Manufacturing Focus

WIREE JOURNAL JOU DECEMBER 2015

速 速

INTERNATIONAL

www.wirenet.org

www.wirenet.org

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

Volume 48 | Number 12 | December 2015

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

FEATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

60

2010 - 2015

50

(through Sept. 30)

40

People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

30

20

Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Case

10

Admin.

Criminal

0

Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 25 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Technical Paper . . . . . . . 66-75 Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Career Opportunities . . . . . . 83 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . 87

Wrapup: wire South America . . 36 Messe Düsseldorf reports that, despite challenging times for Brazil, wire South America, co-located with its sister tube show, showed that many exhibitors still see potential in the market.

Wrapup: CabWire . . . . . . . . . . . 40 This technical conference, supported by multiple associations, continues to serve as an industry forum for the wire and cable industry.

Manufacturing Focus . . . . . . . . 44 From product directions and sales to technical and teamwork, manufacturing covers a lot of turf. This feature presents a range of those elements, and more.

Next issue

TECHNICAL PAPER

January 2016

Innovation in high performance ropes and the prospects of future development lines Pengzhu Wang, John M. Walton, Adam Jeays, Dr. Jagan Mohanraj, Thomas Lichte and Andreas Heinrich . . . . . 66

Lubrication & Filtration

• New WAI officers

Cover: Finished products are all made on the shop floor, but the process stems from multiple levels of planning, research and reaction.

DECEMBER 2015 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE A DÜSSELDORF TRAVEL CURSE? . . . . . 40

A golfing claim to fame is to be relished, albeit a course record or some other achievement. In this case, John Gomez, Philip Shows, Fred Camarena, Jr., and Michael Howard won the Value Award for making “full use” of the golf course at the Western Chapter’s tournament. On any given day, a slew of other golfers could have claimed those honors. Huzzah!

The CabWire World Conference, which was held at Düsseldorf’s Congress Center, saw minor travel “disruptions” following the discovery of a World War II bomb. Nobody is saying there is a curse, and the conference was a success, but this marks the third such “occurrence.” Coincidence? Probably. Cause for getting travel insurance for wire 2016? Possibly.

CONTENTS

THE BEST...AT NOT BEING THE BEST . 35

Innovation meets Tradition

FAMILY BUSINESS for STRANDED CONDUCTORS from 0,2 up to 2.500mm²

Type SE 1

Type SE 130

www.strecker-limburg.de www.streckerusa.com

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Type MK 800

Type MK 1200

WE SUPPLY THE MISSING PIECE FOR YOUR PRODUCTION!

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

The future is bright One of the many good things about having kids is that they will remind you daily about how little you know.

My youngest doesn’t do it intentionally. Trust me, as my two older kids have passed through the teenager stage, I know intention.

Recently, he came home from school and showed us a YouTube video of a Ted program on “The Outstanding Athletic Power of Quadcopters.”

He knew I would be interested because...who wouldn’t be? I like Ted programs, I enjoy remote-control anything and I can waste an equally large amount of time on sports and/or YouTube.

The video was great on many levels and while that is my personal opinion, it is supported by the some five million views. The story, which is not new, is about the power of unleashing genuine intelligence through technology. You will be amazed at the precision and functionality of these devices.

Of course, I had to watch it twice (or five times) and then spend another 30 minutes watching and reading about similar stories.

One of the extended stories led me to a group of smart kids, now alum from the University of Pennsylvania, that developed a product recognized as the Titan Arm. Here, you can see the device, which augments your arm strength by 40 lb.

The device and the team that created the prototypes have won numerous awards and hopefully it will make the creators wealthier than any professional athlete. This is truly a life-changing device for individuals with upper body disabilities or injuries. It also has applications in the manufacturing arena. And, not surprisingly, it is dependent on a variety of wire products.

While we can easily get consumed by the negative events that consume the news cycle, we need to remind ourselves that there an unlimited number of great stories of smart people, solving true challenges. We in the wire industry are fortunate to be in the middle of many great stories.

Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WIRE JOURNAL

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

®

www.sikora.net/centerview8000

»First class wires and cables are the benchmark!« Jhonathan Ruiz Business Development Manager SIKORA International Corp.

Online quality assurance of all types of round, single conductors and cables with a solid or stranded conductor The CENTERVIEW 8000 from SIKORA is a sophisticated system for continuous process control and online quality supervision at insulating lines.

Your benefits: • Non-contact 8-point eccentricity/ ovality measurement and 4-axis diameter measurement of cables and wires • Increased productivity and cost saving • Process stability • Reliability with no need for calibration

See us at wire 2016, April 4 - 8, Düsseldorf, Germany, Booth 9A41

CALENDAR

CALENDAR 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.

May 11-12, 2016: Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. To be held at the Wisconsin Center. Contact: Expo Productions, tel. 800-367-5520, www.electricalwireshow.com.

June 7-9, 2016: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Mohegan Sun, will include its trade show, technical programs and WAI’s 86th Annual Convention.

Jan. 28, 2016: New England Chapter Annual Meeting Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. See p. 35.

June 7-9, 2016: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. See main listing.

May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See main listing.

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.

Oct. 2-5, 2016: 65th IWCS ConferenceTM 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. 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.

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Oct. 18-20, 2016: ITC Monterrey Monterrey, Mexico. Details to follow.

June 12-14, 2016: 17th Guangzhou International Platemetal, Bar, Wire, Metal Processing & Setting Equipment Exhibition Guangzhou, China. To be held at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou.

Contact: Julang Exhibition Co., Ltd., tel. 86-20-3862 0771, expo@julang.com.cn.

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.

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.

T H E W I R E A S S O C I AT I O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L , I N C . P R E S E N T S

& EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

| WIRE & CABLE PRODUCTS • SUPPLIES • EQUIPMENT

UNCASVILLE, CT, USA

CONVENTION: JUNE 7-9 EXHIBITS: JUNE 8-9 It’s fast.

It’s free. 16.COM WWW .WIREEXPO

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

20 16

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Prysmian Group plans to build a 2-stage optical fiber plant in Mexico The Prysmian Group reports that it will open a new telecom facility in Mexico that, when completed, will have annual production capacity of 2 million fiber km (FKm) for use in telecom cables.

Prysmian plans to expand its optical fiber global production.

A press release said the operation, to be called Prysmian Cables y Sistemas de Mexico, will have its factory and headquarters in Durango, and an office in Mexico City. The factory, to be built in two stages, will have an estimated initial cost of about US$10.5 million for the first stage next year that will be designed for capacity of 1 milllion FKm. The second phase, to be completed in 2017, will provide similar additional production for a total of 2 million FKm. Per the release, the Mexican telecom market is experiencing continuous growth due to deregulation, increased demand for broadband services and government policy to connect houses. “The Central American market is also growing very fast driven by the needs of better broadband networks. Therefore, to reinforce its competitive position and benefit from the growing optical fiber cables market in Mexico and Central America, Prysmian is launching the investment of a new facility.”

General Cable plans to consolidate in South America, writes off Venezuela

General Cable Corporation (GCC)’s third quarter update was a case of good news-bad news, with strong results noted for its previously announced restructuring, and a final write-off of its investments in Venezuela, which have plagued the business.

First, the good news. Per the transcript provided by Seeking Alpha (www.seekingalpha.com), GCC President and CEO Mike McDonnell said that the company had reached an important pivot point. “Over the last year we

have executed well on our strategic objectives, including substantial restructuring and divestiture plans. We generated $26 million of cost savings from the announced restructuring program year-to-date, and are on track to achieve the full target of $90 million by 2016. Our divestiture program has so far yielded proceeds of $176 million, with more to come. We have also improved the consistency of our execution in the business, achieving our earnings guidance now for four consecutive quarters. We continue to efficiently manage working capital, and see further opportunity.”

McDonnell said that GCC has focused on further optimizing company operations. For example, underperforming operations need to improve or their product lines may be consolidated with those at more successful plants. He noted that the subsea power cable business has fared well, and so has North America as a whole, although there has been lower demand for industrial and specialty cables, particularly those tied to oil and gas.

Business in Europe has been mixed while the setting has been harsher in Latin America, which has seen demand suffer from tough economic conditions there and reduced government spending, McDonnell said. “We are, however, continuing to set the stage for improvement through our restructuring activities, where we have announced and are now implementing plans to consolidate facilities in Brazil and Colombia, which, together...account for just under half of our end-market demand in the region.”

GCC EVP and CFO Brian Robinson addressed the 800-pound gorilla that has plagued the company: Venezuela. “As of Oct. 2, 2015, we concluded that, due to the increasingly restricted exchange control regime that has limited access to U.S. dollars in Venezuela, combined with government-imposed limitations on our ability to import raw material into Venezuela, and otherwise exert operational control over the business there, we no longer meet the accounting criteria for control over operations in Venezuela. Therefore, in accordance with applicable accounting standards, we deconsolidated the Venezuelan subsidiary, and, beginning in the fourth quarter, (we) will account for the investment using the cost method. We made this change effective October 2, 2015, and fully impaired the cost investment to fair value, or zero, by recording a charge of $12 million during the third quarter.”

Editor’s note: Venezuela has been a difficult setting for many U.S. companies, not just GCC, because of the official exchange rate, the reassessed rate and the black market rate, as well as the difficulty in accessing and removing currency at any rate. Officially, $1 still equals 6.35 bolivars, but the actual rate per one Bloomberg story in July was 630.21 bolivars. Companies from Ford and General Motors to Praxair and The Walt Disney Co. have reported considerable losses in the country.

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

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

nkt cables to supply and install cables for offshore U.K. wind farm project nkt cables has been awarded an order for delivery and installation of the export cable system for the Galloper offshore wind farm in a consortium with VBMS, a Dutch marine contractor.

The Galloper offshore wind farm will require 94 km of 132 kV high-voltage submarine cables.

A press release said that the contract, which was estimated to be worth €53 million, calls for nkt to supply 94 km of 132 kV high-voltage submarine cables. Cable for the first project phase is to be delivered for installation in late 2016, with the remainder available for the second and last phase that is to be installed in 2017.

“The order for Galloper consolidates our position as a leading power cables supplier for offshore wind farm projects,” said nkt cables CEO Michael Hedegaard Lyng.

“The offshore market is one of nkt cables’ strategic focus

areas and is characterized by a high level of activity. It is a market which holds attractive prospects for us in the coming years, and it constitutes a key element in our recently launched EXCELLENCE 2020 strategy.”

The Galloper offshore wind farm, the release said, will have a capacity of up to 340 MW. It will be sited in the Thames estuary, about 27 km off the coast of Suffolk, England, close to its existing sister project, Greater Gabbard, which is scheduled to commence operations in 2018.

Tree Island to acquire Irving Wire

Tree Island Steel, Ltd., has entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Irving Wire Products Corporation (IWPC) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for an undisclosed sum.

A press release said that the agreement, reached via a Tree Island subsidiary, includes the production equipment and inventories related to IWPC’s mesh business. Tree Island will lease Irving’s existing facility in Calgary, where the company will continue to manufacture steel mesh products, it said, noting that Sandy Irving will retire as IWPC president but remain involved in an advisory capacity to Tree Island to ensure a successful and seamless transition.

“This acquisition ... significantly expands the capacity of Tree Island’s mesh business and expands our geographic footprint,” said Tree Islands President and CEO Dale R. MacLean. “Together and over the course of the next few years, we will continue to evolve into a much stronger and more vibrant company,” Per its website, Irving Wire Products has been producing welded wire fabric since 1953 and continues to manufacture products in sheets and rolls. The company, which has five production lines, markets to western Canada and northwestern U.S.

DECEMBER 2015 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

Observed Diebold Inc. Chief Executive Andreas Mattes in a Reuters story, “From a business point of view, Venezuela has basically left the building. There is no rational way for us as management to get our arms around a country where you have absolutely no access to your currency and the currency itself is artificially being lowered in very short intervals.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Per its website, Tree Island Steel, based in Richmond, British Columbia, has four operating facilities in Canada and the U.S. It produces wire products for a diverse range of industrial, residential construction, commercial construction, agricultural, and specialty applications. It also has a company in China that assists the international sourcing of products to Tree Island and its customers.

TPC acquires Mexican company TPC Wire & Cable Corp. (TPC) reports that it has completed its acquisition of Enersave Wire & Cable (EWC).

A press release said that EWC fits into TPC’s strategy to further expand assembly services and product inventory into Mexico, and will accelerate TPC’s growth in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America through the addition of direct sales, local distribution and cable assembly capabilities. The leadership team of EWC, Raul Ortega, Sr., and Raul Ortega, Jr., will remain with the business, it said, noting that EWC represents the first acquisition TPC has made since it was acquired earlier this year by Audax Private Equity.

Founded in 1978, TPC produces high performance wire, cable and connectors used in harsh industrial applications. “We are excited to have Enersave become part of the TPC family,” said TPC CEO Steve Michalski. “The Ortegas have done a marvelous job of growing the TPC brand in Mexico and we are looking forward to continuing their endeavors with this new partnership. The acquisition allows us to increase our

inventory of harsh industrial cables and accessories to better serve our customers in Mexico.”

Audax Private Equity reports that it has more than $6 billion in assets in its range of member companies, which include the Elgin Fasteners Group, LLC, which it acquired in 2011.

Leoni AG: 3rd quarter fiscal results reflect woes in Wiring Systems Division

Germany’s Leoni AG, a global supplier to the automotive field and to other sectors, reported higher sales but lower earnings, largely due to problems with its Wiring Systems Division (WSD).

A press release said that Leoni’s third quarter, which saw consolidated sales of approximately €1.112 billion, were up about 10% from the prior year, but group earnings before interest and taxes fell 14% to €29.8 million because of “surprisingly heavy charges” in its WSD. The low price of copper was also a contributor, but activity at the WSD was the key element, even though its external sales of €649.6 million from July to September 2015 were up nearly 13% from the prior year.

The problem, the release said, were WSD charges, mostly in September. “The principal reasons for this were accelerated and more complex than expected ramp-ups of new projects because customers increased the amount of product they called forward at short notice and ordered more extensive cable harnesses

New dog, new tricks

WIRE STRAIGHTENERS

•

STRAIGHTENER ROLLS

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

•

WIRE PULLERS / WEDGE GRIPS

As of Sept. 30, the Leoni Group reports that it had 74,973 employees, up 7,582 from the prior year. Most of those additional positions were at wiring systems facilities in Eastern Europe and North Africa as well as at automotive cable plants in Asia, the Americas and in Germany.

General Cable reports that it has agreed to sell its business in India

General Cable Corporation has entered into an agreement to sell its subsidiary in India to CMI Ltd. The selling price for General Cable Energy India Pvt. Ltd., was not disclosed, but the deal furthers General Cable’s previously announced plans to “simplifying our geographic portfolio.” The plant, which is located in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, was opened by General Cable in 2012. Per its website, CMI, was incorporated in 1967 as Choudhari Metal Industries. Its products include PVC switch board cables, control cables, screened cables, data transmission cables, and more.

Fujikura and Mitsubishi Cable seek to merge industrial wire activity in 2016

Citing challenging times in a mature market, the presidents of Fujikura Ltd. and Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd., announced that they have agreed to look into the possibility of combining their industrial wire and cable activity in 2016.

Safety that works harder The new Sjogren wire puller does more than look different: it makes a difference in the safety and productivity of your operation.

No other puller does so much to improve spindle uptime.

Design innovation built on shop floor insight: Sjogren builds productivity.

SJOGREN.COM

WIRE GUIDES

•

MAGNETIC BRAKES & CLUTCHES

•

TESTING & HANDLING DECEMBER 2015 | 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

than planned. These essentially positive developments for Leoni resulted in unbudgeted additional costs and inefficient processes in the WSD. These shortcomings entail longer-persisting adverse effects. Major staffing bottlenecks occurred at one facility in Romania that was particularly affected. As the region has full employment, the division had to cover its staffing needs from other countries and with agency manpower. The unexpectedly steep increase in the minimum wage in Romania was a further burden.”

Sven Schmidt, Leoni AG press officer, said that the company has identified the problem and the underlying causes. “The latter lie mostly in our project management as well as in applying and implementing processes and structures within the Wiring Systems Division. We must ensure that our matrix organization is systematically realized everywhere. We have now worked out a package of measures for this, parts of which are already being applied at full pace.”

In related news, the company announced that Dr. Andreas Brand, the Management Board member responsible for the Wiring Systems Division, has consensually resigned. Management Board members Dieter Bellé and Dr. Frank Hiller will temporarily assume his duties until a successor is appointed.

“As a well-positioned and financed company, which continues to have good prospects, Leoni will thoroughly and lastingly eliminate the current margin problem and return to a course of profit-oriented growth,” said Leoni AG President and CEO Dieter Bellé.

INDUSTRY NEWS

A press release said that Fujikura President and CEO Yoichi Nagahama and Mitsubishi Cable President: Hisayoshi Homma have agreed to “examine integration of their ... wire and cable business by April 1, 2016 ... .”

It noted that the domestic market for industrial wire and cable has matured, and that demand “cannot be expected to increase significantly anytime soon.” The two companies would both benefit by integrating their industrial wire and cable manufacturing, it said.

Production sites to be integrated are likely to include Fujikura’s Suzuka and Numazu-works, and its subsidiary, Shinshiro Cable, Ltd., and Mitsubishi Cable’s Kumagaya, Fukui and Amagasaki-works, the release said. “From now on, Fujikura and Mitsubishi Cable will proceed with discussions and examinations of the integration, aiming to realize it in April 2016.”

Uruguay and Google agree to lay an undersea fiber cable in 2016 Uruguay and Google have agreed to lay a new undersea fiber-optic cable that will link to another conduit, already under construction, to improve broadband connectivity between the U.S. and the southern cone of South America.

A report in the Latin America Herald Tribune said that the 2,000-km link between Maldonado, Uruguay, and Santos, Brazil, is expected to be complete by late 2017.

“This opens to Uruguay and the region great opportunities for connectivity with the area and the whole world,” Google executive Pedro Less Andrade said in a ceremony at the headquarters of Uruguayan state telecoms company Antel. “The increase in infrastructure and broadband capacity is a very big effort that cannot be completed by just one entity, so we feel it is important to join forces.”

The Tannat project, which requires a $30 million investment from Antel, will link to the Monet Project, an undersea fiber-optic cable connecting the Brazilian cities of Santos and Fortaleza with Boca Raton, Florida, the story said. The Google-led consortium behind the Monet Project also includes Antel.

“This project brings great joy for all Uruguayans, it is the most important international project that Uruguay has joined in terms of infrastructure,” Industry, Energy and Mines Minister Carolina Cosse said.

Once complete, the Tannat cable will provide “enormous” international broadband capacity enabling Antel to go from being a broadband user to a provider for Uruguay and Latin America, the minister said.

Noting that all countries in the region need additional internet capacity, Antel President Andres Tolosa said the project makes it feasible for Uruguay to sell bandwidth to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Brazil and other Latin American nations. The estimated 333 million internet users in Latin America represent a sizeable target audience that justifies the Tannat project investment, he said.

14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SMS reports equipment order for an ArcelorMittal wire rod mill in Ukraine The SMS Group reports that it has received an order from ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih for a third coil compactor for its two-strand wire rod mill in the Ukraine.

A press release said that after successful commissioning of a new coil compactor in 2013 and a second one in 2014, ArcelorMittal has now placed an order with SMS group for the supply of a third coil compactor of type HP 4700-PWT2.

In addition to the mechanical equipment, the supply scope includes electrical equipment, machine automation and complete hydraulic systems, the release said.

SMS will integrate the new compactor into the existing plant ArcelorMittal has ordered equipment environment and optimize all profrom SMS for its Ukraine mill. cess interfaces.

One of the technological benefits provided by the new compactor is that it will turn the coils automatically, the release said. This will make it possible to produce coils with eight straps positioned at equal distances from one another by four strapping units to ensure safe coil transport even over long distances. This strapping method, it said, is also suitable for higher-strength grades. Delivery of the third coil compactor is scheduled for the end of 2015.

Nexans reports that U.S. has closed investigation into cartel charges Nexans announced that an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division into the submarine and underground power cable industry, previously disclosed by Nexans, has been closed without prosecution or sanction against any Nexans Group company.

A Nexans press release said that investigations and proceedings in other countries continue as disclosed in the company’s accounts and risk factor section of its annual and semester management reports. Per its 2015 half-year financial report, the company has set aside €80 million for such potential expenses.

WJI sent questions to DOJ about the decision, including whether there was news for any of the other companies involved in the case, to which it was told: “DOJ

Visit our stand #806 at Interwire 2015

High Performance Wire Dies Searching for expert help with reducing wire breaks, improving wire surface quality, or solving cast issues? Need help identifying optimal wire die size sequences and profiles for your machines?

Esteves Group wire die products and services are maximizing productivity and quality in wire manufacturing applications every day.

The traditional “one-profile fits all” wire die is not up to the challenge of today’s competitive market. To see how Esteves Group can help you, call 800-325-7989 Learn more at www.estevesgroup.com

APRIL 2015 | 61 DECEMBER 2015 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS INTERWIRE PREVIEW

SAS Engineering and Planning Srl Exhibiting: Reinforcement processprocessing of ferrous and nonferrous respectfully declines to comment on pending matters or Tel. 39-031-655593 ing machinery: automatic stirrup materials. proposed transactions.” www.sas.it benders, cutting/shaping machines, In April 2014, Nexans was fined €70.6 million by a info@sas.it cage making/assembling machines, Schmale Machinery USA, LLC European Union antitrust regulator, which charged a Italy Booth 1962 straighteners, wire processing plants, Telephone: 904 501 - 28 24 total of 27 companies—including six European, three Exhibiting: SAS Engineering & innovative software systems. www.schmale-machinery.com Japanese and two Korean producers of submarine or Planning’s combined drawing lines Personnel: Simone Bruscia. walter.wieser@ underground power cables—for being part of a cartel and peeling lines mean technologschmale-machinery.com that rigged prices from 1999 to 2009. ical value, reliability and ease of Shanghai Kaibo Compounds USA Booth 52 use. The SAS combined drawing Co., Ltd. Exhibiting: If you want to speed Prysmian wins Chinese machine can be supplied with thesubmarine Tel. 86-21-59122219 up your wire bending process, come cable contract worthin $140 most advanced accessories order million www.sh-kaibo.com along and have a look. Get an update toThe obtain a totally automated xs@sh-kaibo.com on the latest developments for swagPrysmian Group reportsline: that it has won a contract payoffmore group, pre-straightening China Booth 1512/15-17 ing, pressing, worth than $140 million, for the design, supply, threading and bending device, draw chamferingof a submarine from apower German machine builder. installation andbench, commissioning cable link bundle for the second interconnection between machine, strapping, weighBring your parts or drawings with Hainan Island and the China mainland. ing and handling, etc. Everything is you and we will findThe a solution for Giulio Vernes will be sailing to China for the first time.

The contract—from Hainan Second Cross-Sea managed automatically.

The comyour demand!

Interconnection Tie Project Management Co., Ltd., a Walter Wieser. pany takes customers through each Personnel: strategic value, due toExhibiting: being awarded in China, Shanghai Kaiboa market subsidiary of China Southern Power Grid, the grid operstage of the process, while technical with high growth potential...(that is expected Compounds Co., founded to in invest) 1993, ating in South China—was

by Prysmian US$1.8 trillion in its is power industry .. from 2011 to staff company can provide instructions and lauded Schnell SpA a high-tech enterprise supportinsolve its press release.

“We are particularly proud of this 2020.” problems worldwide. Thanks Tel. 39-0721-878711 ed by the Shanghai Electric Cable new as thisofisexperience, the first Extra (EHV) Per the release, the Research new submarine cable with link the to itsaward long years SASHigh Voltage www.schnell.it Institute.

Its main products submarine cable project that Prysmian will execute in existing 500 kV cable circuit connecting the Guangdong is an important partner for reaching sales@schnell.it include PE compounds, PVC comChina,” said Massimo Battaini, Group’s senior powersilane grid, cross-linkable effectively improvtop manufacturing targets in thePrysmian Italy Booth 2152 power grid and Hainan pounds, PE vice president for energy projects. “This contract has ing the quality of electricity supply between the two

INDUSTRY NEWS

provinces. One of the island’s key customers to benefit from the extra power will be a 1300 MW nuclear power plant being built in Changjiang County. The combined capacity of the submarine power cables and the nuclear power will help boost Hainan’s efforts toward becoming an international tourism island, it said.

The new Hainan interconnection comprises four HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) 500 kV single core SCFF (self-contained, fluid-filled) cables to be laid under the Qiongzhou Strait in southern China, along a 32-km route. The cable system will link the Gangcheng transformer substation in Guangdong’s Zhanjiang to the Fushan transformer substation in Hainan’s Chengmai County, and have a transmission capacity of 600,000 kW. Cables will be operated in AC configuration, but are designed to also work in a DC configuration.

All the cables will be produced in the Group’s excellence center for submarine cables in Arco Felice, near Naples, Italy, while the marine installation operations will be performed by the Group’s “Giulio Verne” cable-laying vessel. Delivery and commissioning is scheduled for the first quarter 2019.

The Group already has an established presence in China, where it has more than 1,500 employees in nine manufacturing plants in Baoying (high-voltage cables), Tianjin and Suzhou (special cables for industrial applications), Suzhou (systems and network components), Shanghai (submarine cables), Wuxi (optical cables), Wuhan (optical fibers and multimedia systems), Nantong Haixun and Nantong Zhongyao (elevators systems).

