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WIRE JOURNAL

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

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

CONTENTS

Volume 44 | Number 5 | May 2011

F EATURE

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 27

Preview: wire Russia . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Organizers of wire Russia are confident that this biennial event will top the 2009 event, which saw more than 9,200 visitors view technology and services offered by 214 exhibitors from 29 countries.

Technical Papers . . . . . . . 56-68

Russia Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

A detailed report from a Russian wire association is the core for this look at the nonferrous wire and cable industry in Russia.

WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 75 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 78

Next issue June 2011 • Testing & Measuring • Interwire 2011 wrapup

T ECHNICAL P APERS Effect of experimental condition in angled drawing on curvature of fine wire Yohei Ohno, Motoo Asakawa, Yuichi Tanaka and Sonomi Shirasaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Development of lead- and arsenic-free copper stock for electrical conductors via the electrowinning process Scot Sandoval, Casey Clayton and Masoud Garshasb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Tracking products in the wire industry using bar codes Edward S. O’Neal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Cover: One of the four BRIC countries, Russia fared better than many countries dragged down by the global economic woes that surfaced in late 2008, and a report from an association that represents the wire and cable industry expects to see steady growth. See p. 42. MAY 2011 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONTENTS

INDUSTRY TRADITION

ON THE GO

. . .28

A tradition between U.K.’s Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers and the Wire Association International saw the latest recipient of the Wire-Link Travelling Scholarship program, Christopher John Barker, operations manager finishing– wire rod, Tata Steel, go on a two-week tour of plants in the U.S. as well as attend Interwire. The program, which is also supported by The Wire Foundation, sees a representative being chosen in alternating years to experience how their counterparts manufacture wire. Barker’s report will be presented in a future issue.

RUSSIAN

PERSPECTIVE

. . . . . . . . . .38

“Even those who speak out most ardently in favor for the government’s interests understand they can lose out if a system is built in which the government owns everything. Therefore, Russia has one route: to create an effective competitive environment within the country,” said Ruben Vardanian, chairman of the board of directors and CEO, Troika Dialog. He was one of multiple speakers at two forums, sponsored by his company earlier this year, that looked at Russia’s future. Photo from Troika Dialog. For more details about the forums, go to www.therussiaforum.com.

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EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

EDITORIAL

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

Manufacturing perception and reality is askew in a ‘refocused’ U.S. economy How the mighty have fallen and been summarily dismissed. In this case, it’s the perception of manufacturing in the U.S., which once upon a time represented opportunity for a better life for workers to pursue the American Dream. Hard work could translate to a piece of the pie, but in recent years manufacturing has slid into a secondary role, and the service sector was touted as the new economy. Only now it appears that the traditionally lowpaying service sector is not so well regarded either, but yet another sector has taken over, and that’s government. There are now nearly twice as many people working for government (22.5 million) in the U.S. than in all of manufacturing (11.5 million). That is not new information, but in an opinion piece, Stephen Moore, a senior economics writer for The Wall Street Journal, pointed out that this is a flipflop from 1960, when there were 15 million workers in manufacturing and 8.7 million working for the government. Another stark and uncomfortable reality: there are now more people in the U.S. employed by government than in the combined sectors of construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities. Other than some calls for more high-profile manufacturing, much related to renewable energy, one does not see a sense of meaningful support for manufacturing in the U.S. Ironically, for all the focus on how poorly manufacturing has done in terms of employment and production, the reality, per a recent report from Deutsche Bank (The decline of US Manufacturing: fact or fiction?), is otherwise. The article said that while the percentage of employees on non-farm payrolls has dropped from about 33% to 9%, and that the value of output has also shrunk as a percentage, the real production value of manufacturing has grown at virtually the same rate as real GDP. What has happened is that productivity has increased. A lot. Per one report, the average U.S. factory worker is responsible today for more than $180,000 of annual manufacturing output, triple the $60,000 in 1972. The DB article surmises that manufacturing is seen as losing out to international competition, and to a degree that is true for some manufacturers, yet it notes that others have learned “to keenly focus on improving efficiency and specializing where there are competitive advantages.” The American Dream may have changed, but there’s something inherently wrong with manufacturing being viewed as yesterday’s news.

Mark Marselli Editor-in-chief

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.

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR June 15-17, 2011: Wire & Cable Expo, China Tianjin, China. To be held at the Tianjin International Exhibition Center, the 15th staging of this event will include a conference, exhibition and featured events. Contact: AIT Events Co., Ltd., tel. 86-10-85868930, www.bvents.com/event/389490-wire-cable-expo. June 19-23, 2011: JI Cable 2011 Versailles, France. This forum about power cables, with exhibits, is be held at the Versailles Congress Centre. Contact: JI Cable 2011, www.jicable.org. Sept. 13-15, 2011: wire Southeast ASIA Bangkok, Thailand. Organized by Messe Düsseldorf, this event will be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Sept. 19-21, 2011: The National Wire Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Expo Nashville, Tennessee, USA. To be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Contact: Expo Productions, Inc.,www.expoproductionsinc.com, tel. 262-367-5500. 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. fax 732-389-0991, www.iwcs.org, phudak@iwcs.org. November 7-8, 2011: CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Center Düsseldorf, this technical conference is being co-organized by five industry organizations: ACIMAF, CET, IWCEA, IWMA and WAI. For more details, go to www.cabwire-duesseldorf.com. March 26-30, 2012: wire Düsseldorf 2012 Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, erowe@mdna.com, tel. 312-781-5180. 2012: Wire Expo 2012 Dallas, Texas, USA. WAI will hold this event, which will include its 82nd Annual Convention and trade show, for the first time in Dallas. The dates and location TBA. 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, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. ■

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. June 20, 2011: Midwest Chapter 9th Annual Golf Tournament West Chicago, Illinois, USA. This event will take place at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club. More details to follow. 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. More details to follow. Oct. 13, 2011: Southeast Chapter 10th Annual Golf Tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. This event, which will

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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. 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. More details to follow. Nov. 7-8, 2011: CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. See main listing. 2012: Wire Expo 2012 Dallas, Texas, USA. See main listing.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Superior Essex to produce power cable at expanded Tarboro plant U.S.-based Superior Essex, Inc., announced that it will be expanding its facilities in Tarboro, North Carolina, to manufacture power cables for the commercial, industrial and utility markets. A press release said that the company, part of South Korea’s LS Cable, plans to invest US$58 million in new infrastructure and manufacturing equipment. The operation, it said, is expected to add 116 employees through 2015. “The U.S. power cable market is the second largest in the world, and we believe it is poised for growth as the need for alternative energy and increased energy efficiency converges with an economic recovery,” Superior Essex CEO Stephen Carter said in the release. “With this strategic investment, we aim to replicate the success LS Cable has had in the power cable business throughout the rest of the world.” Construction will commence in 2011, with commercial production planned to start in 2012, the release said. It added that the new facility and product offering will become part of a new business unit called Superior Essex Energy, Inc. In related news, Superior Essex has been granted a state economic development grant to help fund the construction of the new plant. If Superior Essex meets its hiring and investment goals over the next nine years, the grant could yield $1.2 million in benefits for the company.

Third of 10 cable landings completed in Gulf submarine cable project Gulf Bridge International (GBI), a privately owned submarine cable operator in the Middle East, reports that it has completed the third of 10 cable landings around the Gulf Region, the latest being the second of two cable landings in Qatar. At its website, GBI reports that it and Qtek, a telecom company, have landed the second of two cables in Qatar that will connect to the new purpose-built Qtel landing station. The first landing was at Fujairah in the UAE. To be launched later this year, with a total of 10 planned cable landings around the Gulf region, the GBI Cable System, described as “a high-capacity, fiber-optic communications cable,” will connect all the countries of the Gulf region to each other and provide onward connectivity to Europe, Africa and Asia. The cable system supplier for the project is Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications (SubCom), which made the cable at its SubCom facility in Newington, New Hampshire. The network, which is designed for a capacity of 2.56 terabits per second, will offer double landings in Qatar and Fujairah (UAE) with branched landings in

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Iraq, Kuwait, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. “Our landing with Qtel is another significant step towards this year’s launch. I am very pleased that we are working with Qtel to increase international bandwidth and provide greater diversity and resilience for consumers and businesses in Qatar,” GBI CEO and board member Ahmed Mekky said in the announcement. It noted that in the coming months, the cable ship “Responder” will continue the installation process of the GBI Cable System, which is configured as a self-healing ring within the Gulf. The cable system, it said, “deploys severGBI’s first cable landing cable, made al state-of-theat Fujairah in the UAE. art technologies, such as the new dual-stage repeaters and wavelength monitoring units that guarantee flawless and error-free operations throughout the entire system.” “Qtel’s international connectivity strategy aims to position Qatar as one of the best connected countries in the world, and the successful landing of the GBI cable is another important stage in this journey,” Qtel Executive Director Ahmed Al-Derbesti said. “The new connection, supported by the superior technology of the purpose-built Qtel landing station, will ensure seamless and uninterrupted communication for Qatar and the wider region.”

5 U.S. wire producers seek penalties for Mexican and Chinese companies Five U.S. wire manufacturers are seeking the imposition of antidumping duties on galvanized steel wire from Mexico and China. The petition seeking relief from the U.S. Department of Commerce/U.S. International Trade Commission was brought by Davis Wire Corporation, Johnstown Wire Technologies, Inc., Mid-South Wire Company, Inc., National Standard, LLC, and Oklahoma Steel & Wire

to begin hiring for the new facility in the fall, the report said. It noted that Steel Dynamics shipped more than 5.3 million tons of steel in 2010 and reported revenues of $6.3 billion. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. was reported to have offered SDI La Farga up to $300,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $20,000 in training grants, based on the company’s job creation plans.

SDI and La Farga Group report plans Carlisle Interconnect Technology to produce copper wire rod in the U.S. plans to expand its Florida facility U.S.-based Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI) announced that it and a partner, Spain’s La Farga Group, plan to invest $39 million to build an 85,000-sq-ft factory that will produce copper wire rod in the U.S. A report in The Journal Gazette said that the new business, to operate under the name SDI La Farga LLC, will turn recycled copper into wire rod, employing 35 people. The companies are considering several sites with 30 to 40 acres in Indiana’s Allen County. Steel Dynamics Vice President and Treasurer Richard Poinsatte said in the story that a few sites, not disclosed, are being considered but that a decision has not been made yet. The project will employ LaFarga-Properzi refining technology that includes a 250-ton refining furnace coupled with a 30 T/h CCR line. “The newly designed refining furnace implements Giulio Properzi’s ingenious idea to charge the scrap from the top of the furnace via a special charging machine. A charging door, positioned on top of the furnace, will facilitate the introduction of large quantities of scrap during each loading cycle, thus reducing the total loading time and the relevant loss of thermal power,” a press release said, noting that the system “not only facilitates much better scrap charging efficiency, but also improves the thermal efficiency of the melt due to the amount of scrap in the fire room.” Based in Barcelona and founded in 1808, The La Farga Group, through its subsidiaries, produces a wide range of copper products, including copper wire, wire rod, billets, railway products, pipes and electrolytic copper rods from high-grade cathodes. “This joint venture represents our first expansion into the U.S. and we are proud to partner with Steel Dynamics,” said the Group’s CEO, Oriol Guixa, in a report in PR Newswire. That same report noted that Steel Dynamics benefits from a new alternative domestic market for its recycled copper, which historically exported a large portion of its copper scrap to China. Most of the 35 new jobs will be in production, but because the joint venture will be a standalone company, the staff will include management, sales, finance and engineering positions, it said. Plans call for a ground breaking to take place this summer, with construction expected to be complete in less than a year. Full production is expected to begin by 2013. Steel Dynamics, which employs more than 6,100, plans

U.S.-based Carlisle Interconnect Technologies (CarlisleIT) announced that it plans to expand its facility in St. Augustine, Florida, by about 20,000 sq ft for manufacturing, training and office space. CarlisleIT, which designs and manufactures high-performance wire and cables, plans to add 90 jobs over the next two to three years. CarlisleIT President John Berlin said that the expansion represents strong company growth in the aerospace and military markets. The company employs about 1,900 people worldwide, including about 350 in Florida’s St. Johns County.

Latrobe Specialty Steel expanding its precision wire plant in Wauseon Latrobe Specialty Steel Company is investing approximately $3 million to expand its Wauseon, Ohio, precision wire plant. In an article in the Pittsburgh Business Press, Latrobe Vice President for Business Development Dudley Merchant said that the company will further expand its capacity this summer. That, he said, will include the installation of technologically advanced hydrogen atmosphere furnaces that will improve output at the Wauseon plant. The company, the article said, has doubled its workforce since June 2010, and it was awarded a $38,000 Contingency Grant from the Ohio Department of Development in recognition of its creating “31 new full-time jobs and the retention of existing jobs.” Latrobe’s Wauseon plant will use the grant towards the purchase of new equipment for its growing precision wire manufacturing business, it said. At Wauseon, Latrobe makes two product groups: Edgewire and precision stainless steel wire. Latrobe Specialty Steel, in continuous operation in the same main location since 1913, employs over 800 people across the world. The company is also moving forward with previously announced plans to expand into the titanium wire feedstock business, a move that will require an additional location and more workers.

U.S. steel nail company accuses UAE producers of dumping product Mid Continent Nail Corporation, which notes that it is one of the largest U.S. producers of steel nails, has petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) to MAY 2011 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

Company, Inc. The petition covers the years between 2008 and 2010, and contends that Mexico undercut prices and China provided illegal subsidies on galvanized steel wire with a diameter of 0.5842 mm or more that is used in a variety of construction, automotive and consumer applications such as wire shelving and wire racks. The group is seeking duties between 70 percent and 170 percent.

INDUSTRY NEWS

impose antidumping duties on imported steel nails from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), claiming that its business practices are materially injuring the U.S. industry. “The enormous growth in imports from the UAE over the past three years has been made possible by dumping these products in the U.S. market, hurting U.S. producers and their workers,” said Mid Continent President David W. Libla. “Even as demand for steel nails has fallen sharply over the past three years, UAE imports have flooded our market. Our industry has lost four producers in just the past three years. U.S. producers need relief from dumped imports to prevent further plant closures and to allow our industry to return to healthy profit levels.” Mid Continent’s petition indicates antidumping margins ranging from 64% to 87%. It claims that dumped imports of steel nails from the UAE constitute a large and increasing share of the U.S. market. Imports of nails from the UAE surged nearly 150% from 2008 to 2010, growing from 48,256 short tons in 2008 to nearly 120,000 short tons in 2010. UAE shipments accounted for 28% of all nail imports in 2010, compared to 8% in 2008. “This enormous increase was all the more remarkable in light of the depressed U.S. construction and housing markets and the global recession,” it said.

Belden acquires Brazilian cable firm for approximately US$30 million U.S.-based Belden, Inc., announced that it has acquired Poliron Cabos Elétricos Especiais Ltda, a Brazilian cable company, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $30 million. A press release said that Poliron, a privately held company, “has an established brand reputation and proven experience for product quality across one of the most complete lines of industrial cables in the region.” Belden, it said, plans “to leverage Poliron’s manufacturing footprint to improve our cost and lead-times for our existing products purchased in Brazil and other countries in the region.” “This acquisition allows us to be a legitimate player in one of the more attractive emerging markets,” Belden President and CEO John Stroup said in the release. “In addition to the long-term growth opportunities, we are excited to participate in the near term investments in support of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.” The release said that Belden funded the acquisition with cash on hand and expects the acquisition to be break-even in fiscal year 2011. At the company’s website, Poliron is described as “one of the main manufacturers of cables and multicables in Brazil, offering one of the most complete range of cables of instrumentation, control and command, cables for extension of thermocouples used in the petrochemical and chemical industries, oil offshore, cellulose factories, industrial and building automation systems, besides machinery industries, etc.”

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

El Sewedy Electric reports largest ever order for its Doha Cables subsidiary El Sewedy Electric reported that its subsidiary, Doha Cables, has won its largest single cable deal, an order from Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) valued at US$440 million. A press release said that Doha Cables was chosen from 12 other bidders to supply 42,000 tons of copper cables to supply KAHRAMAA over a two-year period. “This is a significant event for El Sewedy Electric as it further solidifies the company’s presence in the Gulf and demonstrates the company’s ability to compete effectively with the other large cable producers in the region,” it said. It described Qatar as an excellent market and said that the order will benefit Doha Cable for future projects as the government has already announced plans to invest heavily in infrastructure projects. “This tender gives El Sewedy Electric a secure order of cables for the next 24 months, which provides the company with added stability during the current environment.” the release said. The company notes that it has more than 10,000 employees working in 30 production facilities located in 15 countries around the world, exporting to more than 110 countries worldwide.

National Standard acquires RevWires U.S.-based National Standard, a Heico Wire Company, announced that it has acquired the assets of RevWires, a manufacturer of cored welding wire. A press released described the deal as “the culmination of the strategic alliance between RevWires and National Standard.” It noted that National Standard is one of the largest suppliers of solid carbon and stainless wire to the North American welding industry, and that the company’s product lines will be bolstered by the addition of RevWires, which it said “combines proprietary international and USA patent pending machinery and processes with a state-of-the-art facility to produce products that are unique to the worldwide welding industry.” It described RevWire’s cored welding wire as “measurably superior,” adding that it will provide National Standard with an important new product to complement its already extensive product lines. In the release, Jim Hillebrandt, president and CEO of Heico U.S. Wire Companies, said the acquisition “is a critical step by National Standard to meet its strategic objective to be a full product line supplier to the welding industry. Additionally, this cored wire product line will provide new sales and market opportunities to National Standard’s existing distributors.”

