Dies: Where's the value?

AUGUST 2016

WIIIR W REE JOU R JOUR RNAL

®

INTERNATIONAL www.wirenet.org

DIES:

WHERE’S THE VALUE?

EVENT PREVIEWS:

ITC

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

Volume 49 | Number 8 | August 2016

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

FEATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Industry Profile. . . . . . . . . . . 20 Patent Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 35 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

wire China preview . . . . . . . . . 42 Organizers of wire China report that attendees will be sure to find what they need at the sold-out Shanghai event.

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Mexico ITC preview

Technical Papers . . . . . . 70-83

It’s been six years since the WAI last staged an International Technical Conference in Mexico, and the the conditions support a return to this familiar venue.

Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Career Opportunities . . . . . . 95

. . . . . . . . 50

Dies: where’s the value? . . . . . 56 Dies are as basic as it gets in the wire and cable industry, so while the bottom line cost matters, so does what a supplier can offer beyond that.

Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . 95

Next issue:

September 2016 • Specialty Cables • IWCS preview • wire & Cable India preview

TECHNICAL PAPERS Melting options for copperconductors John Hugens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 IWCS Paper: Resistance to fire of communication cables according to European Standards Mario Maritano, Paolo Marelli, Jan Hennink, Jan Jonker, Neil Mabbott, Andreas Waßmuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Cover: A stylized treatment of a photo from Italy’s M & G di Barbin Mariolina s.a.s., www.mgdies, which manufactures hard metal/diamond wiredrawing dies, and offers services such as die reconditoning.

AUGUST 2016 | 3

WIRE JOURNAL

& Spring

efforts in 2008.

World The I N T E R N A T I O N A L2010 ITC, co-sponsored by Mexican wire w w w . w i r eassociation n e t . o r g Asociación Nacional de Transformadores de the hugely popular combined and Flawpaper DetecAcero A.C. (ANTAAC), featuredDiameter some 20 technical Proton Products International/U.K. tion Gage DGK SuperFast Series. ”We’d like to say presentations, the tabletop exhibits (Suppliers Market), aa At Interwire, Proton Products International showcased reception andyou’ a plant tour of Delphi III facility. big ‘thank to all who visitedGuadalupe (us) at Interwire 2015. the company’s InteliSENS SL series speed and length The technical presentations, both ferrous and nonferrous, gauges, which it noted are saving cable manufacturers were made over two days, with attendees able to visit the serious money every day around the world.

Suppliers Market during breaks as well as .during a recepA cover salute to industry vet 30 The return to Monterrey 50 As cable manufacturers purchase raw materials by the tion held the first night in the tabletop area. ton and then sell by length, it’s extremely important to make sure that when you sell a reel of cable at 1000 ft, its is not 1003 ft or 1005 ft, essentially giving away 0.3% or 0.5% for free, which can be typical in many production facilities. The InteliSENS SL Series gauges are calibrated to 0.03%, and with no moving parts to wear and non-contact operation eliminating slippage, we are extremely proud to work with our customers and provide a gauge that truly helps save money and improve profitability.

The DGK Series of gauges have no moving parts and measure the diameter an amazing 10,000 times per second, per axis. Available as either a dual- or triple-axis Grant Latimer, Proton Products.

Bob the Strauss is Fast retiring from Morgan-Koch It’s been six years since WAI last staged its gauge, Super Processing TechnologyCorp. analyzes after a 53-year career.

The brief People item sent in International Technical Conference in Monterrey, up to 30,000 measurements per second to display and Event Antonio Ayala, Latin America Sales Antonio Ayala speaks atour the 2010Antonio ITC in Ayala, Monterrey, It wasOrganizer without doubt busiest exhibition and was meager, ergo the decision to run the above photo Mexico, and industry consultant a our full communicate diameter, ovality, lumps and neckdowns.

Manager, Canterbury/Genca (CanGen), welcomes teamPast of agents andwho employees were on hand to take care of him, pointing. Aside from a bit of smoke (no mirWAI President was a key planner for both The company also showed a full range of products attendees to the conference. rors!), it captures an industry veteran moment at wire the 2010customers.” event—as well as the one that managing was held there of our Grant Latimer, director, including spark testers, capacitance gauges, lump and 36 | WIRE JOURNAL Düsseledorf. It made the Sept. 2012 WJI cover, and ing.latimer@protonproducts.com.

2008—believes thatINTERNATIONAL the time is definitely right for a neck detectors, heaters, speed & length gauges and seems a fitting pre farewell image.

Salute! return. The event is set for Oct. 18-20.

CONTENTS CONTENTS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Equipment OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL EDITORIAL

Mexico: the time is right for a WAI return It’s been six years since WAI held its last International Technical Conference (ITC) in Mexico, and I am thrilled that we will be returning to Monterrey this October.

For multiple reasons, Mexico is a place we should be, and it’s not just because the events we have held there (2004, 2008 and 2010) have been some of the Association’s most successful ones. Many sectors of the wire and cable industry in Mexico are thriving and providing an educational venue that also offers marketing and networking opportunities is a natural.

Some people may question holding an event in a country that they see as competing with the U.S. It’s easy to target NAFTA as the problem, only it’s not so simple. Since NAFTA began in 1994, bilateral trade between the U.S. and Mexico has boomed, and it’s been far from one-sided. In 2015, 31 U.S. states exported more than $1 billion to Mexico. It represents the largest export market for California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and ranks second for 25 other states.

As for jobs, the reality is that the biggest challenge to U.S. jobs has more to do with advances in technology. A study by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University found that productivity growth accounted for more than 85% of the job loss in manufacturing between 2000 and 2010, a period when employment in that sector fell by 5.6 million. Most of the balance (13%) was attributed to trade.

Does anyone think that trend will reverse? Advances in technology, indeed, are a blessing, but they can come with a price tag, one that neither walls nor tariffs are likely to solve. The WAI cannot solve such challenges, but what it can do is carry out its mission, and that leads to what is possibly the most important factor for where ITCs are held: support from the industry in the host country. It is here where we are blessed.

There are three key people whose dedication and desire to see the ITC return again to Mexico inspired the WAI’s Board of Directors: industry consultant Antonio Ayala, a WAI Past President; consultant Eduardo Anaya, Indepa SC; and Patricio Murga, director of technology and development, Viakable. These men share a passion for the industry and their desire to see the continuation of WAI activity in Mexico.

Without their considerable behind-the-scenes efforts, the ITC would not happen, and there’s no software program or app that could achieve what they have done.

Technology is wondrous, but chalk one up for the human spirit, and I hope that you will read the preview that starts on p. 50 and consider attending this event.

Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR Sept. 26-29, 2016: wire China 2016 Shanghai, China. The 7th All China International Wire & Cable Industry Trade Fair will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).

Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. See p. 42.

May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, which will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 87th Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org.

Oct. 2-5, 2016: 65th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity SymposiumM Providence, Rhode Island, USA. To be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

Oct. 3-5, 2017: Wire South America, São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Imigrantes Exhibition & Convention Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Oct. 5-7, 2016: Spring World 2016 Rosemont, Illinois, USA. To be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Contact: CASMI Office, tel. 630-359-4273, info@casmi-springworld.org.

Oct. 5-7, 2016: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event will be held at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center.

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

Oct. 8-11, 2017: 66th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium Orlando, Florida, USA. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 88th Annual Convention.

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS Sept. 13, 2016: New England Chapter 22nd Annual Golf Tournament Avon, Connecticut, USA. To be held at Golf Club of Avon.

Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 4537530, abzowski@wirenet.org.

Sept. 29, 2016: Southeast Chapter 15th Annual Golf Tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. To be held at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa, Conover, North Carolina. Contact Art Deming, tel. 252-955-9451, art.deming@ nexans.com.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Oct. 6, 2016: Ohio Valley 13th Annual Golf Tournament Solon, Ohio, USA. To be held at the Grantwood Golf Course.

Contact: Mark MacKimm, markmackimm@gmail.com or Steve Fetteroll, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Oct. 18-20, 2016: ITC Monterrey Monterrey, Mexico. To be held at the Crowne Plaza Monterrey, this event will include technical presentations, a tabletop display and more. Contact: Steve Fetteroll, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

November 3, 2016: Midwest Chapter Tour & Meeting Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA Fort Wayne Metals and Presentation at Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See above.

May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. See above.

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Danieli commissions wire mill described as the 1st such modern one in Nigeria A wire rod mill supplied by Danieli to Nigerian steel manufacturer, Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO), has passed hot commissioning, and full production capacity and was expected to soon begin at the plant in Magboro, Ogun State, Nigeria.

A press release said that Micro-Coax, Inc., which has manufacturing facilities in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and a joint venture operation in Blackburn, U.K., has 235 employees and annual sales of about $45 million. It has been in business for over 50 years and supplies wire and cable to the defense, aerospace and electronics sectors.

Its brands include UTiFLEX® flexible microwave cable assemblies, UTiFORM® hand formable cable, M-FLEX® cable assemblies and ARACON® metal clad fiber. It will operate as part of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies.

Carlisle’s President and CEO Chris Koch described the acquisition as a good addition. “Micro-Coax will broaden our product, technology and service ranges to our customers. This acquisition is consistent with our focus on higher margin, highly engineered products and is an excellent fit with Carlisle.”

Nexans completes record-setting submarine power cable project Danieli has completed the commissioning of a steel mill in Nigeria that will produce wire rod.

A press release said that the plant, described as the first such modern one in the country, is designed for annual production of 300,000 metric tons. It is fed by a 60 t/h pusher type reheating furnace, suitable for heating up to 130 mm and 120 mm sq billets, weighing up to 1,550 kg.

It integrates a 14-stand continuous rolling mill made up of SHS housingless stands in H and V configuration and a 10-pass DWB type high-speed wire rod block.

The line, the release said, includes an OFB-oil film bearing loop laying head (patented); a QTR+WCC wire rod controlled cooling line and a CCC-controlled cooling conveyor with coil reforming station, and associated vertical coil transporting system, compacting, tying and final collecting services.

Although the mill can produce wire rod from 5 to 16 mm diameter at the maximum speed of 80 m/s, its production is currently focused on 5.5 smooth wire rod at the rolling speed of 74 m/s to feed the existing Wempco drawing lines for the local market, the release said. It noted that full production capacity was expected within a couple of months.

Carlisle acquires Micro-Coax U.S.-based Carlisle Companies announced that it has acquired Micro-Coax, Inc., a global supplier of high-performance, high frequency coaxial wire and cable, and cable assemblies for mission-critical RF/microwave applications for defense, satellite, test and measurement and other industrial customers.

Nexans reports that it has completed a turnkey project to install a 420 kV XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) insulated submarine cable system that represents the world’s longest and deepest such power link.

A press release said that Nexans supplied 90 km of the power cable for BKK Nett AS, a Norwegian power company based in Bergen that will reinforce the grid in western Norway. The project, valued at approximately 75 million euros, provides a new power link, that has three parallel single core cables that run between Mongstad and Kollsnes, crossing two fjords: Hjeltefjorden and Lurefjorden.

At its deepest point, the cables were installed at 390 m, making this both the world’s deepest 420 kV XLPE system, and longest at this depth, with a length of 22 km, the release said. “The total length of the new Mongstad to Kollsnes connection will be around 30 km. On land, overhead lines will carry the power. However, the majority of the route crosses two fjords, requiring the installation of the submarine cables.”

The cable system was manufactured, delivered and installed by Nexans, which used its cable laying vessel, C/S Nexans Skagerrak, the release said. In the near-shore areas, the cables were mainly protected with HDPE pipes, outer shells or trenched by water jetting.

“Achieving these new world records was a great challenge for Nexans,” said Nexans Norway Project Manager Tom Skattum. “This contract for BKK represents the height of Nexans’ expertise in submarine power cables.”

Got news? E-mail it to the WJI at editorial@wirenet.org.

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

There was no official press release, but speaking at the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2016, Encore Wire Chairman, President and CEO Daniel L. Jones said that the company has nearly completed an expansion of

its armored cable plant.

As part of his Mordica Lecture, Jones talked about how his company has undergone incredible growth since the campus was first opened in McKinney, Texas, driven by demand

The submarine cables were made at Nexans’ facility in Halden, Norway, and laid in May, with termination work on shore expected to be ready for handover testing this autumn.

Nexans notes that it has an industrial presence in 40 countries, and employs close to 26,000 people worldwide.

for new and existing products. He noted that the 160,000-sq-ft armored cable plant, built in 2006, was being expanded by 161,000 sq ft. That news, and more, is presented in the Industry Profile report that starts on p. 20.

steel production from the current 4.8 million mt/year to 6 million mt/year by 2020. It also added that the focus would be to increase the value added production at the mill and stated that Ilva would significantly benefit from the economies of scale of being part of a large group such as ArcelorMittal.

ArcelorMittal one of two bidders for long-troubled Italian steelmaker ArcelorMittal has submitted a bid to acquire Italian integrated steelmaker Ilva in partnership with Marcegaglia, the country’s major re-roller.

Per multiple published reports, the Ilva Group, which Italy’s government took over to save jobs and clean up polluted factories, said in a statement it had received the two offers. Its operations include wire rod production.

In 2011, Ilva produced 8.5 million tons of steel, or 30% of Italy’s steel output, but judges put key parts of its operations under special administration in 2012 following accusations that it had caused serious health problems in the surrounding Puglia region in southern Italy.

ArcelorMittal said in a joint statement with Marcegaglia that it wanted to increase Ilva’s primary utilisation rate and boost crude steel production at the site in Taranto to over 6 million tonnes a year by 2020. The world’s largest steel producer and its bid partner also said they want to make major capital investments, increase productivity and improve health and safety.

A press release said that ArcelorMittal intends to run at least three blast furnaces at Ilva Taranto and increase crude

Air pollution was a key problem plaguing the Ilva Group, once Italy’s largest steel supplier.

“In ArcelorMittal, Ilva will find an experienced and committed partner ready to transfer its financial support, management know-how, operational expertise and product technology. We have carried out extensive due diligence and are satisfied that with targeted investments and a robust plan the plant can be successfully turned around,” said Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Products.

AUGUST 2016 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

Encore Wire reports news of expansion to its armored cable plant

INDUSTRY NEWS

In relation to the environmental issues at Ilva, ArcelorMittal said it has prepared a detailed investment plan to bring the environmental performance into line with European standards; it added that the company has nevertheless requested some changes to the limits set by the Italian authorities on some environmental issues.

The other main contender in this bidding will be a new joint venture created by the Italian EAF-based steelmaker Arvedi with the support of local Italian investors. Arvedi plans to invest in developing DRI-based steel-making at Ilva to cut emissions and tackle the environmental issues.

The submission bids is the first step in a multi-stage process in which only the environmental part of the offers will be discussed for the next 120 days. Following the 120 day period the government will provide further information on the offer process.

Prysmian Russia: ‘electrifying’ growth has come from recent contracts wins The Prysmian Group reports that there has been strong growth for Prysmian Russia, which it notes “recently reached many important milestones in the high-voltage electrical power transmission grid sector in Russia and Kazakhstan.”

A press release said that the company has won a contract to build a connection to the electrical grid that will use an HV cable system (220kV) to link up a plant operated by

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Prysmian Russia CEO Cesare Biggiogera, r, signs the contract for a cable system for a Russian project.

RusHydro—a Russian operator in the energy production sector—located in the far eastern portion of the country, in the area between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. The company is also about to deliver a 110kV system connecting a sub-station of the Rosseti Group to the electrical power transmission grid in the St. Petersburg area.

In Kazakhstan, Prysmian Group has delivered two high-voltage cable systems that are part of the infrastructure development project in the area that will host the 2017 Winter Universiade in Almaty, the release said. The order includes a new 110kV cable system and an underground 220kV cable system, the first produced entirely at the Group’s facility in Rybinsk.

A significant, strategic agreement signed recently with

The scope of the Danieli-contracted mini-mill facility will range from scrap processing to steel melting, secondary refining, round billet casting, hot-rolling, on-line heat treatment of long products, in-line cold finishing bar inspection facilities as well as an advanced wire rod line, the release said.

The plant start-up is anticipated by the end of 2017, the release said. “With this new investment, Grupo Simec continues to focus its strengths on improving its leading position as North America’s largest producer and processor of special bar quality steels...supporting the significant growth occurring in Mexico and the NAFTA region.”

Flatten

Work has begun on Danieli project for Mexican steel mill IGrupo Simec SAB de CV (Guadalajara, Mexico), a subsidiary of Industrias CH SA de CV (Tlalnepantla de Baz), has started site preparation work for a new $600 million steel mill in Apizaco, Mexico, that it said “will be the most modern minimill for SBQ products in North America.”

A press release said that Danieli is supplying the new mill, which is being built near the company’s Tlaxcala steel mill, which began operations in 1972 and produces about 400,000 tons per year.

Ordered last year, the new plant, which will produce Special Bar Quality (SBQ) large round blooms, large diameter bar and wire rod, is designed for annual capacity of 600,000 tons a year.

“This will be the first complete greenfield mini-mill for specialty steel built in Mexico in recent years,” the release said.

“The facility boasts specialized world-class technology including automation equipment that assists in producing high-quality steel grades to guarantee a globally competitive production cost (Capex + Opex).”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

the Russian transmission grid operator Rosseti during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2016) is further proof of Prysmian Russia’s constant growth, the release said. The contract governs the supply of very high voltage cables manufactured at Prysmian’s new plant in Rybinsk, Russia; the development of new technologies for improved safety and increased energy efficiency; and the identification of sites for pilot implementation of the Group’s innovative solutions.

The agreement allows for the use of a new type of insulation for 6-500kV HPTE cables and an innovative system for monitoring partial discharge in the primary electrical system and cable systems of a Rosseti’s affiliated company, the release said. “This agreement will permit the exchange of valuable technical and scientific information, the improvement of production processes and the introduction of both innovative technical systems and ready-touse solutions.”

Cesare Biggiogera, CEO of Prysmian Russia said that the partnership, when fully operational, could generate additional sales of €50 million a year, and was “a further sign of our coverage of a particularly vast region in which the development of new electrical power transmission infrastructure and the modernization of existing equipment offer great opportunities.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Tulsa Power and Reel-O-Matic move to new site, will operate with new name

New steel organization opposes AD actions desired by wire rod producers

Tulsa Power® and Reel-O-Matic®, industry suppliers of reeling and winding operations, have moved to a new larger facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where they will operate under the name of Reel Power Wire & Cable dba Reel-O-Matic and Tulsa Power (RPWC), which is owned and managed by Reel Power International, Inc. A press release said that the new 100,000-sq-ft building allows for increased manufacturing floor space along with improved work flow and production capabilities. “By combining the expertise of the engineering teams, operations and sales group of these two companies, they can be more responsive, with a stronger focus on customer service and managing their substantial growth. These divisions were running out of room in their former locations so this investment made good sense,” said Don Moreau, senior vice president of sales and marketing for RPWC. “The new facility has been designed to provide a much improved work flow allowing us to increase production to meet growing demand.”

A group of non-integrated processors of wire rod that formed a new industry body—EUNIRPA, the EUropean Non-Integrated Wire Rod Processors Association—has asked EU steel producers to not start an anti-dumping (AD) case against imports from Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

A statement from Kris Van Ginderdeuren, identified as the first president of EUNIRPA, explained why the group was formed and what its goals are. “The main purpose...is to represent and defend the interests of European non-integrated processors of wire rod in all EU trade, customs, anti-trust and product standard issues affecting their business activities, whether at national or European Union level,” Responding to earlier indications that EU wire rod producers were considering AD action against imports from Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, EUNIRPA is asking Eurofer (the European steel association) not to proceed with any such initiative because imports from these countries are basically the only alternatives available in commercially acceptable quantities to non-integrated wire rod processors given the current shortage of wire rod in the EU, the statement said.

The EUNIRPA’s board of directors includes Van Ginderdeuren, Van Merksteijn International; Pedro Teixeira, Fapricela, and Ramon Amigó, Exelfil, as vice presidents; and Eline Verherbrugghen, Intersig, as secretary-general.

The founding members of EUNIRPA are: Exel Fil Belgium, Exel Fil Spain, Fapricela, Gallega de Mallas, Intersig Belgium, Intersig France, Sirme si Cabluri and Van Merksteijn International. Those companies, it said, collectively represent more than 3.2 million metric tons of total wire rod processing capacity. Other companies are expected to join EUNIRPA in the weeks and months to come, it said.

The new Reel Power Wire & Cable facility in Oklahoma.

The collective resources of the two companies includes the design and manufacturing of machinery for reeling, coiling and measuring of wire, cable, pipe, rubber, plastic, tubing, conduit, wire rope, fiber optic material, and any other flexible material, the release said. Expertise includes payoffs, take-ups, re-reelers, winches, spoolers, measurers, coilers, and warehouse solutions that include racking and design capabilities.

USITC continues AD orders on wire rod from Japan, Korea and Taiwan The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) voted to continue existing antidumping (AD) duty orders on stainless steel wire rod from Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

A press release said that the vote continues the existing AD orders on the three countries, but ends them for two other countries (Italy and Spain) that also had AD duties imposed. “The Commission further determined that ... stainless steel wire rod from Italy and Spain would not be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.

14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

U.S. doing ground work for placing a 2nd fiber optic cable at Guantánamo Per published reports, the Pentagon is shopping for a second fiber-optic cable for the base, this one coming not from Florida but Puerto Rico.

A June 28th story in the Miami Herald, which has extensively covered matters related to the Guantánamo prison site, reported that a division of the Defense Department invited contractors on June 8 to submit proposals to “design, manufacture, install, test and commission” a 750-mile underwater cable linking the U.S. Navy base to Puerto Rico. The work should be done, it said, 18 months after a contract is awarded. It set no projected award date.

The story cited a Defense Information System Agency statement as saying that the new underwater cable “will provide secure, high throughput, highly reliable, low-latency network redundancy” for the Department of Defense “and other government communications” connecting Caribbean sites of the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) and U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) to the Department of Defense Information Network.

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INDUSTRY NEWS The U.S. wants to lay a second fiber optic cable to Cuba, this one from Puerto Rico. Miami Herald chart.

The story pointed out that a fiber-optic line from Florida went live in January, and questioned why the military is proposing one from Puerto Rico. It noted that Southcom is in South Florida while Northcom is in Colorado.

The base’s first fiber-optic line went live in January, according to the Defense information agency statement.

In 2013, a retiring senior Pentagon official testified at a Guantánamo military commission hearing that the projected $40 million undersea cable between Florida and Guantánamo would have sufficient bandwidth to serve not only the base but the island of Cuba. A Southcom spokesman subsequently dismissed the idea of extending service to Cubans.

Per the report, the Defense Department proposal created confusion on where precisely in Puerto Rico the cable would land. It said alternately that it would go to a “government landing site on the west and southwest coast” of Puerto Rico, then identified the landing site as Punta Salinas, which is on Puerto Rico’s opposite corner. The Air National Guard maintains a small facility in Punta Salinas on the northeast part of the island, near San Juan.

The Guard also has a similar facility at Punta Borinquen on the northwest tip of Puerto Rico, which would be the closest island landing site for a cable from Guantánamo.

HELUKABEL opens site in Portugal, moves 2 other sites to larger quarters HELUKABEL reports that it has opened a new branch in Portugal that will store wire and cable in a 6,500-sq-ft warehouse in Coimbra.

A press release said that the branch, which represents the company’s 26th worldwide, will provide wire and cable for industrial applications, from conventional control cables to highly flexible data cables. The site is located between the industrial centers of Lisbon and Porto, and will initially be run by a sales and logistics team of four employees.

“There is a thriving electrical industry in Portugal, and developments in the mechanical engineering and renewable energy industries are also very promising,” said

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branch Manager Eduardo Soares. “Applications in these industries are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, which is in turn making the requirements on cables and connection technology higher as well.”

“Portugal is an interesting market for us,” said HELUKABEL Managing Director Marc Luksch. “We believe that the positive economic growth from the last two years will continue over the long term. We need to be close to the customers in order to have a better understanding of the local requirements.” He noted that customers in African countries—where the official language is Portuguese, such as Mozambique, Angola or Cape Verde—will benefit from HELUKABEL’s local presence in Portugal.

The branch, located at Urbanização da Pedrulha, Rua do Cardal, Armazém 10, 3025-248 Coimbra, can be contacted at geral@helukabel.pt, www.helukabel.pt.

HELUKABEL’s new branch in Portugal represents its 26th such one.

