45 seconds of exposure to a constant flame.

“Knowing the high quality of the material used in making our labels – and also knowing that our labels’ IMO approvals corroborate this, we decided to put our money where our mouth was and independently test all four colours of our labels according to the LUL standards.”

IFL carried out the tests on 3mm white polymeric sheet, which is used to make Silver Fox’s Fox-Flo® labels. According to IFL: ‘In our opinion, the results show that the material meets the requirements set for BS6853:1999 Table 7 Interior minor use materials of mass 100g to 500g Category Ia, Ib and II; BS 6853: 1999 Table 8 Exterior minor use materials of mass 400g to 2000g Category Ia, Ib and II, and LUL 1-085 Table 4 – Flammability and smoke emission requirements for non-listed items (Limited and dispersed usage).’

Nico Frame, Silver Fox’s Marketing Manager, commented: “The IMO FTPC Part 2 - Smoke and Toxicity and the IMO FTPC Part 5 – Surface Spread of

”

The Shamiya Haram, part of the holy mosque in the city of Mecca, is undergoing the biggest expansion in its history in order to place it in a central location and give it a new architectural dimension that will increase its capacity to 2.25 million worshippers – four times its current capacity.

Ellis’ cleats will be used to secure power cables throughout its 75,000sq. m. central utility complex (CUC), which when complete will serve the 1,423,271sq. m. Haram.

“The size and complexity of this project needs to be seen to be believed,” said Ellis’ export director, Tony Conroy. “The expanded Shamiya Haram will be the size of a small town and as you’d expect of any project of this scale the technical infrastructure supporting it is extensive to say the very least.”

The CUC at Shamiya Haram will feature a 24-chiller plant with a first phase capacity of 12,000 TR; a generator plant with 66MVA capacity (first phase); a grey water treatment plant; central waste handling plant; water tanks and pump room; administrative and service buildings; workshops, storage areas and three gatehouses. In addition, two extensive tunnel networks are being developed, one to enable worshippers to move easily around the Haram, the other to carry power.

The order for Ellis’ Emperor cleats was secured by its Saudi Arabian distributor, Mena Arabia, who said a key part of securing the specification was the fact all nuts and bolts were supplied in stainless steel.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

29

HALL 13 A58

NEW!

EXTENSIVE RANGE OF CABLE CLEATS

CONQUEROR THE WORLDS SAFEST CABLE CLEAT

PROTECTION WHATEVER THE ENVIRONMENT The market leaders in cable glands, CMP Products, are proud to announce the launch of their new range of cable cleats

• • • • •

Multiple designs for every situation & environment.

Third party certification to IEC 61914.

Stainless steel, Aluminium, LSF V-0 Nylon & LUL approved polymers available.

Superior short circuit ratings & cable acceptance ranges.

CMP CMP PRODUCTS

UK design and manufacture.

www.cmp-products.com www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 12, 2014

CABLE ACCESSORIES

CMP PRODUCTS

proudly presents its extensive new line of cable cleats

A

s part of its continual research and development and innovative design, CMP Products, the global market leader and specialists in cable glands and cable accessories across the globe, is proud to present its new, extensive range of cable cleats.

Already specialists in cable glands and cable accessories, CMP Products has harnessed its extensive knowledge and experience in industrial and hazardous environments, to design and manufacture this wide range of cleats.

CMP’s cable cleats have been designed to withstand all the industrial and hazardous environments CMP’s products specialise in.

CMP Products, providing protection, whatever the environment

LUL approved polymers available

Superior short circuit ratings to withstand any environment

CMP Products, providing exceptional customer service, whatever your needs

CMP Products also has the capabilities within its technical department, to not only assist with technical queries, but also design bespoke applications to suit the needs of its clients. Exceptional customer service and constant research and development are at the heart of what they do and CMP Products is relentlessly working to retain its number one supplier status by continually improving its processes and functions to maintain the standard that its clients around the globe expect.

All cable installations vary in design from one installation to the next, which is why CMP Products design and manufacture cable cleats for all applications, including single, trefoil, quad and matrix applications. They offer a range that is both comprehensive and diverse, designed for use within industrial areas and hazardous locations, as well as specialist applications such as railway and underground, oil and gas and petrochemical.