LS Cable & System lands Dutch deal for extra-high-voltage cable project LS Cable & System announced that the company has won a 380kV level extra-high-voltage (EHV) cable con-

INDUSTRY NEWS

tract worth 950,000 euro from TenneT, a national electricity transmission system operator in the Netherlands. A press release said that LS Cable & System is the first company in Korea to win a contract for a 380kV level project in Europe, the market occupied by leading cable manufacturers. For this project, LS Cable & System will supply extra-high-voltage cables for a total extension of 2.6 km, with installation scheduled for next February. The project will see the installation of the EHV cable inside NUON Twingo Electricity Station in the Netherlands. For this, LS Cable & System will be in charge of cable installation and inspection of completion as well as supply. Senior Vice President Jae-In Yoon of LS Cable & System’s Power Business Division said, “LS Cable & System was able to win this contract based on the excellence of our cable products and installation expertise built over the years.” He added, “LS Cable & System was once again recognized as a world-class cable maker.”

years. The total copper cable market for SCS is forecast to grow from $4 billion in 2011, at a 20.8% rate, to more than $10 billion by 2016, it said. “Most of this growth is driven by existing installations upgrading from early Cat 5 UTP cabling plus the need for copper cable in new networking applications, such as VOIP or data centers,” said FTM President Frank Murawski. The chart, he said, shows the distribution of the three different copper cable types for 2011 and 2016. UTP cables, the release said, are expected to continue to dominate the market, with a 92.6% share in 2011, increasing to a 95.6% share in 2016. STP cables, even with their high growth rate, are expected to capture a minor share, from 2.2% in 2011 to a 2.8% share by 2016, it said. “This includes the anticipated TIA standard for Cat 7 and Cat 7a STP cables. STP cables are viewed as a niche market product for those smaller installations needing higher bandwidth than is available with UTP cables,

Diversity-minded Coleman Cable acquires 2 companies in related field U.S.-based Coleman Cable, Inc. (CCI), reported two acquisitions, one for $51.5 million and the other for $10.9 million, that it said will help the company further diversify its scope. A press release said that CCI has agreed to pay approximately $51.5 million to acquire Technology Research Corporation (TRC), a supplier of “cost-effective engineered solutions for applications involving power management and control, intelligent battery systems technology and electrical safety products.” In the release, CCI President and CEO Gary Yetman described TRC as “an exceptional company with markets and products that are well-aligned with our business. With the addition of TRC’s power management and storage business, we will further diversify our portfolio to provide a wider range of electrical solutions to benefit our customers.” The second acquisition is the assets of The Designers Edge, Inc., a designer and distributor of specialty lighting products in the U.S. and Canada, which a press release said was acquired for approximately $10.9 million in cash. The deal “significantly expands CCI’s current product portfolio across a wide range of lighting product categories, including industrial, work and utility, as well as products for security and landscape applications.”

Latest FTM study covers outlook and market for UTP, STP and coax cables The latest study from U.S.-based FTM Consulting, Inc. (FTM), “U.S. Structured Cabling System Copper Cable Forecast,” examines and forecasts the three major types of copper cables: UTP, STP and coax. A press release said that STP cables are expected to have the highest growth, at 26.4%, over the next five 14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Distribution outlook for three different copper cable types for 2011 to 2016. but due to financial considerations are reluctant to upgrade to fiber cabling. Coax cable is projected to decline, as the primary cabling application of security video camera networks evolves from coax cable to highperformance UTP cable, which is capable of supporting the video signals.” The study includes detailed forecasts for copper cable as well as copper cable usage beyond 100 Gbps, using multiple lanes of 10 Gbps or 25 Gbps UTP cables to support 400 and 1000 Gbps over limited distances in the future. For more details, contact Frank Murawski, FTM Consulting, Inc., tel. 717-533-4990, contact@ftmconsultinginc.com or ftm.consulting@verizon.net.

CTC files for Chapter 11 protection U.S.-based Composite Technology Corporation (CTC), announced that it and its subsidiary, CTC Cable Corporation, a producer of high-capacity energy efficient composite core conductors for electric transmission and

PoE cameras at distances of up to 4,000 feet without the need for an electrical outlet at the camera end. ... Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., announced that it has completed the acquisition of OOO Severstal-metiz: welding consumables, a leading manufacturer of welding consumables in Russia and a subsidiary of OAO Severstal, a world leading, vertically integrated steel and mining company. As part of the transaction, Lincoln acquires manufacturing operations and exclusive distribution rights of the Severstal brand of welding consumables, a press release

News in brief Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company reports that it has received the “Best in Network Support Solutions” award for its OneReach PoE Extender system in the Security Industry Association (SIA) New Product Showcase (NPS). The company notes that this is the first time a cabling manufacturer has won this

Berk-Tek’s award in front of the company’s booth at the SIA event. award, which recognizes innovative products, services and solutions in electronic physical security. “As surveillance systems are moving towards IP and relying on a structured cabling infrastructure, the award categories are expanding to accommodate these emerging technologies,” said Berk-Tek Fiber Optic Products Business Manager Mike Connaughton, who accepted the award. The system, which includes PoE media converters and Berk-Tek’s CL3R-OF (Class 3, NEC rated) copper and optical fiber composite cable, can support IP

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Contact us at info@Roloil.com Germ-Allcard is a Roloil brand. Email: info@Roloil.com www@Roloil.com KP America, Inc, 275 Madison Avenue, Suite 1407, New York, NY 10016.

MAY 2011 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

distribution lines, have filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Business Week reports that the company said that the filings, made voluntarily in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, stemmed from an action by a lender that served notice of default and wanted accelerated payment of its $10 million. “The lender also has attempted to freeze funds in operating accounts using account control provisions from the loan agreement. Unfortunately, Chapter 11 offers the only alternative to continue to operate the company without interruption,” the article said. During the bankruptcy proceeding, CTC plans to continue operating its business in a normal fashion and timely servicing its customers’ needs, the story said.

INDUSTRY NEWS

said. It noted that OOO Severstal-metiz welding consumables' production operations are based in Orel, Russia, with 283 employees. Sales in 2010 were US$40 million. Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln notes that it has 41 manufacturing locations, including operations and joint ventures in 19 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 coun-

tries. ... Masayoshi Matsumoto, president and chief executive officer of Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., has been named the Copper Man of the Year by the Copper Club. Born in 1944 in Hyogo Prefecture, he joined Sumitomo Electric in 1967. After serving as General Manager The Copper Club’s of Chubu Ankh Award. District Office, Managing Director and Senior Managing Director, he assumed the office of President and CEO in June 2004. The Copper Club award, first presented in 1962, honors outstanding individual achievements in and contributions to the copper industry. The trophy awarded to recipients is a reproduction of Auguste Rodin’s famous sculpture, The Thinker. ... Patricio G. Murga, Director of Technology & Development for Mexico’s Viakable, the

EHV cables made by Mexico’s Viakable, undergo tests.

cable sector of Xignux, reports that an extra-high-voltage (EHV) system, made of a 230 kV-XLPE, 2,000 sq mm cable, and accessories from ABBKabeldon, has successfully completed 180 heating one-day-cycles, a critical part of the one year pre-qualification test for the system. This set of tests are being performed in the state-of-the-art EHV laboratories of Viakable,

16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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in Monterrey, México, under the witnessing by NEETRAC (National Electric Energy Testing Research and Applications Center), part of Georgia Tech, and LAPEM (Laboratorio de Pruebas de Equipos y Materiales), a leading Laboratory in México. ... The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) formally installed its new president, Rick Ross of Rockford Spring Company, and two new board members, Jeff Burda of Master Spring and Wire Form Co. and Joshua Kahn of Perfection Spring & Stamping Corporation, during the

18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

association’s annual Valentine Dinner Dance gala. Ross has served CASMI through several board positions over eight years. Burda and Kahn are new to the CASMI board but are active, long-time members of CASMI. They join CASMI Vice President, JR Strok of Mohawk Spring Company; Secretary/Treasurer, Tony Iuliano of Rapid Wire Forms; Immediate Past President/ SPRINGWORLD® Show Chairman, Joe Sirovatka of Bel-Air Manufacturing and Past President/Director, Robert Henneberry of Rockford Spring Company. ... U.S.based Dow Wire & Cable announced that Damien Polansky, the company’s Global Telecommunications Platform Leader, has been appointed to the board of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), which represents the global information and communications technology industries through standards development, government affairs, business opportunities, market intelligence, certification and world-wide environmental regulatory compliance. Damien Polansky Polansky has been with Dow since 1997 and joined Dow Wire & Cable in 2009. He holds a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He was nominated by Fred McDuffee, president of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave and a current TIA board member. ... Jaidah Group’s Industrial Supply Division has signed an agreement with Doha Cables to be a certified wholesaler and retailer distributor to the local market. In a special ceremony that took place in Rotana Oryx Hotel on March 22, Eng. Ayman Hamid, Jaidah ISD electrical manager, introduced Doha Cables as the newest member of the Jaidah partner family tree. Doha Cables, a subsidiary of El Sewedy Cables, notes that it is the first cable manufacturer in Qatar, where its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Mesaieed Industrial City has annual production capacity of 40,000 ton of copper per annum and a total area of 70,000 square meters. ■

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS Lapp Group to expand its operations in India, has high expectations in country Germany’s Lapp Group reports that it plans to set up a manufacturing unit in Bhopal, India, that will be the first manufacturing plant of LAPP INDIA Pvt. Ltd. (LAPP India) outside Bangalore, and that it expects the new facility to become the Group’s largest manufacturing unit in the next five years. A press release said that the new plant, to be located in Pilukedi in the Rajgrah District, will be located on a more than 30-acre tract. The operations will include three building units, each with individual manufacturing capability. The first building, scheduled for completion this December, will produce single-core wires for low-voltage

LAPP Group representatives gather for the ground breaking ceremony. applications, while the second and third buildings, scheduled for completion by 2013 and 2014, will be used for production of multi-core aluminum cables for high-voltage applications, it said. The first facility will initially employ around 100 people, and when it is in full operation it should have some 400 employees, the release said. “We have witnessed 30% year-on-year growth in India and it is one of our focused markets,” said CEO & President Asia-Pacific at Lapp Group Frank Imkamp. “The investment that we are making in the new facility will help us cater to the growing customer demands and our revenue is expected to rise fourfold in the next four years.” He added that the Lapp Group will be developing six warehouses and distribution centers and 16 service points for customizing products for customer needs as value-additions. LAPP INDIA started operations at Bangalore in 1996, with a manufacturing unit and today it is the third largest manufacturing facility of the Lapp Group, the release said. Each year about 100,000 km of ÖLFLEX® connect-

A traditional Bhoomi Pooja ceremony is held to inaugurate the site for the new facility. ing and control cables and insulated single cores are produced there. “India’s thriving economy is showing a promising outlook and I believe, it is the ‘Future Market’ of the connectivity solutions industry. With the estimated market size of approximately 3 billion euros, we have a lot to do for the market,” said Siegbert E. Lapp, director of LAPP HOLDING AG. LAPP INDIA Managing Director Srinivas P. Kamisetty said that, geographically, 70% of the company’s business comes from West and South India. “Bhopal, being located in the heart of India, is well equipped to meet the logistical requirements of the regions while servicing potential demand from other parts of the nation as well.” Around 40 percent of the company’s turnover is from the machine tool sector, with automation, wind-power and solar sectors contributing 10%, 5% and 5% respectively, the release said. Control cables for projects such as metro rail in Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai, have contributed approximately 20 percent to the turnover, it noted.

Vedanta Aluminum receives 4th Properzi rod line in Jharsuguda Italy’s Continuus-Properzi has delivered to the Vedanta Aluminum Ltd. site in Jharsuguda (Orissa - India) a fourth casting and rolling aluminum rod line, which will enter in production during 2011. The line, an announcement said, is part of the historic contract signed by Vedanta and Properzi at the end of 2008 that was for four complete lines, each of 15 tph. The release noted the following about the order: each state-of-the-art line is equipped to produce EC grade aluminum in standard diameters of 9.5 mm, 12 mm and 15 mm. The rod coils, up to 3 t each, are destined for both domestic and international markets, it said.

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

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ASIAN NEWS BRIEF Consortium announces the start of construction of the South-East Asia Japan Cable System (SJC) View of 15 tph Properzi roughing mill. The company notes that the machinery is shown with a person without safety protection only for display purposes. The announcement pointed out India’s potential demand for aluminum. It observed that the country has one of the lowest aluminum per capita consumption in the world, with less than 1 kg per person per year. To put that in context, it said that China’s consumption is presently in the range of 12 kg per person per year, while countries like Germany and Italy are in the range of 26-28 kg per person per year. The release noted that the country’s Electricity Act has an ambitious goal of bringing electric power to all the villages

The global consortium of telecommunications companies formed to build and operate the South-East Asia Japan Cable (SJC) system announced the offical start of the construction of the project that will link Brunei, China Mainland, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, and Singapore, with options to extend to Indonesia and Thailand. Glide News reports that the SJC consortium has awarded the supply contract for the new international submarine cable system to two companies. First announced in December 2009, the cable was initially planned to be 8,300 km in length, linking five countries/territories. SJC’s length is now 8,900 km, and could extend up to 10,700 km, linking up to eight countries/territories while supporting an initial design capacity of over 15 terabits per second, it said. ■

MAY 2011 | 21

ASIAN FOCUS

spread in the vast territory of India. “If we assume that India will follow the route taken by China, we can expect an immense number of projects in India over the next 10 years bringing the aluminum production from (about) 1.3 million tons per year to more than 5 million tons per year,” it said.

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Elsewedy Electric has named Dion Metzemaekers as its new CEO, initially for its cables, transformers and related businesses. He most recently worked at nkt cables for 11 years, including as Group CEO the last nine years, a period that saw remarkable growth and development for the company. Prior to nkt, he worked in different capacities at AMP Holland, Arvin Meritor, Philips Semiconductors and Shell. He also spent one year as a professional soccer player. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics and has a master’s degree in mathematical physics from Eindoven University. Based in Egypt, Elsewedy Electric has 30 production facilities in 15 countries that produce integrated cables and electrical products for diverse markets.

SAMP USA has named Keith Sasso as its North American Sales Manager. He will bring his more than 30 years of industry experience in the wire fabrication side of the business to the equipment side. He most recently served as engineering manager at Owl Wire and Cable. His range of expertise includes plant engineering, new product development and budgetary planning. He will provide technical support and sales consultation for new equipment Keith Sasso including their specifications, installa-

OBITUARIES B.L. Moore, founder of Oklahoma Steel & Wire, dies at age 83 B.L. Moore, known to many as “Gov,” the founder of Oklahoma Steel & Wire, died March 29 at age 83 due to complications from a fall. Moore worked on the family farm that had been around for 139 years. In 1949, he married his high school sweetheart, Colleen Ann Lockridge, and raised row crops, Hereford cattle and also ran a substantial hog operation. In the early 1960s they opened Farmer’s Feed & Supply in Seymour. Able to make machinery fit their needs, he partnered with his brotherB.L. Moore in-law, Bob Lockridge, and started Farm Equipment Manufacturing, producing a combination fence panel. The business, which thrived and added a small steel melt shop, later came to be known as Iowa Steel & Wire, which was sold in 1974 and reacquired in 1988. In the late 1970s, he learned of an empty manufacturing facility available in Southern Oklahoma, and in 1979, he and Lockridge bought the property in Madill where Oklahoma Steel & Wire now operates. Operations began with one machine and five employees, and over the next 30 years it grew to become an integrated facility that now employs 300. In 2004, MidAmerican Steel & Wire became a reality to B.L. as he finished construction of a rolling mill that employs 150. Moore’s family legacy continues at the company through his son, Craig Allen Moore, who serves as company president; daughter Kathleen Ann Moore, who serves as vicepresident and controller; and his other son, Jon Moore, who runs and operates the family’s farming operation and oversees BLM Mfg., which manufactures equipment used in all the wire companies. Moore’s survivors include: Colleen, his wife of nearly 62

22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

years; children Jon, Craig and Kathleen; a daughter-in-law, Patricia Moore, the widow of Max L. Moore, his son and former company president, who preceeded him in death; and 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Ed Steward, a co-founder of American Kuhne, Inc., who was known both for his expertise in extrusion screws and sense of humor, died April 9 from a heart attack. The Old Mystic, Connecticut, resident was 61. In 1997, Steward co-founded American Kuhne with his friend and colleague, Bill Kramer, along with Peter Kuhne, President of Kuhne GmbH in St. Augustine, Germany. Prior to that, he had been employed at the Davis Standard Corporation for 24 years as its chief process engineer, where his focus was screw design and application engineering. He is widely Ed Steward known as the developer of the Steward Barrier Screw, which greatly contributed to the success of American Kuhne, Ashaway, Rhode Island. Steward had been a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers since 1973 and was recognized as a Fellow Of The Society in 2006. He also received the Bruce Maddock Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers Extrusion Division in recognition of his contributions to single screw extrusion in May 2004. He held a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, and had written numerous papers on screw design and related topics for extrusion societies and industry publications. He presented three technical papers at WAI events, the most recent (Screw selection and extruder considerations for wire and cable coating) at the Association’s 2008 Mexico ITC, which was published in the June 2009 issue of WJI. He is survived by his wife, Rita; three sisters and four brothers.

U.S.-based Reel-O-Matic has named Bill Schmerheim as vice president of sales for the company’s reel and cable handling equipment. Educated as a mechanical engineer and previously employed at Wemco, he has 15 years of experience with reel-handling equipment. Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, Reel-O-Matic designs and builds a wide range of material-handling solutions. Beta LaserMike reported two staff announcements to support customers in emerging markets. Nicholas Chua is the Southeast Asia service and support manager. He has more than 14 years of leadership experience in product engineering, consultative technical support and various facets of customer sales and service with companies such as Laser 21 Pte Ltd., a Singapore-based supplier of laser and optical systems, and Agilis Communications

Nicholas Chua

Technologies Pte Ltd., a leading provider of electronic system solutions. He holds a degree in electrical, electronics, and engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Hokkien. Carlos Junco has been promoted to sales associate for Mexico, with overall responsibility for the growth and development of business in Mexico as well as management of the company’s agents and representatives there. He will continue to provide technical support to existing Beta LaserMike customers in this region as well as Central America and the Caribbean. He began with Beta LaserMike as a field service engineer Carlos Junco in 2006 and has extensive field experience in on-site installation, calibration, maintenance, and repair of laser and ultrasonic measurement and control systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering. Based in Dayton, Ohio, USA, Beta LaserMike is a global supplier of testing and measuring equipment for sectors that include wire and cable. ■

MAY 2011 | 23

PEOPLE

tion and assistance with budgetary payback projections. Based in Williamsport, Maryland, USA, SAMP USA is a business unit of Italy’s SAMPSISTEMI, a global supplier of wire and cable equipment.