In other news, HELUKABEL reported that its South African branch moved to a new location in May that offers triple the floor space. The storage area there measures more than 43,000 sq ft. The company also reported that the HELUKABEL branch in the Netherlands has moved to a new location near Eindhoven, that doubles the number of pallet bays to more than 2,200. HELUKABEL will use the extra storage space to meet the increased demands in particular for country-specific products, it said.

Vietnam sets duties on wire rod Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry & Trade has finalized safeguard duties on imports of products that include wire rod.

A report in Platts said that the duties include billet, rebar and wire rod, ministry sources in Hanoi confirmed. The provisional safeguard duty, as of Aug. 2, was to be 15.4%, effective through March 2020 on a sliding scale.

The report said that Chinese-origin rebar and wire exports accounted for more than 98% of total imports, which reached around 1.2 million mt last year. It added that a trader in South Vietnam said there was enough domestic production to meet demand.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Filtertech acquires US Centrifuge U.S.-based Filtertech, Inc., announced that it recently acquired US Centrifuge Systems (USCS), and has added its line of automatic and manual basket-type centrifuges to Filtertech’s extensive line of filtration and related equipment.

A press release said that USCS, which has been a business partner for decades, “was a perfect fit to enhance Filtertech’s efforts in the wire and cable, glass grinding, and paint industries as well as the many other new, well established industrial applications serviced by USCS, where clients require complete systems as solutions to their liquid solids separation requirements.”

Customers can either directly contact Filtertech, at info@ filtertech.com, www.filtertech.com, or US Centrifuge, now a division of Filtertech, at sales@uscentrifuge, www.uscentrifuge.com.

Leoni restructuring to pare 1,100 jobs in the company’s Wiring Systems Division Germany’s Leoni announced that it has restructured its organization to be leaner and more efficient, in a move that will see its Wiring Systems Division be pared by 1,100 employees.

“There are now just 12 business units, which operate globally with profit-center responsibility, that look after their customers and coordinate the orders with the plants, which in turn are responsible for the quality and cost efficiency of production based on adhering to defined standards,” a press release said. The pooling of central functions has made positions and interfaces redundant, thereby enhancing the efficiency of coordination between the departments, it said. Having clear lines of responsibility and shorter decision-making channels will help Leoni benefit eventually from lower costs, which it estimated will be approximately 30 million euros a year.

Of the 1,100 jobs to be cut this year from the Wiring Systems Division, about 70 are in Germany. A company spokesman told WJI that the division has about 66,000 employees.

The focus is not on cutting direct labor as the jobs to be cut are indirect “overhead” positions.

Industry study: HTS wire market should see modest but steady growth to 2020

Fro ext m sin rud ers gle scr rea to co ew d ext y-for- mplete rusi on use line s

SIEBE COLOR MATCH

A study from Technavio, a market research firm, expects that the market for superconductors will likely see annual growth of 5% through 2020.

A press release said that the report, Global High Temperature Superconducting Wires Market 2016-2020, anticipates steady growth, with a moderate CAGR of close to 5% over the forecast period. Among the factors driving demand will be compact and high-capacity underground High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) cables, which are indispensable for increasing the capacity and reliability of power grids. HTS power cables conduct nearly 5-10 times more power than conventional copper wires of comparable cross section, and there has been

AUGUST 2016 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

substantial development toward the commercialization of HTS power cables.

The world’s first high temperature superconducting power transmission cable system in a commercial power grid was set up in the U.S. in 2008, the release said. “This HTS power transmission system is capable of transmitting 574 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power more than 200,000 homes. Similar projects are also expected to come up across many countries including China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany, which will boost this market’s growth prospects in the coming years.”

The release said that HTS power cables provide exclusive benefits for wireless applications due to ultra-low dissipation and distortion, along with, quantum accuracy.

Superconductor radio-frequency (RF) filters with higher interference termination have been deployed at cellular base stations, aiding wider range and fewer call drops.

Moreover, fourth generation all-digital receivers (ADR) for the U.S. defense offer vast improvements in performance, efficiency, and cost for satellite communications (SATCOM), electronic warfare (EW) and signal intelligence (SIGINT) systems. This will result in the increased adoption of HTS filters and ADRs, which will, in turn, fuel the growth of this market over the next four years.

The global HTS wires market is highly fragmented

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owing to the presence of several well-established manufacturers and a significant number of small and medium-sized enterprises, the release said. “As global players expand their footprint, regional vendors are finding it difficult to compete, especially on aspects such as quality, safety, and price. The competitive environment in this market should intensify with the increase in utilization of HTS wires, arising from increasing energy requirement, healthcare diagnostic equipment, and electrification of transportation.”

Some of the key market vendors are Superconductor Technologies, AMSC, SuperPower and SUNAM, and other prominent vendors, such as Fujikura, Metal Oxide Technologies, Nexans, Sumitomo and THEVA. The report also cited healthcare as one of the market drivers. It cited the increasing number of MRI installations across the globe. HTS wires have boosted the development of powerful MRI machines and increased the field strength of this equipment from the conventional 1.5T to 3T. Other healthcare equipment integrating HTS wires are ultra-low field magnetic resonance imaging, MEG, MSI, MCG, and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.”

The study also assesses the market by regions. “In terms of geography, the APAC region dominated the global HTS wires market and is expected to hold close to 45% of the total market shares during the forecast period. Several countries in the region such as India, China, Japan, and Malaysia are increasingly adopting HTS wires for improving the efficiency of their electricity generation and output to sustain a growing manufacturing sector in APAC. This is likely to aid

AWPA supports coalition that is seeking better treatment of small business In response to the growing number of government regulations that unfairly burden America’s small businesses, manufacturers and startups, the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA) is adding its support to the newly launched Rethink Red Tape coalition and advocacy campaign, a project of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), and the International Franchise Association and Women Impacting Public Policy.

A press release said that the multimillion-dollar campaign, which will engage lawmakers in Washington, DC, and up to a dozen states, will highlight the challenges regulations pose to small businesses and small manufacturers and empower entrepreneurs, small business employees and key stakeholders to advocate legislative reforms that will lead to smarter regulations that help small manufacturers throughout the United States thrive.

“In today’s global economy, small to medium size businesses struggle to maintain our position as we provide good wages and benefits to our workers; provide a safe place to work; and at the same time work to stay in compliance with the continuing burden of mandated regulations,” said AWPA President Milton Magnus. “Many times we have to hire consultants to help us stay in compliance. Most small

companies can’t afford full time staff for this purpose.

Joining with others in the Rethink Red Tape coalition, is a cost effective way to address these important issues.”

Magnus, and others, including NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons, encouraged companies to support the efforts of Rethink Red Tape, a multiyear campaign that will educate Americans about the impact regulations have on small businesses and small manufacturers and about solutions that will lead to regulatory reform.

For more details, go to www.rethinkredtape.com.

Davis-Standard unit has new name DS Brookes Ltd., Davis-Standard’s subsidiary in West Midlands, U.K., will now be called Davis-Standard Limited.

A press release said that the modification is in name only, better reflecting Davis-Standard’s global market position and current activities. Davis-Standard Limited will continue supplying screws and barrels associated with the DS Brookes brand, and will remain Davis-Standard’s key supplier of extrusion systems for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region. This includes support of aftermarket and spare parts activities across all product platforms and heritage brands under the Davis-Standard umbrella.

AUGUST 2016 | 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

in the growth of this market until the end of 2020.”

For more details, go to www.technavio.com.

PROFILE

INDUSTRY PROFILE MCKINNEY, TEXAS COMPANY

Encore Wire Corporation FOCUS Founded in 1989 in McKinney, Texas, some 35 miles north of Dallas, Encore Wire Corporation is best known for its copper wire, although it also supplies aluminum and armored cable. It is one of the largest wire manufacturers in the Americas. Over the years, its McKinney campus, which began with a 68,000 sq ft plant, has seen the addition of five plants, and now has over two million sq ft of roofed space. The workforce has grown from 15 to more than 1,300 employees.

OF NOTE Encore Wire is known for many things, from a steady stream of product innovation and near-perfect delivery rates to shunning formal company budgets and expanding solely at its McKinney campus. The company is focused on copper wire, but its expansions into armored cable (2006) and aluminum wire (2012) have both been highly successful.

Short takes from 2016 Mordica Lecture Daniel L. Jones, Encore Wire Corp.

The WAI’s Mordica Memorial Award is annually bestowed on a person who furthers the technology of the wire and cable industry. This year’s recipient, Encore Wire Corp. Chairman, President & CEO Daniel L. Jones, presented a unique company blueprint at the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2016. Below are edited snippets from his lecture.

Keys to success. I don’t have any secrets. If you had to sum it up—and it may appear far too simplistic but it’s the truth—it all comes down to doing it right, both the big things and the little things.

What we do is offer customers what they need, on time, and nothing less. There’s nothing secretive about that. We allow people, including our competitors, to tour our plant. When Encore Wire started, we had some three dozen competitors: today there are less than 10.

Location, location, location. Encore Wire never set out to become a global player. Let other companies go after a global presence. We believe there are many advantages to being located at our single campus. It allows us to maintain our controls, our product quality and our delivery times. We are willing to go against common beliefs. We’ve been told that we need regional inventories to compete, that we were at a disadvantage being on one site. I didn’t see it that way and I still don’t.

Innovation. We do not innovate to sell products more cheaply. You have to offer

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them something that provides them so much value that they want to pay you more. That explains the new products we offer. We will do whatever needs to be done for good customers—and by that, I mean customers who pay us on time— and if we see opportunity, and it requires investment on our end, we will do it, and we’ll do it on a handshake.

A nameless program and customers. We believe in excellence, but we don’t have consultants come in to tell us how we can better achieve that. We don’t do formal programs like Lean or Six Sigma, or any canned off-the-shelf program. We control our costs from the beginning to the end of the process. We produce rod and plastic compounds on site, which reduces our costs and helps us control product quality.

We’ve had audits and we either meet or exceed standards. In 2010, we opened our ® LEED Platinum certified building, Encore TechLab, for expanded quality testing as well as product and process R&D. All of that supports our goal of providing products that make our customers’ job easier.

We have the industry’s highest fill rate, and when our trucks go out, and if they

Plant management. Encore has six different plants with six different managers. Each of them has full authority. I hold them responsible, so they need to have that authority. If they need something, and it makes sense, we do it. I think it’s bad business if a good idea comes up but can’t be done because it wasn’t part of that year’s budget. If it’s a good idea, and there is a customer willing to pay for it, it doesn’t wait at Encore Wire. We have a meeting every Friday. There is no formal agenda and all kinds of ideas are discussed. Basically, the question is, “What’s your problem?” and then we solve it. We’ve done this forever. This forum produces a lot of ideas, and anything can be thrown out.

Product development. Some of our best ideas come from awareness, and that has come both internally and externally. It started long ago. I would get calls for an order, and I’d have to stop to go out to the floor to see what we had. We came up with the idea of color ribbons so you could just look out the window and see what type of cable was there. We eventually applied that on a much larger scale. Color coding was applied to feeder cables and nonmetallic cables. That was in 1999, and a few years later we did the same for NM-B and XHHW-2 building wire, which then came in different colors. Customers wanted a safer method of identifying wire and cable on the job, and they loved this.

The colored wire was named the 2002 Product of the Year by EC&M/CEE News.

We’ve gotten a lot of ideas from our employees, who can get cash awards, but some of our best product advances came because we listened to our customers and their customers. The best person to talk to could be

PROFILE

take less than a full 42,000 lb load, I want to know why.

I expect 100% perfection all the time.

Celebrating Encore Wire’s 20th anniversary on NASDAQ on July 17, 2012, Daniel L. Jones rang the opening bell. the dock person and the people who actually pull the wire. From such conversations came ideas that offer added value.

The above all translates into new products, such as our metal-clad cable in 55-gallon drums that save end users great time in deployment; our reel-within-a-reel, the Reel Payoff; a new Smart Stripe wire that has a 360-degree color band that can be seen from any angle, with no ruboff; and a reelless 1,000 ft PullPro unit that offers tangle-free wire pull that needs no tools and can be stacked vertically, horizontally or from the middle.

Seeing is believing. Most people have no idea what wire is in their homes because the lines are out of sight.

So how do you make yours different? As you can see by this video, you can toss our PullPack off the fifth floor of our building or freeze it for an hour and a half and have a staffer wail away at it with a heavy hammer, or have a truck drive back and forth over one of our standard plastic reels, and they all still function. That kind of visual resonates.

The price of copper. Copper represents a large percentage of our costs, but building wire is not a copper story. You cannot react to copper price changes every day. If the COMEX price goes down, people think they should pay less for wire, but we don’t buy and sell to that price. We buy on a monthly average. I see some companies that post the daily price for copper at their website. We don’t do that. This business is about making wire, it’s not about the daily price of copper. We don’t hedge copper, we ship it.

Encore Wire’s metal-clad barrel packs are one of multiple new products in recent years that led to the company’s latest expansion.

And then there is aluminum. The media may focus on the use of aluminum to replace copper, but it’s not as extreme as it may sound. Aluminum wire is far more efficient than it was even seven or eight years ago, especially the alloys, but I remain a copper man, and not just because next week I am going to get the Copper Club’s Copper Man of the

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PROFILE An inside view of Encore Wire’s armored cable plant, which post-expansion has more than doubled in size.

Encore Wire philosophy: if it makes sense to expand, we’ll keep doing it Encore Wire, founded as a supplier of building wire in 1989, did not rush into the armored cable market, but in 2006 the company built a 160,000-sq-ft new plant at its McKinney campus to produce it because it saw a market need.

The reason for the 161,000 sq ft expansion was to increase manufacturing capacity due to demand for its expanded lineup of armored cable products, which includes MC-LED and MC-LED Healthcare cables and MC barrel packs.

Year award. I recognize that there are a lot of uses for aluminum, and Encore Wire couldn’t ship as much copper as we do if we didn’t also ship aluminum. Some of our copper customers want 600 volt non-utility cable as a supplement, and if they want it, we want to be the ones to supply it. But if I’m one who is building, I’m using copper.

The human element. No large company—and we have 1,300 employees—is immune to high medical expenses.

The news parallels what Encore Wire has done with aluminum wire.

It built a 252,000-sq-ft-aluminum wire plant in 2012, then in 2014 expanded it to 452,000 sq ft. Based on past results, one can expect more such reports to follow.

One of the biggest problems today stems from use of legal drugs, for sleeping or pain control, that lead to abuse. We try to soften these issues. We have a chaplain team to get information to employees. We try to hold the cost of health benefits. Sometimes we may try too hard. I once had the snacks pulled out from the vending machines, and soon found out that a lot of people wanted them back. How was I to know?

The books and banks. Our books reflect our philosophy. Encore Wire has had an average 13% return on its capital since 1996. Since 2007, the Russel 2000 has grown 45% while we’ve grown by 145%.

Encore Wire has good relations with banks. We’re careful about what we do, but when we see opportunity, we invest to take advantage of it, and we’ve got a good track record of succeeding. That may also be why we twice have been on Forbe’s List of Most Trusthworthy Companies (2012 and 2014).

A 2002 photo of Daniel L. Jones with Vincent Rego, the late founder of Encore Wire.

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Internal projects and the finish line. We’ve either had a major project or expansion at McKinney every year since we were founded. We’re just finishing up the expansion of our armored cable plant, and we have another plan that’s just waiting to get started. We’ve got 400 acres in McKinney, and only a hundred or so of that is occupied, so we’ve got 300 left. I’m getting old, and I’ve got to hurry. I’m not done yet.

PATENTS

Patent REPORT Technical advances are a necessity for any industry, and to that end, companies invest considerable resources in R&D. This monthly section will list the abstracts of recently approved U.S. patents. Most are direct to wire and cable while a few may be more indirect/downstream.

Fiber optic cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,400,362 Patent date: July 26, 2016 Filed: July 7, 2014 Assignee: Corning Optical

Communications LLC, U.S.

Inventors: Edward Hudson, William Hurley

A cable includes a jacket defining an exterior of the cable and a rigid tube. The cable further includes densely-packed strength members on the outside of the rigid tube, compressed between the rigid tube and the jacket, and loosely-packed strength members on the inside of the rigid tube.

Further the cable includes a core that is interior to the tube.

Method for detecting torsion in a cable, electric cable with torsion sensor and method for manufacturing said cable

Method for detecting torsion in a cable, electric cable with torsion sensor and method for manufacturing said cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,400,221 Patent date: July 26, 2016 Filed: July 7, 2014 Assignee: Prysmian SpA, Italy Inventors: Davide Sarchi, Luca Palieri A method for monitoring a torsional state of a cable having a central longitudinal axis, includes providing a cable including a torsion sensor longitudinally extending along the cable, the torsion sensor including a single-mode optical fiber arranged substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the cable, and at least three longitudinal structural elements, at least one of the longitudinal structural elements being an electrically conductive core, wherein the torsion sensor is mechanically coupled with at least one of the longitudinal structural elements; mea-

Patent Facts: Anatomy of a die patent Wire drawing die U.S. Patent No.: 9,061,336 Patent date: June 23, 2015 Filed: Jan. 18, 2008 Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries

Japan

Inventors: Hitoshi Sumiya, Makoto Yukawa

One object of the present invention is to provide a wire drawing die excellent in strength and wear resistance. The wire drawing die has a core formed using highly hard diamond polycrystalline body made substantially only of diamond and produced by directly

converting a raw material composition including a non-diamond type carbon material into diamond and sintering the diamond at an ultra high pressure and an ultra high temperature without adding a sintering aid or a catalyst, the polycrystalline body having a mixed construction including fine-grained diamond crystals with a maximum grain size of less than or equal to 100 nm and an average grain size of less than or equal to 50 nm and plate-like or particulate coarse-grained diamond crystals with a minimum grain size of greater than or equal to 50 nm and a maximum grain size of less than or equal to 10000 nm.

A full-page edited version of this patent is presented on p. 62 of the die feature in this issue.

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Bidirectional data communications cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,397,751 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: April 14, 2015 Assignee: Cosemi Technologies, Inc., U.S. Inventors: Devang Parekh, N. Nguyen A bidirectional data communications cable is disclosed.

The cable includes first connector, second connector, and cable housing coupled to the first and second connectors.

The first connector includes a controller configured to determine whether the first connector is connected to a data source or data sink. If connected to a data source, the controller configures a switch circuit to route a data signal from the data source to an optical modulator for modulating an optical signal for transmission from the first to the second connector via an optical fiber. If connected to a data sink, the controller configures the switch circuit to route a data signal from an optical demodulator to the data sink, the optical demodulator receiving an optical signal modulated with the data signal from the second connector

via an optical fiber. The second connector is configured similar to the first connector. The cable housing encloses the optical fibers.

Method for stripping a cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,397,488 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Oct. 8, 2013 Assignee: Komax Holding AG, Switzerland Inventors: Stefan Viviroli, Harald Mullers, Benno Zemp, Chris Schnellmann A method for stripping a cable, the cable having a conductor encompassed by an insulation and extending in a longitudinal direction, includes cutting into the insulation with stripping blades, after which the insulation is removed by sliding the stripping blades in the longitudinal direction. During the removal procedure, the longitudinal position of the stripping blades is detected if it has been determined by a detection device that at least one of the stripping blades has come in contact with the conductor. Based on the longitudinal position of one or more contacts with the conductor, a classification of the cable as adequately or poorly stripped is carried

AUGUST 2016 | 25

PATENTS

polarization-sensitive optical reflectometry; and associating the torsional state of the cable along the longitudinal axis with the measured torsional state of the single-mode optical fiber.

PATENTS

Aluminum alloy wire for bonding applications U.S. Patent No.: 9,397,064 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Nov. 12, 2013 Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Germany Inventors: Eugen Milke, Sven Thomas, Ute Geissler, Martin Schneider-Ramelow The invention is related to a bonding wire containing a core having a surface. The core contains aluminum as a main component and scandium in an amount between 0.05% and 1.0%. ... In a generally preferred embodiment of the invention, the core contains between 0% and 0.5% of silicon. It has been surprisingly found that although silicon is a standard component of conventional aluminum based bonding wires in typical amounts of 1%, a low silicon content in an inventive wire has beneficial impacts.

Good tensile strength may be reached even without any silicon, while the electrical conductivity is excellent at the same time. Even more preferred, the silicon content is maintained to be between 0% and 0.2%.

Coaxial electric wire and method for manufacturing the same U.S. Patent No.: 9,396,845 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Sept. 9, 2014 Assignee: Yazaki Corporation, Japan Inventor: Mitsuharu Nagahashi A coaxial electric wire with an inner conductor, an inner insulating layer covering a periphery of the inner conductor, an outer conductor covering a periphery of the inner insulating layer, and an outer insulating layer covering a periphery of the outer conductor, where the inner insulating layer is made of a first insulating tube having an elongated cylindrical shape and an insulation performance, the outer insulating layer is made of a second insulating tube having an elongated cylindrical shape and an insulation performance, the outer conductor is made of a conductive tube having an elongated cylindrical shape and conductivity, the coaxial electric wire is manufactured by inserting the inner conductor into the first insulating tube, inserting the first insulating tube into the conductive tube, and inserting the conductive tube into the second insulating tube.

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Flexible flat cable and method of manufacturing the same U.S. Patent No.: 9,396,842 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: May 30, 2014 Assignee: Yazaki Corporation, Japan Inventors: Maki Yamada, Toshiro Suzuki A flexible flat cable includes an insulating layer disposed through extrusion in vicinity of a plurality of conductors arrayed in parallel with each other. The insulating layer is composed of a vinyl chloride-based resin composition having a die swell ratio of 1.1 or more at a molding temperature during the extrusion. The molding temperature is between 150.degree. C. to 200.degree.

C. with a linear rate of between 50 m/minute to 200 m/ minute. A melt tension of the vinyl chloride-based resin composition is 0.02 N to 0.2 N.

Noise suppression cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,396,841 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: May 30, 2014 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Yosuke Sumi, Naofumi Chiwata, Katsuya Akimoto, Katsutoshi Nakatani, Kenji Ajima, Hiroshi Okikawa, Yasuharu Muto A noise suppression cable includes a plurality of twisted pair wires, an inclusion that includes an insulating material and a magnetic powder and separates the plurality of twisted pair wires, and a sheath that includes an insulating material and covers a periphery of the plurality of twisted pair wires and the inclusion. ‌ The pair cable disclosed in JP-A-2000-156124 is formed with the shield layer disposed at periphery of each of the twisted pair wires and, therefore, it is more costly than a cable with a shield layer covering all of the twisted pair wires. Further, the shield layer needs to be removed when connecting a connector to the end of the cable during installation work and, thus, it takes a further work and time. It is an object of the invention to provide a noise suppression cable that allows the easy connection of the connector thereto while sufficiently suppressing the crosstalk between twisted pair wires.

Cable with improved flame retardancy U.S. Patent No.: 9,396,839 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Jan. 29, 2008 Assignee: Borealis Technology OY, Ltd. Finland Inventors: Bernt-Ake Sultan, James Elliott Robinson, Wendy Loyens, Susanna Lieber The present invention relates to a cable comprising one or more insulated conductors which are embedded in a bedding composition having improved flame retar-

PATENTS

dancy. The bedding composition comprises a resin (A) and inorganic filler (B), which is a hydroxide or hydrated compound.

Armored cable with integral support U.S. Patent No.: 9,396,838 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Feb. 24, 2008 Assignee: Southwire Company, LLC , USA Inventors: Randy Kummer, Richard Temblador, David Mercier, John Armstrong, Paul White A system for providing cable support may be provided. The system may comprise a conductor core, a filler that may provide integral core support, and armor. The conductor core may comprise at least one conductor. The filler may be applied around at least a portion of the conductor core. The armor may be applied around at least a portion of the filler. The applied armor may be configured to cause the filler to apply a strong enough force on an exterior of the conductor core configured to keep the conductor core from slipping down an interior of the filler due to a gravitational force. In addition, the applied armor may be configured to cause the filler to apply a strong enough force on an interior of the armor configured to keep a combination of the conductor core and the filler from slipping down the interior of the armor due to the gravitational force.

Method for evaluation of cable aging degradation based on slice sampling U.S. Patent No.: 9,395,279 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: June 6, 2014 Assignee: Atomic Energy Council-Institute of Nuclear Energy Taiwan Inventor: Yao-Tung Hsu A method for evaluation of cable aging degradation based on slice sampling is revealed. An insulation layer of a cable is aged or degraded from the outside in under influence of high temperature, liquid immersion, radiation exposure, or other factors. The present invention gets slices as samples of the cable by cutting from the outside in. Then related tests including dielectric withstand test, insulation resistance measurement, elongation test, etc. are carried out. Besides the state of cable aging degradation being of the slice being found out, different positions in the insulation layer such as an outer layer, a middle layer and an inner layer can also be evaluated. (section cont’d. on p. 91)

AUGUST 2016 | 27

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS Troubled Chinese steel operation is a tale of access, excess & desperation China’s Dongbei Special Steel Group Co. (DSSC), a mammoth entity that once was a leader in China, has seen very hard times that culminated with the March 24 suicide of its director. The below story—based on multiple media reports, from the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal to Reuters and Bloomberg, as well as the DSSC’s website—presents the downside to a prior Chinese focus to be dominant in the global steel industry at any cost.