The CMP cleat range is available to suit a variety of support structures, including cable ladder, cable tray, basket, channel, masonry or concrete. They are also tested in accordance with IEC 61914:2009 to ensure that, regardless of the cable formation used on the installation, there is a suitable cleat.

CMP Products, providing high quality, whatever the material

CMP cable cleats are manufactured from various high quality materials, with excellent flame retardant properties, to suit the environmental conditions they may be subjected to. Many of its cleats have been approved to London Underground (LUL) standard 1-085.

CMP Products’ cable cleats are designed, constructed and third party certified in accordance with IEC 61914:2009, to ensure both the safety of personnel and the protection of the cable management system. At CMP Products, safety is our priority.

Designs to fit every situation and environment Parallel, trefoil and multicore formations available to suit any installation Third party certification to IEC 61914:2009 Stainless steel, aluminium, LSF V-0 Nylon and

www.cmp-products.com

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RAW MATERIALS

HUNTSMAN

to exhibit at Wire 2014

E

xperts from Huntsman’s thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) team are gearing up for a busy few days at Wire 2014 when the show opens for business on 7 April in Düsseldorf.

Huntsman is a leading developer of TPU and is well known as a reliable and innovative partner to the wire and cable industry, having worked in the sector for more than thirty years.

This year at Wire the business will showcase a number of new innovations developed specifically for the wire and cable market. Available under Huntsman’s established IROGRAN® brand, all of the new products offer excellent physical properties and have been designed to meet trends emerging in wire jacketing and cable accessory applications.

Franz Michel, Market Manager Technical Extrusion for Huntsman’s TPU business in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East (EAIME), said: “The wire and cable industry is a strategically important part of our technical

extrusion business and we’re continually evolving our portfolio to meet the needs of our customers. In line with sector requirements we’ve recently developed a number of new TPU grades. These novel solutions will enable the creation of wires and cables that help to set new standards in terms of chemical and abrasion resistance, flame retardancy and UV stability.

“Wire is a great event to attend and the visitor numbers speak for themselves. Last year almost 40,000 key decision makers from around the world visited the event – making it the place to do business and launch new products. Having recently inaugurated our new TPU plant in Jinshan, China we can now provide our customers with global supply chain security – a compelling proposition for the ever-expanding wire and cable market. We’re looking forward to a very productive show and to launching our new products at this important international industry event.”

www.huntsman.com

RAW MATERIALS

BOREALIS AND BOROUGE

B

orealis and Borouge will be “Bringing Energy All Around” at Wire Düsseldorf this year. As leading innovators and reliable partners to the global wire and cable industry, both companies are proud to be represented together at the fair in their 198 square metre stand. Borealis and Borouge will be showcasing their premier technology brands, including Borlink™ and Borstar®, as well as their premier product brands Visico™/Ambicat™ and Casico™, as well as how they are investing in the future through their technologies.

Borlink’s unique technology enables Borealis and Borouge to offer a wide range of sophisticated cable applications as well as semicon products. Key innovations of Borlink include a tailor-made high pressure (HP) process for the production of high purity low density polyethylene (LDPE) base polymers with superior electrical properties and the introduction of a closed or controlled loop (from monomer to final packaging), which avoids contaminants and ensures homogenous and high-quality, clean compounds. The Borlink technology is a step change innovation in the power cable industry and serves as a platform for both to

BorlinkTM Technology: Stop and see what powers your life

work together with the entire energy infrastructure value chain to establish innovative solutions that address the challenges of an increasingly connected world.

“Applying the Borlink technology in the wire and cable industry benefits the entire value chain,” explains Anton Wolfsberger, Borealis Marketing Manager for Energy & Infrastructure. “For example, cables benefiting from Borlink technology are still performing to today’s stringent standards even after 30 years of use.”

The Borstar technology supports applications in the fields of water and gas distribution, wastewater and sewage disposal, irrigation systems, chemical and industrial pipelines, in-house plumbing and heating as well as pipe systems for oil and gas exploration and transportation. Visico, Ambicat and Casico solutions in low voltage energy transmission and distribution cables as well as flame retardant applications offer world-class innovations in providing, installing and extending the lifetime of cable systems. To see what their solutions can do for you, stop by the Borealis and Borouge booth located at hall 10, stand D72.