The Group notes that it is already a leading supplier and installer of submarine cable links throughout the strategic and high-growth Asia Pacific Region, with milestone projects such as the Penang Island in Malaysia, the Java-Bali link in Indonesia, the Cheju Island in Korea, the Ha Tien-Phu Quoc in Vietnam, the CNP-1 project in the Philippines and the Basslink interconnector in Australia.

Kobe Steel expands production of its wire rod joint venture in China

Kobe Steel, Ltd., and the other equity shareholders of Kobe Special Steel Wire Products (Pinghu) Co., Ltd., have agreed to expand the production capacity of their Chinese joint venture, KSP, which processes special steel wire rod at its plant in Pinghu, Zhejiang Province.

A press release said that the expansion, the fourth such one, will raise capacity from about 3,500 to 4,900 metric tons per month. It identified the other KSP joint venture partners as Shinsho Corporation, Osaka Seiko Co., Ltd., Meihoku Kogyo Co., Ltd., Metal One Corporation and Kyodo Shaft Co., Ltd., and noted the following about the business.

KSP has become the largest supplier of CH wire to Japanese automotive parts manufacturers in China, Established in 2007 with full-scale production started in 2009, KSP processes steel wire rod into cold head16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ing (CH) steel wire for manufacturing of parts such as automotive bolts, nuts and bearings. Kobe Steel provides all the special steel wire rod used by KSP so it can produce the highest-quality products.

To meet the growing need for cold-heading wire, KSP will invest about US$204.5 million to install additional pickling equipment, for a total of two units, that will enable the increased production capacity of special steel. The new pickling equipment is scheduled to start up in December 2016. As of the end of March 2015, KSP had 117 employees.

Prysmian to supply cables for one of largest U.S. North America wind farms Prysmian Group reports that it has won a contract worth approximately €16 million for power transmission and distribution cabling of an onshore wind farm project in the Niagara Region of North America.

A press release said that the contract was awarded

by NCS International, Inc., for the medium-voltage power and fiber optic cables, and by Eptcon, Ltd., for the high-voltage cables. It noted the following about the Niagara Wind Farm, which it described as the fifth largest wind farm in North America, with 77 3.0 MW wind turbine generators that provide a combined capacity of 230 MW (enough to power 70,000 homes). The turbines are grouped into 10 collector circuits that bring power to substations via 34.5 kV underground cable.

Fiber optic cable will be used to collect and transmit critical wind condition information from each turbine.

The Group will supply 25 km of 138 kV underground cable with aluminum conductor and XLPE insulation and 650 km of 35 kV MV power cables to interconnect the wind farm to Hydro One Networks. Prysmian will also supply the HV outdoor terminations and Click Fit® jointing systems along with direct-burial fiber optic cable. The medium-voltage and high-voltage cables will be supplied from Prysmian Group factories in Prescott, Ontario, Canada, and Abbeville, South Carolina, USA, with the fiber supplied from its plant in Claremont, North Carolina.

“This project re-affirms the company’s leading supply position in North America within the power transmission and distribution systems for the renewable energies market,” said Scott Roberts, vice president, energy & infrastructure, North America. “The project has very tight time-line requirements for supply and by utilizing the capacity provided by completion of the second VCV line at the Abbeville plant, we are uniquely positioned to meet project demands.”

The company noted that beyond “providing further confirmation of the validity of the Group’s know-how and technologies for application in underground power transmission and distribution, this new project also underlines Prysmian’s leadership role in a strategic region like North America, where the Group can rely on a number of projects completed or on-going includ-

Peikko subsidiary mesh business sold to Rämö

for a system extension from the Gulf of Guinea island of Sao Tomé-et-Principe to South Africa—will further strengthen the role ACE is playing in critical infrastructure development in the continent, it said.

Phase II of ACE will support the cost-effective delivery of broadband services and digital applications for education, healthcare and other e-services, reaching an additional 200 million people through this extension, the release said. It noted that 13 of the 16 countries con-

INDUSTRY NEWS

ing some of the most strategic submarine power interconnections worldwide, such as Neptune (Long Island to New Jersey), HTP (Hudson River Crossing New Jersey to Manhattan), TBC (San Francisco Bay crossing).

Peikko Group’s Finnish subsidiary has sold its reinforcing mesh business to Rämö Oy, a Finnish company.

A press release said that the sale, A NEW KIND OF PACKAGING…

by Peikko Finland Oy, enables FROM DeWAL Peikko to better focus on its core business with regards to production facilities and personnel. The sale includes Peikko’s reinforcing mesh production line, the raw material stock as well as commercial and technical know-how, it said. The sale, it noted, does not involve personnel, and it has no direct impact on Peikko’s headcount at the Lahti factory or Rämö’s head count at the factory in Imatra. “The transaction will enable Rämö to engage the manufacture and sale of stainless NO MORE BREAKAGE. NO MORE TANGLES. steel reinforcing mesh. With the PAY Packaging OUT NARROW PTFE FILM WITH SOLID PACK® DeWAL acquired production line Rämö can DeWAL Packaging DeWAL offers®standard and custom flat pad, traverse and pyramid style packages. remarkably enhance its reinforcing DeWAL offerstangles standardand and breakage custom flat pad, traverseunsintered and pyramid and style low packages.

Solid Pack greatly reduces in skived, Traverse and pyramid packaging allow for longer runs per package on narrow widths. mesh business.” density PTFE films.

Traverse and pyramid packaging allow for longer runs per package on narrow widths.

Since 1983 Peikko has sold reinDeWAL’s state-of-the-art equipment allows us to create custom ®packages with precision DeWAL’s state-of-the-art equipment allows us to create packages with precision A new and exclusive packaging method, Solid Pack allows filmcustom to unwind forcing mesh made of black and tension control. This gives our customers reduced downtime and increased productivity. ® not traversely but unidirectionally in columns.

Solid Pack is a stable put-up, tension control.

This gives our customers reduced downtime and increased productivity. stainless steel mainly to precast This tensionincontrol becomes a critical component when using today’sat lowthe density films in resulting a spool becoming narrower without softening sides.

Because This tension control becomes a critical component when using today’s low density films in element factories in Finland and the high performance coaxial cables, where a slight amount of stretching will cause problems tension does not fluctuate, even unsintered PTFE resists stretching. neighboring regions. The business DeWAL Packaging high performance coaxial cables, where a slight amount of stretching will cause problems ® 5 with signal loss.

Solid Pack is for with PTFE filmloss. from ⁄32”traverse to 3⁄4”, and in 1⁄32 ” increments.

DeWAL PTFE volume of the reinforcing mesh DeWAL offers standard andsignal custom flat pad, pyramid style packages. film can be as thin as 0.001”.

Flat Pad Packaging business has been in recent years Traverse and pyramid Flat packaging allow for longer runs per package on narrow widths.

Pad Packaging around €2 million.

Customstate-of-the-art packages are manufactured DeWAL’s Narragansett, facilities in DeWAL’s equipment allows us at to create custom packages with RI, precision Appropriate for allalso DeWAL slit12”. film and laminatedcan products. widths up to 12” and diameters up to Packages be with or without Appropriate for alland DeWAL slit film and tension control. This gives our packages customersfrom reduced increased productivity.

Custom 3/8" downtime (9.525mm) to 8" (203.2mm) widelaminated products. sideboards.

Film lengths can be as much as 20,000 ft.

Custom packages from 3/8" (9.525mm) to 8" (203.2mm) wide Alcatel-Lucent to start

DeWAL Industries, Inc. DeWAL Industries, Inc.

DeWAL Industries, Inc.

on ACE cable system

Alcatel-Lucent reports that it will soon start construction of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) undersea cable system’s next phase to improve broadband connectivity and digital services in Africa.

A press release said that the 5,000 km Africa Coast to Europe system extension to South Africa from Sao Tomé-et-Principe will further improve cost-effective broadband supporting applications for education, healthcare and other e-services.

The project—the second phase calls

with diameters, width,using up totoday’s 14" (355.6mm).

This tension control becomes a criticaldepending componentonwhen low density films in with diameters, depending on traverse width, up toand 14" pyra(355.6mm).

Besides new Solid Packs, DeWAL offers traditional flat pad, high performance coaxial cables, where a slight amount of stretching will cause problems mid packages in standard and custom configurations. with signal loss.

For all your options, call DeWAL today.

Traverse Packaging Flat Pad Packaging Traverse Packaging

For skived, unsintered and low density PTFE film in widths from For(19.05mm) skived, unsintered and low density PTFE film in widths from 5/32" (4.123mm) 3/4" in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Appropriate for alltoDeWAL slit film and laminated products.

5/32" (4.123mm) to 3/4" (19.05mm) in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Film canpackages be as thinfrom as 0.0005" (0.013mm).

Custom 3/8"can (9.525mm) toas8"0.0005" (203.2mm) wide Film be as thin (0.013mm).

Custom packages up to 6" (152.4mm) wide and up to 6" (152.4mm) with diameters, depending on packages width, up to 14" (355.6mm).

Custom in diameter, with or without sideboards. up to 6" (152.4mm) wide and up to 6" (152.4mm) in diameter, with or without sideboards.

Traverse Packaging

Flat Pad Packaging Pyramid Packaging Quality of Product...First Traverse Packaging Pyramid For skivedPackaging PTFE from 0.0005" (0.013mm) to 0.010" (0.26mm)

Pyramid Packaging

Pyramid Packaging

For5/32" skived(3.060mm) PTFE fromto0.0005" (0.013mm) to 0.010" (0.26mm) thick, and inunsintered widths from 3/4" (19.05mm) For skived, and low density PTFE film in widths from to 3/4" (19.05mm) 15 Ray Trainor Drive thick, and in widths from 5/32" (3.060mm) in 1/32"(4.123mm) (0.794mm)toincrements.

5/32" 3/4" (19.05mm) in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Narragansett, RI 02882 in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Narrow traverse or pyramid wound.

Film canfilm be isasusually thin asNarrow 0.0005" (0.013mm). www.dewal.com | usa1@dewal.com film is usually traverse or pyramid wound.

Custom to wide and up to Custom packages packages up up Custom to 6" 6" (152.4mm) (152.4mm) wide and to 6" 6" (152.4mm) (152.4mm) packages up to 6" up (152.4mm) wide and up to 6" (152.4mm) 800-366-8356 in diameter, with or without sideboards. in diameter, with or without sideboards. in diameter, with or without sideboards.

(International: 001-401-789-9736) Solid Pack® For skived PTFE from 0.0005" (0.013mm) to 0.010" (0.26mm) thick, and in widths from 5/32" (3.060mm) to 3/4"DECEMBER (19.05mm) 2015 | 17 in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Narrow film is usually traverse or pyramid wound.

INDUSTRY NEWS

nected by the ACE are in Africa, and of those 13, seven were connected to the global internet backbone for the first time when the cable system coming on-stream in December 2012. Phase II will link Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and South Africa, including an extension to Cameroon.

This connectivity is being made possible by AlcatelLucent’s 100 gigabit-per-second (Gbit/s) submarine technology, and on completion of the Phase II extension, the ACE system will deliver an overall design capacity of 12.8 Tbit/s, significantly speeding up delivery of broadband services and content, it said.

Lloyd & Bouvier to rep for Italy’s Cortinovis Sictra in North America

U.S.-based Lloyd & Bouvier (L&B) has entered into an agreement with Cortinovis Sictra, a division of Italy’s TRAFCO Srl, to offer a range of its new equipment as well as parts for existing equipment in North America.

“In recent years, our new equipment business has been gradually increasing. We were in search of a company to represent that would enhance our new equipment product line,” L&B President Ron Reed said in a press release. “This agreement between our companies offers us the best solution as both Cortinovis and Sictra are very reputable and reliable brands.” Service will be handled by Cortinovis Sictra, assisted by L&B staff.

Customers in North America will be able to get both quality new equipment produced by L&B as well as state-of-the-art wire and cable making machinery from Cortinovis Sictra, the release said. This includes take-ups, payoffs, dancers, accumulators, cablers, extruders and other equipment produced by L&B as well as single- and double-twist cablers, drum twisters, bow cablers, rod break down and multi wire machines for copper, aluminum and alloys produced by Cortinovis Sictra.

TRAFCO, a family-owned Italian company and managed by the second generation, acquired the brands, technologies, manufacturing drawings and the warehouse of Cortinovis Machinery SpA and Sictra in 2014, the release said. It noted that TRAFCO is the only company authorized and capable of supplying new equipment as well as original spare parts manufactured under the original and up-to-date drawings of Cortinovis and Sictra.

For more details, go to www.lloydbouvier.com and www.cortinovissictra.com.

AWT Machinery formed, will rep for Clifford and Eurolls in North America AWT Machinery, Inc., founded earlier this year by Scott Liebenberg, announced that it is now the official representative for the Clifford and Eurolls brand of machinery in North America.

A press release said that AWT, which stands for Automated Wire and Tube machinery, “has a vast 18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

in-house knowledge of the wire industry, through many years of experience in being in the industry and selling machinery to the industry. If you are looking to improve efficiency and productivity in your production facility, put our experience to the test, and let us help you find the right machinery to fit your exact needs and requirements.”

The Clifford range of machinery includes reinforcing mesh welders, fencing mesh welders, mine mesh welders, fine mesh welders, wire straightening and cutting machines, integrated profiling and straightening machines, along with grating welders and serrating lines for steel floor grating.

Eurolls is well known for manufacturing wire rolling cassettes and TC (tungsten carbide) rolling dies as well as complete PC wire and PC strand lines, but it also offers machinery that includes brands such as Vitari, Teurema and Team Meccanica. Under the Vitari name, Eurolls offers wire straightening and cutting machines, barbed wire machines, chain link weavers, diamond mesh fencing and industrial chain welders; Teurema rolling lines and combined rolling and straightening machines; and Team Meccanica multi-hole wire drawing lines and complete Co2 welding wire lines.

Joining Liebenberg is Sales Director Clive White. The company, based in Rockford, Illinois, can be contacted at tel. 815-315-4260, sales@awrmach.com.

Industry veteran opens consulting company in Orlando, Florida

Henry Lopes, a wire industry veteran, has founded HRL Consultants, a U.S. firm based in Naples, Florida, that will provide expertise to companies that produce stainless steels, nickels, copper-based alloys, nickel-chrome and iron-chrome-aluminum grades.

A press release said that Lopes has worked in the industry for more than 43 years, holding key manufacturing positions at different companies. He most recently served as vice president of U.S. operations for Central Wire Industries, and previously had worked for 20 years at Techalloy Co., Inc., which was acquired in 2005 by Central Wire. Other prior employers included Kanthal Manufacturing Co., now Sandvik Heating Technologies, for 14 years, where he served as plant manager. “My goal is to provide companies a range of services, from providing a thorough assessment of their operations to advice on how to invest in equipment for new products, and more. My focus will be on continental U.S., although I am willing to travel elsewhere.”

Lopes, it said, is well versed in all phases of wire manufacturing shaving/scalping, pickling, copper/moly coatings, drawing, annealing (batch and strand), in-line cleaning, spooling and all related process equipment. He

KMB-Maschinenfabrik GmbH

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

QUEINS Machines GmbH has broad experience in all related product lines such as cold heading, spring, bright (EPQ), weaving/belt wire, shaped/ribbon wire, fine wire, wire lines, lashing wire, resistance, stranding/rope, cold drawn bar, welding wire and cold rolled strip.

He can be contacted at tel. 239-304-9722, cell 203-733-8385, henry.lopes64@gmail.com, www.hrlconsultants.net.

AWPA meeting in Nashville had presentations of interest and tours The Oct. 21-22 staging of the Operations Managers Meeting of the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA) featured both committee meetings as well as presentations on topics of interest to many companies and two plant tours.

The meeting, held at the Hotel Preston in Nashville, Tennessee, included presentations on two topics: the first was on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), an acronym that has been referred to by some cynics as the “Friday-Monday Leave Act.”

Planetary strander with 0%, 100% or variable backtwist

& QUEINS - Your specialists for: CABLE & ROPE MAKING MACHINES Tubular stranders Rigid stranders Planetary stranders Power cable drumtwisters Armouring lines Bow/Skip stranders Single/Double twist bunchers Pay-offs and take-ups, all designs Belt-type caterpillar capstans Single- and double disc capstans Rotating caterpillar capstans Taping heads, all designs Transposed wire machines PRE-OWNED & RECONDITIONED We offer used or reconditioned cable and rope making machines. Please take a look at our currently available used equipment at www.queins.com

AWPA meeting attendees have lunch at Mid-South Wire prior to their tour of the plant.

Presenter Nelson Cary of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, a large firm that provides business and legal counsel, discussed obligations of FMLA, and steps one can take to make sure that it is not abused. He also covered a range of personnel topics, including what constitutes proper grounds for employee discipline, the proper way to document such matters, and the threat of “ambush elections.”

The second presentation, Health and Labor Update, by Joe Trauger, Vice President of Human Resources policy for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), covered topics that included overtime regulations, federal contracting changes, his take on “ambush” elections, OSHA activity and an update on healthcare.

The event included roundtable discussions and tours of Sumiden Wire and Mid-South Wire.

Catalogue download For contacts in USA:

QMS INC.

Miami, Florida



+1 (305) 665-2523  +1 (305) 924-1742 info@qmsmachinery.com

QUEINS MACHINES GMBH Monschau, GERMANY info@queins.com www.queins.com  +49 2472 8080

STOLBERGER KMB-MASCHINENFABRIK GMBH Monschau, GERMANY info@stolberger.com  +49 2472 80816 www.stolberger.com

Your best partners for new and reconditioned machines DECEMBER 2015 | 19 1_2 engl. 2015-09 fbg wire journal vertical.indd 1

20.08.2015 08:52:01

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS World Bank business report: Singapore remains best, but India has risen some

For Singapore, the World Bank ranking the financial hub first in its annual report for doing business in countries was no great surprise as it has held that top spot since 2006. However, for India, which last year was rated 142nd, coming in at 130th out of 189 was considered a positive for the Narendra Modi-led government.

New Zealand again came in second, a mere point behind Singapore; Denmark climbed one position to third; South Korea, which five years ago was 16th, came in fourth; Hong Kong, a financial center and gateway for westerners, slipped from third to fifth; the U.K. gained two spots to sixth; the U.S. maintained seventh; Sweden rose three spots to eight; Norway slipped three spots to ninth; and Finland slid one spot to 10th.

Overall, it was a good showing for the top four Asian countries, but for India, far below the top 10, gaining 12 positions was good news, while leaving much work to be done to achieve the country’s ambitious goal of making the top 50 in the next three years.

“Fostering an environment more supportive of private sector activity (in India) will take time, but if the efforts are sustained over the next several years, they could lead to substantial benefits for Indian entrepreneurs, along with potential gains in economic growth and job creation,” a press release from the World Bank said.

“A modern economy cannot function without regulation and, at the same time, it can be brought to a standstill through poor and cumbersome regulation. The challenge of development is to tread this narrow path by identifying regulations that are good and necessary, and shunning ones that thwart creativity and hamper the functioning of small and medium enterprises. The World Bank Group’s Doing Business report tracks the regulatory and bureaucratic systems of nations by conducting detailed annual surveys. For policymakers faced with the challenge of creating jobs and promoting development, it is well worth studying how nations fare in terms of the various Doing Business indicators,” said World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President Kaushik Basu.

An article in The Economic Times cited World Bank Country Director Onno Ruhl as saying that India remains a difficult place in which to do business and concerted action and reforms are needed on several fronts to improve its ranking in the global “Doing Business Index.” In a foreword to a report, “Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms,” he said that the “need of the day is reform, and the reforms must be led by the government at both central and state levels.”

Observing that a disproportionately high regulatory burden is borne by businesses in India, Ruhl said, “The growth of business in India requires concerted action 20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Efforts are being made to make it easier for foreign companies to do business in India. on several fronts—infrastructure, capital markets, trade facilitation and skills—but the stark reality is that India remains a difficult place to do business.”

India, Ruhl said, does not feature in the top 100 countries on eight of the 10 indicators of the World Bank study. On a parameter dealing with construction permits and enforcing contracts, India ranks among the bottom 10 economies in the world. It is because of these regulatory burdens that India ranks so low in the World Bank report, he said. He added that the “majority of the regulatory burden...is due to the plethora of laws, rules, regulations and procedures enforced by the states. This gives rise to a wide number of registrations, licences and NOCs that businesses must obtain and file compliance returns on.”

Ruhl said the Indian government should focus on implementing reforms relating to starting a business, resolving insolvency, enforcing contracts, and trading across borders. Appreciating the government’s efforts to improve ease of doing business, he said the report on states will help in identifying the way forward.

The ease of doing business among states, prepared by World Bank in association with Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), KPMG, CII and Ficci, has ranked Gujarat as the top state, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand.

“A pleasing aspect of the effort of the last one year has been the lead taken by Government of India in pushing through an agreed set of reforms in the states,” Ruhl said.

However, “much more is required to be done at state governments’ level to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of making India an easy place to do business,” he added.

The ranking of states aims to promote competitiveness among them to attract domestic as well as foreign investments. Although central government is taking steps to improve India’s ranking, the states too have to take measures in this direction. The efforts aim to bring India in the top 50 in terms of ease of doing business in the next three years.

Vocus Communications and Nextgen Networks have signed 50-50 joint venture to build the Australian Singapore Cable (ASC), a 4,600-km submarine cable that will connect Australia to Singapore and Indonesia.

A press release said that the cable project, estimated to cost about $140 million, will represent the first 100 gigabit per second high-speed connection from Australia to Southeast Asia.

Per a report by David Ramli in the Sydney Morning Herald, the project had previously been announced when NextGen was owned by Leighton Holdings (now called CIMIC), and was slated to be built in 2013, but was delayed due to funding problems.

Once laid, the ASC will be the sixth submarine cable that links Australia’s phone and internet connection to the outside world. There are a total of eight submarine cables link for Australia, but three of those are short runs to Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Of the five remaining lifelines, the only one landing outside of Sydney is cut, pending repairs.

The story said that the project is scheduled to begin construction in early 2016 and will take approximately 18 months to complete.

In September, Vocus and M2 announced their intentions to merge and form the fourth-largest telecommunicaMicro-WJI-Ad-December-2015 11/17/15 8:57 AM Page

ASIAN FOCUS

ASC project to provide Australia with its 6th submarine link for bandwidth

Australian Singapore Cable (ASC) cable project is scheduled for completion in 2016. Nic Walker photo. tions provider in Australia, and the third-largest in New Zealand, with the companies claiming that the combined entity would be worth more than AU$3 billion.

Nextgen mid-last year entered a $100 million deal with Alcatel-Lucent as well as Shell and Inpex to build a 2000-kilometre undersea fiber-optic cable system between Darwin and Port Headland. The system is expected to provide high-speed data and voice communications for Inpex’s Ichthys liquefied natural gas project and Shell’s Prelude floating liquefied natural gas project, both located in the Browse Basin off the north1west Australian coast.

Visit Booth#7B-6 See Micro-Weld Butt Welder Supermac Extrusion Systems December 3-5, Delhi, India

Micro Products Company • Batavia Illinois USA • Email: info@micro-weld.com

DECEMBER 2015 | 21

CALENDAR PEOPLE

CALENDAR PEOPLE April 28-30, 2015: Interwire 2015 & WAI’s 85th Annual Convention Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia ness development on June 2015. is survived World Congress Center to 1, stage its He biennial trade by his brother, George programs Scott Wallace, and aAnnual nephew. show, technical and 85th Convention.

Contact: WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001Charles F. Potter, the founder of 203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org.

Industrial Alloys, Inc., died Nov. 8, April 2016: wire Düsseldorf 2015, 4-8, at age 85. He was involved Düsseldorf, Germany.

This event will with the wire industry at an biennial early be held at the Messe fairgrounds.

Contact: Messe age, as he often went with his dad, Düsseldorf North America, tel.

312-781-5180, Earl, who worked at the CF&I plant info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. in San Francisco. When his dad quit to start Industrial Wire Products in Summit June 8-9, 2016: WAI Operations 1944, Charles & Wire Expo Potter, a teenager, worked parttime for his dad afterThis WAI event, which Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. school Potter will be and heldon at Saturdays. the Mohegan Sun Resort Center, will Duringitsthe Korean conflict, Charles include trade show, technical programs and WAI’s PotterAnnual servedConvention. in the U.S. Air Force as a Tel. flight001-203-453engineer 86th WAI, USA. on B29s and C-124s.

He graduated from the University 2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. of California at Berkley with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering and went to work fulltime in 1958, when he served as plant engineer, machine designer and sales and helped on new product development. While WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS engineer, there, he saw the need for a specialty steel wiredrawing Michaelthe Mayo Wallace, a long For more information, contact WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; faxWest 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. mill on the Coast, and in 1966 he opened Industrial time industry veteran, died Sept. 15, Alloys, Inc. The company saw strong annual growth, and it 2015, at his home in Glastonbury, Sept. 8, 2014: New England Chapter 20th Annual Oct. 20, 2014.

Western Chapter’s 14th Annual Golf was able to return even after a 1969 fire totalled the plant.

Golf Tournament Connecticut, at age 59. Following Tournament He and his father sold the business in 1983. He became a graduation from Ohio Wesleyan Ellington, Connecticut, USA. The New England Chapter Fontana, California, USA. The Chapter manufacturer’s representative andWestern consultant to the will wire CollegeRidge in Columbus 1978, will return to the Ellington Country Ohio Club.inContact: return to the Sierra Lakes Golf Course.

Contact: Johnin industry, continuing to work till age 82.