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH U.S. stimulus-funded broadband project shows fiber network progress The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council reports that three-quarters of the broadband stimulus-funded projects to create or expand all-fiber networks have now broken ground or are on the verge of doing so. A press release said that the report, prepared for the Council by market analyst firm RVA LLC, estimates that construction has begun on 38% of the FTTH projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with another 36% actively preparing for construction to begin. Most of the remaining projects are in some stage of engineering or environmental impact evaluation, it said. Per the report, 7.1 million North American homes now receive internet, video, and/or voice services and meter reading over end-to-end fiber networks, up from 5.8 million a year ago, as telecom providers continue to upgrade their last-mile connections from copper to fiber. FTTH networks now pass nearly 21 million homes on the continent, up from 18 million a year ago, it said. RVA President Michael Render expected the recent increase in stimulus-funded project construction activity would lend to an overall uptick in FTTH deployments and connections in 2011, with the economic recovery and recent announcements of large FTTH projects in Canada also contributing to the rise. The projected increases come after a moderation in the growth rate of FTTH network deployment over the past two years, with the increase in the annual number of new homes passed dropping to roughly three million in 2009 and 2010 after reaching more than four million in 2008. Render attributed that slowdown to the combined effects of the recession, a slowdown in FTTH network construction by the largest U.S. deployer, Verizon, as it approached its project targets, and what he called the “unintended consequences of the stimulus legislation.” “We have found in our surveys over the past two years that quite a number of FTTH builds were put on hold while the stimulus program was sorted out and the network operators got a clearer picture on whether their projects would be funded,” Render said. “That is all behind us now and our latest survey results are indicating that most FTTH projects are now going full speed ahead.” RVA estimates that more than 770 entities are now providing FTTH services in North America, 61% of which are small and mid-sized independent telephone companies. Another 13% are competitive broadband providers, 11% are municipalities or public electric utilities, 10% are associated with real estate developments, and four percent are cable television providers. The RVA survey reports that 70% of FTTH providers are “very likely” to continue to build out their FTTH networks to reach more subscribers. It also said that 24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FTTH providers are beginning to more aggressively differentiate their internet offerings from DSL and cable modem competition with high-speed offerings that are often the same upstream and downstream. Recently, Google announced it would build an FTTH network providing 1-gigabit connectivity in Kansas City, Kansas. “Given the enormous and widespread interest we are seeing in next-generation connectivity, it is not surprising that, as the recession fades, telecommunications providers across North America are resuming their onward march toward all-fiber access,” FTTH Council President Daniel O'Connell said.

Fujitsu to partner with CISCO on open access U.K. network with FTTH Japan’s Fujitsu announced that it plans to build an open access network based principally on fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology in the U.K. The company will partner with Cisco on the network technology, while U.K. alternative service providers Virgin Media and TalkTalk have agreed to use the FTTH network, which Fujitsu says will reach as many as 5 million homes in rural parts of the U.K., an article in Lightwave reported. It noted that, when completed, the superfast FTTH network will support symmetrical 1-Gbps services to each customer. Both projects stem from a £530 million U.K. government program to promote investment in superfast broadband in rural communities.

MCNC reports further progress with North Carolina broadband initiative The Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC) reports that it has chosen three companies to construct 1,200 miles of new fiber optics as part of the second phase expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). A press release said that the three companies (Globe Communications, Fiber Technologies, and Edwards Telecommunications) will share the project, valued at approximately $40 million, with completion scheduled for July 2013. The entire expansion of NCREN, called the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative (GLRBI), has an estimated project cost of approximately $146 million, it said, previously noting that CommScope, Inc., would provide the necessary materials. The GLRBI requires vendors to construct a new fiber cable network that connects educational, health and safety facilities, libraries, county offices, and other community anchor institutions to a statewide fiber-optic network. The construction encompasses seven routes in North Carolina. This new network has the potential to serve more than 1,500 anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and more than 300,000 underserved families statewide. ■

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HERA – Great variety with wire, strips and tubes since 1890 in Germany.

I didn’t just ‘mind the gap’ in my industry experience I filled it with WAI’s U.K.-bound scholarship program. Q: Why did you join WAI? A: I joined WAI to gain a deeper technical understanding of wire manufacturing.

Q: What are the most valuable benefits you receive through WAI? A: Receiving the 2010 Wirelink Scholarship; networking with experienced members of our industry; and having access to webinars on the WAI website. Q: Why do you renew your membership? A: There is always more to be learned. Q: How did you get involved in the wire industry? A: I am the third generation from my family to work for Carpenter Technology [parent company of Talley Metals], so I was very familiar with the values of Carpenter and the respect with which they treat their employees.

Peter Funk Process Engineer | Talley Metals Technology Member Since: 2008

Meet Peter Funk. One of WAI’s worldwide members. One compelling story. Engineers. They’re known to develop...and...develop. They’re prone to develop. And for engineers like Peter, WAI’s rich educational programs fill the gap because there really is ‘always more to be learned.’ WAI’s webinar series. Workshops. Plant tours. Its travelling scholarship program. All are part of an ongoing process for engineers like Peter, whose personal profile reveals key themes familiar

Q: What would you be doing if you hadn’t become involved in the wire industry? A: Making toilet paper. I did two co-ops while in college for a major paper manufacturer. Q: What did your most valuable WAI contact help you do? A: Gain an understanding of acid pickling. Q: What do you do for leisure? A: When I’m not working you can find me at the golf course. Q: What is your favorite industry-related travel story? A: Thinking I could manage navigating the English countryside without GPS while learning the nuances of driving on the “other” side of the road during WAI’s scholarship trip.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment? A: Being the best father I can be.

to all developing personalities namely: Hard Work | Admirable Career Choices | Continued Education | Networking | Industry Pride Listen in on Peter’s story to find your common ground. And when you meet Peter in person—or

Q: What do you like about the wire industry? A: Our products are everywhere in everything. We really do help

through WAI’s Facebook page—be sure to ask him

make the world a better place.

about his direction. It won’t surprise you to know that in terms of his career WAI is his GPS.

MNEMONIC TIP: PETER FUNK. FUNK-FREE WITH WAI’S SCHOLARSHIP.

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

Japanese woes and ‘Just in Time’ processes affect U.S. companies The effect of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and resulting nuclear plant disasters in Japan has reached out as far as Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where Johnstown Wire Technologies Inc. President Walter Robertson expects to lose business from companies that supply fasteners. In an article in PITTSBURGH BUSINESSTIMES, Robertson said that his company will see substantial cutbacks in sales of steel wire because of disruptions in the supply chain that will crimp auto production. He said that 15% to 20% of the company’s steel wire sales are for fasteners for auto manufacturers, and that specific business may be off by 40% to 50% in the second quarter. “The whole model of ‘just in time delivery,’ it’s good for working capital but for the foreseeable future that will change,” Robertson said in the article. “This will be traumatic for those in the auto group. I can tell you we have gotten direct feedback from our manufacturers; they are telling us business will be off in the second quarter.” Robertson said that the situation is not dire as he expects other areas of the company business to pick up any slack created by delays in auto orders. Further, he expects business to take off once the production delays are fixed and

manufacturers need to rebuild part inventory. In other news, Johnstown Wire was one of five companies that filed a petition with the U.S. International Trade Commission, seeking penalties against Mexico and China related to their exports of galvanized steel wire. See p. 10.

Report: fastener market in India A report on the India fastener market from Brooks Reports, part of U.K.-based Mack Brooks Group, looks at the “the wide-ranging opportunities presented to the fastener and construction fixings industries by India’s dynamic economy, increasingly powerful domestic consumption market and long-term requirement for infrastructure development.” The report, a press release said, reviews current trends, future developments and key consumers in major end markets for fasteners: including automotive, rail and aerospace; power generation and distribution; electrical goods and telecom, construction and infrastructure. It also assesses the Indian fastener manufacturing and distribution sectors and challenges, both in volume and quality demands. For more details, go to www.brooksreports.com, info@brooksreports.com. ■

Tailor-made to your particular requirements, our high-precision rolling mills process all kinds of material into every possible shape.

ai 2011 Interwire 03 – 05 M Mai 2011 26 – Wire Russia 23

MAY 2011 | 27

FASTENER UPDATE

WAI NEWS

WAI

NEWS

2011 WireLink Travelling Scholarship winner chosen, tour includes Interwire The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers has named Christopher John Barker, operations manager finishing–wire rod, for Tata Steel UK as the 2011 WireLink Travelling Scholarship winner. Barker, a 6 Sigma Green Belt who is responsible for managing daily operations of the finishing end of the company’s rod mill in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, will tour plants in the U.S. as well as attend Interwire. Some of the companies that he is scheduled to visit include Krueger Company outside of Chicago; then on to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he will go to the Essex Group, Fort Wayne Wire Die, and Fort Wayne Metals. He then heads south for Cerro Wire, Beneke Wire, Leggett & Platt’s Adcom facility, Sumiden and MidSouth Wire as well as Southwire, and Christopher later the new Kia Motors manufacturJohn Barker, Tata ing plant and Bekaert in Rome. Steel UK In 2001, Barker worked for

Huntsman Tioxide as a day chemist, and during this time graduated with an honours degree in chemistry. In 2004, he returned to the steel industry, specifically rod and wire, where he has spent the last seven years. He said that one of the more challenging tasks he has is overseeing the proper dispatches of wire rod. He notes that there are more than a thousand such activities each week, which makes it essential to be as efficient as possible for the loading and the unloading steps for the product. In his application, Barker, age 30, noted that he is always looking for ways to improve the packaging of wire rod. “We are always keen to value the customer’s perception on such improvements, but also to learn what other wire rod producers are using to protect their products during transportation. The opportunity to visit a number of areas within the wire industry would no doubt a key benefit be to our packaging improvements.” He added that he would also like to learn more about suspension springs, which Tata Steel Europe recently started supplying. The scholarship program, which was created by representatives of the British wire industry and the Wire Association, and is also supported by The Wire Foundation, sees a representative being chosen in alternating years to experience how their counterparts manufacture wire.

WAI Q&A Why all the WAI information requests? This occasional section covers a topic of general interest involving WAI. This one is answered by WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. Q: Why does The Wire Journal International (WJI) seem to be frequently asking for updated address and subscription information? ? Fetteroll: While it may feel like we ask you more often than necessary to update your records, we try our best to keep such requests to a minimum. We know that you are busy and likely are already overwhelmed at times by similar requests from other personal and professional publications, e-newsletters, blogs, Twitter, and social networks. We don’t want to add to your headaches. The WJI circulation includes more than 10,000 industry professionals residing in some 90 countries. The magazine is printed in the United States, where 60% of our readership is located. As publishers, we are faced with steadily increasing delivery costs, both in the U.S. and even more in the international arena. For some publications, these high costs have pushed them out of business. 28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Operationally, we want every magazine to reach the reader, and our goal (not perfect yet) is to have no returns. Sure it sounds appropriate given the “green” culture, but the truth is we hate the idea of wasted postage and we owe it to our advertisers to make sure “we deliver,” literally. We try to reach all of our subscribers annually via e-mail to initiate the subscription renewal Fetteroll process and at the same time, we update your records. If you receive a printed renewal notice with your magazine, it means that you are approaching the end of your subscription and we need you to respond so we can continue to send the magazine. Don’t get your own copy of WJI? Just go to www.wirenet.org, click on “Wire Journal,” then “Subscriptions” and then “free subscription” to access the form. ■

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CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER Slate of chapter golf tourneys set Spring is finally here, and with it comes announcements of a slew of golf tourneys for WAI chapters this year. Details are still being finalized, but below is the current status for the Midwest, Ohio Valley, New England, Southeast and Western chapters. Aside from the golfing, the events offer great opportunities to meet up with friends/industry colleagues as well as for companies to bolster their name recognition through a range of sponsorship opportunties.

Midwest Chapter: The chapter will hold its 9th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, June 20, 2011, at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club, West Chicago, Illinois. Ohio Valley Chapter: The chapter will hold its 9th Annual Golf Tournament in either August or September 2011, at the Grantwood Golf Course, Solon, Ohio. More details to follow.

At the Southeast Chapter’s 2010 tourney, CommScope’s team of Paul McConnell, Bob Gildea, Brian Yount and Brian Deese shot 17 under par for a winning score of 55.

New England Chapter: The chapter will hold its 17th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, September 12, 2011, at a new location, the Ellington Ridge Country Club, Ellington, Connecticut. More details to follow Southeast Chapter: The chapter will hold its 10th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 13, 2011, at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina. This event will also be a scholarship fundraiser for Eric Vannais, the son of the late Stephen Vannais, the former chapter president. Western Chapter: The chapter will hold its 11th Annual “Wild West Shootout” Golf Tournament onMonday, October 24, 2011, at the Los Verdes Golf Course, Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA. More details to follow. ■

Bragging rights for golfers once again will be up for grabs at WAI Chapter tourneys in Illinois, Ohio, Connecticut and California. 30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The team of Vincent Griffin, Jerry Richards, Aaron Nolan and Mike Swift won the 2010 Ohio Valley Chapter tourney.

The team of Dick Palmer, Ron Reed, Scott Reed and Al Divincenzo won the 2010 New England Chapter tourney.

EVENT PREVIEW Organizers of wire Russia are expecting strong attendance and activity when the 2011 event is held May 2326, 2011, in the ZAO Expocentre in Moscow. The event, jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf and its subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf Moscow, has the support of leading international industry associations that include: the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA), the International Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association (IWCEA), the German Wire and Cable Machine Manufacturers Association (VDKM), the Austrian Wire and Cable Machinery Manufacturers Association (VOEDKM-AWCMA), the International Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association-France (IWCEA-France) as well as the Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers Association (ACIMAF) and the Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association (WCISA). A press release said that exhibitors at wire Russia 2011 will display the latest in wire manufacturing and finishing machinery (including fastener and spring manufacturing machinery), process technology tools, auxiliary process technology materials, measuring and control technology as well as test engineering and special wires and cables. When last held in 2009, 214 exhibitors from 29 countries presented their technologies for the wire and cable industry to more than 9,200 visitors from all parts of the Russian Federation (the visitor number includes

attendees at the concurrently held MetallurgyLitmash, Tube Russia and Aluminium/NonFerrous trade shows). The Russian market, the release said, is full of business expansion opportunities within the wire and cable industry for international companies offering the most up-to-date technologies. It noted that, in recent years, Russia’s GDP has averaged annual increases of around 6% and the price for Russian oil, the country’s mainstay export, has been simultaneously increasing or maintaining value on a yearly basis. Sustained crude oil prices have triggered a multiplier effect, leading to an increased production in other industries within Russia, making the modernization requirements of the country’s overall economy enormous, it said. The event will again be staged in conjunction with Metallurgy-Litmash, Tube Russia and Aluminium/NonFerrous. Contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Activity at the 2009 staging of wire Russia, which saw technology offered by some 214 exhibitors from 29 countries.

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Much has changed since Messe Düsseldorf, which organizes key industry events around the world, put on its first wire Russia event in 2003, and the last few years have been especially challenging. WJI posed two questions to Jörg Dübelt, head of Messe Düsseldorf’s department for International Exhibition Management. Below are his comments. WJI: The 2009 staging of wire Russia took place during a very bleak period. What’s your outlook for 2011? Dübelt: In 2009 manufacturers of wire and cable machineries were clearly feeling the effects of the global economic slowdown. But nevertheless, the trade fair reached a turnout on a similar scale to that of 2007. Exhibitors and visitors knew that wire Russia is the main meeting point of the industry leaders and in addition, and with this I lead over to the year 2011, a chance of being part of the economic growth. Where else you can find such a high business potential for new Russian market share? Once more, all the internationJörg Dübelt al market leaders are on hand – North America (USA and Canada), Europe (Austria, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, France) and Asia (China) are offering national group exhibits in addition to many other international players and the strong Russian participation, too. Together with our Russian partner VNIIKP – All Russian Cable Scientific Research and Development Institute – as well as our subsidiary, Messe Düsseldorf Moscow, and all the major national and international industry associations, this trade show should be very successful in meeting the needs of the Russian market. For the 2011 event, we are looking forward to welcoming nearly 230 exhibitors coming from 29 countries. The number of exhibitors and booked area has already surpassed the 2009 event. We are confident that the number

Exhibitor comments Below are comments from wire Russia exhibitors about why they will be at the event and what their expectations are. Boockmann GmbH Germany Boockmann GmbH, which has an ongoing business in Belarus and Ukraine, sees interest in our technology and products in these countries, both in winding wire lubrication with our HELILUB system and wire cleaning and finishing with our HELICORD process. We are exhibiting at wire Russia to meet more companies from

of visitors will do so as well. Further synergies specifically on the visitor side are expected also, due to the parallel staging of the Metallurgy-Litmash, Tube Russia and Aluminium/NonFerrous trade fairs in the adjacent hall at Moscow’s Expocentre. In summary, the rising tendency reflects in the trade fair business as well as in the economic situation. We are looking forward to the biggest and best attended respective industry show in Russia with interesting conversations and successful business. WJI: Are the drivers there for continued growth in the Russian market? Dübelt: Following a severe slump in 2009, not only in the Russian economy, it is high time to rethink. Although the economic situation has stabilized again, action needs to be taken now. For the Russian government and all of the insiders in the industry, this means: modernization! The government department of industry and trade is expecting 50 (billion) euro modernizing investments through 2020. The sector is rebounding, and obviously there is an economic pick-up. Trade fairs like wire, Metallurgy Litmash, tube Russia and Aluminium/NonFerrous, hold great potential as they embody the chance to “reflate” the single market. The wire, cable and wire processing industry faces new challenges. Its products are indispensable in many user industries where they are needed to carry electrical energy, electronic data and mechanical forces. To meet increasing demands placed on the products’ capabilities, machinery and equipment is called for that can be flexibly adapted to the most diverse specifications without compromising the consistently high product quality and environmental protection. Experts consider the industry’s long-term prospects to be good, particularly since the pressure to innovate in many sectors and the need to expand infrastructure promise high order volumes. A considerable amount of money needs to be invested in the Russian electricity industry alone, in order to carry out the urgently needed expansions to its grids.

former Soviet Union countries. Present will be President Gerhard Boockmann and chemist Alexander Ketterling, a Russian native. Gerhard Boockmann, Boockmann GmbH.

