Green Focus

wire Moscow 速 wrapup

WIRE JOURNAL JULY 2011

I N T E R N A T I O N A L w w w. w i r e n e t . o r g

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WIRE JOURNAL

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CONTENTS

Volume 44 | Number 7 | July 2011

F EATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 29

Wrapup: wire Moscow . . . . . . . . . . .34

WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Exhibitors by and large were quite pleased with the results from wire Moscow 2011.

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Technical Papers . . . . . . . 56-69 Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

GREEN FOCUS: Plant efficiency & energy savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Having a “green” manufacturing focus can (and should) result in reduced costs and more efficiency.

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

T ECHNICAL P APERS

Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 76

Life prediction for an optical fiber cable Octavio Parra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 78

Next issue August 2011

The union of quality, Lean and Six Sigma William P. Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Strategic management for optimal utilization of wire rope Surajit Dey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

• Brazil Outlook • TUBOTECH preview • wire Southeast Asia preview Cover: A “green” approach is part of the focus at Loos & Co., Inc., where Sales & Marketing Coordinator Robert Davis and Engineering Manager Curtis Schopfer explained how the company has benefitted by taking numerous small steps to reduce the company’s energy use. See p. 36.

JULY 2011 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE AT WIRE

MOSCOW . . . . . .34

CONTENTS

ACTIVITY

Several exhibitors report that the 2011 staging of wire Moscow may not have seen big gains in attendance, but the quality of visits was definitely good. They noted a marked improvement in terms of attendee interest and activity, with some contracts being finalized at the biennial show. They also left with a sense that the market in Russia appears to be headed in a positive direction.

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SMALL STEPS = GREEN RESULTS . . . .36 When it comes to energy efficiency, there are many possibilities. Pictured are two air-handling systems that reuse the heat generated from process chillers at the Pomfret, Connecticut, plant of Loos & Co. The heat, which previously had been vented away, now warms 17,000 and 6,000 sq ft of production space respectively, saving the company a substantial amount of heating oil each year.

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EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

®

EDITORIAL

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

‘Green’ motives aside, one can embrace do-good deeds for bottom-line motivations Once long, long ago, I had a girlfriend who was an ardent do-gooder, a confirmed environmentalist who saw no middle ground. There was right and there was wrong, and she was a tree-hugger in the first degree.

Literally. One day she asked me to hug her favorite tree. I passed. She insisted. “Either hug that tree or else.” It’s tempting to rewrite history, but truth be told, I hugged that stupid tree. Decades later I can share that sad tale because it goes to show that one does not need to be a believer in a cause to find value in supporting it.

The feature in this issue looks at some practical steps manufacturers can take to improve their processes and reduce their energy usage. That, in turn, translates to reduced expenses and, indirectly at least, to a “green” benefit. One may not want to pay a penny more to have a “greener” operation, but it’s simple to be a believer in “green” change if it helps the bottom line, and even better if it can also help improve product quality. That’s the idea behind this feature, which presents examples of shop floor steps that have provided manufacturing benefits, some of which required little in the way of expense. Some may apply to your operation.

One cost factor highlighted in the feature is the utility bill. The problem with this bill is that it generally does not fall under any one department’s turf as it covers the entire location. The utility bill comes in each month, it has a bottom line and it has to be paid. Only, that bill may offer potential for savings if you know how to look at it.

The feature also includes a check list of possible ideas to consider. The list had to be edited for space, but one suggestion, from Patricio Murga, Director of Technology & Development for Mexico’s Viakable, deserved to be presented here in full because it was both simple and effective: “We have a program called ‘Treasure Hunters.’ Periodically, we stop the plant (normally on the first shift of the week, at 6 am on Monday), and with all the machinery down, a group of trained colleagues walk through the plant, listening for areas of opportunity: air leaks, motors running, etc.

A list of those areas of opportunity (‘treasures’) is made and staff is assigned to correct those issues. We have saved around US$300,000 per year by this program.”

Whatever your motivation, finding cost-effective ways that benefit a company is a potentially long-term “green” embrace that, unlike mine, you won’t regret years later.

Mark Marselli Editor-in-chief

Publisher | Steven J. Fetteroll Editor-in-Chief | Mark Marselli Senior Graphic Designer | Bill Branch Director of Sales | Robert Xeller Advertising Sales | Anna Bzowski Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications | Janice E. Swindells Graphic Artist | Adrienne E. Simpson Proofreader | Livia Jacobs Publications Advisory Board Dane G. Armendariz | Henkel Corporation Ferruccio Bellina | TKT Group/President ACIMAF, Italy Peter A. Funk | Talley Metals Technology, USA Malcom Michael | AWIA Australia Don Schollin | Q-S Technologies, USA Ralph Skalleberg | Skaltek USA Dave Stackpole | Nutmeg Wire, USA Giulio Properzi | Continuus Properzi, Italy Robert Wild | Niehoff Endex North America, USA Technical Advisors John Drummond | Scotia Group R. M. Shemenski | RMS Consulting, Inc.

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL (ISSN-0277-4275) published monthly by The Wire Journal, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wire Association International, Inc., which is located at 1570 Boston Post Road, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA, and can be contacted at tel.

203-453-2777; fax 203-453-8384; Internet wirenet.org; e-mail mmarselli@wirenet.org. Address all correspondence concerning advertising production, editorial and circulation to the above address. WJI is printed in USA. Subscription rates: $110 per year, USA; $120 per year, Canada and Mexico; other countries, $140 per year (includes air mail). Back copies: $10 WAI members, $15 non-members. Periodicals postage paid at Guilford, CT 06437, USA, and at additional offices.

Wire Journal International grants photocopy permission to libraries and others registered with Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, USA, for a fee of $0.50 per article. Payments should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders or reprints should be sent to the Wire Journal International, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA. © 2011 by Wire Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Publisher of WJI assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein. Back issues of WJI are on microfilm and available from University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Phone: 313761-4700.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wire Journal International, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA.

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR Sept. 13-15, 2011: wire Southeast ASIA Bangkok, Thailand. To be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Sept. 19-21, 2011: Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Expo Nashville, Tennessee, USA. To be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Contact: Electrical Manufacturing Coil Winding Association (EMCWA), tel.

619-435-3629, www.emcwa.org.

Oct. 4-6, 2011: MetalTech 2011 São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Centro de Exposicoes Imigrantes. Contact: Cipa LTDA. Correia de Lemos, tel.

55-11-55854357, fax 55-11-55854359.

Nov. 6-9, 2011: 60th IWCS Conference™ Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. To be held at the Charlotte Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 732-389-0990, www.iwcs.org, phudak@iwcs.org.

Nov. 7-8, 2011: CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Center Düsseldorf, this technical conference is being co-organized by ACIMAF, CET, IWCEA, IWMA and WAI. See www.cabwire-duesseldorf.com.

March 26-30, 2012: wire Düsseldorf 2012 Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Messe fair-

grounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, erowe@mdna.com, tel. 312-781-5180.

May 9-10, 2012: 2012 National Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. To be held at the Frontier Airlines Center. Contact Expo Productions, Inc., tel. 800367-5520, www.expoproductionsinc.com/wire_home.htm May 21-23, 2012: Wire Expo 2012 Dallas, Texas, USA. WAI will hold this event at the Omni Dallas Hotel, which will include its 82nd Annual Convention and trade show, for the first time in Dallas, www.wirenet.org.

Sept. 25-28, 2012: wire China 2012 Shanghai, China. To be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Oct. 29-31, 2012: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

May 2-5, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center for the trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 83rd Annual Convention. www.wirenet.org. ■

W IRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL E VENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org.

Aug. 3, 2011: Ohio Valley Chapter 9th Annual Golf Tournament Solon, Ohio, USA. This event will take place at the Grantwood Golf Course.

Oct. 24, 2011: Western Chapter 11th Annual “Wild West Shootout” Golf Outing Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA. This event will be held at the Los Verdes Golf Course.

Sept. 12, 2011: New England Chapter 17th Annual Golf Tournament Ellington, Connecticut, USA. This event will take place at a new location, the Ellington Ridge Country Club.

Nov. 7-8, 2011: CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. See main listing

Oct. 13, 2011: Southeast Chapter 10th Annual Golf Tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. This event, which will take place at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa, will also be a scholarship fundraiser for Eric Vannais, the son of the late Stephen Vannais, the former chapter president.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

May 21-23, 2012: Wire Expo 2012 Dallas, Texas, USA. See main listing.

May 2-5, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See main listing.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Groundbreaking held for LS Cable/ Superior Essex power cable plant LS Cable & System President Jong-Ho Son, who has said that his goal is for the South Korean-based business to become the world’s biggest cablemaker by 2015 through overseas expansion, was among those present at the May 26 ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction of a new power cable manufacturing facility in Tarboro, North Carolina.

“We will strive to become a major player in the North American power cable market by combining LS Cable & System’s competencies in power technologies with Superior Essex’s strong market expertise,” President Jong-Ho Son said at the ceremony. “The From l-r, Superior Essex President local economy of Stephen Carter, LS Cable & System Tarboro, North President Jong-Ho Son and Carolina, should Superior Essex Executive Vice also benefit greatly President Justin Deedy, Jr. at the from our investMay 26 groundbreaking ceremony. ment here,” he told the some 200 event attendees, which included local and state officials and employees.

The $60 million production facility will have 24,000 sq m (250,000 sq ft) of floor space and is scheduled to be completed next year, a press release said. Production of low- and medium-voltage power cables will also begin in 2012, and LS Cable & System and Superior Essex plan to offer high-voltage cables and other transmission products and services in the future, it said.

The expansion represents another significant step forward for LS Cable’s ambitious growth plans. “Through construction of this plant, LS Cable & System aims to establish a local power cable operations base in the North American market,” the release said. “In addition, Superior Essex will be expanding its product portfolio beyond its current winding wire and communications cable product lines.”

In previous articles, Son has said that he expects to see revenues for LS Cable & System jump 30% this year, bolstered by demand in overseas markets, including China, as well as in the U.S. He has projected strong demand for replacement of old power cables in the U.S., also that China and India will continue to need more

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

energy as more cities urbanize, and that demand for undersea cables will rise as Japan’s nuclear woes prompt more investment in renewable energy, especially wind power.

Many articles cited comments from Kim Ji San, a Kiwoom analyst, as saying the foreign investments make a lot of sense. “Since it’s hard to expect fast growth in the Korean market, LS Cable needs to seek growth in foreign markets. The company is going in the right direction by expanding into faster-growing markets.”

WireCo has agreement to acquire major wire producer in Poland U.S.-based WireCo WorldGroup Inc. (WireCo), a global supplier of specialty wire ropes, continued its expansion mode with an announcement that it has agreed to buy Drumet Liny i Druty Sp.z o.o. (Drumet) from Penta Investments Limited (Penta), a Central European investment group, for an undisclosed sum.

“The acquisition of Drumet accelerates our expansion into the Eastern European market, substantially expands our global wire production capabilities and provides excellent synergies in operations and in the international marketplace,” WireCo CEO Ira Glazer said in a press release. In it, he noted that Drumet has more than 120,000 tons of steel wire capacity that will further WireCo’s ability to grow its global business. He added that the plan is to maintain Drumet’s manufacturing operations, and that one goal is to expand the utilization rates of the company’s production facilities in Włocławek, in the north central section of Poland. The company’s origins can be traced back to 1895. “Except for a brief interruption during WWII, Drumet has been in continual operation since its inception. Product lines have grown to include steel wire ropes, staple bands, non-rotating ropes and cut wire shot,” it said.

Glazer said in the release that the Penta management group did “outstanding work” in maintaining the 700 jobs in Włocławek. “Consistent with all of our previous acquisitions we expect that this group will become an important part of the WireCo family.”

WireCo., the release noted, has enhanced its global market position in wire rope and synthetic ropes in part through the successful acquisitions of Oliveira in 2010, Phillystran in 2009, CASAR in 2007 and Aceros Camesa in 2005. It also entered into a joint venture with Wuhan Iron and Steel to build at modern wire rope manufacturing facility in China, which started production in 2009.

In 2009, Penta paid about US$43.7 million for Drumet, which had been involved in bankruptcy proceedings. At that time, Penta reported that it would continue Drumet’s current lines while expanding to include more processed products as part of its efforts to restore Drumet to a profitable company.

Nexans announced that it will supply specially designed power cables to NG² for its PLUG shore side power system, which makes medium-voltage power connections between shore and ship a pushbutton operation.

A press release said that Nexans’ Buflex PLUG cable will be used in NG²’s prototype project between the Port of Oslo, Norway’s largest cargo port, and Color Line A/S, to power its M/V Color Magic RoPax ferry while berthed at port. The ferry, it said, travels between the Port of Oslo and the Port of Kiel in Germany. Nexans will supply three cables, each one with a conductor cross-section of 150 mm².

The cable that will provide power generation during loading and unloading (PLUG), “promises to automate the connection processes between vessels and onshore power supplies as they switch from using generators (usually powered by diesel), to using quayside power to run necessary ship systems,” the release said. The PLUG system will enable this “cold-ironing” connection, which will dramatically reduce CO² emissions and noise while the vessel is berthed, to be made in around a minute by pressing a button, it said.

Per Nexans, the Buflex PLUG 6/10 (12) kV cable shares similar characteristics to those of a usual reeling cable used in materials handling applications, and is both strong and flexible.

This is important in shipto-shore power cables because of the way that the cable connects from the ship to the port. In NG²’s system the cable is lifted upwards, from a portside casing and is connected to the vessel it will power. In particular, the cable needs to be strong to resist the high tensile loads imposed by lifting the dead weight. exans ill provide the po er Cable flexibility is also cabling or berthed erries. vital because of the Photo courtesy o . amount of movement it

A global trend in Diamond Wire Dies continues and at Sanxin, it literally sparkles For some years, Sanxin has been the clear Price/Performance leader in PCD and ND dies – superb quality at surprisingly low prices. Now Sanxin’s new Nano Dies have re-written the Price/Performance rule book in many places, including various compacting, wire drawing and tube drawing applications.

Our Nano Die technology has practically doubled the diameter range for diamond dies. Visit us at Booth 2120 at Interwire 2011 in Atlanta, and we can tell you the whole story.

You’re also invited to sit in on our Nano Die presentation we will make at the Interwire Technical Symposium on Tuesday, May 3, 10:30 am to 11:00 am.

And you’re always welcome to drop by the Sanxin website.

www.sanxinamerica.com e-mail: admin@sanxinamerica.com SANXIN Wire Die, Inc. 2025 Woodbrook Court, Charlottesville, VA 22901 United States of America Tel: +1 434-906-2340 Fax: +1 434-220-047

Keeping you ahead of the curve JULY 2011 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

Nexans to provide power cables to NG² for a more efficient ferry berth

INDUSTRY NEWS

has to deal with between the ship and quay, caused by the vessel’s movement on the water. The full system requires around 150 m of cable. The cable is flame retardant in accordance IEC 60332-1 industry standard. Furthermore, in the case of Port of Oslo and Color Line A/S, their cable also has to be able to cope with severely cold temperatures due to the arctic weather conditions experienced by the region.

Delphi Automotive opens wiring harness assembly plant in Romania Delphi Automotive is opening a new manufacturing facility at Moldova Noua, in the southwest region of Romania, that could potentially employ as many as 1,000 people by the end of the year.

A press release said that the site, which will produce wiring harness modules for vehicle manufacturers across Europe, will work closely with other Delphi facilities in the country to ensure efficiency and flexibility for its customers. The first development phase saw the opening of a 1,400 sq m section in the factory on April 4, it said.

“This new plant will allow us to build on the expertise and capital investment we’ve made at our other plants in Romania in order to support our customers’ increasing production volumes,” Gerhard Mertes, global sales director, Delphi Electrical/Electronic Architecture said in the release. In it, the company explained that electrical/electronic distribution systems are comprised of many different modules, each with a specification that is dependent on the content of the vehicle and the options chosen by the consumer. Those modules, it noted, are increasingly complex, often with built-in control electronics.

“At Moldova Noua, we will focus on manufacturing a range of these customized modules, removing complexity from our other manufacturing operations and allowing for better overall efficiency,“ said Cristian Gulicska, regional director, Delphi Electrical/Electronic Distribution Systems, Romania East. He said that the manufacturing team is now validating processes of its available space and gaining valuable production experience that will help when an additional 2,400 sq meters of the facility is opened later this year.

Delphi currently operates three plants in Romania (Sannicolau Mare, Moldova Noua and Ineu), employing more than 10,000 people at facilities that manufacture wiring harnesses and components for high-precision diesel common rail systems, the release said.

Prysmian subsidiary wins power cable contract for Turkmenistan gas field Prysmian Cables & Systems announced that its Turkish subsidiary has secured a major multi-million-dollar contract for power cables with Petrofac, an international oil and gas facilities service provider.

A press release said tha the company will provide power cables for the development of the South (Gunorta) Yoloten 12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

gas field in Turkmenistan, which it noted is one of the world’s largest.

Prysmian will provide medium- and low-voltage cables for powering all circuits of the processing plant which, once comPrysmian will su ly ower pleted, will produce 10 cables for the develo ment of billion cubic meters of a gas field in Turkmenistan. gas per year, it said. The project, it noted will take two years, and the gas that is produced will be routed through TAPI (Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India) pipeline to fuel the fast-growing economy of India.

The cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s Mudanya plant, in the Turkish province of Bursa, which the release said is becoming a specialized hub in the production of oil and gas industry cables, although it has also expanded its range to include instrumentation and control cables.

Other projects in which Prysmian has been recently involved, the release said, include “some of the most important, strategic and technologically advanced developments in the industry, such as the Kashagan Oil Field in Kazakhstan, the Seadrill, Petrorig and Hull offshore drilling rigs for Jurong Shipyards and Keppel Fels in Singapore, and the Shell Nanhai petrochemicals complex, in China’s Guangdong Province.”

U.K. company sells marine cabling division, to focus on energy cables U.K.-based JDR Cable Systems, which manufactures subsea power cables and umbilical systems for the offshore oil, gas and renewables industries at its Hartlepool facility, has sold a division specializing in cabling for oceanographic surveys to Fugro NV for an undisclosed sum.

JDR Marine Cables designs and produces special marine cables for oil and gas (subsea lead-in cables, array cables, control cables), geophysical (airgun umbilicals, lead-ins) and defense (towed arrays) market segments. The facility is based close to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and the division has around 110 employees. Annual revenues were reported to be about 25 million euros.

Fugro NV, a global service provider for the collection and interpretation of data relating to the earth’s surface and sub-surface and for associated services and advice in support of infrastructure development on land, along the coast and on the seabed, reported that the division will be renamed De Regt Marine Cables. It said that it will operate as an independent unit and that the goal is “to further develop its current range of products and services.”

The JDR Cable Systems divestiture was made so the company could concentrate on its core energy markets.

“JDR intends to develop this business, which operates from sites in Littleport, Hartlepool, Houston, Norway and

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Thailand, to further to exploit significant growth opportunities,” it said. The company noted that it has seen good results at its Hartlepool facility, which it opened in 2009, and last year announced plans to expand its base at the Hartlepool dock from 100,000 sq ft to 216,000 sq ft, with employment expected to double there to 150 by 2012. It cited significant contracts that include work on projects that include the world’s biggest wind farm, the London Array, in the Thames estuary; the Wave Hub project, which in effect is “a massive electrical socket” on the seabed off the coast of Cornwall to test tidal power projects; an armored 25 km subsea cable that connects Wave Hub to the National Grid and the hub structure that sits on the seabed; and two oil and gas projects in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

Germany’s Gustav Wolf plans to build steel-wire factory in Hungary Germany’s Gustav Wolf, a steel wire manufacturer, plans to build a wire factory at the industrial park in the city of Miskolc that will produce steel strand used in the manufacturing of auto tires.

