DECEMBER 2016
WIREE JOU JOURNAL
®
INTERNATIONAL www.wirenet.org
Readers ’ Choice:
SUBMARINE CABLES
The growth is stunning ...
wire China Wrapup
... and there’s no end in sight
What you see depends on what you look for.
Let’s start with your incoming e-mail. If you’re up for a quick look at everyday wire and cable manufacturing processes, we have just the medium for you: HardWIRED. This new educational e-newsletter and companion website from the Wire Association is the fastest way to learn manufacturing specifics without moving from your computer. It’s lively...complete with instructional videos that you can play {and replay} if you miss an important detail. Each segment is comprehensive and only minutes long so you can apply what you learn right away. The best part? HardWIRED comes to you. So double check your email in case you missed its speedy introduction.
Or sign up at: www.waihardwired.com
jack rabbit & driftwood jack rabbit | details count
Catch the next wave of innovation in education live & archived
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DECEMBER 2016
WIREE JOU JOURNAL
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Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
FEATURES
INTERNATIONAL www.wirenet.org
Readers ’ Choice:
CONTENTS
Volume 49 | Number 12 | December 2016
SUBMARINE CABLES
The growth is stunning ...
Patent Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 27
wire China Wrapup
... and there’s no end in sight
Event wrapups:
WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
IWCS 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 34
wire India 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Industry Profile. . . . . . . . . . . 52
WAI Mexico ITC . . . . . . . . . . 40
Technical Papers . . . . . . 60-76
Submarine cables . . . . . . . . . . 44
Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
This feature, chosen via the “Readers Choice,” looks at submarine cable systems, from a historical perspective and more.
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Career Opportunities . . . . . . 86
TECHNICAL PAPERS
Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . 87
Open fire furnace: a new concept for a more efficient use of energy René Branders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Next issue:
Properzi adds continuous rotary extrusion system to its range of equipment to provide an integrated solution for the production of ACSR/AS conductor Carmelo Maria Brocato. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
January 2017
• Compounds & colorants • Report to WAI members
UPCAST® GREENerCAST and beyond Juan Carlos Bodington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Cover: It may be easy to become blasé over the seemingly endless announcements of new submarine cable systems, but when one looks at the global picture the reality is stunning. Chart courtesy of Telegeography.com. DECEMBER 2016 | 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 28
ITC KIA tour rolled right along . 40
CONTENTS CONTENTS
A time-after-time WAI tradition
As a series of photos of his predecessors stream by on screen, Bridon-Bekaert’s John Churchfield, the 2016 clockwinder, looks at the framed list of participants after he completed his duties at WAI headquarters on Nov. 7. At left is WAI Past President John Drummond, and to his right are WAI Treasurer Dave LaValley and WAI President Andy Talbot. On the screen is a photo of the 1977 clockwinder, Geoffrey Firth, Smith Wires, Ltd., and his wife.
4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Some 40 attendees of WAI’s International Technical Conference in Mexico took part in a tour of automaker Kia’s new $1 billion factory site in Pesqueria, near Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo Leon. The highly automated plant is located on a 53.8- million-sq-ft site. Production began in May, with a first-year goal of 300,000 vehicles. The current production run is for 100,000 Kia Fortes.
EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL
®
EDITORIAL
The stage is now set for positive results The end of a year is an appropriate time to look forward. This year, regardless of our politics, I think I can safely say that we are all pleased to have the presidential election behind us. As we contemplate what 2017 will bring, we cannot discount the implications of this historic election. Like him or not, a complete outsider—with no political baggage—has ascended to the highest office. This signals a huge shift in government policy and direction. Manufacturing in America has had an almost adversarial relationship with the federal government for decades. The combined impact of tax, regulatory, healthcare, environmental, and trade legislation has reached critical mass, and the size and scope of bloated government encroaches deeper into the private sector every year. Donald J. Trump will soon be the 45th U.S. president. There are many unknowns, but we as manufacturers are hopeful that we will see a government shift to a pro-growth, pro-manufacturing agenda that allows us to once again become a nation of builders and doers. This is our heritage. We cannot tax our way out of massive national debt, we must grow our way out of it. Manufacturing is also ever-changing. Workforce development and technical advances provide new challenges for us each day. That is where the WAI’s scope shines with value, from conferences and trade shows to webinars and networking collaboration, and more. I am grateful to have served as the 2016 WAI president. It has given me an inside look at the incredibly wide range of individuals who collectively make it all work. Our industry is blessed with talented innovators. We are ready for the challenges and opportunities that 2017 will bring. I feel very good about our future.
And the WAI is moving forward One of the WAI’s greatest assets is our volunteer group. They are responsible for identifying the educational needs of the industry, such as the time-honored programs held at our annual events, but also the WAI’s newest educational product: HardWIRED, a re-birth of our long-time electronic newsletter, the WAI Connection. See Cover 2. What makes HardWIRED unique is the use of video to serve our educational mission. We know that visual learning is extremely effective, and as a result, our hopes are high that this compact, shop-floor focused service will become a welcome component for company training efforts. What exactly is it? To see the first two editions, go to www.waihardwired.com, and please do share it within your organization. We think you’ll like it.
Andy Talbot/Mid-South Wire WAI President
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I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Quality in its concentric form. With passion, we develop future-oriented measuring and control devices for quality assurance of wires and cables, such as the CENTERVIEW 8000. A non-contact gauge providing continuous concentricity, diameter and ovality measuring values during the extrusion process. An innovative scatter plot diagram shows the distribution of short-term concentricity variations to ensure a perfect conductor concentricity for increased cable quality and process optimization. – 8-point concentricity, 4-axis diameter and 8-point ovality measurement for highest precision even at micro-coax cables – auto-positioning of the gauge head to the conductor position for optimum ease of use
www.sikora.net/centerview8000 Visit us from May 8-11, 2017 at Interwire, Atlanta, GA
CALENDAR
CALENDAR May 8-10, 2017: Global Ferrous Rod & Wire Symposium Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, to be co-located with Interwire 2017, focuses on ferrous rod and wire processes, www.wirenet.org.
Oct. 3-5, 2017: Wire South America São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Imigrantes Exhibition & Convention Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.
May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, which will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 87th Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org.
Oct. 8-11, 2017: 66th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium Orlando, Florida, USA. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.
May 12-15, 2017: wire Russia Moscow, Russia. To be held at the EXPOCENTRE in Krasnaya Presnya, this event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.
Nov. 7, 2017: CabWire World Conference 2017 Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Center, this event is organized by U.K.-based International Wire & Machinery Association. Contact: IWMA, tel. 44-121-781-7367, info@iwma.org, www.iwma.org.
June 9-11, 2017: Wire & Cable Guangzhou 2017 Guangzhou, China. To be held at the China Import Export Fair Complex. Contact: Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co., tel. 86-20-38251558, wire@china. messefrankfurt.com, www.wire-cable-china.com. Sept. 19-21, 2017: wire Southeast Asia 2017 Bangkok, Thailand. To be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), this event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.
May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, includes the Association’s trade show, technical programs and 88th Annual Convention.
WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS January 26, 2017: New England Chapter Annual Meeting Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 203453-2777, abzowski@wirenet.org. May 8-10, 2017: Global Ferrous Rod & Wire Symposium Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, to be co-located with Interwire 2017, focuses on ferrous
8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
rod and wire processes. www.wirenet.org. May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 87th Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org.
May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, includes the Association’s trade show, technical programs and 88th Annual Convention.
INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS JDR reports winning its largest-ever cable contract for offshore project JDR, a leading supplier of subsea power cables and umbilicals to the global offshore energy industry, announced that it has won a contract by DONG Energy to supply subsea power cables for the Hornsea Project One. Per the company, with a total capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW), Hornsea Project One will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm and the first to exceed 1 GW capacity. The project, located 120 km off the Yorkshire coast, will meet the electricity needs of well over 1 million UK homes. The contract, which is the largest array cable award in JDR’s history, calls for the company to design and manufacture 242 km of array cables, covering two thirds of the total wind farm capacity. JDR will also provide terminations, hang-off arrangements and additional accessories as well as services at the site.
A Chinese conundrum? Did you know that China filed the most patent applications in 2015, but that it trailed in a different category, one that might be even more meaningful? See p. 20. Per the release, in 2016, JDR and DONG Energy developed a collaboration agreement to identify, develop and implement initiatives in key focus areas including health, safety, environment, quality performance and cost of electricity, including risk and schedule optimization. The Hornsea Project One contract follows the signing of an array cable framework agreement between the parties in 2015 and the subsequent award of the Racebank offshore wind farm array cable contract in September 2015. JDR reported that it will manufacture the cables at its facility in Hartlepool, U.K., with batch deliveries scheduled for the third quarter in 2018 and the second quarter in 2019.
Hitchcock Enterprises acquires Siri Wire
A view of the layout for Hornsea Project One. “This contract award demonstrates our leadership position in the array cable market and is the second award to date for JDR under our partnership agreements with DONG Energy,” said JDR CEO David Currie. “Our collaboration is encouraging technology development to support technical and commercial cost reduction, which is a critical element of our long-term strategy. ” Richard Turner, COO of JDR, adds: “Hornsea Project One is a major milestone for JDR as it is the largest array cable contract award in our history. It is also a significant step towards the Government’s aspirations to increase the role of renewable energy in the UK’s energy mix.” Baroness Neville-Rolfe, UK Energy Minister, comments: “We are building a strong, competitive UK supply chain to support our leading offshore wind industry. Businesses in the U.K. have greater certainty than ever before thanks to government support. “This agreement between JDR and DONG Energy is a great example of how this newfound certainty can drive local jobs and growth through the UK supply chain.”
Hitchcock Enterprises announced that it has acquired Siri Wire Co., a stainless steel wire producer. A press release said that Siri Wire will continue operations at its plant in Danielson, Connecticut. The company also produces nickel alloy wire. “Providing products to the automotive, spring, wire forming and cold-heading industries, Siri Wire will continue to build on a strong foundation with new product offerings,” the release said. Current Siri management will continue to lead day-to-day operations, it said. Per the Siri Wire website, the company was founded in 1992 by the Bond family to provide cold heading quality stainless steel wire for its sister company, Abbott Ball.
Rea and Viakable plan to create JV to market magnet wire in North America The Rea Magnet Wire Company (Rea) and Magnekon, a division of Viakable, announced that they plan to form a joint venture to serve magnet wire customers, primarily in North America. A press release said that the JV—to be called Rea Magnekon, and headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana—will combine the NAFTA assets of both companies, as well as leverage operational and supply chain synergies. It also includes an enamel manufacturing plant, Kemek, that is part of Magnekon. Rea will own a majority interest in the JV. “This agreement represents each organization’s strong
Got news? E-mail it to the WJI at editor@wirenet.org.
10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
General Cable Corp. plans to close the remainder of its Asia Pacific businesses U.S.-based General Cable Corp. announced that it intends to close its local Asia Pacific operations, making 160 people redundant, after failing to find a buyer for its remaining Asia Pacific businesses, including the New Zealand unit. An announcement said that General Cable Corp. has started a consultation with its workforce over plans to wind down and close its manufacturing and support operations in Christchurch and Auckland. If the plan goes ahead, manufacturing will continue until the end of March next year. “The proposal has been made with reluctance after reflection on the performance and long-term prospects of the business in its current form and the overall industry conditions in the region,” Oceania Managing Director David Peterson said. “We have made a concerted effort to change the business to meet market challenges, through a reorganization in New Zealand announced earlier this year, and through the closure of the Australian sales offices. Regrettably, these changes have not been sufficient to overcome the fundamental issues.” The company said its remaining Chinese, Australian and New Zealand businesses no longer meet the “held for sale” criteria and would not be presented as discontinued in the group accounts. Earlier this year, General Cable laid off about 50 staff at its Christchurch facility as part of a trans-Tasman restructure that included dumping the production of medium voltage and traditional multiwire phone cable. In other news, General Cable reported that its operations in Venezuela have been written off, and will no longer be a factor going forward.
