Green

WIRE JOURNAL MAY 2012

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L www.wirenet.org

green • wire Düsseldorf wrapup OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

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Come visit us at: Wire Expo, Booth 411

WIRE JOURNAL

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

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

CONTENTS

Volume 45 | Number 5 | May 2012

F EATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 26 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Technical Papers . . . . . . . 60-69 Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 75 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 79

Wire Link report . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Johnston Wire’s Jason Giebfried recalls his experience as the 2012 Wire Link Traveling Scholar representative.

wire Düsseldorf wrapup . . . . . . . .36 A review of the 2012 event in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Update: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Additional booth listings and more.

green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 It was never easy to explain or identify, but the essence of “green,” at least for manufacturing, appears to have changed. Its marketing sparkle has dimmed some as its presence has become more of a standard feature.

T ECHNIC AL PAPERS

Next issue June 2012 • China Outlook Integer Research Analysis

Effects of contact resistances in multi-strand cables on linear-resistance measurements Patrick De Bruyne and Gaël Mauron . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 The development of properties and structure of precipitation-hardened Al-Mg-Si alloy during processing by the Continuus-Properzi method Tadeusz Knych, Andrzej Mamala, Beata Smyrak and Piotr Osuch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Cover: The Cologne plant of Germany’s nkt cables, which designed the plant to meet the demands and needs of its customers while staying true to the company’s commitment to being a good steward of the environment. Photo courtesy of nkt cables.

MAY 2012 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONTENTS

PRESIDENTIAL

PARTING THOUGHTS

Doing his best “Where’s Waldo” imitation on the June 2010 cover of WJI is Dane Armendariz, a longtime employee of Henkel who has retired from the industry. The 2010 president of WAI is leaving...but not without a few parting words.

. . . 23

SUCCESS

AT WIRE

2012 . . . . . . . . . . 36

Sweden’s Windak AB was just one of the many exhibitors reporting good results at wire Düsseldorf. The company notes that it had more than 100 attendees from over 40 countries, and that it collected several new prospective contacts after the show.

Innovation meets Tradition

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4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

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EDITORIAL

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

Participation can provide immeasurable returns In March, I was the guest of the Clockwinders at their reunion dinner. The past Clockwinders gather every two years to remain connected and they had graciously scheduled the dinner the weekend before the Düsseldorf show, so that it was convenient for anyone traveling from the States. A report on the dinner appears in WAI News Section on p. 28, but I want to personally thank all of the Clockwinders and their families for their commitment to preserving the spirit of cooperation that embodies the clock.

While at the Clockwinders Dinner, Peter Rigby presented the Association with a photograph of the Wire Association’s 1937 annual meeting. The below photo, which now hangs in the WAI offices, is a great reminder of the strength of the organization from its inception.

The room is full and you can literally feel the energy of the industry.

Publisher | Steven J. Fetteroll Editor-in-Chief | Mark Marselli Senior Graphic Designer | Bill Branch Director of Sales | Robert Xeller Advertising Sales | Anna Bzowski Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications | Janice E. Swindells Graphic Artist | Adrienne E. Simpson Proofreader | Livia Jacobs Publications Advisory Board Dane G. Armendariz | Henkel Corporation, USA Ferruccio Bellina | TKT Group/President ACIMAF, Italy Peter A. Funk | Talley Metals Technology, USA Malcom Michael | AWIA Australia Don Schollin | Q-S Technologies, USA Ralph Skalleberg | Skaltek USA Dave Stackpole | Nutmeg Wire, USA Giulio Properzi | Continuus Properzi, Italy Robert Wild | Niehoff Endex North America, USA Technical Advisors John Drummond | Scotia Group R. M. Shemenski | RMS Consulting, Inc.

In the forefront of the photo is John Rigby, Peter’s father, who was active in the Association from the beginning. This is amazing considering that the Association was still defining itself and domestic participation was the priority. However, John Rigby, accompanied by several other industry leaders from England, were intent on providing an international perspective.

Participating in any era requires commitment and return on investment, but in 1937 it also required time, as a transatlantic crossing between England and the United States on the Queen Mary was five days in duration. Add in the time there and the return trip back and you can see that this was no little imposition on Rigby, who was running his business without any of today’s electronic tools. His belief in the value of developing cooperative relationships later spanned World War II, and greatly assisted the industry in both countries.

With a great deal of assistance from the wire and cable industry, the world is smaller and global business is much simpler, but the importance of relationships and maintaining a professional network cannot exclusively be relegated to LinkedIn. Participating in the industry is an investment that can provide longterm returns that are far greater than you would expect.

Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

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

» Your production line deserves a SIKORA measuring device.« Dr. Torben Clausen, R&D at SIKORA AG

Meet us at the WIRE EXPO 2012 Booth 802

During the production 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 at the same time a detection of lumps and neckdowns.

DIAMETER D IA ER [in]

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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 and to control the line.

CALENDAR

CALENDAR 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.

The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI), tel. 630-369-3466, fax 630-369-3773, info@casmi-springworld.org, www.casmi-springworld.org.

May 22-23, 2012: 2012 WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Dallas, Texas, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Omni Dallas Hotel, includes the trade show and the Association’s 82nd Annual Convention. It will feature an operational excellence focus, with local hosts, Encore Wire Corp. and Gerdau Corp., providing facility tours.

Contact: WAI, sales@wirenet.org, www.wirenet.org.

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.

June 11-13, 2012: CRU 6th Wire and Cable Conference Vienna, Austria. To be held at the Vienna Marriott 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,

Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2012: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: See wire China 2012.

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: See wire China 2012.

Sept. 17-19, 2013: wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: See wire China 2012.

Oct. 8-13, 2013: wire South America 2013 São Paulo, Brazil. Messe Düsseldorf and its partner Grupo Cipa will stage this new fair for the Brazilian market. The new event will be held in parallel with TUBOTECH at the Imigrantes Exposicoes Exhibition Centre in São Paulo. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

WIRE A SSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org.

May 22-23, 2012: 2012 WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo See main entry.

June 22, 2012: Midwest Chapter 10th annual golf tournament West Chicago, Illinois, USA. This event will be held at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club.

Aug. 2, 2012: Ohio Valley Chapter 10th annual golf tournament Solon, Ohio, USA. This event will be held at the Grantwood Golf Course.

Sept. 10, 2012: New England Chapter 18th annual golf tournament

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Ellington, Connecticut, USA. This event will be held at the Ellington Ridge Country Club.

Oct. 18, 2012: The Vannais Southeast Chapter 11th annual golf tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. This event will be held at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa. Oct. 22, 2012: Western Chapter 12th annual “Wild West Shootout” golf outing Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA. This event will be held at the Los Verdes Golf Course.

April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 See main entry.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS General Cable expands its presence in South America with Delphia purchase U.S.-based General Cable announced that it has acquired Delphia Produtos Eletricos Ltda. (Delphia), a manufacturer of automotive ignition wire harnesses located in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil.

A press release said that the company will continue to operate as Delphia under the umbrella of General Cable Automotiva Brasil. It noted that the company is a leader in supplying the Brazilian market, with 2011 reported revenues of approximately US$20 million. At the Delphia website, the ISO/TS 16949:2002 certified company notes that it has been in business for more than 45 years, and been “a pioneer in the development and commercialization of ignition cables in Brazil.” The company’s OEM customers include Volkswagen, Ford, AC Delco, Bosch and Motorkraft, among others.

“The Delphia acquisition is another important step in the globalization of our ignition wire harness business,” said Roger Roundhouse, senior vice president and general manager, specialty wire harnesses, for General Cable. “This acquisition, coupled with our existing operations in the U.S., Mexico and Europe, is a key enabler in our ability to support the global needs of our multi-national customers.

In addition, the acquisition enables General Cable to apply our commercial, technical and operational expertise in this increasingly global market.”

Observed General Cable President and CEO Gregory B. Kenny, “Over the past several years, through our expansion strategy and continuous improvement culture, we have enhanced our service capabilities in a wide range of transportation and industrial applications for original equipment manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. We are well positioned to further enhance the value proposition to our global customers having achieved another important milestone with the acquisition of Delphia in this significant market in South America.”

Seminole acquires Jersey Specialty Cable, sees immediate potential U.S.-based Seminole Wire Products has acquired Jersey Specialty Cable (JSC) in an asset-based sale that was brokered by Lloyd & Bouvier.

A press release said that Jersey Specialty Cable’s 15 employees have all been offered continued employment, and the company will continue production at the 65,000sq-ft facility in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. “We are excited for the added capacity and product lines brought to us,” said Michael Genzel, operations manager for Seminole Wire Products, a business of Seminole Wire & Cable Co. “It will provide for immediate and future growth potentials,” he said, noting that all key management personnel have been retained.

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Meeting at the Jersey Specialty Cables plant, from l-r, are JSC Controller Randall Garner, JSC Technical Service Manager Dave Petraska; Brian Bouvier, Lloyd & Bouvier; Michael Genzel, Seminole Wire; JSC Plant Manager Bob Durante; and JSC Customer Service reps Barry Bishop and Janine Cardello. Not pictured is JSC Sales Manager Bill Kosky.

JSC, founded in 1942 and privately held by the Foster family, manufactures a range of products for the electronics cable market, and has plans for expansion into the plenum and electric markets, the release said.

Brian Bouvier, who brokered the deal, observed that the transaction works well for both companies as it will allow Seminole to expand its product range while JSC will have more resources and direction. Industry knowledge helped match the two companies as a good fit, he said, noting that it is rare for such a deal to be made where the existing company actually does continue operations as in this case. “I think staff from both companies are very happy about this deal,” he said.

Key Seminole management includes CEO George Genzel, Sr.; Michael Genzel; Jeff Genzel, plant manager of the company’s facility in Concha, Mexico; George Genzel, Jr., plant manager of the facility in Pennsauken, New Jersey; and now Bob Durante, plant manager of the East Longmeadow facility.

Seminole Wire and Cable, founded in 1962 by James McGrath and bought in the early 90s by George Genzel, Sr., a 25-year company employee, manufactures a range of blasting, fire alarm, PET, and pyrotechnic products.

In 2000, Michael Genzel joined the operation and formed Seminole Wire Products. Shortly thereafter, MJG Technologies was formed in Concha, Mexico for assembly of pyrotechnic harnesses.

Lloyd and Bouvier, Inc., also based in Massachusetts, supplies new and used equipment, and offers rebuilding services as well as brokering.

INDUSTRY NEWS A group photo of Nehring employees at the company’s plant in DeKalb, Illinois.

Nehring Electrical Works Co. reaches a milestone: its 100th anniversary Paul A. Nehring officially opened Nehring Insulated Wire Company (Nehring) on Feb. 10, 1912, in Sycamore, Illinois. The wire manufacturer’s early days were modest.

The business was moved in 1916 to a leased building in DeKalb, Illinois, and the name was changed to Nehring Electrical Works Company. At that time, it had 25 employees. Today, the business is still in DeKalb, but it occupies two buildings encompassing four city blocks and employs 117 people.

Nehring National Sales Manager Nick Johnson said that the company has been successful for several reasons, one of which is by never losing its focus. Nehring was started and expanded, both in size and production figures, during one of the worst economic times the country has experienced, he said, citing the following history. In 1912 Nehring was manufacturing fine copper wire and insulating copper with braided cotton and an oil-based product.

In 1926, a second factory was built to manufacture large copper cables. In 1938, it shifted some production capacity and began drawing aluminum wire for making steelreinforced cable for transmission lines used for power distribution. By the early 1960s, Nehring switched to using plastic and polymers for insulating copper. Founder Paul Nehring passed away in 1974, and in 1977 the Nehring family sold the company. After changing hands

Nexans wins power cable contract for Northwind offshore wind farm Nexans, a worldwide expert in the cable industry, reports that it has won a contract worth more than 50 million euros to supply 57 km of high-voltage subsea power export cables to Northwind NV in the North Sea. A press release said that the project includes 14 km of

again, Nehring was eventually purchased by the current owners, a private partnership group, in 1995. In 1982, Raymond C. Hott, who was then vice president of manufacturing for Coleman Cable Systems, was named president, and today continues to lead the company. Under the current ownership, Nehring has added a twisting line for producing multi-conductor copper and aluminum cables, two tempering ovens for producing aluminum alloy wire and cables and ACSS conductors. In 2009, it completed an $8 million expansion that significantly increased production capacity for aluminum transmission and distribution conductors. Today, Nehring is one of the few U.S.based companies producing both copper and aluminum conductors.

Johnson said that the company, which has been producing wire and cable products longer than any wire mill in the Midwest, has remained true to its founder’s approach, providing more than just wire. “Nehring has tried to make sure we don’t lose the personal touch in communicating with our customers. While we do a lot more via email than previously, we still have a receptionist to answer and transfer calls, and person-to-person communication is still a large proportion of our customer contact. We see our website as a tool for our customers to find information on our products and to be able to contact us.”

The company plans to host an Open House later this year to celebrate its centennial milestone.

cable to connect Belwind Phase 2 to the Northwind wind farm (formerly known as Eldepasco). The 245 kV cable will consist of three copper cores, each with a cross-section of 400 sq mm.

The order, the release said, will also include 43 km of cable, also 245 kV, to transfer a total of 381 MW produced by both wind farms to the onshore grid connection at Zeebrugge. The majority of the connection from Northwind MAY 2012 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

to Zeebrugge will have three 1000-sq-mm copper cores, but a portion of the cable has to traverse a sea channel subjected to regular dredging, requiring it to be buried down to nine meters in the seabed for protection. To maintain the electrical performance of the cable along this channel, the copper cross-section will be increased to 1200 sq mm on a 4 km section, it said, adding that the cable section will have an outer diameter of 265 mm and will weigh 130 kg per meter.

The subsea cables will be manufactured at Nexans’ specialized facility in Halden, Norway, the release said. They will also include two FO48 fiber optic elements, manufactured in the Nexans Rognan plant, to enable data communications, control and monitoring for the power transmission system, it said.

In addition to the design, type-testing and supply of the XLPE subsea cables, Nexans will also supply mechanical and electrical accessories, the release said, noting that this will include the onshore transition joints to connect the subsea cables to the land cables, the accessories for the two platforms, comprising hang-off and GIS (gas insulated switchgear) terminations, and four repair joints.

The Northwind wind farm, the release said, will comprise 72 wind turbines providing a total of 216 MW installed capacity. The power will be delivered to the Belgian electricity network at the ELIA HV connection station in Zeebrugge.

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

“Following the success of our cable contract for Belwind Phase 1, we are delighted to have been awarded the contract to supply high-voltage power cable for Northwind offshore wind farms,” said Dirk Steinbrink, executive vice president of the company’s High Voltage & Underwater Cables Business Group. “This success is the result of Nexans’ proven technical expertise and our excellent long-term relationship with customers in the offshore wind industry.”

South Korea’s LS Cable & System reports 3 Middle East contracts South Korea’s LS Cable & System announced that the company has won a major contract in Kuwait as well as other smaller projects in Saudi Arabia and Qatar that collectively are worth US$110 million.

A press release said that the Kuwait contract, worth about $107 million, calls for it to supply 101.8 km of 400 kV cables and connectors for the extra-high voltage cable construction projects being carried out by the Kuwait Ministry of Electricity & Water and Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation, to meet the rapidly increasing demands for electricity and build national infrastructures in the region. In Saudi Arabia, LS Cable & System will supply and install 157.3km of 132 kV gap conductors by August for a transmission system project of the Saudi Electricity

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #527

INDUSTRY NEWS

Company that will connect the southern province of Najran with the southwestern province of Jizan, it said. The contracts from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, it noted, are worth US$1.36 million and US$1.44 million, respectively.

“Importantly, LS Cable & System will earn extra revenues as the company will not simply supply cable products, but also install them.”

LS Cable & System said that the company has advanced into the high-value-added cable market by winning its first orders for 400 kV products, a market that has previously been dominated by European and Japanese companies. “By beating the global leading cable makers as well as local companies having a great deal of influence, such as Saudi Cable, LS Cable & System has confirmed once again that the company possesses world-class technical know-how and product competitiveness,” it said. “(This) proves once again that LS Cable & System is No. 1 in the Middle Eastern market,” said Executive Director Jaein Yun of LS Cable & System’s Energy Division. “In the Middle Eastern market, which is growing again so fast that it can be called a ‘second Middle Eastern Boom,’ we will work harder to obtain better results by engaging in systematic customized marketing activities.”

Prysmian Group reports major order from Libya for 2 electric grid areas The Prysmian Group announced that it has won a contract worth more than €50 million to supply 203 km of high-voltage 220 kV AC cables and related network components for the upgrade of the electricity grids operated by GECOL (General Electric Company of Libya) in Tripoli and Benghazi.

A press release said that Prysmian will supply over 200 km of cables for the Benghazi and Tripoli grids, serving an important role in the reconstruction of Libya, in particular its infrastructure and networks for energy and telecommunications. The contract, to be carried out on behalf of PEWCO (Public Works Electric Company), includes the supply of optical cables for grid monitoring, it said.

Prysmian, the release said, has had an established presence in Libya following its involvement in recent years in major projects for the development of both new broadband telecom networks and high-voltage electricity grids. “With the acquisition of this new project, the Group has further increased its power transmission order book (for underground and submarine cables) amounting to over €2.3 billion as of Feb. 2012,” it said, adding that renewable energy developments and realization of new power interconnectors are among the main drivers of the growth of this market.

CommScope plans investment in new production line at its plant in Scotland U.S.-based CommScope plans to invest a million pounds in a new production line at a plant in Lochgelly, Fife, reports heraldscotland.com.

The production line will produce aluminum cable, target14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ing a trend of using aluminum cable for wireless networks instead of copper, the article said. The facility in Lochgelly, Fife, it noted, was chosen ahead of operations in the U.S. and China. Scottish Enterprise, it said, is providing £275,000 grant funding for the project, with the agency streamlining three funding applications into one package to make the proposition more attractive to Commscope’s American parent company and ensure more than 90 jobs at the Scottish site were safeguarded.

The production line, the report said, will make three different sizes of aluminum cable with the factory also continuing to produce copper cable. It cited site manager David Dryburgh as saying that the diversification had been driven by customer demand and the volatile price of copper.

“Significant advances in aluminum-based cable technology combined with the continued high volatility of copper pricing have fueled a shift in customer demand for cabling in wireless networks,” he said.

Dow reports agreements with Nexans unit and with Teknor Apex Company In two separate announcements, Dow Electrical & Telecommunications (Dow E&T) reported that Nexans Energy Cables North America, a division of Nexans, has become the latest company to become a Dow Inside Alliance partner, and that it will be a supplier to Teknor Apex Company.

The Dow Inside Alliance, an initiative benefiting developers, utilities and other energy cable end users, further reinforces Dow E&T’s and Nexans’ commitment to these customers, a press release said. This alliance results in improved cable reliability, long service life based on exceptional materials, dedicated R&D, deep industry knowledge and close working relationships with utilities and other power industry stakeholders, it added.

“Nexans Energy Cables North America has an outstanding reputation for manufacturing high-quality cables for power, industrial and construction applications,” said Jim Rosborough, commercial director of Dow E&T, North America.

“The combination of Nexans cable manufacturing expertise and quality products, further enhanced by Dow E&T’s technology leadership, commitment to innovation, service, support and excellent polymeric materials will enable us to deliver the long-life, reliable cables that our industry demands,” said Dave Hawker, vice president & general manager, Nexans Energy Cables North America.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nexans Energy Cables North America will use DOW ENDURANCE™ insulation, semiconductive and jacketing materials to manufacture medium-voltage energy cables. In exchange, Dow E&T will provide proven products using advanced technology and enhanced service support. The goal, the release said, is to reduce the total life cycle cost of cable ownership for enduse customers while responding to the evolving requirements of the power transmission and distribution industry.

Underwriters Laboratories issues warning on counterfeit cables Underwiters Laboratories (UL) has issued a warning for consumers, retailers and distributors that some USB and patch cables are being sold at Big Lots Stores bearing an unauthorized UL mark.