Per a report in ceeindustrial.com, the company expects to launch at the 2,000-sq-m factory in 2012 or 2013. The company, it said, will initially employ 50 workers. It added that the company will be the third wire maker located in Miskolc, joining Fux, a Hungarian company, and D&D, which is majority-owned by the Czech Trinecke Zelezarny.

Coleman Cable reports completion of acquisitions of 2 cable companies U.S.-based Coleman Cable, Inc., announced that it has completed the acquisition of the assets of First Capitol Wire & Cable and Continental Wire & Cable for a total purchase price of $7.15 million.

A press release described First Capitol and Continental as leading manufacturers of industrial wire and cable products used across a number of commercial, utility and industrial end-markets. Both companies have a longestablished history of providing customers with highquality custom wire and cable products, including First Capitol’s design and production of a broad line of hightemperature wire and cable products used in OEM applications, as well as within a number of applications for the energy, commercial and industrial end markets, it said.

“These two acquisitions represent a great opportunity for Coleman to expand its current product offering and build on our growing reputation for producing a wide assortment of high-quality industrial cables,” said Coleman President and CEO Gary Yetman. “Further, they allow us to immediately expand our capabilities, product offerings and capacity in serving the growing needs of our industrial end-market customers which continue to be a significant component of our overall platform.”

First Capitol and Continental, both based in York, 14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Pennsylvania, were privately-held entities under common ownership prior to the acquisition of their assets by Coleman Cable, the release said. It added that the two companies had combined sales in excess of $10 million for 2010.

Loos & Company creates medical technologies division at its plant U.S.-based Loos & Company, Inc., announced the creation of its Medical Technologies Division, a specially designed production area at the company’s plant in Pomfret, Connecticut, USA, that will focus solely on the manufacture of medical grade wire, cable and assembly products.

A press release said that Loos & Company “expanded its operations into this highly critical market to meet the growing demand for wire and cable solutions in today’s advanced medical and life sciences industry.” The new division, which is separated from the company’s current manufacturing floor, includes wiredrawing and cable stranding equipment as well as a dedicated stress-relieving line. “To meet the strict cleanliness requirements of the medical industry, additional cleaning processes have been included into manufacturing procedures,” it said.

Products will include a variety of stainless steel and high nickel alloys including 304V, 316L, 17-4PH, and Hastelloy®, with other premium alloys available upon request. Round, flat and shaped wire will be available in sizes ranging from .0025 in. to .156 in. Cable can be stranded from any available alloy with as few as two to as many as 133 wires, and in sizes ranging from .008 in. to .094 in.

Huber+Suhner orders 3 electron beam accelerators from IBA Switzerland’s Huber+Suhner (H+S) has ordered three Dynamitron® electron beam accelerators from IBA Industrial, a global supplier of high-power electron accelerators supporting a wide range of industrial applications that include wire and cable.

A press release said that H+S plans to install two Dynamitrons in its facility in China and one in Switzerland. The systems, it said, will mainly be used for the production of cross-linked RADOX® cables for the fast growing photovoltaic and railway markets.

“Photovoltaic cables require very long service life and must resist harsh environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures and UV radiation,” said Patrick Riederer, COO of H+S’s Low Frequency Division. He noted that offering cross-linked cables for the railway market is important as the cables are exposed to high mechanical stress and have to fulfill strict safety requirements. The RADOX cables, he added, are also used for automotive and other industrial applications, where cables have to fulfill similar requirements.

The release said that more than 250 IBA Industrial

Nexans wins Brazilian contract for record power transmission link Nexans reports that it has won a 20 million euro contract to supply overhead conductors for the world’s longest power transmission link.

A press release said the company’s overhead conductors will be used to construct the first transmission line for the Madeira River Power Interconnection (MRPI) project, which consists of a 2,375 km HVDC link between the new Rondônia hydroelectric plant and the city of São Paulo, across five Brazilian states and 86 towns and cities.

The new High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link, the first of two, will transmit 3,150 MW of power produced by the Rondônia hydroelectric plant in northwest Brazil to São Paulo, Brazil’s main economic center, over a distance of 2,375 km, it said. It noted that HVDC transmission at 600kV is being used to minimize transmission losses over the long distance, and that the link will eventually include two parallel overhead lines. Nexans, it said, has been selected to provide the conductors for the first

circuit by IE Madeira, a consortium comprising the utilities Furnas, Chesf and CTEEP. The release described the MRPI as a bipole circuit, with each pole comprising four overhead conductors. Nexans will supply some 6,700 km, equivalent to about 21,120 metric tons, of its special All-Aluminum Conductor (AAC) for the project, it said. It noted that each conductor features 91 bare wires, with a diameter of 44.4 mm. A bespoke cross-section has been developed specifically for the MRPI project to provide the desired electrical and mechanical properties (breaking stress, elongation, linear thermal expansion coefficient for example) by taking into account the line’s construction conditions, such as topography and climate, it said, adding that the typical span between the towers will be 500 meters.

The cable is being manufactured at three Nexans plants in Brazil, two in São Paulo State (Americana and Lorena) and one in Rio de Janeiro State. The first transmission line is scheduled for installation in the last quarter of 2011, while the entire project should come on line by 2013. Per Nexans, the current record for an operational HVDC project is also in Brazil, the 900 km line from Itaipu Dam to Ibiuna in São Paulo State. The overall world record is for the 1,700 km AC (alternating current) line between Inga and Saba in Zaire.

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JULY 2011 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

accelerators are used in the world today, some for more than 50 years. The H+S product lines include coaxial, fiber optic and copper cables, cable systems, connectors, antennas and lightning protection components.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Goodyear Tire & Rubber to sell 2 wire plants to South Korean corporation The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company reports that it has agreed to sell its global wire business to South Korea’s Hyosung Corporation for $50 million.

The wire business includes two plants—one in Asheboro, North Carolina, and the other in ColmarBerg, Luxembourg—that employ about 600 people who produce wire used in making tires.

In related news, the company also announced that it also plans to enter into a multi-year deal with Hysoung that calls for it to supply Goodyear with steel wire. It noted that Hyosung, headquartered in Seoul, has produced tire reinforcements since 1968. It has tire reinforcement operations in South Korea as well as in Brazil, China, Luxembourg, Vietnam and the United States.

Hyosung expects the deal to boost its share of the $5.5 trillion global steel cord market from 7% to over 10%.

SMS Meer delivers 2 casting and rolling systems to Chinese producers SMS Meer reports that it has delivered two Contirod® casting and rolling lines to China.

A press release said that one of the orders came from from Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., from Guixi City in the Jiangxi Province. With the new wire rod mill, Jiangxi Copper will be able to double its annual capacity from 400,000 metric tons to 800,000 metric tons, it said. It noted that the Contirod line, which is designed for an output of 60 t per hour, features a newly designed gas control system for the SMS Meer shaft furnace for copper cathode melting and a modular Hazelett twin-belt caster for a casting cross-section of 123 mm x 70 mm. The line, it said, also includes a highly flexible 14-stand rolling mill with variable-frequency AC drives and integrated coil compacting and foil packing equipment.

The second order, the release said, came from Shandong Xiangrui Copper Co. Ltd., Jinan, which aims to produce annually 320,000 t of quality copper wire rod from copper cathodes on the new line. This Contirod line is designed for a production rate of 48 t per hour.

Commissioning of both plants is scheduled for May 2012.

U.S. fluoropolymer supplies are tight, but will (should) material prices rise?

It’s not a pleasant topic for the high-performance cable sector, but the U.S. market for fluoropolymers, which some thought had already been getting tighter late last year, has gotten that much tighter in 2011 because of disasters in the U.S. and Japan. Rumors of allotments have already circulated.

At the website of Daikin America, a subsidiary of Japan’s Daikin Industries Ltd., which it notes that is one of the world’s largest fluoropolymer suppliers, the compa16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

ny reports that, “the record-breaking series of tornadoes that ripped through the Southeast U.S. on April 27 have caused widespread damage in the area around our Decatur plant, impacting the people’s lives and our business.” It noted that the company suffered a widespread power outage at its location in Alabama, and while the good news is that there were no injuries, four employee homes were lost and the plant lost all power, save for emergency generators, it said. Power was fully restored to the plant on May 6, and production gradually ramped back up, but the company warned that it would take several months for production to get closer to normal.

Daikin America supplies PTFE, FEP, ETFE and Unidyne.

The U.S. problems adds to more serious problems of the Japanese operations of Daikin Industries Ltd. from the earthquake and tsunami in March that not only caused major damage and loss of life, but has reduced power availability.

The above conditions have resulted in uncertainty in the supply chain, and as noted above, it’s not a topic that companies that use fluoropolymers want to talk about.

However, a related aspect was discussed in the June Hot ire newsletter, where the author, IEWC Marketing Manager Brian Hirt, an economist, discussed what happens to pricing when there are material shortages. Below is a portion of his column.

“Consider the rapid increases in the price of Teflon insulation materials over the course of this year. The supply of Teflon has fallen due to a number of supply constraints, many tied to the earthquake in Japan. With less supply, are the remaining Teflon manufacturers simply price gouging to take advantage of the situation? In fact, these manufacturers are preserving the market for Teflon when they raise prices against a shrinking supply.

Imagine what would happen if – out of the goodness of their hearts – Teflon manufacturers held prices level this year. With a lower supply base but the same price, consumers of Teflon would continue to buy as much as they did before the shortage and the available supply would soon be depleted, leaving those who need it most without.

With each transaction in the economy, the trading parties get wealthier. If Boeing buys wire with copper at $4.05, when they value the copper at, say, $12, the trade makes them $7.95 richer. Think about any of the goods or services you buy each week. If you buy a loaf of bread for $3, you certainly value the bread at more than $3. Perhaps the bread is worth $5 to you. When you buy the loaf then, you pay $3 and get $5 in value, netting $2. The baker also gains in wealth, raking in $3 for the loaf that cost her, perhaps, $2 to bake. Sum up the gains from this trade, and you’ll see that the swap of a single loaf of bread made the economy $3 richer ($1 for the baker and $2 for the consumer). This is not magic or a pyramid scheme, but simply the allocation of scarce resources based on whoever values them the most. This is exactly how we create wealth in the economy and why most generations in the course of history end up wealthier than their par-

JULY 2011 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

ents. So even though copper, Teflon, gas and hundreds of other commodities are more expensive than they were last year, any rational decision to buy these goods still generates wealth. It just, of course, doesn’t net you as much wealth as it did before.”

The full report can be found at www.iewc.com. To sign up for the free newsletter, send an e-mail to Hirt at bhirt@iewc.com.

Nigeria seeks to stop flow of substandard imports to country The new Director-General of the Standards Organisations of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, released a five-point agenda with focus on the eradication of fake and substandard products from the Nigerian market, an initiative that includes cables.

Allafrica.com reports that Odumodu has warned importers and dealers of substandard and fake products, “to remove them from Nigerian markets or face the full wrath of the law.” Those products include substandard electricity cables which have resulted in fires, it said.

One big challenge in Nigeria is that the country has a high level of illiteracy and poverty, the article said. “To the illiterate, there is no difference between substandard and genuine products. And in this area, SON has over the years failed in educating the masses about the dangers in patronizing fake products. The problem of enlightenment is further complicated by the absence of effective consumer advocacy groups. .... There is also the problem of poverty which has made substandard products very attractive and affordable alternative to the expensive and genuine ones. There is also the issue of SON officials who usually look the other way after receiving some gratification from the dubious merchants.”

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The Communications Cable and Connectivity Association (CCCA) reports that it has two new members: Panduit and comCables. Panduit provides cable-related solutions that help customers optimize their physical infrastructure. “Panduit has been impressed with

CCCA’s initiatives and activity to stem the importation of potentially hazardous, noncompliant cables into North America,” said Panduit Product Manager Tom Kelly. comCables is a Denver-based structured cabling manufacturer and low-voltage systems distributor. “We believe that CCCA’s

INDUSTRY NEWS

work to preserve the codes and standards of the structured cabling industry is vital to our industry’s future growth and success,” said comCables CEO Greg Greenwood. …

The Madem Group reports that a customer satisfaction survey it conducted in the first quarter with 153 wire and cable manufacturing customers in 39 countries (86

responded) showed that 98.48% scored its performance as either good or very good. The categories included claim response, quantities shipped/ received, documentation, deliveries, quality inspections, performance, and packing.

“We are very proud of our product continuity, considering that we have manufacturing plants worldwide Features: supplying products to almost 40 • Improved Bow Strength countries, each with their own spe(No Holes) cial requirements. “We are also • Wire is Out of the Air pleased with the results of the surStream vey, and will continue to work • Bow Shaped like a Wing towards 100% customer satisfaction for Improved for all our global customers,” said Aerodynamics and Low Leandro Mazzoccato, corporate Cw Factor director of sales and marketing. …

• Wear Strip eliminated and U.S.-based Fort Wayne Wire Die, replaced by Wear Inc. (FWWD) and its European Bushings with Windows for sales office, Fortek GmbH, have easy Inspection and Dust announced the addition of a new Cleaning Swiss-based independent agency, • Wear Bushings can be Cabletec S.A., to its global sales Changed while Bow is force, expanding its personal-service Mounted on the Rotor reach into Switzerland, France, Advantages: Belgium, Algeria, Morocco and • Lower Power (AMPS) Tunisia. Cabeltec, it said, has a 34Consumption and year history of selling a wide range Reduced Noise of manufacturing and processing • Higher TPM - Maintaining machinery into the wire and cable Wire Quality industry, including equipment by • Reduced Elongation @ Sictra, Mobac, Nova, CWA, GMM, higher TPM Kabelmat and more. Cabeltec Sales • Reduced Bow Breakage Engineer David Baumann can be • Increased Life on Wear contacted at tel. 41-21-803-09-51, Surfaces Reducing and by e-mail at david.baumann@ Downtimes and cabeltec.com. … General Cable Maintenance Corporation reports that it has once • Wire Breaks are again been honored by the IMARK Contained Within The Bow Group as a Platinum Supplier. The - Extending Bow Life industry award recognizes suppliers who are fully engaged with IMARK Group and its member companies.

KEIR Manufacturing, Inc. General Cable Vice President of Phone +1.828.885.8444 Sales, Electrical Distribution Tom Phone USA 800.992.2404 Bisson said that the company is Fax +1.828.884.7494 proud to have achieved Platinum E-mail: Sales@KEIRmfg.com Supplier status since 2002. ■ Website: www.BackBoneBows.com

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ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS BP report: China is now the world’s largest user of energy Add one more category for which China is now the world leader: energy consumption. Figures from the 60th annual BP Statistical Review of World Energy show that during 2010, China overtook the U.S. as the world’s largest user of energy, accounting for 20.3% compared to the U.S., which came in at about 19%.

A press release noted that the year 2010 was memorable for the way demand for energy rebounded “at a rate not seen since the aftermath of the 1973 oil price shocks.”

It cited the following highlights. Consumption growth accelerated in 2010 for all regions, and growth was above average in all regions. Chinese energy consumption grew by 11.2%, and China surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest energy consumer. Oil remains the world’s leading fuel, at 33.6% of global energy consumption, but it continued to lose market share for the 11th consecutive year.

The report said that demand for all forms of energy grew strongly in 2010 and increases in fossil fuel consumption suggest that global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy use rose at their fastest rate since 1969.

The growth, it said, “was broad-based, with both mature OECD economies and non-OECD countries growing at above-average rates.”

“There were both structural and cyclical factors at work,” said BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley. “The cyclical factor is reflected in the fact that industrial production rebounded very sharply as the world recovered from the global downturn. Structurally, the increase reflects the continuing rapid economic growth in the developing world.”

Dudley said that China’s interests go beyond growth.

“They want to maintain social cohesion and they want to make their growth more sustainable. In sum, they are worried about energy security and climate change, just as we are.” Based on those concerns, the country’s leaders are focusing on the markets, policy tools, technology advances and the growth of renewable energies, he said.

“This year, we have seen that the global energy markets are resilient,” Dudley said. “In the face of significant disruptions to the world’s energy system in Japan and Libya, demand continues to be satisfied. Markets work and markets work best when they are open and transparent.”

The strong rebound of global energy consumption in 2010 followed the recent global recession, the release said. Consumption growth, it said, reached 5.6%, the highest rate since 1973. It increased strongly for all forms of energy and in all regions, and total consumption of energy in 2010 easily surpassed the pre-recession peak reached in 2008, it said.

“By year-end, economic activity for the world as a whole exceeded pre-crisis levels driven by the socalled developing world,” Christof he orld s largest consumer o Rühl, BP’s group energy, a key to continued gro th, chief economist, is no China, according to an said in the release. annual report rom P. Globally, energy consumption grew more rapidly than the economy, meaning that the energy intensity of economic activity increased for a second consecutive year, the release said. The data imply that global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption will also have grown strongly last year, it said.

“Energy intensity, the amount of energy used for one unit of GDP, grew at the fastest rate since 1970. And so, when all the accounting is done...we all consumed more energy in 2010 than ever before,” Rühl said.

Report highlights include the following. Demand in OECD countries grew by 3.5%, the strongest growth rate since 1984, although the level of OECD consumption remains roughly in line with that seen 10 years ago. NonOECD consumption grew by 7.5% and was 63% above the 2000 level. Global oil consumption grew by 2.7 million barrels per day (Mbpd), or 3.1%, the strongest growth since 2004. “The growth rate was more than twice the ten-year average; it featured the first increase in OECD oil consumption since 2005 and the largest volumetric increase outside the OECD ever,” Rühl said.

China contributed the largest national increment; its consumption rose by 860,000 bpd or 10.4%. The U.S., Russia, and Brazil also recorded large increments.”

Like all other fuels, coal consumption growth was above average in 2010, rising by 7.6% (250 million tonnes of oil equivalent, mtoe). The shift toward nonOECD consumption continued, with China and India increasing coal use by 10.1% (157 mtoe) and 10.8% (27 mtoe). OECD coal consumption also rose by 5.2% (54.1 mtoe), the fastest rate in 31 years, it said. Among all the fossil fuels, coal consumption grew the fastest, and China saw its share of global coal consumption top 48%, it said.

For the first time this year the review included data on renewables other than hydroelectricity. Biofuels production grew by 13.8%, or about 240,00 bpd, largely in the US and Brazil. Renewables in power generation—including wind, solar, geothermal energy and commercial biomass—grew by 15.5%, with OECD countries accounting for most of the growth, though China’s output from

Have news that belongs here? If so, e-mail it to editorial@wirenet.org.

22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ASIAN FOCUS

renewables grew by 75% and accounted for the secondlargest increment after the U.S. Combined, these sources met 1.8% of the world’s energy needs, a market share which has tripled in the past decade.

ASIAN NEWS BRIEFS LS Cable to expand plant in India South Korea’s LS Cable & System announced that it will add a power cable production line to its existing plant in India to further its goal to become the largest cable manufacturer in the country, reports orea imes.

The $36 million project will be added to LS Cable’s communications cable plant in Gurgaon, Haryana, the report said. The firm expects the expansion to be completed this year, with production to commence in 2012. LS Cable aims to become the largest cable manufacturer in India by 2015, generating sales of $136 million from the power cable business alone, it said.

“With power business localization, LS Cable & System will secure a foundation for entry into both advanced and emerging power markets,” LS Cable President and CEO Jong-Ho Son said in a statement. “Starting from this investment, the company will accelerate its march towards becoming the Global No. 1 by 2015.”

Jong-Ho Son, who has said in interviews that his goal is for LS Cable & System to be the world’s largest cable company by 2015, also participated in a recent groundbreaking ceremony for a new power cable plant in Tarboro, North Carolina. see p. 10.