Per the DSSC website, the business was formed in 2004 by the integration of three former major stateowned enterprises in Northeast China: the Dalian Iron & Steel Group Co., Ltd.; Fushun Special Steel Group Co., Ltd.; and Beiman Special Steel Group Co., Ltd. As of December 2010, the registered assets of the Group were RMB 3.64 billion with total assets of RMB 35.9 billion.

DSSC has been the leading provider within the China specialty steel market, producing high quality and high added-value special steel products. In 2010, it ranked in the middle of the list of China’s top 500 enterprises.

Based in the Liaoning Province’s coastal city of Dalian, the enterprise is 70% owned by the province.

Some 10,000 people are employed there in Dalian, and DSSC exports nearly a third of its output to markets that include including the U.S., Japan and Europe.

DSSC has been ambitious, a direction that was bolstered for years by easy credit from fund-management companies and state-owned banks. It is estimated to have spent $2 billion for its new headquarters in 2012, a period during which steel prices began collapsing. Its collective capacity is more than double its actual output of 1.8 million metric tons (mmt). Its debt, reportedly, tops $29 billion.

China’s leaders, however, have sought to reduce support of government-owned industries, which have an estimated $1.5 trillion of debt in its steel, coal, cement and nonferrous metal sectors.

That backdrop made for a difficult challenge for DSSC Chairman Yang Hua, 53, who also served as the Communist party secretary of DSSC. He had joined the company in April 2015 after serving for many years as deputy chairman of Anshan Steel. He was frustrated in his search for funding to make the $131 million payment. On March 25, he was confirmed dead, reportedly having hung himself the day before. His death was cited

by China Development Bank, which underwrote the debt, as a factor in DSSC’s subsequent default.

Defaults from local state-owned enterprises are rare in China, but may become more common as slower demand and Beijing’s reform agenda begin to push underperforming companies into foreclosure.

DSSC has no plan for debt repayment. When the enterprise missed another payment on May 5, its major

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A worker at Dongbei Special Steel Group Co. checks out product quality. underwriters sent a rarely-seen strongly-worded letter to the company, saying “do not take any action that may cause malicious damages to investors’ interests. We resolutely resist malicious evasion of payment.”

Allowing DSSC, one of the biggest state-owned firms to default, was seen as a statement by Beijing that it wants the corporate sector to be reshaped. It is a potentially expensive policy. China has the world’s largest corporate debt as a percentage of GDP. Some $1.3 trillion comes due this year. Of that, some $24.7 billion is among the most toxic, owed by rust-belt producers such as Dongbei, according to Fitch Ratings.

China’s total debt rose to a record 237% of GDP in the first quarter of 2016. That figure is much higher than emerging-market counterparts, raising the risk of a financial crisis or prolonged slowdown in growth, economists warn. The debt level unto itself is comparable to levels in the U.S. and the eurozone, but what is concerning is the short time in which it has happened: as of the end of 2007, Chinese debt was only 148% of GDP. The China Development Bank has called on three regulatory agencies (CSRC, NDRC and CBRC) to temporarily halt financing to the Liaoning Province and Liaoning SOEs. It has contacted the three regulatory agencies because they have the combined power to shut off Liaoning’s access to credit markets. CDB is trying to bring Dongbei Steel to heel, but is being thwarted by the Liaoning government, which is the majority owner.

In the months after the default, Dongbei has reduced monthly pay by more than a third per employee, to about $368. Apart from letting go some 1,000 temporary workers, it has not threatened layoffs. It has missed five more payments on its $6 billion in debt, but has not formally filed for the equivalent of bankruptcy protection, closed unproductive units or restructured its operations.

“We won’t let ‘zombie enterprises’ survive for long,” Sun Xuegong, a senior official at the economic planner National Development and Reform Commission, recently said.

Foreign companies will be allowed to have a majority interest in steel manufacturing companies in four pilot free trade zones due to a policy change aimed at attracting foreign investment.

SouthChinaMorningPost reported changes in policy toward China’s steel industry that were cited at the central government’s website. “The ban on foreign controlling shareholding and qualification hurdles imposed on foreign investors will be cancelled temporarily,” the circular said. “The establishment of foreign wholly-owned steel manufacturing firms will be allowed.”

To date, China has limited investment by foreign companies in its steel sector, which is dominated by statebacked firms. In addition to sound finances, the report spelled out two requirements. Foreign steel firms that want to invest in China’s steel sector must own proprietary intellectual property rights, have annual general steel production capacity of more than 10 million metric tonnes (mtt), or at least 1 mmt of alloy special steel.

They must also comply with government restrictions designed to limit new capacity, such that they can only invest in old mills, revamp projects, or invest in new plants while shutting down equivalent capacity in outdated facilities. The policy change applies to the pilot free trade zones in the municipalities of Shanghai and

Tianjin, as well as Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

The story said that the policy change came a week after European manufacturers pressured European Union leaders at a bilateral summit in Beijing to take a tough stance with China on industrial overcapacity and the potential granting of market economy status to China later this year. A group of 30 European industrial associations has accused Chinese manufacturers of dumping products, overbuilding production capacity and alleged Chinese central and local governments of giving “illegal” subsidies to manufacturers to expand capacities.

The story cited the status of some active foreign steel companies. ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel maker, owns 10% of Shenzhen-listed Hunan Valin Steel and 33% in an automotive steel production joint venture with Hunan Valin. Japan’s Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp has a Shanghai JV with Baoshan Iron & Steel to produce automotive steel, while South Korea’s Posco has a stainless steel JV in Shandong province.

The story cited Helen Lau, an Argonaut Securities metals and mining analyst, as saying that the policy was likely made for longer term considerations related to the country’s severe over-capacity problem in the steel industry. “Ultimately China wants to attract foreign investment to set up highly efficient firms to produce higher-end steel products...this could help force Chinese firms to become more competitive and drive badly needed industry consolidation,” she said.

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AUGUST 2016 | 29

ASIAN FOCUS

China to allow foreign companies to own steel operations in some areas

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Morgan-Koch Corporation has named Al Kozlowski as vice president-general manager. He has been in the steel wire business for 31 years, including 16 years at Morgan-Koch in various roles, such as technical services manager. He has worked the last 15 years at Paramount Die Company, where he served as sales manager and as vice president sales. He assumes the duties on August 15 that had previously been held by Robert “Bob” Kozlowski Strauss, who is retiring but will remain with Morgan-Koch in a consulting position. Strauss served as CEO of Morgan-Koch Corp. from 1996 to 2014, when he took on an advisory role. Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, and a subsidiary of Germany’s Ernst Koch GmbH, Morgan-Koch Corporation services the wire industry selling and servicing equipment from Ernst Koch, WiTechs, M+E, FIB, Sirio, SKET and F. Krollmann.

Beatríz García-Cos Muntañola has been named CEO of Bekaert as well as a member of the Bekaert Group Executive and a member of the Board of Directors of Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group. She started her career as auditor with Audigest SA in Barcelona and worked 13 years at PPG Industries Inc. in Rubi, Spain before moving in 2006 to Vestas Wind Systems, where she was finance direcMuntañola tor for EMEA and Latin America. She was named CFO of the Mining business of Trafigura Pte Ltd. in 2012. She holds a master’s degree in economics and business administration from the University of Barcelona in Spain. She succeeds Bruno Humblet, who last December became CEO of Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group. Based in Belgium, Bekaert is world market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and coating technologies.

Bronstrup

John T. Bronstrup has been promoted from vice president finance, North America to the newly created position of president, business development, for the Americas welding segment of the Lincoln Electric Company. He will lead the development and implementation of the Americas welding growth strategy to advance sales in key product portfolios. He has served at Lincoln Electric for nearly 20 years in a number of management roles. He previously served as the

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

chief accounting officer and corporate controller of Hawk Corporation. He started his career as an auditor for Arthur Andersen. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Miami University. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Lincoln Electric is a global supplier in welding related technology, with 48 manufacturing locations, including operations/joint ventures in 19 countries and distributors/sales offices covering 160 plus countries.

The Bare Wire Division of International Wire Group has named David “Alex” Boekholt as a regional account manager, responsible for customers in the Mid-West, South West Coast and Mexico territories. He has 18 years of industry experience, with proven international executive and account management experience. A native of the Netherlands and Great Britain, where he first started workBoekholt ing for Leoni Temco Ltd., he came to the U.S., after transferring to Leoni Wire, Inc., as a business development manager. He also served as vice president of sales and marketing with Stat Courier Service, Inc. He holds a degree from the University of Wales. He currently resides with his wife and children in St. Louis, Missouri. Based in Camden New York, USA, the International Wire Group is the largest bare copper wire and copper wire products manufacturer in the U.S., with expanding operations in Europe.

IEWC has named Lanny Million as senior vice president, strategic global sourcing and business development, responsible for leadership activity in the strategic development of supplier relationships within three distinct regions: the Americas, Europe and Asia. He will be charged with the creation of a Global Strategic Sourcing Team that will ensure IEWC’s ability to partner with its key global supply partners Million and source the right products and solutions for its customers. Matt Herbers, director of business development, is the first member of what will be a three-person team reporting to Million. The remaining two positions will be secured from Europe and Asia, and will be announced at a later date. Based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, USA, IEWC is a global provider of total connectivity solutions for sub-assemblers, OEMs and the broadcast and communications industries.

Ace Wire Spring & Form Company, Inc., recently named Rose George as its engineering sales manager. She previously served as a process engineer with All-Clad Metalcrafters, and before that, as an engineer at Swagelok Company. She holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Robert Morris University. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, George Ace Wire Spring & Form Company, Inc., manufactures custom precision springs and wire forms.

Alfredo Torres is the new area sales manager for the South American countries for the Niehoff Group. He has industry experience in the automotive and the wire and cable industry, having worked R&D, engineering, cable development and maintenance. He will work with the Niehoff agency in Chile, Rheintek Chile Limitada, serving South America customersin Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Torres Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela as well as sales of machinery built at NIEHOFF-Herborn Máquinas Ltda., Brazil. He holds an engineering degree in manufacturing processes. A unit of Germany’s Niehoff Group, NIEHOFF-Herborn Máquinas Ltda. is based in Baruero, Brazil, from where it supplies and supports the company’s customers.

Earlier this year, Maguire Products, Inc., named Brian Sampson as its U.S. sales manager, responsible for sales agents and OEM distributors and direct sales of the company’s full line of auxiliary equipment for plastics processors. He has 36 years of experience in plastics machinery sales, including 23 selling Maguire systems as part of his work for the company’s distributors. He most recently Sampson worked for L-R Systems, Inc., where he served as eastern regional sales manager. He entered the plastics industry in 1974, working first in manufacturing, then in sales, for Foremost Machine Builders, Inc. He worked there for 18 years, and then another 18 years with The R.T. Kuntz Company. Based in Aston, Pennsylvania, USA, Maguire Products, Inc., supplies gravimetric blenders and other equipment for sectors that include extrusion.

AUGUST 2016 | 31

PEOPLE

Mount Joy Wire Corporation announced four key management changes, including two promotions and two new hires. Ed Hollock has been promoted to technical services manager. He will further enhance the company’s new shop floor data collection system for house tracking of material, scheduling of orders, and on-time delivery.

He joined the company in 1998 as quality manager and held that position for five years, then working in engineering positions for Nelson Steel Products and Kalas Hollock Manufacturing before rejoining Mount Joy Wire in 2013. He holds a B.S. degree in materials engineering from Wilkes University. Matt Tipping, who joined the company in 2004, has been promoted to process control manager, responsible for quality improvement initiatives, upgrading safety and increasing production process efficiency, managing laboratory technicians and supervising Tipping the wastewater treatment plant.

Brandt Rosche has been named a quality assurance specialist, overseeing the internal and external quality of the company’s products.

He previously worked for Auntie Anne’s and American Axle & Manufacturing. He holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Technology from Millersville University. Steve Weems has been named an environmental services technician, responsible for environmental health and safety, continuous improvement, lean Rosche manufacturing and green initiatives, including sustainability. He attended the College of Professional Studies, and previously worked as a project manager for ABM Industries, and as operations manager for ITW’s Thielex Division. Based in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA, Mount Joy Wire Corporation has been a manufacturer for 25 years of products that include spring wire, oil tempered wire and specialty wire for fields ranging from agricultural and automotive to medical and recreational.

Weems

INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

T E R R E Y SAVE THE DATE

Photos courtesy of the Monterrey Department of Tourism.

M O N

18-20 O CTOBER 2016

M ONTERREY , N.L. M EXICO | C ROWNE P LAZA H OTEL Wire and Cable Technical Program | Tabletop Exhibits | Networking

Venture to a place where wire and cable best practices and technological answers are much more than theory. And leave with ideas you can put into place immediately. Join WAI and educational sponsor ANTAAC for the 2016 International Technical Conference that will leave you both informed and inspired.

Learn more at www.wirenet.org or contact WAI’s educational director, Marc Murray at mmurray@wirenet.org; Tel.: 001-203-453-2777, ext. 121.

Conference organized by:

The Wire Association International, Inc.

LEARN

MORE

AT:

Asociación Nacional de Transformadores de Acero A.C.

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Visit our stand #806 at Interwire 2015

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APRIL 2015 | 61 AUGUST 2016 | 33

FIBER WATCH INTERWIRE PREVIEW

FIBER WATCH

SAS Engineering and Planning Srl Exhibiting: Reinforcement processprocessing of ferrous and nonferrous Tel. 39-031-655593 materials. ing machinery: automatic stirrup www.sas.it benders, cutting/shaping machines, info@sas.it cage making/assembling machines, Schmale Machinery USA, LLC Italy Booth 1962 straighteners, wire processing plants, Telephone: 904 501 - 28 24 Exhibiting: SAS Engineering & innovative systems. www.schmale-machinery.com devices will account for 34% of IP software traffic, and Wi-Fi IP demand to top zettabyte this year and mobile devices will account for 66% of IP traffic. In Planning’s combined drawing lines Personnel: Simone Bruscia. walter.wieser@ ® An executive summary in a report from the Cisco Visual 2015, wired devices accounted for the majority of IP trafand peeling lines mean technologschmale-machinery.com Networking Index (VNI) sees no end in sight for demand fic, at 52%. ical value, reliability and ease of Shanghai Kaibo Compounds USA Booth 52 from visual networking applications.

• Content delivery networks will carry nearly two-thirds use.• The SAS combined drawing Co., Ltd. Exhibiting: to speed Annual global IP traffic will pass the zettabyte (ZB), If you want of internet traffic by 2020.

64% of all internet traffic will which is 1000 exabytes—a unit equal to a billion gigamachine can be supplied with the Tel. 86-21-59122219 up your wire bending process, come cross CDNs by 2020 globally, up 45%. bytes—by the end of 2016, and reach 2.3 ZB by 2020.

By most advanced accessories in order www.sh-kaibo.com along and have a look. Get an update • The number of devices connected to IP networks will end of 2016, global IP traffic will reachon 1.1the ZBlatest per developments for swagtothe obtain a totally automated line: xs@sh-kaibo.com be more than three times the global population by 2020. year, and by 2020 it will reach 2.3 ZB per year. payoff group, pre-straightening Chinadevices Boothper 1512/15-17 ing, pressing, threading and bending There will be 3.4 networked capita by 2020, up • Global IP bench, traffic will nearly triple the next fivea years. device, draw chamfering from German machine builder. from 2.2 networked devices per capita in 2015.

There will Overall, IP traffic will grow 22% from 2015 to 2020. machine, bundle strapping, weighBring your parts or drawings with networked devices in 2020, up from 16.3 be 26.3 billion Monthly IP traffic will reach 25 GB per capita by 2020, up ing and handling, etc. Everything is you and we will findbillion a solution for in 2015. from 10 GB per capita in 2015. managed automatically.

The comyour demand!

• Broadband speeds will nearly double by 2020. By 2020, • Smartphone traffic will exceed PC traffic by 2020. global fixed broadbandExhibiting: speeds will reach 47.7 Kaibo Mbps, up pany takesPCs customers through each Walter Wieser.

Shanghai In 2015, accounted for 53% of total IPPersonnel: traffic, from 24.7 Mbps in 2015. stage of 2020 the process, technical Compounds Co., founded in 1993, but by PCs willwhile account for only 29% of traffic.

• The number of devices IP networks will be staff can provide and of total Schnell Smartphones willinstructions account for 30% IP trafficSpA in is aconnected high-techtoenterprise supporttriple the global population by 2020.

There will be 3.4 netsolve worldwide.

Thanks Tel. 39-0721-878711 2020,problems up from 8% in 2015. PC-originated traffic will grow ed by the Shanghai Electric Cable worked devices per capita by 2020, up from 2.2 networked of 8 of %,experience, and TVs, tablets, and toatitsa CAGR long years SAS smartphones, www.schnell.it Research Institute. Its main products devices per capita in 2015.

(M2M) modules will have traffic ismachine-to-machine an important partner for reaching sales@schnell.it include compounds, com• Broadband speeds will nearlyPE double by 2020.PVC By 2020, growth rates of 17%, 39%,in58% respectively. top manufacturing targets theand 44%, Italy Booth 2152 global fixed broadbandpounds, silane cross-linkable PE speeds will reach 47.7 Mbps, up • Traffic from wireless and mobile devices will account from 24.7 Mbps in 2015. for two-thirds of total IP traffic by 2020. By 2020, wired

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NFS formed from 6 manufacturers Six manufacturing entities—Nelson Stud Welding Inc., Ferry Cap & Set Screw, Specialty Bar Products, EBC Industries, Automatic SMP and Spiegelberg Manufacturing—have been formed into a rebranded business unit called Nelson Fastener System (NFS).

A press release said that the companies, which were formerly part of U.K.-based Doncasters Fastener Systems, can supply a wide range of fastener systems, including studs and related products for the transportation, energy, aerospace, military and industrial markets. The action combines the expertise of the individual companies, which collectively serve the power generation, oil and gas, military, aerospace, transportation, marine, and construction markets.

Using globally recognized “Nelson” brand name will enhance joint marketing efforts and engage the extensive global sales, and distribution network of Nelson Stud Welding to expand the sales and marketing reach of all six entities, the release said.

Nelson Stud Welding is a global manufacturer and distributor of critical engineered fasteners, near net shaped engineered components, weld stud fasteners and stud welding application equipment. It has four manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Germany and China.

Specialty Bar Products (SBP) manufactures design-critical components for a range of customers in precision industries like pump and valve manufacturing, power generation, transportation systems, defense and aerospace and recreational firearms.

EBC Industries manufactures critical application fasteners, forgings and machined parts. It specializes in upset forging operations to over 5 inches in diameter.

Ferry Cap specializes in the design and manufacture of cold and hot headed, high strength fasteners capable of meeting the demanding performance requirements of aerospace, diesel engine, power generation and industrial markets.

Automatic SMP (ASMP) manufactures of free spinning nuts, lock nuts, high temperature and critical fasteners, either internally or externally threaded.

It specializes in free spinning nuts and lock nuts for the aerospace market and industrial enterprises that require critical engineered fasteners.

Spiegelberg Manufacturing, Inc., doing business as ProWeld International, manufacturez stud welding equipment.

The formation of NFS “will benefit all member companies, employees, and most importantly, their customers,” the release said.

AUGUST 2016 | 35

FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE

WAI NEWS

WAI August 2016

MEMBERSHIP

SPOTLIGHT This section introduces a new WAI member each issue.

Gerardo Monreal Process Engineering Chief, Viakable Monterrey, MĂŠxico Q: What does your company do?

A: Viakable is dedicated to the commercialization and manufacturing of electrical conductors power for more than 60 years. It directs its talent and technology to meet the most demanding industry requirements regarding transmission and distribution of electricity.

Q: What is your role there?

A: I lead the power cable process engineering area. I am an agent of change and continuous improvement, always pursuing best practices in order to overcome obstacles and achieving goals. I get to be a great team player and strategist in order to keep my team focused and motivated while stress is thriving.

Q: What do you like best about your position?

A: It gives me the opportunity to show dynamic leadership though innovation and coaching. And I get to interface with all core departments, which means that every project and every decision this company makes will have my fingerprint on it.

Q: How has your industry most changed?

A: Customers are demanding the best and the most flexible partner which means shorter lengths, customized products and customized packaging as well as other attributes that implies a better product and the best performance.

Q: How does your company remain competitive?

A: Viakable companies are strategically located to address important markets of the world. It has remained competitive through R&D of new products and features for meeting current and future needs of our customers and anticipate the technological demands of tomorrow.

Q: Why did you recently join WAI? A: WAI is the way to go out and make things happen, to grow, to compete, to compare, to foresee what you are missing and what you are not. Companies and individuals have to be better than everyone and challenge themselves to become better than the day before, and thus become the best they can be.

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

CHINA

SOUTH AFRICA

MEET YOUR PEERS. ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. JOIN WAIshort TODAY. time. India is a “the growth of any country is possible only if the number

huge country, a place of employed persons grows” is satisfied, India will be with a multitude of relithe next territory that we must serve intensively with our The following individuals recently joined Platinum through their companies. gions/cultures, andMembers from equipment and technology.

Ofeither course, the basic infra-WAI or became an industrial point of structures are presently not sufficient and not adequate Wilnelia GrecoCarmelo Jean-Francois Laplante Chetan Patel view it’s not possible to to permit theAlicea harmonious growthDwayne of this giant.

Process Engineer Quality Control Systems Rod Production generalize into aDirector single Maria Brocato, Continuus-Properzi.

Luvata Waterbury Inc Manager Rio Tinto What is cerTim Scarpa evaluation.

Luvata Waterbury Inc Engineering Manager Wire tain is that India is a land China is and will remain the most important BRICS Caroline Desormeaux Christopher McCormick Whitney Blake Co that has thousands of opmember country, despite slowing growth. Brazil is lookNeil Gurdin Process Engineer portunities, as does—to ingSales moreManager like India, mired in corruption scandals, while RioatTinto President Fitel LLCand all the Clifton Scott Thompson aOFS lesser extent India this point under a new regime holds the most Ocean Industries Process Engineer differences considered promise. Again, whether the reforms promised byInc the Enrique Alejandro Diaz GerardoAfrica.

Monreal Encore Wire Corp —South Companew government in India lead to rapid growth remains Bellina Process Brian Process Engineering nies in South AfricanChief are to be seen.Engineering Russia will continue to haveHolzaepfel problems and it Manager Viakable on quality and innovation Jamesand Topham focusing our Group is laywillViakable take several years to recoverProduction from Western-imposed Charter Shinshodevelopment American there. ing the groundwork for a big market sanctions. Not much has been heard fromSteel South Africa, Brianit Fairchild Konradthe Mierendorff Brazil, world’s sixth largestCorporation economy—even though though is now officially a member.

W&Cthat Technical Komarov Sales Manager itRegional is very far from Italy and presents some customs clearI think the BRICS are going Zoya to continue to be relevant.

Development Prod Assurance Traxitand International Wireissues—is Taroa Udono ance trade policies market increasingly While the pace ofManager GDP growth may slow for a fewand years Corp Development Manager Lubricationfor our strategic framework.

Sales Department important duePolyOne to political and socio-economic factors or sanctions, Crystal, - PMC K acronym Brasch &was Co Ltd One other thought: the BRICS originally etc., these remain temporary roadblocks at Inc best.

As 40% Shane Fansler Jose Antonio Mosquera used to define countries characterized by a developing of the world’s population resides in these countries, it is Owner that at some point in theBob Krmpotich Industrial Engineer WendyinZhang economic situation, a strong growth GDP, a large popinevitable future they will produce Dirctoroutput. of Engineering Managera vast territory and abundant Eastleads Inc resources. ulation, natural andGuardian consumeCable the majority of the world’s Rahul Whitney Blake Co Radio Frequency Systems In 2015, we can’t talk of them any more as “developing Sachdev, Wire & Plastic Machinery.