He was active he tel. joined Maryland Specialty Wire WAI’s Anna Bzowski, 203-453-2777, ext. 126, Stevens, 905-851-5633, jstevens@emc-wire.com. the WAI, tel. which he joined in 1962, attending many Pacific in Cockeysville, Maryland.

There he abzowski@wirenet.org.

Coast meetings in the late 1960s and 1970s. He served on served in various sales capacities for April 28-30, 2015: Interwire 2015for & six WAI’s the Association’s Board of Directors years85th and its the nextSoutheast 20 years including as 13th sales Oct. 2, 2014. The Vannais Chapter’s Annual Convention Executive Committee for three years. manager for the company’s Strandflex Wallace Annual Golf Tournament Atlanta, Georgia,by USA. See main He is survived his wife of 58listing. years, Marissa; daughDivision in Oriskany, New Chapter York. In Conover, North Carolina, USA. The Southeast ters Lori and Joni; three granddaughters, a sister and 1998, he joined Co., Golf Inc., and as vice will return to theLoos Rock&Barn Spa.president Contact:sales Art June 8-9, 2016:and WAI Operations Summit brother in law; several nieces and nephews. & marketing, and was promoted to vice president busiDeming, tel. 252-955-9451, art.deming@nexans.com. & Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. See main listing.

Sept. 24-27, 2014: wire China 2014 Shanghai, China. To be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe Henry Lopes, wire industry vetDüsseldorf North aAmerica, tel. 312-781-5180, eran, has founded HRL Consultants. info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

He has worked for more than 43 Oct. 28-30, Wire & Cable years in the2014: industry, holding keyIndia Mumbai, India.

To be held at the Bombay Convention manufacturing positions at differ&ent Exhibition Centre.

Contact: Messe Düsseldorf companies. He most recently North America, tel.U.S. 312-781-5180, served as v.p. of operations info@mdna.com, for Central Wire www.mdna.com.

Industries, and previously worked forIWCS 20 years Nov. 9-12, 2014: 63rd ConferenceTM at Techalloy Co., Inc., which Providence, Rhode Island, USA.was To be held at the Rhode acquired in 2005 by Central Wire.

Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak,Lopes IWCS, Other prior employers included tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

Kanthal Manufacturing Co., now Sandvik Heating Nov. 26-28, 2014: MFSH 2014 as Plant Manager. Based Technologies, where he served in Naples,China.

Florida, HRL Consultants, theInternational U.S. firm proShanghai, The China (Shanghai) vides expertise to companies that inSteel a variety metals.

Exhibition on Platemetal, Bar, Wire, Rope,ofMetal See p. 18.and Setting Equipment 2014. Contact: Processing Shanghai Aoya Exhibition Co., at 86-21-3351 8138, ayexpo@vip.163.com.

OBITUARIES

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH A little twist here and a little twist there leads to higher singlemode fiber speeds A research team that includes Corning and three colleges reports that it has found a way to boost the data speed of optical fibers, the backbone of the internet.

A report at www.phys.org said that Corning and the City College of New York, University of Southern California and the University of Glasgow, demonstrated that it is possible to increase the data speeds of optical Multiple data streams are sent/ fibers.

This can be received as different twists of light. done by “twisting” Image: City College of New York. so that “multiple data streams are transmitted and received as different twists of light,” said Giovanni Milione, a City College doctoral student at the time. “Thought impossible using standard optical

24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

fibers which untwist the data, corrupting it, we showed that if the data was digitally re-twisted, after it was received, it could be recovered.”

To digitally re-twist the data, the researchers borrowed a well-known technique of radio communication, referred to as “MIMO,” used by cell phones and Wi-Fi routers every day, the story said. “Light’s twists were treated like antennas,” Milione explains. “Even if transmitted data was untwisted, it was received as a different twist (antenna) and recovered.”

As a proof of principal, the researchers successfully transmitted four data streams on four twists of light over 5 km of standard optical fiber. A key to the experiment was a University of Glasgow-made device that separates and combines light’s twists as a prism does color.

Deutsche Telekom to expand fiber-optic broadband to 2.4 million households Deutsche Telekom aims to bring its fiber-optic broadband to another 2.4 million households in Germany in the fourth quarter, said its CFO Thomas Dannenfeldt.

A press release said that the number of customers in its home market using fiber-optic broadband lines increased by 425,000 in both retail and wholesale markets. At the end of the third quarter, the number of fiber-optic lines stood at 3.84 million, an increase of 75% in a year. 

Alcoa plans to invest about $2.5 million in its U.K. fastener operation in Telford Fasteners manufacturer Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings is set to invest approximately US$2.5 million in its Telford operation.

A story in shropshirestar.com provides the following details about the Stafford Park-based company, which makes industrial fasteners. It was set up as Huck Fasteners in 1985, before being acquired

by Alcoa and renamed Alcoa Fastening Systems in 2002. Last year, it became Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings (AFSR) following its parent’s takeover of jet engine part maker Firth Rixson.

“As the business marks 30 years of fastener making in the town, plans call for new machinery to be brought in to strengthen its position in the automotive, construction and civil engineering sectors. The project, to be completed in the first quarter of 2016, includes an optical inspection

machine, a collar header and a shoulder bolt cell,” the report said. It added that the investment is expected to add four more positions, raising employing at Telford to 108.

“The new machinery will give us greater capacity for existing markets and products, as well as the capability to develop more products,” said Operations Director Jonathan Craven. The company’s Huck fastening elements are used in private cars, trailers, commercial vehicles and railway carriages, with its heavy-duty systems designed to solve problems created by tension and vibration between joined materials.

A big part of the company’s demand has been for shoulder bolts on cars, while demand in the green energy sector has also seen a spike, and it has been involved in a project on the London Underground.

Headquartered in Torrance, California, Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings has approximately 8,700 employees at 39 manufacturing and distribution/logistics locations in 13 countries.

DECEMBER 2015 | 25

FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE

Join WAI at the Sun for the best wire networking setting under the sun.

& SAVE THE DATES:

Convention: June 7-9 | Exhibits: June 8-9, 2016 Mohegan Sun Casino Resort | Uncasville, CT, USA Look directly to the Sun and the Wire Association Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2016 for the brightest ideas in wire and cable manufacturing, supplies, and equipment. Two full days of exhibits, wire industry insight, and practical information. Nothing beats a front row seat at a Wire Association conference to eclipse the competition.

Travel to this regional oasis is simple and convenient. And who knows? Yours may turn out to be a win-dough seat.

Find details about Exhibiting, Speaking & Sponsorship Opportunities at www.wirenet.org

The Wire Association International, Inc. | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | www.wirenet.org

CEO o PLT MGR o ENGR

AIM Inc. Amacoil Inc. Amaral Automation Associates American Kuhne Inc. Anbao Wire & Mesh Co. Ltd. AW Machinery LLC Aztech Lubricants LLC B & H Tool Co Inc. Balloffet Die Corp.

Bekaert Breen Color Concentrates Inc. Cable Consultants Corp.

Canterbury Engineering Co. Inc. Carris Reels Inc. Ceeco Bartell Products, Bartell Machinery Systems Cemanco LC Chemetall Clinton Instrument Co. Collins & Jewell Commission Brokers Inc. Condat Conneaut Industries Inc. Die Quip Corp.

Direct Wire & Cable, Inc. ERA Wire Inc. Esteves Group USA Etna Products Inc. Eurobend GmbH George Evans Corp.

Fabritex Inc. Facts Inc. Fenn LLC Filtertech Inc. Fisk Alloy Inc. FMS USA Inc. Foerster Instruments Inc. Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc Frigeco USA Inc/ MFL USA Service Corp.

Gauder Group Inc. Gem Gravure Co. Inc. W. Gillies Technologies LLC GIMAX Srl Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co. Ltd. Heany Industries Inc. Heatbath Corp.

Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Refractron Technologies Corp.

RichardsApex Inc. Rockford Manufacturing Group FELM E C Rosendahl Nextrom Roteq Machinery Inc. S&E Specialty Polymers SAMP USA Inc. HENRICH Maschinenfabrik GmbH Schlatter North America Howar Equipment Inc. Shuster-Mettler Corp.

Huestis Industrial Sikora International Corp.

Integrated Control Technologies Sjogren Industries Inc. Joe-Tools Joe Snee Associates Inc. Kalmark Intergrated Systems Ltd. Sonoco Reels KEIR Manufacturing Inc. Stolberger Inc. King Steel Corp.

(DBA Wardwell Braiding) Lamnea Bruk AB T & T Marketing Inc. LaserLinc Inc. Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. Leggett & Platt Wire Group Teknikor Leoni Wire Inc. Toner Plastics Lesmo Machinery America Inc. Tubular Products Co. Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. United Wire Co. Inc. Loos & Co. Inc. Vandor Corp.

Magnetic Technologies Ltd. Vinston US Corp.

Mathiasen Machinery Inc. Vollmer America Inc. Metalloid Corp.

WAFIOS Machinery Corp.

MGS Manufacturing Inc. Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. Micro Products Co. Windak Inc. Microdia USA Wire & Cable Technology International Morgan-Koch Corp.

Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.

Mossberg Associates Inc. Wire Lab Co. NDC Technologies Wire Machine Systems Inc. Niehoff Endex North America Inc. Wire & Cable Manufacturers OMCG North America Inc. Alliance Inc. P & R Specialty Inc. Witels Albert USA Inc. P/A Industries Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. Paramount Die Co. Zumbach Electronics Corp.

Parkway-Kew Corp.

Phifer Wire Inc. Pittsfield Plastics Eng. Inc. Wire | Cable Plas-Ties Co. Supplies | Equipment Precision Die Technologies Inc. Premier Wire Die PrintSafe Properzi International Inc. QED Wire Lines Inc. Queins Machines Raajratna Stainless Wire Inc.

&

WAI NEWS

WAI DECEMBER 2015

MEMBERSHIP

SPOTLIGHT This section introduces a new WAI member each issue. ... and sometimes two!

Dave Rascati Vice President of Sales Premier Wire DIe Q: What does your company do?

A: We are an up-and-coming – American Made – diamond die company.

Q: What is your role there?

A: My official role is “All Things Sales”, but unofficially I do whatever it takes to help grow the business. I have a diverse background, so it is not uncommon for me to evaluate equipment or pursue interests in other industries.

Q: What do you like best about your position?

A: I love the people I work with! The owner has one of the hardest working and sharpest minds in the industry.

Plus, he has practical wire drawing experience. His work ethic and leadership skills set a great example for all of the employees. Our customer service specialist is tremendous. She has almost 20 years of hands-on experience in making diamond dies, plus she has a tremendous fan following among our customers. Our plant manager does an outstanding job of making sure orders are processed in a timely fashion. He is a very reliable and technically solid individual. All of these people make my job easier. Who would not love working with these talented individuals?

Q: How does your company remain competitive?

A: That has a lot to do with how we are set up. With proprietary equipment, designed and built by the owner, and the fact that we have two plants in the United States, we can be as competitive as anyone in the industry. It is a combination of technology and customer service that keeps us competitive!

Q: Why did you recently join WAI? A: Technically, I rejoined the WAI. My hiatus from the WAI was not by choice. It had more to do with the industries in which I’ve worked. I’ve always enjoyed the tightknit community within the WAI and am enthused about being a part of it once again. It is great to be back!

28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The following individuals either recently joined WAI or became Platinum Members through their companies.

Gregory Archambault Senior Process Engineer Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corp Ray Bouthot Engineer Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corp Edward Boyle President Imperial Wire and Cable Company Angela Cerrini Cerrini Srl Taylor Day-Hamilton Associate Engineer General Cable Brian Eszes Process Engineer Nexans Canada Inc

Ben Haiich Senior Maintenance Engineer SDI LaFarga LLC

Andrew Ort Manufacturing Engineer Lozier Corp

Derek Ham Senior Process Engineer SDI LaFarga LLC

Emanuela Ostini Ceratizit Italia SpA Paul J Pawlikowski Staff Engineer Delphi Packard Electric Systems

Rick Heuhaus Senior Engineer Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corp Chris Horn Engineer Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corp Scott Kellar Regional Sales Executive Foerster Instruments Incorporated Andrew Kritsch Process Engineer Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corp

Sandro Poli Managing Director IFP SpA David M Rascati Vice President Sales Premier Wire Die Yukihiko Sawai Miyazaki Engineering Co, Ltd Zhuang Zhilu Sales Representative Wire Journal International

Great minds are developing.

Engineers. Metallurgists. Innovators.

The future of the industry depends on them.

MIND THE GENERATION GAP

Find them online. Connect with them.

Influence them. And meet them halfway through WAI. The Wire Association International, Inc. | www.wirenet.org

DECEMBER 2015 | 29

WAI NEWS

MEET YOUR PEERS. ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. JOIN WAI TODAY.

Freeze the rate.

Love the value.

This is your chance to lock in your WAI membership at the current rate before dues increase next year.

Renew now and you’ll appreciate all the membership benefits you count on at the current rate, for up to 3 years.

❄❄❄

❄

Not a member? Join thousands who support the Association that supports their industry. You’ll unlock a world of educational resources, connections, and industry insight that are vital to your career. Learn more:

WWW.WIRENET.ORG

Renew your WAI membership.

Renew your vow to the wire & cable industry.

The Wire Association International, Inc. | Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777

The 2016 staging of the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo will offer a plethora of sponsorship opportunities for exhibitors, including some that are unique to the setting: the Mohegan Sun Resort Center in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. All sponsorships for the collective event, to be held June 7-9, 2016, will be included in preshow marketing materials (e-marketing, online, direct mail); recognition on a tv screen at the opening reception and in the pre-function The Platinum Sponsorship includes area on mirrors; branding on multiple“floating orbs” that and multimedia flit about an expansive winding pool. onsite and postshow acknowledgment. Below is a list of what the different sponsorships also offer.

The Platinum Level Sponsorship, $9,000, includes: a prominent logo display on “floating orbs” in the hotel lobby, in pre-function are on mirrors on canvas conference tote bags; the company name on electronic boards outside all WAI conference meeting rooms; eight complimentary full conference registrations; and a luxury suite at the Mohegan Sun’s world-class hotel for three days/two nights.

The Gold Level Sponsorship, $7,000, includes: prominent logo display on canvas conference tote bags; and six complimentary full conference registrations.

The Silver Level Sponsorship, $5,000, includes: prominent logo display on water bottles; and four complimentary full conference registrations.

The Bronze Level Sponsorship, $3,000, includes: two complimentary full conference registrations.

An exclusive offer, Hotel Keycards, $10,000, will provide the sponsor with the first and last word as each conference hotel guest begins and ends each day with exposure to your company branding as it appears on the guest room keycards.

Sponsorship of the Keynote Speaker, $8,000, includes: the opportunity to introduce the speaker prior to the address; and company name and logo recognition in pre-show coverage and on onsite signs.

Another exclusive sponsorship, Grand Stairwell Image, $8,000, will ensure that Wire Expo visitors cannot miss your company image and message on the stairs leading to the show.

A sponsorship unique to the setting, Gaming “101,” $6,000 each (3 spots available), puts your company at the center of the fun at the opening reception as guests learn how to play at the casino’s various table games. Price includes branding on cocktail napkins and signs at gaming tables.

Directional Signs, $4,000.

These double-sided meter board signs will be A sponsor has the opportunity to make strategically posi- a “grand” impression. tioned to guide visitors toward the exhibit area.

WAI Membership Meeting, $3,000. This is an invitation-only, one-hour celebratory event to welcome new members to WAI’s network. Cost includes pre- and postevent coverage; invitations, light refreshments, and logo recognition onsite.

Job Fair, $2,500. The future of the wire and cable industry depends on engaging tomorrow’s engineering students today.

You can show your support by introducing the next generation of talent to the opportunities the industry offers. WAI’s first job fair will be held in conjunction with the Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2016. Sponsorship includes signs and company recognition at the fair, during orientation, and your company’s logo on backpacks that will be provided to the first 50 students to register. Look for more information on this first-time program in a future issue.

Coffee Breaks, $2,000. Two available, one each for Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9. A sign will recognize the sponsor.

Juice Bar, $1,500, Wednesday, June 8. This includes sign with your company’s logo near juice station.

Aisle Signs, one per aisle, $500 each, or become an exclusive sponsor with all 10 aisles for $4,000. Your company logo will be in full view as visitors look for aisle markers in the exhibit hall.

Finally, “Bread Crumb” Floor Signs, $400 each. This includes adhesive floor stickers with your company’s message. Floor stickers are strategically positioned toward the Wire Expo exhibit hall.

The Mohegan Sun is a unique location for ways to attract attention to your brand. For more information on any of these options, contact WAI’s sales department at sales@wirenet.org.

DECEMBER 2015 | 31

WAI NEWS

Multiple sponsorships available for WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo

WAI presented two webinars in November, one a twoparter on corrosion, the other looking at how to understand what actually causes problems in cleaning houses.

The first webinar, a two-parter held Tuesday, Nov. 10, was Corrosion, Part 1: Nature and Impact, by Robert M. Shemenski, RMS Consulting Inc., USA. He discussed the basic principles of corrosion, identified the characteristics of its major forms and discussed its impacts. He fielded questions on a range of topics during the session,

1

CORROSION: NA NATURE N ATURE and IMPACT

Voltage

WAI NEWS

November: a first-ever WAI webinar ‘double feature’ month

RMS Consulting, Inc. pH

A chart outlining the focus of Robert Shemenski’s webinar on corrosion.

WAI’s Marc Murray, l, and Chuck Syzmaszek, handled the on-site webinar logistics at WAI’s headquarters.

from what types of sealers are used to prevent corrosion between dissimilar metals to why the United States does not move to materials like stainless steel or nickel to combat the high cost of corrosion.

The second part, the date TBA, will address corrosion mitigation strategies, including material selection, modification of environment, design, cathodic and anodic protection, coatings, and inhibitors.

The second webinar, Ways to Determine Root Causes of Issues Blamed on the Cleaning House, was presented Tuesday, Nov. 17, by Rudy Vey and Jack McAfee, Chemetall US, USA. The webinar covered the root

ISO9001 REGISTERED

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

Wyrepak Industries offers high quality machines and solutions for wire and cable companies as well as other industrial applications. From tension controls, pay-offs, pulleys, sheaves, bobbin winders and custom applications — Wyrepak does 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_BW_WYREPAKHuestis_OffersHighQualityMachines_WJI_halfHoriz_v4_05102013_PICset2_variousCombos_press.indd 1

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

3/12/14 3:01:51 PM

WJI 1/2 PA HORI

non-ble 6.775”x

AD Sub BEST M INTERN -HUEST INDUST Questio Please c

Vanessa Graphic Best Me Internat 7643 Fu Springfi 703-451 800-336 703-451

vanessa

Hematite At Interwire, Proton Products International showcased the company’s InteliSENS SL series speed and length gauges, which it noted are saving cable manufacturers serious money every day around the world.

As cable manufacturers purchase raw materials by the 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, Phosphated wire coilproud showing residual scale. we are extremely to work with hematite our customers and provide a gauge that truly helps save money and cause of issues that can develop from a cleaning house, improve profitability. andThe howDGK to determine a problem stemsparts fromand the Series of whether gauges have no moving cleaning house or the processes that came either before measure the diameter an amazing 10,000 times per secor after it in the production cycle. Questions that were ond, per axis. Available as either a dual- or triple-axis addressed included how to measure the level of inhigauge, the Super Fast Processing Technology analyzes bition in an acid tub and the source of copper when an up to 30,000 per second displayacid. and ammonia test ismeasurements positive for copper in thetopickle communicate diameter, ovality, lumps and neckdowns.

Both of the above webinars can now be accessed at the The company showed a fullThe range of products Webinar Archivesalso at wirenet.org. webinars are free including spark testers, capacitance gauges, lump and to WAI members and $55 for non-members. Subjects neck detectors, pre dies heaters, & length gauges and include: wirdrawing andspeed lubrication, corrosion, cleaning and coating of wire (three parts), annealing of electrical conductors, wire rod manufacture (two parts),

the hugely popular combined Diameter and Flaw Detection Gage DGK SuperFast Series. ”We’d like to say a Rinsing Cascade big ‘thank you’ to all who visited (us) at Interwire 2015.

Rinse 2

Rinse 1

Pickling

Overflow

Overflow

Rinse 3

Fresh water

Overflow

Material flow

A diagram showing the flow of the rinsing cascade. electrical overview: resistance & conductors; fundamentals of ferrous metallurgy; achieving “zero harm” through safe operations; an overview of nonferrous rod and wire technology; how to improve wiredrawing process and Latimer, gain a competitive advantage; flame-retardant Grant Proton Products. polymers for wire and cable applications; spark tester safety; years with reflections It was12without doubtISO our 9001/AS9100: busiest exhibition and our on full benefits, challenges, and the future; the road team of agents and employees were on handtotobeing take care recognized as a business environmental leader; optiof our customers.”

Grant Latimer, managing director, mizing adhesion of inks and coatings in wire and cable; g.latimer@protonproducts.com. innovation in wire; mechanics of wiredrawing; polymers (two parts); and extruders/extrusion groups: design, configuration, and typical application.

JUNE 2015 | 73 DECEMBER 2015 | 33

WAI NEWS FEATURE

Proton Products International/U.K.

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER New England Chapter tour of Marmon T&I Center draws rave reviews Some 50 members of the New England Chapter got to go on a guided tour of the Marmon Group’s Technology & Innovation (T&I) Center in East Granby, Connecticut.

There they were welcomed by Dennis Chalk, president of Marmon Engineered Wire & Cable, LLC, who oversees the company’s Innovation & Technology Center.

Attendees were led in small groups through the facility, which provides a valuable resource for the Marmon Group’s 14 member companies. With a staff of 13 fulltime material, electrical and mechanical engineers, the Center houses flame, smoke and toxicity test chambers as well as extensive mechanical testing capability and an analytical lab. It also has extrusion capability and can create prototype samples. See related story on p. 48.

Chapter President Bob Srubas thanked the Marmon Group for hosting the tour. Lori Parent, a past chapter president, also said a few words, and presented Chalk with a $1,000 donation to the Greater Hartford Junior Achievement, a favorite cause of the Marmon group.

Speaking later, Srubas said that attendees, himself included, were quite impressed by the resources. The site not only made for a superb educational event, it drew a lot of interest. “This was one of the best attended educational events our chapter has ever held.”

Other chapter members had a lot to say, both about the tour and dinner later at the Mill on the River.

“First and foremost I appreciate RSCC hosting this type of event for the WAI,” said David Fisher, James Monroe Wire Corp. “I found it very interesting because a lot of companies, including my own, have very limited test apparatus to perform very basic and required testing for the types of cables manufactured in each of our facilities. It was amazing to see a lot of new and different test equipment, all with various acronyms that I had never heard of before.”

Fischer said that the engineers escorting chapter members through the facility were very knowledgeable about the equipment and what tasks it performed. “I also liked the fact that RSCC had a single facility specifically focused on testing and R&D so that it isn’t a trial and error in production. I feel that it was one, if not the best, educational event in years! I want to commend the New England Chapter for making this a great event as well.”

One of the newer WAI members, Albert Gasser, account manager, Colorant Chromatics Group/PolyOne Corporation, said he enjoyed the event. “Being new to the industry it was very informative, and it was also a great forum for networking. I was quite impressed with the capabilities that Marmon has in house. All in all, I think that the New England Chapter put on a great event, and I look forward to getting more involved with the association in the future.”

34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Dennis Chalk, l, greeted chapter members in the lobby of the Innovation & Technology Center.

Chaper President Bob Srubas with Lori Parent, a past chapter president, and WAI’s Anna Bzowski.

Dinner later at the Mill on the River topped a memorable event. Anna Bzowski photo.

“Quite a few companies sent their R & D folks as the tour of Marmon Innovation Center was truly relevant for them,” observed Rahul Sachdev, Wire & Plastic Machinery. “The networking hour of cocktails and dinner held afterwards at The Mill on the River restaurant was the highlight of the evening. Kudos to the New England chapter for organizing this event!”

CHAPTER CORNER

WAI’s Western Chapter report: small in numbers but large in terms of fun The final of the five 2015 WAI Chapter golf outings was held on October 19 at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, California.

The wining team was the foursome of Dick Cavanaugh, Condat; Dale Young, Tree Island Wire; and Gary Goodson, and Simon Corera, both of Wire Tec. The winner of the Closest-to-the-pin contest was Alex Boekholt of Leoni Wire. The winner of the value award for making “full use” of the course went to John Gomez, Helistrand; Philip Shows, Neptco; Fred Camarena, Jr., F. Camarena Inc.; and Michael Howard, Alpha Wire.

Reported one of the long-time organizers, Michael Weiss, president of Whitmor/Wirenetics, “A whopping 17 golfers braved the cloudy Southern California skies.

Morning sprinkles didn’t dampen anybody’s spirit as we set off for a day of fun and competition. Everyone won multiple raffle prizes and feasted on a sumptuous evening meal. We finished with ample time for all to make it home for Monday Night Football.”

The chapter got to enjoy a truly remarkable course that was devised by architect Ted Robinson, who has designed multiple golf courses all over the United States. Known for his infatuation with water, Robinson shaped the Sierra Lakes course to reflect that, making it a challenge for golfers of all skills. While Sierra Lakes has creeks and lakes along its fairways, you also need to be on the watch here for tricky bunkers, rocks and desert brush areas.

The winning team of Dick Cavanaugh, Condat; Dale Young, Tree Island Wire; and Gary Goodson and Simon Correa, both of Wire Tec.

Michael Weiss with Alex Boekholt, the winner of the Closest-to-the-pin contest.