A press release said that the products, made in China, have not been evaluated by UL and it is unknown if they comply with the UL safety requirements. The products, it said, include the TriQuest USB 2.0 Cable Model 60-0302 (124,300 units, first production in March 2010) and the TriQuest Cat. 5E Patch Cable Model 60-0102 (95,120 units, first production in February 2010). The manufacturer was identified as Sela Products LLC. The products were not shown as being for sale at the Big Lots website. WJI asked Big Lots about its policy in terms of vetting products to sell, especially those for electrical purposes, but a response had not been made as of presstime.

UL has been very vigilant in terms of defending its mark.

The latest announcement is one of multiple warnings that it has issued to date this year for either unauthorized or counterfeit marks. The others include: counterfeit UL Mark on iFans battery pack, April 16; potentially hazardous Halloween decoration with counterfeit UL Mark, March 16; counterfeit UL Mark on work light string, March 16; coun-

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MAY 2012 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

The second announcement said that Dow E&T and Teknor Apex have entered into a collaboration that will see Teknor Apex granted exclusive marketing rights in North America for flexible vinyl compounds containing DOW ECOLIBRIUMâ&#x201E;˘ bio-based plasticizers for a range of applications that include select wire and cable products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our relationship with Teknor Apex has provided Dow E&T with a unique opportunity to market beyond the power industry,â&#x20AC;? the release said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working with a company like Teknor Apex will allow us to bring this sustainable technology to a host of consumer and industrial end products that utilize flexible vinyl compounds, including certain wire and cable construction applications.â&#x20AC;?

Made from virtually 100% renewable feedstocks, the use of DOW ECOLIBRIUM bio-based plasticizers in flexible vinyl compounds may help cable-makers and durable goods original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40% if used instead of traditional diisononyl phthalate PVC plasticizers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmental Stewardship is serious business at Teknor Apex, and we are committed to the development of innovative compounds utilizing sustainable resources,â&#x20AC;? said Louis R. Cappucci, vice president, Vinyl Division of Teknor Apex.

The Dow plasticizers â&#x20AC;&#x153;will allow both Dow and us to help open doors for those OEMs looking for sustainable solutions in their end products,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #409 INDUSTRY NEWS

terfeit UL Mark on electrical outlet boxes, March 8; unauthorized UL Mark on AC travel charger adapter, Feb. 28; counterfeit UL Mark on electronic ballast, Feb. 22; unauthorized UL Mark on triangular LED light, Feb. 21; unauthorized UL Mark on transformer, Feb. 7; counterfeit UL Mark on pizza cone maker, Feb. 7; unauthorized UL Mark on LCD televisions with DVD player, Jan. 31; unauthorized UL Mark on compact fluorescent lamp, Jan. 31; and unauthorized UL Mark on compact fluorescent lamp, Jan. 23.

Seco/Warwick to stage furnace seminar this June in Pennsylvania Registration is open for Seco/Warwick Corp.’s annual seminar, “Furnaces & Atmospheres for Today’s Technology,” to be held June 18-20 at the Holiday Inn Express in Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA. A press release said that several guest speakers have also been confirmed for the educational event, which will present a basic primer on heat treat furnace technology.

Scheduled speakers/topics, it said, include: Keynote Speaker Daniel Herring, The Heat Treat Doctor®, whose presentation will be “Current Industry Trends”; Bob Esper, Praxair, bulk atmospheres; Chuck Faulkner, Houghton, quenching and quenchants; and Jim Oakes, Super Systems, Inc., analyzers.

The release said that event provides basic, practical information for individuals new to heat treat responsibilities or planning to buy new or used equipment. The presentations, it noted, are non-commercial and provide useful information. For more information and registration, visit http://www.secowarwick.com/f&a.html

News from wire 2012 Huestis Industrial acquires Wyrepak At wire Düsseldorf, U.S.-based Huestis Industrial reported that it has bought Wyrepak Industries, a longtime industry supplier that specializes in payoffs and tension controls, along with ancillary parts such as pulleys and sheaves.

A press release said that the synergy between Wyrepak Industries and Huestis Industrial “will take customer service and support to another level while providing rugged machinery and real time solutions to meet the demands of modern manufacturing.” Customers, it said, will benefit from more choices of equipment, all backed by technology and support from Huestis Industrial, which offers payoffs, take-ups, jacket strippers and air wipers, said Howard Fancher. “Wyrepak Industries has a great reputation and ...

I have the greatest confidence that the Wyrepak brand will continue to grow and complement the Huestis industrial product lines,” he said.

16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

Huestis Industrial, a TeamBest company, will continue to sell products under the Wyrepak brand name. Production will be transferred from Wyrepak’s location in Middletown,

Huestis Industrial’s Stephen Bettencourt (l) and Howard Fancher at their booth at wire Düsseldorf.

Connecticut, to Bristol, Rhode Island. Inquiries for products or information should be directed to Howard Fancher at 401-253-5500, ext. 102, hfancher@huestis.com.

3 U.S. companies announce alliance At wire Düsseldorf, Niagara Composites International, Inc. (Niagara), CoorsTek Ceramics (CoorsTek) and the Talladega Machine & Supply Company’s Wire & Power Generation Division (TMS) reported that they have aligned their collective expertise to better serve customers.

From l-r at wire Düsseldorf: Niagara Composites’s Steve Boldebuck, ceramics division; Niagara President Roy Rymer and TMS Sales Manager Gerry Runyan.

A press release said that Niagara has more than 40 years in the composites industry as the manufacturer of the original North American Composites Flyer Bow. In 2011, Niagara awarded its North American distribution to TMS,

MAY 2012 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

a supplier of consumables that also provides maintenance contracts for most wire machines and offers complete inhouse rebuilds, it said. That same year, Niagara acquired exclusive North America distribution rights to sell CoorsTek’s ceramic products to the wire and cable industry, it said, noting that the three businesses will actively collaborate and promote each other’s products.

“Pricing will decrease as a result of our customers holding multiple products or services across the companies,” said Niagara President Roy Rymer. “Better pricing will occur for new and existing customers based upon our cooperation, our current arrangements with suppliers, automated ordering and volumes.”

In terms of delivery times, Rymer explained that those will be quicker because of the cross-arrangements that will make them a top priority. He added that CoorsTek is increasing its inventory of the large ceramic items, which will make it possible to ship wire ceramics in less than two weeks compared to eight to 16 weeks for competitors.

Niagara has also implemented supply chain management with TMS, whereby inventory is stored at TMS’s facilities and just six hours away for all U.S. customers, he said.

With Rymer at the event representing CoorsTek and TMS were Steve Boldebuck, who heads the CoorsTek ceramics

division for Niagara, and TMS Sales Manager Gerry Runyan. “By aligning our individual expertise, we are able to service and support our customer’s facilities with one objective: cost effectiveness,” the release said.

Bongard names Amaral as exclusive North American representative At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Bongard Trading GmbH & Co. KG announced that it has appointed Amaral

Tom Siedlarz, who recently joined Amaral Automation Associates, at the Bongard booth at wire Düsseldorf.

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #721

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18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Automation Associates as its exclusive representative in North America for the company’s used and new equipment.

A press release said that Bongard Trading has more than 50 years of experience in manufacturing and reconditioning equipment. Its new equipment includes barrel coilers, drawing lines, driven straightening devices, flat wire and round wire spooling lines, horizontal spoolers and static coilers.

Amaral Automation is a U.S.-based supplier of equipment and electric controls as well as a consultant to the wire and cable industry in North America. It also represents Plasticolor dosing units, Subec wire handling equipment, full line of drives and controls as well as welders and dies in North America. It can be contacted at tel. 401-405-0755, insidesales@amaralautomation.com, www.amaralautomation.com.

Blachford-Tecnovo enter alliance At wire Düsseldorf, U.S.-based Blachford Corp. and Italy’s Tecnovo Srl announced that they have entered a strategic alliance that will see the two companies expand their product lines and more through cross-representation.

A press release said that the two companies “will share marketing, manufacturing and product development information while expanding their sales efforts in order to broaden product offerings for current and prospective customers.”

The two companies are both leading suppliers of drawing lubricants and auxiliary products, such as pre-coats, for ferrous and nonferrous wire.

“The new partnership presents an opportunity for these two strong organiBlachford Corp. founder John zations to grow Blachford (l) with Tecnovo Srl their respective principal Ferruccio Bellina. businesses and better serve their customers,” the release said.

During the show, Blachford also introduced a new line of products: CHEMDRAW® low-dust dry drawing lubricants.

While Blachford’s traditional beaded products minimize dusting during handling, this new line of products reduces the generation of dust during drawing, it said, adding that these products can also lower lubricant consumption and improve drawing operational performance.

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PPressure ressure W Welding elding Machines Ltd Bethersden, Kent England TN26 3D 3DYY TTel: el: e +44 (0) 1233 820847 Fax: +44 (0) 1233 820591 Fax: E-mail: pwm@btinternet.com Welders Welders and dies available from PWM or authorised distributors only y. only.

MAY 2012 | 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #218

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS Apple working conditions in China raise question of what hours are fair Revelations that Foxconn employees in Chinese factories sometimes worked more than 76 hours a week, producing Apple’s iPhones and iPods, put the focus squarely on working conditions.

Apple had requested the investigation into the practices of its supplier, Foxconn, by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), which with Apple’s blessing investigated three Foxconn factories and surveyed more than 35,000 workers. The FLA report resulted in a pledge by Foxconn to bring factory conditions into full compliance with Chinese law and FLA standards regarding working hours by July 2013. For China, that means a 49-hour work week. Yet some reports noted that there were other factories with worse conditions. All of which raises the question of just what is normal around the globe, and at what time. It also highlights the irony of such conditions existing when there is such high unemployment in many other parts of the world, and whether the factors that make it possible can remain as they are.

Life is seldom black and white, as evidenced in this story.

Per Wikipedia, in India, at the managerial level, particularly in smaller companies, a person generally works 11 hours a day, six days a week. However, employees at large Indian companies tend to work eight to nine hours a day, five days a week. Mexico provides a 48-hour work week, but “this is rarely observed in the private sector, with workers more often than not working overtime without getting any due compensation for it.”

In most Western European countries, per Wikipedia, working hours have decreased, with an EU directive imposing a 48-hour work week for member states, although the U.K. allows employees to work longer if they choose. The work time in Brazil is 44 hours per week, usually eight hours per day and four hours on Saturday. In the U.S., there are no limitations, other than for regulated positions such as airline pilots, truck drivers and the like. As one article noted, it is cheaper for a company to pay more in overtime than it is to hire a new employee and have to pay for their benefits.

A 2001 article in The Christian Science Monitor about working hours focused on culture. It observed that at the end of the workday, Americans often part with a casual, “Take it easy,” while in South Korea the equivalent expresssion was, “Bye. Work hard!” At that point, South Korea had the world’s longest average workweek, a little more than 55 hours over six days, and was the only member of the 29-nation OECD nations that worked Saturdays.

Change, however, did follow, officially anyway, as the government reduced hours, starting in 2004 for large companies. Only that didn’t quite work as planned. Earlier this year, Business World Online reported that the South Korean

government was inspecting 35,000 workplaces to try to cut long work weeks and create more jobs. By law, the story said, the work week should not exceed 52 hours. “But overtime on Saturdays and Sundays is not counted and many firms have employees work weekends in excess of the weekly maximum,” it said.

At the other end of the spectrum, a report earlier this year in globeandmail.com recalled that in 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by the end of the century people would be work a 15-hour week. That didn’t happen, but the 40-hour work week brought about by Henry Ford, considered a blasphemy then, remains a staple of Western society, although many people work far more hours.

Further, the globeandmail.com story said, the New Economics Foundation, a British think tank, “is asking us to rethink our approach, and adopt a 21-hour work week.” It cited Foundation spokeswoman Anna Coote as saying that other, less drastic targets were considered, but “we went with 21 hours as it’s the 21st century and it’s good to get people to think radically. That would be a three-day week.”

Ms. Coote says her foundation understands that the concept of a 21-hour or even 30-hour work week might sound implausible, but she pointed out that “you may have been

Labor, a strength of emerging Asian countries, has come under closer scrutiny. equally unbelieving in the past that smoking could be curtailed, seat belt restraints and cycling helmets become common, and voluntary recycling become widespread.”

As for the Foxconn employees, the FLA says Foxconn has agreed to reduce worker hours so people work no more than 49 hours per week, including overtime, and will do this without reducing workers’ compensation. In other words, workers will get a raise, and Foxconn will have to hire thousands of additional people. Whether this type of change carries further in China, or is just the result of a unique set of circumstances, given Apple’s stature, is not so clear.

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

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

China’s Liheng Iron and Steel Co. announced that it plans to rebuild a high-speed wire rod production line. Steel Orbis reports that the new line for the company, located in the Shanxi Province, will have annual production capacity of 1.3 million metic tons. The project was scheduled for completion this September.

Chinese company orders wire rod outlet from Germany’s SMS Meer The Chinese company Xinjiang Gaoyi Smelting Co. Ltd. from Houma City (Shanxi Province) has placed an order with SMS Meer, Germany, for the supply of a wire rod outlet for a wire rod mill.

A press release said that the maximum production capacity is 120 t/h, which will enable Gaoyi to achieve a higher productivity than with conventional lines. The wire rod production line, it said, has a capacity of 700,000 tpy, rolling wire rod in the size range from 5.5 to 16 mm diameter and rebars with diameters from 6 to 16 mm.

The steel grades processed range from carbon steels

through to low-alloy steels. The mill is equipped with a sixstand wire-rod finishing block from SMS Meer. Together with the water cooling sections, loop laying head, loop cooling conveyor (LCC®) and a coil compactor, this line enables Xinjiang Gaoyi to manufacture high-quality products, for example for the booming construction industry in China.

Jianbang completes wire rod test run Steel Guru reports that Shanxi Province-based Chinese steelmaker Jianbang Group has announced that it has carried out a hot run test run on wire rod production line B of its twin-line high-speed wire rod project which has a total designed annual output capacity of 1.8 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, it is expected that Jianbang Group will carry out a hot run test on wire rod production line A of the project on April 28. Furthermore, drying of the 1,860 cubic meter blast furnace built within the scope of the project commenced on March 20 and is expected to be completed

by April 28. The commissioning of the overall project is due to take place on May 8.

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MAY 2012 | 21

ASIAN FOCUS

China’s Liheng to rebuild wire rod line

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company, announced the promotion of Paul Trunk to president of Berk-Tek and vice president and general manager of Nexans LAN Division North America.

He is responsible for all sales and marketing, operations, research and development, human resources, finance and IT functions for the North America LAN division, including both the New Paul Trunk Holland and Fuquay-Varina sites. He has 15 years of service with Berk-Tek as senior vice president of sales and marketing, including two years as regional sales manager. He has more than 35 years of experience overall in sales and marketing, and holds an MBA degree in marketing from DePaul University and a BA degree in business administration from St. Mary’s College. He replaces Kevin St. Cyr, who had been with Berk-Tek for 16 years as president, and in previous positions as product group lan manager, and senior vice president of sales and marketing. St. Cyr recently resigned to pursue other business opportunities. Based in New Holland, Pennsylvania, USA, manufactures more than 100 different network copper and fiber optic cable products.

rewrote the wire forming technical section of the WAI’s Ferrous Wire Handbook. He is a past president of SME’s Indianapolis Chapter and was a cofounder and past president of WAI’s Midwest Chapter. With offices in Bensenville, Illinois, and Bridgeport, Connecticut, North America OMCG represents OMCG Srl’s CNC and mechanical slide wire- and strip-forming machines.

Robert W. Sears

Leoni AG announced that Dr. Andreas Brand, who has many years of experience in the automotive industry, has joined its Management Board. He is currently executive vice president at Continental, which he joined in 2003 and set up and managed the company’s development and production facility in Sibiu, Romania. In 2005 he was appointed vice president of the occupant safety business center.

He previously held management roles at Motorola in Wiesbaden and at Grundig in Nuremberg. He holds a doctorate degree from the University of Erlangen. He will join Leoni on Dr. Andreas Brand Oct. 1, 2012 and will take charge of the Wiring Systems Division effective Jan. 1, 2013. He replaces Uwe H. Lamann, who has been head of the Wiring Systems Division since 1999, and is retiring. Based in Germany, Leoni AG is a leading global manufacturer of wire and cable products.

Jersey Strand and Cable (JSC) reports that it has bolstered its management team by hiring Stephen Flynn as plant manager. He has 30 years of experience in the wire and cable industry, starting out as an entry-level quality control technician and moving his way up the ranks to production manager. He is experienced in both production and organizational processes, and Stephen Flynn he has extensive knowledge in ISO systems. He hold a B.S. degree in industrial engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a B.S. degree from Gettysburg College.

Based in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA, Jersey Strand and Cable is a diversified manufacturer of fine diameter custom strand and cable.

Daikin America Inc., has named Jim McAliney as executive vice president of sales and marketing, leading efforts for the company’s “Fusion 2015” growth objectives. He has more than 30 years of industry experience in senior management roles, including four years with Arkema’s global polyamide business. He has a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University. A wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Daikin Industries, Ltd., Daikin America Inc., is a major fluoropolymer producer in the Americas.

Italy’s OMCG Srl recently named Robert W. Sears as president of North America OMCG, Inc., its U.S. and Canadian sales, distribution and tooling group. He has been a vice president and partner since the U.S. facility was opened in 1981. Prior to that he was a tooling engineer at Western Electric, a division of AT&T. He has been a technical speaker at seminars put on by the Precision Metal Form Association, Society of Manufacturing Engineers and WAI. He has presented technical articles for publication and

Allied Wire & Cable has named five new U.S. sales representatives: Don Houck, Kyle Bechter, Ruthann Simpson, Buck Nicolai and Bill Stecchi. Houck, the newest addition to the Las Vegas branch, has more than 17 years of experience in the voice, data and security market. He has worked as sales manager at JCH Wire and Cable, ADT and Codale Electric Supply. Bechter, who spent more than two years at Omni Wire & Cable, holds a degree in business management from West Chester University. He will work out of

Send People items to editorial@wirenet.org. You are welcome to include a photo (jpg, 175kB to 1-2MB).

22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Fred Pereira has joined Davis-Standard, LLC, as president of its Asia operations, an integral part of its plan to increase the company’s presence in the country and

throughout the region. He has more than 30 years of business experience throughout Asia, working in various segments of the plastics industry, including chemical and engineered materials, specialty additives, packaging, product development and manufacturing. Most recently, he served as vice president and general manager of the Global Fleet and Architecture division of Avery Dennison, Inc., in Shanghai, China. He previously held leadership positions for Alcoa, Inc., Honeywell, Inc., and ICI Industrial Chemicals Pte Ltd. Based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA, Davis-Standard’s product lines includes extrusion technology for the wire and cable industry.

NOTEWORTHY seconds later, Karen, who days earlier had snorkeled with Adam, our son, stepped off, leaving me not just “in line” The below article was submitted by Dane Armendariz, but next. I began to wonder, based on my decades-long a U.S. business development manager for Henkel who approach of work-refined problem-detecting, did the low also served as president of WAI in 2010. bidder build this zip line? When was the last equipment safety check? But the line must move forward. I stepped By the time you read this I will be retired. That’s a off, and after two to three seconds, terror turned to exciteshock for me at least. A little over five years ago I decidment. This was great! In less than a dozen seconds, the ed to retire in 2012. That seemed a long way off, but ride was history, and when I was asked if I wanted to ride now that it’s here I am not only leaving a great company again, I replied, “Enjoyed it, but been there and done (Henkel) and friends, but am tackling the problem of that.” what to do next. I don’t golf, hunt or fish.