Wire & cable in the news Wire in food = bad taste for famous chef Restauranteur Daniel Boulud, the well-known chef of New York City Midtown restaurant, db Bistro Moderne, got the worst kind of review: from a federal court jury. The jury, five women and three men, ordered Boulud to pay $1.3 million for serving a customer a piece of wire brush in a $32 plate of coq au vin. The penalty to be paid to retired lawyer Barry Brett includes $300,000 for injuries to his esophagus, and a $1 million as a warning to the restaurant and other eateries. “In speaking with the jurors afterwards, they were shocked that one of the most famous chefs in the world had no oversight, no polices, no procedures, no nothing which would have prevented this incident from occurring,” said Brett’s attorney Elizabeth Eilender. ” Per published reports, Brett dined at the restaurant in February 2015 when he swallowed the one-inch bristle. He nearly died from a resulting infection, Eilender said. The chef and his legal team reportedly plan to Daniel Boulud appeal the decision. Any wire grill brush, cheap or expensive, can lose a wire. If it is picked up on the grill and is swallowed, a person may not realize it for weeks. By then, the wire, embedded in soft tissues, is very difficult to remove. They are hard to detect because the bristles are so thin they don’t always show up on X-rays. As for an alternate cleaning method, one report sugested using a balled-up piece of aluminum foil gripped between metal grill tongs to scrape a grill.
Primetals Technologies reports that it will upgrade steel rod mill in Vietnam U.S.-based Primetals Technologies reports that it will upgrade the steel wire rod mill of Vina Kyoei Steel, Ltd., in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, a deal that it notes represents the “first direct contract” with such a customer in the country. A press release said that the Vina Kyoei upgrade will enable Vina Kyoei to improve its wire rod quality. The upgrade includes replacing the existing pinch roll and laying head, installing an SR Series pipe to extend laying head pipe life and improve laying pattern as well as plus motors, drives and automation to interface with the
DECEMBER 2016 | 11
INDUSTRY NEWS
commitment to provide customers with the best overall value in magnet wire and related wire products and will better enable us to meet the expressed needs of our North American customers,” said Rea CEO/President Scott Harrison. No specific timetable was cited for the JV formation, and due to governmental filing requirements, the transaction is currently under regulatory review in Mexico. Rea, a global wire manufacturer, has extensive operations in the U.S., Mexico, and China. It established its first international joint venture in China in 2002. Rea has approximately 1,800 employees in North America and China. Viakable’s magnet wire production line was launched in 1956 and later expanded in 1997 as Magnekon. Today, it manufactures aluminum and copper conductors, including rectangular and square wire.
Vina Kyoei representatives observe Morgan High Speed Head testing at the Primetals Technologies facility ALaying total of 22 presentations were made in two tracks. in Worcester, Massachusetts. the company’s success. Probst control reportedsystem. that electrical systemsisfor vehicles existing Commissioning expected by have evolved to support new features demanded by early next year. customers. Today,Vina the wiring system for the average Per the release, Kyoei Steel, established in 1994, vehicle includes 3,000 meters, with 1,500 cables is a joint venture company with Kyoei Steelsingle of Japan. and 3,000 contacts. Those products, he said, represent a Located outside Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam, labor-intensive assembly business, and as result, they now it has annual capacity of nearly 1 million metric tons for have 70,000 employees in 82 wire plantsrod, worldwide. a product range that includes rebar, threaded The ferrous track was a collection outstanding, comdeformed bars, plain round bars and of angles.
Belden Inc. has twice asked the Board of Directors of Digi International, Inc., to accept an all-cash offer for the company, and has twice been rejected. The company is now offering the bid, approximately $380 million, to Digi shareholders in hopes they will approve it. A press release from Belden said that its offer would give Digi shareholders $13.82 in cash, a 25% premium over its share price of $11.05 on Thursday, November 10. As of press time, there was no resolution to the pursuit of the downstream company acquisition, which Belden has described as a win-win deal for both companies. The offer values Digi at around $242 million at enterprise value. “In disclosing its offer, Belden is appealing directly to Digi’s shareholders to persuade them of the ‘compelling strategic fit inherent in a combination of the two companies’,” the release said. “The addition of Digi to Belden’s Industrial IT platform would create a unique and broad portfolio of wireless and embedded solutions for customers across a number of vertical markets. Further, Digi would benefit from Belden’s proven business system which would provide access to new growth markets. CabWire a combination of educationand andtechmarketBelden and offered Digi have a history of commercial ing collaboration, opportunities which in a congenial nical providessetting. Belden confidence of the strong strategic fit with Digi.
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DECEMBER 2015 | 41
EVENT WRAPUP
INDUSTRY NEWS
Its twice-made company acquisition bid spurned, Belden turns to shareholders
Timing is the challenge for anticipated power cable order for General Cable As General Cable continues its reorganization, the timing of the planned closing of its plant in Malvern, Arkansas, could pose problems for an order for the proposed Plains & Eastern Clean Line (Clean Line), a $2.5 billion power transmission project. Per an article in Arkansas Business, the Clean Line is a 720-mile power transmission project that will carry up to 4,000 megawatts of Oklahoma-generated wind electricity to a site near Memphis. In 2011, General Cable was deemed a preferred supplier, and was expected to supply a considerable amount of the power cable. The Malvern plant, however, is scheduled to shut down. The story cited Charlie Schicht, General Cable’s external communications manager, as saying that about half the plant will be idled by year’s end, and be fully closed by mid-2017. However, he added, “there is the chance that additional business could extend this timeline.” At first glance, closing a plant when a sizable order is expected may not make seem to make sense, but mucking the waters up is another timing issue: some landowners are opposing the project in federal court, so there is no guarantee that the order will be forthcoming. Clean Line Executive Vice President Mario Hurtado emphasized that the power line planners still hope to get Malvern-made cable. “We’ve worked with General Cable over the last five years to source conductor from its Malvern facility,” Hurtado said. “General Cable announced at the end of 2015 that this facility was slated for closure. Since that time, Clean Line has been exploring options to continue to source the conductor from General Cable’s facility in Malvern.” As with many things in life, it’s all a matter of timing.
Fire on cable connecting 2 reactors a concern at nuclear power plant On Tuesday, Nov. 8, the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York, operated by Entergy, experienced an electrical fire on a cable running between the two reactors after a bushing on a 138-kilovolt line failed. Per media reports, the small fire on the cable self-extinguished moments after the fault occurred, reported to (continued on p. 16)
DECEMBER 2016 | 13
INDUSTRY NEWS
Belden notes that it has a strong track record of successfully acquiring and integrating a diverse range of businesses. Since 2007, Belden has deployed over $2.8 billion toward M&A to accelerate its strategic transformation.
INDUSTRY NEWS
UL to industry: time to clarify some misconceptions Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which is well known for its industry standards, asked to issue an statement to the industry about Low Smoke Halogen Free (LSHF) products. Below are the edited comments by UL Senior Staff Engineer Robert Bellassai, RCDD. There is a lot of confusion in the industry regarding claims, mostly self-certified, of low smoke halogen free cables and the materials used in these cables. Product claims about low smoke halogen free (LSHF)—also known by the industry as low smoke zero halogen (LSZH)—have been with us for some time now. Of note, these claims are frequently self-certified and tests used may not be standards based. More importantly, there are some misconceptions about what some tests actually cover, which this article aims to clear up. LSHF products, which originated in Europe and the US in the 1970s. In the 1980s they were used in applications such as the London Underground, U.K. Navy and North Sea offshore oil drilling plat-forms. LSHF cables were installed in confined spaces where the toxicity and corrosivity of the smoke generated in a fire would be particu-
larly problematic. The adoption of LSHF cable products has been slow in the U.S., but that has changed due to some high-profile fires. A key example is the Jan. 12, 2016 L’Enfant Plaza incident1 in Washington DC, where an electrical malfunction fire filled a tunnel with smoke, killing one person and injuring others. LSHF cable products have traditionally been found in the power and control categories, but now have branched out to categories including data/telecom cables, fiber optic cables and appliance wire and cable. They also are being used in more locations than the traditional confined spaces (tunnels, subways, ships, submarines and mines), and are now also found in hospitals and data centers. UL will be proposing the optional HF and LSHF Marking for the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) revision cycle. Asia and South America are also adopting LSHF wire and cable, which
The five halogen elements are shown in yellow in the Periodic Table of the Elements. 14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
has been the EU approach to cable standards. In a global economy manufacturers now Bellassai have access to a standards-based LSHF cable designation, cable designers can produce one design that can be sold and applied around the world. To better understand LSHF, we need to consider what a halogen is in terms of the Periodic Table of Elements. The five halogen elements found in column 17 are fluorine, chlorine, bromine, astatine and iodine. The three primary elements found in insulation, filler and jacket materials/components are chlorine, bromine and fluorine. Four predominant wire and cable industry standards—IEC 60754-1, IEC 60754-2, IEC 61249-2 Nonhalogenated series and MIL DTL24643C Part 3.3 (NEMA WC57)— continue to be the source of some of the confusion regarding the halogen content of cable and materials. In particular, there is still an incorrect association, primarily with IEC 60754-1, “Test on gases evolved during combustion of materials from cables – Part 1: Determination of the halogen acid gas content,” and IEC 60754-2, “Test on gases evolved during combustion of materials from cables – Part 2: Determination of acidity (by pH measurement) and conductivity.” These standards do not test for or reference chlorine, bromine or fluorine content levels; they are methods to test the halogen acid content— (via titration method in the case of IEC 60754-1 and pH & conductivity for IEC 60754-2—established from
a Performance Level Category (PLC). The PLC chart as shown in Table 8.1 of UL 2885 was developed by UL and is not found in IEC 60754-1. Combustible materials (insulation, jacket, fillers, tapes, etc.) evaluated under this service/standard(s) would not make claims or assertions to the halogen content of the material(s) and are not appropriate for use in validating cable products or their material components as non-halogen (ed.), zero halogen, halogen-free, low halogen or LSZH. IEC 60754-2. Combustible materials for this standard under UL 2885 are evaluated for pH and conductivity. Combustible materials (insulation, jacket, fillers, tapes, etc.) evaluated under this service/standard(s) would not make claims or assertions to the halogen content of the material(s) and are not appropriate for use in validating cable products or their material components as non-halogen (ed.), zero halogen, halogen-free, low halogen or LSZH. IEC 62821-1/-2. Under the UL 2885 standard, combustible materials are evaluated for halogen content. Materials evaluated under this standard will allow for the “HF” material Recognition designation for any combustible compound/ component in a finished cable. Suppliers of insulation and jacket compounds and cable components may choose to obtain a material Recognition for any one or more of the above standards. For wire and cable manufacturers, UL established a “-HF” and “-LSHF” cable surface Mark designation in
accordance to IEC 62821-3 (e.g. Type CMR-LSHF or OFNR-LSHF, TC-LSHF, RHHW-HF, CM-HF, SJOHF, etc.). We announced this program in an Announcement Bulletin, “Halogen Free (HF) and Low Smoke Halogen Free (LSHF) Service Offering for Wire and Cable,” dated 2015-0220. Under the “-HF” and “-LSHF” cable program, all combustible materials (insulation, jacket, fillers, tapes, wraps, shields, etc.) must first be recognized under UL’s material Recognition Program as per UL 2885 (described above) or tested individually by the cable manufacturer. The cable manufacturer would be authorized to use these HF Recognized materials in order to apply the “-HF” and “-LSHF” optional cable surface mark. Under the optional cable surface mark program, no reference is permitted, within the UL print legend surface print, regarding non-halogen, non-halogenated, zero halogen, low halogen or LSZH or reference material provided by the cable manufacturer as these designations are not covered in the IEC 62821-3 standard. Currently, UL has certified seven wire and cable companies to mark certain cable constructions as “HF” & “LSHF” and 10 suppliers of HF compound material to the wire and cable industry. Should you have any questions or wish to submit your product for testing to this new program, please contact Robert Bellassai at UL’s office in Melville, New York, at tel. 631-5462871, Robert.W. W Bellassai@ul.com. W.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
the combustion of the tested material. Also, for IEC 60754-2, the minimum pH value of 4.3 and maximum conductivity of 10 μS/mm are described as “recommended performance requirements” as shown in Annex A. This recommendation implies that these requirements are “suggestive” as opposed to “normative” requirements. The IEC recently developed the LSHF 62821-1, -2 & -3 standard series, ”Electric Cables – Halogen Free, Low-Smoke, ThermoplasticInsulated and Sheathed Cables of Rated Voltages Up to and Including 450/750 V.” This series is one of the first to provide component material hydrogen free (HF), complete cable smoke requirements and applicable LSHF cable surface marking. As a result of the publication of this standard, UL launched two new certification programs: a material Recognition service and an optional cable surface mark program. The material Recognition service uses test methods from IEC 607541/-2 and IEC 62821-1/-2 as described under Subject Outline UL 2885, “Outline of Investigation for Acid Gas, Acidity and Conductivity of Combusted Material and Assessment of Halogens,” dated 2015-02-12. This service is geared to support suppliers of insulation and jacket compounds, and cable components such as fillers, tapes, wraps, and the like. It can be summarized as follows: IEC 60754-1. Under the UL 2885 standard, combustible materials are evaluated for the amount of Hydrogen Chlorine (HCl) and then classified to
INDUSTRY NEWS
Entergy. There was no impact on plant operations and no injuries as a result of the event, and both plants continued to operate at full power. One report, in the Peekskill Patch, cited a representative from Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy group, warning that the small fire was still cause for concern. “This latest incident at the aging nuclear power plant is disturbing,” said Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay. “It is one of more than a dozen at the plant in the past year and a half, which include fires, explosions, integrity issues inside one reactor, and various equipment failures. These repeated and continuing problems add to the evidence that this nuclear power plant is no longer reliable and needs to be shut down.” “There is an ongoing investigation by New York State regarding Indian Point’s safety and we expect to hear from them soon,” Gallay said. “This plant is just not safe to operate.”
