Ferrous wire manufacturing by Wire Journal International, Inc.

WIRE JOURNAL JANUARY 2012

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

Ferrous wire manufacturing

•New WAI officers •IWCS wrapup OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

MTS WIRE DRAWING MACHINES STRAIGHT-THROUGH MULTI-BLOCK MACHINES WITH SENSOR/DANCER ARM SYNCHRONIZATION For bare and galvanized carbon steel wire, stainless steel wire and alloy wire for every application. s (IGHLY EFlCIENT COOLING s 7IDE RANGE OF BLOCK SIZES AND CONlGURATIONS s #AN BE USED WITH DIES OR ROLLING CASSETTES s -AXIMUM mEXIBILITY TO SATISFY EVERY CUSTOMER NEED

NOT ONLY A MACHINERY MANUFACTURER

GCR EURODRAW S.p.A. 6IA #AMILLO #HIESA 0OGLIANO -ILANESE -) )TALY 4EL &AX GCR GCRGROUP COM WWW GCRGROUP COM

All Roads Lead to LaserSpeed Non-contact length and speed encoder Whether you’re looking for accurate product length and speed measurements, proven reliability, or measurement versatility, you’ll quickly realize that all roads lead to LaserSpeed. LaserSpeed captures product length and speed measurements with the highest precision and repeatability. Advanced laser-based technology enables you to measure products without contact, eliminating costly inaccuracies common with mechanical-type contact encoders. LaserSpeed has no moving parts to wear out and is permanently calibrated. This means no maintenance, so you realize long-term reliability and the lowest cost of ownership.

High accuracy and repeatability (±0.05% to ±0.02%) Measure speeds up to 40,000 ft/min (12,000 m/min) Measure forward/reverse and down to true zero speed Factory calibrated Low cost of ownership Scan QR code to learn more

LaserSpeed is also extremely versatile. Use it to measure any color, shape, or texture, and a range of applications such as continuous length at take-up reels, cut control, differential speed, positioning, printing/marking products, and other applications.

Take the higher road to productivity and cost savings.

Try LaserSpeed today! www.laserspeedgauge.com/wji Americas

Europe

Asia

Tel: +1 937 233 9935 Fax: +1 937 233 7284

Tel: +44 1628 401510 Fax: +44 1628 401511

Tel: +86 21 6113 3688 Fax: +86 21 6113 3616

Wire Dusseldorf Hall 11, Stand A78

WIRE JOURNAL

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

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

CONTENTS

Volume 45 | Number 1 | January 2012

F EATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 26 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Report to Members . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 In a bit of a twist to the annual report, four WAI volunteers provide the perspective for what the Association has done and what it is focusing on.

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 33

IWCS wrapup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Technical Papers . . . . . . . 48-61

The International Wire & Cable Symposium (IWCS) reports that all went reasonably well at its 2011 event in Charlotte.

Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 67 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 71

Ferrous Wire Manufacturing . . . . . .38 This feature presents multiple perspectives on steel wire manufacturing, including excerpts from a market study, comments from several manufacturers, and more.

T ECHNICAL P APERS The multi-scale model of Mg alloy wire drawing process Andrzej Milenin and Dorota J. Byrska-Wójciks . . . . . .48

Next issue February 2012

A new generation of aluminum enamelled winding wires Tadeusz Knych, Andrzej Mamala, Michał Jabłoński and Piotr Uliasz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

• wire Düsseldorf preview

Cover: Faced with high energy costs and low commodity prices, to high capital requirements and low entry barriers for competition, steel wire manufacturing remains a challenging sector to succeed. See p. 38.

JANUARY 2012 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONTENTS

UNDERSEA

CABLE TO LINK TO IRAQ

At press time, Qatar’s Gulf Bridge International (GBI) was set to launch an ambitious $500 million project that company officials said will have a decided impact, especially in Iraq. The 13,000 km system will link all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as well as Iran and Iraq, with onward connections to Sicily and India, with capacity up to 10 terabits/sec.

. . .10

POLAND CHAPTER

STAGES EVENT

. . . .34

On Dec. 8, the faculty of the Non-Ferrous Metals of AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST) and the Poland Chapter of WAI held a seminar at AGH-UST in Krakow, Poland, that included representatives from business, scientists as well as research institutes part of a consortium.

The Global Standard

For Continuous Processing Of Copper And Aluminum Wire, Rod Or Cable

AD-Series Butt Welders For Solid Or Stranded Conductors The AD-Series offers 6 models, all with robust design and heavy duty transformers. Weld solid wire or stranded conductors without sleeves and save money. Uniquely designed with very few moving parts. This means minimum adjustments are required. Used by leading companies all over the world. Find out more about AD-Series or over 50 models of ferrous or non-ferrous butt welders by calling 1-800-872-1068, or visit www.micro-weld.com

Visit Our Booth# 16F84

Micro Products Co. • 1886 E. Fabyan Parkway • Batavia, IL 60510 U.S.A. Phone: 630-406-9550 • Fax: 630-406-9552 • Email: info@micro-weld.com

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

EDITORIAL

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

Success stories have a common thread Growing up in the Montreal metropolitan area, it won’t surprise anyone when I proclaim to be a big hockey fan. I remember going to the Canadians’ games with my dad and enjoying every minute of the experience. Now, I am returning the favor to my son and appreciating the game from another perspective. Watching the game in person gives you a chance to see how the play develops and the true teamwork that is ice hockey. Indeed, there are stars, but the game requires at least three strong shifts of defense and offense that play off of each other’s strengths. Each player makes a unique contribution to the collective strength of the team, and you will never find a tougher, more humble group of athletes than hockey players. Many of those same characteristics are prevalent in the wire and cable industry. The best companies are Nick and son Peter. truly balanced, with synchronized contributions from all departments and staff. Successful wire and cable companies do not depend on stars, nor do they tolerate silos, but rather rely on balanced efforts from operations, sales, engineering, research, quality, finance, purchasing and IT. For the next 12 months, I have the honor of serving as the Association’s president. I am excited for the opportunity to extend the outreach efforts with the wire producers while continuing to work alongside the dedicated Board of Directors (see pp. 30-31). I also want to take time to showcase the regular accomplishments of this diverse industry. In my opinion, this is not only a valuable but an essential role for WAI. In this competitive environment, we seldom celebrate our accomplishments as the focus quickly goes to the next challenge, but that will change. The Operations Summit & Wire Expo (May 22-23 in Dallas) will spotlight some of the great industry stories that exist but are little known. We will also share some of those stories with you in future issues of WJI. If your company has found success, be it in new products, new regions or new methods/processes, I’d like to hear about it. There’s more than enough dismal news in the world, and the good news deserves more coverage. So, do send me your story as those collective tales are not just advances for a single company but for the industry as a whole, and that’s the type of news that is truly fit to print.

WAI President Nicholas Nickoletopoulos General Manager, Sivaco Wire and Ifastgroupe nnickoletopoulos@wirenet.org 6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL (ISSN-0277-4275) published monthly by The Wire Journal, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wire Association International, Inc., which is located at 1570 Boston Post Road, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA, and can be contacted at tel. 203-453-2777; fax 203-453-8384; Internet wirenet.org; e-mail mmarselli@wirenet.org. Address all correspondence concerning advertising production, editorial and circulation to the above address. WJI is printed in USA. Subscription rates: $110 per year, USA; $120 per year, Canada and Mexico; other countries, $140 per year (includes air mail). Back copies: $10 WAI members, $15 non-members. Periodicals postage paid at Guilford, CT 06437, USA, and at additional offices. Wire Journal International grants photocopy permission to libraries and others registered with Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, USA, for a fee of $0.50 per article. Payments should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders or reprints should be sent to the Wire Journal International, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA. © 2012 by Wire Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Publisher of WJI assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein. Back issues of WJI are on microfilm and available from University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Phone: 313761-4700. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wire Journal International, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA.

www.sikora.net/laserseries6000

» You shall envision our technology as your solution.« Dr. Torben Clausen, R&D at SIKORA AG

During the extrusion of wires and cables the LASER Series 6000 measures the outer diameter in a range from 8 mil to 3.07“ (0.2 to 78 mm). The high measuring rate of the gauges allows in addition a detection of lumps and neckdowns.

DIAMETER D IA ER [in]

1.10535 NOM: 1.10550

40 %

1.10940 1.10550 1.10160

TOL: + .00195 / - .00195

TREND T R REND EN E ND

30 %

STATIST STATISTICS STICS

20 % 10 % 0%

We work for your success.

New: The gauge heads now have an integrated brilliant LCD display with control panel option. This allows the operator to read the diameter measuring value directly from the gauge head.

CALENDAR

CALENDAR Feb. 13-15, 2012: AWPA Annual Meeting Rancho Mirage, California, USA. This American Wire Producers Association event will be at the Westin Mission Hills. Contact: AWPA, tel. 703-299-4434, www.awpa.org. March 26-30, 2012: wire Düsseldorf 2012 Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, info@mdna.com, tel. 312-781-5180. April 18-19, 2012: Polymers in Cables 2012 Miami, Florida, USA. To be held at the Hyatt Regency Miami. Contact: Applied Market Information LLC (AMI), tel. 610-478-0800, mk@amiplastics-na.com. May 9-10, 2012: 2012 National Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. To be held at the Frontier Airlines Center. Contact Expo Productions, Inc., tel. 800367-5520, www.expoproductionsinc.com/wire_home.htm. May 21-22, 2012: AMM & AWPA 2012 Wire Rod Supply Chain Conference Dallas, Texas, USA. To be held at the Omni Dallas Hotel, this event, being put on by American Metal Market and the American Wire Producers Association, is being held in conjunction with WAI’s Wire Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2012. Contact: AWPA, tel. 703-299-4434, www.awpa.org. May 22-23, 2012: 2012 WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Dallas, Texas, USA. This WAI event at the Omni Dallas Hotel includes the trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 82nd Annual Convention. June 11-13, 2012: CRU 6th Wire and Cable Conference Vienna, Austria. To be held at the Vienna Mariott hotel, this forum is for cable manufacturers and their customers.

Contact: CRU Int’l tel. 44-20-7903-2444, conferences@ crugroup.com, www.wireandcableconference.com. Sept. 25-28, 2012: wire China 2012 Shanghai, China. To be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 3-5, 2012: SpringWorld 2012 Rosemont, Illinois, USA. To be held at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center. Contact: Tom Renk, The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI), tel. 630-369-3466, fax 630-369-3773, info@casmi-springworld.org, www.casmi-springworld.org. Oct. 29-31, 2012: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Nov. 11-14, 2012: 61st IWCS Conference™ Providence, Rhode Island, USA. To be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, www.iwcs.org, phudak@iwcs.org, tel. 732-389-0990. April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center to stage its trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 83rd Annual Convention. May 2013: wire Russia 2013 Moscow, Russia. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Sept. 17-19, 2013: wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: MDNA, info@mdna.com. ■

W IRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. Jan. 26, 2012: New England Chapter Meeting Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. The chapter will hold its 18th annual meeting at the Mohegan Sun Resort Conference Center. Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, abzowski@wirenet.org. See p. 33. May 22-23, 2012: 2012 WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Dallas, Texas, USA. Dallas, Texas, USA. This WAI event

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

at the Omni Dallas Hotel includes the trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 82nd Annual Convention. www.wirenet.org. April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center to stage its trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 83rd Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org.

Is Your Wire Drawing Machine Giving You A $$$ COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE $$$ Optimize Quality & Profits By Improving OEM Specs

Destroying the drawing surface of your blocks when drawing deformed or corrugated wire? (Teurema block pictured)

Marking problems, caused by the wrong coating, improper taper or contour, metal pickup, block surface finish, or other issues? If you answered yes to any of these, why not give us a call and find out why so many North American Wire Drawing Companies will only use PKC to service their wire drawing blocks and sheaves.

Need to make larger bundles than you currently supply?

January Cost Saving Suggestion: Tool steel descalers can be redesigned to take solid tungsten carbide inserts similar to the one pictured at the right. After the initial cost of the carrier for the insert, the solid tungsten carbide assembly will prove more economical to operate. The solid tungsten carbide insert will outlast the tool steel descalers usually by a factor of five or more.

See December Suggestion: Solid Tungsten Carbide Replaceable Inserts

Parkway-Kew Corp. 2095 Excelsior Ave. North Brunswick, NJ 08902 (732) 398 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2100 Fax: (732) 398 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2101 www.parkwaykew.com info@parkwaykew.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Encore Wire Corporation plans a major expansion into aluminum wire U.S.-based Encore Wire Corp. plans to build a 202,000sq-ft manufacturing plant at its 192-acre corporate campus in McKinney, Texas, to expand its aluminum wire product line, a venture worth approximately $25 million. A press release said that in addition to buying manufacturing equipment to produce aluminum wire and cable, the project will require upgrades of railroad and road access to the McKinney complex, and that the majority of the expenditures will be made in 2012. In it, demand for alternatives to high-cost copper was cited as a driver for the major expansion into aluminum wire. “We continue to believe that copper will be the conductor of choice in most building wire applications, but we will offer aluminum to those customers who want it,” Encore Wire Corporation President and CEO Daniel Jones said in the release. “We believe broadening our product line with aluminum not only allows us to increase sales incrementally with new products, but also gives us the ability to gain sales on our existing products on orders that we may not have previously received because we did not sell aluminum wire.” Jones noted in the release that Encore Wire has previously expanded from its base of copper building wire as part of its long-term planning. “In 2006, we opened a new armored cable plant, and in 2008, we opened a plant dedicated to the production of large tray cable. We continually canvass our independent manufacturer’s reps and the electrical distributors to whom we sell to determine what products they are purchasing that may make sense for us to produce and sell.” Encore Wire is well poised financially to pursue this latest endeavor, the release said. “We have ready access to the capital required to fund this project in this industry downturn and we will be poised to take even greater advantage of future upswings in business.” An article in the Dallas Business Journal said that, with the expansion, the company, which has about 850 workers, could hire an additional hundred employees.

GBI to start New Year with launch of 13,000 km undersea cable system Qatar’s Gulf Bridge International (GBI) is scheduled to launch the New Year with an ambitious $500 million project that company officials said will have a decided impact, especially in Iraq. The network, which was slated to be fully operational by the end of the 2011, consists of a 13,000 km (8,078 mile) undersea cable system that will link all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as well as Iran and Iraq, with onward connections to Italy and India. In interviews with Reuters, GBI CEO Ahmed Mekky

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

said that the project is fueled by demand for bandwidth in the Middle East, “driven by the deregulation of regional telecoms markets as well as a desire by governments to diversify from oil and gas into sectors such as finance and media that need fast international connections.” He said that regional demand for bandwidth is approximately doubling each year. “The demand is very clear. Increased speed and reliability are essential, and will be a catalyst for the development of other sectors of their economies (besides oil and gas).” The networking technology uses state-of-the-art DWDM technology and total system design capacity has increased to close to 10 Terabits per second on certain sections, Mekky said. “100G has been something that has been discussed in the industry for a long time and GBI is proud to be the operator to usher in this new era of undersea cable connectivity. … The emerging markets have only begun to see the benefits of increased connectivity and we will see exciting growth in these markets challenging operators to keep up. GBI has built its business to meet these capacity challenges.” The cable supThe landing of GBI’s cable in Saudi plier for the Arabia. project, Tyco

Telecommunications, notes that it has deployed enough undersea cable to circle the earth at least ten times. Per the company, “The GBI cable network, first to be installed in the region in five years, will provide a capacity of 2.56 terabits per second with the option to upgrade to a true 64 x 40 Gbps per fiber pair, 5.18 terabit system, enabling real-time communications for telecommunications operators and other major industries, while encouraging a greater sophistication of service offerings in the area.” The one country that may most benefit from the project, launched in 2008, is Iraq, which will see its first cable network land, Mekky said. Less than 3% of Iraq’s 30 million people are connected to the internet, he said.

INDUSTRY NEWS

IWG reports expansion on 2 fronts International Wire Group Holdings, Inc. (IWG), announced that it has bolstered its operations in the southwestern U.S. and in eastern Europe. A press release said that IWG has completed its purchase of the machinery and equipment of Ffhoenix Cuivre, LLC, located in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and assumed the related building lease. The purchase, it said, will expand the company’s manufacturing capacity in the southwestern U.S. The company also reported that IWG has begun manufacturing product at its new plant in Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland. This new plant, it noted, will enable IWG to better serve its growing customer base located in eastern Europe. The company estimated that the initial investment for these two expansions total was approximately $14.5 million. “These two new plants will allow us to have additional capacity closer to our customers and also provide for future growth,” IWG CEO Rodney D. Kent said. IWG notes that it manufactures and distributes its products at 19 facilities in the U.S., Belgium, France, Italy and Poland.

LS Cable & System reports winning 2 Qatar power cable contracts South Korea’s LS Cable & System reports that it has won two contracts worth a total of $102 million to supply power cables in Qatar, the main order being for 157 km of 220kV level extra-high-voltage cables. A press release said that the company will supply 220kV level extra-high-voltage transmission cables worth $91 million to the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation as well as provide large-capacity electric transmission 1,000V bus ducts worth $11 million to the Public Works Authority of Qatar for the Hamad Medical City project. “These are the first meaningful contracts won from the Middle East since the Jasmine Revolution,” the release said. “It is expected that these projects will lead to sustainable revenue growth in the Middle East where the company has been strong in the market. … As the demand for democracy and progress will increase in the future, national backbone industry implementation will be more activated in line with industrial development. Considering this, we will perform marketing activities more vigorously.” The power cable order was driven by the need for Qatar to meet demand for more power generated by the pace of the overall economic development and urbanization, the release said. In addition to the 157 km of cables, LS Cable will also provide joint kits to the Doha area by July 2013. The joint kits are for Hyundai E&C, which won a contract in 2010 to renovate the 2006 Doha Asian Games athletes’ village and office buildings into a four-building high-tech medical center, it said.

JANUARY 2012 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

Italy’s OM Lesmo celebrates its 50th anniversary this year Officine Mecchaniche Di Lesmo (OM Lesmo) started out in 1962 in the town of Lesmo, in northern Italy, and the company notes that much has changed since then but there has been one constant: quality. The company’s Golden Jubilee celebrates 50 years of renowned technology, five decades of customer support and day-in and dayout engineering achievements. Below, the company outlines how its success story has evolved. 1962. OM Lesmo is established in a small factory on the outskirts of the industrial area of Milan. Manufacturing was limited to rotating machines for electrical cables and metal rope, as well as braiding machines for carbon wire, braided wire for stranded cables, sheathing for tubes and suture thread for surgery. This period saw the development of technology and enduring relationships with the largest cable manufacturers at the time. Customers both then and today prove to have a key role in driving OM Lesmo’s values of integrity, innovation and reliability. 1972. OM Lesmo gets new owners: CEAT, a leading global cable manufacturer. OM Lesmo produces bunching, stranding and laying-up machines for power cables, telephone cables, steel ropes and steel cords. With quality construction and modern designs, the company starts to rapidly grow in international markets while maintaining high standards. This period saw new rotating machinery developments and the introduction of the renowned Lesmo double-twist strander for copper and steel. 1982. A period of constant development continues, enhancing production of equipment for telecom cables. Machinery is offered for mass plant production, together with more intricate planetary stranders and drum-twisting machines. It is here that the company’s line of singletwist stranding machines is launched. Another breakthrough is the company’s launching of its new single-bow buncher. A company subsidiary, Static Control Systems (SCS), supplies electrical and electronic equipment. A new owner comes, under the legacy of Dr. Alvaro Piva, in the 1990s, leading to further new technology and advances that form the basis of today’s highly successful products. 1992. OM Lesmo is acquired by its current owners, who press for further technological development, such as larger double-twist stranding machines, up to 2500 mm. International sales are bolstered with the launching of Lesmo Machinery America, Inc., providing sales and

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

after-sales support in North America, and also a German office to provide sales and after-sales support in the German speaking countries. OM Lesmo manufactures its first 1600 mm double-twist stranding machine. The company’s scope is widened toward the end of this period with the acquisition of Eurodraw Energy, offering wiredrawing lines for nonferrous metals and alloys. 2002. Further development results in the rotating machines (DTO2500). The Eurodraw Energy acquisition proves to be a great addition, allowing OM Lesmo to offer more equipment, including turn-key solutions. OM Lesmo’s double-twist strander can now strand aluminum cables up to 400/500 mm². As a whole, the OM Lesmo Group is now a widely diversified designer and manufacturer of rotating and wiredrawing machinery, with a worldwide sales and service support network. 2012. And counting. Officine Meccaniche di Lesmo SpA has accepted new challenges, and offers its customers the tools they need to move forward, both today and in the years to come. The company has been on an extraordinary journey that could not have been achieved without its valued customers, and it looks forward to serving them for the next 50 years with the same degree of excellence and dedication. OM Lesmo fully intends to live up to the motto “Designing the future.” omlesmo@omlesmo.com, www.omlesmo.com.

HV cable plant inaugurated in Dubai Ducab-HV’s new factory was officially opened in Dubai on Nov. 29, 2011, offering the capacity to increase the company’s annual High-Voltage (HV) production capacity by 15,000 metric tons. A press release said that the $136 million plant, which also represents the first dedicated HV facility in the region, is a joint venture between Ducab (50%), ADWEA (25%) and DEWA (25%) that will manufacture HV cable systems up to 400 kV. “Ducab-HV will benefit the UAE economy by offering an excellent quality alternative to imports,” said Ahmad Al Shaikh, chairman of Ducab and Ducab-HV. “Ducab-HV products will cover the highest voltages used in the GCC, ensuring that our utility partners and other customers can source vital energy infrastructure cables from a local supplier. When fully operational, the factory will also generate 130 new jobs...” The new plant has become a Jevel Ali landmark because of its 148-m-tall vertical extrusion tower, the equivalent to a 44-story residential tower, the release said. The tower includes the latest extrusion equipment as well as a series of clean room facilities to ensure no contamination occurs during production. “Ducab-HV will offer the latest in global HV technology to the UAE and the region,” said Ducan HV CEO Jon Vail. “The plant is the most advanced in the region and is designed to ensure that the high-voltage products are manufactured to the stringent quality standards demanded both regionally and internationally.”