That was my approach at work. I plugged away, figurI have been asked to reminisce here about the changes ing out how to best apply our company’s processes to I have seen over my career, and that got me to thinking. solve problems or achieve goals. There were sucThe biggest change is communication. When the cess stories over the years, none of which I can fax machine came out, I told my mailman to assure you will ever be the basis for a movie or start looking for another job. Well, I still have a novel but maybe a music video as I’ve done my mailman, a different one, and a fax machine that share of tap dancing. I also got involved with the collects dust. Then came cell phones. While in WAI and got to serve as president in 2010. I have Italy on business many years ago, when our cell many good memories from that period, including phones were the size of a briefcase, everyone in my “Where’s Waldo” impression when I snuck in Milan had a much smaller cell phone and they amid the crowd of ancillary equipment suppliers were constantly on them. I wondered who they at Wire Expo for the cover photo for the June were talking to and what about. I thought, “This Dane Armendariz 2010 issue. As I observed above, this is not a will never happen in the U.S.” Proving, once field of glory. again, that I am not a visionary. Next came What I did learn over the years is that how you e-mails which we all couldn’t wait to send. Now approach both work and life outside work matters. Life how many do we trash without ever opening? If it’s isn’t a spectator sport. Maybe I won’t golf, fish or hunt, important why don’t we just call the person with the but I did zip line! Life is nothing more than a series of cell phone stuck to his/her ear? Well, then you couldn’t adventures. You need to enjoy the ones that aren’t scaring copy 10 people who don’t care. Let’s not even go into the daylights out of you and try the best you can to surFacebook: like I care what my brother in Mesa had for vive those that are. The vast majority of us will find that lunch? Even with all this massive communication we still work won’t match those peaks of excitement, but it is defget mail delivery on Saturday, go figure. initely part of the overall experience, and it makes those Our family recently went on a cruise. The third day I golden moments not only possible but that much more was wandering about and saw people riding a zip line that worthwhile. When I get to the place we all get to eventuhad to be eight-stories high! No one would ever believe ally and am asked how life was, I want to answer, “I that I would do something like this, so I told my wife, enjoyed it, but been there and done that, what’s next?”

Karen, and my daughter, Lori, that I was going. Moments It’s Saturday and the mailman is late! Here’s to a great later, Lori stepped off the ledge without hesitation. A few adventure!

A time for zipping off to new adventures

MAY 2012 | 23

PEOPLE

the Collegeville location along with Simpson and Nicolai.

Simpson has over seven years of sales experience at Remcon Plastics. Nicolai, whose family has a history in wire and cable, is a 2010 graduate of Temple University, where he studied broadcasting and telecommunications.

Tecchi, who is new to the industry, is a recent college graduate, and will work out of the New Hampshire office. Based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA, Allied Wire & Cable is a wire and cable distributor and value-added manufacturer.

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH Tata reports completion of world’s first wholly owned global network India’s Tata Communications announced that it has completed the world’s first wholly owned cable network with the official launch of its Tata Global Network – Eurasia (TGN-EA) cable.

A press release said that the 9,280 km fiber optic network seamlessly links markets across Asia, Middle East, the U.S. and Europe to meet rising demand for 24/7 commerce. The TGN’s Tier-1 IP network provides connectivity to more than 200 countries across 400 PoPs, with nearly 1 million square feet of data center and collocation space worldwide, it said.

The cable, it said, connects Europe to India, The Egypt-to-India segment of Tata’s TGN system. through Egypt, bringing increased capacity, resilience and enhanced communications links to not only the Middle East, but the rest of the world as well.

The network, it noted, “reaches countries representing 99.7% of the world’s GDP.” The completion of the final link across Egypt, the release said, enables Tata Communications to offer its customers unique access to a wholly-owned express route cable from Europe to India with improved latency, redundancy and scalability. In conjunction with the company's recently launched TGN-Gulf these routes will cater to the increasing demand for voice, video and data services in and out of the Gulf region.

“Our customers, whether a European auto-manufacturer, an Asian hotel group or a large U.S. financial services firm, need to compete in global markets and are demanding faster and more reliable worldwide connectivity,” said Tata Communications Managing Director and CEO, Vinod Kumar. “Companies and carriers in developed and emerging economies require the confidence and security delivered by a wholly-owned network such as Tata Communications’ TGN.” The release said that the completion of the final TGN-EA link follows significant investment from Tata Communications in its global network in recent years.

The round-the-world ring, it said, offers city-to-city connections in contrast to more traditional networks which only link cable landing stations. This approach, it said, is

24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

more cost-effective, flexible and provides a faster time to market delivery, as well as being easier to maintain and manage.

Connection demand a key driver to fiber system to span Arctic Ocean Demand for better connections between Tokyo and London is driving construction of the first submarine fiber-optic cables to span the Arctic Ocean.

An article by Jeff Hecht in LaserFocusWorld.com said that high-capacity cables are planned for two routes, one through the Northwest Passage in Canadian and Alaskan waters, the other through Russian waters on the other side of the Arctic. The cables, it said, will be among the world’s longest, and also will provide high-speed connections to communities and industries along the Arctic coast.

One project is the Arctic Fibre, a Canadian effort led by Doug Cunningham, who was cited as saying that the plan calls for laying cable at 600 to 3500 m depths in the Davis Strait along Greenland, and burying cables up to three meters under the sea floor in shallower icebergprone area. Sea ice in other areas can form ridges up to 18 m deep, so Arctic Fibre will lay most cable at depths below 50 m, he said. At landing points, Arctic Fibre will route the cable through horizontal holes drilled up to 40 m deep to protect them during winter freezes. A third of the 15,500 km cable will be covered by pack ice more than half of the year, he said. There will be a total of three fiber pairs providing express service between Tokyo and London. Each will carry 40 gbps on up to 80 channels per fiber initially, with upgrades possible to 100 gbps per channel.

The second project is the Russian Optical Trans-Arctic Cable System (ROTACS), being developed by Russia’s Polarnet Project, which plans to deploy six fiber pairs carrying through-traffic. Each fiber, the story said will be able to carry 100 gbps on each of 100 channels, which is at the cutting edge of current submarine systems, and will give ROTACS more than twice the ultimate capacity of Arctic Fibre. The cable will land in Murmansk, Anadyr, and Vladivostok in Russia, with some additional drop points in the Russian Arctic, it said.

The article said that harsh Arctic conditions and extensive sea ice had long made submarine cables unthinkable in the Arctic, but as the ice sheet has shrunk there is now enough water to allow cable laying from mid-August through mid-October. While conditions may be better, laying the cable in the region would still require special ice-capable ships modified for laying cable, it said. The story noted that laying cable to a planned route is more difficult because the direction has been set, making obstacles even more challenging.

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FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE Could lower-quality fasteners have led to suddenness of the Titanic sinking?

Organizers: outlook looks good for October fastener show in Las Vegas

It was a little before noon on Sunday, April 12, 1912, 100 years ago, when the Titanic, bound for New York from Southhampton, U.K., on its maiden voyage, collided with an iceberg. The largest ship ever made at that time, it sunk in less than three hours, claiming the lives of more than two-thirds of the 2,224 passengers and crew. A century later, there is still fascination over what caused the sinking, and why it happened so quickly. The latest focus: fasteners.

A report in physicsworld.com notes that an early attempt to explain the cause of the Titanic’s rapid sinking focused on the steel used for the ship’s plates. The hull, it notes, standard for the day, was made of mild steel (steel with a maximum content of 0.35% carbon, 0.7% manganese and 0.5% silicon) and was held together by three million steel and wrought-iron rivets. Although steel rivets are stronger than wrought iron, for technical reasons they could only be used in the middle three-fifths of the ship’s length, it said.

Early tests by metallurgists suggested that the steel of the hull plates became brittle at about 32°C, but the steel of the ship’s plating was deemed adequate to bend with the impact rather than fracture. The ship’s designer, who was on board, reportedly said that the impact on the forward starboard side below the water line had ruptured more than four compartments, and that “it was a mathematical certainty that the ship would sink.”

But why so fast? In the mid-2000s two metallurgists, Tim Foecke and Jennifer Hooper McCarty, focused on the composition of the Titanic’s rivets. Their study included a methodical sweep through the records of the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship was built. They found that the rivets that held the mild-steel plates of the Titanic’s hull together were not of uniform composition or quality and had not been inserted in a uniform fashion. The rivets at the front and rear fifths of the Titanic were made only of “best” quality iron, not “bestbest” quality. Further, the rivets had been inserted by hand because the hydraulic presses used to insert the rivets used in the middle three-fifths of the ship could not be operated during the ship building process: the curvature of the hull was too acute at the bow and the stern.

Why not use the best rivets? In the article, Foecke and McCarty suggest that it may simply have been cost-savings as “best” rivets cost less than “best-best” grade rivets. The lesser-grade rivets had a higher concentration of impurities, known as “slag,” which made them particularly vulnerable to shearing stresses, the kind they were subjected to that long-ago night. Lab tests have shown that the heads of such rivets can pop off under extreme pressure, which on the Titanic would have allowed the steel plates on the hull to come apart, exposing her inner chambers to an onslaught of water. For the full report, go to http://physicsworld.com/ cws/article/print/2012/apr/02/the-perfect-storm.

Organizers for the 16th National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo, scheduled for Oct. 10-12, 2012, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, report that there has already been record activity by exhibitors.

“This is our strongest start ever, with most of last year’s companies already under contract,” said Susan A. Hurley, the expo’s general manager. “We have 470 companies filling 627 booths. We have gained many new exhibiting companies and continue to receive exhibit space applications and inquiries on a daily basis. We fully expect the 2012 Expo to outperform last year’s event in both size and attendance.”

Registration for the event, produced and managed by Bannister & Associates, will begin on/about June 1. The trade show, described as “North America’s Largest Fastener Expo,” will be open from 9 am to 4 pm on Thursday, Oct. 11, and from 9 am to 1 pm on Friday, Oct. 12.

The event will include an educational conference on Wednesday, Oct. 10, and per published reports, The Fastener Training Institute will put on several workshops, the Pac-West Fastener Association will sponsor a program and Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI) are planning a meeting. That night, a reception will be held at Harrah’s Nevada Ballroom.

The organizers note that the 2011 event, staged last October at the same venue in Las Vegas, “was a huge success from every standpoint.” They reported that the three-day event attracted 4,238 visitors and exhibitor personnel from throughout the U.S. and 32 other nations. A breakdown of the attendance showed that distributors led the way, with 1,253 registrants, followed by 240 suppliers, 173 independent sales reps, 172 cold-forming manufacturers and various other industry related people. Nearly 600 companies were represented at 757 booths, including exhibiting companies from the U.S. as well as Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain Taiwan, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

The 2011 event saw further growth for the Machinery & Tooling World area, which featured 43 companies, including many members of the International Fastener Machinery & Suppliers Association (IFMSA), the organizers noted.

Further, the event saw more than 70 exhibiting companies that were either new to the Expo or returning after a three year absence, Hurley said. The full conference program for the 2012 event is scheduled to be available online on June 1. It will present a list of exhibiting companies, an up-to-date floor plan showing all booth locations, links to participating hotel reservation sites, and more.

Contact: National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo, tel. 614-895-1279, info@fastenershows.com.

26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The technicians and new suppliers I’ve met at WAI’s shows have helped me improve our processes.

Q: Why did you join WAI? A: I joined to learn more about the wire industry.

Q: What does your company do?

A: We are an important copper rod producer in Latin America and I’m in charge of managing the production plant.

Q: What are the three most valuable benefits you receive through WAI? A: Meeting and sharing experiences of the copper industry; learning about the application of technical research; and creating networks that work together toward process improvement.

Q: What do your co-workers say about you?

A: They think I am committed to the business, responsible, innovative, hard working, approachable, and a good leader.

Q: What can you help people learn more about?

A: The general industrial process (specifically in copper production), team management, and how safety and environmental care fit into continuous process improvement.

Roberto Duralde Gen. Mgr. | Colada Continua Chilena S.A. Member Since: 1993

Q: What is your strategy on leadership and innovation?

A: I’m not afraid of change. My slogan is that everything can be improved. If it’s not possible today, it can be improved tomorrow with more resources and technology. Training and commitment to the human capital is the key to innovation and efficiency in all processes; it also ensures that my collaborators can suceed in achieving their personal goals.

Meet Roberto Duralde.

One of WAI’s worldwide members.

One compelling story.

Roberto manages a heavy load each day. In the neighborhood of 250 tons of copper. Yet he’s smiling.

Q: What do you do for leisure?

A: I enjoy my family and four kids; going to the gym; and

He’s in the right place. Santiago, Chile. With the snow-capped Andes at his back and the South Pacific on the horizon, temperature extremes are a natural part of his location. And his vocation.

playing tennis with the company team or friends.

Approachable | Responsible | Mentor | Change Agent | Innovator | Pure Mettle Manager | Visionary As one of Latin America’s leading copper producers he can take the heat when others just melt.

Roberto oversees the magic that transforms shimmering molten liquid into the high quality copper rod used in electrical wire the world over. Given Chile’s geographical footprint, is it any surprise that he chose a vertical furnace to star in his production?

When it comes to innovation he knows anything is possible—especially through hard work. Such is his mantra. But as every metallurgist would agree, it’s all about the mix. In this case business, pleasure, and culture. Something tells us he’ll soon be admiring the patina on Italy’s finest sculptures.

Q: Where would you most like to visit?

A: Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to travel since I was young and living abroad, and also through my work. I’d like to return to Italy; I think it’s got the perfect mixture of history, culture, and innovation.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment?

A: Doubling CCCH’s production capacity—without major investment—through process innovation that led to leadership in the Latin American market.

MNEMONIC TIP: ROBERTO DURALDE. DURABLE COPPER LEADER.

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

WAI NEWS

WAI

NEWS

‘Knights’ of the Clock meet in Stamford for reunion dinner The George, a historic hotel in the beautiful town of Stamford, England, was the setting for the 2012 Clockwinders Reunion Dinner that was held on March 23.

The event was organized by Nigel Lane, who chose the location to provide a balance for a number of Clockwinders traveling from London and more southern regions.

While Stamford is well known for its 17th century medieval architecture, The George is the landmark in the area. The George has housed and entertained knights and pilgrims for some 1,000 years as they journeyed through the country, so it was a fitting host to the “knights” of the long case clock that was gifted to WAI in 1948

by England’s wire Peter Rigby entertains attendees industry. of the Clockwinders’ dinner.

The Clockwinders Dinner, which has become an integral part of the tradition, this year included 15 Clockwinders who collectively represented decades of legacy, and their spouses. Each of the U.K. Clockwinders had travelled to the Association’s headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut, USA, to perform the ceremonial winding of the clock.

The Clockwinders who were present included: Frank and Doreen Fox, 1978; Peter Rigby, 1979 and 1998; Darryl Fox, 1992; Dil and Rita Scrivens, 1993; Andrew and Pauline Stacey, 1994; Peter and Margaret Wilcock, 1995; Peter and Kate Siddal, 1999 and 2010, respectively; Nigel and Jeanine Lane, 2000; Ken and Jean Scott, 2001; Alan and Val Stephenson, 2002; Steve and Anne Rutherford,

Jason Giebfried (r) at the Clockwinder’s dinner with event organizer Nigel Lane, the 2000 Clockwinder, and Kate Siddall, the 2010 Clockwinder.

2003; Mark and Mandy Hayes, 2005; Sandy and Rosemary Saunders, 2008; and John and Doreen Perry, 2009.

Lane welcomed the group that also included WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll and the Wire Link Traveling Scholarship winner, Jason Giebfried of Johnstown Wire Technologies, who was completing the U.K. portion of his tour. See p. 32. The concept of the Wire Link Scholarship Program originated with the Clockwinders during the group’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1998.

Attending her first Clockwinders Dinner was Kate Siddal, who wound the clock in 2010 and was accompanied by her husband, Peter Siddal, who also earned the title of Clockwinder back in 1999.

WAI Annual Meeting notice The 2012 Annual Meeting of The Wire Association International, Inc. (WAI) will be held on Tuesday May 22 at 3:30 pm at the Omni Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas, USA. All WAI members are invited to attend.

28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

In 2010, Kate Siddall, Siddall & Hilton, became the first woman to “wind the clock” at the Association’s headquarters.

Interwire 2013 update: more exhibit space contracted for trade show WAI's sales department reports that an additional 7,000 sq ft of booth space has been sold for Interwire 2013, to be held April 23-25, 2013, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Some of the additional exhibit space was contracted for at the recent wire Düsseldorf, trade show, and additional inquiries are pending. The initial exhibit space was allocated at the Points Meeting, which was held March 15 at WAI headquarters. A total of 138 companies secured 63,800 sq ft of exhibit space, a figure that represents 61% of the overall inventory of 104,600 sq ft that is slated for the show floor at the event.

An attendee used the interactive floor map to locate exhibitors at Interwire 2011.

The goal is to build upon the success of the 2011 staging of Interwire at the Georgia World Congress Center. Total attendance for the event was 4,022, up 19% from the 2009 event in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Attendees came from 53 countries, and more than 400 companies were represented on the exhibitor floor.

Booth space will continue to be allocated on a firstcome/first-served basis. For more details on exhibiting, contact the WAI’s sales staff at sales@wirenet.org, or call tel. 203-453-2777.

Wire Expo 2012 update: the focus now is on finding more floor space As all 174 booths have sold for the trade show at WAI’s Operations Summit & Wire Expo in Dallas, Texas, USA, to be held May 22-23, 2012, WAI Sales Director Robert Xeller said that additional booths may be added if late requests for booth space are received.

Such space would be limited, so companies that have delayed should contact Robert Xeller or Anna Bzowski at 203-453-2777, ext. 119/ext. 126. Click here for more information, including the interactive floor plan and list of exhibitors.

The 2012 event represents WAI’s first visit to the Lone Star state, a vibrant region, for the Association’s traveling roadshow. The educational program has been redefined, and the collective event that previously was called Wire Expo now carries the name WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo. Further bolstering the Dallas experience is the colocation at the Omni Dallas Hotel by American Metal Market/American Wire Producers Association of their Wire Rod Supply Chain Conference, which will be held Monday, May 21, and Tuesday, May 22.

Facing the camera at the Association’s booth at wire Düsseldorf are WAI Treasurer David LaValley (l) and WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. During the course of the week more than a dozen new members were signed up and more than 250 new WJI subscribers were added.

MAY 2012 | 29

WAI NEWS

Frank Fox was most senior of the Clockwinders in attendance as he traveled to the Association’s office in 1978 to perform the Clockwinding. He was accompanied on that trip by his wife Doreen, and his son, Frank, who later wound the Clock in 1978.

Fittingly, the evening included remarks from Peter Rigby, the son of the original Clockwinder, John Rigby. Rigby, who wound the clock first in 1979 and then again at the 50th anniversary in 1998, He once again proved to be a master of dry British wit as he recounted the rich history and many accomplishments of the U.K. wire industry.

Rigby presented WAI with a photograph from the 1937 Wire Association annual meeting. The photo, which is on the editorial page (p. 6), is part of his family’s personal collection. The image reflects the long connection between the U.K. and USA, as the individuals portrayed include several of U.K.’s wire industry leaders, one of whom was his father.

Lane concluded the meeting by announcing that plans would begin immediately to assemble the group again in 2014, and also noted that the 2012 Clockwinder will be selected in the near future.

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER Golfing alert: it’s time to sign up for Midwest Chapter’s June 22 tourney The Midwest Chapter has issued a “call for golfers” to take part in the chapter’s 10th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held on Friday, June 22, 2012, at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club, West Chicago, Illinois.

“We expect to have another great time, and we’d like to see a record field this year,” said event organizer Kevin Sopczak, ShapedWire. Aside from the obvious pluses of the golfing, he noted that the event offers great opportunities to meet up with friends/industry colleagues.

Sopczak said that there is a range of sponsorship opportunities available for companies that would like to have a presence at the event. Companies that want to know more about these opportunities can contact Sopczak by e-mail at kswire@aol.com, or contact WAI’s Steve Fetteroll at tel.

203-453-2777, ext. 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Poland Chapter organizing a technical seminar this September in Zakopane WAI’s Poland Chapter Seminar is organizing a technical conference at the Antalowka Hotel in Zakopane, Poland, on

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

At the 2011 conference in Poland, Kis Wire’s G. Bae presents his technical paper. Sitting (l-r) are session moderators Prof. Kazunari Yoshida and Prof. Zbigniew Pater.