Prysmian helps restore service to damaged Columbian hydroelectic plant Prysmian Mexico reports that earlier this year, with some key help, it was able to get power restored to Columbia’s Guatapé hydroelectric plant, which had suffered damage from a fire. The key, it said, was cooperation from two customers: Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), a residential public utilities company in Colombia, and Mexico’s state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).
“Knowing well the emergency situation and its potential effects, Prysmian offered EPM to negotiate with one of its Mexican customers, CFE, which already had in its warehouses the cables needed by their Colombian counterpart. Prysmian had previously supplied the 230 kV XLPE cables to the Mexican utility CFE, but they had not yet been installed at the time of the fire. “Therefore, Prysmian Mexico proposed that CFE (lend) 30 km of 230 kV 1200 mm² XLPE cable in order to replace the four oil-filled power cable circuits at Guatapé and to arrange urgent reinstatement of the cables on stock for CFE. The total value of the project for Prysmian was in the range of US$15 million, of which US$8 million was for the cable portion.” Following all necessary agreements and authorizations, the Mexican government supported Colombia with the loan of 57 reels for a total of 30 km of 230 kV power cable. Normally, the 230 kV cables would be transported by ship from Veracruz in Mexico to Cartagena, a journey that usually takes from six to eight days. From there the cables would travel nearly 700 km over land from the port of Cartagena to the hydro plant in Guatapé near Medellin. EPM, however, pursued an unconventional solution: the cables, together with tools and accessories, were shipped from Mexico to Rionegro’s José María Córdova airport in Colombia, using two Ukraine-flagged, Russian-built Antonov 124-100 specialized transport aircraft. The transport required eight round trips between Mexico City and Rionegro.
Cable was redirected from a Prysmian customer, by truck and by air, for an emergency repair project in Colombia. Per the company, the Central Guatapé dam is the largest one in Colombia. Located in Antioquia, the plant was built in the late 1960s and is owned by the utility EPM. The plant has a generating capacity of 560 MW delivered through eight sets of Pelton turbines, each one generating 70 MW, collectively producing around 4% of the total generation capacity in Colombia. The turbines are located in the powerhouse which is approximately 400 meters underground and the generated power is exported through four circuits of 230 kV oil-filled cables through a single 2.3-km-long tunnel. In February, the hydroelectric plant was damaged by a fire in the roundhouse that required the replacement of the 230 kV oil-filled cables in the shortest time possible. 16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
A team of 100 EPM staff from different departments in the organization, together with 15 Mexican Prysmian specialists, re-established operations at the Guatapé hydroelectric plant, allowing it to reopen in June, not July. “We are very pleased to have collaborated in this project for EPM,” said of Prysmian Mexico COO Jaouad Ben-Hamman. “Having managed to finish ahead of time is a great satisfaction for us as a company. We know that this would not have been possible without the help of (CFE): to them our appreciation and gratitude. ... For Prysmian, it was a great honor to play a key role in a project of this magnitude, building on the brotherhood of two countries that helped strengthening friendship ties between Mexico and Colombia,” he added.”
INDUSTRY NEWS
U.K. government plans to make major investment in 5G and fiber U.K. telecoms companies have welcomed government plans to commit up to £1billion to the development of 5G and fiber-to-the-property (FTTP). Per media reports, Chancellor Phillip Hammond announced the plans in his Autumn Statement. He will commit the money to spur the rollout of fiber connections and 5G, which was expected to launch during 2020. He said that the U.K. must move towards FTTP technology, with speeds of up to 1 Gbps currently on offer. This compares with an average internet of speed of just 28.9 Mbps across the U.K. currently, per regulator Ofcom. “The Treasury believes the money will help at least two million more homes and business get this ‘full-fiber’ broadband, which is often considered the future of high speed internet,” Hammond said. Hammond also reported a plan to invest £400 million for a new Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund, which will be doubled by private investment, aimed to help fiber providers looking to expand their range of services. Broadband provider CityFibre welcomed the announcement, saying the government support will serve as a “catalyst” for Britain’s fiber future. “As a pure fiber infrastructure pioneer and the company behind the U.K.’s growing ranks of Gigabit Cities, CityFibre welcomes the Chancellor’s support to accelerate the deployment of fibre and 5G to homes and businesses,” said CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch. “Britain’s industrial strategy needs a digital backbone, and it is essential that we move quickly to plug the U.K.’s ‘fiber gap’ and empower our service-based economy. This new funding, stimulating competitive fiber rollout at scale by new communications infrastructure builders, is a catalyst for the delivery of the U.K.’s fiber future.” Although the U.K. government has previously launched investment schemes into improving broadband services, this is the first time it will focus on a specific technology, namely FTTP (also known as fibre-to-thehome/premises). Just 2% of U.K. residents currently have access to FTTH connections. Vodafone UK claims that, without the government intervention, just 6.5% of homes will receive full fiber by 2020 due to BT’s focus on G.fast technology. The mobile operator contrasts this with Sweden and Spain, where more than 80% of homes are passed by fiber, a figure is expected to top 95% by 2020. “We welcome the Government’s move to focus on providing full fiber and we call upon BT to be up-front with the British public about its roll out plans and acknowledge that G.Fast will do nothing to help those stranded on archaic and woefully inadequate broadband today,” said a Vodafone spokeswoman. “BT is pushing a muddled compromise rooted in the past, while the rest of the world is focused on building the Gigabit Society at light speed over fiber.” DECEMBER 2016 | 17
PATENTS
Patent REPORT Technical advances are a necessity for any industry, and to that end, companies invest considerable resources in R&D. This monthly section will list the abstracts of recently approved U.S. patents. Most are direct to wire and cable while a few may be more indirect/downstream. Wire harness 9,490,613 Nov. 8, 2016 Filed: July 28, 2011 Yazaki Corporation, Japan Takashi Kato, Eiichi Toyama A wire harness includes a high-voltage wire and a pipe member for receiving the high-voltage wire. The pipe member is provided, at a plurality of points thereon, with crushed portions formed by crushing a pipe outer surface inward. The crushed portions are formed as portions to which clamps are to be attached. The crushed portions are formed and positioned in correspondence with positions of L-shaped brackets. The crushed portions are formed as portions for generating protrusions on a pipe inner surface, and the protrusions serve as a contact supporting point for the high-voltage wire.. U.S. Patent No.: Patent date: Assignee: Inventors:
High performance cable with faraday ground sleeve U.S. Patent No.: 9,490,588 Patent date: Nov. 8, 2016 Filed: July 3, 2012 Assignee: Molex, LLC, U.S. Inventors: Frank Keyser, Reggie Crane An improved termination assembly for a multi-wire cable is disclosed. The assembly includes a carrier member that includes wire nest portions spaced along a base portion. The wire nest portions are hollow enclosures that contact the exterior grounding shields of the cable wires so as to electrically interconnect all of the cable wires together through a common ground.
Combined optical fiber and power cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,488,793 Patent date: Nov. 8, 2016 Filed: Sept. 3, 2014 Assignee: Corning Optical
Communications LLC, U.S.
Inventor: James Arthur Register III
A combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable is provided. The cable includes a cable body having an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body. The cable includes an optical transmission element located within the channel and a copper electrical conducting element located within the channel. The cable includes a plurality of tensile strength yarn stands located within the channel.
Electric cable wear control system U.S. Patent No.: 9,488,688 Patent date: Nov. 8, 2016 Filed: June 12, 2014 Assignee: Commissariat a L’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, France Inventors: Ghislain Despesse, Mikael Carmona, Jean-Michel Leger, Alexander Paleologue A system including: a cable including: a core capable of transporting at least one useful electric signal; a sheath surrounding said core; at least one conductive wear detection strand embedded in the sheath and substantially extending along the entire length of the cable; and at least one reference conductive element which is not connected to said at least one wear detection strand and substantially extends along the entire cable length; and a control unit capable of measuring the capacitance or the resistance formed between said at least one strand and the reference conductive element.