Nexans supplies a range of cables for use in a new mine in Peru Nexans is supplying more than 1,200 km of power, control and instrumentation cables to be used for surface mining equipment at a new copper mine in Peru. A press release said that Nexans is supplying its specialized POWERMINE® range for CHINALCO’s new Mount Toromocho open-cast copper mine in Peru. In cooperation with Anixter USA, its distribution partner for

the project, Nexans said that it is providing more than 1,200 km of cables to Aker/Jacobs Engineering, turnkey Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC), the contractor for the mine, which is scheduled to begin production in 2012. The cables, it said, will power surface mine equipment such as conveyor belts, lighting, power for various buildings, crusher machines, a maintenance concentrator, and other surface operations. The Nexans facility in Canada is supplying 1,000 km of power, control and instrumentation cables of the type THNN, XHHW, Ultra-VN, Ultrex-XL and Firex while Nexans Chile is supplying 200 km of 5 kV and 15 kV medium-voltage (MV) flexible rubber jacketed power cables, the release said. Delivery of the cables began in August 2011 and was scheduled to have been completed by the end of the year. The release said that the mine is being developed by the Aluminium Corporation of China (CHINALCO) in a remote high-altitude location, 130 km from Lima, the capital of Peru. It is estimated to have recoverable reserves of 5.7 million metric tons of copper, 148,000 metric tons of molybdenum and 188 million ounces of silver. (section continued on p.17.)

There are manyy cold welder companies to choose choose from... shouuld you buy So why should from Huestis Industrial? a. Quality b.. Performance b cc.. Dependability d. Reputation ee.. Pricing

ff.. Deliver Deliveryy g.. W g Warranty arranty h. Customer Service Service i All of the above i.

From superﬁne to rod, From rod, standard standard and custom t siz i es. Hues H stis tis machines — sizes. Huestis Our performancee is legendary!

ISO9001 ISO 9001 REGISTERED

For more details or to t place an order, order, 800--972-9222, call us at 800-972-9222, or email us at sales@huestis.com salees@huestis.com

www.huestisindustrial.com www w..huestisin ndustrial.com Air Wipes, Pay-offs, Take-ups, Take a e-ups, Bunc Buncher herr Pay-offs, Accumulators, Spoolers, Pressure Welders, Jacket Machinery Cold Pr essure W elders, Cable Jac ket e Strippers, Custom Mac hinery

JANUARY 2012 | 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

Per a report in Gulf News citing Ducab HV officials, the company hopes to attain half the UAE market, about 25% of its output, while exporting the remaining 75% to the six GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE), Europe and Africa. Production will begin at 10% capacity in the first year and increase incrementally to 30% in 2012, 50% in 2013 and 75% in 2014, and future plans may include a specialized cable factory in Qatar. Participants at the inauguration included H.H. Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, as well as H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court.

O P E N

F O R U M

★

E X P R E S S

L E A R N I N G

It takes more than a cactus Stay sharp on smooth wire Not all green plants conserve water. But all wire plants can be green, energy efficient, safe, and sustainable using the latest tips available at WAI’s new summit. This is an express learning opportunity that will change the way you approach material handling challenges and a dozen other in-plant concerns.

Learn more at www.wirenet.org.

WAI OPERATIONS SUMMIT wire expo 2012 ~ a wire & cable industry solution center ~

CALLing:

Exhibition: May 22-23, 2012 Omni Dallas Hotel | Dallas, Texas, USA

All production supervisors, quality control & maintenance personnel, and plant managers.

EXHIBITING COMPANIES Ace Metal Inc. • AIM Inc. • Amacoil Inc. • Amaral Automation Associates • Anbao Wire & Mesh Co. Ltd. • AXIS Computer Systems Inc. • Aztech Lubricants LLC • B & H Tool Co. Inc. • B & Z Galvanized Wire Ind. Inc. • Balloffet Die Corp. • Bartell Machinery Systems LLC • Beta LaserMike • Brookfield Wire Co. • Carris Reels Inc. • Cemanco LC • Clinton Instrument Co. • Commission Brokers Inc. • Condat • Conneaut Industries Inc. • Cortinovis Machinery America Inc. • Davis-Standard LLC • Die Quip Corp. • Engineered Machinery Group Inc. • ERA Wire Inc. • Esteves Group USA • Eurolls Group/Eurolls SpA • George Evans Corp. • Fabritex Inc. • Filtertech Inc. • FLYMCA & FLYRO • FMS USA Inc. • Foerster Instruments Inc. • Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc. • Frontier Composites & Castings Inc. • Gauder Group Inc. • Gem Gravure Co. Inc. • Genca/Canterbury Engineering • W. Gillies Technologies LLC • Going Well Precision Industry Co. Ltd. • Guill Tool & Engineering Co. • Heany Industries Inc. • Heatbath Corp. • Heritage Wire Die Inc. • Howar Equipment Inc. • IDEAL Welding Systems • Istanbul Electrical-Electronics Machinery & Information Technology Exporters Association • KEIR Manufacturing Inc. • King Steel Corp. • Lamnea

★

P L A N T

T O U R S

★

E X H I B I T S

in the lobby to have a green plant. operations at WAI’s new summit.

Manufacturing innovations.

Hiring & training.

Risk mitigation.

Commodities.

Safety.

Regulations, patents, & standards.

Material handling.

Accolades to WAI award winners.

Group luncheon & networking.

Work-related fun, southern style.

Bruk AB • LaserLinc Inc. • Leggett & Platt Wire Group • LEONI Wire Inc. • Lesmo Machinery America Inc. • Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. • Magnetic Technologies Ltd. • Mathiasen Machinery Inc. • MGS Manufacturing Inc. • Micro Products Co. • Morgan-Koch Corp. • Mossberg Associates Inc. • Niagara Composites Industries Inc. • Niehoff Endex North America Inc. • NUMALLIANCE • Oklahoma Steel & Wire • Paramount Die Co. • Parkway-Kew Corp. • Phifer Wire Inc. • Pittsfield Plastics Engineering Inc. • Polytec Inc. • Power Sonics LLC • Precision Die Technologies Inc. • PrintSafe • Properzi International Inc. • Queins Machines GmbH • Radyne Corp. • Rainbow Rubber & Plastics • Reel-O-Matic Inc. • Refractron Technologies Corp. • RichardsApex Inc. • Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH • Roteq Machinery Inc. • SAMP USA Inc. • SIKORA International Corp. • SIMPACKS • Sivaco Wire Group • Sonoco Reels • Stolberger Inc. dba Wardwell Braiding • T & T Marketing Inc. • Talladega Machinery & Supply • Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. • Teknikor • Tri Star Metals • Tubular Products Co. • Untied Wire Co. Inc. • US Synthetic Wire Die • Vandor Corp. • Vollmer America Inc • Wafios Machinery Corp. • Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. • Windak Inc. • Wire & Cable Technology International • Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. • The Wire Association International, Inc. • Wire Lab Co. • Wire Journal International • Wire Machine Systems Inc. • Witels Albert USA Ltd. • Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. • Yield Management Corp. • Zumbach Electronics Corp.

The Wire Association International, Inc.

A D VA N C E R E G I S T R AT I O N F O R M 1. COMPLETE & MAIL OR FAX THIS FORM TODAY Note: Please print neatly and complete all information to ensure accurate registration. If you choose to mail this form, make sure you keep a photocopy.

INTERNAL USE

Omni Dallas Hotel | Dallas, Texas, USA | May 22-23, 2012 3. EVENT REGISTRATION (This section must be completed for proper processing.) DT RCD *advanced (on or before APRIL 30, 2012) on-site (after APRIL 30, 2012)

Please Print Your WAI Member Number ________________________________

AMT PD

PYMT *advance

*on-site

FULL REGISTRATION PLUS NEW WAI MEMBERSHIP (BL/AEM) Includes WAI Operations Summit program & online conference proceedings, Wire Expo exhibits, Production Solutions, Welcome Reception, and one year WAI Membership.

LAST NAME FIRST NAME

MIDDLE

New Member

$395

❏

$495

❏ Yes, I wish to receive a free subscription to Wire Journal International. NEW MEMBER SIGNATURE

TITLE

DATE

FULL REGISTRATION (BL/AE) COMPANY

Includes WAI Operations Summit program & online conference proceedings, Wire Expo exhibits, Production Solutions, and Welcome Reception.

STREET/MAILING ADDRESS

Member

$295

Non Member

$395

❏ ❏

$395 $495

FULL REGISTRATION ADDITIONAL COMPANY PERSONNEL (ADA/ADL) Includes WAI Operations Summit program & online conference proceedings, Wire Expo exhibits, Production Solutions, and Welcome Reception.

2ND ADDRESS LINE IF NEEDED CITY

STATE/PROV.

POSTAL CODE

Member

$195

Non Member

$295

New Member

$295

❏ ❏ ❏

$395

❏ ❏ ❏

$60

❏

$75

❏

$100

❏

$125

❏

$295 $395

EXHIBITS ONLY (GD/CE) COUNTRY

Tuesday-Wednesday, May 22-23 Includes Wire Expo exhibits and Production Solutions.

COUNTRY CODE TELEPHONE (include area code)

FAX (include area code)

WELCOME RECEPTION ONLY (IE)

E-MAIL (REQUIRED) [

]

2. BUSINESS INFORMATION (These two questions must be completed for proper processing.) A. Which ONE of the following best describes your company’s type of business? PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE. WIRE MANUFACTURING 10 ❏ Aluminum & Al. Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire) 20 ❏ Copper & Copper Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire) 30 ❏ Steel & Steel Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire) 40 ❏ Other Metal (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire) 50 ❏ Electrical (Insulated Wire) 53 ❏ Communication (Insulated Wire) 55 ❏ Fiber Optics

Tuesday, May 22 Note: Welcome Reception is already included in full registration fees.

FUNDAMENTALS OF WIRE MANUFACTURING (INCLUDES EXHIBITS) (GDS) Monday, May 21 Includes program handouts, Monday lunch, and access to the Wire Expo exhibits, and Production Solutions.

Member

$250

Non Member

$325

Member with Full Registration

$100

Non Member with Full Registration

$120

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

$350 $425 $200 $220

ENCORE WIRE PLANT TOUR (PTN) Wednesday, May 23 Note: Space is limited and preference will be given to full conference registrants. Individual registrations subject to approval.

Member

$50

Non Member

$75

Member

$50

Non Member

$75

❏ ❏

N/A

❏ ❏

N/A

GERDAU PLANT TOUR (PTF) Wednesday, May 23 Note: Space is limited and preference will be given to full conference registrants. Individual registrations subject to approval.

FASTENERS, WIRE FORMING, FABRICATING 61 ❏ Fastener Manufacture 62 ❏ Four-Slide Forming 64 ❏ Hot and/or Cold Forming and Heading 66 ❏ Spring Manufacture 68 ❏ Wire Cloth Mesh Screening 69 ❏ Other Forming and Fabricating Please Specify ____________________________________________________________

N/A

4. TOTAL REGISTRATION FEES, U.S. $ 5. REGISTRATION FEE IS PAID BY:

SUPPLIERS TO THE WIRE INDUSTRY 72 ❏ Machinery 74 ❏ Process, Accessories, Materials

❏ Check enclosed payable to THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC. (Checks must be in U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. bank) Credit Card ❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard ❏ American Express ❏ Discover

WIRE END-USER 11 ❏ Appliance 12 ❏ Communications (Voice/Data) 13 ❏ Computer 14 ❏ Construction/Building 15 ❏ Electrical (Equip./Components/Power) 16 ❏ Transportation/Vehicular 17 ❏ Wire Formed Durable Goods

CARD NUMBER

| | | EXPIRATION DATE

NAME ON CARD (please print)

OTHER 80 ❏ Service Cntrs, Distrib. & Warehouses 90 ❏ Consultants 92 ❏ Govt., Library, Others Allied to Field

SIGNATURE

B. Which ONE of the following best describes your primary job function? CHECK ONLY ONE. 10 ❏ General & Administrative Management 20 ❏ Engineering and/or Operations and/or Production 30 ❏ Technical and/or Research & Development and/or Quality Control 40 ❏ Purchasing 50 ❏ Sales & Marketing 90 ❏ Other Please Specify _____________________________________________________________

6. SPECIAL OFFER: FREE Wire Journal International Subscription ❏ YES ❏ No thank you.

Fax Registrations must use Credit Cards for payments of ALL meeting fees. Fax No. (001) 203-453-8384

I would like to receive/continue to receive Wire Journal International each month! YOUR SIGNATURE (required)

DATE (required)

Or Register online at: www.wirenet.org | Use Code: WJI0112 Cancellation Policy– Refund requests must be received in writing by these dates: On or before 4/13/12 – REFUND minus $25 handling fee • After 4/13/12 – NO REFUND

U.S.-based Brugg Cables plans to expand its plant in Rome, Georgia, tripling its production space from 5,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft and installing new specialized equipment to produce optical ground wire cable. A report in the Rome-News Tribune said that the company will be installing a new strander as well as a second system that will make cable components that it now imports from Switzerland. The investment, it said, will enable the company to more than double its current production. Plans call for the company, which now has 15 employees, to hire five more, it said. Brugg Cables is one of four companies that are controlled by Otto Suhner in Rome, the others being Suhner Manufacturing, Brugg Wire Rope and Brugg Pipesystems, the report said. Brugg Cables was founded by Gottlieb Suhner as long ago as 1896, and per the report it developed into the largest company within the Brugg Group and is now Switzerland’s leading cable producer, with a global workforce of approximately 650 people, supplying “everything from fiber optic cables and low-voltage cables to power supplies for construction sites and 500 kilovolt high-voltage cables.” The Rome plant began production in 1999.

nkt cables reports windfarm contract Denmark’s nkt cables announced that it won a 20 million euro contract from E.ON Climate & Renewables Central Europe GmbH to supply it with armored 33 kV submarine cables for an offshore German wind farm called Amrumbank West. A press release said that the cable will be manufactured at the company’s production facilities in Cologne. The windfarm, Amrumbank West, will be located in the North Sea region, north of Helgoland and west of Amrum, and consist of 80 wind turbines, each 3.6 MW, it said. The inner park array cabling will consist of 12 lines that are connected to 33 kV medium-voltage switchgear on offshore substations, it said, adding that an offshore substation will transform the voltage to the level of 155 kV and transmit the power, up to 288 MW, to the high-voltage cable termination point on the substation. “With this project nkt cables again sets a landmark for infield cable solutions (33 kV with up to 90 km system length),” it said.

ABB to expand HV cable production Swiss-based ABB announced that it plans to invest $400 million to expand high-voltage cable production at its plant in Karlskrona, Sweden, to meet growing demand for subsea cables. A press release said that the project, which calls for construction of new buildings and installation of additional manufacturing lines at the existing plant, will be carried out in a phased manner, with completion expected by 2015.

“This investment will help us to boost production capacity and meet the growing demand for high-voltage subsea power cables,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. “Subsea cables play an integral part in the efficient and reliable transmission of electricity for a range of applications such as interconnectors between countries, offshore wind connections and power supply to oil and gas platforms.” The move follows a prior investment of about $90 million to build a new U.S. cable factory in Huntersville, North Carolina, for manufacturing land cables used in alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) applications, the release said. It noted that the Huntersville plant, currently under construction, is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2012, and added that a major upgrade of ABB’s Karlskrona facility was completed in 2011. In the release, ABB noted that the company has been manufacturing cables for more than a century and is a leading global supplier of high-voltage, energy-efficient transmission cables.

Mount Joy Wire Corp. plans to expand its global presence U.S.-based Mount Joy Wire Corporation, a manufacturer of high-carbon steel specialty wire founded in 1991, recently announced plans to expand its presence into Europe and Asia. A press release said that to further its growth in the global markets, the company has hired John D. Stanaway, an award-winning industry veteran, as an acting agent overseas. The company currently gets about 10% of its sales from exporting, and Stanaway, who has been in the industry nearly five decades, will focus on increasing those sales. Mount Joy Wire’s core product for export has been oil-tempered wire but other products could be further marketed, it said. At its website, the company reports that it recently commissioned a new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system at its plant in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. The CHP, a natural gas fueled generator, will ultimately produce as much as half the electricity needed to power the specialty wire manufacturing facility while using residual heat to help supply the facility’s steam and hot water needs. Of the system’s $1.7 million cost, $1.3 million was paid for by a Green Energy Works grant, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the PA DEP. The company has also launched a newly designed website, www.mjwire.com.

Saudi Cable Company reports good orders, better financial results Saudi Cable Company has won orders from two key South Korean construction firms that, along with some undisclosed orders, resulted in business worth more than $293 million, and has helped return the company to profitability. JANUARY 2012 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

Brugg Cables is expanding its cable plant in Rome, New York

INDUSTRY NEWS

Per a report in constructionweekonline.com, the company said that it received a $16.79 million order from Doosan Company, a diversified firm covering construction and engineering among other sectors, and a $14.93 million order from Hyundai Engineering. The total value of purchase orders for the month was $293.3 million, which includes other orders that were not specified but came from clients in Russia, Italy and England, it said. “The deals end a profitable year for the company, having made a $7.46 million profit for the first nine months against a $25.85 million loss in the same period last year.”

New nkt plant ‘named’ for customers Denmark’s nkt cables recently held the official opening in Cologne of its new German cable factory, called “f2c,” which is an abbreviation for “flow to customer.” A press release said that the factory, which will specialize in submarine and extra-high-voltage cable, has been constructed on the basis of facilitating optimal cable production, deploying unique and specialized technical innovations that make production as efficient as possible. “The factory itself is the embodiment of our customers’ requirements, down to the last detail,” it said. “It was clear to us in 2006 that we would not be able to help our customers to face their increasing challenges through our old facilities,” nkt group CEO Dion Metzemaekers said in the release. “We had to create a new production site that could create a leading position, enabling us to fulfill the needs of the cable market, and that is exactly what we have done!” Metzemaekers said that the investment will bolster the company’s offshore business. “No one in the cable production business has ever invested as heavily in the future, as we have done with our new plant. It will become the benchmark for extra-high-voltage and submarine cable production.”

Tata Communications launches a new undersea cable to Oman India’s Tata Communications announced that it has launched a cable that connects Oman’s communications provider Nawras by the TGN-Gulf Cable System to the India Tata Global Network (TGN). A press release said that the undersea cable will be used to instantaneously route voice and data traffic from Oman to Mumbai, India, and onwards to the rest of the world, via TGN. The new cable link, it said, “offers enormous capacity for broadband and high quality voice services, enabling Nawras to meet the growing demand for international voice and data services from its customers.” Per the release, “The development forms part of the strategic TGN-Gulf cable project which will connect the Gulf region to the rest of the world via the Tata Global Network, providing reliable high-speed bandwidth to all the key cities in the world. The TGN-Gulf Cable System,

18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

acting as a gateway to the TGN, will provide a new dimension to the infrastructure and unique service capabilities of each of the partners. Using its own cable stations, each party will have access to a new high-speed global route, adding much needed resilience and diversity to the infrastructure in each country. The capacity will also help to support the continued expansion of broadband penetration, internet usage and enterprise applications in each market.” The TGN-Gulf project landing parties are cited as Nawras (Sultanate of Oman), Etisalat (United Arab Emirates), Qatar Telecom (Qatar), Bahrain Internet Exchange (Kingdom of Bahrain), and Mobily (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The Tata Global Network, the release said, “includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 400 PoPs, and nearly 1 million square feet of data center and collocation space worldwide.” “The new cable is an exciting milestone as Nawras will now gain bandwidth to economically meet the ever-growing demand for voice and data services from our valued customers, for mobile and fixed line,” said Narwas CRO Ross Cormack. “It will also reduce international interconnection costs as well as national and international transmission lease-line costs, while at the same time allowing Nawras total end-to-end quality control.”

Pittsfield Plastics expands operation U.S.-based Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc., reports that it recently added 12,000 sq ft of manufacturing space to its Massachusetts facility, raising its square footage for production of injection molded plastic parts and custom designed molds to over 80,000 sq ft. Citing an increase in market share, a press release said that the company also added 11 new and used machines and that it is currently expanding its tool room with new core cutters, pullers, slicers and other equipment to ensure quick turnaround for large and small orders. “The company has been growing steadily,” said company President and CEO Thomas Walker, who noted that the business has seen strong sales for its product lines (spools, reels, cores, cones and bobbins) as well as its custom moldmaking and injection molding services and manufacturing of extruded plastic tubing and profiles for the filtration market and beyond. “We try to achieve the right balance of cost, quality and on-time delivery, and to treat every customer and every order, large or small, with the same attention,” Walker said. The company, founded in 1968 as an injection moldmaking business, has grown through the plastic industry’s ups and downs while maintaining a stable workforce, he said. “With an upgraded facility, comprehensive equipment to meet everyday and unique customer needs, new product and service offerings and an unchanged commitment to filling every order efficiently, we anticipate continued growth,” he said.

The Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance (WCMA) announced the recipients of its 2012 Distinguished Career Award, which will be presented at the organization’s 28th annual Awards Dinner and Investiture Ceremony on April 21 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. A press release said that the recipients are: Neville Crabbe, president, Leoni Wire, Inc.; Paul Fox, vice president manufacturing, International Wire Group, Inc.; Peter Kenny, president, SuperTemp Wire & Cable; Marc Longpre, general manager, Harbour Canada, Harbour Industries; Richard Miller, senior vice president, electrical manufacturing, Southwire Company; Steve Sandberg, director, sales & marketing, utility products, RSCC Wire & Cable; Rob Wessels, vice president, Enterprise Cable, RD&E, CommScope, Inc.; and Bill Wilkens, retired, Anaconda Wire & Cable/Anixter Inc. For more about WCMA or the Distinguished Career Award, contact Deb Mathiasen at tel. 860873-2311, mrcdm@snet.net, www.wcmainc.org.

will benefit both the customer and Dow in a demanding market, it said. “DOW INSIDE” marketing is a key component of our strategy to continue aggressive growth while offering total solutions to our existing and prospective customers in a competitive market,” said Tim Laughlin, the general manager of Dow E&T. ■

Dow expands DOW INSIDE licensee list U.S.-based Dow Electrical & Telecommunications (Dow E&T), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, announced it had signed a DOW INSIDE license agreement with Jiangsu Shangshang Cable Group, a leading Chinese wire and cable products manufacturer. A press release said that Shangshang Cable will use DOW ENDURANCE™ insulation, semiconductive and jacketing materials to manufacture electronics wiring and/or medium- and high-voltage power cables. In exchange, Dow E&T will provide the companies with cutting edge technologies, proven products and enhanced service as well as marketing that

JANUARY 2012 | 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

WCMA names winners of awards to be honored at April 21 dinner

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS Leoni opens another plant in China Germany’s Leoni AG announced that it has opened another production facility in China, a 25,000-sq-m plant that will produce wiring systems for the domestic car market, an investment it said represents about 23 million euros. A press release said that the plant location “between Shanghai, Beijing and the port city of Qingdao, Jining, meets all the logistical requirements for being able to supply various customers quickly and reliably. Also within easy reach are the plants in Weihai and Penglai, which are currently still being operated via the joint venture with Daekyeung and will at the turn of the year be transferred fully to Leoni ownership.”

sales in the current financial year will amount to about 350 million euros, and that China represents the company’s third largest market after Germany and France. Leoni, it said, has had its own facilities in China for 18 years. In related news, the company said that to satisfy the heavy demand from the automotive industry for cable harnesses and wiring systems, and especially to be able to supply for new vehicle models, Leoni is also setting up new production lines and expanding existing plants in other regions. “The Wiring Systems Division alone currently has 12 capital investment projects, involving for instance plans for two new facilities in Egypt as well as one each in the Ukraine and Russia,” a press release said. “Furthermore, there will be additional production halls in Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia and Serbia among other places,” the release said. It noted that “after the expansion is completed, the Wiring Systems Division’s network will comprise more than 30 production facilities with a total of more than 550,000 square metres of factory floor space.”

CommScope to expand manufacturing capacity in Suzhou plant in China

Employees working at Leoni’s new wiring systems plant in China. “With this expansion of capacity we will have made sure of being able to fulfill all existing contracts. In addition, we are prepared for ongoing growth,” Uwe H. Lamann, a member of Leoni AG’s management board in charge of the Wiring Systems Division, said in the release. In it, he said that Leoni is benefiting in China from rising demand for established vehicle models as well as several contracts for additional model ranges of various manufacturers. Three projects will ramp up in Jining until the end of this year, with the principals including General Motors, he said. The new facility will employ about 1,600 people when series production commences, and rise to 3,000 “in the medium term,” the release said. Besides its proximity to Shanghai and Qingdao, it is within easy reach of plants in Weihai and Penglai “that are currently still being operated via the joint venture with Daekyeung and will at the turn of the year be transferred fully to Leoni ownership.” The release said that between Leoni Group and joint venture businesses, Leoni now has 11 facilities in China with a total of about 6,000 employees. It added that consolidated

U.S.-based CommScope announced plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities at one of its Suzhou facilities to support the Chinese market for communications networks. Business Wire reports that the 5,000-sq-m expansion, which includes additional production lines, represents the fourth expansion to the facility, where the company’s Andrew-branded wireless equipment has been produced since its inception in 1997. The multi-million dollar investment, it said, will include a production workshop, a new base station antenna assembly facility, more HELIAX® FXL RF feeder cable production lines and office space. The output is intended primarily for China but also other parts of Asia, it said.

CommScope plans a fourth expansion for one of its Suzhou plants.

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

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ASIAN NEWS BRIEFS Dongbu Special Steel adds capacity South Korean steelmaker Dongbu Special Steel has finished the installation of three new wire drawing machines at its Pohang Works and plans to start them up within the cur-

rent month. Steel Orbis reports that with the three new drawing machines, capable of drawing 25,000 metric tons a year of 4-15 mm wire, the company will have 20 wiredrawing machines, including one system that can draw wire with extra large diameters, to a maximum of 52 mm. The company’s total annual wire drawing capacity, it said, will increase from 195,000 metric tons to 220,000 metric tons.

Lapp opens its 2nd Centre of Excellence Lapp India Pvt., Ltd., a subsidiary of Germany’s Lapp Group, recently inaugurated the Lapp Centre of Excellence at the RV College of Engineering in Bangalore. The Centre has a laboratory to meet end-to-end cable research and testing requirements, and helps students develop sustainable and inclusive cabling technology solutions, a press release said. The RV College of Engineering, the release said, is the second in India to have cables as a core subject of the curriculum. The other, the PSG College of Engineering in Coimbatore, also houses Lapp India’s first Centre of Excellence, it said. “Enhancing academia-industry interaction, this centre is aimed at improving both quality of teaching and imparting practical skills to students in the critical areas of cables, cable accessories and systems.” ■

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

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

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

JANUARY 2012 | 21

ASIAN FOCUS

“The Suzhou site is … a vital production hub in support of the China wireless market and other parts of the region,” said Chris Story, CommSope’s senior vice president, Global Manufacturing. “This versatile site supports our customers with one-stop production capabilities that include R&D, manufacturing, testing, product demonstrations and training. In view of the expanding communication infrastructure market in this region, we are committed to further gear up our site to capitalize on the emerging opportunities.” The Suzhou facility, the story said, currently has some 2,500 workers and a production area of more than 25,000 sq m. Specifically, the story said, the plant manufactures a variety of its Andrew-branded products including HELIAX coaxial cables, connectors, cable assemblies, base station antennas, ValuLine® microwave antennas and components. The additional 5,000 sq m will help increase production capacity for base station antennas and 50 Ohm cable.

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Central Wire President and CEO Larry Smith is retiring this month after leading the company in those positions the last 11 years. During his tenure, the company grew to become one of the largest U.S. stainless and nickel wire producers. He joined the company in 1975 and held various manufacturing roles before Larry Smith becoming president in 2000. Replacing Smith is Paul From, formally CEO of Valbruna Slater Stainless, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. From has relocated to the company’s headquarters and will continue to guide the company’s activities from that location. Based in North Paul From

America, Central Wire is a privately held company with five U.S. manufacturing facilities and two Canadian operations. See the feature that starts on p. 38 for comments from both men. Teknor Apex Asia Pacific Pte, Ltd., has named James Leong as senior marketing executive for vinyl, responsible for marketing the full range of the company’s flexible and rigid compounds. His responsibilities will extend to the entire region served by Teknor Apex Asia Pacific, from Oceania through Asia and the Middle East. He previously held management positions in sales and business development, including 10 years as a manager in polymer product. His focus will include building awareness of the Teknor Apex James Leong brand throughout the region served by

OBITUARIES Robert E. Franks, 86, who worked for Packard Electric for 45 years, died Nov. 6, 2011, at his residence in Howland Township, Ohio, USA. He was born in Warren and served in the U.S. Army as an x-ray technician in Waco, Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree from GMI and was an engineer for 45 years at Packard Electric Division of General Motors (which became Delphi), retiring in 1987. His work and innovations in the wiring industry made him one of the most prominent in his area of expertise, wire drawing and bunching. He was an active member of the WAI. He gave many seminars for WAI on wire drawing and bunching, most being practical courses on topics such as the theory of wire drawing, the calculation of drawing die sizes and the setting of bunching process parameters. He was a mentor and teacher to several engineers. One who he both mentored and introduced to the Association was WAI Past President Paul Pawlikowski. “Bob was a great engineer. He was a wire drawing and bunching expert. He owed much of his expertise to industry peers that he met through WAI. To give back to the industry, he conducted seminars to pass some of his knowledge on to the next generation of engineers. He understood the value of WAI. It is because of Bob that I joined WAI,” Pawlikowski said. Frank’s wife of 62 years, Maxine, was also well known, accompanying her husband at many WAI events. Other survivors include three sons, Robert S. Franks, William L. Franks and James D. Franks; a brother, Rupert Franks; a sister, Jane Franks; and three grandchildren. 22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Professor Fryderyk Knap, 72, died at his home in Czêstochowa, Poland on Thursday, July 14, 2011, following a long illness. A long-time teacher at the Department of Metallurgy at Czêstochowa University of Technology (CUT) in Poland, he earned his degree there in 1961 and his Ph.D in 1968. In 1971, he was nominated for the docent position at CUT’s Institute of Metals Technology. He served as director of the institute from 1973-1980, and was vice dean of the faculty of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering from 1987-1990. In 1991, he obtained a Doctor of Sciences (habilitation) degree and in 2000 was nominated by the president of Poland as a full professor. Knap was the author of 65 individual papers and more than 150 as a co-author, and the co-author of nine books about drawing wire bars and tubes and one about the theory of metal forming. He presented many technical papers on conferences throughout the world, including those organized by WAI. He was both a WAI member and a coorganizer of the association’s Poland Chapter. He is coauthor of 10 patents implemented in the industry, two individual monographs. Knap was the supervisor of four Ph.D works, including that of Jan W. Pilarczyk, the president of the Poland Chapter and a frequent WAI presenter; Czesław Cichoń, Robert Kruzeł and Łukasz Cieślak. He was known for his science and industry knowledge and his attitude and enthusiasm for education of many student generations as he was a promoter of more than 100 diploma works. He is survived by his wife Irena; a son, Piotr; daughter Agata and three grandchildren.

Elgin Fastener Groups (EFG) announced that Josh Egbert has joined the business as director of Continuous Improvement (CI), focusing on Lean Manufacturing improvements at all of EFG’s divisions. He has previous experience in CI with lumber, automotive, and pharmaceutical companies, and has also served as a CI consultant for seven years. He holds a B.S. degree in Josh Egbert engineering/human factors from Wright State University, and is a member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. The company also announced that Kim Haines has joined the business as EFG’s new human resources director. She has previously held positions in operational and client service management and HR/employee relations and services with

Kim Haines

Fidelity Investments and WILD Flavors, Inc. Based in Versailles, Indiana, USA, the Elgin Fastener Group is comprised of five domestic manufacturing companies (Ohio Rod Products, Leland Powell Fasteners, Chandler Products, Silo Fasteners, Landreth Fastener), a metal finishing company (Best Metal Finishing), and an engineering and international procurement division (Elgin Fasteners International).

Robyn Hermann has joined the support staff of T&T Marketing, Inc., as an IT specialist who will focus on improving the company’s ERP business management system. She graduated from William Patterson University and has held several customer service positions with companies such as Samsung Electronics, WD-40 and Trek. Based in the U.S., T&T Marketing, Inc., provides sales, distribution and brokerage services to the wire and cable industry. ■

JANUARY 2012 | 23

PEOPLE

the University of Wales in the U.K., and is fluent in Chinese and English. Teknor Apex Asia Pacific, Pte., Ltd., is a business of U.S.-based Teknor Apex Company, a global supplier of thermoplastic compounds and masterbatches.

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH Corning and OFC to be fiber suppliers for Australian broadband initiative

Fiber optic project to connect Ireland and U.K. to offer ‘unrivalled’ capacity

Two U.S.-based companies have been awarded contracts to provide optical fiber and related products/technology for the companies for the Australian government’s National Broadband Network (NBN) initiative to bring high-speed broadband services to residential single-family homes (SFUs) and apartment buildings or multi-dwelling units (MDUs). The first company, Corning Cable Systems, Pty., Ltd., a business of Corning Incorporated’s telecommunications segment, announced that it has been selected as a primary supplier of optical fiber cable and hardware to NBN Co. for the NBN initiative. A press release said that NBN’s goal is to “pass” 93% of Australian homes and businesses, about two million, of which more than 30% are MDUs, with an openaccess optical fiber network providing download speeds of 100 MB/sec within the next 10 years. The contract, it said, includes optical cable and hardware valued at up to AUS $310 million over five years. The contract also represents further business for the two companies as NBN Co. awarded Corning a contract a year ago to supply optical fiber cable and hardware for single-family residences, a deal estimated at up to AUS $1.2 billion, it said. The additional business has resulted in Corning reporting that it will invest approximately AUS $25 million in its Clayton, Melbourne facility, related equipment and personnel training, the release said. The contracts, it added, are expected to translate to an additional 300 to 400 jobs at the location during peak years. One of the keys to the project is that Corning will use its Corning bend-insensitive ClearCurve® single-mode optical fiber within residential homes and high-rise apartments to help ensure a successful deployment. The second company, OFS, a supplier of innovative fiber optic network products, reported that it and Optimal Cable Services (Optimal) have been selected to jointly supply key multiple dwelling unit (MDU) solutions in support of NBN Co’s FTTX broadband build-out in Australia. A press release said that OFS will supply NBN with its AllWave® FLEX+ fiber, the company’s latest bend-optimized single mode fiber offering, which is compliant to the ITU-T G.657.A2 specification. NBN has also selected several different OFS assemblies which support stapling and offer rugged characteristics in addition to providing little to no bending loss for use in tight spaces while taking advantage of this advanced fiber technology, it said. “OFS and Optimal are proud to supply NBN’s key multiple dwelling unit customers with assemblies that provide the enhanced flexibility and simplicity of installation enabled through our unique fiber and cable designs,” said Timothy Pillow, senior vice president global marketing & sales, for OFS.

Sea Fibre Networks announced that its laying “an unrivalled hyper-capacity fibre optic sub-sea cable” connecting Ireland to the U.K. represents a “revolutionary step towards modernizing Ireland’s communications network.” The cable, a press release said, “will uniquely land directly in the heart of Dublin’s business district at East Point Business Park and the Irish Financial Services Centre (IFSC), connecting from there to the T50, Dublin’s major metropolitan network that links all key business districts, data centers and business parks. In the U.K, the privately owned carrier neutral sub-sea cable will have the ability to connect to either the Welsh Government funded ‘Fibre Speed,’ an open-access fiber-optic network that connects Holyhead to Manchester, or with a number of other major fiber-optic networks that connect into London and mainland Europe.”

24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

From l-r, Sea Fibre Networks officials Network Director Jim McMahon, CEO Diane Hodnett and CTO Tom McMahon with a map for the sub-sea cable project. Observed Sea Fibre Networks CEO Diane Hodnett, “No new Irish sub-sea cable system has been built since 2000 and currently most of the existing sub-sea cable systems face near technical obsolescence and natural end of life. As such, until now Ireland risked facing the possibility of becoming a marooned digital island.” She said that each fiber pair is capable of carrying up to 8 terabits (TB) per second, the equivalent to 28 days of video per second, helping meet demand driven by new technology apps and content companies such as IBM, HP, Google, Amazon,Yahoo and Facebook. Commercial end users can either buy or lease dedicated dark fiber on the sub sea cable or alternatively lease high capacity managed services, the release said. A company website, www.seafibre.com, will provide regular updates on the project, it said. ■

www.niehoff.de

The most efﬁcient way to produce automotive wire – sophisticated solutions made by NIEHOFF.

Multiwire Drawing Line MMH

Pay-off ARH 630

Buncher D 631

NPS-System SV 400 D

Hall 10 · Booth C18

GERMANY · RUSSIA · USA · UNITED ARAB EMIRATES · BRAZIL · CHINA · SINGAPORE · JAPAN · INDIA · CZECHIA MASCHINENFABRIK NIEHOFF GmbH & Co. KG | Fuerther Strasse 30 | 91126 Schwabach, Germany | info@niehoff.de | www@niehoff.de

FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE Interfast opens new joint venture warehouse in Guangdong, China

ASTM publication presents a total of 159 standards for the fastener field

Canada’s Interfast, Inc., reports that it has bolstered its ability to distribute its aerospace products in Asian markets with the official opening of a joint venture aerospace fastener warehouse in Guangdong, China. A press release said that the company’s co-venture with China’s AVIC International Zhuhai Co. (AVIC-IZ) InterfastAVIC Aerospace Co., Ltd., will supply specialized aerospace fasteners and hardware and offer a series of services, such as engineering support, to service domestic and international aerospace firms operating in Asia. It is expected to soon be operational. The aerospace fastener facility is in the Guangdong Province, with the office and warehouse located in a CAE facility in the free trade zone in Zhuhai until a new, larger facility is built, it said.

A newly released publication, ASTM Standards for Mechanical Fasteners and Related processes: 3rd Edition, presents a wealth of fastener information. A press release said that the book, compiled from over 15 volumes of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, provides all of the standards developed by ASTM Committee F16 on Fasteners, as well as all of the most commonly referenced documents. “This edition of 159 standards covers raw materials, inspection, testing procedures, plating, and quality assurance for threaded, non-threaded, driven, and other fasteners and fastener components,” the release said. It described the publication as a “comprehensive technical resource for design professionals, manufacturers, engineers, architects, government agencies, universities, and other teaching or training organizations, distributors, and consultants involved in the production, design, testing, or use of mechanical fasteners or assemblies.” The book, ISBN13: 978-0-8031-7027-8, retails for $290. The book can be ordered from ASTM at www.astm.org.

Hillman acquires assets of Micasa

Interfast, Inc., CEO Doug Woollings (center left) holds the ribbon with Xu Zhanbin, VP of AVIC at a ribbon cutting ceremony launching Interfast AVIC Aerospace Co., Ltd. Interfast owns 51 percent of the joint venture company, the release said, noting that the two companies have worked together since 1995. “This is an important milestone for both our companies as it further opens Asian markets for Interfast and we can better assist the Chinese in becoming certified with Western aerospace firms,” Interfast CEO Doug Woollings said in the release. He noted that Interfast, which supplies specialized aerospace fasteners as well as customized supply chain logistics and management programs, was pleased to partner with AVIC-IZ “on this significant initiative to create a premier fastener integrator for the Asian aerospace market.” The release described AVIC-IZ as “an influential, stateowned enterprise, “whose parent company (AVIC) has been in charge of China’s aerospace programs related to highquality aerospace research and development and manufacturing, and has become increasingly recognized by the global aerospace industries.” It added that the two companies have “a long history of servicing customers in China and other Asian countries, working both with global aircraft manufacturers as well as Chinese aircraft manufacturers.”

26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The Hillman Companies, Inc. (Hillman), announced that through a subsidiary it has bought certain assets of Micasa Trading Corporation (Micasa), a U.S.-based producer of the OOK brand of picture hangers and related products. Established in 1964, Micasa supplies picture hanging fasteners and “innovative” parts within the retail hardware market, and had annual revenues of topping $15 million in 2010, a press release said. The addition of “this specialty category strengthens Hillman’s position of providing valueadded products and services to home centers and hardware retailers,” it said. Hillman CEO Mick Hillman, Jr., said that Micasa has built an outstanding reputation among its customers with a strong tradition of quality products and great customer service. Hillman intends to support the OOK brand’s well established position as a premium line of picture hanging products.” “This acquisition joins two great brands and allows our customers to take advantage of best practices from two industry leaders,” said David Weck, president and chairman of Micasa. “This partnership also confirms Hillman's continuing commitment to the retail fastener and related specialty products industry.” Hillman sells to hardware stores, home centers, pet suppliers, mass merchants, and other retail outlets principally in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and South America. Hillman's product line includes thousands of small parts such as fasteners and related hardware items, keys, key duplication systems, and identification items, such as tags, letters, numbers and signs. ■

I can help people solve technical problems and improve their careers. Q: What are the three most valuable benefits you receive through WAI? A: Interacting with colleagues that have similar interests; giving back to the industry; and participating on various committees. Q: Why have you renewed your membership? A: To attend and participate in workshops, seminars, and annual meetings.

Q: How did you get involved in the wire industry? A: I presented a paper at a wire show. Q: If you were to nominate yourself for an award what would it be for? A: Winning a long drive contest in golf. Q: What do your co-workers say about you? A: They think I am extremely inquisitive and sometimes play the role of a devil’s advocate.

Dr. Horace Pops President | Horace Pops Consulting Inc. Member Since: 1970

Meet Dr. Horace Pops. One of WAI’s worldwide members. One compelling story. Dr. Pops has pepper. Spicy, curious, and interesting, he’s an iconic part of an original crowd. He raises questions faster than bubbles surface in a soft drink. Like a detective, he continuously casts about for answers to quench his inquisitive nature. Not because of some fiendish notion. He just likes to be clear.

Q: Who was your mentor? A: Marshall Yokelson because he gave good advice about technical matters and how to interact better with people.

Q: Where would you most like to visit? A: Australia. I’ve been to just about every other country. Q: What do you do for leisure? A: When I’m not working you can find me reading detective stories or golfing.

Q: What is your favorite memory of Interwire or Wire Expo? A: Once all 80 of my presentation slides fell out of their carrying case onto the floor of the opening reception. They fell out in order so I was able to recover them in order on my hands and knees.

Thought Provoking | Golf Stroking | Detail Sifting | Colleague Lifting | Bar Setting | Original Icon In his 40 years of presenting papers, he’s never looked back. Except, of course, for the time when his empty slide carousel led him—on all fours—to his original premise. Awarded, re-awarded, and exalted for excellence, it’s ironic that the top WAI medal honor that bears his name is in the general category. Truth be told, he’s pretty specific. To his chagrin, so was the translator in Brazil. Thankfully with his knack for reading an audience he found the safe margin between humiliation and humor. They appreciated him, and so will you. Wouldn’t you like to meet a pepper, too?