Paul From countries” but as superpowers that, together with the G7 President & economic CEO countries, dominate the worldwide market. Fabio BelliRussia faced and political distresses in 2014 Wire na, TKT Group. butCentral now the situation may be back to normal in a very

AUGUST 2016 | 37 MAY 2015 | 37

WAI NEWS FEATURE

DIA

WAI NEWS

Interwire 2017: both educational and sponsorship opportunities exist With Interwire 2017 some nine months away, the Association is encouraging companies to take part in the biennial event via educational and sponsorship opportunities.

WAI Director of Education & Member Services Marc Murray said that the Association’s Conference Programming Committee has begun working on the elements that will be presented at Interwire 2017, but that this is a good time for companies to consider providing a technical paper or, possibly, a representative for a panel discussion. “The more choices we can have, especially at this still-early point, the better the final program will be,” he said.

Murray can be contacted at mmurray@wirenet.org.

In terms of the trade show, more than 85,000 sq ft of the available floor space—including all the large booths—has already been taken, said Sales Director Bob Xeller. He noted that companies seeking to enhance their presence at Interwire 2017 should consider taking part in the various sponsorship programs that are available. More details will be forthcoming this fall. The image at the right presents the range of sponsors for the 2015 event.

From the WAI Ferrous Wire Handbook With 36 chapters over 1,168 pages, the Ferrous Wire Handbook, published in 2008, remains the Association’s most-ever comprehensive literature project, written by three dozen wire industry experts and edited by former WAI President Robert M. Shemenski, an industry consultant and president of RMS Consulting, Inc. The book is a modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering and operations sectors of the industry. The chapters present straightforward explanations of different process, supported by charts and photos. The content covers a full spectrum of sectors, with individual chapters—from wire rod production and deformation in cold drawing to patenting and straightening and cutting wire—that explain the process in practical terms. A company that just wants one or two chapters need not pay for the entire book ($235/$195 for WAI members).

A PDF of a single chapter, from 4 through 36, can be ordered for $25, $20 for WAI members. Each order will include an additional free PDF with the first three chapters (A short history of the Ferrous Wire Industry, Evolution of Modern Steel Manufacture, and Modern Steel

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Manufacturing), which serve as an industry introduction and overview.

To get the first three chapters for free, go to www.mywai.org. There you can see and order the other individual chapters. Future issues will present chapters summations here.

CHAPTER 5: Wire Rod Production

ON SALE NOW!

SUMMARY: This chapter, 13 pages, discusses the subjects in the below subheads. It includes six charts and pictures, and a bibliography. This chapter is useful as an intro for the following chapters on wire rod.

Chapter subheads: • Basic Theory of Rod Rolling • Rod Mill Evolution • Rod Mill Equipment • Rod Cooling • Rod Storage

Midwest Chapter has plant tour and a dinner talk scheduled for Nov. 3 The Midwest Chapter has set plans for a tour and a dinner meeting and presentation on Thursday, Nov. 3.

The chapter plans to tour the Fort Wayne Metals (FWM) plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. FWM is a leading manufacturer of precision wire-based materials. It is best known for its products for the medical field, but it also suppliers wire for demanding industrial applications.

The Midwest Chapter’s meeting will be held at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum.

The chapter will then re-assemble after the tour for a presentation on Trucking by David Enoch of Mid-South Wire Company. The steel wire manufacturer has a transportation department (MS Logistics) with a fleet of tractor trailers. The meeting will be held at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana. For details about the meeting, contact chapter President Tim Fingeroos at tfingeroos@chartermfg.com or WAI’s Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Trifecta of WAI chapter golf events to be held in September and October The New England Chapter will hold its 22nd Annual Golf tournament on Tuesday, September 13, at a new location: the Golf Club of Avon. Contact WAI’s Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, abzowski@wirenet.org.

The Southeast Chapter will follow a few weeks later with its 15th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held on Thursday, September 29, at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa, Conover, North Carolina. Contact Art Deming, tel. 252955-9451, art.deming@nexans.com.

A week later, the Ohio Valley Chapter will hold its 13th Annual Golf Tournament when it returns Oct. 6 to

the Grantwood Golf Course in Solon, Ohio. Contact: Mark MacKimm, tel. 610-685-2800 or by e-mail at markmackimm@gmail.com, or Steve Fetteroll, tel. 203453-2777, ext. 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Southeast Chapter reports the student awarding of 3 scholarships for 2016 WAI Southeast Chapter President Art Deming announced the winners of the three 2016 scholarships, each for $1,500.

Niklas Endler is the son of Dominik Endler, vice president, Bekaert Corp., Marietta, Georgia. He plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Georgia.

Landon Smith is the grandson of Irv Baston, sales engineer, Technical Development Corp., Bremen, Georgia.

He is studying civil engineering at West Georgia Technical College.

Davis Ryman is the son of Wade Ryman, regional sales consultant, RichardsApex, Cumming, Georgia. He is studying finance at the University of Georgia.

“The Southeast Chapter scholarship committee continues to be very impressed with the quality of applicants we receive each year,” said Brooke Stonesifer, a member of the committee that chooses the winners. “Beyond academics, we see strong leaders with good character and values.

It is exciting to be able to provide some scholarship funds to support these students.”

Endler

Ryman

Smith

To date, the Southeast Chapter has awarded 21 scholarships since the program’s inception in 2008. The annual golf tournament is essential to making the scholarships possible.

Chapter President Art Deming, Nexans Aerospace, said that staging the annual golf tournament, which originated from the efforts of the late Steve Vannais, continues to be meaningful on multiple levels. “This event gives our regional organization an opportunity to do close networking and have some good social interaction along with business at a wonderful venue. Plus it’s a great opportunity to get together with good friends and share a round of golf.”

Deming observed that the Southeast Chapter “is a closeknit group, not just colleagues but friends.” Vannais’ legacy continues, reflected in the excellent turnout and sponsorships that have funded the scholarships, he said.  AUGUST 2016 | 41

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER

EVENT PREVIEW Opening ceremonies at the last staging of wire China. Organizers note that the 2016 event will set a new record for exhibitors.

wire China: high expectations Organizers of wire China 2016, the 7th All China International Wire and Cable Industry Trade Fair, expect attendees to be especially pleased when they arrive at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. The event, which runs from Sept. 26-29, will also include new element for fasteners. “wire China has now become the leading trade fair of its kind in Asia, not only in exhibition scale but also for its international influence,” said a press release from the organizers: Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and the Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute (SECRI). They report that the wire event—along with its sister event, Tube China 2016, the 7th All China International Tube and Pipe Industry Trade Fair—have set a new record, with 1,650 companies exhibiting in nine halls covering over 1 million square feet of exhibit space.

As of press time, about a thousand booths and more than 618,900 sq ft of net exhibit space were reported as taken. wire China 2016 is completely booked. The combined trade shows will include country group exhibits from Austria, Germany, Great Britain,

42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Italy, Japan, Korea, North America and Taiwan, and more than 40,000 professional visitors from 80 countries and regions are expected.

40,000 attendees are expected at the wire and tube China events. “wire China offers good opportunities for new business, as the high-level and international character creates a good framework for globally important contacts and the background of

China’s good economic development,” the release said. It observed that the market conditions have cooled off some, but that market opportunities remain substantial.

“Although the industry’s growth rate has slowed down compared to previous years, leading companies consider wire and Tube China 2016 important platforms to help them expand their business,” said the release, which cited the importance of the positive backdrop as detailed below.

With the introduction of China’s 13th Five-Year Policy, the state focuses on promoting infrastructure, industrial layout, environmental protection and energy efficient construction which in turn increases the demand for wires, cables and tubes. This huge market potential attracts international companies to China and consequently to wire and Tube China 2016.

China’s “2025 Made in China” and “along the way” strategies focus on

Tech Show, to launch the “Fastener Special Zone” at wire China 2016.

“This special exhibit will be a onestop sourcing platform for fastener products, manufacturing equipment and raw materials,” the release said. Many renowned companies have confirmed their participation, including WAFIOS, Zhejiang Yeswin, Meishan CRRC, Pengchi, Aozhan, Zhongsheng, Dongtai Huawei, Yongxin, Sijin, Bingfeng,

Jin Chi, Ching Chan, FQC, Wanluan, Schnorr, Chaoboer, Kahuan, Huihong, Yourong and Henghui. wire China 2016 will feature renowned domestic companies such as HOSN, Hefei Smarter, Jiangsu Handing, Langfang Xinming, Shanghai Kingstone, Shanghai Originaldow and Tianjin Huayuan as well as renowned foreign enterprises including Dow Chemical, Borouge and Borealis, EUROLLS, Fiber-line, Wan-

Exhibitor perspectives China is a very important market for TROESTER for many years and we have become the market leader for Continuous Vulcanization Lines (CV-lines) there. After huge investments in the year 2010, where China contributed about 50% to our overall sales, we assumed that the market now would be saturated, but the following years up to now the Schmidt investment still kept on a very high level. Thus we expect also for this wire China 2016 a lot of interest in TROESTER and our products and we are looking forward for a successful exhibition. Dirk Schmidt, sales director, Cable Machinery Division, TROESTER. I am somewhat uncertain of what to expect. In 2014, the show only con�irmed what I had been observing for months before: people were interested in technology, but not willing to invest in quality due to the economic crisis in China. For many Chinese I talked to this was the �irst time they experienced a situation like this, and the most common reaction was Boockmann to neglect quality and focus on high output only. This year, I do expect people to be very careful still, but hope for more quality awareness, and thus readiness to invest in quality again.

Michaela Boockmann, Boockmann Engineering GmbH. wire China is a very appropriate place for Maschinenfabrik Niehoff, which has been active in China since the early 1970s. Assisted by experienced Chinese engineers, Niehoff has successfully introduced rod breakdown and multiwire as well as super �ine wire drawing technology to many wire and cable factories in China. One of the pillars on which this success in the

marketplace is built was the Niehoff Service Center in Shanghai, founded in 1994, which became the Niehoff Shanghai Representative Of�ice in 2000 and eventually changed to the Shanghai Sales Branch of Niehoff Machinery Changzhou (NMC) Co., Ltd. NMC—a subsidiary of the Niehoff Group situated in the Wujin Economic Development Zone in Changzhou, approximately 200 km west of Shanghai—operates a factory with modern production equipment and manufactures different kinds of machines under a Niehoff license for the Chinese market.

NMC is also responsible for the complete after-sales service and the reliable and fast supply of Niehoff’s Chinese customers with Niehoff Original+ parts for all Niehoff machinery. Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH.

The Chinese market is moving ever more into high end cable products with great expectations from customers to also receive added value when manufacturing with our lines. Indeed our value packages give our clients unique opportunities in the many growing cable industries such as high-end building wires, subsea, high-speed Wu �iber optic, train, and space and aviation cables. I believe that wire China 2016 supports our future plans and strategy in China very well. Brown Wu, general manager, Maillefer, Shanghai of�ice.

Zhang

We still think this China show will be the largest and busiest show. Cable manufacturers are seeking new technology to make wire and cable products. Also, the competition is increasingly �ierce, the quality of products is more important. Therefore, the demand for high quality equipment still exist. This is an opportunity for us and we are optimistic for the

(continued next page)

AUGUST 2016 | 43

EVENT PREVIEW

the rapid development in automotive manufacturing, new energy, highspeed rail and urban rail construction, aerospace, petrochemical and construction industry, resulting in new business opportunities for the fastener sector. To address the changing trends within the fastener industry, Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. collaborated with the industry’s well-known media, “China Fastener Biz,” and the Shanghai Fastener &

EVENT PREVIEW

hua Chemical, DSM, LG CHEM, Lubrizol, Technora, DISA, Polyone, KOS, Dainichiseika, Furukawa Electric, Gauder, Suzuki Garphyttan, NEXTECK and Zumbach.

The exhibitors will showcase the latest advancements in wire production and refining machinery, processing equipment, auxiliary processing materials, special wires and cables,

China market. Lily Zhang, business and development manager, KALMARK Integrated Systems Ltd.

As ever, POURTIER and SETIC, French, members of the Gauder Group, look forward to returning to wire China, as economic activity, while not as heated as in past years, remains a considerable market for its leading rotating machines. We do more than just sell to the Asian market, we are part of it. While POURTIER and Collard most SETIC equipment is made in France, some SETIC machines have been made by the Gauder Group China division since 1999 for direct supply to the Asian market, built with the same quality standards. Ten years later, the Group launched with success the DALOO brand, a medium-cost range of rotating machines for cable producers looking for an attractive alternative between new machines made in Europe (with higher cost) and second-hand machines (without guaranteed performances). In Europe, services (French C2S and Bow Technology) as well as used machines (Belgium based GAUDER) complete the group global offer. Gauder Group CEO/President Thierry Collard. wire China is an important event for us, not only for our activities in the Chinese market, but also for contacts with customers from surrounding countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Contrary to the smaller wire shows in these countries, the Shanghai exhibition is showing Hoffmann a lot of Chinese-made machines and giving visitors the opportunity to compare local products with equipment from established machine manufacturers from Europe.

Manfred Hoffmann, commercial director, Queins Machines GmbH. China’s economy is growing and it pushes consumer products with high level technology and top quality.

Rosendahl Nextrom—as a leading global supplier of manufacturing solutions for cables, wires and optical �ibers—perfectly meets these demands. This is 44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

measurement and control technology as well as products, services and solutions in related professional fields.

To address the changing trends within the industry and needs of the

one of the biggest shows for the wire and cable industry in China.

Thus, this exhibition has become a very important event for the global wire and cable industry.

Rosendahl Nextrom takes this opportunity to strengthen the Chinese manufacturers with their solutions. We will present our rich experience in extrusion technology. Johann Reiter, regional sales director, China, Rosendahl Nextrom.

Reiter

Used/rebuilt machinery sales into China has its own set of nuances. With the RMB/U.S. dollar exchange rate increasing by approximately 7.5% over the past year, the less expensive, rebuilt machinery that we offer would appear to be much more in play as opposed to new US or European machinery.

With airline flights more numerous and more direct, and visas being issued for 10-year lifespans, the ease of getting people to access the Chinese market is easier. The overall wire and cable market within China, however, appears to be Macs in some state of consolidation, and with a massive domestic machinery in place, we still face an uphill battle. Erik A. Macs, director of sales, Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.

Despite persistently low oil prices, a global overcapacity of steel, and a slight cool-down of the Chinese and Indian economy, we are still expecting sustainable business opportunities at wire China 2016. We expect that attendees whose companies make shaped, flat and round profiles from ferrous and nonferrous wires as well as stainless steel will be interested König in our German-made, high-class wire rolling machines (standalone units or complete lines) for sectors such as automotive, electrical, textile, construction and energy. Our modular high-precision rolling mills combine highest production speeds of up to 1000 m/min with tolerances of +/- 1μm. Sebastian König, managing partner, FUHR .GmbH & Co. KG.

EVENT PREVIEW Some 40,000 attendees are expected for the 2016 staging of wire China. different target groups, wire China 2016 expanded two of its segments: wire and cable materials and “Wires and Springs.”

Per the release, with the development of the new-generation information and communication technologies represented by Internet of Things, big data and cloud computing, the world is entering the era of Internet and the wire and cable industry is welcoming the new opportunities. In the next decade, China will experience huge growth in its new energy sectors

including wind energy, solar energy and nuclear energy, which will further drive the demands for wind energy, photovoltaic and nuclear energy cables; the progress of urbanization with the development of smart cities will increase the need for communication cables; driven by the awareness of green and energy-saving development, smart grid has also become an important field in countries all over the world and offers additional opportunities for the wire and cable sector.

Smart energies, smart cities and smart

grid will dominate the direction of wire and cable development and become the main factor promoting the rapid development of the wire and cable industry in the future.

While wire and cable industry growth is expected to gradually slow down, the current growth rate is maintaining a growth rate of about 2.7% due to excessive capacity, lowend competition and price drop of bulk commodities like copper, aluminum, and petroleum. However, factors like supply-side reform, the internet and internet+, and One Belt, One Road and other policies launched by the Chinese government, are geared to alleviate the problems and maintain the increased demand for wires and cables in China. The related material and equipment manufacturing industries will also benefit from this, it said.

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at wire China 2016, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180; info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Alpha list of exhibitors Below is an alpha listing for exhibitors outside mainland China provided by the organizers. For more details, go to www.wirechina.net and see the show program at the event.

• ALMT Corp • ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA • AGIR TECHNOLOGIES SAS • AIKO CLAMP (DALIAN) CO • AJEX & TURNER WIRE TECH • ASABA CO, LTD • August Strecker GmbH & Co • AYMAK MAKINE • Besel Basim San ve Tic S • Blachford Corporation • Boockmann Eng GmbH • Buss AG

• Caballé, S A • Candor Sweden A/B • CARL BECHEM GMBH • Ceeco Bartell Products • CeramTec GmbH • CERSA-MCI SARL • CHUNG WOO ROPE CO, LTD • Cimteq Ltd • Condat Lubrifiants SAS • Conoptica S • Cosmal Mfg (M) Sdn Bhd • D&S DIES CO, LTD

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

• DAINICHISEIKA (SHANGHAI) TRADING LTD • Davis-Standard, LLC • DEUK-YOUNG CO, LTD • Deutsche Nickel GmbH • DISA Trading (Shanghai) Co • DOMINO CHINA LTD • Dow Chemical (China) Investment Co, Ltd • Drahtwerk Elisental • DSM • DSR WIRE CORP

• DWK Drahtwerk Köln GmbH • EBNER GmbH • Eder Engineering GmbH • EJP Maschinen GmbH • Elantas/ELANTAS Europe • Emcocables SA • Ernst Koch GmbH & Co KG • Esteves Group (Shanghai) Diamond Dies Co, Ltd • ETD Drives Tech (Yantai) Co • EUROALPHA Srl • Eurolls Mach (Shanghai) Co

EVENT PREVIEW • Factory-Automation Elctr • Fagersta Stainless AB • FIBER-LINE International BV • Flymca & Flyro • FMS Force Measuring Syst AG • Fort Wayne Wire Die, Inc • FSP-One S A S • Fuhr GmbH & Co • Furukawa Electric Co, Ltd • Gauder & Co SA • GOTEX SA • Gwo Lian Machinery Ind Co • H Folke Sandelin AB • Haicheng Greatx Ind, Ltd • Hamex Hardmetallverktyg • HANDUK ULTRASONIC CO • Hans Schmidt & Co GmbH • Henrich GmbH • HESHAN HANG KEI STEEL • HIGHVOLT Prüftechnik • HMP Heinrich Müller • Holmatro China • IBA Industrial Inc • ICE - Agenzia per promozione • Inductotherm Heating & Welding • Intras Ltd • IVA Electrical Ins Materials • IWMA • Jinhua Yonghe Fluorochemical • Joachim Uhing GmbH & Co • Joh Pengg AG • JSC “VNIIKP”

• Kalmark Integrated Systems • KAO-MENG MACHINERY (TAICANG) CO, LTD • KB Seiren, Ltd • KBA-Metronic GmbH • KIESELSTEIN Intn GmbH • KINREI MACHINERY CO, LTD • KNIGHT SAS • Korea Chemical Co, Ltd • KOS WIRE LTD • Lämnea Bruk AB • Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH • Lenzing AG • Leyer & Kiwus Ultraschall- u • LG Chem, Ltd • LIFELINE TECHNOLOGIES • Linx Printing Technologies • LTK Co, Ltd • Lubrizol Specialty Chemicals Mfg (Shanghai) • LUKAS Anlagenbau GmbH • MAG • Maillefer Extrusion Oy • Mair Research SpA • MALI GmbH • Mario Frigerio SpA • Markem-Imaje (China) Co • Maschinenfabrik • Medek & Schörner GmbH • Messe Düsseldorf/MDNA • Metal Link Inc • Metalube Ltd • Mexichem Specialty

48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Compounds Inc • Micro Products Company • Microdia SA • Miltec UV • MKU Chemical Trade • Nexteck Tech (Shenzhen) Ltd • NUC Corporation • NV Bekaert SA • OHMIYA SEIKI CO, LTD • Petrofer Chemie • Polyone • Promostar Srl • QED Wire Lines Inc • Qingdao Sinositec Engineering Textile Co • Queins Machines GmbH • RAD-CON Inc • Reber Systematic GmbH + Co • RichardsApex Inc • RK Umformtechnik GmbH • Rosendahl Nextrom GmbH • RSD Technik GmbH • Saar-Blankstahl GmbH • Saarstahl AG • SAIKAWA CO, LTD • SAMTECH CORPORATION • Sandvik Hyperion • Schlatter Industries AG • Schnell SpA • Schweißdraht GmbH • Shanghai Colorant Chromatics • Shanghai Hamana Machinery • Shanghai Xuhui Diamond Ind

• SHINIL E&T Co, Ltd • Shrieve Chemical (Shanghai) • Sikora (Fuzhou)/SIKORA AG • SKET Verseilmaschinenbau • Southwire Company, LLC • Spirka Schnellflechter GmbH • Steuler-Bobby (Shanghai) EqpT Engineering • Stolberger dBa • Stolberger KMB Maschinenfabrik GmbH • SUZUKI GARPHYTTAN WIRE (SUZHOU) • Suzuki-Sumiden Wire Products Guangzhou • Taymer International Inc • Teijin Aramid Asia Co , Ltd • Teknor Apex Company • The Itaya Engineering Ltd • TOTOKU (ZHEJIANG) CO , LTD • Traxit (Tianjin) Chemical Co • TRAXIT International GmbH • Troester GmbH & Co KG • Twins Micro Technology Corporation • VÖDKM/AWCMA • voestalpine Wire Technology • Voge Composites, LLC • Wafios (Shanghai) Machinery • WAFIOS AG • Wasik Associates, Inc • WCISA - Wire and Cable Industry • Westral Insulated Products (M) SDN BHD • Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp • WIRE MESH MACHINES • Wirtschaftskammer Österreich • WiTechs GmbH • Woywod • WPT WAFIOS Production Tech • Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co KG • ZENKOH CO, LTD • Zumbach Electronic (Shanghai) Co, Ltd

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INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

M O N

T E R R E Y

Photos courtesy of the Monterrey Department of Tourism.

ITC 2010 PREVIEW

ITC 2016 PREVIEW

Wire and Cable Technical Program | Tabletop Exhibits | Networking | Plant Tour

18–20 O CTOBER 2016 • M ONTERREY , N.L. M EXICO • C ROWNE P LAZA H OTEL

WAI RETURNS TO MEXICO FOR 2016 ITC In 2008 and 2010, Mexico proved to be a very good choice to host the WAI’s International Technical Conference (ITC), and the Association will return there again on Oct. 18-20, staging the event at the Crowne Plaza Monterrey, which hosted the previous events.

While a good portion of the program has been set, as outlined here, the September issue will have more news.

For the latest information, go to WAI’s dedicated event website, www.waimonterrey.com.

The 2016 ITC, co-sponsored by Mexican steel wire association Asociación Nacional de Transformadores de Acero A.C. (ANTAAC), will feature technical paper presentations, tabletop exhibits (Suppliers Market), a reception, and lots of networking potential.

50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

“Since our 2010 ITC, there has been a lot of activity in the wire and cable sector in Mexico,” said industry consultant Antonio Ayala, a WAI Past President who was a key planner for both the 2008 and the 2010 ITCs. He said that new plants have been opened, considerable capital machinery has been installed and new cable designs are being made. “There also has been more professional growth in engineering, and there is better communication between the plants and suppliers.”

Ayala said that the ITC program offers practical information that is needed on plant floors. “There was a time when wire and cable was produced and an operator had to know how to replace a worn screw, but now it is the electronic age, and the equipment runs faster and there are

ITC 2010 PREVIEW

ITC SCHEDULE MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Registration Open

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18

Antonio Ayala, who served as WAI president in 2009, welcomed attendees at the 2008 ITC in Monterrey.

A view of Monterrey from the Crowne Plaza Hotel. many sensors that save material and decrease waste.”

The heads of companies need their staff to understand the new demands of their work, he said.

The Suppliers Market will be open on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 9 am. The official opening/keynote presentation

by Sergio Valdes, Viakable, is at 10:30 am. Technical papers are set for Tuesday and Wednesday. As of press time, abstracts have been accepted for 16 presentations, with more to be added in the following issue. There will be a reception and dinner at the hotel on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, there will be more presentations and a continuation of the Suppliers Market. As of press time, the following companies had reserved a place: Ayala Associates, Carris Reels, Esteves Group, Gem Gravure Company, INTEREQUIP, Micro Products Co., The MGS Group, Niehoff Endex North America, Paramount Die Co., Quimica Iberoamericana, Rainbow Rubber & Plastics, Roteq Machinery and Sjogren Industries. Plans for a tour are being finalized for Thursday, Oct. 20.

