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

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WIRE JOURNAL

®

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

Volume 40 Number 10 October 2007

C ONTENTS

24 Perspectives

52

FEATURES

This new occasional section features a “big picture” view of the wire and cable industry by CRU’s Mike Barden.

52 IWCS 2007 preview IWCS organizers note that the 2007 event in Florida has some 20 percent more technical papers than last year.

56 Compounds & Colorants Suppliers of compounds and colorants discuss their field, including some of the challenges cable makers face and solutions they can offer.

TECHNICAL

PAPERS

72 Wired together

72

Don Sayenga—This historical paper traces the development of bridges across the U.S.-Canadian border, with challenges proving to be more than just technical.

81 Development of a virtual wiredrawing tool for process analysis and optimization Surya Kumar Singh, B.P. Gautham, Sharad Goyal, Amol Joshi and Dinesh Gudadhe—Experiments showed that an FEM tool designed to simulate drawing can generate practical information, and that it may be possible to further expand its scope in the future.

88 Control of cable twist in the manufacture of steel tire cord Thomas W. Tyl—The uniaxial tensile test can be used to better understand twist-related issues, many of which can be traced to maintenance and differences in component design or consistency. (continued)

Cover: Product images (top left clockwise) from Teknor Apex Company, Inhol BV/PTL and Sylvin Technologies, Inc. Industry suppliers of compounds and colorants discuss their technology and industry issues. Story begins on p. 56.

OCTOBER 2007 3

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10 Industry News General Cable acquires former Phelps Dodge wire business, Prysmian acquires IWC, and more

30 Asian Focus

DEPARTMENTS

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WIRE JOURNAL

®

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

6 Editorial

India’s Sterlite continues investments, and more

36 Fiber Watch

8 Calendar

Fujitsu awarded major FLAG contract, and more

32 People 38 Fastener Update Fastener company denies fault in ‘Big Dig’ fatality

39 WAI News India Call for Papers issued; Wire Expo Points meeting results; wire Bologna 2007 update, reminder on Reference Guide, and more

92 Products 98 Media 99 Classified

48 Chapter News ‘Lean’ focus at upcoming Ohio Chapter meeting, Southeast Chapter golf wrapup, two more chapter golf tourneys slated for this month

4 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

99 Career Opportunities 102 Advertisers’ Index

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WIRE JOURNAL

Editorial Looking back makes it easier to look forward Technology constantly moves forward, but there is a tendency to question whether meaningful advances remain, be it for industry or even for society. It’s human nature to look around and think that the truly big jumps forward have been made. As the following past-era statements show, that’s not necessarily so, all of which should make one more optimistic about the future.

• “There will never be a bigger plane built.” A Boeing engineer, after the first flight (Feb. 8, 1933) of the 247, a twin-engine plane for 10 people.

• “It will be gone by June.” Variety’s view of rock ‘n roll in 1955.

• “Transmission of documents via telephone wires is possible in principle, but ... so expensive that it will never become a practical proposition.”

Dennis Gabor, British physicist and author of Inventing the Future, 1962.

• “It will be years, not in my time, before a woman will become Prime Minister.” Margaret Thatcher, future P.M. (1979-90), October 26, 1969.

• “With over 15 types of foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big share of the market for itself.”

Business Week, August 2, 1968.

• “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home,” Ken Olson, founder and president, Digital Equipment Corp., maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.

New feature has a perspective This issue includes a new occasional section, Perspectives, that will present commentary on different industry sectors and topics. The subjects will range but the focus will be that it offers a “big picture” perspective. See p. 24 for the first piece, by CRU’s Mike Barden.

2 minutes to continue your free WJI subscription Two minutes on-line is all it takes to renew your free subscription to WJI, so you can continue getting its monthly news, technical articles, features and more. Just go to www.wirenet.org/wji/subform.htm to update your information. And, if you aren’t a subscriber, you can use that same link to become one.

Mark Marselli Editor-in-chief

INTERNATIONAL

Publisher Steven J. Fetteroll Editor-in-Chief Mark Marselli Senior Graphic Designer Bill Branch Director of Sales Robert Xeller Advertising Sales Anna Bzowski Director of Marketing Services Janice E. Swindells Circulation Manager Jan Valois Publications Advisory Board Antonio Ayala - J.J. Lowe, Mexico Ferruccio Bellina -TKT Group/President ACIMAF, Italy Anand Bhagwat - Wire and Cable Services, India Rick Kristensen - Beta LaserMike, USA Malcom Michael - Australasian Wire Association, Australia Don Schollin - Q-S Technologies, USA Ken Scott - UK Ralph Skalleberg - Skaltek USA Dave Stackpole - Nutmeg Wire, USA Giulio Properzi - Continuus Properzi, Italy Robert Wild - Niehoff Endex North America, USA WAI Executive Committee Liaison Dane Armendariz Henkel Surface Technologies Technical Advisors John Drummond - Scotia Group Nate Rosebrooks - Fluid Coating Technology R. M. Shemenski - RMS Consulting, Inc.

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL (ISSN-0277-4275) is published monthly by the Wire Journal, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wire Association International, Inc. Address all correspondence concerning advertising production, editorial and circulation to Wire Journal International, 1570 Boston Post Road, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA. Tel: 203-453-2777; fax: 203-453-8384; web site: wirenet.org; e-mail mmarselli@wirenet.org. Printed in USA. Subscription rates: $95 per year, USA; $105 per year, Canada and Mexico; other countries, $125 per year (includes air mail). Single copies: $6 in the U.S.; all other countries $7. 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. © 2007 by Wire Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Publisher of Wire Journal International assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein. Back issues of Wire Journal International are on microfilm and available from University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Phone: 313-761-4700.

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

6 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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World Calendar October 16-18, 2007: wire Southeast ASIA 2007 Bangkok, Thailand. To be held at the BITEC Exhibition Centre in Bangkok, this event, formerly known as wire Singapore, is organized by Messe Düsseldorf Asia Pte Ltd. Singapore. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312781-5180; fax 312-781-5188; info@mdna.com; Internet www.mdna.com.

October 17, 2007: Non-Ferrous Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand. This seminar is jointly organized by the International Wire & Machinery Association and the International Tube Association during wire Southeast Asia, BITEC exhibition centre. Contact www.iwma.org.

tries is organized by Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180; e-mail info@mdna.com.

October 31-November 2, 2007: Kiev Industrial Week 2007 Kiev, Ukraine. The Fourth edition of Kiev Industrial Week 2007, which includes Wire Steel Ropes 2007 and Cabling Wiring 2007, will be held at the National Complex Expocenter.

Contact: Olga Krasko, TDS-Expo LLC, tel. 380-44-526-91-84; olga@welding.kiev.ua; Internet www.weldexpo.com.ua.

October 22-24, 2007: EIC/EME Manufacturing Expo Nashville, Tennessee, USA. To be held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. Contact: tel. 619-4393629; www.coilwinding.org.

November 5-7, 2007: Wire 07 Bologna Bologna, Italy. This technical conference is organized by the Associazione Costruttori Italiani Macchine Per Filo (ACIMAF); The International Wire and Machinery Association (IWMA); Comité Européen de la Tréfilerie (CET); and the WAI. Contact: WAI, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 133; Internet www.wirenet.org.

October 24-31, 2007: K 2007, the 17th international Trade Fair Plastics and Rubber Düsseldorf, Germany. K 2007 will be held at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds, Halls 1-17. This event for plastic and rubber indus-

November 11-14, 2007: Fabtech International and AWS Welding Show Chicago, Illinois, USA. North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating and welding event will be held at McCormick

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 203-453-2777; fax 203-453-8384; Internet www.wirenet.org.

October 11, 2007: Wire New England 07 Boxborough, Massachusetts, USA. This single day event will include five educational sessions as well as tabletop displays.

October 17, 2007: WAI Western Chapter Seventh Annual ‘Wild West Shootout’ City of Industry, California, USA. The Pacific Palms Conference Resort will host this event.

October 19, 2007: Mid-South Chapter 6th Annual Golf Tournament Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The Hermitage Golf Course will host this event.

October 21-22, 2007: Reconvene Nashville, Tennessee, USA. WAI will hold Reconvene, its 2nd business meeting of the year at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center.

November 1, 2007: Ohio Valley Chapter Program: Lean Manufacturing Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The program speaker will be Michael J. Roehler, National Standard.

8 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

November 5-7, 2007: Wire 07 Bologna Bologna, Italy. See main listing.

January 17-18, 2008: Wires in Automotive Applications Pune India. This international technical conference will be held at the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Pune, in Pune, India.

Contact: Anand Bhagwat, abhagwat@wirenet.org. See p. 40.

June 7-11, 2008: Wire Expo 2008 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. To be held at the Pittsburgh Convention Center, this event incorporates: the Wire Expo trade exposition, the technical program and the WAI’s 78th Annual Convention. The event addresses ferrous/nonferrous manufacturing, and electrical, data and voice segments as well as wire forming and related wire and wire products.

October 19-23, 2008: ITC Mexico Monterrey, Mexico. To be held at the Crown Plaza Monterrey, this WAI ITC includes a technical conference, tabletop exhibits, a plant tour and networking opportunities.

May 2-7, 2009: Interwire 2009 Cleveland, Ohio, USA. See main listing.

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Place. Contact: tel. 800-432-2832; e-mail information@ fmafabtech.com www.fmafabtech.com.

November 11-14, 2007: 56th IWCS/Focus™ Conference and Symposium Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. To be held at the Coronado Springs Hotel and Conference Center. Contact: IWCS/Focus, Internet www.iwcs.org; admin@iwcs.org; tel. 732-389-0990.

December 4-7, 2007: Fastener China 2007 Guangzhou, China. Fastener China 2007 will be held at the Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou. Contact: Business & Industrial Trade Fairs Ltd., tel. 852-2865-2633; fax 852-28661770; enquiry@bitf.com.hk; www.bitf.com.hk.

March 31-April 4, 2008: wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Messe fairgrounds.

Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180; e-mail info@mdna.com.

June 7-11, 2008: Wire Expo 2008 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. To be held at the Pittsburgh Convention Center, this event incorporates: the Wire Expo trade exposition, the technical program and the WAI’s 78th Annual Convention. The event addresses ferrous/nonferrous manufacturing, and electrical, data and voice segments as well as wire forming and related wire and wire products. Contact: WAI, tel.

203-453-2777; fax 203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org.

HELICORD

September 23-26, 2008: wire China Shanghai, China. wire China, The All China - International Wire and Cable Industry Trade Fair, organized by Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. and SECRI Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute, will be held at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180; fax 312-781-5188; e-mail info@mdna.com; Internet www.mdna.com.

October 15-17, 2008: Spring World 2008 Rosemont, Illinois, USA. To be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, this event is sponsored by the Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers (CASMI).

Contact: Tom Renk, tel. 847-433-1335; fax 847-433-3769; e-mail info@casmi.org; Internet www.casmi.org.

November 20-22, 2008: Wire & Cable India 2008 Mumbai, India. Contact: Cheryl Fernandes, Business Fairs, Confederation of Indian Industry, tel. 91-22-24931790, ext.

470; fax 91-22-24939463; Internet www.ciionline.org.

May 2-7, 2009: Interwire 2009 Cleveland, Ohio, USA. To be held at the International Exposition Center (I-X Center), Interwire incorporates: Interwire Trade Exposition, the technical program and the WAI’s 79th Annual Convention. It addresses ferrous and nonferrous manufacturing, and electrical/data/voice segments as well as wire forming and related wire and wire products. ■

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Industry News General Cable Corp. to acquire former Phelps Dodge cable business U.S.-based General Cable Corporation announced that it has agreed to acquire the global wire and cable business of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., which earlier this year became owner of Phelps Dodge International Corporation (PDIC) when it bought out its parent company, Phelps Dodge Corporation.

The deal, for approximately $735 million, was not unexpected as Freeport McMoRan’s focus is on mining and its interest in Phelps Dodge was centered squarely on its substantial copper mining operations. That made it likely that Freeport-McMoRan would eventually sell Phelps Dodge International Corporation, which operates factories and distribution centers in 19 countries throughout Latin America, Asia and Africa.

General Cable President and CEO Gregory Kenny observed that the acquisition of PDIC represents “truly a unique opportunity, greatly accelerating our initiative to expand into many of the faster growing emerging economies of the world.” He noted that the deal will effectively merge one company principally concentrated in North America, Western Europe and Oceania with one focused in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

PDIC has manufacturing and distribution facilities around the world with leading market positions in South and Central America, Africa and Southeast Asia, the release said. PDIC has approximately 3,000 employees.

In addition to 10 majority-owned manufacturing and numerous distribution facilities, PDIC also has equity positions in wire and cable companies in China, Hong Kong and The Philippines, the release said.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, PDIC reported revenues of approximately $1.2 billion and operating earnings of approximately $77 million. In the first six months of 2007, PDIC’s operating performance continued to strengthen as did its revenue base, the release said.

PDIC, whose sales are primarily focused on energy products for utility, industrial and construction applications, has copper and aluminum rod mills on three continents, a source of competitive advantage in developing regions, the release said.

More than half of PDIC’s revenues come from manufacturing assets in South and Central America, where General Cable has a minor presence, the release said. PDIC, it noted, also derives more than $200 million of revenues in sub-Saharan Africa, where

General Cable participates on a much smaller scale.

PDIC’s positions in Southeast Asia and India complement General Cable’s current activities in India, China and Oceania, the release said. Finally, PDIC has equity investments in two companies serving the Chinese energy cable market as well as one in the Philippines and well-developed global sales channels for its energy infrastructure products made in Thailand and South America, it said.

Based on reported 2006 sales of $4.8 billion, the combined companies would have approximately 44% of revenues in North America, 27% in Europe and the Middle East, 15% in South and Central America, and 14% in Africa/Asia Pacific, the release said.

PDIC President Mathias Sandoval, who as been with the company for 24 years, will continue in his leadership role, the release said.

General Cable Corp. reported that it plans to sell up to $450 million in convertible debt to finance its proposed acquisition. The company has been on quite an expansion mode this year, having acquired a German cable company and a Chinese cable company as well as entering into two joint ventures in India.

Prysmian acquires New Zealand’s International Wire & Cable Limited Prysmian Cables & Systems announced that it has acquired the business assets of New Zealand cable maker International Wire & Cable Company Limited (IWC).

IWC, in business since 1946, produces power cables, with a focus on aluminum/neutral screened cables, a press release said. The ISO 9001:2000 certified company employs 65 people and reported 2006 revenues of approximately US$25 million, it noted.

“The Prysmian investment will build on IWC’s existing infrastructure in the North and South Islands of New Zealand and will add to their supply capabilities through the expanded product range and research & development facilities of the global Prysmian Group, the release said.

In Australia, Prysmian “has a wellestablished presence, with two manufacturing plants supplying a wide range of power and telecommunica-

tions cables as well as accessories for joining and terminating power cables,” the release said.

“The acquisition of IWC’s Auckland operations will allow Prysmian to grow its market in New Zealand, particularly in power distribution, while also exploiting Australian wind farm expertise,” the release said. Prysmian notes that it has has subsidiaries in 34 countries and 54 plants in 20 countries, with some 12,000 employees.

Does your company have news that belongs here? E-mail it to the WJI at editorial@wirenet.org.

10 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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VISCAS reports power cable orders from Singapore and South Africa Japan’s VISCAS Corporation announced that it has received two large orders for turn-key power cable projects in Singapore and South Africa.

The first order, from SP Power Assets, a Singapore power company, calls for VISCAS to be the turn-key provider for two large 230kV power cable projects. The contract, valued at approximately US$140 million, requires VISCAS to supply 160 km of the cable in projects that will be carried out by VISCAS and Furukawa Electric Engineering Pte. Ltd. (FEE), a subsidiary of The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., a press release said. Founded in 2001, VISCAS is a joint venture of The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. and Fujikura Ltd. For one project, the cable will be used for crucial power supply lines to an integrated resort area, including a casino and high-end housing, which is currently being implemented by the Singapore government in a marina area, the release said. The second project is part of power infrastructure improvements for coping with projected future growth in power demand in Singapore, which wants to see its population grow from four million to six million.

Two types of cable will be delivered for the projects: 230kV, 500MVA, 2000 mm XLPE cable (with cross-linked polyethylene insulation) and SCFF cables (with oil-impregnated paper insulation). The schedule calls for work to be completed on both projects by the end of January 2009.

The second contract, for a 765kV transmission line project in South Africa, is from ESKOM, a power company in the Republic of South Africa, a press release said. The overhead transmission line will run from the Mercury substation, located 300 km southwest of Johannesburg, to the Perseus substation in the southwest direction, a route length of 250 km, it said. The project, worth approximately US$53 million, will require construction of about 500 steel towers.

South Africa, the release observed, “is struggling with chronic power shortages due to a sudden increase in population, and the construction rush in anticipation of the Soccer World Cup in 2010. Development of power related infrastructure is the most critical challenge for South Africa in its efforts to achieve economic development and improve standards of living.”

The project, the release said, will cover the first 250 km of a plan, currently being drafted by the South African government, to construct a new 765 kV power transmission network.

Those future plans call for the network to have a total length of 1500 km, it said.

The VISCAS names comes from the combination of “VIS,” a Latin word for power and “CAS,” an acronym for “Cable And System.”

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Prysmian wins $125 million contract for U.S. project Italy’s Prysmian Cables & Systems announced that it has been awarded a contract for the design, supply and installation of a high-voltage DC submarine link between Pittsburg and San Francisco, California, by Trans Bay Cable LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Babcock & Brown.

The project, named TBC (Trans Bay Cable) is worth more than $125 million for Prysmian, a press release said. Working with the Power, Transmission and Distribution division of Siemens, Prysmian will provide the first turnkey system including the engineering, production and installation of two 200 kV DC cable interconnections, consisting of 80 km of extruded submarine cables and 5 km of extruded land cables (AC and DC), with a total transmission capacity of 400 MW, it said.

The project calls for the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable to run from a terminus in the city of Pittsburg, in Contra Costa County, via San Francisco Bay, to a terminus in the city of San Francisco in the vicinity of Potrero Point. Prysmian will install the submarine cables and the optical fiber data transmission cable with its cablelaying ship, the Giulio Verne. Both the submarine HVDC and land cables required for the link will be produced in the Italian plant of Arco Felice, Naples. The project is scheduled to be completed by April 2010.

The TBC project was described as having strategic relevance to the development of the San Francisco Bay region where the demand for power is constantly increasing.

The release said that TBC is designed to transmit electrical power and provide a dedicated connection between the East Bay, which has excess electrical capacity and transmission grid congestion, and the electrical transmission and distribution facilities in San Francisco.

“With this project Prysmian further confirms its worldwide leadership in the strategic high value added sector of submarine power cables and systems, with a strong order book up to 2009,” the release said. It noted that Prysmian recently handed over the Neptune cable, a key submarine power connection in the New York area as well as the Spain-Morocco connection. It pointed out that in the last five years, Prysmian has completed more than 30 submarine cable projects worldwide, among them Basslink, in Australia, the longest submarine connection to date and the Italy-Greece link, the deepest ever. Further, Prysmian is currently executing important projects such as SAPEI, the 1000MW HVDC submarine cable transmission link between Sardinia and the Italian peninsula, that once completed will be the world deepest, and the GCCIA cable between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Gauder reports repeat order from Bahrain company The Gauder Group announced that its Pourtier division has received a repeat order for one of its rigid stranders from Midal Cables in Bahrain, a contract that it said further cements Gauder Group’s place as a global supplier of equipment.

“This repeat order shows the excellent partnership built between Midal and (us),” said Gauder Group President Edgar Gauder, who noted that total orders for the type reaches four complete lines from the Bahrain company in the last four years.

The specific model, the RFS 630, is designed to strand up to 61 wires, he said in a press release that observes that, since 2006, Gauder Group has delivered 13 rigid strander lines (i.e. 39 cages) while 25 lines (i.e. 84 cages) are on order. “At this point, we can already announce that at least 123 new cages type “RFS 630” and “RFS 800” - 6 to 42 bobbins - will be in production

12 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

worldwide by the end of 2008,” he said.

Edgar Gauder said in the release that his company has shown great global success for rotating equipment through its Setic division, and that its Pourtier division is “now putting a step forward to reach a similar position in the power cable segment.”

At its website, Midal Cables reports that it was created in 1977, and notes that it was the first cable company in the Gulf Region to achieve ISO 9001 certification and that it became ISO 14001 certified in 1999. Its product specialties include aluminum and aluminum alloy rod, overhead conductors, aluminum clad steel wire, stranded wire and extruded products such as solid conductors and tubes. It notes that it exports to nearly every part of the globe and that more than 40 countries have used its conductors “on various transmission projects up to 800 KV.”

Citing market outlook, Bekaert to close plants in France, Australia Following business reviews, Bekaert announced that it would close its carding wire plant in France, consolidating European production in Belgium, and that it would also close its steel cord plant in Australia.

Production from the carding wire manufacturing plant, located in Roubaix, France, will be integrated into Bekaert’s plant in Zwevegem, Belgium, a press release said. The Roubaix plant, it said, employs 47 people, and the company will assist employees for possible transfer to the new location.

“The market for carding products in non-woven applications is growing rapidly, especially in Europe and North America,” the release said. “By combining the plants, Bekaert is aiming to boost production efficiency and advance its market position based on an extended product offer.” Bekaert’s carding activities have global annual sales of about US$30 million, it said.

The company also reported a decision to close Bekaert Australia Steel Cord Pty Ltd., a joint venture business formed in 1986 between Bekaert and OneSteel Pty Ltd. The plant, which is in Geelong, Australia, and has 74 employees, supplies steel cords and hose wires to tire and hydraulic hose manufacturers in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

“This follows an extensive review of business performance which has included customer and market outlooks, financial performance, plant operations and sourcing alternatives,” a press release said. The closure will take place by the end of the year, after all customer supply contracts and commitments for 2007 have been completed, it said.

The release noted that Bekaert remains committed to its customers within Australia and New Zealand.

“Therefore, the company is developing transitional supply arrangements from its other steel cord plants located within North and South East Asia.”

Based in Belgium, Bekaert has some 18,500 employees in 120 countries.

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CommScope sells property for $11 million U.S.-based CommScope reported that it has sold real estate in Nebraska and Alabama for $11 million as part of the company’s cost-management initiatives.

The property included a vacant

400,000-sq-ft warehouse along with 22 acres in Omaha, Nebraska, and a 150,000-sq-ft vacant manufacturing facility in Scottsboro, Alabama, a press release said.

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New headquarters, same zip code, for Encore Wire It was a short move, literally across the street on Millwood Drive, but it was also a much-anticipated move for Encore Wire Corporation, which has relocated its corporate offices at its complex in McKinney, Texas, into a three-story, 60,000-sq-ft building.

Expansion has been a way of life for Encore Wire, as CEO Daniel Jones notes that the company has undergone some type of expansion each of the last 15 years. He observed that this was not even one of the larger such projects for Encore, which has undergone previous expansions of 400,000 sq ft and 380,000 sq ft. One recent expansion was for the building wire company to add armored wire to its products line.

The latest expansion enables Encore’s different departments to be housed in one place, instead of being located in different plants, Jones said. Beyond the added elbow room, the new facility will enable the company to use some of its former offices for more manufacturing space, he said.

Asked whether there currently are plans for expansions in 2008, Jones replied, “We are exploring a few opportunities.”

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Tappan Wire and Cable, Inc., a U.S supplier of wire and cable products for the security, industrial and communications markets, announced that its management team, led by current President Darren R. Krych, has completed an acquisition of the company from company CEO Sidney Grant.

A press release said that Krych will assume the position of CEO and that the company’s management team will continue to run the business and will assume control of the board. A spokeswoman for the company said that Tappan Wire and Cable will be adding products and locations and will be searching for possible acquisitions.

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Bekaert and Mukand (India) to enter joint venture for stainless steel wire Bekaert reports that it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Mukand, a steel company in India, to set up a 50/50 joint venture.

The venture will see the partners investing approximately US$22 million

in the new factory to be built in Maharashtra (India) for the production of stainless steel wires, a press release said.

Mukand, described as a leading producer of alloy and stainless steel long

products in India, has manufacturing facilities in Kalwe, Thane and Hospet, Karnataka. Mukand has supplied to Bekaert previously and will provide the new plant with wire rod, the release said.

Bekaert pointed out in the release that “it has been active in India for some time, mainly in production of steel cord for the reinforcement of radial tires and carding products for the textile industry.” Mukand CoChairman and Managing Director Rajesh Shah said that the joint venture “will broaden Mukand’s product portfolio as hitherto Mukand did not manufacture stainless steel wires. This joint venture will now open up new markets for (us).”

“With this new step forward, Bekaert wants to further expand its activities in India, together with a strategic partner in the steel industry,” said Bekaert Executive Vice President Henri-Jean Velge. “Together with our production plant in Zwevegem (Belgium) we aim at doubling our activities in stainless steel wires around the world in response to our customer’s increasing need for top quality products.”

Hibernia Atlantic plans submarine cable system Hibernia Atlantic announced that it plans to lay a new submarine fiber-optic cable system connecting Iceland to its northern Atlantic submarine cable system.

A press release said that Hibernia Atlantic will deploy a branching unit off its existing northern cable, giving Iceland direct connectivity to North America, Ireland, London, Amsterdam and the rest of continental Europe. The new cable link will provide connectivity to Iceland at 192x10Gbps Ethernet wavelengths, the only one of its kind in the region, it said.

The release said that the new cable provides Iceland much needed diversity from its existing infrastructure. Currently, the only cable with available capacity is Farice, a submarine cable system connecting Iceland and the Faroe Islands to Scotland, it said. The project is scheduled to become fully operational for customer traffic in autumn 2008.

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Southwire to supply SCR copper rod system to China company U.S.-based Southwire Company announced that it has sold an SCR® copper rod system to Jaingsu Jaingrun Copper Company Limited, a Chinese company located in Jiangsu Province, Yixing.

The system represents the 13th SCR copper rod system sold for installation in mainland China, a press release said. The model that was sold, the SCR 7000, is designed with a production rate of 48 tonnes per hour and is capable of producing 314,400 metric tons of rod per year, it said. The project includes the design of all operating equipment, from a skip cart furnace loader to a finished rod handling system.

“We are very excited that an experienced wire and cable producer chose to increase their production by purchasing a state-of-the-art SCR copper rod system” SCR Technologies President Will Berry said.

Southwire’s SCR team will be responsible for the design of the Southwire Furnace System consisting of a loader, melter, holding furnace and launder system, the casting machine, automatic metal pouring system, bar preparation unit, and computer monitoring system. Southwire will supply all the equipment for these systems, except the fabricated steel assemblies of the furnace system and the bar preparation unit.

Continuing its many years of cooperation, Southwire will subcontract with Morgan Construction Company for the manufacture of the rolling mill, the rod delivery and cleaning system, the rod coiling system and the conveying system, the release said. It noted that Southwire and Morgan have worked together for more than 40 years to supply continuous rod systems to the copper and aluminum industries. Siemens will provide the electrical controls for this system and KM Europa Metal AG (KME) will supply the copper rings for the casting machine.

Southwire notes that it has sold 76 continuous-cast SCR Copper Rod Systems worldwide. It also sells SCR systems to produce EC, electrical alloy, and mechanical alloy aluminum rod.

Nucor Corp. to acquire Nelson Steel U.S.-based Nucor Corporation announced that it has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Nelson Steel, Inc., for approximately $54 million.

Located in New Salem, Pennsylvania, Nelson produces wire mesh and related products including wire rack decking, light weight galvanized mesh, mine mesh and engineering mesh, a press release said. “With approximately 80,000 tons of capacity and 120 employees, Nelson is a significant player in the mesh markets. The addition of Nelson further advances the downstream growth initiatives of Nucor and complements the company's existing mesh operations at Nucor Steel Connecticut and Harris Steel Group,” it said.

"The acquisition of Nelson is a good growth opportunity for one of our existing downstream businesses and complements and expands our wire mesh businesses at Connecticut and LEC," said Mike Parrish, Executive Vice President.

Pending regulatory approvals, the deal was expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2007.

18 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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Nitar Tech agrees to buy AllSafe Cable Canada’s Nitar Tech Corp. announced that it has agreed to buy AllSafe Cable Co. Ltd. (ACC), a wire and cable manufacturer located in Taipei City, Taiwan.

A press release said that ACC, founded in 2005, specializes in manufacturing wire and cable products necessary

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for linking connectors used in digital signal transmission for PC systems and peripherals, communication devices, industrial automation control and home appliances. It said that ACC, whose customer list includes Hewlett-Packard and Sony, has projected 2007 revenues of US$18 million.

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Arcelor-Mittal notes that it is #99, and now actually even better At its website, ArcelorMittal reports that it has been ranked 99th in this year’s Fortune Global 500, based on international accounting standards, and that if the rankings had been judged on pro forma numbers, the world’s largest steel maker would have ranked 48th largest.

The ranking is based on revenues, with retail giant Wal-Mart Stores topping the list and six of the top 10 companies coming from the oil industry due to the skyrocketing energy prices, a press release noted.

ArcelorMittal is listed as 99 based on legal figures with a profit of approximately US$5.2 billion on revenue of approximately US$59 billion. If pro forma numbers had been used, the sales figures would have been more than US$88 billion and profit at US$15.3 billion, placing ArcelorMittal 48th, it said.

ArcelorMittal noted that it ranks number 4 in the category of fastest growing company by revenues, having grown by 109.3% compared with last year’s numbers. It added that it is also the 26th biggest employer in the world.

In other news, Arcelor SA minority shareholders failed in their bid to block the US$41 billion acquisition of Arcelor by Mittal Steel. Courts in Paris and Rotterdam denied their requests for an injunction from hedge funds SRM Global Master Fund Ltd. Partnership, Trafalgar Catalyst Fund and Trafalgar Entropy Fund, wire reports said. France’s Tribunale de Grande Instance, they noted, denied a similar request filed by a small group of individual minority shareholders led by Arcelor investor Bruno de Kerviler. Both courts said it falls outside their jurisdiction to rule over the merger.

The dispute, the reports said, center on what the investors felt was a reduced offer by Mittal Steel for the remaining 6% of Arcelor shares. The shareholders had maintained that French and Dutch authorities should have jurisdiction over the merger.

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Part of Morgan Construction Australian upgrade traces back 84 years U.S.-based Morgan Construction Company announced that it has been contracted to upgrade Smorgon Steel’s rod and bar mills, a project that includes the replacing of stands that were originally manufactured by Morgan in 1923 for a previous owner.

The rod and bar mills are located at

the North Laverton, Australia, facility of Smorgen Steel, which is now part of OneSteel, a press release said. The rod mill contract calls for a new pinch roll and laying head for the rod mill that will improve productivity. “There will be better pattern and tail end control,” said Morgan Construction Rolling Mill

Sales Manager Neil Gow. The mill, which produces rod and rebar, will see rolling speeds increase to 100 meters per second with the new equipment, he said. Delivery on the contract is expected on site in October 2008.

The equipment for the bar mill will “modernize and improve the whole slitting process,” noting that the upgrade will enable both three-strand and two-strand slitting, Gow said. The contract calls for two stands, gear boxes, spindles, rest bars, an air/oil lubrication system, roll change equipment and spares. Delivery will be in late June 2008.

OneSteel, which completed its merger with Smorgon in mid-August, was described in the release as the largest steel producer in Australia.

X-Spooler plans move to a larger facility, sees growth ahead X-Spooler, a supplier of take-ups, payoffs, winders and packaging equipment, plans to move from its current location to Franklinville, North Carolina, reports North Carolina’s The Courier-Tribune.com.

X-Spooler will relocate and expand its operation from Waynesville to the Randolph County site, the report said.

The company will make an initial investment of $2 million to purchase and equip the 26,000-square-foot facility on 43 acres in Franklinville, it said.

It noted that the company reported that it expects “to create 25 jobs in its first year at the new location with up to 60 additional jobs within the next three to four years.”

Plans call for a second company, a key supplier to X-Spooler, to occupy a portion of the facility, the report said.

That company, Automated Plastics East, Inc., supplies customized plastic injection molded parts to X-Spooler and other companies, it noted. ■

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s e v i t c e p s r Pe Creating shareholder value in the wire & cable industry

This occasional section will present commentary and analysis from individuals, including presentations by speakers at industry events around the world. This first piece is from Mike Barden, CEO of CRU Strategies, who spoke June 11 at the CRU World Wire and Cable Conference in Paris. CRU Strategies is one of four business units of U.K.-based CRU International. Barden/CRU can be contacted at www.crugroup.com. All charts are courtesy of CRU Strategies.