India has huge need for optical fiber India’s telecom industry may be quite busy over the next three years as the country’s Dept. of Telecommunications seeks to target 160 million broadband subscribers in the country.

Per wire reports, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already submitted recommendations to achieve 160 million broadband subscribers, and the ministry of communications has received plans from the Dept. of Telecommunications to implement the project to deploy nationwide fiber optic cable network to facilitate the high-speed broadband connectivity.

The reports estimated that some 500,000 km of fiber optic cables may be needed in the next three years in India for the project, the total cost of which would be approximately US$ 4.5 billion. Broadband was described as the key to growth for the next generation, and high-speed broadband will provide more opportunities to the growing Indian economy, the reports said. ■

JULY 2011 | 23

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Wafios Machinery Corporation (WMC) announced that two executive positions have been filled. David E. Purcell, the new company president, most recently was national sales manager for Austria-based Wittmann Battenfeld, the oldest European manufacturer of injection molding solutions in the U.S. market. He holds an MBA degree in finance and management from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.S. degree in manufacturing engineering technology at Northern Illinois University.

Daniel L. Tetreault is the company’s vice president, technology. Most recently, he was technical sales director for Newcomb Spring Corporation. He had previously worked for Wafios, performing and evaluating the operations of machinery service and training for North David E. Purcell, president, l, America. He is a and Daniel L. etreault, vice graduate of the Bosch president, technology, o MC. Rexroth MotionLogic in Drive, Multiple Axis program as well as proficient in CAD design and tooling integration, and had completed a State of Connecticut apprentice program for

CNC Wire Forming/Toolmaker. Based in Branford, Connecticut, USA, Wafios Machinery Corporation is a business of Germany’s Wafios AG, a global supplier of wire and tube forming machinery.

Following the unexpected Dec. 18, 2010, death of Radix Wire Company President and CEO Charles “Chuck” VerMerris, the business has reported a series of personnel changes. MaryLou VerMerris, the wife of the late Mr. VerMerris, is the new company chairman.

Brian Bukovec was named company president. Since joining Radix Wire in 1976, he has held various roles of increasing responsibility, the most recent being corporate vice president and COO. Dave Leonard, who has been with the company since 1999, has been promoted to director of sales. He has more than 30 years of industrial, OEM and international sales experience, and has held a variety of positions at the company. Kevin Bryant has been promoted to manufacturing manager. He joined the Radix Wire Company in 2008 with 11 years of experience in manufacturing. Chris Birkas, who joined Radix in 2006, has been promoted to commercial market specialist.

He will oversee the commercial market activities and help develop new sales and market opportunities. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Radix Wire Co. is a global supplier of high-temperature, insulated wire and cable products.

People continued on p. 26.

NOTEWORTHY Sonoco sales rep hikes Himalayas Christine Lovett, an account manager for Sonoco Plastics, and her husband, Clay, achieved a long-time dream adventure in May when the couple hiked in Tibet, ending at the Everest Base Camp, a height of 17,500 ft, a trek she achieved despite battling altitude sickness.

“The only photo where I'm almost smiling is at the base camp, because I finally made it,” said Christine, who noted that she had trained aggressively for 14 months for the trek, but still found that the lack of oxygen at the high altitude resulted in difficulties with eating, tiredness and burning muscles. Despite this, she continued on with Clay, who was not as affected, and on May 24, 12 days after the couple had left for Kathmandu, Nepal, to join two guides and 10 other hikers to travel across Tibet, “the rooftop of the world,” they reached their destination. “The adventure, the view, and the wonderful local people made it the trip of a lifetime,” she declared.

Christine, who along with Clay has done spelunking and glacier climbing, said that as part of their preparation they were regulars at the gym. They did a lot of running, hiking with weighted packs, mixed martial arts, hot yoga and weight lifting. The hiking was still harder than the train-

24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Christine Lovett at the Everest ase Camp. ing, but she said that the view of Everest from the Base Camp and the camaraderie of the Sherpas and the hiking group made it an experience that they will never forget.

E H is an occasional section that ill highlight olks in the industry. no someone ho has done something special Send the details and a good photo JP , k to 2 M to editorial irenet.org.

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PEOPLE

RichardsApex, Inc., announced that R. Bruce Calvert has been named director of R&D and that Don Neville has been named managing director of RichardsApex Europe, one of the company’s subsidiaries.

Calvert, who has some 30 years of oil and chemicals experience, will . ruce Calvert be responsible for directing the development of new products and services. He has held a number of commercial and technical positions with Mobil Oil and Mobil Chemical. Most recently, Don eville he was business director, lubricants and oilfield chemicals and research director, industrial specialties, for Croda, Inc. Neville has more than 20 years of experience in the wiredrawing and extrusion cable machinery, from international sales and market development to the establishment of foreign profit centers. He worked for Nokia-Maillefer in the Far East (eight years), SAMP USA (six years), SAMP Far East (four years) and, most recently, Niehoff Endex North America (three years). He will relocate and work from the company’s office in the Doncaster section of the U.K. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Richards Apex, Inc., is a global supplier of specialty metalworking fluids.

S&E Specialty Polymers LLC has named Jay Munsey to the newly created position of national sales director. He previously worked for 23 years at AlphaGary Corporation, where he worked for 23 years in sales, marketing and customer service positions, most recently as its new

business coordinator. He will manage the company’s sales staff, including a network of representatives, and work to generate new business opportunities for the company as well as to increase S&E’s exposure in several different market sectors. Based in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, USA, S&E Specialty Polymers supplies specialty plastic compounds to a range of markets that include wire and cable.

Jay Munsey

Loos & Company reports that it has added two new product managers to its inside sales team: Amanda Sabourin and Eric Noiva. Sabourin graduated from the University of Connecticut’s School of Business with a degree in marketing and concentration in professional selling. She worked as a marketing coordinator in the publicamanda Sabourin tions department of UNFI. Noiva is a graduate of Champlain College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. He previously was in restaurant management. Based in Eric oiva Pomfret, Connecticut, USA, Loos & Company manufactures a wide variety of wire, aircraft cable and wire rope, much of which is used in aerospace, military, and commercial applications. ■

OBITUARIES Charles H. Morison, who worked in the wire and cable industry most of his life, died May 25 at his home in Pawtucket, Connecticut, USA, at age 79.

Morison graduated from Springfield College in 1954 with a B.S. degree, then served in the U.S. Army for two years, stationed in France. He was employed with Davis Standard, Sterling/Davis Electric, and for several years owned and operated his own small manufacturing business, Morison Enterprise, up until his retirement. A WAI Life Member, he also was a charter member of the New England Wire Club and a recipient of the Charles D. Scott Award for his achievements in the wire and cable industry. He is survived by his wife, Jane (Greenwood) Morison; and four children: Linda Haines, Janice Morison, Douglas Morison and Paul Morison; two sisters, Ellen Forss and Joan Hobson; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Don L. Shaw, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, USA, died on June 9, 2011, at age 80.

Shaw graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering. He was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and served in the Korean War. He later was employed as an engineer by Rem-Cru Titanium in Midland, Pennsylvania, and in 1957 he went to Metals and Controls (M&C) in Attleboro, Massachusetts. M&C was later bought by Texas Instruments, which he worked for until his retirement in 1990. He was a WAI Life Member.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lois Irene (Stevens) Shaw; four children: Rev. Gary L. Shaw, Steven D. Shaw, Colonel (ret) Donna L. Shaw and Susan J. (Shaw) Jenkins; a sister, Sarah Jean (Shaw) Luebbe; seven grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

New optical fiber offers ability to change color, longer wavelengths A team of scientists led by John Badding, a professor of chemistry at Penn State, has developed the first optical fiber made with a core of zinc selenide, a light-yellow compound that can be used as a semiconductor.

The new class of optical fiber, a press release said, allows for a more effective and liberal manipulation of light, and promises to open the door to more versatile laser-radar technology. It said that the technology could be applied to the development of improved surgical and medical lasers, better countermeasure lasers used by the military, and superior environment-sensing lasers such as those used to measure pollutants and to detect the dissemination of bioterrorist chemical agents.

“It has become almost a cliché to say that optical fibers are the cornerstone of the modern information age,” Badding said. “These long, thin fibers, which are three times as thick as a human hair, can transmit more than a terabyte, the equivalent of 250 DVDs, of information per second. Still, there always are ways to improve on existing technology.” He explained that optical-fiber technolo-

gy always has been limited by the use of a glass core.

“Glass has a haphazard arrangement of atoms. In contrast, a crystalline substance like zinc selenide is highly ordered. That order allows light to be transported over longer wavelengths, specifically those in the midinfrared.”

Unlike silica glass, which traditionally is used in optical fibers, zinc selenide is a compound semiconductor, Badding said. “We've known for a long time that zinc selenide is a useful compound, capable of manipulating light in ways that silica can’t,” Badding said. “The trick was to get this compound into a fiber structure, something that had never been done before.”

The researchers deposited zinc selenide wave-guiding cores inside of silica glass capillaries to form the new class of optical fibers, the release said. It noted that two advantages of the new fiber are that they are more efficient at converting light from one color to another as zinc selenide, using a process called nonlinear frequency conversion, is more capable of changing colors, and that the new class of fiber is more versate not just in the visible spectrum, but also in the infrared. Also, it said, the fibers can transmit wavelengths of up to 15 microns. ■

JULY 2011 | 27

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH

I can help WAI members look at operations today and see ahead to tomorrow.

Q: Why did you join WAI? A: To participate and be involved in the industry. To network and connect with colleagues, suppliers, and wire industry personnel.

Q: What are the three most valuable benefits you receive through WAI?

A: Industry news and trends; networking; and Association events.

Q: How did you get involved in the wire industry?

A: As a process/quality engineer in the early 1980s.

Q: What would you be doing if you hadn’t gotten involved in the wire industry?

A: I would probably be in a plastics-related manufacturing field.

Q: If you were to nominate yourself for an award what would it be for?

A: Persistence.

Bill Reichert V.P. Operations | Champlain Cable Corp.

Member Since: 1996

Q: What do your co-workers say about you?

A: My co-workers think I am tough, yet fair and consistent.

Q: What did your most valuable WAI contact help you do?

A: Become involved in a voluntary capacity on WAI’s Board of Directors. It’s a way I can give back to the industry.

Meet Bill Reichert.

One of WAI’s worldwide members.

One compelling story.

Bill is into high performance. His own. His plant’s.

He has the mind of an engineer, the heart of an entrepreneur, and just enough kid in him to still delight in his childhood memorabilia. Bill’s profile reveals key themes familiar to all distinguished personalities, namely:

Q: What can you help people learn more about?

A: Manufacturing; process improvement; and forward thinking on how to look at operations in today’s manufacturing environment.

Q: What is your lifelong ambition?

A: To own my own company.

Q: Where would you most like to visit?

A: Egypt.

Leadership | Hard work | Consistency | Performance | Balance | Forward thinking | Moving ahead | Giving back With a broad knowledge base, and a career built on hard work, this guy is headed for the apex. His livelihood is leading people. Achieving. Balancing.

Gradually narrowing his results as he moves toward the top. It’s no wonder Egypt’s pyramids appeal to him. But there’s nothing mysterious about his ascent.

He knows that networking is the most valuable process that leads to improvement, manufacturing or otherwise. That’s why Bill relies on WAI to help him stay ahead of trend. He’s moving all right; quickly, too. He’s such a good sport he even photographed himself for this ad.

Catch up with him through WAI’s network.

Q: Who was your mentor?

A: I had several. Most helped me understand about hard work, results, and leadership.

Q: What is something that almost nobody knows about you?

A: I’m still collecting sports memorabilia.

Q: What do you do for leisure?

A: You’ll find me in some form of outdoor or fitness activity.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment?

A: Balancing family with work success. Without this strong tie it is not possible.

MNEMONIC TIP: BILL REICHERT. BILL BUILDS ON EXPERIENCE.

Meet your peers. Achieve your goals. Join WAI’s community at www.wirenet.org.

The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road | P.O. Box 578 | Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 | www.wirenet.org

India firm acquires the assets of a German company in fastening field Kolkata-based Ruia Group has acquired the 134-year-old Germany-based Acument GmbH & Co., which deals in mechanical fastening systems, for an undisclosed amount. he Hindu usiness Line reports that The Ruia Group, which controls Dunlop India, said the all-asset deal is aimed at consolidating its position in Europe. It cited Ruia Group Chairman Pawan K. Ruia as saying that the buyout is also aimed at tapping the opportunities during the next boom in the automotive market, which is projected to grow five-fold in India by 2020.

Ruia said in the story that the group formally took charge of the assets of four production locations and one logistics centre of the bankrupt company headquartered in Neuss, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. The article added that Ruia had assured the employees that none of the German sites would be relocated to India.

The story said that Ruia Group formed a joint stock company, called Ruia Global Fasteners AG, that is promoted by Wealthsea Ltd., Mauritius, to take over the €227 million turnover business. It also noted that Acument Germany, which went to insolvency in August 2009, was earlier part

of Acument Global Technologies, Inc., headquartered in the U.S. A steep decline in German automotive production during the economic crisis forced restructuring of the operation, it said.

Organizers of Las Vegas fastener show report strong activity for October event Show organizers report that the early indicators look good for the 2011 staging of the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo, to be held October 19-21, at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. “We have sold 632 booths to 471 companies from throughout the U.S. and many other nations worldwide,” said General Manager Susan Hurley, who noted that the activity is 4% ahead for the same time last year, with new contracts and inquiries coming in on a daily basis. “We are anticipating over 700 booths and thousands of Expo visitors,” she said.

The conference program begins on Wednesday, October 19 and the two-day Expo runs Thursday and Friday, October 20-21. For more details, contact Susan Hurley at tel. 614-895-1279 or info@fastenershows.com, and go to the Expo web site at www.fastenershows.com. ■

JULY 2011 | 29

FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE

WAI NEWS

WAI

NEWS

New city, new approach for Wire Expo as event travels to Dallas for 2012 The WAI will head to Dallas, Texas, in 2012 to hold Wire Expo in the Lone Star State. This is a first for WAI, as Dallas has not previously hosted this event, which has been in existence since 1990. However, the venue is not the only component that will be new in 2012, as the Board also authorized the creation of a new conference that will be held in conjunction with Wire Expo.

The Board envisions a program that educates and energizes the operations and manufacturing professionals in the wire and cable industry, and incorporates the 200 company exhibition. Reflecting the new direction of the program, the

WAI Q&A WAI scholarship programs his occasional section covers topics o general interest involving . his one is ans ered by John Drummond, president o he ire Foundation. & hat scholarship programs are available through the and its chapters Drummond: Regardless of the economic conditions, scholarships are a welcome resource to help you accomplish your goals. Whether your goal is to increase your knowledge of the industry or you need help with tuition for your son or daughter, the Wire Foundation and several WAI Chapters are collaborating on ways to help.

First some background on The Wire Foundation, which is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. This organization was established in 1973 for the purpose of providing scholarships and other awards to students and for encouraging research related to the wire industry. The Foundation is independent of the Wire Association International and is managed by the Board of Directors.

There are three scholarship general programs are administered by the Wire Foundation that help in different ways.

The traditional offering is a general scholarship award to educate students, including those employed in the industry, to further develop their interest in the wire industry.

The second offering, started in 2000, is in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers from England and WAI. This program, recognized as the Wire Link Traveling Scholarship Program, provides an all-expenses paid trip touring 10-15 manufacturing facilities. The annual program alternates between

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

t nter ire 2 , ire Foundation President John Drummond gives a pla ue to ata Steel s Chris arker, the 2 ire Link Scholarship recipient. the U.S. and England, and involves visits to Interwire and wire Dßsseldorf. The August J will include a report on the 2011 trip by Tata Steel’s Chris Barker. Applications will be solicited through Dec. 15, 2011, for candidates to travel from the U.S. to the U.K. in March of 2012.

The third offering involves scholarship awards to children of WAI chapter members who are pursuing undergraduate degrees. Three chapters now offer the scholarships: Midwest, New England and Southeast. The program, which began with the New England Chapter in 2006, has awarded 18 scholarships, each worth $1,000.

See p. 32 for the 2011 recipients.

For more information on The Wire Foundation or the various scholarships, contact John Drummond at jdrummond@scotiagroupinc.com or David LaValley at dlavalley@wirenet.org.

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WAI NEWS

event will be recognized as the “WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo.”

Continuing on the theme of new, the event will be held at the new Omni Dallas Hotel, which will open to the public in November of this year. This state-of-the-art 1,000 room hotel is located in downtown Dallas and it will be the site for both the Wire Expo exhibit as well as the Operations Summit conference.

“I was extremely pleased that the Board selected Dallas as the site of the 2012 venue” said Gary Spence, vice president, nonferrous metals, Encore Wire, as well as a member of the WAI Board. “Much like the wire and ire Expo attendees ill have a ne location to explore hen the 2 2 cable industry, Dallas has evolved over the event is held in Dallas, a thriving city. bove, the Dallas skyline. years and is much more than the center of the U.S. energy industry. It has become a major airports, Dallas/Ft. Worth International and Dallas Love economic hub of the American South.”

Field, that combined provide more than 1,900 flights daily.

The American Wire Producers Association has agreed to With American Airlines using Dallas Ft. Worth as a major conduct its Supply Chain Conference in conjunction with hub and Southwest operating in Love Field, there are many WAI’s 2012 event. This event attracts key decision makers options for attendees. from all segments of the steel wire industry and will be held WAI has appointed the 2012 Conference Programming on May 21-22 at the Omni Dallas Hotel. This will mark the Committee, which will be responsible of developing and third strategic co-location involving both associations. producing the Operations Summit. More information on the Dallas is centrally located and within a four-hour flight Committee and its activities will follow in future issues. ■ from most North American destinations. It is served by two

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER 3 chapters provide 9 scholarships with help from The Wire Foundation The New England, Southeast and Midwest chapters have chosen nine individuals, sons or daughters of chapter members, as recipients of $1,000 college scholarships.

The programs are made possible by the fundraising efforts of the individual chapters and from support from The Wire Foundation, which is an independent body that administers the program.

2011 New England Chapter Scholarship Winners The New England Chapter and The Wire Foundation are pleased to announce that four recipients have been chosen for a scholarship. The program, which began in 2006, has now awarded 18 scholarships. Each of the below winners will begin their college studies in the fall.

Jaclyn Tules graduated from Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut, and will be attending Bucknell University in the fall. She is the daughter of Michael Tules, who is an engineer with Prime Materials Recovery, Inc., in Willimantic, Connecticut.

“Considering the major financial comJaclyn ules mitment my family is about to make, I am really excited about the opportunities that await me through both the great academics and ability to row for a division one program,” she wrote.

James Streifel graduated from Naugatuck High School in Naugatuck, Connecticut, and will be attending Central Connecticut State University in the fall. He is the son of Jim Streifel, who is the vice president of sales for James Strei ul Specialty Cable in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Erica Normandin graduated from Bow High School in Bow, New Hampshire, and will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall. She is the daughter of Marc Normandin, who is a key accounts manager with 3M in Bow, New Hampshire.

Ian Goodney Erica ormandin graduated from Bishop Hendrichen High School in Warwick, Rhode Island, and will be attending the University of New England. He is the an oodney son of David Goodney, president of

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WBS Machinery in Warwick, Rhode Island.

“I would like to thank you and the Wire Association for choosing me to be this year’s recipient of the WAI College Scholarship,” Ian wrote. “ As I head off in September to study physical therapy, I will for sure reflect and give thanks to the many people, WAI included, who have helped me to reach this point in my life, and look forward to my future challenges.”

2011 Southeast Chapter Scholarship Winners The Southeast Chapter and The Wire Foundation are pleased to announce that four recipients have been chosen for a scholarship. The program, which began in 2008, has now awarded 10 scholarships.

