Automotive Wire

WIRE JOURNAL

Preview: 速 IWCS

OCTOBER 2012

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

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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 10 | October 2012

F EATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Technical Papers . . . . . . . 62-77 Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 83 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 86

Next issue November 2012 • Auxiliary Equipment & Supplies

Preview: IWCS 2012 . . . . . . . . . . .44 Organizers of IWCS 2012 note that this year’s event will feature a much larger technical program, a keynote presentation by a Google tech expert and a two-day format for the tabletop exhibits.

Automotive Wire . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 CRU International provides its perspective of the automotive wiring market, focusing on the impact of electrically powered vehicles. Also, WJI looks at a future “wireless” charging station and the outlook for more aluminum wire.

T ECHNIC AL PAPERS Quality evaluation of a single-layer steel cord using the simplified simulation method of the roller straightening process Bae Gi-hyun, Huh Hoon, Lee Byung-ho, Im Jae-duk and Ban Deok-young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Research on the influence of casting speed on the structure and properties of oxygen-free copper wires Tadeusz Knych, Beata Smyrak and Monika Walkowicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Productivity – How do you measure it?

Stuart Duff and Mike Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Cover: The automotive industry faces increasing government and social pressure (if not customer demand) to supply more and better electric and hybrid vehicles, a challenge that may be noble but not so easily achieved.

Whichever direction this development goes, wire will be part of the story. See p. 46.

OCTOBER 2012 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE GOLF EVENT WAS THE PRIZE . . . . . . .40

If the story sounds familiar, it should: the results of the Communications Cable and Connectivity Association’s latest test of suspect communication cables found that five of the six samples failed to meet the minimum NFPA code requirements for low-flame spread and/or smoke generation for installation in commercial buildings, schools and multi-tenant residences. But, there was a spot of good news too.

The New England Chapter could not have asked for a better day for its annual golf tournament, which once again was sold out. Above, at the banquet following the play, event co-organizer Mike McKee, Lloyd & Bouvier; WAI Sales Representative Anna Bzowski; and Chapter President John Rivers, Delaware Marketing Services, were kept busy during the raffle, which raised a record $2,600 for the chapter’s scholarship fund.

CONTENTS

NEWS OF A BURNING ISSUE...AGAIN . . . . .11

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

Subpar cable is an insult to the industry Publisher | Steven J. Fetteroll

The saga of subpar offshore communications cable, whether they are counterfeit or just poor quality, is not a new story but it certainly is one with staying power.

Frank Peri, executive director of the Communications Cable and Connectivity Association, Inc., discusses the status of this perennial issue on p. 11. Some of CCCA’s members include major manufacturers of cable who have to compete with low-cost cable that may not be what it is supposed to be. Yet there’s another group that is equally upset with the bad cable, and that is the class of distributors who actually do make sure that what they sell is legitimate.

L-com, a U.S. distributor, reports at its website that it bought a competitor’s Cat. 5e 24 AWG Ethernet cable to find out why it was so much cheaper than its equivalent cables, and that tests showed that the cable was actually 26 AWG copper-clad aluminum and did not meet the Cat. 5E specification for electrical performance. L-com warned that anyone can make a cheaper cable, with common methods including use of: • Copper-clad-aluminum or steel instead of pure copper wire • Gold flash on contacts instead of 30 or 50 micro-inches of gold • Jackets made with less fireproofing materials than claimed • 24 AWG-labeled cable that is actually 25 or 26 AWG. “L-com found counterfeit cables from both big and small manufacturers, and from both domestic and oversea sources. Made in the USA means nothing if the cable is made with poor components in order to get to a cheaper price point. If price is your priority, someone can always make a cable cheaper. It doesn’t matter where a cable is made, but how the cable is made.”

Another seller said that one manufacturer offered to sell him the same ‘plenum’ cable that it was shipping to other suppliers. “It consisted of insulating some pairs of the Cat. 5e cable with plenum-rated FEP and the other pairs with riser-rated insulation. It would save me over 25% on our cost of plenum cable. I refused, but I’m sure many sellers out there haven’t or won’t.” That type of cost-cutting and rule-bending is simply wrong, he declared. “You use riser materials and call it plenum and you save tons of money, and maybe someone dies as a result.”

So there’s the issue. Competition is good, but when it is based on an utter disregard for rules and an indifference to what could happen to customers, it is not “just doing business.” It is an insult to everyone in the industry who does the right thing, which is why the CCCA should be supported in its mission as this has to be an industry mission.

Mark Marselli Editor-in-chief

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 Ferruccio Bellina | TKT Group/President ACIMAF, Italy Malcolm 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.

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.

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2012: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Nov. 11-14, 2012: 61st IWCS Conference™ Providence, Rhode Island, USA. This event, to be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center, was rebranded last year to the International Cable • Connectivity Symposium. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, www.iwcs.org, phudak@iwcs.org, tel. 732-389-0990.

Nov. 15-18, 2012: Cable & Wire Fair Istanbul, Turkey. To be held at the CNR Expo Center, this event, organized by CNR Holding, includes cable accessories, cable realignment, electrical insulation materials, equipment and machines. Contact: Esra Aydin, CNR Holding, tel. 90-0212-465-74-74/2-22, esra.aydin@cnr.net, www.cnrexpo.com or www.cnrcablewire.com.

Nov. 27-28, 2012: Wire & Cable Asia 2012 Shanghai, China. This new event is being organized by U.k.-based Integer Research, www.integer-research.com.

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. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Sept. 17-19, 2013: wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

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, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

April 7-11, 2014: wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany. This biennial event will be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

WAI

CONTACT INFO

Steven J. Fetteroll, executive director 203-453-2777 x 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org Mark Marselli, editor-in-chief 203-453-2777 x 132, mmarselli@wirenet.org Marc Murray, education director 203-453-2777 x 121, mmurray@wirenet.org Janice Swindells, director of marketing services 203-453-2777 x 117, jswindells@wirenet.org Robert Xeller, director of sales 203-458-7578, bxeller@wirenet.org

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.

Oct. 11, 2012: New England Chapter Program, Boxborough, Massachusetts, USA. This educational dinner event, which includes four industry speakers and a reception, starts at 4 pm at the Holiday Inn Boxborough.

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.

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.

April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See main listing.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Prysmian lands 67 million euro Turkish contract for submarine power link The Prysmian Group reports that it has been awarded a contract worth 67 million euros to design, supply, install and commission a high-voltage submarine power cable link to connect Europe and Asia across the Dardanelles strait in Turkey.

A press release said that, once complete, the contract from TEIAS, a Turkish electricity transmission utility, will result in the country’s first high-voltage submarine power cable link. It said that the link will include a double AC power transmission circuit of approximately 4 km with a rating of 1000 MW for each circuit between the substations of Lapseki (on the Asian side) and Sütlüce (on the European side) across the Dardanelles strait. The 380 kV XLPE insulated cables, it said, will be manufactured in Prysmian’s submarine production units based in Europe and installation will be carried out by the Giulio Verne, the Group’s cableship. Commissioning of the interconnection is scheduled for the second half of 2014.

The contract further bolsters Prysmian’s position as a key supplier of high-voltage underground cables in Turkey, the release said. The Dardanelles link, it noted, represents another milestone as it is one of the first AC 380 kV submarine cable links in the world using XLPE insulated cables.

“Prysmian is proud to support Turkey and Turkey’s transmission utility TEIAS in this important project,” said Hans Hoegstedt, CEO of Prysmian in Turkey.

The release cited Prysmian’s investment in technology.

“With an extended worldwide industrial footprint of 17 plants dedicated to high voltage cables and three plants mainly dedicated to submarine cables, the Group has timely invested to meet the ever growing challenges of the industry,” it said. It also noted Prysmian’s long-standing track record in the development of submarine cable milestones projects in the entire Mediterranean region, such as ItalyGreece, Spain-Morocco I and II, Sardinia-Italian Peninsula (SA.PE.I.), Iberian Peninsula-Mallorca (Romulo). Further, the Group is a founding member of the industrial partnership Medgrid, launched to study the feasibility of a highvoltage direct current interconnection project to transmit electricity from solar or wind power plants to load centers on either rim of the Mediterranean, it said.

CommScope reports a ‘fast-lane’ cable contract for Formula 1 track in Texas U.S.-based CommScope reports that it has won a contract to provide both copper and optical fiber cabling infrastructure for high speed data communications at the Circuit of The Americas complex, a world-class Formula 1 Grand Prix

CommScope will provide both singlemode fiber cable and Cat. 5 cable for a new Formula 1 race track in Austin, Texas. race track facility located in Austin, Texas.

A press release said that the 375-acre project began construction in January 2010 with 16 Texas-based contractors including CommScope, “whose enterprise and wireless segments call Richardson’s ‘Telecom Corridor’ home.”

CommScope, it said, will provide more than 25 miles of end-to-end outside plant singlemode fiber cabling and approximately 100 miles of end-to-end Cat. 6 cabling, enough copper to make about 30 laps around the facility’s 3.4-mile circuit track, it said.

In addition to supporting race electronics applications including video surveillance, IPTV video delivery to suites, offices and concession areas, video wall servers, race control and time keeping, CommScope’s solutions will also underlie the venue’s expansive outdoor live music space, a 40,000-sq-ft conference and media center, a 5,550-sq-ft medical facility and a host of other ultra-modern visitor attractions, the release said. It noted that the “Internet Protocol-based race track,” billed as the first such facility in the U.S., will host its first event, the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, later this year. The race will be witnessed live by an estimated 120,000 attendees, with coverage broadcast to an additional estimated 30 million people around the world, it said.

“Having designed and installed reliable, fast and innova-

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

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

tive technology solutions at some of the world’s top venues, including the Dallas Cowboys’s stadium and the eagerly anticipated Perot Museum of Nature & Science, the plans and desired capabilities laid out by this project were right up our alley, and we raced to get involved,” said Laurie Oswald, vice president, North American Enterprise Sales, CommScope. “The (completed) network infrastructure will allow approximately 1.2 million people annually to work and enjoy educational and performance events at the Circuit of The Americas complex.”

“There’s no other racetrack in the world with an all IPbased system that can deliver the advanced communications capabilities to connect fan and venue operations all in one – and CommScope’s reliable, high-speed copper and fiber solutions make it possible,” added Mike Craddock, director of technology, Circuit of The Americas.

CCCA reports more bad results from the latest tests of offshore cables ...

The Communications Cable and Connectivity Association, Inc. (CCCA) reports that its latest tests show that “certain offshore-manufactured” communications cable products being sold in the U.S. continues to fail to meet industry fire safety requirements.

A press release said that in July 2012, the CCCA commissioned an independent test laboratory to analyze whether a sample set of offshore-manufactured cable samples met National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) minimum requirements for fire safety.

Results of NFPA 262 tests arranged for by CCCA.

The test results, the release said, showed that five of the six samples failed to meet the minimum NFPA code requirements for low flame spread and/or smoke generation for installation in commercial buildings, schools and multitenant residences. Four of the five failing samples exhibited catastrophic results, with one cable specimen fire so virulent

OCTOBER 2012 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

that the test chamber had to be shut down in less than three minutes, it noted. “Extreme failures like these indicate an unacceptable public safety hazard still exists,” it said.

“The CCCA has taken the position that this serious problem will not go away until quality assurance procedures include testing of samples of finished cable procured directly from the marketplace,” said CCCA Executive Director Frank Peri. He commended UL for “leading the industry and putting in place new quality assurance procedures in response to this problem. It is significant that none of the failing samples were certified under UL’s fire safety listing program.” The release noted the following details.

The CCCA conducted fire safety tests on samples of offshore cables in 2008 and 2009 with similar results. This latest round of testing was commissioned to determine if the problem has lessened since it was first brought to the public’s attention in 2008. The test results suggest that the problem is still very prevalent. In addition to the fire safety tests, a separate laboratory tested all six samples to the electrical performance requirements for Cat. cables. Four of the five cables, which failed the fire safety requirements, also failed to meet minimum electrical performance required by industry standards for Cat. 5e and 6 cables, to which independent test certifications were also claimed.

“As in 2008 and 2009, these recently procured cables were made with inferior materials for this application and inadequate cable designs to cut production costs. Based on material analyses, samples predictably failed the minimum fire safety requirements,” Peri said.

The release said that the cables selected for the tests were all procured from the inventory of six separate distributors in North America in April 2012 and were comprised of six different brands of plenum rated Cat. 5e and Cat. 6 cables.

The brands chosen would largely be considered “unknown” by most buyers in North America, it said, noting that these types of cables are commonly installed behind walls and in ceiling cavities in commercial or institutional buildings, and

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

are connected to wall outlets that have phone or Ethernet ports. “The invisible placement of these cables makes their flame and smoke characteristics particularly critical because combustion would not be evident to inhabitants until after the fire had significantly progressed,” it said.

... but signs of hope also exist Despite the consistent string of disappointing results for tests conducted for CCCA since 2008, CCCA Executive Director Frank Peri said that he believes that efforts to thwart the stream of bad offshore cables have shown results.

“Counterfeit or non-compliant cables remains an industry problem, but we have made headway,” Peri told WJI. He said that many of the recent sub-par cables tested carried marks of other listing organizations, but those marks could be fraudulent or not authorized.

Peri said he would like to focus on positive steps that have been taken, such as by UL, which has been active both in a highly public way, such as its issuance of holograms to certify the authenticity of its mark, as well as behind-thescenes efforts. UL may not publicize all such efforts but it has seen success and these successes have benefitted the industry, he said, citing a Sept. 7 announcement by China’s Pan-Asia Cable Limited informing purchasers of certain riser cables that those cables it sold carried the UL mark but should not have been so identified.

The cables, the announcement said, “may be absent key fire retardant elements,” and as a result do not exhibit the fire-resistance performance levels that would merit a riser rating. “These products...do not comply with (UL) safety requirements and are not authorized to bear the UL marks.

Customers are asked to stop using it. Customers may either return to place of purchase or contact Pan-Asia Cable Limited for a free replacement.”

Pan-Asia Cable, located in the Shenghui Southern Industrial Area, Zhongshan City, Guangdon Province, did not respond to a request from WJI for further details.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Nucor sells Pennsylvania wire facility U.S.-based Nucor Corporation announced that the company has completed the sale of the assets of its Nucor Wire Products Pennsylvania facility in New Salem to an affiliate of Wire Mesh Corporation.

“We continually evaluate our businesses for long term strategic fit and earnings potential (and) after careful evaluation of the wire mesh market and Nucor’s role in that market, we made the decision to sell these particular assets,” said James Darsey, Nucor’s EVP of Bar Products.

The announcement said that Nucor acquired the facility in October 2007 after purchasing the assets of Nelson Steel Inc. Nucor is continuing to produce wire and wire mesh products at facilities located in Utah, Connecticut and at its Laurel LEC Operations in Canada.

At its website, Wire Mesh Corporation notes that it is a family owned U.S. corporation whose product lines include standard mesh, structurally engineered welded wire reinforcing, PC strand, bright basic wire and pencil rod.

Founded in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2003, the company has expanded to locations in Illinois and California as well as plants in Maryland and Texas.

Belden sells consumer electronic assets to Chinese company U.S.-based Belden Inc. announced that it will sell its consumer electronics assets in China to Shenzhen Woer HeatShrinkable Material Co., Ltd., for about $43 million.

“I’m pleased to announce this agreement with Shenzhen Woer Heat-Shrinkable Material Co., Ltd. We believe this is a positive outcome that will benefit Belden shareholders by returning our focus to areas of strategic relevance in Asia,” Belden President and CEO John Stroup said in a press release. “The sale of these assets will reduce 2013 revenue by approximately $100 million to $120 million with no significant impact to operating profit. Additionally, we expect to incur non-cash charges of approximately $25 million in 2012 which will be excluded from our adjusted results.”

Matt Tractenberg, director, investor relations for Belden, said that the assets are manufacturing facilities dispersed throughout China that manufacture and distribute cable products to the consumer electronics assembly houses, such as household appliances and video game consoles. “It was a portion of our LTK business unit acquired in 2007. There is inventory that will be transferred to the buyer. This was our only global exposure to the consumer electronics end market. We will continue to manufacture and sell Belden branded cable products in China, but not to this end market.”

Asked by WJI to further define “area of strategic focus,” Tractenberg said that “this end market does not fit within the stated strategy of selling to end markets where high quality and differentiated offerings are of value to the customers, therefore we will focus our efforts on those end markets where we can be successful and profitable.”

Belden, which supplies signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, said in the release that it

OCTOBER 2012 | 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

expects the sale, which is subject to approval by Chinese regulatory authorities, to close in 2012.

EMAS unit wins contract from ABB to install cables for record gas platform EMAS AMC, the subsea division of EMAS, announced that it has been awarded a contract by ABB to install subsea power cables.

A press release said that the deal, which is pursuant to an arrangement of strategic cooperation for subsea installation, is part of ABB’s second contract with Statoil, to supply subsea HVDC light transmission systems to the Troll A platform in the North Sea. The Troll A concrete deepwater structure was described as the world’s largest natural gas production platform, standing 473 meters tall and weighing 1.2 million tons. It is also the tallest structure ever to be moved by mankind.

The platform can produce as much as 120 million cubic meters of natural gas per day and contains approximately 40 percent of the natural gas reserves on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

The release said that EMAS AMC will install one HVAC subsea cable and two circuits of HVDC subsea cables from Troll A to the land station, Kollsnes. The

14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

platform has received power from shore since 2005, and the increase in power provided by the new cables will provide power to run two compressor drive systems that will improve production capacity and extend the lifespan of the platform, it said.

Cable installation operations will be performed in 2014, using the Lewek Connector, which the release noted is the world’s largest such cable industry ship in terms of size and payload capacity.

Colorant Chromatics to expand production capacity in China Colorant Chromatics, a subsidiary of PolyOne Corporation, announced that it plans to expand production and service capabilities at its Shanghai facility.

A press release said that the enhancements will include new equipment for production of specialty color concentrates and formulations. “These improvements will reduce lead times for customers as well as create a comprehensive, centralized sales and development facility to meet growing demand in China and the wider Asia Pacific region,” it said.