MAY 2011 | 33

EVENT PREVIEW

Organizer outlook for wire Russia

EVENT PREVIEW

Eder Engineering Austria As in 2003 and since, Eder Engineering-Austria will have a large stand at wire Russia, located in the Austrian Pavilion in Hall/Pavilion 3. Being active in the former USSR for 55 (!) years already, Russia and the CIS always have been excellent markets for both EderÂ´s advanced drawing die-tools and particularly for leading die-tool working machines, designed with over 60 years of specialization and as easy to understand and operate. The Russian wire and cable producing industry too is increasingly aware of the fact that only perfectly produced and perfectly repaired drawing dies will draw good wire. Dr. Kurt Eder, Eder Engineering. Flymca & Flyro Spain Russia is one of the most important future markets. It is a huge country with many needs and huge distances to cover. At Flymca & Flyro, we believe that this market will explode. We always have been and will be available to give the best reply to any machinery requirement for the wire and cable industry. We produce new Flymca cost effective high quality rotating machines (all types of stranders and cablers) with advanced technical solutions in order to achieve high production rates, low maintenance costs and power consumption savings. Flyro is proposing interesting second hand equipment, giving the advantage of immediate delivery time and attractive prices. Roberto Verez, sales manager, Flymca &Flyro. GMP Slovakia s.r.o. Slovakia The reel market is very wide in terms of application and also geography. Copper is different from cable, steel wire is different from aluminum, and Asia is different from Europe. There are products that are price-based and products where innovation, know-how and experience are very much requested. GMP Slovakia, a global supplier of reels and handling equipment, is a worldwide leader because its manufacturing plant in Slovakia can supply good products where experience is requested at a competitive price. Indeed, Slovakia is one of the best countries in the world in terms of balance between labor costs and high production capacity, and that capability is of value to the Russian market, as we intend to show at wire Russia. A few of our innovative products include: EKP-Easykoil Plus, a patented take-apart reel; a coil lifter, the new HD 1000, a DIN standard reel which runs at 50 m/sec with 2.2 tons of 0.8 high carbon steel wire; a CD-corrugated drum; and cable drums with 6 mm thickness flanges for drum-twister machine applications. GMP Slovakia s.r.o. Maillifer S.A. Switzerland Wire Russia is a venue not to miss in order to nurture our business relationships (as qualified in our statement below). Also, we expect to grow our business in the area of rubber extrusion and value added customer services. Maillefer, particularly its 13 member Russian sales, service, and spare parts team based in Moscow, invites visi-

34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tors to Wire Russia stand 3 B14 as a very effective means of communicating its latest energy, fiber optic, telecom, and tube manufacturing innovations and its customer service offering to a influential client base; and in order to recognize the privileged relationships it has built with customers over the decades: the company has over 40 years of Manuel Felder experience, which first began from Finland, in delivering extrusion lines and complete factories to the Russian and CIS regions. Manuel Felder, Maillifer S.A. Medek & Schoerner GmbH Germany Participating in the wire Russia show is an absolute must for every machinery producer who wants to successfully present equipment to Russian customers. According to our experience, the Russian client wants to have face-to -face contact and discuss all problems personally. They are even more open to new technologies and once you have convinced them of the quality and reliability of your high-end quality products a trustful and long-standing partnership can almost be guaranteed. We have an excellent standing and reputation in the region. For the event we are expecting to be able to intensify our good relationships and to present and promote our innovations (new Laser Printer for cables and wires; print quality monitoring system) successfully. The Russian market has recovered after a short period of recession and we are expecting that the investment confidence continues growing. Werner Lichtscheidl, Medek & Schoerner GmbH. Microdia S.A. Switzerland Russia is a large country with many wire and cable manufacturers. Microdia looks forward to establishing good and long lasting relationships with leading companies looking for a reliable experienced and trustful cross head and tooling supplier. Our goal is to expand our sales in this important potential market. For the first time in Russia, we will present two families of cross heads: ECOMEX SERIES cross heads engineered to extrude LSZH and ECO-GREEN compounds with the highest output level, the lowest inner head drag factor, efficiency and reliability; and our ROMEX series, which was created to suit the needs of the tube and cable makers looking for a precise, durable, reliable and yet affordable extrusion head with final outer diameter range of 40 to 125 mm. Bernard Dougoud, Microdia S.A. Micro Products Company USA The rapidly growing wire and cable market in Russia has been attracting a lot of attention worldwide, and now Micro Products Company is taking its Micro-Weld butt welders there. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display of welders at Booth

Nextrom Oy/Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH Finland/Austria Russia and the CIS countries are key markets for Nextrom and Rosendahl. The leading market position of our companies is, besides others, a result of the close contact with our friends, partner and customers. This is the only way to understand the needs and requirements which in turn are essential to ensure the long term success of our companies in these markets. The exhibition in Moscow

gives us the possibilities to have personal contact to a huge number of cusRené Stöckl Alan Giraud tomers in short time and to present our new developments and technologies to the key players in our industry. Alain Giraud, sales director, Nextrom Oy, and René Stöckl, sales director CIS, Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH. Otomec Srl Italy Otomec Srl has been active in the Russian market for many years with its special equipment for the electro tin-, nickel- and silver-plating of copper wire for cable; electro-zinc plating of steel wire for mesh, fencing and general purposes; and electro-plating of aluminum wire and strip for the aerospace industry, as well as a copper-coating machine for welding wires and other dedicated proj-

MAY 2011 | 35

EVENT PREVIEW

B-16 (Hall 7-2) includes its Model HP-1 Ceramic Fusion Butt Welder, for stranded or bunched conductors (copper/aluminum) within specially designed ceramic sleeves that lock all filaments together to produce weld joints with no burrs. Company reps will be available to answer questions on specific applications. MicroWeld has been manufacturing high performance electric resistance butt welders in the U.S. since 1928. Today its Micro-Weld welders are used in over 30 countries. There are over 50 Micro-Weld models available for a wide range of sizes and applications, including ceramic fusion welding, for continuous processing of wire, rod and cable. Micro Products offers parts and service worldwide. Hamond Dayal, managing director-international, Micro Products Co.

EVENT PREVIEW

ects. Otomec has already supplied some of leading cable manufacturers and other qualified high-tech providers with equipment supplied on a turnkey basis for advanced process technology and environmental protection. The company, which will present information on its range of electro-plating equipment, from systems for fine wire Alberto Rusconi to bar and strip, intends to strengthen existing relations and to open new contacts in the region with the strong service support of its local Russian partner, Permanent K&M. Alberto Rusconi, president, Otomec Srl. PS Costruzioni Meccaniche Srl Italy The Russian market, including countries such as the Ukraine, Belarus, etc., has become very important for our company, and we have been selling our semi-automatic and automatic machines to this area for several years, including an order last year from a leading Russian cable company for our No. 2 Coiling/Spooling PS machines. Exhibiting at wire Russia is a good opportunity for us to show the newest PS technology, such as our new

Double Spooler (see p. 71) and an automatic coiling/spooling line, Mod. PS 400/12 Combo 3. Economic conditions are improving and we expect to see a new rise of investments in the region. In the Italian Pavilion, we will exhibit and operate an automatic coiling line, Model PS 470/16. Franco Parma, general manager, PS Costruzioni Meccaniche Srl.

Franco Parma

Roblon A/S Denmark Roblon is continuing to expand its cooperation with Russian OFC manufacturers, profiting from our unique position as supplier of both industrial yarns and machinery for OFC production. For almost a decade, Roblon has considered Russia to be a strategic key market and this focus has positioned Roblon as the leading supplier in its niches. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We place great importance on the Russian market and see a huge growth in production capacity and OFC demand in generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; says Morten Jespersen, area sales manager and responsible for Roblon sales in Russia. Wire Russia has proven to be a perfect platform for Roblonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities in Russia and we look forward to welcoming all our business partners at our stand. Meet us at Wire Russia, Hall 7-1, stand B-26.

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EVENT PREVIEW

Supermac Industries (India) Ltd. India Supermac Industries (India) Ltd. is taking part in wire Russia for the first time. It feels that Russia and CIS countries are getting into a growth mode and hence are a good market for cable machinery. Supermac has grown in the past few years by developing new lines as well as exporting extrusion lines to customers worldwide. The product range now includes extruders from 30 mm to 175 mm and payoffs and take-ups for 4500 mm bobbins and 50 tonnes capacity. We have developed a fast speed dual automatic take-up for building, control and instrumentation wires. The crowning glory in the product range has been the CCV line for triple extrusion line for MV cables up to 66KV developed with Scholz curing technology. As mentioned earlier, they have dispatched lines to customers in the Middle East and African nations. Supermac’s turnover has touched USD $ 6 million in the last financial year. Supermac’s product range includes extruders, various types of take-ups and payoffs, caterpillars, crossheads, insulation and sheathing lines for power cables, cooling troughs, etc. for the wire and cable industry. Future plans include developing 132 KV CCV lines, rubber extrusion lines and higher speed dual take-ups for bobbins up to 1000 mm. Jasvinder Singh, SUPERMAC Industries (India) Ltd. Traxit GmbH/Traxit N. America Germany/USA The Russian market is a very strong and growing market for Traxit. Many customers are investing in new machines and equipment to get better productivity and quality. Our products are designed for high drawing speed, cleanliness of the final wire and smoothness of the

Wire Russia Exhibitors Note: not all booth numbers were available as of press time. See the Show Program at the event for stand assignments. A. Appiani Srl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aachener Maschinenbau GmbH. . 3A07 AESA S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B14/3C09 Assomac Machines Ltd. . . . . . . 7-1 C26 AstroPlast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3A01 August Strecker GmbH & Co. KG3A10 Baussmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B07/B05 Bongard Trading GmbH & Co. KG3A09 Boockmann GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B11 Borealis AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 A02 Boxy S.p.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bühler Würz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B03/B01 BWE Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B03 C. M. Caballé, S.A.. . . . . . . . . . . . 3B02 Carl Bechem GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . 3C11 Ceeco Bartell Products, . . . . . . 7-2 A09 Claus Bender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B19 Clifford Welding Systems. . . . . . . 3B17

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

wire surface. The lubrication always stays inside the die to reduce friction and die wear. With our products the new generation of machines reaches highest performance and improves competition with other markets. The Russian companies are interested in new developments and best quality to reach a higher standard in Europe and worldwide. Guido Kellmann, general sales manager – Technical, Traxit.

Guido Kellmann

Woywod GmbH & Co. KG Germany wire Russia is the most important exhibition for the cable and wire industry in the eastern European area. The last two years have been heavily influenced by the financial crisis with dropping business, but Woywod GmbH is seeing clear signs of improvement in respect to new investments. It was again a very clear decision to participate in this event to show our confidence in these markets and their future. The worldwide presence of PLASTICOLOR products in the cable and wire industry is backed up by the participation of Woywod in the major wire and cable exhibitions, such as Düsseldorf, Atlanta, Moskow, Bangkok and Shanghai. Part of the production program will be on display in Hall 3 Booth 3A27 and showing the latest innovations of our production. René Günther will be available for any further information. Woywod GmbH.

Comapac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cometo di Tocchetti Enrico & C.s.n.c. . Compomec Oy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B12 Condat Lubrifiants . . . . . . . . . . . . 3D20 Condor Compounds GmbH . . . . . 3C11 Conductix-Wampfler . . . . . . . . . . 3D18 Continuus-Properzi S.p.A.. . . . . . . . . . . Cortinovis Machinery S.p.A. . . 7-1 C27 COSTA machinery GmbH . . . . . . 3A16 CPA Wire Technologies GmbH . . 3D04 Daloo Machinery Co. Ltd. . . . . . . 3D08 Davis-Standard, LLC . . . . . . . . 7-2 B12 Dexsen SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 C22 Domeks Makine Ltd. STI. . . . . 7-2 C25 Dongguan Zhangli Machine . . . . . . . . . Dow Wire & Cable. . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B06 Dunst GmbH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3D06 Ebner Industrieofenbau GmbH. . . 3D09 Eder Engineering GmbH . . . . . . . 3C04 EJP Maschinen GmbH . . . . . . . . . 3A17 Elantas GmbH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B09 Ernst Koch GmbH & Co. KG3B07/B05 Erocarb S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B04

Extrusion • Corrugation • Optical Fiber • SZ-Stranding

AWG 44 / 0,33 mm

Micro Coaxial Cable

Rosendahl Micro Coaxial Cable production line for FEP with a foam rate up to 50 %

www.rosendahlaustria.com

Hall 3 Booth 3C03

EVENT PREVIEW

Esteves-DWD Polska Sp. z o.o. 7-1 C31 Euroalpha S.r.l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurobend S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 A16 Eurolls S.p.A.- Eurolls Group . 7-1 C27 EuroWire Magazine . . . . . . . . . 7-1 B36 EVG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3C08/3D05 FIB Belgium s.a.. . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 B24 Flymca, S.L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B02 Flyro Used Cable Equipment . . 7-2 B02 Fort Wayne Wire Die, Inc. . . . . 7-2 B07 Fortuna Federn GmbH . . . . . . . . . 3C10 Fr. und H. Lüling GmbH & Co. KG3A15 Frekans Makina San. Ve Tic. . . 7-2 B08 Krollmann GmbH & Co. KG . . . . 3A12 Fuhr GmbH & Co. KG . . . . . . . . . 3A11 Gauder S.A.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B21 GCR Eurodraw S.p.A. . . . . . . . 7-1 C24 GER S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 C22 Gimax S.r.l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GMP Slovakia s.r.o. . . . . . . . . . 7-1 C29 H. Folke Sandelin AB . . . . . . 3B03/B01 H. Künne GmbH & Co. KG . . . . . 3B15 Haefely Test AG . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B05 Heinze & Streng GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B19/7-2 B22 Henrich Maschinenfabrik GmbH . 3A08 Hipotronics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 B05 HMP Heinrich Müller. . . . . . . . . . 3A19

Holifa Fröhling GmbH & Co. KG 3C11 I.F.P. S.p.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ideal-Werk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B17 Inductotherm Heating & Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 A07 Ingramatic S.p.A. . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 A04 Inhol BV - PTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B12 International Wire &. . . . . . . . . 7-2 A13 ISIS S.A.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3D14

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40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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FEATURE

ew regions are not still feeling the effects of the financial

crisis that struck in late 2008, but a translated report

from Russia’s Electrocable Association shows that the Russian wire and cable industry has recovered, and appears well poised going forward. This feature, which focuses on nonferrous sectors, also includes a look at a few Russian companies and observations on the country’s outlook from U.K.-based Integer Research and excerpts from two forums on Russia by Troika Dialog.

The following report was written by Prof. Izyaslav Peshkov, president of the Electrocable Association, and Yevgeny Uvarov, the association’s deputy director general. The organization unites 103 enterprises, organizations and firms in Russia and the CIS countries, and includes nearly all the cable factories of the former Soviet Union. The global economic and financial crisis hit the cable industry in Russia and CIS countries the hardest in September 2008. A sharp fall in the demand for cables and wires caused a corresponding decrease in the production of such in Q4 2008 and Q1 2009. In Q2 2009 the fall bottomed out. The output of cables in Q1 2009 was only a half of the maximum level of Q3 2008. As a result, the production of cables decreased by 21% in 2009 as a whole, despite an unstable growth in H2 2009. The recovery trend continued in 2010. Russian cable producers accounting for 81% of the Association’s output set the trends and dynamics in the Association. In its turn, the Russian cable industry depends on the performance of the Russian economy, above all its investment and production sectors. As usual, the year 2010 for Russia’s economy began with an investment pause and a business lull in January followed by a gradual growth in industrial production. In May an unstable increase in investment began which evidences to the improving investment climate in the country. The overall trend in Russia in 2010 was a gradual recovery of economic activity. The industrial growth index was 108.2% in 2010 whereas in 2009 the industry fell by 9.3% and processing industries fell by 11.8% and 42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

15.2% respectively. The positive trend that began In H1 2010 was stopped by the challenging weather conditions in Russia in Q3 2010. However, in Q4 2010 investment started to grow faster supplemented by growing prices and exports in global markets which resulted in a greater investment demand. Investment increased by 7.7% by the end of the year compared to the third quarter. Investment in capital stock grew by 6% in 2010 against 2009 when it declined by 16.2% (see Table 1).

Table 1. Basic economic indicators of Russia’s socio-economic development. Intensified works in construction projects and an improved overall economic situation led to a greater demand for technological and investment project related equipment, especially for vehicles, particular products of electric and oil machine engineering, construction and road building machines, machine tools and metal forming machines. In 2010 processing industries saw a continued growth in the output of aluminum (by 2%) and refined copper (by 4.6%). Following a deep slump in 2009, the manufacture of vehicles continued to rise in 2010 (by 32.2%), with the output of road cars doubling and that of trucks increasing by a half. The output of machines and equipment surged

Russia scorecard: Integer Research Judging progress for a wire and cable region is not always clear-cut, but below Philip Radbourne, a director at U.K.-based Integer Research, provides his perspective. The industry, by and large, is still recovering from the collective financial dive that took place in late 2008. In some respects Russia was better off than some economies as it was not focused on some of the alluring financial vehicles that undermined countries from the U.S. and Spain to the U.K. and Iceland. The Russian wire and cable industry largely escaped the long-term effects. Many of the leading cable producers in Russia have been expanding their operations and capacity through 2007 and 2008 to cope with the sharp increase in demand, and also the changPhilip Radbourne ing nature of demand. This included demand for modern cross linked power cables, and an increased range of specialty oil and gas cables, as well as more modern designs. This has helped companies such as Nexans, Reka Cable and other Western European producers, who have been able to follow some of their existing customers who have been winning projects in Russia, and elsewhere in the CIS. The leading producers such as Uncomtech (Irkutsk Kabel, Kirskabel) and Sevkabel Holdings invested heavily, buying out cable companies and their shareholdings, as well as investing in new plant and equipment. Uncomtech is the largest producer in Russia, and includes both Irkutskkabel and Kirskabel. It has key market share in the electrical utility market producing products from aluminium ACSR and aluminium power cable. Its annual revenue was above US$450 million in 2008. Kirskabel's annual revenue was above US$140 million in 2008. In Q3 2009, Furukawa Electric announced it had concluded a technical assistance agreement (TAA) for the production of 110kV power cables with Uncomtech and its production subsidiary Kirskabel. Kirskabel will get cable parts and support from Viscas (Furukawa’s joint venture with Fujikura) and has already started test production of 110kV power cable production (in July 2009); it aims to get power companies’ approvals within 2009 and start commercial supply in early 2010. Uncomtech has 19 sales branches in CIS, and is the market leader in medium voltage power cables in Russia. Looking forward, I’d say that the Russian wire and cable industry is likely to continue its growth course. There are issues, as with any country, but the industry there is firmly established.