Borealis and Borouge are the world’s leading providers of innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the wire and cable industry.

Our solutions are customer-driven and designed to satisfy the industry’s continuously evolving demands for higher technical performance. They can be found in the most challenging extra-high voltage (EHV) and high-voltage (HV) cable applications, as well as medium voltage (MV) and low voltage (LV) energy transmission and distribution cables, building wires, and communications cables.

In answer to the need for production, installation and cablesystem lifetime enhancements, our Borlink™ technology creates the innovation links that secure worldclass, stepchanging solutions and benefit the whole wire and cable value chain.

borealisgroup.com borouge.com

RAW MATERIALS

RAW MATERIALS NEWS Updates from the industry

Tata Steel increases customer operational efficiency with comprehensive wire rod and bar service offering

PolyOne Launches Moisture-Cured ECCOH™ XLS for Non-Halogen Wire & Cable Applications

PolyOne Corporation, a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, has announced the launch of ECCOH™ XLS low smoke and fume, non-halogen formulation for flame retardant wire and cable applications.

This new moisture-cured solution from PolyOne helps manufacturers improve supply chain logistics to streamline manufacturing and optimize performance.

With the introduction of moisture-cured ECCOH XLS technology, wire and cable manufacturers can now choose the most cost-effective technology for specific production environments when selecting a low smoke and fume, non-halogen composition:

Photo courtesy of: Tata Steel Tata Steel, Europe’s second largest steel producer, will use 2014’s wire fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, to explain and demonstrate how its distinctive service offering for its wire rod and bar portfolio helps customers to improve operational efficiency. With its innovative stock solutions and the shortest rolling programme of any major steel maker in Europe, Tata Steel can react quickly to customer requirements by offering shorter lead times and greater flexibility. Wire rod and bar customers can keep stock levels to a minimum, reducing their own operating costs whilst still being flexible enough to respond quickly to their own customers. By working closely with its customers on new product and manufacturing process developments, Tata Steel is able to provide services and products that meet exact customer requirements and help them to gain market advantage.

Tata Steel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Henrik Adam said: “We have a long-term commitment to the European wire rod and bar market and we work closely together with our customers to provide the service they need, from product development to supply chain organisation. We guarantee consistency of supply and offer flexibility to ensure our customers have the steel they need, when they need it. These factors, coupled with a vast amount of experience and our world-class research and development facilities, mean we are able to provide all of the expertise needed for customers to choose the best product, and the best way of working, for their particular application.”

• Dry silane • E-beam irradiation • Moisture cure ECCOH XLS enables manufacturers to efficiently process a non-halogenated, flame-retardant material without capital investment in extra equipment or adding steps to complete crosslinking. The new offering was developed for applications including low-voltage power cables for building and construction use and specialty wire and cable for marine applications.

LG Chem and its dedication to the Wire & Cable industry

LG Chem, Ltd. is a globally diversified chemical company which operates three main business units: Petrochemicals, IT & Electronic Materials, and Energy Solution. The chemical business manufactures a wide range of products, from petrochemical goods to highvalue added plastics. It also extends its chemical expertise into high-tech areas such as electronic materials and rechargeable batteries.

LG Chem, along with LUTENE® Wire & Cable XLPE Compound for power cables has provided innovative materials to world-leading companies in the W&C industry. With around 20 years of service to the cable industry, LG Chem offers not only outstanding materials up to 400kV rated voltage applications, but also provides wide-range of business and technical services to cable manufacturers to create higher value and mutual growth.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

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WE WILL BE EXHIBITING AT WIRE 2014 IN DUSSELDORF Come Meet Us in Hall 11 at Stand D46 | 7-11 APRIL 2014

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AEI compounds

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RAW MATERIALS

AEI AT WIRE 2014

AEI introduces new ceramifiable technology for fire survival/fire safety cables

A

EI Compounds Ltd. UK is pleased to introduce a new, innovative thermoplastic Halogen Free Flame Retardant (HFFR) compound, TP0851. This is a new ceramifiable HFFR sheathing compound for cables built to preserve circuit integrity in fire situations.