New England Chapter chapter to hold its annual meeting on Jan. 28 The New England Chapter’s annual meeting will be held Jan. 28, 2016, at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino.

The event will see the introduction of new officers and a look back at 2015 accomplishments as well as a raffle to help benefit the chapter’s Scholarship Fund. A magician will walk about, entertaining attendees prior to the start of the program, but as ever, the real attraction is the opportunity to meet up with peers and friends in a fun, familiar setting.

Sponsorships are available for the event. Platinum is $500, Gold is $350, Silver is $250 and Bronze is $150. Tickets are $120 for chapter members, $130 for WAI members and $140 for non-members. A The New England Chapter’s 2015 officers: front row, r-1, Grant block of room has been set aside at $145/night.

Campbell, Michael Crouchley, Dave Fisher, Bob Srubas, Derek To register and for more details, contact WAI’s Olson and Mike Canterino. Standing r-l, are Harish Panchal, Jim Anna Bzowski at tel. 203-453- 2777, ext. 126, Stocking, Lori Parent, John Rivers, Brian Holden, Mark Long, abzowski@wirenet.org.

Nick Roth and Rich Goyette.

OCTOBER 2015 | 35

EVENT PREVIEW WRAPUP Attendees walk the floor at wire South America, which was co-located with sister tube show at the Sao Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Brazil.

Wrapup: wire South America 2015 Organizers of wire South America, the 2nd International Wire and Cable Trade Fair and TUBOTECH, the 8th International Trade Fair for Tubes, Valves, Pumps, Fittings and Components, report that the second concurrent staging of the two events was highly successful.

A press release from Messe Düsseldorf said that wire South America and TUBOTECH occupied 344,400 sq feet of gross exhibit space, with approximately 500 brands show-cased at the Sao Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Brazil. The 11,000 international trade visitors

Some 150 exhibitors were represented at the trade show.

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

attending the three-day event primarily came from the oil and gas, automotive and construction industries as well as from the metal construction and mining sectors, it said.

At wire South America 2015, about 150 exhibitors from 25 countries presented the latest technologies from the wire and cable industry.

For the first time, the trade show featured a German group exhibit with 22 companies. Almost 500 exhibitors from 15 nations showcased innovative trends and technologies from the field of pipe and tube manufacturing, finishing and processing as well as pipe and tube trade at TUBOTECH 2015.

Although Brazil’s economic growth has slowed down and despite the negative growth expected for 2016, the products of the wire, cable and tube industries remain of high importance for the Brazilian industry. Demand is particularly high in the construction and automotive sectors as well as for household electronics in general and manufacturers’ objective to be present on the South American market remains strong.

“The Brazilian market continues to be highly attractive for our exhibitors,” said Erhard Wienkamp, division director of Messe Düsseldorf. “Even in tense economic times it is important to fly your flag, make contacts, strengthen partnerships

and prepare business deals. We rely on the Brazilian market and will do our best to develop wire South America further, turning it into an established name in South America.”

Rosendahl and Nextrom reported that they returned from the wire South America 2015 “with positive perspectives for the future.” Although the current economic situation in Brazil is challenging, “Rosendahl and Nextrom found the show to be an excellent venue to welcome customers and to establish new contacts.”

The team welcomed visitors from Brazil and the surrounding South American countries. Rosendahl’s and Nextrom’s solutions for fiber optic cable production and high performance datacoms applications attracted considerable interest from a substantial number of visitors. “We look forward to being present at the next Wire South America exhibition in 2017.”

At the event, IDEAL presented its solutions for wire products, gratings, wire joining, conductors, cables and automotive applications. “The company is happy with the result of the fair due to many interesting conversations and project discussions with existing and new customers.”

Other posted reviews included the following one from Condat Lubricants, which highlighted its range of wire drawing soaps with low dust and its offer of

Düsseldorf, Germany I www.wire.de join the best — welcome to the world’s leading trade fair for the wire and cable industry! To find comprehensive information about the latest innovations in wires and cables, manufacturing machinery and equipment, look no further. It is all on display at the world’s most important exhibition — the meeting point for international experts, specialists and global market leaders.

A focal point of wire 2016: the growing importance of copper wires in automotive engineering, telecommunications and electronics.

An important date in your calendar — your visit to wire 2016 in Düsseldorf!

International Wire and Cable Trade Fair

Wire, Cable, Spring Fibre Optic, Making Wire Products and Machinery

A total of 11,000 attendees were at the combined events.

EVENT WRAPUP

EVENT WRAPUP Rosendahl/Nextrom reported good results at the show.

join the best: 4-8 April 2016

Fastener Technology

Mesh Welding Machinery

For show information: Messe Düsseldorf North America 150 North Michigan Avenue _ Suite 2920 _ Chicago, IL 60601 Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ Fax (312) 781-5188 info@mdna.com _ www.mdna.com For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc. Tel. (866) 674-3476 _ Fax (212) 674-3477

DECEMBER 2015 | 37 wir1602_82,867x242,341_2c_US.indd 1

10.09.15 16:05

EVENT PREVIEW Wafios AG was among the wire South America exhibitors. liquid lubricants for copper and aluminum drawing. The event “was very successful with customers and prospects not only coming from Brazil but also from most South American countries. ... This presentation (was) a great success because visitors were looking for innovative solutions with local supply, in a cost saving perspective.”

DEM SpA reported that while attendance was not

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

strong, and Brazil is undergoing a difficult economic and political period, potential still exists. “While the small Brazilian companies are struggling to keep the sales volumes with a scarce market demand, big groups are looking for ways to reduce costs and be more effective.

This request is creating new opportunities, even in hard times like these. DEM SpA, as an innovative company, is going to have an important role in advising on alternative technologies to put again Brazil on the growing economic path.”

Organized by Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with the Italian partners of the Fiera Milano Brazil, both trade fairs were supported by leading international associations: International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA), International Wire & Cable Exhibitors Association (IWCEA), Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association (WCISA) and the Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers Association (ACIMAF) as well as the International Tube Association (ITA) and the Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Tubos e Accesórios de Metal (ABITAM). wire South America and TUBOTECH will again be held concurrently from Oct. 3-5, 2017, at the Sao Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. For further information on visiting or exhibiting, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

A leader in world class precision wire flattening and shaping equipment for the solar industry.

You too can produce copper flat wire for the solar industry at 2,000 FPM! Let the experts at Fenn customize a machine to fit your project requirements.

Key Machine Features • Driven spool payoff

• AC Vector variable speed drive system

• Multi-stand mill 2-High or 4-High

• Recirculating coolant system

• Motorized screwdown

• Automatic thickness gauge control available

• Precision tension control

• SPC Package available

• Speed synchronization

• Annealing optional depending

• Servo-controlled traversing spool take-up

upon application

• Driven tension capstans

World Class Metal Forming Solutions: Fenn has been a leader in providing quality metal forming machinery for over 100 years. Our experts take the time to design and build the right machine to fit your specifications and fulfill your production requirements. Whether you’ve been in business as long as us, or you’re just getting started, Fenn has the expertise to create precise metal forming equipment for a wide variety of industries and applications. With specialization in both standard and specialty metals, see how Fenn’s product and service offerings can help increase productivity for your business.

Metal Forming Solutions since 1900

www.fenn-torin.com

FENN LLC | 80 Clark Drive, Unit 5D | East Berlin, CT 06023 | sales@fenn-torin.com | 860.259.6600

WRAPUP

EVENT WRAPUP

CABWIRE

Dr. Klaus Probst addresses attendees in the nonferrous session of CabWire at the Düsseldorf ’s Congress Center.

CabWire delivers on content

enced disruptions. Seven flights were cancelled and dozens others disrupted after a World War II bomb was discovered at the Düsseldorf airport and destroyed. Officials The CabWire World Conference returned to the deftly managed the hazard, and the final attendees made it Düsseldorf’s Congress Center in Germany on Tuesday, to their destination, but the legend of Düsseldorf-related Nov. 3, and for all involved, the balanced program with travel woes now has a new chapter. strong technical papers in The Conference includboth electrical and ferrous ed 22 presentations across sectors was well received. two tracks, a plant tour of It was certainly comfortable ArcelorMittal’s Duisburg rod for the group of 112 attendmill, 25 tabletops and plenty ees as they seemed well of networking, including dinacquainted with the venue ner and several alts at Zum and the city of Düsseldorf, Schlüssel in the Altstadt secalbeit, cutting across the tion of the city. While there desolate fair grounds and was no trade exhibition in jumping on the empty train town, the Altstadt was crowdto exit the event was a ed and made me believe that reminder that the city and the locals enjoy retaking their the center are capable of city from the visitors. hosting the world’s largest Providing the opening industry show. session in the nonferrous For those of you that track was Dr. Klaus Probst, remember the fire that heavthe now-retired former ily damaged the Düsseldorf president and CEO of Leoni airport in 1996 and the ash AG. Probst, who served in cloud that complicated depara similar capacity for this tures from the wire 2012, same event in 2011, gave you may find it be amusing the full room of attendees to hear that some attendees at At the tabletops display, Fabio Bellina, r, TKT Group an inside look at Leoni and this small event also experi- business manager, discusses applications. the factors that have driven

By Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

EVENT WRAPUP A total of 22 presentations were made in two tracks. the company’s success.

Probst reported that electrical systems for vehicles have evolved to support new features demanded by customers. Today, the wiring system for the average vehicle includes 3,000 meters, with 1,500 single cables and 3,000 contacts. Those products, he said, represent a labor-intensive assembly business, and as result, they now have 70,000 employees in 82 plants worldwide.

The ferrous track was a collection of outstanding, com-

CabWire offered a combination of education and marketing opportunities in a congenial setting.

DECEMBER 2015 | 41

CHINA

“the growth of any country is possible only if the number of employed persons grows” is satisfied, Indiaplementary will be presenthe next territory that we must serve intensively with our tations, equipment and technology. Of course, the basic infrastructures are presently not sufficient and not delivered adequate industry to permit the harmonious growth of this giant.byCarmelo leaders Maria Brocato, Continuus-Properzi. from GCR China is and will remain the most important Eurodraw, BRICS Stonepark member country, despite slowing growth. Brazil is looking more like India, mired in corruption scandals, while Consulting, India at this point under a new regime holds the datamost M promise. Again, whether the reforms promisedSheet by the Metal new government in India lead to rapid growthSolutions, remains WAI President Billwill Reichert, whotoserved as FMSand to be seen.

Russia continue have problems it Force a moderator, prepares for an introduction. will take several years to recover from Western-imposed Measuring sanctions. Not much has been heard from South Africa, Systems, though it is now offi cially a member.

Ceeco Bartell, Bekaert, Koner, Traxit, De Montfort I think that FIB, the BRICS going to and continue University, Kabel are Consulting, GEO-to be relevant.

While the pace of GDP growth may slow for a few years Reinigungstechnik. due to political and socio-economic factors or sanctions, One of the many highlights was a presentation by etc., these remain temporary roadblocks at best. As 40% Andrew Stacey, Stonepark Consulting, of the world’s population resides in these“Practical countries,use it isof computer aided design for optimizing wire rope design inevitable that at some point in the future they will produce andconsume manufacture.”

He described in detailoutput. the extreme and the majority of the world’s Rahul demands being placed on wire rope and how critical it is Sachdev, Wire & Plastic Machinery. be certain a design will work before the expense of manufacturing.

Heeconomic explainedand the political value of the 3D graphics for Russia faced distresses in 2014 product design optimization, product property predbut now the situation may be the back to normal in a very

42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SOUTH AFRICA

short time. India is a ication capability, huge country, a place and the manage- of reliwith a multitude ment of drawingand from gions/cultures, die cutting forpoint of an industrial shaped wire view it’s notpropossible to duction. generalize into a single The organizers evaluation.

Whatofis certhe event included tain is that India is a land the thatInternational has thousands of opportunities, as does—to Wire & Machinery a lesser extent and all the Association, Italy’s differences considered Associazione —South Africa.

CompaCostruttori Italiani Bellina nies in South African are Macchine per focusing on quality and innovation and our Group is layFilo, France’s ing the Européen groundwork for a big market development there.

Comité Brazil, the world’s sixth largest economy—even though de la Tréfilerie, it is very far from Italy and presents some customs clearInternational ance and trade policies issues—is a market increasingly Wire & Cable important for our strategic framework.

Exhibitors One other thought: the BRICS acronym was originally Association andcountries characterized by a developing used to define WAI. This same economic situation, a strong growth in GDP, a large popgroup most recentulation, a vast territory and abundant natural resources. ly produced In 2015, wethe can’t talk of them any more as “developing 2013 CabWire, countries” but as superpowers that, together with the G7 held at the dominate Palazzo the worldwide market. Fabio Bellicountries, Turati in Milan. na, TKT Group.

MAY 2015 | 37

FEATURE

EVENT WRAPUP

DIA

FEATURE

Manufacturing focus Consider the big picture of any wire and cable company to be akin to a jigsaw puzzle.

Only every so often, someone stops by and shifts the pieces about, or adds or takes away one or two: now make the final version work. This feature presents a few of those pieces.

There are countless others, but here they include a company’s past decision to redirect its growth, why R&D can require a master’s degree in patience, annoying industry scoundrels, and more, starting with perhaps the most important puzzle piece: the human element, reflected here in the story of a soon-to-be-totally retired salesman/manager.

Thoughts from an industry veteran

Retiring this December after a long career at Leggett & Platt, Inc., Joe Downes looks back at his career, from how he came to be in the wire industry, to the ups and downs of the field, and his take on what it takes to succeed.

When Wire Journal first contacted me for this feature I was honored to be asked and surprised to think that anyone would be interested in my reflections on the industry. I was also a bit sad because it is a stark reminder that as of the end of this December, I will retire from a career that has spanned more than 45 years in this industry.

My initial introduction to steel came in 1964 when I was a 20-year-old night-school student. I answered an ad for a customer service position with Atlantic Steel Company (ASC) in Atlanta. I got the job. At the time, I had no idea that this day job was going to be a stepping stone. I just needed the money. During my stay there I completed a five-year program at the Atlanta Law School, but by the time I graduated I knew that I was not cut out for the courtroom. I took an ASC offer to be an outside salesman, and soon discovered that I really liked to sell. I got a company car and an expense account, and I traveled extensively in my region. I met a great mix of people and built a broad network of contacts with customers and industry insiders.

In 1976, one of my contacts led me to take a sales management position with Container Wire Company, a small wire producer headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

The 1970s version of Joe Downes At the time they were fighting for survival came equipped with enthusiasm, following the steel focus and a full head of hair.

44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

price collapse in 1975. Less than two years after I joined Container Wire, Leggett & Platt (L&P) bought the company. They did not have a wire sales organization so rather than being a redundant employee I got to keep my job. Not only that, I was the sales manager. Good luck and good timing have played a large part in my success.

What was my industry Joe Downes highlight? That’s easy. It has been being associated with L&P for so long. We are often asked what separates our company from others and the answer is always the same: our culture. It is built on honesty, respect and integrity in all dealings with employees, customers, vendors and civic responsibilities. It has served us well for 130 years. If that sounds like a corporate response, so be it, but I believed that when I retired as senior vice president on April 1, and I will continue to believe that when my part-time status ends this month.

Beginning as a wire sales manager, I was fortunate to move through the ranks at L&P. How did that happen? I was not promoted because of my technical expertise. I was in sales, and while I came to understand the wire field over the years, I knew that I was not a plant manager or a metallurgist. However, I knew enough to turn to some very smart people at L&P when needed. As sales manager, I met a lot of senior management because our wire mills sold to all the L&P plants. At that time, L&P was not so big, and everyone got to know me. I was very focused, and I expected a

What made Joe Downes successful Editor’s note: Joe Downes can be outspoken, but he can also be a bit too humble when it comes to his accomplishments, so WJI asked an L&P colleague, Bill Avise, to comment on why Joe was so successful.

I think that one thing that helped Joe throughout his long career was that he led by example. He put people he trusted into key positions, and he encouraged them to make decisions that led to the group’s common goals. It was okay to make a wrong decision, but you sure did not want to make a dumb Avise decision!

Joe was in no way a quiet, easy-going type of person, as there’s quite a bit of the Irish in him, but at the same time he was caring.

I still recall one time many years ago, when business was slow and Joe had put a temporary hold on capital spending. During a visit to one of our wire mills on a very hot summer day he noticed that a ventilation project had just been completed. At that time, Joe was president of the Wire Division, and my boss.

He returned to his office, called me in and asked to find out who had authorized the project as he had clearly stated that there was to be no capital spending. I told him that I had okayed the work, which surprised him, but then I explained why I felt it had to be done. To which he grumbled, “I guess there are some things that need to get done that I don’t need to know about.” He thanked me and the discussion was over. That was Joe. He wanted people to make decisions that were in the best interest of the employees and the company. I also learned to tell him when these situations came up. expanded my base of contacts by going to meetings of the American Wire Producers Association, and the Wire Association International. I noted earlier that I have never been a particularly technical or mechanical type, so what did I do that brought value? I’ve thought that over and over and one aspect stands out, even if it may seem simplistic: you’ve got to be able to bridge the gap between the company and customers. You have to listen to customers. You have to treat them with respect, and you can’t leave until you fully understand what it is they need. But—and this is equally important—you have to know what your company can do, and at what price, and you never promise something your company cannot do.

That’s where bridging the gap comes in. If you can’t give a customer exactly what it is they want, you have to be able to explain what it is your company can do, and then discuss what the difference is between the two. For instance, one of DECEMBER 2015 | 45

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

lot from myself as well as those who worked for me.

When my predecessor unexpectedly died, I was asked and agreed to be president of the Wire Group, which I did from 1999 to 2004. I became president of the industrial materials segment in 2004 and a corporate senior vice president in 2005. The years went by in a flurry, and now I’m looking at it from a different perspective.

What I see is that the industry today, of course, is not the one that I started out in. The U.S. domestic market has been horribly disrupted by imported steel and steel products, a story that everyone knows all too well. I’ll just note that as harsh as conditions are now, the industry has gone through periods of low-priced imports as well as overcapacity before, and we’re going through it again.

Conditions were no better in the 1980s and 1990s.

Companies that had long been industry stalwarts went bankrupt, gone. L&P once operated eight wire mills, and today we’re down to four. Still, there is an upside there as well, because L&P was able to purchase the assets of bankrupt Northwestern Steel and Wire in 2002. Helping bring that plant back to life was a great moment.

Production-wise, what’s different today? Good product quality is no longer a differentiator but a requirement.

Advances in melt shop, caster, rod mill and wire-drawing equipment have greatly enhanced product consistency. Today we can produce finer size, higher strength wire at previously unheard of speeds. Another change is that we now have more workers, at all levels, involved in seeking solutions to issues affecting the plant floor.

Every employee is taught problem-solving techniques and to be part of a “team approach.”

It goes without saying the digital age has altered our businesses. We have easier and quicker access to our plants, customers and vendors and a slew of data to help make better informed decisions.

For all those advances—and there will never be an end to advances in technology—I don’t think you can diminish the personal touch. Throughout my years, I traveled a lot because I have always preferred face-to-face meetings.

I wanted customers to know that I thought it was worth the time and effort to go see them, and that I did. My Delta Airlines account has topped three million miles and there has easily been another million on other carriers. I cut back some in my later years, but I still thrive on greeting customers, suppliers and employees. Whether you’re there about a problem or an opportunity, if you are right in front of them, that problem could turn into an opportunity, and even if it doesn’t, they know you care.

The customers are obviously important, but so are the people working for you. They’re not always going to be perfect, and at times you have to hold them to expectations, but if they know you do it because you want them and the company to succeed, you should expect and see good results. I really liked working with our sales representatives as well as our floor staff, and my door was always open.

My successes over the years, whatever they were, were largely due to having first-class employees, but I also

FEATURE

ty, you will have a customer who will want to stick with my early customers had a very tight tensile spec for you. That’s why I traveled so much. People got to see me brite industrial wire. We were unable to meet that spec face-to-face enough to know I was real. That I would but by convincing the customer to at least try what we make sure everything went right, and if it didn’t, I would had, they realized that it worked just as well on their find a way to make it right: I equipment. would not abandon them and The above example shows their problem. That’s what custhat what a customer may want tomers want. That’s what anyis not actually the same as one would want. Yes, there will what they need, and if you can be times when you lose some get the customer to reach that customers to lower prices, but conclusion in an agreeable conditions have a way of way, you have been successful. changing, and if you remain a This is not a one-sided properson who can be trusted, you cess. Sometimes, it may mean will not be forgotten. you have to ask your boss to I was asked to say what I make some changes, and that would tell someone considercould require investing in new ing entering this field, so here equipment, so you have to goes. Do not expect much in make sure that both sides Leggett & Platt’s Joe Downes speaks during an Ohio the way of glamour, and don’t understand the need and what Valley Chapter dinner meeting in 2009. expect that many of your friends it will take to meet it. If you do will either understand what you do or care to hear you talk this right, you will be able to get a return phone call from about it. Expect that there will be bumps in the road, your customer, and your boss will continue to welcome although that goes for any field. One piece of advice I can your input. It all comes down to relationships, and those share is that if you have a problem at work, don’t just trot are not formed by any app you can order on-line. over to see your boss and unload about it: be prepared to I wonder how many people who enter the industry are as offer several possible solutions and ask for help in choosfocused on forming relationships as they are their career ing the best one. You’ll likely get more respect and attenplan. I didn’t have a game plan to either be a department tion because it shows that you’re not just reacting but head by age 35 or jump ship. I never thought that way. I thinking about a situation, and bosses like that. So yes, I don’t believe I ever worked a day in my life, because I was can tell you that if you are willing to learn and don’t always lucky enough to do what I enjoyed. My wife says need glitz, you can enjoy this business. It might not be that I may not have mapped it out but that I did position sexy, but it’s real, and what we do matters. myself to be ready to take advantage of opportunities. That As for me, I have immensely enjoyed my career in may be true, but I really did what I thought had to be done. the steel and wire industry, and I feel privileged to have I cannot overstate how important it is to build trust. L&P had the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people is a very good company, and that brand matters a lot, but all over the world. Many of my best friends are co-workers, wherever you are when you are in sales, people are also customers and vendors and I will miss the daily interaction. buying you. They are trusting that you will do right by I’d like to think they feel the same way. them. People have enough pressure already. If you can make them feel confident, provide them a sense of securi-

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Best practice made perfect. Only MFL Group brings together the power of three. We build machines for wire drawing and stranding/cabling and extruding. So our leading brands can create state-of-the-art solutions for machines, or lines, or plants that help you produce the world’s finest wire, conductor, rope, and cable — both ferrous and nonferrous. The products and processes that we perfect for you • Provide maintenance-free uptime • Deliver greater throughput • Last longer • Are supported by more advanced service • Operate more efficiently • And ensure maximum profitability for your business. Our complementary brands combine financial dependability, 100+ years of industry commitment, and unmatched knowledge and experience. Plus a unique dedication to continuous improvement and service means we set our goals higher every day!

mflgroup.com Corporate Headquarters: Mario Frigerio S.p.A., Viale Lombardia Snc, 23847 Molteno (LC), Italy, Tel: +39.031.5488.100

FEATURE

Comtran Cable: the tale of a Navy cable approval The trek took 2-years, 5 companies and a lot of cooperation

On Aug. 18, Comtran Cable LLC was told by Navy Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) that its MIL-DTL-24643/59 cables were qualified for use on all U.S. Navy vessels. That approval took more than two years and effort from five Marmon Group companies—Marmon EWC Innovation & Technology Group (I&T), Comtran Cable, RSCC, RSCC Aerospace & Defense and Gendon Polymers—plus two NRTL testing labs and countless hours of trial and product development.

WJI asked about the process; below are the collective Marmon responses from Bruce Sinnott, Director of Business Development, Communication Products, Comtran Cable.

WJI: What speWJI: Who cific cable types were the key does this Navy project people? qualification Sinnott: cover?

The process Sinnott: These required key cables are copper decision-maknetwork commuing by the team nications cables members from which meet the all divisions requirements of including, Bruce TIA 568 Cat. 5e, Lamoureaux, a but are much difComtran cable ferent than comproduct engimercial category neer and U.S. cables due to the Navy veteran requirements for Some of the Marmon Group staffers involved in the Navy cable project includwho directed use on a Navy and coordinated ed (l-r): Bruce Lamoureux, Comtran; Bob Konnik, Marmon I&T; Joe Barry, vessel. The prithe design and Comtran; Bruce Sinnott, Comtran; and Kris Nippani, Comtran. mary insulation, testing work jacket, fillers and tapes are all Low Smoke Zero Halogen that was required; Bob Konnik and Dan Mazakowski, (LSZH). The cable contains an overall shielding system both of Marmon I&T; Kevin Coderre, RSCC Aerospace consisting of both foil and braided shields. The jacket is a and Defense, who assisted in jacket selection, irradiaspecialty polymer that is thermoset, and resistant to many tion requirements, process engineering and testing; and lubricants and fuels that would be found on Navy vessels.

Joe Barry, Comtran general manager, who provided the The cables must continue to perform at high temperatures unwavering leadership required for this multi-tiered and during extended immersion times. approach to product development.

WJI: How did this product come about?

Sinnott: Most of the team members and many of the Marmon Group managers were familiar with the market and recognized the opportunity and the need for this product in the market. The project was justified by recognizing Comtran’s data cable development capabilities along with the Marmon Group’s materials science expertise to fill a need for a specific and demanding customer, the U.S. Navy. Producing a cable that can meet both extreme physical/mechanical/chemical criteria while meeting or exceeding commercial high frequency electrical standards makes for a very challenging project requiring commitment of team members and effective management oversight.