MAY 2011 | 43

FEATURE

by 12.3%, with that of machine tools rising 12% and that of metal forming machines – by 38%. It is worth mentioning that the production of electric equipment saw an increase of 22.8%, including a 42.8% growth in the output of electric machines and motors which had a positive influence on the production of all main cable Prof. Izyaslav Peshkov and wire components. Naturally, all these factors led to a positive trend in cable production. This is also evidenced by the performance of the cable industry in Russia and other CIS countries and by the data of the Association’s monitoring of Russian cable production companies. The main factor is that a monthly increase in the output of cable products began after January ranging from 34% by which the output grew in February against January to the 7% growth registered in August. This trend resulted in a quarterly growth starting with Q2 2010. However, the growth slowed down in Q4 2010, in November and December, reaching only 2.6% in Q4 Table 2. Quarterly changes in output of against Q3 cable products in 2010. 2010 (see Table 2). According to available data, companies produced cable items to a total of 594,800 metric tons of copper, which Table 3. Changes in output of is 22.9% more than cable products in Russia, by in 2009 or 22.5% copper weight, as estimated more if judged by by the Electrocable Association metal weight. Enterprises in 2010. Nevertheless, this output is still correspondingly 9.7% and 11.3% lower than in the pre-crisis year of 2008. Russian enterprises experienced a slightly deeper fall (see Table 3). The production growth is registered at all enterprises of the Association, except for those in the Republic of Uzbekistan (see Table 4 on next page). Cable industries in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were growing at a faster rate than the Association’s average and Russian enterprises managed to increase their share of the Association’s market to 81.7%. Facilities of the Uncomtekh Management Company, the Kamsky Kabel factory and Sevkabel-Holding factories maintained their

FEATURE Table 4. Changes in output of cable products by Electrocable Association enterprises in CIS in 2010.

leadership among Russian enterprises. Such facilities as Yuzhkabel and Odeskabel in Ukraine, Energokomplekt and Gomelkabel in Belarus and the Andidzhankabel factory in Uzbekistan managed to reinforce their positions in the market. Naturally, the growth in cable production was accompanied by an increase in the use of copper which grew by

21.5% or by almost 50,000 tons and aluminum which rose by 24.3% or by almost 31,000 tons. The difference between the two growth rates can be attributed to the fact that the production of aluminum strand power cables was growing faster than that of copper strand cables as well as to a 38% increase in the

Profile:Tatcabel,a success story ofpowercable production in Russia

laboratory, where the final stage of the factory testing of the 330 kV was carried out. They were told that Tatcable is also the only producer in Russia of cable for 220 kV of large sections. At the end of the visit the guests left their signatures on the section of cable for 330 kV with the wishes of good luck.

One of the notable domestic cable companies in Russia is Tatcable, a part of the INVENT Group, which has been a pioneer in high-voltage cable. The company’s plant in a suburb of Kazan represents the Group’s largest manufacturing enterprise, and as noted in the main article, is well equipped. The ISO 9001-2008 certified company reports that in terms of production, it ranks among the five largest Russian cable plants, and offers the widest range of energy cables. “The plant has no parallel in the Russian Federation,” it says, pointing out that it is the only producer of high-voltage cable for 330 kV and cable for 220 kV with wide cross-sections in Russia. “This cable previously had to be imported, but today Tatcable can provide domestic consumers with this high-tech cable and play an important role in the import substitution program.” A delegation of important visitors recently came to the Tatcable plant to recognize the accomplishment. Visitors sign a 330 kV cable at Tatcable. The visitors included the Vice-premier of the Russian Federation; the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NTER RAO UES OJSC; Igor Sechin, The INVENT group, a production and engineering holding the president of the Republic of Tatarstan; Rustam entity with more than 3,000 employees, is active in: cabling Minnihanov, the Deputy Ministers of Energy of RF, Andrey and wiring products (Tatcable); electrical products (INVENTShishkin and Sergey Kudryashov; the chairman of the board Electro); heat-insulated pipes (Tatteploizolyatsiya); and infraof “Rusgidro,” JSC, Evgeniy Dod; and the Minister of structural construction of energy and other industrial facilities Energy and natural resources of the Republic of Turkey, (INVENT-Tekhnostroi). Taner Yildiz. The delegation were acquainted with the unique

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FEATURE

production of self-supporting insulated cables (see Table 5). The Kamsky Kabel factory took the lead in copper processing surpassing the Urals Mining and Metallurgical Company and the Sebkabel-Holding. Facilities of the Uncomtekh Management Company, the Kamsky Kabel factory and Sevkabel-Holding factories maintained their Table 5. Copper and aluminum processing at Electrocable leading positions in the consumption of aluminum. Association enterprises, tons. Given this growth rate, the maximum output in Q4 2010 was 9% lower than that of the pre-crisis Q3 2008. At the same time, 17 cable enterprises exceeded their performance in Q3 2008, including five enterprises with an output of more than 10,000 tons per year. As for the cable product range, the output Table 6. Comparison of output of energy-related cables and wires at Electrocable Association enterprises in 2010 with 2009.

Nexans experience in Russia On Nov. 20, 2008, Nexans marked the official launch of production at its Ouglich plant in Yaroslavl Oblast, the company’s first manufacturing plant in Russia. At the opening ceremony, Nexans Chairman and CEO Gérard Hauser spoke of the signficance of that step. “We strongly believe that Russia offers great potential for growth. For Nexans especially, it offers a promising long term market. The rhythm of development of this country and its requirements for energy infrastructures offers huge opportunities for a worldwide industrial group like Nexans. The new plant in Ouglich is definitely a crucial boost to The Nexans Ouglich plant in the Nexans’ presYaroslavl Oblast of Russia began operaence in Russia.” tions with power cables in 2008. The new plant, a 35 million euro venture, represented the first major investment by a nonRussian cable manufacturer in the country. The plant created 180 jobs in the Yaroslav region, and many of the employees underwent training at other factories of the Nexans group. Today, the Ouglich plant has met expectations, said

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Nadezhda Repina, Nexans Russia. She said that the operations and workforce have expanded, and that the quality of the work has been on a par with other Nexans facilities. It is likely that more plants will be opened in Russia as the outlook for business is good, she said. “The market has high potential,” she said. She noted that the government of Russia has been allocating large sums for new projects and buildings as well as for innovation and reconstruction. Output from the plant goes to both building and infrastructure markets in Russia and other CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. Production began in Ouglich with primarily manufacture low and medium voltage power cables for underground and aerial applications, but has since expanded to take advantage of the rapid expansion of the Russian building and infrastructure market. Nexans has operated in the Russian market for more than a decade, with involvement in large-scale national projects. Past projects have included Nexans cables being installed at the Zhiguli hydropower plant, and on the offshore oil platform of Prirazlomnoe as well as at the Baikonur space launch pad. It added that the first important high-voltage underground cable projects rated up to 500 kV in Moscow and St. Petersburg were accomplished due to the major contribution made by Nexans cables and cable laying technology. In 2007, Nexans generated sales of 77 million Euros in Russia, at constant metal price.

MAY 2011 | 47

FEATURE

the production of non-insulated cables for overhead transmission lines remained at the same level. At the same time, the production of power cables with a voltage under 1 kV unexpectedly registered a 7% decline. A significant 42% growth in the output of power cables with a voltage of 1 kV and more, including a 58% increase in the output of cables with a voltage of over 1 kV, can be accounted for by the fact that this Table 7. Comparison of output of transport-related cables and wires group of products survived the hardest hit in at Electrocable Association enterprises in 2010 with 2009. 2009 with the overall output falling by 38% and over 1 kV cables slumping by 47%. Moreover, a 15% decrease was registered in the production of in 5 out of the 41 categories surpassed the maximum level low-voltage lighting equipment. Meanwhile, an 11% of 2008, including self-supporting insulated cables, optic growth in the output of machine tools and equipment fiber and LAN cables and cables for submersible oil resulted in a surge in the output of installation wires. It is pumps. also worth mentioning that the increase in the output of The data on cable industry performance in 2010 indicable with a voltage of over 1 kV was partially caused by cate that it moved from stagnation over to a recovery the fact that a new enterprise, Nexans growth. Only 10 out of the 59 factories failed to exceed Russia, was included in the statistics. As their last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance. for power cables with a voltage of under 1 Enterprises have reported significant increases almost in kV, cables with an aluminum strand were all types of cable and wire products. Out of 39 groups, 32 in the lead which largely resulted from the groups saw an output increase in comparison to 2009. In copper and aluminum price changes. The output of housethe group of energy-related (investment project related) hold wires dropped by a quarter and reached 15,000 km. cables and wires (see Table 6), the output of self-supportAs far as transport cables and wires (see Table 7) are ing insulated cables continued to grow (by 38%) while

FEATURE

concerned, the output of automotive wires increased by 110%, (in Russia by 120%), following a deep slump in the automotive industry in 2009 and its significant growth in early 2010. Among railway-related cables and wires, signal and block cables saw a 130% increase, including an increase of 150% in Russia and of 26% specifically in the output of cables and wires for the rolling stock. Despite a growth of 11% in Russia, the output of overhead wires did not increase in other CIS countries. This resulted from the Russian Railways company stepping up its investment in network development and rolling stock purchasing by 18.6%. There are certain positive trends in the production of airplane and ship cables and wires but production amounts are relatively small. Among communication cables (see Table 8), high growth rates pertain in the production of cables for structured cabling systems that grew by 63%) but Russian facilities saw a 20% decrease in this type of cable with a growth in the production of optic cables. In the latter group, the output increased by 68% if calculated by the length of cables and by 74% calculating by the amount of fiber. In 2010 the industry reached the output of 4.38 million km calculated by fiber thus exceeding its previous record high level of 3.9 million km attained in 2008. Production increases in traditional copper strand cables—long-distance, regional and urban telephone cables—stabilized at 37%, 15% and 10% correspondingly, accompanied by a fall in the output of distribution and station cables and wires. According to the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, an aggressive development of mobile phone operators resulted in a 5% decline in the traffic running through fixed regional and interurban telephone networks. Among cables, wires and components for equipment and instruments (see Table 9) output growth was registered in almost all types of cables which can be accounted for by the surge in the demand for investment project related machine engineering. An increase in the manufacture of electric machines and equipment (by 23% in Russia) facilitated a 25% growth in the output of enamelinsulated winding wires and a 29% growth in that of fiber-insulated ones. The output of cables for submersible oil pumps rose by 16% while that of cables for coil and other extraction industries surged by 50%. The commissioning of two new cable production facilities, the Tatcabel factory in Kazan and Tverenergokabel in Tver, also indicates the recovery of Russia’s cable industry in 2010. The Tatkabel factory is part of the INVENT Group, a large production and engineering holding engaged in the manufacture of cables, electric products, heat insulated pipes and so on. The factory is fitted out with equipment by the world’s leading companies, such as Niehoff from Germany, the Swiss-Finnish company Maillefer, Austria’s

48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Table 8. Output of communication cables and wires at Electrocable Association enterprises in 2010 in comparison to levels of 2009.

Table 9. Output for machines, equipment and devices at Electrocable Association enterprises in 2010 in comparison to levels of 2009.

MAY 2011 | 49

FEATURE

Rosendahl Maschinen, Spain’s Caballe and others. The factory’s product range will include insulated and non-insulated cables for overhead lines as well as low-, mediumand high-voltage cables. The latter can be manufactured with a strand with a cross-section of up to 2,500 mm2. The factory’s catenary continuous vulcanization line enables the manufacture of cables with a voltage of up to 330 kV. The Tverenergokabel factory is also fitted out with state-ofthe-art technological equipment produced by the same companies as the Tatcabel factory. The product range of Tverenergokabel will include insulated cables for overhead transmission lines and various power cables with a voltage of up to 10 kV. Both factories are manufacturing fire-proof cables, including with the use of halogenfree materials. The factories’ cables are available with aluminum and copper strands and are certified. Obviously, both factories are geared to produce cables for the energy

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sector due to a greater demand for this type of cables. More facilities were equipped to produce medium(between 6 and 35 kV) and high-voltage (between 110 and 330 kV) cables in 2010. As of this day, 12 Russian factories, one Ukrainian and one Belarusian facility are capable of producing medium-voltage cables. Thus, the existing production capacity can fully supply the needs of energy sectors in Russia and CIS countries today and in the future. High-voltage cables are manufactured at six factories in Russia, one factory in Ukraine and one facility in Belarus. Existing high-voltage cable production facilities are sufficient to satisfy existing needs. The possibility to develop and organize the production of 500 kV cables is currently under consideration. The production of fire-proof cables that remain operational during a certain period of exposure to fire continued developing in 2010. Earlier, Russian factories were using Russian-made fire-safe PVC compounds and foreign-made halogen-free polymer compounds, but the Ukrainian company Prominvest that is a member of the Association began manufacturing these compounds in 2010. The compounds were developed by Prominvest and the Russian Research and Development Institute for Cable Industry. Preliminary estimates indicate that the growth of cable industry in post-Soviet space will continue in 2011.

Investor forums look at role, potential for Russia as world economic power Two forums put on earlier this year by Troika Dialog, a Russian equity sales and trading firm, focused on the Russia outlook fom different perspectives. The first, in February, was “The Russia Forum 2011: Forecasting the Economic Weather in Russia and the World,” while the second, in April, posed the following question: Is Russia the best or Worst in BRIC? Below the reports from the organization’s website (see www.therussianforum.com) collectively point out strengths and weaknesses.

The Russia Forum 2011: Forecasting the Economic Weather in Russia and the World In coming decades, Russia has strong chances of joining the short list of the world’s largest economies, while Moscow has the potential and capabilities of becoming an international financial center. However, achieving these ambitious goals will depend upon how effectively the Russian government and business community are able to diversify the economy and attract international investments. Discussions at Troika Dialog’s investor conference, The Russia Forum 2011, centered on current challenges facing Russia, the new balance of

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MAY 2011 | 51

FEATURE

forces on the world geopolitical and economic arenas and the various risks facing its players. The Russia Forum 2011 was the fourth edition of Troika Dialog’s leading annual investors’ conference, held in Moscow with a focus on Russian and CIS markets. The trend speaks for itself: year in and out, interest in the Forum, and thus in Russia, is growing. Participants in this year’s discussion platform exceeded 2000 in number, a distinguished list comprised of world-renowned economists, executives from leading companies and investment funds, financiers, businessmen and politicians. Coverage of the Forum Alexei Kudrin, Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, was provided by approxiaddresses participants at the Troika Dialog investor conference. mately 600 journalists

FEATURE

tional rating agencies, for example by Shamil from leading Russian and foreign media. The Forum Kurmashon, Deputy General Director for Finance and included more than 20 panel discussions and sessions Investment, Aeroflot, who said, “The time of low-lying devoted to a broad range of questions having to do with assets in Russia has passed – everything here costs what it post-crisis Russia and today’s global economic model. should. And whereas before we were being chosen, now During the Forum, some 113 speakers addressed the we are the ones choosing. The time has come to review event’s guests and participants. Key speakers the methodology of credit ratings regarding Russia, to included Alexei Kudrin, Deputy Prime moderate appetites for profits and to stop discounting our Minister, Minister of Finance of the issuers.” Russian Federation; Arkady Dvorkovich, Most economists and investors continue to view Russia Aide to the President of the Russian as a legitimate member of BRIC, although they recognize Federation; Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow; and that China and India hold the clear edge in terms of Herman Gref, Chairman of the Board, CEO, Sberbank; as development. All were in agreement that Asia remains the well as leading representatives of Western business and key driver of world economic growth due to the region’s academic communities, such as Nouriel Roubini, emerging middle class and growing consumption levels. Professor of Economics, New York University’s Stern However, hardly anyone doubts that China will sooner or School of Business; Lawrence Summers, Professor at the later have a “rough landing.” According to Sunil Harvard Kennedy School; Michael Milken, Chairman of Godhwani, Chairman, Managing Director, Religare the Milken Institute; and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Enterprises Limited, the situation on emerging markets Stiglitz. could become unpredictable. It’s still an open question – In modern Russia the number of challenges facing the will the Asian locomotives withstand the burden? country and the amount of opportunities for growth are Developed and emerging market countries should build about equal – such was the frequently overheard opinion up cooperation, acting in concert, so as to more effectivethroughout the sessions. Investors expressed genuine ly offset risks and to reduce the existing gap in developinterest in the future liberalization of the Russian economent. Lawrence Summers, former Chief Economic my, reformation and modernization of all its spheres, and Advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama, was cautiously privatization of state enterprises. Observed Arkady optimistic on the outlook for exiting the crisis and learnDvorkovich, Aide to the President of the Russian ing its lessons: “If growth continues in the U.S. and it is Federation, “We’re going to prioritize the Russian market. acknowledged that world trade depends upon inteThis fully agrees with our plans to create an international gration of manufacturing, the world will financial center, but if we don’t see enough liquidity we’ll emerge from the crisis.” look into markets from where people are ready to invest In its 2011 edition, The Russia Forum once directly in Russia, like London, New York and Hong again served as an effective platform for proKong.” Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin is sanguine on ductive dialogue, as well as for bilateral meetthe outlook for Russia’s capital, yet remarked that without ings between members of the business and investdeveloped infrastructure, lower corruption levels and clear ment communities with a fundamental interest in under“rules of the game,” Moscow won’t compete with finanstanding the economic weather in Russia and changes in cial centers like New York, London and Singapore. the global environment. A series of panel sessions devoted to the current situation and growth outlook on various sectors of the Russian economy discussed long-term steps to raise competitiveness and investment attractiveness. Telecommunications, agriculture, real estate, the banking sector, infrastructure and transport – all of these spheres are dynamically growing in Russia, although the potential of Russian business could be even more impressive if corruption levels were lower, the state reduced its role in the private sector, and legislative norms were further perfected. In addition, important news regarding the Russian market was relayed Speakers at the Troika Dialog forum on Russia’s performance as a BRIC member. to foreign investors and interna-

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

In the second forum, the panel started with a video from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where delegates were asked to rank BRIC countries in terms of investment attractiveness. The vast majority placed Russia at the bottom of the ranking. This video launched a discussion in which the majority of panelists expressed more optimism toward the Russian market. Christopher Granville, managing director, Trusted Sources, started the discussion by pointing out that those who propose dropping Russia from BRIC refer to the dramatic GDP decline in 2009, which put the country out of the group of fast-growing economies. However, GDP growth is not a determinant of market performance; investors buy not GDP growth, but corporate profits. ROE is the key for market performance and that is why the Russian market outperformed the rest of BRIC over the last decade. Mario Garnero, CEO, council president, Brasilinvest, spoke about the success story of Brazil, which is now considered one of the most attractive GEMs. He said that the key factor of the country’s success was reducing inflation. Inflation created inequality, wiping out the wealth of the middle class. After inflation went down, the middle class reemerged, creating a stable society and driving the domestic economy higher. Now, according to Garnero, the size of the middle class in Brazil is 52%. Vladislav Soloviev, First Deputy CEO, UC Rusal, shared his view on Asian economic growth from the position of a commodity producer. Although China is growing at a rate of 9-10%, aluminum consumption is growing 1314% annually. The main driver is domestic demand – the automotive industry and infrastructure construction. India has even better consumption growth potential, as it is starting from a lower base. The lack of resources is the main limitation for Chinese growth. For example, electricity prices in China are not only the highest in BRIC, but they are also high compared with developed

FEATURE

The Russia Forum 2011: Is Russia the Best or Worst in BRIC?