Manufacturing method of superconducting wire and superconducting wire made thereby U.S. Patent No.: 9,484,129 Patent date: Nov. 1, 2016 Filed: Aug. 29, 20133 Assignee: Suban Co., Ltd., South Korea Inventors: Seung Hyun Moon, Woo Suk Chung,
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Noise suppression cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,484,128 Patent date: Nov. 1, 2016 Filed: Feb. 13, 2015 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Yoshinori Sunaga, Naofumi Chiwata Takahiro Sugiyama A noise suppression cable includes an insulated wire, an internal magnetic tape layer including a resin layer and a magnetic material layer formed on one surface of the resin layer, the internal magnetic tape layer being spirally wound on a periphery of the insulated wire in a first direction along a longitudinal direction of the cable so as to allow the magnetic material layer of the internal magnetic tape layer to face outside, and an external magnetic tape layer including a resin layer and a magnetic material layer formed on one surface of the resin layer, the external magnetic tape layer being spirally wound on a periphery of the internal magnetic tape layer in a second direction different from the first direction along the longitudinal direction of the cable so as to allow the magnetic material layer of the external magnetic tape layer to face inside.
Differential signal transmission cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,484,127 Patent date: Nov. 1, 2016 Filed: Nov. 19, 2013 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Takahiro Sugiyama, Hideki Nonen, Takashi Kumakura A differential signal transmission cable includes a pair of conductors arranged to be distant from each other and parallel to each other, an insulator covering the pair of conductors, the insulator having a transversal cross section including a width in a minor axis direction and a width in a major axis direction greater than the width in the minor axis direction, and an outer periphery shape having curved lines, and a shield conductor wound around the insulator, the shield conductor including a seam or an overlapping region along a longitudinal direction of the insulator.
Patent Facts Part 1: The global leader in patent apps? Yes, it’s China...but that’s not the full story Ironically, there’s no world record for the country holding the most world records, but if it did exist, China would most likely top the list. Given that, maybe it’s not surprising that China holds the record for the most “invention” patent applications (excludes “utility” and “design”) for 2015. By far. Way far. But just how meaningful is that record? Per the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China set a record in 2015 by filing more than a million invention applications for the first time ever within a single year. Globally, some 2.9 million invention patent applications were filed in 2015, up 7.8% from 2014. China accounted for 1,010,406, followed by the U.S. (526,296), Japan (454,285) and South Korea (213,694). Patent applications filed in China in 2015
Total number filed:
2,639,446
Source: China’s State Intellectual Property Office.
Of note, most Chinese patents were ” comparatively home-focused.” Chinese patent-seekers filed 42,154 applications for patents outside their own borders, while U.S.-based innovators were the most outward-looking, with 237,961 patent applications filed abroad. The U.S. was followed by Japan (195,446) and Germany (101,892). Approximately 1.24 million patents were granted worldwide in 2015, up 5.2% from 2014, the fastest growth rate since 2012. This was due mainly to an increase of grants in China, which issued 359,316 patents in 2015 to surpass the U.S. (298,407) as the largest patent issuing office. Some questions have been raised about the significance of those numbers. One report suggested that some Chinese invention patent applications do not meet the “non-obvious step” standard. In the next issue, Part 2 will focus on similar details for trademarks and industrial design applications.
DECEMBER 2016 | 19
PATENTS
Jae Hun Lee, i, KR), KyuHan Choi, DeaWon Song, ByeongJoo Kim, SangJun Ahn Provided is a method of manufacturing a superconducting wire. A superconducting tape having an outer surface is provided, a copper layer is formed on the outer surface of the superconducting tape, and first metal tape and second metal tape are respectively attached on a first surface and a second surface of the superconducting tape on which the copper layer is formed.
PATENTS
to 20 parts by mass of a plasticizer, 1 to 6 parts by mass of a chlorinated polyethylene, and 1 to 6 parts by mass of an MBS resin, and a total amount of the chlorinated polyethylene and the MBS resin is 2 to 7 parts by mass. The wire has an external diameter of smaller than 1.1 mm, and has a conductor 1 and an insulator 2 that covers the conductor 1. The insulator 2 is made of the covering material, and has a thickness of 0.25 mm or smaller. Covering material for electric wire, insulated electric wire, and wiring harness U.S. Patent No.: 9,484,126 Patent date: Nov. 1, 2016 Filed: Nov. 8, 2013 Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. Sumitomo Wiring systems, Ltd. Sumitomo Electric industries, Ltd., all Japan Inventors: Toyoki Furukawa, Masashi Sato; Masahiro Nakamura A covering material for electric wire, and an insulated electric wire and a wiring harness including the same, wherein the wire including the covering material has a reduced diameter, is inserted into a connector. The covering material containing a polyvinyl chloride having, with respect to 100 parts by mass of the polyvinyl chloride, 10
Optical fiber cable with anti-split feature U.S. Patent No.: 9,485,838 Patent date: Nov. 1, 2016 Filed: Feb. 20, 2015 Assignee: CCS Technology, Inc., U.S. Inventors: James Arthur Register III A fiber optic cable is disclosed, wherein the cable includes a plurality of optical fibers, a tensile-strength layer, and a protective cover surrounding the tensile-strength layer and having an outside diameter D.sub.o.ltoreq.5 mm, wherein under a crush load of 100N/cm for 10 minutes, the optical fibers exhibit a delta attenuation of less than 0.8 decibels at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers. A method of forming a fiber optic cable includes extruding a protective cover longitudinally around a plurality of optical fibers and a (section cont’d. on p. 83)
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ASIAN FOCUS
ASIAN FOCUS LS Cable has big plans for its data and power cable operations in Vietnam At a press conference in August at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a key LS Cable & System official outlined the company’s goals for its Asian operations. Below are excerpts from those reported comments. “If development of the infrastructure of neighboring ASEAN countries like Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia kicks into high gear, LS C&S Asia is expected to benefit directly from it,” said Myung Roe-Hyun, president of corporate management. “We will use the funds raised by listing the company on the stock exchange to increase investments in Vietnam, and turn LS C&S Asia into the No. 1 total cablemaker in Southeast Asia.” LS C&S Asia is the holding company that LS C&S founded in Korea last May to publicly list its two subsidiaries in Vietnam (LS-VINA and LSCV) as a single corporate entity. “Even though domestic investors want to invest in rapidly growing Vietnamese companies, they have difficulties with accounting transparency and local stock trading processing,” said Myung. “LS C&S Asia secured accounting transparency by introducing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to establish unified business processes, and complying with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) through audits conducted by a global accounting firm. As the company will be listed on the KSE, you will be able to easily trade the company’s stock even though it is a growth company in Vietnam.”
later, LS VINA reported combined revenues of US$430 million, an increase of more than 250 times. It now accounts for 30% of the local cable market. The business went from meeting the domestic demands of Vietnam, to exporting to North and South America as well as Asia-Pacific countries like Singapore and Australia. The Vietnamese government named the company as an exemplary foreign-invested company, it received the Labor Medal and an export award. It has firmly established itself as the No. 1 cable exporter in Vietnam.
LS-VINA receives a labor medal from the Vietnam government. As large-scale government-led power projects are being carried out across Vietnam due to the country’s rapid economic growth, revenues from extra-high-voltage cables are expected to increase rapidly, and as annual average growth rates of ASEAN countries generally exceed 6%, investment in power and communication infrastructure is forecast to expand.
India imposes anti-dumping duty on steel wire rod that comes from China
The LS-VINA cable plant in Ho Chi Minh City. LS C&S was founded LS-VINA in 1996 in Haiphong to manufacture power cables. To date this subsidiary has seen very good growth. In 2006, it established LS Cable Vietnam (LSCV) in Ho Chi Minh City in the south to produce communication cables. The two Vietnamese subsidiaries have merged to become a total cablemaker that produces both power and communication cables. From initial revenues of US$1.7 million, 20 years 22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Indian officials have imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of steel wire rods from China to protect domestic manufacturers from cheap in-bound shipments. Per multiple media reports, the department of revenue sent a notification stating that the anti-dumping duty is being imposed for six months on the import of wire road of alloy or non-alloy steel from China. The measure follows a commendation by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) that steel wire rod was being exported by China “below the normal value” and “the domestic industry has suffered material injury” because of such imports. In its findings, the DGAD stated that “the injury has been caused by the dumped imports of the subject goods” from China. The anti-dumping duty will be equivalent to the difference between the landed value of
Indian officials have targeted Chinese steel wire rod. steel products and US$499 per metric ton for products exported by Minmetals Yingkou Medium Plate Co. Ltd., and $538 per metric ton for all other producers. The reports said that state-owned Steel Authority of India, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, Usha Martin and JSW Steel have jointly filed the application to probe the dumping of these products from China. Imports of these steel products have drastically increased to 495,732 metric tons during the period of investigation (JulyDecember 2015) from 160,582 metric tons in 2012-13, it said. India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on certain cold-rolled flat steel products from four nations, including China and South Korea.
Searching for that perfect Christmas tree can be a challenge, but if money is no object, a Tokyo retailer as of press time had one on the market that sets the bar far higher than all but the wealthiest person could consider: a $1.8 million tree made from solid gold. Per media reports, Jeweller Ginza Tanaka’s 2-meter Christmas tree, weighing in at 19 kg, is made with pure gold wire The ultimate X-mas touch? that’s as fine as angel hair pasta. The tree, in Tokyo’s Ginza district, has more than 1,200 meters of gold wire. “The wire is made of the finest gold which has a 99.999 percent purity level,” Store Manager Takahiro Ito said. The tree was made by the jeweller’s in-house artisans. It may not sell, Ito said, but it will show off Japan’s world-famous craftsmanship. “We want them to see our great technique and craftsmanship, and the glittering beauty of gold,” he said.