TP0851 has been used successfully in emergency alarm, communication and lighting circuits. Other firesurvival cable applications are now being tested using the ceramifiable HFFR compound technology developed at AEI. The ceramifiable sheathing material forms a strong char during burning, providing enhanced cable fire protection and enables the cable to function in serious fire situations. When TP-0851 is used with silicone rubber insulated cores the most onerous fire performance specifications can be satisfied. Traditional fire survival cable constructions using Mica tapes may be eliminated. The use of TP 0851 for cable sheathing in certain cable constructions allows improved cable production efficiency and faster cable termination performance.

• BS EN 50200: 2006 PH30,120 • BS EN 50200: 2006 +Annex E • BS8434-2: 2003 +A2:2009 TP0851 meets the following test requirements: • Operating temperature from -25°C to +90°C • Zero halogen, no corrosive gases • Circuit integrity The ceramifiable technology developed for TP 0851 may have wider applications in different cable constructions. Please contact us for technical and commercial discussions.

Backed by the company’s excellent reputation for quality, service, innovation and depth of experience in the cable industry, AEI Compounds continues to offer assistance to companies either through attendance at trials or developing customized compound solutions to suit customers’ equipment and final application.

Please visit us at Wire 2014, Stand 11-D46 from 7-11 April 2014 in Dusseldorf.

TP0851-sheathed cables have met the fire test requirements of BS EN 50200 for PH 120 and the enhanced BS 8434-2 with a 930°C flame and water spray with aluminium laminate tape screens.

TP0851 has been tested to meet the following international fire resistance test standards: • BS5839-1: 2013 Code of practice • BS7629-1: 2008 • BS6387: 1994 CWZ

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www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

37

CABLE PLANT NEWS

ADVARIS

ADVARIS to present the complete cable solution ensures trouble-free production operation and a substantial reduction of mean time to repair (MTTR). When breakdowns occur, MRO plans repair work under consideration of high plant availability. The transparent presentation of maintenance costs is a valuable aid to decisionmaking for company management.

A

t this year’s Wire in Düsseldorf, under the motto “Always a twist ahead”, Germany-based company ADVARIS Informations systeme GmbH is presenting the new generation of “ADVARIS Cable”, its tried and tested solution for the sector. Managing Director Dr. Manfred Moser says: “ADVARIS Cable is the most comprehensive, fully integrated operations management system for cable and wire producers available on the market today. ADVARIS Cable supports all aspects of cable production, from product data management through manufacturing execution to warehouse management and sales”.

Detailed Planning & Scheduling One highlight of ADVARIS Cable is the new version of the “Detailed Planning & Scheduling Module”. Dr. Moser elucidates: “With our advanced “in-memory” technology, we provide operating managers with a comfortable, top performance planning aid with remarkably short reaction times, capable of dealing even with large-scale quantity structures. ADVARIS Cable’s Multi Resource Planning covers machines, tools, materials and maintenance schedules and - for instance - automatically suggests the use of alternative machines to avoid potential production bottlenecks. Thus optimized planning yields very considerable practical advantages: less capital is tied up, and delivery dates can be reliably met”.

Plant Maintenance The “Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Module”, which is an integral part of the system,

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Advanced Reporting The new Reporting Tool is equipped with all the functions of a modern Business Intelligence (BI) Tool. The user interface can be intuitively operated without any specialized knowledge. The analyses have high relevance as they represent real time status. The data such as e.g. monthly reports on manufacturing efficiency, are available for further processing in all the usual formats and are also automatically transmitted by e-mail.

ADVARIS Cable MES App for Smartphones Another innovation concerns the display of machine status, OEE key parameters, order progress status, and other data. It is now possible to view factory operations in real time on a smartphone or tablet and see where there are problems, thus making it possible to react quickly.

www.advaris.com

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

CABLE PLANT NEWS

PLASMAIT

Fine stainless steel wire can now be annealed in-line with drawing

I

t has been widely accepted that stainless steel and nickel alloy wire cannot be annealed quickly enough to go in-line with a drawing or rolling machine. This is now a thing of the past. Plasmait has introduced a new PlasmaANNEALER that is first in the world to anneal fine austenitic stainless steel and nickel alloys wire at the speed of drawing. This new concept allows for a radical increase of continuous annealing speeds that can surpass 15m/s in the case of fine wire sizes of austenitic stainless steels. The wires with diameters 0.5-0.1mm (0.02’’-0.004’’) can be recrystallization annealed with plasma at the speeds of 360-900m/min (1200-3000ft/ min). With such speeds annealing can be performed inline with drawing or rolling, substituting multiple lines of a traditional tube furnace. The annealer can be used for small cross-section round, flat and shaped wires as well as tubes made of stainless steel and nickel alloys.