7:00 am - 5:30 pm

Registration Open

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Suppliers Market

10:30 am - 10:55 am

Keynote Address

11:00 am - 11:25 am

Renewable Generation Dynamics In The Usa And Impact On The Cable Industry

11:30 am - 11:55 am

Advancements In Laying Head And Coil Reforming Technology For High-Speed Rod Rolling Mills

12:00 pm - 12:25 pm

Modern Technologies For Aluminum Wire Process

12:30 pm - 12:55 pm

Properzi

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Lunch

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Suppliers Market

3:00 pm - 3:25 pm

Capital Project Case Study: Galvanizing Expansion

3:30 pm - 3:55 pm

Niehoff

4:00 pm - 4:25pm

Wiredrawing Dies And Their Influence On Speed And Efficiency; The Key Drivers Of Profitability

4:30 pm - 4:55 pm

Operational Efficiency Improvements For Hv Cable Manufacturing

5:00 pm - 5:25 pm

High-Speed Micro Galvanizing Wire Lines

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Cocktail Hour

6:30 pm

Dinner Reception

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Suppliers Market

10:00 am - 10:55 am

Annealing Of Electrical Conductors

11:00 am - 11:25 am

Lubricant Design

11:30 am - 11:55 am

Managing Operational Change: Cleaning Technology Case Study

12:00 pm - 12:25 pm

Mario Frigerio (MFL Group)

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Lunch

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Suppliers Market

2:00 pm - 2:25 pm

WAI Platinum Report: Industry 4.0

2:30 pm - 2:55 pm

Additional Details On Fines Measurement And Analysis

Above schedule is subject to change. See the latest details in upcoming WJI issues and at www.waimonterrey.com.

AUGUST 2016 | 51

Country

The following presentations are part of the preliminary conference program, and are subject to change.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 3:00 pm - 3:25 pm 10:30 am - 10:55 am

Keynote Address: Sergio Valdés Ramírez, Viakable 11:00 am - 11:25 am

Renewable generation dynamics in the usa and impact on the cable industry Damien Polansky, Dow Wire & Cable This presentation forecasts that the favorable political environment in the United States will continue to extend renewable mandates and tax subsidies. This will continue to spur new, longer-term investors, generating double GDP growth in the next five years. The new investors and consolidated owners/operators want long-term returns on their investment, seeking life-cycle cost decision making (vs. first cost) and hence more reliable systems. Dow’s renewable portfolio feeds its Seadrift asset which produces sustainable solutions (like ENDURANCE C4202) for the renewable energy industry.

11:30 am - 11:55 am

Advancements in laying head and coil reforming technology for high-speed rod rolling mills Bruce Kiefer, N. Gow, and Wade P. Krejdeovsky, Primetals Technologies USA LLC Design changes resulting in increased finishing speeds, mill use, and production; and the ability to produce more compact and consistent coils for downstream users.

12:00 pm - 12:25 pm

Modern technologies for aluminum wire process Enrico Conte, Sampsistemi As automakers and other industries look for new solutions to reduce weight, aluminum is a popular candidate for applications that require high current. The latest technical solutions and advancements in multiwire drawing and in-line annealing technologies to ensure better quality; aluminum and alloys for electrical application and production process; aluminum multiwire applications; solutions on multiwire drawing and annealing in-line process; solutions on flexible strand production; and future areas of development.

12:30 pm - 12:55 pm

Presentation: Properzi

Capital project case study: galvanizing expansion Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire Co. Inc. Timeline of the expansion of Mid-South Wire’s galvanizing operations; deciding factors; important Capex requirements; ranking of priorities; justifying expense; engineering the project. Also: planning layout, utilities and services, specification of ancillary equipment, sequencing of equipment arrivals, and chemical containment.

3:30 pm - 3:55 pm

Presentation: Niehoff Endex North America 4:00 pm - 4:25 pm

Wiredrawing dies and their influence on speed and efficiency; the key drivers of profitability Joao Norona, Paramount Wire Die In today’s world, wire drawers are being challenged to increase productivity with dwindling human capital and increasing workloads. Do you know how changes to wiredrawing practices, dies, lubricant, rod, and maintenance actually impact your bottom line? The need to be analytical and deploy resources on targeted initiatives of the highest return on investment is critical. Please join us to gain an understanding of how these key drivers impact a wiredrawing operation’s profitability.

4:30 pm - 4:55 pm

Operational efficiency improvements for HV cable manufacturing Damien Polansky, Dow Wire & Cable HV cable manufacturing requires time-consuming and energy-wasting steps to degas the byproducts of crosslinking. Extrusion pressure build-up can lead to poor cable quality and expensive down time. This paper discusses new DOW technologies that significantly improve these attributes, allowing cable manufacturers to improve efficiencies and expand margins.

5:00 pm - 5:25 pm

High-speed micro galvanizing wire lines Salomón Hernández Olmos, Grupo Acerero de Hidalgo SA de CV This paper discusses the advantages of high-speed galvanizing lines compared to conventional low-speed lines. It

AUGUST 2016 | 53

ITC 2010 PREVIEW

TECHNICAL PAPERS

ITC 2010 PREVIEW 2010 Keynote speaker Geoffrey Bogart talks to attendees about the importance of the U.S. and Mexico relationship. describes the equipment, including the induction furnace, zinc pot, and descaling system and addresses production speeds. Line features include a small footprint in the plant, fewer molten zinc requirements than conventional lines, ease of operation, production capacities as low as 200 MT per month, lower operation costs than conventional lines, low overhead requirments per shift, and high productivity with fewer operating lines.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 10:00 am - 10:55 am

Annealing of electrical conductors Horace Pops, Horace Pops Consulting Inc. This 60-minute session addresses principles of annealing, annealing of copper and aluminum wire, and annealing problems. Specific topics include definitions, structure— property changes, general concepts, engineering rules and guidelines, stages of annealing, role of work hardening; also, effects of composition, interaction of impurities, control of process variables (amount of reduction; intermediate anneals), measurement of annealing process, rate of softening, batch versus strand annealing; and annealability testing, purity and equipment problems, oxidation and staining, measurement of properties, hydrogen embrittlement, sticky wire, and frictional heating during drawing.

11:00 am - 11:25 am

Lubricant design Ralph J. Creneti, RichardsApex Inc., USA This paper discusses lubricant design considerations for global markets.

11:30 am - 11:55 am

Managing operational change —cleaning technology case study Chemetall This session highlights Management of Change (MOC) Procedures, in the context of Cleaning Technologies, to

54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

assure that the following considerations are addressed before any change is implemented: The technical basis for the proposed change; Impact of the change on safety and health; Modifications to operating procedures; Necessary period for the change (temporary changes); Authorization requirements for the proposed change; Training of any operations, maintenance, and personnel whose job tasks are affected by the change prior to implementation of the change; Modifications to process safety information and performance requirements.

The purpose of this procedure is to define the practices and other procedures that ensure all process changes are accomplished in an effective, controlled, and managed fashion after careful review and approval from the management team.

12:00 am - 12:25 am

Presentation: Mario Frigerio (MFL Group) 2:00 pm - 2:25 pm

WAI Platinum Member Report: Industry 4.0 and the wire & cable industry Mark Marselli, Wire Journal International This presentation will focus on the future focus of Industry 4.0 from the perspective of wire and cable manufacturers.

2:30 pm - 2:55 pm

Additional details on fines measurement and analysis Horace Pops, Horace Pops Consulting Inc. Although a rather voluminous paper on drawing fines appeared in Wire Journal International several years ago, the complexity of this topic and numerous related variables indicated the necessity of a follow-up. The present article covers a number of new details and variables related to the formation and analysis of fines. Included herein are discussions and some practical solutions concerning the analysis of fines at a die pass, which includes proper sampling as well as testing of water based, oils, and solid lubricants, the incoming and exiting wires, and the dies and die holders.

FEATURE

Dies: where’s the ‘added value’?

A popular U.S. commercial once asked, Where’s the beef?’ This feature presents remarks from die suppliers who were asked to comment on different topics, including what they offer of value to customers beyond their dies, a look at a company’s die patent, and more.

Woodburn Diamond Die The basics of wire drawing are still the same today, only combined with more efficient equipment, better raw materials, improved lubrication, higher quality draw dies, and of course, well-trained individuals processing millions of pounds of wire every day.

Process and supplier development as well as a closer partnerships with customers are the foundation for this success. History in business is enough of an asset to maintain relationships with some customers, but intense competition means that future success is dictated by our improved performance today and tomorrow.

We work harder and are more involved with our customers than ever before. Many in-house die and tooling departments are maintained by a single individual in the plant now and their responsibility extends to various areas within and outside that department. So, it is imperative that we as their supplier help manage the flow of the die inventory and offer feedback in regards to die wear conditions being seen versus historical expectations which helps them determine if other areas of the process need more attention. Definitely a partnership-type working relationship is a key component to the overall value that the customer is looking for from their suppliers. Bill Schwehn, sales manager, Woodburn Diamond Die.

Premier Wire Die A display of dies from Woodburn Diamond Die Woodburn’s history is much the same. Diamond die processing has evolved over the years from labor intensive and painstakingly slow needle boring through diamond stones to highly evolved precision lasers and EDM equipment that provides more consistency and accuracy from die to die. The use of ultrasonic die polishers has provided improved surface polish on the PCD dies and subsequently on the drawn surface of the wire itself. It also helps to decrease the amount of copper fines being generated during the draw process as well as helping to decrease wire breaks as there is less drag on the wire passing through the die.

These improvements in efficiency and quality are key to success in the wire die industry, particularly given the increasingly global nature of competition. While foreign competitors have altered the landscape of the competitive environment, it is counterproductive to view the challenges in a purely negative light. Competition on a global scale breeds innovation and provides opportunities that previously may not have been readily apparent. It’s the ability to identify and take advantage of these opportunities that will play a large role in success going forward.

56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Trends being pursued by wire manufacturers are increasingly focused on principals of lean manufacturing, especially eliminating waste and increasing value. Tighter wire tolerances and reduced draw die inventories are two examples that immediately contribute to a stronger bottom line. Wire mills continue to tighten up their tolerances and focus on working at the very bottom of their

From l-r at the Premier Wire Die booth at Wire Expo are Dave Rascati, Sokhom Khea and Vince Griffin.

Precision Die Technologies Precision Die Technologies manufactures various products that serve the wire and cable industry. We have built our 27 years of success by a strong commitment to provide customer-focused products, reactive customer service, and unique value added services.

An assortment of dies from Precision Die Technologies.

In an ever-changing industry, lead times, price, customer responsiveness and die longevity have become tremendously important. Long lead times are a thing of the past.

PDT has focused on streamlining processes to provide the quickest delivery time in the industry as well as maintaining the same high quality product that you can count on each and every time. We are able to accommodate small and large rush die requests due to our extensive new and used die inventories that are ready to ship with your desired specifications, thus getting our customers out of pre-

So, what die issues matter to plant managers?

WJI posed that question and a few others, via Survey Monkey, to a pool of plant managers. They were asked three quick questions: how many die suppliers do you use? when was the last time you used a new die supplier? and concerning production and quality-reated challenges, how often are dies the direct problem?

From the results, nearly all the 10 respondents said that they had two or three suppliers. One company had changed a die supplier this year, while most said it was from one to two years; three said it had been three years. In terms of dies being a process problem, the die gods must look kindly at the companies of three respondents that reported that die problems rep-

resent less than 1%. Three other respondents said that die problems represented more than 5% and less than 10%, while two others pegged such woes as representing more than 10% to less than 20%.

The survey also asked what the biggest challenges they faced related to dies. As a public service, WJI will present the “challenges” in declining order of the companies with the greatest die woes.

• Educating and training the importance of proper die maintenance and lubrication.

• Choosing the best die angle to produce the “cleanest” wire possible.

• PVC is abrasive and wears dies out of round. Operators damage the dies when removing them during a set-up change. Could a die be

designed with a counter bore on the front side so even if the face is damaged it won’t damage the round through the hole?

• Cost of dies and labor cost associated with internal die shop.

The following were submitted from the less than 1% respondents.

• Die longevity.

• Determining the proper entrance angle for different material and proper bearing length.

• Tungsten shortages drastically raising the cost of dies or drawingnibs.

WJI plans to do more such surveys in the future. If you would like to participate in one, send an e-mail to editor@ wirenet.org noting your focus area.

AUGUST 2016 | 57

FEATURE

customer specification range. Every ten-thousandths of an inch of excess material can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars over a year’s time in lost revenue.

As a result draw tooling suppliers are being challenged to tighten up their internal manufacturing specifications and tolerances. Meanwhile, a leaner supply chain challenges the draw tooling suppliers to minimize lead time without sacrificing quality in support of very small lot sizes and diverse wire market requirements. Reduced capital expenditures, improved cash flow and reduced risk of carrying inventory with risk of obsolescence are keys to our success supplying our draw tooling customers with a JIT mindset.

At Premier Wire Die, we are set up to produce the finest quality, precision made diamond dies, while providing the shortest possible lead-times. In working very closely with our customers, we keep an eye on the immediate and future returns on their investment. First we make sure we are using the proper die design after which we focus on providing the correct insert to provide an appropriate life expectancy of the die. Our objective is to educate the customer as to exactly what tool designs are needed to produce their wire so they get the best value in diamond dies. This is how we compete with foreign and domestic competitors...by being innovative and keeping up with the demands of our customers!

In an effort to help our wire customers stay competitive with global competition, we have to meet or exceed their demands. Right now, those demands are for tighter tolerances and quicker lead-times. It is doing our share to keep American's working and our businesses secure.

Dave Rascati, vice president sales, Premier Wire Die.

FEATURE

Die optimization: start with a simple yet effective method Tom Maxwell, Jr., the president of U.S.-based Die Quip Corporation, www.dieqip.com, and a frequent presenter at WAI technical events, discusses below how a simple method—the meeting point inventory system—may help wire manufacturers maximize their use of dies.

Optimizing dies is best done by the angle is polished and the diamto measure the bearing length using proper die design to ensure eter checked. It is then ready to be since it was done mathematically. the die is reducing the diameter put into a speci�ic, marked meeting The meeting point inventory also of the wire with the least amount point inventory location. makes it quick and easy to put a of redundant work and generating If followed according to the above different bearing length into prothe best hydrodynamic lubricant duction for special jobs or to test explanation, this process produces pressure. It also needs to have the best length for a material since a higher volume of dies without a bearing length that half-�inished dies can be provides the best die pulled from the meeting life while preserving the point inventory and lubricant �ilm thickness have the bearing put in. for the next die.

If a wire mill does not Once the correct geomhave an in-house die etry is determined, it shop, it is critical that is critical that the dies an inspection program put into production are is put in place to meamade to this exact form sure a percentage of within a de�ined tolerall incoming new and ance. And while that may recut dies to ensure sound like basic comgeometry compliance mon-sense advice, it is to stated tolerances. the way that a company The inspection process carries it out that can can be as simple as spell the difference in plug gauges and angle Tom Maxwell, Jr., focusing on the finer points of die technology. gauges or use automatterms of results.

In-house die shops ed measuring systems, have traditionally relied on the skill depending on the size, volume and scrap compared to batch-making of their experienced die makers number of dies that need to be dies one at a time. It can be run to ensure that dies are either kept measured. It is recommended that continually to improve die shop or processed to the desired tola high percentage of recut dies are production. When �inished dies erance, but with the generational inspected if the supplier doesn’t are needed, the operator refers to change going on in our industry, cut the dies to meeting points to a meeting point chart that shows this knowledge hasn’t been transensure bearing lengths. the minimum and maximum meetferred effectively. That is why the Die elements that should be ing point they can use to make meeting point inventory system inspected include: diameter that size, dies are pulled from has been developed. If followed, it and roundness, bearing length, the corresponding section in the works very easily and ef�iciently to approach angle, case squareness meeting point inventory, the bearensure that dies that go into proand roundness and concentriciing is put into the die, the diameduction all have the correct bearing ty of die geometry and to outside ter is measured and then put into length within a predetermined toldiameter of case. �inished inventory without having erance without the need for highly skilled die makers.

About Die Quip Corporation The theory is based on the simplest of premises: one has to Die Quip Corporation supplies a range of know what one has. All used dies die-related equipment, including die �inishing are cleaned, sorted in groups and machines, polishing and sizing machines, wire placed into one inventory location cutting tools, die measuring system and accessories as a range of educaby size. A batch of dies are taken tional services, from training and formulas as well as white papers that from this inventory, put into a die cover die making, measuring and designs. www.diequip.com. grinder and cut to meeting points, 58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FEATURE

dicaments they may encounter. This allows our customers to break into new markets/customers.

As the push for innovation continues, you need to talk to someone who has extensive knowledge in the wire and cable industry. PDT works directly with head engineers to ensure we meet our customers’ specifications and recommend certain specifications for new processes and/or new technology. Pricing has played a pivotal role in breaking into many companies. With more offshore companies pushing their products into the United States, the competition has amplified. Wire and cable manufactures are open to listening to offshore companies about how to lower their initial costs, but the cost of the die does not add true value, but the overall increases to our customer’s bottom line PDT provides does, and that keeps our retention rate well above 90%.

One of PDT’s latest achievements is finding new technology to provide longer die life than is currently available in the marketplace. After years of research our partner has managed to create a stone similar to a natural diamond or monocrystalline, which has a wear resistance that lasts 50%-100% longer in wire drawing applications. This is very new to the market and is still being tested but our initial results have proven themselves with great success in ferrous and nonferrous applications.

Looking into the future, PDT will continue to serve our customers with honesty and integrity. We will continue to diversify our products through R&D and offer the newest technology to all current and new customers that want to become partners. As the baby boomers begin their retirement, your partner in the wire and cable industry, PDT, will lend a helping hand (through Training) to all beginners in this industry. Brad Freiburger, vice president of sales and marketing, Precision Die Technologies.

Paramount Die Wire die outsourcing is one of the most significant trends impacting the wire industry. Historically, wire companies have relied on in-house die recutting operations to satisfy their die requirements. Internal die rooms have had limited access to technology and have instead relied on heavily labor dependent processes that are highly variable and inconsistent.

Today, very few Western wire companies maintain significant die making capacity. Paramount Die has played an integral role in promoting this transformation. As outsourcing has increased, Paramount has been able to reach economies of scale that have led to the development of highly specialized processes for mass production. This increasing demand has provided Paramount with the economic justification to develop sophisticated production AUGUST 2016 | 59

FEATURE

Looking forward, the outsourcing trend is sure to gather momentum in developing nations which have continued to rely heavily on labor dependent processes. Companies in these markets are gradually discovering the significant impact that high quality wire dies have on drawing productivity. The productivity benefits easily outweigh any perceived cost savings attributed to internal die refurbishing. Paramount will continue to fill this growing need in developing nations not only by providing the required die technology but by also providing local support and rapid turnaround from landed inventory. Richard Sarver, president, Paramount Dies.

Photos reflecting some of the scope of Paramount Die. technologies that would not have been previously viable.

Paramount’s R&D has yielded more consistent automated processes that have reduced the cost of manufacturing dies and led to the maintenance of significantly higher quality standards. More precise and consistent wire die geometries have contributed greatly to increased drawing speeds and have enabled significant increases in wire drawing productivity.

Mikrotek Mikrotek, started by technocrat Kamal Babu, manufactures precision diamond dies and die polishing equipment, used in wire and cable production. The wires and cables drawn through our dies/products are used in satellites, medical wire, automobiles, electrification, house wiring, motherboards, fiber optic cables etc. Prestigious companies like Apple, Mercedes, and BMW employ these wires.

We have set up 1000+ die-shops in India and abroad

A decades-long view of a company and a field WJI asked Dr. Kurt Eder, Eder Engineering GmbH, to brie�ly comment on both his Austrian company, and then on the “state” of the die industry as he sees it. Below, he shares his thoughts on both.

EDER-Austria started making wire drawing dies in 1947, mainly tungsten carbide dies and soon also natural diamond dies. In cooperation with General Electric, we were pioneers in making the �irst successful Compax PCD wire drawing die (1968) and the �irst PCD compacting die (1988). This was possible because we had speci�ically developed more powerful machines than other traditional die makers, and as a result we even sold our machines not only to G.E. and De Beers, but to many reputed die producers.

More than 90% of our production now is in special machines for both the reconditioning and production of dies, while our former involvement in making dies meanwhile has been intentionally reduced to a relatively small number, mainly for speci�ic die-tools, which not everybody can do easily. To make a proper PCD die is no longer a “miracle.” All one needs is a fundamental knowledge of how a proper die-pro-

60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

�ile must look, obtain suitable raw materials for the dies and use ef�icient die processing equipment.

One can easily recognize this by seeing the mass of new die makers rushing into the global market for these tools, mainly from China and India, making the business life for the mainly quality-conscious traditional producers of dies in Europe and the U.S. increasingly more dif�icult.

Apart from the fact that labor, energy and production costs in most of Asia are considerably cheaper than in Western countries or in Japan, more “home-made” synthetic diamond die-blanks are being used there, making die-tools often more attractive in price.

Nevertheless, there is often still a difference in the quality of most Asian-made PCD die materials in comparison to Western-made PCD die blanks as well as in the care and skills under which these precise tools are being produced.

Other differences may exist in the precision with which a Eder die-pro�ile and surface �inish is produced. The degree of that precision is a key to achieving a perfect wire-surface and a suitably long die service-life, preferably with a prolonged useful life of the same die bore-diameter, etc.

However, especially in a period of a slower global economy, the wire and cable industry tends to buy more or less uniform products, such as dies, at the lowest possible cost, and yesterday's traditional preferences and loyalties towards suppliers tend to vanish.

Generally speaking, quality always comes with a certain price.

This is not without truth for the wire and cable industry and particularly in times of globalization.

Mikrotek’s Kamal Babu and Anitha Kamal at Wire Expo 2016. and sold 3000+ die polishing machines, both significant achievements for any single company. Our setup is used in 95% of die rooms in India, and we have won four prestigious international awards from International Wire and Machinery Association. We are one of the world’s top diamond die manufacturers, supplying to more than 30 countries worldwide.

We also are socially responsive. Eighty percent of our employees are women. We provide accommodation for employees, interest free-loans and free educational grants for their children. We are a preferred employer for people from

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adjoining villages/ areas. We are doubling our production capacity and are well positioned to supply global demand.

Today, our customers are looking for quicker response time for their queries, swifter deliveries and zero defects.

As a result, we made some internal changes within the organization to channel our efforts to meet these expectations of our customers.

We are ISO 9001:2008 certified, ensuring that clients will benefit from internal processes that are documented, learned, consistently reviewed for improvement, and consistent with quality assurance best practices established by ISO. Regarding competition, there is increasing presence of dies from manufacturers across the world, especially from China. We believe, going forward, there will be stiff competition from manufacturers from China. We are confident that the value proposition, quality consciousness and customer service we provide to our customers will help set us apart and compete well. Anitha Kamal, director, Mikrotek.

FEATURE

Anatomy of a die patent Patents can offer a unique view into a product, and one granted in 2015 to Sumitomo, which makes its own dies, presents insights into challenges that can lead to advances in technology. Below are edited excerpts of patent #9,061,336, Wire Drawing Die, granted June 23, 2015, to Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Development The present invention relates to a diamond die for drawing a metal wire, and in particular for drawing an ultra-�ine wire of copper, gold, or the like, or a very hard wire, such as a stainless wire, steel cord or the like. The goal was to make a die with excellent strength and wear resistance from a die core made of a very hard diamond polycrystalline diamond (PCD) body.

Background Wire drawing dies used for manufacturing ultra-�ine wire are often made of natural monocrystalline diamond (MCD) or synthetic monocrystalline diamond (SMCD).

However, the distances between crystal lattice planes differ depending on orientation, and the lattice planes have different in-plane atomic densities.

Thus, diamond monocrystal has wear resistance that is signi�icantly direction-dependent, which causes uneven wear after wire drawing. A die for drawing a very hard wire— such as stainless steel or or tire cord—that undergoes excess stress in use can crack due to cleavage, so polycrystalline diamond (PCD) is generally used. PCD dies are made by sintering diamond powder with a sintering aid or a binding agent under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions where a diamond is thermodynamically stable.

However, as some 10% of the volume is a sintering aid or a binding agent, one cannot obtain a highly precise hole surface, so PCD is not good for ultra-�ine wire drawing.

Also, PCDs are made by directly passing an electric current through electrically conductive non-diamond carbon such as graphite and heating the same, it is unavoidable 62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

that unconverted graphite remains.