DECEMBER 2016 | 23
ASIAN FOCUS
A Christmas tree wired in like no other
PEOPLE
ultimat
PEOPLE
vice president/general manager for the nondestrucGeneral Cable Corp. has named Matti Masanovich tive evaluation division of Conco Services, and was as the company’s new CFO and senior vice president, also responsible for the management of its Industrial responsible for all aspects of the finance, investor relaServices Division. He has extensive knowledge of tions and IT functions at the company while working to WIRE FORMING & WELDING MACHINES Eddy Current testing. He holds a B.S. degree from The achieve strategic growth initiatives and reporting directly University of Michigan and a master’s degree in manto president and CEO Michael McDonnell. He has more • • • • • • AUTOMATIC • STRAIGHTENING • FORMING • WELDING • • ufacturing managament from The Pennsylvania State than 20 years of finance, accounting and operations University. Based in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Foerster experience, and recently was vice president of finance at • 2D Wire Forming & Welding Machines, suitable for POP Delphi Automotive PLC. Before that, hegoods held executive Displays, Shelving, Household and many moreInstruments, Inc., is the North American business of Germany’s Institut Dr. Foerster GmbH & Co. KG, a roles across several financial areas at companies includ- and air • Automatic Lines for the production of shelving global leader in non-destructive testing of materials. ing Dura Emcon Technologies, Collins & filterAutomotive, frames direct from coil Aikman, Federal-Mogul and ProBuild Holdings. He • Automatic Ring Forming & Welding machines began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and stainless steel OBITUARY • High Quality Burr-Free welds in mild and holds an MBA from the University of Windsor. Based in • Medium frequency and TIG welding options available Highland Heights, Kentucky, USA, General Cable is a • Suited for prototypes to low or high volume Louis (Lou) Karl Kern, 64, a longtime employee manufacturer of copper, production runs aluminum and fiber optic wire. of Outokumpu Specialty Stainless, died April 23, • Versions available for strip or profiled wire 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He joined the Jason Wilburn has been named • Automatic Unloading of finished parts company that would eventually become Outokumpu president of Foerster Instruments, • Square Clean-cut ends for handling all some 40 years ago. He held progressively more Inc., wire responsible • Unrivalled service support prominent roles in sales, marketing and operations, operations and overseeing all facileventually leading his own division in 1997 in • 2 year parts warranty ities in North America, Inc. He Richburg, South Carolina, and becoming Senior Vice experience includes industrial nondePresident of Long Products Americas for Outokumpu structive testing, industrial services Ultimate Automation Ltd, 23 Star Road Industrial Estate, Partridge Green,He West Sussex,by RH13 8RA, U.K. Specialty Stainless. is survived his wife, to petrochemical and power generaTel: +44 (0) 1403 710043 Fax: +44 (0) 1403 588084 Email: sales@ultimat.com www.ultimat.com Sylvia; son, Steven; brother, Robert; sister, Barbara; tion facilities, along with industrial and a grandson. cleaning. He was most recently Wilburn US MAGAZINES HALF PAGE 2015.indd 1
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11/09/2015 15:34
FIBER WATCH
FIBER WATCH Those who have the ‘gold’ can get the the fiber they want, when they want it In Queensland, Australia, the Gold Coast City Council has voted to spend $3 million to lay its own fiber optic network to ensure that the area will have high-speed interlay access in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Per media reports, the council decided to spend its own money, rather than wait for the National Broadband Network (NBN) roll-out. Mayor Tom Tate said the city had been forced to do the work itself. The Council plans to lay the cables between Griffith University and Broadbeach following the light rail line. “I would rather spend money on upgrading further council roads and other essential service,” he said. “But we just can’t let this one go.” Tate said that the council had informed NBN that it was critical for the work be done in time for the event. “We said ‘This is top priority’ and I don’t know what is up with them,” he said. “They have gone to other areas and other parts of the state that don’t have the Commonwealth Games.” The NBN Co. has supported the move by the city to invest in fiber but would not comment on whether it was necessary in order to get the network up by 2018. A spokesman said that the council and games organizers were aware of the roll-out schedule but the decision was their own. “The decision by council to invest that money
26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
The Gold Coast City Council plans to install its own fiber optic cable system by existing rail tracks. Photo: ABC Local, Richard Johnson. is a commercial decision that they’ve made outside of NBN purview,” he said, noting that NBN Co. has already rolled out to 18,000 homes. “It’s not that we aren’t on the coast or we won’t be on the coast,” he said. “It’s just a question of making sure that we can get to everybody, 12 million homes, by 2020.”
SFS Group to buy Tegra Medical Tegra Medical, a medical device contract manufacturer, announced that it is being acquired by SFS Group AG, a provider of customized precision formed components and mechanical fastening systems based in Heerburg, Switzerland. A press release said that Tegra Medical will continue operations under the Tegra Medical brand, at its headquarters still located in Franklin, Massachusetts. The senior management team, including President & CEO J. Mark King, CFO Craig Campbell, VP Sales and Marketing Lee Crowe and VP GENESIS Tech Center Mike Treleaven will remain. The release said that as the medical device marketplace evolves to support more outsourcing to contract manufacturers, this acquisition positions Tegra Medical to more easily grow along with its customers, while adding increased capabilities from SFS such as micro molding and cold forming. “As an end-to-end solutions provider, we are focused on meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations,” King said. SFS Group CEO Jens Breu said that he was impressed “with the breadth of Tegra Medical’s capabilities, the depth of their skills and experience, and the deep commitment of their employees. Not only is the company a great fit with our current manufacturing capabilities, we see synergy in terms of company principles, which include partnership, respect and a focus on the community.”
Lawson Products reports that it has acquired Mattic Industries Lawson Products, Inc., reports that it has completed the acquisition of Mattic Industries Limited, a Vancouver-based distribution company that is a distributor of fasteners and other products. A press said that the deal bolsters the presence of Lawson Products, a distributor of products and services to the MRO and automotive marketplaces. “Mattic has strong, long-lasting customer relationships and its employees are known for their deep product knowledge of fasteners and applications for the trucking industry.” Founded in 1982, Mattic Industries distributes fasteners, rivets and other industrial components throughout Western Canada. It has distribution centers in Surrey, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta. Lawson Products gains 18 employees, including 10 sales representatives. “This acquisition complements both companies’ strengths in providing outstanding customer service, particularly within fleet management and the oil and gas industry. We’ve expanded Lawson’s footprint in North America and are positioned to immediately grow this business and capitalize on the Canadian market opportunity,” said Lawson Products President and CEO Michael DeCata.
OCTOBER 2016 | 27
FASTENER UPDATE
FASTENER UPDATE
FEATURE WAI NEWS
Clockwinding continues Carris Reels buys remaining interest in a timely manner at WAI in Canada’s J. Hamelin Industries
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At Interwire, Ultimate Automation displayed the latest version of the company’s ULTIMAT UMW-100, 2D The clockwinding tradition originated U.S.-based Carris Reels, Inc., has purchased the wire forming and welding machine, which incorpowhen John Rigby and Sons, Ltd., of The following individuals remaining interest in J. Hamelin Industries, a Canadian rates faster drives and control systems.either recently Manchester, England, presented the Wire joined WAI or became Platinum Members reel company that it has worked closely with since it The UMW can be combined with the UCW-100 Association a grandfather clock at its through their companies. bought half of business in 2008. model to create an integrated forming and welding Annual Convention on Oct. 20, 1948. It came from 32 U.K. A press release in said that addition of J. Hamelin, cell for the production of shelving products. The wire companies appreciation of support provided by the Drake Clarke Bradley C Andrews which has been serving wire and cable customers U.S. wire industry during World War II. The tradition calls forframes are produced on the UMW-100 and then Director, Business Marketing Manager, NA, throughout Canada andtonortheast for 77 a U.K. representative visit WAIU.S. to “wind theyears, clock,” com- transferred into the UCW-100, where the frame supExcellence and Quality Wire Mechanical is memorating a major plustheforrelationship. both companies. “We welcome port/brace wire is fed direct from coil, and welded United Copper Industries Condat Corp J. Hamelin toperson the Carris family,that andtradition look forward into the frame. Further options include press stations The latest to continue is Johnto future growth He andwas operating at a by ‘best ofPresident industry’Andy forHamelin’s post-forming andStotland, secondary bend headsReels for formJ. Harold l, with Carris CEO Churchfield. introduced WAI Andrew S Jones James Ayers (level),” Reels CEO David Ferraro. ing loops and eyes. Ferraro. Talbot, said who Carris was attending his first-ever clockwinding cere- Dave Engineer Vice President Business manufacturing reels, J.Dean Hamelin opermony. Talbottonoted that that not the caseZhang, for Churchfield, AtIn theaddition Shanghai HOSN booth at was Interwire, l, ing our Development geographic footprint acrossNexans North Energy America. USA, Inc ates an extensive recycling and Edison repair network who previously participated in the Qin, event as athroughchief ofhas North American sales, and chief ofbystander. South HamelinData has Guide a track record of delivering value Cable Corp out Canada, with facilities in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta “I wassales, here point 13 years ago withsold a former Steve enhanced packaging programs through innovation in American to machines to the clockwinder, Americas. Jeffery K Lawrence and Saskatchewan offering woodI’d and Rutherford, and I never thought getsteel to doreel thisrepair/ myself,” saidprocess, automation and reel tracking Vicesystems. PresidentWe have Bijan Azemi recycling, said the release, noting the following. J. Churchfield, executive vice president/CTO, North America With its specifi c personnel servicing the U.S. and an exciting future as we leverage our shared experience Elkem, Inc Process Line Engineer Hamelin also hasBekaert U.S. assembly facilities in Marion, Group, Bridon Rope Group. He spoke on the imporother markets in the American continent, HOSN is and knowledge to drive profitable growth. As part of Indiana, 2010, theits compaGlobal Advanced Metals tance ofand the Enfield, tradition,Connecticut. and while theInfocus is on origins, he committed to supplying high-efficiency drawing and the negotiation, Harold will have an equity position in nysaid launched a significant now countries operates are Terence Liddy that they hold specialinvestment value todayand as both stranding equipment to the wire and cable industry in Carris, further aligning our future objectives.” a highly efficienttrying and political automated nailedDespite wood reel going through periods. thoseplant distracChairman Adam Barsky the Americas. Stotland described the deal as win-win for both parintions, St. Jerome. to automated he said In he addition was confident that closeproduction relations would conOG Technologies, Inc Quality Assurance At Interwire, HOSN displayed photos of its JLK ties. “We saw an opportunity to better align our comtinue.unique Following the winding, scanned lines, material handlingChurchfield practices have beena framed Manager series rigid stranding machine with bottom loading or panies to achieve shared growth objectives,” he said. list of former Clockwinders. He notedfacility. that they represented employed, yielding a state-of-the-art Mau-Rong LinopporChamplain Cable Corp side loading system. This unique machine is suitable leverage new a past era, when U.K. industry moreStotland thriving, and he “Together we are stronger and can An-More Ferraro said thatthe J. Hamelin CEOwas Harold Enterprise forspoke producing large-length, compact/round tunities.” aboutactively the challenges reviving it. bare Al/Cu will remain engagedin in the organization, both Co Ltd manufacwire, ACSR and aluminum alloy wire. The machine is CarrisChristopher Reels, basedBrooks in Proctor, Vermont, as a stakeholder in Carris Reels and as vice president of Ultimate Nelson Automation Sales Director Martin Smith by a driven by individual motors for the rotating cage and the tures plywood, nailed wood, wood/metal, plastic, and manufacturing for three Carris nailed wood manufacUMW-100 model Engineer Salvatore Messina in stranding pitch can be adjusted freely. Another featured stampedSale metal reels and spools, with 550 employees turing sites (St. Jerome, Quebec; Enfield, Connecticut; CEO/Govmark Kyocera Industrial product was an aluminum breakdown machine used for 12 locations in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. and Madera, California. He noted that Stotland, who Ultimat manufactures wireServices forming & Testing Ceramics Corp the UMW 2D drawing aluminum alloy, and all kinds of shaped wires has been active on the Carris Board of Directors for the welding machines, UTW Automatic Ring Machines from 9.5 mm down to 1.8-5.0 mm. Many customers also General Cable lands largest portion past six years, “will continue in that governing role.” and UCW T-Welders. The company has a machine to showed strong interests in HOSN’s drum twister which Sponsored by “Harold and his teams complement our talented suit everyone’s requirement from the manufacture of of 3-year Canadian cable contract is used for cabling low, medium and high voltage power employee-owners, as our collective experience and will POP displays, lampshades, supermarket shelving and Canada’s Hydro-Québec has named General Cable as cables and for applying armoring and screening wires. assure we are meeting our customers’ needs for custom automotive components, etc. www.ultimat.com. its main cable supplier for the next three years, awardwww.hosnglobe.com. packaging and solutions,” Ferraro said. “This acquisiing it a contract valued at an estimated $108 million. tion our John competitive position expandWAIstrengthens Past President Drummond, l, withbyChurchfi eld mexichemspecialtycompounds.com and WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll.