The first winner is William Hammontree, who graduated from Seffner Christian Academy and will be attending Florida College to study business and engineering. William is the son of Joe Hammontree, vice presiilliam dent of Temple Terrance Industries.

Hammontree The next two winners are twin daughters of David Hutcheson, plant manager, copper rod mill, with Southwire Company in Carrollton, Georgia. Both of the daughters graduated from Carrrollton High Melissa ebecca School in Hutcheson Hutcheson Carrollton, Georgia. Rebecca Hutcheson will be attending Mercer University as a pre-med biology major and Melissa Hutcheson will be attending Agnes Scott College.

2011 Midwest Scholarship Winners The Midwest Chapter and The Wire Foundation are pleased to announce that two recipients have been chosen for a scholarship. The program, which began in 2008, has now provided eight scholarships.

Colin Downey graduated from Huntington North High School in Huntington, Indiana, and will be attending Wabash College next fall, studying biology, with interest in physical therapy. He is the son of John

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Downey, sales manager at Fort Wayne Wire Die. “I would personally like to thank you for my receipt of the scholarship,” Colin wrote. “I appreciate it very much and consider it a great honor. This scholarship will be a tremendous help on the toll of college payments for my family. Thanks again!”

Jacob Benner graduated from Batavia High School in Batavia, Illinois, and will be going to Augustana College to study engineering. He is the son of Bradley Benner, president of Alps Wire Rope Corporation in Glendale Heights, Illinois.

For more information about the scholarships, contact the individual Jacob enner chapters.

Updates: chapter golf tournaments WAI’s Ohio Valley Chapter is the next one up, with its 9th Annual Golf Tournament slated for Wednesday, August 3, at the Grantwood Golf Course in Solon, Ohio, for its 9th Annual Golf Tournament.

The registration deadline is Monday, July 25. Event organizer Aaron Nolan, sales engineer, Sumitomo Electric Carbide, Inc., Materials Group, said that a range of sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies. For

after

before

after North American Representative for:

Non-Ferrous Reduction, Strip, Flat & Profile Rolling Mills

more details, contact Aaron Nolan at tel. 614-410-3375, a_nolan@sumicarbide.com.

The New England Chapter will hold its 17th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, Sept. 12, at the Ellington Ridge Country Club (ERCC) in Ellington, Connecticut. The registration deadline is Sept. 2. For more information on registration and company sponsorships, contact New England Chapter President Marie Geary, Geary Procurement Consulting, at tel. 401-309-5977, by e-mail at gearyprocurement@cox.net, or WAI’s Anna Bzowski at tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, abzowski@wirenet.org.

The WAI’s Southeast Chapter will hold its 10th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 13, 2011, at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina. The event will also be a scholarship fundraiser for Eric Vannais, the son of the late Stephen Vannais, the former chapter president, who died earlier this year in a plane crash. For more details, contact Tim McElhaney, Tulsa Power, at tmcelhany@tulsapower.com, tel. 864-223-6146 or 864993-2192.

The final golf tournament will be the Western Chapter’s 11th Annual “Wild West Shootout” Golf Tournament on Monday, October 24, 2011, at the Los Verdes Golf Course, Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA. ■

JULY 2011 | 33

EVENT WRAPUP

Strong statement made at wire Russia By all accounts, wire Moscow 2011, held May 23-26, at the ZAO Expocentr in Moscow, made a strong case for the re-emergence of the Russian market as a viable place for the wire and cable industry.

The event, jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf and its subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf Moscow, had the support of leading international industry associations: the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA), the International

ctivitiy at ire Mosco 2

.

Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association (IWCEA), the German Wire and Cable Machine Manufacturers Association (VDKM), the Austrian Wire and Cable Machinery Manufacturers Association (VDKM-AWCMA), the International Wire and Cable Exhibitors AssociationFrance (IWCEA-France) as well as the Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers Association (ACIMAF) and the Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association (WCISA).

Exhibitors reported good activity, with the numbers believed to have topped the 2009 event, which saw 214 exhibitors from 29 countries present their technologies for the wire and cable industry to more than 9,200 visitors from all parts of the Russian Federation. The organizers note that those 2009 numbers included attendees at the concurrently held Metallurgy-Litmash, Tube Russia and Aluminium/Non-Ferrous trade shows.

Exhibitors reported good discussions at the event.

34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Exhibitor views of wire Moscow Wire Moscow has proven to be a perfect venue for Roblon’s activities in Russia and our expectations were therefore great before going there. The show offers us a good opportunity to meet with all our customers and business partners within a short time frame. The Roblon stand was extremely busy at times and we are very happy about the outcome of the discussions with our customers as well as our participation at the show in general. As our products are niche products (fibers and machinery for OFC), we already know and work with most of the established OFC manufacturers in Russia. However, we did meet new business contacts and of course hope that these will later materialize into new customers.

No doubt that Russia remains a key market for Roblon and our outlook is very optimistic. We have seen a great interest in our cable making machines, which to us is a solid indicator that the market continues to grow and customers have a positive feeling about the future. At the same time our (ongoing) fiber business remains at a high level and provides a solid base for Roblon’s future activities in Russia. Lasse Østergaard Nielsen, sales manager, Roblon A/S. We went to wire Moscow to meet new and potential customers and discuss future business with them, and we were pleased with the meetings we had. We believe that at any time, customers need to know that you will take care of them and their business, and we want to explain to them how we can do that. This is especially important at a time when getting value for money has never been more important. We were pleased to meet old and new customers, and we have a few unexpected meetings from attendees, and not just from Russia, so we were able to introduce our company to them and show them the quality of our products. After a long bad period, it seems that the market is moving again, not just in Russia but worldwide. I think everybody is aware that the economic recovery will be slow and not easy, but GMP Slovakia has confidence in the future. It may take some time, but our business is going well now and we believe it will eventually get even better. Federica Gatti, sales dept., GMP Slovakia s.r.o.

At wire Russia 2011, Dow Wire & Cable announced that Sevkabel Holding, a Russian cable manufacturer, has become one of the first Dow Inside licensees worldwide. It will use DOW ENDURANCE™ insulation, semiconductive and jacketing materials to manufacture medium- and highvoltage power cables while Dow will provide its “forwardthinking technology, proven products and enhanced service.” Below, Timofei Rassokhin, who as associate sales development manager-Russia is responsible for accelerating Dow Wire & Cable growth in Greater Russia, discussed the significance of the agreement with J .

J hat persuaded the company to commit to a program that as not re uired Dow Wire & Cable: We believe that the trusted and recognizable Dow brand, combined with our nearly six decades of experience and expertise in the power industry, helped persuade Sevkabel that we are the right partner to articulate the importance of quality cables and to help bring those cables to the Russian market. The alliance also gives Sevkabel priority technical and service support in the region and allows for joint marketing efforts that will increase the visibility of both companies. This visibility will reinforce our combined focus on quality and performance standards for the production of reliable, long lasting power cables.

J Ho meaning ul is it this J Does this signing help agreement ith Sevkabel uture such signings Dow Wire & Cable: The fact that Dow Wire & Cable: Success one of the first Dow Inside partbreeds success. Our hope is that ners was contracted in Russia as we are able to clearly demonshows our commitment and focus strate the benefit of becoming an he Do ire & Cable booth highlighted the comon this fast growing region and alliance partner with Dow Wire & pany s Do nside technology. the active infrastructure renovaCable, through the Dow Inside tion/upgrade that is happening in program, that more cable makers Russia and the Commonwealth of will join with us. Right now, we Independent States (CIS). The Dow Inside program specifihave several other agreements pending. We’ll announce cally aims to work with our alliance partners to demonstrate those as they occur. to utilities the value of demanding high-performance cables manufactured with quality compounds to ensure a reliable, J Ho important is Do s presence in trade sho s such long lasting underground electrical infrastructure that as ire ussia extracts maximum ROI for the total system cost. Our strateDow Wire & Cable: Trade shows like wire Russia are gy is to drive development and industry standards in rapidly extremely important. It provides a venue where all interestgrowing regions, so it’s paramount that we partner with ed parties can gather to share information, reinforce existing other leaders like Sevkabel to be on the front line of infrarelationships and begin new ones. It also provides a great structure improvements. platform for sharing new innovations and agreements like our Dow Inside partnership with Sevkabel.

The wire exhibition exceeded our expectations. We met with more than 100 visitors and signed several contracts.

Compared with 2009, we judged attendance to be about the orders However, ffffff same. more discussions were held for projects in various stages of negotiation, and a few new contacts were established during a seminar we held together with Borealis and VNIIKP. The theme was, “Reliable machinery and materials as the basis for high-quality cable,” and more than 60 persons attended. Loyal and long-time partners joined us in the 20th anniversary celebration of Maillefer in the CIS region during a special customer evening.

Looking at the market, there is a sense of renewed optimism from Russian cable manufacturers. This is true from all sectors, and especially that of fiber optic cable, where there is report of double-digit growth. Certain manufactur-

ers state that they have recovered to positive figures following the global economical slump. André Gosselin, marketing manager, Maillifer SA. The show was much better than two years ago. It showed that the industry began to recover after the crisis. Windak received a lot of new leads and expects to eventually get from two to four Mihail Sharapov and orders from activity at the show. Marko esselmann Windak AB. represented indak at ire ussia.

JULY 2011 | 35

EVENT WRAPUP

Dow announces partnership agreement with cable manufacturer at wire Russia show

FEATURE

Green Focus:

Plant efficiency and energy savings his feature, the second of three “Green Focus” features, looks at plant efficiency

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and energy savings. The easiest route to enhanced efficiency would be buying the

latest equipment, but such capital expenditures are based not on “in a perfect world” wish lists but on specific needs and utilization projections.

If major OEM purchases are not possible, there may still be ways for manufacturers to improve their existing operations and reduce costs. And following with the Green Focus theme, such actions make it easier to say that you’ve done your share. This feature includes stories about: consulting firms that help companies find potential improvements; manufacturers that made practical energy

improvements; the potential in high-efficiency motors; advice for smaller manufacturers; why your utility supplier could/should be your partner; how process upgrades can be a win-win deal; and a “check list” of suggestions submitted by industry veterans. Also, do take a look at the Product section that begins on p. 70 as each entry has a “green” aspect.

Findings energy savings: it starts with a closer look at the monthly utility bill

be made at little to no cost if you know what to do, which is where we come in.

Gil Crane is director of energy solutions for U.S.-based BMI Energy Management, which provides consulting and management services for a wide range of sectors, from industry and retail to government and education. The company, a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, specializes in finding cost-effective and practical ways in which businesses can reduce and control their energy costs. More details can be found at www.bmienergy.com.

Below, Crane discusses some of what his company looks for it when it takes on an industrial client.

WJI: What kind of results has your company been able to achieve for manufacturers who are new clients?

Crane: If a manufacturer does not have an energy management program, I can pretty much predict that we will be able to go in and find a minimum annual savings of 12 to 15% by instituting an appropriate plan. We’ve seen cases where those savings can be more than 20%, and that’s not surprising. Energy costs are usually the third largest cost factor for a company after labor and materials, but it’s a rare company that truly understands its energy bills: the mindset is that we get a bill and we have to pay it, and that’s not true. Further, some of changes can

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WJI: What kind of services can you provide?

Crane: We have a number of tools that we can use, starting with bill analysis. Our experts can look at your utility bills and determine if you are getting the most cost-effective utility rate or not. We il Crane, director o do energy audits, where energy solutions, M we look at how and where Energy Management. power is being used in a building, and if there’s a better way. We can provide energy management systems where we design, install and monitor energy through a control system to ensure you are using your energy assets well. And finally, we offer operational resources, where in essence we serve as a company’s “energy engineer.” Of all the tools we offer, most companies are most

WJI: ow does bill analysis help if at the end of the day you still have to pay the bottom line?

Crane: Bill analysis can offer major savings because often there are options and different possibilities. For instance, in some states you can shop for a better price, and if a company has multiple locations, that gives you even better leverage to ask for lower rates.

You might be able enter into an agreement with a utility company to lock in your rates for a given period. That can work for both parties as the utility knows it has your business and you should be able to get a rate that is at least predictable if not better.

When we do a bill analysis, typical utility bill or a manu acturer. bserves Crane, ou can t tell a lot we look at the rate structure. rom this bill i you don t kno hat to ocus on, but it may be hiding potential We consider both the supply savings. his company is paying . cents per k h, and as the business is in a side (purchasing) and the deregulated state, it can shop around or a better price, possibly in the range o demand side (energy use), as lo as cents per k h. e believe this customer can save on both the supand the latter can be reflected ply side and the demand side. in the energy costs. The utility bill can include charges energy management approach may well find some. Our that are based on your potential power usage. If a compamindset is that you can take cost out of the operation of a ny has only one shift or has limited production in later building every year. What we advise companies to do is shifts, but turns on all its power at a given time in the to continuously take some of each year’s savings and morning, the utility sees that one peak usage as the reinvest in measures that can further improve efficiency potential “load” that the company may need anytime. and energy use.

Therefore, it will charge you at a higher rate to support For example, at the start, if you identify by utility bill that potential load need, whether it is something you actuanalysis that you can get a lower rate or, even better, if ally use or even need. you are in a deregulated state, negotiate your contract for a lower cost per kilowatt hour for several years. These are WJI: What other types of savin s do you typically find? hard savings. Reinvest some of those unexpected savings Crane: There’s a lot of potential gains to be had from into an energy audit or energy management system and making sure that equipment is being used efficiently, monitoring. This will ensure getting to the major cost savwhich is why we advise annual energy audits or ongoing ings opportunities on the demand and energy use side of energy monitoring. It’s not just things like HVAC and the company’s energy costs. lighting or big equipment either, as the supporting equipThe amount of energy used also has an impact on other ment can make a big difference. One of the biggest culcosts listed on the utility bill. Many states use the utility prits is compressed air, which is a big energy user, and it bills to add-on other charges to gain revenue for roads, doesn’t take a lot of leaks to lose a substantial amount of environmental projects, schools or anything they can energy. Many companies have found ways to increase think of to get added city or state dollars. These are usualproductivity and reduce expenses through effective use of ly based on a percentage of energy used, so if you reduce lean manufacturing, and there’s not a lot of the proverbial the usage, you will reduce the add-on charges. “low-hanging fruit” left to be found, but an effective

JULY 2011 | 37

FEATURE

surprised at what we can tell about their energy usage, just from a utility bill analysis.

FEATURE

A team energy approach led to multiple improvements for one cable company When COMTRAN Cable LLC called Teknikor in to perform a walk-through energy audit, the Whitinsville, Massachusetts, cable manufacturer’s primary goal was to reduce energy consumption and costs. Teknikor—formed in 2010 from companies formerly known as GEMCO, Engineered Control Systems (ECS), Action Energy and Power & Fire Protection (PFP)—reports that it was able to accomplish that goal, but that its multi-team initiative led to even further improvements for COMTRAN. “We originally contacted Teknikor’s Energy Division for the audit,” said COMTRAN Vice President of Operations Bob Auger. “At first, I didn’t understand the significance of it having an Automation & Controls division down the hall. I’ve gotten the integration pitch before but not from a company that actually had all the different divisions under one roof. They even brought their Contracting group in to do the install.”

Teknikor’s Energy Division team metered motor loads on several pieces of equipment, including a 48-inch Edmunds cabler, a water chiller and a fume exhaust system. After analyzing the results, it tapped colleagues in Teknikor’s Automation and Controls Division, who focused their attention on the Edmunds cabler’s eddy-current motor with clutch controller. The average line speed was approximately 55%, but the motor could only operate at 100%. Teknikor’s assessment: it was an energy hog.

By installing a new, more efficient Baldor AC vector motor and a state-of-the-art common buss AC drive system, Teknikor’s team reduced power consumption by 21% during production and to near zero during idle time.

Auger said that there was a second equally significant upside to the upgrade, and that was manufacturing quality control. “The new AC drive system allows us to run product throughout the entire speed range, and torque accuracy has improved by 2-3%. That’s huge! Not only is the line more efficient, with less wasted time and materials, we now have quality control that few others can match.”

What started out as an effort to reduce energy consumption led not only to that, but to a more efficient manufac-

Motors: does a 2% buy focus make sense?

It may be human nature to abide by the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but for motors, at least, that axiom may not be such a good idea. Power usage typically represents a company’s third largest cost after labor and materials, and it is one area where the difference between the up-front cost and the life-cycle cost (typically 20 to 25 years) can be stunning.

Following is a previously published article that has been updated for WJI by the author, John Malinowski, senior product manager of AC motors for Baldor Electric Co. For more details, he can be contacted at tel. 479-648-

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

aldor C vector motor that, combined ith a ne common buss C drive system, led to impressive results or C M Cable LLC s hitinsville plant. turing line with equally important payoffs: less material waste, greater return on labor hours and repeat business from customers impressed by the quality of COMTRAN’s high pair-count datacomm product, Auger said. “I’ve never had a retrofit go so smoothly or produce such measurable results.” He added that the integrated service delivery was extremely efficient. “There was none of the usual disconnects in timing, recommendations and implementation normally associated with relying on different providers who may or may not agree or communicate well,” he said.

Beyond the savings from the changes, Teknikor also helped COMTRAN receive the full benefit of the utility rebate. The total project cost was just south of $50K, and after a rebate of almost $15K, the cost came to about $35K. The projected annual energy savings are $7,100, which translates into an ROI of 20%, he said.

“COMTRAN is a perfect example of how our vision of an integrated solution is paying big dividends for our customers,” said Teknikor President Peter Paindiris.

For more information on Teknikor, contact info@teknikor.com, www.teknikor.com.

5909, jmalinowski@baldor.com. Note: Baldor’s lines of NEMA Premium efficiency motors can be seen in the “Green” Products section that begins on p. 70.

Motors: repair, replace or upgrade?

While motor-driven systems use 25% of all electricity in the U.S. and over two-thirds of all industrial electricity, the actual cost for a motor is only 2% of its life cycle cost. Energy costs can be controlled by careful selection and operation of these electric motor systems. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2002 Motor Systems Market Opportunities Assessment, most facilities are

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FEATURE

lacking in established motor management policies: • More than 90% of motor decisions are made at the facility level • Only 11% of companies have written motor specifications • Only 12% of companies have written motor rewind specifications • 24% of facilities have not addressed energy issues Upgrade existing motors Historically, we have looked at upgrades from standard motors to motors with higher efficiency, called NEMA Premium efficient motors. This is easy to do because the new motors are simple bolt-in replacements, and now this level of general purpose motor is mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 for 1-200 HP ratings. Any motor operated continuously in production or in a commercial building is a candidate for replacement, offering savings up to 6%. Savings on a typical motordriven industrial pump, based on a price of $0.10 kW per hour, are as follows:

Based on the 50 hp motor shown above with 90.7% efficiency, a significant savings will occur with replacement using a NEMA Premium motor. In many states, the utility might offer a rebate incentive to ensure that a premium motor would be used instead of an EPAct-level motor.

Repair or replace When a motor fails, a repair or replace decision must be made. Many companies use a 50-50 policy on repairs. If the motor repair cost is more than 50% of the cost of a new motor, it is not repaired. If the motor is less than 50 hp, it is not repaired. Based on the electricity and repair costs in various areas, these might be a bit different.

In the case of the pump system above, the motor can be rewound at a cost of $1,200-$1,400. Replacement of the motor with a new EPAct motor would cost about $1,945 and a new premium motor would be $2,800. These are approximate costs. It may also be difficult to find a motor that doesn’t have the NEMA Premium level of efficiency as motor manufacturers are no longer allowed to build such motors for sale in the U.S., however there may still

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

be some left in distributor inventory. Here is where it can get complicated.