48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WJI: What was the timeline for this cable, from first need to final okay? Did it take longer than expected?

Sinnott: We kicked the project off in March 2013. We received qualification in August 2015. Timeline included cable design and material selection, sample production, sample testing and evaluation. These steps were repeated several times in order to meet the NAVSEA specification.

The project took about a year longer than expected.

There were several key materials and processing issues that had to be addressed and designed into the cable before getting the desired results.

WJI: How is it that five companies were involved in the development process? How unusual is this, and how many people in total were involved in some way?

WJI: How challenging were the logistics?

Sinnott: The logistics between the companies was fairly smooth. Joe Barry had discussed the project with the leaders of the other divisions, letting them know what was needed and when, and they did their best to help us out.

We also had the support of the EWC leadership as well.

The Innovation Center provided both the materials expertise and the ability to evaluate the product in house before formal testing takes place. Since the I&T folks were kept informed of our progress, they would know when cables would be arriving for testing and what testing needed to be performed. We did not have any significant queue time delays. Most of the time at I&T was the prep time and the actual testing. More common logistics issues were material lead times, processing delays and evaluation of test data.

WJI: For a product like this, do you start with an existing cable product and adapt?

Sinnott: Although this product is unique in many ways, there is commonality across a large spectrum of cables manufactured by Marmon Group companies. For example, Comtran has expertise in copper data communications cables but not in specialty polymers and irradiation, so we started with a standard Cat 5e cable as the backbone and built around it to achieve all the other requirements using the expertise of the other divisions.

WJI: What was the hardest part of this process?

Sinnott: The hardest part and the most frustrating part was due to materials and process parameters that we were sure were the right choices but were not capable of meeting the specification as a whole. This required multiple repeated sample production and testing. This repetitive process was very time consuming and at times felt like our goal was continuously eluding us. But with each cycle of material and processing decisions, we were able to learn which combination would give us the best combined test results. That same approach helped us with our sample production and testing, and eventually this led to the right formulation and to a very robust product. These NAVSEA cables are more challenging to develop and manufacture than any commercial cables we are familiar with. In comparison to other harsh environments, such as underground rail transit, these cables

Innovation & Technology Center Fact Sheet Dennis Chalk, president of Marmon Engineered Wire & Cable, LLC, oversees the company’s Innovation & Technology Center in East Granby, Connecticut. Below, he provided a brief bullet point list of facts. For more details, go to www. marmonewc.com and click on “Innovation Center.” Also, see p. 34 for related story.

• Since the opening in November 2013, over 100 R&D projects have either been completed or are ongoing at the 16,000-sq-ft Innovation & Technology Center. These projects have involved products for seven of the 14 companies in our Wire Division.

• With 14 individual companies that have a wide array of capabilities, Marmon EWC can draw from each member company’s expertise in design, manufacturing capability, material processing and technologies. Staffers from five companies took part in the above-described project.

• The 13 full-time material, electrical and mechanical engineers based at the innovation center have in excess of 200 years of experience. Five of these engineers are graduates of the Marmon Engineering intern program.

• New products that result from the Innovation & Technology Center result in annual revenues from $30 million to $40 million a year. Equally important is that the time it takes a cable to go from concept to design and commercialization has been reduced by approximately 50% because of the resources of the center.

Marmon EWC President Dennis Chalk.

• The I&T Center enables Marmon Group companies to create prototype samples, pilot compounding and extrusion capabilities. It houses flame, smoke and toxicity test chambers as well as extensive mechanical testing capability and an analytical lab. To the best of our knowledge, no other company in the U.S. can match its capabilities, especially for products targeting harsh environments.

DECEMBER 2015 | 49

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

Sinnott: In the wire and cable industry, it is very unusual to have so many independent companies working collectively toward a desired goal. As the Marmon Engineered Wire and Cable Group has businesses— Comtran for data cable, Gendon for specialty polymers, RSCC A&D for EMP designs, the I&T group for processing and chemical formulations and RSCC for irradiation expertise—that specialize in multiple arenas required for this project, it provided the ability to pull in expertise across all disciplines. In all, more than 20 people contributed significantly toward the project and many more provided specific information or performed a specific task.

FEATURE

are a degree of difficulty higher than even those environments which have their own unique requirements.

WJI: What was this project straightforward science, or is there also an “art” element?

Sinnott: You start with straightforward material science and established processing methods. The art comes in when you tweak each component and process to result in a product that meets or exceeds all requirements. Many modifications will have a positive effect on one parameter, only to have a negative effect on several others.

That’s the balancing act that only experience and expertise can solve.

WJI: Has going through this process led to any knowledge that will help in future projects?

Sinnott: The biggest lesson learned to all of us was perseverance and commitment. It would have been very easy to throw in the towel at several different milestones in this project. All of the core project team members knew we could succeed and despite numerous obstacles and setbacks we were able to reach our goal. Our leadership provided critical support that kept our momentum going and we learned that if projects are set up correctly and have top down support that things will work out in our favor.

WJI: Was there a particular customer or influWJI: How many new ential member outside of cable products might your company that had Comtran decide to an invested interest in Displaying samples of the approved cable are Comtran staffers pursue? your success?

Sinnott: For the ship- (l-r) Bruce Lamoureux, Joe Barry and Bruce Sinnott.

Sinnott: One indusboard market we are try specialist we know currently working on three more designs. Typically, we told us that there was a pot at the end of the rainbow for target a communication cable niche in a particular market Comtran once the project was completed. Before and in which the market is usually magnitudes larger than the after the success of the project, he was adamant that an niche we are looking to fill. For example, we are qualified additional source was needed for supply to the U.S. Navy to produce telecom cables for New York City Transit suband was in a position to secure a significant amount of way system in accordance with its telecom cable specifibusiness. Bob continues to be a valuable source of inforcations. There is a huge amount of power, signal and fiber mation for our next development projects. optic cable that is installed in underground infrastructure.

By targeting the specific niche of copper communications WJI Was there a particular person or people who stood cables, we are able to focus our efforts to supply the absoout among the team? lute best design and quality that is available to NYCT. At Sinnott: Bruce Lamoureux, our product engineer and any one particular time, we will have approximately 10 U.S. Navy veteran, had both his heart and his mind into samples in some stage of production for our weekly prodthis project. He did all of the design work, sample evaluauct development review. tion, test schedule coordination and evaluation, and organization of the entire project. If there was just one MVP, WJI: Can this product be marketed for other marine it would be Bruce. Also, Joe Barry provided guidance at applications, or is it that the value-added specs make it pivotal times and more important provided support and too pricey for most other less-demanding cable specs? encouragement when the chips were down.

Sinnott: This is an extremely robust cable that can be used in other markets which would perform well in expoWJI What are the next steps Comtran is pursuing relatsure to a maritime environment (offshore oil and gas), ed to this success? areas where EMP resistance and superior shielding effecSinnott: Our current goal is for Comtran to become the tiveness is needed, where a wide range of fluid resistance supplier of choice for all copper communications cables is important, or where just a physically tough cable is for the U.S. Navy. This is a common goal for Comtran needed. In many of these applications, price is second to across all specialty application markets including, rail performance. Each application has its own set of requiretransit, fire safety, power generation and data centers. ments and approvals, i.e., commercial shipping requires There are many different established and future specificaABS and/or DNV approvals. Meeting the requirements tions that we will pursue in these environments. Comtran of the application and obtaining necessary approvals freis emerging as the manufacturer of choice for data cables quently requires a variation to the cable design. used in unique applications where performance is the Development of additional NAVSEA communication deciding factor. It’s an exciting time to be part of this cables has already begun and they are expected to be company. launched in 2016.

50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FEATURE

CommScope: future growth greatest downstream

On Aug. 28, 2015, CommScope completed its acquisition of TE Connectivity’s Broadband Network Solutions (or BNS business), a leader in fiber optic connectivity for wireline and wireless networks, continuing its expansion beyond wire and cable. Below, CommScope’s Phil Armstrong, Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance, discusses the thinking behind the BNS acquisition and how the company assesses future growth.

WJI: What kind of considerations go into these deals?

Armstrong: Any discussions would have to start with “does this align to our mission and vision?” Our mission focuses on innovation, agility and integrity while our vision is centered around our customers and helping them

become. That understanding led to the 2004 acquisition of Avaya’s Connectivity Solutions business, making us a global leader in this industry.

Years later, we realized the huge potential in the wireless market. That foresight led to the 2007 acquisition of the Andrew Corporation, making us a global leader in merchant radio frequency wireless network connectivity and Phil Armstrong small cell distributed antenna solutions. With the BNS business acquisition, we are expanding our global footprint and adding leading global fiber technology.

We now have the ability to deliver more innovation, solve more customer challenges and have more global scale.

to solve their communication challenges. This is what led Frank Drendel and a group of investors in 1976 to acquire the CommScope coaxial cable division of Superior Continental. He saw how cable TV would change the face of home entertainment. Looking ahead to the needs of the enterprise, we understood how important connectivity solutions for data centers and commercial buildings would

WJI: Were any other companies under consideration?

Armstrong: While there are other companies in the communications infrastructure business, we found that BNS was the best fit. BNS brought highly complementary businesses, strengthened our fiber portfolio and created an opportunity to create significant strategic and financial benefits for all stakeholders. There are other companies

WJI: Why was the BNS acquisition important?

Armstrong: Throughout our history, we continue to evolve just like the industries we serve. We see this acquisition as another evolution in our business because we know that as the demand for bandwidth grows, network architectures and technology must change and adapt rapidly. The BNS acquisition accelerates our strategy to drive profitable growth and strengthens our competitive position by expanding our product portfolio and broadening our position across global markets. Now, we are better positioned to deliver more innovative solutions and solve more customer communications challenges—particularly by addressing the evolution of fiber deployments deeper into networks and data centers.

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WJI: Will CommScope continue to focus more downstream for future growth?

Armstrong: While we always look for opportunities to grow and improve through acquisition, we devote even more effort to growing organically—by striving to become a trusted advisor to our customers and investing significantly in R&D. During the last year alone, we (combined with BNS) invested more than $200 million in R&D to develop innovative solutions for our customers.

WJI: Is there a defined downstream “end” to where CommScope would not go past? Basically, does wire and cable take the proverbial “back seat” in terms of importance to the company?

Armstrong: Cabling remains a critical component of our portfolio and a fundamental building block of wired and wireless networks. As the demand for bandwidth grows and networks become more complex, our customers need companies that will provide the right solutions to address their challenges.

We see a lot of these opportunities driving the need for advanced communications infrastructure and our cabling will continue to be the foundation for these critical networks. For example, the company’s industry-leading SYSTIMAX connectivity solutions continue to drive the evolution of data networks. We evolved our optical and RF infrastructure solutions to support the delivery of advanced broadband services (HDTV, video on demand, etc.) to meet the bandwidth and service level expectations of residential and commercial customers. BNS is a global leader in fiber optic connectivity for the wireline telecom and enterprise market. It has a broad intellectual property portfolio and a robust R&D effort.

DECEMBER 2015 | 53

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

that play in this market but we saw this acquisition as an exciting opportunity to accelerate industry innovation, solve more wired and wireless network challenges with an enhanced fiber portfolio, and better serve global customers in more markets around the world.

FEATURE

WJI: Would CommScope consider acquiring a traditional wire and cable company?

Armstrong: We continue to focus on infrastructure solutions and would probably not be interested in a traditional wire and cable company. If you look at our track record of acquisitions, we focus on companies that broaden our portfolio, bring innovative technology or help us expand into attractive, adjacent markets.

With the addition of BNS, we now have leading global fiber optic connectivity in the adjacent wireline telecom/ fiber-to-the-X market. We also gain a much broader global footprint and substantially expand our foundation of innovation. Going forward, we will build upon this core foundation with an expanded fiber offering designed to meet the emerging challenges of fiber deployments pushing deeper into networks and data centers. The BNS business adds to our platform and sales channel and we are excited about the future for the combined company.

WJI: How does CommScope project what demand will be several years out or more?

Armstrong: We believe that the rapid growth of data traffic and need for bandwidth will continue for

Our great British welders are hard to beat Meet Stuart, workshop foreman and cold weld expert. He’s been making and testing our machines and dies for over 15 years, helping customers improve production and reduce costs.

Whatever you’re welding, you’ll find PWM products dependable, accurate and extremely good value. Just like Stuart.

Find out more at www.pwmltd.co.uk

Video demo 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

New PWM welders and dies available only from PWM or authorised distributors.

54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

the foreseeable future because of the continued adoption of smartphones, tablets, machine-to-machine communication and the proliferation of data centers, Big Data, cloud-based services and streaming media content.

Industry experts expect that the Internet of Things will be another mega driver of bandwidth. In addition to working to understand these megatrends, we talk to our customers across the globe and actively participate in standards bodies as well as invest heavily in R&D. WJI: Can CommScope remain efficient and effective as it continues to grow?

Armstrong: We will continue to focus on generating profitable growth while helping our customers migrate to the networks of the future. We have a strong track record of value-enhancing transactions and successful integrations, including Avaya Connectivity Solutions, Andrew Corporation, Alifabs, iTRACS, Redwood Systems and others. We are working hard to make the recent BNS and Airvana acquisitions equally successful.

FEATURE

UL: Industry study of power over data cables

A 2015 IWCS session on Power over Communications Cable drew much attention. One presentation, Update on Industry Study of Powering over Data Cables, by Anthony Tassone, UL Principal Engineer, Wire & Cable, Commercial & Industrial, discussed greater demands on data cables and a recently launched new optional suffix designation, Limited Power (-LP) (XXA)). Below is a summary.

With the increased use of remotely powered devices and the increased levels of power needed to support these devices in various installations, concerns have been raised in the International Standards development community. These include the safety and performance effects of increased heat on the cables, in particular when the cables are routed in bundles with other powered cables, and when installed in areas with elevated ambient conditions (above 30°C).

A growing number of installations now use data cables to power devices not typically associated with data cables.

These include LED lighting systems and other power consuming components such as large screen television displays with higher power demands.

A fact finding study was initiated to investigate the effects of higher levels of power applied over communications cables under typical installation practices permitted by the NEC. The first step was the determination and evaluation of realistic worse-case conditions using 24 AWG Cat. 5e cables. Tests were conducted in various conditions ranging from a single conductor in free air, different bundles in

Layout for test of 576-cable bundle in open tray.

conduit, and a 576-cable bundle in an open wire tray. The test protocol was consistent with similar industry studies, the focus was on power (volts, watts, amps) not applications, and the purpose was to mitigate safety concerns.

Once the most reasonable worst case condition was determined, testing was repeated using this condition on other cable constructions, which varied by materials, gauge size, and design.

One key observation was that even very small increases in current resulted in significant increases in the measured temperature: in the first case, an increase of 0.1 amperes resulted in a temperature change of over 15°C; in the second case, involving a larger bundle size, a 0.1 ampere change resulted in a temperature rise of over 20°C. See Chart 2.

The data reinforce the established point that increasing the number of cables Chart 1. Results of cable type tests at 100 watts. To see charts for 30, 60 and 200 watts, e-mail in a bundle results editorial@wirenet.org for a PDF. 56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

UL Wire & Cable, a division of UL, reports that it has issued the world’s first Limited Power (LP) certification to a number of General Cable’s GenSPEED® Brand data communications cables.

A press release said that the new LP listing provides a simple way to ensure cable installations are future-proofed from ever-increasing PoE standards aimed at ensuring that heat generation does not cause cable performance

woes. It accounts for large bundle sizes, high ambient temperatures and other issues, such as enclosed spaces or conduits.

General Cable reports that UL has certified 11 of its four-pair, Cat. 6 GenSPEED plenum products, including: four of its CMR-LP (0.5A) cables, supporting up to 100 watts; EfficienC™ Max, two of its CMPLP (0.5A) cables, supporting up to 100 watts; two of its CMP-LP (0.6A)

in ever-increasing temperatures. This example shows an increase in temperature rise from about 2°C for a single enclosed cable to over 35°C for a 91-cable enclosed bundle. Bundling is often used for this type of cabling, and Cathave 5e, 24 AWG that interior cables in a bundle are substudies shown Cable Bundle, Cable Routing Assembly jected192 to Random the greatest heating effects, and that larger bundles 80 produce the most heating. The data also show that for existing70implementations of powering, such as PoE and PoE+, there is little chance of overheating the cables regardless 60 of cable type, bundle size or installation method. However, 50 once the cables are used in the 100 watt powering range, 40 overheating occurs under many installation conditions. See Chart 30 1. Only a combination of smaller bundle sizes, larger wire gauges and specialty constructions do not overheat 20 when one considers 30° or 45°C ambient temperatures.

10 Additionally, considering the future outlook for many 0 cable powering schemes, the data show that at 1 LAN 0.5 0.6 ampere per conductor—or aboutAmperes 200 watts (using 4 pair Current per Conductor powering)— a significant number of installation conditions and cable types overheat. These findings are cause for great concern.

One observation of particular interest was that changes in cable Catconstruction 5e, 24 AWG had a very large impact on measured 61 Cable Bundle, Conduit-FireStop

temperatures. This chart shows the temperature difference between a Cat. 6a cable and a Cat. 6 cable, both 23 AWG. The design and construction had a significant effect on the thermal dissipation capabilities of the cable, despite the identical wire gauge. See Chart 3.

Extensive testing and research demonstrated that cable heating can be managed via increased AWG size, cable design variations, material selection, and installation practices. This led to the development of test-based requirements for limited power (LP) cables which can take advantage of these factors. A single testing approach was selected to maximize opportunity for innovation in cable design.

The consideration of reasonable installation extremes in the test plan minimizes the need for onerous restrictions on cable installation planning.

LP cables are not intended to replace standard LAN cables but rather provide an alternative that can take advantage of advances in cable design. They provide an uncomplicated way to prepare installations for increasing power levels and are not as susceptible to safety issues caused by excessive heat generation.

This research is part of an ongoing process to support growth andCat innovation in the cabling industry.

5e, 24 AWG 192 Random Cable Bundle, Cable Routing Assembly

80

80

70

70

60

60

50

50

40

40

30

30

20

20

10 0

cables, supporting up to 120 watts; and three of its CMP-LP (0.7A) cables, supporting up to 140 watts.

“When the new listing became available, it only made sense to work with UL Wire & Cable to have the first UL CMP-LP certification, which will make choosing cables for high-power PoE systems easier,” said Scott Brown, Director of Technology, Communications Products, General Cable.

10 0.175

0.3

0.5

0.75

0.85

0

Current per Conductor Amperes

Cat 5e, 24 AWG, 61 Cable Bundle, Conduit-FireStop

Chart 2. Temperature effect of increasing amperes on a 61-cable bundle.

0.5

0.6

Current per Conductor Amperes

Cat 5e, 24 AWG, 192 Random Cable Bundle, Cable Routing Assembly

Chart 3. Temperature effect of increasing amperes on a 192 random cable bundle.

© 2015 The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. and UL LLC. All rights reserved. This report and the materials Catused 5e, 24 AWG to create it are of a highly technical nature and reproduction of any portion of these materials in any form, electronic or 61 Cable Bundle, Conduit-FireStop DECEMBER 2015 | 57 otherwise, without permission of both the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) and UL LLC is strictly prohibited.

80 70

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

General Cable: 1st company to get ‘LP’ cable certification

FEATURE

Behind any cable advance is R&D

At IWCS, a session on power over communication cables (see p. 56 for related story) included a presentation, Temperature Rise of Ethernet Cable Bundles from Power Delivery,

by Brian Marchant, a test engineer for Berk-Tek. Below, he discusses his work.

WJI: What was the goal of your research and did you set out with a sense of what you would find?

Marchant: My goal was to determine how the new Power over Ethernet standard under development would impact the lifetime safety performance of category cabling. There was plenty of work that was done before I started, including research from the earlier generations of PoE, thermal modeling for data centers, etc. By researching and building on the significant amount of testing that we had done over the years, I had a relatively strong starting position and had reasonable expectations.

WJI: How did you model your data?

Marchant: I started with a basic resistive heating model, the current draft work from the TIA task group, and our own software model from the early days of IEEE 802.3af. I collected a significant number of measurements and noticed that not all of the measurements and the references that I had were lining up. Most did, but for the rest, we spent several weeks refining the model to better match the observational data.

WJI: How accurate was your initial research plan?

Did you have to make many changes?

Marchant: I had to adjust as I went along. For example, the test results and my expectation were different

Chart 1. Higher category cables have lower resistance (and can have shielding) that leads to lower temperature rise when delivering power.

58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

relating to bundles in conduit.

I ended up repeating the test, varying the test, and acquiring many more conduit types to investigate the issue.

WJI: How much work (time) did it take to go from the ISO empirical model to reaching your conclusion(s)?

Marchant: I thoroughly verified the model with Marchant my data; this took a few weeks. After making adjustments to the model, I used it to make predictions for scenarios that we hadn’t yet examined and then compared the measurements with the predictions. Once the model was verified, it was easy to use it to draw conclusions about a lot of different cables and installation scenarios.

WJI: Was there a clear winner in terms of which cable types were best? Should most Cat. 5e cables now being made be able to handle the temperature requirements?

Marchant: Most of the current Cat. 5e cables can handle 60W PoE on bundles up to 100 cables. I would not recommend Cat. 5e cables for installations with high ambient temperature (>30°C) or insulated spaces like conduit, bundles larger than 100 cables, or for the 100W PoE that is being developed. In general, higher category cables tended to perform better than lower category cables. See Chart 1. The best cables had low resistance values and metallic tapes. The metallic tapes act like a heat sink, drawing the heat from the cables to outside the installation. Higher category cables tended to have larger conductor sizes but also tighter conductor twisting, which results in only a slight improvement to resistance.

The best cable that I tested was a Cat. 8 prototype product. It had thick conductors, loose conductor twisting, very low resistance and lots of metallic tape. The worst cable that I tested was a generic product that had small conductors and therefore high resistance.

WJI: What was your biggest challenge during this research project?

Marchant: Some of the presentations that I saw early provided conflicting information because they failed to address the amount of variation expected between different cable bundle sizes. Small bundle sizes at small currents result in tests that have a lot of variation which can

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

cause you to draw incorrect conclusions or would result in faulty modeling. For best results, larger bundles, higher current, and more tests can clear out the variation and lead to correct conclusions. See Chart 2.

WJI: How much total testing have you done?

Marchant: At this point, I have been setting up and running tests for over a year. The tests take hours to complete and there is usually time between tests spent analyzing the data. The total number of tests is well over one hundred now, probably closer to two hundred. If you consider the total number of lengths per test, that would be over 5,000 lengths of cables bundled and tested for temperature when power is applied.

WJI: Is your work done, or if not, what happens from here?

Marchant: My work is not done. We are still working with the standards groups on modeling and with the engineering groups with design improvements.

Chart 2. To keep the maximum temperature rise from power below the TIA recommended 15°C, keep the bundle size small, especially for Cat. 5e cables.

WJI 1/2 PA HOR ISO9001 REGISTERED

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

Wyrepak Industries has long recognized the value of making a quality product — 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_LongRecognizedValue_WJI_halfHoriz_v8_05102013_PICset1_BLKmastWHTtextOnGRN_press.indd 1

5/13/14 2:33:14 PM

DECEMBER 2015 | 59

non-bl 6.775”

AD Su BEST INTER -HUES INDUS Questi Please

Vaness Graphi Best M Interna 7643 F Spring 703-45 800-33 703-45

vaness

FEATURE

Some progress seen in battle with counterfeit cables Counterfeit cables can pose multiple problems, especially when they fraudulently carry a trusted mark, such as that of ULs. WJI asked two individuals, Steve Galan, UL Global Director–Wire & Cable, and Dave Kiddoo, Executive Director of the Communications Cable & Connectivity Association (CCCA), for an update on efforts to quell that inflow from offshore industrial scoundrels.

WJI: Has the situation gotten any better? If so, where and how?

Galan: It’s hard to be certain, but we have seen both the number of cases investigated and action taken by our Global Security & Brand Protection (GSBP) department in China reaching its peak in 2013 and has now dropped by 50% as of September from the same Steve Galan timeframe for the prior year. As China is one of the key sources of wire and cable products entering the U.S., this may provide some insight into the situation.

Kiddoo: It’s very difficult to say if it’s getting any better. Has there been a lot of action by compliance agencies such as UL or through incoming port inspections? Yes. Has the number of incidences been reduced based on surveillance and investigating manufacturer’s locations?

Yes. The good news is that there is not as much counterfeit cable being found. This is a direct result of the diligent education and surveillance of cable manufacturers that has been active over the last three years or more.

From the point of view of the market in the U.S., however, I’d say we are hearing of more instances of counterfeit cable being bought and installed. That may be simply be because of the education that has been taking place over the past few years, which is effective so that, now, people are recognizing and identifying the counterfeit cable. CCCA has been very active in forums, such

as BICSI national and regional meetings, to make presentations and to inform OEMs, users and contractors of the serious safety and performance impacts of counterfeit cables, including their own responsibilities and liabilities. We are hearing from more contractors, OEMs and users reporting problems involving counterfeit cable.

I believe that advising people Dave Kiddoo to buy from known brands and having more incoming inspections at distributors, contractors and systems integrators, especially for private-label cable manufacturing from offshore, has helped reduce the amount of counterfeit cable in the market. However, it is still hard to say, at this moment in time, if the situation is getting better.

WJI: Do you have an estimate of what percentage of wire coming into the U.S. is either counterfeit and/or unable to meet standards?

Kiddoo: It’s really hard to answer this accurately.