East Capital Portfolio Manager Aivaras Abromavicius, l, shared his perspective of investing in Russia. economies. This makes Russia the key to the growth in Asia. Granville pointed out that this situation makes Russian companies attractive: even though Russia is growing at much slower rates than China, Chinese growth is impossible without Russian resources, so resource producers will have high profits, which should drive the market up. Marc Faber, editor and publisher of “The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report,” argued that under both principal scenarios – deflationary collapse and inflationary boom – commodities and hard assets are the best choice. In case of deflation, the U.S. will print money, as there is no future in destroying the value of cash and treasuries and making hard assets the last refuge. Under an inflationary scenario, commodity prices soar due to increased demand. Aivaras Abromavicius, portfolio manager, East Capital, shared his experience of investing in Russia in the last decade. He said that the country has provided the best returns and still remains cheap because corporate profits have done very well. He argued that BRIC is in fact made up of two parts: the low-income economies of China and India, which have fast growth; and the medium-income

MAY 2011 | 53

FEATURE

economies of Russia and Brazil. One should not expect the same growth in Russia and Brazil as in China or India. Abromavicius thinks that the perception of Russia as a Kingsmill Bond said that “those who place where it place Russia at the bottom of the is too difficult range in BRIC simply do not properly to do business understand the situation.” emerged because Europeans apply higher standards to nearby countries than to China or India. He said that it is now easier for asset managers to raise money for Russia than in previous months. Nassim Taleb, Distinguished Professor, New York University Polytechnic Institute, applied the philosophical approach to the problem. He said that whatever is fragile will break, whatever is robust will remain. Russia is resilient after passing several crises in the last century. It

NEW! EXTRUSION TOOLING SERIES

has no mortgage lobby forcing people to take loans, and it possesses natural resources and a scientific tradition that only a few other countries have. Brazil is in the same position, while the U.S. has many problems. The U.S. budget can survive only under a rosy scenario. Kingsmill Bond, Chief Strategist, Managing Director, Troika Dialog, said that those who place Russia at the bottom of the range in BRIC simply do not properly understand the situation. Russia has more raw materials, is more resilient to global warming, and has a far higher level of education, a much larger middle class, far less debt and a much better track record. Many concerns for Russia are irrelevant for the market, like demographics. The Russian population over the last 20 years has fallen from 148 mln to 142 mln, while the RTS Index surged from 100 to 1,800. The main thing that matters for the market is ROE. To have high ROE, the market has to have a lack of capital and lack of competition, which is the case for Russia. At the same time, other BRIC countries have their own problems, including youth bulge and high valuations in India, and excess capital in China, while Brazil has an expensive currency and is a consensus call for the market. The main problem for Russia is corruption, and the country has to fight this to continue a successful direction. ■

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Effect of experimental condition in angled drawing on curvature of fine wire One study finding is that when a die angle is inclined, the resulting curvature in fine wire will be proportional to the drawing angle regardless of variations in back-tension and bearing length. By Yohei Ohno, Motoo Asakawa, Yuichi Tanaka and Sonomi Shirasaki

Recently, the demand for fine wires with a diameter of the order of 0.1 mm has been increasing1. Fine wires are used in several applications—as saw wires, as the steel cord for tires, for electric erosion arc machining, etc.2-4. Fine wires with constant curvature are produced by drawing through a die that is an inclined angle. With regard to fine wires, two conditions should be satisfied: the curvature should be constant and the cross-section of drawn wires should remain round. In the production of fine wires, drawn wires are coiled around reels and shipped out. The curvature makes it simpler for the wire to be coiled around the reel. However, very few studies have focused on the curvature and ovality of wires drawn at an inclination or at an angle to the die. Furthermore, in the production of fine wires, adjustment of the drawing condition depends to a large extent on the experience and skill of the workers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the experimental conditions in angled drawing of fine wires on the curvature and the ovality of the drawn wires.

Experimental method A brass-plated drawn wire with a diameter of 0.16 mm and containing 0.84% carbon was used in this study; the chemical composition of the wire is listed in Table 1. Table 2 lists the mechanical properties of the material. The initial curvature, κ, of the wire is 0.002 mm-1. Fig. 1 shows the experimental drawing device. A drawing test was performed using this device to obtain the relationship between each experimental condition and the curvature, or the

Table 1. Chemical compositions mass%. 56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ovality of the wire. The slide stage 1, slide stage 2 and a stepping motor were fixed on an aluminum board. V-pulley 1 was attached to slide stage 1. The die was attached to slide stage 2. The drawing test was performed by activating the stepping motor. The drawing force was measured using a load cell. Back-tension was applied by means of a weight. The drawing angle was adjusted using micrometer 1 and micrometer 2. The die and V-pulley 1 were moved in the y direction using micrometer 1 and micrometer 2. All drawing tests were performed at a drawing velocity of 120 mm/min. Table 3 shows the experimental conditions. The drawing angle was set at the die exit because in a previous study5, it was found that the drawing angle set at the die exit has much more influence on the curvature than the drawing angle set at the die entrance. The back-tension, σb, indicates the stress that acts in the opposite direction to the drawing stress. The bearing length, L/d indicates the ratio of the bearing length, L, to the die diameter, d. Every test was carried out with a reduction in area, Re = 12.1% (0.16 mm→0.15 mm). The die geometry is shown in Fig. 2 and Table 4. Fig. 3 shows the evaluation method of the curvature, κ of the drawn wire. The curvature is defined as the inverse of the radius of curvature, ρ, as shown below. Eq. (1) Fig. 4 shows the evaluation method of the ovality, φ, of the drawn wire. The ovality is defined as given in Eq. (2). In it, a indicates maximum diameter and b indicates minimum diam-

TECHNICAL PAPERS

eter. Increase in the ovality implies degradation of the cross-sectional shape of the wire. Eq. (2)

Analytical method A multipurpose nonlinear FEM simulation software, MSC Marc, was used for nonlinear elastoplastic finite element analysis. A static implicit method and Fig. 1. Experimental setup for angled drawing. update Lagrange-type formulation are used for the FEM simulation. The threedimensional model shown in Fig. 5 was employed for the drawing simulation; three-dimensional and hexahedral first order isoparametric solid elements were used in the model. The die case and chip were assumed to be elastic bodies and the wire was assumed to be an elastoplastic body. The wire section was divided into 60 elements. The chip was pressed into the case as the initial Table 2. Mechanical properties of material. condition. The die was constructed from a sintered diamond chip and an AISI 4135 steel case. 0.84% carbon steel wire was used. Fig. 6 shows a comparison of the experimentally obtained curvature of the wire after angled drawing with the results of FEM using the three-dimensional model. FEM simulation can be used to investigate the basic mechanism of changes in curvature because in both cases, the drawing angle was directly proportional to the curvature and the curvature decreased with an Table 3. Experimental conditions. increase in the back-tension. Thus, the three-dimensional model could be successfully used for theoretical analysis.

Table 4. Die geometry.

Fig. 2. Schematic illustration of die section.

Fig. 3. Definition of the curvature.

Fig. 4. Definition of the ovality.

MAY 2011 | 57

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 5. Three-dimensional simulation model for drawing.

Results and discussion Effect of drawing condition on the curvature. Fig. 7 shows the experimental relationship between the drawing angle and the curvature. The drawing angle, θ, was varied from 0 to 2.8 degrees. The back-tension, σb, and bearing length, L/d, were constant (σb = 500 MPa and L/d = 0.5). The experimental result indicates that the curvature increases with the drawing angle. Moreover, the drawing angle is in proportion to the curvature. Fig. 8 shows the experimental relationship between the back-tension and the curvature. The back-tension, σb, was varied from 0 to 2000 MPa. The bearing length, L/d was constant at 0.5. When σb was set to more than 2000 MPa, the wire fractured because of the high drawing stress during angled drawing. The results indicate that the curvature decreases as the back-tension increases, and the drawing angle is in proportion to the curvature regardless of the back-tension. Fig. 9 shows the experimental relationship between the

Fig. 6. Comparison between experiment and FEM result. 58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

drawing angle and the curvature. The bearing length, L/d, was varied from 0.2 to 0.9. The back tension, σb, was constant at 500 MPa. The results indicate that the curvature decreases as the bearing length increases. Further, the drawing angle is in proportion to the curvature regardless of the bearing length. In angled drawing, bending stress is generated. Fig. 10 shows the theoretical result of the axial stress generated at the die exit part, obtained by FEM. The bending stress causes nonuniform axial stress between inner and outer region. From this result, it can be deduced that a bending moment is generated along the cross section; this bending moment generates the curvature. The authors focused on the bending moment at the die exit part because of its influencing factor for curvature. The influence of moment is distributed in the bearing part. To consider the relation between the moment and curvature, the authors normalized the moment, M, by the bearing length. For example, in the case of bearing length L/d = 0.25, the moment is divided by 0.25. The relationship between the normalized moment, m, in the die exit part and the curvature obtained from numerical analysis is shown in Fig. 11 for each parameter. The result indicates that the curvature is in proportion to the moment, regardless of the difference in the parameters. Effect of drawing condition on the ovality. Fig. 12 shows the experimental relationship between the drawing angle and the ovality. The back-tension, σb, and the bearing length, L/d, were constant (σb = 500 MPa and L/d = 0.5). The result indicates that the ovality degraded with an increase in the drawing angle. In addition, the authors observed the shape of cross-section of the drawn wire as shown in Fig. 13. The arrow in Fig. 13 indicated the die pressure direction by bending moment in angled drawing. In the case of small drawing angle θ = 0.2 degrees, the shape of cross section of the drawn wire was almost round shape. On the other hand, in the case of large drawing angle θ = 0.7 degrees, the shape of cross-section of the drawn wire was ellipsoidal shape and the diameter in the die pressure direction was decreased.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 7. Relationship between drawing angle and curvature.

Fig. 8. Relationship between back-tension and curvature.

Fig. 14 shows the experimental relationship between the back tension and the ovality. The drawing angle, θ, and the bearing length, L/d, were constant (θ = 0.4 degrees and L/d = 0.5). The result indicated that the ovality is degraded with an increase in the back-tension. Fig. 15 shows the experimental relationship between the bearing length and the ovality. The drawing angle, θ, and the bearing length, L/d, were constant (θ = 0.4 degees and σb = 500 MPa). The result indicates that the ovality is degraded with an increase in the bearing length. Fig. 16 shows the radial stress in the die during angled drawing, obtained through FEM. Radial compressive stress is generated at the inner surface of the wires during angled drawing, which causes that the cross section of the drawn wires is ellipsoidal in form.

Fig. 9. Relationship between back-tension and curvature.

Fig. 10. Nonuniformly axial stress distribution between inner and outer region (FEM result). MAY 2011 | 59

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 11. Relationship between moment and curvature.

Fig. 12. Relationship between drawing angle and ovality.

Conclusion The authors investigated the effect of variation in the drawing angle, back-tension, and bearing length on the curvature and ovality of drawn wires. The following conclusions were obtained. The curvature is proportional to the drawing angle, regardless of variations in the back-tension and bearing length. The curvature of drawn wires decreases as the back-tension and bearing length increase. An increase in the back-tension and bearing length improves the ovality of drawn wires.

References Fig. 13. The shape of cross-section of the drawn wire.

Fig. 14. Relationship between back-tension and ovality.

60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

1. T. Yamashita and K. Yoshida, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Improvement of Straightness of Superfine Gold Wire Using Tensile

Fig. 15. Relationship between bearing length and ovality.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 16. Radial stress distribution in a die during angled drawing. Straightening,” Journal of the Japan Society for Technology of Plasticity, 47, 548, 2006, pp. 855-859. 2. N. Iwamoto, Journal of the Japan Society of Precision Engineering, 73, 1, 2007, pp. 61-65. 3. H. Ohishi, K. Asakawa, K. Tsukamoto and Y. Uno, “Study on Abrasives Grit Size Change and Cutting Mechanism in Multiwire Saw Slicing: Study 400 mmDiameter Silicon Ingot Slicing (3rd Report),” Journal of the Japan Society of Precision Engineering, 67, 6, 2001, pp. 891-896.

Ohno

Asakawa

Yohei Ohno is a student in the School of Fundamental Science and Engineering of Waseda University, Japan. Dr. Motoo Asakawa is a professor in the mechanical engineering department at Waseda’s School of Fundamental Science and Engineering. He came to the university 10 years ago from Sumitomo Metals Co. He has studied both the process engineering and materials engineering of the mechanical parts of cars, trains, aircraft, and construction and electric devices. He earned

4. Y. Fukuda, “Recent Trend of Steelcord Design for Tire Reinforcement,” Bulletin of the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan 13, 3, 2008, pp. 141-146. 5. A. Nakagiri and T. Yamamoto, “Three-dimensional FEM simulation of the influence of drawing in setting angle used in wire drawing,” Wire Journal International, March 2003, pg. 179. ■

Tanaka

Shirasaki

a doctoral degree in bar and rod rolling from Waseda in 1980. He is a recipient of Japan’s Okochi Memorial Prize, the Society for Technology of Plasticity Prize, the Institute of Metals Prize, and the Iron & Steel Institute Prize. Yuichi Tanaka and Sonomi Shirasaki are graduate students at the Waseda School of Fundamental Science and Engineering. This paper was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, May 2010. MAY 2011 | 61

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Development of lead- and arsenic-free copper stock for electrical conductors via the electrowinning process A new approach to the electrowinning process allows quality copper stock to be produced while reducing energy consumption and eliminating lead sludge. By Scot Sandoval, Casey Clayton and Masoud Garshasb

Refining copper from raw materials via the electrowinning process traditionally has required the use of a lead-alloy anode, which is effective but creates problems with electrotwinning cell voltage and sludge, so finding an alternative method that avoids those issues is of interest to major copper producers such as Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX)1. It is helpful to have an understanding of process. The initial stage is milling/concentrating/smelting/electrorefining. Mined ore is crushed and ground to a size that is suitable for treatment by flotation to produce a concentrate of copper minerals. The concentrate is then processed by smelting to form a cast copper anode that is further processed by electrorefining to produce high-quality copper metal. Leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning. Mined ore, which may have been crushed, is placed in heaps and dilute sulfuric acid solution is percolated through the heaps to solubilize the copper. The copper-containing pregnant leach solution is then processed by solvent extraction to concentrate the copper into an aqueous electrolyte phase for processing by electrowinning to produce high quality copper metal. In each of these processes, the final production step involves electrochemical processing to electroplate copper out of solution as copper metal. In the case of electrorefining, a cast copper anode from the smelter and a copper cathode are immersed in copper electrolyte and a voltage is applied so that the anode is electrochemically dissolved and near pure copper metal plates out of solution on the cathode. In the case of electrowinning, the process is similar except a working anode, typically composed of lead-calcium-tin alloy, is employed. The copper metal produced by electrorefining and electrowinning is washed, bundled and shipped to copper rod plants where the copper is melted and cast into high-quality copper rod that is suitable for drawing into copper conductors and other industrial applications. During operation of the electrorefining and electrowinning processes, expert care must be taken to produce copper cathode that is sufficiently pure for incorporation into copper rod. 62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Impurities such as arsenic, antimony and bismuth are usually present in the smelter anodes used as feedstock to the electrorefining process. These impurities report to the copper electrolyte as the smelter anodes are electrically â&#x20AC;&#x153;pulledâ&#x20AC;? into solution. The electrorefining process must be controlled to prevent unacceptably high impurity levels in the produced cathodes. In the electrowinning process, the lead alloy anodes employed will break down over time and form sludge at the bottom of the electrowinning cells. This sludge must be periodically cleaned from the electrowinning cells by workers in the tankhouse. Workers cleaning lead sludge from cells must wear proper safety clothing and equipment to prevent exposure to lead. Lead alloy flakes and particles can also be incorporated into the copper cathode if the process is not controlled properly. If left unchecked, lead can accumulate in the cathode to the point where the cathode quality is downgraded. Cobalt sulfate is typically added to copper electrowinning electrolyte to help stabilize lead alloy anodes and minimize the amount of lead entering the electrolyte and sludge. Major copper producers have developed the knowledge and skill necessary to successfully produce high quality copper (typically 99.99% pure) using the electrorefining and electrowinning processes. In 2006, the Freeport-McMoRan development team began investigating the possibility of replacing the lead alloy anode used in copper electrowinning with an alternative anode that would decrease electrowinning cell voltage and also eliminate lead sludge from the copper electrowinning process. The use of alternative anodes was expected to decrease operating cost by lowering energy consumption and by eliminating the need to clean lead sludge from the electrowinning cells. In addition, removing lead anodes from the copper electrowinning circuit eliminates the potential for lead contamination of copper cathodes and the potential for worker exposure to lead from handling anodes and cleaning sludge. The elimination of lead anodes from the circuit also allows for the elimination of cobalt sulfate additions, which permits an additional operating cost savings to the process.

Alternative anode development An electrowinning cell is composed of anode/cathode pairs immersed in a cell containing copper electrolyte. See Fig. 1, left. Voltage is applied to the cell using a rectifier and DC current flows through the cell to cause copper metal to plate out of solution onto the cathodes. See Fig. 1, right. An electrowinning production facility is composed of several hundred sideby-side cells that are electrically connected in series. Energy consumption of the facility is directly proportional to the cell voltage of each electrowinning cell, which typically measures 2.0 volts using lead alloy anodes. In the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continual pursuit for energy efficiency, Freeport-McMoRan began investigating opportunities to reduce energy consumption in its processes. The work was

carried out at Freeport-McMoRanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SXEW Test Facility located in Morenci, Arizona. Bench-scale copper electrowinning cells (See Fig. 2, left) were constructed to evaluate the voltage performance of alternative anodes composed of titanium screen substrate with a catalytic coating applied to the screen surface. Titanium offered excellent corrosion resistance in copper electrolyte and the catalytic coating provided the working surface for the electrochemical reaction. Accelerated life testers were constructed (See Fig. 2, right) in which eight coupons could be tested simultaneously to force the catalytic coating to failure. Work ensued to optimize coating parameters in order to maximize coating lifetime. By utilizing the bench-scale copper electrowinning cells to evaluate voltage performance and the accelerated life testers to increase coating lifetime, Freeport-McMoRan was successful in developing a proprietary prototype alternative anode for pilot testing in commercial-scale copper electrowinning cells. Successful pilot testing led to commercial installation of alternative anodes at Freeport-McMoRanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chino copper electrowinning tankhouse (Silver City, New Mexico) and also at the Bagdad copper electrowinning tankhouse (Bagdad, Arizona). Fig. 3 displays the Freeport-McMoRan alternative anode. The anode is composed of a copper hanger bar that suspends

Fig. 1. Side-by-side electrowinning cells, left, with cathode blanks being inserted into a cell. At right are copper-plated cathodes.