“The investment in our Shanghai facility underscores our commitment to providing industry-leading service levels and product development capabilities for our customers,”

INDUSTRY NEWS

said Barto Du Plessis, managing director, Colorant Chromatics.

Colorant Chromatics is part of ColorMatrix Group Inc., which was acquired by PolyOne Corporation in December 2011. It provides a full range of high-performance concentrates and specialty formulations for wire and cable, film, tubing, fibers and related applications in the aerospace, medical, automotive, electronics, telecom, construction and textile industries.

FLYMCA & FLYRO inaugurate their new manufacturing plant in Spain FLYMCA & FLYRO announce that the inauguration of the company’s new plant in Guarnizo, Spain, during the first week of September, was very successful.

A press release said that the site includes new manufacturing facilities for the production of new rotating machinery as well as a stock of used equipment. With a total ground area of 5000 sq m and new offices, the company will be able to reach a much higher production capacity of high quality machinery, it said.

An inside view of the new FLYMCA & FLYRO plant.

The release said that the company is deeply involved in submarine, umbilical and off-shore rotating cable machinery for power cables as well as steel ropes. The company also produces its standard range of equipment, such as rigid, tubular, skip and planetary stranders, drum twisters, bow cablers, double-twist bunchers and more.

Extruder upgrade for Argentine company has a 40-year legacy A recent upgrade of a wire and cable line for CIMET of Buenos Aires, Argentina, reflects well on the quality and the staff experience of U.S.-based Davis-Standard.

A press release said that CIMET, a large manufacturer of electric and telephone cables, has been a Davis-Standard customer for 40 years. It noted that the company purchased a Davis-Standard wire and cable line in the early 1970s to manufacture continuous vulcanization (CV) cured power cable. That line, it said, has been running nonstop ever since, and while it has provided continued productivity, CIMET contacted Davis-Standard to do an upgrade.

Upgrades are not unusual, but what is especially noteworthy about this one, the release said, is that it is being done

by Sherwood Maxson, a longtime Davis-Standard engineer who was the person who originally designed the line for OCTOBER 2012 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS CIMET’s Ricardo Vega by the Maxson-installed and upgraded Davis-Standard system.

CIMET. Maxson, who is semi-retired, works for DavisStandard on a project-to-project basis, and it was fitting for him to accept this project, the release said. It noted that Davis-Standard is known for longevity among employees and that Sherwood is a prime example.

“With the way technology has changed, it’s fun to go back in and upgrade a line that has performed so well for so long,” said Maxson.

Davis-Standard collaborated with CIMET to retrofit the

16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

original line to improve efficiencies and rates. The retrofit, the release said, includes new motors, barrels and feedscrews for three extruders as well as replacement of the line’s drives, continuous vulcanization system and addition of EPIC supervisory control and replacing the line’s steambased cross-linking technology with a new nitrogen-based curing system. The full upgrade, it said, is slated for completion this spring with a targeted start-up of early summer.

Ricardo Vega, electrical maintenance manager of CIMET. described Davis-Standard engineering as extraordinary, noting that it has been “proven by the longevity of our wire and cable line. I have studied the components, electrical circuits and design philosophy. Nothing is left to chance and everything is done right. I congratulate them for their reputation and look forward to the results from this upgrade.”

Prysmian acquires U.K.-based company that installs power cable The Prysmian Group has agreed to acquire Global Marine Systems Energy Limited (GMSE) from Global Marine Systems Ltd (GMSL) for approximately €53 million.

A press release said that GMSE, which installs submarine power cables and systems, provides services from project management to cable laying, jointing and protection, with

serves as a partner for the design, manufacture and contract services of custom wire and cable technical products for diverse markets. ... U.S.-based Automated Industrial Machinery, Inc., reports that it has made Inc.’s 500|5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies for the second time. A press release said that the company has seen three-year sales growth of 52%. “To be ranked as one of the 5,000 fastest growing companies for the sec-

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news in brief InnoVites B.V. reports that U.S.based Kalas Manufacturing, Inc. has selected the company’s integrated InnoVites software offering as its business solution of choice. To support continuous growth, the company decided to replace the current heterogeneous landscape of applications it had used with an integrated IT solution, a press release said. Kalas Manufacturing, which supplies a range of wire and cable products, has more than 700 associates and annual sales approaching $300 million ...

Northwire, Inc. (NWI) announced that the company made Inc. magazine’s 2012 list of the 5000 fastestgrowing private companies in America. The company noted that it recently opened a professional sales engineering center to serve exponential growth in the Western U.S., and that its Northwire-NWI Lab 360

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OCTOBER 2012 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

particular expertise in offshore wind farm connections. It said it is currently involved in several major projects under construction in the North Sea. GMS’s ship, the Cable Enterprise, which has had a major overhaul, will be used to install power-export cables, it said.

“This acquisition is in line with our strategy of focusing investments to achieve growth in higher value-added businesses,” Prysmian Group CEO Valerio Battista said.

“The expansion of submarine power cable installation capability allows us to have a tighter control over the supply chain by insourcing part of the work that until now we haven’t done directly, such as inter-array cable installation between turbines.”

The expansion of installation capability follows news of the Group’s enlargement of its submarine cable production capacity, meaning that it can now count on three dedicated production facilities in Italy, Finland and Norway, a press release said. It noted that Prysmian has recently invested some €40 million to start submarine cable production at the Pikkala facility in Finland; that it has enhanced production capacity at the Drammen plant in Norway, which specializes in interarray cables; and that it has continued to invest in its flagship plant in Arco Felice, Italy (about €30 million in 2012).

INDUSTRY NEWS

ond time, among the nearly 7 million registered companies in the U.S., is a tremendous credit to our staff, candidates and clients,� said AIM President Constantine Grapsas, who noted that the company has installed AIM President Constantine Grapsas more than 1,000 displays the company’s award from machines and automatic cells worldInc. wide. ... Allied Wire & Cable announced that it has awarded a $10,000 scholarship to George Gantert, a future student at Montgomery County Community College. he is the son of Allied Account Representative Holly Gantert, who has been with the company for eight years. George is attending Montgomery County Community College, and intends to transfer to Temple University once he has completed his core classes. He is the second winner of the Allied Wire

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ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS Steel production in China seems to respond to factors other than demand These have been hard times for steel production due to factors such as the slowdown in the Chinese economy, concerns over the euro zone and a struggling U.S. economy, but steel production does not appear to be reacting to that news.

An article in by Anthony David at the website of Critical Strategic Metals (criticalstrategicmetals.com) focuses on the results of steel production increasing in China even though demand is going the other way. It spells out the seeming dichotomy between demand and production.

“With demand for steel on the wane, producers across the world have reported losses or sharp drops in profitability ...

Though China, the largest consumer of steel, has taken measures to boost its economy, it is not expected to result in an increased demand for steel in the short term. ... The paradox here is that though the demand for steel is down and reaching lower levels daily, Chinese steel mills are still producing to achieve record steel output figures,” David wrote.

The story notes that raw steel production in China recorded a 2% increase in early August, and that steel production over the last 10 years has increased a record 400%. It projects that China’s steel production this year should be about 715 million tons. “Despite production cuts, slackening demand and rising stockpiles China’s output for 2012 is expected to be 5.2% up from 2011,” David wrote.

Chinese steel mills are still producing at what will be record output for steel, wrote David, who noted that per the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), the country’s steel stockpile is up by 26% from last year. “The CISA also reports that the country’s steelmakers saw profits fall by 96% on the back of slowing demand, triggering specula-

tions about a possible revival of tax breaks for Chinese steel producers. However, the country’s steel production shows no signs of letting up barring a few production cuts.”

David wrote that many analysts believe that the numbers do not reveal the full story as China’s steel production figures are largely based on the output of state-owned manufacturers whose primary objective is to meet the government’s production targets, irrespective of market conditions.

“It is perceived that while CISA’s figures for China’s steel output takes into account the actual production of affiliated steel mills it only makes an estimate of the output of the unaffiliated mills. Analysts point out that while CISA’s numbers point to increased production, it is possible that smaller steel mills in China could have already cut back on production and this is not being reflected in CISA’s numbers,” he wrote.

“That the country’s steel production is heading for a serious downswing is evident by the fact that for the second time this year, China’s steel mills have defaulted on, or deferred taking shipments of almost four million tons of iron-ore,” David wrote. “The Shanghai rebar futures was down at $560 per ton. China’s slowdown has impacted iron ore prices; the price of high grade iron ore is down by 2.7% to $106.40 last week, the lowest since 2009.”

Analysts expect that steel prices may hit rock bottom by around March 2013, David wrote. “China’s excessive production despite weakening demand could totally wipe out its steel sector’s profitability. ... Considering that China has shown remarkable acumen and strategy in becoming a dominant force in the steel market, it’s a bit difficult to think of the current paradox as a lapse of policymaking. Whatever it is, there’s no doubt that the markets are extremely sensitive to every little move that China makes.”

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

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

India steel demand remains strong and the expectation is for country to be No. 2 producer

Nexans concludes acquisition of power cable business of Shandong Yanggu Cables Group Nexans announced that it has completed the acquisition of the power cable business of China’s Shandong Yanggu Cables Group, a deal that was valued at approximately 156 million euros.

A press release said that Nexans now has a 75% stake in the Shandong Yanggu New Rihui joint-venture, alongside its historical shareholder. This acquisition, it said, gives Nexans a strategic footprint in the rapidly growing Chinese energy infrastructure market.

Founded in 1985 and located in Shandong province in Northern China, Shandong Yanggu was described as a leading manufacturer of power cables in China. In 2010, its power cable business revenues were approximately 150 million euros. The company has three manufacturing facilities producing extra-high, high-, medium- and low-voltage power cables and employs approximately 1,200 people. It notes that the company recently completed a major investment program to enhance its industrial capability. It is fully qualified by the State Grid Corporation of China to produce 110kV and 220KV cables.

Steel Guru reports that India’s Steel Secretary, DRS Choudhary, said that steel demand in India continues to be strong and that expansion projects are on track.

Citing a story in The Business Line, the article said that Choudhary insisted that the market is strong and there is no shortage of iron ore required. “It is wrong to say production has come down. There may be a slump in international markets but not in India.”

Meanwhile, The Economic Times reports that India is expected to rise in the world rank for producers of crude steel in the near term future on the back of new steel projects and expansion plans of domestic players. It cited Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma as recently telling a delegation of journalists from Korea and Philippines that “with the ongoing Greenfield and Brownfield expansions, India is expected to become the second largest producer in the next couple of years.” The article said that India has seen a 7% growth in steel production during 2011-12 and has emerged as the fourth largest steel manufacturer in the world. Verma estimated that India’s steel production will reach 200 million metric tonnes by 2020, it said.

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OCTOBER 2012 | 21

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN NEWS BRIEFS

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Kelly MacKay is the new sales director for New England Wire Technologies. She has more than 20 years of sales and management experience, and will focus on customer service and creative problem solving.

Nick D’Agostino has been promoted to the new position of busiKelly MacKay ness development manager. He has over 17 years of sales and marketing experience. Based in Lisbon, New Hampshire, USA, New Hampshire, USA, New England Wire Technologies manufactures a diverse Nick D’Agostino range of wire and cable products.

Daniel Zappa has been promoted to head of sales for Schlatter Group. He has worked for Schlatter Industries AG in various roles since 1995 and has been a member of its Management Board since 2003, with responsibilities that include customer service and rails. He holds a degree

22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

in industrial engineering and is integral to the plans for the company, which has merged all its sales, project management and order processing as well as the spare parts service and service support activities into a single business unit. He replaces Herbert Wenker, who has opted for a career change after providing many years of committed service to the company.

Daniel Zappa Based in Switzerland, the Schlatter Group’s divisions include Schlatter Industries AG, a global supplier of welding equipment.

C&M Corporation has named Eileen Harvey as its industrial business manager. She has more than 20 years of technical sales and marketing experience in the industrial marketplace, most recently serving as the new england sales manager for the Lapp Group. Prior to that, she was national distribution sales manager for both Igus, Inc., and Kabelschlepp America. Based in Wauregan, Connecticut, USA, C&M Corporation is an integrated manufacturer of bulk cable, coil cords, and cable assemblies (both molded and mechanical).

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FASTENER UPDATE

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Report covers outlook for the global demand for aerospace fasteners A new market research report now available from Reportlinker.com analyzes the worldwide markets for aerospace fasteners.

A press release said that the report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2010 through 2018 with a six-year historic analysis. The report profiles 100 companies including many key and niche players such as 3V Fasteners Company Inc., Alcoa Fastening Systems, Allfast, Inc., B&B Specialties, Inc., B/E Aerospace, Emhart Teknologies LLC, LISI Aerospace S.A.S, National Aerospace Fasteners Corporation, Nylok Corporation, Precision Castparts Corp., Cherry Aerospace, TFI Aerospace Corporation, TPS Aviation Inc., TriMas Corporation, Monogram Aerospace Fasteners, and Wesco Aircraft Holdings, Inc. The report includes an industry overview that covers the current and projected market for aerospace fasteners; key suppliers, trends and issues; a product overview; product innovations; recent industry activity; a view of the markets for specific countries; and more.

The industry overview includes two tables that present specfics on demand by fastener type, analysis, outlooks and more. Some of the industry issues that are covered, the release said, include: “Lighter the Better” New Mantra Driving Sales; Tight Supply Chain Resulting in Extended Lead Times; Titanium Aerospace Fasteners to Grow in Importance; Long Term Supply Contracts Narrow Operating Margins for Ti Suppliers; and Decline in Military Spending to Offset Aerospace Sales in the U.S. Market.

For more details, contact: Reportlinker, tel. 805-652-2626 (U.S.) or tel. 805-652-2626 (Int.), www.reportlinker.com.

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26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

An article in chinafastener.com reported that China’s fastener output reached 2,679,669.29 metric tons (mt) in the first half of 2012. It noted that Zhejiang Province led the list, with its output of 923,248.59 mt, followed by the Hebei Province (444,557.95 mt), the Sichuan Province (241,506 mt), the Jeiangsu Province (237,804.98 mt, the Shangdong Province (176,415.29 mt,) Shanghai City (141,491.54 mt) and the Anhui Province (110,245 mt).

Jiaxing, Ningbo and Wenzhou are the three largest fastener manufacturing bases in China, all of them are located in Zhejiang Province, the release said, adding that Fastener Expo Jiaxing will be held on Oct. 20-22 at the Jiaxing International Convention & Exhibition Center, Jiaxing, China.

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH Concept teams up fiber and radio to provide wireless Internet access A new approach to making the Internet available has been proposed that would make it possible to avoid much of the infrastructure costs of bringing service.

An article on ElectronicsWeekly.com by Hal Hodson outlines how sending radio signals through fiber-optic cables would make it possible to provide service to large areas without the need for extensive supporting infrastructure. He wrote that such an effort is being considered in China, where as of June this year an estimated 538 million people have internet access. “Existing Internet infrastructure typically uses different physical components for different services: cell towers for 3G and 4G, cable or phone lines for home broadband. But a government-backed project in China aims to pack all those connectivity standards together and transmit them through single fiber-optic lines in a technique called radio-overfiber (RoF).”

The article said that RoF works by encoding different types of wireless signals into a beam of light that is sent down a fiber-optic cable. It noted the following: At the end of the fiber, those signals are broadcast using a radio

28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

antenna, providing 3G and Wi-Fi access simultaneously.

The processing that enables Internet traffic to turn into radio signals happens at a central station, so RoF is much cheaper to build, run and maintain than typical wireless distribution networks. It also means that new wireless standards—such as Long Term Evolution, a common coding standard for 4G wireless, and the latest Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11ac—can replace older standards simply by changing equipment at a central point.

The story cited Kun Xu of the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, as saying, “Repetitive construction is a huge waste of money, time and energy, and the coverage is still limited. Our aim is to build a broadband access network using just one integrated intelligent system of radio-over-fiber and distributed antennas.” So far, Chinese authorities have mainly installed RoF in settings such as harbours, hospitals and supermarkets. The aim is to expand coverage into rural areas, along high-speed rail lines, and new residential and commercial spaces. “The future city will not need big, highpower cell towers, expensive coaxial cables, or repetitive network infrastructures for different wireless services. All the services, wired or wireless, will be supplied by this system and controlled by one central office.”

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NEWS

WAI NEWS

Work has begun and deadlines set for Interwire 2013 programming Planning for the full conference program at Interwire 2013 is well underway. As the deadline for submission of abstracts is Monday, Nov. 5, WAI’s new Conference Programming Committee has begun mapping the program, obtaining commitments from guest speakers, and reviewing material submitted for presentation at the conference.

The committee has been reconstituted to ensure a wellbalanced program and an efficient planning process for the volunteers involved. The committee has been scaled back from recent incarnations of as many as 28 members to a new maximum of 12. That group has been further sub-divided into a pair of subcommittees of just a halfdozen members each, focusing separately on ferrous and nonferrous/electrical topics.

The new committee is made up entirely of wire and cable manufacturers and is co-chaired by WAI Executive Committee members Bill Avise of Leggett & Platt for ferrous and Richard Miller of Southwire for nonferrous.

The panel will continue to meet through the end of November to plot, shore up, and finalize the Interwire schedule. The group is responsible for conference-related presentations including technical papers, operational presentations, panels, and guest speakers.

The following individuals recently joined WAI. Jonathan B Allen Electrical Engineer Southwire Co Jarrod Basham Operations Manager Southwire Co Brandon R Bennett HR Manager Southwire Co Miles K Brupbacher Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

“We are always learning from our experiences putting the conference together, and the evolution of the committee is a testament to that,” said WAI Director of Education & Member Services Marc Murray, who is staff liaison to the committee. “We’ve been fortunate to have committed, energetic volunteers who’ve delivered successful programs in recent years. And we just want to build on that success by expanding what works, tossing out what doesn’t, and trying new things.”

Interwire and WAI’s 83rd Annual Convention will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 23-25, 2013.

WAI recently issued its Call for Papers inviting interested speakers and authors to submit abstracts of proposed papers and presentations for next year’s program. Presenters are invited to offer both technical and practical topics. The deadline for submission is November 5, and authors will be notified whether they are accepted by December 3. Final manuscripts will be due February 4, 2013.