Q: What is your best wire industry related travel story? A: During the WAI meeting in Brazil I found out that one of my presentation slides that had been translated into Portugese was in extremely poor taste. When the moderator saw it he inquired about it and I explained that the topic was “Specifications on rod.”Apparently the literal translation had more to do with anatomy than metallurgy. I went with the slide anyway and when the female translator got to the slide she stopped and didn’t know what to do next. The audience was laughing so hard they were almost in tears.

Q: What is your lifelong ambition? A: To be appreciated by my peers.

MNEMONIC TIP: DR. POPS. POPS THE QUESTIONS.

Meet your peers. Achieve your goals. Join WAI’s community at www.wirenet.org. The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road | P.O. Box 578 | Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 | www.wirenet.org

REPORT

TO MEMBERS

REPORT

2012 WAI Report to Members The following Report to the Members was structured as a question and answer piece to give you an opportunity to hear directly from several key volunteers that are highly engaged in the Association. By design, the leadership is a reflection of the many perspectives involved in the operation of the Association. After all, the WAI is not a capital intensive operation, rather it relies on the contributions of the membership to accomplish its mission. How has the Association’s mission evolved over the years? The reality is that the mission of the Association, which is to serve the educational needs of the industry, hasn’t changed since being formed in 1930. What has changed over the years are the methods for disseminating that information, specifically the web. The internet has created tremendous opportunities for WAI to cost effectively reach all parts of the globe and as a result, the series of targeted webinar seminars gives us a chance to engage the entire industry. I have heard so much positive feedback about the webinar programs, including the fact that companies are utilizing the webinars to address areas that need improvement and to facilitate further training with their staffs.

WAI’s Webinar Archives Twelve Years with ISO 9001/AS9100 The Road to Being Recognized as a Business Environmental Leader Optimizing Adhesion of Inks and Coatings in Wire and Cable Innovation in Wire Wiredrawing Mechanics Polymer Degradation, Stabilization, and Failure Analysis, Parts 1 & 2 Extruders/Extrusion Groups: Design, Configuration & Typical Application Descaling and Polymer Coating of Ferrous Wire ‘Green’ Descaling and Polymer Coating of Stainless Steel Wire Copper: Managing Price Risk The State of Manufacturing

The most exciting part is that we are just at the beginning of the curve when integrating technology into the training and educational arena. Imagine affordable simulators that mirror your operation much like today’s gaming programs. WAI President Nicholas Nickoletopoulos, General Manager, Sivaco Wire Group/Ifastgroupe. What are the current challenges facing Association? The primary challenge facing the Association is generating revenue. Appropriately, the Association is a reflection of the industry. If times are bad, then we will see reduced spending in everything from membership to

28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

advertising. Fortunately, the WAI is a diverse operation with revenue sources from membership, meeting attendance, trade shows, and advertising. This coupled with strong cost controls means that the Association is well positioned to get through the challenging periods, but eager to find new opportunities.

Lloyd & Bouvier’s Ron Reed, r, with colleagues at Interwire 2011. I think we have the basis to do that, and that the volunteers will step up to make it happen. Since joining the Association in 1995, I have steadily increased my knowledge of the operation and its finances, first serving on the New England Chapter Board of Directors and then ascending through the leadership and president positions at the headquarters level. With that background and the fact that I have more than a few years in the industry, I was pleased to follow the steady hands of Ron Schenk of RichardsApex as the chairman of the Finance Committee in 2011. Chairman WAI Finance Committee, Ron Reed, Principal, Lloyd & Bouvier. How would you evaluate the community that is the Wire Association International? The Board considers this is to be a meaningful barometer of the health of the Association, and as a result, there is a concerted effort to continuously engage the industry. Nearly everything that the Association is involved with either directly or indirectly supports this initiative. It is not just about the number of members (2,000) or subscribers to the Wire Journal International (10,000). We track volunteerism, meeting attendance, web-site traffic, activity on the forums, Reference Guide/Virtual Trade Show listings and chapter participation. Our primary challenge in this area is the changing demographics. Not just age, but globalization, and cultural shifts between generations on how they want to network and access information. To counter these trends, the

REPORT

Board is actively engaging the wire and manufacturing areas such as production, quality, purchasing, and engineering to ensure programs meet their needs and to replenish the pool of valuable volunteers. We’re also going to new places, such as Dallas for the WAI Operations Summit and Wire Expo 2012. WAI 1st Vice President, Richard Miller, Sr. Vice President Electrical Manufacturing, Southwire Company. What is the role of the Association going forward? Starting my career in the copper rod segment and now working for Encore Wire, I have seen the industry push forward and continuously evolve, and the progress is great. I see the Association doing the same. We are continuously improving our existing products and offering new programs such as the Global Continuous Casting Forum (May 2011) and the webinars series.

A group photo of forum attendees, all casting practioners. Manufacturing wire and cable is an amazing industry. It is an essential part of the economy and loaded with talented individuals. Process improvements, quality initiatives, new patents, and environmental integrity are ingrained in the operation. More than ever, WAI needs to continue to share the accomplishments of the industry and celebrate the wire and cable profession. Even in a bad economy, the competition to attract and retain a quality workforce is essential and the Association is uniquely positioned to complement our own company professional development activities. I wouldn’t have changed my career choice and I wouldn’t want someone else to miss the fun that lies ahead. WAI Executive Committee Member, Gary Spence, VP Nonferrous Metals, Encore Wire. ■ JANUARY 2012 | 29

WAI NEWS

WAI

NEWS

Nicholas Nickoletopoulos to serve as WAI president in 2012 Nicholas Nickoletopoulos, Sivaco Wire Group and Ifastgroupe, will serve as WAI president for 2012, succeeding Dominique Perroud, SAMP Shanghai. The other 2012 officers are First Vice President Richard R. Miller, Southwire Co., and Second Vice President William (Bill) Avise, Leggett & Platt. The WAI officers are key to the direction and planning for events, products and services to serve the WAI’s more than 2,000 members. Steven Fetteroll serves as executive director/secretary and David LaValley is the treasurer.

President: Nicholas Nickoletopoulos Nicholas Nickoletopoulos is currently serving his second term as a member of the Board of Directors, and is a member of the Executive Committee. A WAI member since 2000, he co-chaired the Conference Programming Committee, served on the Oversight Committee and was executive committee liaison to the Exhibition Planning Committee. In the past years, he has also served on the Ferrous Management Committee, has authored articles, presented technical papers and acted as modera-

2012 WAI organizational chart Below are the committees/boards and chairmen that will help direct the WAI’s activities this year.

Executive Committee President: Nick Nickoletopoulos, Sivaco Wire and Ifastgroupe First Vice President: Richard R. Miller, Southwire Co. Second Vice President: William Avise, Leggett & Platt Member: Thomas Maxwell, Jr., Die Quip Corp. Member: Gary Spence, Encore Wire Corp. Immediate Past President: Dominique Perroud SAMP Shanghai

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tor at various WAI conferences. Nickoletopoulos is general manager of Sivaco Wire Group and Ifastegroupe in Canada as well as director of marketing, quality and technical services at Ivaco Rolling Mills, where he has worked in various capacities for 15 years. He has been a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario since 1997, been an active member of ASM since 1989 and served on the executive committee of the Montreal Chapter. He is a graduate of McGill University, where he received his B.Eng degree in metallurgical engineering in 1994 and a Ph.D. degree in 2001. He has co-authored numerous papers on related subjects.

First Vice President: Richard R. Miller Richard Miller, a WAI member since 1996, joined WAI’s Board of Directors in 2009, and is a member of the Executive Committee. He served on the Conference Programming Committee that spearheaded the direction and content for technical programs at Interwire 2011. He has also been active in promoting the exhibits and membership efforts on behalf of the Association. Miller is senior vice president of electrical manufacturing at Southwire Company in Carroll-

Board of Directors Lou Arcuri, Pinnacle Metals William Avise, Leggett & Platt Richard Baker, Alcan Cable Neville Crabbe, Leoni Wire Anthony De Rosa, Cortinovis Machinery America Jaime Fuente, Condusal SA de CV Thomas Maxwell, Jr., Die Quip Corp. Malcolm Michael, Australasian Wire Industry Association Richard Miller, Southwire Co. Nicholas Nickoletopoulos, Sivaco Wire and Ifastgroupe Ralph Noonan, Etna Products Donnie Norton, Phifer Wire Inc. Dominique Perroud, SAMP Shanghai Mahesh Poddar, Miki Wire Works Jose Ranc, Whitney Blake Co. William Reichert, Champlain Cable Donald Schollin, Q-S Technologies Sheldon Scott, Whitney Blake Co. Gary Spence, Encore Wire Corp.

Second Vice President: William Avise William (Bill) Avise currently holds the position of president of the Wire Group and vice president of Leggett & Platt. His career in the wire industry started in August 1970 at Union Wire Rope (Armco) in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. From 1970 to 1975, he worked as a wire drawer while attending college at Central Missouri State University. After graduating with a B.S. degree in business in 1975, he became a shift supervisor and progressively worked up to the position of operations manager. In 1988 he accepted the position of plant manager with Leggett & Platt at the Merit Steel facility in Kouts, Indiana. Following a promotion to vice president of operations, he relocated to Carthage, Missouri, and became president of the Wire Group in 2009. Avise has been a member of the Wire Association

Mark Spencer, W. Gillies Technologies Andrew Stromer, Howar Equipment Mark Thackeray, General Cable Corp. Bhaskar Yalamanchili, Gerdau Ameristeel

Bylaws Committee Sharon K. Young, Versitech

Education Committee Dale Olp, MLP Steel Fayette Div.

Exhibition Planning Committee Jan Sorige, Enkotec Co.

Finance Committee Ronald R. Reed, Lloyd & Bouvier

Memorial Awards Committee Anand Bhagwat, Minova International

International since 1993 and is currently serving a first term on the Board of Directors. He is a member of the 2012 Conference Programming Committee as well as executive committee liaison to the Exhibition Planning Committee. He has actively participated with the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA) since 1994, serving as the organization’s Operations Committee Chairman from 1999 to 2004.

Executive Committee and Board of Directors for 2012 In 2012, the WAI Executive Committee will consist of Nicholas Nickoletopoulos, Sivaco Wire Group and Ifastgroupe (President); Richard Miller, Southwire Co. (1st Vice President); William (Bill) Avise, Leggett & Platt (2nd Vice President); Dominique Perroud, SAMP Shanghai (Immediate Past President); and members Thomas Maxwell, Jr., Die Quip Corp.; and Gary Spence, Encore Wire Corp. WAI’s full Board of Directors includes Lou Arcuri, Pinnacle Metals; Avise; Richard Baker, Alcan Cable; Neville Crabbe, Leoni Wire; Anthony De Rosa, Cortinovis Machinery America; Jaime Fuente, Condusal SA de CV; Maxwell; Malcolm Michael, Australasian Wire Industry Association; Miller; and Nickoletopoulos. Also, Ralph Noonan, Etna Products; Perroud; Mahesh Poddar, Miki Wire Works; Jose Ranc, Whitney Blake Co.; William Reichert, Champlain Cable; Donald Schollin, Q-S Technologies; Sheldon Scott, Whitney Blake Co.; Spence; Mark Spencer, W. Gillies Technologies; Andrew Stromer, Howar Equipment; Mark Thackeray, General Cable Corporation; and Bhaskar Yalamanchili, Gerdau Ameristeel.

Member Relations Committee Donald D. Schollin, Q-S Technologies Inc.

Nominating Committee Dane G. Armendariz, Henkel Corp.

Oversight Committee William Avise, Leggett & Platt

Paper Awards Committee Erik A. Macs, Fine International Corp.

Publications Committee Dane G. Armendariz, Henkel Corp.

WAI Chapters India Chapter, Italy Chapter, Mid-South Chapter, Midwest Chapter, Ohio Valley Chapter, Poland Chapter, Southeast Chapter, Western Chapter, New England Chapter

JANUARY 2012 | 31

WAI NEWS

ton, Georgia, USA. He is responsible for the company’s 11 electrical manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. He graduated from Southern Technical Institute with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering technology. He has served as a board member for Carroll County Schools from 1993 to 1999, holding the position of chairman for two of the six years. He has also been a key advocate for the company’s unique “12 for Life” program, that places at-risk students in real jobs at Southwire, allowing them to earn wages while earning credit toward a diploma.

WAI NEWS

Webinar showed how company was able to ‘branch’ out from ISO AS9100 WAI’s webinar series for 2011 ended with recollections and advice from Whitmor/Wirenetics President Michael Weiss, who on Dec. 6 shared his company’s experience developing and living with ISO 9001/AS9100. AS9000, the predecessor to AS9100, the “aerospace” standard, was first published in 1997 by SAE International. The AS9000 standard evolved via an international effort to AS9100, which is now recognized by all major aerospace OEMs. In his webinar, “12 Years with ISO 9001/AS9100 Reflections on Benefits, Challenges and the Future,” Weiss explained the challenges and benefits of AS9100. Also, taking part in the webinar was Doug Anton of AEM Consulting Group, Inc., who guided Whitmor through the ISO/AS process and discussed the methodology used to design, document, implement, maintain and improve their system.

Weiss has a saying about the certification. “ISO - AS is like a tree; same trunk but the trick is to hang your own leaves on it.” He said it also provides an excellent opportunity to examine processes. In terms of results, he said that revenues for Whitmor/Wirenetics have grown well, and that to some degree ISO AS9100 was a contributor. It is also of value in terms of preparing for the future, he said. Observed Doug Anton, who helped Weiss through the process, “the implementation went smoothly for Whitmor/ Wirenetics, largely because it was a deliberate application of the standard. Whitmor refined and documented what they were already doing; they didn’t just create paperwork. Additionally Whitmor benefited from the involvement of the people working with the processes.” For more details on Whitemore/Wirenetics, go to www.wireandplastic.com. To contact Doug Anton at AEM Consulting Group, www.aemconsulting.com, call tel. 541-488-0202, e-mail anton@aemconsulting.com.

Sparks the focus at Jan. 19 webinar

The roots of the “family tree” at Whitmor/Wirenetics include the company’s ISO 9001/AS9100 certification.

Whitmor/Wirenetics, a custom cable manufacturer founded in 1959 and now based in Valencia, California, today provides high-performance wire, cable and tubing to the military, aerospace and satellite industry. The company became ISO 9001 certified in 1998 and AS9100 certified in 2003. As Weiss explained, he chose to be proactive about the certification as he believed it was inevitable that the business would need to pursue AS9100 for its aerospace business. Following advice from AEM Consulting, the company recorded its current processes, gathering documents and constructing a flowchart; assessed current process to the company’s needs; reviewed requirement for the ISO 9001/AS9100 standards; and redesigned, documented and implemented the process. The results, he said, were that the project was delivered on-time and within budget. Some of the lessons that were learned, he said, is that quality is a never-ending responsibility; QA, in a small shop, is hands-on, not just pushing paper; and there is a cost for quality, but it’s worth it.

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WAI’s 2012 series of webinars starts Jan. 19 with a program on spark testing and related safety issues sponsored by WAI’s Southeast Chapter. The hour-long program will be presented from 11 am to noon (EST) by David Carroll, applications engineer, Clinton Instrument Co., with support from the Southeast Chapter. “The Southeast Chapter believes that there is no better topic than safety and hopes that companies will take this opportunity to share best practices,” said chapter President Art Deming of Superior Essex. The webinar is not going to focus on specific models but instead will look closely at the safety aspects of grounding and the problems that can arise from ungrounded products. The testing technology, as long as it is adjusted to the correct setting, will work well, in part because of electricity’s inherent desire to resolve from high potential to ground.

2011 article index is up for review An index of news articles published by WJI in 2011 can be accessed at www.wirenet.org by clicking on “WJI” then “WJI Article Indexes.” There, readers can view/download the PDF version of the article indexes dating back to 2006. Sections include Industry News, WAI News, Chapter News, Exhibitions and Conferences and Technical Articles and features.

Feb. WJI to list best 2011 tech papers As of press time, the WAI’s Paper Awards Committee had not completed the scoring of technical papers presented at CabWire World Conference, which was put on Nov. 7 in Germany by five industry organizations that include WAI. The final scored list will include papers presented at CabWire and at Interwire 2011. Those papers will be presented during 2012, starting with the February issue. ■

IEWC’s Brian Hirt to return for New England Chapter’s Jan. 26 meeting

duction of new officers. It begins at 5 pm with a reception, which will include a magician performing from table-to-table, followed at 6 pm by the dinner and program. Tickets are $100, $90 for WAI members and $85 for Chapter members. The registration deadline is Jan. 20. A range of sponsorship opportunities are available, including Gold ($300), Silver ($200) and Bronze ($100), with all sponsors recognized during the event. There will also be a raffle to benefit the chapter’s Scholarship Fund, the prize being four tickets to a Boston Red Sox game, courtesy of Gem Gravure Company President Dave Gemelli. The registration form includes the opportunity to reserve a hotel room up till Jan. 19 at the special rate of $139, with payment required at check in. For more details and for registration information, go to the New England Chapter’s page at www.wirenet.org or contact WAI’s Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, abzowski@wirenet.org.

Last year, IEWC Marketing Manager Brian Hirt did a superb job as the speaker at the New England Chapter’s annual meeting at the Mohegan Sun Resort Conference, only there was a not-so-little distraction while he was speaking in the form of a monster snowstorm that was midway through dumping 20 plus inches of snow on the state, preventing some members from attending. Still, 65 of the 120 registrants made it for the presentation, and based on the very positive reviews of Hirt’s speech on the wire and cable industry, he was invited back to speak to the full audience. E-mailed one attendee who heard the news, “Brian Hirt was fantastic last year, Kudos to getting him back this year. Looking forward to what he has to say about our industry and trends for 2012.” Hirt manages the marketing activities at IEWC, a global (section continued) wire and cable distributor based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that serves customers in the OEM and sub-assembly market. He also provides news, economic analysis and commodity updates to the industry through the monthly Hot Wire® newsletter, and has contributed to features in WJI. He holds a B.S. degree in business economics from Wheaton College in Chicago and an M.A. degree in economics from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. “Although the world hasn’t changed too much since last year, I will try to provide some fresh insights on economic conditions as not to bore the brave travelers who made it to last year’s wintry conferBrian Hirt, IEWC business analyst, gave his take on the economy to attendees ence,” Hirt said. at the New England Chapter’s annual meeting in 2011. The 2012 meeting will see the intro-

JANUARY 2012 | 33

CHAPTER CORNER

Poland Chapter part of seminar that combined industry and academia On Dec. 8, 2011, the faculty of the Non-Ferrous Metals of AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST) and the Poland Chapter of WAI put on a technical seminar at AGH-UST’s headquarters in Krakow, Poland, that drew more than a hundred attendees. “We were quite pleased with the scope of the program and the calibers of the presenters as well as all the people who helped make it possible,” said Jan Pilarczyk, the president of WAI’s Poland Chapter and a professor at Czestochowa University of Technology (CUT). The event included representatives from business and scientists from universities as well as research institutes that are part of a consortium called NOEL, a body that seeks to further research efforts between industry and univerProf. Tadeusz Knych’s sities into modern materials presentation was and technologies designed for “Material-exploitation transfer of electric energy. problems of overhead The program, “Modern power and railway lines.” materials and technologies based on nonferrous metals for electrical power engineering,” was held under the honorary patronage of Prof. Krzysztof J. Kurzydłowski, director of the National Research and Development Centre (NRDC) in Poland. It included scientists from AGH-University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Warsaw University of Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, the Non-Ferrous Metals Institute and the Railway Institute. Industry representatives from the following key enterprises also participated: TF Cable, NPA–Modern Aluminum Products Skawina, KGHM Polish Copper, Belos PLP, FPE–Electrical Power Conductors Factory and Non-Ferrous Metal Rolling Labedy. Also present were owners of Polish energy and railway infrastructure businesses, such as PSE

At the Schneider Memorial Award presentations, l-r, are CUT’s Zbigniew Muskalski, Jan Pilarczyk, Bogdan Golis, Henryk Dyja (faculty dean), Zbigniew Œmieszek (winner),Tadeusz Knych (winner), Krzysztof Fitzner (faculty dean) and Józef Zasadzinski (NOEL consortium director). 34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

CHAPTER CORNER

Polish Power Grid Company and PKP Polish Railways. Conference topics addressed the demand for creating energy saving and environmentally friendly systems of railway transport, especially in advanced countries that need railways with high speeds and dependable electro-energetic nets. Recent achievements of materials engineering are increasingly based on technoloSpeaker NRDC Director gies using properties of rareKrzysztof Kurzydłowski. earth elements. Such advances are not simple and require systematic and long term inter-disciplinary research, which is one of a focus of the NOEL consortium. The seminar program began with presentations from Prof. Krzysztof Fitzner, dean of the Non-Ferrous Faculty of AGH-UST; Prof. Krzysztof J. Kurzydłowski, director of the National Research and Development Centre; and Prof. Jerzey Lis, rector of AGH-UST, among other consortium representatives. In the second part of the seminar, the lectures were concerned with the actual and projected needs of Polish overhead and railway lines. They included lectures presented by Prof. Tadeusz Knych and his team, who in 2009 and 2010 won the WAI’s Marshall Yokelson Award for the best papers in the Nonferrous Division. Those lectures included: materials and exploitation problems of overhead power and railway lines (Prof. Knych); new materials, technologies and products for transmission and distribution energy systems and blackouts energy crises (Dr. Andrzej Mamala); and materials and technologies for energy supplying of energy saving and ecological railway systems particularly for high speed trains (Dr. Artur Kawecki.) The last part of the seminar, moderated by Pilarczyk, was the presenting of the Schneider Memorial Awards for 2011 to Prof. Zbigniew Œmieszek, presented by Prof. Józef Zasadzinski, a 2007 recepient of the award; and to Prof. Knych, presented by Prof. Henryk Dyja, CUT dean of Materials Processing Technology and Applied Physics. ■

Seminar participants included, front row l-r, NOEL Director Prof. Jozef Zasadziński, AGH-UST Rector Prof. Jerzy Lis and NRCD Director Prof. Krzysztof J. Kurzydłowski. JANUARY 2012 | 35

EVENT WRAPUP Technical presentations at IWCS included papers on optical fiber, copper cable and connectors.