Further, the diamonds have grains varying in size and tend to be insuf�iciently sintered. Thus, for a PC body, this results in poor mechanical properties for hardness and strength.

Invention To solve these problems, the inventors used a relatively coarse plate-like graphite or relatively coarse diamond with a non-graphite type carbon material or graphite with low crystallinity or �inegrained graphite added thereto, as a starting material, to directly convert non-diamond carbon into

diamond at an ultra-high pressure and an ultra-high temperature.

This produced a PCD with layered or relatively coarse diamond crystals that were dispersed in a matrix of �ine-grained diamond that prevented plastic deformation and progression of �ine cracks by the layered or coarse-grained diamond. Even where graphite is used, a microstructure can be controlled by temperature rising time and pressure condition, and an appropriate construction obtained.

After fabricating a die using this material and performing a wire drawing test, it was found that the test die has high wear resistance and less uneven wear and cleavage cracks, depending on the starting material and synthesis conditions. The durability is three or more times that of a die with conventional material. A die using PCD made substantially only of diamond was produced by directly converting a non-diamond type carbon material as a starting material into the diamond, and sin-

tering it an ultra-high pressure and an ultra-high temperature without adding a sintering aid or a catalyst.

This resulted in a diamond with a mixed construction including �inegrained diamond with a maximum grain size of less than or equal to 100 nm and an average grain size of less than or equal to 50 nm and platelike or particulate coarse-grained diamond with a minimum grain size of greater than or equal to 50 nm and a maximum grain size of less than or equal to 10000 nm.

Preferably, the amount of the non-graphite type carbon material added to the plate-like graphite or diamond with a grain size of 50 mm or more is greater than or equal to 10% by volume as less is less than that allows layered or coarse-grained diamonds to be brought into contact with each other, stress is concentrated at an interface there between, and cracks and fractures are likely to occur. At the other extreme, more than a 95% volume is not good as the layered or coarse-grained diamond cannot suf�iciently exhibit the effect of preventing plastic deformation and progression of �ine cracks.

As a result of the research, a PCD die was produced with a construction in which layered or relatively coarse diamond crystals are dispersed in a matrix of �ine-grained diamond can be stably obtained.

The die of the present invention is excellent in life and occurrence of a �law on the wire surface, and high precision wire drawing with less variations in circularity can be performed for a long period of time.

To request the full description of this patent, send an e-mail to editor@wirenet.org.

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INDUSTRY NEWS FEATURE

“Despite economic recession and depressions, World Wars, and fierce global competition, our customers see Koner/TKT the value in ourGroup products and continue to support us. We The steel wire “world” is progressing rapidly as well as look forward to many more years of continued growth other high tech industries and it is now common that end and success.” users require more demanding levels of characteristics, Sommers thanked Fenn staff for their dedication, comsuch as higher tensile strength, better coating quality (zinc, mitment and loyalty. “It makes me very optimistic about copper and brass plating), higher wire performances, our success for the require next 115 years.” improvement and etc. Such demands continuous further evolution of drawing dies quality, focusing on hard

metal characteristics, geometry and the processing Alcatel-Lucent unit chosen for and manufacturing techniques.

SOOC undersea network project

Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN), the undersea cables subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent has been awarded the development of the Sonangol Offshore Optical Cable (SOOC), a critical infrastructure project designed to reduce the cost-per-bit associated with the delivery of data traffic to Angola, including its offshore oil and gas production facilities.

A press release said that the 1,900 km SOOC undersea network will connect to landing points at four locations along the Angolan coast, providing a high-speed connection between the Luanda area and Cabinda to fulfill national telecom needs. The development phase is under way and construction work is scheduled to start in the second half of 2016.

“After connecting Angola to the global network through several undersea cables, ASN is pleased to furFabio Bellina, TKT Group. ther contribute to the development of the Angolan fiber optical infrastructure,” said ASN Oil & Gas General Koner has committed its R&D Manager Yohann Bénard.

“Thisactivities award istoa meet primesuch illusneeds.

In our opinion, these kinds of services and tration that submarine fiber-optic technology is imbecomprovements cannot be supplied by offshore dies producers ing the standard telecom medium for offshore assets.” that usually compete just on low price. We have seen poor quality dies in the market at a low price as a consequence Samoa government: has of market price sensitivity, but theactivity results of such low quality strategic products in the wire drawingproject process are begun for submarine cable evident in the final wire quality.

That leads more cusSamoa’s government has established a submarine tomers to us.

For instance, Koner recently developed cable company, Samoa Submarine Cable Companya new type of die that has a nib with an internal geometry (SSCC), that it notes is the country’s first locally owned and carbide composition that are specially formulated to such entity. That statement may be a bit misleading as

64 || WIRE WIRE JOURNAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 16 INTERNATIONAL

the actual news is that SSCC, at a cost of $49 million, is getting a cable properties that “will and spanwear 1,300 km and This link increase lubricating resistance.

Samoa’s largest islands of Upolu and Savai’i to the die is very effective in drawing special high carbon galvaSouthern Cross cable network in Suva, Fiji.” nized wire; the very peculiar geometry of this innovative reports noted die Multiple improvesmedia the wire sliding in thethat dieTuisugaletaua and avoids, in Sofara the Aveau, Samoa’s minister of communication IT, said galvanized wire process, zinc removal from the and surface, that the project will mean improved for Samoans, considerably improving the wire surfaceinternet characteristics. while the new cable will also allow existing carriers This is the innovation path to be followed in order to be to a reduce internet costs substantially.

He says thescenario. project value added for customers in such a challenging will take 18 months to and buildmarketing and comedirector, into service.

Fabio Bellina, business TKT Per the theGaroli, business is the result ofKoner. the partGroup, andreports, Giovanni plant manager, nership between Samoan operators Bluesky and Digicel, the Computer Service, Heritage Wire Die and financial investors the Samoa National Provident Fund, the Unit Trust of Samoa and Here at Heritage Wire Die, we are continually building Samoa Life Assurance. The project has been established and improving on our “heritage” of service with honesfinancial With assistance from the World Bank, and the Asian tywith and integrity. the “saturation” (both foreign Development Bank, and Australia’s Department of domestic) of the die industry, and the tighter market for Foreign Affairs and Trade. wire dies, it was logical to take additional steps to lower Per Wikipedia, Samoa has ainclude population of 194,320. overhead costs. Further changes the redesign, and/ It located south of thevery equator, about halfway orisreplacement of some outdated diamond diebetween proHawaiiequipment and NewtoZealand in maintenance the Polynesian of the duction minimize andregion improve Pacific Ocean, with total also landimplemented area of 1,097 sq mi. some quality issues.

Wea have some in-house process changes that have dramatically increased

Midal Cables reports plans to build aluminum conductor plant in India

Bahrain-based Midal Cables has reported that it plans to set up an aluminum conductor unit in Angul, which is part of India’s state of Odisha.

Per a report in Business Standard, the project was recently cleared by the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA). The facility, which will have annual production capacity of 60,000 metric tons, would be located at the aluminum park in Angul that is being jointly developed by National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and a state-owned agency for land acquisition and industrial infrastructure development, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (Idco).

“The project by Midal Cables will create employment Jon and Otto Fuhrman, Heritage Wire Die. opportunities for 350 people,” the report said.

Esteves Group We see wire manufacturers working hard to keep up with the trend in wire engineering toward special alloys, constructions and compounds. And the ever increasing need to constantly improve to stay or get competitive with more standard products. The traditional “one-profile fits all” commodity die cannot effectively meet those needs. So, for several years now, we have been responding to the market with game-changing science. Thousands of hours went into developing a sophisticated software program that our engineers use to design dies and die strings for any given type of wire material and drawing process. The software takes wire material properties, machine mechanical requirements, and process speeds into account. It uses proprietary material WIRE CHINA 2016 September 26-29 Shanghai, P.R.China booth W1F60

THE buttwelding company since 1933!

science and algorithms to calculate precise die size sequences and profiles. The calculations result in optimized homogeneous material flow through the dies, minimizing wire breaks, maximizing die life, and allowing for increased process speeds. This custom engineered approach is the result of Esteves Group’s longterm vision and desire to help customers with their goals, expectations, and challenges.

Gary Kantz, Esteves We see our engineered dies Group. and die sets as a new product in that they have had such a positive effect on our customer’s processes. Also, manufacturers of both synthetic single crystal (SSC) and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) die nibs have been improving their products that we have been taking advantage of in our testing and recommendations to our customers. Customers always want to achieve the lowest cost to produce their wire. Our advanced engineering methods are helping them achieve the lowest cost in very big ways. To accomplish that, the price of high quality engineered dies may be higher.

Innovation meets Tradition

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AUGUST 2016 | 65

FEATURE

productivity and improved consistency of the finished products. Those measures helped in a major way.

Heritage Wire Die is now on a stronger financial foundation, one that can better weather any future adverse economic conditions. Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that Heritage Wire Die has moved. Our new address is: Heritage Wire Die, Inc., 10484 N 200 W, Decatur, IN 46733. The phone number is still 260-728-9300. You can also contact me at jon@heritagewiredie.com, and more information is available at www.heritagewiredie.com. Jon M. Fuhrman, president, Heritage Wire Die.

FEATURE

However, when calculating the cost of dies per pound or foot of wire produced it can be significantly lower. In recent years, the necessity for working with customers as partners has dramatically increased. Customers are realizing that a partnership relationship is the best way to create the win-win outcomes necessary to thrive in today’s wire market place.

Offshore dies will always have a presence when buyers are rewarded for getting the lowest price. Our customers are finding that our custom engineered dies are far more cost competitive as they dramatically outperform offshore commodity dies. Gary Kantz, sales director/ engineer, Esteves Group USA.

Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. Ajex & Turner has responded to changes in the industry.

The traditional way of manufacturing was quite simple and basic but customization has made the production process more complex and intermingled. With our in-house Die Wizard software, we can suggest the most suitable die profile, ultraprecise inspection by 3D visuals and optimum use of resources to achieve the desired production with cost savings.

Balloffet Balloffet has been established in France for more than 145 years and in the U.S. since 1904. Balloffet manufactures diamond drawing dies in one single plant, and exports its tooling all over the world, either directly, through their subsidiaries (U.S., U.K. and Germany) or through their worldwide network of agents. Our customers are always looking for better performance and more accuracy, Balloffet is working daily on a wealth of innovations based on its manufacturing process and its human know how. While other die manufactures continue to spread production throughout the world, Balloffet believes the best results are given when maintained under one roof (France).

A mixture of Balloffet die products.

As a front runner in diamond micro-forming techniques, Balloffet has made the choice of the premium quality (own diamond selection, latest laser drilling technologies, ultrasonic shaping and mirror polish of each tools) applied on all types of shapes, including the most difficult custom-made products.

Balloffet is constantly improving its skills, and is now able to supply natural and PCD diamond dies (from 0.000276 in. up to 1.49 in.), and shape dies in very small or large dimensions (from 0.0019 in. x 0.0019 in. up to 1.30 in. x 1.30 in.), including shape dies made out of monocrystalline, a worldwide exclusivity. The clear strategy is to offer top quality at the best price, a combination which is always the most profitable option for the customers. Bill Couse, vice president/general manager, Balloffet Die Corp.

66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

J.S. Gupta, Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. Our revolutionary VNT Nano die is the biggest achievement of our engineers as it has a precise high-quality nano-diamond coating that makes the die surface immensely hard. This results in less friction, 0% tolerance, saves metal and produces bright wire. We are continuously engaged in developing conform metal, carbide shapes and sector dies in different raw materials.

Our new carbide die polishing and grinding machine, model TCD-10, is upgraded to operate with compressed air and pneumatic spindle on higher speed.

Quality and customer satisfaction is our company motto, which sets Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. apart from its competitors. Empowered with fully automatic in-house developed machines, and quality control equipment from suppliers like Conoptica and others, all backed by our excellent team of experienced professionals, we provide the best quality dies and customer satisfaction. The nibs from Sumitomo-Japan and GE (Sandvik) are used for making the dies. To provide worldwide services we have distributors in the U.S., U.K., Turkey, Russia, Egypt, Serbia and many other countries.

Price pressure is always an issue, but wire and cable companies are becoming more and more concerned about the production efficiency. Customers simply do not want to compromise on the product quality and understand the importance of superior raw material. This motivates them to invest more in dies. At the same time, manufacturers, whether local or overseas, have to deal with the realities of their sector and market position. A good market situation inspires wire units to invest more, and vice-versa. J.S. Gupta, director, Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co.

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CALENDAR Sept. 24-27, 2014: wire China 2014 This one's for die customers Shanghai, China. To be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe WJI: Beyond dies, what do you offer customers that Düsseldorf North your America, tel. 312-781-5180, represents added value? info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Oct. 28-30, 2014: Wirewhen & Cable Indiaand supplier relation Gone are the days customer Mumbai, India.

To be to held at the was just restricted order andBombay delivery.Convention Nowadays, due & Exhibition Centre. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf to fierce competitive global market, customers expect North America, tel. 312-781-5180, much more from suppliers. They expect us provide solutions to allwww.mdna.com. kinds of manufacturing problems, from info@mdna.com, increasing productivity to design of the TM die series and Nov. 9-12, At 2014: IWCSwe Conference profile.

Ajex63rd & Turner can help with in-house, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. To be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

April 28-30, 2015: Interwire 2015 & WAI’s 85th Annual Convention Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center to stage its biennial trade show, technical programs and 85th Annual Convention.

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April 4-8, 2016: wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany. This biennial event will be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

June 8-9, 2016: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Balloffet's Stephane Zahariadis and WAI Bill Couse.

Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. This event, which Nov. 26-28, 2014: MFSH 2014 will be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort Center, will Shanghai, China. The China (Shanghai) International ing, etc.) materials (special include its and tradenon-standard show, technical programs andalloys, WAI’s Exhibition on Platemetal, Bar, Wire, Steel Rope, Metal veryAnnual hard wires, shaped wire tight tolerances and 86th Convention.

WAI,with USA. Tel. 001-203-453strict fax specifications).

One of our specialties is diamond Processing and Setting Equipment 2014. Contact: 2777; 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. dies designed for small tubes drawings with thin layer Shanghai Aoya Exhibition Co., at 86-21-3351 8138, made of very hard materials where the wire surface ayexpo@vip.163.com. finish must be perfect. In these cases, the Balloffet of manufacturing dies makes the difference, with WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS way an absolute respect of the internal die profile, a choice For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; faxraw 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. of the best materials, and a perfection of the final polishing which allows top performances and premium Sept. 8, 2014: New England Chapter 20th Annual Oct. 20, 2014. Western 14th Annual Golf wire/tube/profile quality.Chapter’s Balloffet shares its technolGolf Tournament Tournament A range of dies offered by Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. ogy and expertise through a wide range of machines Ellington, Connecticut, USA. The New England Chapter Fontana, Western Chapter will offered toCalifornia, customers.USA. This The includes the latest technology computer-operated that willfully return to the Ellington manufacturing Ridge Countrytechniques Club. Contact: return to thefor Sierra Lakes Golf Course.

John of equipment the control, cleaning and Contact: measurement we can suggest to ourtel. customers to ensureext. they get the WAI’s Anna Bzowski, 203-453-2777, 126, Stevens, jstevens@emc-wire.com. drawing tel. dies905-851-5633, and tools and manual and fully automatic correct die profile and design.

We also organize workabzowski@wirenet.org. ultra-sonic and wire machines dedicated to the diamond shops for users, where they get training and solutions for April 28-30, 2015:Bill Interwire & WAI’s 85th dies maintenance.

Couse, 2015 vice president/general complete processes.

Gupta, director, Ajex & Oct. 2, 2014.die The VannaisJ.S. Southeast Chapter’s 13th Annual Convention manager, Balloffet Die Corp.

Turner Wire Dies Co. Annual Golf Tournament Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See main listing.

Esteves Group offers several wire die related training Conover, North Carolina, USA. The Southeast Chapter The Balloffet team has a strong capacity in drawing sessions canWAI be organized either on-site or within will return to the Rock Barn Golf and Spa. Contact: Art June 8-9,that 2016: Operations Summit problematic solving, especially for high performance our own factory.

At our factory customers are invited Deming, tel. 252-955-9451, art.deming@nexans.com. & Wire Expo drawing (multiline copper drawing, aluminum drawto view ourConnecticut, entire manufacturing and see how Uncasville, USA. Seeprocess main listing.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 68 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

their dies are made. To help customers with logistics we plan and reserve capacity, have stocking programs, and partner with customers to be able to meet any urgent die requirements. With decades of ferrous and nonferrous wire mill experience on our staff, along with our latest innovations for calculating die strings and profiles, we are helping our customers constantly improve their processes and productivity to keep them competitive in the global market place. We have a great crew of people that are willing and happy to help. Gary Kantz, sales director/engineer, Esteves Group.

We continue to offer high quality and durable wire die products from only the most reputable, and proven sources, to meet the end users requirements in a cost

We participate in all the industry shows and exhibitions to better understand and gauge the manufacturing trends and industry developments. We also closely engage with our customers to understand their needs to ensure that the products and solutions we offer are relevant and meet the needs of our customers and are in alignment with industry trends and developments. Our R&D department is focused on improving the performance of our products

AUGUST 2016 | 69

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competitive and time sensitive fashion. We sure aren’t the biggest—and I don’t want to be!—and we don’t claim to be perfect, but we do have complete in-house abilities that few others can claim. On many occasions, when a customer calls with an urgent die need, we are able to emergency ship within a day or two enough dies to get them up and running. No matter how many changes we witness in our industry, I truly believe that honest, straight forward customer service and advice will continue to be a commodity with a value that is priceless. Jon M. Fuhrman, president, Heritage Wire Die.

FEATURE An assortment of dies manufactured by Mikrotek.

Dies from Premier Wire Die.

as well as developing new products. These R&D efforts help us offer improvements and new products, from time to time. Our customers are willing to pay more for our products because they offer more value and perform better. Antha Kamal, director, Mikrotek.

our customers to engineer the finest quality diamond dies and it doesn't end until the customer is completely satisfied with the results. We provide ongoing support in quick lead-times, short turn-around times on recuts and experienced die life analysis. Our customers consult with us on a regular basis to get a professional evaluation of their die wear and make adjustments to their die designs. They know they can count on our customer service. Dave Rascati, vice president sales, Premier Wire Die.

Customers in today’s world expect superior products at a competitive price point and are challenging their suppliers to demonstrate value beyond the products in their portfolios. For many years Paramount Die has provided innovative products that have optimized wire drawing practices globally. In an effort to continue as the best-inclass die manufacturer, Paramount Die has developed a productivity model to help wire drawing companies benchmark their present day wire drawing practices against industry leading recommendations. This type of in-depth analysis allows customers to understand the financial ramifications small changes in production Sarver practices can have on the bottom line. Join us at the WAI Technical Conference in Monterrey, Mexico, this October to learn how Paramount Die can take your facility’s productivity and machine utilization to the next level. Richard Sarver, president, Paramount Die. At Premier Wire Die, we put a strong emphasis on customer service. We believe the best way to accomplish this is to do all of the manufacturing here in the United States. This enables us to have absolute control over, not only our costs and quality, but more importantly our customer service. With that said, customer service at PWD is a mindset. It begins by listening to and working with

70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Our customers want to be partners because when they call in, they know they will speak to someone who has extensive knowledge in the wire and cable industry, can uncover their true needs, develop strategic plans and minimize our customer’s risk by sharing their inventories. We are lowering our customer’s

on-site inventories and thus reducing their overall overhead costs. By working with us, you will see your inventories decrease, turnaround time improve, and increase your bottom line at the end of the year. Brad Freiburger, vice president of sales and marketing, Precision Die Technologies.

Koner, the drawing dies producer of TKT Group, thanks to its fruitful collaboration and synergies with Tecnovo, the lubricants TKT Group manufacturer, offers unmatchable complete technical service and support to customers. This shared field and technical expertise make it possible to optimize the combined processes to attain a perfect wire drawing system for manufacturers. Koner can

The “value” factor to the end-user of our diamond and carbide dies varies by the customer’s situation. For some, their most important value is based on the cost of the part, usually the least expensive in those situations.

For others, the value is derived by how quickly you can A total of 22 presentations were made up in two deliver in order to get their machine and tracks. productive and forsuccess. others, it is the support and service factheagain, company’s tor of helping tooling Probst reportedthem that maintain electricaltheir systems fordepartment vehicles and the individuals responsible for it.

We work harder have evolved to support new features demanded by and are more involved with system our customers ever customers.

Today, the wiring for thethan average before.

Many in-house die andwith tooling departments vehicle includes 3,000 meters, 1,500 single cables are maintained by a single individual in the plant now and 3,000 contacts. Those products, he said, represent a and their responsibility extends to various areas within labor-intensive assembly business, and as result, they now and outside that department. So, it is imperative that have 70,000 employees in 82manage plants worldwide. we, as their supplier, help the flow of the die The ferrous track was a collection of outstanding, inventory and offer feedback in regards to die wearcomcon-

Bill Schwehn, Woodburn Diamond Die. nership type” working relationship is a key component to the overall value that theofcustomer is and marketCabWire offered a combination education looking for from their Schwehn, ing opportunities in asuppliers. congenialBill setting. sales manager, Woodburn Diamond Die.

AUGUST 2016 | 71

DECEMBER 2015 | 41

EVENT WRAPUP

ditions being seen versus historical expectations which helps them determine if other areas of the process need more attention. Definitely a “part-

FEATURE

offer customers full service for an excellent working process start-up, and its technical team is ready to help for trials aimed at qualitative improvement as well as drawing optimization after checking and modulating all the parameters affecting the process. Fabio Bellina, business and marketing director, TKT Group, and Giovanni Garoli, plant manager, Koner.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER Melting options for copper This presentation focuses on the melting economics per ton of different furnace types for both the cost per ton and the CO2 emissions per lb.

By John Hugens

Technologies and furnaces for melting copper have not changed much in the last 50 years. But the economics in terms of monetary cost and environmental issues have changed greatly since the 1960s, when most of the present melting practices were adopted.

ETP and DHP copper are usually melted in large quantities, over seven tons per hour in a shaft furnace, while smaller quantities of ETP and DHP copper and oxygen-free copper have been melted in electrically powered furnaces.

In general, the melting process is not chosen independently by the user, but is provided as part of a technology package by the equipment supplier, who provides warrantees as the economic or energy efficiency of the casting plant.

It is a valid question as to whether—with current prevailing budgets and potential emerging environmental priorities in terms of CO2 emissions—this paradigm is still the correct one. While the energy economics of melting processes are well investigated, the background CO2 emissions are not often considered.

There has been much discussion in recent years concerning the level of carbon emissions of various energy sources from natural gas, coal and oil to non-carbon emitting sources such as nuclear, wind and biofuels. The question of the complete carbon emissions of a process is not a simple one to answer as carbon-emitting sources are used not only in the operation of equipment but in its transportation, its construction and maintenance. However, in copper melting it is possible to get a general picture of the emissions of different processes for melting as they occur on site in the factory and power supply plant. This should be the overall bulk of carbon emissions.

For the melting of refined copper, this presentation is currently concerned with only a few direct power sources of energy at the plant level: natural gas, electrical power, LPG and a very small number of low-sulfur liquid fuels such as naphtha and alcohols.

Among this group, natural gas is a unique fuel for the melting of copper for the production of rod and continuous cast shapes. There are several reasons for this: low sulfur content; ability to maintain protective atmosphere; generally low price; and relatively small carbon content.

Many of the same advantages are available with LPG,

72 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

but at a much higher cost and slightly higher carbon footprint due to its higher atomic ratio of carbon to hydrogen atoms.

Natural gas is the fuel of choice in direct melting ETP copper, which is done primarily with copper melting shaft furnaces. At times, natural gas has also been used in the 1 production of oxygen-free copper . It is also frequently used in the reverberatory furnace melting of copper from copper scrap to produce either copper anodes for refining or fire-refined copper.

Furnace types Reverberatory furnaces. The fuel efficiency of reverberatory furnaces operationing on cold air when used for the melting of copper is typically in the range of 2000 to 2400 MMBtu per ton of copper melted, depending on the capacity and design of the furnace and the method of firing.. These furnaces are most often used for melting copper scrap of the No. 1 and No. 2 designations, although they are sometimes used to melt cathodes.

Shaft furnaces. The specific energy consumption of these types of furnace is well known by most of its users, varying between 900 and 1500 MMBtu per short ton of copper melted, with a conservative middle point being about 1200 MMBtu per short ton of copper melted, not including the energy consumption of the associate launders and holding furnaces. Since the fuel is used as a primary energy source, and the only other carbon source is the relatively small carbon emission associated with the consumption of blower and panel power, it is easy to estimate the carbon emissions of these furnaces on a per ton basis.