Accepted authors receive complimentary meeting registration; a copy of the Conference Proceedings materials; access to the conference sessions, exhibit hall, and opening reception; and a complimentary one-year WAI membership.

To submit a 75-word abstract for consideration, please go to www.wirenet.org/technical.

Lucretia L Burt Sales Administration Leggett & Platt Inc

Brian Davis Bldg Wire Dept Mgr Southwire Co

Cy Butterworth Manufacturing Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Dustin Devine Operations Southwire Co

Eli Clanton Manufacturing Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc George M Clark Purchasing Manager Southwire Co Viviana Coello-Wilson Marketing Manager Lubrizol Corp Chris Coomes Engineer Southwire Co Paul M Crafton President Consolidated Eng Co

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

John Dognazzi Business Development Engineer Sikora International Corp

Steve D Foust Quality Sys Planning Mgr Leggett & Platt Wire Group Greg S Gable Production Planner Southwire Co Tyler B Gibson Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

Douglas G Drysdale Product Design/Appl Nexans Canada Inc

Ryan T Goad Safety Manager Southwire Co

Eddie Everson Materials Manager Southwire Co

Joshua K Grooms Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

Scott Fields Department Manager Southwire Co

Danny L Henderson Process Engineer Southwire Co - Building Wire Products

Steven Ford Materials Manager Southwire Co

Steve Henderson Operations Southwire Co (continued)

Danny V Henry Quality Assurance Manager Southwire Co James Hill Electrical Engineer Southwire Co Ryan C Hulsey Industrial Engineer Southwire Co Mike Johnson Quality Manager Southwire Co

Keith McBrayer Quality Assurance Department Manager Southwire Co Chris McBrayer Environmental Health & Safety Manager Southwire Co Dion L McCraw Shop Supervisor Southwire Co Rick McGathy Power Cable/Bare Wire Dept Mgr Southwire Co

Blair L Parker Department Manager Southwire Co

Jimmy D Tarpley Quality Analyst Southwire Co

Charles A Pearce Senior Production Manager Southwire Co

Ben M Thornton Electrical Engineer Southwire Co

Charelle Peterson Engineer Southwire Co

Chris Tucker Process Engineer Encore Wire Corp

Jared B Pointer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Rick Vascotto VP Utility Sales and Marketing Nexans Energy

Nathan Pongetti Controller Southwire Co

Wellington E Kendall, III Engineer Southwire Co

Karla C McGuire Purchasing Agent REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc

Janet S Rainford Director of Inside Sales and Marketing Nexans Energy

Hai T Lam Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Greg L McKibben Senior Environmental Manager Southwire Co

Wesley Robinson Process Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Taylor B Latham Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

David McLendon Engineering Manager Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Jeffery K Lawrence Management Representative Elken, Inc

Scott Roulaine Materials Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Veerag Mehta Director Technology Polymer Dynamix LLC

Scotty Joe Ledbetter Process Engineer Southwire Co

Charlie Miller Maintenance Manager Southwire Co

Srikanth Sai Senior R&D Engineer Heraeus Materials Singapore Pte Ltd

Joe Long Materials Manager Southwire Co

Laine Mitchell Planner Southwire Co

Garan A Mason Operations Manager Southwire Co

Jon M Moon Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

John D Mattingly Engineer Southwire Co

Ronnie Moore Mechnical Designer Southwire Co

Jesse Mayfield Engineer Southwire Co

Steven D Morris Manufacturing Manager Southwire Co

Cheryl McBrayer Quality Manager Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Rodrigo O’Byrne Condusal S A De C V

Donnie Sanders Operations Superintendent Southwire Co Pete E Seiler Maintenance Supervisor Southwire Co Donald W Sims Maintenance Supervisor Southwire Co

Nathan Ward Shipping Supervisor Southwire Co Mark E Warren Energy Materials Manager Southwire Co John T Whitaker Process Engineer Southwire Co Doug Wigginton Production Manager Southwire Co Tyrone Wilkerson Training Manager Southwire Co Jason Wilkins Engineering Manager Southwire Co Kenneth G Williamson Safety & Environmental Manager Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc Dave Windom Maintenance Manager Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Troy D Skidmore Technical Sales Manager Encore Wire Corp Kristi R Smith Human Resources Manager Southwire Co

OCTOBER 2012 | 31

WAI NEWS

Natalie R Henley Human Resource Specialist Southwire Co

WAI NEWS

WAI November Parkway-Kew webinar to offer tips for improved drawing “How to Improve Your Wiredrawing Process and Gain a Competitive Advantage,� the next webinar from WAI, is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 11:00 am EST. Presented by Parkway-Kew Corporation President Gene Klein, Sr., the program will address concepts for improving the speed of wiredrawing machinery as well as product quality. It offers solutions particularly for operations whose wire on the drawing blocks is not three quarters of the way up the drawing surface. It addresses the use of taper, radius and water cooling.

The webinar will discuss practical strategies such as proper use of coatings for capstans, pulleys, and tuner and guide rolls, as well as recording common-sense feedback on capstan performance. It will discuss priorities for diagnosing and correcting problems like overlapping and wire separation, and possible problem sources such as heat problems or incorrect number of wraps.

Klein has served as president of Parkway-Kew Corporation (PKC), North Brunswick, New Jersey, USA since 1987. He has also been involved in sales and engineering roles as a member of PKC, and has serviced the wiredrawing industry with hard surfacing, and block maintenance issues with PKC for 41 years. He holds a B.A.

degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Webinars are free to WAI members and $55 for nonmembers. Members also have free access to the online archives of past webinars.

Visit www.wirenet.org/events/webinars for more details.

7 months to Interwire 2013 and the exhibit floor is nearly filled Interwire 2013 is still about seven months away, but more than 90% of the available exhibit space has already been taken, and WAI Sales Director Bob Xeller suggests that companies wishing to exhibit that have not done so already should contact him soon to secure a booth. “Some exhibitors like to get closer to the show to sign up for floor space, but there is not a lot space left at this point,�

Xeller said. He noted that it may be possible to expand the floor space, “but the sooner a company acts, the more likely they are to get the booth that they want.�

To date, Xeller said that more than 90,000 net sq ft of exhibit space have been sold for Interwire 2013, to be held April 23-25 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. That figure, he noted, represents more than 90% of the available booth inventory. For more details on exhibiting at Interwire 2013, contact the WAI’s sales staff at sales@wirenet.org, or call tel. 203-453-2777. (continued on p. 35)

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The technicians Networking with and new people in the suppliers I’ve industry is the met at WAI’s most valuable shows have asset of WAI helped me membership.” improve our Dick Pechie process.”

WAI helped me branch out into a new career.”

Kevin Sopczak

Meeting people I’ve met many through WAI influential is the key to leaders taking you through WAI somewhere including a exciting in your U.S. President.” life and career.”

Mark Spencer Lori Parent

I do business internationally and value the friendships I’ve made over the years through WAI.” Mark Mathiasen

Roberto Duralde

I joined WAI to interact with customers in a friendly environment when they are not having issues.”

WAI’s global resources can help me reach Venice.

Venus is another story.”

Mike Walters

I renew my WAI membership to keep up-to-date with machinery and process developments.”

Peter Stewart-Hay

Paul Kulongowski

DISCOVER WAI. Some things you know as well as your name. Other times it takes a little searching to find—or learn— what you need, especially if you are new to the wire and cable industry or plan to keep pace with its innovative advances.

Wire Association International (WAI) is the place to start.

As a WAI member it’s easy to stay informed. Likewise, you won’t have to dig too deeply to uncover the industry’s rich history and accepted certainties.

WAI members rank NETWORKING as the #1 reason to join.

When you consider that wire making can be traced on one timeline from the golden threads in ancient Egyptian jewelry—through telephony, countless creature comforts, and modern infrastructure— toward yet unimagined applications, you can appreciate your vital role in the wire manufacturing continuum.

WAI members represent a living history of the industry. Whatever your direction, if you earn a living with wire, cable, supplies, or equipment you’ve earned a place in WAI’s global network.

MEET YOUR PEERS. ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. JOIN WAI TODAY. L E A R N

M O R E :

w w w . w i r e n e t . o r g

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’s 2012 International Technical Conference, which was to be held Oct. 29 in conjunction with Wire & Cable India in Mumbai, has been canceled.

Event co-organizers ACIMAF, IWCEA, IWMA and WAI announced they have jointly agreed to end plans for a technical program to coincide with the three-day trade show.

Some 10 papers had been provisionally accepted for presentation at the conference, said WAI Director of Education & Member Services Marc Murray. He said the organizers are still very interested in publishing these materials and are pursuing alternatives directly with the various authors. One likely option is that a number of papers will be presented live online as WAI webinars.

Finance Committee holds meeting The Association’s Finance Committee met in September at WAI headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut, where it covered a range of issues.

Committee Chairman Ron Reed and Member Tom Siedlarz were joined by Members Paul Pawlikowski and Bill Reichert, both of whom took part by teleconference.

Also taking part were WAI First President Richard Miller, WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll, WAI Sales Director

WIRE & Cable INDIA 2012 b o o t h 1 E 1 2 30 Oct - 1 Nov Mumbai, India

WAI NEWS

Organizers suspend Mumbai conference, consider alternatives

From l-r, Finance Committee Chairman Ron Reed and Member Tom Siedlarz with WAI First Vice President Richard Miller at WAI headquarters for a Sept. 11 meeting. Taking part by teleconference were committee members Bill Reichert and Paul Pawlikowski.

Bob Xeller and WAI Treasurer Dave LaValley. The committee focused on the Association’s budget, which operates on a two-year cycle, looking at industry economics relative to WAI activity in the core publishing, programming and membership areas.

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OCTOBER 2012 | 35

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

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 Americas’ 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

CALL FOR PAPERS

THE LARGEST WIRE AND CABLE MARKETPLACE IN THE AMERICAS. April 23-25, 2013 | Georgia World Congress Center | Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. invites authors to submit an abstract to help define its 2013 conference program offerings. Technical and practical topics welcome.

Accepted authors receive: • complimentary meeting registration; • a copy of the Conference Proceedings materials; • access to the conference sessions, exhibit hall, and opening reception; • industry exposure; and • complimentary 1-year WAI membership.

Whether your field of expertise is in a ferrous, nonferrous, electrical, fiber optic, or general discipline, WAI wants to hear from you.

Why not share your expertise, your current research findings, and your viewpoint with your industry colleagues at Interwire 2013?

Submit your abstract today!

See the submission form on the reverse side.

ABSTRACT DEADLINE: November 5, 2012 ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION: December 3, 2012 MANUSCRIPT DEADLINE: February 4, 2013

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

CALL FOR PAPERS

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION In order for the Wire Association’s Conference Programming Committee to properly assess the scope and content of your proposed technical article, please submit a 75 word abstract.

PAPERS Accepted speakers will receive an Author’s Guide with details about manuscript and presentation preparation via e-mail. Only original papers not previously published will be accepted for Wire Association International paper awards and possible publication in Wire Journal International.

Please complete the following information.

Send to: Marc Murray, Director of Education & Member Services, The Wire Association International, Inc., 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA, Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, Fax: (001) 203-453-8384, E-mail: mmurray@wirenet.org.

Check your area of interest: Operational Presentation Technical Paper Presentation Check your category: Ferrous Nonferrous Electrical Fiber Optic General Author(s)

Contact Author (designate one only)

Title of Paper

Company (affiliations for each author)

Address

City

State/Prov.

Postal Code

Country

Telephone (include country and area code)

E-mail [

Fax (include country and area code)

]

Abstract (75 word maximum) Please type your abstract in English on this form. If you need additional space, please use a separate page.

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

Last call! New England Chapter’s educational program is Oct. 11 There may still be time to sign up for the New England Chapter’s Oct. 11 educational program that will feature presentations by experts in Lean, toxic materials, perfluoropolymers and TPUs for wire and cable.

The event, to be held at the Holiday Inn Boxborough in Boxborough, Massachusetts, will begin at 4 pm with a networking reception, followed by the presentations and then dinner. Registration is $85, $75 for chapter members.

Rooms may or may not be available at this late point, but the hotel can be contacted at tel. 978-263-8701.

Presenters for the program include: • Bruce Hamilton, president of GBMP, a Boston-based non-profit provider of lean technology, will explain why it is not unusual for organizations to struggle with their implementation or use of Lean methodology in their operations.

His 30-minute presentation will provide insight to managers seeking greater depth and breadth of Lean deployment. • Liz Harriman, deputy director of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts, who has made presentations at prior New England Chapter educational programs, plans to discuss new

developments in chemical restrictions and policies, such as the EU RoHS and REACH directives, EPA chemical action plans and TURA higher hazard substances. • Jacob Lahijani is a senior research scientist with DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions, located in Wilmington, Delaware.

His primary focus is the development of high-performance perfluoropolymer materials for wire and cable and semiconductor applications. He will speak on DuPont’s™ ECCtreme™ ECA perfluoropolymer resin. • Steven Stoll is a senior technical sales representative for the TPU business of Huntsman Polyurethanes. He will talk about the development and commercialization of a halogenfree, flame-retardant TPU for the wire and cable market that passes stringent VW-1 flammability testing.

Brian Holden, Carris Reels, Inc., and Roy St. Andre, EIS Wire & Cable, are the co-chairs for the educational event.

Also working on the program is chapter President John Rivers, Delaware Marketing Services. “The goal for this program is to provide information on more than one topic that would be of interest to the wire and cable industry,� said Rivers.

For more details, contact WAI’s Anna Bzowski at tel.

203-453-2777, ext. 126, abzowski@wirenet.org. (continued)

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OCTOBER 2012 | 39

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER

New England Chapter boasts another sellout field for its annual tournament The sellout-field at the New England Chapter’s 18th Annual Golf Tournament thoroughly enjoyed a pictureperfect day at the Sept. 10 event held at the Ellington Ridge Country Club in Ellington, Connecticut.

The foursome of Aaron Nolan, Sumitomo Electric Carbide; Mike Swift and Vince Griffin; both of Premier Wire Die, and Brian McDonald, MSC, shot an impressive 64 to claim top honors. The score was very good given the strong winds that swirled about much of the day. For Nolan, the win was especially welcome as he had skipped the Ohio Valley Chapter’s Aug. 2 golf tournament that he had organized due to the birth of his first child. He made up for that absence by also winning one of the two long ball holes.

Coming in second was the Davis-Standard team of Ken Deremiah, Ian Mills, Joe Guigli and Mark Daniels, which came in just one stroke behind. Third place, at 67, was the team of Bill Dinardo, Data Guide; Carl Beyor, Cable Technology, Inc.; Ken Strandberg,T&T Marketing; and Tim Walsh, Jeneet.

The longest drive winners were Nolan, Ed Cuff, RichardsApex, and Lori Parent, Breen Color Concentrates.

The accurate drive winners were Jeff Beeton, Luvata Appleton, and Scott Reed, Horizon Wire & Cable. The longest putt winner was Bill Laubach from Evolution Products while the closest-to-the-pin winners were Phil

Steve Graham, Toner Plastics, recounts the finer points of the day’s play during the reception.

Chapter President John Rivers was helped by (l-r) Maria Neclerio, Q-S Technologies, WAI Sales Representative Anna Bzowski, and Denise Coyle, Chromatics, Inc. 40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Aaron Nolan, Sumitomo Electric Carbide, prepares to tee off, watched by team members Mike Swift and Vince Griffin, both of Premier Wire Die, and Brian McDonald, MSC. The foursome shot a 64 to claim top honors.

DuPuis, Marmon Utility; Kevin Meyer, Bead Industries; and Griffin. The chipping contest winner was Steve Navarette, Chase Coating & Laminating. The putting contest was won by Tim Walsh, Jeneet, the lone person acing the 30-ft putt that took place during the peak of the blustery wind activity. The key, he explained, was luck. “I just hit it in the general direction and hoped,” he said.

During the awards banquet, WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll spoke briefly about the Association’s ongoing membership program, which has seen considerable success due to direct contact by WAI volunteers. He noted just how important the WAI chapters are to the Association and asked them to “talk to people and explain why they should give back to the industry that they are part of.”

Chapter President John Rivers thanked everyone for taking part in the tournament as well as for the support for the chapter raffle, which raised a record $2,600, all of which goes to the chapter’s scholarship fund. He also encouraged the audience to attend the chapter’s upcoming educational program (see p. 39).

“We had a million sponsors,” declared Mike McKee, Lloyd & Bouvier, who has co-organized the event for years.

The raffle included a slew of donated prizes, from golf clubs and bags to four tickets for a Boston Red Sox game from Gem Gravure President Dave Gemelli.

Sponsors for the event included Long Drives: Sikora and Lloyd & Bouvier; Closest to the Pin: W. Gillies, Zumbach Electronics and T&T Marketing; Accurate Drive:

WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll helped take photos of player groups at the event.

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CHAPTER CORNER

Past Chapter President Lori Parent points to the matching chapter T-shirt worn by Tom Siedlarz, Amaral Associates, while backseat driver Paul McDermott, Q-S Technologies, horns in on the photo.

Beta LaserMike and Teknikor; $10,000 Hole in One: Commission Brokers; Long Putt: Whitmore/Wirenetics; Tee-off breakfast: Amacoil and Fluoropolymer Resources; Putting Contest: Wire & Plastics; Driving Range: Delaware Marketing; Chipping Contest: Chase/NEPTCO; Snacks and Beverages: Accel International, AGC Chemicals America Inc., Amacoil, Carris Reels, Fluoropolymer Resources, DuPont; James Monroe Wire & Cable, Multi Cable Corp. and WAFIOS Machinery Corp.; 19th Hole Reception: Amaral Automation, Breen Color, Carris Reels, Leoni Wire, Mathiasen Machinery, T&T Marketing and Mossberg; and Carts (2): James Monroe Wire & Cable.

Also, Corporate Holes: Arkema Inc., Beta LaserMike, Carris Reel, Clinton Instrument, Chase Coating & Laminating, Chromatics, Davis Standard Corp., FlynnGarretson Associated Companies, LLC, Fluoropolymer Resources, Gem Gravure, Huestis Industrial, IWG High Performance, James Monroe Wire & Cable, Joe Snee Associates, Leoni Wire, Mantec, Nutmeg Wire, Premier Wire, QS Technologies, Quabbin Wire & Cable, RichardsApex, S&E Specialty Polymers, Sonoco Plastics, T&T Marketing, Tips & Dies and Toner Plastics.