However, in some presentations at conferences that involve port inspections, homeland security and other counterfeit product surveillance activities, I’ve heard some estimates of counterfeit products in some industries may be as high as 30%.

WJI: Is the story of counterfeit cables one that remains nearly impossible to stop because it can be bought for some 30% less, and there is no hard “checkpoint”?

UL not alone: Amazon upset about cable fraud...in its reviews Amazon has started legal action against more than 1,000 unidentified people it claims provide fake reviews on the U.S. version of its website for a range of products, including cables.

A report in The Guardian, a U.K. paper, said that Amazon is suing 1,114 defendants for providing fake reviews at its U.S. website. Amazon said there had been misleading five-star reviews 60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

and comments about products, such as for a USB cable. “This has lit up my life,” said one bogus comment that added, “Definitely buying more … . I was impressed with how bright the lights on the cable are.” Another reviewer gave a product top marks and added, “Cool charger.”

Specifically, Amazon said that the accused individuals advertised on the

internet (fiverr.com) that they would be willing to sell good reviews. Per the company, it found that many of the fake reviewers, all termed “John Does,” had requested review wordings from sellers and had used multiple accounts and IP addresses– numeric codes that identify a device in a network–to avoid being caught.

CCCA: industry group continues to grow as does its mission The Communications Cable & Connectivity Association (CCCA) started in 2007 as a non-profit association with 16 member companies in the structured cabling industry supply chain. The goal was to address communication network performance technologies, issues and to identify potential threats to public safety caused by non-compliant and counterfeit structured cabling components.

“One reason we now have 27 members companies is that there is greater recognition of the importance of our mission,” said CCCA Executive Director Dave Kiddoo, who noted that the organization has expanded its scope to be a collaborative resource of fact-based information on other technologies and issues vital to the industry as well. www.cccassoc.org offers a lot of practical resources.

In addition to topics covered in this feature, CCCA also provides presentations and information on understanding the pros and cons of data center cabling systems, transmission performance and total cost of ownership, as well as environmental stewardship, Kiddoo said. “We’re also proactive at codes and standards bodies and other trade, industry and governmental organizations.”

DECEMBER 2015 | 61

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

beginning to fully understand what the serious impacts Galan: As you suggest, price difference is always one may be, not only to their business reputation but also of the key factors for this problem but unfortunately it is not the only one. Indeed, various factors are involved their liability in case of a catastrophic event. along the supply chain, making it difficult for end-cusThere is now more surveillance, but to completely stop tomers or users to ascertain whether they are buying the flow of counterfeit cables might be an impossible or using counterfeit cables. It is therefore essential that task. everyone in the industry understand the issue around cables and guard themselves as well as customers from WJI: Are there any plans for further market tests of sussubstandard or counterfeit product. pected cable (counterfeit and/or mismarked)? Would you UL’s fully dedicated global security and brand protecexpect your next study to be any better than prior ones? tion operation team has been working with authorities and Galan: We have a fully dedicated team to test cables global customs agencies to combat counterfeiting. The purchased in the marketplace. By integrating this market holographic labels now required by UL are one example surveillance program with our comprehensive factory of how to minimize the significant risks Case Investigated and Actions Taken - W&C product (2010-Sept 30, 2015) of buying and using counterfeited cable.

60 Raided Target Dispersion We continuously Raided Tragets Dispersion monitor the situa2010 - 2015 50 (through Sept. 30) tion and look for additional ways to 40 control and minimize the associated 30 risks.

Kiddoo: I think it may be impossi20 ble to catch every Case foot of counterfeit Admin.

10 cable. However, Criminal there is a lot of 0 good education happening, and the checkpoints A UL chart showing the number of cases handled from 2010 through September 2015. Per the are not only in the chart, 2013 appears to be the peak year for such cases. outgoing ports from other countries, surveillance, we aim to reduce the risks and costs associbut also in our incoming ports where we are having port ated with unsafe products. This is UL’s ongoing practice authorities inspect what they can. Having even more and the results of which have been well-proven. Having thorough inspections at the point of purchase, and edusaid that, anti-counterfeiting is an ongoing and challengcating buyers of their liabilities and the safety/perforing battle, so we will continue to monitor the effectivemance impacts if they purchase and install these counness of our measures and adjust as necessary. By doing terfeit cables is helping. I think contractors and users are

FEATURE

so and introducing more effective measures, we feel WJI: Is it possible for a customs agent to look at confident it will help ensure a healthier supply chain and the paperwork for such shipments and call for further fairer competition in the marketplace. This has proven inspection? Is there any simple test that could be done at very effective in alleviating the situation of counterfeited a port to determine the likelihood of counterfeit product? and sub-standard cable under UL’s program.

Galan: Specific to wire and cable and UL products Kiddoo: Actually, this is an ongoing effort that has been in general, we have dedicated UL investigators in our happening for almost five to six years. Between UL and Global Border Protection division of GSBP. This team our CCCA member companies, we’ve had a lot of eyes and works and trains China Customs, U.S. Customs, Mexico ears out in the marketplace that are identifying substandard, Customs and Panama Customs on a regular basis on UL non-complaint and counterfeit cable products. When we marks. Next year we are expanding in EU Customs to add do hear of those, we are able to get samples and do some another 28 EU member countries into our program. cursory analysis. If verified, The simple test for UL we then take it to the next is review of our security level in terms of verification holographic labels by the of their poor performance, Customs officials with not only in transmission, both the UL two-window but more importantly in fire color shift authenticator safety. UL has been very as well as an electronic effective in following up on scanner that UL supplies those cases. to Customs authorities. We There is a lot of market also provide training and surveillance happening now. verification responses to all In addition to the CCCA inquiries and have a general members, we are getting email account which daily many leads from contracreceives numerous requests tors, OEMs and users who from Customs officials. are now contacting CCCA We have other investigators quite regularly when they in our Brand Protection have documented instances Investigations division that of counterfeit cable and are former law enforceSteve Galan with Dave Kiddoo discussing industry issues at a we do follow up diligently. trade show. ment officers that work with CCCA has documented agencies such as Homeland some of these case studies at our website.

Security Investigations to build out on CBP seizures with a goal of criminal prosecution. With UL Legal we also WJI: Does anyone look at individual containers of wire have a Civil Trademark Enforcement program that targets and cable that come in the U.S., or is it only an issue if a specific offenders in the civil arena. We just had a succomplaint is sent about an expected delivery? cessful settlement agreement with a communications cable Galan: All importations into the USA must clear U.S. distributor that involved the importation and distribution of Customs & Border Protection (CBP). However, physical counterfeit UL marked cable. examination of inbound shipments is estimated to be only Kiddoo: A lot of education has been taking place with around 2 to 3%. CBP has adopted a national targeting systhe authorities at the Ports. We have identified the obvitem that rates risk factors into a model and helps provide ous signs to look for and we have also worked hard to intelligence for the various ports of entry to target which promote the holographic label that UL requires on each shipments are actually inspected. The remaining 97-98% box. Also, there are other indications if they actually of shipments have a “paper” clearance and are not physiopen up and take samples of the cable in terms of a cally inspected. weight analysis. Sometimes the counterfeit cable is a lot Kiddoo: Well, in the real world this is a problem. Clearly, lighter in weight based on the density of products, such inspecting every single container that comes into the as a copper-clad aluminum conductor instead of solid country is almost impossible. However, what inspectors copper. There are other things to look for at the Ports, can do is look for the signs of potential problems on the but again the best point of inspection and testing is at the paperwork. There are particular ways of identifying the point of sale for each and every project. cable or labeling on the containers or boxes, looking for holographic labels and other indicators of legitimate prodWJI: Isn’t the problem, ultimately, that there are too uct. The key, even though the number of containers being many buyers willing to purchase cable that, based on inspected are relatively low, is to maximize the success of price, should be considered suspicious? finding counterfeit products by at least knowing what conGalan: While price is an important indicator, it does tainers should be inspected. not necessarily mean that a high-price product would 62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

In 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized $600,000 worth of counterfeit Lightning cables during a search in Anchorage, Alaska. The cables, designed to look like Apple’s $19 Lightning cable, had both fake Apple and UL logos.

Frank Falcon, a customs spokesman, said that the cables were packaged for retail sale in cardboard blister packs that were substandard compared to Apple’s trademark white packaging.

One blogger who knowingly bought the fake cables said that he tested them and discovered that “they simply don’t

work.” He wrote that, “Every so often they’ll charge my device for a few minutes, but without fail...(at some point) all charging ceases.”

One manufacturer of the cables reports that Close-up of a substandard fake “Apple” cable. the fakes have gotten better. He said there are the latest ones, which are far more six generations of fake sophisticated, can be ordered for Lightning to USB cables for the 5G $2.10 each in an order for a lot of iPhone. The older ones are obvious1,000, he said. ly inferior, although still sold, but

meet standards. As the key stakeholders of the industry, all buyers, installers and users of wire and cable products should have basic understanding about what they are buying/using, especially when the price is apparently low. For this, UL has been investing heavily on training and educating key stakeholders about how to identify the counterfeited products and the potential hazard of using them on both company reputation and public safety.

Kiddoo: Often, if you see an inconsistent, very low price, such as 30% or 50% off recognized brands, this could be your first clue of a problem. However, some counterfeiters will also price their cables equivalent to expected market prices, requiring that the buyer look for other traits to identify the counterfeit cable. Again, this is an issue of educating the buyers and project managers so that they do some homework first on the documentation of the appropriate Listings and performance verifications on the UL website to verify that their particular Lot/ Order of cable and its source are reliable and authentic.

They should also look for the holographic labels and other physical indications on the boxes and cables themselves at delivered cables at a project site.

WJI: Are customers ever held to accountable?

Is “I didn’t know” an acceptable defense?

Galan: Resellers who are buying the counterfeited UL certified products are risking themselves to be possibly prosecuted for trademark infringement of UL. Besides, they are also risking their company reputation for buying and reselling this kind of products.

Kiddoo: No, “I don’t know” is not an acceptable defense. I think a very good reference/education tool is a CCCA webinar at www.cccassoc.org that includes perspectives on the problem: CCCA and UL describe how to identify counterfeit products. There is also some important legal advice provided on the liabilities of buying and installing these kinds of counterfeit cables.

Quite clearly, the liability does fall on the shoulders of the buying entity or the contractors who install these counterfeit cables. Heaven forbid there be a catastrophic safety issue, where these counterfeit cables might contribute to the rapid spread of fire and produce smoke that may cause damage, injury or even death. That liability comes back to the cable purchaser and installer.

WJI: Do you see progress being made?

Galan: We’ve had more than 210 investigations, 110 administrative enforcement actions and 30 criminal enforcement actions. As of Sept. 30, 2015, we have seen 14 criminal convictions; 22 counterfeiters were sentenced to a combined total of 39 years and five months, and fined 2.7 million CNY in total. China Customs has stopped and inspected more than 500 shipments, with 53 of those found to be counterfeit wire and cable products.

Kiddoo: More people are becoming aware of this issue. Many contractors insist that their clients, customers, OEMs or building owners not buy or specify low-cost, unreliable cables and other network components. Contractors often would install cables that their clients bought. With the risks and liabilities involved, we hear that this practice is no longer acceptable, and that appropriate safeguards and inspections are being performed.

The education that we have been undertaking and instilling the fear of liability surrounding the purchase and installation of counterfeit cables has had a very real impact to quell this problem. The most important realization is that purchasing counterfeit products could seriously impact the safety and performance of a business. I feel confident that with continuous education and a lot of good surveillance at every step of the supply chain, we will have a significant impact to reduce this problem.

DECEMBER 2015 | 63

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

These cables were the ‘apple’ in the eyes of counterfeiters

FEATURE

Counterfeiting ‘outside’ (and inside) of the box Counterfeiting has gone beyond the wire itself, with some companies faking not only wire but technology used to deploy the product. Below, WJI asks Tim Copp, vice president, business development, REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc., about his company’s experience.

WJI: When did your first hear of your company’s boxes being counterfeited, and were you more surprised or angry?

Copp: “Knockoff” REELEX coils have actually been around for more than two decades, though over that time most of the knockoff packaging was attempting to replicate the way REELEX boxes looked in the 1970’s.

Today, we are seeing copies of our more recent REELEX II (large dispensing tube) packaging which not only infringe on our active patents, but perform even worse than the original knockoffs. Boxes that tangle and knot yet look from the outside just like genuine REELEX II boxes are a real concern to us. Seeing a knockoff box that looked like one of our packages from the outside, yet was a knotted mess inside certainly was disappointing, and drove us to start Tim Copp shows the difference in wind pat- defending our brand in tern between genuine REELEX coil (left) earnest. and knockoff coil (right).

WJI: At the time, did it seem to be an anomaly? At what point did it become more widespread?

Copp: Knockoff REELEX boxes were originally a bit of an anomaly, but those who dealt with cable on a regular basis could easily distinguish the cheap knockoffs from genuine cable in genuine packaging. Today, counterfeit cabling has become harder to spot and is being packaged in boxes that from the outside look identical to genuine REELEX boxes. This has become more widespread as well-known American brands have tried to seek the lowest-cost suppliers. Typically these companies will take their genuine cable in a genuine REELEX box, bring it to

64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

an offshore supplier and say “make this.” The offshore supplier often does not have a genuine REELEX machine, but instead puts a knockoff coil into the box and charges a fraction of the cost. Since it looks the same, the purchasing department usually doesn’t know the difference, all they know is they are saving money per unit. It is only later that the complaints from their customers start rolling in.

The effort required to make a counterfeit box sometimes surprises us. For example, our most advanced packaging machine produces a box that robotically hot glues the seams in the box together. We have seen counterfeit boxes that have hot glued seams that were not made on our machines, but were instead obviously hand assembled. It must take the counterfeiters two or three times as long to seal each box than if they used tape or stapled seams, but then it wouldn’t look like our box.

WJI: How bad quality-wise were the first knock-offs?

Do you believe they were deliberate reproductions of your boxes, and if so, what are their biggest flaws?

Copp: There are essentially two or three manufacturers of knockoff REELEX machines out there. The biggest difference is that genuine REELEX coils are defined by a clear, well-controlled payout hole woven into the coil. Knockoff machines either make a small, uncontrolled payout hole, or don’t make a hole at all.

Since the payout hole is literally the separation of the two sides of a figure-eight coil, coils that do not have a hole dispense with random and multiple twists leading to knotting and often cable damage (see wire path diagram on next page).

WJI: Is anyone selling these boxes with the fake inner coil winders to offshore manufacturers for use to spool their cables, or are they all being sold as a single unit, fake box and (likely) fake wire?

Copp: They are being sold as a single unit, which is why we have been working on educating end-users in using packaging as a means for identifying potentially suspect cable. Recently we have joined the CCCA as well as launched our own educational campaign. The idea is that if installers can spot a suspect package, it should tip them off that suspect cabling could be inside. The boxes themselves are sourced locally using drawings created by REELEX (and thus, reverse engineered and copied by the counterfeiters).

FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

WJI: Is there a sense of outrage on your end that this can be done?

Copp: From our perspective, the biggest outrage is that users of knockoff packaging are copying our intellectual property and trying to have it pass off as genuine REELEX. In some ways it is flattering that counterfeiters think we have such a superior product that they feel there is value in copying it. But it hurts not only us, but our customers as well, and ultimately the user of the cable because if a manufacturer will make a sub-standard counterfeit package, it is very likely that they are making sub-standard counterfeit cable too.

WJI: You’ve joined CCCA and spread the message about this problem: are you seeing any results?

Copp: Yes! We have seen several brands of cable start to ask questions of their manufacturers about whether genuine REELEX machines are being used to package their products. We have seen installers start to recognize and look for the REELEX logo on the box, and understand the difference between genuine REELEX packaging and knockoff boxes. Installers are learning that even though genuine and REELEX boxes might look the same, they don’t act the same, and that if the manufacturer is cheaping out on the package, they’re probably cheaping out on the cable too. We have also gotten a lot of positive interest from the AV, residential, and security channels, as some of those installers were not as aware of counterfeit cabling (and the boxes they usually come in) as installers in the enterprise/commercial segments. This means that we can be part of the story in educating installers about counterfeit and non-compliant cable for the first time.

WJI: What should installers look for to ensure they are getting a genuine REELEX box?

Copp: The first thing they should look for is the REELEX trademark printed somewhere on the box. If it

REELEX notes that knockoff coil have substandard payout and have a high probability of knotting, tangling and causing cable damage.

Diagram showing the differences in wire paths between genuine REELEX coils and knockoff coils. doesn’t have the REELEX logo, that should be the first indication that there might be something suspect about it.

The second thing to look for is the payout tube. At this point nearly all twisted-pair products should be using 2 in. or larger diameter payout tubes. If they aren’t, there is risk of causing physical deformities in the cable which can cause signal performance issues. That being said, there are definitely counterfeiters out there shoving and forcing a big tube into knockoff coils to make them look like our packages. Installers should be particularly wary of such packages, as these “big tube knockoffs” almost guarantee twisting, knots, tangles and cable damage.

WJI: What kind of performance can be expected from dispensing from counterfeit packaging?

Copp: When pulling wire from counterfeit boxes, installers can expect twisting in the wire, snags and knots. Some boxes might pull okay, others will be a complete mess.

Because knockoff coils are not precise figure-eights, the wire encounters significant twisting forces placed on it during payout, as if you took a slinky or spring and pulled it tight from end to end. Genuine REELEX is designed to ensure the loops are relieved during payout, so the wire never twists more than a half twist in either direction.

Bottom line: knockoff coils are prone to snag, twist, tangle and potentially cause cable damage.

WJI: What should installers do if they believe they have a counterfeit box? What should manufacturers do to make sure their suppliers are genuine REELEX licensees?

Copp: Contact us and send us photos. We may want to purchase the box to use as evidence. If an installer believes they have a suspect box, they can contact us via our website: www.reelex.com. On our site, we have a list of manufacturers who are genuine REELEX licensees and are using REELEX equipment. You can find that list by going to www.reelex.com/goodguys.

DECEMBER 2015 | 65

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER Innovation in high performance ropes and the prospects of future development

By Pengzhu Wang*, John M. Walton, Adam Jeays, Dr Jagan Mohanraj, Thomas Lichte** and Andreas Heinrich**

More and more, a rope is regarded as a machine, for example Machine Directive (2006) of the European Union requires ropes used in many lifting applications to have the CE mark. From a technical point of view ropes particularly multi strand multi layer wire ropes and fibre ropes are much more complicated than what people of other disciplines may think. These ropes are probably less understood technically than many parts of a passenger car. To make a good quality rope one must combine constructional design of the rope, selection and optimisation of all rope constitutes including axial and non-axial load bearing components besides manufacturing process and equipment. To ensure a safe and satisfactory service life, rope condition must be monitored and maintained and the other mechanical/electrical engineering systems (winches, pulleys, sheaves, etc.) that work with ropes must be designed by taking ropes into consideration. In many cases ropes must be terminated properly.

Table 1 illustrates the items to be analysed in order to improve a rope performance from design and development point of view. Section 1 of the paper introduces an application of finite element modelling to rope design and new product development.

Optimise rope construction by using finite element modelling FE modelling of strands

and good results were obtained in small strain (below 0.008) range. It was only after finite element (FE) method was introduced that rope modelling has made substantial progress. A literature search identified work by John Walton of Bridon UK (British Rope Limited then) when he introduced FE to wire rope modelling (Walton, 1978). There were only 87 lines of his FE program and in order to save computing time, a 16 cell model was established in the quartered space; fairly accurate results nevertheless were achieved in terms of contact force and indentation depth, Fig. 1.

Later on, Jiang, Yao and Walton (Jiang, 1999) took full advantage of the cyclically (rotationally) symmetric and repetitive features of a helical strand and used only a slice of 1/12 of a 7 wire strand as the basic sector to reduce complexity of modeling and computing time. The boundary conditions were maintained by using coupling equations which relate the displacements of corresponding nodes on the different surfaces of the basic sector. Fig 2 shows a basic sector of a 7 wire strand on the left and a typical load-axial strain curve of a strand made of high carbon drawn wires on the right. FE modelling results of Jiang et al (1999) are much more accurate than the results by analytical modelling

by Costello.

FE modeling of stranded ropes

A 7 wire strand (1-6) is the simplest construction for FE modeling, for two reasons: small number of wires and more importantly the contact of wires along the central axis is continuous. A strand of (1-6) is cyclically symmetric and repetitive, which allows a basic sector to represent the whole strand. In the case of contra-laid strands (where some wires are laid left-handed and some right-handed) wire-to-wire conRope design including constructional design tact is discontinuous Axial load bearing constituents: Non axial load bearing constituents: along the rope axis • Type of materials: steel, fibres, composites, etc; • Fibre core: to support outer strands and the cyclical sym• Geometry: round, shaped; • Coating: e.g. zinc and other coatings on metry breaks down.

• Size: diameter and cross section area; steel wires; This means that even to model pure axial • Properties (technical specifications): including • Lubricants; loading, the rope must mechanical properties and the other properties • Plastic impregnation and sheathing; be modeled in three such as UV and abrasion resistance.

• Plastic inserts: round or shaped; dimensions.

Also • Plastic extruded core: e.g. Bridon Bristar. a strand of (1-6) is straight, whereas in a Table 1. Factors which must be considered when a new rope product is developed.

Since the early days of wire rope, R&D engineers and technologists have been starving to gain a better understating of the stress, strain, temperature change and other information of wires in a rope and their influences on the properties of a rope. Analytical modeling was attempted by Costello (1987)

66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

TECHNICAL PAPERS

stranded rope the outer strands themselves are arranged in a helix which means a double helix for the wires apart from the king wire which stays in a helix.

The contact pattern between the strands along the longitudinal axis of the rope is discontinuous too and the non-round strand surfaces add to the complexity as they can nest into each other. This nesting poses a challenge to the geometric model as it is a significant geometric deviation from the idealized model of helixes and double helixes. Ideally volume elements should be used, however the large quantity of mesh and required computing time is not feasible for most manufacturing companies, such that beam elements have been used which has been proven to be able to provide sufďŹ cient amount of essential information of the performances of the rope with missing details on wire cross section as the trade off.

The rope modelled is a 50 mm 6x19 right hand rope in Langs lay with a 7x7 IWRC (Fig 3 left). Wire tensile strength 1770 MPa, calculated break force 2,095 kN, lay length 339 mm and there are 139 wires in total.

Abaqus version 6.11 was used and there are 339 elements on each wire. The FE model represents one full lay

Fig. 1. The FE model of John Walton, left: the contact of two wires and the position of 2D FE mesh; right: comparison between modelling and test results of contact stress and depth.

Fig. 2. Left: basic sector of a 7 wire strand; right: a schematic drawing of a typical load-axial strain curve obtained by tensile-testing a strand made of high carbon, drawn wires.

Fig. 3. Left: the rope modelled is a 6x19 right hand Langs lay rope with diameter 50 mm and 7x7 IWRC; right: torque moments vs load curves comparing modelling results with data from Feyrer (2007). Figures are taken from Bechtold and Jeays (2013) with permission.

DECEMBER 2015 | 67

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER It is believed that FE modelling will continue to play an important role in rope R&D in Bridon.

Plastic impregnation increases service life of surface mining ropes As will be discussed in later sections of this paper, the development of wire ropes saw a number of different constructions invented in the 19th century. These constructions remain relevant today, but with the more significant development being the introduction of strand and rope Fig 4. Bridon low rotation multi layer rope development and application examcompaction and plastic impregples: Upper left is a sample cut from a commercial offer of 135mm Hydra Plus nation and extrusion. Using a 6 pipe-lay rope; bottom left is a sample of a prototype trial rope; image on the right shows the heaviest rope in Brdon history, a single piece weight of 367 tonne, strand rope as an example Table 2 summarises the characteristics and length 3900 metre long, also for a pipe-lay vessel as part of their abandonment performances of ropes with convenand recovery system. tional strands, compacted strands (e.g. Bridon Dyform), cores with length. Details of the modelling work was presented at plastic impregnation and plastic extrusion (e.g. Bridon OIPEEC 2013, Fig 4 depicts torque moment-load curves. It Bristar).

Successful application of these technologies and in can be seen that FE modelling agrees with Feyrer’s results surface mining ropes is introduced in Section 2.1 and 2.2. very well (Feyrer, 2007).

Applying FE modelling to multi strands rope design

Compaction and plastic extrusion improves service life of surface mining ropes

Large multi layer multi strand ropes are costly to produce and test. As a matter of fact there are limited facilities worldwide to test these ropes of large diameter, e.g. above 100mm. Therefore FE work provides important information for design optimisation. Based on modelling, detailed analyses and real sample tests, Bridon developed a number of different groups of Hydra brand multi strand ropes. Fig 4 displays photos of two rope samples on the left and a 3.9 km long, diameter 135 mm Hydra multi strand rope with single piece weight of 367 tonnes on the right. The other important products FE has been applied to are large spiral strands for offshore mooring and composite rods for hybrid products.

Bridon has been manufacturing high performance wire ropes for the surface mining industry for a long time. In one of its recent R&D projects, 8 strand ropes with compacted outer strands and plastic extruded Bristar core (Bridon BiG T Bristar) have been successfully developed. To evaluate the performance of this new product three types of ropes were tested in a field trial with a surface mining company.

It can be seen in Fig 5 that compared with Bridon BiG T conventional 8 strand ropes, the new product BiG T Bristar increased service life by 30-50% for drag lines and hoist ropes; compared with manufacture A’s products the increments are even greater.