By Mike Barden, CEO CRU International and CRU Strategies

The following presentation attempts to step back from the detail about the wire and cable industry to reflect on the fundamental factors that are likely to drive the profitability and shareholder returns in the industry.

In the recent years the wire and cable industry has shown improvement in profitability. In part this may be attributed to a rare phenomenon of synchronized growth across the globe and also to the high prices of raw material inputs such as copper and aluminum, which have allowed producers to pass through to their customers relatively smaller but nevertheless profit enhancing, increases in their conversion margins. The question that underlies this however is whether recent history is a precursor to longerterm profitability or is it merely a cyclical up tick.

In my experience the starting point for understanding the inherent attractiveness and likely profitability of an industry is not by looking at the numbers, but by understanding the fundamentals of the industry. In this way you can interpret the past and present and, based on this, have some chance at forecasting the future.

I think that the best framework to do this is by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Five Forces,â&#x20AC;? introduced by Michael Porter in the 1970s: supplier power, customer power, competitive rivalry within the industry, the threat of substitutes and the threat of new entrants. In essence, the vertical axis (competitive rivalry within the industry; the threat of substitutes; and the threat of new entrants) defines the inherent profitability of an industry and what is likely to cap this profitability. For example, at what price level are substitutes likely to kick in or at what level of return will new players enter the industry. The horizontal axis (supplier power; customer power and the competitive rivalry within the industry) predicts to what extent this inherent profitability will be retained within the industry or passed on to suppliers by way of either price increases for inputs or price reductions to customers.

It is obvious that the wire and cable industry is stuck in the middle between, in most cases, powerful and concentrated suppliers and customers. The supply of materials such as copper and aluminum is concentrated, indicating that the balance of power resides with the suppliers. One might expect copper producers to confer some power to the wire and cable producers, but demand 24 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

CRU Strategies CEO Mike Barden. is essentially derived from their customers and limited (or no) latitude to substitute for copper undermines any pricing power the wire and cable industry might have.

With respect to customers, regional concentration in key demand segments suggests a similar dynamic, i.e., powerful customers relative to the wire and cable producers. Further, transparent regional standards and many suppliers with comparable products fuels competition to the advantage of end users relative to the wire and cable industry.

Given the current structure, it is unlikely that the wire and cable industry would be able to retain, on average across the industry, extraordinary pricing and profit levels. Instead, it is likely to pass them on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either to customers or suppliers, particularly if the industry focuses on capacity utilization as a measure or lever of company performance. It is also difficult to see how the industry as a whole could migrate to higher levels of long-term profitability, even before the threat of passing this on to customers and suppliers.

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There may be limited threat of product substitution for cables other than the ongoing growth in wireless applications for telephony and data transmission applications. The more significant cap to industry profitability must come from the threat of new entrants. In comparison to the investment cost of establishing a new mine or smelter which could run into billions of U.S. dollars, the cost for a new extrusion line is small, starting at around $2 million. Further, the size of such an individual facility might be small in relation to market demand and therefore present a small risk in terms of capacity utilization. In most market segments there is not a significant barrier to entry based on accumulated experience or technical skills that cannot be overcome or is perceived as an insoluble problem by new entrants.

If mid-term price expectations rise to the level that justify investment in the industry a slew of new capacity additions might quickly come on stream capping further price rises and potentially undermining those expected price levels. In some industry sub sectors, this threat of substitution might be offset by the complexity and time required for supplier qualification. However, in other sub sectors, where transparent standards shorten the qualification process, one can see the opposite effect, allowing quick market entry. Further, customers generally will want to increase the number of potential suppliers, thereby increasing supply competition.

Industry response In many industries we have seen a couple of typical responses to such industry dynamics. The first response is one of product diversification as competition intensifies and market share and profits come under pressure. Based on the notions that capacity utilization and scale deliver company profitability, competitors look for broadly similar products to expand their portfolio and to deliver either growth or acceptable levels of capacity utilization.

The second response is migration down the ill named â&#x20AC;&#x153;value chain.â&#x20AC;? Competitors expand their portfolio of products and services, often moving closer to the final product or service that their end customer offers. While this may increase revenues, it

may not necessarily improve returns. Depending on the industry structure in these downstream sectors, available returns may not be higher than existing sectors. Further, the skills that have been built up enabling effective competitiveness in the original sector may not be applicable to these downstream sectors.

The result of these responses is often not as expected. While purchasing power and fixed cost amortization might improve with the increased scale, the impact is often not that significant, especially where input materials are exchange traded. Instead there is often a perverse and unanticipated increase in costs due to complexity.

Complexity costs are often not easily measured or managed.

They result from management focus being diluted across a wider number of business activities and the operational needs of servicing a wide portfolio of products and services. They manifest themselves in areas such as lower capacity utilization due to product changeovers, higher input and finished goods inventories to offer necessary service levels; quality problems from a wider range of tasks that need to be mastered; and in lower rates of performance improvement due to fragmented experience across core activities.

Relative to the financial performance of actively focused companies these costs can be significant and often go unrecognized.

Further, once this complexity is built in it is often difficult to reverse as most companies are not even aware of these costs as they tend to creep up over time.

The other challenge to improving profitability is the underlying cost structure. It would be appropriate to consider wire and cable as a conversion industry and measure and manage it that way. If we take a typical power cable then 55-60% of the costs are in raw materials. Given the nature of the industry pricing mechanism for these raw materials there may be limited opportunity to improve prices paid in these areas. Instead, the focus needs to be on price risk management, inventory levels and usage/conversion efficiency. For some of the more specialized inputs there may be technical and price levers.

Compressible expenses, typically labor and overhead costs,

Cable manufacturers: stuck between two powerful industries.

OCTOBER 2007 25

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Beyond its perilous position between suppliers and customers, the wire and cable sector faces other challenges.

Two typical company responses to competition that may appear practical but can prove otherwise.

account for 25-30% of total cost. These are typically the area of management focus for cost reduction. If one assumed the possibility of a 20-25% cost reduction – the typical level achievable if no systematic cost reduction approach had been applied for many years, then this might offer savings of 5-6% of selling price. This is not insignificant but at the same time will not come without significant effort.

Finally, capital costs, excluding material inventories, are a relatively small proportion of the overall cost structure. At this relatively low level of capital intensity it is questionable whether strategic decisions based primarily around the capacity utilization of physical assets are the appropriate way to optimize company value. Instead, if one were to change the measure of accounting depreciation to one based on the actual usage of (and by implication the depletion of) assets, this may expose alternative approaches to operational strategy that could yield higher overall returns.

The final driver of value creation in the industry has to be its exposure to increasingly volatile raw material prices. The price volatility of the aluminum and copper inputs has risen by a factor of 3 over the past four-five years. This represents a significant risk to industry participants especially given the proportion of cost that they represent.

The management of these increasing risks has to be a priority.

If, for example, three-four years ago an 80% accurate or reliable system satisfied your risk management needs, given a particular risk tolerance, then today those same systems would need to be over 90% accurate or reliable to deliver the same quality of protection. Such improvements in risk management do not happen by accident.

This trend will be further encouraged by the increasing proportion of demand coming from those locations where demand for infrastructure and physical goods will grow fastest in response to wealth generated by the relocation of manufacturing among other factors.

Given this overall backdrop, how do participants in the wire and cable industry create value for their shareholders?

Conventional theory states that shareholder value is a combination of risk and return: you can create value by either increasing the level of returns at a certain level of risk or by reducing the risk around the same level of returns.

The primary risk management options open to industry participants center on: input price volatility and minimizing the impact this has on returns; economic cycles and currency valuations, both of which are a result of global marketing and procurement strategies. These can either be passive or active decisions and strategies.

The levers for improving returns can either focus on the overall industry or on the individual company: at an industry level these tend to be either reducing the level of competition within the industry itself, i.e. removing capacity, or alternatively reducing the negotiating power of suppliers and /or customers; at the company level the levers span the dimensions of marketing activities and market selection to the operating efficiencies and operating levels.

Managing the risk within the company is not a simple exercise.

Many companies talk about risk management but few demonstrate the capability deep within their organization to link objectives and policies to the decisions that ultimately have the potential to deliver.

All companies have a portfolio of related risks that have to be seen together across the typical responsibilities of procurement, operations, sales and finance. For example, price risk management needs to consider not only purchases, but also: • the planned operating model and its impact on inbound and outbound inventory levels and the operational flexibility desired; • the customer contracting model – the method of cost passthrough and the level of certainty around demand; and • the geographic mix of sales and the impact of this on cash and pricing cycles and currency effects.

At a strategic level the locus of geographic investment in physical assets, in developing supply bases and customer markets can either act to increase overall risk or be designed to reduce risk either by natural hedges or through the portfolio effect of noncorrelated variability and volatility.

Looking ahead So what does the future hold? One concern is that some of the trends that have delivered recent good industry returns are also likely to create increasing challenges into the future. Raw material prices will decline over time, albeit with uncertain timing, and this will remove whatever umbrella high prices have offered to extract higher dollar value conversion margins. Also, some of the factors that have resulted in increasing volatility may remain with the industry, resulting in ongoing price risk.

The manufacturing base will continue to relocate to lower cost locations. This will not only induce new competition but will have associated pressure on industry price levels as lower costs for these producers and the desire to grow market share play out.

26 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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However, what is clear is that it is not possible to manage and plan for these risks without some form of measurement.

Increasingly, we are seeing the more sophisticated companies introducing risk management principles into their portfolio of planning tools. In evaluating individual strategies they are incorporating the likely variability of key assumptions, internal and external, in determining the overall value of these alternatives.

Through this analysis decision makers should be able to see the different distributions of expected value between strategies that, on a purely NPV basis, might appear to offer similar returns – essentially distinguishing between the more risky and the more certain. In addition, this process of assessment will expose the impact of different classes of risk and thus the value of management effort where these risks can be controlled. The result is more informed decisions and a management team more prepared for the uncertainty that they face in their normal business activities.

At the industry level the typical levers espoused focus on increasing concentration and the assumption that in this process of consolidation returns will improve. Clearly, increasing concentration in some industries is correlated to improved industry returns. However, the danger is that correlation could be confused with causality. For many industries that demonstrate concentration and superior returns there are other factors at play. Often these relate to structural elements of the industry that have caused high levels of concentration and by implication have created barriers to entry enabling sustained high levels of return. Examples of these factors might include access to technology or scarce resources.

Within the wire and cable industry, it is not clear that such factors might exist. As discussed above there are limited barriers to entry from a technological or scale perspective – and in today’s market access to capital is not a barrier in most industries – instead the current availability of investment dollars tends to lower barriers. If consolidation were to result in short term increases in industry returns there does not appear to be any reason why new entrants would not arrive attracted by these returns, and subsequently compete these returns down. Furthermore, it is not clear that changes in industry structure might affect the power equation with raw material supplies, given the exchange pricing mechanism.

Some industry level opportunities might exist if participants in the industry became, on average, more specialized and therefore reduced the areas’ overlap that currently fuel competition.

Another beneficial result might be realized if the industry as a whole were to adopt performance measures related to the “value” of their output instead of measures of capacity utilization. Finally, there might be opportunities to make product pricing more transparent to the extent that current lack of pricing transparency confers value to customers. However the result of such an approach could be highly uncertain.

The path to any of these potential upside scenarios is complex and would require a level of implied industry coordination that is not often seen in practice. It would require reversing a trend that we have seen in the industry over the years.

In the process of diversification and “value chain” migration, many of the companies in the industries have created over-lapping portfolios and by implication have begun to converge on the same competitive location. In this process they have reduced the basis of differentiation from each other and instead have intensi-

fied the level of competition. To the extent they have accompanied this process with operational efficiency initiatives based on benchmarking and industry best practice they may have accidentally increased the rate at which they look and perform like their competitors.

At the company level, the lever to break out of this strategic dilemma is to stand back from the current competitive position and to actively decide where on a spectrum defined by product/service performance and lowest cost they intend to compete, away from their competitors, and to define a path to this position. Essentially this is a process of refining the basis of individual competition and specific differentiation.

Competing to win The process to defining requires deep understanding of both the industry and the dynamics of its sub sectors as well as of one’s own capabilities. It requires meaningful answers to the questions of: where to compete; and how to win?

These are underpinned by the issues of market and customer selection, value-based management as the route to operational optimization and finally by the reconfiguration of supply chains into the selected markets based on the value proposition.

Where to compete? The answer to this question resides at two levels – sub-sectors and specific classes of customers. The subsector level question is answered based on a segmentation approach often defined by the convergence of customer needs and the means of accessing them. The definition and subsequent understanding of these segments needs to be informed by attributes such as size, expected growth, customer needs, competitive intensity and a consideration about one’s own ability to compete based on current and accessible capabilities. Furthermore it is important to realize where there are reinforcing linkages between sub-sectors in that activity in one benefits activity in another.

The difficult action for most companies is not in the selection of priority sub-sectors but in deselecting to compete in those subsectors that are less attractive. By actively focusing on a limited number of sub-sectors the goal is to accumulate competitive capabilities at a faster rate than other competitors and to translate these into growth and superior returns.

A typical industry cost profile shows how little room wire and cable manufacturers have when it comes to their products. Estimates based on a 3 core, 50 mm2 SWA.

OCTOBER 2007 27

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Having selected a target market, the next action, which may be iterative with the prior segmentation step, is to identify which customers are the most attractive. In our experience, not all customers are equal, though this may be hidden by traditional accounting measures. While some customers may offer higher price realization this may be offset by other demands such as the level of sales effort, or quality/service needs. Understanding the level of individual customer profitability and the factors driving differences in profitability between customers (both current and potential) is a key input into the both the selection of target customers and also in focusing action and resources to make them more profitable.

The selected target markets drive the operational priorities whether these be in areas such as service and quality or lowest cost manufacture given a certain level of flexibility and responsiveness.

Our experience of performance optimization across a range of industries suggests that driving performance is based on the understanding and management of strategic bottlenecks. In a wire and cable operation this might be the extruder, in which case all other activities within the operation need to be aligned with maximizing the throughput from this strategic bottleneck and by implication are subservient to this bottleneck. This philosophy needs to drive both operations and investment activity and importantly this activity focuses not on the volume of throughput but the value or contribution of this throughput. Not all volume has the same value.

As with customer and market selection the choices about the direction of manufacturing optimization need to be iteratively linked with the market decisions. If opportunities exist to optimize in a way that might affect market choices these need to be fed back and the market decisions revisited.

The final strategic decision needs to address how to configure the overall supply chain. For any multi-product or multi-segment company, the different sub-segments served will have differing needs and it will not be possible to service all of them cost effectively through a monolithic supply chain. They will demand tailored supply chains to be cost effectively competitive. An example of this might be the trade off between defined product/short cycle supply service to the automotive industry in comparison with the product diversity/longer lead time service required by the project industry.

To achieve this, a company will need to consider what mix of internal and other party capabilities to assemble to deliver each of

these as it is unlikely that an individual company will have the scale to offer globally competitive services at each stage of the value chain for all of its market sub-segments. Some of these activities may be outsourced or shared with customers and/or competitors. Essentially, the choices in this area are about which particular activities will form the core competitive capabilities of the company, capabilities on which it focuses development activity as a basis for long-term differentiation.

As with all strategic choices this needs to be an active and datadriven decision, based on both customer needs, the nature of competition and the economics that links these two to operational choices.

To summarize the above, we do see opportunities for value creation in the wire and cable industry. Risk management is a critical issue and based on our observations there are opportunities to improve in both specific areas such as price risk, but also from a holistic perspective that embraces all elements of risk in operating and strategic decisions.

At the company profitability level the opportunity exists to improve by reversing the process of competitive convergence and in defining distinctive competitive positions that fully reflect the different needs of individual sub-segment and customer needs supported by the associated operational choices. This needs to be accompanied by a management perspective informed by value rather than volume and capacity utilization.

At the industry level, a practical route to improved overall industry returns is less obvious. However, if individual companies follow an active process to define distinctive competitive positions and shift their management goals towards value, rather than volume, such actions can only act to improve the overall attractiveness of the industry. â&#x2013; Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: The above presentation was made in at the 2007 CRU World Wire and Cable Conference in Paris. The CRU event, which brings together cable manufacturers and processors, cable users, materials and process equipment suppliers and financial institutions, will return June 1-3, 2008, in Barcelona, Spain.

Contact cruevents@crugroup.com for more details.

Mike Barden has a Mastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;degree in engineering from Cambridge University and an MBA from Cape Town University.

His clients have included major global companies, start-up companies, suppliers, governments and not-for-profit organizations.

Two critical earning dilemma questions.

Reconfiguring the supply chain. Options that manufacturers can choose from.

28 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

HM731 w&c-wji

9/17/07

10:11 AM

Page 1

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A 40,000-kilometer cable that ran underwater and underground, emerging in cities, towns and villages around the globe. A cable that had to last. A cable billions of people depended on not to fail. A cable that had to be manufactured on six continents.

Who would you turn to for jacket and insulation materials? Who could you count on for consistent quality? Purity?

The product portfolio and expertise to provide the right compounds for every environment? The capability for testing and validation to make sure your materials met specifications for performance and processing? Global manufacturing and support?

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If the world depended on your product, for power or telecommunications, you’d want to choose Dow Wire & Cable.

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Please visit us at IWCS – Booth #108 Contact Dow Wire & Cable: w w w . d o w w i r e a n d c a b l e . c o m In USA and Canada: 1-800-441-4DOW / In Europe: 00800 3 694 6367 (800 783 825 from Italy, 990 3 694 6367 from Finland) / In Asia Pacific: +800-7776-7776 / Use reference #494-HOXPJ ®Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Dow Wire & Cable is a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and its subsidiaries.

asian focus.qxp

9/27/2007

12:03 PM

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Asian Focus Asian Focus Asia news briefs Bekaert and Mukand (India) to enter joint venture for stainless steel wire Bekaert reports that it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Mukland, an Indian steel company.

Both partners will set up a 50/50 joint venture and invest approximately US$22 million in the new factory to be built in Maharashtra (India) for the production of stainless steel wires for automotive and other industrial applications, it noted.

Mukand, described as a leading producer of alloy and stainless steel long products in India, has manufacturing facilities in Kalwe, Thane and Hospet, Karnataka. Mukand has supplied to Bekaert previously and will provide the new plant with wire rod, the release said. The company noted this venture will broaden Mukandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product portfolio as it did not previously manufacture stainless steel wires.

Alcan breaks ground on Chinese cable facility Alcan Inc. has begun construction of a US$40 million specialty alloy cable manufacturing facility at the Tianjin Airport Industrial Park in China.

The facility, which will produce specialty alloy cable products for commercial, institutional and industrial applications, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2008, a press release said.

"Alcan is very proud to be breaking ground on this new state-of-the-art facility. We are excited about the continued growth of Alcan Engineered Products into China ... to support China's rapidly expanding commercial construction market," the company said. It noted its appreciation of the support provided by the Tianjin government.

Tianjin's Mayor Dai Xianglong met with Alcan's senior officials prior to the ground breaking event.

Attending the ceremony were Tianjin's Vice-Mayor Yang Dongliang and Feng Zhijiang, president of the Administrative Committee of Tianjin Free Trade Zone & Airport Industrial Park, along with Ian Hewett, President, Alcan Cable and Alcan International Network.

Morgan Construction to provide wire rod mill for India company in Visakhapatnam, India U.S.-based Morgan Construction reports that it has received a contract to supply a wire rod mill to Visakhapatnam Steel, which is undergoing an expansion project.

The contract, which will be executed by Morgan Construction along with its Indian subsidiary, Morgan India, is expected to take 27 months to complete, a press release said. Other partners in the project include Stein Heurtey India, for the furnace equipment, and Mecon, Ranchi, for associated works and site erection, the release said. The mill will produce special quality wire rods of 5.5 to 20 mm diameter for the automotive, fasteners and wiredrawing industries, it said.

30 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

More Chinese firms in U.S. seeking partnerships As the U.S. trade deficit with China continues to gain attention and calls for action to reduce it, a trend has slowly emerged, a recent article in The New York Times reported. The paper ran a story that showed how more Chinese companies were basing an office in the U.S. to improve their ability to distribute Chinese products and services.

The article cited a recent meeting where key officials of some 45 Chinese companies came to meet American business representatives attending the China Global Conference, organized by the Asia Pacific-USA Chamber of Commerce of Pasadena, California.

The reason why, the article said, is basic: Chinese manufacturers get 20 percent or less of revenue exported to the American market, according to Chinese government officials and economists who have testified to Congress. The American companies that design and order the products, then

distribute and market them in the U.S., sell them at retail, claiming 80 percent or more of the revenue.

Some Chinese companies that want to get a bigger slice of the revenue and profits have found that it is possible to increase their margins from 20-30 percent to more than 60 percent by providing the product to be sold in the U.S. They have sought marketing advice, and tried to establish brands.

As part of their efforts, they have created a presence in the U.S., the article says, noting that more than 500 Chinese companies now have offices or operations in California, which last year received some $130 billion of exports from Chinese companies.

To be sure, Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direct investments in businesses and buildings in the United States have been small compared to those of Japanese companies, but success has encouraged more such activity, the article said.

World Bank: Asian growth a two-fold challenge There are two significant differences in economies in developing Asia and the Pacific today and three decades ago, reports Asian Development Outlook 2007, a World Bank study.

The first change is that economies have grown significantly and the second has to do with their look and form, the report notes. Change has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and countries that have grown have changed their form continuously, not by great leaps, while countries that have struggled or undergone reversals display structural inertia, it states.

The newly industrialized economies (NIEs) of developing Asia-Hong Kong, China; Republic of Korea; Singapore; and Taipei, China, have nearly completed the catch-up process, with productivity levels and incomes closing in on levels seen in the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the report says.

The NIEs now face the challenges that

economic maturity brings.

Other countries, like Malaysia and Thailand, are closing the gap but need more change to sustain progress, the study says. The pace of change is quickening and income improving in China and India, as well as in Cambodia and Pakistan, but challenges still lie ahead, it warns. Developing Asia needs to grow and create wealth to tackle poverty, but at the same time, it must create jobs for people who are unemployed or underemployed, which by some estimates can be as many as 500 million workers, it notes. New workers who are about to enter the labor force will also need decent jobs.

In most countries, the economic activity profile has moved from agriculture to industry and services. But there seems to be much greater complexity about the way in which patterns of industrial diversification and specialization evolve that may effect the sustainability of growth, the report says.

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

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Sterlite continues expansion as part of overall quest to be a world leader Sterlite Technologies’ intentions are clearly stated at its website, where the India-based company notes its vision: “We will be among the top three manufacturers in the world by 2010 in terms of market share for all our product lines.”

A global provider of optical fibers, telecom cables and power transmission conductors, the company—which notes that it is India’s only integrated optical fiber manufacturer and among the select few globally—Sterlite continues to further that goal. It reports that it has begun production at its new power transmission and distribution conductors facility at Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

The company notes in a press release that it now has a cumulative manufacturing capacity of 115,000 metric tons of power conductors, making it “the largest manufacturer in India and amongst the top 5 global manufacturers of power conductors.”

contracts would be executed within FY 2007-08, it noted.

“We have achieved yet another milestone toward our vision to be among the top 3 global manufacturers of power transmission conductors,” said Sterlite Optical Technologies Ltd. Director Pravin Agarwal.“With our economies of scale, “We will be among top capability to develop products as per evolving needs of three manufacturers in the the industry and sustained world by 2010 in terms of demand for our products market share for all through year 2012, we see our strategic blueprint becoming our product lines.” a reality.”

Sterlite Technologies Sterlite reports that it has about 3% global market share for power transmission conductors and is also being installed, and was these products have been sold in 38 expected to be commissioned soon, countries across Africa, Middle East, the release said. At the start of Q2 Asia & Europe.

2007-08, the company had an order The company notes that it is among book of US$240 million from India and the winners of the Deloitte Technology other global markets for its power Fast 50 India & Fast 500 Asia Pacific transmission conductor products, it Awards for 2005 & 2006. ■ said. Based on customer delivery requirements, more than 75% of these The new facility, it said, includes the latest generation drawing and stranding machines capable of manufacturing standard and specialized power conductor products.

A Properzi rolling mill capable of producing specialized mechanical alloys

OCTOBER 2007 31

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9/27/2007

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People Teknor Apex made two personnel announcements. Don Hunter has been named a sales representative for Teknor Apex Company’s Vinyl Division, overseeing sales of the company’s vinyl compounds in part of Los Angeles County as well

and as an engineering sales associate. He holds a BS degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University. The two companies are part of Teknor Apex, based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

William P. Gorman has been promoted to Vice President of Sales for Algonquin Industries, a three-plant division (Connecticut,Virginia and Arkansas) of privately held Rea Magnet Wire Company, Inc. He joined Algonquin Industries in 1992 and has held increasingly responsible positions. He will continue to play a key role in

Don Hunter

as in the states of Utah, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and parts of Nevada. He previously worked as a sales representative for Colorite Polymers and for Manner Plastics, McKinney, Texas, in several positions of increasing responsibility. Kurt Minnick has been named a sales representative for Teknor Color Company, responsible for sales of color concentrates in the state of Michigan as well as parts of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. He previously worked for General Electric, selling engineered thermoplastic resin

Kurt Minnick

William P. Gorman

supporting Algonquin’s sales and marketing efforts. Based in Guilford, Connecticut, USA, the Algonquin Industries Division manufactures rectangular and round non ferrous magnet wire, flatwire, strip and rivet wire products. Rea Magnet Wire Company, Inc., based in Indiana, notes that it is the largest producer of magnet wire in North America and second largest globally.

Chandler Products, part of the Elgin Fastener Group, has announced several personnel changes. Martin Kelp has retired as general manager. He has been with Chandler Products for over 30 years, holding

people.qxp

9/18/2007

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the position of general manager for the last 11 years, and before that as controller for 18 years.

Ron Siedler has been promoted to general manager. He has worked at Chandler for 19 years, first in customer service and then as sales manager for the past three years. He previously worked in sales at G.E. Lighting Group for 13 years.

Frank Pushpak has been promoted to sales manager. He had served as sales engineer since 2003 and had worked as plant

Page 33

superintendent from 1986 to 1991 before leaving for another position. He has nearly 20 years experience in the fastener industry and in addition to his positions at Chandler has worked at Ferry Cap Screw,Atlas Bolt and Screw, RB&W and Anchor Fasteners. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Chandker Products manufactures cold-headed fasteners, specializing in small to medium production orders and close tolerance, high spec cold headed parts.

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Obituary he bought the assets of FasTimothy J. Taylor, presitener Engineers/Lewis dent of Rockford ManufacMachines, merging the two turing Group (RMG), died companies and building on unexpectedly September 3, their strengths. Today, the 2007, at age 48, in Rockford business has some 60 Memorial Hospital in Rockemployees and is ford, Illinois. continuing to Taylor, who m ove f o r war d had a natural with his philosoability for phies. engineering, A WAI member earned a for more than 17 degree in years and a vital mechanical member of the engineering industry, Tim from Purdue Taylor was University. equally passionHe began his ate about his famcareer in the family busi- Tim Taylor at Interwire 2007. ily and life. Immediate survivors ness by workinclude his wife, Angela; two ing summers at his father’s daughters, Danielle and fastener company. After Jaclyn; parents Frank and graduating, he became QualNan; and brothers Andrew ity Control and Engineering and Gregory. He enjoyed Manager. He learned how to golfing, racing, fishing, bird run a business there and watching, skeet shooting, when the company was sold wood working and hunting. to Textron in 1988, the famHe was a past president of ily bought Rockford ManuRockford Children’s Develfacturing in 1990. Tim was opment Center. A memorial president of RMG. By 2000, has been established and he became the owner, while donations can be sent to his father served as chairman Midwest Council for Chilin an advisory role. Tim was dren with Disabilities, 1845 a direct individual with E. Rand Road, Suite L111, strong beliefs. He was also Arlington Heights, IL not afraid to take chances, 60004. such as in 2003, a down period in the industry, when

.0039˝ - .0196˝ (0.10mm - 0.50mm)

copper/aluminium.

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All inquiries within North America for machines, spares and dies, contact: HUESTIS INDUSTRIAL 68 Buttonwood Street, Bristol, R. I. 02809 USA Tel: 401 253 5500 Fax: 401 253 7350 E-mail: sales@huestis.com www.huestis.com Pressure Welding Machines Ltd. Bethersden, Kent, England TN26 3DY Tel: +44 (0) 1233 820847.

Fax: +44 (0) 1233 820591.

E-mail: pwm@btinternet.com Website: www.pwmltd.co.uk

OCTOBER 2007 33

HAITC07RegForm.qxp

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Page 1

CONFERENCE REGISTR ATION FORM WIRE

07

BOLOGNA

5 - 7 NOV E M B E R 2 0 0 7 • B OL O G N A • I TA LY

International Wire & Cable Conference • 5-7 November

Please complete the information below and submit the form to: The Wire Association International, Inc.•1570 Boston Post Road•P.O. Box 578•Guilford, CT 06437-0578•USA or Fax to: (001) 203-453-8384.

Last Name

First Name

Middle

Job Title Company Address City

State

Postal Code

Country

Phone (Include Country Code)

Fax (Include Country Code)

E-mail:

[

]

REGISTRATION FEES The registration fee includes session attendance, conference proceedings CD, documentation, refreshment break, and lunches.

Options

Euro €

U.S. $

Single Day Registration

Member Non-member

€195* €275

$250* $330

Two Day Registration

Member Non-member

€295* €375

$360* $440

Optional Ducati/Ferrari Tour (Wednesday, 7 November)

Member Non-member

€40* €45

$55* $65

Guest Tour - Ravenna & UNESCO Monuments (Tuesday, 6 November)

Name on Card (Please Print)

Card Number

€70

$90

Guest Tour - Inside Italian Fashion (Monday, 5 November)

€70

$90

Tabletop Displays

€750

$925

€65* €70

$80* $90

Additional Gala Dinner Ticket

Registration Fee is Paid by: ❑ Check enclosed in US dollars payable to The Wire Association International, Inc. ❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard ❑ American Express Fax registrations must use credit cards for payments of ALL meeting fees. Fax No.: (001) 203-453-8384

Member Non-member

Expiration Date (mm/dd/yy)

Signature

Cancellation/Refund Policy: Refund requests must be received in writing by 20 October 2007 to receive a full refund.

* To qualify for the member rate, you must be a member of one of the four organizing associations (ACIMAF, CET, IWMA, WAI).

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact IWMA at +44 1926 834680 or by email at info@iwma.org or WAI at +1 203.453.2777 ext. 138 or by email at hcorreia@wirenet.org. More information is available at www.iwma.org or at www.wirenet.org.

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9/19/2007

2:24 PM

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PRIMARY WIRE WIPE

Sikora International Corp. reported the addition of two sales engineers. Industry veteran Barry Mosemann will support the company’s representative in the southern and west regions of North America. He has a deep

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Peter Zieman

Barry Mosemann understanding of applications within the cable industry, having 16 years of experience working for SAMP and for Heinrich.

Susan (Sue) Lynch will support the company’s representative in the Midwest and Northern regions of North America. She

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resentative. He has more than 18 years in the electrical wire and cable business. The company also announced that Lindsay Rosa has joined its New Hampshire office as an outside sales representative. While new to the business, she has a family

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Susan (Sue) Lynch has 30 years of experience in process control instrumentation, having worked for Bailey Controls, ABB Instrumentation and Yokogawa Corporation of America. Based in Peachtree Georgia and part of Germany’s Sikora Ag, Sikora International Corporation provides services and support to customers in North and South America.

Allied Wire and Cable reported that industry veteran Peter Zieman has joined its Wisconsin branch as a sales rep-

legacy in the electrical wire industry. Her father is Mark Rosa, sales manager at Pacer/Anixter International in Woburn, MA; her grandfather, Dom Rosa, was the original founder of Pacer Electronics; and her uncle, Mike Rosa, was President/CEO of Pacer Electronics, which was sold to Anixter in 1998. Based in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA, Allied Wire & Cable notes that it is one of the largest independent value-added manufacturers and distributors of electrical wire and cable products in the U.S. ■

Cable Consultants Corporation A division of EL-TECH TECHNOLOGY, INC. New York Office: North Carolina Office: 7 Woodland Avenue 325 Queens Road, Apt. 7 Larchmont, NY 10538 Charlotte, NC 28204-3256 Tel: (914) 834-8865 Tel: (704) 375-9313 Fax: (914) 834-8903 Fax: (704) 375-9321 e-mail: info@cableconsultantscorp.com e-mail: fhardyccc@carolina.rr.com Website: www.cableconsultantscorp.com

OCTOBER 2007 35

fiber.qxp

9/18/2007

11:10 AM

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Fiber Watch Fujitsu awarded major contract from Flag Telecom Japan’s Fujitsu Ltd. announced that it has been awarded a multimillion dollar order from Flag Telecom, the undersea cable arm of India’s Reliance Communications Ltd., winning two of four contracts in a $1.5 billion project.