3 down, 2 more golf tourneys to be held this month by WAI chapters The Ohio Valley Chapter, Midwest Chapter and New England Chapter have all held their golf tournaments, leaving two more to come: The Vannais Southeast Chapter 11th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held Oct. 18 in Conover, North Carolina, USA, at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa, and the Western Chapter’s 12th Annual “Wild West Shootout” Golf Tournament, to be held Oct. 22, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, at the Los Verdes Golf Course.

Each event offers a range of sponsorship opportunities for companies that would like to both support the event and get a bit of exposure. For more details on such opportunities, as well as the cost for playing and registration, e-mail WAI’s Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org or visit the individual chapter pages at www.wirenet.org.

42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FEATURE

IWCS organizers have high expectations for Providence event By the numbers, organizers say that the 2012 staging of IWCS, which last year was rebranded as the International Cable • Connectivity Symposium, is returning Nov. 11-14 to the Providence Convention Center with a very solid technical program.

A press release said that the expanded Technical Symposium has 50% more technical presentations than the 2011 staging. “The sessions will run through Wednesday afternoon for the first time in many years, providing an opportunity to see the latest developments in product design, materials, and processes in wire and cable and connectivity products and applications,” it said. Further, the symposium will feature some invited content interspersed for important markets and products, providing a full spectrum of techniAttendees walking the floor at the 2011 IWCS exhibits, which included cal information for attendees, it said. more than a hundred booths. Photo courtesy of IWCS. Other highlights include the Executive Track, which will include papers on market and industry trends, economics and several Design & Applications; CN204: Industrial Cabling and critical areas of developing regulations and specifications.

Applications, instructor Eric Bulington, Chief Engineer, The plenary session and luncheon, the largest single eleAnixter US Wire & Cable; MA201, The Art & Science ment of the presentations, will feature Michael T. Jones, of Extrusion for Wire & Cable – Part I, instructor Dr. Chief Technology Advocate for Google. Beyond that, the Stephan Puissant, Senior Engineer, BCIAG, Switzerland; event will offer Product Development Courses as well as DC201, Data Center Design, instructor David R. the tabletop exhibition that will present the latest products Kozischek, Market Manager – Enterprise Networks, and services from more than a hundred industry suppliers Corning Cable Systems; CN201, Electronic Connector in an informal setting. Also returning is Monday Night Fundamentals, instructor Dr. Robert Mroczkowski, Football, sponsored by Cable Components Group, with Principal, connNtext associates; FO101, Fundamentals former New England Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown of Optical Fibers and FO Cable Design and Application; providing opening comments and autographs.

MR212AB, instructor David A. Seddon; MA101, The event begins Sunday, Nov. 10, with professional Selection & Use of Materials in Wire and Cable, instrucdevelopment courses. The schedule includes: CN203: tors Chester J. Kmiec, Principle Development Scientist, Fiber Optic Connector Basics and Proper Testing, The Dow Chemical Company, and Dr. Scott H. instructor Douglas Parker, Fiber Optic Field Application Wasserman, Associate; and MA202: The Art and Science Engineer., TE Connectivity/Deutsch; CU101 of Extrusion for Wire and Cable Part 2, instructor Dr. Fundamentals of Copper Conductors & Metallic Cable Yimsan Gau, Cable Consulting Services; and FO208, Fiber Optic Applications.

On Monday, the regular program begins. Session 1 is the Executive Track, which is designed for the general management of the wire and cable producing companies and their suppliers. Market data and trends, together with an economic outlook, will be presented. Important issues facing the industry will be addressed by expert speakers in an informative and provocative session. Session 2 is Cable Design for FTTH Applications, which is followed at 11:45 am by the Plenary Session and lunch. Session 3 is Installation/Reliability; Session 4 is Fiber Design & Characteristics; Session 5 is Extended Data Rate Over Technical presentations at IWCS will include papers on Copper; Session 6 is Commercial Applications for optical fiber, copper cable, materials and more.

Materials & Processes; Session 7 is New Hardware

44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

OCTOBER 2012 | 45

FEATURE

Solutions for FTTH Access Networks; Session 8 is Special Applications; Session 9 is High Speed Fiber/Copper Interconnet; and Session 10 is Cable Compounds.

On Tuesday, the program continues. Session 11 is FTTH Solutions for Multi-dwelling Units; Session 12 is Specialty Materials & Above: Timothy Murray, OFS Fitel, shares his perspective during the 2011 IWCS Applications; Session 13 is Copper Executive Track panel discussion, which also included (l-r) Eddie Edwards, Cable Design & Performance; CommScope; Brian Delascia, Prysmian Cables & Systems; Clark Kinlon, Corning Session 14 is Commercial Cables Systems; and Neil Wilkins, Optical Cable Corporation.

Applications for Materials & Processes. The Poster Paper Automatic Reeler AR14, a fully automatic reeler develSession will also be held Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm. oped for automatic packaging of cable and wire products On Wednesday, the program continues with Session 15, on spools or reels between 298-609 mm in overall diameMultimode Fiber; Session 16 is Testing & Specifications; ter that can run both in-line (direct connection with and concludes with Session 17, Development in Fiber extruder) and off line.”

Connectivity.

“Maillefer is eager to share its new developments and One of the biggest changes for the exhibits is that the improvements with customers, partners and friends at this tabletops will be held on Monday and Tuesday only, premier technology event in the wire and cable industry,” instead of Monday through Wednesday. The hours will be said Maillefer SA Product Manager Juha Kotala. from 2 pm to 6 pm on Monday, and from 10 am to 6 pm “We look forward to meeting with IWCS attendees. We on Tuesday. will show our brand new Ultra Light-flex flexible glass “We did consider keeping the exhibits open on along with new ultra low shrinkage binders - offering Wednesday as we expect the delegates to be there, but the shrinkage levels less than 0.6 %, plus new FRP products. schedule is so full, and there is ample opportunity to visit Also, being a supplier of both materials and machinery, the exhibits on Monday and Tuesday so we decided to we will take this opportunity to update on our latest cable consolidate the exhibition and try to keep the exhibitors machinery,” reported Roblon A/S. very busy for a shortened time,” said IWCS CEO/Director “We at T & T are looking forward to meeting with cusJohn Barteld. “With the New Products Presentations on tomers and suppliers and to promote our newest service, a Monday and the Poster Papers on Tuesday, there will be Technical Service Hotline that customers may call for traffic in the hall.” assistance regarding process parameters, troubleshooting Exhibitors said that they look forward to the event, advice, tooling recommendations and other technical where they plan to provide details on new technology and questions. We sincerely hope for a productive and services for wire and cable manufacturers. dynamic IWCS for all,” said Amy Theobald, Global “As always, IWCS provides an excellent showcase for Sales Manager for T & T Marketing. our high-performance British-made cold welders, which To access the full program schedule and for more will be exhibited by Joe Snee Associates, our exclusive details, including hotel reservations, go to www.iwcs.org distributor in the U.S. and Canada,” said Steve Mepsted, or contact IWCS Operations Manager Patricia Hudak at Managing Director, PWM Ltd. “We have noted a signifitel. 732-389-0990, phudak@iwcs.org. cant upturn in orders from the U.S. recently and there is a real sense that the wire and cable market has started to improve at last. IWCS will give us an opportunity to capitalize on this trend, to meet existing customers and establish new contacts and discuss their projects and production challenges with them.”

“Windak Inc. welcomes all visitors to our booth, where we will present information about our new Spool Winder 6, a fully automatic high-speed system capable of packaging and palletizing wire, cable The IWCS’s 2011 reception was in high gear at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. and other flexible products, and our

FEATURE

T

hese be interesting times for the automotive market as hybrid add electric vehicles slowly gain more traction and efforts continue to find ways to reduce vehicle weight and material costs. Here, CRU International provides its perspective on the role of wire, WJI asks one wire company about its R&D for recharging batteries, and more.

The below report is by Richard Mack, a principal consultant with CRU International, which provides market analyses, consulting services and conferences on materials and manufacturing sectors that include the wire and cable industry.

CRU Analysis: mileage goals pose challenges for the automotive industry and its suppliers

These targets have implications for the wiring content of automobiles and light trucks in two main areas. First, there is a major effort to reduce vehicle size and weight, while retaining safety standards and other performance levels. The second major thrust of work to address these targets is new engine concepts, including the use of hybrid-electric motors, fuel cells, compressed natural gas, and alternative fuel mixtures.

The goals of reduced vehicle weight and material savings are driving R&D on wire harnesses, which must address the complex and often conflicting requirements of lighter materials, more compact structures, and low cost while maintaining reliability and performance standards. Globally these

In late August, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation issued the latest round of fuel-efficiency standards for automakers supplying the U.S. market. The new rules will require the vehicles sold by each company in the U.S. to achieve an average mileage of 54.5 miles per gallon in 2025. This average mileage standard is almost double the 27.6-mile-per-gallon level of 2011. The August standard specifies the average mileage rating for each model year from 2017 through 2025. This follows an April 2010 ruling that specifies the mileage rating for the 2012 to 2016 model years; models designed to help achieve the higher 2012 levels are now on US roads.

The European Commission has established similar mandatory mileage standards for the cars sold in the EU countries, and there are other national programs in force in Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, and other major auto-making and auto-buying markets. The UN’s Environment Programme has organized a Global Fuel Economy Initiative, which proposes a 50% reduction in the fuel used per kilometer for all vehicles on the road by 2050. This organization also has established Chart 1. Wire harness consumption by countries/region. interim guidelines.

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Delphi has been a long-time supplier of wire for the automotive industry, but its Delphi Electrical/Electronic Architecture business has focused in recent years on a related market: developing a home system to recharge automotive batteries for electric cars. WJI recently asked Randy Sumner, director, hybrid and electric vehicle technology development, about the potential and challenges for the company’s technology, which does not require a direct connection but instead transmits the power wirelessly, although wire is still part of the process. Below are his responses.

a long-range solution?

Sumner: Yes, for sure, and the reason is that most people have great access to Level 1 and Level 2 power. Whether it is 110V or 220V, both are readily available in your home so it is the most logical, convenient and economical choice. Level 2 charging is also very economical in public Randy Sumner spaces. The power is readily available without huge infrastructure costs and the charging units are relatively inexpensive. The only drawback is the charging time which takes several hours for a full charge. That is in contrast to Level 3 Fast Charging, which has the advantage of very rapid charging but it is plagued by significant infrastructure costs for higher voltages and power and the Fast Charging units themselves are very expensive. So, yes, Level 1 and Level 2 chargers make sense for both near term and long term.

WJI: Delphi announced the development of a wireless charging system about two years ago: what is the basis for this approach and what is the status of the initiative?

Has the technical direction changed any since the announcement, and if so, how?

Sumner: We launched our product development a couple of years ago and set out to solve the technical, safety, reliability, and economical issues surrounding this wireless charging technology space. As you might imagine, this is a monumental challenge to transfer 3.3kW of power across an air gap that is equivalent to the ground clearance of an automobile.

We have based our approach on the emerging technology that originated out of the laboratories at MIT via our technology partner, WiTricity, and from there we have utilized our strengths and competencies as a leading automotive Tier 1 supplier to get this innovation to a place where it can safely and reliably be used on our customers’ vehicles. Currently, we have advanced to the place where we can provide demonA schematic showing the Delphi’s wireless charging system, stration vehicles to our customers for their evaluations. We still have more work to do before the system which remains under development. is “ready for prime time” in the public sector. As far as the technical direction, it remains the same as it was from the start.

WJI: Is your biggest challenge technical in nature or might it be convincing customers to pay for investing in WJI: Is the wireless charge “conducted” with the same the modifications that may be needed in their garage to efficiency as a direct-contact Level 2 charge? If so, how make the technology work? much of a loss is there?

Sumner: The biggest challenges are technical in nature Sumner: No, not quite the same efficiency as ‘plug-in and they are, as we said, mainly in the areas of power chargers’ due to some of the energy losses that are inhertransfer. We need to maintain high efficiency while keepent to this type of technology. Plug-in chargers have effiing radiated emissions low, as well as ensure reliability ciencies in the upper 90% range. Our goal, like the rest of in terms of a system that can work with many vehicle the industry exploring this space, is to achieve at least a types, working day in and day out transferring significant 90% efficiency threshold. Based on our current developenergy. As far as the consumer goes, the installations in ment, we believe it is possible to get there and we are their garage are not greatly different than if they were close now. installing a Level 2 plug-in charging system. The power and wiring requirements are roughly the same. The addiWJI: With more “drive” to encourage electric cars, tional feature would only be the resonator pad that would one of the biggest challenges seems to be recharging. Are be placed on the garage floor. today’s Level 1 and Level 2 charging units being seen as (continued on p. 60)

OCTOBER 2012 | 47

FEATURE

A company’s perspective on changing auto demands

FEATURE Chart 2. A comparison of wire harness trade by countries.

U.S. Department of Energy, there are 31 different HEV models available in the US this year, many of which are new models. Toyota, for example, has four hybrid models in the US market in 2012, and Honda has three. The DOE information also says there are nine plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. market in 2012, up from 3 in 2011 and 1 in 2010. A new category, called plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) is designed for plug-in recharging along with an on-board gas motor to extend the vehicles’ range between charges. Two models in this category entered the U.S. market in 2012: the Chevy Volt and the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Table 1 shows the production quantities of several car models incorporating technologies to lower weight or improve fuel efficiency. The row for vehicles with an aluminum wire harness refers to the production quantities of the Toyota Yaris, which is the first production model to incorporate an aluminum harness. The row for HEVs includes six models currently shipping in the U.S., and the row for PHEV/EVs includes six models also available in the U.S. in the second half of 2012. With the exception of the Tesla Model S EV, none of the above vehicles are made in the U.S. Table 1 also shows the worldwide vehicular production total and U.S. sales to provide some perspective on the quantities for the 13 models shown. Chart 2 compares wire harness trade by countries.

There are other HEV and EV models manufactured in

harnesses are a US$32 billion business, which involves substantial R&D expenditures. See Chart 1. The work on alternative engine concepts, especially electric vehicles, has numerous implications for wire and cable companies, including new requirements for wire in the motor and on-board charging systems as well as the need for external charging stations.

If greater use of plug-in electrical vehicle (EVs) materializes in the coming decades, there also could be requirements for more capacity in the electric power grid and greater use of intelligentgrid concepts. More widespread adoption of EVs, however, also will depend on significant advances in battery technology and the traveling range that Table 1. Despite their high profile, HEVs and EV/PHEVs, for now, EVs can achieve between charges. are a tiny percentage of the auto market.

In the standards issued by the U.S. and other governments, there are separate requirements for passenger vehicles and light trucks. A fact sheet furnished China and elsewhere for local markets and not sold in the with the US EPA’s August regulation, for example, says the U.S. There also are several models which are available with goal of 54.5 mpg for an auto company is a weighted avereither a gas engine or a hybrid gas-and-electric engine. age that can be a mix of vehicles ranging from compact Examples of the latter include the Toyota Highlander and cars at 61.1 mpg, and full-size pickup trucks at 33.0 mpg. the Ford Fusion. Therefore total world production of HEV The interim targets for the years from 2012 through 2025 and EV models will be higher than the figures shown in the also have multiple standards for cars and light trucks. table. Nonetheless Table 1 shows that the quantities are In the past three years, vehicles with aluminum wire harsmall compared with total car and light-truck production. nesses have entered market. Hybrid electric and gas vehiGrowth rates for EVs and HEVs, on the other hand, are cles (HEVs) have been on the road for more than 10 years. expected to be high this year and next, especially considerToyota introduced its hybrid car, Prius, in Japan in 1997; ing the number of new models coming on the market. the Honda Insight was introduced in the U.S. in 1999; and the Prius entered the U.S. market in 2000. According to the

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The year 2025 in automotive time The targets for 2025 may seem far enough in the future to allow suitable time for R&D. Consumers familiar with the rate of advances in new cell phones, tablet computers, and other electronic devices may think of 2025 as enough time for many generations of new products. But for the auto industry, development and production cycles are much longer: the interval from early “drawing board” design work to production is about five years. This means that design work for the 2017 model-year vehicles is currently underway. Vehicles introduced in 2017 may be in production for seven years, and of course, they may be on the road for much longer.

The escalating efficiency targets for the model-years from 2017 to 2025, therefore, are near-term challenges for automobile manufacturers. Typically cars are produced with a concept of platforms, which refers to a common frame, suspension, and body size, as well as common systems for steering, transmission, and other functions. Different models based on such a platform will have variations in exterior styling, such as lights, grills, door handles, etc., plus different interior and dashboard features. The concept of a shared platform allows the car-makers to achieve efficiencies in production. The concept also means that major design changes in the drive train, body size, and shape will be in production for many years, and for possibly tens of millions of cars. This also means that 2025 model-year vehicles are not too far away in terms of when major changes in subsystems such as drive trains and harnesses must be agreed on, fully tested, and ready for implementation.

Chart 3. Growth in the Chinese automotive market from 2000-2010 compared to that for the U.S. and Japan.

100 million units per year by 2017 The world’s auto makers produced more than 75 million cars and light trucks in 2011. Automotive analysts at firms such as LMC Automotive, Oxford Economics, and WardsAuto are forecasting the world’s 2012 vehicular production to increase by 7 to 9% over 2011’s total, resulting in an estimate of more than 80 million units in 2012. The world total is expected to grow with a CAGR of 6% through 2017. One analyst is forecasting slower growth from 2012 to 2013, below 5%, but others expect rates of 6 to 8% through 2015, then a gradual deceleration of growth through 2017. The most conservative scenarios have total vehicular production at levels of 100 million units per year before 2017.

Worldwide, there are approximately 1 billion vehicles in use, excluding heavy construction equipment and off-road vehicles, but including trucks and buses. This total has been

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rising at rates of 3-4% per year, although the growth in new vehicle registrations varies significantly among countries, with the developing economies showing the greatest growth. In 2010, for example, there were 15 million new vehicle registrations in China, and 36 million worldwide, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and WardsAuto. China’s automotive industry has scaled up to world-leading proportions in relatively few years. See Charts 1 and 3. The conservative forecasts for 2012 suggest a 5-million-unit increase in world vehicular production, and more than half this increase will be in Asia.