Electrical furnaces. Estimating the carbon emissions from electrically powered furnaces is a bit more complicated. In modern melting practice, electric power has been reserved for smaller installations, including vertical up-casting lines and vertical down-casting lines for either larger oxygen-free shapes or as a heat source for holding furnaces. Large-scale electric melting of copper was accepted up until the 60s, but has been phased out due to the popularity, low fuel and labor costs of shaft melting for high-volume operations.

WJI: What’s the most important news in your presentation?

Hugens: Surprisingly, under current electrical generation scenarios and fossil fuel prices, natural gas used directly to melt copper is still the most energy efficient copper melting method, and also has the smallest carbon footprint per ton of copper melted.

WJI: Do you think most manufacturers truly understand the cost benefits of furnaces?

Hugens: Absolutely yes! High energy costs have a direct impact on the costs of running a plant.

However, the ways that many plants are constructed make it difficult for the manufactuters to access their engergy costs. The ability to monitor, account for, and contol carbon emissions, however, is very limited in the manufacturing sector.

WJI: Is further use of natural gas inevitable?

Hugens: Until wind, nuclear or hydro-power sources become available to manufacturers as major sources of power, natural gas will probably remain the most economical method of melting copper with a small carbon footprint.

Data and calculations For most modern operations, the range of electric melting is limited to about 1-10 tons per hour (tph), and natural gas melting runs the span from about 3 tph to 80 tph. There is a small range of overlap between the two systems.

But with the advent of concern about CO2 emissions and concern about global warming or climate it is a valid question as to whether or not natural gas, as compared to electrical power, is the most environmentally responsible fuel to use when melting copper for the worlds copper needs.

Carbon dioxide emission can be calculated as: qCO2 = cf / hf CCO2/Cm Eq. 1 where qCO2 = specific CO2 emission (CO2/kWh); cf = specific carbon content in the fuel (kgC/kgfuel); hf = specific energy content (kWh/kgfuel); Cm = specific mass Carbon (kg/mol Carbon); CCO2 = specific mass Carbon Dioxide (kg/mol CO2).

Solving this example for a pure methane natural gas, one gets: natural gas kg/m3 = .8; natural gas (as pure methane) carbon = 12g/mole or 12g/22.4l, or .535 kg/m3 at stp; so the specific carbon content of the fuel cr is is .668; 11.2 kWh/m3 implies 14.0 kwh/kg; cm = 12.01; Co2 = 44.0. So specific CO2 emission is .668/14*44/12 or .17kg CO2 per kWh or .37 lb per kWh, or 108.21 lb of CO2. Per MMBtu. At 33% efficiency this implies 1.12 lb CO2 per kWh. Natural gas has naturally low carbon emissions as each carbon atom is associated with four hydrogen atoms in its atomic structure. However, when burning natural gas, or any other fossil fuel for use in electrical generation and other power uses, the resulting power is reduced by the inefficiency of the generating plant and the inefficiency of the energy delivery process.

WJI: Do you see the need for any further research in this area, and if so, why?

Hugens Hugens: Yes. Successful research into increasing the environmental and economic efficiency of copper melting operations will benefit us all.

Questions for the author? Contact him at shaftfurnace2@earthlink.net.

Most fossil fuel electrical generation processes only convert about a third of the energy they consume into electrical power. See Fig. 1. For example, 100kWh contained in the fuel will only produce 33kWh of electrical energy output with this coefficient. This is nearly the same for natural gas, coal, or other combined combustion/generation processes.

The actual required input is called the heat rate, and is given in terms of Btus of combustible material input per kWh of electrical energy output. In a complete conversion of a fossil fuel to 1 kWh of electrical power, 3412 Btus would be required. However, typical power plant requirements are in the range of 10,000 Btu per kWh produced.

As a result the heat rate, in terms of kWh produced per fuel energy content, is much less than the theoretical energy content and varies only slightly between the different fossil fuels. However it should be noted that natural gas and oil generally produce less CO2 per kWh than coal. See Table 1.

The next factor in the chain of transformation of solid copper to liquid is the efficiency of the furnace itself. The electrical melting and holding processes that follow have an energy efficiency ranging between 44% and 65%, as shown in Table 2, which shows that arc melting is the most energy-efficient process and that the coreless induction furnace is least energy-efficient process of the electrical group. The shaft furnace and the reverberatory melting furnace, while not as energy efficient as the channel induction furnace per se, are more efficient in terms of cost and pounds of carbon produced per ton.

No specific manufacture of furnace was selected in producing Table 2 as different manufacturer’s furnaces have different specifications. Table 2 is only meant to give “ball park” figures on some common industrial processes.

AUGUST 2016 | 73

TECHNICAL PAPERS

What’s noteworthy in this paper

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER power, solar and nuclear are considered zero here. Of course, plant construction and operation can require energy inputs involving carbon as well, but those sources are not considered here.

Since power is distributed on networks from many sources it is seldom possible to say that electric power is from a clean source within its own power distribution network.

The reality is the power is generated and consumed regionally from a market basked of sources, so one must make balanced estimates of the carbon emissions of by power users in different regions. Since this has been such a point of interest lately, much data are available on the national make-up of electrical power data by energy source.

An example is given below and the calculations have been provided for the overall carbon emissions in terms of pounds of CO2 per short ton of copper melted. Typical data from a copper melting shaft furnace has also been provided.

Fig. 1. Efficiency of electricity generated by fossil fuel burning.

Typical U.S. furnace operating data Electrical power generating efficiency from a power plant must be reduced by the efficiency factor of the furnace used to show the actual combined efficiency of the melting process, from generating electrical power source to melted metal.

To get the carbon emissions for the process as a whole one must first know the carbon emissions of the regional generating process. This can differ by region and country.

In terms of CO2 production, some forms of power generation and use are certainly very clean and others are not.

As generating sources, the level of CO2 emissions per energy unit greatest to lowest would be from coals, oils and liquid fuels including alcohols, and then natural gas. Contributions from biofuels, wind

Other key carbon emissions factors Carbon covers and electrodes. Carbon covers are generally high-grade charcoals or graphites that are used in copper melting to protect the copper from oxygen pick up.

They are used occasionally in natural gas-fired projects, especially if DHP copper is being produced, but their contribution is very small and usually only amounts to a few square inches of mold or tundish cover. In electrical melting, these amount to many square feet of cover; generally, the entire interior liquid surface of the furnace requires a carbon cover. The carbon here is slowly oxidized and becomes CO2. The amount of carbon used in electrical melting is approximately 32 lb per ton of copper melted, which generates as much as 119 lb of CO2 when burned.

Lbs. of CO2 per Million Btu (contained in fuel)

Heat Rate (Btu per kWh)

Lbs. CO2 per kWh (actually emitted)

Bituminous

205.3

10,107

2.08

Sub-bituminous

212.7

10,107

2.16

Lignite

215.4

10,107

2.18

Natural gas

117.1

10,416

1.22

Distillate Oil (No. 2) Residual Oil (No. 6)

161.4 173.9

10,416 10,416

1.68 1.81

Fuel Coals

Table 1. Comparison of CO2 and heat rate (Btu per kWh) generated by different fuels.

74 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Furnace Type

Liquid Capacity (Tons) (typical)

must generally be maintained full and/or hot when the plant is not in operation for short periods typically up to weeks in length. Thus, the holding and transfer copper for use in casting operations increases the carbon emissions and energy consumption of the process. This value is typically in the range of 10-15% of the fuel used for a medium-sized shaft furnace of 30 short tons per hour of melting capacity.

Rolling mills versus direct chill casting. Some processes with electrical melting are more suitable for direct chill

Electric Arc Furnace

Channel Induction Furnace

Coreless Induction Furnace

Shaft Melting Furnace

Reverb Melting Furnace

70

26

30

None

120

4,300

2,250

2,500

30MMBtu/Hr 9000 kWh

Estimated Theoretical Furnace Capability kWh/Ton to 2100 F

250

280

373

360

648

Energy Efficiency

65%

58%

44%

45%

25%

17

8

8

25

9.25

Estimated Furnace Cost (excluding installation)

$ 5,000,000

$ 1,500,000

$ 2,000,000

$ 2,000,000

$5,000,000

Estimated Furnace Cost per Melted Ton Capacity

$ 290,698

$ 186,667

$ 242,424

$80,000

$540,000

Electric Cost per kWh (final row Gas Cost per kWh )

$ 0.070

$ 0.070

$ 0.070

.017

.017

Energy Cost/Ton

$ 17.50

$ 19.60

$ 26.13

$6.12

$11.01

Energy Cost/lb

$ 0.009

$ 0.010

$ 0.013

$.003

$.0055

21%

19%

14%

45%

25%

Power (kW)

Theoretical Melt Rate per Hour (tons) (nominal)

Overall Combined Thermal Efficiency of Furnace and Power Generation Plant

20MBtu/HrR 6000 kWh

Table 2. Comparison of of operating data for five typical U.S. furnace types.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

This is not insignificant. It can typically be from 20% to 50% the amount of CO2 produced by the electrical generation of the power for the melting process.

Carbon electrode consumption also counts for increased carbon emissions in electric arc melting.

Copper holding and transfer practices. Copper is frequently held in small quantities in a casting process for the purpose of flow stabilization during casting, and the metal is transferred to and from these furnaces by gasfired launders. These small furnaces with a liquid bath

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER casting, and therefore do not consume a great quantity of electrical power in the metal shaping processes producing similar products such as copper rod, bar and strip. So, to get the full picture of the carbon emissions for a given process, the power consumed in the shaping of the product must be considered, especially in those cases where significant work is done in mechanical shaping. This can be approximately 20% of the carbon emissions of a shaft melting and casting plant of which it is a whole.

Grades of copper charge material. Common copper

charge materials vary from highly refined Grade A cathodes to various grades of copper scrap. The choice of the melter often depends on its suitability for melting these metal-bearing feeds with acceptable metal losses. Common choices for melting No. 1 and No. 2 scrap are electric arc furnaces and natural gas- or oil-fired reverberatory furnaces. Shaft furnaces have been known to use 100% quantities of No. 1 scrap, but not commonly.

Lbs CO2 Emissions per Ton Melted 53 Countries

Results

700

600

MONGOLIA

CHINA

SHAFT FURNACE MILL AND CASTING CORELESS Induction

500

USA GERMANY WORLD AVERAGE 400

RUSSIA CANADA

300

NORWAY SAUDI ARABIA

200

100

While melting practices and furnace thermal efficiencies vary widely among furnace types, it is clear that direct natural gas fired melting generally produces less CO2 per ton of copper processed and at a lower cost per ton than competing electrical processes in any major electrical distribution area.

The issue of monetary cost/ton and availability is more complicated than the CO2 emissions as natural gas can have limited availability.

Costs can vary greatly from place to place. Electrical power supply rates can also vary sharply due to region and the amount of demand.

Thus, the economics of a melting choice need to be examined carefully at every installation. However, the CO2 emissions per ton of copper melted will be greatly lower in almost any current industrial area with direct natural gas firing, than any current electrical process once the power generation emissions from electrical generation are considered. The difference is so great that even if the electrical power consumed in downstream manufacturing processes and the associated CO2 emmissions such as casting and rolling is considered, the CO2 emissions per ton will still be less with direct-fired natural gas melting.

Discussion 0

1

3

5

7

9

11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53

Fig. 2. Pounds of CO2 emissions per ton melted, 53 countries.

76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

This study only looks at the environmental and energy economics of converting relatively pure

copper from solid to liquid. A similar look at the melting of brass or

References 1. S. Teshigawara, A. Ohta, K. Higashi, H. Konishi, C. Kamata and K. Oda, "A Shaft Furnace Line for Producing Oxygen-Free Copper for Electron Devices Application, Furukawa Journal.

2. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/co2-emission-fuels-d_1085.html) 3. Source (Wikipedia-Electrical Generation) 4. http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=74&t=11 5. Personal data.

John Hugens is principal of Hugens Metallurgy and Combustion, Suwanee, Georgia, USA. At the time this paper was written, he was global market manager for copper for Fives North American Combustion Inc. His 30 years of experience in the nonferrous metals and combustion industries include manHugens agement of shaft furnace and continuous casting research programs, supervision and operation of lead and zinc plant operation, and operation of precious metal recovery plants. He earned his master's degree in economics from the University of Utah, and is a graduate of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. This paper was presented at the Global Continuous Casting Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2015.

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copper bearing alloys would yield different results. So, it is important to say that this is not a general discussion of the benefits electrical versus direct fossil fuel power. It pertains to copper only.

It is also important that the only things being considered here are melting economics in terms of dollars per ton and CO2 emissions in terms of lb of CO2 emitted per ton of copper melted. Notably not considered are PM10 emissions, CO emissions, NOx emissions, SO2 emissions, dioxins, furans and other compounds and particulates emitted during gas-firing operations. However, these items are usually controlled due to local requirements. To evaluate these issues would require a more in-depth study as these compounds are emitted in varying quantities by combustion in many generating plants and also by the direct melting of copper.

There are synergetic applications where electrical power and natural gas firing can conceivably work together in many to reduce overall CO2 emissions.

Whatever generating method is used, electrical power may be used as an adjunct to natural gas direct firing to decrease overall CO2 emissions. Such uses would be to preheat combustion air or to produce oxygen which would make the furnaces yet more efficient in reducing CO2 emissions. Even when the power generation is considered, the amount of CO2 reduced by these uses is likely to be less than the CO2 produced in their production. For example, if oxygen is used in combustion for melting copper, it could reduce overall CO2 emissions by 10% or more, even considering the CO2 produced in the chain of its manufacture by electrical power. Preheated air may even be a more powerful tool for this considering that the efficiencies electrical air preheaters can be as high as 90%.

Natural gas can also play a role in reducing emissions from electrical melting processes. Elimination of carbon covers on all processes could substantially reduce CO2 emissions for melting processes and their associated holding furnaces. If natural gas could be used to generate the required reducing atmosphere in many electrically fired furnaces, the CO2 emissions per ton of copper melted could be reduced by about a third.

The paradigm for melting seems to have changed a bit since the 1960s. With the emphasis on reducing CO2 emissions it is worthwhile considering whether smaller volume melting processes below 7 tons/hour can be fired with natural gas. It is also worth considering the ways that natural gas and electrical power can work together to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions in the overall copper production picture.

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PRODUCTS & MEDIA TECHNOLOGY Plastic bobbin and spool lines cover wide range of braider equipment At Wire Expo 2016, U.S.-based Cavallero Plastics, Inc. (CPI) showcased the company’s range of bobbins as well as its small spools, which it offers to manufacturers with braiding operations.

The company notes that it can supply bobbins and spools that fit the majority of existing equipment, including models from Wardwell, Steeger, Herzog, Spirka, Ratera and others. It is important to use the correct carrier, and to be able to replace a unit that is worn out from long years of service is a key to avoiding quality and operational issues. CPI’s inventory, with many bobbins and spools in stock, is ready for immediate delivery by UPS, or in larger quantities by truck or container. It ships internationally daily to customers in all parts of the world.

CPI offers the most common sizes used in the above equipment for wire, textile and composite braiding as well as some special sizes for other applications, from large marine rope to small medical grade catheters. All are designed for reuse, and made of the optimal material for durability versus cost. CPI can modify its designs to produce a custom bobbin or spool to a customer’s specs.

Braiding equipment accessory parts are also available and can be seen, along with part drawings, at the company’s website. If a bobbin or part is not shown, CPI can either help you find it or modify an existing mold, saving time and money. CPI’s custom molding department has more than 40 presses, from 15 to 700 tons, supported by its engineering department and tool room.

Contact: Cavallero Plastics, Inc., tel. 413-443-0925, sales@cplas.com, www.cplas.com.

Cable jacket material can handle demanding automotive applications The Nylon Division of Teknor Apex Company offers a new product, Chemlon® 890 HNT001, for automotive applications where cable jackets need to be able to withstand

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high temperatures and have excellent chemical resistance.

A press release said the new product, now commercially available, is superior to that of nylon 6 and exhibits greater stress corrosion resistance upon exposure to aggressive chemicals or mechanical stresses. The compound is heat stabilized to prevent embrittlement at high service temperatures and is lubricated to facilitate feeding into the extruder. It also exhibits good dimensional stability as a result of low moisture absorption.

Chemlon 890 HNT001 compound has received General Motors and Chrysler approvals for heat stabilized nylon 6/12, the release said. It is currently used in brake jacketing for a U.S. OEM, and the jacket has passed the cable supplier’s heat aging test at 135°C for 168 hours.

“Chemlon 890 HNT001 is inherently tough and easily processed,” said Jeff Schmidt, North American automotive market manager for Teknor Apex. “We can readily supply this material worldwide from our compounding facilities in the U.S. and Singapore.”

More information can be found at www.teknorapex. com/nylon-612-compound-for-automotive-cable-jackets.

Contact: Teknor Apex Company, www.teknorapex.com.

In-process and off-line ultrasonic test equipment covers many industry needs At Wire Expo 2016, U.S.-based LaserLinc showcased the company’s range of precision, non-contact measurement equipment for in-process and off-line inspection of diameter, ovality, wall thickness and eccentricity/concentricity.

LaserLinc’s ultrasonic-based equipment measures the position of the core relative to each insulating layer of material. With four, six or eight sensors around the wire or cable, the system visually displays the centering of the core. If the core is off-center, the operator can easily see by how much and in which direction. Adjusting the tooling is then easily done, in just a few minutes--no sample cutting or off-line inspection required, the release said.

Another common concern is the need to calibrate.

However, for eccentricity measurement, calibration is not required. When combined with diameter gauging or gravimetrics, calibration is automatic and then the system makes accurate wall measurement for each sensor as well.

Contact: LaserLinc, Inc., 937-318-2440, jeff.kohler@laserlinc.com, www.laserlinc.com.

Line of radiating cables are designed to prevent woes from ‘leaky feeder’ issues ®

U.S.-based RFS offers the company’s RADIAFLEX line of radiating cable as a solution to “leaky feeder” cable woes.

A press release said that the cables act as distributed antennas, allowing operators to scale and tailor contoured RF coverage in challenging confined spaces such as metro, rail and road tunnels and indoor environments. Corrugated outer conductors and small bending radii provide the flexibility for easy installation.

RADIAFLEX radiating cables feature RFS’ patented “higher order mode suppression technique” to support current and future in-tunnel and in-building commercial and private radio services from 698 MHz to 2700 MHz. Select RADIAFLEX cables have no stop band from 6982700 MHz. “RFS is the only company with the intellectual property and leading-edge technology to suppress stop bands in radiating cables,” it said.

RADIAFLEX cables offer low longitudinal loss and are available in low coupling-loss variants that are specifically designed for building and tunnel applications, the release said. RADIAFLEX supports all major services up to 6 GHz, making it ideal for multi-operator and multi-band applications in locations such as parking garages, tunnels and mines.

Every cable type is purpose built for a special application, depending on the slot configuration. One RADIAFLEX cable style is ideal for below- and above-ground mining environments. It was among the first radiating cables to obtain U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) certification and has been deployed in major mines in the U.S. and South Africa.

RFS is expanding manufacturing capabilities for its

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A press release said that the company’s products help manufacturers, both wire and cable as well as other fields, reduce scrap, save material, improve quality, production efficiency, and the process, and document the results. It said that while a common concern is how to best measure and improve eccentricity (or concentricity) of outer layers to core wire/cable--and it is rare for a wire and cable manufacturer to not have in-process diameter gauging--surprisingly, some manufacturers do not have in-process gauging for eccentricity, which is important considering the savings of scrap during startup and material over time.

4 WAI members up for consideration

Ceramic components gleam with quality

for the production of replacement ceramics and ceramfor the Association’s board of directors ic-metal assemblies up to 24 in. in diameter, with tight An employee at four companies (a cable manufacturer, dimensional tolerances and excellent surface finishes, ita reel supplier, compounds supplier and a specialty cable said.

Workinga from the company’s 100,000-sq-ft facility manufacturer) eachRefractron up for consideration for four slots in upstate Neware York, has supplied ceramics on WAI’s Board of Directors when the ballots go out for nearly all of the rod line equipment found in thein September.

Three of the four individuals will be new to the industry today. board, with the fourth is now serving his first term. Below are details about the four individuals who are up for a fouryear term on the board.

At Wire Expo 2106, U.S.-based Refractron Technologies Corporation showcased the company’s ceramic replacement parts for components used in wire machinery.

A press release said that the company’s ultra-high purity Izory® material exhibits the best properties of any magnesium partially stabilized zirconia ceramic available in the market today. Originally developed for medical implants, it is made from gem grade zirconia and is recognizable by its white color, whereas ceramics from some of its competitors are yellow due to impurities in the raw material.

Izory’s excellent critical ceramic properties like strength, hardness, and wear resistance make it a solid choice for rod breakdown applications, when longevity, reliability and uptime are critical, the release said.

Specialty, high-end ceramic processing equipment allows

Richard Baker is vice president, manufacturing & process technology for General Cable. He previously worked for Alcan Cable, where he served in a wide range of positions, and was vice president of technology when the company was acquired in 2012 by General Cable. In 20072009, he was the expatriate project director tasked with managing A full quiver of measuring equipment, including the design, commissioning and a portable CMM, allows for build, the reverse engineer of Richard Baker start-up a greenfield aluminum replacement components for of any machine, the release cablethe facility in function Tianjin, China. said. If drawings arepower available, fit and of He has somecan 37 years of experience, with priorsite positions components be verified at the customer’s to minincluding at companies that include imize risk key and manager machine posts downtime.

If drawings are not

WAI NEWS

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

domestic radiating cable product offerings at its headquarters in Meriden, Connecticut. “The expanded production capacity will enable faster delivery for North American customers, reduce lead times and freight costs, and permit smaller order quantities for North American customers” Contact: RFS, tel. 203-630 3311, sales.americas@ rfsworld.com, www.rfsworld.com.

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specialist coordinat Wentwor was the d and the w he served ences for Administ Activities and also ing on stu higher ed 86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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available, Refractron can measure components, create drawings, modify designs if required, and provide a detailed report with insight from our experienced designers.

Contact: Jennifer Catone, Refractron Technologies Corporation, tel. 315-331-6222, ext. 243, jcatone@refractron. com, www.refractron.com..

Polymer topcoat excels for use in critical cold heading applications At Wire Expo 2106, Dubois/Heatbath introduced Drylube Polydip, a new and innovative polymer topcoat that it reports has consistently shown improved tool life and faster speeds with minimal build up in the dies.

A press release said that Drylube Polydip, designed for critical cold heading applications, is better than conventional sodium stearate when it is applied over zinc phosphate coatings at concentrations as low as 2.5% solids.

Drylube Polydip holds a stable pH range of 8.5-9.0 with no over the side adjustments needed, especially when used in combination with Phosphate Neutralizer 12 in the rinse just prior, it said. The result is a product that achieves fast drying, uniform coatings and consistent coating weights with minimal additions and tank maintenance.

Drylube Polydip, the release said, is currently being used successfully with a variety of alloys and over a wide range

of diameters, for applications in both automotive and architectural fastener manufacturing.

The thin polymer lubricant, a milky off-white liquid, weighs 8.38 lb/gallon and is shipped in 55 gallon drums with operating tanks and heat exchangers constructed of mild steel. Drylube Polydip is used after a zinc phosphate coating is applied with a coating weight range of 500–1200 mg/sq ft. After zinc phosphating and prior to the polymer coating, Phosphate Neutralizer 12, operated at 150 to 170°F, should be used to pre-heat the work. A recirculating pump or mixer is required in the polymer tank to ensure uniform coverage of the work being processed. Occasionally, the polymer tank should be filtered

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INTERWIRE PREVIEW PRODUCTS & MEDIA

GENCA ........................................940 Enkotec Inc ..................108 through aCompany 250 micron filter bag to removeFiltertech, scale andInc..............................1049 sediment, and rinsing practices, drag in and tank use will General Copper...........................2160 Fine International Corporation.....332 Enshang Machinery determine of filtration.

Enterprisethe Cofrequency Ltd.......................666 W Gillies Technologies, LLC ......958 Finoptics Inc ...............................1801 Contact: Dubois/Heatbath, tel. 413-452-2000, info@ ER-Bakir Elektrolitik Bakir AS ...924 Gimax Srl......................................140 Fisk Alloy Inc .............................2140 heatbath.com, www.heatbath.com.