A press release said that Fujitsu will lay undersea cable from Marseilles, France, to Port Said, Egypt, and another from Chennai, India, to Hong Kong, all part of technology designed to expand phone networks and speed up Internet access.

Fujitsu, already a key supplier to FLAG Telecom, will manage all areas of the cable build, including installation, commissioning and testing., the release said. The initial system build will span over 10,000 km and offer more high-quality capacity in the region to help address the growing traffic demands from the accelerating take up of broadband and multimedia services, it said.

Over the next 36 months, FLAG Telecom plans to build the world’s largest IP network over submarine cable systems, the release said. Termed - FLAG Next Generation Network (NGN), the project will cater to a global audience. FLAG Telecom, which notes that it currently has the world’s largest private undersea cable system, plans to invest some $1.5 billion to lay 50,000 additional kms of undersea optic fiber cable that will ultimately cover 60 countries, it said. By the end of 2009, it said, its network is scheduled to span more than 115,000 kms, “taking the total optic fiber assets of Reliance Communications Group to over 230,000 kms.”

FLAG NGN will include the following four systems: FLAG NGN System 1: Asia – India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Honk Kong; FLAG NGN System 2: Africa – Kenya, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritius; FLAG NGN System 3: Mediterranean – Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta, Libya, Lebanon; and FLAG NGN System 4: Trans-Pacific – US West Coast, Japan, China and Hong Kong, the release said. It noted that FLAG Telecom’s clientele includes prestigious names like NTT, AT&T, Verizon, British Telecom, Orascom, QTel, Vodafone, 36 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Hutch, AOL, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Citigroup, HSBC, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley to name a few.

When completed, the FLAG Global Network would have the capability to carry 2.5 billion simultaneous voice calls, 300 million simultaneous webchats, 52 million simultaneous Video Chats, the release said.

Reliance Communications recently launched the FALCON Cable system con-

necting 12 countries in the Middle East to the rest of the world, it said.

“At the beginning of the year, we announced our US$ 1.5 billion global expansion of FLAG's Global Next Generation Network over the next few years,” said Anil D. Ambani, chairman of Reliance Communications. “Today’s announcement is a major initiative in that direction.

Sterlite awarded contract for PanIndia optical fiber access network India’s Sterlite Optical Technologies Ltd., announced that it has received a contract from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) for the manufacture and supply of highfiber count ribbon fiber optic cables to be installed in BNSL’s Pan-India Optical Fiber Access Network (OAN).

BSNL, formed in 2000 and described as the world’s seventh largest telecom company, plans to expand its customer base from 47 million lines to 125 million lines by December 2007. Fiber optic growth is expected to increase as India’s Ministry of Telecommunication has declared the Year 2007 as the ‘Year of Broadband’ and “resolved to make broadband in India further affordable and enable subscribers to enter the Information Superhighway,” it said.

The latest contract, valued at approximately US$9.5 million, is to be completed within the next six months, a press release said. It noted that Sterlite has supplied more than 60 percent of the country’s

requirements for the specialized cables since 2003. The company’s RIBBONLITE fiber optic cables are suitable for installation in cable ducts and ideally suited for bandwidth-rich networks. They are designed to operate from -30°C to +70°C, “thus spanning all possible deployment conditions.” The cables, it said, provide an efficient means to achieve high fiber density, as well as reduce the time per fiber required for installation.

Sterlite, which notes in the release that it has introduced 17 products for the rapidly evolving needs of the global and Indian telecom industry, reports that it currently has about 4% of the global market share for optical fibers. It sells to overseas markets in China, Europe and South East Asia and was nominated by Deloitte as the 6th Fastest Growing Technology Company in India in 2006 and was among the winners of the ‘Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India & Fast 500 Asia Pacific awards for 2005 & 2006.

Prysmian taking FTTH on road show Prysmian Telecom Cables & Systems is in the middle of a Fiber-To-The-Home European road show that has the company presenting its latest fiber initiatives to 15 countries from September to November.

The ‘FTTH European Roadshow’ is due to commence in UK on 4th September and

over the following 11 weeks will visit a total of 15 countries including Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Spain and France. ■

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9/27/2007

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Fastener Update Fastener company denies fault in ‘Big Dig’ fatal collapse Powers Fasteners, Inc., has heatedly denied the charges laid by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) against the Brewster, New York, company, which was indicted for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the July 2006 death of Milena Del Valle, who died in the I-90 tunnel ceiling collapse.

The NTSB had previously cited “epoxy creep,” as the likely source for the ceiling collapse. Powers Fasteners was indicted Aug. 8 with one count of involuntary manslaughter, Attorney General Martha Coakley said. The Brewster business was the only company involved in the project to be indicted for the collapse.

The company is accused of failing to make adequate notification for the project, known as the “Big Dig,” that the epoxy they were using to secure ceiling bolts was

not intended for that purpose. Powers sells two kinds of epoxy. One, a fast-setting version, was used to secure the tunnel connector ceiling panels that collapsed on the car in which Del Valle died in 2006. The other, a standard epoxy, is the product contractors should have used, the government will contend at trial, and it was Powers’ responsibility to make sure they did, a press release from the prosecutor’s office said.

“We are stunned, beyond belief,” Power Fasteners President Jeffrey Powers responded at the company’s website. “The only reason (we were) indicted is that unlike others ... in this tragedy, we don’t have enough money to buy our way out.”

Powers Fasteners, a 75-year-old familyowned business with 275 employees in the U.S., supplied $1,287.60 worth of epoxy to a distributor for use in the tunnel ceiling.

Powers insists that the Attorney General knew that his company filled a special order for a different epoxy – its Standard Set product – for the tunnel ceiling. He insisted that his company had informed “the top Mass Highway official in charge of overseeing all product approval on the Big Dig.” Powers further insisted that his company was prevented from doing a safety check that might have made a difference. “When a Powers engineer was called to the project site in October 1999 to assess why the bolts were slipping, he came equipped to do the very test that the NTSB now states should have been done. Project officials refused to allow Powers to do this test, which would have led to correction of the entire problem.”

OCTOBER 2007 37

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Two U.S. fastener groups form joint education committee The National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA) and the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) have formed the Fastener Industry Education Group (FIEG), a body that will provide proactive education for the fastener industry.

Committee Chair Andy Cohn said in a press release said that FIEG’s mission is “to educate all fastener end-users and suppliers (manufacturers, importers, and distributors) about the importance of understanding and effectively using industry and government fastener standards and how to determine the conformance of the products

to those standards.”

IFI Managing Director Rob Harris said that FIEG is a proactive effort. “Manufacturers, importers and end users rely on a system of voluntary compliance with a variety of consensus standards, OEM specifications, and Quality Assurance System certification,” he said. “That reliance is well founded and depends on every participant in the process doing what is necessary to ensure that all fasteners manufactured, imported or exported meet the applicable standards and specifications.”

“This is a perfect fit for NFDA and IFI,”

said NFDA President Joel Roseman. “Our commitment to education is strong and will naturally apply to systems and procedures which ensure that fasteners sold into commerce meet all applicable industry and federal specifications and standards.”

The committee is currently developing an education strategy for the industry and will be soon announcing projects and programs. NFDA has over 250 North American distributor and associate members. IFI represents North American fastener manufacturers and suppliers of materials, equipment and/or engineered services.

MDNA and IFSMA to present pavilion at wire 2008 Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA) will organize a Fastener Pavilion at wire 2008, International Wire and Cable Trade Fair, together with The International Fastener Machinery & Suppliers Association, Inc. (IFMSA). The pavilion will be part of wire 2008, which will be held March 31–April 4, 2008, at the fair-

grounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The Fastener Pavilion, to be located in the new fastener hall at the show, offers a cost-effective means for companies to enter into or to expand their business in the lucrative overseas marketplace, a press release said. Companies are provided a fully equipped, turn-key booth custom

designed according to the exhibitor’s specifications. All technical work, set up and dismantling is included. A lounge with hostesses/translators will also be provided.

For more details, contact MDNA, tel.

312-781-5180; info@mdna.com; www.m or Ray Zirkle at IFMSA, tel. 203-7940444; answers@ifmsa.com. ■

See us in Booth 410 - IWCS, Orlando, FL - Nov. 11-13, 2007 38 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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WAI News Call for Papers for India conference on automotive wire Authors are invited to submit abstracts for “Wires in Automotive Applications,” an international technical conference that will be held January 17-18, 2008, at the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Pune, in Pune, India.

The event is being sponsored by WAI Wire and Cable Services, the Indian subsidiary of WAI, in collaboration with the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and the Pune Chapter of Indian Institute of Metals. The conference will include technical sessions as well as a table-top exhibition.

Authors are invited to submit an abstract on the following topics: computational modeling and optimization; functional coatings; failure and prevention; advances

in materials; and innovations.

Abstract up to 200 words should be submitted by November 30 to abhagwat@wirenet.org.

Pune is a city located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 7th largest city in India with a population of 4.5 million, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra. It is located roughly 120 kilometers east of Mumbai. Pune has a reputation for its several An attendee poses a question to author Chitra esteemed colleges and educational Baid at WAI’s 2006 International Technical institutions, which is why it is Conference in New Delhi, India. called the “Oxford of the East.” It has a very strong presence in the prestigious engineering colleges in India. automobile sector and is on its way to conFor more details on the conference, solidate its position as the “Detroit of including how to arrange for a tableIndia.” Founded in 1854, the College Of top display, e-mail Bhagwat at Engineering, Pune, is among the most abhagwat@wirenet.org

OCTOBER 2007 39

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Sept. 20 Wire Expo 2008 Points Meeting nets 210 units Wire Expo 2008 got off to a good start at the Points Meeting held Thursday, September 20, at WAI headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut, USA, where more than 200 units (see p. 47) were allocated.

Wire Expo 2008 and WAI’s 78th Annual Convention will be held June 7-11, 2008, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event includes the Wire Expo trade exposition, the technical program and the WAI’s 78th Annual Convention. The event addresses ferrous/nonferrous manufacturing, and electrical, data and voice segments as well as wire forming and related wire and wire products.

“I thought it was a strong response, which is a good sign for the industry,” observed Bob Xeller, WAI’s Director of Sales. The overall total of 210 confirmed unit sales represents more than three-quarters of the total inventory of available booths, he said.

less) to nine states, D.C., and Canada. The The booths were assigned during the dayevent typically attracts more than 350 long meeting by the points formula, which exhibiting companies. is based on a company’s past exhibiting record. The below chart on this page shows which booths have been taken. At this point, companies that want to reserve space can do so by contacting Bob Xeller at bxeller@ wirenet.org or Anna Bzowski at abzowski@ wirenet.org.

The smaller of WAI’s two trade shows, Wire Expo is a regionally based event for the wire and cable industry. The event, held in Boston in 2006, should Wire Expo 2008 booths are allocated at the Sept. 20 draw well in terms of drive- Points Meeting at WAI headquarters. With staff, left, are in traffic as Pittsburgh is Brian Bouvier, Lloyd & Bouvier, and Joe Snee, Huestis within a six-hour drive (or Industrial. A total of 64 units remain available.

The layout at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The shaded in boxes represent the booths that have been contracted for

40 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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9/28/2007

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M EMBERSHIP A PPLICATION Send application and payment to: THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC. 1570 Boston Post Road, P.O. Box 578 • Guilford, Connecticut 06437-0578 • USA • Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 • Fax: (001) 203-453-8384

4c, file name: HAmemForm03,

Individual Information LAST NAME

page 32

FIRST NAME

TITLE

M.I.

.

COMPANY

❏ BUSINESS OR ❏ HOME

ADDRESS

CITY OR TOWN

STATE

PHONE (include area code — when applicable include country and city code) E-MAIL ADDRESS

ZIP/POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

FAX (include area code — when applicable include country and city code)

[

] BIRTH DATE (MM/DD/YYYY)

Required to receive The WAI Connection member e-newsletter

Business Information (required)

GENDER (M/F)

REFERRED BY

A. Which ONE of the following best describes your company’s type of business?

WIRE MANUFACTURING FASTENERS, WIRE FORMING, FABRICATING 10 ❏ Aluminum & Aluminum Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both ) 61 ❏ Fastener Manufacture 20 ❏ Copper & Copper Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) 62 ❏ Four-Slide Forming 30 ❏ Steel & Steel Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) 64 ❏ Hot and/or Cold Forming and Heading 40 ❏ Other Metal (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) 66 ❏ Spring Manufacture 50 ❏ Electrical Wire & Cable (Insulated Wire) 68 ❏ Wire Cloth Mesh Screening 69 ❏ Other Forming and Fabricating (Please specify) 53 ❏ Communications Wire & Cable (Insulated Wire) 55 ❏ Fiber Optics SUPPLIER TO THE WIRE INDUSTRY 72 ❏ Machinery 74 ❏ Process 76 ❏ Accessories B. Which ONE of the following best describes your primary job function?

10 ❏ General & Administrative Management 30 ❏ Technical, Research & Development, Quality Control 20 ❏ Engineering, Operations, Production 40 ❏ Purchasing

:

WIRE END-USER 11 ❏ Appliance 12 ❏ Communications (Voice/Data) 13 ❏ Computer 14 ❏ Construction/Building 15 ❏ Electrical (Equipment/Components/Power) 16 ❏ Transportation/Vehicular 17 ❏ Wire Formed Durable Goods OTHER 80 ❏ Service Centers, Distributors & Warehouses 90 ❏ Consultants 92 ❏ Government, Library and allied 50 ❏ Sales & Marketing 90 ❏ Other (please specify)_________________________

C. As part of my membership, I wish to receive a free subscription to the Wire Journal International.

SIGNATURE (REQUIRED)

DATE

Student Membership — Available to students enrolled full-time in an institution for advanced education and who have an interest in the processes, techniques, and methods for the manufacture of wire. Dues waived with proof of enrollment.

INSTITUTION

GRADUATION DATE

Chapter Membership WAI Chapters provide additional networking and educational opportunities on a regional level. Please select appropriate chapter and complete dues line below. ❏ New England US ❏ Mid-South US ❏ Midwest US ❏ Ohio Valley US ❏ Southeast US ❏ Western US ❏ Poland ❏ India

..

❏ Italy

Membership Dues Calculation Membership Dues:

❏ One year: $95

SAVE! ❏ Two years: $175

MORE SAVINGS ❏ Three years: $255

Chapter Dues (indicate chapter above):

❏ First year: free

❏ Two years: $15

❏ Three years: $30

INDICATE AMOUNT:

NOTE:

Total Amount Enclosed Payment options:

CARD NUMBER

❏ Check

❏ American Express

❏ Diner’s Club

❏ MasterCard

❏ Visa

❏ Wire Transfer

EXP. DATE

.

SIGNATURE

DATE

.

WIRE TRANSFER NUMBER

DATE

.

Your membership includes a free subscription to Wire Journal International. Please return this form by fax or mail for proper credit.

Reference Guide

NOTE: All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. Credit card payments are preferred for members from outside the U.S. and Canada. If a check or credit card is not used, a wire transfer may be sent in U.S. dollars.

For instructions, contact the WAI Membership Department at membership@wirenet.org or by phone at (001) 203-453-2777.

Your membership dues may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense, not as a charitable contribution.

Membership in The Wire Association International, Inc. is held by the individual, not the company, and is continuous unless cancelled in writing. Membership is not transferable.

Dues are non-refundable and are billed annually based upon the member’s anniversary date. Annual dues are set by the WAI Board of Directors, and are subject to change.

October 07

International Technical

Conference Proceedings

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Wanted: Wire Link scholar program applicants based Caparo Wire, whose U.S. tour There is still time for prospective candiincluded operations such as Keystone dates to apply for WAI’s Wire Link TravelSteel, Charter Steel, American Spring ing Scholarship, a program that sends a wire professional to Europe where the winner can see how different companies operate as well as attend the wire Düsseldorf show.

The WAI is looking for ambitious wire professionals who have been employed for at least three years in the wire and cable (or related) industries, including manufacturers and suppliers. The program alternates from a U.S. representative going to the U.K. and a U.K. representative Caparo Wire’s Gwyn Lewis, the 2007 Wire Link Scholar, going to the U.S. through the accepts a memento from WAI Foundation President John program’s co-sponsor, the Drummond during the awards breakfast at Interwire Worshipful Company of Tin 2007. At left is WAI board member Kenneth Scott.

Plate Workers alias Wire Workers of England.

Wire, Merit Steel and National-Standard as well as the Interwire 2007 event in CleveThe 2007 Wire Link Scholar was Gwynn land.

Lewis, planning liaison manager for U.K.-

The 2008 scholarship will be awarded to the candidate who best demonstrates to the judges how the award will help him or her grow professionally, gain a broadened knowledge of the industry and share those benefits with his or her company.

All expenses will be met by the sponsors during the trip to the U.K. The only cost on behalf of the employer will be the employee’s time in relation to the overseas stay and travel to and from the departure airport.

Candidates must be: involved in the wire and cable, or wire and cable related industries; employed full time in the U.S. for at least three years with a U.S. based company; and a Wire Association International member in good standing at the time of application and travel. Applications must be sent to the WAI by December 1.

For more details and a form, e-mail WAI Director of Education Marc Murray at mmurray@wirenet.org.

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OCTOBER 2007 43

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WJI 2008 Reference Guide: is your company listed?

WJI will be updating entries and making additions for its 2008 Reference Guide publication within the next few months. E-mail reminders will be sent to the contacts listed within our database during October. New entries are also being accepted and will be published free of charge.

Published annually, the guide includes a directory of WAI members.

The data in the international wire and cable industry buyer’s guide is used to power WAI’s Virtual Trade Show (VTS), an online marketplace.

Essentially, each company profile— which details product, service, and contact information—is published in print and online at WAI’s Virtual Trade Show, ensuring the company’s visibility exactly at the customers’ point of interest.

VTS records are updated daily. The online service allows VTS visitors to conduct customized searches through more than 1,150 products types, 3,100 companies, and profiles from 76 coun-

tries using any combination of search parameters such as company name, geographic location (country, city, postal code), product type or business type. Search results are delivered instantly.

Further, the product categories are broken down into very specific niches.

For instance, reels (99 suppliers) is broken down into 12 categories while dies (171 suppliers) is broken down into 23 categories. Each supplier entry has a link to full information, including representatives, websites, other products and more. Display advertising is also offered in both media.

To be listed, simply update your existing listing (no need to send duplicate information) or if your company has not been listed in the past, complete a company profile online. Just go to www.wirenet.org/vts/admin/search.cfm and type in your company name. If it is not listed, a page will appear with a link that enables you to provide the information for a new listing.

It is not too late to be included in Wire Journal International’s 2008 Reference Guide.

Direct any questions by e-mail to Reference Guide Editor Janice Swindells at jswindells@wirenet.org.

WAI volunteers use Web to analyze Interwire 2007 Forty members of WAI’s volunteer committees “gathered” via the Internet September 6 to study the results of Interwire 2007.

The volunteers took part in a webinar (Web-based seminar) to hear a detailed analysis of the show’s performance in advance of further discussion at the association’s Reconvene business meeting in October. The report exam-

ined aspects of the show including attendance, exhibitor feedback, and the educational program.

The webinar technology allows for a two-way exchange between presenters and the audience by using web based visual presentations combined with traditional audio conference capabilities.

The event was live with presenters and the audience meeting at the prearranged date and time. The technology also allows the event to be recorded and archived for future use.

In this particular webinar, a detailed PowerPoint presenation provided framework for the presentation by including key attendee and WAI staff takes part in the September 6 webinar conference with exhibitor data while the presentaon-line committee and board members.

44 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tion team of WAI’s Janice Swindells, Marc Murray and Steve Fetteroll emphasized key information.

WAI Director of Education Marc Murray said the session also provided an opportunity to familiarize volunteers with webinar technology. “We believe Web-based conferences have great potential for WAI’s educational mission,” he said. “The fact that we were able to bring so many people together so easily on this important topic speaks to the value of this tool.”

The technology provides the audience with multiple opportunities for two-way communication including “chat” functionality and survey quizzing tools that allow the presenters to receive immediate meaningful feedback. One such survey revealed that this was the first webinar for 50% of the audience.

The WAI Education Committee is charged with integrating the technology with the Association's educational mission.

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Wire Bologna 07 tech program offers 31 papers The technical program for Wire Bologna 07, the international technical conference that will be held November 5-7 at the Boscolo Hotel Tower in Bologna, Italy, will offer attendees a total of 31 papers, both ferrous and nonferrous.

The event, organized by ACIMAF, IWMA and WAI with the support of CET, will also offer attendees a myriad of networking opportunities and social events. This marks the third time the four industry organizations have worked together to create a concentrated educational format, the previous events being the 2003 program in Stresa, Italy, and the 2005 program in Prague, The Czech Republic.

The technical presentations will be presented on Monday, November 5, and Tuesday, November 6. Authors hail from 12 countries: Austria, Belgium, The Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Poland,

Turkey, South Korea and United States. Bologna is a very good location that will offer attendees many options to extend their visit. Florence is just one hour by train or car and Venice an hour and a half. Aside from the area attractions, guests of conference attendees can go on two different tours.

The first tour, “Inside the World of Italian Fashion,” is from 10 am to 3 pm on Monday, November 5. The second tour, from 10 am to 5 pm, will enable participants to explore the Province of Ravenna, which is known for its splendid mosaic masterpieces and architectural wonders.

The event also includes two plant tours, Ducati and Ferrari and a gala dinner.

In addition to the organizers, various elements of the conference have been enhanced through the generous contribution of the following organizations: The Italian Trade Commission and

ACIMAF: Gala Dinner; The IWMA Educational Trust Conference: Translation Services; SAMPSISTEMI: Dessert and dessert wines; Messe Düsseldorf GmbH: Luncheons; Niehoff: Conference Proceeding CDs; EuroWire Magazine: Refreshment Break Day One; and TM Associates: Refreshment Break Day Two. Additionally, the following organizations have supported the educational objective of this event: Tecnologie del Filo; the Italian Chapter of the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society; and Associazione Italiana di Metallurgia.

The WAI’s 2006 ITC was held in New Delhi, India. Past ITC locations include: the Czech Republic, Mexico, Italy, Canada, England, Poland, Belgium, and Germany.

For more information, including to see the technical paper abstracts, go to www.wirenet.org. ■

OCTOBER 2007 45

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Exhibitors take note:

FREE copy of WAI’s EXHIBITOR’S TIPS Request a

at sales@wirenet.org

Wire Expo 2008.

Photo Courtesy: Bruce S. Cridlebaugh, pghbridges.com

It Connects. It Spans.

It Supports and Sustains.

Exhibits • Full Technical Program • Networking Activities Answers. Results. Solutions.

These three powerful reasons will prompt thousands of wire and cable industry professionals to cross one of the region’s 944 bridges to explore Wire Expo 2008, as America’s Road Show for Wire and Cable visits Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, June 7-11, 2008.

Solutions to manufacturing challenges. Explanations about industry trends.

Clarification about processes or product differentiation. At Wire Expo 2008 your prospects will find the latest industry information.

Photo Courtesy: David L. Lawrence Convention Center

WAI Annual Convention:

Will they find you?

Whether your company’s solutions are tangible products or valued services, your results count. And if you’re a past exhibitor, your accumulated points count too.

So, let your customers and prospects count on seeing you at Wire Expo.

Are you ready to join the hundreds of exhibiting companies that will define the Wire Expo 2008 landscape? See details online at: www.wirenet.org; call WAI at: (001) 203-453-2777; or, if you’ve exhibited at a WAI event before, check your mail for your exhibitor’s package.

June 7-11, 2008 Exhibits:

June 9-11, 2008 Pittsburgh • Pennsylvania David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Wire Expo 2008 is organized by The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road • P.O. Box 578 • Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777 • Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 • Web site: www.wirenet.org

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Wire Expo 2008 Exhibiting Companies as of September 2007

Request a

FREE

copy of WAI’s

EXHIBITOR’S TIPS at sales@wirenet.org

Ace Metal Inc. ACIMAF AIM Inc. Amacoil Inc. American & Efird Inc. Anbao Wire & Mesh Co. Ltd. Arcelor Mittal Atlantic Wire Co. LLC AXIS Aztech Lubricants B & H Tool Co. Inc. Baker Division Balloffet Die Corp.

Bao Zhang Galvanized Iron Wire Co., Ltd. Bartell Machinery Systems LLC Base Ten Consulting/Software Inc. Bekaert Beta LaserMike Bongard Drummond Trading LLC Bonko Inc./Machine Technology & Control Caballe SA Canterbury Engineering Co. Carpenter Technology Corp.

Carris Reels Inc. Cemanco LC Clinton Instrument Co. Commission Brokers Inc. Condat Corp.

Conneaut Industries Inc. CoorsTek Copperweld Bimetallics LLC Core Furnace Systems Corp.

Cortinovis America LLC Die Quip Corp.

Engineered Machinery Group ERA Wire Inc. Esteves-DWD USA Etna Products Inc. Eurobend SA George Evans Corp.

Fabritex Inc.

Fiber-Line Inc. Filtertech Inc. Fine International Corp.

FMS USA Inc. Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc. Frontier Composites & Castings Inc. Gauder & Co. SA GCR Eurodraw SpA Gem Gravure Co. Inc. Genca Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Heany Industries Inc. Heatbath Corp.

The Heico Wire Group Heritage Wire Die Inc. Hitachi America Ltd. Houghton International Inc. Howar Equipment Inc. Huestis Industrial IDEAL Welding Systems International Fastener Machinery Suppliers Association (IFMSA) Intras Ltd. Italian Trade Commission Jiangyin Kangrui Stainless Steel Products Co. Ltd. JJI Technologies Kamatics Corp.

Kinrei of America Lamnea Bruk AB LaserLinc Inc. Laurel Wire Co. Leggett & Platt Wire Group Leoni Wire Inc. Lesmo Machinery America Inc. Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. J.J. Lowe Associates Inc. L-S Industries MacDermid Inc. Madem SA Magnetic Technologies Ltd. MAGPOWR Maillefer SA Mathiasen Machinery Inc. William McCaskie Inc. MGS Manufacturing Inc. Morgan-Koch Corp.

Mossberg Reel LLC/Boxy Group NEPTCO Inc. Niagara Composites Industries Inc. Niehoff Endex North America Inc. Numamerica/Numalliance Oklahoma Steel & Wire Panchmahal Steel Limited Pannier Corp.

Paramount Die Co. Inc. Parkway-Kew Corp.

Phifer Wire Inc. Pillar Induction Pittsfield Plastics Eng. Inc. Polyone Power Sonics LLC Precision Die Technologies Inc. PrintSafe Properzi International Inc. QED Wire Lines Inc. Queins & Co. GmbH Rad-Con Inc. Radyne Corp.

Rainbow Rubber & Plastics RichardsApex Inc. Rosendahl Nextrom Technologies Roteq Machinery Inc. SAMP USA Inc. Sanxin Wire Die, Inc. Schlatter Inc. Shuster-Mettler Corp.

Sikora International Corp.

Simpacks Sylvin Technologies Inc. T & T Marketing Inc. Talladega Machinery & Supply Thermcraft Inc. Timco Inc. Traxit North America LLC Tubular Products Co. Tulsa Power LLC Uniwire International Ltd. US Synthetic Vandor Corporation Vollmer America Inc. Wafios Machinery Corp.

Wardwell Braiding Machine Co. Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. Wire & Cable Technology International Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.

The Wire Association International Inc. Wire Harness News Wire Journal International Wire Lab Co. Wire Machine Systems Inc. WireWorld Witels Albert USA Ltd. Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. Worth Steel & Machinery Inc. WRCA Wire Wyrepak Industries Inc. Zumbach Electronics Corp.

Wire Expo 2008 is organized by The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road • P.O. Box 578 • Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777 • Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 • Web site: www.wirenet.org

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Chapter Corner A day for the ‘average birdie’ at Southeast Chapter tourney A total of 83 golfers challenged the Rock Barn Golf Course in Conover, North Carolina, where the WAI Southeast Chapter held its 6th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, August 23. When it was over, the winning foursome had scorched the course, averaging a birdie at each hole.

“It was just a great day,” declared Scott Ferguson, general manager of Hefner Builders, who was teamed up with customers of his, Randy Dula and Gary Green, NEPTCO, and Steve Spoon, Stafast. The team shot 18 under par, shooting several eagles and parring a few holes, but averaging a birdy for each hole, he said, noting that they did take advantage of buying some mulligans to make it possible.

Ferguson noted that he has played with his team members before and been on winning teams, but he said he had never been part of such a stunning performance. “Randy hit several beautiful irons right next to the pin and putted like Ben Crenshaw and down the stretch, when we ran into a few problems it was Gary Greene who brought us home. He made a12 footer with a huge left to right break that used up all our mulligans. Then on our final hole, which was a very difficult 200 yard downhill par 3 with water

right and bunkers left, he hit a perfect 5 iron about nine feet and kept our birdie average alive and also won the closest to the hole prize.”

Aside from the outcome, the golf outing was a very good event, Ferguson said.

“It’s good to be there and Among those competing at the WAI Southeast Chapter’s see familiar faces.”

6th Annual Golf Tournament was the team of (l-r) Lloyd Coming in second was the Sing, CommScope, Tom Stephens, Southwire, Steve team of Jeff Swinchatt, Vannai, Davis Standard, and Dale Willis, CommScope.

Sikora International, and Marshall Hogan, John Plastic Machinery Corp; Pre-TournaMcMahon and Mike Osborn, all of ment Lunch: Process Control; Closest The Okonite Co. The third place team to the Pin: W. Gillies Technologies was Bob Herrmann and Toby LLC and Davis-Standard; Long Drive: Galloway, Standard Tytape Co., and TDC/Inosym Reels and Canterbury Ray Martin, AMS Specialty Steel.

Engineering; Accurate Drive: Sikora Steve Vannais, Davis-Standard, tourInternational; $10,000 Hole In One: ney co-chair, observed that, “Win or Commission Brokers; and Corporate lose, getting out there, having fun and Hole Sponsorships: Beta LaserMike, networking is what it’s all about.

Canterbury Engineering, Clinton We’re glad the players had such a Instrument Co., CommScope good time and hope we can repeat it BiMetals, Haynes Wire Co., J.J. Lowe next year.”

Associates, Kyocera Industrial Co-chair Tim McElhany, Process Ceramics, Rosendahl/Nextrom Control, thanked all the sponsors who Technologies, SAMP USA, Solvay made the event possible. Sponsors Solexis, Sonoco Crellin, Windak Inc. included Beverage Cart: PrintSafe and and Zumbach Electronics.

Moorecraft Reels; Clubhouse Awards Dinner: Tulsa Power LLC and Wire &

Ohio Valley Chapter to Learn Lean (Manufacturing) Lean Manufacturing is the topic of the WAI Ohio Valley dinner meeting set for Thursday, November 1, 2007, to be held at the Holiday Inn Select in Strongsville, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The featured speaker is Michael J. Roehler, director of quality at National Standard in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he has responsibility for all Lean initiatives along with the Safety Department.

Roehler will share his more than 25 years of experience in lean manufac-

48 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

turing and performance management, focusing on helping attendees gain a better understanding of what lean manufacturing is and why and how it should be implemented.

“Lean is such a hot topic in manufacturing these days,” said Ohio Valley Chapter President Dane Armendariz of Henkel Technologies. “This subject impacts all areas of wire and cable production, and we are pleased to have someone with Michael’s experience and expertise to share with us.”

The event will begin at 6 pm with check-in and a networking reception, followed by dinner and the program at 7 pm. Registration fees are $50, discounted to $40 for members and include your choice of Sliced Sirloin or Mahi Mahi as your entrée.

Registration forms are available on the chapter webpage at www.wirenet.org.

For more details or to have a form faxed to you, contact WAI’s Chip Marsh at cmarsh@wirenet.org; tel.

203-453-1748.

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Wire Expo 2008.

Photo Courtesy: Bruce S. Cridlebaugh, pghbridges.com

Our technical program connects, supports, and sustains.