For the near term, automakers in China and Japan will be the major drivers of the increased production in Asia, but after 2014, growth in India also will be a key component of Asia and world growth.

The Chinese government has imposed standards for fuel efficiency and vehicular emissions. In June, LS Cable and System announced that it had secured a US$60 million contract to supply high-voltage battery cables and harnesses for electrical vehicles in China, and that it was investing to expand the capacity of its wire harness plant in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. In announcing this contract, LS Cable and System noted that China’s EV market is developing at a rapid rate. In April of this year, China’s State Council

52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

announced policies to increase the production and sales of HEVs and EVs along with plans to invest US$15 billion by 2020.

In 2009, sales of new cars and trucks in China exceeded sales in the US for the first time. The U.S. market was affected by the recession in 2009, and China’s market was not. Also, the Chinese government had implemented tax incentives for high-efficiency vehicles, and had given rural residents an incentive to trade in older vehicles for newer efficient models. These subsidies expired in 2011, causing growth in demand to slow down, but China’s market and production still remain greater than that of the U.S.

Wire harnesses: lighter, more terminations To help the auto companies reduce vehicular weight, the wire harness makers are developing lighter products based on aluminum wire and smaller diameter wires. Aluminum is less expensive and lighter than copper, but its electrical resistance requires a larger diameter. There are also concerns about corrosion, which can interfere with connection points, and the high-temperature performance of aluminum wires, including a problem called “creep,” which also can affect the terminations. These concerns are being addressed with work on connectors, jacketing materials, metal alloys, and new twisted wire structures.

Delphi, for example, has been working on aluminum products for battery cables and other automotive applications since the 1970s.

Aluminum has been in production models for battery cables since the 1980s, but its use in other wires has been more limited until this century.

More recently, Sumitomo Electric Industries and Furukawa Electric have stepped up R&D on wiring harnesses with aluminum wires, and these have entered production in the past two years. SEI’s aluminum harness is used in the Toyota Yaris, which currently is being sold in unit quantities of about 400,000 per year.

(Toyota’s Yaris also has been sold under the name Ractis in some markets.) In February 2012, Furukawa announced contracts to supply aluminum harnesses for two Toyota models.

In announcing the wiring harness for the Toyota Yaris/Ractis, SEI said that the aluminum version will weigh about 40% less than a copper harness. SEI said that the wiring harnesses on some vehicles can weigh up to 20 kg, but other companies say the total weight of vehicular wiring can be more for some

FEATURE

models, especially luxury cars and larger vehicles.

Both the SEI and Furukawa aluminum harness products are serving applications outside the engine compartment, where the higher temperatures have prevented the use of aluminum. With vehicle lifetimes well over 10 years, the reliability of harness connection points must be sustained with no risk of corrosion, wire elongation, or other problems associated with the high-temperature environment. In early September, an SEI official told Bloomberg News that the company had made substantial progress in developing an aluminum product for the higher-temperature environment under the hood. SEI also recently has said that it will invest in new wiring harness lines at several of its factories in different countries.

As an example of how much harness production is spread throughout the world, SEI says it has 130,000 employees making harnesses in more than 30 countries. All of the major harness manufacturers, such as Chart 4. Breakdown of types of vehicle production by region and Delphi, Densa, Fujikura, Furukawa, Lear, Leoni, SEI, vehicle class.

Yazaki, and Yura [editor’s note: assembly company list is alphabetical], have operations in multiple counished harnesses are shipped to the auto assembly plant locatries, often in lower-cost labor markets of North Africa, tions in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the U.S., Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. As a and other major auto-producing nations. result, there is considerable international trade, as the finChart 2 shows vehicular import and exports by country in

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FEATURE

terms of value (U.S. dollars). The data is excerpted from a trade database that groups automotive harnesses into a larger category that also includes harnesses for aircraft and ships. Other data on harnesses suggest that the automotive market represents 75% to 80% of the total reported international trade under the code for vehicles, aircraft, and ships.

For some markets, it is clear that automotive harnesses represent 100% of the imports or exports in the trade data.

In addition, many automotive companies use domestically produced harnesses for some or all of the cars and trucks they make. That is, the harnesses and autos are made in the same country, and therefore are not part of the international shipments reported in the trade database. Good examples are China and India, which together produced about 21 million cars and light trucks in 2011 and imported no harnesses. See Chart 4.

More than one km of wire in a car According to a presentation by Francois Schoeffler, Marketing Manager in the Automotive and Embedded Solutions Unit at Acome, given at CRU’s June, 2012 Wire and Cable Conference in Vienna, a compact or “C-class” car has 1.2 km of wire in it, and more than 90% of this is 0.5 mm in diameter, or greater. The compact class has the

An assortment of used auto wire and cable. The typical compact car has more than 1 km of different types of wire. largest quantity of any segment, representing about 30% of all vehicles produced in recent years. With 20 to 25 million vehicles produced per year in this class, and strong growth after 2012, the amount of wire involved will be more than 30 million km, just for compact cars.

Based on the international trade data and reports of vehicle production, the 2011 world trade in automotive harnesses was US$29 billion, and the quantity was 1.3 million

56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tonnes. With vehicular production at 77 million units in 2011, the average weight per vehicle was 17 kg. The trade data also indicate that the price of a wiring harness can range from about US$350 to more than US$1,000, depending on the size and complexity. The average prices have been increasing at rates from 3% to 10% since 2005, with the exception of an average price decrease in 2009. The price range over time, of course, will vary with the cost of the copper or aluminum alloys, plus the polymer resins used for jacketing.

Chart 1, which shows the installation of wire harnesses or “consumption” by country, indicates that the 2011 market was US$31 billion, and that it will rise to US$34 billion in 2012. The US$31 billion figure is more than the US$28 billion mentioned earlier for international harness trade, because it includes the harnesses that are produced and used in the same country. The harnesses for ships and aircrafts that were included with vehicles in the international trade category also have been factored out.

The year-on-year growth trends for the harness business, reported in terms of value (U.S. dollars) do not correspond to the growth trends in vehicle production in unit quantities, due to the changes in the average price of harnesses. Factoring out the change in the price of metals, the average price per harness has been increasing with product complexity, as the auto makers have included more electronic and electrical functions in a vehicle.

In the automobile industry, new features typically appear in luxury cars or high-end models. Over time, these features are introduced in models with lower sticker prices but higher production quantities. In recent years, this proliferation of features and functions has included sophisticated entertainment systems, improved climate controls, better air-bag and safety features, navigation systems, proximity sensors, etc.

The trend is for more features that require not only more power and control lines, but also wires for data networking and more complex harnesses.

The new requirements for efficiency will drive production of HEVs, which have additional requirements for sensors and controls, and which in turn add complexity and cost to the wiring harness. The new fuel-efficiency standards also will drive the implementation of new engine designs that will rely on more sensors and controls, adding more requirements in the demanding environment of the engine compartment.

CRU International provides market analyses, consulting services, and conferences on materials and manufacturing sectors that include the wire and cable industry. CRU has headquarters in London and offices in six countries.

Richard Mack, based in the U.S., is a principal consultant with CRU. His areas of coverage include wire and cable applications, telecom networks, and fiber optics. He can be contacted at tel. 401-396-9744 and by e-mail at richard.mack@crugroup.com. For more details on the company, go to www.crugroup.com. (story continued on p. 58)

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FEATURE

A move to more aluminum in auto wiring?

It won’t be simple and it won’t be happening on a large scale anytime soon, but the auto industry may slowly be moving to further use of aluminum for wiring harnesses.

Japan’s Furukawa Electric predicted earlier this year that more than 60% of the harness per unit of vehicle could be aluminum harness in five years. The company reported in February that it has won a new order to supply aluminum wire harness for two domestic vehicle models, including one launched this year by Toyota, and another to be launched next year. It noted that a harness made from aluminum alloy instead of copper can reduce the weight by as much as 30 to 40%. This, it noted, results in two advantages. First, the lower weight contributes to lighter weight for the vehicle as electric wire represents 60-70% of harness weight, and second, aluminum is cheaper than copper.

Furukawa Electric established mass production system for the automotive aluminum harness in late 2010, the release said. The mother wire is made in Indonesia and the harnesses in Vietnam. “The firm developed original alloy with magnesium, iron and copper for the automotive aluminum harness. The firm developed special connector terminal with wider area to contact with electric wire conductor.”

The company estimates that aluminum harness could be used in 30% of electric wire units for automobiles. It pre-

Chart showing attributes of Furukawa Electric’s aluminum alloy for use as wire conductor in wire harnesses.

dicted that the growth rate will increase to more than 60% in five years “by improving flexibility, tensile strength and heat resistance of aluminum electric wire. Through the improvement, the firm tries to get order for harness in engine room and communication of vehicle.”

In a past article in Assembly, Fred Kelley, engineering director at Prestolite Wire LLC, was cited as saying that,

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“Despite the cost and weight benefits of aluminum, copper will continue to remain the No. 1 material for cable and wire harness applications. ... This is due to copper’s outstanding overall electrical performance and ease of use.

Also, copper wire and cable can be processed using various easy-to-use and maintain manufacturing equipment.”

Aluminum wire and cable require careful selection of applications as they have performance limitations, Kelley said. “The product has the ability to perform well, as long as these design limitations are not violated. These issues have been addressed, but aluminum is not the best choice for all wire and cable applications.”

In a recent article by Bridget Freas, a senior analyst with Morningstar covering the steel and aluminum sectors, the case was made for why aluminum can gain further inroads.

She noted that copper has long been the metal of choice for wiring and cables in electronic appliances, automobiles, and industrial components because of its high performance in conducting electricity. “When copper prices first started to rise in 2006, the quality angle still held supreme. But at an astounding $9,000 per ton, copper prices have caused users to take another look at substitutes. While some copper is replaceable with plastic and optical fiber, the majority of the potential is in aluminum, an inferior but still capable conductor.”

On a per pound basis, aluminum is actually more conductive than copper because it is about one third the weight, Freas wrote. The challenge is that the

wire diameter has to be larger to work, but it is still desirable when space is available, she said, noting that “we are more likely to see increasing aluminum usage in car cabling than (handheld electronics).”

Auto manufacturers already are accustomed to using aluminum rather than copper in their most basic models, Freas wrote. The average vehicle in the U.S. or Europe uses 20-25 pounds of copper, but the models sent by the same manufacturer to developing economies have only one fourth as much, she said. “If copper prices continue to rise at a faster rate than aluminum, we think it is likely that as much as 40% of copper used in cars could be replaced by aluminum in the next several years.”

Aluminum does have its limitations, Freas wrote, noting that it is not as good as copper when it comes to handling temperature and pressure changes over the lifecycle of a car, but there are other challenges as well. “Aluminum wire and cable can be difficult to feed, cut, crimp, strip, and splice relative to its copper counterparts. Numerous processing methods are currently being developed, but a demanding approval process could hamper the adoption of aluminumwired electrical vehicles.”

Freas wrote that as energy costs rise, “the need for renewable sources will grow and copper’s position is somewhat protected as a green electricity conductor. Aluminum is only about 60% as conductible as copper so while it is a cheaper metal, it requires more fuel. Electric and hybrid vehicles still use two to three times more copper than standard cars.”

One industry observer said that, aside from technical concerns, such as “creep,” for all the reasons that aluminum may be a good option, change will not happen fast. The auto field works well ahead and prototypes take time to be made and tested, which means “a 2017 model car is on the ‘drawing boards’ right now, or getting ready to move from drawings to prelim prototype.”

(continued from p. 47)

WJI: When do you expect your wireless charging system to be offered to the general public?

Sumner: At the current time, we believe this technology will be on 2015 model year vehicles.

WJI: To what degree do you see it a drawback that a car owner who uses your system could only be sure of a power recharge at home?

Sumner: Currently, it is believed that most consumers will charge their vehicles at home so we don’t see this as a big concern or drawback. In addition, we believe that for many years the plug-in capability will coexist on cars with wireless capability. Therefore, the owner would not have to be concerned that the vehicle could not be charged away from home and they would be able to take advantage of plug-in systems that should be readily available years before wireless pads are prevalent in the public space. So, for most of their charging needs, they would take advantage of the very convenient wireless charging system that they would have at home.

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WJI: What type of wire will be deployed for the wireless charging system to work?

Sumner: The wiring that will be required to run the Power Station will be the same as the wiring required to install a Level 2 Plug-in charger, so that part will be no different. There will be additional wire that will run along or in the floor that will lead from the power station to the resonator coil pad on the garage floor. Again not significant in gauge size or uniqueness because it will be carrying currents/amperage very similar to what is in your homes today. To ensure no electromagnetic ‘noise’ is generated, there may some shielding involved with these cables but, again, nothing exotic.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Quality evaluation of a single-layer steel cord using the simplified simulation method of the roller straightening process This paper proposes an evaluation method of product quality from the numerical simulation of the roller straightening process using finite element analysis.

By Bae Gi-hyun, Huh Hoon, Lee Byung-ho, Im Jae-duk and Ban Deok-young

A steel cord used for the reinforcement of automotive tires initial stress and strain distribution of the single-layer steel is a twisted structure of thin wires drawn from a steel rod. cord was obtained from simulation of the over-twisting Various kinds have been developed to satisfy the required process. A special simulation technique imposed the same stiffness of a tire. Structural stability of steel cords is an deformation history to the simple FE model during the roller important factor to evaluate the product quality. Engineers evaluate straightness and the residual torsion after the steel cord twisting process. Roller straightening devices are essential to improve straightness and residual torsion of steel cords by imposing the cyclic bending deformation1,3-4. The process design of roller straightening devices has mostly been dependent on the trial-and-error method based on engineer’s experiences. This requires tremendous time and costs. An efficient tool is necessary to reduce the Fig. 1. Single-layer steel cord with three drawn wires. wasted time and cost for designing the roller straightening process. A simulation method using finite element analysis (FEA) can be utilized as an alternative for the efficient design of the roller straightening process1,3-5,7.

This paper proposes an evaluation method for product quality of a singlelayer steel cord by numerical simulation of the roller straightening process using FEA. A single-layer steel cord of three drawn wires (0.3 mm) was tested. A simplified simulation method was developed.

A simple finite element (FE) model was made based on an actual steel cord manufactured by the twisting experiment withFig. 2. Diagram of the twisting machine of the single-layer steel cord. out the roller straightening process. The

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Single-layer steel cord A single-layer steel cord is one of the most basic steel cord structures. The test cord consists of three drawn wires (0.3 mm). See Fig. 1. The drawn wire is manufactured by the multi-stage drawing process with heat treatment and plating.

After the drawing process, the wire goes to the twisting machine. See Fig. 2. Three drawn wires supplied from bobbins are twisted by a rotating plate wheel. To stabilize the

steel cord structure, the wire passes through an over-twisting device and two roller straightening devices that are arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions (y and z) from the moving direction of the steel cord. General process conditions are as follows: rotating velocity of plate wheel and the overtwisting device: both 3500 rpm; back-tension: 11 kgf; No. of rollers in roller straightening device: 13 each; roller diameter: 16 mm; straightening roller groove shape: trapezoid; pitch of single-layer steel cord: 14 mm; and intermesh of roller straightening device: inlet = 3.9 mm, outlet = 2.0 mm.

Process and FE model A key goal to simulating the roller straightening process is to reduce computing time without loss of simulation accuracy. A simplified simulation method was developed. The steel cord path during the roller straightening process was assigned to impose the same deformation history to the finite element model. The simulation also takes account of the actual steel cord shape and the residual stress distribution for the initial condition to increase simulation accuracy.

As previously noted, steel cord shapes were investigated from twisting experiments without roller straightening devices. An infrared ray projector was used to scan the accuracy of the steel cord shape along the longitudinal direction.

The measuring range and velocity of the infrared ray projector is 100 mm and 1.0 mm/s, respectively. Fig. 3 shows the measured result of the steel cord shape before the roller straightening process. Cyclic fluctuation was observed. See Table 1. A simple device was used to measure the arc-height of the steel cord. Ten repeated measurements were conducted for the arc-height as presented in Table 2. The cyclic fluc-

Fig. 3. Steel cord shape before the roller straightening process, horizontal direction.

Table 1. Measured results of cyclic fluctuation [mm].

Fig. 4. Comparison between FE model and actual steel cord: (a) FE model, 84 mm long for six pitches; (b) Actual steel cord that takes into account cyclic fluctuation and arc-height.

Table 2. Measured results of the arc-height [mm/400mm].

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straightening process. The steel cord path was obtained from intermeshing simulation of a roller straightening device. The product quality was then investigated quantitatively with three assessment items before and after the roller straightening process. The role of straightening device was explained by observing the steel cord shape during the roller straightening process.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 5. Residual stress at surface with respect to the tensile stress of a drawn wire.

Fig. 6. Residual stress distribution of the single-layer steel cord after the drawing process of wire.

tuation and the arc-height, 0.5 mm and 30 mm, respectively, describe the actual steel cord shape. Fig. 4 shows a comparison between the finite element model and the actual steel cord.

Initial stress and strain Steel cord wire goes through a complicated deformation before the roller straightening process. The residual stress and strain distribution inside wires should be considered in simulation of the roller straightening process. Simulation of the over-twisting process was conducted to obtain the residual stress and strain distribution before the roller straightening process. The first step is to investigate the residual stress distribution of drawn wires. Elice reported that the residual stress distribution after the drawing process changes from compression to tension along the relative radius of a drawn wire2. He also reported that the residual stress distribution can be scaled from the residual stress measured at the wire surface. The residual stress distribution, therefore, was obtained by scaling the reference data presented by Lee6 and Bae1 with a ratio of the residual stress at the wire surface. Fig. 5 shows the residual

Fig. 8. Analysis result of the over-twisting process: (a) initial state; (b) over-twisting; (c) un-twisting.

Fig. 7. Flow stress curve of the drawn wire.

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stress at the wire surface with respect to the tensile stress of the drawn wire. The residual stress at the wire surface can be simply calculated as 773 MPa based on the tensile stress of the drawn wire. Residual stress distribution was obtained by the proportion of the residual stress at the wire surface. See Fig. 6. It was applied to simulation of the over-twisting process as the initial condition.