Sept. 20-22, with the theme, “High Carbon Steel Wires and Ropes: Technology and Properties.” Helping the chapter are sponsors Polskie Liny Sp.z.o.o, Gama Metal Enterprise and WAI. Chapter President Jan Pilarczyk said that participants will include presenters of invited papers and attendees from some 40 drawing plants and institutions from Poland, Italy,

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #403

MAY 2012 | 31

CHAPTER CORNER

Companies from abroad Germany, Czech Republic include WAI, Vassena Filiere and others.

Srl, Italy; Lubrimetal, Italy; This represents the Sket GmbH, Germany, fourth time that the Kieselstein GmbH, Germany; Poland chapter will have and Moravia Steel, Czech staged the event. “Over Republic. the years, word of this The event schedule calls conference has traveled, for the presentation of the and we find there is more Schneider Memorial Award interest from companies, to Wojciech Górak Nestor, a especially as much of former wire industry director Poland manufacturing has At the 2011 Schneider Memorial Award Ceremony, l-r, are: in Poland’s Metalurgia been very active comEnterprise; Andrzej Stupiński, pared to other countries,” Jan Pilarczyk, Zbigniew Muskalski, Stanislaw Ksiêzarek owner of Polskie Liny Ltd.; Pilarczyk said. He noted (2008 recipient), Kazunari Yoshida (2011 recipient), Stefan and Nick Nikoletopoulos, that four past winners of Augustyniak (2010 recipient), Eugeniusz Filipczyk (2011 Sivaco Wire Group/ WAI’s Mordica Memorial recipient) and moderator Bogdan Golis.

Ifastegroupe. The seminar fee Award are among those is 150 euros. Tabletop displays are also expected to be held who have been invited to make a technical presentation. as in past years. The conference proceedings will be edited Companies invited from Poland include Sanger Metal from in English for dissemination by WAI and the Chapter, and Szczecin, Pawlak P.W. from Wolanów, CUS Polska from will also be on its website.

Katowice, Elkon from Rybnik, CMC Zawiercie S.A, For more information, contact Jan Pilarczyk by e-mail at Bolmet S.A from Bolesław, CBiDGP from Ledziny, lj.pilarczyk@interia.pl.

Fabryka Przewodów Energetycznych from Będzin, and Telefonika Kable and AGH-KTL, both from Kraków.

WIRE LINK REPORT

2012 Wire Link Scholar Report Experience was an industry education

By Jason Giebfried, Johnstown Wire Technologies

Since my return to the States I have been bombarded with one common question: how was your trip? I have had the same response every time: awesome. There is no other word in the English dictionary that would properly sum up my experience in Europe.

I began my journey by flying into Manchester airport, where I was met by Darryl Lomas of the Semta Group, an organization that works with the The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers, which along with the WAI made my trip possible. He was holding a sign with my name in big bold letters. I made my way to him, dragging Jason Giebfried, production supervisor, Johnstown Wire Technologies, was the 2012 Wire Link Traveling Scholar. The award, offered in alternate years to a U.K. and American professional in the wire and cable industry, provides a two-week, allexpenses-paid opportunity to visit and learn about the industry on the other side of the Atlantic. The scholarship was created by the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers in the U.K. and the Wire Association International in America. As the 2012 U.S. representative, he toured companies in the U.K. and attended the wire Düsseldorf trade show in Germany.

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

my overstuffed bags behind me. We shook hands and departed the airport for our trip to Sheffield. We spent most of the car ride getting to know each other better as we were going to be spending a lot of time together over the next week and a half. Darryl was my expert, or for the lack of a better wording, my “tour guide” while in the U.K. After arriving at The Leopould Hotel in Sheffield, I spent most of the day walking around getting used to my new environment. After snapping a few photos and seeing some of the sites, I was off to bed early to prepare for my week.

Thursday we got down to business. I started the day with a tour of Betafence. This was a great plant to start with as it reminded me the most of my day-to-day operations at Johnstown Wire. They purchase raw rod, descale it, draw it to wire, hot-dip galvanize and make fence. I have to thank General Manager Wim Beblauwe and Operations Manager Paul Barkas for their great hospitality. I walked away from the plant with not only a great educational experience, but also two people I can now call friends. I will elaborate on this a little later in this report.

After departing from Betafence, Darryl took me to the England Coal Mine Museum. We toured the above-ground facilities and went on a guided tour that took us more than 150 meters below ground into a former active coal mine. It was a great experience and one that I have wanted to do for a very long time.

Thursday night I had the pleasure of having dinner with Peter Shelton, a retired U.K. retired steelworker, a meeting that came through a connection from my aunt and uncle in the States. Peter held several different positions in his tenure as a steelworker including QA, expediting engineer, and project engineer. I was impressed by his knowledge and insight. For example, he explained how he had developed specific blueprints as a guideline to attain desired results on his projects, and even provided me with copies of the structures to read and use if I ever find myself needing them.

Friday began with a long drive with Darryl to Liverpool.

We arrived at Becker Paint factory where we met with Dr. Chris Lowe, who gave us a tour of the facilities. I was blown away by how much science goes in to making paint, and considered it an excellent learning experience.

After lunch with Darryl and Dr. Lowe, I was off by taxi to my “home” for the weekend. I spent the next two days meeting and enjoying time with my uncle’s family that lives in Liverpool. I spent the rest of Friday with Billy, my uncle’s brother, who took me to all the local popular sites.

The highlights were the Beatles’ hot spots. We then boarded

MAY 2012 | 33

WIRE LINK REPORT

other areas as well. We walked through their cleaning house a train and headed back to his hometown on the outskirts of and annealing lines, which were different from what I was Liverpool, where I was able to meet his family. I really accustomed to. enjoyed being able to play games with his son and share Tuesday would prove to be a very interesting day. I began stories with all of them. by visiting Gordon Macrae at Gripple, an employee-owned St. Patrick’s Day began with a short taxi ride where I was company that makes an amazing basic product. There are able to see my uncle’s nephew, Phil, play in his rugby many variations, but simply put this mechanism holds fence match. This was the first time I watched rugby live, and I wire together. Gordon took us through the manufacturing will just say I give those guys credit. I spent the rest of the facility that contains many robotic machines. The operators day getting to know Phil and all of his rugby buddies while act primarily as inspectors and packagers. watching England defeat Ireland on the big screen at the Just when I though the tour was over, Gordon took us a Liverpool Cricket Club. Sunday afternoon was a scenic train couple miles away to another facility that they have. Here, ride back to Sheffield. The scenery was simply amazing. employees work on inventing new products. Not new ways On Monday I went to Tata Steel. I was amazed at the size to use Gripple’s current products, but completely new prodof this facility. There, I met Chris Barker (2011 Wire Link ucts. We saw some amazing inventions and met some of the Scholarship Award winner), who took me on a fascinating engineers who spend their days working on this. It was an tour of Tata’s four strand rod mill. I have been involved in excellent complement to the company’s cutting-edge, innothe wire industry for almost 15 years and I was excited to vative and R&D extensive approach. see how my raw material is made. Chris took me from From Gripple, Darryl took me to Egginton Knife factory. where the billets exit the furnace all the way to the rod storWe met with Production Manager Mark Spolding for a look age facilities. This was also my first view of a fully autoat their historical operation. Although Egginton was foundmated warehouse facility. The utilization of technology that ed in 1872, knives have been made here since is used in all of these 1682. These knives aren’t made with new cutprocesses was amazing, and ting-edge equipment but with dated machinery certainly not what I had picand skilled labor. The knives are hand-made and tured. I learned a lot about it shows in the product quality. They are very the rod making process proud of their products and I bet any of their through Chris’s in-depth customers would back them on it. explanations.

Tuesday would not come to an end without From the rod mill we proanother first time experience for me. Darryl took ceeded to Tata’s BOS (Basic me to see a soccer match between his Sheffield Oxygen Steelmaking) plant.

Wednesday Owls and Walsall at the historical Here, Chris turned me over Hillsborough Stadium. We were accompanied by to Andrew Anderson. a friend of Darryl’s, Wim from Betafence, and a After donning a fire-suit, friend of Wim’s from Holland. The game ended metatarsal boots, Kevlar in a 2-2 tie at the very last second with a goal scarf, hardhat, and safety from the Owls. I was also able to talk more with glasses we began a tour of Wim about his operations at Betafence. By the the steelmaking process. I time the game was over, I was extended an inviwas flabbergasted at the size tation to go back to his plant on Thursday to talk of the equipment that is shop with Paul Barker. required to make steel. Most Touring Tata Steel’s BOS plant.

Wednesday was another mix of business and of our tour was many stories pleasure. I met Semta’s Bob Flear, who took me above ground, and you could for a tour at a business that he deals with and get a good feel of all the elethen treated me to 18 holes of golf. We made our way to ments. Even high up and well away from the molten ladle Joy Mining Machinery, where we met with Manufacturing of steel, the heat was intense. The furnaces appeared as Manager Graham Drury. After donning PPE, we began an if they were tall buildings. The Tata tour was definitely extensive tour of the facilities. Again, I was not disappointimpressive, and I believe that some of the knowledge I ed. I was able to relate to a lot of what I was looking at gained that day will someday come in handy. since I had just toured a coal mine a few days ago. Joy is a From Tata, Darryl and I headed for Fox Wire. I was lookvery large company with operations all around the world. ing forward to this visit since it sounded much like my own There is even a Joy Mining facility less than 100 miles from plant. We met with Neil Dimelow the HR and development my front door. The most interesting part of the tour was the manager for Fox Wire. After a brief chat, Neil put us in new services that they offer. They can monitor live temperatouch with Supervisor Jim Matthewman. He explained how tures, oil pressures and a host of other functions on a piece they are focusing on mostly nonferrous production these of their machinery from anywhere in the world. When a days to manage profits. I have some experience drawing problem begins to develop, a simple phone call can save a stainless steel, but watching copper running through a wiremine from hours of downtime. drawing machine was a first for me. Jim took us through

WIRE LINK REPORT

That night, I met up with Darryl and Bev Page from The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers. Bev had a lot to do with me being there having dinner with him as he is very involved with the Wire Link program. We enjoyed Indian cuisine and had great conversations. He even presented me a letter of congratulations and a certificate recognizing my achievement in the scholarship program.

Thursday was a full day. We visited IFA (Independent Forgings and Alloys Limited), where we met with Human Resource Katy Edmonds, who put us in touch with Supervisor John Prebble. John gave us a tour of the facilities. I was amazed how they can take an ingot and turn it into a ring. The sizes of the hammers used for this process are mind-blowing. You have to have a strong back and a lot of skill to do what these guys do.

From IFA, we took a quick tour of a small brewery in Sheffield and then I was off to meet with Paul Barker at Betafence again. Paul and I exchanged ideas and concepts both of us have utilized in our businesses. I was able to offer Paul a couple ideas to possibly improve his process, but he gave me much more. One of his suggestions was that we purchase an infrared camera to help identify potential or existing problem areas. He has found this to be very helpful at his plant, and I am anxious to try this out at ours. These ideas could provide us savings and help a lot with preventative maintenance of our machinery.

Friday was the Clockwinders Dinner at The George Hotel in Stamford. Here I met up with WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll for an elegant dinner and great company.

The dinner is held for all previous clockwinders.

I enjoyed every bit of the evening and want to thank Nigel Lane for all his hard work in putting this together. I was in great company at Jason Giebfried (r) at the clockwinder’s the dinner and dinner with event organizer Nigel Lane, very much the 2000 clockwinder, and Kate Siddall, enjoyed the 2010 clockwinder speech by Peter Rigby, who has wound the clock more than once at WAI Headquarters. I would also like to thank John and Doreen Perry and Darryl Fox for being such pleasant dinner companions.

After a train ride with Steve to London Saturday morning we got to our residence for the night. The Marriott in Westminster was beautiful and the view out my window was amazing. Steve and I spent all day walking around see34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ing the plentiful sites that London offers. We visited the London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and The Tower, as well as Westminster Abby, Big Ben and Churchill’s War Rooms, and topped it all off with a ride on the London Eye. It was definitely a full day.

Sunday we departed for Dusseldorf Germany, and I spent the next four days at the wire Tourist time, of course, was also an show there. It is hard to describe essential part of the experience. the size of the show, so “enormous” will have to do. I was able to meet with many of my existing suppliers as well as competitors and associates with other companies. I had a few conversations with suppliers that may enable my company to save money, as well as setting up some trials for ideas that might help us be even more competitive in today’s market. I met a lot of great people and had the pleasure of having dinner or lunch with many of them. Again, I met with Wim and Paul from Betafence, and put them in touch with some of my suppliers to try to help their business.

My stay here was a bit less structured as far as having to be at certain places at certain times, which allowed me to be more relaxed and take in my surroundings. I spent a lot of my evenings down along the Rhine River watching the barges float by and relishing the beautiful skyline. The rest of my time was spent roaming around the Alstadt area, visiting the different pubs, shops, and restaurants. I ate some of the finest German cuisine and found all of it delicious!

I would like to thank both Darryl Lomas and Semta Group for the great hospitality, making this unforgettable experience for me possible, as well as all the other aforementioned business professionals who took the time out of their day to allow me to see their operations. I would also like to thank the WAI, the Wire Foundation and The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers for keeping this scholarship program going.

Finally, I want to extend a very special thanks to my company, Johnstown Wire Technologies, for allowing me the time away from my duties to take part in this wonderful experience. I feel that the knowledge I gained in my travels will help me for years to come in my career.

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #308

WIRE DÜSSELDORF

wire Düsseldorf wrapup Event continues to be industry drawing card The 2012 staging of wire Düsseldorf and its sister show, Tube 2012, in Düsseldorf, Germany, turned out to be a record-breaking event, in terms of both attendance and size.

A press release from the organizers, Messe Düsseldorf, said that the 2012 International Wire and Cable Trade Fair and the 2012 International Tube Trade Fair closed with record exhibitor numbers and increased visitor participation: with some 2,500 companies from around the world presenting the latest machinery and products from the wire, cable and tube processing industries to 73,500 trade visitors from 111 countries. Those numbers, it said, represent a visitor increase of 6.3% from the 2010 staging, which saw 69,200

Redex SA held an interactive broadcast of one its rolling mills in operation. Participants could ask questions and request to see process changes.

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

attendees from around 100 nations, it said. “Overall, a display area of more than 1.1 million square feet was booked by the exhibitors, a new record compared to the also very successful previous events in 2010 and 2008.”

The wire and Tube 2012 exhibitors were pleased with the business results of the events and reported visitors’ high interest in purchasing as well as many deals concluded and new business contacts acquired, the release said. “For us as trade fair organizers, the somewhat euphoric mood in the exhibition halls, the orders made here and the expectation of good post-show business are important indicators that we have the right trade fair date and product range,” stated

Organizers report that 60% of attendees came from outside of Germany.

ating supplies (29%), finished products (21%), metal forming (15%) and spring making technology (14%). Exhibitors included 44 companies from the U.S., with 18 companies participating in the North American Pavilion also organized

by Messe Düsseldorf North America.

According to a survey, trade visitors at wire and Tube 2012 rated the two events as “excellent,” and the evaluation of the products and services on exhibit again improved, the release said. It added that the survey also identified more first-time visitors to both events.

“We appreciate the wire trade show as an opportunity for the feedback we receive from our agents and customers which helps us chart and realign our strategy,” said Robert Wild, executive vice president, Niehoff Endex North America. “This year we introduced some new products, including the latest and largest double twist buncher, and welcomed a lot of customers. Our industry again looked healthy worldwide, with signs of cautious optimism for North America. The results met or even exceeded our expectations, but it is obvious that competition in capital equipment is getting stronger with Asian equipment builders’ increased presence in Europe and the Americas.”

“Going into the show we were expecting to have a lot of new potential customers, and the show did not disappoint,” said Talladega Machinery & Supply Sales Manager Gerry Runyan. “We have many new business opportunities with new companies from all over the world. We would rate this show as one of our best exhibitions. The reception of one of our latest ventures with Niagara Composites International was a

Germany’s Niehoff GmbH was one of the many companies that held receptions during the show.

The wire show offered technology and services from more than 1,300 companies.

MAY 2012 | 37

WIRE DÜSSELDORF

Joachim Schäfer, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf.

“Companies invest heavily in Düsseldorf in order to remain present amongst the international competition,” said Project Director Friedrich-Georg Kehrer. “Here, the companies meet qualified business partners from all over the world and many new contacts are made as well.”

At wire 2012, 1,314 wire companies from 50 countries presented their innovations on more than 613,500 square feet of net exhibit space, an increase of about 100 companies and 10.7% of space compared to wire 2010, the release said. From the U.S., 84 companies exhibited at wire 2012, including 31 exhibitors within the North American Pavilion, organized by Messe Düsseldorf North America and sponsored by the Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association (WCISA), it said, adding that “the trend towards a more extensive trade fair presence with larger, more attractive booths is continuing.” “wire and Tube in Düsseldorf were excellent events again, and they were very successful trade fairs for us,” said Dr. Christoph Müller-Mederer, sales and marketing manager of WAFIOS AG. “The follow-up business is now going to be an exciting task!”

As in the past, the rate of international trade fair visitors was high, the release said. Some 60% of the wire visitors came from outside of Germany, with the majority coming from Italy, France, Great Britain, Belgium, the U.S., the Netherlands, Brazil, India, Spain, Turkey, Austria and Switzerland. A strong representation of visitors came from the industry (80%), trade (8%), services (4%) and skilled crafts (2%), it said.

The release said that wire 2012 visitors were primarily interested in wire finishing machinery, steel bars and strips (38%), wire steel bar and strip production machinery (36%), auxiliary materials (machinery, devices, tools, oper-

WIRE DÜSSELDORF The BASF booth had a touch of color.

At the Domeks Makine booth: staffers, l-r, Murtaza Murtaza, Orhan Ozbaran, Huseyin Ozturk, Dogan Ozbaran and Umut Acikgoz.

great success. Their experience in composite bow manufacture, along with our experience in repair and rebuild of stranders and bunchers, prompted many new business opportunities for both our companies.”

“The show was very good for Madem Group (Madem Brazil , Euromadem Spain and Madem Gulf Bahrain),” said Leandro Mazzoccato, sales director, Madem Reels Group.

“We got new contacts all over the world and had more than 150 visitors in our booth.”

“It was an immense pleasure for us to participate,” said Ravi Bansal, CEO of Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. “Visitors from all over the world attended the fair, which gave us new opportunities to establish new business connections.”

Turkey’s Domeks Makine reported strong activity. “The show was good and we successfully exhibited our Full Automatic Coil/Spool Packing Line Quadromatik 400 that can do packaging with different sizes and type cables generally used on the market. We also presented our brand new double head plywood spooling line, Reelmatik 600D, that was successfully installed in Italy,” it reported.

Fushi Copperweld, which notes that it is the world’s

Australasian Wire Industry Association Director Secretary Malcolm Michael and IWMA executive committee member Geoff Church stopped by the WAI booth.

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

largest supplier of bimetallic wire, made Wire 2012 a launch platform for its new branding program. “Our exclusively licensed technology for producing copper-clad aluminum wire is now branded as Copperlite™ CCA, and we chose to use the world stage at Düsseldorf as the initial point of exposure,” explained Thomas Horton, the company’s global marketing director. “We were very pleased with the turnout, and did a lot of quality business at the fair.”

The WAI saw brisk activity at its booth, where WAI’s sales department reported selling 5,300 sq feet of exhibition space for Interwire 2013, with an additional 3,700 sq ft pending. A roster of the exhibitors for the Atlanta show can be seen on p. 77. Also, a number of announcements were made at the show, with some of those included in the Industry News section of this issue.

The events will return to the Düsseldorf fairgrounds in spring 2014, with the dates to be announced later. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at wire 2014, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-7815180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

The trade show had its share of flair, with wire serving as art.