Call for Papers

Submit an abstract and watch your research do the same.

The Wire Association International’s technical programs bridge the gap between research and continuing education in the wire and cable industry. And our program strength comes from you.

Help reinforce the manufacturing arts by communicating your research findings to your colleagues, peers, and protégés. Just submit an abstract today to start the process.

If your expertise spans more time than most, you already have something to share at this symposium. Whether it’s a perspective on industry trends, uncommon solutions to common production problems, or the use of specialized materials and procedures, your audience is in suspense.

Technical and practical topics are welcome in the ferrous, nonferrous, electrical, fiber optic, or general disciplines. Accepted authors have a chance to have their work published in the industry’s leading Wire Journal International magazine.

Other perks include complimentary meeting registration, free one-year WAI membership, a copy of the Conference Proceedings, access to all sessions, exhibit hall, and opening reception. Why not join in? See instructions on the reverse side.

Photo Courtesy: David L. Lawrence Convention Center

June 7-11, 2008 Pittsburgh • Pennsylvania David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Abstract Deadline: December 3, 2007

Author Notification: January 1, 2008

Manuscript Deadline: March 3, 2008

Wire Expo 2008 is organized by The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road • P.O. Box 578 • Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777 • Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 • Web site: www.wirenet.org

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Wire Expo 2008 Call for Papers not previously published will be accepted for Wire Association International paper In order for the Wire Association’s Technical Papers Committee to properly awards and possible publication in Wire assess the scope and content of your pro- Journal International. Only papers received by the manuscript deadline will posed technical article, please submit a be included in the Conference 75 word abstract, typed in English, on the form below. Authors will be notified Proceedings materials.

Note: If your paper is received after the of acceptance.

1. Log on to www.wirenet.org.

Papers

3. Select the “Call for Papers” tab from the drop-down menu.

Abstracts

An “Author’s Guide” containing detailed instructions on how to prepare the paper and oral presentation will be e-mailed to accepted speakers. Only original papers

deadline we cannot guarantee that your presentation will be scheduled in the technical program.

Log on to submit your abstract 2. Click on the horizontal tab called “technical” on the main page.

4. Complete and submit the abstract form.

Please complete the following information and e-mail, mail or fax to: Marc Murray, Director of Education, The Wire Association International, Inc., 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA, Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, Fax: (001) 203-453-8384, E-mail: mmurray@wirenet.org.

This form can also be completed on the WAI website: www.wirenet.org. (See log-on instructions above).

Please indicate your area of interest:

I would like to present a technical paper.

Please check the appropriate industry segment: Ferrous Nonferrous Electrical General

Tell me about Poster Paper Forums.

Fastener, Forming & Fabricating

Fiber Optic

Author(s): _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Author (designate only one): ___________________________________________________________________________ Paper Title: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Company (Affiliations for each author): __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________

State: _________________________

Postal Code: _________________________

Country: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Telphone: (

)________________________________

E-mail: [

Fax: (

)________________________________ ]

Please type your abstract in English on this form. If you need additional space, please use a separate page.

Abstract (75 word maximum)

WE 08

The Technical Papers Committee reserves the right to screen all abstracts and reject those abstracts deemed unsuitable or inappropriate for presentation or publication. Everyone who submits an abstract will be notified whether the abstract has been accepted.

Wire Expo 2008 is organized by The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road • P.O. Box 578 • Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777 • Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 • Web site: www.wirenet.org

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Last call for Western Chapter’s 7th Annual ‘Shootout’ It’s time to get out the sticks and sharpen up your game as the WAI Western Chapter returns to City of Industry and the Industry Hills Golf Club at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort for its Seventh Annual “Wild West Shootout” golf tournament on Wednesday, October 17, 2007. The best ball scramble format gives everyone a shot at some great team and individual prizes, including a shot at winning $10,000 with a hole-in-one!

Check-in begins at 10 am, with the shotgun start set for 11 am sharp.

Long drive and closest-to-the-pin skill contests are also taking place and the event will finish with a reception and Western BBQ awards dinner. Nongolfers looking to network with industry colleagues are invited and encouraged to come out for the reception and dinner for only $35.

Registration for the event is $110, which covers greens fees, cart, range balls and the BBQ dinner. Companies wanting to get additional exposure

Plastic Tech. “It’s a great course in a while supporting the tournament can good location that everyone can get to be one of the exclusive sponsors of the and enjoy.” skills contests or ditty bag or be a hole sponsor for only $100. All sponsors are provided with a hole sign and recognition the day of the event and in the Wire Journal International wrap-up article.

Last year, a total of 40 golfers vied in the annual scramble, which concluded with a Western-style barbecue dinner at the course.

The winning team was From l-r, the 2006 Western Chapter 6th Annual the threesome of Gordon Shootout winning team of Gordon Dunn, Michael Dunn of Calmont Wire & Weiss and Martin Kenner, display trophies awarded to Cable, Martin Kenner of them by tournament co-chair John Stevens.

Commission Brokers, Inc. For more information about the and Michael Weiss of event and to register, contact Derrick Whitmor/Wirenetics, who shot a very Stevens at dstevens@emc-wire.com; commendable score of 61, 11 under tel. 909-476-9776 or WAI’s Chip par. “We are really pleased to return to Marsh at cmarsh@wirenet.org; tel.

Pacific Palms,” said chapter President 203-453-1748.

Michael Howard of Coast Wire &

Tee-time nears for Mid-South Chapter golf tournament Digest Magazine as one of the Top 10 courses in Tennessee.

The day begins with check-in and a box lunch at 11:45 am and continues with a 1 pm tee-off. Golfers will vie for both team and individual prizes, with a top prize of $10,000 for a hole-inone on the designated par 3 hole.

Additional skill contests include an accurate drive hole, two long drive holes, three closest-to-the-pin holes plus the popular post-tourney putting contest. The day concludes with the barbecue awards reception and dinner, Winners of the Mid-South Chapter’s 2006 golf tourna- where the winners will be recognized. ment were, from l-r: Dale Price, Warren May, Randy Companies have the opportuRosser and Lee Underwood. nity to sponsor everything from the Tournament Awards Reception This year golfers will play the scenic and Dinner for $500 to a $100 hole sponPresident’s Reserve layout which trails sorship, including the skill contests for through 300 acres of natural Tennessee $200 and the hole-in-one for $300. wetlands and along the banks of the beauSponsorships for the beverage cart and the tiful Cumberland River. The President’s box lunch are also available for $250. All Reserve has been recognized by Golf The WAI Mid-South Chapter is returning to the Hermitage Golf Course near Nashville, Tennessee, for its 6th Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, October 19, 2007.

sponsors are given recognition with appropriate signage and in the tournament program, as well as in the wrap-up article in the Wire Journal International. As a bonus, all sponsors may bring promotional material for tabletop display during the reception and dinner.

WAI volunteers who are participating in the Reconvene meetings in Nashville are invited to come early and take advantage of the opportunity to play golf and network with your industry colleagues from the Mid-South Chapter region.

The registration fee of $115 covers the entire day and includes greens fees, cart, range balls, box lunch and the awards reception and dinner. Non-golfers are welcome to attend the reception and dinner for only $35. Deadline for registration is Friday, October 12, 2007.

For more information, contact Andrew Stromer at Andrew_Stromer@ Southwire. com, tel. 256-710-7168 or WAI’s Chip Marsh at cmarsh@wirenet.org, tel. 203453-1748. ■

OCTOBER 2007 51

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IWCS returns to Florida . . .

The IWCS Conference sponsored by the International Wire & Cable Symposium (IWCS) returns to the Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center on November 11-14, 2007, with a technical symposium offering 20 percent more papers than each of the last two shows and a Focus Suppliers Exhibition of more than 100 displays.

The IWCS Conference includes the Technical Symposium, Professional Development Courses, Executive Forum and the Focus Suppliers Exhibition.

The timeframe for the event has also been adjusted for elements such as the supplier displays as well as the highlight of the Executive Forum, the Plenary Session. Explained IWCS CEO/Director John Barteld, “We

The Focus Suppliers Exhibition will feature products and services from more than 100 companies.

IWCS has fared best in a northeast location, but as noted above, more than 100 companies will be exhibiting. The Gauder Group, booth 425, reported that it will be there because it is important to maintain and develop a worldwide presence to be close to its customers. Events such as IWCS make it possible to share the latest developments from its Setic and Pourtier subsidiaries, it said. Nextrom and Rosendahl, Booth 326, reported that they will be there, with technical experts, to discuss the company’s latest technological advancements in a variety of areas.

Industry views and technical presentations Barteld said that the Plenary Session, traditionally held on Tuesday, has been moved to Monday. He noted that IWCS has previously wanted to hold it on a Monday but was unable to due to conflicts in the venue. “We will attempt to schedule the plenary session again on Monday,” he said.

The Plenary Session continues to be a strong draw at IWCS. made some changes … primarily due to our location in Florida. It was considered that everyone wishing to attend would have to travel. When in the Northeast, we have a large portion of visitors coming from the area and making day visits to IWCS. We want to make best use of the time, so we have the exhibits opening on Sunday evening, following the golf tournament. The exhibits will be open most of the day on Monday, at the request of the exhibitors, and will end at midday on Tuesday.”

The change to the displays is for just this year, Barteld said. “In 2008 we will have the exhibits on Monday to Wednesday as in past years, but with some amendments in the hours, again at the request of the exhibitors.”

An overhead view of the exhibit floor at IWCS 2006. All photos provided courtesy of IWCS.

52 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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The plenary speakers chosen for 2007 represent another twist for IWCS, which traditionally presents speakers from outside the U.S. who are high-profile executives in the wire and cable industry. This year’s speakers are Ivan Diaz and Jason Lovelace, both engineers from Walt Disney World.

Barteld observed that attendees should find their presentations of much interest, as Walt Disney World, “represents a major, high tech city, with inter-related systems not seen in most typical cities.” Walt Disney World may be thought of as a fun family destination, but its vast operations are only possible by extensive use of technology, he said. For instance, Walt Disney World has one of the largest “navies” in the world, a mass transit system to rival those of major international cities, a road system, to say nothing of the myriad of rides and attractions available to the visitors to this “metropolis,” he said. “So, effectively, the speakers are ‘users’ of our industry technology in a big way. They are not ‘non-industry’ at all.”

Another high-profile IWCS element is the Executive Panel, part of Monday’s Executive Forum. This year it will include the following members Martin Hanchard, CEO, Prysmian Cables and Systems, North America; Neil Wilkin, CEO, OCC; Fred McDuffee, CEO, Sumitomo Lightwave; Gregory Lampert, Sr VP, General Cable; and Peter Sheehan, Sr VP and Global Sales Manager, Belden.

The Executive Forum will also include an afternoon presentation, A Wall Street View of the Wire and Cable Market Performance and Prospects,” by keynote speaker, Christopher Striedter, UBS Investments.

The Professional Development Courses segment will offer a full slate of educational short courses. The new certification program features three required core courses (offered annually) and two elective, courses selected from a series of more advanced topics (offered approximately every

Technical presentations remain the main attraction at IWCS. Durigan, Furukawa Industrial S.A. Produtos Elétricos, seven papers; Session 8: Copper Data Cable Design, Analysis & Measurement, chairman Kenneth Cornelison, General Cable Corporation, seven papers; and Session 9, Materials: Polymers and Regulator Issues, chairmen Dr. Scott H. Wasserman. Tuesday afternoon, from 1 pm to 4:05 pm, Session 10, Fiber & Cable Design for FTTx Applications, chairman Robert A. Wessels, Jr., CommScope, Incorporated, six papers; Session 11: OPGW, Underwater Cables & FTTN, chairman Hans A. Mayer, engineering consultant, five papers; and Session 12: invited papers. From 4 pm to 6 pm, Session 13: Poster Papers, chairpersons Xavier Mann, Furukawa America Incorporated, and Dr. Scott H. Wasserman, The Dow Chemical Company.

On Wednesday, November 14, from 8:30 am to noon, Session 14:

2007 event has larger tech program two years). For the fourth year, IWCS will present the core courses of Copper 101, Fiber 101 and Materials 101. Over time, students completing those courses, along with two electives, will be presented with an IWCS Professional Development plaque. The courses will begin at 8 am on Sunday, November 11, with five concurrent sessions. Three more concurrent sessions will continue at 1 pm.

The technical presentations remain the main attraction for the IWCS. A total of 16 sessions will be offered from Monday, November 12, to Wednesday, November 14. For paper titles and authors, go to www.iwcs.org. The sessions are as follows: Monday morning, 8 am to 11:25 am, Session 1: FTTx Networks, chairman Pete D. Lockhart, Anixter, Inc.; six papers; Session 2: Copper Cabling Environmental Studies & Special Application, chairman Dr. Mark E. Lowell; Draka Cableteq USA, seven papers; and Session 3, Fiber Coating & Manufacturing, chairman James Reese, DSM Desotech Incorporated, seven papers; Monday afternoon, 1:45 to 4:25 pm, Session 4: Cabling & Connection Solutions For FTTH Indoor Applications, chairman Agusti Valls Prats, Prysmian SpA, five papers; Session 5: Multi-mode & Fiber Design, chairman Keiji Ohashi, Fujikura Limited, Chiba, and Session 6, Flame Retardant Materials & Cabling, chairman Charles A. Glew, Cable Components Engineering, six papers.

The program sessions continue Tuesday, November 13, from 8 am to 11:30 am: Session 7, Deploying FTTx Networks, chairman Hélio J.

Assigned/Reserved Booths 3N International, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .216 AKSH Optifibre Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 AlphaGary Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 American & Efird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408

Attendees at a presentation of new products at IWCS 2006.

Single-mode Fiber Design & Evaluation, chairman Dr. C. Bertil Arvidsson, Ericsson Network Technologies AB, seven papers; Session 15, Optical Cable Design & Field Performance, chairman Ian Greveling, Corning Cable Systems, five papers; and Session 16, Crosslinking & Cable Processing, chairman Mike Patel, Teknor Apex Co., six papers.

For more information, including a golf outing on Sunday, November 13, contact Pat Hudak, IWCS, at tel. 732-389-0990; phudak@iwcs.org.

For information on exhibiting at IWCS, contact Ray Zirkle at tel. 203794-0444; dzirkle@bzsales.com.

(as of September 6, 2007)

American Electronic Components, Inc . . . .207 Arkema, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424 Ashland Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304 ASI Silica Machinery, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .414 Basell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

Boockmann GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .403 Borealis Compounds LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316 Breen Color Concentrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317 Buss Inc. - USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Carris Reels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 OCTOBER 2007 53

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Assigned/Reserved Booths Cary Compounds, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 CERSA-MCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Chengdu Centran Industrial Co., Ltd. . . . . . .130 Commission Brokers, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 CommScope BiMetals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Composite & Wire Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Conductix Delachaux Group . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Conneaut Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Copperweld Bimetallics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Cortinovis America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 CRU North America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300 Davis-Standard, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Delta Ulbrich Precision Metals . . . . . . . . . . .330 DeWAL Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331 Dow Wire & Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Draka Comteq Optical Fibre . . . . . . . . . . . . .320 DSM Desotech, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association (ECA) . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Equistar Chemicals, a Lyondell Company . .302 Estane Engineered Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . .305 EuroWire & Wire & Cable Asia Magazines .329 Fiber-Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319 Fil-Tec, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Fine International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410 Fisk Alloy Conductors, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .401 FSP-one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Fusion UV Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415 Gauder Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .425

(cont’d.)

Geca-Tapes (Nordlys SAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . .409 Gem Gravure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Guill Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .421 Hexion Specialty Chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Huber Engineered Materials . . . . . . . . . . . .209 Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Inhol BV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .418 Int’l Inst. for Connector/Interconnect Tech. . .437 Intertek ETL SEMKO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303 j-fiber GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .308 JJI Technologies LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335 Kamatics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310 Kinrei of America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Lantor BV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324 LaserLinc, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Luvantix Co. Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Maillefer S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .402 Mentor Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .334 MGS Group (MGS-Hall-Northampton), The .117 Miltec UV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309 Mossberg Reel LLC/ Boxy Group . . . . . . . .420 NEPTCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Nextrom Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326 Niagra Composites Industries Inc. . . . . . . . .219 Niehoff Endex North America Inc . . . . . . . . .328 OFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 OpTem Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 PE.fiberoptics Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318 Photon Kinetics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .411

Photonium Oy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400 Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . .136 Plastomer Technologies – . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Printsafe, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Queins & Co GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc. . . . . . . .131 Rio Tinto Minerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301 Roblon A/S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Rosendahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326 Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. . .231 SAMP USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Shenzhen Unigel Tele. Co. LTD . . . . . . . . . .311 Sikora International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 SIMPACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .416 Solvay Solexis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306 Sonoco Molded Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327 Sonoco Wire & Cable Reels . . . . . . . . . . . . .325 Stewart Group, Inc., The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 T & T Marketing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315 Teijin Twaron USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 Teknor Apex Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Teknor Color Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 Tensor Machinery, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Thermoplastics Engineering Corp . . . . . . . .436 WCTI/WCISA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Weber & Scher Mfg Co, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Windak, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. . . . . . . . . . .314 Zumbach Electronics Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

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54 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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copperweld_bth2ndversion.qxp

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2:27 PM

Page 6

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feature.qxp

9/19/2007

11:05 AM

Page 56

In this feature, a dozen plus suppliers of compounds and colorants, both large and small, respond to questions from WJI that cover a range of topics.

The comments from suppliers, edited for length, range from the impact of RoHS to what they see as important future issues for the industry.

The feature also includes two sidebars: one, a company seeking a partner to help further develop and commercialize a process for new technology; and the second, a Q &A with a company that plays a “middle man” role for compound suppliers. A contact list of suppliers in this story is presented at the end of the story. For more suppliers, go to wirenet.org and click on the “Virtual Trade Show,” where there are dozens of suppliers of compounds/ additives and colorants.

Have customers largely completed adjustments to meeting RoHS requirements, or does this continue to be a challenge for some manufacturers, especially for new products?

R&D continues to be central to our technology offering. Several existing

Top left: Products from Sylvin Technologoes.

Left: Auto cables made from Dow Wire & Cable conpounds.

Cables made from materials from Teknor Apex Company.

Cables made from materials from Inhol PVT.

56 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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compounds in our offering are RoHS compliant and we build these necessary requirements into our R&D efforts for new products. We are confident that our customers continue to adjust their businesses and practices for RoHS compliance. It is our job to support them by providing RoHS compliant products from Dow Wire & Cable. Tim Laughlin, General Manager, Dow Wire & Cable.

Virtually all the wire and cable compounds from the TPE Division of Teknor Apex are supplied in RoHScompliant formulations, including the entire range of Elexar compounds, which are widely used in applications requiring rubber-like flexibility, toughness over a wide range of temperatures, and flexibility even under very cold outdoor conditions. Phil Scadding, Wire & Cable Market Manager, TPE Division, Teknor Apex Company.

The total range of compounds from Inhol BV/PTL has met the RoHS requirements since 1999. Ron Goethals, Manager, Inhol PTL. AlphaGary has been working closely with regulators and certification bodies on RoHS for over five years. As part of our internal commitment to have all of our compounds converted to RoHS compliant/lead-free versions, AlphaGary has helped each of our customers gain their approvals with minimal evaluations and costs. We still have the major issues of being able to “certify” our products in conjunction with our suppliers and customers so that the end user has the data and information to prove compliance with the RoHS and WEEE initiatives.

A test sample of HFDK-0587 BK from Dow Wire & Cable is fed into an extruder

Man on ‘smart’ mission seeks partner Ogrodnik, who at Interwire 2007 preWalt Ogrodnik, CEO of sented a technical paper, “The Use of HazardGuard Safety Wire, Inc., is a Color-Changing Pigments to Detect man on a mission. He has a better idea Wire and Cable Hazards,” said that for the wire and cable industry, but he there is no lack of conditions that can understands that the challenge is getcause problems for cables. He cited ting it to accept technology that goes unintentional overloads, conductor beyond the requirements, in this case fray, load device failure, cables and the use of “smart materials.” plugs becoming damaged or corroded, HazardGuard owns the patents to and more. Those types of wiring probtechnology from inventor John lems, he said, annually translate to Ryeczek that enables a cable that 150,000 fires, 6,000 injuries, 800 undergoes excessive electrical resisdeaths and over $1.68 billion in proptance to change its insulating polymer erty damage in the U.S. color, displaying a warning sign on the HazardGuard, Ogrodnik said, holds cable surface. In essence, it is an early the exclusive patent of commercial warning system, one that Ogrodnik rights to the techbelieves should and nology. He noted will find a place, that he has both in industry teamed up with a and consumer producer of U.S. homes. The techand EU consumer nology works but cords, but is seekneeds to be further ing a partner for refined and comother products. mercialized, which “Our technology is why he said he is not only has the looking for a for‘wow!’ factor that ward-thinking cable will initially elecompany to be his vate the generic, partner. low cost and low “I understand that Hazard Guard Safety Wire CEO Walt the cable industry is Ogrodnik (r) with inventor John Ryeczek, return commodity displaying their cables that change color cord sets to prenot given to pursuand/or display warning signs after expomium brand ing additional costs sure to excessive electrical resistance. level…but market for products, but in research indicates this case the extra a very strong buying preference for cost is minimal in return for the added consumers eager and willing to pay a value that it provides,” Ogrodnik said. super premium price for the safety He explained that his process uses aspects.” encapsulated color-changing pigments, Because of the wide range of wire, whose thermochromic properties cable and other ancillary products respond to external stimuli, such as applications for this technology, that caused by the heat of excess elecHazardGuard is looking for other innotrical resistance, to change color. vative partners to address the huge The technology, Ogrodnik said, does untapped potential that this smart technot require retooling or other special nology holds, Ogrodnik said. process requirements. The materials “Introducing a new innovation in any can be used almost as easily as any industry is never without costs and other color pigment or additive in risks involved. But as the wire and extrusion, injection molding and soon, cable industry has painfully experiinking processes, he said. Such enced, there is often a far greater cost “smart” technology, he added, is and risk associated with merely folalready used for products such as lowing the status quo,” he said.

LCDs, piezoelectric materials, light Ogrodnik can be contacted at tel. sensitive sunglasses and self-testing 412-835-6312, www.hazardguard.com; batteries, and can prove to be desirable walt.ogrodnik@hazardguard.com for cable.

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AlphaGary continues to work closely with groups such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) in the U.S., along with regulatory bodies and reporting systems in Europe and Asia. Dave Kiddoo, Global Business Manager, AlphGary Corporation.

A majority of users have made the switch to RoHS compliant materials however some vinyl manufacturers continue to make non-compliant materials. Since 2003, we have been moving our customers and our products away from lead. In 2006, Sylvin was recognized by the EPA’s National Partnership for Environmental

Doug Eby, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Sylvin Technologies, Inc. Priorities as a lead free facility having reduced the amount of lead usage from 475,000 pounds in 2003 to 0 in August of 2006. We have been successful in helping our customers meet their RoHS compliance by reformulating older compounds or by developing new compounds with more environmentally preferred ingredients. Doug Eby, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Sylvin Technologies, Inc. Teknor Apex intends to discontinue all non-RoHS compliant PVC compounds within the next 12 months. Our R&D activities to develop RoHS compliant compounds began about five years ago and today the vast majority of our customers have made the transi-

58 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tion to these compounds. All R&D over the last three years has been exclusively RoHS-focused. Mike Patel, Wire & Cable Industry Manager, Vinyl Division, Teknor Apex Company.

PolyOne’s R&D has been focused on meeting RoHS requirements across our product lines for some time. We have a broad portfolio of RoHS compliant engineered materials, vinyl compounds and color additives that are commercially available, but we don’t stop there. We strive to provide the marketplace with solutions that are safe and environmentally sound. This approach helps build consumer trust and creates a differentiated advantage for our customers in the marketplace. In addition to providing RoHS compliant materials, we have made a commitment to helping our customers reassure their customers that the products they manufacture from our concentrates and compounds are trustworthy. This is exemplified by our No Surprises PledgeSM we make to all customers and markets, across the globe: that our materials are formulated and made using sustainable practices, that the ingredients conform to accepted legal and regulatory compliance guidelines, that they meet all required rigorous quality and safety management standards, that they meet or exceed material safety data reporting requirements and that they will help customers meet or exceed today's stringent compliance standards. Bob Eiden, Commercial Director Wire and Cable, PolyOne Corporation.

Most if not all have made the adjustment to RoHS compliance. Our focus has been on developing compounds specific to customer needs. Some of which is providing one compound to meet a large range of approvals/ requirements. This is to reduce the number of compound part numbers.

Jim Grimley, Executive Vice President, CCC Inc.

As compounds are commodities, what does your company do to make it stand out from your competitors?

In manufacturing vinyl wire and cable compounds, Teknor Apex draws

on a wealth of formulation and compounding expertise, market experience, and quality controls. While other suppliers offer products that correspond to ours in terms of target applications, it is inaccurate to say that these products are duplicates of ours and that the only difference is in price.

We long ago learned from our customers that the technical support services that accompany our products are a very important factor in their purchasing decisions, and this adds another dimension to how Teknor Apex differentiates itself from other suppliers.

Teknor Apex technical support covers a wide range of services that facilitate the use of our compounds, including product definition, on-site compound processing assistance, tooling design, and product testing for codes and standards compliance.

Recently, for example, our work with a building wire manufacturer enabled that company to increase extrusion line speeds while drastically reducing defects.

We worked with the customer to identify and correct some basic equipment deficiencies and then finetuned Mike Patel, Wire & Cable compound Industry Manager, Vinyl flow charDivision, Teknor Apex acteristics Company. to match the extruder requirements. Similarly, we assisted a data cable manufacturer in achieving overall cable cost reduction by developing a lower-cost jacket compound without loss of any critical properties. Mike Patel, Wire & Cable Industry Manager, Vinyl Division, Teknor Apex Company.

LANXESS looks to provide innovative solutions to compound requests.

Many of the products in our portfolio are unique to LANXESS such as Therban AT (low mooney HNBR)and Levapren (high VA EVA). We hope to

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The ‘middle man’ role for compounds WJI: Do you focus exclusively on midand small-sized companies?

Jordan: We don’t really have a typical customer. We sell to those companies, of course, but we also sell to General Cable, American Insulated Wire and WJI: Why do cable companies go Okonite and many other large compathrough a distributor? nies. We sell railcars and individual Jordan: Actually, it’s more that the bags of materials, from 25 million compound suppliers prefer to sell their pounds of PVC to 10 products through distriblb of fluoropolymer utors. As the wire and color concentrates. We cable industry has stock most materials downsized in the last 10 for our regular cusyears, many large comtomers so we are able pounders see distributors to get products to as a cost-effective them within 24-48 method for selling the hours. We can also variety of compounds bundle products for required for our indusour customers. We try. We have grown each have many customers year we’ve been in busithat buy three, four or ness, some years as much as 20%. We try to T & T Marketing President Tom five products from us.

We stock materials in offer as many products as Jordan. six warehouses in possible for our cusBoston, New York, Toronto, Chicago, tomers, and as a result, we work with Los Angeles, and Dallas areas. We many suppliers. stock products for our regular cusThat’s how we ended up working tomers for “Just In Time” deliveries. with BASF, one of the world’s largest We also stock high-volume materials TPU suppliers. We didn’t offer TPUs such as PVC, Polyethylene, Nylon 6 and many of our customers wanted and TPE products for new customers those materials. BASF was strong in as well as import products to maintain other markets but wanted to grow its a healthy inventory. wire and cable business. It had the products and we had the technical and WJI: What sets your company apart engineering expertise and customer from other distributors? base, and now we are working together Jordan: We specialize in selling comto the benefit of our customers. pounds primarily to the wire and cable industry as opposed to distributors that WJI: What materials can you offer? sell to multiple sectors. Besides that, Jordan: We sell materials that include our 16 employees have more than 400 PVC (Georgia Gulf); polyethylene years of industry experience in sectors (Borealis Compounds); Nylon 6 such as engineering and cable design, (Firestone Textiles); black and white manufacturing, sales and marketing, masterbatches (Modern Dispersions); and materials.We provide the products fluoropolymers/fluoropolymer colors that companies need, but our ability to (AGC Chemicals); flooding/filling gels advise them today may well be one of (Unigel); re-processed fluoropolymers the most important value-added ser(Jeneet); and Santoprene (ExxonMobil vices we provide. A distributor today Chemicals). In addition, we are now a has to do more than just offer products, manufacturer’s rep for BASF and sell and that’s what we do. its Elastollan® line of TPU compounds. Finally, T&T is manufacturing Tom Jordan can be contacted its own proprietary specialty TPE and at tel. 978-689-9984; tjordan@ polyolefin compounds, including flame ttmarketinginc.com. retardant 125°C compounds.

Many cable manufacturers work with compound distributors. Below, T&T Marketing President Tom Jordan tells WJI how his business has changed.

A cross-section schematic view of a Pirelli 20-kV cable that uses halogen-free Levapren® compound for the sheathing. develop next generation compounds with our customers that provide a unique advantage in our customers’ marketplace. By developing compounds with unique ingredients, we will help our customers gain a competitive advantage. One customer we assisted was looking for high oil resistance in the oil field market while also meeting a zero halogen standard. We were able to develop a solution that has been innovative and highly cost effective. Onofrio “Nuch” Palazzolo, Wire & Cable Segment Manager, LANXESS Corp.

We are a technology-driven supplier to the wire and cable industry and draw on more than 60 years of industry experience to partner closely with our customers to help deliver solutions that address specific market opportunities.

Dow Wire & Cable is focused on working closely with direct and end user customers to support processes and technologies that improve the robustness of the entire wire and cable industry. As such, we believe our products (compounds and elastomers, included) add value to the cable and are not commodities. For example, laboratory testing and field aging studies have proven that medium voltage TRXLPE (tree-retardant crosslinked polyethylene) can provide longer cable life than competitive materials. We aggressively promote TR-XLPE to our end user customers globally for both greenfield installations and upgrades of existing power infrastructure.

As a case in point, we recently worked with CenterPoint Energy, headquartered in Houston, Texas, on a field performance history of underground

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residential distribution medium voltage cable.

They have carefully tracked and evaluated installed materials since Tim Laughlin, General 1963.

Manager, Dow Wire & Since Cable.

1987 they have been installing TR-XLPE and have found that 98 percent of the dielectric failures that occur annually are on cable installed prior to 1981 and the remaining 2 percent of the dielectric failures are on cable installed prior to 1986.

There are no documented dielectric failures on cable installed after 1987.

Tim Laughlin, General Manager, Dow Wire & Cable.

First, we at Sylvin do not consider ourselves a “commodities” producer of compounds. We are a manufacturer of custom vinyl compounds which require specialty formulations for exacting requirements. As an example of this, we have one customer who required higher output of a specialized compound we previously had developed. We worked with our customer to develop and test numerous adjusted formulations as well as production processes and were successful in providing them with greater output and lower scrap rates. We have also developed a “Regulatory Agency Cost Sharing Program” which helps reduce or eliminate customers’ out of pocket expenses for new product approvals.

As an example of this, we spent threeyears reformulating some previously approved UL compounds to ensure RoHS compliance while maintaining the same UL approval. Our reformulation and subsequent UL testing saved thousands of dollars for our customers who did not have to resubmit to UL. Doug Eby, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Sylvin Technologies, Inc.

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PolyOne’s approach to helping customers address cost pressures is to work closely and collaborate to identify and solve business issues, not simply to provide polymer compounds.

We look to help our customers identify and solve specific problems across every relevant aspect of their operations, and therefore create measurable economic value above what our competitors can provide. PolyOne provides services and solutions in addition to polymer materials for wire and cable uses.

For instance we recently executed a joint project with a large polymer extruder in the Midwest. Using Lean improvement techniques, we worked with this customer to identify process

inefficiencies and waste. The result was an integrated value stream that reduced order management effort by 25%, eliminated the need to operate a third party warehouse, freed substantial cash through inventory reduction, reduced total delivered cost to supply and improved delivery of value to our customers. We are now in the process of kicking off a second round of improvements. This type of collaborative improvement is indicative of PolyOne’s approach.

Note: PolyOne doesn’t believe that compounds are commodities. Polymer compounds by definition are comprised of a combination of ingredients that when properly formed and used, create a very specific set of processing windows and performance properties and characteristics that are intended to fulfill a specific need and are typically not easily substituted. Commodities, by their nature, are easily substituted and therefore tend to be priced according to the basic economic principles of supply and demand. Compounds that deliver unique value should be priced

according to the value they provide.