Simulation of the over-twisting process was conducted with the calculated residual stress distribution of the drawn wire. Fig. 7 shows the flow stress curve of the drawn wire is presented. Fig. 8 shows the simulation procedure of the overtwisting process. The simulation was done with ABAQUS/Explicit v6.8-1, a well-known commercial program. The over-twisting device imposes the excessive twisting deformation to the steel cord for the purpose of minimizing the residual torsion. The over-twisting angle for the single-layer steel cord is 180°. The residual stress and strain distribution after the over-twisting process was applied to the simulation as the initial condition.

Simulation of the roller straightening process The roller straightening process was done to determine the steel cord shape and the residual stress and strain distribution after the over-twisting process. The simple FE model was adopted to reduce the computing time. A special simulation technique is required to impose the same deformation history during the roller straightening process. This history can be imposed by assigning the same path to the FE model during the roller straightening process. To obtain the path of the FE model, an intermeshing simulation of the roller straightening device was conducted with a simplified steel cord model composed of surface and beam elements as shown in Fig. 9.

Process simulation was done with ABAQUS/Standard v6.81. The diameter of the simplified steel cord model is the same as the steel cord (0.646 mm). The assigned path was constructed with analytic rigid surfaces based on the deformed shape of the simplified steel cord model in intermeshing simulation. See Fig. 10. Two nodal points connected with nodal points at each cross-sectional surface of the finite element model are constrained by the contact condition with upper and lower guide surfaces. The simplified simulation

Fig. 10. Intermeshing simulation of the roller straightening process.

Fig. 11. Simulation procedure of the roller straightening process.

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Fig. 9. Finite element model for intermeshing simulation of the roller straightening device.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

and after the roller straightening process. Fig. 13 shows the change of the steel cord shape during the roller straightening process. Initially, the steel cord shows large fluctuation in the vertical and horizontal direction.

Passing through roller straightening devices enhances the straightness of the steel cord as this regularizes the residual stress distribution by imposing the cyclic bending deformation to the steel cord. It is clear that the roller straightening device straightens the steel cord in the arranged direction.

Steel cord quality can be improved after the roller straightening process by stabilizing the steel cord structure.

Steel cord quality. The product quality of the single-layer steel cord was evaluated before and after the roller straightening process as shown in Fig. 12. The measurement results Fig. 12. Three assessment items of the single-layer steel cord quality: (a) from simulations of the roller Residual torsion; (b) Arc-height; (c) Pre-form. straightening process are presented in Table 3. The arc-height and the preform were remarkably improved after the roller straightening process. The residual torsion, however, was increased slightly in the reversed direction because the process condition of the roller straightening process was not optimized yet. Better steel cord quality can be obtained by Table 3. Measured results of the steel cord quality. imposing an optimized process condition of the roller straightening method can represent the deformation history during the process. The simplified simulation method can be an efficient actual roller straightening process. Two roller straightening tool to optimize the roller straightening process. It can also devices are utilized in the twisting process of the single-layer provide specific information of the deformation history and steel cord. The finite element model passes through two the steel cord shape change during the roller straightening roller straightening devices arranged in the vertical and horiprocess. zontal direction. Fig. 11 shows the simulation procedure.

Straightening rollers were also modeled by analytic rigid surConclusions faces. See Figs. 10-11. The friction coefficient was assumed This paper proposes a simulation-based evaluation method to be zero to consider the rotational contact condition of the steel cord quality using a simplified simulation method between the steel cord and straightening rollers. for the roller straightening process. Highlights include the following: Evaluation of cord quality • A simulation-based evaluation method of the steel cord Assessment items. Three assessment items (see Fig. 12) are quality was constructed with the simplified simulation of the often used to evaluate the structural stability and the straightroller straightening process that reduces the computing time ness of the single-layer steel cord. The first item is the residover 80% compared to the conventional simulation method. ual torsion as the number of revolutions of a released steel • A roller straightening device had an effect on the steel cord six meters long. The second item is the arc-height at the cord straightening in the arranged direction. The arranged center of the cut steel cord 400 mm long. The last item is the direction should be chosen carefully. pre-form which is the height difference of a single wire at • A simulation method with a simplified finite element minimum and maximum points. Using these assessment model reduces the computing time by more than 80% comitems, the steel cord quality can be evaluated quantitatively pared to the conventional simulation method. from simulation of the roller straightening process.

• The simplified simulation method can be an efficient tool Steel cord shape. The steel cord shape was observed before 66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

References 1. G.H. Bae, J.S. Lee, H. Huh, J.W. Lee and B.H. Lee, “Parameter study of the roller straightening process of steel cords using finite element analysis,” Proc. AsiaSteel 2009, S5-08, 2009.

2. M. Elice, M, “Influence of residual stresses in the performance of cold-rolled drawn pearlitic wires,” J. Mater. Sci., Vol. 39, No. 12, pp. 38893899, 2004.

3. H. Huh, H.W. Lee, S.R. Park, G.Y. Kim and S.H. Nam, “The parametric process design of tension levelling with an elasto-plastic Finite Element Method,” J. Mater. Process. Tech., Vol. 113, No. 1/3, pp. 714-719, 2001.

4. H. Huh, J.H. Heo and H.W. Lee, “Optimization of a roller leveling process for Al7001T9 pipes with Finite Element Analysis and Fig. 14. Change of steel cord shape by passing through roller Taguchi Method,” Int. J. Mach. Tools Manufact., straightening devices: (a) Before roller; (b) After first roller Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 345-350, 2003. (vertical); (c) After second roller (horizontal).

5. W.G. Jiang, M.S. Yao and J.M. Walton, “A concise Finite Element Model for simple straight wire rope strand,” Int. J. Mech. Sci., Vol. 41, pp.

143-161, 1999.

7. A. Nawrocki and M. Labrosse, “A Finite Element Model 6. J.S. Lee, H. Huh, J.W. Lee and B.H. Lee, “Minimization for simple straight wire rope strands,” Computers and of residual stress of the steel cord for the tire-reinforcement Structures, Vol. 77, pp. 345-359, 2000. using Finite Element Analysis,” Proc. ICTP 2008, pp. 642647, 2008.

Bae

Huh

Lee

Bae Gi-hyun is a post-doctoral and integrated M.S. and Ph.D. student in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and System Engineering at KAIST (formerly the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, South Korea. He received his B.S. degree from KAIST. Huh Hoon is a professor in the Mechanical, Aerospace and System Engineering School at KAIST, where he has been a professor since 1986. He earned his Ph.D. degree

Im

Ban

from the University of Michigan. Lee Byung-ho works in the R&D Center of Kiswire Co. Ltd., Pohang, South Korea. He holds a B.S. degree from Pusan National University. Im Jae-duk works at the Kiswire R&D Center. Ban Deok-young is vice president of the Kiswire R&D Center. This paper was presented at WAI’s 81st Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 2011.

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to optimize the roller straightening process with reasonable computing time. It can also provide deformation history and the steel cord shape change during the roller straightening process.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Research on the influence of casting speed on the structure and properties of oxygen-free copper wires Casting speed parameters and cooling conditions were found to have a significant influence on shaping material structure in terms of grain amount and morphology.

by Tadeusz Knych, Beata Smyrak and Monika Walkowicz

The shaping of properties of metallic materials in the process of continuous casting takes place through changes in the parameters of the technological process, i.e., the temperature of liquid metthat of the casting speed on formation of material structure in terms of the quantity, size and shape of grains. The properties of copper wires for highly advanced electro-technical applications (audio-video cables, fireproof cables, car bundles) have also been characterized.

Analysis of the problem

above mentioned grades of copper, the amount of grains is reduced to a level of 200 per meter of length, thanks to which the transmission of an electric signal in audio-video applications is not as lossy, and the elimination of drawbacks of connections has become possible. LGC and LCC surpass OFE copper, in which the amount of grains is equal to about 500/m 5,6.

Properties similar to those of LGC and LCC copper are possessed by OCC copper obtained according to Ohno Continuous Casting Technology, the main purpose of which is the decrease of the amount of crystals in the conductor. In highly specialized applications, such as electron technology (elements of particle accelerators, cryogenics), 6N grade copper with a purity of 99.99997% is used. The highest grade of purity for copper obtained industrially is currently 8N grade purity (99.999999%). High quality cables are often made from copper with a purity grade of 6-7N. The traditionally

The subject matter undertaken in this paper regards the functionally perfect copper for the most sophisticated applications in the electronic and electro-technical industry. A standard for conductors of this type is Oxygen Free Electronic Copper (OFE) or Oxygen Free High Conductivity Copper with high chemical purity (OFHC). OFE copper with a purity grade of 4N (99.99 % Cu) contains about 1-3 ppm. wt. of oxygen and total impurities in an amount of no more than 25 ppm wt.1-2.

Copper of this type is additionally characterized by excellent deformability, as well as resistance to atmospheric corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement3,4. In electronic applications, a variant of oxygen free copper is used with specially shaped grains and, first and foremost, the smallest possible amount of grains per unit of length.

Examples of such solutions are Long Grain Crystal Copper (LGC) and Long Crystal Copper (LCC). In the Table 1. Classification of oxygen free copper according to international standards.

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Methods of constant melting and casting of oxygen free copper One of the most modern methods making possible the production of feedstock from oxygen free copper for direct processing through the method of drawing wires and microwires are the Upcast and Rautomead technology, which are based on constant melting of the high purity cathode, oxygen reduction and constant casting of OFE oxygen free copper in the

Editor’s Note: Due to space limitations, this paper was edited for length.

A PDF of the original version, which has additional figures and details, will be sent to readers who send a request to editorial@wirenet.org.

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used ETP copper, in which oxygen content is at a level within 200-600 ppm. wt., does not guarantee such properties7. The assortment of oxygen free copper products is very broad and is concentrated mainly on highly advanced products.

According to the data Table 2. Chemical composition of high purity copper Cu-CATH-1 (CR001A) cathodes included in Table 1., oxygen produced according to EN 1977 standard1. free copper of the highest quality (according to JISH 2123 grade C1011) is mainly used in electron technology (accelerator elements and electron tubes), vacuum apparatus, cryogenics (elements operating at low temperatures), superconduction, cable technology (connecting elements, microwires, enamelled conductors, transmission conductors, Fig. 1. Vacuum induction melting and casting furnace – DCC-AGH technology. conductors for applications in information technology, audio-video conductors). form of a rod wound in circles.

Interest in the dynamically developing oxygen free copper Dynamic scientific studies of a laboratory method of electro-technical industry, its production technology, as well obtaining copper with increasing chemical purity, being caras its physical and mechanical properties, is a result of the ried out simultaneously worldwide, have led to the developwide applications of this material. One application of oxygen ment and start-up of an installation for production of feedfree copper is the production of wires and microwires with stock of Cu-OFE grade with an oriented structure characterdiameters of less than 0.1 mm. Such capacity for use of oxyized by grain size being as small as possible5-7. An example gen free copper in the drawing process is related to the limitof such a unique casting station is designed for this purpose, ed potential of the traditionally used ETP grade copper for and made based on international standards at the AGH electric applications, characterized by its content of hard copUniversity of Science and Technology in Cracow. It faciliper oxides (Cu2O) with sizes of 5-10 µm, which, for very tates the complete study and analysis of the effect of the small wire diameters, significantly decrease their ductility. structure as well as chemical purity of the material on the It is the chemical purity of copper that is the guarantor and properties of the wire, analysed from the angle of loss of fundamental requirement for obtaining high electric conductransmission of an electric signal. Fig. 1. presents a general tivity of the material. Due to the fact that the presence of view of the entire installation, as well as a close-up of the impurities in copper is the result of the nature of the ores from crystallization system and finished rods for special applicawhich the metal is produced, neutralization of their influence tions cast with non-industrial speeds. is one of the most significant tasks to be realized by extracA significant characteristic of the station is the use of a tion metallurgy. The allowable content of impurities in ETP high-output, isolated crystallizer with a simple and uncompliand OFE grade copper produced from the same cathode of a cated construction and a secondary cooling system using, grade of Cu-CATH-1 is selected according to the data includamong others, cooling gases such as liquid nitrogen, which ed in Table 2, depending on the target application.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

part of the material (ΔT2). Therefore, the following dependency is fulfilled: ΔT1<ΔT2. The special construction of the device makes it possible to achieve this goal through skilful control of casting speed as well as cooling conditions.

Change in casting speed, as well as introduction of a controlled heat conduction (offtake) zone in the crystallizer, makes it possible to obtain consistency of the direction of heat conduction with the direction of the axis of the cast product. Such a method of casting leads to visible changes in the structure of copper, which is shown in Fig. 2.

Objective and scope of study The objects used for this paper are oxygen free copper rods with a nominal diameter of 8 mm, obtained under industrial conditions using Fig. 2. Shaping of copper structure in the continuous casting the Upcast method and under laboratory condiprocess. tions at the DCC-AGH casting station. The specificity of both technologies allows for changes of crystallization conditions through makes it possible to shape the structure of copper with a limthe regulation of two technological parameters: casting speed ited amount of grains and to control the direction of grain and the size and manner of flow of cooling water. For studdevelopment. This results from the characteristics of the ies, ten materials were obtained: five Upcast rods obtained solidification process, and more precisely from the process of with different casting speeds under industrial conditions, i.e.: conduction of heat (offtake) by the crystallizer and the distri0.5 m/min., 1.0 m/min., 2.0 m/min., 3.0 m/min., 4.0 m/min., bution of the vector of the temperature gradient on the front with a crystallizer cooling water flow of 60 l/min, and also of metal crystallization, changing from a radial direction to five rods from oxygen free copper cast under laboratory conan axial direction (flat crystallization front). The designed ditions using the above mentioned DCC-AGH station using casting system makes it possible to fulfil the dependency so the following casting speeds: 0.006 m/min., 0.03 m/min., that the difference of temperatures between the liquid copper 0.06 m/min., 0.15 m/min., 0.2 m/min. with cooling water in the crystallizer and the walls of the isolated crystallizer flow at a level of 0.1-0.4 l/min. in the primary system and (ΔT1) is smaller than the difference of temperature between 0.2-1.0 l/min. in the secondary system. In comparison, the the liquid copper in the crystallizer and the already solidified results of the study for Cu-ETP rods with an output diameter of 8 mm obtained from the Contirod line are also presented.

Results and analysis of the experimental research

Fig. 3. Identification of structure of Cu-ETP rod and Cu-OFE wire rod.

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The first results of testing, i.e., identification of the structure of feedstock, have been presented in Fig. 3. The materials exhibit a structure that is typical for classic castings, i.e., for copper cast with high speeds in a range from 0.5-4.0 m/min., a clear structure of equiaxial grains and a zone of column crystals perpendicular to the axis of the cast material are distinguishable. Furthermore, analysis of longitudinal sections indicates that the lower the casting speed, the larger the grains found in the castings. Special attention should be paid to the fact that these grains change their orientation from perpendicular to the rod axis, for materials cast at high speeds, to parallel to the rod axis for materi-

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 4. Influence of casting speed on electrical properties of oxygen free copper.

als cast at low speeds. It was observed that the material, for which the lowest casting speed was used, exhibits a two to three grain structure of arbitrary length, since this a process of constant casting. In the lower part of Fig. 3, changes in the directions of grain orientation on the cross–section, as well as the forecast change in shape of the crystallization front, were marked. On the left side, the structure of the ETP rod as a product after 99.99% hot deformational strengthening (elongation factor 144) is presented and is characterized by a homogeneous, fine-grain structure that is susceptible to the deformation process. Crystals have a size of about 10-20 μm and are characterized by equal orientation in all directions. In structural terms, the rod is an isotropic material.

Another very important group of tests is in regard to electric properties, which have been illustrated in Fig. 4. as a chart of the dependency of electric conductivity as a function of casting speed. It was observed that lowering casting speed results in an increase in material conductivity. Furthermore, attention must be paid to the fact of how significant the influence of casting speed on the increase of electric conductivity is relative to the difference between the electric conductivity of Cu-ETP grade copper, for which a value equal to 58.67 MS/m was recorded during measurements, and CuOFC grade oxygen free copper rods cast at different speeds.

Furthermore, on the basis of analysis of the presented chart, it was observed that the lower the casting speed, the more coarse-grained the material’s structure was. The photograph on the left shows the structure of the cast rod, which possesses only three grains on its axial section. In turn, the photograph on the right also shows the macrostructure of a rod cast with a speed that is 50 times greater. It is visible that the casting possesses a large amount of radial grains oriented perpendicularly to the surface. Such distribution is dependent upon the method of casting.

The next part of the study investigates the influence of the state of the materials after large deformation equal to 93% on recrystallization temperature.

Fig. 5. presents a chart illustrating the courses of softening

Fig. 5. Influence of annealing temperatures on Cu wire tensile strength, annealing time 1 h, diameter 2.0 mm

curves of wires. It was observed that the curves for OFE copper are shifted to the right, i.e., in the direction of higher temperatures. This indicates that the material possesses higher resistance to heat. It is worth asking the question: why are the kinetics of annealing thin wires such a significant matter? This is because this fact is of very important practical significance in drawing lines. Namely, this is in regard to changes in annealing process parameters in lines, especially during the drawing of microwires.

Fig. 6. shows charts of the dependency of resistivity as a function of deformation. It was observed that for ETP copper (the curve is designated in black), the increase in resistivity amounts to even 3%, while for OFC, this value is only 1%. This beneficial effect is a result of the differing structure of these materials and is of great significance to possible applications.

Fig. 6. The influence of the volume of strain on the resistivity for wires of ETP copper and oxygen-free copper obtained for different casting speeds.

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Conclusions and final statements

References

A significant influence of casting process parameters and cooling conditions (amount and temperature of water at the input/output of the crystallizer) on shaping material structure in terms of grain amount and morphology was stated.

A change in the direction of grain orientation from a direction perpendicular relative to the rod axis, for materials cast at high speeds, to parallel to the rod axis, for materials cast with lower speeds and with a special direction of the vector of the temperature gradient in the crystallizer.

Decreasing casting speed leads to a change in the direction of heat conduction, which, in consequence, results in the creation of a flat crystallization front, making it possible to obtain a structure with grains parallel to the axis of the cast material.