A new motor at $2,800 is more than twice the cost of a $1,200 repair, so the rule would suggest a repair. This can also be done from a maintenance budget without need to get capital approval.

• The utility may offer a $3/hp rebate (WI Focus on Energy as an example) = $150 • The premium motor can save $1,630 per year at today’s energy cost of $0.10 per kWh. • Using an energy-savings program with the above numbers, the payback for the premium motor is 16 months.

Repair and new motor specifications Motor repair is not necessarily bad if done correctly and to the right motor. An old motor with low efficiency should be retired on failure. A good rule would be to retire motors made before the Energy Policy Act of 1992 took effect. When a motor is repaired, it should be done to an industry John Malino ski, senior standard established by product manager C drives, the Electrical Apparatus aldor Electric Co. Service Association (EASA), called ANSI/EASA AR100-2010 Recommended Practice for the Repair of Rotating Apparatus. Service shops that follow this practice will repair the motor and restore it to its original efficiency without damaging the core steel. A poor repair results in a less-efficient motor that operates at a higher temperature, leading to early failure. The analysis from the failed motor can be used to indicate that a motor needs a better level of environmental protection, different bearings, better maintenance, or any number of items that might reduce downtime or eliminate premature failure.

Facilities also should establish standards for any new motors purchased. Any industrial-grade continuous-use motor should be specified with NEMA Premium efficiency, which will result in lower electrical usage. Depending on where the motor is used in the facility, the enclosure (open or enclosed fan-cooled) and level of environmental protection should be correctly specified for long use without failure.

In closing, industrial energy usage is not a fixed cost, but one that can be managed by using efficiency motors, adding adjustable speed drives, energy efficient gearing and optimizing production processes. Many new pump, fan and compressor designs are available today that are energy efficient. Energy costs will continue to rise and the savings can be taken to your bottom line.

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FEATURE

Taking the right small steps can lead to long-term gains and a ‘greener’ operation Like many manufacturers, Loos & Co., Inc., has been driven by pressures to reduce costs and remain competitive in a global marketplace. To achieve those goals, the U.S.-based company has focused on reducing costs through efficiency upgrades as well as by annual energy audits. It has taken a number of steps over the last decade, some modest, others more comprehensive, but collectively the efforts have helped the company reduce its energy use and save money. The company’s story, it notes, remains an ongoing one.

“We have looked at all areas of energy usage with a focus on efficiency, waste reduction, and re-use wherever economically feasible,” said Curtis Schopfer, engineering manager for the Pomfret, Connecticut, a manufacturer of wire, aircraft cable and wire rope. The company has not limited improvements to the manufacturing processes alone. Through incremental improvements to the way energy is used and other resources, Loos & Co. has remained competitive in the face of rising costs and managed to “be greener” as a result of their efforts, he said.

The engineering team, Schopfer said, has worked with the local utility and professional energy usage consulting firms to identify projects that provide reductions in energy use. Some examples of these projects include: • installation of motion sensors to shut off overhead lighting when an area is not in use • installation of efficient light fixture and bulbs to reduce energy usage • installation of air handlers to recycle heat from production furnaces In 2005, the company replaced 281 light fixtures with energyefficient T-5 fluorescent

42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

lights, and installed 26 motion sensors so lights turn off when areas are not occupied.

It worked so well that in 2006 the company installed 280 more light fixtures and 40 more motion sensors, Schopfer said. Those two lighting initiatives alone are estimated to save more than 468,000 kW hours a year, he said. Further annual savings, an estimated 260,000 kW, came from replacing a very old DC motor Curtis Schop er, engineering with a high-efficiency manager, Loos & Co. 125 hp AC motor and drive replacement, he said, noting that the “saved” electricity is enough to power 400 average homes for a year.

Loos & Co. has also found considerable savings in how it handles its process heat, Schopfer said. The company re-circulates heat generated from its annealing lines, which previously was vented away, and it also recycles heat from production furnaces; those two efforts saving an estimated 5,000 gallons of heating oil a year, he said.

The drive to find improvements also includes projects with multiple elements, some of which can include some simple yet effective measures, he said. The company installed high-speed doors that segregate areas of the production floor and further retain heat. Another effort is a multi-step water-savings program that includes the use of low-flow fixtures, which has managed to cut the company’s water usage by half over the past decade despite significant growth in production over the same period, he said. Other efficiency projects he cited include an air system upgrade that identified and eliminated leaks in the compressed air system and a paperless document storage system to reduce paper usage.

“Many of the actions taken were subsidized by the utilities as their goals of energy reduction dovetailed with ours,” Schopfer said. “Others were just common-sense investments. We’re proud of what we have done here, and a lot of other companies have likely taken similar steps, but our approach is to keep looking for ways to be more efficient. We found that you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot to see results. The net result is an improvement to our bottom line as well as a corporate culture to avoid wast. The electrical savings are in the hundreds of thousands of KW hours per year and the dollars are in the tens of thousands per year, and the ‘per year’ is significant because these are savings that just keep on repeating.”

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FEATURE

A lean approach offers indirect gains that can include ‘green’ Upgrading drives and controls can directly impact energy use and cost reductions, but applying a lean manufacturing approach will also improve productivity and indirectly reduce energy costs as well as bolster the bottom line.

Below, William P. Wilson, vice president of quality,

Lean and Six Sigma for General Cable Corporation, comments on how the company has benefitted from its initiatives, which in turn has helped the company’s operations be ‘greener.” He also offers advice for where smaller manufacturers might want to focus. For more details on what General Cable Corporation has done, see Wilson’s technical paper (The union of quality, Lean and Six Sigma) that begins on p. 60.

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WJI: ow ood a return has eneral able seen from its ma or commitment to its focus on improvement? oes it ever reach a point of diminishin returns in terms of future ains or is it always feasible to further fine-tune processes?

Wilson: Over the past eight years, General Cable has seen significant bottom-line benefits, which have greatly outweighed the cost of the program. And, there is never a point of diminishing returns because opportunities for improvements always exist. The quality, Lean and Six Sigma tools are applicable to cost reductions, capacity restrictions and process improvements across the entire supply chain. The Lean Sigma and quality programs have spearheaded cultural changes across our entire organization and now involve all our associates.

WJI: ew companies can match eneral able in terms of resources can what it has accomplished be done to a scaled-down de ree by a smaller manufacturer? an savin s reali ed throu h improvements offset the cost of such improvement efforts?

Wilson: The accomplishments at General Cable can be realized on a scaled-down degree by any size company. When we started the Lean and Six Sigma programs, a small percentage of the workforce was trained as Blackbelts. They helped guide projects that “Leaned out” processes and reduced the amount of variation, leading to significant financial improvements.

We have since expanded our program to include Master Blackbelts, Greenbelts and Lean Technicians,

FEATURE

who all contribute to the bottom-line results. As stated above, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs to implement this program.

WJI: ave you found that illiam P. ilson, vice employees president o uality, lean are enerand six sigma, eneral ally willin Cable Corporation. to buy into chan e?

Wilson: Yes, when you make jobs easier for the employees they are willing to buy into the changes. We focused on projects that would create an immediate impact in each of our manufacturing plants, and when our associates witnessed the improvements in a coworker’s cell, they wanted their cell improved next.

WJI: If you had far fewer resources to work with what would you focus on?

Wilson: We would focus on the processes that generate the greatest amount of complaints, scrap and rework, the highest volume processes, and the processes that have the greatest impact on the bottom-line financial results.

WJI: ny other advice for manufacturers?

Wilson: My advice would be to begin Lean and Six Sigma programs as soon as possible.

Start in a focused area and build upon the program. Educate top management on the benefits of implementing the program, and then quickly back it up with project results that have a positive impact on the bottom line. For us, having a “buy-in� from top management was essential for the accomplishments that we have been able to achieve at General Cable. The support that we receive in these efforts cannot be overstated.

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FEATURE

Your utility should also be your partner Think about your utility company and one likely image is a monthly bill, but if you don’t also think of your energy supplier as your partner, maybe you should.

The utility's goal, of course, is to generate revenue, but for that to happen it is also in its best interest to help its customers succeed.

One such entity is Duke Energy (duke-energy.com), which delivers energy to some four million U.S. customers. Below, it describes three programs aimed at helping customers with multiple ways to either save energy and/or reduce costs. • The PowerShareŽ program actually lets businesses profit from their efforts to curb energy usage at times when energy demand is high. Through PowerShare, Duke Energy works with customers to help them better understand their energy consumption; that is, how and when they spend the bulk of their energy budget. After we glean information about each company’s unique energy needs, we assist them in developing a customized plan to curtail their energy load. The program offers multiple

enrollment options. Customers can choose the one that best fits their budgetary and operations goals. • Duke Energy’s Smart$aver Incentives can lead to long-term energy savings for many businesses.

Purchasing energy efficient equipment can be expensive, and it can take years to recoup the initial investment. Through our Smart$aver Incentives, we help customers lower the initial investment in equipment, leading to a faster realization of energy efficiency savings. Efficient equipment helps companies control operating costs and increase profit margins in both the long and short term. • Another example of our energy-saving programs—and a great first step toward putting into practice energy efficiency programs—is the opportunity we provide for energy assessments. Customers can learn more about ways to save energy, implement those energy-saving opportunities and reduce operating costs at their own convenience. We offer assessments online, on-site and off-site, whichever works best for each customer’s needs.

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As technology advances, equipment that had in the past been deemed world-class and that may still be in excellent working order, may require transformation due to the continual desire to reduce the environment impact of the process coupled with the necessity to improve productivity while achieving a higher quality product.

One such story is presented below by Infasco (an Ifastgroupe, Ivaco, and Heico company), one of the largest manufacturers of fasteners in North America.

Thirty years ago, Infasco became a fully integrated operation from steelmaking through its sister company, Ivaco Rolling Mills, to surface finishing through its acquisition of Galvano, a nearby electroplating facility which it had acquired.

The following is a write-up from three contributors: Infasco Operations Manager Joseph Bahadrian, Galvano Plant Manager Christian St-Denis and Sivaco Wire Group and Ifastgroupe General Manager Dr. Nicholas Nickoletopoulos, looking at how technology has evolved at Galvano, and how it has paid off on several continuous improvement fronts.

Galvano: the story of a Canadian company’s evolution Galvano, a plating company based in Beloeil, Quebec, specializes in zinc electroplating, phosphating and hot-dip galvanizing of fasteners. In the 1980s, the company

FEATURE

The ultimate win-win: process change helps production while reducing energy usage

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JULY 2011 | 49

FEATURE

nother improvement at alvano as revising its production process so that dried parts are so t-dropped onto a belt conveyor. installed a dry bath, hot-dip galvanizing facility to serve the structural bolt and tower bolt markets. The dip-spin operation’s galvanizing kettle was fed with Prime Western zinc quality, a zinc blend that contains less than 1% lead.

The presence of lead in the zinc was deemed necessary to minimize the number of drips and runs and to provide a smooth surface to the final product.

Galvano addressed recent environmental concerns stem-

ming from the present of lead in the hot dip galvanized coating of ASTM A325 structural bolts by substituting the conventional Prime Western zinc with a zinc alloy that contains small quantities of nickel and other alloys. This new zinc alloy, which allows Galvano to operate a leadfree bath with an enhanced metallurgy that reduces the total zinc consumption, largely compensates for the increased cost of the replacement lead-free zinc alloy.

Salt spray testing has clearly shown that the new zincnickel alloy is at least as effective against corrosion as the conventional Prime Western zinc containing lead.

During the late 1980s, there was strong demand for electroplated fasteners, and Galvano installed a state-of-theart zinc electroplating line that is now capable of plating close to 16,000 lb of fastener product per hour. At the time, the “super line” was considered a marvel. It was fully computerized with a DC rectifier for each plating cell to ensure that the proper current density is applied for each type of bolt and to minimize the hydrogen presence within the plating bath. To achieve superior consistency, computer controls are employed for automated loading, weighing, unloading, and even for the DC current setpoints.

The plating line provided positive performance improvements and saved money, but it too was deemed necessary

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FEATURE A variable height belt conveyor reduces damage by gently dropping the parts. for an upgrade. There were environmental concerns about the use of hexavalent chrome, a desire to reduced energy consumption, the need for higher quality in terms of corrosion resistance and the desire to reduce the frequency of damaged threads.

One specific need for the original plating line was that its old-technology centrifuge dryers did not have electronic controls to prevent unbalanced loads in the centrifuges (and the harmful effect of unbalanced loads on the mechanical life of the centrifuges). In early 2011 Galvano replaced its in-line dryers with electronically controlled centrifuge dryers. Unique features were also added to transfer product into the dryers in an aqueous media in order to reduce damage of bolts threads (to create a soft landing).

The results have been impressive. The new centrifuge dryers have reduced energy consumption, resulting by nearly 1 megawatt-hour (one million watts). Further, the updated line now has the precision that is needed to process new fastener coatings for distinctive bolts applications that require the coefficient of friction to be tightly controlled. The new layout of the plating line was deliberately configured to allow for future expansion.

These recent investments at Galvano, which cost more than $1 million, resulted in a multi-win permanent condition. Not only was quality improved, there was a 44% increase in hourly production throughput on the super plating line. Further, there were positive environmental gains brought by the elimination of lead in the dry bath hot-dip galvanizing kettle, a significant reduction in energy consumption at the plating line and the possibility to completely eliminate hexavalent chrome.

“These were substantial investments in process and technology, but they were carried out for many good reasons, and the results have justified these efforts,” said Nickoletopoulos, who serves as GM of Ifastgroupe and Sivaco Wire Group, as well as 1st Vice President of Wire Association International.

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www.idealweld.com www .ideallweld.com JULY 2011 | 51

FEATURE

Renewable energy may be a media star, but coal, gas and oil will remain energy anchors The headlines about stunning increases in the amount of renewable energy being produced from solar, wind and hydroelectric initiatives might lead one to believe that, energy technology has evolved to a new “green” level.

The problem is that the amount of “green” energy being produced can provide but a slice of what is needed, and that for decades to come it will be natural gas, oil and

ene able energy ill continue to gro sharply but as o pro ections or it ill still be gas oil and coal that provide the bul o the orld s energy needs. hart rom nergy utloo . coal—the latter a popular target of environmentalists— that will remain an energy source anchor, especially in emerging regions. Consider the following about coal: • By the latest 2011 figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal plays a major role for power generation. It states that coal-fired plants contributed 44.7% of the power generated in the U.S., followed by natural gas-fired plants at 20.6%, nuclear plants at 20.5%, and conventional hydroelectric sources at 8.2% while other renewables (biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind) and other miscellaneous energy sources generated the remaining 5.2% of electric power.

• Renewable energy has widespread support, and one report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that renewable energy will be able to provide up to 80% of global energy supply by 2050, but others are far less optimistic, noting that theory does not necessarily translate well to countries that are struggling with infrastructure, capital funds and job creation.

• ExxonMobil reports that it expects global energy

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

demand in 2030 to be about 35 percent higher than in 2005, and that demand growth would be far higher, with 2030 energy consumption nearly double 2005 levels, were it not for expected improvements in energy efficiency. Coal will decline sharply in OECD countries, but continue to be the predominant fuel for power generation in Non OECD countries.

• The IEA Clean Coal Centre reports that the “nuclear option” may have lessened following the woes suffered earlier this year in Japan. It noted that Germany’s coalition government has announced a reversal of policy that will see all the country’s nuclear power plants phased out by 2022, making it the biggest industrial power to announce plans to give up nuclear energy. It reported that seven old nuclear reactors taken offline for review after the Japan incidents would not be used again, an eighth that had problems would not be reopened, and six others would go offline by 2021 and the three newest by 2022. Before March’s moratorium on the older power plants, Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its energy.

The IEA Clean Coal Centre notes that one plus for coal is that it can be counted on. It reports that: coal reserves are available in almost every country worldwide, with recoverable reserves in around 70 countries. At current production levels, proven coal reserves are estimated to last 119 years. In contrast, proven oil and gas reserves are equivalent to around 46 and 63 years at current production levels respectively. More than 62% of oil and 64% of gas reserves are concentrated in the Middle East and Russia. “Due to its history and environmental impact, coal is often overlooked in discussions of the energy mix,” said IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka. “But the reality is very different. Coal is the second fuel in primary energy and the first in power generation. And neither is it fading away. Growth of coal use has been greater than any other fuel, driven by demand especially from China.”

oal use is pro ected to decline but not or some ey mar ets in Asia. hart rom nergy utloo .

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Checklist for manufacturers

FEATURE

Below is a list of possible areas that may offer costeffective potential for companies seeking to reduce their energy costs and improve performance. The list, presented in no certain order, was compiled from suggestions sent in by wire and cable industry veterans.

• Have an annual air leak survey and repair done to identify these invisible losses.

• Install energy-efficient light fixtures throughout plant.

• Replace old DC motors with high-efficiency AC motors.

• Install water-saving fixtures.

• When replacing air compressors, use variable frequency driven units which will deliver only the amount of air necessary.

• Turn off equipment that is not being used.

• Replace compressor gas (for A/C systems) from freon to an ecological gas, which not only preserves the environment but can provide savings of around 30%.

• Establish a periodic “search” program where a team walks through, listening for areas of opportunity, such as air leaks, motors running for no reason, etc.

• Convert old DC-driven equipment to AC-driven VF drives to reduce the power factor loss, a potentially huge benefit.

• Convert to variable volume/demand driven fluid pumping systems.

• Perimeter lighting/parking lot lighting should be upgraded to LED lighting when possible.

• Keep doors/windows closed in the cold months and install high efficiency fans for summer months .

• Perimeter lighting/parking lot lighting should be upgraded to LED lighting when possible.

• Install sky lights, louvers, as appropriate.

• See if reclamation of heat from furnaces can be used to provide heating for the floor area.

• Recycle waste water.

• Use automatic air hand dryers and waterless toilets.

• Schedule shifts/operations to off-peak times.

• Maximize machine efficiency to minimize start-ups and shutdowns.

• Evaluate electric material handling vehicles.

• Minimize water discharges and repair water leaks of faucets and equipment.

• Check for natural gas leaks.

• Install motion-detector sensors for lighting to reduce energy used for lighting unused office and storage space as well as other floor spaces that get little use.

• Replace printed catalogs with electronic versions. ditor s note: the ovember issue will present the third reen ocus feature: mana in waste If your company has taken a novel approach to this topic share your story su estions with the industry by sendin the details to editorial wirenet or ■

54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

E DA L ER W INN AWA R

D

Life prediction for an optical fiber cable

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER

The expected life for an optical fiber cable was able to be determined by a series of experiments and applying the Arrhenius mathematical model to produce a good data fit

By Octavio Parra

Estimating a product’s life is not an easy task, in part because it is necessary to have historical and/or laboratory data to get an idea of the time the product lasts. The problem becomes tougher when these data are not available, and when experience is non-existent, such as this case, and one must rely on theoretical data. Such is the case with optical cables, where historical information is scarce, and several aspects had to be considered to facilitate the work.

The optical cable used for this study consists of a core part, conformed by a light conductor (fiber optic), and a range of other elements that act as reinforcement and protection. Fig. 1 shows the construction of the All Dielectric Self-Supporting (ADSS) optical cable that was the subject of the experiment in this article.

Considerations In the case of a cable whose conductor is a metal, the polymeric materials are expected to be the weakest elements, therefore, life studies focus on these materials,

whereas for the optical fiber cables, it still isn’t clear which part will initially fail first and therefore should be considered as the critical component.

A chain is broken by the weakest link and if one considers that in a fiber optical cable, each component acts as a link, when one of these links no longer fulfills its role, the system can fail at any time. Based on this idea, the cable’s life will depend on the component that initially fails, as that eventually will result in the system’s inability to continue functioning.