Those that are easier to process and produce less scrap are worth more than those that don’t. Compounds that meet a specific performance or regulatory challenge, such as PolyOne’s ECCOH™ low smoke free of halogen (LSFOH) compounds, are worth more than those that don’t in applications where these characteristics are required. Bob Eiden, Commercial Director Wire and Cable, PolyOne Corporation.

As the evolution of high speed data/video over twisted pair copper cables has progressed to speeds of 10 G-bytes/sec and beyond, new issues such as “alien crosstalk” (signal distortion from one cable to an adjacent cable) and signal strength have created the need for new material and cable designs. When put into combination with plenum (NFPA 262) fire safety and environmental sustainability, the cable designs to minimize “pair-topair” interference within a cable and “cable-to-cable” crosstalk in a bundle have become large and cumbersome to install.

Dave Kiddoo, Global Business Manager, AlphaGary Corp.

One customer has used innovative techniques and materials to apply foamed insulations and crosswebs/ fillers into the cable matrix, reducing the overall volume and cost of materials in the core. In conjunction with these modified core designs, innovative dimensional shapes and selection of jacketing materials have allowed cables to meet the transmission and safety

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requirements while being smaller and more flexible. The materials in these solutions are no longer the basic low smoke PVC jackets over solid fluoropolymer cores. The complex combinations of fluoropolymer resins and compounds, in addition to improved low smoke PVC, have enabled these sophisticated cables to transmit high data rates while meeting severe safety requirements such as the NFPA 262 plenum or European Construction Products Directive (CPD) Class B1/S1 or B1/S2 requirements. AlphaGary continues to evaluate solutions that contain its SMOKEGUARD® fluoropolymer compounds, SMOKEGUARD® LSFR PVC, and MEGOLON® halogen free jacketing and filler component compounds. Dave Kiddoo, Global Business Manager, AlphGary Corporation.

For years the Cary name has been and always will be synonymous with service. Our valued commodity cus-

tomers purchase from Cary because they can get compound when they need it. Recently, three of our largest

Cary Compound LLC’s Kevin Banks, Kenneth Cary and Charles Cary. customers called in, desperate for compound with no orders on the books. We cut into our manufacturing schedule with little or no notice to have a truckload of compound delivered the next day. Cary Compounds is a customer service driven company. Our competi-

tion is manufacturing driven and typically offers a four to six week lead time for any orders not placed in advance. In this “Don’t stock it but I need it tomorrow” atmosphere, those types of lead times can shut a wire and cable manufacturer down.

Another example: Cary Compounds was notified at 8 am that its compound was not running correctly and was causing a loss in manufacturing output.

We had a tech person there by 1 pm that same day. The problem was corrected by adjusting a preheater and changing the heat profiles. This is not a typical day for our technical service department, but it is an example of our dedication to servicing the customer.

Charles Cary, Vice President of Sales, Cary Compounds LLC. Dyneon delivers innovative solutions to our customers to help them succeed.

We do this through the development of new materials specifically for the wire and cable market and by providing

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Marc Normandin, Sales and Marketing Manager, Fluoroplastics, Dyneon LLC. technical resources that are dedicated to and focused on the industry. For example, Dyneon’s laboratory in Minnesota has a production-scale wire extrusion line. We assisted one customer that had equipment issues by running some processing trials in our lab so that the customer’s product development effort could proceed without delay. Marc Normandin, Sales and Marketing Manager, Fluoroplastics, Dyneon LLC.

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62 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

In addition to our technical depth and extensive commitment to customer support, two advantages make us stand out from other suppliers: Teknor Apex is a highly diversified custom compounder of TPEs and offers three product lines for the wire and cable industry, including Elexar® styrene block copolymer compounds, Telcar™ thermoplastic olefins (TPOs), and Uniprene® thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs).

The broad cost-performance spectrum covered by these three product families means that we can provide the right compound for many difPhil Scadding, Wire & ferent appli- Cable Market Manager, cations.

TPE Divison, Teknor This Apex Company. expertise in elastomers gives Teknor Apex special capabilities for developing new products tailored to meet specific challenges faced by customers. An example is our new Elexar 1392B compound, which provides enhanced flame retardance for flexible cord and industrial cable applications without the use of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) in its formulation. This ensures that the compound will remain compliant regardless of possible future restrictions on deca-BDE use. Elexar 1392B passes two stringent UL flame tests, making it eligible for insulation, jacketing, and molded plugs and connectors for outdoor devices, power tools, appliances, industrial robots, welding equipment, and entertainment audio and lighting systems. At the same time, it exhibits excellent resistance to oil and to outdoor weathering.

We now manufacture TPE compounds at several US locations as well as in Singapore; in the near future we are planning to have production capabilities in other global areas. At the present time, our portfolio of TPE compounds is available worldwide. We

are prepared to serve as a single source for customers that process in different locations around the world and require precisely the same compounds and specification at each location.

Due to its exceptional electrical performance, Elexar compounds have been extensively specified in many electrical molded parts, and wire and cable applications over the years. In order to quickly supply quantities to the marketplace, Teknor Apex inventories several key grades of Elexar compounds in our warehouses. So whether the customer wants 200 pounds, or a truckload, we can meet the quick leadtime demands of today’s lean manufacturing requirements. Phil Scadding, Wire & Cable Market Manager, TPE Division, Teknor Apex Company.

We want to serve the small and medium sized customer both in the wire and cable and heat-shrinkable products industry. They are our target for a partnership, because we know we can help them upgrade their products to meet new specifications and new standards. Product selection along with quality and customer care is the key to our business. Ron Goethals, Manager, Inhol PTL. Because of the large scope of increases most customers are looking at other alternatives to reduce cost.

Some look to utilizing a re-cycled product in small portions and in very select areas. We pride ourselves on quick turn around and understanding of applications due to our 60+ years of combined service to the wire and cable industry.

Even though we are a relatively new company and supplier of compounds to wire and cable manufacturers, both my partner, Nick Semenza, and I have spent most of our careers servicing this industry. As an example we were asked to develop a compound to meet UL 1666 riser flame test over non-flame retardant poly (multi conductors, 25 and up). This all had to be done in two short weeks. Not only did we meet the short time table but we passed all applicable UL test criteria. This effort enables our customer to save their order and actually secure new business as well. It is because of opportunities

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such as this that afford us new business partnerships that allow us to demonstrate our knowledge and compounding capabilities.

CCC has developed RoHs compliant PVC compounds that meet the UL criteria for CMP compliance for 2-12 conductor. We also have a series of

meet customer specifications and various process nuances. With our in-house color matching capabilities we can custom-color compounds and maintain tight color tolerances. Our plant capacity is 20,000,000 lb per year and we will soon add an additional 3.5 million lb when our newest compounding line, our seventh, starts running. We also manufacture non-halogen olefin compounds, SEBS, SBS, and cross linked polymer compounds for e-bean applications. Jim Grimley, Executive Vice President, CCC Inc.

Color pellets from CCC Inc.

Are you getting more requests for custom alternative formulas?

Considering the time and cost for their development, what criteria are used to justify new development?

PVC formulations that comply with UL CMR and CM flame requirements and meet RoHS tolerances. We have large scale production of these products. We can also custom-formulate to

Consistently producing reliable materials and staying ahead of the curve on new offerings reduces the need to spend time and expense on tweaking existing formulas. Dow Wire & Cable

works hard to anticipate industry needs and is constantly evaluating potential new technologies and materials to benefit the entire industry. Tim Laughlin, General Manager, Dow Wire & Cable.

We are recognized as a supplier of alternative compounds for many applications. We can offer our customers materials that keep them in the forefront of their markets. The option of alternative formulas is in most cases only practical if intended to improve market penetration by targeting new applications and market segments or by meeting new specifications and standards.

One of our German customers was able to enter into new high grade equipment markets by adopting the e-beam technology as a tool for our cross-linkable compound RDX 2125IN-S. This is a 125째C low smoke flame retardant free of halogen compound, that meets stringent requirements for high demanding applications. Another customer, from the U.S., was able to

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Ron Goethals, Manager, Inhol PTL. improve its position in the airframe wire market by changing over to our Mil-W-81044 compound. The compound was specially developed in our compounding facility in Switzerland.

Ron Goethals, Manager, Inhol PTL. LANXESS is one of the few companies that still provide technical assistance in developing next generation formulas. It is how we distinguish ourselves from other suppliers. Is it practical? In our eyes, it is a must and it is what makes doing business with LANXESS a value proposition. We believe the cost of such a program is offset by the gains in knowledge acquired by working on new formulations with industry leading companies.

This approach keeps us connected with the marketplace. Onofrio “Nuch” Palazzolo, Wire & Cable Segment Manager, LANXESS Corp.

Sylvin is a company built on specialized formulation requests and we are always developing better alternative compounds.

In development of new compounds, we always have to consider the time and costs necessary for regulatory agency approvals.

A decision is then made after consideration of the development costs necessary on the practicality of the alternative formulation.

Doug Eby, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Sylvin Technologies, Inc. Ampacet made the decision years ago to produce masterbatches, as opposed to large volume commodity compounds. Although there are some “commodity” black and white masterbatches in our program, ours is typically a business of “custom formulations.” Each year, Ampacet produces over 2,000 products, many of

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Joseph Serbaroli, Business Manager, Ampacet Corporation. which are additives for special customer applications. Custom formulas, be they “alternative” or “new” is the business we are in and the business we excel at.

Due to the long lead times for approvals in the wire and cable industry, most power cable companies are not willing to change formulas unless they are having quality problems, supply problems or process problems with

their materials. For wire and cable manufacturers, we have been working mostly on new formulations. These are ground floor opportunities that may not come to fruition until 2009 or later and we are fully aware of that. Many masterbatch producers with shortsighted vision are not amenable to walking hand-in-hand with their customer down a two to four year path to product approvals. We realize, however, that not all of the projects will become commercial, but it is critical to assist them if we want to be a major supplier to the wire and cable industry.

Joseph Serbaroli, Business Manager, Ampacet Corporation.

The idea of reducing costs, running more efficiently, and constantly trying to renegotiate with raw material suppliers is fine, but we find by using better/more efficient technologies we can keep us ahead of our competition. We recently received UL recognition for THWN-2 in a lead-free version that is

RoHs-compliant. By using technology different than the “me too products,” we have created a compound that is cost-effective, flexible for the end user and easy to process. Charles Cary, Vice President Sales, Cary Compounds.

Aside from price increases, what concerns are you hearing about most from customers and what can you do?

Customers want to become more efficient. They want to increase line speed or reduce scrap or improve the functionality of their product. We focus on working with our customers to help solve processing or design limitations because we see our customers’ improvement as a win-win. As they improve and gain success, Dyneon also succeeds. Dyneon’s philosophy is that it’s important to be on the leading edge of new trends. Marc Normandin, Sales and Marketing Manager, Fluoroplastics, Dyneon LLC.

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In the wire and cable market, the biggest concerns we hear about from our customers are the regulatory agency fees associated with bringing new wire and cable products to the market while maintaining profitability.

Doug Eby, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Sylvin Technologies, Inc. Distribution cable service life and dielectric losses due to aging cables continue to be important concerns for our customers. Dow Wire & Cable offers a medium voltage insulation/ shield/jacket system that includes treeretardant crosslinked polyethylene (TR-XLPE) 4202 which has become an industry standard in the U.S. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) of USA, a leading wire and cable industry organization, points out in their “Distribution Cable Research Digest” issued in 2000, that well-made TR-XLPE cables should indeed last 40-plus years. This determination has been based on the experience of using TR-XLPE over the past 20 years.

In 2003, industry consultant Joe Dudas and Chris Fletcher, then chairman of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies-Cable Engineering Committee, summarized results of a survey conducted among the top 60 investor owned utilities (IOUs) in the US. One key and relevant finding was that TR-XLPE was chosen for about 88% of over 25,000 miles of installed cables in 2003 among those top IOUs. Tim Laughlin, General Manager, Dow Wire & Cable.

Besides the price pressure and ongoing pressure for environmentallyfriendly materials and safety requirements, other key concerns include the desire for weight reduction, which does force the industry to invest in moisture cure systems or electron beams (outsourcing) and the introduction of compounds with improved processability properties. Inhol can support these customers by introducing suitable compounds and assist with electron beam irradiation trials. Ron Goethals, Manager, Inhol PTL. Aside from price increases, which are on top of everyone’s list, loss of business to the Far East is a great concern. We have lit-

66 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tle control in both venues. We work closely with our customers to react to their changing needs and offer quick and specialized service to allow them the ability to react to these demands. Jim Grimley, Executive Vice President, CCC Inc..

What do you see being the biggest future issues to come for compounds/additives?

The biggest future issues are related to the environment and safety. The environment lobby is going full speed ahead now particularly since the recent issues that showed up in the Far East and some other parts of the world. Safety will increase as a result of formulations offering higher operating temperatures, improved fire safety, more flexibility and better so-called wet electrical stability.

The current and new environmental legislation is affecting the business of our customers. The implications of changing regulations and new specifications on end users need to be monitored by the entire industry continuously. The resulting effects on processes and materials, costs of compliance, and product changes will have a continuous impact and will finally lead to even greater flexibility in the attitude of the wire and cable industry. There is a need for more global cooperation and introduction of new global pro-active user/manufacturer programs will have to smooth the pathway into the challenging future, in particular for the small and medium sized manufacturers.

Ron Goethals, Manager, Inhol PTL. Staying up to date with evolving legislated compliance issues. Energy cost impact on the ability to produce and price competitively. From an overall standpoint, we believe the industry must become more proactive in planning for strategic longterm growth. Growth will consist of both greenfield sites (i.e. new builds) and the replacement of infrastructure in the more mature markets. A significant challenge for our industry will be the need to replace existing cables and to quantify the demand profile. There also is the need to quantify the financial impact to both generators of electricity as well as to the consumer.

Understanding these emerging aspects of will create great opportunity and growth.

In the U.S., for example, some 30-50% of the transmission and distribution network is 40-50 years old, the approximate

lifespan of many important system components. This provides a tremendous opportunity for diagnostic capabilities and highcapacity below-ground technology. Also, we must address the need for reliability and provide better ways to address splicing and coupling in a “replacement” world.

For the most part, the wire and cable industry practices “run to fail,” which is not a viable ongoing plan. Consider that a vast majority of generation and delivery systems have been privatized to such an extent that cash flow is now a leading indicator of success, thus promoting an economic foundation for the entire industry. I encourage industry leaders to consider and implement total system cost strategies that will lead to longer life solutions, improved reliability, better efficiencies and long-term cost advantages.

Further impacting the challenge is the fact that electricity is destined to become a larger source of power to satisfy the evergrowing energy demand as we work to address the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. As a “greener” source of energy, the preference for large, consolidated electricity generation via fossil fuels, with the ability to sequester the carbon dioxide or smaller, isolated generation points from wind, solar or sea, will all require new forms of distribution. Pushing more electricity through transmission and distribution corridors is the foundation for new technology that must be developed. Tim Laughlin, General Manager, Dow Wire & Cable.

The biggest future issues for the compounding market will be managing raw material costs and availability as well as managing global environmental and regulatory agency compliance and fees. Doug Eby, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Sylvin Technologies, Inc. The biggest issues facing suppliers of plastics to the wire and cable market will be life cycle or environmental issues. I think that factors such as recyclability, technology sustainability and cradle to grave impact issues will eventually emerge as important criteria for determining which materials will be specified for new applications. Marc Normandin, Sales and Marketing Manager, Fluoroplastics, Dyneon LLC.

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Low cost suppliers offering inferior substitutes with little technical service and Low smoke zero halogen compound requests that will phase out halogen compounds that contain Neoprene, CPE, etc.

Onofrio “Nuch” Palazzolo, Wire & Cable Segment Manager, LANXESS Corp.

Environmental, health, and safety concerns will be the primary driver for compound development in the near future.

Many of these concerns are based on anecdotal perceptions of environmental activists and not on any supporting scientific data.

These misconceptions could lead to the unjustified de-selection of compounds and additives which in the long run are the most cost-effective and provide the best performance. PVC compounds, for example, provide a combination of relatively low cost, excellent flame performance, and wide-ranging flexibility that would be difficult to duplicate with other materials. Mike Patel, Wire & Cable Industry Manager, Vinyl Division, Teknor Apex Company.

With RoHS a fact of life, is it still possible to produce cables with the same properties and processability as formulations with heavy metal pigments?

Teknor Color has developed a line of standard, stock RoHS-compliant colors for PVC and polyethylene. Since we manufacture them in large quantities, we have been able to provide both large and smaller customers with an economical product. This has been very important to customers looking for the standard MUNSELL color lines with no heavy metals. RoHS-compliant colors do not always come at an added cost. Our laboratory technicians are aware of cost concerns when developing these formulas and strive to keep pricing in line with the heavy metal

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OCTOBER 2007 67

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alternatives where it is possible to do so without compromising performance.

If there is an added cost, customers are generally aware that there can be a premium for pigments that are free of heavy metals. Anne Upton, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Teknor Color Company.

Long before RoHS, Ampacet developed a line of heavy-metal free, diarylid-free colors for wire and cable customers. Since then, RoHS has not been much of a topic for us. Joseph Serbaroli, Business Manager, Ampacet Corporation.

some colors more than others because of the amounts of heavy metal pigments that were traditionally present in them RoHS compliant pigments are more expensive per pound than lead chromate and molybdate orange pigments and often require that white pigment be added to the composition in order to obtain the required color, brightness and hiding power. RoHS compliant compositions often have higher raw material costs than those that contained heavy metal pigments.

Paul Legnetti, VP/Chief Technical Officer, Breen Color.

As colorants are commodities, what does your company do to make it stand out from your competitors?

RoHS has certainly raised a challenge to color concentrate suppliers.

This has been particularly true for fluoropolymers, where heavy metal free pigment options that survive at high temperatures are few. We’ve invested a lot of R&D into identifying choices with the most temperature stability and best processability. With minor process modifications, our customers have found that they don’t need to sacrifice performance to comply with RoHS. The HM-free pigments are indeed expensive, necessitating a modest differential between the compliant colorants and their former cadmiumbased counterparts. Our customer base understands this logic and has been supportive. They have become far more educated about the nuances of color changes and their effect on processing, with a very common end result being significantly reduced scrap rates. Ralph Marcario, Director Sales & Marketing, Chromatics, Inc.

pation and dielectric constants. We had the test data for the customer before they even selected the product. Joseph Serbaroli, Business Manager, Ampacet Corporation.

It is possible in many case to create RoHS compliant cables with the same processability and properties as formulations that contained pigments based on heavy metals. Applications that require very bright colors, high heat resistance or exterior weatherability are more challenging to achieve, however these can usually be accomplished through the use of more expensive raw materials. RoHS compliance impacts

Continuous improvement of our colorant products, customized and reliable service, and expert technical support are the keys to helping our customers to reduce costs and boost productivity.

We provide fast and accurate colormatching to reduce lead times and eliminate defects, help customers optimize use of our colorants to ensure product quality and consistency, and develop better-performing, higher-effi-

68 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ciency colorants that enable customers to run their products “faster and thinner.” Wire and cable has been a core business at Teknor Apex and Teknor Color for decades, and we continue to build on our wealth of experience.

Customized service is a critical part of our business. To take just one recent example: A customer that had been using one particular series of Teknor Color colorants came to us with a request for combining the same product with a UV package. Since the req-

In the arena of masterbatches for wire and cable, we try to solve problems by offering solutions or by providing specialty services to our customers. Case in point, we recently observed that thalo blue pigments may have a tendency to affect the polymer bonds of HDPE in certain applications.

This was affecting one of our customer’s products. In response, we were able to create the same color shade with a non-thalo blue pigment system.

In a service related case, our customer was looking for several color concentrates that were tested for static dissi-

Cable products made from Teknor Apex’s NLS (non-lead stabilized), RoHS-compliant vinyl formulations and materials from Teknor Color Co. uisite standards and formulations for all of the required colors were already available in our company-wide database, we had no need to start from scratch. After making adjustments to add the UV package, we supplied the full range of colors to the customer in a very short period of time. Similarly, in some cases where our customers have been challenged by lower-cost overseas suppliers, our technical service engineers have gone to their plant sites and identified steps that can be taken to reduce costs. These recommendations have involved processing techniques, equipment selection, and measures to implement lean manufacturing. Anne Upton, Wire & Cable Market Manager, Teknor Color Co. I would argue that colorants are not commodities at all; rather, they are an

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Colored products, courtesy of technology from Chromatics, Inc. integral part of the overall insulation package, and the performance of the colorant can mean the difference between a smooth and efficient production process and one wrought with spark failures, cone breaks, and high scrap generation. In several cases, by working with our customers on their extrusion lines and improving their color choices, a small improvement in scrap rates yielded enormous cost savings. There truly is a lot more to cost analysis of color concentrates than price per pound alone. We work closely with customers to look at the all of the cost elements of the process and work together to implement programs to take cost out. Ralph Marcario, Director Sales & Marketing, Chromatics, Inc.

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Breen’s differentiators include technology, consistent quality, speed of response and leading service metrics. It is not unusual for Breen to fill emergency orders with one day’s lead time or to complete a customer’s color match within the same day it is received. Our technology leadership is demonstrated in part by the work we have done with compound suppliers and customers to create products for applications that have demanding technical and performance criteria. In one such case, Breen worked with a customer and resin manufacturer to create the color concentrates for novel zero halogen high temperature materials used as insulation in thin wall automotive wire. Standard color concentrates could not be used because they would not meet the stringent processing and performance demands of this applica-

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A sampling of colorants offered by Breen Color Concentrates. tion. This project was particularly challenging because the color concentrates developed by Breen had to comply with RoHS and IMDS requirements, possess excellent pigment dispersion to avoid spark failures in thin wall insulation, be heat stable to temperatures above 500°F, with all compo-

70 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

nents completely halogen free while possessing the strength and saturation to match SAE J-1128 colors at low letdown ratios in compounds with very aggressive effects on color. Breen was among the first color manufacturers to provide compliance and composition information in IMDS. We have helped many customers resolve RoHS compliance issues with their customers. We have helped customers reduce scrap levels and cut costs by proposing changes in how they store, use and meter color concentrate. Paul Legnetti, VP/Chief Technical Officer, Breen Color.

Are you getting more requests for custom alternative formulas?

Requests for custom formulations are indeed on the rise. As Chromatics is a specialized concentrate provider, we feel a very strong responsibility to the fluoropolymer community to provide the types of colors that will allow our

customers to grow their businesses, whether standard products or custom color matches. We offer alternative formulation development as part of our overall service and support package that is in place to serve the needs of our customers. Ralph Marcario, Director Sales & Marketing, Chromatics, Inc. Yes, but custom products have been and will continue to be a large segment and a focus of Breenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business. We use a number of criteria to assess and justify development projects including the expected return and the strategic fit of the opportunity. Paul Legnetti, VP/ Chief Technical Officer, Breen Color.

What do you see being the biggest future issues to come for colorants?

The biggest future issues are in new materials, e.g. new types of resins that will do the job of PEX. In response to evolving building code standards, we continue to develop new flame retardant formulas and new technologies

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that will improve the fire retardancy of various products. We also work with resin companies to develop masterbatches for their products such as some of the new bi-modal resins that are being offered.

Joseph Serbaroli, Business Manager, Ampacet Corp.

Keeping pace with changes in base resins to optimize color performance on our customer’s extruder. Whenever a new resin gets introduced into the marketplace, new color development is required to ensure that our customers are using concentrates

that will blend and extrude most optimally with these new resins, with no sacrifice to electrical performance. Working in partnership with our customers and the resin suppliers on the front end of the qualification cycle allows our customers to more quickly benefit from ever-improving resin technologies. Ralph Marcario, Director Sales & Marketing, Chromatics, Inc. The biggest issues will be the price and availability of materials used to make color concentrates. Price increases for colored pigments are being driven by

several factors including escalating metal prices, reduction of the Chinese export tariff rebate to manufacturers and plant closures.

Availability of the intermediates used to make many RoHS compliant pigments is also a concern because the sources are in China and many have been shut down in recent months.

Some critical raw materials have been reduced by as much as 75%. Paul Legnetti, VP/Chief Technical Officer, Breen Color Concentrates. ■

Contacts Ampacet Corporation Joseph Serbaroli Tel. 914-631-6600; jserbaroli@ampacet.com

Chromatics Ralph Marcario Tel. 203-743-6868 ralph.marcario@chromusa.com

PolyOne Corporation Bob Eiden Tel. 440-526-4100 robert.eiden@ polyone.com

AlphaGary Corporation Dave Kiddoo Tel. 978-840-2108; dkiddoo@alphagary.com

Dow Wire & Cable, Deb Toledo dtoledo@dow.com

Sylvin Technologies, Inc. Doug Eby Tel. 717-336-2823, ext. 116; doug.eby@sylvin.com

Dyneon LLC Marc Normandin Tel. 651-732-7260; mnormandin@mmm.com

Breen Color Concentrates Inc. Paul Legnetti Tel. 609-397-8200 plegnetti@breencolor.com Cary Compounds LLC Charles Cary Tel. 732-274-2626 cary@carycompounds.com Colors Compounds and Consultants Inc. (CCC, Inc.) Jim Grimley Tel. 603-474-3667 jimg@cccompounds.com

T&T Marketing, Inc. Tom Jordan Tel. 978-689-9984 tjordan@ttmarketinginc.com

Inhol PTL, The Netherlands Ron Goethals Tel. 31-35-60-33-234; office@inhol.com.

Teknor Color Co./Teknor Apex Tel. 401-725-8000 info@teknorcolor.com

LANXESS Corp.

Onofrio “Nuch” Palazzolo Tel. 330-908-1036 onofrio.palazzolo@lanxess.com

Teknor Apex Company Vinyl Division Tel. 401-725-8000 vinyl@teknorapex.com.

Teknor Apex Company TPE Division Tel. 401-725-8000 tpe@teknorapex.com.

INSIDE

November 2007

WIRE JOURNAL

®

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

INSIGHT:

Featuring: Wire & Cable Machinery Part II

Whatever you produce, make sure that it’s a positive impression on your customers and prospects with a presence in the industry’s leading Wire Journal International (WJI) magazine.

Place an ad in the November issue and watch your marketing message operate like well-oiled machinery.

Contact Bob Xeller or Anna Bzowski on WJI’s sales team and learn why WJI is an integral part of machinery marketing.

Tel.: 001-203-453-2777 E-mail: bxeller@wirenet.org or abzowski@wirenet.org

9/18/2007

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E DA L ER WINN AWA R

D

Wired together

M

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This historical paper traces the development of bridges across the U.S.-Canadian border, with challenges proving to be more than just technical.

By Donald Sayenga

The United States and Canada share an

imaginary understanding often called the longest undefended boundary in the world.

Today, anyone crossing it (for example, as I did twice in 2005; New York into Ontario then Alberta into Montana) will notice very little difference between the two nations.

The boundary line stretches 8891 km from horizon to horizon, ocean to ocean. In the west it is a hypothetical surveyors’ route on the surface of dry land; a treeless path six

meters wide dotted with white markers. In much of the eastern portion, however, there is no marking of any kind because the boundary line passes through the middle of a series of connected waterways from Lake Superior to the Saint Lawrence River before it continues cross-country to the Atlantic Ocean.

In the eastern region where the boundary is in a river, the two nations have been “wired together” by a remarkable series of

Car of the Niagara Falls Park and River Railway on the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, 1890s. Photo courtesy of Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library.

72 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

bridges built with wire cables. They are the only two nations on earth linked this way.

The boundary bridges are unusual not only because of the international crossing aspect, but also because they provide a fascinating history of the application of wire in civil engineering. Each wire bridge has a complicated technical background combined with a semi-romantic tale involving many diverse personalities.

The story of the boundary line wire bridges began in 1776 when a group of dissident taxpayers in some of the North American colonies launched a revolt. The insurgents attempted to seize all of the British possessions in North America, but they were defeated and repulsed when they invaded northward. The primary British army base at Fort Niagara remained in control of the king.

The American Revolution was not enthusiastically supported by the entire population. One such colonist was Samuel Keefer of Newton, New Jersey. He immediately joined the British Army and got himself killed during the five years of fighting that followed. When the nasty stuff was over, survivors who were still loyal to the king in the newly independent United States instantly became second-class citizens. They were abused, discriminated against, and evicted.

Keefer’s family lost possession of their property in New Jersey. Led by his oldest son, George Keefer, they fled northward on foot into Upper Canada (now Ontario), settling in the vicinity of Fort Niagara where they are regarded as founders of a town named Thorold.

Even worse treatment was given to mem-

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bers of Six Nations, a group of highly organized Iroquois-speaking Native Americans who sided with the king. They resided in what is now called upstate New York. In 1779 they were invaded by the revolutionary army and their homes and farms were destroyed. Like the Keefer family, many of them also fled northward.

In the vicinity of Fort Niagara, George Keefer and his sons became closely associated with another group of displaced loyalists, the Merritt family, formerly of Bedford, West Chester County, New York who had settled at Saint Catherines near Thorold. The families formed partnerships in several ventures, out of which a great Canadian entrepreneur and leader emerged named William Hamilton Merritt (1793-1862). He became the first key player in the story of how the two nations got wired together.

The Niagara River and Falls There have been 10 notable and unique wire bridges built across the border, erected in sequence over a period of more than a century. Several became world famous.

William Hamilton Merritt, who had a multifaceted career as a merchant, promoter, and politician, was the activist who brought everyone’s attention to the vicinity of Fort Niagara where the great waterfall and violent rapids of the Niagara River separated the two nations. It was a logical place to consider the possibility of a bridge. The first five bridges wiring the nations together all were built in that vicinity.

After New York state completed the 1825 Erie Canal connecting the Hudson River with Lake Erie, it was Merritt who convinced New York investors that the shorter Welland Canal in Canada, connecting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, would also become a great commercial success. When the Welland opened in 1829, his predictions were proven correct, and he turned his attention to another idea, making a railroad connection between the two countries, linking Detroit and Buffalo via the northern shore of Lake Erie. He also began thinking about other canals to improve navigation on the St. Lawrence River. To gain support for his dreams, he entered Canadian politics in 1832.

After a minor civil war in 1837, the British government decided to unify the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada in 1840. A site called Ottawa was chosen midway between the French-speaking and English-speaking populations to establish a new city for the

united parliament. Meanwhile, Merritt’s partner George Keefer had four sons who gained their first working experience on the Welland Canal. Three of them became famous Canadian civil engineers. One of them, Samuel Keefer (1811-1890) designed and built the first wire cable suspension bridge in Canada, the 1844 Union Bridge over the Ottawa River just below Chaudiere Falls at the new capital city.

Samuel Keefer (and his brothers?) were the civil engineers Merritt hoped to rely upon for furtherance of his dreams of nation-linking but he fully realized other engineers in the U.S. necessarily would become involved. At first Merritt had been thinking in terms of building a railroad bridge just below the Niagara escarpment between the towns of Queenston, Upper Canada and Lewiston, New York where a ferry crossed over a relatively calm section of the Niagara River. An immigrant Scottish engineer had proposed a bridge there in 1824 and a bridge corporation had been formed without making much progress.

Merritt’s wife, however, convinced him a bridge ought to be placed at the Whirlpool Rapids to provide a view of the Falls for the benefit of tourists.

Joint ventures usually do not work very smoothly, and this one was no exception.

The two companies tried to sell stock, but railroads were still in their infancy in the 1840s and it wasn’t an easy task. The companies called for proposals. In addition to the bid of Samuel Keefer, the three other concepts of a suspension bridge were submitted by engineers in the U.S. Of these, the most costly proposal came from the president of the Schuylkill Navigation Company, Charles Ellet Jr. (1810-1862).

As CEO of one of the largest private transportation companies in North America, Ellet was an unusual maverick. He was probably America’s greatest self-taught engineer, having gone twice to Europe to study advanced technology. He had written a book about political economy, and had built America’s first wire cable highway bridge at Philadelphia in 1841-42. He possessed a very forceful personality and an unfortunate ten-

1848: First Niagara Gorge Bridge If Merritt had not been involved in politics the concept of a bridge between two nations could not have made much progress. He knew which buttons to push. His counterpart on the New York side of the Niagara River, another politician, was Lot Clark.

Cooperating with each other, they managed to get the necessary legislation passed on both sides of the river to form two separate companies, each equally involved and committed to the concept of a bridge at Niagara as a way to connect separate railroads on either side.