Conductivity of oxygen free copper wires is a function of casting speed. Conductivity decreases with the increase of casting speed.

In the case of the process of drawing of feedstock with a casting structure, a smaller increase in resistivity as a result of deformation is observed in comparison with the finegrained structure feedstock.

1. EN 1977 Standard. Types of copper.

2. ASTM B49-92. Standard for copper rod destined to be used for electrical purposes.

3. J. Jacobsen, et al., Copper wire and method and equipment for the production of copper wire – Patent US 11.069.831, Feb. 28, 2005.

4. A. Haruhiko, et al., Apparatus for manufacturing lowoxygen copper – Patent US 7.524.356, Apr. 28, 2009.

5. T. Knych, B. Smyrak and M. Walkowicz, “The characterization of oxygen free copper technology production applications for electrical uses,” Electrical Review, r. 87, no.

2, pp. 195-200, 2011.

6. T. Knych, B. Smyrak, M. Walkowicz and S. Pabian, “Parameterization of materials characteristic of oxygen free cooper used in electronics and electro-technics,” Hutnik Wiadomości Hutnicze, r. 76, no. 1, pp. 55-58, 2009.

7. T. Knych, B. Smyrak and M. Walkowicz, “The formation of structure and properties of oxygen free copper in continuous casting process, Rudy i Metale Nieżelazne, r.

57, no. 2, 2011.

Editor’s Note: Due to space limitations, this paper was edited for length.

A PDF of the original version, which has additional figures and details, will be sent to readers who send a request to editorial@wirenet.org.

Tadeusz Knych is a research-didactic fellow in the Nonferrous Metals Department at AGH University of Science and Technology (AGHUST), Krakow, Poland. He holds many patents in the area of materials and technologies for overhead electricity and rail. He has authored or co-authored numerous papers, and has supervised more than 100 master’s and doctoral theses. Beata Smyrak is an associate professor in the Nonferrous Metals facSmyrak Knych Walkowicz ulty of AGH-UST. She specializes in the broader theory, technology, and application metallurgy and materials engineering. She earned her of cables for overhead power lines. She earned her Ph.D. M.Sc. degree in management and production engineerdegree in metallurgy from AGH. She has written in more ing from AGH. She is the author or co-author of more than 70 in national and international magazines and has than 20 papers. This paper was presented at WAI’s 81st supervised more than 30 master’s theses. Monika Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 2011.

Walkowicz is a Ph.D. student in the Nonferrous Metals Department at AGH-UST. She is a specialist in copper

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Productivity – How do you measure it?

This paper focuses on five aspects of emulsions for copper wiredrawing that manufacturers must focus on to maximize their productivity and reduce production costs.

by Stuart Duff and Mike Phillips

Today’s global working environment poses economic challenges for manufacturers, making increased factory productivity a key for successful growth. That makes it important for companies to be able to measure productivity and understand what aspects are important to increase it.

This paper highlights processes used to measure and extend the productivity of a copper wiredrawing emulsion to reduce factory production costs and increase the performance of a wiredrawing machine.

Many principles on changing productivity are widely known. Lean Thinking, Six Sigma and Kaizen and other methods are all used to highlight problematic issues, evaluate procedures, streamline production and make changes for improving productivity.

This presentation offers an effective approach that has been used by Germ-Allcard, a brand of Kuwait Petroleum International Lubricants (KPIL), which operates in North America under the Roloil banner (info@roloil.com, www.roiloil.com). The company is a member of the Metalworking Fluid Product Stewardship Group (MFPS Group) of the United Kingdom Lubricants Association.

The MFPS Group also includes the U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency, whose specific aims are listed online at www.ukla.org.uk. This paper highlights its goals, which include the below points: 1. For all members to work to a recognized code of ethics with respect to the development, manufacture and supply of metalworking fluids 2. To liaise with governmental organizations, such as the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency, to produce informative and educational material and to advise the “best practices” for the control and management of metalworking fluids 3. To devise a program of positive promotion to enhance the perception of metalworking fluids with respect to technological improvements and engineering excellence These three points are directly related not just to health, safety and the environment, but also to productivity. By

following a code of ethics for supply and providing positive promotion and technical support, while using best practices, these singular and collective methods can enhance the productivity of a wiredrawing machine.

Evaluation A simple way to increase the productivity of a copper wiredrawing emulsion is to evaluate the process in several steps of the life of the product to provide a broad overall perspective of managing the emulsion, as well as practical advice to enable the best performance from the systems.

The evaluation steps include: drawing lubricant technology; housekeeping of the emulsion system; performance of the drawing emulsion; technical support by the supplier; and evaluation of disposal techniques and costs.

Drawing lubricant technology Copper wiredrawing lubricants are highly specified soluble oils designed for mixing into water at concentrations from 2 to 15% dependent on specific application, and it is important to understand the technology in the product.

A soluble oil concentrate for wiredrawing will typically contain the following chemical types of additives: highquality mineral oil, oxidation stable pure base oils; emulsifiers; surfactant detergency additives; surfactant coupling agents; corrosion inhibitors; lubricity additives; extreme pressure performance additives; bactericides, biocides and fungicides; antifoams; and water.

Users need to understand the physical and chemical properties of soluble wiredrawing emulsions so they can effectively manage their use and appreciate why precautions and procedures should be followed.

Wiredrawing lubrication Wiredrawing lubricants provide both boundary and hydrodynamic lubrication. Boundary lubrication is a thin film, primarily at slow speeds, between the wire/die inter-

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 1. Effects and comparison of oil droplet size.

Fig. 2. View of oil droplet with emulsifiers attached.

Fig. 3. Effect of oil drop particle size in emulsion on the emulsion’s characteristic appearance: semitranslucent, translucent, clear.

face and the wire/capstan interface. Hydrodynamic lubricriteria of excessive heat, copper fines, air blowing and cation is a thin film at the wire/die interface at high speeds. hard water providing very stringent conditions for wire Wiredrawing lubricants can be conventional, semi-syndrawing emulsion evaluation. thetic or fully synthetic, each with different lubrication The unique co-efficient of friction equipment being used properties. Semi-synthetic products are oil in water emulto determine the wire to capstan lubrication film performsions and the suspended oil droplets range in size from 0.8 to 1.0 microns in diameter. This is the most common wiredrawing lubricant for copper. The droplets provide lubrication at both the die and capstan surface. They also clean surfaces, thus simultaneously placing lubrication films and removing them.

Fig. 1 shows the effects and comparison of oil droplet size.

Fig. 2 shows the oil droplet with emulsifiers attached. Fig. 3 shows the effect of oil drop Fig. 4. A schematic of the Coefficient of Friction (COF) test rig and the machine particle size in an emulsion. with the wiredrawing capstans.

The oil droplet size is directly related to the emulsion characteristic appearance, left to right, semi-translucent to translucent to clear.

Lubrication consistency Lubrication consistency with newer generation copper wiredrawing lubricants can be demonstrated and proven with both laboratory analyses and in live factory applications. Under controlled identical conditions, product technologies can be cross-referenced and compared in KPIL’s laboratories.

Artificial aging is done by a set

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Fig. 5. Data chart indicating consistency of lubrication throughout its life as a wiredrawing lubricant (blue line). The red line represents the results for a different technology.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 7. Roloil’s technical service “on the move.”

Fig. 6. A mixing unit.

ance is used through the emulsion testing. This test method uses wiredrawing equipment to measure a drawing emulsion’s lubricating performance and thus can be considered a more powerful result than more traditional oil industry lubrication test methods, such as Falex or Reichert.

The results from this artificial aging process can demonstrate differences from one wiredrawing lubricant technology to another. It is possible to calculate the theoretical lifespan of the wiredrawing emulsion. The lubrication level is also monitored to determine if performance is consistent throughout the emulsion life. This is compared with the tail-off in lubrication performance commonly seen with lesser quality products. Fig. 4 shows the COF machine and Fig. 5. shows a data chart.

Housekeeping and performance All soluble oil concentrates should be stored indoors and protected from extreme temperatures of frost and direct sunlight. The drums should be stored to avoid water ingress as this will harm the concentrate. The ideal storage position is to place the drums on their side with bungs at the quarter to three position.

Mixing. The emulsion mixing process can also affect the long-term stability and lifespan of the wiredrawing emulsion, so it is vital to always add the concentrate to the water rather than the other way around to avoid instability.

Mixing units are recommended, especially positive-displacement mixing units that will inject the concentrate into the water. See Fig. 6.

Water. The water quality used for make-up is important for the life and long-term stability of the wiredrawing emulsion. The water should have medium hardness for emulsion make-up and low hardness for emulsion top-up.

It is also beneficial in certain applications to use demineralized water. Please note that the use of salt softened water is not recommended as the salts which form the hardness are replaced by further salts that can cause increased conductivity levels in the emulsion which can reduce the emulsion life.

Machine cleaning. The procedure for cleaning machines and preparing machines for emulsion fill is important for

of removal fines debris, Fig. 8. Close customer service is an and deposits in important element of the process. used systems and also for removal of corrosion protective in new machines as these can promote initial emulsion foaming.

Housekeeping and maintenance. Emulsions should be maintained at the correct concentration. In a training scenario, “Milk” is used as an analogy. Milk is an emulsion of fatty oil in water; if left uncared for it can become infected with bacteria, fungi or yeast and separate into layers. Thus, it is important to protect wiredrawing emulsions from biological contamination as ultimately this will save money and create a safer working environment.

Precautions for wiredrawing emulsions. Keep the drawing emulsion above the minimum recommended concentrations and use a refractometer to record the concentration. Sterilize and clean the system before introducing a fresh emulsion. Avoid contaminated water during emulsion make-up. Do not discard waste items, either food or human, into the emulsion as this will cause severe bacterial infections. Minimize metal fines by effective emulsion filtration. Keep the emulsion temperature between 35°C and 45°C, and avoid tramp oil contamination.

Simple measures and general monitoring of emulsion condition can increase emulsion life, save costs and improve the working environment of the drawing machine.

This results in cleaner drawing dies and longer die life, a cleaner machine and increased speed and machine output.

The above points save money by simple techniques often overlooked by wiredrawing companies. The emulsion may be the smallest cost item of the wiredrawing process, but it is the most influential to machine productivity.

Emulsion performance. Throughout the wiredrawing emulsion life the factory should monitor and record production data and keep records of the emulsion condition monitoring and maintenance. The consumption rate of emulsion can be measured and then used as a benchmark target to install a procedure of operator “ownership” of the

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TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 9. A schematic of the ultrafiltration technology that separates oil and water. machine and wiredrawing emulsion performance.

Fig. 10. A schematic of the reverse osmosis process.

Data of tonnage drawn, top-up rates, wire-break analysis and emulsion analysis should be recorded and monitored. One such service is “Roloil Fluid Emulsion disposal Care” a high-quality maintenance program offered by Roloil that is known as “Technical Service on the Move.”

Much has been written about methods for emulsion disSee Fig. 7. posal. As disposal costs will inevitably continue to rise this Typical consumption rate for a process should 0.1 to 0.25 aspect is as important as the product selection. liters emulsion per metric ton of copper wire drawn. This All emulsions should be disposed of in accordance and rate depends on emulsion chemistry and working practice with advice from the local legislation in any country. of the factory as every system will have its own figure.

Before any disposal process is adopted, every factory

Supplier technical support A wiredrawing factory should choose a lubricant supplier that can provide the correct and required technical support to enhance the process and assist the customer in times of change, such as when experience leaves the industry, which is particularly important in the current economic situation. A supplier should be able to train, educate and help new staff in procedures and emulsion maintenance practices to comply with quality, health and safety requirements, and serve as a partner and be able to answer all questions with technical credibility. See Fig. 8.

Technical support has to be more than condition monitoring analysis. It should include: product selection; emulsion preparation and water quality advice; comprehensive emulsion condition monitoring; emulsion lubrication, evaluation and advice; health and safety advice; training; emulsion disposal advice; system design and filtration recommendations; equipment recommendations; technical help lines; and local stock, expertise and support.

Fig. 11. Results of ultrafiltration process.

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Summary This paper discussed how productivity cost savings can be achieved specifically with care, attention and maintenance of wiredrawing emulsions. Some techniques are common sense, some are simple advice to improve the operating conditions of the wiredrawing emulsion and some are more complex, but all have a contributing factor to reduce the cost of the process and increase productivity.

Many techniques and much experience has been lost from the industry through factory personnel changes, and the need for the supplier to support their customers and

highlight cost saving options is ever more important. A wiredrawing lubricant may be the smallest cost item in the process but it remains one of the most influential.

Think productivity: how do you measure it? Are your procedures correct, and is your machine and copper wire drawing emulsion running to its maximum output? We hope this paper promotes the thought in your mind.

References 1. H.M. Wells and J.E. Southcombe, “The Theory and Practice of Lubrication: The “Germ” Process, J. Soc of Chem. Lnd., 39, pp. 51T-60T, 1920.

2. The Lean Enterprise Research Centre, Cardiff Business School. www.leanenterprise.org.uk.

3. UKLA, United Kingdom Lubricants Association, Product Stewardship Group, www.ukla.org.uk www.ukla.org.uk/MWFPSP2.

Duff

Phillips

Stuart Duff is an export manager for Kuwait Petroleum International Lubricants (KPIL), where he has served in a range of positions over 27 years, including development chemist, technical support, technical sales, industrial sales manager and export manager.

His lubricant focus and expertise includes the areas of wire and tube, rod rolling and the metal manufacturing industry. Mike Phillips is technical sales manager for KPIL UK. He has 28 years of lubricants experience in both the metal manufacturing sector and lubricants for specialized industries. Prior to entering the lubricants industry, he worked for 10 years in manufacturing and materials handling fields. This paper was presented at WAI’s 81st Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 2011.

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should evaluate their waste products and consider the likely toxic metals that may have accumulated.

Disposal costs are based on emulsion volumes and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values. One method for copper wiredrawing emulsion disposal, ultrafiltration, separates the oil and water parts of the emulsion, a technique that can reduce emulsion disposal costs by as much as 80 to 90%, providing significant cost savings. With ultrafiltration, which is widely used in other metal manufacturing companies, the emulsion is passed through a membrane filter that separates the oil and water layers. See Fig. 9. The oil layer, typically 10-20%, can be disposed of through a waste oil contractor. The remaining water permeate layer is further processed through a reverse osmosis system to reduce the dissolved copper level to a very low level. See Fig. 10. The end result of the process is clean water that can be disposed of safely in accordance with the local legislation or reused in the factory for emulsion make up-or treatment systems. The cost savings are substantial, as much as an 80-90% reduction. Fig. 11 shows the potential reduction results for different techniques.

The data in Fig. 11 show the condition of Germ-Allcard Priamus X7 emulsion that is 24 months old and has had no filtration and exposure to bacteria and tramp oil. The emulsion has a high conductivity, high chemical oxygen demand and high copper content. For copper wiredrawing factories, copper is the key “toxic” metal which is the costly part of the disposal, and the further elements in yellow show the classic “toxic six” (copper, chromium, cadmium, nickel, lead and zinc) where the sum of the parts per million for all six metals should not be above 10 ppm. Local conditions and specifications may apply so do check with your local legislative authority.

The Ultrafiltration water permeate is shown where the copper content is reduced from 1594 ppm to 93 ppm, and with further reverse osmosis the water permeate is reduced to 0.28 ppm, which is a trace level. The processed water is suitable for re-use for emulsion make-up, saving metered costs of water or normal disposal. Note: all emulsion systems at the end of their life will vary in the elements present, but it is fair to comment that with rising disposal costs the payback time for disposal equipment technology can normally be measured in less than two years. Overall, reducing disposal costs by up to 80-90% is also dependent on emulsion disposal volumes.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS & MEDIA PRODUCTS Fire-rated cable line meets the demanding requirements of NFPA U.S.-based Comtran Cable LLC has introduced VITALink®, a full line of two-hour, fire-rated circuit integrity cables developed specifically to meet the circuit “survivability” requirements of the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (NFPA 72).

A press release said that the low-smoke, zero-halogen cables, type FPLR-CI, are robust cables that meet increasing industry demand for Fire Alarm Circuit Integrity (CI) cabling that will support life and fire safety (survivability) for two hours for safe evacuation of building occupants. The cables, it said, can withstand harsh environments while being fully operational when installed in free air (CI) or in steel conduit (CIC) per (FHIT) System 35. They meet the requirements for Fire Alarm Circuit Integrity Cables when installed in accordance with standard code practices as defined in Article 760 of the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) for uses from tunnels and healthcare facilities to high-rise buildings and airports.

The cables, made to UL 2196, as CI cable, are also riser rated per UL 1666, with an insulation rating of 300 volts per NEC and 72 volts phase-ground or 125 volts phasephase under fire, the release said. Constructions include 12 thru 18AWG solid copper engineered to minimize embrittlement due to fire exposure; a halogen thermoset Fire-Roc™ Layer with color-coded twisted conductors.

O/A tape and a red LSZH polyolefin jacket, in shielded and unshielded designs, it said.

Contact: Comtran Cable, LLC, tel. 508-399-7004, www.comtrancorp.com.

Dual-upset vertical welder can process steel rod up to 26 mm Germany’s August Strecker GmbH & Co. KG has introduced a welder with a vertical orientation of the wire axis that can process wire rod up to 26 mm more efficiently.

Displayed earlier this year at wire Düsseldorf, the new dual-upset machine, type SS 120, can join the ends of hanging wire coils in the radius, e.g. without straightening the ends prior to welding, a press release said.

Further, the system has an automatic deburring process

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that produces welds of identical cross-section compared to the original material, it said, noting that makes it unnecessary to rework via manual flash removal. This is “an enormous step forward, considering that earlier, using conventional welding machines; the welding flash had to be removed through time-intensive manual work.

Automatic flash removal means not only enormous time savings, but also simplification of the operator’s work.

Additionally, there is no risk of wire breaks due to excessive deburring, i.e., reduction of the cross section at the welded joint,” it said.