By the numbers, the 60th staging of the International Wire & Cable Symposium and Conference (IWCS) at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Nov. 6-9, did not set attendance records, but the organizers say that given the current market and economic conditions, it was a very credible event. “Attendance was down slightly from the last two years, but still strong,” said IWCS Executive Director John Barteld. He observed that industry as a whole is trying to manage expenses, which generally results in less investment in unique and/or breakthrough technologies. “Much of what we see in technical papers is refinement of processes. Having said that, I don’t know of any rule-busting technologies under development, so maybe the lack of investment is

a reaction rather than a pro-action.” Barteld said that he was pleased with the slow yet steady build-up of connectivity content in the IWCS, and that as that content continues to evolve, it will begin drawing more and more attendees from that sector. In terms of attendees, Barteld said they came from 23 countries, which is consistent with past conferences. “The number of papers was down this year, but tends to fluctuate for reasons not completely understood by me,” he said. The biggest proportion were in the fiber area, including FTTH, which is really an application, with 10 papers each from the connectivity and metallic segments—although there is overlap as connectivity can address a metallic application—and 20 papers on materials and testing, he said, adding that there

Attendees walking the floor at the IWCS exhibits, which included more than a hundred booths. Photo courtesy of IWCS. 36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

EVENT WRAPUP

were also six papers plus the panel discussion in the executive track. See p. 62 for some products that were displayed at IWCS. In addition to the program basics (Professional Development Courses, technical papers and Suppliers Forum), the event included presentations by analysts Rob Daniels and Patrick Fay, both of CRU; Wire Harness Manufacturers Association Chairman Lyle Fahning, Corning Optical Fiber Director of Business Strategy Brad Boersen and DuPont Economist Robert Fry. The Plenary Speakers were Blair Levin, Aspen Institute Communications and Society, and Phil Gilchrist, TE Connectivity. IWCS returns to the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island for its next staging, which will be held Nov. 11-14, 2012. For more details, go www.iwcs.org. â&#x2013;

Above: Timothy Murray, OFS Fitel, shares his perspective during the IWCS Executive Track panel discussion, which also included (l-r) Eddie Edwards, CommScope; Brian Delascia, Prysmian Cables & Systems; Clark Kinlon, Corning Cables Systems; and Neil Wilkins, Optical Cable Corporation. Below: attendees at the IWCS reception at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

JANUARY 2012 | 37

FEATURE

Ferrous wire manufacturing his feature focuses on the business end, with

analysis from IBISWorld, a market research

firm; parting comments from a retiring CEO and forward-looking thoughts from his successor; the perspective of three company executives; news of a partner for an AWPA event; and a column by Katie Memmel of SteelOrbis.

The steel wire manufacturing outlook The following edited information has been excerpted from a report, Wire & Spring Manufacturing in 2011, that was issued by IBISWorld, a U.S.-based industry research firm that covers a wide range of fields, including industry. For more information, go to www.ibisworld.com.

Comparison of U.S. exports/imports of steel wire in 2011.

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

IBISWorld: conditions have improved, but steel wire market remains tough The U.S. wire and spring manufacturing industry has struggled to find its place in an increasingly globalized economy. Imports satisfied a growing portion of domestic demand and drove down prices. Much wire is made for durable goods such as buildings, autos and furniture that are sensitive to economic changes such as the recession. The numbers reflect that situation. Over the five years to 2011, revenue was expected to have declined at an average annual rate of 0.9% to a total of $10.2 billion. Revenue declined by 14.7% in 2009, but bounced back in 2010 (5.5% growth). After several consecutive quarters of declining revenue, the industry began to grow in 2010; in 2011, growth rates are expected to return to levels that are comparable to those prior to the recession. Revenue was expected to have grown 8.8% from 2010 to 2011. Between 2011 and 2016, IBISWorld forecasts that industry revenue will grow at an average annualized rate of 4.0% to reach $12.4 billion. The industry will continue to turn the corner, as construction starts begin to increase and consumer confidence picks up. In 2012, IBISWorld estimates that revenue will increase by 6.6% to $10.9 billion.

JANUARY 2012 | 39

FEATURE

Not all sectors have suffered equally. Despite the poor state of the construction market, some segments have fared better that rely on government funding and/or have received funding from the federal stimulus package. The industry’s products have become standardized. Product development has slowed to a crawl, and most innovations that do occur improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process versus the performance of the product. Foreign firms now have access to comparable levels of industry technology. This factor, combined with direct access to cheaper labor and raw materials than available in the U.S., ultimately favors foreign manufacturers. Steel wire is an essential building block, but the field continues to be very Imports are believed to have demanding in terms of returning decent margins. decreased by an average annual rate of 4.4% per year to $2.3 billion over the five years to 2011, largely because of The firms that will be market leaders over the next five the 34.3% decline in imports that the industry experiyears will become more specialized and target niche marenced in 2009. The recession has caused imports’ contrikets. Others will form strategic alliances with foreign bution to domestic demand to decline from 22.8% in competitors, which may involve shifting operations 2006 to 19.9% in 2011. Despite the cyclical decline, toward importing as opposed to manufacturing. Over the Asian countries have been a growing source of foreign next five years, establishments are expected to fall at an imports. This trend is expected to continue. annual rate of 1.7% to 920, while firms will likely exit Indirect import substitution is threatening the industry’s the industry at a rate of 3.1% per year to reach 690. viability. For example, U.S. furniture manufacturers are The wire and spring manufacturing industry is mature. purchasing fewer light gauge springs, as U.S. consumers The industry’s growth rate has slowed to slightly below opt for cheaper and imported furnishing products. For that of the overall economy. Over the 10 years to 2016, many of these downstream industries, the difference industry value added, which measures an industry’s conin quality between domestic and imported products is tribution to GDP, is expected to grow at a rate of 1.5% becoming indiscernible. Export markets have been simiper year, while GDP is expected to grow 2.0% per year. larly impaired by the recession. Over the five years to Enterprise and establishment numbers have followed 2011, exports are expected to have grown at a nominal falling profit. Larger firms have been closing underperrate of 0.4% per year to $1.1 billion, with the decline forming facilities, while smaller players are either being mostly attributable to the 19.4% drop in exports that the industry experienced in 2009. Domestic producers have been dealing with rising import competition for years, while many have moved production offshore to emerging economies with cheaper labor. This trend is set to continue in the future, with manufacturing giants like China and other Asian countries welcoming foreign investment at the cost of U.S. production. These competitive pressures from imports will present an obstacle to the industry’s recovery. Over the five years to 2016, imports are forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 3.7% to total $2.7 billion. By 2016, the U.S. will import nearly $2.0 billion more industry products than it exports. Exports are forecast to decline at an average annualized rate of 7.5% to $739.1 million over the five years to 2016, as cheap foreign goods reduce demand for American industry products abroad. Additionally, the rising price of steel will The steel wire industry remains a high-cost negatively affect profit. business to be in.

FEATURE

acquired by a larger firm or exiting the industry. Underperforming product lines are also being discontinued. The industry’s product segments are clearly defined and have been for an extended period of time. Their standardization has given rise to a strong element of price competition in the industry. Imports are also rising rapidly as a result while exports contribute only moderately to industry performance.

The industry’s reliance on technology varies across segments as do their related advancements. In general, advances have revolutionized the operation of machinery and equipment, but these developments have also occurred in overseas countries, and technological innovation relating to the manufacturing process changes slowly. For more information and to order the full IBISWorld report, go to www.ibisworld.com.

Central Wire: a leadership look back, and a view going forward Central Wire has grown from a small regional wire producer to one of the country’s largest producers of stainless and nickel wire. Below, Larry Smith, who is retiring this month after 11 years as CEO (see p. 22), and his successor, Paul From, present their thoughts in responses to questions from WJI.

Parting thoughts: Larry Smith WJI: What were the keys to your company’s growth and why did expansion become a priority? Smith: Central Wire was a small fine diameter copper and stainless steel wire mill and the need to grow both in alloy and diameter range became apparent as the fine wire markets came under pressure from both substitution (synthetics) and import penetration. The key to success for me was to continuously upgrade our manufacturing process to drive cost out of the product and then find synergistic acquisitions that both broadened our product line and improved our plant utilization. WJI: What was the single hardest decision that you ever had to make? Smith: As the import penetration increased from approximately 20% of domestic consumption in the mid 90s to 50-60% in the mid 2000s, all decisions on growth either organically or by acquisition were both tough and followed by a lot of second guessing. The toughest decision was the acquisition of Techalloy Company, Inc. This company was four or five times our size and did not have a very good financial track record. The success rate of smaller companies acquiring much larger ones being poor, plus having the added burden to change it to a profitable organization was indeed daunting to say the least. However, the opportunity to increase our size in the market and thereby have a more significant impact was too good to pass up. We were fortunate in that we both grew our combined business and maintained profitability, so it was definitely the right decision. WJI: Management of a company covers a lot of territory: what elements came easiest to you and where did you find it more of a challenge? Smith: There are a lot of tools required to successfully manage a company, knowledge, proper interpretation of

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

the numbers, and intuition (gut feeling), to name a few. Having the management talent that can provide you with this information and working together to make the right decisions is very important to success. WJI: Had you walked away from many other acquisitions, and if so, were any in South America or Asia? Smith: Of the many acquisitions that we successfully completed, they only represented about 50% of the opportunities we looked at. We did look at Mexico and other offshore locations both as J/V’s and standalone. We were not able to satisfy our necessary parameters for success Central Wire’s Larry Smith and therefore they were not completed. WJI: In what ways is the industry still basically the same as it was when you started, and in what ways has it most changed? Smith: The challenges have certainly changed over the years but I’m not sure if one can say it is harder. The improvements in technology has made it easier to drive cost from the product, but it is a challenge finding and developing the personnel that are prepared to do what is required in our very demanding business. We have had several economic downturns over the years which at the time had a similar impact to the company as this most recent one. Our strategy in these times has been to “weather the storm” and be prepared for the turnaround when it comes. It has allowed us to evaluate the acquisition potential of weaker companies that could not absorb the losses incurred during downturns. Our last two completed fiscal years since the recession of 2008/09 have shown increasing profitability year over year and the projections for the future are even stronger.

Looking forward: Paul From

WJI: Is further growth possible in a period highlighted by such an extended overall gloomy economic picture? From: Absolutely. In fact, I think now is the best time for growth. We really need to come out of this stronger than when we went in. The challenge from an operations

FEATURE

WJI: Central Wire has undergone slow yet substantial growth over the last decade or so: do you expect further expansion the next five years? From: We have essentially seven unique manufacturing plants in North America, two in Canada and five in the U.S. Short term, my goal is to recruit some outside talent and then assess our impact points across the board. I am speaking about customers and alloys against the market sectors we work in. As clichĂŠ as it sounds, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core goal(s) are simple: produce a great quality product and deliver it on time, all the time. Five years is a long time out. I would say that within the next 12-18 months we would like to be at the acquisition table again. Will it be a wire asset I guess is the big question? A slight deviation away from our core business might be a good move, we will have to see.

Central Wire CEO Larry Smith, l, and his successor, Paul From.

JANUARY 2012 | 41

FEATURE

standpoint will be if we are ready and able to handle the growth once it starts, because there are no second chances at that point. And often the growth is happening and you just don’t know it. Miss it and you are waiting for the next bus. That’s the hard part and it involves knowing when to pull the trigger on the spend side. WJI: Be it an expanded product line or more acquisitions, is growth inherently good, or does it have to fit within certain parameters to be controllable? Could South America or Asia be part of the long-term plan? From: That’s a hard question to answer. First, let me say that nothing is ruled out, but I am a strong advocate of keeping our manufacturing abilities inside the North American landscape. I am very pro “Made in America” and am not afraid to stand up for this cause. I would very much like to see the jobs created at home. I see our wire business today, but at the same time I know that our customers are facing a very tough “wire world.” When we are talking about acquisitions today, I think we really need to be open to opportunities that are also rich in man-

ufacturing experience. A strong buy into a parallel industry can be advantageous for our core business by pushing us to adapt newer or different manufacturing protocols. That also positions the company for another revenue Central Wire’s Paul From stream. The bottom line is that I would shy away from manufacturing assets outside of the U.S. or Canada if the only goal was to cut cost. I don’t want to see job losses at home. If the target was a strong business inside a growing economy with a local focus, I would support something like that.

Perspective: Leggett & Platt, a time of hard decisions, but opportunities exist U.S.-based Leggett & Platt (L&P) has a legacy of success and growth made possible by its focused approach and careful acquisitions, but it is not immune to the especially harsh market conditions the last few years. Below, Bill Avise, vice president of L&P and president of its Wire Group, shares his thoughts on the industry. For most of the steel wire markets that Leggett & Platt participates in, the last several years have been quite challenging. Since 2001, the domestic wire industry has struggled with the continued increase of offshore wire products—such as coat hangers, threaded rod, pre-stressed concrete strand and nail—coming into the U.S. In 2007, we were successful in a dumping case on innerspring units from China, South Africa and Vietnam. While this helped, much time and effort is now put into stopping the illegal circumvention of these duties. At the same time, many wire specs have changed to smaller diameters and higher tensiles to get more feet per pound. While going from .086 in. to .080 in. doesn’t sound like a big change, it is an increase of 15% in feet per pound, thus a 15% reduction in weight. The improved equipment and technology used in both the production of wire rod and wire have made this possible and practical. Then along comes the big economic slowdown in late 2008. Fortunately for L&P, each business unit prepares a three-year strategic plan with annual updates, and these always include a “negative plan” in the event of an economic downturn. Oversimplifying everything, in late 2008 and very early 2009, we restructured our group, resulting in 25% of hourly and salaried partners being permanently laid off. A lot of other changes were imple42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

mented, but the hardest part was knowing that a lot of good employees and their families had just had their lives turned upside down. Most of the markets we participate in are mature markets and their growth Leggett & Platt’s Bill Avise is tied pretty closely to GDP. For 2010 and the 1st half of 2011, they progressed pretty much as expected, but mid-year, it became evident that economic growth was going to be stagnant for an extended timeframe. In late October, the decision was made to close our facility in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and move that business into our other mills. This was an extremely difficult decision, as Nicholasville has always had a good and productive workforce. Over 20% of the employees had 30 years of service or more. The key factor was that Nicholasville just had chemical cleaning and wiredrawing, which could be transferred to our other facilities that had other “value-added” operations. Wire mills are pretty capital intensive, making a high utilization rate very important to control costs. History has shown that there will be downturns in our wire business, but this is not a typical downturn. We

American Metal Market (AMM) will be co-producing the Wire Rod Supply Conference that was started two years ago by the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA). “AWPA’s decision to partner with American Metal Market (AMM) on the Wire Rod Supply Chain Conference is based on our efforts to find ways to best serve the AWPA members in a changing market,” said John Martin, AWPA President and President of Mar-Mac Wire. “We continue to cooperate with other organizations, as we have successfully done with WAI, to offer programs of value to our members. We believe that the Supply Chain Conference will continue to appeal to AWPA members, and other companies in the supply chain. The conference will continue to be branded with the AWPA logo and now AMM’s, too. The addition of AMM to the partnership will give the program a broader access to quality speakers, marketing opportunities and proven experience in conference management.

We are pleased to continue to also partner with WAI, in locating this event alongside their Operations Summit and Wire Expo and co-branding these industry events as a package of value to participants of both events.” “American Metal Market is thrilled to be working with AWPA to produce the 2012 Wire Rod Supply Chain Conference,” said David Brooks, Senior Vice President and Publisher of AMM. “By working together, we will be able to present a stronger, more in-depth look at the supply chain and create an open dialogue about the issues and topics impacting the wire rod industry today.” The two-day program, Brooks said, will cover the global wire rod supply chain from raw materials to end-use markets and will feature speakers and panelists that include high-level executives and leading industry and economic analysts. Conference registration will open this month with discounted registration and sponsorship packages available for AWPA members. For more details, go to www.amm.com or www.awpa.org.

JANUARY 2012 | 43

FEATURE

American Metal Market to partner with AWPA for the Wire Rod Supply Conference

FEATURE

could easily see another two or three years of limited growth as countries, businesses and individuals adjust to living within their means. I believe that there will be some further consolidation in the wire industry the next few years. Wire mills need to run at fairly high utilization rates, which drives companies to look for requisitions to add volume to their current facility(ies) or get into a new product line. However, there is a reluctance to sell a company under the current market conditions. As the industry gradually improves, more opportunities for consolidation should develop. Steel wire companies that continue to invest in their employees along with making investments in their facility to reduce costs, improve quality and/or new products, will

get through these times well positioned for the future. Companies that have a high percentage of their employees involved in Continuous Improvement will find cost reductions, efficiency gains and new ideas much easier to achieve. Developing a business strategy that allows you to plan for change rather than reacting to change is important. After the past two and one half years, we should be at the bottom of whatever cycle we are in and see gradual improvements to our business as 2012 and 2013 develop. For now, these remain challenging times, yet as noted above, there will be opportunities for those who are prepared and plan adequately, and that’s our company’s focus. If we follow that path, the Leggett & Platt story continues.

Perspectives: Mar-Mac Wire, Inc.,and American Spring Wire Corporation Two other leaders of U.S. steel wire companies who shared their thoughts on the industry via a Q&A were John Martin III, president of Mar-Mac Wire, Inc., a manufacturer of steel wire, and Timothy Selhorst, president/CEO of American Spring Wire Corporation, North America’s largest manufacturer of valve and commercial quality spring wire and a major supplier of PC Strand. WJI: How has your specific niche most changed, and is what you need to succeed really any different than from past eras? Martin: There are two areas of Mar-Mac’s business that have changed more than other factors—our customer base and our supply base. In the past, Mar-Mac manufactured wire products for the concrete construction business through a distributor network, which formed the majority of our business. Today we continue to sell products we manufacture, but we also import many of those same products and additional products to serve our distributor network. The other change is that we have diversified our customer base and are selling to a wider range of niche industrial wire customers. I think things are different than earlier eras. Just as colleges have upped their requirements for entry, business has become more complex and competitive, and the range of expertise required to run a simple business has increased. Selhorst: Use of wire or wire products may have grown over the past ten years, but data indicates that over 50% of what’s used is imported as wire or a wire product. Without the growth in the marketplace, and with the continued level of competition, profits and investments are difficult to make. WJI: If there was one change you could make/alter (anything from trade rules to environmental regulations to reporting requirements), what would it be and why? Selhorst: I could spend an hour alone answering this question! I believe the greatest impact on NA wire making in the past 10 years is the distortion of the market due 44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

to trading practices from China. We work hard to get this addressed via lobbying at the federal level and I’d like to say we’re seeing improvement. American Spring Wire’s Timothy Selhorst Over the next ten years, the opportunity for manufacturers looks better. We’ve yet to see whether our government will give us the opportunity by keeping regulations and tax rates reasonable. If that’s too broad, then I’d say we need to pass the ENFORCE act. ENFORCE provides Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the tools to assure that trade remedies passed down by the International Trade Commission (ITC) and Dept. of Commerce (DOC) are enforced. Such rulings have been circumvented by some countries in the past, thereby diminishing the impact of the orders. Martin: If there was only one change I could make, it would be our government’s attitude towards manufacturing. Manufacturing jobs provide some of the highest wages in the U.S. When we make “things” we create wealth and improve our standard of living, yet manufacturers are under constant attack on every front. If our government would seek to make the U.S. the most attractive place in the world for manufacturers, many of our problems would be lessened. WJI: Do you see current industry conditions for steel wire manufacturers continuing for an extended time? Martin: I do see the current conditions continuing for the foreseeable future, but at this point, I do not think it

From l-r, Mar-Mac Wire’s John Martin, III; R. Jarrett Martin; John W. Martin IV; and Andy Johnson. means much to Mar-Mac. I listen to Harry Dent’s predictions which seem to have proven fairly accurate in the past. Dent says that the life/buying cycle of our population combined with past excesses in government and private spending will not allow any substantial growth for quite a few years. After surviving 2009 and the first half of 2010, today’s economy does not seem so bad. We have concluded that what we see is what we get, and we had best make the best of it. We see it as an opportunity to improve our process and solidify our financial position to take advantage of the future. Selhorst: I believe the nation stands at an ideological crossroad not dissimilar to where we were in 1980. The path chosen at that time led to prosperity for several decades, although the free trade policies and lack of concern over Asia’s agenda made things hard on manufacturers. I believe a 1980s’ type policy shift that favors the private sector will lead to a rebirth in basic material manufacturing in the U.S. WJI: Has steel wire basically been a tough place to make a good living because most of it is a commodity, and high volume + commodity = low margins? Selhorst: Without market growth, investments in wire making are impossible to justify. Martin: Yes, the business can be tough, but so are lots of other businesses. People live and thrive in harsh environments. The conditions we find ourselves in are what they are, so we can choose to figure out how to make money or get out. Anything beyond that is whining. As for consolidation, isn’t that another word for downsizing? Many in our business are already doing that. The only other thing that consolidation does is lessen the number of players. If one feels that there is no discipline in the market due to the number of players, then yes, consolidation might help. Mar-Mac has no interest in being “consolidated.” WJI: What if anything can improve conditions? Can anti-dumping action slow the inflow of offshore wire? Can tax credits make it easier to buy equipment? Martin: Yes, I think the inflow of offshore wire can

Hall 9 Stand B41

Light, comfortable to hold and easy to operate, PWM hand-held manual cold welders repair wire breaks fast, even in confined spaces. The precision-engineered dies produce strong, reliable permanent welds in seconds. And with no set up, heat, flux or filler necessary, you’ll find our manual welders a handy way to cut costs, reduce downtime and improve productivity. For more details, email pwm@btinternet.com or visit www.pwmltd.co.uk

MADE IN THE UK

All inquiries within North America for machines, spares and dies, contact: AMARAL AUTOMATION ASSOCIATES PO Box 7816, Cumberland, RI 02864 Tel: 401 405 0755 / 774 991 0504 Fax: 401 405 0757 E-mail: joe@amaralautomation.com www.amaralautomation.com

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd Bethersden, Kent England TN26 3DY Tel: +44 (0) 1233 820847 Fax: +44 (0) 1233 820591 E-mail: pwm@btinternet.com Welders and dies available from PWM or authorised distributors only.