Although many people rejected the entire idea, Keefer and three other engineers agreed a clear-span suspension bridge high in the air above the river was the only reasonable approach. It seemed impossible to ever erect piers in a deep, rocky gorge more than 150 meters wide where every winter the rapidly moving water became choked with slabs of lake ice all the way from the Falls to Lake Ontario. In the era of shortspan American wooden truss bridges, the British-built Menai bridge and the Frenchbuilt Fribourg bridge were the models for all major North American suspension bridge concepts.

Sayenga Donald Sayenga is president of Cardon Management Group, a consulting agency based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. His principal clients are international trade associations. He spent 30 years with Bethlehem Steel where he served in a number of key positions, retiring from its wire rope division, and then serving two years with Paulsen Wire Rope Corp. before starting his business in 1988. He serves as historian and archivist for the Wire Association International. A specialist in the use of wire rope for bridges, he is a longtime contributor to the WAI and was winner of its 2001 Mordica Memorial Award. This paper, which was presented at WAI’s 76th Annual Convention, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, won the Medal Award for the best general paper.

OCTOBER 2007 73

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Early view of Ambassador Bridge. Photo courtesy of The Detroit International Bridge Company

dency to belittle anybody who could not comprehend his highly advanced and often brilliant concepts.

Ellet had visited the area in 1832 while working on New York railroad surveys. He had become fascinated by the Whirlpool Rapids site. A bridge there would be have to be positioned three times higher than at Queenston, but the gorge was very similar to Fribourg and it provided a spectacular view of the Falls, an increasingly popular tourist destination. New York State Engineer Charles Stuart favored the Whirlpool Rapids plan. Elletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $220,000 estimate was for a railroad bridge usable by locomotives and $190,000 for a horse-car bridge. In November 1847, the two companies gave him a contract for the lesser amount. He committed to have a bridge completed by May 1849.

Ellet immediately hired two local subcontractors, Theodore Hulett and Jonathan Baldwin. He chose to buy his iron wire from two English wiredrawers, Richard and William Johnson of Manchester, U.K., apparently as a result of visiting there in

74 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

1844. After staging a kite-flying contest in Canada to get a string across the 244 m chasm, he used the kite string to drag over increasingly larger fiber ropes and eventually a wire cable. By hanging an iron basket containing two seats on the cable, he converted it into an aerial tramway in which he personally made the first crossing all alone to confirm its safety, on March 13, 1848.

Merritt visited the jobsite for the first time two weeks later. After meeting with Ellet and his family, he was somewhat surprised to discover that tourists were lining up to take rides on the tramway. The bridge builders were allowing it, charging 25 cents each. For the first time he began to comprehend that the crossing could become a tourist attraction instead of a simple transportation link between the two nations. He immediately instituted monthly meetings of the two companies to exert more management control over the project.

By transporting men and materials with the tramway, Hulett and Baldwin soon had two narrow footwalks across the gorge, which they lashed together to provide sup-

port for constructing a preliminary bridge deck. In July 1848, the first narrow workbridge was in place. It was less than 3 meters wide, without any railings. Ellet made the first passage alone in a buggy drawn by a blind horse. He immediately followed this by riding over and back in a carriage drawn by two horses. His daring stunts made headlines in newspapers everywhere, and tourists began flocking to the location. It was a remote area with no sizeable towns on either side, and no railroad had as yet made the commitment to use the bridge as a crossing.

But the summer of 1848 was marked by the beginning of many troubles. For 12 years, Ellet had been working on the concept of a suspension bridge on the National Road across the Ohio River at Wheeling.

He finally got a signal to begin construction, forcing him to commute back and forth between there and Niagara. At the gorge, a windstorm had damaged the work in progress requiring the addition of wire cables below the bridge deck to stabilize it.

Directors of the two companies felt Ellet was paying too much for the lumber he bought. They withheld repayments and demanded an account of the tourist fees he had collected. Ultimately, they reached a decision in August to halt construction.

A somewhat farcical episode followed.

Weapons were drawn, arrests were made, and court cases were instituted in two different countries. Ellet, however, was on firm legal ground. He won both confrontations forcing the two companies to pay him off with an undisclosed sum believed to have been $12,000, and to buy back all the stock he had personally purchased in the bridge company. His small preliminary work bridge, supported by four wire cables on wooden towers, was put into fullscale service as a tourist highway, generating about $5000 in tolls over the next few years. The cables were strengthened by W.O. Buchanan.

1851: Edward Serrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bridge Meanwhile, during the furor upstream, the Queenston Suspension Bridge Company received a charter in 1849, managed to sell some stock, and began construction of a suspension bridge at the original location proposed in 1824, closer to the mouth of the river at Lake Ontario below the escarpment.

The plans of a young New Yorker, Edward Wellman Serrell (1826-1906), were chosen. He was a civil engineer from a well-

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established family of surveyors that had been working many years in Manhattan. At the time he was chosen he was busy laying out a route for the New Jersey Central railroad.

Serrell bought his wire in New Jersey and began construction in 1850. The wire apparently was made by the Trenton Iron Company, a venture organized by Manhattan millionaire Peter Cooper. It ran as a partnership by his son, Edward Cooper, and his son-inlaw, Abram Hewitt, both of whom later became mayor of New York City. Trenton Iron, part of the first large scale integrated ironmaking enterprise in North America, had mines, furnaces and finishing facilities.

It was later absorbed into what became United States Steel. The rod and wire mill at Trenton was relatively new, built around 1845.

Like Ellet, however, Serrell had a problem with too much of a good thing. His proposal for another suspension bridge located at St. John, New Brunswick, had been accepted at the same time, forcing him to shuttle back and forth between the two locations. Still, he managed to finish both structures on a timely basis. His Niagara crossing opened for business on March 20, 1851.

Unlike Ellet’s bridge, which appealed to tourists because it provided a view of the distant falls, Serrell’s bridge was used mainly by settlers from the U.S. headed westward into Canada, which meant that Queenston got more profit from it than Lewiston.

Serrell and Ellet both built their bridges on the basic model of the French structures such as Fribourg. But Serrell introduced a spectacular engineering concept. He decided to take advantage of the nearby cliffs on either side of the river to build the towers for support of his cables at a higher elevation than the bridge deck itself. Ellet had made his cables on land at the top of the Canadian cliff and then hauled them across. Serrell did the same thing on the U.S. cliff, but his 10 cables were 379 meters long, made of heavier 3.75 mm wire, and were the longest bridge cables ever made up to that time. He claimed the “world’s record” even though the actual span of his supported bridge deck was less than the span of Ellet’s bridge at Wheeling.

In the interval between the grand opening of the first two Niagara border bridges, a dismal catastrophe at Angers, France, upset many conservative engineers regarding suspension bridge designs. On April 16, 1850, a

suspension bridge failed when a group of soldiers were crossing it during a thunderstorm. More than 200 of the men were killed. At that time the basic principles of aerodynamics with regard to bridges were not well understood. Despite more than 150 years of study, debate of the subject still continues today.

Serrell and Ellet had both equipped their bridges with underfloor guys anchoring the roadway to the face of the cliffs. During the winter of 1863-64, an ice jam in the gorge threatened to press against Serrell’s stays and pull down his bridge. They were cut to prevent injury to the bridge, but before the winter had ended, a severe windstorm in the first week of February destroyed the central portion of the flooring. No railroad had ever committed to use the bridge as a crossing.

Enthusiasm for costly repairs was minimal on the New York side. No immediate decision about how to fix the bridge was made.

A decade prior to the destruction of Serrell’s bridge, the deck of Ellet’s Wheeling Bridge, which had no underfloor guys, was wrecked by a similar windstorm. Engineers were aware that a bridge deck becomes kitelike in a transverse wind, but no one knew how to prevent the resulting torsional forces from twisting the deck apart. By being placed so much higher above the water, the underfloor guys of Ellet’s bridge at Niagara Gorge resisted the same windstorm that destroyed Serrell’s roadway. Merritt turned his attention back to the site at Whirlpool Rapids. Decades passed before any repair work was done on the Lewiston to Queenston crossing.

1855: John Roebling’s Bridge The original low bidder on the Niagara gorge bridge was John A. Roebling (18061869), a German-trained engineer from Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. He had never built a long-span suspension bridge, but he was well-established as the founder of the American wire rope industry. He had been making wire cables for 10 years when he was asked by the Niagara companies to examine Ellet’s existing bridge and give them a new proposal for completing it to permit railroad trains to cross. Merritt was highly impressed

by Roebling’s ideas.

Roebling’s original low estimates, around $135,000, had been based upon his using innovative cost-saving techniques he had devised for fabricating wire cables. He had perfected these methods while rebuilding a wooden aqueduct and a wooden highway

bridge at Pittsburgh in the mid-1840s. He was so confident about his ideas, he had obtained patents on his system, using Niagara Gorge as the illustration of how his methods would work at Whirlpool Rapids.

In retrospect, his original bid was obviously too low. By the time he finished, his Niagara bridge had cost $400,000. Nonetheless it was a great success and it established his reputation as a qualified bridge builder, leading to even more important contracts later.

Roebling decided to abandon the principle of a railroad bridge with a track in the center and roadways on either side of it. Instead, he built two separate suspension bridges, one directly above the other, which he then tied together with iron rods to form a wooden structure much like a modern steel box girder. This arrangement, with the railroad on top, was similar to the famous High Level Bridge in England. To begin his construction, Roebling used Ellet’s bridge as his work platform. On either side of the gorge, he built two large stone anchorages on top of Ellet’s anchorages where he firmly seated 28 curving sets of iron chains, 14 on each side of the chasm.

Unlike the French techniques imitated by Ellet and Serrell, Roebling’s patent methods involved building up his cables wire-bywire in the open space between his anchorages instead of fabricating them on solid ground nearby. After making up 28 groups (“strands”) of wire across the gorge, one by one, he combined them into master groups of seven, compressing them into a round cross-section to form four very large diameter (26.7 cm) cables, two each for the upper and lower bridge. Lastly, he wrapped soft iron wire around the full length of the large cables.

In 1849, Roebling had relocated to Trenton, New Jersey, where he had erected his own wire mill and wire rope factory. When he added stabilizing guys above and below the roadways of his double-deck bridge he used wire ropes made in his own works. But when removing Ellet’s original bridge he was highly impressed by the quality of the English wire drawn at Manchester by the Johnson brothers. He bought wire for his main cables from them and also re-used some of their wire which he had salvaged from Ellet’s cables.

The two Niagara companies had succeeded in convincing various U.S. and Canadian railroads to make a crossing between the nations at Whirlpool Rapids. The lower deck of Roebling’s bridge was opened to

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Canadian Tower from the Bridge Side (New Falls View Upper Suspension Bridge - Elevator Tower), 1872.

Image courtesy of Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library.

Main suspension perspective of the Railway Suspension Bridge. Image courtesy of Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library.

highway traffic in June 1854, but the railroad connections were not completed for almost another year. Due to the lack of any standard gauge in the railroad business at that time, Roebling’s bridge was equipped with three rails spaced unevenly allowing three different sized trains to travel on it. The first locomotives crossed the border at the beginning of March 1855.

1869 : Samuel Keefer’s Bridge Samuel Keefer finally got his chance to build a suspension bridge at Niagara about two decades after the original crossing was opened for business. By then, Niagara Falls had evolved into the primary tourist destination on the North American continent, particularly with the honeymoon trade. Numerous hotels were built in the vicinity of Whirlpool Rapids, the site chosen originally because it was the narrowest part of the gorge. This location was several miles away from the falls, however. As tourist traffic resumed after the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865, it made more sense to build a 76 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

bridge closer to the falls.

Two new companies were chartered, one in each country. Keefer was picked as the engineer in 1867, the goal being to have a new bridge completed by 1868. It was clear from the start the bridge would be built in the cheapest possible way because the only aim was to create a new tourist attraction.

The location was adjacent to the huge Clifton Hotel in Canada and the crossing was called the New, or Upper, Suspension Bridge. or the Clifton Bridge.

Keefer quickly concluded he would use factory-made wire ropes instead of building up his cables one wire at a time as Roebling had done. He traveled to England to visit the numerous wire rope companies. The first wire rope was dragged across in the middle of winter when the river was frozen solid. It then served as a carrier rope to pull the main cables across in the air. Huge wooden towers, the height of a 10-story building, were put up on either side to support the main cables. The Canadian tower had to be taller because the rock surface was

lower on that side. The bridge deck was joined in October 1868 and inspectors approved the completed bridge January 25, 1869. The cost was reported as $150,000.

Like Ellet and Roebling, Keefer was impressed with the wire quality from the Manchester mill then known as Richard Johnson & Nephew (Johnson’s brother William having died) which was made using the new Bedson continuous rod mill perfected there. This allowed each individual wire to be free of welds across the entire span. He purchased his 58 mm main cable 7 by 19 wire ropes from R. S. Newall at Gateshead. Seven ropes were strung together in each of the two main cables. Testing proved the two main cables to have a breaking strength exceeding 100,000 kg each.

Keefer duplicated Roebling’s system of guys above and below the bridge deck. He purchased his suspender ropes and guy ropes from Queens Ferry Wire Rope Company who utilized wire from Rylands Brothers at Warrington. The guys radiated in all directions: up, down and sidewise. He placed more guys on the upstream side because the prevailing winds came from that direction.

The unsupported span of Keefer’s bridge set a new world record at 384 meters. It was an instant success. On opening day some

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10,000 people crossed over and back. It quickly became the most popular area tourist attraction. Visitors included the engineers evaluating Roebling’s plans for the Brooklyn Bridge. Keefer had designed it to allow the various wood and metal parts to be disconnected and replaced periodically.

The wooden towers were enclosed in 1872 and a steam-powered Otis elevator was installed in one tower to carry visitors up to an observation platform. In 1881, electric lighting was installed to permit night crossings. Four years later the wooden towers were replaced with fabricated steel, but this change opened a renewed discussion of the bridge’s main shortcoming: it was too narrow. The companies envisioned enormous addition profits from a two-way bridge. This turned out to be their undoing.

In 1888, a contract was given to the Rochester Bridge Works to build a whole new metal deck bridge, retaining only the new steel towers from Keefer’s bridge. New cables were purchased from the John A. Roebling Sons’ Company at Trenton. The rebuild was completed in the fall of 1888 and the two-way bridge went into service.

Unfortunately, it had a crucial design error. It was thought there would be no need to retain the underfloor guys for wind stability.

They were disconnected and removed. On January 9, 1889, some 20 years after the first bridge opened, a wind storm destroyed the new bridge. The steel bridge was rebuilt immediately with restored underfloor guys.

1877-1899: Leffert Buck’s bridges The next key player in the border bridges was Leffert L. Buck (1837-1909) a civil engineer from Canton, New York. He was the first in a series of college-trained North American engineers involved with the border bridges. He had been educated at Saint Lawrence University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

To prevent undue strain, Roebling had required locomotives to limit their speed to 5 mph on the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. Three years after the bridge was opened, it was decided to replace some of the iron and wood members to strengthen it, but otherwise the bridge served quite well. Despite this, rumors persisted that it was unsafe.

After replacing flooring of the railway deck in 1873, the companies decided to call in Buck to determine if metal could be used in place of wood. He recommended an extensive series of improvements, all of which he amazingly achieved without interrupting

travel on the bridge. His first step, in 1877, was to rip apart the stone anchorages to replace Roebling’s grout. Next, in 1880, he constructed a new steel truss to support the decks. The arrangement of the tracks was changed over to standard gauge at the same time. He followed this in 1885 by removing the limestone towers, replacing them with steel.

Meanwhile, great advances in the rolling of steel sections had been made in the 1870s and 1880s. Buck reported to the companies that the best future course of action would be to replace the entire Roebling/Buck suspension bridge with a new steel arch bridge.

They voted to take this step in 1896. Buck built the new bridge “around” the suspension bridge, once again doing it with very little traffic interruption.

In the 1890s, Buck’s reputation for bridges was at a peak. The owners of Keefer’s suspension bridge followed his advice in 1897, replacing their bridge with an arch bridge that became the largest arch bridge in the world. The “Upper” arch was built very quickly by using the suspension bridge as a support platform for the half-arches. In 1899, the base foundations were threatened by a flow of lake ice but the bridge survived, only to be destroyed by a similar ice flow in 1938.

All this time the citizens of Queenston were still interested in establishing railroad service to their town. An idea arose that perhaps an electric streetcar connection with Lewiston was the answer. In 1899 the International Traction Company bought the Upper Arch Bridge, plus some of the existing tracks in both nations, and the rights to create the Queenston crossing, intending to form a streetcar loop. When Keefer’s bridge was removed, the Roebling Sons wire ropes were still relatively new. Buck came out with a highly original plan to store them intact, with intent to use them for rebuilding Serrell’s bridge.

The cables were re-cut and doubled, making them strong enough, but they were much too short to cross the river. Two sets of steel eye bars about 30 m in length were inserted to connect the ends of the ropes to the towers on the cliff. This unique bridge, made almost entirely of reclaimed materials, went into service in July 1899 and continued to convey streetcars and other vehicles for the next 63 years. Ultimately, it was replaced by building a steel arch bridge at a slightly different crossing site.

1929: The Ambassador Bridge At the turn of the century, when Buck finished his work rebuilding Serrell’s bridge, personal auto use began its slow rise as a substitute for streetcar and passenger train service in North America. After World War One, this form of travel gained favor rapidly in the U.S. and Canada. Detroit emerged as a central location for auto manufacturing, but no railroad connection to Canada had ever been made. The Detroit River, unlike the Niagara River, is a major shipping route connecting Lake St. Clair with Lake Erie. It could only be crossed by a very high level bridge.

In 1903, the Detroit Board of Commerce formed an International Bridge Committee to study the problem. Just after World War One, a New York civil engineer named Fowler published a proposal for an incredible railroad bridge. It was estimated to cost $28 million but although government permission was obtained, and lots of development money was spent on the project, it never got off the ground. In 1922 construction began on the world’s record Delaware River Bridge between New Jersey and Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin Bridge) designed by a Pennsylvania engineering firm founded by Polish immigrant Rudolf Modrzejewski (1861-1940) who used an Americanized name Ralph Modjeski. It was opened to combination rail, vehicle and pedestrian traffic four years later.

A Detroit businessman named John Austin became deeply interested in the concept of a Detroit River bridge that would be even larger than the Ben Franklin Bridge.

He approached C.J. Marshall of the Pittsburgh construction firm McClintic-Marshall. Together they talked it over with a millionaire banker named Joseph Bower who was fascinated with the idea. In 1924, Bower bought up all of the existing options and permissions for the proposed Fowler bridge. A new design for the crossing was provided by Modjeski’s firm, Modjeski & Masters of Harrisburg, PA. Shipping interests forced a change in the design to raise the roadway more than 50 m above the river but by then the bridge had encountered a major opponent in the form of Detroit mayor John W. Smith. He argued that a private venture connecting two nations, with a new world record span, would forever be charging excessive tolls to pay for costs of maintenance and debt service. The tolls would be coming from his constituents for the most part since there was OCTOBER 2007 77

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Closeup of men working on Ambassador Bridge. Photo courtesy of The Detroit International Bridge Company

no major Canadian city on the other shore.

He thus saw the bridge as a private tax on the people of Detroit. Tunneling under the river was studied at that same time.

In the U.S., legal options required bridge construction to begin before May 12, 1927, but Mayor Smith did everything in his power to impede it. Undeterred, Bower started work anyway, and called for a public referendum, which he paid for himself. The bridge was endorsed by a wide margin.

Mayor Smith was ousted in the November elections. Construction moved ahead rapidly, and by 1929 the Ambassador Bridge was already a full year ahead of schedule.

But then an astonishing discovery was made. Hard drawn galvanized high carbon steel wire had become standardized as the proper material for bridge cables after Washington Roeblingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brooklyn Bridge was opened in 1883. During the first two decades of the 20th century, rapid advances were made in steel metallurgy. When McClintic-Marshall specified main cable wire for the Ambassador Bridge they chose the same size (slightly less than 5 mm) used for the Ben Franklin Bridge and before that in the Manhattan Bridge (1910). But it was recommended that the specification call for a new heat treatment intended to increase strength for suspension bridge construction.

The new heat-treated wire was considered so much better that the main cables of the Ambassador Bridge were designed to contain only 15,244 wires compressed to a 37strand cable, compared against the 37,332 wires in the 61-strand cables of the Ben Franklin Bridge. The main cables were in place by mid-December 1928, and the sus78 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

View from deck of Ambassador Bridge. Photo courtesy of The Detroit International Bridge Company pender ropes were in the process of being attached, when a sudden warning arrived from Providence, Rhode Island. A problem had arisen in the cables of the new Mount Hope Bridge, connecting Providence and Newport, which were the first cables to use the new heat-treated wire.

McClintic Marshall was also the contractor for the Rhode Island bridge where they had specified exactly the same wire. Inspectors noticed that wires were breaking in the main cables for no apparent reason. Samples were studied by several laboratories, including the U.S. Bureau of Standards, but the wire seemed to be just as strong as ordered. At the time the concept of strainaging was not understood and no one had any explanation for the breakage. The first theory was that two heats of steel were somehow off grade. As no steel from those heats had been sent to Detroit, there was thought to be no reason for undue concern.

McClintic-Marshall next carefully examined the completed main cables at Detroit.

To their dismay, several inexplicable broken wires were found during the inspection. On March 1, 1929, they halted construction and met with Joseph Bower. They told him it would cost $500,000 to replace the finished

main cables with conventional cold drawn steel wire. With little hesitation he told them to go ahead and remove both main cables.

Workmen began cutting them up with torches in May, 1929. The process of spinning new cables began on June 14 and was completed in two months. The bridge was finished in record time and opened to traffic on November 15, 1929, two weeks after the major USA stock market crash.

The Great Depression following the crash of 1929 put a big dent in automobile traffic across the bridge. Toll revenue shrank. By 1936, the project was deeply in debt. Bower was equal to the challenge. In 1939, he launched a complete reorganization, including a reassessment of taxes and issuance of common stock. After World War Two, traffic flow again began to increase on a steady basis. Joseph Bower retired in triumph in 1959. He turned the company over to his son Robert.

In 1970, the bridge was connected with Interstate 75 on the U.S. side, after which it was linked to I-96 and I-94. Bowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second son Joseph succeeded his brother as CEO in 1977 when his father died, but two years later the family decided to withdraw completely from ownership, and the Moroun

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family bought it from them. After a thorough examination in 1976, extensive renovation of the bridge was begun. In 1992, the Ambassador Bridge was the busiest international crossing point in North America, which is a pretty good achievement for a family business. It currently it handles 22% of all the border crossings, with some 6.3 million passenger cars and 3.2 million trucks and buses passing over it annually.

1938: Thousand Islands bridges The engineer who designed the Mount Hope Bridge where the problems with heat treated wire were discovered was David Steinman (1886-1960) of New York City.

In 1920 he formed a partnership with Holton Robinson of Massena, New York, designer of the Williamsburg Bridge. During the Great Depression, Robinson & Steinman created bridges for a new border crossing over various branches of the Saint Lawrence River in the Thousand Island area north of Watertown, New York. The project began in 1933. The main contractor was the American Bridge Division of U S Steel. The steel cables were made by their American Steel & Wire Division at the former Trenton Iron location which had evolved into the main competitor of Roeblings Sons company.

The Thousand Islands Bridge system extends from Ivy Lea in Ontario to Collins Landing, New York, a distance of almost 14 km. It includes a 244 m suspension bridge on the U.S. side connected to Wellesley Island, and a 228 m suspension bridge on the Canadian side connected to Georgina Island. Construction started at Collins Landing on April 30, 1937. The bridges were built by the Thousand Island Bridge Authority and were completed in 1938.

Robinson & Steinman competed against Ralph Modjeski’s firm, but fared poorly in competition for the really big jobs. This bothered him immensely. He was a highly intellectual person who wrote history books and poetry. In 1934, he organized the National Association of Professional Engineers as part of a drive to increase the level of professionalism in the U.S. Robinson & Steinman were given a continuing consultation contract on the Thousand Island Bridges that is still in place today (Their firm is now a division of Parsons) The contract put Steinman in good position to act when the newly opened Tacoma Narrows Bridge failed unexpectedly during a windstorm in 1940, throwing

civil engineers into a tizzy. Steinman, who had been preaching on the subject for years, began to look like a seer. In 1942, when the Thousand Islands bridges exhibited similar undulations, he designed an elaborate system of stays and guys to counteract wind forces. As a result, his reputation increased immensely. In 1957, he got to build his great masterpiece, the Mackinac Bridge.

Although the Thousand Island bridges are too narrow to meet interstate highway standards, the U.S. completed Interstate 81 between Syracuse to a point at the border.

On the Ontario side, the bridges are linked to major highway 401 that connects Montreal and Toronto, running parallel to the river. They are heavily used. More than 2 million vehicles cross each year. The main cables of the bridges were examined in 1995 and found to be in good condition.

1958: The Three Nations Bridge After World War Two, interested parties in both nations began reviving interest in William Hamilton Merritt’s century-old dream of making the Saint Lawrence River navigable all the way from the ocean to Lake Ontario. The result, the Saint Lawrence International Seaway project, required seven locks to be built between Montreal and the lake. The lower part of the river is all Canadian because the international boundary departs from the middle of the river in the vicinity of Massena, New York.

David Steinman’s partner Holton Robinson died in 1945, but his hometown was Massena, a powerful incentive for the firm to seek the design contract for a suspension bridge across the river at that point, connecting with the town of Cornwall in Ontario.

Massena is the easternmost U.S. city located on the St. Lawrence but Cornwall Island in the middle of the river separates the water into two channels. A privately owned corporation decided to build a wire bridge over the South Channel which crosses the boundary. The Seaway authority bought out the private owners before the bridge was completed and changed the name from Cornwall-Massena Bridge to Seaway International Bridge.

A high level truss bridge over the North Channel was opened in 1962. The Seaway International Bridge Corporation was formed in Canada to manage toll collection on the bridges. It was replaced in 1998 by a new company, the Federal Bridge Corporation. The total length of the combined two bridge system, which opened in 1958, is 2.7

km. A separate Canadian route of the Seaway was planned but never made.

In 1991, Buckland & Taylor of Vancouver evaluated the South Channel suspension bridge for weaknesses caused by increased truck traffic. The main span is 275 m but there are long side spans for a total length of 1060 m. They decided the trusses needed to be stiffer and the work was achieved 199497 without interrupting traffic.

A similar evaluation of the North Channel span raised an interesting question: if there is to be no separate seaway on the Canadian side, why is a high level bridge needed at all? It might be cheaper to simply build a new low level truss bridge instead of repairing the high level bridge. But Cornwall Island is technically not part of Canada. This results from conditions as they were back at the time of the Revolution.

The Six Nations of Iroquois relocated northward back then, and a large segment of the Mohawk tribe settled on Cornwall Island. Canada has begun recognizing tribal groups as “First Nations.” The Mohawk Council obtained a degree of sovereignty at the island, which is also located at the boundary between Quebec and the U.S. The formal result, known as Akwesasne First Nation, is now on the map, located in the middle of New York, Ontario, and Quebec.

It is crossed by the central portion of the bridge system.

To recognize the existence of Akwesasne, the name of the bridge was officially changed on January 1, 2000, to Three Nations Bridge. Passage of the Homeland Security law in the U.S. has created a major bureaucratic nightmare at this unique crossing. Considering that some elements of the controversy date back to 1776, it is not likely to be solved very soon.

1960: The Seaway Skyway After years of lobbying by local residents, legislation was passed in 1950 to create an Ogdensburg Bridge Authority in New York.

A similar law was passed in Canada two years later although there was no sizeable town in Ontario opposite Ogdensburg. The lobbyists noted the isolation of this part of New York state. There was no major highway nearby, and no way to get across the river to make use of 401 on the Canadian side. Theoretically, a bridge would provide direct northward access to the capital of Canada at Ottawa via the new 416 Veterans Highway. A major port on the Seaway was envisioned.

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Work on the bridge began in 1957. Modjeski & Masters designed the structure with a 350 m main span and two side spans each 152 m. The bridge opened September 21, 1960. It is unusual because the entire suspension structure, including anchorages, is located in the river, with dual steel truss approaches built out to it from either shore.

Cables for the bridge were made at Trenton, New Jersey, by John A. Roebling’s Sons. The Roebling family had sold their interest in January 1953 and at the time crossing was built, the firm was a subsidiary of the new owners, Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation. CF&I, in turn, was acquired

by Crane Corp. in 1969 and was closed permanently in 1973, making this one of the last major bridges where cables were supplied by John Roebling’s company.

Container ships have completely changed the nature of ocean shipping. The Seaway functions well, but the major port facilities have been built in Toronto and other Lake Ontario locations, obviating any need for a major port at Ogdensburg. Although the bridge is owned entirely by New York, the lack of any interstate highway connection in the state has doomed this beautiful bridge to obscurity for now. The Seaway Skyway is the least used of all the international wire bridge crossings, serving only a half million vehicles per year. Because it is equipped with an open steel grid floor to alleviate wind undulations, the roadway cannot be de-iced by conventional means, complicating travel during the winter months.

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Conclusion

Further reading

The future of the bridges is difficult to predict. Routine evaluations will lead to upgrading efforts from time to time. The suspenders of the Ambassador Bridge are possibly going to be replaced as a result of one such study. As long as U.S. and Canadian citizens remain addicted to travel in private automobiles, the bridges will continue to be used. The likely scenario for the next twenty years will see a possible twin being built at the Thousand Islands, but architects now seem to favor more modern-looking stay-cable spans instead of catenary wire bridges. Modern looking structural steel or concrete bridges are also popular. It is interesting that each of the bridges now has a different kind of ownership, inhibiting any form of unified planning.

The two nations are wired together and they are going to stay that way. Although none of the wire bridges is as spectacular as the Akashi Kaikyo in Japan (1991 m main span) or the Great Belt in Denmark (1624 m main span) they are collectively the most heavily traveled international bridges in the world. Use of the English language on both sides of the border has fostered successful international trade for 150 years. A separatist movement in Quebec has subsided somewhat in recent years. It is reasonable to believe that good relations between Canada and the United States have been stimulated in part by the long-standing existence of these superb bridges.

Engineers are not ordinarily studied by biographers. No completely accurate biography of Keefer, Serrell, or Buck has been done. The same is also true of John A. Roebling, although several inaccurate versions are in print. (The worst of these, ironically, are those written by David Steinman). There is only one biography, Charles Ellet Jr,. by Gene D. Lewis (Urbana, 1968) that comes close to telling the story of the first border bridge accurately. A biography of Steinman is available on the History & Heritage website of the ASCE. Several private websites post a biography of Modjeski. The best book about the bridges at Niagara is George A. Seibel’s Bridges over the Niagara Gorge (Niagara Falls, 1991).

All of the existing bridges now have their own website; one of of which can be seen at www.ambassadorbridge.com. The Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library also has information and many photos that can be seen at www.nfpl.library.on.ca. The author wishes to thank both for permission to reproduce some of their images. ■

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Development of a virtual wiredrawing tool for process analysis and optimization

LV E R ATE C I F I CERT AWA R

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Experiments showed that an FEM tool designed to simulate drawing can generate practical information, and that it may be possible to further expand its scope in the future.

By Surya Kumar Singh, B.P. Gautham, Sharad Goyal, Amol Joshi and Dinesh Gudadhe

Production of metal wires by a drawing

process has been in existence for many centuries and widely studied over the past century. A historical account of wire production can be found1. Steel wires have a large volume and utility out of wires manufactured from various industries. Mathematical analysis of wire drawing pioneered by Avitzur2-4 and others5,6 has provided considerable insight into the mechanics of wiredrawing. These models emphasize the estimation of draw force, effect of friction and die angle during drawing by establishing analytical relations between these parameters. Some models have correction factors to account for the approximations on the displacement/velocity fields and can be used for obtaining the optimal die angles. Application of personal computers in designing wiredrawing operations is utilized15-16.

These applications used analytical relations discussed above.

More sophisticated analysis based on UBEM7,8 and FEA9-13 are subsequently used to carry out detailed analysis. Some of these deal with residual stresses and plastic strain10, central burst9,11,13 and temperature12 besides the gross parameters such as draw force. The possibility of central burst is analyzed either by looking at the triaxiality of the stress state on the central line or as accumulated damage13. Central burst in the wire during drawing impacts productivity.

Residual stresses and strains in the drawn wire and the temperature attained by it during drawing operation have direct impact on

the mechanical properties. Though the developments discussed above address analysis of single pass wire drawing, focus on the effect of multiple passes is less frequently found. Jo et al14 have analyzed the temperature of drawn wire in a multipass dry wire-drawing of high carbon steels.