Event UPDATE

WAI OPERATIONS SUMMIT & WIRE EXPO 2012

WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2012 There are relatively few changes to report about the WAI Operations Summit and Wire Expo trade show, other than several new exhibitors have signed up since the last issue. Those include: Nano-Diamond America, Inc., Booth 527; OmniSource Corporation, Booth 427; QED Wire Lines, Booth 426; and Wire Machine Technologies, Ltd., Booth 528. One other show floor change to report is that Amaral Automation Associates, which was in Booth 803, has swapped its position with Foerster Instruments in Booth 102.

As of press time, there still were openings in the two plants tours (Encore Wire and Gerdau), but those are being filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so early registration is a good idea.

A number of minor changes have been reported in the technical program, so make sure to look for the Show Program at the event for the latest news.

Finally, the Products section that begins on p. 70 presents products and services that are offered by Wire Expo 2012 exhibitors.

B&H Tool Company Tel. 760-471-8949 fax 760-471-4979 www.bhtool.com pneville@bhtool.com USA Booth 620 Exhibiting: Come see our new spiral deflector for our smallest adjustable center crosshead: the BH25. It reduces the internal volume in the industry’s already smallest crosshead. Insulated fine wire manufacturers love it.

Personnel: Peter Neville.

Nano-Diamond America, Inc. Tel. 434-220-0435 fax 804-980-7770 www.nano-die.com admin@nano-die.com USA Booth 527 Exhibiting: Nano-Dies®. A nanocrystalline diamond surface on top of a tungsten-carbide nib. he result is an extremely hard, extremely low friction die surface. NanoDies are available from 0.047 in. up to >2.3 in., making them highly suitable for all cable compacting operations.

The low friction enables energy cables to be manufactured with lower electrical resistance, dramatic copper/ aluminum savings, or both. Three to six times lower cost than PCD dies. Nano-Dies are also highly successful in wire drawing applications (two to three times the life of other diamond dies prior to recut).

Personnel: Doug Thornton, Lee Thornton, Ed Black, Sherry Black.

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Niagara Composites International Tel. 905-641-1056 fax 905-641-1082 www.niagaracomposites.com rrymer@niagaracomposites.com USA Booth 409 Exhibiting: The company’s range of composite bows in fiberglass, carbon fiber and GKC composite bows.

Niagara Composites makes bows to customer specifications.

Oklahoma Steel and Wire Tel. 800-654-4164 fax 580-795-7422 www.okbrandwire.com sales@oklahomasteel.com USA Booth 717 Exhibiting: Oklahoma Steel and Wire and sister company Iowa Steel and Wire offer a complete line in both agricultural and industrial wire products. Providing products that meet or exceed industry standards, devising new industry products, or improving the functionality of existing products, they make products that can be depended on. Ask for the OK Brand.

Personnel: Lou Richards, David Weinand, Dave Blackwell, Chad Taylor.

OmniSource Corporation Tel. 260-423-4089 fax 260-423-4044 www.omnisource.com aray@omnisource.com USA Booth 427 Exhibiting: OmniSource, a scrap metals processor, assists companies in the wire and cable industry by maximizing the value of their scrap metal. We provide scrap management services throughout North America as well as logistics services.

Personnel: Autumn Ray, Paul Knipscheer.

Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc. Tel. 413-442-0067 fax 413-445-7849 www.pittsplas.com nick@pittsplas.com USA Booth 1065 Exhibiting: We are a plastic injection molding company offering many different spools and reels in a variety of sizes for all your needs. We also offer bobbins, dye tubes, take-up tubes, and cones for the textile industry.

Personnel: Nick Roth, Tom Walker, Sam Parris, Bruce Dixon.

Plymouth Wire Reels and Dies, Inc. Tel. 508-791-3456 fax 508-754-4281 www.plymouthwire.com plymouthwire@verizon.net

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

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #511 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

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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

USA Booth 215 Exhibiting: Plymouth Wire Reels and Dies will display pictures of spools and reels.

Personnel: Guy Gallant, Mirek Swiderski.

Power Sonics/Magnus Equipment Tel. 440-942-8590 fax 440-942-8488 www.powersonics.com info@powersonics.com USA Booth 517 Exhibiting: Suppliers of industrial aqueous and VOCcompliant cleaning systems for continuous product such as wire, strip, rod, cable and bar stock. It offers cleaning systems for continuous, individual part production processes such as fasteners, formed wire, stamped, coldheaded and machined products. Also, tanks for die cleaning and other maintenance operations. These technologies can be used for virtually any cleaning application for wire and wire products. Of special interest is our redesigned radial in-line cleaning system (SRT) for wire, rod, strip cleaning and the Mini TunnelSonics (MTS) designed for continuous production, high volume, small part cleaning.

Personnel: Scott Miller, Frank Koontz, Scott Callahan, Pete Breeden.

QED Wire Lines, Inc. Tel. 450-458-1200 fax 450-458-0200 sales@qedwire.com www.qedwire.com Canada Booth 426 Exhibiting: QED designs and provides state-of-the-art multiple strand heat-treating, cleaning and coating lines.

These include annealing, stress relieving, patenting, oil quenching and austentizing. It recently announced the successful commissioning of the world’s largest fluidbed furnace built for continuous annealing of steel wire. The FastHeat™ fluidbed was supplied to OneSteel’s Geelong plant in Australia to demanding technical, environmental and safety standards. The furnace is designed for very high wire speeds and incorporates the latest combustion and control system technology.

Tecnoherramental SA de CV Tel./fax 52-444-128-1818 alfonso@tecnoherramental.com www.tecnoherramental.com Mexico Booth 526 Exhibiting: Hot stamp tools for electrical wire, wire and cable precision tooling. Tecnoherramental is one of Mexico’s largest tooling precision shops, 30 years experience with customers in the nation's largest cities, as well as in the U.S. and Central America. Its services include wire EDM, sink EDM, 4 axis CNCs, CNCs lathes and engraver CNCs. It uses MasterCAM programs.

Tecnoherramental looks forward to working closely together with customers to develop new precision tooling.

Thermoplastics Engineering Corp.

Tel. 978-537-8135 fax 978-537-5484 www.thermoplasticseng.com timd@thermoplasticseng.com USA Booth 223 Exhibiting: Custom cable and wire machinery: extruders, cablers, take-ups, payoffs, accumulators/dancers.

Personnel: Ernest Landry, Tim Dacey, Patrick Wilkins.

United Wire Co., Inc. Tel. 800-840-9481 fax 203-752-1762 www.unitedwirecompany.com bob@unitedwirecompany.com USA Booth 108 Exhibiting: United Wire Co. specializes in manufacturing flat, square, and shaped wire in stainless steels, carbon steels, nickel bases, copper bases and aluminum. ISO certified.

Personnel: Bob Swanson, David Hitchcock, Bryan Hitchcock, David Koontz.

Wire Machine Technologies, Ltd. (WMT) Tel. 972-4626-7701 fax 972-4626-7705 info@wmt-m.com Israel Booth 528 Exhibiting: WMT is a core technology developer of revolutionary Micro-Wires (M-W) that offers dramatic reduction of manufacturing time of glass coated amorphous metal and various alloys M-W of 2 to 300 micron diameter as well as a novel one-stage automatic machine for uninterrupted continuous production of M-Ws of up to 10Km. WMT brings new applications to the market. Stop by to hear more about new exciting possibilities that result in end products that offer high quality, homogeneity, smoothness and improved performance.

Yield Management Corp.

Tel. 413-283-7773 fax 413-283-7778 www.yieldmanagementcorp.com bbrown@yieldmanagementcorp.com USA Booth 618 Exhibiting: Wire break detection systems for tubular stranders, rigid frame and planetary cablers. Tape break detection for concentric taping heads. Braiding equipment and replacement parts for Wardwell rotary braiders.

Personnel: Robert Brown.

MAY 2012 | 43

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.

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Omni Dallas Hotel | Dallas, Texas, USA | May 22-23, 2012 3. EVENT REGISTRATION (This section must be completed for proper processing.)

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Monday, May 21 Includes program handouts, Monday lunch, and access to the Wire Expo exhibits, and Production Solutions.

ENCORE WIRE PLANT TOUR (PTN)

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

Member Wednesday, May 23 Note: Space is limited and preference will be given to full conference Non Member registrants. Individual registrations subject to approval.

GERDAU PLANT TOUR (PTF) Member Wednesday, May 23 Note: Space is limited and preference will be given to full conference Non Member 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 ____________________________________________________________

4. TOTAL REGISTRATION FEES, U.S. $ 5. REGISTRATION FEE IS PAID BY: ❏ Check enclosed payable to THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC. (Checks must be in U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. bank)

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

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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

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The hotel features 1,001 guest rooms, including 67 luxury suites and three presidential suites; it also includes a full-service Mokara Spa, rooftop terrace pool deck, and a spacious fitness center with stunning views of downtown.

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FEATURE

green “Green” remains a good industry story, only the focus in some respects has changed. Two years ago, “green” was big at wire Düsseldorf, where many cable-related booths were decked out in the color. With European regulations for borax-free products looming later that year, one saw lots of green jackets and green giveaway pens.

At the recently held 2012 show, the green concept was much more muted. Green hadn’t gone away, but instead the relative “newness” of it was gone. The focus, more muted, appears to have moved to sustainability, a broader view, and as for green, well, one could say that green has become “expected.”

There is support for industry to be proactive in sustain-

ability, but smaller companies especially are still catching up. A 2011 study commissioned by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition found that 57% of small manufacturers reported that they have little or no strategy to become sustainable.

This story includes a look at two European companies, a cable and a steel producer, both of which stress good stewardship. It also includes comments from an industry supplier about the role that software can (or should) have, the perspective of one supplier that did not back off on “green” at wire Düsseldorf, and a CFO focus (below) as well as an explanation for “green” rankings that gives one a sense of just how demanding such efforts are.

Study: CFOs should support sustainability efforts A 2011 study issued by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, “Sustainability 2011: A difficult coming of age,” suggests that the increasing role of sustainability could result in a “Second Industrial Revolution,” but it notes that this coming of age has not been a smooth and steady progression for CFOs. Essentially, the report said that CFOs largely agree that sustainability is an issue that cannot be ignored, but for many companies that are operating in less than ideal market conditions, it is not so easy to support those beliefs with investment dollars.

Per the report, based on surveys of some 200 CFOs from the world’s largest companies, “Many business people are skeptical that the return on sustainability-related investments and organizational realignments will achieve satisfactory levels.”

Deloitte’s survey suggests that CFOs “will need to take a more energetic role in embedding (sustainability into their) business strategy,” and added that many are doing just that. It noted that more than half the surveyed CFOs said that they are prepared to commit capital, including for equipment to increase energy efficiency, generating on-site renewable energy or reducing industrial emissions.

Such capital investment, the report said, is on the

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

upswing, with 2013 spending for sustainable business programs projected to be 50 to 100% more than in 2011. It predicted that spending by large companies in Australia, Canada, the U.K. and U.S. could be as much as $60 billion in 2013.

A company’s existing structure is one element, but mergers and acquisitions pose a potential problem area, the report said. It noted that only 29% of CFOs “indicted a belief that M&A activity would be affected by sustainability. This finding points to a blind spot ... .” Transactions, it noted, can result in immediate sustainability risks, from remediation and idemnification expenses to environmental liabilities and regulatory sanctions, and sustainability analysis “needs to be part of such deal structures.”

The report said that CFO attitude differed depending on the sector.

“Respondents in the construction and automotive sectors saw a weak link between sustainability strategy and performance, while their counterparts in the basic materials sector saw a strong link. Considering that all three industries are subject to similar sustainability cost drivers and risks, construction and automotive CFOs...might do well to examine the long-range sustainability issues that their basic materials peers are looking at.”

A primary goal of any business is to be successful, because otherwise everything else is moot. For environmental aspects, that generally means that “green” initiatives have to fit into a company’s overall planning, yet some companies choose to stress good stewardship beyond the expected. One such company is Germany’s nkt cables, which has some 3,500 employees and had 2011 revenues of about 1.2 billion euros. A business of Denmark’s NKT Group that is based in Germany, nkt cables supplies cables and solutions for electrical infrastructure, construction, railway and automotive industries.

Below, CEO Marc van’t Noordende discussed the company’s philosophy, its new HV plant in Cologne and more.

of noise, water and air pollution. The main environmental impacts from our business activities stem from two sources: the energy we consume in running the plants and the use of non-renewable resources in the products. Our energy consumption results in a direct emission of greenhouse gas from our usage of natural gas for heating and petrol for transportation, and indirect emission from the use of electric power for production and other activities.

In our products we use nonrenewable resources of which the most important is copper, but aluminum and plastics originating from oil derivatives are also extensively used in our products. Thus it is important for us to minimize the use of energy, maximize the use of raw materials and to avoid the use of hazardous materials in our products and processes.

WJI: How is it that nkt cables made the environment a priority for the business? van’t Noordende: The NKT Group, the parent company of nkt cables, began as a family owned cable factory in Denmark and grew larger organically and by acquisitions. Corporate social responsibility has been a part of NKT’s value set throughout our almost 120year history. We have always worked with respect for our employees, other stakeholders and for the environment.

WJI: Can you provide an example? van’t Noordende: For many years we have aimed to act responsibly regarding our use of resources. As an example, A degassing unit at the nkt cables’ f2c plant in Cologne. in the period of 1995-2001 nkt cables reduced the energy consumption by more than 20% per ton produced cable WJI: How has recycling fit into your business plan? in Denmark. This was achieved by aggregation of producvan’t Noordende: We established a cable scrap recytion and other optimization actions. Looking at the four cling plant as long as 50 years ago. We were the first European cable factories in the nkt cables group, we have company to eliminate the use of lead as stabilizer in in 2008 reduced the energy consumption by 48% per ton PVC-cables (about 20 years ago). Furthermore, we develproduced cable by aggregating smaller productions and oped alternatives to PVC cables about 15 years ago, and not least by reducing heating expenses. Since 2008 we we were among the first to initiate the phasing out of hazhave reported further savings of energy to the Carbon ardous phthalate (DEHP). Finally, we were the first comDisclosure Project. pany to develop and test a cable with superconductors in the real-life commercial power grid. Since the owner of WJI: How does an environmental approach fit into the nkt cables, the NKT Group, began reporting to the UN company’s operations?

Global Compact in 2009, we have had targets defined in van’t Noordende: In our production processes, we use order to reduce the waste in production by 4% each year natural resources in the form of raw materials, and we over a four-year period. consume energy and other resources. On the other hand, our products and systems help conserve natural resources and the environment by providing efficient means of transportation and distribution of energy. Today, our cable manufacturing processes have negligible impact in terms

WJI: What about your other plants? van’t Noordende: We have built a most efficient cooling system at our Danish factory. With this new and high-

MAY 2012 | 47

FEATURE

nkt cables: a company that has chosen a 'green' path

FEATURE

ly sophisticated system we are able to perform a faster cooling during the production process, which enables us at the same time to have a faster output in production resulting in a more economic and environmental-friendly production. Since we care about our resources we have also installed a centralized automatic control system for lighting in our production plant in Poland.

WJI: The Cologne factory has been in operation for a while now: has it performed as designed (both production and environmental)? van’t Noordende: The Cologne factory was started up in phases in line with the gradual move of production lines from the old to the new factory, the last one being finished in the first half of nkt cables CEO 2011. The environmental Marc van’t Noordende performance has been according to design. The new plant came with completely new machines/lines, moved lines with upgraded process software systems, with a large number of new operators and producing new products. As a consequence, we are experiencing a learning curve. We expect that by the second half of this year most technical issues and bottlenecks will be resolved.

The lay-out of the plant allows for an excellent material flow through the plant (much better than in the plant that was built and expanded over many years). This makes the plant very well organized and clean.

We ask our employees’ greater discipline on subjects such as safety and housekeeping to maintain this.

f2c: a blend of customer need, smart planning and ‘green’ The factory is called “f2c,” an abbreviation of “flow to customer,” and the layout literally allows that as the plant’s production flow allows the finished product to be directly coiled on a ship.

“The plant was designed to facilitate optimal production of HV and submarine cable, using unique and specialized technical innovations that have been integrated into the factory to make the production as efficient as possible,” said nkt cables CEO Marc van’t Noordende. He predicted that the mix of energy sources will change dramatically in the future, with renewable energies becoming increasingly important. “This change of energy mix will lead to a decentralized energy generation. In order to meet the customers’ requirements and the continuously changing market demands nkt cables has created the most efficient answer to the future challenges,” he said.

“We believe that f2c will play a major role in the offshore business going forward,” van’t Noordende said.

“Our new factory marks a milestone in the history of cable factories. In recent years, no one in the cable production business has invested as heavily in the future, as we have done with our new plant. We believe it will become the benchmark for high voltage and submarine cable production.”

WJI: In terms of your overall production costs, has your plant’s “green” design made it more expensive to operate, or does it actually save money? van’t Noordende: It has saved money. We have been able to reduce our energy costs for heating by 60%.

One way we do that is by recycling waste heat from machines and processes through the building.

WJI: Do you think your customers appreciate the steps you have taken? van’t Noordende: Yes. They are without exception very impressed when visiting our plant.

48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

nkt cable’s f2c plant in Cologne, Germany.

Sandvik: focus on energy savings is not a new company concept FEATURE

Sandvik Materials Technology, one of five business areas of Sweden’s Sandvik Group, notes that it believed in reducing energy consumption long before the 2004 introduction in Sweden of the Program for Energy Efficiency, but that taking part in the program, directed specifically at energy-intensive industry throughout the country, has led to further achievements and impressive gains.

The adoption of the voluntary initiative by Sandvik Materials Technology at its extensive manufacturing facilities in Sandviken, Sweden, has allowed the company to find ways to further reduce its energy consumption by approximately 20 GWh/year, with more savings coming through, the company reports.

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #414

An inside view of a Sandvik wiredrawing operation, one of many that have been part of the company’s efforts to reduce energy use.

“At Sandvik, we signed up for the program back in 2005,” said Susanne Lindqvist, process owner for energy and climate at Sandvik Materials Technology. “Our Sandviken operations include steel melting and casting, tube mills, wire mills and strip mills, as well as the company’s extensive research and development department.

All of these are energy intensive and what the Program for Energy Efficiency has given us is a structured approach to investigate and research our operational processes in order to increase our energy efficiency,” she said.

“To date we have thoroughly investigated over 150 processes implementing nearly 60 projects, including a number in our wire mill involving changes to routines,

MAY 2012 | 49

FEATURE

elimination of air leaks and savings on heating,” Lindqvist said. “As a direct result of this the identified energy saving measures across the Sandviken facility are projected to cut the plants’ energy consumption by 52 GWh/year. What the program facilitates is the clear identification of the total energy use of all the plants on the Sandviken site. This then allows us to identify where energy efficiency improvements can best be made in both the short and long term.”

The Sandviken energy consumption is based on electricity (60%), direct heating 1% and the remainder fossil fuels (LPG and oil). Reducing energy usage, in some cases, was as simple as isolating areas which are not in use or making sure the plant is switched off rather than being left in standby mode, she said. “The whole process is definitely a case of educating people to be fully aware of the energy saving opportunities and as a consequence we are seeing the results.”

Sandvik’s efforts have been duly recognized, including its being named among the Top 250 companies on the 2011 Newsweek Green Rankings® Global list as well as one of the top 100 Global Innovator companies by Thomson Reuters.

Lindqvist outlined the company’s approach to energy usage. Pumps, motors, fans, lighting and compressed air were all identified as areas where energy conservation measures could be successfully applied. For example, one of the actions involved changing the linings of furnaces in order to increase insulations levels. This makes them more efficient in retaining heat resulting in reduced energy usage.

Throughout the plants old lighting has been identified and replaced with more energy efficient units. Installation of sensors and lighting control equipment ensures that lights are off when no one is working.

Perhaps some of the biggest differences have been in the installation of heat exchangers alongside production equipment. These are used to capture waste heat from the production process and in turn utilize it for heating buildings. This helps decrease the need for additional external heating. On one building a heating management system has been installed that adjusts the internal temperature to correspond to external conditions providing an ideal environment.