JANUARY 2012 | 45

FEATURE

HANDY...

FEATURE

and should be slowed when those imports violate our trade laws. Some time ago I came to understand that it was not the cheap labor that made imports cheap. What makes imports cheap is government policies, both those of our own government and those of foreign governments. I addressed this in an earlier question. As to tax credits, those are simply band-aids for taxes that are too high and incorrectly structured in the first place.

Selhorst: I believe the country is poised to allow a return to prosperous basic manufacturing. Should public policy allow for continued growth of the automotive sector, and renewal in the residential and non-residential construction markets, the consolidation of wire and wire products producers over the past 10 years has us well positioned to prosper.

Unlike seasons, one can’t forecast the ebbs and flows of wire rod pricing Below, Katie Memmel, content manager and editor-inchief of Prime magazine, published by SteelOrbis, shares her views about the wire rod market. Just as the falling leaves have given way to winter snow, and snow has melted into spring greenery every year for millennia, the dynamics of supply and demand in the U.S. wire rod market have remained relatively constant for many years. Winter brings a slowdown in construction demand and an uptick in equipment manufacturing, while construction activity blooms in the spring and auto production maintains seasonal neutrality (except for slowdowns each July and at the end of the year). Traditionally, wire rod mills tailored production schedules around these

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

trends, and as cycles of economic boom and bust affected each equally, the supply/demand dynamic remained relatively stable. However, in the aftermath of the most recent economic crisis—arguably the worst since the Great Depression— attitudes across the wire rod supply spectrum have shifted. Even the basics of demand and supply have changed. For instance, many in the wire rod market would say that demand is weak right now—an accurate summary, but only when compared to pre-crisis levels. Post-crisis, wire rod consumption in the U.S. has increased every year, just at a frustratingly slow pace. As a result, end-users have become increasingly gun-shy, especially about long-term trends, and have maintained a “buy-as-needed” purchasing policy for the last couple years. Inventories have been kept lean, and import opportunities have been put on the back burner, unless the deals are too good to pass up. Overall, an extreme hesitancy about the future has cast a shadow over U.S. wire rod demand levels, with every dip and bump in the construction and manufacturing sectors making much more of an impact than they did before the economic collapse. On the supply side, U.S. wire rod mills have been keeping production on a tight leash, partially in response to demand levels, but mostly as a way to maintain control over prices. One undeniable fact in the midst of the so-called “recovery” is that most U.S. mills have been making a lot of money. One way they have achieved such prosperity in this economy is by employing strict discipline when it comes to production. When mills have sensed an overabundance of supply in the market, they have quickly responded with reduced schedules—something that has been much easier to achieve lately

FEATURE

with the prevalence of electric arc furnaces—instead of simply flushing low-cost product into the market (of course this only works with all mills on board, which they are). While this system has its advantages (higher prices mean better quarterly results), it has also had the disadvantageous side-effect of intensifying end-user hesitancy. At this point, large inventory stock-ups are only embarked upon when prices have seemingly hit bottom after a long slide downward. U.S. domestic wire rod prices have not exactly been stable in the last couple years, but substantial quick-term price movements have been almost entirely upward—when prices decreased, they have done so at a trickle. Therefore, the “bottom” has been elusive as of late, and therefore hedge buys have become rare. Another concern regarding wire rod’s Katie Memmel, SteelOrbis tight production in the U.S. is what will happen when the economy does return full-steam. While forecasts constantly push that magical date out ever-further (newest predictions peg it around late-2013), there is always the possibility that this year’s spring construction season (an annual boom pre-crisis) will be significantly better than last year, instead of disappointingly equivalent. When construction does pick up, there is the question of whether U.S. mills will be prepared to handle the influx of demand. Shutting down production is arguably easier than ramping it up—laying off existing employees takes much less effort than hiring a new crop of skilled, available workers. And some in the industry predict that such a situation would lead not to increased U.S. production, but increased import activity to fill the gap. Until wire rod consumption in the U.S. reaches precrisis levels, it is unlikely that the new supply/demand dynamic (price-oriented supply and uncertainty-laced demand) will return to its old self, or, more likely, shift into something else entirely. Either way, there is no longer a “big picture” in the wire rod market than we can step back and observe in order to make reasonable forecasts of what to expect. Just as climate change has affected the weather’s big picture (the “Farmer’s Almanac” isn’t quite what it used to be), so has dynamic change affected wire rod’s.

ne n-li ic i e l n ilab tra so a v l u wa No h GEO : W wit ning NE a cle

SteelOrbis provides steel news, sector analysis, trade statistics on steel, market pricing and more as well as a secure e-trade platform for steel buyers and sellers. Editor Katie Memmel can be contacted at tel. 713-5896049, www.steelorbis.com. ■

JANUARY 2012 | 47

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER The multi-scale model of Mg alloy wire drawing process The use of the Boundary Element Method was found to be very useful for controlling the production of a new magnesium alloy for specialized applications requiring fine wire. By Andrzej Milenin and Dorota J. Byrska-Wójcik

A new magnesium alloy has been developed for production of bone implants and surgical threads1-3. These types of applications require fine wires with diameters from 0.1 to 0.9 mm. The composition of alloys used for such medical applications are selected to have high bio-compatibility and adequate solubility in the human body, but the low plasticity4-5 of these alloys causes difficulties with cold forming. A new manufacturing technology for tubes made of Mg alloys was developed6 in which the process metal is heated during the drawing process by a heated die, and a theoretical description of the wiredrawing process has been described7. In this process, cold wiredrawing is necessary as a final stage after multi-pass drawing to increase the surface quality and mechanical properties of the wire. The studies of mechanism of ductility in the new product,

an MgCa0.8 alloy5, showed that alloy fracture started in the grains’ boundaries and propagated along them. Because of that finding, a macro-scale analysis of fracture phenomena is not sufficient and a micro-scale model is necessary. The Finite Element Method (FEM)-base algorithms for simulating an MgCa0.8 fracture in micro-scale had problems simulating the boundary by a thin layer of FE and in modeling the representative numbers of grains8. The purpose of this work is development of a new mathematical model of MgCa0.8 fracture phenomena in a micro scale. For the micro-scale model, the Boundary Elements Method (BEM) was used. The new model can eliminate the above-described problems that can happen using the FEM-base methods. Model of wiredrawing can be used to optimize the parameters of drawing process and to predict the ductility of material.

Fig. 2. View of sample after tensile test in microchamber.

Fig. 1. Stress-strain curve: red line – assumed model (1)-(3) and blue line – experimental data. The lines show how closely they follow each other. 48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Table 1. Parameters identified in assumed model (1)-(3) by using inverse method.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 3. The deformation zone in sample: a) before tensile test; and b) after tensile test5.

The plastic zone is formulated, if

Experimental studies: upsetting tests and development of yield stress model An MgCa0.8 magnesium alloy sample, 10 mm high and 8 mm in diameter was tested by a Zwick250 machine in AGH University of Science and Technology. Conditions of experiment were as following: testing temperature 20ﾂｰC, tool velocity 0.16 mm/s, the initial strain rate was 0.017 1/s and a graphite lubricant was used. During the experiment, the force and displacement of tools were measured. The tested sample cracked at 2.18 mm tool displacement. Experimental results show that load-displacement curve is divided into two zones: elastic and plastic zones. Transition point between elastic and plastic zones of material model is clearly distinguished. On the basis of experimental observation the following equations are used for proper definition of material model of examined magnesium alloy: The elastic zone is expressed by: Eq. (1)

:, then Eq. (2) Eq. (3)

The values of the parameters used in Eqs. 1-3 are determined by using the inverse procedure. The theoretical load Pcalc can be calculated by applying the following equation: Eq. (4)

where: f = friction coefficient (f = 0.2); d, h = sample diameter and height, considered as functions of deformation; S = contact area between die and sample, and ﾏナ = stress intensity. The value of S was determined by using the assumption that volume is a constant value. Inverse analysis was applied

Fig. 4. Microstructure of sample during tensile test5 at: a) before deformation; b) with 1.0 mm deformation; and c) with 1.4 mm deformation. JANUARY 2012 | 49

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 5. Schemes used to determine the point location of flow lines: a) velocity field in drawing direction and flow lines; b) flow line placed on FEM mesh; and c) scheme used to determine the next point of current flow lines.

to identify the parameters in Eqs. 1-3 by using a classical inverse approach to find the parameters that provide the best match between the calculated theoretical load and the experimental load. The difference between these values is solved by optimization of the goal function. The calculated load on sample Pcalc (calculated results) and the experimental load on sample Pexp are used to determine the goal (optimization) function, which has to be minimized: Eq.(5)

Fig. 6. The example of BEM grid for contact of two grains. The nodes 3-6 of grain 1 are contacted with nodes 18-21 of grain 2.

The identified parameters are presented in Table 1 and the results of the inverse procedure are plotted in Fig. 1. Experimental studies: tensile tests and metallographic analysis of fracture in micro-scale. A tensile test was performed at room temperature using a testing machine (10000 N Tensile/ Compression Stage) with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Hannover5. During the tensile test, the stretching force and displacement of tools were measured. A view of the sample after the tensile test is shown in Fig.2. The MgCa0.8 alloy sample cracked at 1.49 mm tool displacement. Microstructures in the center point of the sample in different stages of test are shown in Fig. 4. The experiment showed that fracture in the MgCa0.8 alloy had started in the grains boundaries and, subsequently, had been propagated along them. This mechanism of fracture was modeled by BEM in micro-scale model.

FEM model of wire drawing in macro scale

Fig. 7. The scheme of model of ductility process in RVE: 1 and 2 = examples of cracks on grains boundary, Ď&#x192; = boundary conditions. 50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FEM code Drawing2d was developed by A. Milenin9. In this FEM model, the boundary problem is solved by considering phenomena like: plastic deformation, heat transfer, wire heating due to deformation and friction. In the model, strain tensor distribution is obtained from the previous pass and transferred to the next one. The boundary problem solution is obtained by using the variation principle of rigid-plastic theory:

where: ξi = strain rate intensity, εi = strain intensity, t = temperature, V = volume, σ0 = mean stress, ξ0 = volumetric strain rate, S = contact area between alloy and die, στ = friction stress and vτ = alloy slip velocity along die surface. Friction stress is determined according to: Eq. (8)

where: ftr = friction coefficient and σn = normal stress on contact between alloy and tool. Stress tensor σij components are calculated on the basis of strain rate tensor ξij components according to the following equation: Eq. (9)

Eq. (14)

where: Q = deformation power (0.9σiξi), c = specific heat, ρ = alloy density and k = thermal conductivity coefficient (for MgCa0.8 alloy these were c = 624 J/kgK, ρ = 1738 kg/m3 and k = 126 J/mK). Heat exchange between alloy and die is defined according to the below equation: Eq. (15)

Deformation tensor εij components are calculated as integration of each strain rate tensor component along flow line:

where: t∞ = die temperature and α = the heat exchange coefficient. The thermal flux generated on the friction surface is expressed by equation:

Eq. (10)

Eq. (16)

where: Δτ(p) = current time increment, and ξij(p) = strain rate tensor components determined according to Eq. (11): Eq. (11)

where: N = the finite element shape functions, ξijn = the nodal strain rate tensor components for current finite element and nnd = the number of nodes in the element. The next points of flow line are determinated and calculated by using the alloy velocity components for current point p according to the following equation: Eq. (12)

and coordinates integration: Eq. (13)

BEM model of microstructure deformation and fracture phenomena in micro-scale The proposed BEM algorithm is based on an idea which is described in the work10. The Representative Volume Element (RVE) is divided into elements with linear mechanical properties. See Figs. 6-7. The new model includes stages of generation for the BEM mesh (see Fig. 7) for digital fragment of microstructure and numeric solutions in micro-scale. Boundary condition for micro-scale model was obtained from solution of boundary problem in macro-scale per Eqs. (7)-(16). The selection of BEM to develop the micro-scale model gives significant advantages (in comparison with existing FEM models) in terms of the precision of the calculations at the boundaries, because normal and shear stress and displacements are calculated directly. It also significantly reduces the number of variables, providing the ability to attach to a large number of RVE grains models. Solution of boundary problems in micro-scale can be based on a fundamental solution of Kelvin, which is obtained by the elasticity theory. The formulas of Kelvin may be written as follows:

JANUARY 2012 | 51

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Eq. (7)

Based on the prior-presented approach, the flow lines are estimated, which makes it possible to make easy visual analysis of deformation states in the drawing process. Schemes of calculation of point location of flow lines are shown in Fig. 5. The thermal problem is solved by applying the following method. The wire section undergoes die deformation with the heat conduction calculated at each time step to obtain the temperature distribution, which leads to:

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Eq. (17)

Eq. (23)

Eq. (24)

Eq. (18) where Fx and Fy = components of force which impact in linear elasticity material, ux, uy, σx, σy, σxy = displacements in directions x and y and stresses from impact of force F; and E = elastic-plasticity module of material. To calculate the system of equations, Castigliano’s theorem is used: Eq. (25) where xi = axis of the coordinate system (x1, x2, x3); uij(p, q) = components of displacement vector in point р along axis xj from impact forces unit, applied at the point q in direction xi; and Tij(p, q, n) = internal components of the vector of force in point р on the surface with the direction of normal n along of axis xj from the impact forces unit, applied at the point q in direction xi. Transformation of Eqs. (17) and (18) for noncompressible material and the plane deformation state gives the following equations: Eq. (19)

where S = surface of contact, tx, ty, ux, uy = real stresses and displacements on boundary (in boundary elements), and τx, τx, vx, vy = control solutions in boundary as determined by Eqs. (19)-(24). In order to take into account the connection between grains and the probability of cracking at grains, the following boundary conditions are introduced: Eq. (26)

Eq. (27)

Eq. (20) Eq. (28)

Eq. (29)

Eq. (21)

Eq. (22)

where σs[1](xq, yq), σn[1](xq, yq) = shear and normal stresses in boundary elements of first grain in point xq, yq; σs[2](xq, yq), and σn[2](xq, yq) = shear and normal stresses in boundary elements of second grain in point xq, yq. Similar notation was used for displacements. The elastic-plasticity module of material for each grain can be determinated according to the following equation: Eq. (30) where εi = strain intensity in grain, and σi (εi ) = stressstrain curve of material per Eqs. (1)-(3).

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 8. Distribution of strain intensity (a) and mean stress (b) in wire during cold drawing.

Modeling of discontinuity in grains boundaries during drawing Simulations in macro-scale were made for the following drawing process parameters: initial diameter of wire: D0 = 0.5 mm, final diameter of wire D1 = 0.46 mm, friction coefficient f = 0.03, drawing velocity 0.1 m/s, length of calibration part of drawing die 0.1 mm, drawing angle α = 60. The coefficient of elongation (S0/S1) was μ = 1.1814. Stress-strain curve of material was implemented as Eqs. (1)-(3). The calculated drawing force was P = 11 N. The results of solution in macro-scale are shown in Fig. 8. The calculated stresses were used as boundary conditions in micro-scale Eqs. (19)-(30). The fracture criterion was obtained from experimental investigation8. The example of results in micro-scale are shown in Figs. 9-10 for the center points of wire, which go along drawing direction.

Conclusions The new mathematical model of fracture phenomena in MgCa0.8 alloy was proposed, with an example of the simulation shown. The main conception of the model was based on a multi-scale approach. For the macro-scale, the FEM model of wiredrawing processes was used. For the micro-scale model, the boundary elements method was proposed. The selection of the Boundary Elements Method (BEM) to develop the micro-scale model offers significant advantages (in comparison with existing FEM models) in terms of the precision of the calculations at boundaries, because normal and “touching” stress and displacements are calculated directly. The presented approach also significantly reduces the number of variables, providing the ability to attach to a large number of grains in RVE model.

Fig. 9. Selected fragment of microstructure in micro-scale: a) initial grain, b) grain after deformation. JANUARY 2012 | 53

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Fig. 10. Results of the micro-scale model: a) grain before deformation, b) grain after deformation

Literature 1. B. Heublein, R. Rohde, M. Niemeyer, V. Kaese, W. Hartung, C. Röcken, G. Hausdorf and A. Haverich, “Degradation of Magnesium Alloys: A New Principle in Cardiovascular Implant Technology,” Paper TCT-69, 11. Annual Symposium “Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics,” The American Journal of Cardiology, Expcerpta Media Inc., New York, 1999. 2. H. Haferkamp, V. Kaese, M. Niemeyer, K. Phillip, T. Phan-Tan, B. Heublein and R. Rohde, “Exploration of Magnesium Alloys as New Material for Implantation,” Mat.-wiss. u. Werkstofftech, 32: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, 2001, pp. 116-120. 3. M. Thomann, Ch. Krause D Bormann, N. von der Hoh, H. Windhagen and A.Meyer-Lindenberg, “Comparison of the resorbable magnesium alloys LAE442 and MgCa0.8 concerning their mechanical properties, their progress of degradation and the bone-implant-contact after 12 months implantation duration in a rabbit model,” Mat.-wiss. u. Werkstofftech. 2009, 40, No. 1-2. 4. N. Odawa, M. Shiomi and K. Osakada, “Forming limit of magnesium alloy at elevated temperatures for precision forming,” Int. J. of Machine Tools & Manufacture, 42, 2002, pp. 607-614. 5. P. Kustra, A. Milenin, M. Schaper and O. Grydin, “Multiscale modeling and interpretation of tensile test of magnesium alloy in microchamber for the SEM,”

Computer Methods in Materials Science, Vol. 9, 2009, No. 2, pp. 207-214. 6. Fr.-W Bach, T. Hassel and A.N. Golovko, “The Influece of the Chemical Composition and Extrution Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Thin-Walled Tubes Made of MagnesiumCalcium Alloys,” Suczasni problemy metalurgii, Naukovi visti, Vol. 8, Systemni technologii, 2005, pp. 379-384. 7. Fr-W. Bach, A. Milenin, R. Kucharski, D. Borman and P. Kustra, “Modelowanie za pomocą MES procesu ciągnienia drutów ze stopu magnezu wykorzystywanych w chirurgii,” Hutnik, Nr 1-2, 2007, pp. 8-11 (In Polish). 8. A. Milenin and P. Kustra, “The multiscale FEM simulation of wire fracture phenomena during drawing of Mg alloy,” Steel Research International, ISSN 16113683. - 79, 2008, spec. ed, pp. 717–722. 9. A. Milenin, “Program komputerowy Drawing2d – narzędzie do analizy procesów technologicznych ciągnienia wielostopniowego,” Hutnik, No. 2, 2005, pp. 100-104 (In Polish). 10. A. Milenin, “Comparative analysis of boundary and finite element method possibilities in simulation of metal working processes,” Russian metallurgy, Metally ISSN 0036-0295, 1997, no. 2, pp. 64-71, Allerton Press, London, Royaume-Uni.

Acknowledgment The authors wish to recognize financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Science and High Education of Poland, project no. 4131/B/T02/2009/37. ■

Andrzej Milenin is a professor at AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland, where he is head of the mechanical simulation group in the department of applied computer science and modeling. His research interests include FEM modeling, ductility of Mg alloys, and drawing. He is the author or co-author of more than 200 papers. Dorota J. Byrska-Wójcik is a Ph.D. student at AGH, where she graduated with a degree from the applied mathematics department. Her research interests include the magnesium wiredrawing process, the ductility of Mg alloys and the boundary elements method. This paper was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconin, USA, May 2010.

54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Milenin

Byrska-Wójcik

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER A new generation of aluminum enamelled winding wires Research has found that an alloyed aluminum wire can represent a very cost-effective replacement for copper in enamelled wires. By Tadeusz Knych, Andrzej Mamala, Michał Jabłoński and Piotr Uliasz

Enamelled wires have long been used for electrical windings for electric motors, transformers and coils, but increasingly they have also been used for electronics (e.g. computer hard disk drives or headphones) and for power supplies (e.g. inverters or switch elements and electric current supply sources)1-3. Enamelled winding wires have an electric-conducting core with an external insulation layer made from materials such as polyvinyl formal, polyurethane, polyester, polyesterimide, poly-amideimide and polyimide enamels4. Enamelled wire requirements can be divided into five main groups: thermal, electrical, chemical, physical and economic properties. Thermal properties describe insulation behavior at high temperatures, the “thermal shock” effect. Electrical properties relate to the dielectric strength of insulation. Chemical resistance to transformer oils or refrigerant mediums is needed for some uses. Physical properties relate to flexibility, elongation or abrasion of insulation layers. Specified parameters result from operating conditions whereas physical properties—like adhesion to metal, curing temperature or viscosity of varnish at the application temperature—are very important technological factors. Also, economic aspects, such as varnish price, production efficiency or final properties of wire, should be considered. Detailed analysis of different kinds of enamel has been presented5-7. After silver, copper is the best material for electrical use for conductivity. Aluminum has been tried in winding applications but was not economically viable, and copper enamelled wire dominates for both economics as well as some critical technological advantages. Conventional electrolytic toughpitch copper is the most popular conductor material for winding wires but oxygen-free, electrolytic copper has been used quite often, especially for thin-wire applications. Fundamental analysis about the influence of copper quality on enamelled wire properties has been performed8. Depending on operating conditions, enamelled wire is distinguished by its high thermal class, high mechanical strength, solderability and self-bonding capability. Many laboratory tests have been performed on the final enamelled wires9-14.