In a typical wiredrawing operation, a number of parameters need to be addressed

besides the draw forces, which are cumulative effects of all passes. These include the degree of non-uniformity of deformation, changes in mechanical properties of wire, temperature of wire at the contact interface and history of temperature, residual stresses and cumulative effects on wire-breakage.

A comprehensive simulation model for multi-pass wiredrawing operation, taking

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of wiredrawing machine.

Fig. 2. Schematic of wiredrawing simulator.

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simulator predicts the internal stresses and strains in the wire and the die, load on the die and drums, temperature of wire and dies and final wire mechanical properties. It is possible to see all these aspects at each pass to a great detail. See Fig. 2.

Both deformation and thermal analysis of the wire and die in the drawing zone for a single pass are based on a finite element method. It is assumed that the deformation and temperature of wire and dies remains axisymmetric. Cooling of wire before and on the drum is simulated using a finite difference method. A suitable algorithm transfers data from one pass to the next. Empirical relation is used to predict the final wire UTS by relating to the effective plastic strain and initial UTS. Measures in terms of computed parameters are used for qualitative assessment of other mechanical properties such as ductility and torsion- strength. The heat transfer is modeled as a steady state situation as the time required for reaching the steady state thermal conditions in a transient analysis is prohibitively large whereas this is relatively small for deformation analysis. It

into account deformation and thermal effects in the dies, cooling in between the dies and linking mechanical properties of the final wire to the deformation is discussed in this paper. Supported by measurements on drawing and cooling systems of an industrial wiredrawing machine producing steel wires, the simulation model is developed as a virtual wire drawing tool for further experimentation and optimization.

Simulation models Models for wiredrawing simulation include deformation of wire, heat generation and dissipation in the wire and the dies, cooling of the wire in the atmosphere and on the cooling drum. Fig. 1 shows the wire drawing operation. The effect of multiple passes is modeled by taking into account the carry-over effect of previous passes such as plastic strain, residual stresses and temperature. Given input conditions such as the material properties of the wire, wire diameter, die pass schedule, drawing speed, cooling in the die and drum, friction, etc., the

Singh

Gautham

At the time this paper was written, Dr. Surya Kumar Singh was head of wire technology at Tata Steel Wire Division, Mumbai, India. He now is Director (Technology and Business Development), Caparo Steel Products, U.K., where he is involved with product and process development activities at Caparo Wires, Wrexham, along with other responsibilities for various flat and long steel products development and business development for Caparo Group. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the materials department of the Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London, U.K. He has published 35 technical papers in various journals and international conference proceedings. B.P. Gautham leads the defor-

82 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Goyal

mation processing activities at Tata Research Development and Design Centre, a division of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Pune, India. His interests include deformation analysis in metal forming and solidification. He has worked closely with various industries in enhancing manufacturing processes including quality, productivity, and energy. He holds a Ph.D. degree in applied mechanics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Chennai. Sharad Goyal, a scientist at Tata Research Development and Design Centre, researches deformation processing and finite element analysis. He holds an M.S. degree from IIT, Kanpur. Amol Joshi works at Tata Research Development and Design Centre, where he

is found that this kind of assumption works well. The following sections give a brief account of the models used in the simulator.

Wire Deformation Model. A finite element model based on large-deformation and large-strain plasticity is used for the analysis.

Four noded isoparametric elements are used.

The contact between the dies and the work piece is modeled by a penalty parameter approach. Frictional conditions are taken into account either through a Coulomb friction condition or friction factor. The die is assumed to be rigid for the deformation analysis of wire. As material deformation occurs at low temperatures, it is assumed that material properties do not vary with temperature. Material is modeled as elastoplastic with isotropic von-Mises yield criteria. The wire drawn through large number of passes develops anisotropy. However, due to lack of sufficient data and modeling techniques and fairly good results that can be obtained with isotropic assumption, anisotropy was not used. Detailed account of nonlinear finite element analysis of large

Joshi

Gudadhe

researches virtual environments, parallel computing, nonlinear finite element analysis, and grid-free methods.

He is currently pursuing an M.S. degree at IIT and holds a B.S. degree from the College of Engineering, Pune, India. Dinesh Gudadhe is manager wire technology at the Wire Division of Tata Steel. He has experience in drawing ferrous wire and process and product development activities as well as heat treatment, continuous casting of steel, process control and quality systems. He holds a degree in metallurgy from IIM – Kolkata. This paper, which was presented at WAI’s International Technical Conference, Mumbi, India, October 2006, won the Association’s Silver Certificate Award in the ferrous division.

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Fig. 3. Boundary conditions on wire for deformation analysis.

strain plastic deformation can be found17.

Thermal model of wire. The evolution of temperature field with time is computed by solving the standard thermal conductivity equation. The energy release due to plastic deformation and friction on the boundary are accounted for heat generation. The thermal energy release rate due to a plastic deformation is given by: Eq. (1)

where, K is the fraction of plastic work converted to heat. Rate of heat generation on the wire-die interface due to friction is given by: Eq. (2) where Îź, Ď&#x192; and v are the coefficient of friction, normal stress on the surface and relative velocity on the interface respectively. A part of the generated frictional heat is con-

Fig. 4. Arrangement of thermocouples in die.

sumed in melting the lubricant and is carried by it. This acts as a correction through p` in the above equation where p is the partition of the heat transferred to the body being analyzed, which is not spent in lubrication. Heat transfer between die and wire is modeled as equivalent heat convection. The temperatures of die are calculated in a loosely coupled model as described in the next section.

The thermal finite element model is similar to that of stress element with four nodes and same interpolation functions. Details can be found18 and final equations solved with appropriate boundary conditions.

Die models. Die stresses are evaluated by transferring the reaction load to appropriate nodes. A standard elastic finite element model is used. Heat transfer on the interface with wire is modeled as described earlier.

Boundary conditions are taken based on the die mounting arrangement. Heat generated

on the surface due to friction is added appropriately. Heat loss from die and casing to air and water are modeled using standard convection type boundary conditions. Waterside temperature is computed by carrying out a heat balance for the water flowing in the die.

The die has a carbide insert in a steel casting.

The interface between carbide and steel is assumed to have matched temperatures.

Drum cooling model. Cooling of wire outside of the deformation zone is modeled as a case of heat loss from an axisymmetric cross section of wire with heat loss through convection on the surface. It is assumed that there is no axial heat flow in the wire. Different HTC are applied for the period the wire is in air and on the drum. Wire heat loss on the drum is caused by contact heat transfer between a small arc of the cross section of the wire and the drum, heat convection to the surrounding air and conduction

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Fig. 5. UTS as a function of strain.

Table 1. Variables for parameter estimation.

through the trapped air between the windings of wire on the drum. The entire mechanism is lumped as a single heat transfer coefficient with ambient temperature as the average water temperature of drum inlet and outlet water. The one dimensional transient heat transfer problem is solved using a finite difference scheme. Balance of the heat carried by the drum cooling water and that lost by the wire is achieved iteratively.

Solution using coupled model. The initial mesh is a radial plane of the wire in nondeformed shape. Deformation simulation starts by bringing the end of the entry side of wire in contact with die. This will be a condition where a line contact exists between wire and the die. From this initial position, a displacement is enforced on the corresponding wire end in increments. See Fig. 3. Care is taken to make the increment a fraction of element size in the contact zone. The total displacement is given until a predefined length of the wire exiting the die attains uniform properties longitudinally. Studies were done of the relationship of wire diameter to total pull-force. The thermal field in the wire is solved as a steady state problem as noted earlier. The steady state problem is solved at each deformation increment to reach a balance of heat between die and wire through convergence of interface temperatures. The die-stress analysis is carried out at the end of the simulation as no feed back of die- deformation is provided for wire deformation.

Values of field variables as a function of radius are computed in a plane close to the die exit and these are imposed as initial state for the next pass. As a single plane may lead to numerical errors, an average of few planes in the uniform zone is taken.

Linking tool predictions to the plant The tool directly predicts the following: forces on die and drum; residual stresses, strains and temperature of wire; and stresses and temperature of the die. However, these do not directly represent all required information for the designer. Detailed information of stresses and temperatures has to be suitably established in quantitative parameters to infer the required information. The following section gives some details.

Torque and energy. Draw force is one direct estimate from the model. This can be used to find the torque and energy requirements in the machine. With the knowledge of draw force, draw speed and drive/trans-

Table 2. Properties based on existing literature.

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mission mechanism details along with corresponding efficiencies, both torque on the motor and energy can be estimated.

Wire breakage. Wire breakages often occur due to positive pressure at the center of the wire due to differential flow speeds of fibers close to the center and outer surface.

The pressure is the dilatational or hydraulic component of the stress state. A parameter representing the ratio of pressure to flow stress known as triaxiality as given in equation below acts as a good indicator for wire breakage13 due to central burst.

line. The factor is the maximum of this ratio along the centre line and generally occurs ahead of the land portion inside the die. A negative value of β1 is an ideal solution but in many practical situations a small positive quantity can be allowed. The allowable value is material dependent.

Draw stress (σd) to wire rod ultimate tensile stress (UTS) ratio β2 represents the susceptibility of welding to failure. The upper limit can be established based on the weld strength and margins for safety.

Eq. (4)

Eq. (3) where p is the hydrostatic component of the stress and σf is the flow stress on the centre

Mechanical properties. The increase in UTS of the drawn wire is seen proportional to the accumulated strain as given below.

This can be derived from Hall-Petch relationship: Eq. (5) Factor of proportionality α is a parameter indicating hardening can be obtained from UTS values of wire rod and drawn wire samples collected from different passes.

Ductility, torsion strength and bending (besides other parameters such as chemistry and crystallographic structure of drawn wire) are related to the degree of non-uniformity of the plastic strain across the cross section, which can be controlled through pass design. The plastic strain on the centre line is at minimum and increases with radius. The plastic strain increases rapidly towards the outer fibers. Below is the factor representing the strain non-uniformity: Eq. (6) where εmax is the peak equivalent strain on the wire cross section and εavg is the weighted average equivalent plastic strain across the cross-section given by Eq. (7) where ε is the equivalent plastic strain at a given radius, R is the drawn wire radius and

Table 3. Estimated parameters and their values for 12 mm wire.

Table 4. Comparison of measured and simulated die and wire temperatures.

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A = Ď&#x20AC;R2 is the cross sectional area. It is advisable to keep Î&#x201D; as low as possible for better mechanical properties.

Thermal aging is an important aspect in drawing steel wires as it affects mechanical properties of the wire. This is controlled by enforcing limits on the temperature of the wire during drawing. Draw speed, cooling efficiency and pass design influence wire temperature and this often constrains the draw speed for given pass design and machine. Two parameters are used here for analysis: maximum wire temperature before drum at all passes; and wire temperature at the exit of the final pass.

The limit on this temperature can be enforced based on aging properties of the material. This puts limits on the draw speed and maximum reductions related to cooling conditions of the drawing machine.

Die Life. It is difficult to establish a quantitative relation to die life in terms of its wear, but die wear is proportional to the pressure on the contact surface. The mean and the maximum pressures in the contact zone were considered as measures in the analysis.

For better die life, it is necessary to reduce both factors, especially maximum pressure.

Measurements and experiments A nine-pass draw straight through the drawing machine was used for the analysis.

At each pass, wire is drawn by a drum, that acts as a cooling drum and accumulator for the next pass. A dancing arm mechanism controls individual pass speeds. Dies and drum are water cooled. The drum has a water spray mechanism on the inner surface.

To establish various parameters required for the simulator to mimic the drawing machine under consideration, this wire drawing machine is instrumented as required and desired measurements were taken under manufacturing conditions.

The drawing force is the most important measurement. Three die boxes were suitably modified with load cell and mounting brackets in selected passes. Care was taken to ensure that the entire load was transferred through the load cell. Thermocouples are mounted in the die casing and die box to measure die and water temperatures. See Fig. 4. The thermocouples are mounted in a radial plane passing through the neck between the reducing cone and land portion.

The inner thermocouple is mounted on the carbide nib/casing interface and the other thermocouple at a distance of 3 mm from this (radially in outward direction). Two

86 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

thermocouples measure the temperatures of water entering and exiting the die box.

These measurements facilitate estimation of heat transfer between the wire and the die and die and water on the die cooling side. To estimate the cooling rate on drums, thermocouples are mounted in the water inlet and outlets of the drum-cooling mechanism.

Wire temperatures exiting the die at the first and last drum windings were measured with an infrared pyrometer. Water flow rates in the drum and die cooling systems were measured offline. The thermocouples and load cells are connected to a data acquisition system.

Energy meters are mounted on the draw motors of the selected three passes to estimate the transmission and motor losses.

Besides these measurements, the wire properties such as yield stress, UTS, elongation, torsion strength and bending strength were measured for wire rod and wire exiting all passes till the final pass.

Estimation of parameters Measurements were done for three different wire rod sizes (8, 10 and 12 mm) drawn to different final sizes. For each case, the draw speed and temperature of cooling water were varied. Data collected for the 12 mm size was used for estimating the parameters and the other two for validation.

Table 1 shows the estimated parameters and measurements used to obtain them. Numerical simulations were carried out to estimate these parameters. Parameters not dependent on the test machine in question were taken from standard literature. See Table 2. Table 3 shows estimated parameters that are discussed below.

Friction. The easiest parameter to be estimated is friction. As mechanical properties of the wire rod are measured but not the influence of temperature, it is a direct comparison of draw force and friction value.

Friction values at the passes where load is measured is established by simulating the wiredrawing with different assumed friction values. These are in the range of 0.04-0.07.

Heat partitions. The estimation of thermal parameters posed a significant challenge.

The first of these is the partition of heat generated at the interface due to friction. The heat generated is partly spent in melting the lubricant powder and the rest is transferred to the wire and die. By comparing the wire temperature exiting the die, die temperatures and heat generated due to deformation, it is seen that 30% of heat generated is spent by

the lubricant soap powder. Of the remaining heat, 80% is taken by the wire as it moves at high speed and carries the heat.

The heat is generated by the plastic work in wire and is a significant contributor to the rise in wire temperature. The heat to plastic work partition is estimated to be 0.45. Initial estimations had assumed that this value lies in the standard literature range of 0.85-0.9.

However, this did not lead to heat balance and the predicted temperatures were much higher. Some recent studies19 show this value for cold deformation for high carbon steels is much lower and the present estimated value is within the suggested range.

Heat transfer coefficients. After the partitioning of heat is fixed, heat transfer coefficients on the die are estimated based on the die temperature measurement and die cooling water temperatures. A similar exercise was used to estimate heat transfer in the drum.

UTS Pickup. Fig. 5 shows a typical variation of UTS with plastic strain for a high carbon steel specimen analyzed in this case.

For this purpose, samples of wire at the end exit of each pass were collected. It can be seen that the relation follows a linear form with hardening parameter in the range of 0.3 Validation The heat transfer coefficients and heat partition parameters estimated using the 12 mm wire rod case were used to simulate the 8 mm and 10 mm wire rod drawing. The friction parameters were re-estimated to match the load and validation carried out for thermal aspects. The magnitude of the friction is a function of coating, wire and die finish, which vary with case to case. The heat transfer coefficients and heat partition parameters are function of cooling mechanisms and material properties and do not vary significantly with wire dimensions or die finish.

Predicted temperatures for these two cases using the same heat related data, shown in Table 4, show that the values are in good agreement.

Conclusion A tool based on finite element method is developed for simulation of the wiredrawing operation and prediction of drawing forces, energy and wire properties. Using plant operational data and measurements from an instrumented machine, the parameters required are estimated making the tool a virtual drawing bench, which facilitates a num-

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ber of soft experiments. While machine related parameters are independent of the wire and pass schedule, it is observed that the values of friction depends on a number of parameters which cannot be directly measured or correlated easily. With experience and a few measurements, this aspect can be addressed. Studies carried out using the tool to analyze and enhance the wiredrawing process and the benefits accrued from this will be discussed by the authors in future.

References 1. B.D. Newbury and M. R. Notis, The history and evolution of wiredrawing techniques, Journal of Metals, 2004, pp. 33-37.

2. B Avitzur, Analysis of wire drawing and extrusion through conical dies of small cone angle, ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry, 1963, Vol. 85, pp. 89-96.

3. B. Avitzur, Flow characteristics through conical converging dies, ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry, 1966, Vol. 88 pp.

410-420.

4. B. Avitzur, “Handbook of Metal Forming Processes,” John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, March 1983.

5. J.G. Wistreich, Investigation of mechanics of wire drawing, Proceeding of Inst. of Nech Eng., 1955, v. 169, pp. 654-665.

6. R.M. Caddel and A.G. Atkins, The influence of redundant work when drawing rods through conical dies, ASME Journal of

Engineering for Industry, 1968, Vol. 90 pp.

411-420.

7. B. Avitzur, C. Narayan and Y.T. Chou, Upperbound solutions for flow through conical converging dies, Int. J. Mach. Tool Des Res, 1982, vol 22, pp. 197-214.

8. N.V. Reddy, P.M. Dixit, and G.K. Lal, Die design for axisymmetric extrusion, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 1955, 55 (3-4), pp. 331-339.

9. C.C.Chen, S.I. Oh and S. Kobayash, Ductile fracture in axisymmetric extrusion and drawing, Part 1 Deformation mechanics of extrusion and drawing, ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry, 1979, Vol. 101 pp.

23-35.

10. U.S. Dixit and P. M. Dixit, An analysis of steady-state wire drawing of strain-hardening materials, J. of Mat. Proc. Tech, 1995, v 47, pp.201-229.

11. D.C. Ko and B.M. Kim, The prediction of central burst defects in extrusion and wire drawing, J. of Mat. Proc. Tech, 2000, v 102, pp.19-24.

12. A. El-domiaty and S.Z. Kassab, Temperature rise in wire drawing, J. of Mat. Proc. Tech, 1998, Vol. 83, pp.72-83.

13. P. Phelan, J. Brandon and M. Hillery, Central burst defect analysis of the wiredrawing process using an accumulated damage parameter, Proc. Inst Mech Engrs, Part C, 2001, Vol 215, pp. 1313-1319.

14. H.H. Jo, S.K. Lee, M.A. Kim and

B.M. Kim, Pass schedule design system in the dry wire-drawing process of high carbon steel, Proc. Inst. Mech. Engrs., Part B, J. Engineering Mechanics, 2002, Vol 216, pp. 365-373 15. B. Avitzur, The use of personal computer for simulation of the process of wire drawing and extrusion in an interactive, user-friendly mode, Wire Journal International, January 1990, pp. 48-60.

16. A Zompi, Cipparrone and R Levi, Computer aided wire drawing, Wire, 1994, Vol. 44, pp. 261-269.

17. M.A. Crissfield M A, “Non-linear finite element analysis of solids and structures,” John Wiley and Sons, 1991.

18. S.S. Rao, “Finite element methods in engineering,” Pergamon Press, New York, 1989.

19. D. Macdougall, “Determination of the plastic work converted to heat using radiometry,” 2000, Vol 40, No 3, pp. 298-306. ■

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Control of cable twist in the manufacture of steel tire cord The uniaxial tensile test can be used to better understand twist-related issues, many of which can be traced to maintenance and differences in component design or consistency.

By Thomas W. Tyl

Proper control of cable twist during the manufacture of steel tire cord is critical for factory handling of material to be consumed by tire manufacturers.

Improper twist control can result in snarling and bunching of cable during payoff in the creel room, trapped ends in the spool during payoff and unacceptable tip rise and sheet curling during the cutting operation. Such problems can result in the need to cut out the offending material, to rearrange cable in the eyelet boards and to scrap entire spools of cable. Most modern cable sheet cutting operations are automated, using air pressure or mechanical means to help handle the cable sheet.

Fig. 1. Engineering versus true stress.

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Even small amounts of sheet tip rise can cause jamming. One way to avoid such problems is to station an employee at the cutting shears to manually feed sheet stock into the cutters. This is an added labor cost for the customer that can cost up to $70 an hour. In extreme cases, the sheet cannot be fed into the cutting shears, resulting in unusable product. In such a case, entire sheets of calendared and rubber top-coated material must be scrapped. These types of large scrap costs impact tire plant output negatively, and if twist issues are not properly addressed by the cord manufacturer, plant disqualification can follow.

True versus engineering stress Many issues that affect twist can be explained by examining the stressâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; strain curve generated from the uniaxial tensile test. Recall that there are two common forms of the stress strain relationship: engineering and true. While the engineering stress strain curve is based upon just the original cross sectional area, the true stress strain curve is based on the instantaneous cross-sectional area during the test. The differences in the curves can be seen schematically in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2. Idealized stress-strain curve.

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Fig. 3. Moderately strain hardened material.

Engineering stress – strain curve Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of an idealized engineering stress strain curve. Although the engineering curve is not a good representation of the stress and strain state of filament, the figure clearly depicts critical stages in the strengthening of filament. This curve is shown for its four distinct regions: the elastic region; a region of distinct yielding; a strain hardening region; and a region of necking. During drawing the material’s stress state follows the curve through the elastic and yielding regions and into the strain hardening region. Ideally, drawing is terminated near the strain hardening limit. If the material is drawn significantly into the necking region, the material is said to be overdrawn and usually is referred to as brittle.

Pearlitic colonies in the patented structure of steel rotate as the material is pulled through successive fine drawing dies. Plates become oriented parallel to the drawing direction while at the same time dislocations are generated and tangle, helping to prevent and make difficult further slip. After fine drawing the steel filament has a “memory” so that if it is pulled in a uniaxial tensile test at least one of the four distinct regions will be missing, usually the entire yielding and strain hardening region; in most cases some of the necking region will also be missing. For a filament, the stress–strain curve can appear schematically as shown in Fig. 3 for a moderate-

Fig. 4. Highly strain hardened material.

ly strain hardened steel (all of the yielding and some of the strain hardening region missing) or Fig. 4 for a highly strain hardened steel (all of the yielding region and strain hardening region missing, some of the necking region missing).

There are several factors that can affect the actual shape of the stress – strain curve for a steel filament. Excluding all mechanical issues like surface quality and presence of die marks after fine drawing, these are the patented tensile strength, patented microstructure and the presence of any decarburization or partial decarburization. The work hardening rate can also vary with pearlite colony size which can be a function of steel chemistry, the steel manufacturing process and the patenting wire temperature.

Filament stress condition – affect on twisting Consider steel drawn to four different conditions or stress states to produce filament. Fig. 5 shows a true stress strain curve for four resulting filaments. In it, filament A has been stressed to Point A’ so that if subsequently pulled in a uniaxial tensile test the shape of the curve produced will be A-A’-F, which describes a filament that has been worked to a very low degree (under drawn). Similarly, filament B stressed to Point B’ when pulled will assume the curve shape described by B-B’-F, a filament that has been moderately strain

Tyl Thomas W. Tyl is the principal for Tire Wire Technology (TWT), LLC, Siler City, North Carolina, USA. He previously worked in steel reinforcement for 15 years for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. His focus for 13 years was in plant manufacturing operations, plant and equipment engineering, and product and process development and for two years incorporate reinforcement research. He holds a master of engineering degree in metallurgical engineering and materials science from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.B.A. degree in manufacturing management from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.S. degree in materials science from North Carolina State University. This paper was presented at WAI’s 76th Annual Convention, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, May 2006.

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Fig. 5. Single steel drawn to four different conditions. hardened. Filament C has been stressed to Point C’. When subsequently pulled, it will have a curve the shape of C-C’-F, which describes a filament that has been highly strain hardened. Filament D has been stressed to Point D’, so when subsequently pulled in a uniaxial tensile test the shape of the curve produced will be D-D’-F, which describes a filament that has been overdrawn (brittle).

Reaction of the filaments when subjected to an applied plain stress and torsional stress as seen during the cable manufacturing process can be simplified by considering only the plain stress.

Again referring to Fig. 5, if the four filaments described in the previous paragraph are subsequently twisted into cable during which they are subjected to a plain stress, S1, the four filaments will react very differently.

If filament A was originally one meter in length, the final length of filament A will change by the amount (s1-A) meters on the horizontal axis of Fig. 5.

If filament B was originally one meter in length, the final length of filament B will change by the amount (s1-B) meters on the horizontal axis of Fig. 5.

Filament C will return to its original dimensions (one meter) when the stress, S1 is removed.

Filament D will return to its original dimensions (one meter) when the stress, S1 is removed.

The four filaments listed in the paragraph above will yield significantly different cable twisting characteristics as well as other characteristics like telescoping core. Although the under drawn

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Fig. 6. Moderately strain hardened material.

filament (A in Fig. 5) is an extreme example used to illustrate a point, differences in stress state do result in different cable twists, especially when a filament creel is changed. Consider the affect on cable twist balance in a 4X stranded cable when each of four filaments are in different stress states like A, B, C and D in Fig. 5. Two filaments (C and D) will return to their original dimensions while filaments A and B will be significantly longer but unequal in length. This will require a significantly different machine set-up to correct the twist imbalance and can lead to other defects like looped filament protruding from the cable.

When the filament itself is responsible for twist variation and the machine is set up to compensate for the twist difference, machine twist will likely require readjustment upon filament recreel. This is why it is important to check cable twist after each filament recreel; twist will likely be off by a similar amount but in the opposite direction.

Applied stress – affect on twisting In general, applied stress on a filament during twisting increases as the filament moves through the machine unless a de-tensioning device like a grooved capstan is used to reduce applied stress. Payoffs are usually designed with some type of back tensioning device and thereafter each time the filament passes over a pulley or through a guide die stress is added to the filament. The previous section relat-

ed a filament’s stress condition to a constant applied stress. Fig. 6 describes schematically the reaction of a single filament (or several filaments) in identical stress states to different applied stresses.

Again assuming a plain stress condition for simplicity, if the filament is subjected to an applied stress of S1, a one meter length of filament will increase in length by s1 meters as shown in Fig. 6. When the stress is removed the filament will return to its original length of one meter. If the same filament is subjected to a stress S2 as shown in the figure, its length will increase by the amount s2 meters for an original filament length of one meter.

When the load is removed, the change in length (and filament strength) will be permanent. Loading the filament to a stress level S3 may result in breakage or necking since the filament is overdrawn. If necking or breakage does not occur, the filament’s length will change by s3 meters for an original filament length of one meter.

Every twisting machine manufacturer should strive to ensure that the load applied to similar filaments (e.g. filaments of the same diameter in the same cable layer) is identical. This means that similar filaments should pass over identical pulleys and guide dies entering and exiting at identical angles until the filaments pass the forming point. As stated earlier, each time a filament passes over a pulley or through a guide die the stress applied to the filament increases.

This means that if similar filaments pass

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over dissimilar numbers of pulleys or through different numbers of guide dies, it is unlikely that the applied stress will be the same.

Similarly, it is generally a poor machine design practice to pull two or more filaments over a common roller.

Even if the filaments are subjected to identical applied loads before the common roller, it is unlikely that the loads will be identical after the common roller. It is generally geometrically impossible to have multiple filaments enter and exit a common roller at exactly the same angle; even small differences in angle will result in different applied loads. It is also not unusual for filaments to cross and uncross on a common smooth roller, particularly if the roller is just upstream from the cable forming point. This situation causes filaments to continuously enter and exit the common roller at different angles, resulting in surprisingly different applied stresses. Compounding this is “jump” and slippage when filaments cross on the common smooth roller.

Substituting a common grooved roller in place of a smooth roller in this situation will result in similarly varying loads, especially if the filaments continuously climb the sides of a “Vee” groove, which affectively changes the size of the common roller. Although this design will prevent filament crossing it increases other stress related filament length changes.

There are several other issues related to machine design that can cause filament applied load to differ among similar filaments; listing all of these issues is beyond this paper ’s scope. The machine manufacturer or a competent cable forming consultant should be contacted if machine-induced twist or cable forming issues are suspected.

The result on a cable of filaments of varying lengths due to different applied stresses is identical to the case of processing filaments in different stress states, as described previously using Fig. 5. Different stresses applied to similar filaments will result in unbalanced cables that require machine set-up twist adjustment. However, unlike when filament stress state is responsible for changing cable twist, the machine does

not require a new setup with a filament creel change since the twist induced is a function of the machine.

Ideally, identical pulleys and guide dies result in identical incrementally applied filament stress. In reality, no two pulleys or guide dies are identical; this is a reason for a method to adjust twist on the twisting machine (e.g. killing rolls or an over-twister). However, most gross machine related changes in twist are related to guide die and pulley maintenance (surface wear or in the case of a pulley surface wear and bearing wear). Nevertheless, maintenance teammates should not downplay affects of filament stress state on cable twist. Unless an obvious maintenance issue is identified, filament should be tested to help ensure that twist and other cabling issues are not filament related. Failure to heed this warning can result in millions of dollars per year in parts change-out that do not address the actual cable defect root cause.

Cable strands Similar cable strands combined to produce a more complex cable are subject to the same precautions outlined for filament, namely strand stress state and machine design. Arguments related to cable twist and quality for similar strands is identical and similarly described for the more complex component.

applied stress twist issues can be traced to maintenance and differences in component (e.g. pulley and guide die) design or consistency.

References 1. T. W. Tyl, “Control of Strengthening Mechanisms in the Manufacture of Steel Tire Cord,” 2005 WAI 75th Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2005.

2. R. P. Schenk and T.W. Tyl, “Control of Wet Drawing Lubricant in the Manufacture of Steel Tire Cord,” Proceedings of The Wire Association International, Inc., Prague, Czech Republic, October 2005.

3. S. Salamon, et al, “Effect of the manufacturing process of round steel ropes for wire properties,” WAI International Technical Conference, Zakopane, Poland, 1999.

4. G. De Palma, “High tech stranding,” Wire Journal International, August 1996, pg. 86.

5. C. Pelucchi and P. Gill, “The double-twist buncher and quality ropes,” Proceedings, WAI 69th Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 1999. ■

Conclusion Cable twist and other cabling defects can easily be understood by examining a filament’s stress state using a simplified plain stress model. Similar conclusions can be drawn using the same model for stresses applied to filament during cabling. Identical arguments can be made for similar cable strands being processed into a more complex cable.

Issues related to a filament’s stress state can usually be traced to the last heat treating operation where the strain hardening rate, microstructure and other properties are set prior to fine drawing.

Machine induced differences in applied stress can usually be designed out of equipment. However, the majority of

OCTOBER 2007 91

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Products Compact butt welder offers heavy duty performance Micro Products Company has introduced the Micro-Weld ADX-1, which it describes as a “Super Heavy Duty Butt Welder in a Compact Size” with four new features.

The new model, a press release said, offers big performance in a small size with reliability and consistency.

It said the system was for welding steel wire or rod up to 1 in. in diameter, “in the most cost-effective manner possible, in the toughest work environment.” The compact size saves valuable floor space while new SCR welding and annealing circuits provide unmatched precision and repeatability, it said.

The release said that the Super

Heavy Duty ADX1 butt welder offers the following new features: weld and anneal in the same plane; a super heavy duty straight slide welding headpiece for superior weld results; a compact heavy duty truck design with space saving foot print; and separate welding and annealing circuits built in with SCR controlled settings from 0 – 99.

Contact: Bill Keiler, Micro Products Company, tel. 800-872-1068, www.micro-weld.com.

Reverse bending descaler is both durable and productive Italy’s OM Frigerio, represented in North America by Howar Equipment, notes that its latest FASO line of descalers features a timetested, tungsten carbidefused steel roller that removes most surface oxide from wire rod.

The rough surface fused tungsten carbide, a press release said, has been used by one customer for more than six years without needing replacing.

Following the six-roller, reverse-bending roller descaler, the wire goes through a wire brushing head that has new 140 mm wide wire brushes that can be adjusted to constantly maintain

proper brushing pressure, it noted. The brushing head as well as the brushes rotate simultaneously to provide a clean surface around the entire circumference of the wire, it said.

This mechanical method of descaling wire with the added brushing provides for an economical means of cleaning the wire prior to wire drawing, and requires very little maintenance compared to chemical acid pickling, the release said.

Contact: Chris Hauer, Howar Equipment, Inc., tel. 905-738-4010, sales@howarequipment.com.

Speed-length gauge can reduce cable ‘giveaway’ U.K.-based Proton Products International, represented in North America by Weber & Scher, reports that its InteliSENS SL2550 Laser Doppler Speed and Length Gauge can help manufacturers control the amount of product they lose in the cable production process.