The SS 120 produces welds of excellent quality as nearly all the heated and therefore molten material is pressed out of the joint, creating a weld with extremely high tensile strength, the release said. It added that the company offers a handling unit so operators no longer have to struggle grasping the wire rod and pulling it into the welder, which is a nearly impossible job for a single person anyway. “On the new design, the operator only manipulates the joy sticks to move the hydraulic arms and seize the material, bring it to an incorporated cutter which at the same time serves as a tool to centrically position the material in the welder.

Once the automatic welding and deburring cycle is finished, the arms again help to push the material back into position, e.g. reducing the risk of accidents by a wire snatching back due to self-tension in the material, etc.,” it said. Plans call for the size range to expand up to 30 mm by the end of this year, and there have already been inquiries for its use with ribbed concrete construction steel in larger dimensions, it said.

Contact: August Strecker GmbH & Co. KG, sales@strecker-limburg.de, www.strecker-limburg.de or www.streckerusa.com.

UV-resistant cables are described as ideal for auto and other end uses A new line of cables, EXAR 150FX-UV, from U.S.-based Champlain Cable Corporation, solves a problem that XLPE cables have historically had with exposure to direct sunlight.

A press release said that orange high-voltage XLPE cables used in the automotive industry “have historically been unsuitable for exposure to direct sunlight, and that the

tel. 800-451-5162, rantic@champcable.com, www.champcable.com.

Highly flexible aluminum power cable line has advantages for wind turbines Based in Germany, HELUKABEL® reports that it has introduced HELUWIND® WK POWERLINE ALU, aluminum power cable technology that offers “a giant leap forward” for wind turbines.

A press release said that the diesel locomotive (DLO)like power cable is made of finely-stranded aluminum and is highly flexible, offering customers the performance capabilities of a standard copper cable at a fraction of the cost. It is available in five sizes (300 kcmil to 750 kcmil AWG). “Since POWERLINE ALU is made of aluminum its weight is reduced by nearly 50 percent, it is quicker and easier to install, as well as being less expensive than

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need for UV resistant high-voltage power cables has been rapidly increasing in military, construction, mining and agricultural equipment where exposure to direct sunlight is common.”

The cable line, rated at 150°C and 600-1000 volts validation test, was subjected to 1500 hours exposure to the xenon arc accelerated UV/weathering test with no color fading and excellent subsequent mechanical and electrical performance, the release said. It noted that the test criteria are 25 times as stringent as those set by TÜV for solar applications, which means that end users can be confident in its UV capability.

“We’re excited to have developed this feature,” said Richard Antic, vice president, business development at Champlain Cable. “We see significant opportunities for this technology and have already had strong interest in the marketplace. Our independent thirdparty testing partner has validated that this is a significant improvement over any competing products on the market.”

Contact: Richard Antic, Champlain Cable Corporation,

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

comparable copper power cables,” said Uwe Schenk, HELUKABEL’s global segment manager - wind.

The release noted the following about traditional cables and the company’s new cable. “Aluminum power cables produced today are stiff and unable to bend, which prevents the installation of a single cable length. Wind turbine installers are forced to interrupt the cable by splicing it up to 80 times in four tower sections to connect the stiff aluminum cable across the length of the down tower. Once the base is reached, an additional interruption in the cable is needed to make the flex connection to the inverter. ... One length of (the new) cable can run from behind the drip loop in the down tower area directly to the inverter in the tower base. It requires only one splice, between the copper loop cable and the power line, and a crimp cable lug to connect the power line to the inverter. This enhanced installation procedure takes only four to six hours (not days).”

The new cable’s aluminum core is wrapped with heatresistant insulation and outer jacket so it is extremely durable and resistant to UV-light, oil and fire, the release said. It noted that the cable has an operating temperature range of -20°C (flexing) and -40°C (fixed) to +105°C (both); a bending radius 10 times (for flexing) and four times (fixed) the cable diameter.

The LSZH cable, the release said, meets ROHS requirements and comes in two standard types, 0.6/1 KV and 1.8/3 KV. It can be ordered in bulk or pre-assembled (includes tube connector and crimped cable lug). Both cable types are available as robust versions, which feature an abrasionresistant and cut-resistant outer jacket.

Contact: HELUKABEL® USA, tel. 847-930-5118, sales@helukabel.com,www.helukabel.com.

feeder runs, in-building runs, and any application requiring a 50 Ohm low loss RF cable, it said.

“Our Carol DBRF Coax cables have RF (radio frequency) performance that is comparable to traditional corrugated copper cables,” said Damien Sebald, product manager,

Carol Electronic Products, General Cable. “But unlike corrugated copper cables, they are highly flexible, non-kinking and easier to terminate. When compared to traditional braided RG coax cables, our DBRF cables offer lower attenuation and better RF shielding.”

Contact: General Cable, www.generalcable.com.

Bench-top system provides quicker automated tests of LAN/data cable U.S.-based Beta LaserMike, a leading global provider of precision measurement and control solutions, offers the DCM ES-2G cable test system for the automated testing of Category LAN/data cables.

The DCM ES-2G, a press release said, is an ideal benchtop test solution for compliance testing of high-performance, individually shielded, twisted-pair Cat. 7/7a cables up to 2 GHz. ISTP test heads provide an easy means for connecting a Cat. 7 cable to the test system, minimizing external influences and providing proper isolation. A UTP cable fixture extends the testing range, enabling cable producers

Flexible coaxial cable line offers advantages for wireless uses U.S.-based General Cable has introduced the DBRF flexible low loss 50 Ohm coaxial cables, a recent addition to the Carol® Brand Electronic wire and cable line that it described as offering multiple advantages to traditional cables.

A press release said that the coax cables were designed with Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) in mind, and are specifically intended for wireless applications such as: 2way land mobile radios, wireless Local Area Networks (IEEE 802.11), wireless internet (WISP), wireless broadband data, telemetry, wireless local loop and wireless cable (MMDS).

The DAS ability, the release said, is important as it allows one to communicate anywhere with wireless devices or cell phones, both indoors and out. DAS provide signal coverage anywhere outdoors or in buildings as part of their existing voice and data networks, while assisting with weak cellular phone service and improving Wi-Fi connections to smart phones, laptop computers or tablets, it said. The DBRF cables use standard connectors and are used in internal component and equipment wiring, inter- and intra-cabinet jumpers, base stations and antenna jumpers, tower and pole 80 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

to test non-individually shielded, twisted-pair Cat. 5/6 cables, it said.

The release said that the DCM ES-2G is also suitable for testing upcoming 40-Gigabit Ethernet cable applications.

The base unit, it noted, includes the automatic switching and baluns needed to interface the cable under test to an external vector network analyzer. The system uses a Windows-based software engine that includes a simple, easy-to-use test program with automatic comparison to the test specification, full test reporting, and data management, it said.

Contact: Beta LaserMike, www.betalasermike.com.

The Lincoln Electric Company has introduced two welding wires that it described as premium low-alloy, metal-cored wires designed to produce high strength, high toughness and H4 diffusible hydrogen weld deposits that

mer foam resin, FFR 880, provides superior dielectric-toconductor adhesion for micro coaxial designs, producing cable with increased data transmission speeds with least possible distortion and exceptional signal return loss and attenuation performance. The resin, it said, allows electronic manufacturers to continue development of innovative compact devices that require high-speed cable performance.

The release noted that, in testing, micro-coaxial cables using the FFR 880 foam resin had a conductor size of 28 AWG or smaller and a wall thickness of 0.002 inches or greater, with void content up to 55%, and providing similar electrical performance to cables made with expanded PTFE tape.

The increased versatility, the release said, offers an alternative to expanded PTFE tape. High processing speeds ease the manufacturing process, and when used with a gas-injection port on the extruder and installation of a nitrogen gas system, the nucleating package in the foam resin forms uniform foam cells in the insulation, a critical factor in resin stability and electrical performance, particularly in thin-wall applications, it said.

Contact: DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions, www.dupont.com/FFR880.

are required in many applications, such as heavy equipment and crane fabrication.

A press release from the U.S.-based company said that the two new welding wires, Metalshield® MC®-90 and Metalshield® MC® -110 have key features that include: low splatter and excellent arc stability; enhanced silicon island management; low-temperature impact properties capable of exceeding 40 J (30 ft•lbf) @ -51°C (-60°F) Charpy V-Notch test results; H4 diffusible hydrogen and deoxidizing agents that minimize pre- and post-weld clean up.

Both wires, the release said, are ideal for both semiautomatic and robotic applications with best-in-class operator appeal, low spatter and excellent arc stability as well easier slag control and removal because of enhanced silicon island management.

Both wires can be ordered in 500 lb Accu-Trak® drums, as well as 33 lb plastic spools. Standard wire diameters for both products are .045 in., .052 in. and .0625 in.

Further details can be found via bulletins available at the company’s website.

Contact: The Lincoln Electric Company, www.lincolnelectric.com.

Foamed resins can meet the need for ultra-thin gauge wire U.S.-based DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions has introduced a melt-processable foam resin that it reports is “an answer to the electronic and communications industries’ demand for an insulator designed for ultra-thin gauge wire.”

A press release said that DuPont™ Teflon® fluoropolyOCTOBER 2012 | 81

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Low-alloy, metal-cored welding wires offer low splatter, stability

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

MEDIA On-line index outlines clad wire range The full range of clad wire products offered by U.S. Anomet Products, Inc., can be found at the company’s website, where the supplier’s range is broken down for the applicable end uses (such as medical and electronic) as well as specific information about its technology.

At its website, the company presents its metal clad wire that can be formulated to meet specific OEM performance characteristics such as temperature and corrosion resistance or bio-compatibility, at about one-tenth the cost of solid wire. The metal-clad wire, it notes, features a smooth finish and is functionally equivalent to solid wire at about one-tenth the cost.

Typically replacing solid platinum, silver, and gold wire, these precious metals can be clad to lower cost core materials such as copper, Kovar®, nickel-iron, molybdenum, stainless steel, tantalum, and titanium, it reports.

Metallurgically bonded to the core material with 2% or more cladding thickness, Anomet precious metal clad wire is offered in 0.002 in. to 0.125 in. O.D. sizes and as ribbon up to 1 in. wide, the company reports. The metalclad wire is more ductile and formable than filled or plated products and applications include fabricating medical connectors, micro-switches, and other high-reliability components, it notes.

Contact: Anomet Products, Inc., tel. 508-842-3069, www.anometproducts.com.

NEMA standard covers different factors for arc welding power sources The National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA) has published NEMA EW 9 Arc Welding Power Sources–Energy Consumption Testing and Labeling.

A press release said that NEMA EW 9-2012 provides the necessary guidance for manufacturers and importers of arc welding power source equipment to meet in a uniform manner the energy consumption reporting requirements of the Mexican Law for Sustainable Energy Use, published in the Official Gazette of Federation, on November 28, 2008, article 23. The contents and scope can be seen at the NEMA website. A hard copy may be purchased for $48 by visiting global.ihs.com or by contacting IHS at tel. 800-854-7179 (U.S. only) or 303-3977956 (international).

Contact: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, www.nema.org.

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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 TECHNICAL SALES ENGINEER. As a leading importer of European machines for the wire and cable industry we are seeking a proven technical sales engineer. The ideal candidate would have a mechanical or electrical engineering degree, 2 to 3 years experience as a project engineer in a cable manufacturing facility and possibly 1 to 2 years in sales and reside in the OH, IN, PA, NC or GA area. A broad knowledge of the wire and cable manufacturing process is essential. Extensive travel throughout the USA and Canada is required to fulfill our sales and marketing philosophy of personal selling and relationship building with existing and new customers. After initial training in NC and NY the candidate would be home based. Salary is commensurate with experience. Please email resume with salary expectations to: Fritz@Carolina.rr.com.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE IS NEEDED IN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA. Manufacturer of flat, square, and shaped wire looking for sales representation in Texas and Oklahoma.

For inquires, please contact Bob Swanson @ 800.840.9481.

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 thousands of key individual contributors and managers.

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

DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance.

Contact: classified@wirenet.org for more details.

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 Sells Natural/PCD diamond dies.

Fair prices/excellent lead times.

Contact Paulette, Owner/Sales Tel. # 1 (508) 226-1508 or 1 (508) 226-0946 E-mail: apollodie@comcast.net

AJEX - WIRE & COMPACTING DIES. Ajex & Turner offers a wide range of Wire Drawing and Compacting Dies for any size in PCD, ND, Carbide and Nano at a very competitive price with a Conoptica Report.

We also make Extrusions Tools and machines for die polishing and regrinding and supply with die polishing accessories at free of cost. Kindly contact us by email: sales@ajexturner.com and visit our company’s website at: www.ajexturner.com.

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 2 - WARDWELL 24-C Braiders 2 - NEB 48-C #2 Harness Braiders, Long Legs, Motor 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 - COOK 36” Cabler, Model R8 1 - SYNCRO F13 Rod Breakdown, refurbished 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 3.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 2 - DAVIS STANDARD 2” 30:1; 2.5” 24:1 L/D HiTemp Extruders 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 1.25” 24:1 L/D Vertical Extruder 2 - SKALTEK Model A12P-4K Payoffs 1 - HALL 40” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer 1 - CLIPPER DF6 Dual Cone Flyer Payoff (24” Reels) w/Reel Jacks 1 - BARTELL 12-Bay B64 Tubular Strander 1 - ROSENDAHL 630mm Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, never used

1 - NOKIA Model EKP50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, 1997 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbished 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 2 - STERLING DAVIS 40” Take-ups, Model TURA40 2 - AL-BE Model MS12 Respoolers, 12” Reels 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Take-up 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 - KENRAKE Model TWD101 Twister 2 - TULSA Accumulators, 18’ height, 20x21 sheaves, 600’ accumulation 1 - FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 1 - EUBANKS Model 4000-04 Cut and Strip Machine 3 - CARPENTER Strippers, Model 70-B 1 - MICRODIA Crosshead, Model M9000/10XFL 1 - DCM Electronic Switching System, Model ES350PC 1 - FORMULABS ‘Codemaster 5’ Spiral Striper, w/5’ Oven

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

OCTOBER 2012 | 83

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS

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 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: 727-

863-4700 or by e-mail, please send to urbassoc@verizon.net.

MEDIA ELECTRICAL WIRE HANDBOOK SET. Focusing on the special needs of the insulated wire and cable industry, these books examine materi

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.

als, 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 set is divided into three separate handbooks. Part 1 is Wire and Cable Production Materials; Part 2 is Wire and Cable Production Processes, and Part 3 is Types of Cables. While the updated handbook includes the latest information available, the new format allows for more frequent future updates. Parts 1 and 2 are now available, The original handbook will be available until Part 3 is published. The price is $99, $59 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on the WAI Bookstore.

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. The book includes a supplementary CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI members, plus shipping.

To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

84 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE

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

Amacoil Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3

Dow Electrical & Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Amaral Automation Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Esteves Group USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

George Evans Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Bergandi Machinery Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

FLYMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

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

Fushi Copperweld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Caballe SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

GCR Eurodraw SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Cable Components Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 13, 15

Gem Gravure Co Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

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

Howar Equipment/Metavan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Commission Brokers Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Howar Equipment/Unitek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Conneaut Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Howar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Not All Cabl Cablee Jacket Strippers Stripppers Are Created Created Equal!

There’s the Hues There’s Huestis stis Industrial Cablee Jacket Stripper Stripper,, and then you hav have ve all the rest... rest We have have more more satisfied satisfied customers We customers than than anyone else else because because ours anyone ours works works the the best! best!

Safe and and quick quick — it it protects Safe protects the the valuable valuable core from from damage, damage, never never allowing allowing it it to to core touch the the blade, blade, shielded shielded by by our our patented patented touch process. Huestis Huestis Industrial Industrial machines machines — process. our performance iss legendary! legendary!

For more details or o to place an order, order, call call uuss aatt 8800-972-9222, 00-972-9222, or email us at sales@huestis.com sales@huestis.com

Model CJS 1000

Model BJS 1000 1000* Strippers can be customized to meet your specific requirements. * Model BJS 1000 is bench mounted. m s All other models are free standing.

ISO9001 ISO9001 REGISTERED

www.huestisindustrial.com www .huestisin ndustrial.com Air Wipes, Pay-offs, Take-ups, Taake-ups, Buncher Buncher h Pay-offs, Accumulators, Spoolers, Cold Pr essure W elders, Cable Jac cket Strippers, Custom Mac hinery Pressure Welders, Jacket Machinery

86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54, 86

Properzi International Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Queins Machines GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Leoni Wire Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Reel-O-Matic Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Messe Düsseldorf Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Nano-Diamond America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

SAMP USA Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Sheaves Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

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

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

Parkway-Kew Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

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

Steel Orbis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Power Sonics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

August Strecker GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Pressure Welding Machines Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Equipment Sales | Equipment Purchasing | Reconditioning Services www.wireandplastic.com | Info@wireandplastic.com

OCTOBER 2012 | 87

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE Teknor Apex Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2 US Synthetic Wire Die . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Vandor Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Windak Inc., USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Dec. 2012 WJI • Green Focus: Part 2 • wrapup: wire China Advertising Deadline: Nov. 1, 2012

Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Wyrepak Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18, 32 Zumbach Electronics Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS WAI Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Interwire 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Interwire 2013: Call for Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37-38

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

88 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SALES OFFICES ASIA/WAI INDIA OFFICE Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service International Spitzwegstraße 4 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

Wind up with an Amacoil/Uhing assembly for perfect pitch every time Pitch is adjustable (10:1) without requiring gear changes or adjusting motor speed. A single Amacoil/Uhing assembly may be used for winding many different diameter materials. Automatic reversal of the traverse is mechanically controlled – without clutches, cams or gears. No electronics or programming needed.

FEATURES • Zero backlash.

• Automatically synchronizes pitch with take-up reel rotational speed.

• Traverse drives with up to 800 lbs. axial thrust.

• Smooth, unthreaded shaft won't clog or jam – no bellows assembly needed.

• One inexpensive, unidirectional motor drives both the traverse and take-up reel.

• Free movement lever – no need to "jog" system on and off to position linear drive.

• Options and accessories for every winding situation.

• Light, medium and heavy-duty systems.

For Brochure or CD-ROM Call toll free 800-252-2645

email: amacoil@amacoil.com

www.amacoil.com AMACOIL, INC. PO Box 2228 • Aston, PA 19014 • Phone: 610-485-8300 • Fax: 610-485-2357