Development of special extrusion polymer for ropes used in sub-zero condition

Fig 5. Left: Performance comparison chart of threes surface mining ropes; Right: illustration of a dragline excavator in surface mining.

68 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Another production line of Bridon surface mining rope is the Tiger Blue shovel ropes, see Fig 6. Ranging from 43mm to 73mm in diameter with 8 outer strands, the rope core is fully plastic encapsulated in addition to plastic impregnation of the core, which gives the following unique characteristics: Reduced wire-contact stress; Lubricants retained longer; Innovative construction for less

TECHNICAL PAPERS

stress and longer life; Reduced internal corrosion.

Recently customers required the rope to maintain its excellent performance under sub-zero condition with temperature being as low as -60 ˚C, e.g. the plastic materials should remain ductile to prevent cracks from happening. Bridon R&D team undertook a project to develop a series of polymeric materials with different blending compositions to meet this technical challenge. Fig 6 shows the lowest temperatures at which Tiger Blue ropes encapsulated with these polymeric materials have satisfactory performances. Polymer material for ropes to work at as low as -80 ˚C is available.

Fig 6. Left: Bridon Tiger Blue 8 ropes are used as hoist ropes for shovels in surface mining; right: different polymer blends have been developed for Tiger Blue ropes used at sub-zero temperatures.

Development of fibre rope of wire rope construction Mooring ropes are used on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) transportation vessels when they dock at the port. Bridon developed an additional product line for those LNG vessels operating in hot climate. The typical length of these mooring ropes are 275 m, so this project may also be regarded as a “small scale” trial of full fibre ropes for offshore deployment and recovery and deep shaft mining hoist applications, which often need ropes of two to three thousand meters or even longer and therefore the risk is even higher.

The fibre textile yarn selected is aramid Technora T200 WL supplied by Teijin Aramid BV; which has 3% wt marine finish and a linear density of 1670 dtex. The rope is 6 over 1 wire rope construction with a low helix angle, both core and outer strands have 19 ropes yarns (twisted yarns). All ropes were braided with polyester jackets and then test samples were spliced with soft eyes each end.

The production of bulky ropes followed a typical manufacturing process, as illustrated in Fig 7.

Tensile break, abrasion, tension-tension fatigue and creep

Table 2. Characteristics and performances of ropes with conventional strands, compacted strands, plastic impregnated and extruded cores.

DECEMBER 2015 | 69

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Properties

Steel wire rope (Bridon Endurance Dyform 6)

Fire rope of wire rope construction (Bridon Technolite)

COMPARISON OF FINISHED ROPE Diameter, mm

32 (nominal)

31.5 (actual)

Construction

Dyform 6x19-IWRC core

6x19 outer strand and 1x19 core

848 with 1960MPa wire;

906 (actual)

Minimum break force, kN

920 with 2160MPa wire Apparent elastic modulus, GPa

69 (at 20% MBF, on nominal cross section area, 103 GPa on metallic area)

~33 (at 20% MBF)

Elongation at break, %

5.3

3.5

Linear mass, kg/m

4.7

0.8

Tenacity, cN/dtex

1.96

11.3

COMPARISON OF ROPE MAKING MATERIALS Raw materials

Drawn wires

Textile yarns (Teijin T200)

Tensils strength, MPa

1960, 2160

3400

Tensile modulus, GPa

200

73 (non-twisted)

Elongation at break

2.5

4.0-4.8 (non-twisted)

7.9

1.4

2.73

21.33

Specific density,

g/cm3

Tenacity, cN/dtex

(Data are typical values, used for comparison only)

Table 3. Comparison between steel wire rope and fibre rope and their raw materials.

Fig 7. Production of rope samples, photos showing rope closing.

70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tests have been undertaken to evaluate the new rope. Tensile tests were carried out in Bridon Technical Centre on the 125t Machine. Tests were carried out by following specifications of OCIMF 2000 Section F in terms of loading speed, cycling procedures before final breaking, sample soaking method for new wet breaking strength (NWBS) test, etc (OCIMF, 2000). Fig 8 is a photograph showing the wet break and fatigue test facilities.

From comparison in Table 3, it can be seen that for the same rope diameter, fibre rope can achieve same break force of the wire rope made of ~2000 MPa tensile grade wires but the weight of a fibre rope is much lower, 17% of a wire rope in this case. This is because of the difference in specific density of the two types of rope making materials. The elastic modulus of textile fibre yarns is lower than steel wire (about 1/3), however when wires are made into a rope, the apparent elastic modulus of a steel rope is reduced more than textile yarns in a fibre rope, so the difference in elastic module of the two ropes is less great.

High modulus synthetic fibre rope

Fig 8. Wet tensile break tests in Bridon Technology Centre.

Historical review of ropes and the future of rope development Historical review of rope development and evolution Numerous records show that ropes have been used by human beings for many thousand years, the earliest example is probably the cave painting of late Palaeolithic or Mesolithic date found in Eastern Spain, which depicts a person using what appeared to be ropes to climb down a cliff in order to collect wild honey (McKenna et al, 2004, p1). In Chinese oracle (25002000 BC) the word for strands and ropes vividly illustrates the very basic production method and structure of a rope – the twist, which evolves into the modern form of calligraphic Chinese character (Zhuan style) for “rope” as shown in the middle of Fig 9 (the right is the print style of the same word typed into the text).

Fibre ropes dominated the role as human being’s lifting tool all the way up to 1800s when steel wire ropes (more accurately low carbon iron wire ropes at that stage) started to be developed and replace fibre ropes. It is after man-made fibres were synthesized in 1930’s (interestingly about 100 years after first wire rope was invented) that synthetic fibre ropes started to retake a small part of the share. It is estimated for various lifting, pulling and tensioning applications worldwide, wire

Fig 10. The evolution of the market shares between fibre ropes and steel wire ropes.

Fig 11. The production of carbon nano fibres, further processes and winding on bobbins and a small “rope” made with carbon nano fibre.

Images taken from www.msm.cam.ac.uk.

DECEMBER 2015 | 71

TECHNICAL PAPERS

area much less “stretchy” than most people would think; elongation at break is actually slightly smaller than that of wire ropes. These properties are useful when fibre ropes are considered to substitute wire ropes. There are however issues to be considered including degradation of fibre

by UV exposure (steel is not affected), creep under thermal effects, abrasion and mechanical damage: for example fibre ropes are much more vulnerable to cuts Fig 9. Left: “strand and rope” in Chinese oracle; middle and right: the or scores by sharp objects. Of course cor- characters for “rope” in modern Chinese. rosion is no longer a concern with fibre ropes. Details of the project are published in another paper (Ridge, et al 2015) and Bridon is keen to work with mining operation companies to explore the possible application of fibre ropes. Synthetic fibre rope is about 150 years younger than steel wire rope, much R&D needs to be done to make use of the potentials of them. This will be discussed in more details in the next section of this paper.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Fig 12. Carbon nano fibres showing 100% of knot efficiency. Image taken from “Cambridge Materials Eyes”(Leake et al, 2011).

Steel Wire Rope

Synthetic Fibre Rope

Time

Milestones

Time

Material, rope production and application

1822

First wire rope (iron cable) used in bridge in Geneva, Switzerland.

1935

Nylon synthesised, DuPont

1828

Wire rope claimed by Andrew Smith.

1939

PE for fibre developed

1943

Nylon parachute manufactured

Prior to Albert rope ↑ 1834

Albert rope, 3 strand, 4 wires per strand, W A J Albert

1941

Polyester developed, ICI

1840s

A Smith and R Newall, 6 strand rope with internal cores

1948

Large strand nylon rope

18401860

J A Roebling, combining wires of three sizes and strands of equal lay

1950

Nylon widely used for ropes (Wicopedia)

1879

Langs lay after J Lang.

1957

Double braid developed by Samson

1880s

T Seale, Seale construction and J Stone’s 6x25 filler construction; J

1971

Aramid developed

1888

A Latch and T C Batchelor: shaped wire and “locked” strand wire rope

1976

Kevlar in ropes

18751908

“Alternately lay” ropes and “non-rotating” ropes

1978

Wire rope construction fibre rope, Whitehill

1956

Bridon Dyform patent granted

1980

Superline construction, Marlow

1970s

Plastic impregnation

1982

PBO (polybenzoxazole) developed, US Air Force

19902000

Plastic inserts, Bridon ZEBRA; Bridon Bristar extruded core

1987

HMPE used in ropes, Samson

1986

12 strand ropes, Samson

1988

LCP, Celanese

1997

PEN fibre developed

1997

Polyester tether for offshore mooring

2000

Carbon nano fibre

Table 4. Some milestone events of wire rope and fibre rope in modern history, summarised by quoting from Flory (2012), Weise and Ridge (2009), Sayenga (2009) and British Rope (1971).

72 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ropes account for 90% of the total market (Flory, 2012). Fig 10 illustrates this change of role and share of usage between wire rope and fibre rope along time and Table 4 summaries some of the milestone events in the development of wire ropes and synthetic fibre ropes.

The authors estimate it will be after 2100s when synthetic fibre ropes retrieve the dominant role lost to wire ropes in the last 1-2 centuries.

From Table 4 it can be seen that the development of new constructions and new products of wire rope happened mostly in 1800s and slowed down in the last century or so, whereas new fibre materials were actually invented in later 1990s and are continuing to be developed. Tensile strength is the number one property of ropes and rope making materials. Since Albert rope was invented in 1834, the strength of wires has been increased from 520 MPa to 2000 MPa, nowadays, 2160 and 2260 MPa wires are used in rope production. For fibre ropes, the development is even more impressive. High modulus fibres including HMPE (high modulus polyethylene), aramid (Kevlar, Twaron, Technora) and LCP (liquid crystal polymer) Vectran have strength of around 3000 MPa. PBO (polybenzoxazole) fibre’s strength is 5800 MPa, carbon fibre has similar strength but is too brittle for ropes, so carbon fibres are normally used in fibre reinforced composites. The discovery of carbon nano tubes and the claimed super high strength

Tensile Elongation, Strength, MPa %

Made

Notes

Aramid

Twaron 2200

105

3,085

2.7

Twisted yarn

HMPE

DSM Dyneema®

109

3,300

3-4

Yarn type SK75

Carbon

Toray, T700S

230

4,900

2.1

impregnated strand used

PBO (polybenzoxazole)

Zylon HM

270

5,800

3.5

Twisted yarn

Carbon

Toray, T1000G

294

6,370

2.2

Impregnated strand used

Carbon nano tubes

Various

1,200

130,000

6.0

(Huang et al, 2006);

Table 5. Comparison between some selected high strength fibres (data quoted from manufacturers’ catalogue) and carbon nano tubes. e.g. 130,000 MPa (Huang et al, 2006) raises further expectations of higher break force of ropes, but there are different views. The possibility of applying carbon nano tubes and carbon nano fibres in ropes is to be discussed in the following section.

Prospects of future development of ropes The principal acceptance criterion of a rope is the tensile strength of the finished product (Walton, 1987).

In most cases rope systems are designed and ropes sold according to the rope breaking strength (Ridge, 2007), although the requirements of rope performances can be a long list. From research and innovation point of view, rope provides a simple and easy way of evaluating the tensile strength of new materials. Since carbon nano tubes were discovered in 1990s, many papers have been published about their extremely attractive properties including ultra-high tensile modulus and tensile strength.

The question has been asked whether carbon nano tubes and carbon nano fibres will be the next generation of raw materials for super high strength fibre ropes.

The basic constituents of a fibre rope are the filaments of the yarns. To achieve high tensile breaking force of a single filament, the most important factor is the strength of the bonds between atoms along the chains of the molecule in a filament, of course the length, orientation and the other characteristics of the molecule can have influences. This is the mechanism by which single wall carbon nano tubes achieve the highest tensile modules and tensile strength amongst all man-made materials – all carbon atoms in one nano tube are connected by sp2 bonds (stronger than sp3 in diamonds). Table 5 demonstrates the superiority of carbon nano tubes by comparing it with some of the high performance fibres in terms of tensile modules, tensile strengths and elongation at break.

It can be seen that tensile modulus and strength of carbon nano tubes are about 10 and 35 times higher than HMPE (high modulus polyethylene) respectively. However these

properties are measured using small samples often in micrometer length scale. To go from short filaments to long yarns (made of thousands of filaments) one has to overcome a number of challenges including size effects and load share. To achieve the aggregated breaking force of filaments, all the filaments need to be perfect – free of any defects along their full lengths and all filaments share the tensile load by contributing their full strength. Also in most engineering systems strength is measured over cross sectional area, so filaments need to be “packed” as much as possible to reduce void in cross section area. Although carbon nano tubes were discovered and well researched since early 1990s, up to 2005 no carbon nano tubes could match the strength of steel when the size of sample was over 2 mm (Bhadeshia, 2005).

In the last several years research institutions including Cambridge University put efforts to make “new” carbon fibres from nano tubes. According to report by “Cambridge Materials Eyes” (Leake et al, 2011), the process laboratory in Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy of Cambridge produced about 30 km of the fibre, weighing about 1 g, in a day, as shown in Fig 11. The resulting fibre is made up with “ultra-long” nano tubes (each tube about 1 mm long and 10 nm in diameter) and it has similar strength and stiffness to conventional carbon fibre but is exceptionally tough (a factor of three better than KevlarTM). Remarkably, it shows 100% “knot efficiency”, i.e. a knotted fibre (illustrated) is as strong as an unknotted one, an unusual property important to rope application, as depicted in Fig 12. It is obvious that there is still a long way to go before ropes can be made with these fibres. However carbon is such an abundant element in the world; it is the process (cost, quality) that locks the opportunity of large scale application. The huge commercial potential of carbon nano tubes in the application of electronic industry has driven the production to a stunning level of hundreds of tonnes p.a. It was reported that “(carbon nanotube) annual production capacities

DECEMBER 2015 | 73

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Tensile Modulus, GPa

Fibre

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER measured in thousands of tonnes and they are available for immediate use” (Shaffer, 2011). It will not be too surprising if similar investment and commercialisation progress happen to carbon nano fibre development.

From above observation and discussion it appears there are strong reasons to believe that with the reduction of cost and improvement of quality, carbon nano fibres will probably become the next generation of ultra-high strength rope making fibres.

Summary Ropes play important roles in both engineering operations as well as various recreational activities in the other aspects of life such as climbing and rescuing. This paper reports some of Bridon’s innovations in research and new product development including new high performance ropes for the mining industry.

Finite element modelling using advanced computer software was used to investigate the performance of stranded ropes particularly their torsional characteristics.

The results are applied to optimize construction design in new product development of Bridon’ flagship products —the multi strand multi layer non rotating Hydra series ropes.

Strand compaction and plastic impregnation and Britar extrusion have been applied to develop hoist and drag ropes with enhanced performance for the surface mining industry. Field trial verified that the service life of these new ropes have been increased significantly over conventional products. Modification of plastic impregnation polymer materials in Bridon Tiger Blue ropes used on shovels in surface mining ensures excellent performance at sub-zero temperatures as low as -60 to -80˚C. It is widely recognised that owing to their high strength light weight advantages, synthetic fibre ropes will replace wire ropes in more and more applications. Using a 6 strand aramid LNG tank mooring rope and a 6 strand steel wire rope as examples this paper compares the differences between these two types of ropes and discusses the technical challenges when fibre ropes are considered as substitutes for wire ropes. Bridon has been a manufacturer of both wire rope and fibre rope since its establishment prior to 1800. With R&D, testing and manufacturing capabilities and facilities suitable for both of them, Bridon will continue to develop and supply the most suitable solutions to its customers.

Strength and modulus values of carbon nano tubes, in most cases measured at micro scale, are more than one order of magnitude higher than that of steels and commercially available high modulus fibres. Authors of the paper believe that the wish to develop next generation ropes with substantially higher strength reply probably on development of these new fibrous carbons materials, although there is still a long way to go for them to be used in rope production including further development and commercialisation.

74 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

References Ashby M F. Engineering Materials I (third edition), ELSEVIER (London), 2005, p29 Bechtold M and Jeays A, Calculation of modulus and torque of a 6x19 IWRC rope with a Finite Element Model using beam elements, Proceedings of the OIPEEC 2013, Oxford UK, 10-12 March 2013, ISBN: 978-0-9552500-4-0, p225-235.

Bhadeshia H.K.D.H., Large chunks of strong steel.

Mat. Sci. & Tech. (London), 21 (11), 2005: 1293-1302.

British Rope Limited, Chronology of Cordage Wire and Wire Rope, Bridon International internal record, 1971.

Costello G A. Analytical investigation of wire rope.

Appl. Mech. Rev 1978, 31:7.

DSM, “Dyneema datasheet”, Ref CIS YA100, 200801-01.

European Union, Official Journal of the European Union, DIRECTIVE 2006/42/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL, of 17 May 2006, on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC (recast); L 157/24, 9th Jun e2006.

Feyrer K, Wire Ropes - Tension, Endurance, Reliability, Springer Verlag, ISBN: 978354044821-5, 2007.

Flory J, The Past and Future of Fibre Rope Technology, presentation at 10th International Rope Technology Workshop, 13-15 Nov 2012 Napa, California, USA. Huang J Y, Chen S, Wang Z Q, Kempa K, Wang Y M, Jo S H, Chen G, Dresselhaus M S and Ren Z F (2006).

Superplastic carbon nanotubes, Nature, 439: 281.

Jiang W G, Yao M S, Walton J M.A concise finite element model for simple straight wire rope strand, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 1999, 41:143-161.

Leake J, Greer L and Hobson R (editorial team) 2011.

Q-Flo - Spinning a yarn. Cambridge Materials Eyes (Newsletter) No 21:1.

McKenna H. A., Hearle J.W. S. and O’Hear N., Handbook of fibre rope technology, Woodhead Publishing Limited in association with The Textile Institute Cambridge, England, 2004.

OCIMF, “Guidelines for the Purchasing and Testing of SPM Hawsers”, ISBN: 9781856092012, 2000.

Ridge, I.M.L., O’Hear, N., Verreet, R., Grabandt, O. and Das, C.A. High strength fibre cored steel wire rope for deep hoisting applications. In Proceedings of the OIPEEC Conference ‘How to get the most out of your ropes’, September 2007, Johannesburg, Paper No. ODN 0820: 225-240, ISBN: 978-0-9552500-1-9.

Ridge I M L, Wang P, Grabandt O and N. O’Hear, Appraisal of ropes for LNG moorings, Proceedings of the OIPEEC Conference 24-26 March 2015, Stuttgart, Germany, ISBN: 978-0-9552500, p. 97-115.

Sayenga D A, Innovative ropes and rope applications, Proceedings of the OIPEEC Conference 18-19 March 2009, Stuttgart, Germany, p.170-180.

Wang

Walton

Pengzhu Wang graduated from China University of Mining & Technology (CUMT) with a BSc degree in metallic materials. He worked in CUMT and earned postgraduate degrees there. He was awarded a Royal Society Fellowship to visit the University of Cambridge Material Science and Metallurgy Department, where he earned a PhD in engineering polymer materials. He joined Bridon International in Doncaster, England, in 2005, and has since worked on research and new product development projects of both wire ropes and fiber ropes.

Dr. Wang is a Fellow of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and a Chartered Engineer. He has published some 30 papers in journals and conference proceedings.

He is a member of OIPEEC and chairs Technical Working Group 2 (ropes and slings) in EUROCORD. John M. Walton is a Professional Engineer with 50 years experience in the wire rope industry. He has

Terrones et al., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 2004.

Walton J. 1987. Contact Stresses in Wire Ropes, Thesis for MPhil thesis, University of Leeds, March 1987, p6.

Weise J C and Ridge I M L, W. A. J. Albert and his wire ropes, Proceedings of the OIPEEC Conference 18-19 March 2009, Stuttgart, Germany, p1-32.

Jeays focused on leading-edge of technology and has filed numerous patents. He holds a BSc degree in mechanical engineering from University of Leeds. He was elected a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1988.

He holds an MBA degree from the University of Sheffield. He has worked at Bridon International in a variety of technical roles since 1965. Adam Jeays holds a degree in medical systems engineering and a PhD in medical physics from the University of Sheffield. A chartered mechanical engineer, in 2010 he joined Bridon, where he has worked on product development, testing methodologies, rope design and rope property prediction, including developing Bridon’s FEA rope modelling capability. He was responsible for the development of Bridon’s 44LR construction.

Andreas Heinrich, a mechanical engineer, joined Thyssen Draht AG as a production assistant. After

Heinrich

Verwaayen

separation of the wire rope business from Thyssen Draht AG in 1994, he became operations manager of the newly established company, which was taken over by Bridon in 1995. He has experience in industrial sales, implementing a new sales team in Europe, and has served as managing director of Bridon Germany. He is now responsible for the Eastern Market as a technical applications manager. Johannes Verwaayen holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic School in Düsseldorf, Germany. He joined the rope devision of ThyssenDraht AG, serving as technical manager in 1979. He was appointed managing director of the Gelsenkirchen plant in 1994. The company was taken over by Bridon in 1995, and in 2004 he became technical director of Bridon. He has served as chief technologist since 2012, introducing Bridon’s latest technology to the worldwide customer base.

DECEMBER 2015 | 75

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Shaffer M, Bismark A, Greenhalgh E, Qian S and Herceg T (2011). Performance without compromise, Composite in Manufacturing, Issue April 2011: 32.

Teijin, “General Datasheet Technora”, QMT 41602.3.3, 2009-06-26 and Grabandt, O. email communication, 19 March 2015 Teijinaramid, www.teijinaramid.com, visited on 23 Nov 2013.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY Fiber-curing system provides top optical performance, uniformity ®

At IWCS 2015, Excelitas Technologies , a global technology leader focused on delivering innovative, customized photonic solutions, introduced its NEW OmniCure AC8225-F UV LED fiber-curing system with a custom optical design for curing fiber optic coatings.

A press release said that the new, air-cooled OmniCure AC8225-F provides outstanding optical performance, exceptional cost savings, easy integration and superior uniformity. With advanced front-end optics, the system delivers 12W/cm2 peak irradiance and exceptional uniformity at a 10 to 18 mm working distance for fast, even curing.

By adapting the output to support the requirements of the application, the new AC8225-F system provides optimized performance for this demanding curing process.

The OmniCure AC8225-F utilizes a patented LED control technology that also provides the ability to adjoin multiple systems while maintaining optical uniformity between each system. The production-proven system delivers high peak irradiance while offering up to 60% energy savings compared with traditional arc lamp systems with no compromises in line speed. With over 40,000 hours of LED lifetime and no replacement parts, maintenance costs are even further reduced.

“Excelitas’ OmniCure UV LED Curing Systems offer numerous benefits for a wide range of applications, from significantly lower electrical and equipment maintenance costs to increased manufacturing uptime,” the release said.

Contact: Excelitas Technologies, www.excelitas.com.

Zero-halogen line of flex cables have reduced diameter, weight.

U.S.-based Alpha Wire reports that its new EcoFlex® PUR family of zero-halogen, oil-resistant, reduced diameter continuous flex cables offer multiple advantages for continuous flex applications.

A press release said that the EcoFlex PUR cable line—an addition to the company’s EcoGen™ portfolio of compact, lightweight, zero-halogen wire and cable—uses mPPE 76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

insulation and a tough, abrasion-resistant polyurethane jacket that enables reliable 600 V performance in cable that’s 40% smaller and 44% lighter than typical continuous flex cables.

“Saving weight and space is critical in industrial machinery, mining equipment, and outdoor applications, especially those utilizing cable tracks,” said Alpha Wire Senior Product Manager Justin Dubow. “But the weight and space savings cannot come at the expense of durability and reliable performance in these demanding applications. At eight million flex cycles and counting, EcoFlex PUR has proven itself to be just as durable as traditional continuous flex cables, but with the additional weight and size savings and zero halogen value only an EcoGen product could offer.”

The release said that the zero-halogen PUR jacket offers exceptional abrasion resistance, resists oils and UV radiation, and remains flexible at temperatures down to -40°C. Its mPPE insulation contributes to size and weight savings, and enables the cables to meet RoHS and REACH requirements for the elimination of hazardous substances and recyclability. EcoFlex PUR cables are currently available in over 120 standard shielded and unshielded configurations, and up to 36 conductors.

Contact: Alpha Wire, www.alphawire.com/ecogen.

Platinum-clad tantalum wire offered for implantable medical devices

U.S.-based Anomet Products has a simple concept: platinum-clad tantalum wire for implantable medical devices.

A press release said that the company is offering custom manufactured, clad-composite wire that is biocompatible, strong and corrosion-resistant for use in fabricating implantable medical devices. The wire, it said, combines the properties of each alloy to provide a biocompatible, high-strength, and corrosion resistant radiopaque wire for use in short-term and long-term implantable medical devices. It is suitable for coils, electrodes, leads, and sensors, and this

High-data rate Ethernet cables meet civil aerospace industry requirements W.L. Gore & Associates has introduced GORE® Ethernet cables to meet the civil aerospace industry’s emerging need for higher data rate cables in a lightweight, flexible and routable package.

A press release said that the cables, engineered for the demands of modern airborne digital networks, provide high-speed data transmission up to 10 gigabits over longer distances. They provide excellent signal integrity with stable performance in demanding environments, including a wide range of temperatures. The cables are available in two standard sizes: 24 AWG and 26 AWG.

The cables, the release said, feature a unique cable jacket material and high-density construction that significantly reduces weight and diameter for improved installation. This connector insert is a direct replacement for current quadrax technology that allows for up to 20 times the data in the same space. “Being able to directly replace a size eight quadrax connector within an ARINC 600 or 38999 shell with the Gore 10GbE product combined with a Glenair El Ochito™ connector allows for a dramatic increase in data capability within the same form factor,” said Gore Application Engineer Jeremy Moore. The unique cable jacket material, he said, provides the ideal combination of high speed and lighter weight necessary for a wide range of aerospace applications.