Fig. 2. A bench-scale copper electrowinning cell, left, and an accelerated life tester. MAY 2011 | 63

TECHNICAL PAPERS

The production of copper by electrowinning with a non-lead anode provides a unique copper product to the wire and cable industry. The produced copper is lead-free and, because electrowinning typically is not exposed to arsenic, antimony or bismuth, the copper is free from these impurities as well. High quality copper that is free from arsenic, antimony, bismuth and lead may offer significant advantages to end-users such as wire manufacturers.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 3. FCX alternative anode.

Fig. 5. Impact of copper matrix impurities on recrystallization temperature3.

Fig. 6. Central burst wire break.

Table 1: Analytical results of 100% Chino melt at Freeport-McMoRan’s rod plant, tests #1 and #2. 64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Fig. 4. Influence of arsenic, lead and antimony on copper conductivity2-3.

the anode in the copper electrowinning cell and also provides electrical contact with the bus bar feeding electrical current to the cell. Titanium conductor rods carry current from the hanger bar to the titanium screens (one screen on each side of the anode) on which the catalytic coating is applied. The catalytic coating is made up of a mixture of iridium and tantalum oxide. The catalytic coating forms the working surface of the anode, and is expected to function for six to eight years, after which the screens will be removed from the anode structure and new screens attached. In this way the screens and coating became the consumable portion of the anode. The hanger bar and conductor rods are the permanent part of the anode and are re-used.

Commercial installation and results The Chino tankhouse was converted to alternative anodes in 2008 and the Bagdad tankhouse in 2009. Cell voltage was decreased from about 2.0 volts to 1.7 volts, a 15% energy savings. Addition of cobalt sulfate to the copper electrolyte for stabilization of lead anodes ceased because all lead alloy anodes were removed from the tankhouse. Lead sludge was also eliminated from the electrowinning circuit, which eliminated the need for tankhouse workers to periodically clean lead sludge from the electrowinning cells, thus eliminating potential for worker exposure to lead. To evaluate the quality of the copper cathode produced, two tests were conducted in which 100% Chino cathode was melted at Freeport-McMoRan’s copper rod plants. The first melt weighed 163,529 lb and was conducted at Freeport-McMoRan’s rod plant, test #1 rod plant. Table 1 displays analytical results of a sample from the melt. The copper was analyzed using a Thermo Jerrell Ash Atom Comp 2000 DC Arc unit. Lead and arsenic content measured below the detection levels of the instrument (< 0.3 and < 0.5 ppm, respectively). The second melt, 100,524 lb, was conduced at Freeport-McMoRan’s rod plant, test #2. Analytical results are also displayed in Table 1. The copper was analyzed using an Applied Research Laboratories 4460 Metal Analyzer Quantometer Arc Spark unit. Lead and arsenic content measured below the detection level of the instrument (< 1.0 ppm each). Sulfur content measured 3 and 4 ppm, respectively, in the two melts. These results exceed the ASTM B 115 cathode A Grade specifications. Following these rod production tests, Chino and Bagdad were set up to produce AA cathode grade as their standard production.

Benefits of lead and arsenic free copper Production of AA cathode is inherently a green process because of its 15% energy saving and elimination of handling of lead sludge and cobalt additive. Further, it is expected to improve safety performance by eliminating the worker exposure to lead anode and the associated lead contaminated sludge cleaning processes. There are many potential wire and cable manufacturing quality benefits when lead- and arsenic-free rod is utilized in wire drawing. It is known that the lead, arsenic and antimony impurity content of copper stock may adversely influence electrical conductivity2-3. Fig. 4 indicates that arsenic impurity significantly influences the resistance of the electrical conductors. It has been suggested that oxygen interaction with impurities reduces the amount of such impurities in the copper matrix solid solution and hence increases electrical conductivity3. Since the AA copper stocks have a lower amount of such impurities, it is expected that conductivity improvement via oxygen interaction is a more efficient process. Furthermore, presence of impurities such as selenium, lead, antimony and arsenic in copper matrix results in sluggish annealability response, i.e., which requires a longer annealing time or a higher temperature. See Fig. 5. Elimination of these impurities is expected to improve annealing efficiency. The overall influence of impurities, including annealing response, tends to deteriorate copper drawability and makes the wire more susceptible to wire breaks such as central burst.

An example of central burst wire break is shown in Fig. 6. Although in wire drawing literature, central burst is often believed to result from the wire drawing process, presence of impurities often increases the rate of work hardening when subjected to the deformation stress of drawing, and hence increases the wire vulnerability to central burst failure.

Summary and conclusions Development of lead and arsenic free copper stock utilizing an alternative anode for the copper electrowinning process is reported. The new anode replaces lead anodes and provides several benefits, including reduction of cell energy consumption by 15%, elimination of cobalt addition to electrolyte for stabilization of lead anodes, and elimination of lead sludge formed as a by-product of lead anode consumption. In addition, copper free from lead, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth impurities may significantly improve copper quality aspects for conductors’ applications. Overall, it is expected that elimination of nuisance impurities in copper matrix will increase the robustness of the conductors’ stock as well confidence in the drawing process. The alternative anodes have been commercialized at Freeport-McMoRan’s Chino and Bagdad copper electrowinning tankhouses.

References 1. Freeport-McMoRan, Copper & Gold 2008 Annual Report. 2. H.G. Paris and D. Kim, “Metallurgy, Processing and Applications of Metal Wire,” TMS, 1996, pp. 47-51. 3. H. Pope, “Nonferrous Wire Handbook,” Vol. 3, Wire Association International, 1995, pp. 11-21. ■

Scot Sandoval is manager of SXEW technology for Freeport-McMoRan Mining Co., Morenci, Arizona, USA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from Mackay School of Mines, Reno, Nevada USA, and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, USA. He began his career conducting research for the U.S. Bureau of Mines Reno Research Center. He later worked in research and development for Magma Copper Company, Gould Electronics, Phelps Dodge, Sandoval Clayton Garshasb and now Freeport-McMoRan. Casey Clayton is project engineer SX/EW for FreeportMcMoRan at the El Abra Chile process plant. He holds a with Alcoa and Hazelett. He earned his doctoral degree degree in materials and metallurgical engineering from from Syracuse University, where his work involved metalColorado School of Mines, Golden, CO. He began his lurgy and failure analysis of electrical conductors’ projects career performing research at the Freeport-McMoRan for the Office of Naval Research. He has authored numerProcess Technology Center and has recently transferred to ous technical presentations in the field of metal processing. his current role.”Masoud Garshasb is manager of quality This paper was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual and technical services at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, May 2010. Gold Inc., Safford, Arizona, USA. He previously worked MAY 2011 | 65

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Commercial installation of alternative anodes at Chino and Bagdad resulted in production of copper cathode that was free from potential impurities, including lead, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Tracking products in the wire industry using bar codes A case study shows how two wire companies were able to use bar codes in their processes and improve their operations. By Edward S. O’Neal

Current economic times require tight control of all assets/inventory and processes that a company manages. These items, if managed correctly and in a timely manner, can mean the difference between success and failure. Cost savings in hard economic times are essential to allow a company to utilize its assets to the fullest potential by eliminating duplication and waste. Accurate process management leads to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. Many industries and processes have believed it to be impossible to track their products or assets using bar codes due to the unique conditions of their environment, which can include high temperatures, rough handling or chemicals. Those concerns have been resolved, but not all companies are aware of this capability, which is discussed in this presentation. Companies specializing in identification methods have stepped up to the challenge and have overcome many obstacles of the past. It’s no longer a paper or plastic bar code world. This presentation presents the experiences of

Photo 1. Product displaying the Pic-Anneal® tag. 66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

two significant companies in the wire industry that overcame the challenges of bar coding in harsh environments. The information is not new, but the conditions and issues that are discussed continue to pose problems for some wire manufacturers that have not considered this option.

Case study #1: Ivaco Rolling L’Orignal In 1998, Ivaco Rolling Mill (Ivaco) was completing Phase II of a major upgrade to its mill in L’Orignal, Ontario, Canada. The upgrade would greatly increase production and increase efficiency. Yves Levac, rolling mill supervisor, sought a method to accurately track and identify the company’s growing production. Plastic and paper tags had the potential to make the inventory process easier as the bar-coded information virtually eliminates the possibility of human error as a factor. These tags were able to survive the process of pickling, which includes immersion in heated baths of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid for periods of up to 90 minutes at a time. However, when it came to the process of annealing—baking the wire at temperatures of 1400oF or greater for extended periods of time—these tags would vanish in a puff of smoke. Applying tags after the annealing process meant a wait of several days until the coils cooled to a more tag-friendly temperature. This opened the door to more potential for human error. Metal tags breezed through the annealing process, but in some cases would not survive pickling. Bar-coding systems for metal tags were not suitable for all industrial applications. This meant the use of manual inventory control, which again meant the risk of human error. Further, the machines to stamp the dog tags were noisy and the upkeep was high. This was the state of the industry in 1998, when Ontario’s Ivaco Rolling Mill—one of the world’s largest producers of wire—approached InfoSight in Chillicothe, Ohio. “At the time we needed more than the existing tag technology offered,” said Yves Levac, Ivaco’s Operations Supervisor. “We had an old embossing machine we used to manually

Case study #2: Charter Steel Charter Steel is a Wisconsin-based company that produces hot-rolled steel in rod and bar form, as well as annealed rod, bar and wire. By the end of the 1990s, the company realized that modern technology had to offer a better way to provide cradle-to-grave identification of their products than what was currently available.

The initial challenge was to find something that could withstand both the extreme temperatures of the annealing process and the harsh acid baths of pickling. Unfortunately, there was nothing that would, and Charter had to stick with the industry’s standard “dog tags,” a piece of metal embossed with a minimal amount of information. “The dog tags just weren’t suitable,” explained Tim Leahy, Charter’s Senior Project Photo 2. A closeup of Metallurgist. “Seventy InfoSight’s Pic-Anneal® percent of our coils are tag. shipped across the street to our own processing division. Getting the information from one place to the other was a major issue. We needed to convey things like the size and grade of the product, the customer it was for and their purchase order number, the size of the material, the grade of steel, the heat number, and our own identification number. When you consider our production capacity, the ability to scan becomes critical.” Indeed, Charter produces upwards of 300 coils during the course of an eight-hour shift. In order to properly track the coils, they needed their tags produced in real time, requiring two embossing machines to keep up with the output. “The whole system of using dog tags was a nightmare,” Leahy said. “The machines that made them were awful. We called them ‘thumpers’ because they were these unwieldy monsters that vibrated themselves to death after a period of time. We had to buy three of them in order to have two running at any given time, and we were considering buying a fourth.” Leahy also said that the lack of a computer interface between the mill’s inventory control software and the thumpers created a human error problem. “The bumpy bar codes were unsuitable for what we were doing. We basically put information on a screen in front of an operator and had them type it into the thumper, hoping to keep mistakes to a minimum. The frustration was enormous.” Charter knew the solution to their problem was a bar code system, but finding a tag that would carry the laserreadable black marks through pickling and annealing was another matter. The company went through a number of tags that either tore off because of their light weight, or became smudged or banged up when the coils were moved. “We did have one tag that performed well,” Leahy said, “but on 15 to 20 percent of them the readers couldn’t scan

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punch out metal tags for the rolls. We would put what information we could on them and produce the tags by order. It was time consuming and expensive, and if there was a change in the schedule, the new tags were useless. With laser scanning technology everywhere you looked, we knew there had to be a way to develop a better system.” The need for wireless information and staying power. According to Levac, the primary importance was the tag’s ability to carry lots of information. “After they’re produced, the coils go into inventory in the yard. We wanted to use wireless scanning technology to check those coils for quality assurance approval, and to make sure they went to the right customer. Bar coding would give us that and other information, like which client the batch was for, the diameter of the wire and the heat number. Scanning would put all of that information at our fingertips.” The tag also needed the ability to survive the harsh processes of pickling and annealing, not just by the manufacturer, but by the customers as well. As Ivaco described it, the ideal tag would be attached to the wire bundle once and would not have to be removed for any part of the downstream process. Such a tag would give Ivaco cradleto-grave tracking with superior inventory control to ensure clients of a quality product. Ivaco needed a system that could deliver one tag every 11 seconds. “Because of the nature of the business, it was important to have tags delivered to us in real time,” Levac said. Downstream challenges. Soon after the work began, complications developed. Tests of tag formulations showed that they could withstand the pickling and annealing process, only to fail when reprocessed by Ivaco’s customers. It turned out that each of Ivaco’s customers had its own set of specifications in regard to processing times, acid concentrations and baking times. This required feedback from each client. “It took three to six months of research and development and working with InfoSight to get the tags right,” Levac explained. “They would make test tags for us. We would run them through our process, then send them to our clients and have them send them through their processes. Then we would gather up the test results and discuss what worked, what hadn’t and why.” At the end of this process step, Ivaco was confident they had a tag that met their needs and would withstand the rigors put upon it by the processes of their different customers. The tag the company chose was the Pic-Anneal® tag. See Photos 1 and 2. This laser-markable, bar-coded metal tag withstands two hours in acid baths of 20% H2SO4 at 180oF and 24% HCL at 100oF. It also withstands 1400oF heat for 48 hours and 1800oF for 2 hours.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

the bar code. It was better than what we had before, but it still wasn’t good enough.” At that point Charter came to InfoSight in Chillicothe, Ohio. “We found out about a mill in Ontario that had an InfoSight tagging system, and that sounded like what we were looking for,” Leahy recalled. “So we called them up and told them about our frustrations with the thumpers and the other tags we’d tried. When they heard that, they laughed. They guaranteed that their system would work.” InfoSight sent Charter hundreds of tags to test through the steel wire manufacturer’s unique production process. After months of real world testing, Charter discovered that some survived the process even though they were not meant to. “These tags had a survival rate of 98, 99 percent,” Leahy said. “And we said we could live with that. It was a real eureka moment.” Once the production quantities and laser printers were in place, Charter was ready to go online with the new system. Unfortunately, a new set of problems surfaced that complicated matters. “We got a call from processing,” Leahy recalled, “and they said that the information on some of the tags was smearing and wiping off. We had to suspend the new tag program and go back to the dog tags, which set off a nearriot at the rolling mill. After working with the laser printers, they did not want to go back to the thumpers.” The problem with the new bar codes turned out to be a miscommunication. “It was our fault, really,” Leahy said. “The tag producer did everything we expected of them, but we threw them a curve. We had a second acid bath after the annealing process. The tags were never designed for that.” Research found that the annealing process changed the chemical characteristics in the tag’s coating that left it susceptible to damage during the repeat of the pickling. This led to a 3 to 5% failure rate, more than twice the original. A secondary issue Charter had with the acid-resistant metal tag was what their customers would think of the tags. Thirty percent of Charter’s product goes to outside clients, and there is no control over how it is processed. Leahy admits there was some trepidation over what would happen to the tags, and even set up a separate tagging system for out-bound product. However, since the beginning of 2002, they have received no complaints on the pickle and annealing resistant tags. Leahy explained that, “We were hoping to make a dent in the identification problem, but instead this system eliminated it. The backup of product we experienced with the thumpers was gone within an hour or two of putting the new bar-coded tag laser system online.” Charter’s engineers were also able to write software that let the company’s inventory control system communicate directly with the laser tag printers, eliminating the middleman, and with it a great deal of human error. The tag features no marking consumable such as ribbons or ink and is laser-markable with bar codes and logos. It has a two-hour resistance to acid baths of 20% H2SO4 at 180oF and 24% HCL at 100oF, and withstands 1400oF heat for 48 hours and 1800o F for two hours.

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The above cases show that the ability to use bar codes in harsh environments is indeed a viable, proven process today. There are many manufacturers of identification equipment that one can choose from. Each bar code manufacturer caters to its unique and challenging customers’ needs. A company that may find this technology of value needs to thoroughly understand what it needs and be able to clearly state those requirements to the supplier. Lay down the groundwork with the supplier of what your specific expectations are, as there is no one solution that fits all. Be prepared to thoroughly test possible solutions. Give the bar code real-life tests in the most rugged environments that they are likely to encounter. Also, request sample quantities that can return real world data of survivability of the bar code. And, lastly, reach out to your customers to explain how this methodology will benefit both your company and theirs. Today most every wire producer in the U.S. now uses these metal barcodes to error-proof their process. The newest acid and annealing resistant tag is the Pic-Anneal 3 tag, pushing the bar even higher with its ability to withstand even higher annealing temperatures and chemical resistance and multiple pass picklings. The Pic-Anneal tag has also been spun-off to provide positive identification in industries that use hot-dip galvanizing and shot-blasting. Error-proofing and accurate identification of your products remains a must to ensure customer confidence. ■

O’Neal Edward S. O’Neal has been laser product manager for InfoSight Corporation, Chillicothe, Ohio, USA, since 1998. He directs the product development of the laser marking systems and researches new marking materials and methods. He joined the company in 1991. He previously worked for Solid State Technologies. He is one of the founding members of the AIM Supplier Alliance Group that aids in steering the U.S. Department of Defense with the implementation of the UID policy for bar coding. This paper was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, May 2010.

W I R E

C A B L E

C O N F E R E N C E

SAVE THE DATE:

CONFERENCE FACILITY TOUR PRESENTATIONS

Save the date for a one and a half day wire and cable conference in Germany, November 7-8, 2011, that will provide an international platform for trade industry information exchange on the latest process and market developments. Following successful events in Stresa, Prague, Bologna, and Istanbul, a team of co-organizers have planned a panel of ferrous and nonferrous expert speakers, tabletop exhibits, and a local factory tour.

EXHIBITS

Present as a speaker | Attend as a delegate | Sponsor part of the program

ORGANIZERS

Lodging available at: Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel | Schnellenburg Hotel

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Learn more at: www.cabwire-duesseldorf.com

Organizers ACIMAF—Associazione Costruttori Italiani Mecchine per Filo — Italy CET — Comité Européen de la Tréfilerie — France IWCEA — International Wire & Cable Exhibitors Association IWMA — International Wire & Machinery Association WAI — The Wire Association International, Inc. 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

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PRODUCTS & MEDIA PROD DUCTS Resin offers improved performance for different electronics applications U.S.-based DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions has introduced a perfluoroalkoxy-based resin, DuPont™ Teflon® PFA 416HP, for insulation of wire, cable and intricate electronic parts, that provides a high melt-flow rate while maintaining very good MIT flex life. A press release said that the above characteristics offer coaxial wire manufacturers, semiconductor OEMs and electronic device designers the ability to coat ultra-thin gauge wire and to injection-mold fine, intricate thin-wall parts in a more efficient manner than can be done with other fluoropolymers. The new resin, it said, provides all of the advantages of PTFE, including ultra-high thermal resistance and dielectric properties, and combines those critical attributes with a very high melt-flow rate. “These inherent characteristics enable almost transparent coatings on ultra-fine wire, such as the kind used in mobile telephones, medical sensor wires, micro coaxial cables, and wireless antenna applications in headsets, laptops and smart phones,” it said, adding that the resin also provides excellent chemical resistance, very good stress crack resistance and easy flow for molding applications. DuPont™ Teflon® PFA 416HP is ideally suited for applications such as antennae for wireless electronics, medical probe cables, micro HDMI cables, internal wire harnesses for electronics, and other uses where high meltflow rate, very low viscosity and high stress crack resistance are critical, the release said. Contact: DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions, www.dupont.com/416HP.