The annealer features compact design, high energy conversion efficiency, very low gas consumption and gives the operator the ability to target mechanical properties with a great degree of accuracy. Rapid heating and reduced time of recrystallization results in fine grain size with uniform crystal structure.

The PlasmaANNEALER can cold start production in few minutes and can be stopped imminently. This avoids the lengthy heating-up and cooling-down times and associated energy costs that are symptomatic for a conventional tube furnace.

High-speed trials on the new line can be performed at Plasmait’s facility in Austria. The annealer can process different type of materials used in applications such as: fine wire for mesh and textile, filter wire, EMS mesh wire, electronics resistance wires, heating element wires, copper clad steel and copper clad aluminium wires, as well as wires, ropes and tubes for medical, jewelry, aerospace, automotive and similar applications.

About Plasmait

Plasmait is a supplier of heat and surface treatment solutions based on plasma technology for continuous and batch applications in the ferrous and non-ferrous metals industry.

Plasmait will present a range of machines including: PlasmaANNEALER is a heat treatment machine for stainless steel, nickel and copper alloys. The machine can be used for various sizes and forms of wire, tube ad strand. PlasmaANNEALER is most effective for highspeed annealing of fine stainless steel, nickel alloy wire in-line with rolling or drawing.

PV Ribbon Line for rolling, annealing, tinning of supersoft PV ribbon.

PlasmaPREPLATE is heat and surface treatment machine for heating, cleaning, deoxidation and surface activation for coating, hot dip and electroplating applications.

PlasmaPREPLATE is used also for electroplating or hot dip tinning of aluminium wire.

PlasmaCLEANER is a plasma surface treatment machine designed for pre-heating, surface cleaning, degreasing or deoxidation on ferrous and non-ferrous wires, tubes or strip.

PlasmaGRAPH is graphite degreasing for tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, high speed steel.

Plasmait’s solutions are supplied to the wire, cable, tube and strip manufacturers and are most beneficial in the applications with demanding surface and material requirements.

Applications/Materials: • Stainless steel nickel alloys • Resistance/heating alloys • Medical wires, tubes, strips • Fine wire for filters, mesh, knitting • Aerospace, electronics, oil and gas applications • Copper and copper alloys, superconductor • Plating, coating, enamelling and taping • Precious metals and jewellery and decorative • Titanium, tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum • Welding wires

www.plasmait.com www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

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POWER

POWER NEWS

ABB wins US$45 million order for Swedish power grid

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BB wins orders worth US$45 million to strengthen Swedish power grid from Svenska kraftnät, the Swedish National Grid operator, to supply three 400 kilovolt (kV) substations.

The Sege 400 kV substation in southern Sweden will be replaced to improve grid reliability and supply quality power to the city of Malmö and to the Skåne region.

In northern Sweden, two new 400 kV substations, Djuptjärn and Högnäs, will secure power supply to the city of Kalix. Högnäs, will also enable the integration of clean wind energy to the national grid in the Västerbotten region. The substations are scheduled to be commissioned in 2015.