“Involving everyone with energy saving routines throughout all our plants means that people are responsi-

Newsweek report: how one scores ‘greeness’ Sandvik AB made the Newsweek Green Rankings® 2011 list for the Top 250 global companies. How exactly does one create such a list? Below is a much shorter version of the full explanation, which provides a taste of just how involved such such matters are.

To produce its 2011 Green Rankings, Newsweek collaborated with research providers to assess and score each company’s environmental footprint (45%), management of that footprint (45%), and transparency (10%).

Environmental impact. More than 700 metrics—including emissions of nine key greenhouse gases, water use, solid waste disposal, and emissions that contribute to acid rain and smog—were considered. The study used publicly disclosed environmental data whenever possible, and a proprietary economic input-output model to calculate direct-company and supply-chain impacts in cases where data were unavailable. A benchmarking system was created for 464 industry sectors. Specific impacts were quantitatively assessed, and costs for each individual metric were added to produce a dollar estimate of the company’s total environmental impact. The figure was normalized by a company’s fiscal-year revenue and expressed on a 100-point scale.

50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Environmental management. A company’s performance was assessed by policies, programs, targets, certifications and the like. The overall footprint stemmed from company operations, contractors and suppliers, and products and services. An analysis of positive performance-related criteria was counterbalanced by a detailed assessment of environmental controversies and incidents.

A dozen core environmental indicators were assigned to all sectors, addressing environmental policies, management systems, certifications and programs and targets to reduce emissions and increase the use of renewables. These core indicators are supplemented by over 40 sector-specific indicators addressing issues such as biodiversity protection, water use, hazardous waste reduction, supply-chain initiatives and a range of sustainability-related products and services.

As such, the composition of indicators and weightings used to evaluate a company vary by industry, on the basis of industry-specific impact and exposure.

Disclosure. Assessments were made of company reporting and transparency on environmental data. This score evaluates the quality of company sustainability reporting and involvement in key transparency initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the Carbon Disclosure Project.

FEATURE

ble for ensuring that equipment is turned off and not left on or in standby mode,” Lindqvist said. She observed that furnaces, wiredrawing machines, lighting, pumps, compressors, scanning electron microscopes or personal computers left on add unnecessarily to the company’s energy bill. “Pumps and hydraulic equipment are a large area for us and we have carried out energy reviews across all our equipment comparing the requirements of today with what the original needs were. Now we are in the process of replacing or have replaced older units with new, energy efficient equipment,” she said.

Many changes represented modest investments, but significant gains came from well-considered investments, such as the installation of new plant and equipment where the operating costs and whole life cycle costs are closely reviewed in order to make the right decision regarding operational efficiency.

Lindqvist singled out elimination of compressed air leakages as one of the biggest, ongoing challenges for all large production facilities. “It is a never ending story, but one that we are continuing to strive to win,” she said.

Companies in Sweden can participate in the Program for Improving Energy Efficiency Act, which is administered by the Swedish Energy Agency. More than 110 Swedish companies participate in the program, collectively using some 30 TWh of electricity and sharing a tax credit of 15 million euros per year.

The participant has to look at all types of energy efficiency as well as measures to mitigate CO2 emissions, not just electrical efficiency. Other areas include steam and fuel efficiency improvements. It notes that measures implemented within production processes often produce greater efficiencies than those Susanne Lindqvist, process owner within auxiliary for energy and climate at Sandvik systems. Some Materials Technology.

25% of actions took place in the production process and accounted for almost half (48 percent) of the achieved electricity efficiency improvements.

ISO 50001: the newest environmental standard for industry One of the newest ISO management system standards, ISO 50001 has been designed for implementation by any organization, whatever its size or activities, whether in public or private sectors, regardless of its geographical location.

ISO 50001 does not fix targets for improving energy performance. This is up to the user organization, or to regulatory authorities. This means than any organization, regardless of its current mastery of energy management, can implement ISO 50001 to establish a baseline and then improve on this at a rhythm appropriate to its context and capacities. ISO 50001 is based on the ISO management system model familiar to more than a million organizations worldwide who implement standards such as ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), ISO 22000 (food safety),

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ISO/IEC 27001 (information security).

In particular, ISO 50001 follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act process for continual improvement of the energy management system. These characteristics enable organizations to integrate energy management now with their overall efforts to improve quality, environmental management and other challenges addressed by their management systems.

ISO 50001 provides a framework of requirements enabling organizations to: • Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy • Fix targets and objectives to meet the policy • Use data to better understand and make decisions concerning energy use and consumption • Measure the results • Review the effectiveness of the policy • Continually improve energy management.

FEATURE

Sandvik Material Technology notes that it is one of the first companies in its sector to gain the new International Energy Management Standard, ISO 50001:2011. All the company’s energy efficiency actions have to be documented and verified by measurement as part of the systematic approach for continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy usage and consumption.

The Swedish Energy Authority establishes the agenda for the work and the regulatory requirements to motivate the company’s personnel and management. Within Sweden these measures are expected to generate savings of approximately 43 million euros per year, with payback time is less than 1.5 years.

“Despite all the work so far at our Sandviken facilities we still have considerably more to do to decrease our energy consumption, but it is a task that is well underway and one that we are all working hard to manage,” Lindqvist said. “The greatest potential that we have identified is in the ventilation of our buildings and the recovery of heat while adjusting the ventilation to our requirements. Besides eliminating compressed air leakages, it is one of the easiest ways to help decrease our overall energy usage.”

54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Software for industry can help design a ‘greener’ cable More than chemicals and exhaust fumes factor in “green” considerations for the wire and cable industry.

The below article, from Ali Shehab, Chief Executive Officer, Cimteq, discusses the role that cable design and quotation software can have.

Green is an increasingly interesting color. Green now defines our attitude to each other and the environment. Green is no longer a passive ethical duty that regulates our behavior, but is now enforced by law through hard directives from governing bodies. In this article we will consider how the directives apply to cable making, and how cable makers use software to help create a greener design.

Electrical and electronic production, including wire and Ali Shehab cable making, have been regu-

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #606

MAY 2012 | 55

FEATURE

It is the sum of all the material content multiplied by the lated for some years by the two European Union direcfraction of hazardous material in each raw material.To tives, Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and calculate the hazardous material content for REACH, we Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of simply add the material waste to the equation and any Chemicals (REACH). other material used in the manufacturing process.

Making a green cable is not restricted to what hazCalculating the energy content of the cable follows the ardous materials are used in the product. It is also important to design a cable so as it does not become the fuel in case of a fire. Wherever a cable is installed there is a risk of such eventuality; the job of the system designer is to minimize these risks. It is therefore important to be able to calculate the combustible energy contained in the cable to ensure they are within acceptable limits.

Modeling the environmental impact of a cable allows cable design engineers to validate their design to minimize the harm it can cause the environment. If a cable is found to be harmful, then the design can be readdressed by changing the materials used, or Fig. 1. Designing a cable with the environmental impact in mind altering the construction of the cable. produces a safer, cheaper and more marketable product.

The general principle of calculating hazardous material content for RoHS is simple.

FEATURE

same principle a as the RoHS calculations.

Determining the content of hazardous materials for a cable is quite complex, especially for multi-core, or multi-pair constructions. Such cables may contain many extra length factors due to the lay-length at pairing, grouping and the final layup process when making the cable. The REACH directive makes it even more difficult to identify the hazardous materials, because it covers not only the materials in the final products, but also the materials used in the manufacturing process. This can include auxiliary materials, like solvents, and scrap such as machine start-up and shutdown scrap and extruder bleeding scrap (See Fig. 1). However, some of these scraps can be recycled back into the manufacturing process, for example extruder bleeding, which added even more complexity to the hazardous material calculations.

Scrap calculation in cable making divides into two types; scrap that is proportional to the length of the cable and that which is proportional to the number of changeovers in the process. For example, bobbin changes, color changes, etc. This means that scrap is a cumulative process and depends on the length being produced. The

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #211

56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Fig. 2. A composite cable design with multiple symmetrical components.

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complexity is also compounded in composite cables where nine symmetrical components are used in their construction (See Fig. 2).

The iterative nature of the above calculations makes them complex.

Calculating the hazardous material contents, or combustible material energy by hand is very tedious and prone to errors. Simple cables, without the consideration of scrap, can be calculated using Microsoft Excel, but to make a full simulation, an Excel model becomes far too complex.

Companies with the need to model hazardous materials and combustion energy have two options: write their own computer program to make the above calculations, or consider the use of specialized cable design software, such as CableBuilder from Cimteq. This cable design software has the above calculations as part of a set of tools aimed at improving the efficiency of the cable design and speeding up the cable design process. A cable design software is also thought to make the production process even greener by reducing scrap and rework by providing accurate instructions to the shop floor. Further, making a simulation of the energy content of a cable using software helps the cable design engineer design cables right first time, every time, without the need for repetitive expensive fire tests, therefore reducing the harmful emissions produced by them. However, fire testing may still be necessary to comply with standards and customer requirements.

Draka Norsk Kabel (now part of the Prysmian Group), presents a real-life example of how software can help design a safer cable. It implemented CableBuilder in 2001 to speed up the design and quotation processes and improve the quality of their product datasheets.

It was quickly apparent that once the design is made, a value of the combustible energy contained in the cable was needed to ensure compliance to the various fire test standards.

The CableBuilder software accumulates the combustible energy content per layer. If a cable appears to be non-conforming, then the design engineer can make a quick decision to rectify the problem. They may change the materials used, add a flame retardant tape, or change the construction of the cable. As the engineer is working with the design the energy content is continually calculated so the engineer can immediately be informed of the performance of the design.

The combustion energy value is also used to determine compliance to the relevant fire test standards. This provides valuable information to the electrical, or communication, system designers to allow them to ensure the safety of their design.

For more details, contact Ali Shehab, Cimteq, ali.shehab@cimteq.com, or go to www.cimteq.com.

Ideal: still ‘green’ at heart Not all companies have backed off the “green” focus. At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Ideal-Werk stressed the environmental advantages of its green line of welders at its booth.

Asked if there appeared to be less “green” marketing at the trade show from 2010, Sales Manager Michael Weber agreed, but said that Ideal has not backed off that selling point. “We’ve had a good response with it. People see green and they start to think about it,” he said.

Further, customers who have bought prior “green” models report that visitors to their plants notice the systems, which stand out among the more familiar colors, he said.

The “green” press may be good marketing, but it only works if it is backed up by results, Weber said, noting that the company’s green line, introduced two years ago, has been upgraded to where it now can pro-

FEATURE

vide up to 35% more in electrical savings. He explained that the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use of medium frequency direct current (MFDC) welding technology is better than conventional AC resistance welding due to an improved power factor that significantly reduces the reactive energy being used during welding. It makes shorter welds, which results in less heat, which in turn result in less cooling requirements, all of which helps reduce energy needs and increase production, he said.

Further, Weber said, the automated resistance welding machines use a new generation of highly efficient servo motors and drives that â&#x20AC;&#x153;pushâ&#x20AC;? energy generated during stopping/de-accelerating of machine components back into your electrical power network. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the past this energy would be lost into the Ideal-Werk Sales Manager Michael Weber was proud to be showcasing environment in the form of heat,â&#x20AC;? he said, a green approach at wire DĂźsseldorf. adding that another benefit is that a smaller sized electrical cabinet heat exchanger or airThe company can be contacted at tel. 49-2941-2060, conditioner can be used, so less heat has to be removed. www.ideal-werk, sales@ideal-werk, and in the U.S. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not only is this a very productive system, it is a very at tel. 815-874-4349, www.ideal-werk.com, green system, and that combination is something we are sales@ideal-werk.com. very proud to showcase,â&#x20AC;? Weber said.

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Effects of contact resistances in multistrand cables on linearresistance measurements

LV E R ATE C I F I CERT AW AR

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER

A new contacting method has been developed that allows manufacturers to take reliable measurements of linear resistance of cords and multi-strand cables.

By Patrick De Bruyne and Gaël Mauron

Performing accurate and stable resistance measurements on electrical cables often appears difficult despite technical specifications that several suppliers of measuring bridges are publishing. This is particularly the case with multi-strand isolated cables, for which significant errors and instabilities can be observed. It has been demonstrated that the issues stem from the contact resistances between the wires within the cable or the cord. Different corrective measures are discussed and a new compacting system is presented which allow mastering the task.

Measuring cable linear resistance

Fig. 1. Rate of irregularity of current distribution in a copper rod against the distance from current injection point.

Fig. 2. Contact spots result in constriction resistance.

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Fig. 7 shows the measurement of a 14-year-old multi-strand cable over time. Values are unstable and the real cable resistance is at best difficult to determine.

The resistance measurement accuracy depends on an even distribution of the current between the wires. All measuring bridges utilize the Kelvin method, meaning that the current is injected in two points and separate potential taps—usually placed one meter from each other—give the voltage value, which allows for the calculating of the cable’s linear resistance (Ω/km). The sample temperature has a significant influ-

per. Aluminum is even much more sensitive. In contact with ambient air it creates instantaneously a Al2O3 oxidation film of 2-4 [nm] on the surface which insulates and thus protects

Limitations of measurement accuracy and stability The effects of contact resistance between the wires of a cable were studied. They provoke uneven distribution of the current. Depending on which of these wires the potential taps are connected to, the results can give lower or higher values compared to the nominal linear resistance of the cable.

Increasing the distance between the current injection points and potential taps just increases the probability of better contact spots but barely eliminates the problem.

Electrical contacts are well described in the literature. They are realized by contact spots and the resistance of the contact is influenced by both constriction resistance (see Fig. 2) and by isolative layers stemming from pollution and oxidation. In particular, oxidation increases drastically the contact resistance as shown in Table 1. With copper, Cu2O highly resistive film is produced over time even at room temperature. After 1000 h at 20°C, a 2nm film is formed on copper with a resistivity 300 times higher than copper resistivity. After 11 years, the film resistivity is 1600 times higher than the one of cop-

Tables 1 and 2. Influence of oxidation and formation of Cu2O layer.

the inside of the aluminium against deeper oxidation. The Al2O3 has a resistivity of 1012 - 1014 [Ω . m].

If the isolative film is electrically insulating or only weakly conducting, a good electrical contact is established only if the film is mechanically disrupted to allow the formation of metal-to-metal junctions. Indeed, applying a force on the contact is expected to have a positive influence both on the constriction resistance by multiplying and widening the contact spots and on the isolative layer by disruption of the film.

Fig. 3 shows the expected behavior of the contact resistance when applying a pressure on the contacts.

Fig. 3. Contact resistance in function of applied force.

MAY 2012 | 61

TECHNICAL PAPERS

ence on the measured values with temperature coefficients of the usual materials copper or aluminium being of the order of 0.4%/K. One common explanation for the incurred problems is that the current needs a length of distance to distribute itself uniformly. This is not wrong but the order of magnitude of this effect often prevents an understanding of observed disturbances. Fig. 1 shows the result of simulations for the current distribution in a copper rod when injecting the current punctually. When the distance between the current injection and a potential tap is more than four times the rod diameter, the lack of uniformity is negligible. It is far shorter than all practical realizations of measuring bridges.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 4. Resistance bridge 7198. Photo AESA.

Corrective measures and measuring systems Manufacturers of resistance bridges have empirically taken the influence of contacting systems on the metrological reliability into account. For rods and cords, different systems exist for covering different ranges of a sample diameter. See Figs. 4 and 5. Unfortunately some suppliers still indicate in their technical specifications and data sheet the geometrical range as limits for the measuring range despite the reality that the jaws that are used for the tests have the ability to disrupt the isolative films. These jaws represents the real limitation for reliable measurements, and this is especially so for cords and cables made of aluminum, or older ones made of copper.

Fig. 4 shows a resistance bridge able to test rods and cords up to a section of 630 mm2, ensuring reliable testing of 300 mm2 aluminum and 630 mm2 copper samples.

Fig. 5. Resistance and cross section, measuring bridge 8135. Photo AESA. In Fig. 5, a resistance bridge with hydraulic jaws is used for on line testing of aluminum cords up to 1200 mm2 and for copper cords up to 1800 mm2 in production. The geometrical limitation is in this case 2500 mm2.

The measurement of isolated, and in particular multi-strand cables, has always been difficult because of the necessity of self-cutting contacts to avoid influencing the measuring values. This process has shown to cause the most problems in obtaining stable and correct measuring values. The authors investigated the problem of inter-wires contact resistance on such cables and the effectiveness of a compacting system that can apply a significant force on the strands without stripping the cable.

Table 3 shows the results. The average contact resistance (Rc moy) is 40 times lower and the standard deviation (Ď&#x192;) is 85 times lower resulting in a 37fold improvement in accuracy (Îľ moy).

Fig. 6 shows the drastic reduction of contact resistances spread within the cable when compacting it.

Fig. 7 gives a comparison of linearresistance measurements for the same sample with (green) and without (red) a compacting system. The reference value is blue. This demonstrates the instability of the test and why, for that type of cable, it can be difficult to obtain an accurate result without a

Fig. 6. Statistical distribution of contact resistances.

Table 3. Contact resistance between wires of a 14-year-old copper cable B. Soflex T-Litze H05V-K, on the left without compacting and on the right with compacting system.

62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 7. Multi-strand cable measurement on a resistance bridge.

Fig. 8. Compacting system and self-cutting potential taps. Photo AESA.

compacting system. The graph shows the linear resistance in Ω/km versus time in min. The results are self-explanatory.

This new method is the only one currently known that can measure isolated cables with the requested accuracy. Out of 150 cables tested, about 10 presented metrological problems with conventional methods, all of which disappeared thanks to the new system.

Conclusion The authors successfully developed a new resistance bridge that makes it possible to achieve reliable measurements of the linear resistance of cords and multi-strand cables, which previously had not been possible.

It is advisable for metrology engineers to rely on manufacturers who have a deep understanding of the application and the physics behind these measuring tasks and can investigate beyond the indications in the data sheets.

This new method allows characterizing small sections, such as <30 mm2, of multi-strand isolated cables, for which no reliable linear-resistance measuring equipment has really been accessible up to now.

Furthermore, the described phenomenon explains testing limitations for cords with larger cross-sections and provides hints on how to overcome contingent measuring issues.

Bibliography 1. Electrical contacts : fundamentals, applications and technology, Milenko Braunovic, Valery V. Konchits, Nikolai K. Myshkin, by Marcel Dekker Inc., ISBN 0-8247-1934-4.

2. Marechal Electric, Technical Training Manual, 2009, Part 2: Electrical contact: fundamental principals, www.marechal.com.

Website: www.aesa-cortaillod.com.

De Bruyne

Mauron

Patrick De Bruyne has been managing director of AESA, Colombier, Switzerland, since joining the company in 2007. Before that, he spent 16 years as CEO of LEM, a Swiss group specialized in power electronics components. He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Engineering Faculty of Mons (FPMs), Belgium. Gaël Mauron joined AESA in 2007 as an R&D engineer. He holds a BSc (HES) degree in telecommunication engineering from University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HEIG-VD). This paper, which was presented at the WAI’s 81st Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 2011, won the WAI’s Silver Certificate Award in the Electrical Division.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER The development of properties and structure of precipitation-hardened Al-Mg-Si alloy during processing by the Continuus-Properzi method It has been found that it is possible to control the necessary characteristics that are sought using the continuous casting and rolling technology.

By Tadeusz Knych, Andrzej Mamala, Beata Smyrak and Piotr Osuch

Nowadays, a commonly used feedstock to produce selfsupporting overhead conductors is precipitation-hardened AlMg-Si alloy wire rod, obtained from a continuous casting and rolling line, such as one available from Continuus-Properzi.

Phase transformations of alloy additions occur in this process, which affects the alloy properties in a variety of ways. This paper discusses the results of an investigation of the development of the structure, electrical properties, and hardness of 6101 grade alloy material from the casting wheel to each rolling stand.

Fig. 1. Different methods for the production of wire for overhead power line cables.