ERA Wire Inc ...............................354 GMP Slovakia Sro........................758 FLYMCA & FLYRO.................1907 Ernst Koch GmbH & Co............1358 Golden Technologies Wire & FMS USA, Inc ..............................618 Portable power cord for indoor and Cable Equipment Co, Ltd .... 912/06 Esteves Group...............................806 Instruments Inc ..............1814 outdoor use is flexible and Foerster durable Granite Falls Furnace .................1562 Etna Products, Inc ......................1706 Forever U.S.-based EIS Wire & Cable, Co., reports thatCable it hasMaterials Group..512/03 Guangzhou Hanstar Fluoro-Plastic Euroalpha Srl ................................558 added an SEOOW portable power cord to its Wayne cable lines Fort Wire Die, Inc..........1532 Insulated Wires Co, Ltd....... 412/07 that provides a versatile, durable option Fortune for non-permaEurobend GmbH ........................1058 Machinery .....................1053 nent commercial and industrial applications requiring Guill Tool & Engineering ............211 Eurolls Spa....................................858 Fridea Srl ....................................1739 multi-conductor, higher-voltage power distribution.

Guney Celik ..................................652 EuroWire Frigeco USA A press ......................................132 release said that the service cable is safe forInc ........................1739 Hafner individual application needs.& Krulmann GmbH .........370 George Evans Corp indoor/outdoor use,......................711 delivering 600 voltsFrigerio of non-perUSA Inc ........................1739 The cord is easy to strip and over mold ....................140 to suit applicavom Hagen & Funke manent, temporary or portable power at Frontier 10-15% Composites less EVG Inc ........................................150 & Castings ..215 tions such as industrial and commercial lighting; portable weight than SOOWInc cords.

It remains flexible while Hall Industries ...........................1032 Evolution Products, ................133 FSP-One ......................................2128 power tools, compressors, heavy machinery tools and job handling a wide temperature range and can tolerate Handukmines Ultrasonic Co, Ltd ........2011 Fabritex, Inc ..................................616 site power; motor controls; and marinas; hospital GmbH harsh environments for extended periodsFuhr of time, in-...................................752 Hangzhou Technology and office equipment; washing Harbor machines and large appliFastener Engineersto .....................2056 cluding exposure sunlight, chemicals,Gateway oil and water.

Recovery .....................2158 Co, Ltd ............................... ances; and temporary electrical power.

It is UL &1512-11 CSA The SEOOW cord is available shielded or unshielded Group ..................424 Fenn LLC....................................1955 Gauder/Gauder listed and made to UL subject 62 and CSA C22.2 No. Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co .............. and can be customized to customer specifications, FIB Belgium SA.........................1358 49-14, with VW-1, FT1 and FT2 flame ratings.

Gavlick and Machinery Corp ............1053 217/306/318/1917/1919 including unique jacket colors, custom printing Fil-Tec Inc ..................................1502 Contact: EIS Wire & Cable, Co., tel.Co, 800-255-5201, Gravure Co Inc ....................706 special primary color codes. For unique Gem requirements, Hariton Machinery Inc ..........147 eis@eiswire.com, www.eiswire.com.

EIS’s engineering department can provide assistance for

Visit our stand #711 at Interwire 2015

72 88 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

At Wire Expo, U.S.-based Cemanco showcased the company’s range of solid tungsten carbide wear parts as well as information about a linear traverse.

A press release said that the company stocks popular guides for bunchers, etc., but that it can also provide custom manufactured wear parts. The items have a hardness of 91 HRA, combined with a mirror finish delivers superior wear characteristics for ferrous and non-ferrous applications. Tungsten carbide is also used as coating for drawing tools, guide rollers and pulleys with a coating thickness up to 2 mm and high-gloss, diamond polished finish.

Cemanco also provides a winding solution with the KMK linear traverse. It has a simplified design which provides more reliability, easier maintenance, and a more cost-effective solution for winding application.

With four sizes available—from a compact 15 mm shaft LW-151, the standard 15 mm shaft LW-15, a 20 mm shaft LW-20 and a 30 mm shaft LW-30—the KMK rolling ring drive contains fewer parts yet still provides optimum performance. The LW-151 model, the smallest of the four, is capable of producing a side thrust up to 30 N with a maximum pitch of 6 mm traveled per revolution of the shaft, making this model is a perfect fit for operations in fine wire. The largest model, the LW-30, is capable of a max side thrust of 260 N and with the “heavy” modification all three standard sizes can increase their side thrust by 40% to 50%.

Cemanco is the authorized dealer and service center for KMK with a wide array of accessories.

Contact: Cemanco, www.teknorapex.com.

Line of flexible moisture-curable EPR compounds are UL/CSA rated U.S.-based Electric Cable Compounds has introduced its new AquaGraft line of moisture curable EPR compounds, which it notes allows cable manufacturers to produce flexible rubber cables on standard thermo-

You can take our new cold welder almost anywhere Easy to move and simple to operate, our new CP180 machine, air line and air/hydraulic power system are supplied in a handy carry pack. Just connect an air supply and you’re ready to weld - wherever you are. For wire, strip and profile 0.30mm to 1.80mm (.0118" to .071").

Find out more and see the video demo at www. pwmltd.co.uk

MADE IN THE UK

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1233 820847 Email: pwm@btinternet.com North America inquiries: Tel: 774-991-0504 Email: joe@jsnee.com

World leader in cold weld technology New PWM welders and dies available only from PWM or its authorised distributors.

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Cable jacket material can handle demanding automotive applications

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

plastic lines without the need of a CV line.

A press release said that Aquagraft’s unique design allows for superior storage shelf-life prior to use, while after extrusion cables quickly cure with exposure to environmental moisture at ambient temperature over time or at accelerated rates with exposure to sauna or hot water after extrusion. The compounds are designed for use in various low/medium voltage applications including building wire, control cables, submersible pump cables, mining, power and other specifications requiring superior thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties.

The AquaGraft products are composed of a multi-component system that will yield a finished compound to allow the cable to pass various industry recognized flame tests and comply with numerous industry recognized

requirements. Being able to offer a UL/CSA approved product allows Aquagraft to be truly differentiated in its ease of customer use qualification and speed to market.

Industry approvals have been obtained for AquaGraft 16-100 which is UL 44 listed for cable types XHH, XHHW, XHHW-2, RHH, RHW, RHW-2 and SIS as well as CSA 22.2 No. 38-05 for RW75, RWU-75, R-90, RW-90.

Also available is AquaGraft 16-5150 which is designed for use in UL/CSA 150°C rated AWM and SAE J1127 cable applications. Cables are able to pass FT-2 Flame Rating, UL Horizontal Flame tests and trials are now underway on VW-1 rated materials. New systems are actively being developed and customer-specific requirements can be accommodated.

Contact: Electric Cable Compounds, Inc., tel.

203-723-2590, www.electriccablecompounds.com.

DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS ISO9001 OF PAYOFF & TENSION CONTROL REGISTERED EQUIPMENT FOR WIRE & CABLE

With all of the suppliers out there...why should you call Wyrepak Industries for your manufacturing needs?

Quite simply, Wyrepak is a name you can trust for reliable and dependable products. With our many years of experience in creating cost-effective manufacturing applications, backed by a solid guarantee and excellent customer service – Wyrepak has it all!

For more details on any of our manufacturing product solutions, call us at 800-972-9222 or email sales@wyrepak.com

WYREPAK INDUSTRIES — A Huestis Industrial Company • www.WYREPAK.com

68 Buttonwood Street, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809-0718 USA • tel: 800.972.9222 or 401.253.5500 fax: 401.253.7350 2C_WYREPAKHuestis_WhyCallWyrepak_WJI_halfHoriz_VariousCombos_withShowInfo_v6_03092015_press.indd 1

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Patent Update High-toughness cold-drawn non-heat-treated wire rod, and method for manufacturing same U.S. Patent No.: 9,394,580 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Nov. 21, 2011 Assignee: POSCO, Japan Inventors: You-Hwan Lee, Dong-Hyun Kim Provided is a wire rod for use in mechanical structure connections, vehicle components, or the like, and more particularly, to a wire rod which has superior toughness without being subjected to a heat treatment, and the strength of which is ensured through a cold-drawing process. Tot his end, provided are a high-toughness colddrawn non-heat-treated wire rod and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the wire rod comprises in % by weight: 0.2 to 0.3% of carbon (C), 0.1 to 0.2% of silicon (Si), 2.5 to 4.0% of manganese (Mn), 0.035% or less (but not 0%) of phosphorus (P), 0.04% or less (but not 0%) of sulfur (S), the remainder being iron (Fe) and unavoidable impurities.

Multi-core cable and its manufacturing method U.S. Patent No.: 9,390,842 Patent date: July 19, 2016 Filed: Feb. 21, 2014 Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Japan Inventors: Tatsunori Hayashishita, Yuuki Isoya There is provided a multi-core cable including: first insulated wires; second insulated wires; coaxial wire pairs; and a sheath. The second insulated wires are smaller in diameter than the first insulated wires. The coaxial wire pairs are provided in an even number of pairs. The first insulated wires and the coaxial wire pairs are arranged close to each other on a single circle in a cross section, and the second insulated wires are disposed thereinside.

The first insulated wires, the second insulated wires and the coaxial wire pairs are wholly twisted, and then, wholly covered by the sheath.

Fiber optic ribbon cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,389,381 Patent date: July 12, 2016 Filed: Jan. 17, 2013 Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLL, U.S. Inventors: William Hurley, Kenneth James, James Luther, Radawan Ripumaree A fiber optic ribbon cable includes a stack of fiber optic ribbons, strength members surrounding the stack,

and a jacket defining an exterior of the cable. The jacket forms a cavity through which the stack and the strength members extend. The stack has a bend preference, but the strength members are positioned around the stack or are flexible in bending such that the strength members do not have a bend preference. Furthermore, the jacket is structured such that the jacket does not have a bend preference.

The cavity is sized relative to the stack in order to allow the stack to bend and twist within the cavity with respect to the jacket as the cable bends, facilitating movement of the optical fibers of the fiber optic ribbons to low-stress positions within the cavity and decoupling the bend preference of the stack from transfer to the jacket.

Braid and wire harness U.S. Patent No.: 9,386,733 Patent date: July 5, 2016 Filed: March 25, 2014 Assignee: Yazaki Corporation, Japan Inventors: Hideomi Adachi, Yoshiaki Ozaki A braid having a function as an exterior member as well as an electromagnetic shielding function is provided. Also, a wire harness including such a braid in a configuration is provided. A braid is used for a wire harness cabled to a hybrid vehicle. Also, the braid is formed by knitting multiple ultrathin strands in a tubular shape. The braid includes two kinds of strands, a metal strand made of metal having conductivity and a resin strand made of synthetic resin having abrasion resistance etc., and ensures abrasion resistance and impact resistance by the portion made of the resin strand while performing an electromagnetic shielding function by the portion made of the metal strand.

Wire harness, wire harness manufacturing method and wire harness manufacturing apparatus U.S. Patent No.: 9,378,871 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: June 13, 2014 Assignee: AutonetWorks Technologies, Ltd. Japan Inventor: Osamu Sato A wire harness manufacturing method prevents inadvertent deformation of thermoplastic material and separation of thermoplastic material. A predetermined part of an electric wire 91 is accommodated in a through hole of a tubular body formed by connection between a first and second nest members (123, 124) of a nozzle (12), by integrally connecting first and second case body members (121, 122) of the nozzle (12), with the predetermined part

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PATENTS

of the electric wire 91 therebetween. An approximately tubular covering member (92) covering the predetermined part of the electric wire (91) is molded integrally with the thermoplastic material, by discharging thermoplastic material plasticized by a material plasticizing unit (11) from thermoplastic material discharge orifices (1213) and (1223) in the nozzle (12) to the outer periphery of the electric wire (91), while moving the electric wire (91) and the nozzle (12) relatively to each other.

Superconductive wire material substrate, manufacturing method thereof and superconductive wire material U.S. Patent No.: 9,378,869 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: Nov. 15, 2011 Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. Japan Inventors: Yoshinori Nagasu, Masaru Higuchi, Hisaki Sakamoto A superconductive wire material substrate which is formed such that a surface roughness Ra of one surface is 10 nm or less, and a surface roughness Ra of an other surface is larger than the surface roughness Ra of the one surface, and is 8 nm or more and less than 15 nm, between the surface roughnesses Ra of both surfaces of the superconductive wire material substrate.

Low-smoke, non-halogenated flame retardant composition and related power cable jackets U.S. Patent No.: 9,378,868 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: Sept. 5, 2013 Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP, U.S. Inventors: Cindy Flenniken, Chun Lee A low-smoke, non-halogenated flame retardant composition made from and/or containing polypropylene, magnesium dihydroxide, and aluminum magnesium layered double hydroxide modified with a hydrogenated

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fatty acid is disclosed. A composition containing and/ or made from (a) a polypropylene, (b) a first distribution of magnesium dihydroxide particles having a d50 in the range of about 0.75 microns to about 1.25 microns, (c) a second distribution of magnesium dihydroxide particles having a d50 in the range of about 1.50 microns to about 3.50 microns, and (d) aluminum magnesium layered double hydroxide modified with a hydrogenated fatty acid is disclosed. A power cable having a jacket made from and/or containing a lowsmoke non-halogenated flame retardant composition is also disclosed.

Insulating varnish and insulated electrical wire using same U.S. Patent No.: 9,378,863 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: Nov. 5, 2012 Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Ind., Ltd., Japan Inventors: Kengo Yoshida, Masaaki Yamauchi, Masataka Shiwa, Yuji Hatanaka, Junichi Imai, Jun Sugawara, Toru Shimizu, Hideaki Saito An insulating varnish forms an insulating coating film having a shape that corresponds to the shape of an opening of a die, having a uniform thickness. The insulating varnish is applied onto a surface of a conductor, subsequently passes through a die to remove the excess applied insulating varnish, and is then dried or baked to form an insulating coating film on the surface of the conductor.

The insulating varnish has a viscosity of 10 Pas or more measured by a B-type viscometer at 30.degree. C. The insulating varnish preferably contains no filler, and is preferably a polyimide precursor solution. Since the insulating varnish has a high viscosity, baking and solidification can be performed while maintaining a shape formed when the insulating varnish passes through a die.

Fiber optic cable systems and methods to prevent hydrogen ingress U.S. Patent No.: 9,377,598 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: Dec. 12, 2011 Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC, U.S. Inventors: Edward Dowd, John Grunbeck Purging interior regions of a cable reduces or prevents hydrogen darkening of an optical fiber located in the cable. While hydrogen may permeate through an outer surface of the cable, fluid circulating through the cable purges the hydrogen from within the cable. This circulation of the fluid occurs between an inner tube containing the fiber and an outer tube surrounding the inner tube.

Inventors: Daisuke Shanai, Tomiya Abe

There is provided an adhesive film, comprising: an insulator film; an adhesive layer formed on the insulator film; and an intermediate adhesive layer interposed between the insulator film and the adhesive layer, wherein the intermediate adhesive layer is made of a mixed resin composition of a copolyamide being a crystalline resin solvable in a non-halogen based organic solvent and having a melting point of 100.degree. C. or more and 150.degree. C. or less, and a non-crystalline resin, and the intermediate adhesive layer contains a non-halogen flame retardant by 100 pts. wt. or more and 250 pts. wt. or less with respect to 100 pts. wt. of the mixed resin composition.

Caterpillar for cable mobile robot and cable mobile robot using the same U.S. Patent No.: 9,376,148 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: June 12, 2014 Assignees: Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan University South Korea Inventors: Hyouk Ryeol Choi, Kyeong Ho Cho, Young Hoon Jin, Homoon Kim

Provided herein is a caterpillar for cable mobile robot and a cable mobile robot using the same, the caterpillar for cable mobile robot and cable mobile robot including a case; a plurality of first rotating members configured to rotate and distanced from one another inside the case; a second rotating member configured to rotate and provided between the first rotating members; a belt member mounted to the first rotating members and the second rotating member; and a tension adjuster located between the second rotating members and the first rotating member, and configured to support the belt member at its lower part so that the tension of the belt is adjusted.

Cable and production process thereof U.S. Patent No.: 9,365,708 Patent date: Jun 14, 2016 Filed: Nov. 3, 2010 Assignee: Borealis AG, AT Inventors: Ulf Nilsson; Annika Smedberg; Alfred Campus A cable comprising a semiconductive layer and an insulation layer with improved DC electrical properties is provided. ‌ One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an alternative cable, particularly a power cable with highly advantageous properties useful for alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) cable applications,

preferably for DC cable applications. Furthermore the invention provides a use of an alternative polymer composition in an insulation layer in contact with a semiconductive layer comprising a carbon black, whereby highly advantageous properties for use in alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) cable applications, preferably in DC cable applications, are provided.

High voltage transmission line cable based on textile composite material U.S. Patent No.: 9,362,024 Patent date: June 7, 2016 Filed: Dec. 23, 2013 Assignee/Inventors: Zidkiyahu Simenhaus, Vladimir Filatov, Russia An electric transmission cable having a current conductive element comprising a braided core formed of a plurality of high modulus synthetic armored yarns, each yarn being of at least 53.6 tex and having a tensile strength of at least 200 cN/tex (centiNewton/tex), and the core being of a diameter in the range of 0.7 mm to 4.5 mm and being surrounded by a quartz sleeve covered on an outer surface thereof by a carbon layer. ‌ The CCE, which is covered with an insulating protective coat having a thickness of 1 mm-5 mm, has a wide range of properties such as adjustable resistance, waterproof, preset properties, and relatively elevated mechanical qualities of high tensile strength, high bending flexibility and a high breaking point; and, withstands a wide range of temperatures that varies from -196.degree. C. up to +1200.degree. C.

Composite electric cable and process for producing same U.S. Patent No.: 9,362,022 Patent date: June 7, 2016 Filed: Jan. 20, 2011 Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Japan Inventors: Hideki Kamiyama, Hiroji Akasaka, Masato Tachibana, Hiroaki Rikihisa, Takuzo Hagiwara A composite electric cable including a plurality of element wires twisted together. The element wires include a material wire formed of a composite material containing an aluminum material and carbon nanotubes dispersed in the aluminum material; the material wire has a cellulation structure including a wall portion containing the carbon nanotubes and an inside portion of the wall which is surrounded by the wall portion and which comprises the aluminum material and unavoidable impurities; the material wire has a ratio of carbon nanotube content to aluminum material content of 0.2 wt. % to 5 wt. %; and each of all the element wires forming the composite electric cable is the material wire, or the composite electric cable includes in a center portion thereof one or a plurality of steel wires.

AUGUST 2016 | 93

PATENTS

Adhesive film and flat cable using the same U.S. Patent No.: 9,376,596 Patent date: June 28, 2016 Filed: March 1, 2013 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan

CLASSIFIEDS

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

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: • $1.30 per word for WJI and on-line classifieds at wirenet.org (20-word minimum).

• Blind box numbers, add $25. • Boldface headlines, add $6 per line (up to 18 characters per line). Specify category.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY SERVICE TECHNICIAN. Schlatter North America, located in Rockford, Illinois, is looking for a seasoned service technician with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in installing and troubleshooting industrial machinery.

The successful candidate must have a strong mechanical and electrical background. A working knowledge of Siemens PLC technology along with Bosch/Rexroth Servo Drive Technology would be a plus. The successful candidate primary responsibility would be to commission and train machine operators on the proper operating techniques for new Schlatter wire resistance welding equipment for the North America market. In addition, the successful candidate would be responsible for installing upgrades accessories on existing equipment.

The successful candidate must be willing to travel up to 75% of the time.

Interested candidates can submit their resumes to sales.north-america@schlattergroup.com. The position reports to the General Manager of Schlatter North America.

ACCOUNT & PRODUCT MANAGER. T & T Marketing is seeking a highly motivated Account & Product Manager with excellent communication skills for our Mid Atlantic Territory. Experience required: 5 years in sales and 5 years in the W&C or plastics industry with a proven track record of bringing in new business. 70% of time should be spent making sales calls. Some overnight travel required within and outside the territory. Must reside in NJ, eastern PA, NY metro, MD or DE and be able to work independently. Will be based out of home 94 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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office. Technical and marketing experience a plus. Opportunities for advancement are available. Industry leading pay and benefits will be offered. Please send resume to info@ttmarketinginc. com or visit our website for further information.

POSITIONS WANTED WIRE & CABLE REPRESENTATIVE AVAILABLE FOR THE AMERICAS. Do you need an experienced salesman in Mexico, Central and south America? Please contact Antonio Ayala at 1953ayala@gmail. com.PERSONNEL SERVICES

MEDIA THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS CAPABILITY STUDY. Creating a universal language for problem solving, this 2011 135-page booth by industry expert Douglas Relyea, founder of Quality Principle Associates, a consulting firm specializing in the education and application of data analysis techniques to industrial problem solving.

The list price is $45, $40 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

MACHINERY

STEEL WIRE TECHNOLOGY, 4TH EDITION. This 348-page indexed book by Per Enghag, published in 2009, represents a bridge between theory and practice, providing useful information as well as new material for both veteran wire industry people as well as mechanical engineering students. The newest edition includes two new chapters: Roller Dies, and Modeling and Simulation. Some chapters have been updated to present new production and testing methods. The Steel chapter, now Steel and Steel Standards, includes a review of global steel standards. The price is $110, $95 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. COM. For New (Hakusan Heat Pressure Welders, Ferrous & NonFerrous; Marldon Rolling Ring Traverses) & Used Wire & Cable Equipment (buttwelders, coldwelders, ers and pointers). Tel: 727-8634700 or by e-mail, please send to urbassoc@verizon.net.

THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, by Gary Conner, the author of Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop, describes Six Sigma and how it is used by smaller companies. It includes a CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

“LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry Manufacturers to secure the services of executives, managers, and thousands of key individual contributors. Contact: Peter Carino, pcarino@ wireresources.com or online at www.linkedin.com/in/petercarino1/ Wire Resources Inc., PO Box 593, Riverside, CT 06878, tel. 203-6223000. www.wireresources.com.

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

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

Amacoil Inc .......................................................C3

Inosym Ltd ...................................................11, 68

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd ..............................86

KEIR Manufacturing Inc ....................................88

August Strecker GmbH .....................................65

Lamnea Bruk AB ................................................45

Black Sea Technology Inc ................................23

Lieber & Solow Co .............................................35

Cable Consultants Corp....................................17

Mexichem Specialty Compounds Inc ............. C2

Carris Reels Inc ................................................C4

Paramount Die Co ...............................................4

Cemanco ............................................................86

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd ......................89

Electric Cable Compounds Inc.........................69

Proton Products International Ltd .............37, 71

Esteves Group USA...........................................33

Queins Machines GmbH ...................................59

George Evans Corp ...........................................88

Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc..........................2

Fenn LLC ............................................................13

REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc....................63

Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc....................................87

Sanxin Wire Die Inc ...........................................15

Fuhr GmbH & Co KG .........................................25

SCR / Tektapes...................................................47

Henrich GmbH .....................................................5

Sheaves Inc ........................................................85

Honeywell .............................................................1

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

Howar Equipment/Unitek ..................................64

Sjogren Industries Inc ................................. 18-19

Huestis Industrial ..............................................29

Unitek/Howar Equipment ..................................64

AUGUST 2016 | 95

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX PEOPLE

ADVER DVERTISERS’ ISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp ..........................9 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc .............................27

October 2016 WJI Manufacturing Trends

Wyrepak Industries .....................................61, 90 Zumbach Electronics Corp ...............................49

WIRE ASSOCIATION INT’L ADS Ferrous Wire Handbook ....................................12 Monterrey ITC ........................................32, 52, 55 Interwire 2017............................................... 39-40 WAI Membership................................................67 WAI Industry Search..........................................95

WIRE JOURNAL

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

SALES OFFICES NORTH AMERICA

Robert J. Xeller/Anna Bzowski Wire Journal International Tel: 203-453-2777 Fax: 203-453-8384 sales@wirenet.org

ASIA/WAI

India Office Wire & Cable Services Pvt. Ltd. Rahatani, Pune - 411017, India Huned Contractor mobile - +91 988 1084 202 hcontractor@wirenet.org China Office Zhuang (Frank) zhilu Shanghai, China 200331 mobile - 0086-18018681117 zzs12151116@163.com

EUROPE

U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark & Scandinavia Jennie Franks David Franks & Co. Tel/fax: 44-1223-360472 franksco@btopenworld.com

Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service Int. Tel: 49-8801-914682 Fax: 49-8801-914683 dmelcher@t-online.de

96 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Advertising Deadline: September 1

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