Conductor coverings can prevent power cable damage from trees Alcan Cable, a business unit of Rio Tinto, has introduced a new family of track-resistant coverings for its aluminum overhead line wire products that protect the conductor from electrical degradation as a result of contact with trees. A press release said that such contact can result in electrical degradation of an energized covered conductor. It explained that the conductor acts as a capacitor and when a tree contacts the power line, the capacitor is discharged, and repeated discharging of current can damage the cov70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ering over time. One way to counter such activity is Alcan’s special heavy-wall, two-layer, track-resistant cables, available in thermoplastic 75°C HDPE (black) and thermoset 90°C XLPE (gray) coverings that typically range between 150 to 175 mils, it said. The release said the insulations can be applied to All Aluminum Conductor (AAC), All Aluminum Alloy Conductor (AAAC) and Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) cables as listed in the Aluminum Association Publication 50 - Code Words. The new trackresistant products, it said, comply with ANSI/ICEA S-70-547 (Standard for weather-resistant polyethylene cover conductors) and the special coverings meet both ASTM 2303 Inclined Plane and ASTM D3132 Dust-and-Fog standards. Contact: Alcan Cable, www.alcan.com.

Borax-free precoat is effective, can meet evolving ‘E’ requirements France’s Condat is offering a new borax-free precoat that the company said will meet the “constantly evolving” European environmental legislation governing REACH and the use of biocides. A press release described VICAFIL TS 7101 as an environmentally friendly salt coating that contains no boron salts. It performs an even coating, dries quickly and prevents corrosion as per Borax, it said, noting that VICAFIL TS 7101 can be used after acid cleaning or after mechanical descaling processes, in batch or inline. It provides high drawing performances and can substitute phosphate conversion coatings, and the product is especially useful as ever-more stringent environmental rules are passed, it added. The release described VICAFIL TS 7101 as a versatile coating that can be used on both carbon steel and stainless steel wires. Some of its applications include tire-cord wire, saw wire, bead wire, PC wire and mattress spring wire, and formulation attribute include that it eliminates exposure for operators, produces no boron in effluents and provides a safer working environment. Contact: Condat, www.condat.fr.

Denmark’s Roblon A/S reports that it will introduce a high-speed, low-tensioner server at its booth (Hall 7-1 B26) at wire Russia that offers manufacturers of fiber optic cable (FOC) the potential to double their capacity. A press release said that the company’s Roblon SE18HSLT model can strand flexible strength members around a cable center at speeds up to 400 rpm. Designed for very high speeds, the unit uses a principle of pulling off the yarns over the ends of the non-rotating bobbins. The server, it said, is optimally used when processing lightly coated, flexible strength members, with tension individually and precisely controlled down to 0.6N. The release said that traditional servers are limited by the centrifugal forces that the bobbins can withstand, and that obstacle “has been eliminated by the use of special materials and protective

parts in the Roblon HSLT servers.” The HSLT server, it said, “can easily be integrated in any new or existing line and will be able to increase the line speed dramatically.” Contact: Roblon A/S, tel. 45-96-20-33-00, info@roblon.com, www.roblon.com.

New motorized double take-up offers cable producers more flexibility Exhibiting its automatic coiling line, Mod. PS 470/16 at the Italian Pavillion at wire Russia, staff of Italy’s PS Costruzioni Meccaniche Srl will be prepared to discuss a recently designed and manufactured system, the MOTORISED DOUBLE TAKE UP, which is suitable for a wide range of cables. A press release said that the new take-up can process insulated flexible cables and multi wire cables from 5 mm up to 35 mm; insulated flexible cables and multi wire cables having a cross section from 4 mm up to 150 sq mm; and flat cables from 5.0 mm x 2.5 mm up to 35 mm x 6.5 mm with a cross section up to 150 sq mm. It said that the machine can wind up several cable lengths, according to the cable diameter as well as the spool dimensions (for a length up to 500 meters or more). The release cited the following details: max. linear

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MAY 2011 | 71

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New server designed to provide higher OFC stranding speeds

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speed of 250 m/min; spool range includes min./max. flange diameter of 284 mm/1000 mm; min./max. widths of 260 mm/535 mm; and a max. weight of 1,500 kilos; two pintles that close hydraulically, others are all motorized; spool loading/unloading that takes place by means of a steel plate (motorized platform), driven by a screw nut connected with an AC motor and an inverter; a single automatic wire-guide placed in the upper part of the unit driven by a brushless motor in a digital electrical axis with the take-up motor for excellent cable layer quality; and the location of the hydraulic cutter and caterpillar on a holder wire-cable plate so that when the pre-set length has been reached, the cable is automatically cut and carried up to the wire-guide

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rolls so the cable is ready to be hooked to a new spool. Contact: PS Costruzioni Meccaniche Srl, tel. 39-0396898763, www.pscostruzioni.com.

Stripping pots can safely remove insulation from magnet/enamel wire The Eraser Company, Inc., reports that DSP stripping pots, designed specifically for use with Dip Strip, can chemically remove the insulation from virtually all magnet and enamel wires of all sizes and insulation types, without damage to the wire. A press release said that the standard models, DSP1 and DSP2, have an infinitely variable temperature control with a reference scale. The DSP3 model has an advanced feedback temperature controller and a 600 watt heating element to increase the throughput tenfold, it said. When heated in the specially designed stripping pot, the Dip Strip melts and wires are immersed and stripped of insulation, it said. Dip Strip, it noted, does not corrode conductors as will acid strippers. Contact: The Eraser Company, Inc., tel. 315-454-3237, www.eraser.com.

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MEDIAA Book Review: Wire Technology: Process Engineering and Metallurgy Dr. Roger Wright has added to his impeccable list of credentials in the wire and cable industry with the release of his new book, Wire Technology: Process Engineering and Metallurgy. A professor of materials engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, he is an industry trainer and a consultant whose expertise is annually presented in his WireDrawing101® course. He is a past winner of WAI’s Mordica Memorial Award for his technical contributions to the industry and an awardwinning, prolific author of technical papers, but for this reviewer, what has been most impressive over the years has been his ability to present information in a manner that is precise, understandable and succinct. Some people are so smart that they are simply unable to explain themselves on a level that mere mortals can digest. Fortunately, that is not Roger. That is not to say that just anyone will be able to pick up this book—a press release notes that it explains “the complex theory and sophisticated engineering concepts with relation to wire drawing in an accessible and universal way”—and put it down with a firm grasp of the engineering aspects of the industry. Life is not that simple, but for those who are either involved in the engineering field or have an engineering inclination or background, this book, published by Butterworth-Heinemann, a unit of Elsevier, will help complex concepts become more understandable. It helps to understand what the book is not. First and foremost, it is not a book on theory, because it is black and white in terms of information and its applicability. And while there are Q&A reviews/quizes at the end of chapters, this is not meant to be an academic book, although it could be used as one. The 320-page hardcover book does explain theory, but in terms of real-world applications as follows: Chapter 1: The General Idea; Chapter 2: A brief history of the technology; Chapter 3: Twentieth century equipment concepts; Chapter 4: Basic engineering variables pertinent to drawing; Chapter 5: Basic drawing mechanics; Chapter 6: Drawing temperature; Chapter 7: Drawing speed; Chapter 8: Friction, lubrication and surface quality; Chapter 9:

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Drawing die and pass schedule design; Chapter 10: Shaped dies and roller dies; Chapter 11: Mechanical properties of wire and related testing; Chapter 12: Drawability and breaks; Chapter 13: Copper and copper alloy metallurgical issues; Chapter 14: Steel metallurgical issues; Chapter 15: Issues in other important metallurgical systems; Chapter 16 :Wire coatings; Chapter 17: Redraw rod production; Chapter 18: Physical Properties; Chapter 19: Elements of wire forming; and Chapter 20: Current and near-term developments. It also includes some illustrative new products and processes; as well as a list of symbols (English alphabet and Greek alphabet) and an appendix of basic formulas as well as the author’s own pass design and risk prediction calculations. The release notes that the book is not strictly a ferrous or nonferrous guide, as it takes “a universal approach more suited to the practicing engineer who needs knowledge of wire drawing across the board.” I was able to follow some of the elements, and especially liked the explanations found throughout the book for aspects such as die sizing, wire breaks and crystal plasticity. I also liked the helpful glossaries of symbols (photocopied and now taped on the wall next to my desk), but those who have an inclination in engineering likely will be appreciate and benefit from this book even more. The book can be ordered through the WAI Store at www.wirenet.org. Reviewed by Mark Marselli, WJI editor

NEMA updates circuit cable standard The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published RV 2-2011 Application and Installation Guidelines for Nonmetallic-Sheathed Cable and Underground Feeder and Branch Circuit Cable. This standard, last revised in 2008, is produced by NEMA’s Building Wire and Cable Group and Dues Center. A press release said that RV 2 provides installers and code enforcement officials with comprehensive guidance on the proper application of nonmetallic-sheathed cable listed according to UL 719 and underground feeder and branch circuit cable listed according to UL 493. It covers critical installation issues, such as proper fitting assembly and stapling techniques that maintain the mechanical integrity of the nonmetallic-sheathed cable system. The revision, the release said, reflects changes to the National Electrical Code that took effect January 1, 2011, and the updated description of category “PWVX” as it appears in the 2010 UL White Book. RV 2 can be downloaded free at www.global.ihs.com or by ordering a hardcopy for $67. Contact: The National Electrical Manufacturers Association, tel. 303-397-7956, www.nema.org. ■

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 WJI 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: Wire Journal International, Box number (as it

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES MATERIALS & PROCESS ENGINEER. Manufacturer of Wire, Cable & Cable Assemblies in Dallas, Texas seeks a skilled Materials and Process Engineer to develop processes and test methodology for material selection; and process documentation relating to use of new materials in support of pro-

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. Wire Journal International “Print classifieds” booked on-line as an “add-on” to an “online classified” booking will run in the next available issue.

duction of wire, cable, and cable assemblies. The ideal candidate would have 5 years experience related to manufacturing process along with a BS in Mechanical, Industrial or Materials Science & Engineering. A thorough understanding of adhesion, encapsulation and plastic molding and extrusion processes is required. Other duties include support of manufacturing

processes. Please send resumes to dalstormjobs@teledyne.com, referencing DAL-255. 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.

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

SALE 1 - HALL 500’ Vertical Accumulator, 1997 1 - NEW ENGLAND BUTT 24-Carrier Model CB-1 Cable 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 2 - NEB Model C62-2 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers, 1987 1 - VITECK 24” Horizontal Belt Wrap Capstan, Model CBW24 1 - MGS 50” Caterpuller Capstan, Model LC50 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 2.5” 24:1 L/D Nylon Extruder, Model 250SII 1 - D/S 2.5” 24:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extrusion Line

1 - D/S 2” 30:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extrusion Line 1 - ENTWISTLE 2” 24:1 L/D Extruder, Model TFII-2000 1 - ENTWISTLE 24” D.T. Twister, Model 4WDT w/36” Take-up 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, completely refurbished 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 1 - HALL Dual Spooler/Coiler w/36” Powered Payoff and Dancer 2 - WATSON/AFA 84” Rewind Lines, 6,600lb cap. 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model PRR1 Rim Drive Powered Reel Roller 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Take-up w/Coiling Head 1 – DAVIS STANDARD 36” S/L Take-up, Model 18-36x24, 5HP Motor 1 - TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister 1 - FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 1 - EUBANKS Model 9800-03 Cut & Strip Machine

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

MAY 2011 | 75

CLASSIFIEDS

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFIED AD INFORMATION 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”)

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, 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.

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.

REPS NEEDED DISTRIBUTORS & AGENTS. Sanxin Wire Die, Inc. seeks U.S. Distributors and Agents for its full range of Diamond Wire Drawing Dies. Complete range of very high quality PCD dies, Natural Diamond and Monodie dies and an exclusive range of very exciting Nano Dies for the Cable Industry that practically sell themselves. Full Factory Service is available. Strong Sanxin support for all sales. Attractive margins and commissions. Please phone Doug Thornton at tel. 434-906-2340 or by e-mail at admin@sanxinamerica.com.

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

USED WIRE AND CABLE MACHINERY FOR SALE

REF# Description 16-211 SMEI Triple Draw Bull Block, 800 / 560/ 460 mm, 236 HP, year: 2006 34-212 EVG GZN Mesh Welders, 1.5 to 4 mm, 2 available, 2750 mm wide, year: 1999 34-210 PITTINI Mesh Welder, 1525 mm wide, 4" X 4", 2.5 to 5.5 mm, year: 2001 34-208 VIDA Automatic Girder Welding Line. Year 1999 34-211 SCHLATTER Posiweld Phoneix II Mesh Welder, year 1997 34-206 SCHLATTER Mesh Welder, MG. 28, 2800 mm Width, 3.5 to 12.5 mm, Year 2009

34-213 CLIFFORD Jig Welder Model # 12-12, 12 mm wire dia max. Year 2000 34-214 SCHLATTER GP3 Jig Welder, Year 1986 34-215 CLIFFORD 1850 mm wide Mesh Welder, 4.5 to 6.5 mm Wire Dia. Year 1999 21-145 PROPERZI Continuous Copper Casting and Rolling Line, 12 tons/hour, 8 mm rod

27-235 DAVID STANDARD Jacket Extrusion Line, 4.5", 24:1 Extruder Complete line, 1999 28-116 HOLTON Conform Line, Model C500, Enter 7/8" rod, 21-146 OUTOKUMPU Complete Copper Casting Factory, 60,000 sq.ft. 21-147 CONTINUOUS Copper Rod Caster and Rolling Mill, 13 t/h, 8 mm, New 2009

This is only a partial list. Please contact us with your specific machinery requirements or Visit www.mathiasen-machinery.com

76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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. 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).

MEDIA 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 modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering, or operations sectors of the industry. The 36 chapters cover a broad range of topics, including equipment types, processes and specialty applications of steel wire manufacturing. It cover continuous casting; con-

trolled rod cooling; rod defects; pickling and coating; descaling; deformation in cold drawing; wiredrawing theory, machinery, and finishing equipment; lubrication; heat treatment; stress relief; annealing; oil tempering; patenting; corrosion; galvanizing; statistical process control; bridge rope and strand; and nails, barbed wire, mechanical springs. Appendices and a complete index are included in the handbook. List Price is $235, $195 for WAI members. THE BOOK OF WIRE & CABLE TERMS. Learn the A to Zs of wire and cable with this essential reference source. Presented in a clear, practical manner over 350 pages, The Book of Wire & Cable Terms covers both ferrous and nonferrous terminology. More than 5,000 entries are offered. List Price: $75, $50 for WAI members. Ships in one to two business days. ■

NEW MACHINES, shortly available Ref. no. 12-6038 QUEINS, high speed bow strander for 7 wires, type QSS 1+6/630, max 1400 rpm, new machine Ref. no. 12-5651 QUEINS, bow twister for stranding insulated conductors, type QRL 1+3 or 1+4 or 1+5/1600 (63“), reel ø 1600 mm (63“), new machine Ref. no. 32-7573 QUEINS, extrusion line for XLPE, 3-layer crosshead, extruders 65/25D, 150/25D, 90/25D, new machine Ref. no. 61-7557 QUEINS, rod drawing machine for Al and Al alloys, 13 dies, inlet ø 12 - 9,5 mm (0,47 - 0,37“), outlet ø 1,7 - 4,5 mm (0,06 - 0,18“), double spooler, new Ref. no. 61-7630 QUEINS, rod drawing machine for CU, 13 dies, inlet ø 8 mm (0,31“), outlet ø 1,2 - 4 mm (0,04 - 0,15“), annealer, double spooler, new machine Ref. no. 80-7593 QUEINS, horizontal annealer for copper rod drawing machine, wire range ø 1,35 – 4,0 mm (0,053 - 0,16“) Ref. no. 82-7591 QUEINS, automatic dual spooler for rod drawing machines, bobbin sizes 630 and 800 mm flange diameter (25 - 31“)

Pre-owned machines Ref. no. 14-7647 QUEINS, fast loading rigid strander for up to 127 wires (1+6)+12+18+24+30+36 bobbins, 630 mm ø, complete line Ref. no. 61-7619 HENRICH, copper rod drawing machine model 30R13, 13 dies, inlet 8,0 mm, finished ø 1,4 mm, continuous annealer, dual spooler for bobbins 630 mm ø, plus bundle packer / static coiler for bobbins 1250 mm ø

QUEINS & CO. GMBH

Hans-Georg-Weiss-Straße 12 52156 Monschau GERMANY

Tel.: +49 2472 8080 Fax: +49 2472 3014 Email: info@queins.com www.queins.com

MAY 2011 | 77

CLASSIFIEDS

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.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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

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

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Flymca & Flyro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

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

FUHR GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Bongard Trading GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

T Fukase & Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Caballe SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Fushi Copperweld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Carris Reels Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2

Gauder Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 19

Commission Brokers Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

GCR Eurodraw SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

CPA Wire Technologies GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Guill Tool & Engineering Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

The Dow Chemical Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

HERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

George Evans Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Howar Equipment Inc/Unitek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

MIND THE GENERATION GAP

Great minds are developing. Engineers. Metallurgists. Innovators. The future of the industry depends on them. Find them online. Connect with them. Influence them. And meet them halfway through WAI.

78 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

Howar Equipment Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50-51

Paramount Die Co/WiTechs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Power Sonics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Koswire Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

KP America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Queins & Co GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Lamnea Bruk AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/OM Lesmo . . . . . . . . . . . .18

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

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/A Appianai . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Mathiasen Machinery Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Micro Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Paul Troester Maschinenfabrik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

MAY 2011 | 79

ADVERTISERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; INDEX

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

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE Tubular Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Tulsa Power Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Unience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3 US Synthetic Wire Die . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Windak Inc., USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

July 2011 WJI • GREEN FOCUS: Plant efficiency and energy savings Advertising Deadline: June 1, 2011

Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Zumbach Electronics Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4

WIRE ASSOCIATION INT’L ADS WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 WAI ITC (Dusseldorf, Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

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