“These substations will enhance grid reliability and transmission efficiency, facilitating the supply of quality power to consumers” said Claudio Facchin, Head of ABB’s Power Systems division. “They will deploy ABB’s latest technologies including the combined Disconnector Circuit Breaker which helps to reduce the substation’s footprint.“

ABB’s project scope includes the design and supply of engineered packages for the high-voltage air-insulated switchgear (AIS) substations. Key products and systems to be supplied cover a range of high-voltage equipment including an innovative combined disconnector circuit breaker (DCB).This DCB integrates the disconnecting function into the circuit breaker and eliminates the need for two separate free-standing disconnectors, making it possible to reduce the footprint of the substation by up to 50 percent. The substations will also be equipped with IEC 61850 based open control and protection systems and equipment.

www.abb.com

POWER

New Siemens service extends lifespan of power cables

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ith Califex, Siemens’ Smart Grid Division is offering a new service to energy suppliers, utilities and industrial plants initially in Germany, Sweden and Norway. This service extends the lifespan of insulated medium voltage cables. To do this, Siemens is implementing a patented cable rejuvenation process developed by its US partner Novinium. The Novinium process injects a rejuvenation fluid into a cable under constant pressure. This process increases the dialectric strength of the cable and returns its performance to a like-new condition. Rejuvenated cables can then be utilized for many more decades avoiding declining reliability issues and expensive cable replacement projects. Investments to completely replace these cables can thus be postponed to a much later time in the future.

Many medium-voltage cables that were laid in the seventies and eighties are reaching the end of their service life. To prevent any outages in the mediumvoltage grid, these older cables are usually replaced before their end of their service life. Siemens’ new

Copyright: Novinium cable reconditioning service offers an alternative that can be substantially more cost-effective than replacing medium voltage cables. The cable life extension process also renews assets, making it very eco-friendly.

During the Califex process, the aging cable is fitted with an adapter for injecting the fluid. Drawn from reservoirtype containers, the fluid is injected into the empty space inside the cable wires until it emerges from the other end. Then the cable is re-energized immediately.

Within about seven days, the silicon-based liquid mixture diffuses into the cable insulation and the dielectric strength of the cable increases to a safe, likenew condition. This procedure offers tremendous time savings compared to cable replacement. It takes just a few hours to complete a cable section and allows the power to be quickly restored.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 12, 2014

POWER

POWER NEWS

Updates from the industry RES stops work on £300M north Blyth power station RES has announced it is ceasing work on its biomass power station project at the Port of Blyth in Northumberland.

RES’ decision follows the withdrawal of a key project partner in late 2013 due to ongoing uncertainty in UK energy policy. The Government’s inconsistent support for dedicated biomass energy over the last two years as well as increased uncertainty over the UK’s energy policy under the Government’s Electricity Market Reform process - has critically undermined the investment case for the North Blyth Biomass Power Station.

The decision to end the biomass power station project means the loss of hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into the Blyth estuary and wider Northumberland economy. The 300 construction job opportunities and 50 full time, long-term operational jobs at the plant and annual Community Benefit Fund will also be lost.

ABB wins transformer order worth US$26 million in India

ABB has won an order worth around $27 million from NTPC, India’s central power generation utility to supply generator transformers and shunt reactors. These will be installed at a greenfield 2x800 megawatt (MW) thermal power plant being constructed at Gadarwara, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP).

These transformers and reactors will facilitate the efficient and reliable evacuation of power generated from the power plant and its integration into the transmission grid serving the central Indian states of MP and Chattisgarh and the western states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. The project is scheduled for commissioning in 2017-18.

Hydratight recognized by Bechtel for outstanding performance on power projects

Hydratight was one of 56 companies for outstanding work on power projects with the Bechtel Subcontractor and Supplier Recognition awards. The awards recognize subcontractors and suppliers who supported Bechtel Power’s communications, renewable, transmission, nuclear, and thermal projects during 2013.

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Photo courtesy of: Hydratight “Subcontractors and suppliers play a critical role in our ability to deliver projects to our customers with the highest levels of safety, quality, and ethics,” said Toby Seay, president of Bechtel’s power global business unit.

“The expertise and innovation they bring are essential to a project’s success.”

Siemens signs new service agreement for Baiji power plant in Iraq Siemens Energy has been awarded an agreement to perform service and maintenance at the 600 megawatt (MW) Baiji gas power plant, located in the Salah al-Din governorate in Iraq.

Under terms of the contract signed with Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity, Siemens will supply and deliver spare parts for the Baiji power plant’s four SGT5-2000E gas turbines as well as perform significant upgrades, remote monitoring and diagnostic services, and field service for an initial period of four years. The upgrades include the major overhauls of the SGT5-2000E turbines with stateof-the-art Siemens’ 3-dimensional blades and vanes (Si3D). The integration of the Siemens Si3D blades and vanes provides the plant with optimal technical and economic benefits.