64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Introduction Precipitation-hardened AlMgSi alloys contain a number of applications, not only as a construction material but are also a very appealing material for the production of overhead power line cables. AAAC (All Aluminum Alloy Conductor) and ACAR (Aluminum Conductor Alloy Reinforced) electrical cables produced from 6101 or 6201 grade alloy, while keeping a low total mass, typical for aluminum, are characterized by a unique compromise of properties: mechanical, electrical, fatigue, rheological and excellent corrosion resistance. Alloy wires form their properties during a combination of classic strain hardening in an industrial multi-wire drawing machine and precipitation hardening during solution heat treatment. The feedstock for wiredrawing is alloy wire rod obtained from a continuous casting and rolling line (CCR).

The Continuus-Properzi process begins by melting selected aluminum feedstock in the melting furnace, next the aluminum is transferred to the holding furnace where various types of foundry alloys are added. The molten metal then flows into the degassing unit where the degassing gas, argon, is introduced by graphite rotors. Bubbles from the gas clean the metal by absorbing hydrogen dissolved in the molten aluminum and by carrying non-wettable, non-metal particles to the melting loss layer forming on the surface. After passing through the ceramic filter, a titanium-boron foundry is added to the molten aluminum, which is aimed at grain refining the alloy structure during crystallization. The metal then flows to the casting machine by the pouring spout. A rotary caster

Fig. 4. Structure of a slice taken from the inner part of a bar (SEM) – production bar.

Fig. 5. Precipitates at the grain boundaries of 6101 grade alloy (SEM) – production bar.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

works as a casting machine in the Properzi process, in which a casting mold, tightly sealable in the center by a steel belt, can be found. The casting wheel is appropriately cooled by spraying water and the molten metal solidifies inside the casting mould. After leaving the Properzi wheel, the cast bar is directed to the induction furnace which raises the casting temperature with the aim of reducing plastic resistance during rolling. The rolling Fig. 3. Macrostructure of 1350 Fig. 2. Macrostructure of 6101 grade, machine is made up of 13 rolling grade aluminum bar from the titanium-boron modified alloy from stands, where the formation of the Properzi casting wheel. the Properzi casting wheel. final wire rod size to a standard diameter of 9.5 mm takes place. The rolling machine is cooled by a closed circuit emulsion which is manufacturing technology guarantees the highest quality of individually fed into each rolling stand. After exiting the the final product with the highest application attributes; howrolling machine, the ready wire rod is cooled to a temperature ever, the necessity of high-temperature heat treatment causes below 100°C and wound on coils. In the Polish industry, at it to be very energy absorbing, thereby being costly and burNPA Skawina, three types of wire rod are used, namely: densome to the environment. In turn, wire rod directly from T1 temper – cooled from an elevated temperature (superthe CCR line in T1 temper is also not used by cable plants saturated in dynamic conditions) in the Continuus-Properzi because of regular tearing during the drawing process which CCR line and naturally aged after rolling causes downtime and generates costs. After homogenization T4 temper – after homogenization, supersaturation from and supersaturation of the wire rod from T1 to T4 temper, it the furnace and natural aging reaches excellent strain during plastic processing. Wires from T5 temper – cooled from an elevated temperature (superT4 temper wire rod from the Continuus-Properzi line contain saturated in dynamic conditions) in the Continuus-Properzi the highest levels of mechanical and electrical properties.

CCR line and artificially aged However, global industrial trends lead to the search of soluFig. 1 shows the possible technological routes for the protions which will guarantee a high general quality of the prodduction of wire for overhead power line cables. uct and a reduction in manufacturing costs. In this case, the The processing technology applied in local cable plants solution is to produce wires for overhead power line cables mainly use the T4 temper wire rod, which has been subject to directly from wire rod with omitting the energy absorbing homogenization and supersaturation from temperatures of and costly heat treatments. The obstacle to the widespread approximately 500°C and after natural aging. This route of use of this technology is the limited susceptibility of T1 tem-

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 6. Distribution of resistivity in bar cross-sections: alloy and aluminum.

per wire rod to the drawing process. A research program has been taken on with the aim of identifying the phenomenon occurring in 6101 grade alloy during casting and rolling of AlMgSi alloys in the Continuus-Properzi line, which forms the final properties of wire rod. The research program is directed at analysing the possibilities of ensuring the expected levels of strain in wire rod during the drawing process and to maximize electrical conductivity and strength by the selection of the correct technological parameters of the ContinuusProperzi line. The properties of AlMgSi alloy are formed in the CCR line by: • Selection of quantities and proportions of alloying elements (Mg, Si) • Selection of continuous casting and rolling parameters (molten metal temperature, rate of casting [solidification] and rolling, temperature of the bar and the material in the rolling line and also the temperature of the wire rod before coiling) • Sequence of heat-mechanical treatment of the finished wire rod This paper presents the first research findings on the evolu-

tion of the structure and properties of AlMgSi alloy in the continuous casting and rolling line.

Results and discussion

The research program presented in this article is mainly based on identifying the structure and properties of the bar and also the materials from following rolling stands arising from an emergency stop of the Continuus-Properzi line. A band of 6101 grade AlMgSi alloys was used in this research and a band of 1350 grade aluminum produced in the same CCR line was used for comparison. The band of alloy was cooled in the CCR line and subsequently subjected to natural aging (T1 temper) which stabilized its properties. Fig. 3 presents the macrostructure of the cross-section of the 1350 grade aluminum bar. The structure of the aluminum bar is characterized by long, non-homogenous dendritic crystals lined with the direction of heat removal in the cross-section of the Properzi wheel1. Before crystallization, a grain refiner is added to the AlMgSi alloy, which causes the macrostructure of the alloy bar to be characterized by a small grain structure. See Fig. 22. A structure modifier is used to limit the chemical composition segregation phenomenon in grain boundaries. In case of grain in AlMgSi alloy, which without modification resembles that of 1350 grade aluminum, this would lead to the delamination of the bar at grain boundaries, just after leaving the crystallizer.

In continuing the analysis of the properties of an alloy bar, an observation of its microstructure was also Fig. 7. Distribution of hardness in bar cross-sections: alloy and carried out by the use of a scanning aluminum. electron microscope. It can be clear-

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

Fig. 8. Results of chemical composition of casting alloy.

ly seen on scanning photograph how small the grains of the AlMgSi alloy are. The estimated size of grain is approximately 100-200 Îźm. Numerous, light colored precipitates in the shape of needles or tiles can be seen at the grain boundaries as well as dark colored precipitates located in their immediate vicinity. See Figs. 4-5. A detailed analysis of the chemical composition of the precipitates using transmission microscopy allowed for the distinct identification of the structureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s components.

The precipitates which are light in color were identified as the primary iron-silicone phase4,5, whereas the dark colored precipitates were identified as the crystallized from liquid magnesium-silicone phase (Mg2Si)6. Both these phases form during crystallization of the alloy on the casting wheel as a result of eutectic transformation7. Iron is added to AlMgSi alloy to bind excess silicone during crystallization and the presence of the iron phase at grain boundaries is typical for this alloy. The eutectic precipitates Mg2Si in grain boundaries are highly undesirable because they can cause fractures of the material. Moreover, such large precipitates do not take part in material strengthening but only deplete the supersaturated solid solution of alloying elements. This can lead to an undesirable impact on the formation of further properties as well as their level.

Next, the cross-sections of the bar were subjected to resistivity tests by using the eddy current method as well as hardening tests using the Brinell method (HBW/2.5/31.25)3, both of which allowed for the creation of a map of distributions of the mentioned properties which is presented in Figs. 6- 7. The study of the electrical and hardness properties of the bar reveals an interesting quality of these materials. The AlMgSi bar, which apparently has a homogenous structure (see Fig. 2.), shows a fairly large variation of resistivity in the crosssection. The differences in extreme cases reach 1n m between the edge of the barâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross-section and its center where resistivity is lower. However, the aluminum bar with a non-homogenous structure is characterized by a uniform distribution of resistivity. The average resistivity of an aluminum alloy bar is approximately 34n m (50.7 % IACS) whereas the average resistivity of an aluminum bar is approximately 27n m (63.8 %IACS). Measurements of electrical properties correspond with measurements of hardness. The average hardness of an alloy bar is approximately 20 HBW whereas the hardness of an aluminum bar reaches almost 50 HBW. A bar slice from AlMgSi alloy is almost twice as hard as its aluminum counterpart. Similarly to the measurements of resistivity, hardness tests also revealed varying properties on the

cross-section of the AlMgSi alloy bar.

These property and structural differentiations of the crosssection of the bar can be related to a lower rate of heat reception from the inner parts (away from crystallizer walls) of the molten metal, which in turn leads to a lower rate of solidification and may result in a different formation. But it does not.

The measurements conducted into the chemical composition using the optical spectroscopy method in three points of the

Fig. 9. Evolution of hardness and resistivity of 6101 grade alloy in the length of the CP line.

Fig. 10. Evolution of hardness and resistivity of 1350 grade aluminum in the length of the CP line.

MAY 2012 | 67

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 11. Microstructure of longitudinal sections of selected samples of 6101 grade alloy.

bar (Fig. 8) clearly show that the central part of the bar is characterized by a lower content of alloying elements, such as Mg, Si and Fe. The differences between the points amount to approximately 0.03% by weight, which is a significant amount between the various cable grades of the 6xxx (6101 vs. 6201) series alloys (approximately 0.1%).

Observations concerning the segregation of the chemical composition in the bar were used in the following stages of the research and in the measurement methods of the distribution of resistivity and hardness of cross-sections of the bar.

The average values for the measurements taken are summarized in a graph as a function of the following rolling stands with the aim to analyse the evolution of AlMgSi alloys in the length of the CCR line (Fig. 9). Moreover, a summary of measurements taken from the 1350 grade aluminum (see Fig. 10) has been shown for comparison. A different character of property evolution during hot rolling of both materials arises from their analysis. Strength can be seen in aluminum which is characteristic of cold strain whereas it cannot in case of alloy. A similar characteristic of change can be seen in resistivity of aluminum. For 6101 grade alloy, a small yet systematic decrease in resistivity can be seen in the length of the

rolling line (Fig. 9). Strengthening effect is not observed in case of 6xxx alloy.

The photograph presented in Fig. 11 documents the evolution of the macrostructure of the alloy from the casting form, through rolling in stands three and seven, and after rolling in stand 13 (wire rod). The primary precipitates visible at the grain boundaries undergo mechanical mixing and arrange themselves in the direction of plastic flow in the roller. The variations in the color of the bar are the result of micro segregation of the chemical composition near the crystal which takes place during crystallization. The beginning of recrystalization can be seen in the roller, which in aluminum matrix materials sets in a very limited range as a result of low stacking fault energy.

A scanning observation of T1 temper 6101 grade alloy wire rod obtained from a CP continuous casting and rolling line shows the basic elements of the structure. See Fig. 12. Light precipitates of the iron-silicone phase as well as numerous Mg2Si precipitates can be seen. Homogenization, supersaturation and aging of the wire rod to T4 temper (see Fig. 13) causes the dissolving of the primary magnesium-silicone precipitates in supersaturated solid solution.

Fig. 12. Microstructure of T1 temper 6101 grade alloy wire rod.

Fig. 13. Microstructure of T4 temper 6101 grade alloy wire rod.

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References

On the basis of the gathered results and their analyses, the following conclusions can be made about the evolution of AlMgSi cable alloys obtained from the continuous casting and rolling using the Continuus-Properzi method and wire rod manufacturing technology: During crystallization on the casting Properzi wheel, AlMgSi alloy comes into crystallization at grain boundaries of two heterogeneous phases: the iron-silicone phase and the magnesium-silicone phase.

An anomaly was observed in the comparison of traditional casting based on the inversion of the chemical composition segregation phenomenon in the bar cross-section during recrystallization of the alloy.

Thermo-mechanical rolling in the CCR line does not have an impact on the presence of the heterogeneous phases.

The homogenization of an alloy and its repeating supersaturation causes the dissolving of the magnesium-silicone phase in the solution.

Heat conditions dominant in the roller cause phase transitions of the alloy, which in contrast to pure aluminum does not have a tendency for hardening.

1. N. Cheung, N.S. Santos, J.M.V. Quaresma, G.S. Dulikravich and A. Garcia, “Interfacial heat transfer coefficients and solidification of an aluminum alloy in a rotary continuous caster,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 52, 2009, pp. 451–459.

2. T. Knych, “Overhead Power Lines. Theory – Materials – Applications, “ AGH Publishing, 2010.

3. EN ISO 6506: Brinell hardness test.

4. N.A. Belov, D.G. Eskin and A.A. Aksenov, “Iron in Aluminum Alloys: Impurity and Alloying Element,” CRC Press, 2002.

5. G. Sha, et al., “Quasi-peritectic solidification reactions in 6xxx series wrought Al alloys,” Acta Materialia, Vol. 51, 2003; p. 1883.

6. J.W. Pashley, M.H. Jacobs and J.T. Vietz, “The Basic Processes Affecting Two-step Ageing in an Al-Mg-Si Alloy,” Philosophical Magazine, Vol. 16; 1967, p. 51.

7. D.A. Porter, K.E. Easterling and M.Y. Sherif, “Phase transformations in Metals and Alloys,” CRC Press, 2008.

Knych

Mamala

Tadeusz Knych is a research-didactic fellow in the Nonferrous Metals Department at AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST), Krakow, Poland.

Andrzej Mamala and Beata Smyrak are associate professors in the Nonferrous Metals faculty of AGH-UST.

Smyrak

Osuch

Piotr Osuch is a Ph.D. student in the Nonferrous Metals Department at AGH-UST. This paper was presented at WAI’s 81st Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 2011.

MAY 2012 | 69

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Summary

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS AT WIRE EXPO 2012 PRODUCTS A ‘shark’ among wire formers At Booth 220, North America OMCG will focus on the company’s newest CNC forming system, the Shark, which has been designed to process both wire and strip.

A press release said that the new CNC wire former features fast forming, simple tooling with multiple bend radii capability plus generation for rings and large radii. Wire sizes can range from 1 mm to 23 mm, and the machines are equipped with modems for off-site diagnostics, it said. Programming, it noted, is very easy: a standard Windows-based PC and the EP3 EZ program that graphically writes the part program illustrate the part on screen, simulates the forming prior to production and indicates if there is any interference between part and machine, and estimate the time to complete production.

The release said that the software allows a manufacturer to design the part on a CAD and download the DXF file.

The EZ program, it said, then converts the program and the part can be made. It added that interface can also be done with robots for complete work cells. For high-production operations, OMCG also manufactures a line of CNC slide-forming machines along with their mechanical slide-forming machines that will allow some parts to be produced at 300 parts per minute, it said.

Contact: North America OMCG, tel. 630-860-1016, omcgtech@nwetzero.net, www.omcg.com.

Traverse winding drives can now offers double the linear pitch control At Booth 506, U.S.-based Amacoil, Inc., will highlight an upgrade to the company’s larger-size RG traverse winding drives that will provide even more linear pitch accuracy.

A press release said that, by going from a 50-notch to a 100-notch scale for pitch adjustment control, Amacoil’s line of Uhing traverse drives now have double the linear pitch accuracy, which results in more precise spooling and a smoother level wind across the reel. The company’s RG50, RG60 and RG80 drives have a 10:1 linear pitch range that is adjustable to more than one hundred discrete notched settings, it said, which allows for a single pitch change of 0.01 versus the previous 0.02. “The upgrade 70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

means that now all Uhing traverse drives have the more accurate 100notch linear pitch scale.”

The release stressed the advantages of pitch flexibility, explaining that if an RG traverse assembly is built to handle a maximum cable diameter of three inches, and at some point it needs to achieve six inches of pitch, this can be done by simply doubling the gear ratio.

It added that an optional worm gear can make the linear pitch infinitely adjustable over the 10:1 range by using a control knob. It noted that the large Uhing RG traverse drives, which can provide from 225 to 800 pounds of axial thrust, are suitable for winding thick cable, heavy rope and chain onto wide, large diameter flanged spools and reels. As with all Uhing traverse drives, it said, the large RG series features “rolling ring” engineering enabling mechanical control over reversal thereby eliminating the need for electronic controls and a reversible motor.

Contact: Amacoil, Inc., tel. 610-485-8300, amacoil@amacoil.com, www.amacoil.com.

Measuring technology saves money At Booth 421, Germany’s iiM AG will present technology from the company’s VisioCablePro series of optical cable measuring devices that it notes provide the highest quality and functionality according to the strict guidelines of ISO 9001:2008.

A press release said that iiM AG will present its VCPB and VCPS models, which are used to measure cable geometrical features on insulating skins and cable sheaths with high-resolution color video images. The VCPB model, it said, is designed for small cable samples with an outer diameter up to 50 mm (1.97 in.) and measures up to a resolution of 2 µm/pixel (0.000079 in./pixel). The VCPS model, it said, is for large cable samples, up to 150 mm (5.91 in.).

“With good and quick measurements you can reduce your material and time costs and still stay within your tolerances,” the release said. The company’s FMC-3 software helps

Special crosshead has been designed for medical applications U.S.-based B&H Tool Company will showcase its new BH25A MicroCrosshead with spiral deflector for the international medical device industry at Booth 715.

A press release said that the new tooling development represents the industry’s lowest volume microcrosshead, delivering breakthrough microextrusion performance for applications including microbore tubing, fiber optics and insulated fine wire. It has been extensively tested by major medical equipment manufacturers; documentation regarding improvements in process capability and stability is available upon request, it said. The crosshead, it noted, extrudes PEEK tubing with a product ID of .010 in. and OD of .015 in., and FEP insulated fine wire with an OD of .00471 in. and core OD of .00157 in. It added that tolerances depend on process and material, but are in the range of +.0005 in.

B&H Tool provides comprehensive engineering, production and technical support to companies who manufacture wire, cable, tubing, hose, pipe and profiles.

Contact: Peter Neville, B&H Tool Company, tel. 760471-8949, pneville@bhtool.com.

Metal spool line has tapered flanges At Booth 111, U.S.-based Ace Metal, Inc., will display a new line of metal spools that have tapered flanges that increase wire capacity by 10% to 15% over traditional flanges.

A press release said that the spools—designed for manufacturers drawing carbon wire, stainless-steel wire, aluminum wire and/or flat wire—are now available in 8 in. to 10 in. and 14-in. flange diameters. The tapered flange shape, it said, leads to a better load distribution compared to the spools with conventional right-angled flanges. The tapered flange enables easy guiding of the wire, even when the reel is nearly empty, which is especially important during production pauses when high take-off speeds are used, it said.

Each wire layer of wire is given a greater number of windings than the previous layer, which leads to more capacity, from 10% to 15%, the release said. The average delivery on the reels ranges from two to four weeks, and the company will make every effort to accommodate rush orders for customers, including partial deliveries if need be so that a line need not be shut down, it said.

Contact: Richard Medoff, Ace Metal, Inc., tel. 610-6232204, sales@acemetalinc.com.

‘Green’ wire induction heating process offers environmentally safe process At Booth 133, Radyne Corporation, an Inductotherm Group Company, will unveil a revolutionary new flameless “green” power source for induction wire heating.

A press release said that the VersaPower Extreme system “virtually guarantees repeatable and reliable quality continuously due to its 100% Digital iQ™ control technology, which repeats the programmed recipe faithfully,

Sheaves - Pulleys Cable Guides ProcessSheaves.com 866-344-6774 MAY 2012 | 71

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

evaluate the images, and by using the CAQ-system, ProCable, the results can be archived and orders can be managed, it said. The software, it added, is user-friendly and very easy to use, thus reducing faults due to operator error.

Contact: Heiko Freund, manager BU cable measurement engineering, ii MAG, tel. 49-3693-885850, heiko.freund@iimag.de, www.iimag.de.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

is 100% digital and provides “unmatched responsiveness with the ability to deliver 100% of rated power in under a millisecond from command.” The company notes that the system is another step forward for its induction heat technology, which it notes offers wire producers a safe, clean manufacturing solution that delivers significant cost efficiencies and considerable environmental benefits.