Based on the above background, it is necessary to evaluate the optical fiber cable components to determine failure time. One exception is the outer PE jacket for weather resistance, because there is great deal of information that shows that a construction using at least 2.5% of carbon black and a minimum light absorption coefficient of 400 in polyethylene will guarantee the life for this material for at least 40 years.

Theoretical For a polymeric material, thermal oxidation is considered the primary degradation mechanism: the state of the art to predict the life of a plastic component is the Arrhenius model1: Eq. (1)

Fig. 1. The elements of the ADSS cable that was used for this study.

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Where: k = is the rate of reaction (number of molecular reactions per unit time). = pre exponential factor.

Ea = is the energy of activation for the reaction (J/mol).

TECHNICAL PAPERS Table 1. A summary of the components, requirements, specified values and critical failure values assigned for the research.

Table 2. Values obtained during the aging process for different cable components.

JULY 2011 | 57

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Table 3. Time to failure for cables at different temperatures.

Fig. 3. A comparison of two values.

to extrapolate to lower temperatures and therefore, to obtain lifetimes in shorter times of experimental study.

In practice, a material is exposed to a range of temperatures T1, T2, T3 and the corresponding failure times are recorded; t1, t2, t3. Eq. (2) can be expressed in a logarithmic fashion:

Table 4. Life expectancy of cables calculated at different temperatures.

ln t = ln

Ea

Eq. (3)

Plotting a curve of ln t against will give a straight line with a slope Ea . Then, it is possible to estimate t , corresponding to an expected temperature of service2.

Development

Fig. 2. Look at property changes for materials tested to the conditions cited in the study.

= is the absolute temperature (K) and = is the universal gas constant (8.316 J/mol/K) Assuming that the failure is associated with the formation or breaking of a critical number of chemical bonds, the failure time (t ), which is inversely proportional to k, can be expressed as: Eq. (2) Where: = can be considered as a constant (is a function of A and number of reactions required to achieve the failure).

Eq. (2) provides the basis for testing materials at high temperatures, getting shorter failure times. Then it is easy

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To find the fiber optic cable lifetime, it was decided to apply the Arrhenius kinetic model, carrying out thermal aging of cable components, and measuring a “critical” property for each one. In addition to the temperature, moisture was introduced as it plays a very important role in the degradation of some materials in the cable. For this reason, relative humidity was kept high during the development of the experiment (a constant value of 95%).

In order to achieve the objective, a critical property was proposed for each cable component and its critical failure value. Table 1 summarizes the properties and values that were assigned. Filler and wrapping tape were not considered critical components for the cable’s performance.

At the beginning of the experimental work, initial properties for each component were assessed and aging took place. After that, sampling at time intervals was performed, until failure of the property was observed. Failure criteria were established when critical or lower/higher values were achieved.

In order to run the experiments, materials were aged in a climatic chamber conditioned to 95% humidity and 95°C. Exception was made for water-blocking tape that was just oven-aged at 95°C. Samples were withdrawn at time intervals and their critical properties were measured.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Table 5. Results of testing cables to other property tests, per document GR-203 requirements.

Results Table 2 shows some of the values obtained during the aging process for the different cable components. After 20 days of aging at 95% humidity and 95°C, loose tube failed and therefore is the weakest component in the cable, See Fig. 2, which shows that the rest of materials are affected differently, but none show the behavior as loose tube (PBT).

Based on these observations and having found that the loose tube is the weakest component, its degradation was followed for two more temperatures as required by Arrhenius model. Failure times are shown in Table 3.

The next step was to draw Fig. 3, which shows ln (t) vs (1/T).

By means of a linear regression method it is possible to calculate and Ea and of course, according to Eq. (3). For the previous plot, their results were: y-intercept b = -25.623 slope m = 11.6992 correlation coefficient r = 0.99942 Notice that an excellent correlation coefficient was obtained and therefore the Arrhenius model is a very good approach for predicting cable’s life.

So, Activation Energy can be described as follows: Ea 2 .2 kcal mol Finally, life expectation for the cable is calculated at different temperatures. See Table 4.

In order to confirm the findings, two sample sets of cable were tested. One set was unaged cable and the other one was aged 20 days at 95°C and 95 R.H. Tests of “Impact Resistance,” “Cable Twist” and “Cable Cyclic Flexing” according to document GR-203 requirements, were performed and results are shown in Table 5.

Conclusions It was possible to predict the expected life for the ADSS optical cable at different temperatures using the Arrhenius kinetic model, with a good correlation coefficient. It was found that the weakest element in this case is the loose tube made of PBT. Although the obtained results apply only to cables used for this study, they serve for predicting expected life in other similar products, if they are subject to similar accel-

erated aging found here, and then comply with their performance requirements.

References 1. Life Prediction in Polymers, ERA Report, 97-078212.

2. Determination of the real life time of polymeric materials, International Wire and Cable Symposium Proceedings, 1997.

3. Bellcore GR-20, generic requirements for optical fiber and cable.

4. EIA/TIA-455-25A, Repeated Impact Testing of Fiber Optic Cables.

5. EIA/TIA-455-85, Fiber Optic Cable Twist Test.

6. EIA/TIA-455-104, Fiber Optic Cable Cyclic Flexing Test. ■

Parra Octavio Parra heads the analytical chemistry laboratory for the Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Condumex (CIDEC), where he started 22 years ago, focusing on polymer characterization of materials mainly used in the wire and cable industry. He is CIDEC’s project leader for the Engineering and Technology Support Group (INSOTEC). He holds an MSc degree in polymers science and technology from the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila and a BSc degree in chemistry from the Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico. This paper, which was presented at WAI’s International Technical Conference, October 2010, Monterrey, Mexico, won the Medal Award for best paper in the Electrical Division.

JULY 2011 | 59

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER The union of quality, Lean and Six Sigma A committed approach to improving manufacturing processes based on Lean and Six Sigma programs has evolved into a company-wide culture that has returned impressive results, both in production and the bottom line.

By William P. Wilson

General Cable has developed and implemented a customer-focused, comprehensive corporate quality system, blending Lean and Six Sigma approaches as the basis for continuous improvement. The company recently received its certificate for the upgrade to the ISO 9001: 2008 Quality System Standard and maintain certifications for the nuclear industry, TL 9000 for Telecommunications and ISO/TS 16949 for Automotive. The expectation is that General Cable will be the first wire and cable manufacturer to obtain certification to the International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS) for the railroad industry.

The total quality management system includes vision creation, strategic plan development and tactical methodology primarily focused on OperatorLed Process Control (OLPC) through the use of quality control plans. The vision for quality starts with the corporate quality policy — eneral Cable Photo 1. A General Cable associate gathers electrical is committed to developing, producing, and marketaging test data for his team’s Blackbelt project. ing products that meet the per ormance, uality, value and sa ety re uirements o our customers by continuously improving all areas o our business. tion and elimination of waste, while finding the simplest, Quality objectives are established in coordination with most effective way to perform any job task. The question Lean and Six Sigma initiatives and the corporate business we asked ourselves is “What are the barriers to low-cost, objectives for each manufacturing facility relating to high-quality, rapid-cycle processing?” The initial answer Defects per Million Units (DPMU), First Pass Yield (FPY), was that the manufacturing processes were set up in tradiquality control plan adherence and gross waste. tional “batch and queue” material flow “push” systems.

The union of quality, Lean and Six Sigma started in 1999 Large batches, long cycle times and excess inventory covwhen General Cable launched its Lean initiative and enviered up the barriers of rework, long set-up times, machine sioned an OLPC environment to focus on maximizing downtime and excessive transportation. It was obvious that process velocity and removing MUDA (waste), thereby a shift to continuous one-piece flow, with operations perimproving cost, safety, service, quality and working capital formed in the order of processes, was critical. utilization. The corporate objective was to change the culOne of the earliest uses of Lean at General Cable was the ture to “Think Lean” across all of its business practices implementation of 5S (Sort, Store, Shine, Standardize and using a common set of tools.

Sustain) methodology, and Visual Factory Management All General Cable associates were trained in the basics of (VFM) to develop and maintain a clean and organized Lean. The basis of the program centered on the identificaenvironment, demonstrating a drive for quality. The 5S 60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 1. One Lean Sigma tool General Cable uses is “The House of Quality,” a diagram resembling a house that helps translate the Critical to Quality (CTQ) characteristics as defined by customers and their relationship to the internal Critical to Process (CTP) characteristics that generate the product to meet the customers’ needs.

methodology provided a means to engage everyone so they could see the immediate changes and benefits. VFM served as the communication tool. The ground work was also laid with 5S to initiate the required discipline as more advanced Lean tools were employed.

With clean and organized work areas, the real factory was exposed; one could see what was and wasn’t going on, so the next focus was on implementing “pull” systems to replace only the inventory and/or products consumed.

Production was linked to customer demand, thus, eliminating large batches of Work-In-Process (WIP) inventory.

Kanbans were set up to provide visual authorization to replenish via work orders. With decreased inventory and improved cycle times, we were able to more quickly react to customer demanded changes.

After attacking inventory, the next target was the elimination of other wastes. Process flow charts and/or value stream maps were created to analyze process and information flow, and identify delay times at each work station in the process. Work was divided up into “value-added” and “non-value-added” activity. The tools provided a means to reduce inventory, increase throughput while decreasing

JULY 2011 | 61

TECHNICAL PAPERS

cycle and lead times, and to eliminate the non-value-added activities and their associated costs.

With reduced levels of inventory, the company in a sense lowered the water levels and new rocks “emerged.” WIP had compensated for incapable processes and variation.

Therefore, a new set of tools were required. In 2002, General Cable started its first Six Sigma Blackbelt training class utilizing an outside consulting firm. In order to avoid the “program of the month club” mentality, Six Sigma training was linked to the company’s Lean initiative, hence creating its Lean Six Sigma program. Based on initial results, the General Cable Leadership Team was supportive of the need to add additional tools to the Lean Toolbox, directed at process improvements.

General Cable’s Lean Six Sigma program expanded again in 2003 with the launch of its first Greenbelt training.

Candidates were trained to complete projects under the direction of a Blackbelt mentor and to support Blackbeltled projects. Over the next two years, a minimum of one Blackbelt and three Greenbelts were certified in each of the company’s 18 manufacturing facilities. In 2004, Lean Six Sigma Councils were introduced in each of the manufacturing plants and in the corporate office to identify potential candidates, link candidates, Blackbelts and Greenbelts to business and quality objectives, and to track project progress. In 2006, with three Certified Master Blackbelts at General Cable, all training was brought in-house.

While the Lean tools make a science of process flow, the Six Sigma tools work to eliminate the root causes of variation and defects as defined by customers. The tools taught in Six Sigma are closely related to Total Quality Management (TQM) and quality circles of the past. The single most important distinction is the introduction of the company’s Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) process and the standard business improvement model. DMAIC is used on all projects to achieve the fastest rate of improvement in customer satisfaction, quality, process velocity, cost and capital. In the early stages of the program, many General Cable associates thought DMAIC was a long, drawn-out process. In reality, they discovered that DMAIC can take an hour, a day, a month or a year, depending on the complexity of the issue or project.

First phase: define The first phase for General Cable was to “define,” by which the company develops and documents an understanding of the problems, processes and customer requirements. During this phase, the candidates choose process improvement projects that are directly linked to the business and quality objectives of reduced Defective Parts per Million Units (DPMU), increased WIP Turns, cost reductions, customer complaints, and scrap and inventory reductions. Pareto charts are utilized to help select projects purposefully and manage the project scope.

A project charter is developed and an agreement between the project sponsor and the candidate is signed on the project scope and what is to be accomplished. Once the project

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Photo 2. General Cable associates review data for their Blackbelt project.

charter is complete and the team has been assigned, a SIPOC (Supplier, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers) is used to develop a high-level understanding of the process, to identify the upstream and downstream links and to identify the suppliers and customers.

After the customers are identified, a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) or House of Quality (HoQ) is used to identify the customer requirements/Critical to Quality characteristics (CTQs), rate their importance and link them to the key technical features or Critical to Process characteristics (CTPs).

Second phase: measure Once the project is well defined, the project team proceeds to the measure phase, where they begin to determine the baseline performance, collect data for the next phase (analyze) and generate a focused problem statement. In the past, Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gauge R&R) studies were performed to validate the measurement systems and determine the source of measurement variation. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) expands the studies to include analysis of discrimination, bias, linearity and stability. It was discovered that several measurement systems were introducing variation beyond an acceptable range, which were identified as out-of-control conditions.

A key learning was that more variation could be introduced from the quality control checks than from the product itself. Measurement systems have been upgraded and, in some instances, compared with customers’ systems to ensure that the collected measurements are valid. Once the measurements systems are validated, process capability studies are performed to measure how well specific metrics are performing against the specifications. Initially, time series plots are used to plot measurement data that is timeordered to determine if there are any trends or shifts in the

TECHNICAL PAPERS

data. Control charts are then utilized to determine if the process is stable and acting in a predictable manner. Data are stratified to understand the problems and a focused problem statement is developed leading into the next phase (Analyze).

Third phase: analyze Several tools, including cause and effect diagrams or tree diagrams, scatter plots, stratified frequency plots, correlation and regression analysis, can be used in the Analyze phase to identify and verify root causes and compare variables. In the more complicated projects, Design of Experiments (DoE) is the structured manner used to study the effects of changing multiple variables simultaneously.

These studies often carry over into the next phase (Improve).

Fourth phase: improve In the improve phase, possible solutions for the root causes are created, implemented and tested to verify the results. Generally, a pilot is used to test the proposed solutions on a small scale prior to full implementation. The plan-do-check-act methodology is used to plan the change, make the change, check the results and then take appropriate action. The results are verified using hypothesis tests to validate improvements from the baseline performance and ensure that the improvements are statistically significant.

Fifth phase: control The final phase, control, is the most important phase because one does not want to fix the same problem twice.

Poka-Yoke or mistake-proofing techniques are implemented to maintain the gains and make it almost impossible to make a mistake. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is implemented to continuously improve the operation of equipment and systems through proactive maintenance activities. The key is to standardize work, improve the process then change the standard. Specifications, ISO documents, standardized procedures, work instructions and quality control plans are revised to reflect the changes.

Training is conducted with all applicable associates.

Operators are involved throughout the DMAIC process.

The capstone to the Operator-Led Process Control (OLPC) is the development and implementation of quality control plans. The quality control plans provide shop floor operators with a uniform and consistent method to eliminate quality escapes and waste, in addition to improved first pass yield, through monitoring and control of the variation in Critical to Quality (CTQ) and Critical to Process characteristics. The control plans are developed from a multidisciplinary team concept, including the quality manager, who serves as the leader, process and design engineering, manufacturing management and shop floor operators.

In order to develop the control plans, several tools are used from the company’s Lean and Six Sigma program to

Photo 3. General Cable associates prepare for a high-voltage test.

identify the CTQ characteristics. First and foremost, customers (external, internal and hidden) were identified and their end-item requirements, through the use of Voice of the Customer (VOC) techniques. A data collection plan is developed, information is gathered and through the use of affinity diagrams, is sorted and analyzed. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) or House of Quality (HoQ) matrices were used to translate the customer needs into the technical features of the product. Once the customer needs are translated, the CTP characteristics that affect the CTQs are identified and a matrix is completed to compare customer requirements to process characteristics. See Fig. 1. This information is then input into the control plan along with the applicable standards and/or specifications, measurement techniques and frequencies, control methodology and reaction plans.

In 2007, the General Cable Lean Six Sigma program expanded yet again with the introduction of a tiered approach to training and certification, which included a Lean Technician certification. The Lean Technician train-

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

ing is comprised of salaried and hourly associates. This allows for more involvement of associates and provides more knowledge and control of their processes. One of the primary tools is the utilization of Kaizen events, which provide a short-term focused approach to the DMAIC process.

Today, the General Cable program consists of ‘Lean 1,’ which is one-day training for all associates and is an overview of Lean basics. Candidates identified for ‘Lean Technician’ complete five days of training on intermediate Lean tools and must complete one Lean project. The Lean Technicians who perform well in class, complete their project with satisfactory results and want to become Greenbelts will be reviewed for candidacy. Greenbelt candidates receive two weeks of training with three to four weeks in between on intermediate Six Sigma-related tools and must complete one process variation related project.

Greenbelts who want to become Blackbelts must have the required education level and must have performed well as a Greenbelt in order to be considered. Blackbelt training consists of three additional weeks of advanced Lean and Six Sigma tools training in a classroom environment with three to four weeks in between to work on their projects.

The Blackbelts are required to complete an additional project for certification. The tiered training process is flourishing in our plants with an extended use of Kaizen methodology and operator participation.

At the time this paper was presented, General Cable employed four Master Blackbelts, 68 Blackbelts, 212 Greenbelts and 150 Lean Technicians, all of whom are leaders, and along with every other associate, think the right way, have command of the toolset and deliver the results.

In the past year and a half, the company has expanded the use of the North American Quality System structure and Lean and Six Sigma program to our South American operations. The financial gains have sustained General Cable through the economic downturns and improved shareholder value. Quality has become a positive differentiator in contract negotiations due in large part to the success of the Lean Six Sigma program in coordination with the customer-focused, comprehensive, corporate quality system. ■ Editor s note See the eature that begins on p. 6 in this issue or urther comments by ilson.

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William P. Wilson has been vice president of quality, Lean and Six Sigma for General Cable Corporation, Highland Heights, Kentucky, USA since June 2005. Prior to that, he was director of quality from May 2002 until June 2005. He joined the company in September 2000 as program Wilson manager of quality. He has been the driving force behind the company’s Lean and Six Sigma efforts across all teams, including manufacturing, business, and functional. In addition, he leads the company’s Corporate Quality Council and spearheads its global strategy for continuous improvement techniques. He began his career in 1985 in management with Kenner Products, a worldwide toy manufacturer, and then went onto General Electric Company as quality control coordinator/auditor for their aircraft engine manufacturing division. Prior to joining General Cable, he was the operations and quality assurance manager of Sumitomo Sitix Silicon, a silicon wafer manufacturer supplying automotive and electronic device manufacturers. He holds a B.S. degrees in industrial technology, and management and marketing from Northern Kentucky University. He is also a certified Master Blackbelt for General Cable. This paper was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, May 2010.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Strategic management for optimal utilization of wire rope Maximizing the use and life of wire rope requires a comprehensive, focused managed approach that takes into account a wide range of variables that can affect the safety and usable life of the wire rope.

By Surajit Dey

To achieve optimum asset performance, an organization needs to improve its operations and maintenance work by developing and adopting necessary precautionary and preventative strategies, which minimize failure and unplanned downtime of assets.

A structured operation and maintenance program needs to be developed to get the most out of wire rope production. This includes oil lubrication, the methods of application, rope cleaning, proper inspection of wire rope and the ultimate control and management of the program. Industry is continually striving to improve rope life by developing better rope lubricants/dressings, improvements to winder rope mechanisms and rope construction designs.

It has become clear in recent years that, with the prevailing skills shortages for mining and other industries, a structured program should preferably be carried out by an externally focused and specialized maintenance team. The goal is to achieve above-average capital investment returns through optimal rope life, reduced wear to sheaves, optimal use of shaft hoisting time, and protection of the environment and safety.

The program elements include planning, execution, performance monitoring and assurance of each activity, which if carried out correctly will help to enhance production performance, optimize reliability of asset, reduce in operations and maintenance expenses, optimize utilization of resources, and enable a company to be in full compliance to company policies and statutory regulations.

Planning Planning, which is essential for a number of issues that can vary for different sites, conditions and operating requirements, should be carried out along the following structured framework. ire rope register. All the planning must be reflected in the documented management that records all the elements for the life cycle of a wire rope, such as selection, certifi-

cation, storage, thorough examination and inspection, maintenance, history of use, records of damage or wear and final discard.