AREVA and Schneider Electric sign a strategic partnership agreement on energy storage

AREVA and Schneider Electric have signed a strategic partnership agreement to develop energy management and storage solutions based on hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Under the terms of this agreement, both groups will combine their expertise in order to design and propose energy storage solutions that guarantee the reliability of electrical grids for isolated sites and areas where access to power is limited.

AREVA will provide the Greenergy Box™, energy storage solution made with an electrolyzer and fuel cell. This is used to store hydrogen and oxygen from water electrolysis during periods of low energy demand in order to produce electricity during peak consumption periods.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

POWER This technology is operational since 2011. Connected to a 560 kW photovoltaic solar power plant on the MYRTE demonstration platform, in Corsica, the Greenergy Box™ will also be soon connected to 35 kW peak power photovoltaic panels installed in La Croix Valmer (South of France).

Frédéric Abbal, EVP of Schneider Electric’s Energy Business commented “This agreement will create a robust commercial partnership for deploying an innovative solution in energy storage. AREVA will capitalize on the international presence of Schneider Electric and its leadership in electrical grid management, Utilities & Infrastructures, Industrial and Non-residential Commercial Buildings.”

DNV GL advises on world’s first multiterminal VSC HVDC transmission project integrating clean energy into China’s regional power composition mix DNV GL, the world’s largest resource of independent energy experts, has announced its involvement in the successful commissioning of the world’s first threeterminal VSC HVDC system in China, which will help to integrate clean renewable energy into the power grid.

With steadily growing electricity demand, China is facing the challenge of expanding its grid to keep up

with requirements, while addressing environmental targets.

The pilot project with designed ratings of ±160kV/200MW-100MW-50MW brings dispersed, intermittent clean wind power generated on Nanao island into the mainland Guangdong power grid through 32km of combination of HVDC land cables, sea cables and overheard lines. This pilot project has innovative research character and is supported by the Chinese national science & technology ministry. SEPRI (Electric Power Research Institute, China Southern Power Grid) is technically responsible for the entire project. Multiple suppliers are involved: three different VSC HVDC valve suppliers, two different HVDC land/sea cable suppliers and three different control & protection system/ equipment suppliers. All of them are Chinese domestic manufacturers.

The project demonstrates another successful collaboration between DNV GL and SEPRI since their intial co-operation on the world’s first ±800kV/5000MW Yun-Guang LCC HVDC transmission project in 2007.

DNV GL once again provided in-depth technical expertise and consulted on the feasibility of the project, enabling the innovative VSC HVDC system to move into stable operation.

OIL & GAS PROJECTS

OIL & GAS PROJECTS Updates from the industry

ABB wins major service contract for North Sea’s largest oil producing asset

The UK Chemical, Oil and Gas Service organisation based in Aberdeen signed its most extensive contract in the UK North Sea to support Nexen’s Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) onboard its Buzzard platform - the largest oil producing asset in the UK Continental Shelf.

The oil and gas service operation has signed a service contract with leading oil and gas operator Nexen to deliver non-disruptive lifecycle performance of the ICSS onboard its Buzzard platform in the North Sea. Buzzard is the largest UK North Sea discovery in the last two decades and the performance of the ICSS is critical to maintain the platform’s level of productivity.

The service contract will provide healthcare maintenance of Buzzard’s ICSS. The contract offers a number of new advanced services such as ServicePort (System and Process optimisation) and ServicePro (Asset Management) and includes a maintenance management package with an associated KPI reporting tool. All support requirements will be managed by a contract specific service desk which provides 24/7 support and a single entry point for all technical enquiries. In addition the contract scope covers the provision of spare parts management and training support for 3rd party systems. The contract supports the four key focus areas for ABB’s customers – Maximise production, Lifecycle Management, Operational Efficiency and Performance Improvement.

The contract also provides for ABB to host a full scale replica of Nexen’s offshore control network in the staging area of their Aberdeen office. This will allow ABB to perform configuration management and comprehensive testing of all software changes prior to installation on site. This facility will also enhance the preparation for planned offshore visits and will improve the level of operational support provided from base to facilitate technical troubleshooting and maintenance.