28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
JANUARY 2016 | 11
INDUSTRY NEWS
WAI NEWS
From the WAI Ferrous Wire Handbook The book is a modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering and operations sectors of the industry. The chapters present straightforward explanations of different process, supported by charts and photos. The content covers a full spectrum of sectors, with individual chapters—from wire rod production and deformation in cold drawing to patenting and straightening and cutting wire—that explain the process in practical terms. A company that just wants one or two chapters need not pay for the entire book ($235/$195 for WAI members). A PDF of a single chapter, from 4 through 36, can be ordered for $25, $20 for WAI members. Each order will include an additional free PDF with the first three chapters (A short history of the Ferrous Wire Industry, Evolution of Modern Steel Manufacture, and Modern Steel
WAI NEWS
With 36 chapters over 1,168 pages, the Ferrous Wire Handbook, published in 2008, remains the Association’s most-ever comprehensive literature project, written by three dozen wire industry experts and edited by former WAI President Robert M. Shemenski, an industry consultant and president of RMS Consulting, Inc. Manufacturing), which serve as an industry introduction and overview. To get the first three chapters for free, go to www.mywai.org. There you can see and order the other individual chapters. Future issues will present chapter summations here.
CHAPTER 8: Rod Defects SUMMARY: This chapter, 28 pages, discusses the subjects in the below subheads. It includes 39 charts/ and pictures, and a bibliography.
ON SALE NOW!
Types of defects covered: • Seams (cracks) • Laps & Fines • Rolledin Extraneous Matter • Scratches & Roll Marks • Fire-crack transfer marks • Roughness • Slivers (shell) • Core Segregation • Surface Decarburization • Hard Spots • Mechanical Damage • Hot Shortness & Burned Steel • Nonmetallic Inclusions • Slag Entrapment
MIND THE GENERATION GAP
Great minds are developing. Engineers. Metallurgists. Innovators. The future of the industry depends on them. Find them online. Connect with them. Influence them. And meet them halfway through WAI.
The Wire Association International, Inc. 71 Bradley Rd. Ste. 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662 USA Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | www.wirenet.org
DECEMBER 2016 | 29
exhibitors A. Appiani Srl Accuracy Technical Services LLC Ace Metal Inc. ACM AB ADVARIS GmbH Agape Industry Inc. AIM Inc. AITMAC Inc. All Wire Forming Machinery Inc. Amacoil Inc. Amaral Automation Associates America Bybon Corp. American & Efird, LLC American Kuhne Inc. ARM AW Machinery LLC AWT Machinery Inc Axjo Aztech Lubricants LLC B & H Tool Co. Inc. Balloffet Die Corp. Baum’s Castorine Co. Inc. Beacon Reel Co. Bechem Lubrication Technology LLC Bekaert Beneke Wire Co. Bergandi Machinery Co. Blachford Corp. Black Sea Technology Inc. Bloom Engineering Co. Inc. BMS Birlesik Metal San.Ve Tic. As Boockmann GmbH/ The Slover Group Bow Technology Boxy SpA Buhler Redex Caballe Cable Consultants Corp. Cabrol Group Calmec Precision Limited CardConnect Carris Reels Inc. Cavallero Plastics Ceeco Bartell Products, Bartell Machinery Systems Cemanco LC Ceramtech CERSA-MCI Chase Wire & Cable Materials Chemetall Chengdu Centran Industrial Co. Ltd. Chhaperia International Co. China Council for Int’l Trade Cimteq Clifford Machines & Technology Clinton Instrument Co. CM Furnaces Inc. CMEC International Exhibition Ltd. CN Wire Corp. Collari Srl Cometo Commission Brokers Inc. Condat Condat Lubricants Conneaut Industries Inc. Continuus-Properzi SpA
CTI Custom Machining & Fabrications LLC Daloo Davis-Standard LLC DEM S.p.A. Die Quip Corp. Dino-Lite Scopes (BigC) Domeks Makine Ltd. Sti Dongguan Dewei Wire Co. Dynamex Corp. Ebner Furnaces Inc. Effegidi spa EJP Maschinen GmbH Elecomtape Global Inc. Electron Beam Technologies Inc. Electronic Drives & Controls Inc. Enercon Industries Enkotec Co. Inc. ERA Wire Inc. Er-Bakir Esteves Group USA Etna Products Inc. George Evans Corp. EVG Inc. Fabritex Inc. Facts Inc. Fastener Engineers - Lewis Machine Fenn LLC FIB Fil-Tec Inc. Filtertech Inc. Fine International Corp. Finoptics Inc Fisk Alloy Inc. Flymca & Flyro FMS USA Inc. Foerster Instruments Inc. Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc. FSP-One Inc. Gauder Group Inc. Gem Gravure Co. Inc. GIMAX Srl W. Gillies Technologies LLC GMP Slovakia s.r.o Granite Falls Furnace Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Hafner & Krullmann GmbH Hangzhou Dongxing Telecommunication Material Co. Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co. Ltd. Hangzhou Juli Insualtion Co. Ltd. Heany Industries Inc. Heatbath Corp. Maschinenfabrik Henrich GmbH HFSAB H Folke Sandelin AB Honta Houghton International Inc. Howar Equipment Inc. Huestis Industrial ICE Wire Line Equipment Inc. IDEAL Welding Systems iiM AG measurement + engineering INFLEX Inc. InnoVites Inosym Integrated Control Technologies
International Wire Group Inc. International Wire & Cable Machinery Association IP Automation Inc. Iron Tiger Manufacturing Inc. Isabellenhutte Co. IWE Spools & Handling GmbH IWG/Bare Wire Division IWG/High Performance Conductors Jianyin Hygrade Electromechanical Technology Co. Ltd. Joe Snee Associates, Inc. Joe-Tools Jouhsen - Bundgens Inc. Kablosan Turkey - FBC Yayincilik Ltd. sti Kabmak Muh. Ve Mak. San Kalmark Intergrated Systems Ltd. KEIR Manufacturing Inc. Kieselstein GmbH Kinrei of America KMK Krollman Ernst Koch Albert Kren Lamnea Bruk AB LaserLinc Inc. Leggett & Platt Wire Group Leoni Wire Inc. Lisciani Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. LUKAS Anlagenbau GmbH M & M Industries Co. Ltd. M+E Madison Steel Inc. Magnetic Technologies Ltd. Maillefer Extrusion Oy Mathiasen Machinery Inc. Melos GmbH/Inhol B.V. Metal Link Inc. Metal Resource Solutions Inc. Metalloid Corp. Metavan N V MFL Group The MGS Group - MGS Mfg.Hall Industries - Northampton Machinery Micro Products Co. Microdia USA Mid-South Wire Milacron Canterbury Engineering/Genca Mixer Compounds Morgan-Koch Corp. Mossberg Associates Inc. Mossberg Industries Inc. Nano-Diamond America Inc. Nantong Yingjie Metal Products Co. Nation Grinding Inc. NDC Technologies Neptco Niagara Composites Industries Inc. Niehoff Endex North America Inc. Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH & Co KG Nylene Canada Inc.
Oden Technologies Inc. OM Frigerio spa OM Lesmo OMA USA Inc. OMCG North America Inc. Ozyasar Tel Ve Galvanizleme P & R Specialty Inc. P/A Industries Pampas - Baicheng Fujia Paramount Die Co. Parkway-Kew Corp. Phifer Wire Inc. Pioneer Machinery USA Pittsfield Plastics Eng. Inc. Plas-Ties Co. Pourtier & Setic of America Precision Die Technologies Inc. Precision Process Inc. Premier Wire Die PrintSafe Progress Maschinen & Automation AG Promostar srl Properzi International Inc. Proton Products PWM Q8Oils QED Wire Lines Inc. Queins Machines Raajratna Stainless Wire Inc. RAD-CON Inc. Radyne Corp. Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Rautomead Ltd. REDEX Redex of America Reel Power Wire & Cable Refractron Technologies Corp. RESY Filtration Systems RichardsApex Inc. Roblon A/S Rockford Manufacturing Group FELM Rosendahl Nextrom Roteq Machinery Inc. RSD Technik RTD Manufacturing S&E Specialty Polymers SACO AEI Polymers SAMP SpA SAMP USA Inc. SAMPSISTEMI Sanxin Wire Die Inc. SARK USA SARK Wire Sarkuysan SA Schlatter North America Schmidt Maschinenbau GmbH Schnell SpA Shanghai Dehong New Materials Co. Ltd. Shanghai EverSpring Ceramic Co. Ltd. Shanghai Hosn Machinery Technology Co. Ltd. Shenyang Jinggong Cable Material Co. Ltd. ~continued~
Ferrous industry to have its own symposium at Interwire 2017
~continued~
WAI NEWS
exhibitors
Sikora International Corp. Simpacks Sirio Wire Sivaco Wire Group Sjogren Industries Inc. Skaltek Inc. SKET Verseilmaschinenbau GmbH Sonoco Reels Spirka Schnellflechter GmbH Star Materials Co. Ltd. Steel Cable Reels Stolberger Inc. DBA Wardwell Braiding Stolberger KMB Maschinenfabrik GmbH August Strecker GmbH & Co KG Subec AB Supermac Industries Ltd. Sweed Machinery Inc. Sylvin Technologies Inc. T & T Marketing Inc. Takikawa Tantec Est Inc. Tapeformers Ltd. Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. Taymer International Inc. Technical Development Corp. Tecnofil SA TECVIL Teknikor Teknor Apex TEKTAPES Tensor Machinery Ltd. Thermoplastics Engineering Corp. Tillos Group Trafco Tramev
Traxit North America LLC Troester GmbH & Co. KG Tubular Products Co. Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals Inc. United Wire Co. Inc. Unitek Crossheads Vandor Corp. Vinston US Corp. Voge Composites vom Hagen & Funke WAFIOS Machinery Corp. WCISA /Wire Forming Technology International Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. Windak Inc. Windmill Associates Wire & Cable Technology International Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. wire 2016/Messe Düsseldorf North America Wire Association International, Inc. Wire Journal International, Inc. Wire Lab Co. Wire Machine Systems Inc. wired up WiTechs Witels Albert USA Ltd. Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. WTM srl Wuxi Quantong Cable Materials Co. Ltd. X-Compound GmbH Zhejiang Baichuan Conductor Technology Co. Ltd. Zumbach Electronics Corp.
www.interwire17.com
The steel side of the wire industry will have its own home at Interwire next year with the introduction of the Global Ferrous Rod & Wire Symposium. The event will feature technical programming, social events, and networking opportunities May 8-10. It will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in conjunction with Interwire 2017. The first-time program offers a sort of conference within a conference—a discrete program within Interwire exclusively on topics of interest to the ferrous industry. Its schedule runs concurrently with Interwire like a dedicated program track. It include cross-registration with the full Interwire program and time built into the schedule for visiting the Interwire exhibit hall. Technical presentations are organized into topic categories that include: 1. rod mill equipment for quality rod, 2. rod mill processes and procedures for quality rod, 3. coil quality for the wire mill, 4. wire rod inspection and testing, and 5. sustainability and eco-solutions. The event is being organized by volunteers from the steel wire industry, including Bhaskar Yalamanchili, Gerdau Long Steel North America, a past winner of the Mordica Memorial Award and a former WAI Board of Directors member. He is being assisted on the organizing committee by Bruce Kiefer and Wade Krejdovksy of Primetals Technologies USA, and Peter Power, a retired metallurgical consultant who advises Gerdau. For more information, contact Bruce Kiefer at tel. 508-353-6946, bruce.kiefer@primetals.com; Bhaskar Yalamanchili at tel. 409-267-1071, bhaskar.yalamanchili@gerdau.com; or WAI’s Marc Murray at tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 121, mmurray@wirenet.org.
Interwire 2017 update
Wire. Cable. Supplies. Equipment.