Detailed record of examination or inspection helps to identify the patterns of damage occurrence. This information can then be used in conjunction with the anticipated cycles of work to determine expected deterioration prior to the next scheduled inspection. If damage is detected that exceeds what was predicted in the maintenance records, a re-evaluation of the life expectancy of the wire will be required, and this should be followed by an inspection of all other associated machinery in order to establish the source of the accelerated damage. isk and reliability centered planning. A risk and reliability centered approach is employed to achieve the desirable functional integrity of the plants and systems. The functional criticality of the wire rope is assigned according to a risk-based assessment. It helps to study the condition of rope over a period of time at regular intervals, taking into account its age and its condition in the installation.

This information can help achieve the optimum safety, economy and reliability of ropes being used in their current installation. It also helps to identify the appropriate maintenance strategy, prioritizing the efforts and ability to meet the business objectives with regards to wire ropes.

Critical rope assessment is based on the potential consequences related to: changes in diameter of rope under load; the number of broken wires, especially in a lay; changes in lay length of the wire rope; and the relative loss in metallic cross sectional area of the wire rope.

Value-added planning. Inspection and maintenance planning of the wire rope needs to be carried out on the basis that the cost will be justified as providing added value. This incorporates a cost-benefit analysis as part of the planning stage. For this analysis, determination is made on a full life cycle basis.

Activity cost-benefit analysis shall be used to challenge

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the relevance and cost effectiveness of the inspection and maintenance. This would lead the life cycle cost optimization through objective refinement of inspection and maintenance practices. The same techniques shall also be employed for evaluating the cost effectiveness/benefits of outsourcing versus in-house effort and the replacement/residual life extension option.

Li e cycle planning. An organization needs to develop an inspection and maintenance plan to match the full life cycle objectives, considering the aforementioned riskbased and value added analysis.

The life cycle planning of wire rope, which is required to achieve optimal economic production, concurrently meeting safety and statuary requirements in line with the business objectives, can include: inspection and maintenance record or register of entire wire rope system; functional criticality evaluation; statutory requirement; as-built information, operation and maintenance manuals; a manual recommended maintenance plan; value-added maintenance and inspection assessment; and operating objectives and operating expenses, The life cycle plan will consist of: expected service life of the wire rope vis-à-vis the field life; expected performance of wire rope; resource requirements, including inhouse and external service provider; spare parts requirements for the entire wire rope system; and overall maintenance and inspection plan of wire rope.

Execution outine inspection. The time interval and extent of inspection and maintenance for wire rope varies depending on their construction and use1. Visual inspection is the simplest non-destructive examination (NDE) method for wire ropes. Visual inspection can only include the exterior strands. Core damage, fatigue cracking, internal corrosion attack, insufficient lubrication, and other potentially serious types of degradation may be invisible in visual inspection.

The general condition of wire rope is monitored on a daily basis, when in use, to inspect the signs of general deterioration and damage. The wire is inspected by a responsible person or a responsible team before commencement of work and on completion of a work cycle.

Wire rope of six- or eight-strand construction holds up to 90% of their strength in their outer strands. It is the support provided by the core that maintains the wire efficiency and performance. Internal examination is therefore a vital component of any inspection regime and may be carried out.

Periodic non-destructive evaluation. Wire rope is a consumable item with a limited life, and during its service life, the physical properties of wire rope will change. There are two types of stretch that usually occur in wire ropes: constructional stretch (or permanent stretch) and elastic stretch (or load stretch). Constructional stretch occurs due to the

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Photo 1. Measurement of wire rope diameter. wires within the rope “bedding” in. The rate and degree of this stretch varies according to the type of rope, load on the rope and sag of the rope. New ropes stretch more. Stretch decreases throughout a rope’s useful life and increases again at the time of wear. It is difficult to predict constructional stretch. Stranded ropes with a fiber core generally stretch 0.25-0.75% depending on the load on ropes. Elastic stretch is the stretch induced by a change in rope end load2.

At the commencement of service, the individual wire and strands settle into position and the rope-breaking strength increases. After reaching a maximum, it decreases rapidly.

This decrease in breaking strength is caused by the progressive loss of the metallic cross section, by wire breaks and by changes in the structure of the wire rope.

Regular NDE of wire ropes is required to attain maximum service life and avoid costly, and possibly inconvenient, replacement. One can observe excessive wear on the outside wires, which can be seen as a marked reduction of rope diameter, broken wires, corrosion and pitting, state of lubrication, core condition, etc. The reduction in rope diameter due to excessive wear of the outside wires should be thoroughly investigated and its cause determined. In case of broken wires, their number and distribution over a distance should be taken into account to calculate their effect.

The frequency of the wire rope examination depends upon the following factors3: statutory requirements; type of appliances and design of the system; operational environmental condition; method and frequency of operation; manufacturer’s recommendation; result of previous inspection and examination; and experience with the previous ropes of the system.

DE re uirements. The following elements may be required for NDE testing: a Vernier caliper; steel tape; a piece of white chalk; pencil; a roll of marking tape; a piece of cleaning cloth; wire brush; a pair of gloves; a notebook; carbon paper; and a defectograph machine with rolls of machine paper.

Manual DE testing determination o rope diameter.

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The rope diameter of the rope is measured with the help of a Vernier caliper.

See Photo 1. The measurements are required to be taken at two points, 1 Fig 1. Measurement of lay length with the help of carbon paper. meter apart on a straight portion. At each diameter point, two measurements should be taken at right angles with each other. The average of the four measurements will be the measured diameter of the rope.

The measurement of the rope with an even number of strands is done from crown to crown of the strand with the discussed method. For a rope with an odd number of strands, the caliper must be applied diagonally to the axis of the rope, so that a crown adjacent to a valley is covered.

Determination o lay length. The lay length of the rope is measured to detect any increase in length of the rope. The Fig. 2. Calibration of Defectograph. section of rope to be measured is cleaned, then the lay length is measured by wrapping the carbon paper around the rope under the plain white paper and rubbing along the paper. See Fig. 1.

There will be carbon marking on the underside of the white paper confined to the strand crowns of the rope, then the length of a lay is measured by a scale from the marked paper.

Checking rope stability. A well-condiFig 3. Results of tests for case study. tioned rope should have all strands tightly laid. This tightness can be examined by inserting a screw driver between the strands when twisted. There should loss, one must consider that the typical cross-sectional area be stiff resistance when inserting the screw driver if the for stranded rope is about 55% of the full (nominal) crossrope is in good condition. This examination is to be done sectional area. The average rope speed during the study is by a very skilled person, otherwise the rope will be damnormally maintained at nearly 1.0 meter/second, but it can aged. be increased for scanning of very long rope.4 See Fig. 2. peration o de ectograph or DE. A wire rope defechen to discard ire rope. Per NDE results, a wire rope tograph that uses either the DC magnetic method or the can be considered ready to be discarded if one of the folpermanent magnetic method is suitable generally for maglowing criteria is fulfilled: it has a relative loss in metallic netization of the rope with permanent magnets and deteccross section greater then 10%, although this also depends tion of the changes of magnetic field around the rope and upon the type of rope; there is a reduction in diameter of total magnetic flux. Various types of sensors can be adaptwire rope greater than 6%; the lay length should lie ed to the instrument depending on the design of the magbetween 6d and 8d, where d is the diameter of the rope in netic concentrators and type, number and location of sensmm; the concentration of broken wires in a rope lay is ing devices. The entire rope is scanned by Defectograph more than 3, but this also depends upon the type of rope; for the determination of a local fault (LF) in a damaged and when there are abrupt changes in lay length, diameter rope section or a metallic loss in the cross-sectional area of wire rope or loss in metallic cross sectional area com(LMA). The rope can also be scanned in two parts. The pared to the last examination. marking on the rope is done with marking tape for scanCase study. A 28-mm-diameter galvanized wire rope, ning the entire rope. with full locked coil construction and an LH lay that was The Defectograph is normally calibrated by 80 sq mm used as a multi-rope friction winder, was evaluated by Non and 20 sq mm rod for the Hall Effect channel for comparDestructive Evaluation (NDE) over a period of two years. ison of metallic cross section. For calculation of relative The rope was used in cage winder in mines and discarded

TECHNICAL PAPERS Photo 2. Lubrication of wire ropes. within 26 months. The length of the rope for scanning was 428,307 meters.

The results obtained in-situ in two consecutive studies on this rope after its installation is tabulated,5 and the lay length during the first investigation is shown in Fig. 3.

Preventative maintenance program An efficient program includes the following parameters.

Lubrication o ire rope. Periodic application of a highquality preservative lubricant increases the service life of wire rope, resulting in cost savings, reduction in downtime, and significantly reduces the possibility of breakage causing injury or death.

The majority of wire rope is manufactured with highcarbon steel that has a tendency to corrode when subjected to outside conditions, such as moisture, acid rain, road salt, salt air, etc. A wire rope has hundreds of individual wires, which are formed and fabricated to operate at a close bearing tolerance one to another. A high-quality lubricant that has penetrating capabilities will reduce the wear caused by the metal-to-metal contact occurring when the wires slide and adjust to accommodate the differences in length as the wire rope bends around a drum or sheave. Lubricant also repels attack from the three major causes of corrosion, moisture, salt and acid.

Practical lubricant application methods. The two basic methods of application are manual and automatic. The method to be employed depends on:6 the number of cycles the winder or hoist operates per day; the load it carries; the operating speed of the conveyance; the rope lengths; and the shaft or environmental conditions.

Manual application (see Photo 2) can be used on stationary ropes such as guide ropes, stay ropes and stage ropes, and on Koepe tail ropes. Automatic application can be employed on medium-to heavy-duty winders.

Lubricating oil. The basic requirements for a successful wire rope lubricating oil include: it must be penetrating oil that has the ability to work its way to the core of the rope through capillary action; it must have the correct adhesive properties; it must be compatible to the primary lubricant with which a rope has been manufactured; it must be pure

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oil that does not solidify; it must have the ability to prevent internal and external corrosion by repelling and displacing water; it must have the strength to withstand the crushing loads applied to it within and on the surface of the rope; and it must be of such a nature that the oil can be optimally applied through spraying, rolling or brushing with minimum wastage. ope and drum cleaning. Rope and drum cleaning is an essential part of any winder rope maintenance program for increasing rope, sheave and drum life. Where ropes have previously been coated with a dressing and are to be lubricated with oil, this dressing and any abrasive backfill must first be removed from the ropes and winder drums to allow optimum penetration of the oil into the ropes preventing the now softened rope dressing from flinging off the ropes. emoval o broken ires. During inspection, if ends of broken wires are detected that during use might cross adjacent wires and destroy them when running over sheaves, the broken wire ends must be removed. The ends of broken wires are removed by moving them backwards and forwards until they break deep in the valley between the two outer strands.

Cutting or shi ting o steel ire ropes. Local damage can occur from rubbing between two layers of the rope on the drum or due to climbing of the rope over another layer on the drum. The rope is shortened by cutting the damaged portion and the rope is shifted to the fixing point. This process can extend the service life of the wire rope.

S itching ire rope direction. The various rope sections are subjected to very different stresses. Sometimes the rope can be reversed after a certain time so that the drum end of the rope is shifted to other end.7 This process is done after a cost-benefit analysis.

Performance monitoring and assurance A performance indicator can be established to monitor efficiencies, effectiveness, variances and performance of wire rope systems. Performance indicators are used to set target, monitor performance and trend and as a guide to improve future planning and optimization.

Overall indicators of effectiveness of entire program include: impact (opportunity loss) due to breakdown of wire rope system; planned versus actual maintenance costs; availability of wire rope; mean time between failure (MTBF) of wire rope system; condition monitoring trends of wire rope; and load transmitted against the planned transmission of load.

Performance measurement provides a presentation of strategic-performance measures from four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes and learning and growth. Management needs to conduct periodic quality audits of the entire program. Corrective actions arising out of the audit review provide for continuous improvement.

Conclusion Strategic management encompassing essential production and operational aspects can be used for optimal uti-

7. R. Verreet, “Handling, Installation and Maintenance of Steel Wire Ropes,” February 1997, CASAR Special Wire Rope, website: www.casar.de.

8. D. Basak, “Comparison of Condition of a Haulage Rope with Nondestructive Evaluation Standards: A Case Study,” Journal o ondestructive esting & Evaluation, Vol. 4,, Issue 2, September 2005, pp. 43-46.

9. S. D. Singh and B. Ghara, “Steel Wire Rope Condition Monitoring by Non-destructive Investigation and Evaluation While on Installation/Service,” 15th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, Rome, 2000. ■

Acknowledgment The author is grateful to Amalendu Sinha, the director of CIMFR for his kind permission to publish this paper. The author also wishes to thank Dr. D. Basak, Scientist E-II, CIMFR, for his valuable advice during preparation of the manuscript. The views expressed in the paper are that of the author and not of the organization he serves.

References 1. “Wire Ropes and Their Uses,”© North of England P&I Association, 2008, website: www.nepia.com.

2. D. Basak, S. Pal and D. C. Patranabis, “In-situ Nondestructive Assessment of a Haulage Rope in a Monocable Zigback Passenger Ropeway”, nsight Vol. 50, No. 3 March 2008, pp. 136 -137.

3. R. Verreet and W. Lindsay, “Wire Rope Inspection and Maintenance,” 1996, CASAR Special Wire Rope, website: www.casar.de.

4. D. Basak, S. Pal and D. C. Patranabis, “Nondestructive Evaluation of a 6X25 FW Haulage Rope in a Monocable Continuously Moving Passenger Cable Car Installation”, CS nternational Journal o Engineering and echnology, Vol. 1, No. 5, December 2009, pp. 486-488.

5. CIMFR (erstwhile CMRI) Project Reports on NonDestructive investigation on Steel Wire Ropes, 2006-2008.

6. S. Babendererde and J. Pusch, “Managing and Lubricating Ropes with Oil,” OIPEEC Conference, Johannesburg, September 2007.

Surajit Dey is responsible for the engineering workshop of the Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India.

He joined the Institute in 2002.

Previously, he worked for about four years as a junior plant and machinery engineer at Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Bangalore, India.

He earned an M.Tech. degree in Dey industrial engineering and management from the Indian School of Mines; graduated from the Institution of Engineers, Kolkata, India, after studies in mechanical engineering; and earned his diploma in mechanical engineering from West Bengal State Council of Technical Education. This paper was presented at WAI’s International Technical Conference, October 2010, Monterrey, Mexico.

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lization of wire rope in a safe, reliable, cost effective and consistent manner. Strategic maintenance programs can maximize reliability of wire rope through a total planned approach that systemizes all (i.e., preventive, predictive, and planned) maintenance aspects, and includes control of maintenance quality. The strategic dimensions of maintenance management form the basis for wise decision-making, which can be performed during any phase of the system’s life, but preferably sooner than later.

The maintenance strategy should contain considerations of the following elements: technical documentation; Failure Mode Effect Analysis of wire rope; critical evaluation of wire rope; value added planning and Life Cycle planning; optimized utilization of resources; measures of the effectiveness of a maintenance program; records regarding competences of the maintenance personnel; proper maintenance budget and cost tracking; and audits and review of the entire program.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS ... WITH A GREEN TOUCH PRODUCTS Premium motor line expanded U.S.-based Baldor Electric Company (see p. 38) reports that it has expanded its Baldor•Reliance® Super-E line of premium efficient motors, which will now be available in almost any configuration for specific applications.

A press release said that the company’s new Super-E motors include 26 premium efficient ratings designed for the heating, ventilating and air conditioning industry, more than 50 washdown, paint-free and all stainless premium efficient ratings, and more than 70 premium efficient unit handling ratings. Super-E efficiencies meet or exceed NEMA Premium™ efficiencies followed by most electric utilities and meet or exceed levels required by the Energy Independence and Security Act, it said. Baldor has also added 450 additional Super-E designs across many AC motor families to solidify its commitment to offering the broadest line of NEMA Premium motors available in the industry, with nearly 1,100 different stock Super-E ratings, it noted.

The Super-E motors have general-purpose ratings that are available from stock in 1 to 500 horsepower. Baldor also stocks Super-E severe-duty motors up to 700 horsepower in low and medium voltages, C-Face to 100 horsepower, explosion-proof through 200 horsepower, and close-coupled pump ratings up to 50 horsepower. The range of stock Super-E designs includes washdown duty, IEEE 841 severe duty, 200 and 575-volt, brake motors and open drip proof through 450 horsepower.

Baldor•Reliance premium efficiency custom motors are available through 15,000 horsepower, and now ABB IEC motors are available through 100,000 horsepower.

Contact: Baldor Electric Company, tel. 479-646-4711, www.baldor.com.

A ‘green’ approach to heating U.S.-based Ambrell, a manufacturer of induction heating systems, offers energy-efficient heating solutions that includes its recently expanded line of EKOHEAT low-frequency systems.

A press release explained that induction heating is a more efficient process as the flameless, non-contact method only generates heat within the part being heated.

Other methods of heating are less efficient because they heat a larger area instead of just the desired part, and as induction is a rapid method of heating, it only consumes

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energy when the power is on and the part is inside the coil, it said.

The company’s EKOHEAT systems convert power extremely efficiently with a power factor in excess of 0.9, which minimizes energy costs, the release said.

Agile frequency tuning in the EKOHEAT systems continuously optimizes the delivery of power to the heated part providing consistent and repeatable heating, it said.

Ambrell notes that it has installed over 10,000 systems in more than 50 countries. Ameritherm and Cheltenham Induction Heating are part of the Ambrell group of companies.

Contact: Ambrell, tel. 585-889-9000, www.ameritherm.com.

Pre-coating is borax-free alternative At Interwire 2011 and at wire Russia 2011, France’s Condat introduced VICAFIL TS 7101, a versatile boron salt-free coating that can be used for both carbon steel and stainless steel wires.

A press release said that the environmentally friendly product provides an even coating, dries quickly and prevents corrosion as does borax, but without the drawbacks associated with its use.

VICAFIL TS 7101 can be used after acid cleaning or after mechanical descaling processes, in batch or in-line, it said, noting that it can provide high drawing performance without phosphate conversion coatings.

VICAFIL TS 7101 is a versatile coating which can be used on both carbon steel and stainless steel wires.

Typical applications include tire cord for tires, saw wire, bead wire, PC wire, mattress wire, spring wire and more.

Not using boron eliminates concerns with boron effluents and operator exposure for a safer working environment, the release said. The product also offers options to manufacturers concerned about environmental legislation that continues to be more restrictive.

Contact: Condat, tel. 33-4-78-07-38-38, info@condat.fr, www.condat-lubricants.com.

Swiss-based Microdia SA notes that while new ecological compounds are not as difficult to extrude as they used to be, they are still sensitive to stress, mechanical friction, high pressure and overheating. That’s why the company has developed products that make it easier for manufacturers to produce eco-wire and eco-cables without using materials such as PVC, halogens and lead, and do not generate hazardous substances such as dioxins when incinerated or buried in a landfill.

A press release said that the company’s ECO-GREEN family of crossheads, for products such as Power cables, telecom cables, electronic equipment wire, automotive wire, and LAN cable, is specially engineered to increase the production speed of polymers alloys, thanks to a perfectly calculated flow path from the head entry to the die exit. Those crossheads, combined with the special distributors, newly designed tips and dies and latest coatings techniques, which are characteristics of the company’s ECOMEX series, were presented for the first time at wire 2010 in Germany, it said. They can process core diameters from 7.0 mm to 21 mm.

The new ECOMEX series, the release said, offers the following essential improvements: a remastered head design; a computer-calculated, extra-deep flow path; improved tip and die design; a high-tech antifouling coating; and an optional advanced fluid circulation heat/cool exchanger. These features are key to the production of eco-wire and eco-cables that must meet requirements from materials to heat resistance, it said.