Yokogawa wins LNG carrier control system order for Ichthys LNG project in Australia Yokogawa Electric Corporation has received an order from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. to supply the control system for an LNG carrier that is being built for the Ichthys LNG project in Australia.

The ship will be the world’s largest Moss-type LNG

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ABB’s Buzzard Field carrier and will be used for transporting LNG from an onshore LNG processing plant that is being constructed as part of the Ichthys LNG project. The ship is scheduled to enter service by the end of 2016, in time for the completion of the plant. The ship is also the first Mosstype LNG carrier equipped with a dual fuel diesel engine (DFDE), which burns both fuel oil and gas.

Yokogawa will deliver the CENTUM® VP integrated production control system for monitoring and controlling the LNG carrier’s LNG tanks and loading/ unloading facilities as well as the supply of gas to the DFDE and the supply of power to other driving units.

Yokogawa will also be responsible for the engineering and commissioning of the control system.

UK Operations & Maintenance Extension for Wood Group PSN

Wood Group PSN (WGPSN) has been awarded a one year operations and maintenance contract extension from Chevron North Sea Limited.

This is the second award WGPSN has received from Chevron North Sea Limited in the past six months.

Services will be provided to the Captain and Alba fields, including the Captain floating production storage offloading (FPSO), the Captain wellhead and production platform and the Alba North platform.

In November 2013, WGPSN received a one year extension to provide engineering and construction to the same fields.

This latest extension is a continuation of a contract WGPSN was first awarded in 2009. The contract enables WGPSN to retain approximately 100 positions offshore in the UK.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 13, 2014

OIL & GAS PROJECTS Harkand secures CNR International contract

Harkand is to position a second dive support vessel in the burgeoning North Sea sector after securing a major contract with CNR International (CNRI).

The contract will see Harkand deliver jacket life extension works, IRM scopes and inspection services in the second quarter of 2014 for CNRI’s Ninian South platform and Lyell field, located approximately 150km north-east of the Shetland Islands. The award will see the state-of-the-art DP2 multi-purpose diving support vessel the Harkand Da Vinci relocate from South Africa where it was operating throughout 2013 under contract to national oil company PetroSA. Harkand says the transfer of the vessel, which will undergo modification and upgrade work en route so it is ready for North Sea operations on arrival, reflects the rising demand for IRM and light construction services that they are experiencing in the UKCS. “Harkand has performed extensive and varied subsea scopes over the years for CNR. We are delighted to extend our strong relationship with CNRI through the award of this campaign. Having both the Da Vinci and its sister vessel the Atlantis operating in the North Sea will also provide our customers with the level of flexibility that they demand whilst positioning us for the

next stage in building our business in the region,” said David Kerr, managing director of Harkand Europe.

ABB wins US$60 million telecom contracts for Statoil platforms

ABB has won three orders worth US$60 million for internal and external telecommunication systems for three Statoil projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The orders were booked in the fourth quarter of 2013 and in the first quarter of 2014.

The three contracts are signed with leading shipyards in South Korea. ABB will be a system integrator of telecommunications on the offshore installations built for the Aasta Hansteen and Gina Krog fields in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea and for the Mariner field in the British sector. ABB has more than 30 years of experience in telecommunication deliveries to the global oil and gas industry and will complete these system deliveries by 2015.

Mariner and Gina Krog are fixed, steel jacket platforms, where the topside module will be constructed at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) yard. Aasta Hansteen is a single cylinder Spar platform, the first of its kind destined for the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The topside module will be constructed at Hyundai Heavy Industries.

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 12, 2014

SUCOFLEX® TVAC The superior HUBER+SUHNER cable assemblies for thermal vacuum applications (TVAC): • Low out gassing according ECSS-Q-ST-70-02 C • Superior mechanical and electrical stability • Vented connectors for fast evacuation and venting • Excellent performance to price ratio • Perfect matched cables and connectors

from one manufacturer • Worldwide assistance and support

Huber+SuHner AG 9100 Herisau/Switzerland, hubersuhner.com

www.thecabledirectory.com - TCD Review Edition 12, 2014