With Interwire 2017 now six months away, WAI Sales Director Bob Xeller reports that nearly 100,000 sq ft of the available floor space—including all the large booths—has already been taken.
Xeller said that while that is left now are the smaller booths, it may be possible to expand the floor plan. For information on exhibiting at Interwire 2017, the largest such trade show in the Americas, go to www.wirenet.org or call Xeller or Anna Bzowski at WAI headquarters at 203-453-2777. 32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
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CHAPTER CORNER
CHAPTER CORNER Midwest Chapter scores ambitious trifecta success in Indiana November 3rd was memorable day for WAI’s Midwest Chapter, which in a single jam-packed day toured the Fort Wayne Metals (FWM) operation in Fort Wayne, Indiana, listened to a “driven” presentation by David Enoch of M-S Logistics LLC, and enjoyed lunch at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana, where they got to absorb an eyeful of classic car history. “With this event we were hoping to facilitate a networking opportunity within the chapter,” said Chapter President Tim Fingeroos. “We were able to accomplish that, as well as tour two fascinating facilities in Fort Wayne Metals and the Duesenberg Museum.” Some 40 members attended the event, which began with the FWM tour and ended 35 miles north with a lunch meeting at the Duesenberg museum. At FWM, President & COO Mark Michael talked to attendees about the company’s scope, and how it has evolved over the years. “We enjoyed hosting the tour and interacting with colleagues from around our industry,” said Midwest Chapter Treasurer Dennis Rohrs, FWM’s human resources director. “We established connections with two companies that we will be doing some cooperative work with in the future. All in all, time well spent for our attendees.” A leading manufacturer of precision wire-based materials, FWM is best known for its products for the medical
FWM’s Jeff Slater, l, and Lawrence Kay are all smiles. The Cubs clinching win the World Series the day before may have been a contributing factor.
Attendees tour the quality lab of Fort Wayne Metals. 34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
field, but it also supplies wire for demanding industrial applications. Chapter members got to see a first-rate operation, and you could tell by walking around and seeing how things work that this is a very well run organization. The chapter re-assembled after the tour for Enoch’s talk on Managing Transportation Costs. The luncheon presentation was held at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana. Enoch manages the 100 tractor trailer fleet servicing their parent company, Mid-South Wire Company, as well as their in-house freight brokerage operation. Enoch explained the key issues facing the trucking industry, which includes electronic log devices, hours of service, regulation, soft freight market and safety issues resulting from limited parking. Walking about the museum, a National Historic Landmark, was quite an experience, as one did not have to be a car buff to appreciate the art deco building. The venue earned a 2016 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Beyond the 120 plus classic, antique, vintage and special interest cars, it is recognized for the wealth of information about the design process, including original design work, on the classic era. “You can chalk this meeting up as a big success,” said Fingeroos, who thanked both Fort Wayne Metal and MidSouth Wire for making it all possible.
Among those there for the museum tour were, l-r, John Dabbelt, Fort Wayne Wire Die; Chapter President Tim Fingeroos; Chapter Treasurer Dennis Rohrs; and Presenter David Enoch, M-S Logistics LLC.
FWM President and COO Mark Michael, l, accepts a plaque from Tim Fingeroos.
CHAPTER CORNER
CHAPTER CO CORNER Planning continues for New England Chapter annual meeting The WAI’s New England Chapter is putting the final touches on its annual meeting, which traditionally draws quite well at the Mohegan Sun Casino, which earlier this year hosted Wire Expo.
Speaking at the 2016 annual meeting, Chapter President David Fisher predicted a very busy year, especially with its Wire Expo participation...it was.
Fro ext m sin rud ers gle scr rea to co ew d ext y-for- mplete rusi on use line s It was a magical time at the last chapter meeting...courtesy of a master of seemingly impossible card tricks.
SIEBE COLOR MATCH
Chapter President David Fisher, l, and 2015 President Robert Srubas with past scholarship winners Hillary Reichert and Liz O’Shaughnessy. The meeting is set for Jan. 26, and the January issue will have more details on the event, but one does not have to wait to register, as that can be done online. The chapter will also introduce its new officers and board members for 2017. For more details, contact WAI’s Anna Bzowski, at tel. 203-453-2777 or at abzowski@wirenet.org. NOVEMBER 2016 | 35
INDUSTRY EVENT
WRAPUP IWCS: another Providence success IWCS, producer of the International Cable & Connectivity Symposium, continued its legacy of staging a premier event for new technologies in cable and connectivity products, processes and applications, on Oct. 2-5, 2016, when it held its 65th annual conference at the Providence Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Some of the topics covered at IWCS 2016 included the Internet of Things (IoT), Power over Communications Cables, Global FTTX & Installation, Materials for Cable & Connectivity Applications, Fiber Optic Connectors for Harsh Environments, Copper Cable Performance & Design, and more. The executive session, as ever, covered topics of interest, from a look at the fiber optics market from CRU’s Richard Mack (400 Million Km: Where in the World is All that Fiber Going?) and Natalie Noor-Drugan
(Overview of the Global Insulated Wire & Cable Markets). The session also included a presentation by Craig Mullet, Branison Group (Critical Infrastructure, Data Centers and Cybersecurity); James Carlini, Carlini & Associates (Hyper-Scale Data Centers - Designed for the Internet of Things); Carol Enman, Dice Corporation, (Purpose-Driven Sustainable Development for the Cable & Connectivity Industry), who later also served as the keynote speaker; Cristian Barcan, The Vinyl Institute; and an economic outlook by Robert Fry, Robert Fry Economics LLC. The Supplier Exhibition featured more than a hundred companies offering a wide range of products and services for the wire and cable industry. The main attraction of the event, however, continues to be the technical symposium,
Saint-Gobain highlighted the company’s product lines.
One of the 22 Poster Papers presentations.
CRU’s Natalie Noor-Drugan provided an overview of the global insulated wire & cable market. 36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
CRU’s Richard Mack updated the fiber market outlook.
INDUSTRY EVENT Attendees could inspect products offered by more than a hundred industry suppliers.
IWCS CEO David B. Kiddoo welcomes attendees.
which is known for its high caliber. The 2016 program included 99 technical papers and presentations in 16 sessions that attracted presenters and attendees from across the U.S., Asia and Europe. It also included 22 poster papers, 11 new product presentations, seven professional development courses and a two-day supplier exhibition. Attendees came from 25 countries, with 31% from outside the U.S. (13% from Europe, 14% from Asia, with 11% from Japan and China). Overall, attendance increased 24% over the prior year. “This conference gives attendees a unique opportunity to gain insight from top engineers, researchers and executives from the cabling and connectivity industry,” said IWCS CEO David B. Kiddoo. “The quality of the papers was excellent and the overall popularity of the topics, including the enhanced connectivity focus, generated a high level of global interest in this year’s program.” A formal announcement of a collaboration between IWCS and UL to produce a regional conference in Shanghai, China next year was made at the plenary session. CommScope’s Robert Wessels, Jr., chairman of IWCS, signed the collaboration agreement with L.F. Lai, vice president and general manager of UL’s Wire and Cable division. The new event,
called UL and IWCS China 2017 Cable & Connectivity Symposium, will be held April 25-27, 2017 at the Marriott Shanghai City Centre. The event will be based on the IWCS conference format of a technical symposium, plenary session with keynote speaker, executive track, and a professional development program. Simultaneous translations will be provided for each presentation. Selection of presentations will be made with a Call for Papers and peer review. “This is our 65th year of the global symposium conducted in the United States and we are now looking forward to presenting topics to a broader audience in Asia, particularly to those who cannot travel to the U.S.,” Wessels said. Observed Lai, “As China is the largest market for wire and cable connectivity with the strongest need for acquiring the knowledge of latest innovations, it is logical to establish this regional event in China as the premier venue to learn of new technologies in cable and connectivity materials, products, processes and applications.” The next staging of IWCS will be Oct. 8-11, 2017, when the 66th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium is held in Orlando, Florida, USA. For more details, go to www.iwcs.org or contact Pat Hudak at tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org.
UL’s L.F. Lai and IWCS Chairman Robert Wessels signed an agreement for a show in China next year.
Bedea Berkenhoff & Drebes GmbH’s Bernhard Mund made a presentation on triaxial cells.
DECEMBER 2016 | 37
INDUSTRY EVENT
WRAPUP
Attendance at Wire & Cable India reflected industry demand for a country that continues to be a growth leader.
Attendance high for collective events Organizers report that the recent staging of Wire & Cable India 2016 and its two sister events—Tube India and Metallurgy India—at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center in Mumbai confirmed the events’ leading position for the industry in India. Per Messe Düsseldorf India, over three days, 406 exhibitors presented the latest technologies from the wire and cable industries, tube processing and tube trading as well as metallurgy on 86,000 sq ft of exhibit space. In addition to the high participation of exhibitors from India, the shows again featured large country pavilions from Austria, China, Italy,
Germany and the U.S. About 12,300 trade visitors took part, a 28% increase compared to the previous events. There also was a technical conference, with the theme being Polymers in Cables and Wires. The concurrent staging of the three trade fairs generated valuable synergies for both exhibitors and visitors, a press release said. The exhibitors reported many productive conversations and the prospect of good post-show business. They were especially pleased about the quality of visitors with high decision-making authority and good technical knowledge. One U.S. exhibitor reported good results. “Overall, FENN
Equipment at the Niehoff booth drew attendees.
The U.S. continues to have a presence at the event.
38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
INDUSTRY EVENT
experienced a very positive turnout. ... The show was reflective of the type of inquiries we have been receiving in general over the last several months” said Thomas Mushroe, applications sales engineer at FENN. “We are seeing high investment in spring making and wire forming and shaping for industries like automotive, energy and materials research. We are excited to be positioned to continue supporting the Indian economy as it grows and expands.” Held concurrently again with the three events was India Essen Welding & Cutting, organized by Messe Essen and Messe Düsseldorf India. The wire event was supported by IWCEA (International Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association), IWMA (International Wire & Machinery Association), ACIMAF (Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers Association) and WCISA (Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association). Indian associations SWMAI (Steel Wire Manufacturers Association of India) and AIWMA (All India Weldedmesh Manufacturer`s Association) also provided support. The organizers note that the driver for the event was the continued high demand for wire and cable in India. Despite the global steel crisis and excess production capacities in China the Indian economy posts strong growth for these areas. The next staging of Wire & Cable India and its sister shows will be held in Mumbai on Nov. 27-29, 2018. For more details, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.
Activity on the show floor for the wire and cable event.
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DECEMBER 2016 | 39
ITC 2016 2010 WRAPUP PREVIEW
ITC 2016 WRAPUP
Antonio Ayala, who served as WAI president in 2009, welcomed attendees to the 2016 ITC in Monterrey.
3RD TIME BACK...ANOTHER ITC CHARM The WAI had very good experiences in Monterrey, Mexico, when it staged an International Technical Conference there in 2008 and in 2010, and the return to the same location after a six-year hiatus proved to be just as well received by attendees. The conference, held Oct. 18-20, 2016, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, drew 190 participants, including many who had good things to say. The educational forum included 20 technical presentations, 42 tabletops and a plant tour of the new KIA automotive factory, where tour-goers got to see the mammoth plant’s stamping, welding, painting, assembly, and quality assurance processes. Sergio Valdés Ramírez, Viakable, and Cesar Estrada, Asociación Nacional de Transformadores de Acero AC (ANTAAC) were featured speakers. “The Monterrey ITC had many high points – several outstanding technical papers were presented, and every
speaker and presentation was informative and relevant,” said WAI President Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire, who was also one of the presenters. He focused on the “enthusiastic participation of all of the exhibitors and attendees” as well as the memorable Kia plant tour. WAI Past President Antonio Ayala, who has been a key volunteer in the four past Mexico events, said he was quite pleased with the results for Monterrey. “This ITC was characterized by the high quality of its speakers and papers, its suppliers, and mainly the high level of the participants. The KIA plant visit was a success. In short, everything went great.” Before the ITC had even ended, some attendees were asking whether there would be a return in two years. It even led to discussions whether, if so, the Mexican setting should once again be Monterrey, or possibly in Querétaro, where the WAI staged an ITC in 2004.