Basic analysis Copper has had great price increases since 2004, making lower-cost aluminum an attractive alternative, but it has technical problems meeting some of the more demanding requirements. Thus, there has been more research into a new generation of aluminum enamelled wires. Table 1 shows the fundamental differences of pure copper and aluminum in enamelled wire applications resulting from physical properties of materials. Line 1 shows that copper resistivity is much smaller than that of aluminum. Line 2 shows an analysis of aluminum and copper enamelled wire of identical resistance. Lines 4 and 5 show that the cross section and diameter of aluminum are larger, a disadvantage in miniaturizations, but Line 6 shows that the mass of such wires is much smaller, which is vital where mass reduction of a product is critical. Line 7 shows that aluminum costs far more than copper. Consider the cost for 1 km of enamelled wire, and the price differential greatly favors aluminum enamelled wires, even though there is a larger volume of fabricated material and more varnish is used. Aluminum’s heat capacity is about twice that of copper. This is important as aluminum needs much more energy for an increase in temperature of the same mass as copper. In analyzed applications, heat is produced by electric current flow. Contractual current capacity of both wires is similar. For comparison, adiabatic conditions were calculated in Table 1 (current capacity is equal to the square root of mass, heat capacity and temperature increase of the product, divided by the resistance of wire). This is very important in electric applications due to the high current densities and temperature shocks. The next group of parameters relates to the technological processes of wire or coil manufacturing as mechanical properties are important for the wire enamelling process and during the winding of coils. The calculated elastic strain (Line 13) represents the springback during winding. While the predicted springback of aluminum is less than in copper (only a machine setting change is necessary), the lower mechanical

JANUARY 2012 | 55

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 1. Scheme of aluminum enamelled wire manufacturing process: 1 = input material (aluminum rod); 2 = wet rod breakdown machine; 3 = cleaning systems; 4 = wet intermediate wiredrawing machine coupled with enameller; 5 = hot water chamber; 6 = steam oven; 7 = enamels application unit; 8 = enamel curing machine; 9 = cooling chamber; and 10 = final product (enamelled aluminum wire).

many electronic devices the frequency of electric current is high and skin effect determines current flow of material. In these applications the impedance of aluminum and copper coils are in fact similar, however aluminum coils are lighter and cheaper1. The second aspect shows a longer lifetime of aluminum enamelled wires. The insulation layer is not fully continuous. There are small defects, cracks and microholes that allow for contact between air and the metal core. During the curing process some gas products appear that can react with the metal and result in metal oxides forming on the boundary layer between the metal and the insulation. Aluminum rapidly forms a very thin layer of oxides at the material surface that protects internal parts from oxidation. Copper forms different kinds of porous oxides and oxidation penetrates deep into the material. Local cross sections of copper wire decrease and temperature increases as an effect of Joule heating, and the product is subject to degradation. Thus, aluminum enamelled wires have a longer lifespan than conventional copper wires, per detailed research15. Another problem is the structure and properties of material for end-uses. Enamelled wires are soft temper but thermal shocks and long-term heating by some physical processes in material structures controlled by diffusion (thermally activated) can cause microscopic changes. Wire tensile strength is reduced. Research shows that copper wire has a greater percentage reduction of tensile strength than that of aluminum16. From the above synthetic analysis, it is clear that aluminum enamelled winding wires are very good products in many applications. They are cheaper and sometimes even better than conventional copper enamelled wires.

Aluminum enamelled wires manufacturing

Table 1. Comparison of aluminum and copper in enamelled wire applications (“+” = aluminum is better, “x” = no effect).

Table 2. Requirements for aluminum and aluminum alloys for enamelled wires according to EN and NEMA standards (* depending on wire diameter).

properties of aluminum pose a real problem during the winding of thin wires. This analysis is based on basic physical properties of aluminum and copper. There are other aspects why aluminum is preferred for winding wire application. In

56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

There are two main processes for making aluminum enamelled wire: drawing and enamelling, but the production technology is not simple. Due to different final wire diameters (larger and smaller than 1 mm), two possibilities may be selected, the choices connected with wiredrawing machine constructions. Classic, aluminum wiredrawing on a rod breakdown machine produces final wires larger than 1.2 mm. The wiredrawing processes typically use high-viscosity oils for production at speeds over 30 m/s. This lubrication system makes wire surfaces unsuitable for enamelling, creating the need for special cleaning lines that allow the wire to be enamelled in special one-step drawing machines. Smaller diameter wires are made by the following drawing machines coupled with enamelled machines. As the enamelling process has to be done at a lower speed, drawing machines coupled with enamellers may work with oil in water emulsion lubricants. The wire surface is then able to be cleaned with hot water and steam. Heat treatment between the two drawing processes may be done for renewal of material plasticity. After recrystallization in the steam oven, the final wire passes through the enamelling

TECHNICAL PAPERS

chamber where the varnish is cured. The enamel is applied by special dies while passing through the chamber many times, the resulting quality determined by the number of passes, speed and material temperature. The temperatures and times of enamel curing are different than with copper. Further, due to the lower adhesion of enamel to aluminum surfaces, preparation with a special primer is sometimes necessary. Aluminum and copper wiredrawing technology differs in two ways. First, for lubrication, emulsion is used for copper and oil for aluminum, and while oil has high adhesion to a wire surface the surface must be clean before enamelling. The second difference is the annealing systems (continuous in copper machines, and “traditional” in aluminum). Another problem is the material reaction in high temperatures during the varnish curing in enamelling machines. Typical enamels prefer high temperatures but materials do not allow for this, so special enamel compositions are needed. Also, aluminum curing temperatures are high, so special materials are needed to attain the stated properties.

Fig. 2. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation = total strain relationship for Al and AlFe alloys, input materials: F temper (as fabricated).

Aluminum property requirements Many national standards describe the requirements for aluminum properties, the main ones being: the EN standard10 typical for European and the NEMA standard17 typical for North America. Table 2 shows typical requirements for mechanical and electrical properties of aluminum for enamelled wire per the EN and NEMA standards. Specified values are in regard to round wires. An analysis of the values in Table 2 shows that layout of enamelled wire properties is not typical Fig. 3. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation = total strain for fully annealed temper. For example, a typical, relationship for Al and AlFe alloys, input materials: O temper soft aluminum (EN AW 1370) wire in O temper (annealed). (EN 515) has resistivity of 27.3 nΩm - 27.6 nΩm, tensile strength at approximately 60MPa - 80MPa and elongation at a level of 20%-40%. These processes cause deformation of wire diameter. Third is the properties are very different than those specified in Table 2. higher recrystallization temperature of alloys. Before varnish The required elongation of enamelled wire is much smaller; is applied to the wire, the material is recrystallized in a steam the resistivity is a bit higher and the tensile strength similar or oven, and the alloy permits for a higher tensile strength at the higher than in soft wire. American standards allow for the use start of the enamelling process. Fourth is the greater drawaof alloys with resistivity worse than pure metal. bility of some alloys than of pure aluminum, which is very Per Table 2, it is clear that not only pure aluminum but also important in applications needing thin wires (sizes 0.8 mm to aluminum with special micro-additions and aluminum alloys 0.2 mm). The reasons listed above guarantee the correct may be used for enamelled wire uses. There are four reasons behavior of wire during wire drawing, enamelling and manfor using alloys and alloyed aluminum instead of the pure ufacturing of electric parts from winding wires. metal. First, the alloys’ higher mechanical properties in ambient conditions are better for the winding process when the Aluminum base materials wire is moved under tension and bent to form the coil. These As noted, pure aluminum, aluminum with micro-additions materials comply better with the requirements. Second is the and aluminum alloys may be used for aluminum enamelled higher mechanical properties of alloys at high temperatures. winding wires. A complex analysis of aluminum base mateDuring enamelling, the wire is heated and tensioned due to rials for electric uses and its properties were performed by curing the varnish, thus plastic deformation and creep

JANUARY 2012 | 57

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 4. Macrostructures and microstructures of Al and AlFe alloys: a = microstructure of Al rod F temper; b = microstructure of AlFe1,1 rod F temper; c = macrostructure of AlFe1,1 alloy as cast temper; d = SEM photo of microstructure of AlFe1,1 alloy as cast temper; e = SEM photo of microstructure of AlFe1,1 alloy as cast temper; f = chemical analysis of particles AlFe1,1 alloy as cast temper from Fig. 4e = point 1; and g = chemical analysis of particles AlFe1,1 alloy as cast temper from Fig. 4e = point 2.

Fig. 5. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation = total strain relationship for Al and AlFe0.6Mg0.1 alloy, input materials: F temper (as fabricated).

58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Iricibar18 and Knych19. Here, only new materials selected for enamelled wire application are discussed. Aluminum wires for enamelling applications must provide the correct mechanical properties and good electrical conductivity. Additions of elements to aluminum decrease the materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electrical conductivity; but elements located in a solid solution cause a greater decrease in conductivity than elements located in different phases. Heavy elements such as V, Cr, Mn and Zr degrade electrical conductivity significantly and are unacceptable in alloys for electrical applications. But, elements such as B, Cu, Mg and Si only slightly decrease the conductivity. Some elements at the same level of concentration may be located in solid solution or in the second phase due to heat treatment conditions and the material temper should be included in technological considerations. Elements located in solid solution have a positive effect on the increase in recrystallization temperature and cause small strengthening, but those located out of the aluminum matrix cause higher strengthening. In many cases, the chemical composition of material for enamelling wires is the result of a compromise between electrical conductivity, tensile strength and recrystallization temperature. The first group of alloys with a higher value than aluminum are AlFe alloys. An analysis of the Al-Fe phase diagram shows that solubility of iron in aluminum is small (about 0.04% in eutectic temperature and negligible in ambient conditions). Due to the small solubility of iron in aluminum, only a small decrease of electrical conductivity is observed. Iron additions to aluminum increase the drawability of a material. In pure technical aluminum there are small amounts of silicon. After recrystallization it forms micro particles of silicon that are brittle, decrease the quality of the aluminum wire surface and limit drawability. Iron creates a new AlFeSi phase and eliminates this problem. Iron can modify the structure during casting; however, in concentration levels of interest to this report, the effect is very small. Figs. 2-3 present the ultimate tensile strength and elongation changes during tensile tests as a function of total strain during the drawing process of AlFe alloys with different concentrations of iron (0.5% Fe and 1.1% Fe) and for pure aluminum (0.07% Fe) as a comparison. Fig. 2 shows materials in F (as fabrication) temper and Fig. 3 O (recrystallised) temper20. The presented data show that strain hardening of all analyzed materials is similar (slope of lines to strain axis). During several primary drawing passes, the increase of strength is greater and with following passes it is

JANUARY 2012 | 59

TECHNICAL PAPERS

an almost linear function of strain. The tested materials have different initial properties. An increase of iron concentration in alloy causes an increase of tensile strength of material after fabrication, recrystallization and in hard-drawn temper. More interesting observations are connected with the plastic properties of material (represented by sample elongation at break during tensile test). The initial materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plasticity increases with the iron concentration in a fabricated temper. In a recrystallized temper AlFe alloy elongation is lower than pure aluminum but still complies with requirements (Table 2). Hard-drawn temper plasticity seems similar for all materials but is still Fig. 6. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation = total strain greater in alloys with iron. In the classic relationship for Al and AlFe0.5Cu0.2 alloy, input materials: approach, elongation during the tensile test F temper (as fabricated). correlates with material formability and better alloy behavior is expected during wire production than with pure aluminum. The final tensile strength of analyzed alloys after recrystallization (rods in O temper) is also a function of iron content. Pure aluminum has a tensile strength less than 70MPa, AlFe0.5 - 80MPa while AlFe1.1 is at 105MPa. This rate is high compared to the Table 2 requirements. For this part, a 0.5% addition of iron is sufficient. Per Table 2, pure aluminum in soft state has insufficient tensile strength. The analyzed parameter is very important due to the enamelling process, where wire is strung at high temperatures and annealing occurs. Identifying variation causes in Al and AlFe properties requires microstructure Fig. 7. Ultimate tensile strength in hard drawn and soft tempers for Al, observation. Fig. 4a and 4b present a longiAlFe0.5; AlFe1.1; AlFe0.6Mg0.1 and AlFe0.5Cu0.2. tudinal cross section of rods made by continuous casting and rolling. Fig. 4 shows differences between the structures of pure The second group of alloys excellent for enamelling are Al (Fig. 4a) and AlFe alloy (Fig. 4b). There are small partiAlFeMg alloys with a small magnesium addition (0.1%). Alcles in the aluminum matrix of AlFe alloy. On the basis of the Mg alloys offer excellent deformability and corrosion resistphase diagram, it is probably an eutectic deformed by hot ance. Magnesium has high solubility in aluminum and is rolling to resemble ribbon shapes. For a more detailed analylocated in solid solution. However, the presence of silicon sis of particles, different structures of AlFe alloy in as cast (natural aluminum impurity) makes Mg2Si precipitation postemper are presented. Fig. 4c shows the macrostructure of sible. This is another element which prevents free silicon in AlFe after the continuous casting process, typical for casting aluminum. The resistivity increase is not very high (max.0.5 type structures with dendrites. A greater magnification (Fig. nâ&#x201E;Śm calculated by Nordheim rule) and a high recrystalliza4d) better shows that a lot of particles exist at the grain tion temperature is expected (up to 1% Mg addition to boundaries. Fig. 4e presents particle morphology and Fig. 4f increase recrystallization temperature is well known). shows the chemical analysis of particles. From the phase diaPerryman21 suggested that during recrystallization of alugram and chemical analysis, it can be seen that particles are minum with magnesium addition, the velocity of new recrysapproximately 1Âľm in size the AlxFe phase (equilibrium tallized grain growth is 10 times less than that in pure aluphase Al3Fe). These particles are located at grain boundaries minum. New grains are being created faster than in pure aluafter casting and more uniformly distributed in material (Fig. minum but the complex recrystallisation phenomena is slow4.b) after hot rolling of the rod. Analyzed particles play an er. This is a favorable situation as during annealing in an important role in the recrystallization of material and their enamelling machine, smaller final grain sizes are produced size is probably small enough to slow recrystallization.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

formed in the strengthening phase, Al2Cu. Copper generally has little negative effect on a material’s electrical conductivity. The increase of resistivity calculated by the Nordheim rule is a maximum of 0.8 nΩm at 0.2%Cu in solid solution. Unfortunately, copper added to aluminum decreases corrosion resistance but for enamelled wires, the metallic part of wire is insulated from contact with the atmosphere so the effect may be ignored. The relationship between mechanical properties of AlFe0.5Cu0.2 and the total strain during drawing (Fig. 6) shows a high hardening and good plasticity of material compared to aluminum. Fig. 8. Elongation at break in tensile test in hard drawn and soft tempers for Al; AlFe0.5; AlFe1,1; AlFe0.6Mg0.1 and AlFe0.5Cu0.2.

Fig. 9. Electrical resistivity in hard drawn and soft tempers for Al; AlFe0.5; AlFe1,1; AlFe0.6Mg0.1 and AlFe0.5Cu0.2. and material has bigger yield stress (Hall-Petch relation). A magnesium addition also greatly adds to an alloy’s solution hardening level, which otherwise is negligible. Fig. 5, which presents the relationship between tensile strength and elongation during a tensile test, shows that the initial strength of AlFe0.6Mg rod is similar to AlMg0.5 although the final strength in hard drawn temper is higher. The input material elongation is greater in AlMg0.6Mg0.1 than in AlMg0.5 in F temper, which means that magnesium addition may be considered as an addition that increases deformability of material. Similar effects as described above can be observed in Al Fe0.5Cu0.2 alloys which are also appealing materials for enamelling application. Copper has good solubility in aluminum in high temperatures but compared to magnesium, its solubility is negligible at ambient temperature. As a consequence, precipitation hardening of material may be per60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Summary Aluminum with an addition of Fe, Mg and Cu may be an interesting alternative to using pure aluminum for winding wires. The technical properties of the discussed alloys are superior to pure aluminum and their use may increase the reliability of the enamelled wire manufacturing processes. Al, AlFe0.5 and AlFe0.6Mg0.1 enamelled wire technologies were implemented in full scale production at TELE-fonika Kable Sp. z o.o. S.K.A. AlFe0.5 seems like the optimal material for typical and thin enamelled wires and AlFe0.6Mg0.1 seem like the optimal material for alloyed enamelled wires. Figs. 7-9 show synthetic mechanical and electrical properties of test materials. Fig. 9 also shows electrical conductivity. Fig. 10 shows results for fast annealing tests of test wire. Tests with other additions should be continued.

References

1. Ch. Sullivan, “Aluminum windings and other strategies for high-frequency magnetics design in an era of high copper and energy costs, IEEE Transactions On Power Electronics, Vol. 23, No. 4, July 2008, pp. 2044-2051. 2. H. Kuroki, “Fine rectangular magnet wires with ultra thin insulation and its applications,” Elec. Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding ConferenceProceedings, 1999, p. 489-495. 3. Y. Tatematsu, M. Mesaki, A. Higashiura, F. Sano and T. Demoto, “Development Of Selflubricating Magnet Wires For Alternative Refrigerant,” Electrical Electronics Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding Conference Proceedings, 1995, pp. 427-430. 4. K. Ueda, “Progress Of Magnet Wire Technology In Japan,” IEEE Electrical Ins. Mag., vol. 5, No. 3, May/June 1989, pp. 18-26. 5. M. Winkeler, “Magnet Wire Enamels: Which One?” IEEE Electrical Ins. Mag., Vol. 7, No .4, July/August 1991, pp. 61-66. 6. L. J. Payette, “The properties of a universal magnet wire enam-

Tadeusz Knych is a research-didactic fellow in the Nonferrous Metals Department at AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST), Krakow, Poland. He holds many patents in the area of materials and technoloKnych Mamala Jabłoński Uliasz gies for overhead electricity and rail. He has authored or co-authored numerous papers, and has super- Metal Working and Physical Metallurgy of Nonferrous vised more than 100 master’s and doctoral theses. Andrzej Metals since 2007. His specialties are metal working, especialMamala is an associate professor in the Nonferrous Metals ly wiredrawing of nonferrous metals, and materials engifaculty of AGH. He researches new alloys for electrical con- neering. Piotr Uliasz is an assistant professor in the ductors, cables and fittings; the mechanical behavior of over- Nonferrous Metals faculty of AGH. His research interests head conductors; and technological aspects like continuous include work on new materials and technology for the eleccasting and rolling, drawing, and heat treatments of nonfer- trical power industry, particularly aluminum alloys and rous metals and alloys. He holds a Ph.D. degree in metallurgy overhead conductors. He holds an M.Sc. degree in metalfrom AGH. He is author or co-author of more than 78 papers. lurgy from AGH. He is author or co-author of more than 18 Michał Jabłoński earned an M.Sc. degree in metallurgy from papers. This paper was presented at WAI’s International AGH. He has been a Ph.D. student in the Department of Technical Conference, October 2010, Monterrey. Mexico. JANUARY 2012 | 61

TECHNICAL PAPERS

el,” IEEE Electrical Ins. Mag., Sept. 1986, pp. 40-43. 7. F.R. Bohm, K. Nagel and H. Schindler, “A new generation of wire enamel for the production of magnet wires with outstanding corona resistance,” Elec. Insulation Conf. and Electrical Mfg. & Coil Winding Tech. Conf. Proceedings, 2003, pp.109-113. 8. H. Pops, “The conductor role in the manufacture and performance of magnet wire,” EEE Elec. Ins. Mag., Vol. 11, Sept./Oct. 1995, pp.17-23. 9. G.P. Brown, D.T. Haarr and A. Metlay, “The use of thermal analysis methods for the estimation of thermal life ratings of magnet wire enamels,” IEEE Tran. On Electrical Insulation, Vol. EI-8, No. 2, June 1973, pp. 36-41. 10. EN 60317, Specs for winding wires. 11. IEC 60851, Winding Wires, test methods. 12. D.J. Barta, “Revisions of periodic conformance test Fig. 10. Percent of initial ultimate tensile strength after procedures in NEMA MW 1000 magnet wire standard,” different times of heating for Al, AlFe0.5, AlFe0.6Mg0.1 Elec. Ins. Conf. Elec. Mfg. Expo Proc., 2005. and AlFe0.5Cu0.2; temperature 200oC, oil bath oven. 13. K. Kimura, S. Ushirone, T. Koyanagi and M. Hikita, “PDIV characteristics of twisted-pair of magnet wires with Phenomena Conference, 1993, pp. 526-531. repetitive impulse voltage,” IEEE Trans. On Dielectrics And 17. ANSI/NEMA MW 1000-2008 magnet wire. Electrical Ins., Vol. 14, No. 3; June 2007, pp.744-750. 18. R. Iricibar, C. Pampillo and H. Chia, “Metallurgical aspects of 14. J.F. Dexter, “Thermal evaluation of enameled magnet wire, al. alloys for electrical applications, aluminum transformation techpower apparatus and systems, III. Trans.of the American Inst. of nology and applications,” ASM, 1978, pp. 241- 303. Electrical Eng., April 1956, pp. 40-44. 19. T. Knych, “Power overhead conductors: theory, materials, 15. J.H. Thomas and J.F. Dexter, “Effect of wire metal on the therapplications,” in Polish, 2010, wyd. AGH. mal life of enameled magnet wire, power apparatus and systems, 20. EN 515, Aluminum/aluminum alloys. Wrought products. part III,” Transactions of the American Institute of Elec. Eng., Dec. 21. E.C. Perryman, “Relationship between recovery and recrys1957, pp.1009-1013. tallisation in super-purity aluminum,” Journal of Metals (Trans. 16. C. Araki and T. Taguchi, “Thermal degradation of polyesterAIME), Vol. 9, 1955, pp. 1053 -1064. ■ imide magnet wire,” Electrical Insulation and Dielectric

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS & MEDIA PRODUCTS Company offers expanded reel line At IWCS, U.S.-based Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc., displayed its expanded lines of spools and reels, noting that it can now offer more options to customers. The company—whose product lines includes tape and solder spools, utility spools, standard and fine wire spools, textile products and injection molded and extruded cores—introduced a DIN 355 reel for fine wire or mono filament; a 15.5 in. heavy-duty utility spool that can be used for spooling product for customers or as an inprocess reel; and a 8x6 lightweight reel designed to be even lighter, to save money, while retaining its structural integrity and strength. The reels are made from a wide variety of plastic resins.