The gauge has been successfully intro-

duced to cable makers, with positive feedback in terms of its user friendliness, a press release said. The unit, it said, works in the gauge, making it possible to offer an indicator that can be fitted directly on the gauge and makes it easy for the operator to see the cable length while working at the take up end of the extruder.

The PSU-ARQ unit provides analogue outputs of speed, three quadrature pulse outputs, RS232 and relays for pre set length 1 and 2 as well as gauge diagnostics, the release said. Additionally the ARQ features a USB port for connecting the gauge to a PC and Profibus, Ethernet IP and DeviceNet are all available for integrating into a PLC or network.

Contact: Gregory K. Scher, Weber & Scher/Proton Products, tel. 908-2368484; qphtech@webscher.com.

Marking machines can do many products, are in compliance with quality requirements France’s LASELEC S.A. reports that its ULYS™ and MRO 200 wire and cable marking machines, well tried and tested in the demanding aerospace, automotive, and railway industries, guarantee not only permanent and non-aggressive marking, but also compliance with quality requirements associated with cable handling.

The MRO 200 range of machines, a press release said, is the ideal complement 92 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

to the ULYS™ range, designed for medium to large production runs. It meets the needs of all aircraft maintenance, repair and modification centers, as it is suited for small production runs as well as for rework, it noted.

The company noted that it is also conducting software, mechanical and optical modifications on its customers’ machines as part of an innovation release program

(IRP). This program, it said, “complements the extremely reactive and effective aftersales service provided and is designed to support customers and avoid obsolescence of the marking equipment after five years, which is so often the case with high-tech equipment.”

Contact: LASELEC Inc. (U.S. office), tel. 817-460-7830; infousa@laselec.com.

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Management system can control material inventory U.S.-based Process Control Corporation has introduced the Gravimetric Inventory Management System GIMS), technology that can control the weighing and storing of either re-pelletized material or delivered raw pellet materials with little or no operator intervention.

The GIMS, a press release said, can also be used to verify delivered resins before entering them into inventory. It can be configured to operate in a continuous mode for loading silos or other surge bins for storage or as a batching system for loading Gaylord boxes for storage, it said, noting that the system can provide totals for a given production shift, a complete production run or an overall running total of material.

The release said it works as follows: pellet material is conveyed either from a pelletizer, storage or delivery unit into a surge hopper via a pressure or vacuum system. The hopper offers easy visual inspection of the material level as well as a clean-out door and a highlevel proximity sensor to shut down the conveying system and prevent the system from over-filling. The material is then discharged from the surge hopper through a slidegate into a weighed hopper. Finally, the material is discharged through a second metering gate into a Gaylord box or is conveyed to either a storage silo or storage bin via a vacuum or pressure system. The entire system is controlled with an easy-to-use touchscreen interface. The inventory data can then be printed or transferred to an existing supervisory type inventory control system.

Contact: Stephen Buckley, Process Control Corporation, tel. 770-449-8810, ext. 237, sb@process-control.com.

‘Cable Savers’ shorten need to stock auto battery cables U.S.-based Coleman Cable Inc. (CCI) reports that its Road Power™ brand has been expanded to include a line of “Cable Savers” for car, truck and marine applications.

These unique cables, a press release said, eliminate the need to stock the same model cable in many different lengths. “When using a Battery Cable Saver, only the worn terminal-end of the old battery cable is replaced. Simply detach the defective cable from the battery and cut the cable near the corroded terminal. Strip the old cable and

attach it to the Cable Saver. Finally, the Cable Saver’s lead-free terminal is connected to the battery.”

The Cable Savers come in three models: top post, dual lead and side post. The release said that they are constructed with tin-plated brass terminals that supply maximum corrosion protection and feature a rugged jacket manufactured from high temperature PVC designed to resist water, oil, and chemicals.

Contact: Coleman Cable, Inc., www.colemancable.com.

DC motors are equipped with encoders inside the motor Bodine Electric Company announced that it has developed the Incodermotors™, a new selection of permanent magnet DC and Brushless DC motors and gearmotors that are equipped with encoders inside the motor.

Encoders, which are used to measure speed and position, are common add-on components in motion control systems, a

press release said. Up to now, OEMs have been forced to either build or buy separate encoder units, it noted. As the encoder is inside the motor, it is protected from harsh environments, and the overall size of the motor-encoder combination is not increased, it said.

Contact: Bodine Electric Company, www.bodine-electric.com.

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Rotary-blade stripper can remove insulations from many cables U.S.-based Eraser Company, Inc., reports that its Model K8A rotary blade wire stripper is a precision rotary wire stripper for round, extruded, built-up (solid and stranded), magnet, enamel, film insulated wires and coaxial cables.

The K8A, a press release said, can remove tough insulations such as Kapton, silicon rub-

Cable lubricant can make longer pulls possible U.S.-based ARNCO Corp. has introduced Hydralube™ F-300i cable lubricant, a polymerbased, water soluble lubricant formulated to help place wire and cable in electric and telecommunications applications.

With a pourablegel consistency, Hydralube F-300i is easy to apply and allows for longer pulls through difficult and long underground horizontal pulls, a press release said, noting that a low coefficient of friction provides easier pulls, and helps reduce side and tail loads during cable installations.

Hydralube F-300i has a slow-drying

formula, leaving a lubricating, nonadhesive film that will not cement to the cable-in-conduit, the release said. Its lower viscosity, it said, allows for easy pumping or pouring, thus avoiding messy hand application.

Effective for use with high-voltage power cables and conventional copper telecommunication cables, it was described as “the solution for users who want a clean and easy-to-apply pulling lubricant for longer cable and wire pulls.”

Contact: ARNCO Corporation, tel.

440-322-1000; info@arncocorp.com.

Tension controller makes for very smooth winding ber and armored polythermaleze, and blade depth, blade pressure and strip length is adjustable. Close-up stripping to work pieces, coil bodies and bobbins is possible as the blade tips are located directly behind the see-through guard and by removing the strip length stop, window stripping on magnet wire is also possible, it noted.

The Eraser Company notes that customers can send it a 10-20 foot material sample of your material for a recommendation on the best processing solution.

Contact: The Eraser Company, Inc., tel. 315-454-3237; Internet www.eraser.com.

U.S.-based Hardy Instruments reports that its new closed-loop tension controller provides precision control over unwinding and rewinding in web and strand processing applications.

The HI 3300, a press release said, features dual 4-20 mA output and Ethernet TCP/IP interface, and optional network interfaces include Remote I/O, DeviceNet, Profibus, ControlNet, and Modbus TCP. The new controller technology includes WAVERSAVER®, the release said, which ignores machine vibration to provide an accurate tension reading and optimized throughput; C2 Electronic Calibration®, which cali-

brates in seconds without test weights and eliminates downtime; and SMM (Secure Memory Module), which automatically back ups configuration data for added security Contact: Hardy Instruments, tel. 800-821-5831; Internet www.hardyinstruments.com.

Vinyl compounds get Canadian okay, can be used for flexible cords/cables U.S.-based Sylvin Technologies, Inc., reports that the Canadian Standards Association International has approved its line of 105°C lead-free, RoHS-compliant vinyl compounds designed for flexible cords and cables.

The CSA approval, a press release said, is a first for the company and strengthens a strategic goal of placing more focus on wire and cable products.

The 105°C vinyl insulation and jacket94 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ing compounds received recognition under CSA Class 7999-01 Polymeric Raw Materials for Wire and Cable Compounds, it said, noting that four compounds were CSA-approved: Sylvin 5170-85 and 5175-92 for wire insulation and 6168-80 and 6185-80 for wire jacketing. Each compound, it noted, received approval for 105°C SJTOOW with -40°C low temperature approvals.

With the approvals, electrical wire and cable manufacturers now have more flexibility in choosing materials for the North American market, the release said, noting that the compounds also carry UL approvals, “making them ideal for the entire North American flexible cord marketplace.”

Contact: Doug Eby, Sylvin Technologies, Inc., tel. 717-336-2823; doug.eby@sylvin.com.

2

7

7

_

4

2

12 (twelve)

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank) Publisher (Name and complete mailing address)

CAN/MEX $105.00 OTHER $125.00

203-453-2777

Telephone (Include area code)

Steven J. Fetteroll

Contact Person

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Wire Association International, Inc.

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Wire Association International, Inc.

PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 1 of 3 (Instructions Page 3)) PSN: 7530-09-000-8855 PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com

Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement)

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes:

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Complete Mailing Address

Wire Journal Inc.

Full Name

X

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box None

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Wire Journal Inc.

10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.)

Complete Mailing Address Full Name

NONE

Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Mark Marselli 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

September 24, 2007 6. Annual Subscription Price (if any) USA $95.00

Publisher

October 2007

95.7%

Date

September 24, 2007

95.9%

14,778

1,065

1,068 14,141

13,713

* Previous statements included Canada mailing counts in line 15.b.(1). Canadian copies were no longer mailed by USPS as of June 2007, and the entire year’s mailings to Canada are included in line 15.b.(3).

PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 2 of 3)

566

1,065

566

13,147

4,006*

N/A

9,141*

14,778

13,073

567

1,068

567

12,506

3,840*

N/A

8,666*

14,141

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner

September 2007 Average No. Copies Each No. Copies of Single Issue Published Issue During Preceding Nearest to Filing Date 12 Months

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the issue of this publication.

i.

Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by f times 100)

Total (Sum of 15f and g)

Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3))

g. h.

Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e)

f.

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources)

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates)

In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources)

Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), and (3))

(4)

(3)

(2)

Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources)

e.

d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(1)

c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4))

(4)

Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®)

b. Legitimate Paid and/or In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

Requested (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet reDistribution (2) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, (By Mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) and Outside Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter the Mail) (3) Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®

Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

(Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet re(1) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run)

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

12:38 PM

Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Steven J. Fetteroll 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

5

3. Filing Date

Wire Journal International

13. Publication Title

9/27/2007

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer)

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

7

5. Number of Issues Published Annually

0

2. Publication Number

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4®)

Monthly

4. Issue Frequency

Wire Journal International

1. Publication Title

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)

OWNERSTATEMENTBB.qxp

Page 1

Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®)

Publisher

October 2007

Date

September 24, 2007

* Previous statements included Canada mailing counts in line 15.b.(1). Canadian copies were no longer mailed by USPS as of June 2007, and the entire year’s mailings to Canada are included in line 15.b.(3).

PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 2 of 3)

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the issue of this publication.

95.9%

95.7%

Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by f times 100)

i.

14,778

14,141

Total (Sum of 15f and g)

h.

1,065

Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3))

13,713

566

1,065

566

13,147

1,068

g.

567

1,068

567

12,506

4,006*

3,840*

13,073

Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e)

f.

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources)

(4)

Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), and (3))

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates)

In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources)

(3)

(2)

e.

d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(1)

Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources)

c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4))

(4)

N/A

9,141*

N/A

8,666*

14,778

2

7

7

_

4

2

12 (twelve)

5

203-453-2777

Telephone (Include area code)

Steven J. Fetteroll

Contact Person

CAN/MEX $105.00 OTHER $125.00

6. Annual Subscription Price (if any) USA $95.00

September 24, 2007

3. Filing Date

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Complete Mailing Address

PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 1 of 3 (Instructions Page 3)) PSN: 7530-09-000-8855 PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com

Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement)

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes:

Wire Association International, Inc.

Wire Journal Inc.

Full Name

X

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Wire Association International, Inc.

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box None

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Wire Journal Inc.

10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.)

Complete Mailing Address Full Name

NONE

Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Mark Marselli 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Steven J. Fetteroll 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank) Publisher (Name and complete mailing address)

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer)

1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT, 06437

7

5. Number of Issues Published Annually

0

2. Publication Number

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4®)

Monthly

4. Issue Frequency

Wire Journal International

1. Publication Title

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)

11:16 AM

b. Legitimate Paid and/or In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

Requested (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet reDistribution (2) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, (By Mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) and Outside Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter the Mail) (3) Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®

Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

(Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet re(1) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

14,141

Average No. Copies Each No. Copies of Single Issue Published Issue During Preceding Nearest to Filing Date 12 Months

September 2007

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

9/24/2007

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run)

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

Wire Journal International

13. Publication Title

Project1

Page 1

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Pneumatic lifter ideal for the loading and unloading of coils that weigh up to 250 lb U.S.-based Anver Corporation has introduced a pneumatic, below-the-hoist lifter with fully powered 90 degree tilt and specialized rubber vacuum suction cups for loading and unloading coils onto presses.

The Anver ETL Coil Lifter, a press release said, provides continuous vacuum to compensate for the slight loss of vacuum which is inherent with coil handling and has rubber suction cups with ridges to keep the coils flat and prevent telescoping.

Featuring a compressed air cylinder that

tilts 90 degrees, this lifter tilter is ideal for feeding presses with coils weighing up to 250 lb, it noted.

The coil lifter, which is equipped with two cross arms and fully adjustable vacuum suction cups, can handle coils up to 32 in. diameter, the release said.

Standard features include handlebar controls for

attach, release, and tilt, vacuum gauges, a vacuum loss sensor, alarm system, and optional remote controls, it said. Applications include loading and unloading presses, stacking, and packing boxes.

Contact: Anver Corporation, tel. 800-6543500; www.anver.com.

Series of VOC-free inks offers good adhesion and more for ink jet systems U.S.-based Matthews Marking Products reports that its SCP-900 series of inks for use with existing drop-on-demand ink-jet systems has been formulated to meet the increasing concerns for environmentally responsible industrial processes.

A press release said that the inks contain no VOCs (Volatile Organic

Compounds) and provide good adhesion, strong UV stability, and durable abrasion resistance. The inks are available in red, blue, green, black and white and their dry time averages between one and three seconds, depending on the substrate and boldness of the mark, it said.

The SCP-900 series of inks has been

developed to work with Matthewsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DOD 8000 Series and standard valve ink-jet printheads.

Contact: Michelle Spaulding, Matthews Marking Products, tel. 412-665-2488, Internet www.matthewsmarking.com. â&#x2013;

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Media Catalog shows range of bridge and gantry cranes A 28-page catalog from U.S.-based North American Industries, Inc., presents the company’s range of bridge and gantry cranes and more as well as its custom engineering and support capabilities.

The NAI Overhead Cranes Catalog describes a full line of bridge and gantry cranes, including custom cranes with capacities up to 150 tons and spans up to 150 ft.

Developed to help readers select the best overhead crane for their requirement, it includes product descriptions, photographs, specifications, applications information, and installation options.

The company, which makes more than 500 cranes a year, highlights its ability to meet special material handling requirements such as high duty cycles, long bulky loads, tight spaces and remote operation. Crane kits, components, parts, and inspection services are also described.

Contact: North American Industries, Inc., www.naicranes.com.

Speed-length gauge reduces cable ‘giveaway U.S.-based Leland Powell Fasteners, Inc., reports that it has updated its website to make it easy to navigate and provide more updated product and service information.

A press release said that features include new request forms for quotes and placing orders online as well as information about the company, the Leland Powell Story, an animated Power Point presentation with narration. Other areas detail the company’s lab testing services, product offerings, engineering data, additional resources and literature request form. Users can also post questions regarding specific fastener problems.

Contact: Leland Powell Fasteners, Inc., www.lelandpowell.com. ■

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

FOR SALE 1 - NORTHAMPTON 760mm D.T. Buncher 1 - NORTHAMPTON 630mm D.T. Buncher 1 - NEW ENGLAND BUTT 12-Head 18” Planetary Cabler 1 - WATSON 36” Rotating Cabler Line 1 - SYNCRO FX-13 Rod Breakdown Drawing Line, Copper 2 - VAUGHN 10-Die Rod Breakdown Drawing Lines, AL and CU 1 - ENTWISTLE 4.5” 24:1 L/D PVC Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 2.5” 24:1 L/D Nylon Extruder 1 - D/S 2” 30:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extrusion Line 1 - D/S 2” 24:1 L/D / 1.25” 30:1 L/D Extrusion Line 6 - BARTELL 60”, 72” Payoffs and Take-ups 1 - 30” Core Neutralizer Payoff 1 - NEB 18-Head 22” Rigid Strander, L-R

1 - CLIPPER Model PS50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up 1 - CLIPPER Model PS36 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up 1 - ENTWISTLE 36” Dual Reel Take-up, Model THE 24/36 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 30” Dual Reel Take-up 1 - SYNCRO DFH Spooler, 30” Reel w/ENDEX Dancer 1 - DAVIS ELECTRIC Model CRS30 Rewinder 1 - E.J.R. Triple Head Taper, Model 2002HT 1 - VIDEOJET Model 37e InkJet Printer, new 2000 1 - ADVANTAGE Chiller, Model MK-25AM41HBX, 9/98 41 - 48” x 32-1/4” ID x 25” Barrel x 3” Arbor Toroidal Reels

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

98 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Straight & Cut Wire Cut To Your Specifications Bright Basic, Galvanized, Stainless, Aluminum Alloy, Aluminum Coated Steel Wire, and Annealed.

Lengths from 2’ - 40’ Diameters from .100 - .312

Ready to serve you from Dallas, TX Ontario, CA Clover, SC Please call 1-800-358-9942

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WJI Classified Ad Information

Wire Journal International classified advertising is the most cost-effective way to get your sales message out through WJI’s circulation of more than 15,000. Your ad will also appear on wirenet.org and wcexpo.com, adding thousands of viewers.

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

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: • $1.25 per word for Wire Journal International and on-line classifieds at wirenet.org and wcexpo.com (20 word minimum). • Blind box numbers, add $10. • Boldface headlines, add $5 per line (up to 18 characters per line). Be sure to specify category.

BLIND BOX INFO: Blind box numbers assure the confidentiality of the advertiser in both the WJI and the on-line publication. Responses are mailed out within two business days after

receipt. Responses to Blind Box ads should be addressed to: Wire Journal International, Box number (as it appears in print or on-line), P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA. PAYMENT POLICY: No agency commissions or cash discounts allowed. Ads are billed upon publication, or on secure cyber-cash sites on-line.

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 “on-line classified” booking will run in the next available issue of the WJI. USE OF THE WIRE JOURNAL CLASSIFIED ORDER BLANK located on the reverse side. Please type all copy submitted. Fax copies are acceptable; our fax number is 203-4538384. Telephone orders will not be accepted.

POSITION WANTED

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

POSITION SOUGHT. Wire industry professional holding advanced degrees in materials science and engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is available for a full-time/consulting position. Has experience in process engineering, metallography, mechanical properties testing and Scanning Electron Microscopy for range of ferrous and non-ferrous products. Has international experience and contacts. Based in Idaho, willing to relocate and travel. Contact: materials.engr@gmail. com, tel. 518221-8566.EER

SALES–METAL INDUSTRY. Central Wire Industries, LTD, North America’s leading stainless and nickel alloy wire drawer is searching for an experienced metal industry district sales manager.

The position is based in California and has an existing multi-state account base.

Requirements include a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of metal industry experience. Send resume and salary history/requirements to: resume@centralwire.com. EOE M/F/ D/V.

cessing conditions and tooling in conjunction with manufacturing personnel for a range of applications to include Profile Extrusion, Fiber Optic Buffering and Extruded Filament Yarns. Salary is based on the candidate’s experience. Apply via fax 860-599-5461 or call 860-599-5877.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES S A L E S R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S WANTED. A rapidly expanding global corporation specializing in drawing lubricants and surface technologies for the wire industry is seeking sales employees and independent sales representatives to sell high quality lubricants and associated technologies in several regions worldwide. If you are adept at building strong customer relationships, developing markets and increasing sales and want to work for a dynamic and rapidly expanding company please reply to: Box 10-1.

PROCESS ENGINEER. Plastics Extrusion Company is looking for a Process Engineer for our Pawcatuck, CT facility. The candidate will be responsible for setting up pro-

PERSONNEL SERVICES DUNHILL PROFESSIONAL SEARCH OF GREENWOOD. Serving the Wire and Cable Industry since 1978. Phone: 864-366-5555; e-mail dunhill@wctel.net. Contact: Hal Freese.

LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS.” Wire Resources is the fore-

Serving the non-ferrous and ferrous industries since 1983

OCTOBER 2007 99

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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”)

Send to: Attn: Classified WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL P.O. Box 578 Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA

HEADLINE (MAXIMUM 18 CHARACTERS) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ HEADLINE, 2ND LINE (18 CHARACTERS) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ENTER COPY HERE: RATE: Head @ $5 line $ _________ Full run: word count @ 1.25 $ _________ Blind box @ $10 $ _________ Total cost of insertion $ _________

PERSONNEL SERVICES most recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. For 30 plus years our clients have secured the services of thousands of key individual contributors, managers and executives. For corporations we provide recruitment, outplacement, and salary assessment functions. For the job seeker exploring new opportunities, we provide a wealth of information. Our services are performed in absolute confidence. Contact: WIRE RESOURCES, INC. 522 E. Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830, tel: 203-622-3000 or 800394-WIRE, email: wri@wireresources. com, Internet www.wireresources.com.

DIES CARBIDE SPECIALISTS, INC. offers excellent quality, price and delivery on all carbide wire die needs (R2-R12). Yes, you can have all three! Give us an opportunity to prove it. For personal attention to your specific requirements, contact Ray Northern at 440-951-4027; fax 440-954-9094.

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. 904-388-3654.

100 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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DIES

DIES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

APOLLO DIA-CARB COMPANY. Buy & sell new/used Natural & PCD DIAMOND DIES. Fair prices & excellent lead times. Contact Paulette, OwnerSales, by telephone at 1-508-226-1508 or by e-mail at apollodie@ wmconnect.com.

machines, equipments and accessories like Diamond Powder, Paste, Angular Pins, Wooden Pins, Measuring Pins, & Ceramic Tools for daily use. Please Contact: Mr. Ravi Bansal, Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Company, A –53, G.T. Karnal Road, Delhi-110033 (India). Tel. 00-9111-27427994-5-6. Fax: 00-91-1127452640, 23940226. Mob. 00-91-98110-78882. E-mail : ajexturner@ gmail.com, ajex@ndf.vsnl.net.in.

Internet Website: www.ajexturner.com, ajexdiamond.com.

WIRE MILL FOR SALE. Northeast location close to all major shipping arteries.

40,000 square feet. Fully operational and turn key. Equipment in very good condition.

2 shifts operating. All responses will be answered. Box 10-2.

WANTED: USED DIES. Case size R4s and up. Send us your dies. We will sort, check for cracks and buy usable dies.

205-841-8400. DPI@Bham.rr.com Precision Die Service, serving the nation’s wire industry since 1970.

PCD–NATURAL & CARBIDE DIES from Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. Ajex & Turner produces ND–PCD–Carbide Dies from 0.010–2 mm and Polycrystalline Diamond Dies from 0.070–32 mm & carbide dies up to 150 mm for all kinds of applications in drawing, compacting, stranding, tube and bar drawing. Extrusion Tools, shape dies are made as per specifications. Ajex also manufactures a wide range of in-house dies reconditioning

PROCESSES REMOVAL OF ZINC LUMPS. Be aware of our LUMPKILLER system specially designed for removal of zinc lumps from the inlets by the drawing of pre-galvanized wires. Also available is our detailed report, Drawing of Pregalvanized Wires, which describes the important parametres from rods to finished wires. Phone ++ 47-47883973 email jhugdahl@ broadpark.no

EQUIPMENT WANTED WE BUY SURPLUS LASER MICROMETERS. For a quote simply fax or email the manufacturer name and model #'s. Any condition. Fax 1-386426-2056; e-mail: johnknight@ microtex.net; www.microtex.net.

EQUIPMENT WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES.COM. For New & Used Wire & Cable Equipment. Tel. 727-863-4700; fax 727-8634711; or by e-mail at urbassoc@verizon. net. ■

GAVLICK MACHINERY CORPORATION 100 Franklin St., Bristol, CT 06010 USA Phone: 860-589-2900 Fax: 860-589-0863 email: sales@gavlick.com www.gavlick.com

Buying & Selling Used Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Wire & Cable Machinery JUST PURCHASED: • (16) Drawing Deadblocks; Morgans, Macbees, Whitacre; all sizes; 16"-28"; 30-75HP • (11) Wire Lab Model 310 Descalers, reverse bend • 28" Custom Bullblock, start rod 3/8", 125HP DC, HiRiding Stripper, electrics • Frigerio; 7 blk; 24.8"x67HP/blk; 5000FPM; BVD112 Vert. 44" Spooler; Cheng Descaler

• • • •

WIRE DRAWERS: Morgan 5BW; 5x22" blocks; start .218", finish .086", 300HP AC Morgan 6BW; 4x26"/2 x 22" blocks; start .218", finish .076"; 300HP AC (2) Vaughn Model DST Rod Drawers; .375" start Al., 10block-die tandem, 200HP DC with coiler (3) Shaving Lines for .250" aluminum rod

STRAIGHT & CUT MACHINES: • Shuster Model 4AV; .375"-.625"; 3' runout; new 9' track in crate; 1991 • (6) Lewis Model 1SHV-HS; .031"-.062" to .135"; 4' runout; 250-400 FPM

• Micro J5S, .060"-.250"

BAG-BAR TIE MACHINES: • (1) 3-head Bar Tie Spooling Machine • (4) Bag-Bar Tie Machines; 16 ga.; 5"-12" lgths.

• (4) Bar Tie Wire Spooling Machines; 3- 3-1/2 lbs.; 16 ga.

TURKHEADS: • Fenn Model 5U + 5P tandem, 28" shedding drum, 25/30HP • Fenn 6U Turkshead • Fenn 5TH Turkshead; max. sq. .437" • Karl Fuhr 3-stand Turkshead MESH WELDERS: • Jager NS200; 102"wide, .019"-.098" wire; shear; coiler • EVG GZN/85; 90"max. width; 85"max weld width; 1,2,3,4,6,8 line spacing; cross wire 1/2" up to 4"; wire dia. 1.4-3.8mm; slitter; nibbler; coiler for rolls; excellent

WIRE FORMING & BENDING: BUTT WELDERS: • Whitelegg CNC model CFM600TWR; .080".250"; 30KVA welder; 2000 • Micro T-HD; .125"-.500" • (2) Strecker Model 2B Butt Welders; 5-16mm, new • OMCG Model 690 Fourslide; 5/16"max. wire; 1997 1-1/2" strip; 27" feed lgth; like new • Micro J8S, .187"-.500"

WE WANT TO BUY YOUR GOOD SURPLUS EQUIPMENT. SEND US YOUR LIST.

VISIT WWW.GAVLICK.COM TO SEE OUR COMPLETE LISTINGS OCTOBER 2007 101

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Advertisers’ Index/Key Contacts ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

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

ACM-KSM/Howar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Chris Hauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 905- 738-4010

Conneaut Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 John Santos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 800-955-YARN

ACS Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 630-475-7517

Copperweld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Anthony Hale, Barry Moorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 931-433-0465

Amacoil, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3 Bob Eisele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 800-252-2645

Daikin America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100, 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 914-365-9531

Anbao Wire &Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 BJ Hur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 86-335-389-3600

Dow Wire & Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 800-441-4369

Axis Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Joanna Hoiberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 508-481-9600

Electrical Manufacturing Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 619-435-3629

Beta LaserMike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Bob Stockholm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 937-233-9935

Esteves-DWD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Steve Marcum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 260-728-9272

Bomco Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Patricia M. O'Neill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 978-283-2800 ext.1218

The George Evans Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 David Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ph. 309-757-8300

Bongard Drummond Trading LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 John Drummond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 260-625-6275

Fine International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Bruce Ceres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 973-586-3868

Boockmann GmbH/ The Slover Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Richard Slover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 713-468-1795

Fisk Alloy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Eric Fisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 973-427-7550

Cable Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Fred Hardy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 704-375-9313

Fort Wayne Wire Die, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4 Don Bieberich/John Downey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 260-747-1681

Carris Reels, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 David Ferraro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 802-773-9111

Gavlick Machinery Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Sue Pare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 860-589-2900

Cemanco LC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Rainer Lashofer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 954-630-1323

Gem Gravure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 David Gemelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 781- 878-0456

Commission Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Martin Kenner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ph. 401-943-3777

GMP Slovakia/Howar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Chris Hauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 905- 738-4010

CommScope Bimetals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2 Paul Bedder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 704-883-8015

Howar Equipment/ACM-KSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Chris Hauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 905- 738-4010

SALES OFFICES 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

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 E-mail: franksco@btopenworld.com

102 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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 E-mail: DMelcher@t-online.de

Anand Bhagwat Wire & Cable Services Pvt. Ltd. (WCS) E-mail abhagwat@wirenet.org or mobile 91-98-508-38467

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

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

Huestis Machine Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Joe Snee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ph. 800-972-9222

Micro Products Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Bill Keiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ph. 630-787-9350

Kamatics Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 860-243-9704

Paramount Die Company Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Richard Sarver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 410-272-4600

KEIR Manufacturing Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 800-992-2402

Pittsfield Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Peter Olsta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 413-442-0067

Kinrei of America/Watson Parts & Services Co. . . . . . . . . . . .67 Steve Hess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 973-677-9500

Precision Wire Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Glen Early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 800-358-9942

Lanxess Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 412-809-1000

Pressure Welding Machines Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Steve Mepsted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 44-1233-820847

Leoni Wire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 413-593-6618

PS Costruzioni Meccaniche Srl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Silvia Meroni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 39-039-689-8763

Madem SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ph. 55-54-3462-5600

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www.wireandplastic.com CBR935 TRAFALGAR/NORTHAMPTON 12+18 EXTRUSION wire 420mm LINES Planetary PLANETARY CABLER with 6” flat wheel capEXPL231 3 1/2” D.Std. 37 24: 1 Therm III jacketing line. stan, 2.6m Stolberger take up.

CBR751 22” Watson wire (6+12+18) planetary (2) Skalteks A12PS, 40” Hall belt610mm cat, Viteck TDV-260-3 CBR936 12 wire planetary cabling lineCARTER with dual capstan, taper, binder, 84” shaft22” vert. accum 16’, (2) D.E. TURA 36” takeups, CTC w/50” dual capstan, (2) 16” conc. Tapers, 1.8m less takeup, 72” S/L payoff. tape payoff, cone former, binder, Lasermike, Zumbach S/L payoff, 2mUV S/L take up.footage counter, Videojet TAKEUPS CAPAC, Fusion cure, Hall CBR937 TRAFALGAR 1+6 wire planetary, TKU846 NEW Samp 560mm dual420mm shaftless parallel 9900 printer, trough.

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(1989),Tandem 250 RPM - 18” lay WRD818 VAUGHN 10max, die 3” 18” blocks dual capstan. range, 1” OD max, 6000 LB max, 30 HP DC cradle CBR741/CBR743 36” Cook S. twist bunchers, drive, 15 HP AC reel(3) drive.

BH-36, Yr. Mfg. 1972, 14” conc. taper, also (1) BHCBR800 48” Northampton (NMC) D. TwistSTOCK strander OTHER EQUIPMENT 30, BH24, Yr. traverse, 1978. S/L cradle,IN (bow(3) type), Uhing dual capstan, (2) CBR716/CBR722 (9) 760 mm Samp D.T. bunchers, conc. binders. heater, 60/45/30mm extruders w/gas injection, BM760-D, Yr. Mfg. 1997/92 DIN500 Dual Take up.

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rod machine w/400 HP DC drive, 30” spooler.

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OCTOBER 2007 103

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Coming next month Wire & Cable Equipment: Part 2

Amacoilbth.qxp

3/19/2007

8:05 AM

Page 7

Wind up with an Amacoil/Uhing assembly for perfect pitch every time Pitch is adjustable (10:1) without requiring gear changes or adjusting motor speed. A single Amacoil/Uhing assembly may be used for winding many different diameter materials. Automatic reversal of the traverse is mechanically controlled – without clutches, cams or gears. No electronics or programming needed.

FEATURES • Zero backlash.

• Automatically synchronizes pitch with take-up reel rotational speed.

• Traverse drives with up to 800 lbs. axial thrust.

• Smooth, unthreaded shaft won't clog or jam – no bellows assembly needed.

• One inexpensive, unidirectional motor drives both the traverse and take-up reel.

• Free movement lever – no need to "jog" system on and off to position linear drive.

• Options and accessories for every winding situation.

• Light, medium and heavy-duty systems.

For Brochure or CD-ROM Call toll free 800-252-2645

email: amacoil@amacoil.com

www.amacoil.com AMACOIL, INC. PO Box 2228 • Aston, PA 19014 • Phone: 610-485-8300 • Fax: 610-485-2357

FORTWAYNEBooth.qxp

1/31/2006

6:03 PM

Page 6

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