The release cited a list of benefits of using the nonpolluting, wire-heating technology that include: reduced electrical energy usage with instant-on, instant-off; vacuum or inert gas systems that require no cleaning; no combustible fuels used in process; a bright outside surface that requires no further finishing; water quenching that replaces oil quenching and lead baths; no contamination of water-cooling systems with scale; minimized distortion; faster order progression, with small orders filled more economically; ease of integration into an existing line; no need for large inventories to be spooled for batch oven processing; and freeing up of floor space by removal of existing furnace.

Contact: Radyne Corporation, tel. 414-481-8360, sales@radyne.com, www.radyne.com.

Laser system helps monitor wire for stranding and cabling applications At Booth 616, U.S.-based Yield Management Corporation will showcase a laser-wire counting system for stranding and cabling lines.

A press release said that the system verifies the correct number of wires at the forming die and works with any material or color. The system, it said, is especially useful with insulated conductors where traditional ground ring detectors are not effective.

The company will also highlight fail-safe wire break detection devices for monitoring individual spool rotation on rigid frame planetary and tubular stranding and cabling machines without the use of slip rings or expensive radio frequency transducers, the release said. The system, it noted, is designed to detect wire breaks and stop the machine before the broken wire reaches the next section, in most cases before the forming die. That capability, it said, will help manufacturers reduce scrap and increased productivity.

72 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Contact: Robert Brown, Yield Management Corporation, tel. 413-283-7773, sales@ yieldmanagementcorp.com, www.yieldmanagement.com.

Automatic take-up system now comes in a wider range of sizes At Booth 303 at Wire Expo 2012, U.S.-based MGS Group will showcase the latest expansion to the company’s line of automatic packaging technology.

A press release said that the automatic take-up system, which is sized for reels from 6 in. to 14 in. (Model FAT 6-14), complements the company’s line, which includes systems for sizes from 10 in. to 20 in. and from 10 in. to 24 in. The MGS systems use an accumulator for continuous operation while the take-up stops, automatically cuts and transfers product to the next reel.

The system can also be run off line with a payoff or a combination of off- and on-line, the release said. Speed, it noted, will vary depending on package length, but typical running speed for 1,000-ft reels is 1,500 fpm. “The process is virtually 100% reliable, and can provide a short inner end for testing with no product end damage or scrap,” it said. Options, it noted, include printing, labeling and palletizing. Videos of the automatic packaging systems can be viewed at the company’s website.

Contact: Jim Zampogna, MGS Group, tel. 315337-3350, ext. 110, jzampogna@mgshall.com, www.mgshall.com.

System provides accurate in-line measurement control for cables Swiss-based Zumbach Electronic AG, represented in North America by Zumbach Electroncs Corp., will showcase the latest update to the company’s JACKETMASTER system at Booth 502.

A press release said that the well-proven JACKETMASTER system for sector insulations and sector cable jackets features a new oscillating DVW 2 measurement device that enables measurement of width, height and insulation thickness as well as diameter, ovality and jacket thickness at accuracies within a few hundredths of a mm. The technology, it said, can be used to measure and control straight and pre-spiralled sectors, solid and stranded, aluminum and copper.

The release said that two highly precise DVW 2 measurement devices dynamically capture the relevant dimensions at high rates, before and after the extrusion. With an

Company reports that its line of spools and reels has been expanded At Booth 420, U.S.-based Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc., will highlight its expanded lines of spools and reels, noting that it can now offer more options to customers.

A press release said that the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whose product

lines includes tape and solder spools, utility spools, standard and fine wire spools, textile products and injection molded and extruded coresâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;has 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 in-process reel; and a 8x6 lightweight reel designed to be even lighter, 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.

Contact: Pittsfield Plastics Engineering, Inc., Nick Roth, tel. 413-442-0067, nick@pittsplas.com, www.pittsplas.com.

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #407

MAY 2012 | 73

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

optional third measuring head at the cold end of the line, the hot-cold shrinkage can automatically be compensated for, it noted. The processor works with sophisticated software that displays all important data in numerical and graphical form, monitors tolerances and controls the process for optimized thickness and material consumption as well as for calculation of statistics with all the necessary outputs for interfacing with external networks, it said.

Contact: Zumbach Electronics Corp., tel. 914-2417080, sales@zumbach.com, www.zumbach.com.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

Belting offers ‘endless’ reliability At Booth 807, Rainbow Rubber & Plastics, Inc., a supplier of caterpuller and capstan belts for the OEMs and wire and cable producers in North America,, will highlight its “endless belt” technology.

A press release said that the company’s Rainbow Catroll belt comes in several different rubber compounds designed specifically for given cable applications, including high-abrasion resistant rubber compounds with excellent grip characteristics.

The single-piece construction belts are “truly endless,” which helps eliminate typical belt failures, such as cover separation, wear, lengthwise splitting and tracking issues, the release said. A key reason for such failures, it noted, is that many competitors fabricate their products, and the belts are not designed to handle the mechanical loads required in this application.

“Our belts have extremely high strength ratings with low elongation,” the release said. “They typically outlast our competitors’ belts and we guarantee it. We offer riskfree trials on our belts which allows the customer to run our belts with the guarantee that if they are not satisfied they can return the belt for full credit. We are able to offer this guarantee because our single piece construction belts

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #806

74 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

have the proper rubber coversand cord structure required in this difficult application,” it said.

The release said that Rainbow has 15 sales agents in the U.S. and Canada, with the company’s customer service and distribution center located in Reading, Pennsylvania.

It added that it carries one of the largest inventories of wire and cable belts in North America, and that most stock orders ship the same day. “Our stock program allows our customers to reduce their inventory levels and we are able to guarantee stock when they need it,” it said.

Contact: Mark MacKimm, Rainbow Rubber & Plastics, tel. 610-685-2800, www.rainbowbelts.com, mmackimm@rainbowbelts.com.

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #102

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.

BLIND BOX INFO: Responses to Blind Box ads should be addressed to: Wire Journal International, Box number (as it appears in print or on-line), P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA.

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.

PAYMENT POLICY: All ads must be pre-paid.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES SEARCHING FOR A REPRESENTATIVE. FIB BELGIUM S.A., a world-wide leading company in the field of equipments in the thermal and coating processes of steel wires and stainless steel wires located in Belgium, is looking for an active agent covering the US and Canada.

Continuous process lines including furnaces and different baths, and batch furnaces, are part of these processes.

The representative will have to develop with us a strategic approach of the market to identify the potentialities.

Interested?

Please send your CV to info@fib.be – Attn.: Mr Franz BRANDERS, President. FIB BELGIUM s.a., avenue Landas 4, B-1480 TUBIZE, BELGIUM, www.fib.be.

WANTED: LINES TO REP MANUFACTURER’S REPRESENTATIVE. The Metallo Sales Group is seeking additional lines to represent in the wire industry. Our current lines are; copper alloy, wire, strip, rod and bar.

We have extensive experience in manufacturing and sales in the ferrous and nonferrous wire industry. For more information please contact us at: metallosales@msn.com or you can call: 802.368.2555.

PERSONNEL SERVICES “LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry manufacturers to secure the services of

DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance.

Contact: classified@wirenet.org for more details.

thousands of key individual contributors and managers.

Contacts: Peter Carino, pcarino@ wireresources.com or at www. linked in.com/in/petercarino1, or Jack Cutler, jcutler@wireresources.com.

Wire Resources Inc, 522 E Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830, tel. (203) 622-3000 or (800) 394-WIRE. Visit our website at www.wireresources. com.

DIES 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. (continued on p. 78.)

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #215

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

FOR SALE 1 - NIEHOFF Model SPH801.1.G.E.A Automatic Spooler 1 - NEB 12-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor 3 - TMW 24-Carrier Cable Braiders, 6” Horn Gears 1 - EDMANDS 18-Wire, 6+12, 16” Planetary Cabler Line 2 - NEB Model C62-2 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers, 1987 1 - PIONEER 50” Caterpuller Capstan, new belts 1 - CONAIR 39” Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, Model 6-39 3 - DAVIS STANDARD 3.5”, 4.5” 24:1 L/D Extruders 1 - D/S 2.5” 24:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruder 1 - D/S 2” 30:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruder 1 - SKALTEK 1600mm Motorized Payoff, Model A16-4K 1 - HALL 40” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer 1 - CLIPPER DF6 Dual Cone Flyer Payoff (24” Reels) w/Reel Jacks 1 - ROSENDAHL 630mm Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, never used 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbished

1 - NOKIA Model EKP50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, 1997 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 1 - TULSA Model WTR-2416 Respooler 2 - AL-BE Model MS12 Respoolers, 12” Reels 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model PRR1 Rim Drive Powered Reel Roller 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Takeup w/Coiling Head 1 - WEMCO 84” Take-up, Model 8284B, w/Mobility Package 1 - TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister 2 - ENTWISTLE 4-Wire 24” D.T. Twisters, Model 4WDT24 1 - FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 1 - EUBANKS Model 4000-04 Cut and Strip Machine 1 - EUBANKS Model 9800-03 Cut & Strip Machine 1 - GETTIG Tape and Labeling System 1 - CARPENTER 3-Head Stripper, Model 74-C 3 - CARPENTER Strippers, Model 70-B 1 - MICRODIA Crosshead, Model M9000/10XFL

Contact: Martin Kenner

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

MAY 2012 | 75

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS

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

Convention Dates: April 22-25, 2013 | Exhibit Dates: April 23-25, 2013 Georgia World Congress Center | Atlanta, Georgia, USA

INTERWIRE 2013 LEADING WIRE BUSINESSES IN THE AMERICAS. WHY INTERWIRE? When industry professionals look for new wire and cable technology they choose Interwire, the benchmark for wire business in the Americas.

Information is exchanged at Interwire. Machinery is debuted, reviewed, and sold at Interwire. And the promise of international networking on the Americasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stage continues to excite visitors to this vital marketplace.

Location: Atlanta, Georgia.

Interwire returns to the city of its origin where it was introduced in 1981.

Compact: 3 full days of exhibits.

Interwire 2013 offers a concentrated show schedule.

Operating equipment.

Interwire is a machinery show. Visitors will see operating equipment.

Renewed energy.

Attendance at Interwire 2011 surged with a 19% uptick. Visitors came from 53 countries. More than 400 companies exhibited making Interwire the largest trade show of its kind in the Americas for the wire and cable industry.

Special industry theme days to be announced.

Look for presentations, technical papers, and executive discussions to orbit around three central themes related to operational excellence in the manufacture of wire and cable. Specific topics to be announced.

Fully supported.

Show management continues to work with allied organizations, supporting sponsors, and educational supporters to interest a growing number of international participants in the show. Event news is communicated to Wire Journal International readers in 108 countries worldwide.

Learn more about exhibiting and speaking opportunities 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

EXHIBITING COMPANIES — As of April 2012 — Gauder Group Inc. Gem Gravure Co. Inc. Genca Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Hall Industries Heacock Metal & Machine Co. Inc. Heany Industries Inc. Heatbath Corp.

Heritage Wire Die Inc. Howar Equipment Huestis Industrial ICE Wire Line Equipment Inc. IDEAL Welding Systems INHOL LLC International Wire & Cable Machinery Association (IWMA) InterWire Products IWG High Performance Conductors Inc. Keir Manufacturing Inc. KP America Inc. Lämneå Bruk AB LaserLinc Inc. Leggett & Platt Wire Group Leoni Wire Inc. Lesmo Machinery America Inc. Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. Magnetic Technologies Ltd. Maillefer SA Markem-Imaje USA Mathiasen Machinery Inc. Messe Düsseldorf North America MFL USA Service Corp. - Frigerio The MGS Group MGS Manufacturing Inc. Micro Products Co. Microdia USA Mid-South Wire Morgan-Koch Corp.

Niehoff Endex North America Inc. Northampton Machinery Co. (USA) Numalliance North America OMA USA Inc. OMCG North America Inc. Paramount Die Co. Parkway-Kew Corp.

Phifer Wire Inc. Plas-Ties Co. PolyOne Polytec Inc. Precision Die Technologies Inc. PrintSafe Promostar srl

Properzi International Inc. QED Wire Lines Inc. QUEINS Machines GmbH Radyne Corp.

Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Rautomead Ltd. Redex SA Reel-O-Matic Inc. RG Attachments Ltd. RichardsApex Inc. Rosendahl Nextrom Technologies Roteq Machinery Inc. S&E Specialty Polymers SAMP USA Inc. SIKORA International Corp.

SIMPACKS Sivaco Wire Group Sjogren Industries Inc. Smeets SA Joe Snee Associates Inc. Sonoco Reels SPX Precision Components FENN Division T & T Marketing Inc. Talladega Machinery & Supply Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. Taymer International Inc. Teknikor Teknor Apex Traxit North America LLC Troester GmbH & Co. KG Tubular Products Co. Tulsa Power Inc. US Synthetic Wire Die Reel Options by Vandor Corp.

Vollmer America Inc. Wafios Machinery Corp.

Stolberger Inc. dba Wardwell Braiding Web Industries Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. Windak Inc. Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.

The Wire Association International, Inc. Wire Journal International Wire Lab Co. Wire Machine Systems Inc. WireCo WorldGroup Witels Albert USA Ltd. Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. Worth Steel & Machinery Inc. Zumbach Electronics Corp.

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

Ace Metal Inc. AEB International Inc. AIM Inc. All Forming Machinery Inc. Amacoil Inc. Amaral Automation Associates American & Efird Inc. Anbao Wire & Mesh Co. Ltd. AXIS Computer Systems Inc. Aztech Lubricants LLC Bartell Machinery Systems LLC Bekaert Bergandi Machinery Co. Besel Basim San Tic Ltd. Sti Beta LaserMike Blachford Corp.

Bogimac Engineering Boxy SpA Breen Color Concentrates Inc. Butt Welders USA Caballe SA Cable Consultants Corp.

Canterbury Engineering Co. Carris Reels Inc. Cemanco LC Central Wire Industries Ltd. Clayton Industries Clinton Instrument Co. CM Furnaces Inc. CMEC International Exhibition Ltd. Commission Brokers Inc. Condat Conneaut Industries Inc. Cortinovis Machinery America Inc. Davis-Standard LLC Die Quip Corp.

Domeks Makine Ltd. Sti Enercon Industries Engineered Machinery Group Inc. Er-Bakir Elektrolitik Bakir Mamulleri A.S. Estane Engineered Polymers/Lubrizol Esteves Group USA Etna Products Inc. George Evans Corp.

Fabritex Inc. Fine International Corp.

Fisk Alloy Wire Inc. FMS USA Inc. Foerster Instruments Inc. Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc. Frontier Composites & Castings Inc. Fuhr GmbH & Co. KG

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”)

MACHINERY MACHINERY FOR SALE. 50,000+ pound, Aetna Standard Engineering drawbench, WWII era, upgraded with GE 150HP DC motor and SSD DC drive and automatic lube system.

Approx 32' bar draw length, single chain, single die, and 100+ fpm speed.

3HP DC carriage return system. Air operated hook, spring return up.

Automatic fingers keep tubing/bar off the chain. Several spare parts including hook and grippers. Have complete set of drawings.

50 ton stretch straightener, ~35' max bar length. Powered tail stock w/ 18'-6" range at 26 fpm. Hydraulic powered stretching head with ~24" range. 5" wide jaws, air operated.

Hydraulic bar feeder for use with 6F Fenn pointer/swager with ~ 15" range of motion. Manual joy stick operation.

Rubber lined gripper jaws.

One each, 6F and 5F Fenn rotary pointer/swagers. Both in excellent shape. Little use since rebuild by Machinery International. 440V, 3Ø 5F range is (solid bar) min .375", max 1.50" Ø 6F range is (solid bar) min .500", max 2.25" Ø Have many die blanks for both ready to EDM to required sizes.

Contact: Curt Holland at 704-4716573, IMC-MetalsAmerica, LLC, 135 Old Boiling Springs Road, Shelby, NC 28152.

78 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. COM. For New (Hakusan Heat Pressure Welders, Ferrous & NonFerrous; Marldon Rolling Ring Traverses) & Used Wire & Cable Equipment (buttwelders, coldwelders, color-o-meters and pointers). Tel: 727863-4700 or by e-mail, please send to urbassoc@verizon.net.

PURGING COMPOUNDS AMERICA’S OLDEST SUPPLIER. Since 1948, we’ve supplied millions of pounds so we know a little bit about JIT deliveries and customer satisfaction. We sell for less because our costs are less. BUY SMART – WE DO. Alan Plastics Co., Inc. PH: (781) 828-0700. FX: (781) 828-2087.

Contact: E-mail: Alplas@aol.com www. Alplastic.com.

MEDIA ELECTRICAL WIRE HANDBOOK SET. Focusing on the special needs of the insulated wire and cable industry, these books examine materials, equipment, and products. They include sections on electrical conductors, insulating materials, extrusion equipment, power transmission, building wire, flexible cords and cables, control and signal cables, communication cables, magnet wire, heater wire, and other applications. The original version remains available while the revised Electrical Wire Handbook is divided into three separate handbooks: Part 1 Wire and Cable Production Materials,

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.

Part 2 - Wire and Cable Production Processes, and Part 3 - Types of Cables.

While the updated handbook includes the latest information available, this new format allows for more frequent future updates when necessary. Parts 1 and 2 are now available, but the original handbook will still be available until Part 3 is published separately. The intent of these handbooks is to provide basic but meaningful information to those people working in the wire and cable industry-especially those who are new to the field. Price $99, $59 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Bookstore.

SIX SIGMA AND OTHER IMPROVEMENT TOOLS FOR THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, was written by Gary Conner, the author of Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop, describes six sigma and how it is used in smaller companies.

Published by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, it shows the relationship between continuous improvement, lean, and quality, and focuses on implementation for operators, managers, and owners. It explains how continuous improvement tools support each other and how they can accomplish what just one or two tools by themselves cannot. The book includes a supplementary CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI Members.

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

Amaral Automation Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

GCR Eurodraw SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Guill Tool & Engineering Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Bergandi Machinery Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 54

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

Ideal-Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Cable Components Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Carris Reels Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4

Lamnea Bruk AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

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

Paul Leibinger GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Cuprom SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Nano-Diamond America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Dow Electrical & Telecommunications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Niagara Composites International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

George Evans Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Fisk Alloy Wire Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Paramount Die Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Fushi Copperweld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Parkway-Kew Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Gauder Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Power Sonics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #608

MAY 2012 | 79

ADVERTISERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; INDEX

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

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE PRO-pHx Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Queins Machines GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Reel-O-Matic Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

July 2012 WJI • Industry Success Stories Advertising Deadline: June 1, 2012

Sanxin Wire Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Schlatter North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Sheaves Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 SIKORA AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 August Strecker GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Teknor Apex Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2012 . . . . . . . .44-45 Interwire 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-77

WIRE JOURNAL

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

NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

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

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

80 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

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

ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY, HIGH PERFORMANCE WIRE & CABLE COMPOUNDS

Just what you (and the planet) are looking for.

RoHS COMPLIANT

REACH COMPLIANT

CHOOSE FROM: PVC compounds for Apex® insulation and jacketing ® FireGuard compounds for plenum cables Flexalloy® UHMW PVC elastomers for extreme temperatures and environments

Vidux®

FDA COMPLIANT conductive PVC compounds

Polydux® conductive polyolefin compounds Halguard® halogen-free, flame-retardant low smoke compounds

Compounding Creativity With Technology

VINYL DIVISION 505 Central Avenue Pawtucket, RI 02861 USA TEL 800 554 9892 TEL +(1) 401 725 8000 FAX +(1) 401 729 0166 EMAIL wirecable@teknorapex.com WEB www.teknorapex.com

TEKNOR APEX ASIA PACIFIC 41 Shipyard Road Singapore 628134 TEL +(65) 6265 2544 FAX +(65) 6265 1821 EMAIL asia@teknorapex.com WEB www.teknorapex.com

TEKNOR APEX (SUZHOU) ADVANCED POLYMER COMPOUNDS CO. LTD. No. 78, Ping Sheng Road, Suzhou Industrial Park Jiangsu, China 215126 TEL +(86) 512 6287 1550 FAX +(86) 512 6288 8371 EMAIL infosuzhou@teknorapex.com WEB www.teknorapex.com

Visit us at Wire Expo booth #609