Pictured holding the three different reels are company Account Manager Nick Roth (l) and company President Tom Walker. “The DIN 355 reel is reinforced with extra ribs for strength and durability, and the 15.5 reel is one of a kind utility spool because it has the extra ribs for added strength and longer life, and customers like that,” Walker said. Contact: Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc., Nick Roth, tel. 413-442-0067, nick@pittsplas.com, www.pittsplas.com.

New cable design has plenty of ‘zip’ The words “new” and “unique” are often used to describe products, but the latest offering from Nexans, the ENERGYFLEX BE-FAST™ ‘split & plug’ photovoltaic power cable, truly takes a different approach to meeting end-use demands. Per a press release, the traditional approach to cabling PV projects is to use either two single-core cables on individual spools, or coextruded single-core cables that need to be separated using a sharp-bladed cutter, with the risk of injury to the installer, damaging the cable insula62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tion or making a poor quality connection, resulting in system failure. Easily separated with bare fingers, the two flexible rubber PV cables that comprise ENERGYFLEX BE-FAST are assembled with a soft binder for easy handling as a single cable. The cable will not accidentally separate in the middle, but pulls effortlessly apart at the ends, like a smoothrunning zip-fastener. For immediate identification the positive cable is marked with a red stripe. Alas, it must be noted that there is no actual zipper in the cable, but Nexans reports that extensive field tests show that the split & plug design reduces installation time by at least 30% compared with using two separate cables and over 50% compared with twin coextruded single-core cables. The release said that the zero-halogen cables, which can resist extreme temperatures (-40°C to +120°C) as well as exposure to ozone and UV, conform with relevant national and international standards, including TÜV, LCIE and IMQ, for two certified individual cables that can be separated without damage. The ENERGYFLEX BE-FAST design also requires fewer cable reels for transportation, storage and handling on site, it said. The cables will be launched initially in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain. Contact: Nexans, www.nexans.com.

Cable filler meets need for sectors that have demanding requirements At IWCS, U.S.-based Web Industries, Inc., displayed its Zero-Halogen, Flame Retardant (ZHFR) Superbulk® cable filler, which was developed to meet strict military, transportation and energy industry needs by adding outstanding fire retardancy to mission-critical cables. A press release said that the cable fillers, which use intumescent char formers and lowsmoke synergists, have unique chemistries that help isolate fuel sources, when burned, to smother fires before they get out of control. The fillers, it said, are REACH and RoHS compliant, and can be used alone or in combi-

as the original entry-level, bench-top, laser wire marking system, for use in MRO, avionics and low-volume manufacturing of aerospace and defense electrical wire harnesses, the CAPRIL 50-100 “has since become the benchmark product at this level. It is now the most widely sold laser wire marker in the world, bar none.” The 250 system was slated to be shipped to Boeing’s heavy maintenance facility in Shanghai at the Pudong airport, the release said. “We are delighted that our number one customer over time, Boeing, has placed this order and

Supplier of laser wire markers has seen sales soar in aeronautics field U.K.-based Spectrum Technologies PLC reports that its CAPRIS 50-100 has continued to be widely in demand, especially in the aeronautics field, which recently accounted for the company’s 250th sale of the model since the system was introduced in 2003. A press release said that the 250th order was requested by Boeing Aviation Services, Shanghai, China. Introduced

Huestis Ceramic C Ai Airr Miser™ Air A Wipes Our customers love love thee fact that they don’t need to t ccheck heck alignment and worry worry about damage to the body. body. What’ more, Huestis Ceramic C amic Air Wipes deliver the Cer thhe What’ss more, ™ same efﬁciency efﬁciency as the standard standard Air Miser Air Wipe Wipe providing prolonged install, while pro viding prolong ged life to the unit. Just ins stall, center the product andd run...it’s run...it’s that simple!

Huestis H ti IIndustrial Indu dustrial t i l machines hi — perform mance is legendary! legendary! our performance

PATENT PENDING

Our new ceramic ceraamic air wipess are so good, can’tt ma make we can’ ake them fast eenough! enou

ISO9001 REGISTERED

For more details or to place an order order,, call us at 800-972-9222, or eemail mail us at sales@hues stis.co sales@huestis.com www.huestisindustrial.com www .huestisiindustrial.com Air Wipes, Pay-offs, Take-ups, Tak a e-ups, Buncher Buncher Pay-offs, Accumulators, Spoolers, Pressure W elders, Cable Jacket elders Jaacket Strippers, Strippers Custom Machinery Machinery Cold Pressure Welders,

JANUARY 2012 | 63

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

nation with other materials to add cost-effective zerohalogen, zero-acid gas and low-smoke flame retardant properties to cable products. The Superbulk cable fillers can be custom-tailored in areas such as fibrillation, diameter, density, tensile strength, toughness, and elongation to meet customers’ specific engineering and production requirements, the release said. It noted that Web Industries has provided end-to-end development and manufacturing services to the wire and cable industry for more than 40 years. Contact: Web Industries, Inc., www.webindustries.com.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

will be the recipient of our 250th CAPRIS 50-100,” said Spectrum CEO Dr. Peter Dickinson. The world’s first bench top wire marker was meant to be a low cost system that low volume users would use to replace hot stamp wire markers that caused damage to thinner wall aerospace wires, he said. The release added that Spectrum has now supplied more than 700 laser wire markers to over 40 countries. Contact: Rachael Pugh, Spectrum Technologies PLC, tel. 44-1656-655-437, rpugh@spectrumtech.com, www.spectrumtech.com.

New diameter gauge heads now have an optional integrated display Germany’s Sikora AG, which is represented in North America by Sikora International Corp., reports that it has introduced a further improvement to the new diameter gauge heads of the company’s LASER Series 6000. A press release said that Sikora offers an optional control panel with an integrated LCD display that allows the operator to read the diameter measuring value directly from the gauge head. The LCD display can also provide same-time process information, such as a warning of dirt in the measuring range or if a cable is out of the measuring range, it said. With the use of an externally connected control module, the operator can now set up the current diameter nominal value up to four digits after the decimal point, the release said. Via the line speed or extruder rpm, the module can control the diameter automatically to the set value, it said. Contact: Sikora AG/Sikora International Corp., sales@sikora.net/sales@sikora-usa.com, www.sikora.net/www.sikora-usa.com.

Fiber mini-blower can handle installation in difficult work sites U.S.-based Condux International, Inc., has introduced the Mini-Blower/Pusher, a lightweight, portable solution for the installation of micro fiber and traditional fiber optic cable. A press release said that the compact unit is designed for difficult job sites and “last mile” fiber installations. The unit’s updated design has made operation easier than ever, allowing the user to drive the system with a cordless, corded or pneumatic drill, it said, adding that the 64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

universal stem provides for both right side and left side connections for forward drive and reverse drive. The model’s machined aluminum construction provides a lightweight profile with long life and durability, the release said. The unit can install fiber optic cables with diameters from 5.8 mm to 12.7 mm into micro duct, 10 mm to 18 mm, and traditional duct from 12.7 mm to 38.1 mm. The unit can be further configured to push/install duct rod into conduit and inner duct. Contact: Condux International, Inc., tel. 507-3876576, www.condux.com.

Armored cable offers more options for extreme crush resistance U.S.-based Siemon reports that it has added multiple armored cable options to its line of high-performance MTP-based plug-and-play fiber cable assemblies. A press release said that the plug-and-play assemblies, which are available in 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s-capable OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber cable constructions as well as standard 62.5/125 and 50/125 multimode and singlemode —feature flexible, spiral wrapped aluminum interlocking armor offering over seven times the crush resistance of standard assemblies. The added durability, it said, supports ruggedenvironment intrabuilding backbone and horizontal installations and eliminates the need for ducting to protect nonarmored fiber cable. Compared to the installation of nonarmored fiber with separate innerduct or conduit, the use of armored cable can cut installation costs by up to 50% or more for both materials and labor, it said. The assemblies are available in 12 to 144 fiber counts in increments of 12 fibers and in custom lengths, the release said. They are user-configurable to precise application requirements and efficiently put high-performance, highdensity fiber connections exactly where they are needed, it said, adding that in both armored and non-armored varieties, the OM3 and OM4 multimode MTP assemblies have passed independent third-party testing by Experior

Line of flux-cored consumables is designed to produce optimal welding U.S.-based Lincoln Electric Company has introduced Innershield® NR-440Ni2 to its line of premium selfshielded, flux-cored consumables that excels for offshore welding. A press release said that the welding wire, which provides low-temperature impact toughness in a variety of offshore applications, is designed for optimal weldability in narrow TKY joints and poor fit-up conditions, featuring excellent toe wash-in and a flat bead face appearance for vertical-up or vertical-down welding applications. The product meets H8 diffusible hydrogen requirements over a range of humidity levels, it said. The electrode, the release said, conforms to AWS 5.29/A5.29M:2010 E71T8-Ni2-JH8 and is ABS, DNV, and LR approved. It is available in 2 mm wire diameter

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

Labs, confirming 40Gb/s- and 100Gb/s-readiness and performance margins in accordance with the latest IEC 1280-4-1 Edition 2 and TIA/EIA-455-171A standard. Contact: Brian Duval, Siemon, tel. 860-945-4380, brian_duval@siemon.com, www.siemon.com.

on 14 lb coils. The product is hermetically sealed in Lincoln Electric’s 56-lb vacuum sealed pails to protect against moisture and ensure to reliable performance, it said. Contact: The Lincoln Electric Company, lincoln@ultlead.com, www.lincolnelectric.com.

Custom made clad-composite wire is offered for medical use Custom manufactured clad composite wire that lets medical device makers innovate more effectively by combining several properties into a single wire is now available from Anomet Products, Inc. Anomet’s medical clad wire can achieve characteristics

JANUARY 2012 | 65

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

not available in a single alloy wire by combining one or more precious metals and a core material into a single wire with the desired OEM properties, a press release said. The product is designed to achieve various combinations of strength, weight, conductivity, biocompatibility, and/or radiopacity, it said, noting that the clad composite wire is offered in 0.002 in. to 0.060 in. O.D. sizes with 2% or more cladding thickness. The release noted that the wire could be for an implantable connector, for example, using it with platinum metallurgically bonded to a stainless steel or nitinol core. A radiopaque wire, it said, can feature platinum and platinum-iridium, tantalum and tantalum-tungsten, and similar alloys in clad composite with 316LVM stainless steel, nitinol and MP35N®. Other clad formulations can simply achieve cost savings over solid wire, it noted. Contact: Anomet Products, Inc., tel. 508-842-3069, www.anometproducts.com.

MEDIA Case study presentation highlights company’s product platform online U.S.-based C&M Corporation, a vertically integrated manufacturer of bulk cable, coil cords, and cable assemblies, has released a new case summary centered on the company’s MMIP™ product platform that can be accessed at its website. A press release said that C&M’s MMIP product line

66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

(Military Mold Improvement Platform) “embraces the ruggedized COTS and MOTS philosophy and uses commercial materials and methodologies to create cable assemblies that meet or exceed the performance requirements of MIL-STD-810 for environmental and MIL-STD461 for EMC requirements.” The methodology, it said, uses high-pressure insert injection molds that produce functional strain reliefs, seal the connectors, and prevent the most common form of field failure, that being pins being bent and/or pushed out of the insert. The MMIP mold options allowed the timely processing of over one million feet of specialized Cat. 5e cable and the creation of thousands of assemblies required for an expedited military program, the release said. The case summary can be downloaded from the C&M website by visiting the White Papers section of the Literature Library, which can be found under the Resources tab. Contact: C&M Corporation, tel. 860-774-4812, www.cmcorporation.com.

Publications catalog presents info for a wide range of fields The 2012 Publications Catalog from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) presents more than 50 pages of reports on fields, including some that are directly and others indirectly of interest to the wire and cable industry. The reports include two standards of “Structural Applications of Steel Cables for Buildings” (ASCE/SEI 19-10 and ASCE 19-96), “History of the Modern Suspension Bridge,” “Washington Roeblings’ Father,” “Pipelines 2011,” “Below-ground Pipeline Networks for Utility Cables” and “Journal of Bridge Engineering.” Those reports and others can be found and ordered at the ASCE website. Founded in 1852, ASCE represents more than 140,000 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. Its mission is to advance technology, encourage lifelong learning, promote professionalism and the profession, develop civil engineer leaders and advocate infrastructure and environmental stewardship. Contact: American Society of Civil Engineers, www.asce.org. ■

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS seeking positions are entitled to free “Position Wanted” classified ads. Limit: one ad per issue, three ads per year. This benefit is not transferable to nonmembers or to companies. CLASSIFIED AD RATES: • $1.30 per word for WJI and on-line classifieds at wirenet.org (20-word minimum). • Blind box numbers, add $25. • Boldface headlines, add $6 per line (up to 18 characters per line). Specify category. BLIND BOX INFO: Responses to Blind Box ads should be addressed to: Wire Journal International, Box number (as it

POSITION WANTED SEEKING MANUFACTURING REP/DISTRIBUTOR POSITION. Industry veteran with 20+ years of experience in Wire and Cable, both domestic and international, is looking for post as Manufacturing Rep/ Distributor. Experienced working with small to mid-size companies in U.S., Mexico, Caribbean, Central and South

appears in print or on-line), P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA. PAYMENT POLICY: All ads must be pre-paid. DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance, i.e., it must be received by March 1 for publication in the April issue. Classifieds booked on-line, run for at least one-month on-line, from the date of booking. Wire Journal International “Print classifieds” booked on-line as an “add-on” to an “online classified” booking will run in the next available issue.

America markets. I have a B.A Business degree from SCSU and an office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For details call Hugh at tel. 954-559-7814, or at mevelynn@bellsouth.net.

& Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry manufacturers to secure the services of thousands of key individual contributors and managers.

PERSONNEL SERVICES

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

“LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire

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

FOR SALE 7 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

WARDWELL 12-Carrier Braiders SPIRKA 24-Carrier Braider, Model 24N4, 1990 SPIRKA 16-Carrier Braider, 500mm Take-up and Payoff NEB 12-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor TMW 24-Carrier Cable Braiders, 6” Horn Gears EDMANDS 18-Wire, 6+12, 16” Planetary Cabler Line EDMANDS 36-Head 22” Rigid Strander NEB Model C62-2 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers, 1987 CONAIR 39” Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, Model 6-39 Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, 42” Belt Length x 8” Width DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 L/D Extruders DAVIS STANDARD 3.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder SAMP 80mm/45mm 25:1 L/D PVC Extrusion Line, 1998, immaculate D/S 2.5” 24:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruder D/S 2” 30:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruder ENTWISTLE 2” 24:1 L/D Extruder, Model TFII-2000-24 WAYNE 1.5” 30:1 Extruder, 15HP Motor, Panel SKALTEK 1600mm Motorized Payoff, Model A16-4K HALL 40” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer CLIPPER DF6 Dual Cone Flyer Payoff (24” Reels) w/Reel Jacks ROSENDAHL 630mm Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, never used

1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1

NOKIA Model EKP100 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up NOKIA Model EKP50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, 1997 SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbished CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler TULSA Model WTR-2416 Respooler AL-BE Model MS12 Respoolers, 12” Reels REEL-O-MATIC Model PRR1 Rim Drive Powered Reel Roller REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Take-up w/Coiling Head STANDARD MILL SUPPLY Bobbin Winders w/Payoffs TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister ENTWISTLE 4-Wire 24” D.T. Twisters, Model 4WDT24 FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 SCHLEUNIGER Model HS4140 Hot Stamper EUBANKS Model 4000-04 Cut and Strip Machine EUBANKS Model 9800-03 Cut & Strip Machine GETTIG Tape and Labeling System CARPENTER 3-Head Stripper, Model 74-C CARPENTER Strippers, Model 70-B MICRODIA Crosshead, Model M9000/10XFL BETA Lump Detector, Model LN1025XY-DL, 12/05 BETA “Accuscan 3010”, 2006

Contact: Martin Kenner

COMMISSION BROKERS, INC.

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

JANUARY 2012 | 67

CLASSIFIEDS

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

BLIND BOX? YES____ NO ____

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

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

MACHINERY WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. COM. For New (Hakusan Heat Pressure Welders, Ferrous & Non-

Ferrous; Marldon Rolling Ring Traverses) & Used Wire & Cable Equipment (buttwelders, coldwelders, color-o-meters and pointers). Tel: 727863-4700 or by e-mail, please send to urbassoc@verizon.net.

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.

DIES SANCLIFF SHAPED WIRE DIES. All sizes and shapes R2 to R12. Highest Quality, Shortest Lead Times, Lowest Cost and Superior Customer Service. 60+ years of quality products and service to the wire industry. Contact Bill Drumm at 1-800-332-0747, or please send an E-Mail to sales@sancliff.com.

MIND THE GENERATION GAP

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

68 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

MOLONEY DIE COMPANY. Low prices on all sizes of new, used and recut carbide dies. We also recut tapered nibs. Fast turn-around. Quality service since 1985. Tel. 904-388-3654.

MEDIA THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS CAPABILITY STUDY. Creating a universal language for problem solving, this new (published in 2011) 135-page, indexed softcover book was written by industry expert Douglas B. Relyea, founder and senior partner of Quality Principle Associates, a New England-based con-

sulting firm that specializes in the education and application of data analysis techniques to industrial problem solving. The book delineates the process capability study, a powerful tool that, when understood and implemented, provides benefits to every department within a manufacturing organization. With easy to read, step-by-step flow diagrams on how to perform process capability studies and measurement process analyses, the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage includes: the benefits of statistical process control over statistical product control; realworld industrial examples and case studies illustrating 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. A great deal of information is available on the technical concepts of the process capability study, much of it emphasizing the mathematics. Unfortunately, concentrating on the math and fine distinctions, such as the difference between alphaand beta-type errors, has created barriers preventing many from fully appreciating the basic concepts, the simplicity, and the usefulness of the tool. This book shows you how to use the process capability study to increase return on investment from your statistical process control/Six Sigma effort and make your company more competitive. The list price is $45, $40 for WAI members. â&#x2013;

JANUARY 2012 | 69

CLASSIFIEDS

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

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 www.wirenet.org/wji/subform.htm to subscribe fast! LAST NAME

FIRST NAME

TITLE

M.I. . COMPANY

ADDRESS

❏ BUSINESS OR ❏ PERSONAL

CITY OR TOWN

STATE

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

ZIP/POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

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

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 ❏ 20 ❏ 30 ❏ 40 ❏ 50 ❏ 53 ❏ 55 ❏

61 ❏ 62 ❏ 64 ❏ 66 ❏ 68 ❏ 69 ❏

11 ❏ 12 ❏ 13 ❏ 14 ❏ 15 ❏ 16 ❏ 17 ❏

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 ❏ Machinery 74 ❏ Process, Accessories, Materials

80 ❏ Service Centers, Distributors & Warehouses 90 ❏ Consultants 92 ❏ Government, Library & Allied

B. Which ONE of the following best describes your primary job function? 10 ❏ General/Administrative Management 20 ❏ Engineering, Operations, Production

30 ❏ Technical, Research & Development, Quality Control 40 ❏ Purchasing

50 ❏ Sales & Marketing 90 ❏ Other (please specify): ________________________

C. YES! I wish to receive a FREE subscription to the Wire Journal International. SIGNATURE REQUIRED

DATE

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

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Bergandi Machinery Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/OM Lesmo . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

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

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/ Cometo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Bongard Trading GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

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

Cable Consultants Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Carris Reels Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3

Paramount Die Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Commission Brokers Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Parkway-Kew Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

George Evans Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

PolyOne Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

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

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Howar Equipment Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Queins Machines GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 63

Reel-O-Matic Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

JANUARY 2012 | 71

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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

March 2012 WJI

Sheaves Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

• Executive Outlook

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

Advertising Deadline: Feb. 1, 2012

Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Tubular Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Zumbach Electronics Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2012 . . . . . . . . .14-16 WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 WAI Webinar (spark testers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34-35

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

NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

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

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

72 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

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

777° ,, -° " 6iÀ Ì

iVÌ VÕÌ

> v À > V }> ÀÌ >À > 6 À} > iÝ V

,ÕÌ > `] 6/ wi `] / >`iÀ>] > i ] -Ì>ÌiÃÛ i]

V>ÃÌ i] 6 ÌiÀÀiÞ] iÝ V

näÓ® nÈä® xx ® ÓÈ ® Çä{® x{ä® ä££®

ÇÇÎ £££ /i Ç{ °nÎän /i ÈÇ{ änä{ /i x{x Î{ää /i nÇÓ ä n£ /i {ÇÎ ÓÓ£ä /i xÓ n£ nÎ £È ÇÎ ä /i

näÓ® nÈä® xx ® ÓÈ ® Çä{® x{ä® ä££®

ÇÇä Îxx£ >Ý Ç{ nxxn >Ý ÈÇ{ £È£{ >Ý x{x Î{ä£ >Ý nÇÎ äÈx{ >Ý {ÇÎ ÓnÇn >Ý xÓ n£ nÎ £È ÇÎ x >Ý

* 97"" \ 7"" \ , " , \ * -/ \ 7"" É / \ -/ * / \ 7 , - /-

" i V> ` iÃ Ì °