The Ethernet cables carry on the heritage and proven success of GORE Aerospace Cables and Materials such as GORE 1394b FireWire® Cables, which have long been the premier solution for 1394b FireWire data links on

DECEMBER 2015 | 77

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

conductive wire can be made in sizes from .002 in. to .125 in. (.05 mm to 3 mm) with 2% typical cladding thickness.

The platinum-clad tantalum wire, the release said, provides greater ductility and formability than filled or plated wire, and is suitable for use in deep brain neuro-stimulators, Cochlear implants, gastric stimulators, insulin pumps, cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers. The company offers this product as well as other clad wire material combinations, with different cladding layers offered.

Contact: Daniel F. Lambert, Anomet Products, Inc., tel. 508- 842-3069, dlambert@anometproducts.com, www.anometproducts.com.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

military aircraft, the release said. Gore has leveraged this technology to deliver faster and more robust solutions to the civil industry and in-flight entertainment (IFE) market. “Providing a capability within the IFE market place to replace multiple quad cables with a single 10GbE Gore cable allows our customers to save both weight and cost while increasing their ability to satisfy the industry demand for ever-increasing data usage.”

Typical applications include avionics networks, digital video systems, content loading, cabin management systems, flight management systems, Ethernet backbone, and IFE systems.

Contact: W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., electronics.usa@wlgore.com, www.gore.com.

Chemical wire strippers are effective at removing insulation from wires The DSP Series of chemical wire strippers from The Eraser Company can remove insulation from magnet and enamel wire, including Litz wire, without damage to the wire.

A press release said that the U.S.-based company’s DSP pots are designed specifically for use with Dip Strip, which starts as a solid crystal form and melts to a liquid when heated. Wires are immersed in the chemical, which will bubble slightly as the insulation is removed. The stripped wires are then rinsed in water and Dip Clean 2 metal cleaner used to remove oxides and residue, and then again in water. Dip Strip does not corrode conductors as will acid strippers.

The chemicals do not fume, and only normal ventilation is required.

Models in the DSP series include the DSP1 and DSP2.

These pots can hold one pound of the dip strip chemical.

The DSP1 has a standard variable temperature control, while the DSP2 features an advanced feedback temperature control.

The USP1 stripping pot is designed for use with very fine wire from 40 to 48 gauge and uses the ultrafine stripper chemical. This chemical starts as a liquid and has a lower surface tension than dip strip, which allows very fine wire to penetrate the surface more easily.

Dip Strip comes in a one-pound bag, two-pound bag, or a 50-pound bucket. Dip Clean 2 metal cleaner is available in a one pint or one gallon container. Dip Strip Neutralizer is also required, and is a safe, economic method to dispose of Dip Strip and Ultrafine Stripper chemicals after use in the stripping pots.

Contact: The Eraser Company, tel. 800-724-0594, info@eraser.com, www.eraser.com.

78 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Coating for surface of conductors can help optimize a power grid U.S.-based General Cable has introduced E3X™ technology that enables utilities to optimize a power grid by adding more capacity and controlling losses, resulting in improved sustainability, reliability and resilience with significant first-cost and long-term operational savings.

A press release said that the patent-pending E3X Technology is a thin, durable coating ® applied to the surface of any General Cable TransPowr overhead conductor to increase conductor emissivity and reduce absorptivity, improving heat dissipation and minimizing heat absorption. TransPowr with E3X Technology drives results: a reduced conductor size for a given ampacity rating, or increased ampacity rating and reduced operating temperature for a given conductor size, improving energy effectiveness and efficiency. And it delivers an accelerated payback period, on average, of less than two years.

The E3X Technology lowers project costs by up to 20% by reducing conductor sag or size, which optimizes structures, hardware and labor for new lines, the release said. Alternatively, up to 25% lower reconductoring costs are achieved due to increased conductor ampacity, facilitating improved operation within the existing infrastructure without upgrades. By increasing emissivity and lowering absorptivity of overhead conductors, E3X Technology also reduces conductor line losses up to 25% via lower operating temperature (up to 30%) resulting in significant operational savings for the life of the transmission line. Easy to implement, TransPowr with E3X Technology is a highly adaptive innovation that can be applied without any modification to installation, termination or maintenance practices.

Contact: General Cable, www.generalcable.com.

Heavy duty drum twister reels can fit multiple customer requirements Canada’s Howar Equipment, Inc., in combination with Italy’s Boxy SpA, have designed and manufactured structural steel reels in numerous configurations to suit customer requirements.

A press release said that the SR-3000 reel (118 in.) was designed for a drum-twister application with particular attention to detail. As one customer correctly pointed out, “A reel is not just a simple container. It is imperative that it fits correctly in the machinery and ensures that the cable being wound onto the reel does not damage the cable in any way.”

steady rotation of the reel for equal tension throughout the stranding process.

Howar Equipment is able to produce reels up to 5 m (197 in.) for all cabling, stranding, insulating and shipping applications.

Contact: HOWAR Equipment, Inc., sales@ howarequipment.com, tel. 905-669-4010, www.howarequipment.com

Calibration kits serve general purposes U.S.-based Pasternack is offering new 50 and 75 Ohm calibration kits that include short circuit, open circuit, load and through components operating Up to 26.5 GHz. A press release said that Pasternack, a supplier of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has expanded the company’s portfolio of general purpose VNA calibratied for proper testing. The kits are

DECEMBER 2015 | 79

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

The reel is specially reinforced for the double-rotation stresses of a drum twister whereby 15 tons of cable are rotated during the cabling/ stranding process. To ensure structural stability, the flanges need to be manufactured using appropriate steel materials, and then tied together laterally using additional bracing to withstand the centrifugal forces.

Special care was taken to provide a “radiused edge” at the flange side in order to avoid any potential cable damage. Robotic welding was employed to ensure a consistent and smooth welding pattern on the inner surfaces of the reel. In order to increase durability and precision the drive hole assembly was manufactured using wear resistant bushings which will help retain a

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

suitable for many 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm network analyzers from the industry’s leading providers such as Agilent, Rohde & Schwarz, Anritsu and Copper Mountain. The RF test and measurement kits come packaged inside protective wooden boxes.

“A properly calibrated VNA allows for precise characterization of RF and microwave components and our new calibration kits provide the precision components needed to perform accurate user calibrations,” said, Pasternack Interconnect Product Manager Steve Ellis.

Contact: Pasternack, tel. 949-261-1920, www.pasternack.com.

Contact: UNIGEL USA, info@unigel.co.uk, www.unigel.com.

MEDIA New website provides the ultimate in resources for industry customers PolyOne has launched a new corporate website, www.polyone.com, which offers enhanced, customer-centric content and intuitive navigation.

2 water-blocking compounds designed for optical fiber buffer loose tubes UNIGEL USA, part of U.K.-based UNIGEL, offers two water-blocking compounds for optical fibers.

A press release said that UNIGEL 500N (A) is a low-density, water-blocking compound specifically designed for improved performance at low temperatures and for filling optical fiber buffer loose tubes at high line speeds. It is a soft, non-sticky hydrophobic compound, flexible down to –60°C, nondraining at 80°C and thixotropic for controlled filling at ambient temperature. It is non-nutritive to fungus, exhibits low hydrogen generation, zero oil separation with excellent resistance to oxidation for long-term stability. The compound is compatible with most cable grade polymers. It is suitable for cold pumping and processing enabling cable filling without voids created by compound shrinkage.

UNIGEL 400N is a water-blocking compound specifically designed for filling optical fiber buffer loose tubes at high line speeds. It is soft, non-sticky hydrophobic compound, flexible down to –50°C, non-draining at 80°C and thixotropic for controlled filling at ambient temperature. UNIGEL 400N is non nutritive to fungus, exhibits low hydrogen generation, zero oil separation with excellent resistance to oxidation for long-term stability. It is compatible with most cable grade polymers.

Tests on typical acrylate-coated optical fiber show no reaction but it is recommended that compatibility tests are made with all materials likely to come into contact with the gel.

UNIGEL 400N is suitable for cold pumping and processing enabling cable filling without voids created by compound shrinkage. A line-synchronized gel metering system is available comprising of a drum pump, de-aeration, filtration unit and a metering control unit for stable dosing of the gel.

80 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

A press release said that the new website was built to be a resource for those seeking information about PolyOne solutions, services and ideas.

“We know our customers are always looking to online sources to do their jobs better, find solutions faster, and stay on top of what’s next in their industry,” said Cathy K. Dodd, vice president, Marketing, PolyOne Corporation. “In updating our site, we focused not only on meeting our customers’ information needs, but also on inspiring them with a library of comprehensive content that fosters their success.”

The new PolyOne.com consolidates the company’s global portfolio from 12 legacy websites into a customer-centric experience. In a single website, users can now find PolyOne solutions for thermoplastic elastomers, plasticizers, engineered materials, colorants, additives and more. Responsively designed, the site can be viewed just as well on a desktop as on a mobile phone or tablet, which translates into a consistent web experience that makes finding safety data sheets, product literature and in-depth content easy and instinctive.

Featuring a fully integrated, global directory of contact information, the site also includes enriched career and investor information centers. Case studies, webinars, and insights are located in a new idea center that links to a searchable resource database filled with white papers, expert articles, videos and literature. New industry sections help keep users updated on trends and solutions related to specific applications.

Contact: PolyOne, www.polyone.com.

New website introduces company logo, more info on products/services U.S.-based Galaxy Wire & Cable, Inc., has launched its new website, www.galaxywire.com, where the company presents its new logo, branding and more.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

HAIW13Sponsors_Layout 1 3/21/2013 11:14 AM Page 1

INTERWIRE 2013 | THE LARGEST WIRE AND CABLE MARKETPLACE IN THE AMERICAS.

vides a long list ofsponsors insulation and and manufacturer of cusThank you to our forjackflow of insulation f comes in models, the SI3100 and SI4100.

More than nine months out from WAI’s staging oftwo Interwire eting materials that can be used, along tom and stock wire and At wire Düsseldorf, Maille The Surface Inspector provides operator of with theirthe support 2015 in Atlanta, exhibitors at last count have now accounted with conductor, shielding and other model MXI 150, t cable based in Horsham, extruder, digital image feedback of the current for nearly 90% of the floor plan’s 106,100up-to-the-second sq ft at the Georgia enhancement options.

Customers Pennsylvania, provides users with a can low melt temperatur jacket,that baraortotal water World Congress Center. WAI Sales staff reports of soluble tape quality on any producuse the Custom Cable Quote Form to with deep, rich information tion line. This continuous stream of real time informa93,300 sq ft of floor space have been taken. provide their required specifications and about Galaxy’s products tion–especially “At this time, we’re ahead of where we were two years the failure images–allows the operator get a quick response from Galaxy. The and services so that customisolate acauses ago,” said WAI Sales Director Bob Xeller.to “There’s lot of of jacket imperfections and water solsection on standard ers can better understand ublelarger tape booths folds. This result allows you to identify the wire and cable lists positive momentum.” At this point, all of the offerings for commercial applications, Galaxy’s extensive offerings of surface have been taken, with the largest availablecauses sizes now being defects and prevents customer comthose that meeting MIL specifications, and easily qualify Galaxy 400 sq ft (20 x 20). If demand continues toplaints streamorin,rejects. it may and UL/CSA approved products, along as a wire and cable supplier.

Using the Surface Inspector, you can capture images of be possible to expand the floor plan, he said. with tubing, sleeving, and wire manageThe website’s responsive your printed cable, save the images to disk and print them ment products and molded cord sets. design makes it easy to view out tofor include in your quality reporting both internally A of sponsorships exists The Assemblies & Harnesses section andwide use onrange computers, tabto your customers. The Surface Inspector’s display the 2015 staging Interwire in and Atlanta highlights a range of value-added serlets and mobile devices.ofThe also makes it easy for engineering and production super . . . . . . . . capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . 529 Mossber vices MFL and Group manufacturing new logo and seeking tagline provide Companies recognition at Interwire 2015 have a visors to examine the defect.

The category for Applications shows two awide modern, tech-savvy look to MGS Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . 103 Mossber range of WAI sponsorship opportunities at the Georgia Defect locations can also be recorded, this willfor allow dozen uses Galaxy’s wire and cable match Galaxy’s capaWorld Congress broad Center, from the full event to individual eleMicro Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

132 Nextrom for further analysis of the defects later on.the TheIndustries Surface area describes many while bilitiesthat andare vastoffered experience. ments on a first-come, first-served basis.

Inspector will catch defects on the wires before reach Wire . . . . . . serves. . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Nextrom of theMid-South sectorsthey that Galaxy Galaxy’s website now feaFour levels of corporate sponsorships are available to help your customers or fail in the field.

Morgan-Koch . . & . . .Cable, . . . . . . Inc., . . . 127 Niehoff E Contact: GalaxyCorp Wire tures new sections theirorganization in connection with companies promoteontheir The unit ensures good med Contact: Craig Girdwood, Taymerwww.galaxywire.com.

International, Inc., custom wire cable offerInterwire andand WAI’s 85th Annual Convention, to be held due to the homogenous mel tel. 905-479-2614, ext. 232, craig.girdwood@taymer.com, April 28-30 in Atlanta, Georgia. All the corporate sponsorquality. The MXI 150, whic www.taymer.com.

Visit us at Wire Expo has booth # 531 part volta cani Do you see an eye chart?

EP A cipher? ity s Or another language? prod Are you sure, because... inve and tion The t’s age desi latio core to say by p tripl tion line but head mea bilit and and duri run.

Co Mai c u online jorm www

WAI OPERATIONS SUMMIT & WIRE EXPO 2014

WAI NEWS

ingscan as well standard products. For A press release that Interwire 2015said update: companies have where a small scratch or nick facturing be anasunacAir-cooled extrude Custom Wire and Cable, Galaxy proGalaxy, a leading supplier ceptable defect. The result is the Surface Inspector, which taken nearly 90% of the exhibit space

Platinum Level Sponsor

Gold Level Sponsors

Silver Level Sponsors

Bronze Level Sponsors

Supported by:

AMERICAN WIRE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION

The Wire Association International, Inc.

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

I

OK IDK

JSYK ICYMI

WAI IS SOCIAL

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

DECEMBER 2015 | 81

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WORK IN THE WIRE AND CABLE INDUSTRY? Subscribe FREE to the

WIRE JOURNAL

®

INTERNATIONAL

Receive the Wire Journal International every month FREE of charge! Provide the following information and return this form by mail or fax to The Wire Association International.

Or go online to http://wirenet.org/t/wji to subscribe fast!

LAST NAME

FIRST NAME

M.I. .

COMPANY

TITLE ADDRESS

o BUSINESS OR o PERSONAL STATE

CITY OR TOWN

ZIP/POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

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

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

E-MAIL ADDRESS (Required) [

]

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

WIRE & CABLE MANUFACTURING

FASTENERS, WIRE FORMING, FABRICATING

WIRE END-USER

10 o 20 o 30 o 40 o 50 o 53 o 55 o

61 o 62 o 64 o 66 o 68 o 69 o

11 o 12 o 13 o 14 o 15 o 16 o 17 o

Aluminum & Aluminum Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both ) Copper & Copper Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) Steel & Steel Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) Other Metal (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) Electrical Wire & Cable (Insulated Wire) Communications Wire & Cable (Insulated Wire) Fiber Optics

Fastener Manufacture Four-Slide Forming Hot and/or Cold Forming & Heading Spring Manufacture Wire Cloth Mesh Screening Other Forming and Fabricating (please specify): ___ ______________________________

Appliance Communications (Voice/Data) Computer Construction/Building Electrical (Equipment/Components/Power) Transportation/Vehicular Wire Formed Durable Goods

SUPPLIER TO THE WIRE & CABLE INDUSTRY

OTHER

72 o Machinery 74 o Process, Accessories, Materials

80 o Service Centers, Distributors & Warehouses 90 o Consultants 92 o Government, Library & Allied

B. Which ONE of the following best describes your primary job function?

10 o General/Administrative Management 20 o Engineering, Operations, Production

30 o Technical, Research & Development, Quality Control 40 o Purchasing

50 o Sales & Marketing 90 o Other (please specify):

C. YES! I wish to receive a FREE subscription to the Wire Journal International. o Print only o Digital only o Both print & digital SIGNATURE REQUIRED

DATE

Fax to: (001) 203-453-8384 The Wire Association International, Inc. 71 Bradley Road | Suite 9 | Madison, CT 06443 | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 | Web site: www.wirenet.org

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFIED AD INFORMATION NAME ________________________________________________________________________ TITLE _________________________________________________

CLASSIFIEDS

COMPANY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY ________________________________________STATE _______________POSTAL CODE _____________________ COUNTRY _______________________ PHONE _____________________________ FAX _______________________________ EMAIL _______________________________________________________ AD CATEGORY____________ ISSUE YOUR AD BEGINS___________E-mail_____________________________________ NUMBER OF ISSUES RUN _______LAST ISSUE ________________RUN TILL FURTHER NOTICE? YES____ NO ____ FULL RUN (WJI & ON-LINE) YES____ NO ____

BLIND BOX? YES____ NO ____

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

Roebling Company brochure about its product line, which included wire rope, copper magnet and electrical wire, screens and hardware cloth, aircord and aircraft strand, flat and braided wire, PC wire and strand, galvanized bridge wire, among others. To maximize quality, the Roeblings started drawing their own wire in the 1850s, rolling bars into rods in the 1870s, and making their own steel in the 1900s. Wire is the binding thread through 125 years of Roebling and American industrial history chronicled in The Roebling Legacy. The price is $75, $50 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

FERROUS WIRE HANDBOOK. Written by WAI members and edited

by Dr. Robert M. Shemenski, this 1,168 page, hard-cover, indexed publication is a definitive industry resource for ferrous wire. It is a modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering, or operations sectors of the industry. The publication includes comprehensive 36 chapters that cover a broad range of topics including many of the equipment types, processes, and specialty applications of steel wire manufacturing. The book begins with a history of the steel industry and the evolution of ferrous steel manufacture and is followed by details on: continuous casting; controlled rod cooling; rod defects; pickling and coating; mechanical descaling; deformation 84 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

in cold drawing; wiredrawing theory, machinery, and finishing equipment; lubrication; heat treatment; stress relief; annealing; oil tempering; patenting; corrosion; galvanizing; statistical process control; bridge rope and strand; nails, barbed wire, mechanical springs; Appendices and a complete index are included in the handbook.

The price is $235, $195 for WAI members. To purchase, go to wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

ANNEALING DVD: By Dr. Horace Pops, this video (running time of 1 hr., 36 min.) presents information from Dr. Pops’ research, technical conferences and symposia has been assembled into a detailed tutorial for wire industry professionals. It includes three parts. Part 1, Principles of Annealing

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

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

(28 min.), includes: Definitions; Structure-property changes; General concepts: ferrous and nonferrous wires; Engineering rules and guidelines; Stages of annealing; and Role of work hardening. Part 2, Annealing of Copper and Aluminum Wire (31 min.), includes: Effects of composition; Interaction of impurities; Control of process variables (amount of reduction; intermediate anneals); Measurement of annealing process; Rate of softening; and Batch versus strand annealing.

Part 3, Annealing Problems (37 min.), includes: Annealability testing; Purity and equipment problems; Oxidation and staining; Measurement of properties; Hydrogen embrittlement; Sticky wire; and Functional heating during drawing. The price is $575, $425 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

INTRODUCTION TO WIRE & CABLE EXTRUSION (DVD). This two-part video, by Tom Black, has a total running time of 1 hr., 45 min. It is intended for individuals with diverse backgrounds and targets extrusion operators, supervisors, maintenance personnel, process engineers, and managers. The practical approach leads to a detailed understanding of the mechanics of extrusion processing and allows the viewer to make informed decisions regarding troubleshooting an existing line, or planning a new line. Condensed from a twoday seminar presented by extrusion expert Tom Black, this program is

CLASSIFIEDS

day seminar presented by extrusion expert Tom Black, this program is of great value in improving skills of existing employees and training new hires. lack, whose specialty is injection molding and injection molding process design and analysis. Part 1: Materials & Equipment is 50 min., and Part 2, Extrusion Processing, is 55 min. The cost $425, $325 for WAI members. To purchase, go to wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

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. It includes two new chapters: Roller Dies, and Modeling and Simulation. Other topics include: wire rod preparation and scale removal; drafting; tribology, lubricant carriers and lubricants; wiredrawing machines and other wiredrawing machinery; drawing dies and die preparation; wire cleaning; material behavior in a die; heat treatment; drawing force and power; surface coating; work hardening; and wire testing. The Steel chapter, now Steel and Steel Standards, includes a review of global steel standards. The Heat Treatment chapter now includes oxygen potential data (Ellingham diagrams) as well as thermodynamic principles. Diffusion processes have been introduced and utilized for decarburization calculations. The book is useful as a practical resource for technicians, supplementary reading for students in mechanical engineering, or as course literature within a company. The late author, Per Enghag, had more than 30 years of experience in metals, serving as director of The Swedish School of Mining and Metallurgy in the 1960s, working for steel wire producer Garphyttan in the 1970s, then founding Materialteknik HB in Örebro, Sweden, in 1980. The price is $110, $95 for WAI members, plus

86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

INTRODUCTION TO WIREDRAWING FOR OPERATORS DVD. This instructional package is intended to educate beginning wiredrawers and refresh experienced wiredrawers in basic wiredrawing techniques. It is also a helpful educational tool for sales and customer service personnel and others in need of wiredrawing knowledge. It covers basic wiredrawing theory and leads into specific sections for the ferrous and nonferrous/electrical industries.

It is based on several different sources, both old and new, with contributions made by several members of WAI. It covers the following subjects: basic wiredrawing theory, dies, die lineup and reduction theory, rod grades and defects, descaling, soap practice, helix and cast, packaging, die and block cooling, quality measurement, safety, how to read a micrometer, how to point rod and wire, how to string up and strip out, and how to weld rod and wire. Also available in Spanish. The price is $190, for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

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 buy, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

SIX SIGMA AND OTHER IMPROVEMENT TOOLS FOR THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS CAPABILITY STUDY. Creating a universal language for problem solving, this 135-page indexed booth (published

in 2011) was written by industry expert Douglas B. Relyea, founder of Quality Principle Associates.

The book includes: the benefits of statistical process control over statistical product control; real-world industrial examples and case studies showing how to use the techniques; ways for management to determine if the investment in process capability studies is providing an appropriate return; methods to correct lack of stability and capability once either condition has been identified, such as the ANOVA technique and the simple three-factor designed experiment; and a flow chart that enables machine operators to execute a process capability study without interfering with productivity. The list price is $45, $40 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

WASHINGTON ROEBLING’S FATHER: A MEMOIR OF JOHN A. ROEBLING. This 271-page, soft-cover, indexed book edited

by WAI Historian Donald Sayenga and published in 2009 focuses on the legacy of the legendary engineer.

The brilliant and irascible patriarch John A. Roebling achieved renown as a canal engineer, bridge designer, and innovator of wire rope—a technology that makes possible modern suspension bridges, high-rise elevators, construction cranes, and cable cars. All four of John’s sons inherited the family business, but only the eldest—the reserved, thoughtful Washington—staked an independent claim to fame, most notably for his work on the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Between 1893 and 1907, Washington Roebling wrote about his father’s life, character, career, and achievements. Sayenga transcribed the original manuscript and tracked down annotations for hundreds of people, places, events, and technologies. The price is $55, $45 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store. n

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

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

AlphaGary Corp ...........................................Cover 2

Locton Limited......................................................81

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd .................................79

MFL Group Company...........................................47

Carris Reels Inc ...........................................Cover 4

Messe Düsseldorf North America.......................37

Commission Brokers Inc .....................................83

Micro Products Co ...............................................21

DeWal Industries Inc ............................................17

NDC Technologies (Beta LaserMike Products) ...1

Esteves Group USA .............................................15

Paramount Die Co ................................................33

Eurotek Srl ............................................................24

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd .........................54

George Evans Corp..............................................81

Proton Products International Ltd ................41, 42

Fenn LLC ...............................................................39

Queins Machines GmbH ......................................19

Flymca & Flyro......................................................53

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

Frigeco USA Inc....................................................47

REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc ......................43

Gimax Srl ..................insert, between pages 56-57

Sheaves Inc........................................................... 11

Honeywell..............................................................55

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

Howar ....................................................................54

Sjogren Industries Inc ....................................12-13

Huestis Industrial .................................................38

Steel Cable Reels .................................................77

Inosym Ltd ......................................................22, 46

August Strecker GmbH & Co KG..........................4

KEIR Manufacturing Inc.......................................77

Talladega Castings and Machine Co Inc............25

Kinrei of America LLC..........................................83

Vandor Corporation .............................................51

DECEMBER 2015 | 87

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX PEOPLE

ADVER DVERTISERS’ ISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE WAFIOS Machinery Corp ............................Cover 3 Windak Group .........................................................5

Feb. 2016 WJI wire Dusseldorf preview

Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp .............................9 Witels Albert..........................................................79 Wyrepak Industries ........................................32, 59 Yoder Machinery Sales ........................................85 Zumbach Electronics Corp .................................23

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2016 . . 26-27 WAI Memberships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Industry Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

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, 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

88 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Advertising Deadline: Dec. 30

Visit our stand #1350 at Interwire 2015