Contact: Microdia AS, info@microdia.com, www.microdia.ch; in the U.S., Dave Stecker, tel. 401295-0808, dstrecker@microdiausa.com.

limited as there is no more cable “whip” effect as wires run through the composite inside a special wearing tube that is easily removable, it said.

GreenBow is distributed worldwide through the Gauder Group network and is available for systems from Kinrei, Niehoff, SAMP and Setic, with others in development.

Contact: Gauder Group, Inc., tel. 336-856-8176, bowtechnology@gaudergroup.com, www.bowtechnology.com.

Going ‘green’ in galvanizing U.S.-based SunWyre reports that the company’s Magneto-Hydro-Dynamic Galvanizing Process (MHD Galvanizing) offers an innovative approach to the production of galvanized and Galfanized long products that include steel wire, rod, rebar and tubing.

This bow aims for energy savings Bow Technology, distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Gauder Group, Inc., now includes the “GreenBow,” a patented advance for double-twist bow systems that can save manufacturers up to 30% on their electrical power.

A press release said that the innovative product will appeal to any every producer concerned about energy savings. Its revolutionary clean line shape and totally protected wire path result in enhanced double-twist machine, it said, adding that it is also has reduced noise levels thanks to better air penetration. As far as final cable is concerned, it observed, better characteristics are obtained at same speed as wires are protected from aerodynamic turbulence. Moreover, the risk of a bow crash is extremely

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Dies forward ‘green’ cable production

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

A press release notes that despite improvements over the years, classical hot-dip galvanizing systems do not lend themselves to the green transition of manufacturing because of three reasons: high-power consumption for maintaining large volumes of molten zinc; use of acid, acid rinse and flux to clean and prep the steel; and chemical processing and disposal of hazardous waste. By contrast, SunWyre’s proprietary MHD Galvanizing process, based on the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids, allows the efficient application and control of the coating of zinc on the finished product without the drawbacks, it said.

The release said that the MHD Galvanizing Process, which can use as mcuh as 66% less energy than a traditional process, creates a finished product with superior formability and corrosion resistance and is nonpolluting and energy efficient. It employs: blast cleaning and surface profiling to prep the steel; energy-efficient induction heating of the wire/rod; low power consumption for maintaining only one ton of molten zinc; no use of acid, acid rinse or flux; and no hazardous wastes or byproducts.

Galfan, a zinc-aluminum alloy, offers superior corrosion protection, and SunWyre’s process results in an ecofriendly Galvanizing process for continuous long products in various markets.

Contact: SunWyre, tel. 904-620-9507, www.sunwyre.com.

Pigmented ink has low VOC The latest offering from U.S.-based Gem Gravure Co., Inc., is GNG5765 ink, which has a low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content and no reportable Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).

A press release described GNG5765 as a bright green

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opaque ink based on pigment dispersions specifically designed for ink jet fluids. Codes stand out on a variety of colors, allowing one ink to be used on a variety of packaging colors, it said. Ink jet fluids cannot be chosen by regulatory status alone as they have to work and work well, and GNG5765 fulfills all the expectations, it declared.

The release said that there is a two-fold reason for wanting to reduce VOCs. Once emitted into the air, they can react with other chemicals, leading to the formation of ground level ozone (smog), so from an environmental standpoint, reducing VOCs helps to improve air quality.

From a business standpoint, eliminating these materials can reduce the need to obtain emissions permits, which is particularly important in EPA non-attainment areas where clean air standards have not been met, it said.

The release noted that GEM inks are tested and available for use in all major ink jet printer types, and that every fluid manufactured by GEM complies with RoHS regulations.

Contact: Gem Gravure Co., Inc., tel. 781-878-0456, www.gemgravure.com.

Color changes can be completed as quick as a ‘green’ production minute A color-change system with especially quick turnover from Austria-based Unitek, represented in the North America by Howar Equipment, Inc., can help cable manufacturers improve their scrap, energy savings and plant resources.

A press release said that Unitek’s model UFW1 Color Change system, which employs one primary extruder and two secondary extruders, can change the skin color or

Contact: Unitek, www.unitek.at; Howar Equipment, Inc., tel. 905-265-8912, sales@howarequipment.com, www.howarequipment.com.

Plasma systems promote bonding of inks and coatings to cable surface U.S.-based Enercon Industries Corporation supplies atmospheric plasma treaters that are being used as in-line surface treating solution to increasing marking adhesion for wire and cable applications. Atmospheric plasma systems activate surfaces and increase surface energy levels to promote bonding of aqueous inks, coatings and adhesives to provide excellent abrasion and smudge resistance.

Treatment is effective on a wide variety of polymer materials used in the wire and cable industry and enable “green” process advancements and reduced production costs when compared to existing manufacturing technologies. Manufacturers are able to replace solvent inks with water based or UV inks eliminating harmful VOCs. Surface treatment also eliminates the use of chemical primers and surface roughing processes prior to printing.

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stripe color on a product while in full production, often in less than a minute, depending on the product. By contrast, a standard color changeover can take up to 30 minutes, and two color changes a day result in an hour of downtime and scrap. Further, the Unitek’s much shorter changeover results in far less scrap, just 13% of that generated by a standard color change, it said.

“Using the example above you can decrease the amount of time and energy it takes to produce the same amount of product by 767 hours annually,” the release said. “It is easy to see that a savings the of material, scrap, and decreased energy cost will not only pay for itself very quickly, but actually give 767 hours of available time to increase production.”

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

Plasma treating works with both impact and non-impact marking methods. They are ideal for marking XLPE, XLETFE, ECTFE, FEP, PTFE, FEP, PFA, PVF, PI, PEI, PEEK, PPS, PSU LCP and more. Plasma treating is safe for both conductive and non-conductive surfaces. They can easily be integrated with robotics for precise treating patterns or be mounted over a conveyor.

Contact: Mark Plantier, Enercon Industries Corporation, tel. 262-250-6070, mplantier@enerconmail.com.

Mechanical descaling system provides for efficient cleaning of wire while reducing the use of energy Industrial processes do not need to be either damaging or a burden to the environment as cleaning steel rod prior to drawing can be done in an environmentally friendly manner with mechanical wire descalers from Italy’s OM Frigerio, represented in North America by Howar Equipment Inc. Mechanical descaling is done by bending wire/rod around tungsten carbidefused rollers that help break off the brittle mill scale from the wire. OM Frigerio provides systems for rod up to 0.55 in. (14 mm) that can perform reverse-bend descaling. Subsequent high speed brushing units clean the material to a clean pre-draw state and can process wire at speeds up to 1000/ft/min (5m/sec).

The OM Frigerio systems eliminate the use of hazardous materials as no volatile chemicals or materials are needed for the efficient cleaning of steel rod when using mechanical descalers. The FASO units use reverse-bending rollers to break off the brittle surface scales, which fall into a collection basin which is further recyclable. Further cleaning of oxides and surface of the rod is done on the subsequent wire brushing heads that use a high speed rotating and orbiting head to perfectly clean the entire circumference of the wire/rod.

Dust is collected through a sealed vacuum system that eliminates the introduction of oxide dust into the factory. The wire/rod then goes directly into the wiredrawing machine which can use borax-free lubricants often without precoating.

The descalers are very energy-efficient, using non-motorized idle reverse bending rollers therefore not consuming power. The brushing head utilizes a 4kW motor and the vacuum system operates on a separate 0.5 kW fan for minimal power consumption compared with running a pickling plant. Since the descaling can be in-line with wiredrawing, there is an additional benefit of fewer material moves.

Contact: OM Frigerio, via Howar Equipment Inc., tel. 905-265-8912, sales@howarequipment.com, www.howarequipment.com.

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For over 55 years, U.S.- based Radyne Corporation, part of the Inductotherm Group, has taken great pride in providing customers with high-quality induction heating equipment. For wire processing applications, it offers system for rod preparation and drawing, spring steel hardening and tempering, PSC wire and strand and ferrous/nonferrous annealing systems.

A press release said that Radyne’s induction heating can provide wire manufacturers with the following benefits: reduced electrical energy usage with “instant on, instant off”; the vacuum or inert gas systems require no cleaning; no combustible fuels are used in the process; a bright outside surface that requires no further finishing; the replacement of oil quenching and lead baths by water quenching; and prevention of water-cooling systems being contaminated with scale, which lowers maintenance costs; and minimization of distortion.

The company notes that the above characteristics allow manufacturers to both fill orders faster and makes small orders more economical. The induction heating technology can be integrated into an existing line, there is no need to

generate large inventories to be spooled for batch oven processing and the existing furnace can be removed, freeing up floor space.

One example of its technology is Radyne’s bright annealing systems that fit directly inline with today’s high-speed drawing and rolling lines, making them the preferred choice for lean, agile manufacturing, the release said. Whether the material is copper, stainless, nickel, titanium or other nonferrous material, it said, in-line annealing at drawing and rolling speeds allows manufacturers to process wire to size with an inter-stage or final anneal without having to generate large inventories to be spooled for batch oven processing.

Contact: Radyne Corporation, tel. 414-481-8360, sales@radyne.com, www.radyne.com. ■

JULY 2011 | 75

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

Induction heating: a ‘green’ approach with multiple production benefits

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS seeking positions are entitled to free “Position Wanted” classified ads. Limit: one ad per issue, three ads per year. This benefit is not transferable to nonmembers or to companies.

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: • $1.30 per word for J and on-line classifieds at wirenet.org (20-word minimum). • Blind box numbers, add $25. • Boldface headlines, add $6 per line (up to 18 characters per line). Specify category.

BLIND BOX INFO: Responses to Blind Box ads should be addressed to: ire Journal nternational, Box number (as it

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES WIRE OPERATORS WANTED. Experienced in Copper wire fabricating on bunchers, multiwire machines, rod breakdown or bobbin winders.

Excellent work environment with competitive pay plus health Care benefits.

Please send resume to SARK Wire Corp. 120 Industrial Park Road, Albany, NY 12206 OR send an e-mail to vpresident@sark-usa.com OR fax to (518) 453 4166.

PERSONNEL SERVICES “LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry manufacturers to secure the services of thousands of key individual contributors and managers.

Contact: E-mail Peter Carino at pcarino@wireresources.com or e-mail Jack Cutler at jcutler@ wireresources.com, or visit the Wire Resources company website at www.wireresources.com.

Wire Resources, Inc., 522 E. Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830, 203-622-3000 or 800-394-WIRE.

MACHINERY WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. COM. For New (Hakusan Heat Pressure Welders, Ferrous & NonFerrous; Marldon Rolling Ring Traverses) & Used Wire & Cable Equipment (buttwelders, coldwelders,

76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

appears in print or on-line), P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA. PAYMENT POLICY: All ads must be pre-paid.

DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance, i.e., it must be received by March 1 for publication in the April issue. Classifieds booked on-line, run for at least one-month on-line, from the date of booking. ire Journal nternational “Print classifieds” booked on-line as an “add-on” to an “online classified” booking will run in the next available issue.

color-o-meters and pointers). Tel: 727863-4700 or by e-mail, please send to urbassoc@verizon.net.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENT. Big wire rope producer in the Center of Europe seeks a Partner who can invest in Wire Drawing Equipment at our existing wire rope factory.

Contact Blind Box: 5-1.

PURGING COMPOUNDS AMERICA’S OLDEST SUPPLIER. Since 1948, we’ve supplied millions of pounds so we know a little bit about JIT deliveries an customer satisfaction. We sell for less because our costs are less.

BUY SMART - WE DO. Alan Plastics Co., Inc. PH: (781) 828-0700. FX: (781) 828-2087. Contact: E-mail: alplas@aol.com, www.alplastic.com

DIES

AJEX & TURNER WIRE DIES CO. The company offers a wide range of PCD/ND/ Carbide Dies, Extrusion Tools, Die Polishing Machines, Ceramic & Diamond Tools. www.ajexturner.com. Send inquiries to either ajexturner@ gmail. com or to sales@ajexturner.com. A-53, G.T. Karnal Road, Delhi-33 India. Ph: 00919811078882 (Ravi Bansal).

LUMPKILLER DIES. For removing of zinc lumps. Lumps on inlet wires by the drawing of galvanized wires often results in wire breaks and reduced wire quality. Installment of special designed Lumpkiller dies in line with the first drawing die will totally remove the lumps and reduced drawing efficiency caused by lump breaks and eventual spots of reduced tensiles are avoided.

LK-dies and instructions of use can be delivered by HUGDAHL ENGINEERING. Contact us by email h-joe-hu@ online.no or fax ++ 47-7284-5376 for info and price.

SANCLIFF SHAPED WIRE DIES. All sizes and shapes R2 to R12. Highest Quality, Shortest Lead Times, Lowest Cost and Superior Customer Service.

60+ years of quality products and service to the wire industry. Contact Bill Drumm at 1-800-332-0747, or E-Mail at sales@sancliff.com.

MOLONEY DIE COMPANY. Low prices on all sizes of new, used and recut carbide dies. We also recut tapered nibs. Fast turn-around.

Quality service since 1985. Tel. 904388-3654.

APOLLO DIA-CARB COMPANY. Buy & sell new/used Natural and PCD DIAMOND DIES. Fair prices and excellent lead times. Contact Paulette, Owner-Sales, by telephone at 1-508226-1508 or by e-mail at apollodie@ wmconnect.com.

FERROUS WIRE HANDBOOK. This comprehensive hard-cover book is a definitive industry resource for ferrous wire written by WAI members and edited by former WAI President Robert M. Shemenski, this 1,168 page hard-cover book was published in 2008. It is a mod-

MEDIA

NAME _________________________________________________________________________TITLE _________________________________________________ COMPANY ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY ________________________________________STATE _______________POSTAL CODE _____________________COUNTRY _______________________ PHONE ______________________________FAX________________________________EMAIL _______________________________________________________ AD CATEGORY____________ ISSUE YOUR AD BEGINS___________E-mail NUMBER OF ISSUES RUN _______LAST ISSUE ________________RUN TILL FURTHER NOTICE? YES____ NO ____ FULL RUN (WJI & ON-LINE) YES____ NO ____

BLIND BOX? YES____ NO ____

WAI MEMBER? YES____ NO ____ WAI MEMBERSHIP # ______________________ (Applies only to “Position Wanted”)

ern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering, or operations sectors of the industry. The 36 chapters cover topics from equipment types, and processes to specialty applications of steel wire manufacturing. List Price is $235, $195 for WAI members.

SIX SIGMA AND OTHER IMPROVEMENT TOOLS FOR THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, was written by Gary Conner, the author of Lean Manu acturing or the Small Shop, describes six sigma and how it is used in smaller companies.

Published by the Society of

Please e-mail the requested information to: WAI’s Cindy Kirmss at ckirmss@wirenet.org.

For more details, you can call her at 203-453-2777, ext. 116.

Manufacturing Engineers, it shows the relationship between continuous improvement, lean, and quality, and focuses on implementation for operators, managers, and owners. The book includes a supplementary CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI Members. ■

COMMISSION BROKERS, INC. EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRE & CABLE INDUSTRY APPRAISERS • COMMISSION BROKERS • INDIVIDUAL PIECES OR ENTIRE PLANTS

More than 1,200 second-hand machines in stock Reconditioned 6 block double capstan drawing machine

New machines designed for your production New Bongard drawing line for trolley wire

Bongard Machines USA Bongard Machines USA LLCLLC 832160 Mill· 6920 LakePointe RoadInverness Way Suite Fort Wayne, IN. 46845 Fort Wayne, IN 46804, USA Phone 260-338-2634 Phone +1 260 225 4510 Fax 260-338-2635 Fax +1 260 225 4513 E-Mail chris.z@bongard.us E Mail jh@bongard.us www.bongard.us www.bongard.us

FOR SALE 1 - WARDWELL 24-Carrier Speedmaster Braider 7 - WARDWELL 12-Carrier Braiders 1 - OMA 24-Carrier Braider, Type 24/1 104 w/Payoff and Take-up 2 - OMA 24-Carrier Braiders, Type 24+24/140TCH/EORIZ, 1996 w/Capstans 1 - SPIRKA 24-Carrier Braider, Model 24N4, 1990 1 - SPIRKA 16-Carrier Braider, 500mm Take-up and Payoff 1 - NEB 12-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor 1 - NEB 16-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor 1 - EDMANDS 18-Wire, 6+12, 16” Planetary Cabler Line 2 - NEB Model C62-2 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers, 1987 1 - MGS 50” Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, Model LC50.4D-LH 1 - RDN 36” Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan 1 - Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, 106” Belt Length x 8” Width 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 100mm 24:1 L/D Extruder, Model 100MM35

1 - D/S 2.5” 24:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extrusion Line 1 - D/S 2” 30:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruder 1 - ENTWISTLE 2” 24:1 L/D Extruder, Model TFII-2000-24 1 - HALL 60” Drag Payoff, 1997 1 - HALL 40” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer 1 - VITECK 36” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer 1 - SKALTEK 1600mm, Model A16-4K, Motorized 1 - ROSENDAHL 630mm Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, never used 1 - NOKIA Model EKP50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel, 1997 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbished 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model PRR1 Rim Drive Powered Reel Roller 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Takeup w/Coiling Head 1 - TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister 1 - ENTWISTLE 4-Wire 24” D.T. Twister, Model 4WDT 1 - FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 1 - ARTOS MTX-5 Processor

Contact: Martin Kenner

COMMISSION BROKERS, INC. P.O. Box 8456 • Cranston, RI 02920-0456 • Tel. (401) 943-3777 • Fax: (401) 943-3670 WEB: www.commissionbrokers.com • E-MAIL: marty137@aol.com

JULY 2011 | 77

CLASSIFIEDS

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFIED AD INFORMATION

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

A Appiani/Lesmo Machinery America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . .75

GCR Eurodraw SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Gem Gravure Co Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Beta LaserMike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Georgia Gulf Chemicals & Vinyls LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Bongard Trading GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Hariton Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Carris Reels Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Howar Equipment Inc/Metavan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Cemanco LC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31, 44

Commission Brokers Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Ideal-Werk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

The Dow Chemical Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

George Evans Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

KP America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

FH Machinery Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Lamnea Bruk AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

FMS USA Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/A Appiani . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Fushi Copperweld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Messe Düsseldorf Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Gauder Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29, 45

Micro Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

78 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Roteq Machinery Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Paramount Die Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Sanxin Wire Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Sealeze A Unit of Jason Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Properzi International Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

SIKORA AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Queins & Co GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Radyne Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2

Sonoco Reels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Teknor Apex Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

JULY 2011 | 79

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

September 2011 WJI

Teknikor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17

• Equipment Tubular Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Advertising Deadline: August 1, 2011 Unience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 WiTechs Wire Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Wyrepak Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Zumbach Electronics Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL AD WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

WIRE JOURNAL I N T E R N A T I O N A L

NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

Robert J. Xeller Anna Bzowski Wire Journal International 1570 Boston Post Road P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA Tel: 203-453-2777 Fax: 203-453-8384 sales@wirenet.org

U.K., France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark & Scandinavia Jennie Franks David Franks & Co. 63 St. Andrew’s Road Cambridge CB4 1DH, England Tel/fax: 44-1223-360472 franksco@btopenworld.com

80 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SALES OFFICES ASIA/WAI INDIA OFFICE Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service International P.O. Box 103 D-82402 Seeshaupt Germany Tel: 49-8801-914682 Fax: 49-8801-914683 dmelcher@t-online.de

India Wire & Cable Services Pvt. Ltd. (WCS) 501, Rainbow Plaza, S. No. 7 Pimple-Saudeagar Vil. Rahatani, Pune - 411017, India Huned Contractor mobile - +91 988 1084 202 hcontractor@wirenet.org