WAI President Andy Talbot was also a presenter.
Cesar Estrada spoke about the changing role of ANTAAC.
40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
ITC 2016 2010 WRAPUP PREVIEW
INTERNATIONAL TECHNIC AL CONFERENCE
M O N T E R R E Y
Photos courtesy of the Monterrey Department of TTourism.
An overhead view of some of the more than 40 tabletop displays.
Fort Wayne Wire Die's Eric Bieberich discussed the importance of matching dies.
Keynote speech: potential and challenges lie ahead for Mexico Viakable Director General Sergio Valdés Ramírez spoke about the challenges facing the wire and cable industry in Mexico, today and tomorrow, that will need to be met by new technology and the use of problem solving to meet long-term plans to guarantee success. Below are edited excerpts from his presentation. Mexico has seen much growth in its wire and cable industry, especially the Keynote speaker Sergio Valdés Ramírez. automotive field. When you consider that some five milAluminum cable is likely to be lion vehicles may be built a year, and more widely used, as the alloys have that each one has 25 kg of cables— gotten better, allowing them to be some 125,000 tons of copper—that thinner in diameter and lighter. All is a substantial market. That market this represents a golden opportunity should also grow larger because of for cable manufacturers. But there are “mega-trends” of customers wanting huge challenges too, as there is need more electric and electronic capabilifor even better conductors. There also ties from their vehicles, which should needs to be a global look at drivers, increase the average amount of cable such as renewable energy. For some to as much as 35 kg per vehicle. That of the applications, such as umbilicals is a great increase, and it is good for for oil extraction in waters as deep as us all.
6,000 meters, cables will have to go beyond the laws of physics and nature. Such challenges represent great responsibilities. We have witnessed hundreds of companies started in Mexico that have helped make the country more prosperous. There were tough periods—such as the 1980s and early 1990s—when the economic periods were very difficult, and Mexican companies were mostly just local players then. In the 1990s, globalization became more of a force, and when NAFTA took effect in 1994, it led us to an international stage that allowed us to sell to different parts of the world. One thing that must be stressed is that without the people working in all the plants, none of this would have been possible. It could not have been achieved. It is important that we continue training employees as well as development of research for the betterment of our society.
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ITC 2016 2010 WRAPUP PREVIEW
ATTENDEE COMMENTS With a total of 30 company staffers, Viakable had the largest single contingent at the ITC. Patricio Murga, the company’s director of technology and development, said that there was a a mix of old timers and young staffers. “As you might know, the Viakable Group has several wire and
From l-r, are Raúl García, Viakable’s manager of CETIV (the R&D Center); Patricio Murga, Viakable’s director of technology and development; Sergio Perez, Undersecretary of the State Government, Mexico; and Sergio Valdés, Viakable’s general director. cable plants located in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. From the domestic operations, there were four plants represented, mainly from the engineering and production areas. The main driver for sending so many employees is that we cannot send that same number to the main wire and cable congresses, namely Interwire and wire Düsseldorf, so this was a unique opportunity for them to meet suppliers and to attend technical presentations.” Three International Wire (IW) staffers, from three different offices, also attended. They said that their company has not been to WAI’s ITC in Mexico before, but that it made sense to go as they were able to tie the event in with local business meetings. It was beneficial for Alex Boekholt, out of the office in St. Louis, Missouri, who recently joined the company as a regional account manager, and will be taking on some of the sales duties in Mexico from another attend-
ee, Lenny Argentine, manager of new business development at the office in Camden, New York. The third staffer was IW’s Jose From l-r, International Wire’s Jose Gallegos, regional sales Callegos, Lenny Argentine and Alex representative, Boekholt. out of the Inman, South Carolina office. Ironically, the men said that if they go to an industry event they do not have time to attend a technical program, but this time they did. They especially liked the presentations on aluminum wire drawing by SAMP and on dies by Paramount Die. Two attendees from Leoni, Rafael Rodriguez, process engineer team leader, and Adavik Jurado, a process Leoni Cable’s Rafael Rodriguez, process engineer, said that they engineer team leader, and Adavik Jurado, had primarily process engineer manager. come for the presentations. They liked several of them that related to their jobs. They also spoke to tabletop suppliers, and were pleased to talk with company representatives that offer technology for two of their concerns, ceramics and dryers. “We found this event to be very helpful,” they said, adding they felt it would have been of value for other colleagues, such as those involved with maintenance and tooling.
The conference presentations, tabletops and speeches were appreciated, but so were the lunches at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
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ITC 2016 2010 WRAPUP PREVIEW Horace Pops explained how to evaluate fines.
Eye-to-eye contact at the Vision Engineering tabletop.
Antonio Ayala, who led organizing efforts for the third such event in Monterrey, with his son, Antonio, who helped out on the 2016 staging.
If a Mariachi group plays, someone will be there to tape it.
The 2016 event was created with the cooperation of the Asociación Nacional de Transformadores de Acero AC (ANTAAC), the Monterrey Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCVMTY), as well as with the assistance from the following conference planning volunteers: Patricio Murga, Viakable; Eduardo Anaya, Indepa SC; and Antonio Ayala, AA Enterprise. Companies represented at the tabletops included: American Kuhne; ANTAAC; Aztech Lubricants, Beta Lasermike; Blachford Corp; Boockmann GmbH; Cemanco; Condat; Esteves Group; Fil-Tec Inc; Fine International;
Kia plant tour attendees get an overview.
Fort Wayne Wire Die; GCR/Eurodraw; Gem Gravure; GENCA; Guill Tool; Ideal Welding Systems; Interequip (3); Lear Engineering; LLOG SA; JJ Lowe; Lubrimetal SpA; and Mario Frigerio (2); Distribuidora Mejicoro SA de CV. Micro Products; Neue Gesellschaft; Paramount Die Company; Parkwey Kew; Precision Die Technologies; Properzi International Inc; Queins; Rainbow Rubber & Plastics; Richards Apex; Roteq; SAMP; Sikora; Simpacks; Wire Association International; Woodburn Diamond Die; and Yield Management Corporation.
At the plant tour, l-r, are Viakable’s Patricio Murga, a Kia representative, Enkotec’s Jan Sorige, WAI President Andy Talbot and WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll.
DECEMBER 2016 | 43
FEATURE
Submarine cables
This feature looks at submarine cables, from the earliest days to a forward-looking focus, along with other elements. Throughout, the desire to transmit more data has been compelling, from the first efforts to make a dependable transatlantic cable system, to the latest systems that offer 100,000 times the capacity...and no guarantees that that will be enough.
It began not with a bang, but a splash ... The history of submarine cables—and just about any sector—is one of ideas, ambitious people, struggles and evolution. Below are excerpts from a report on the evolution of submarine cables for data transmission by Bill Burns, who has chronicled the field in a remarkable way at www.atlantic-cable.com. In 1854, New York businessman Cyrus Field proposed laying an Atlantic cable. It had only been four years since the first-ever cable had been laid between England and France, a mere 20 miles. Not surprisingly, there were problems with materials used to make the cables, the theory of operation was still being figured out, and transmitting and receiving instruments were far from sound. Yet financiers and engineers were plotting an ideal route across the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland, a run one hundred times longer than that first cable to Europe. Four years later, in 1858, the project achieved its first success.
A painting of the Goliath laying the first submarine cable. The beginnings of the submarine cable industry came about in the late 1840s from a series of unrelated events. Copper wire to conduct the signals was readily available, although of uncertain quality. For underwater use, an insulator was needed, and gutta percha, the rubber-like sap of a tree found only in the British Empire and introduced to Britain a few years earlier, was the perfect material. The method of armoring the cable to give it strength during laying and protection afterwards was adapted from the recently introduced iron wire
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ropes developed to work the hoisting machinery in Germany’s deep mines. And in 1849, American naval vessels began systematic deep-sea soundings in the Atlantic. An undersea plateau between Newfoundland and Ire- Bill Burns with a submarine land was chosen as the cable sample. ideal route for laying a telegraph cable. The very first cable ship was a small paddle steamer named Goliath, which with a drum of cable mounted on deck laid the cross-Channel cable of 1850. For the first Atlantic cable expeditions of 1857 and 1858 the British government lent the HMS Agamemnon and the U.S. government provided its new warship, USS Niagara. These were fitted with cable gear designed largely by trial and error, from which has evolved the paying out gear used today. Those missions were dogged by repeated failures, particularly in the attempts to lay long cables such as the Atlantic run, but each time more money was raised and new expeditions mounted. A third mission, also in 1958, succeeded, so to speak. The cable was successfully laid, although it worked for only a few weeks. There was another expensive failure on a different route the next year from woes related to the process of design and manufacturing of long cables, which was still in its infancy. Yet the efforts showed that a long cable could be successfully laid and operated. Further, it could financially viable. Even with the cable’s very slow transmission speed (just a few words per hour at best) the commercial possibilities of instant messages between New York and London were very desirable. A published government report in 1861 about the failure of the 1858 cable marked a turning point, and led to the begin-
... while capacity evolves with a tsunami-like force An old saying goes, “Records are made to be broken,” and that seems to be the mantra for submarine system capacity. Not long ago, headlines once proclaimed gigabits, but now, it takes double-digit terrabits. The latest “record setter” is from Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN) and Nokia Bell Labs, which recently announced they attained transmission speeds of 65 Tbps over a 6,600-km single mode fiber in a lab trial using submarine grade dual band erbium doped fiber amplifiers. The 65 Tbs, they noted, represents double its previous transmission capacity level. To put that in contrast, the capacity—equivalent to more than 10 million HDTV channels streamed simultaneously—it is approximately 232,000 times greater than that of the first transatlantic fibre optic cable, TAT-8 in 1988, which had 280 Mb/s capacity. The trial used Bell Labs’ Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS) technology, a new modulation technique
that maximizes the distance and capacity of high-speed transmission in optical networks. Unlike traditional techniques where all constellation symbols are transmitted with the same occurrence, PCS intelligently uses non-uniform transmission of constellation symbols by reducing the occurrence of high power symbols, thus providing more resilience to noise and other impairments, and the ability to dynamically adapt to changing conditions. Amazing? Yes. Impressive? You bet. A long-lasting record? Not likely, as the planned Microsoft/ Facebook cable, Marea, is expected to have 160 Tbps capacity when it launches late next year. As the cover blurb notes, “There is no end in sight.”
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FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER
The engineers had not been idle during this time. One of nings of the modern cable industry. There was more focus their main concerns was the speedy and efficient transmison using high quality materials and carefully controlling the sion of signals over the cable, as this was directly related manufacturing and storage of the cable. The theory of sigto revenue. There were continual improvements in the menal transmission on long cables was worked out, and instruchanical and electrical design of the cables, and automated ments and techniques for efficiently sending messages were transmitting and receiving devised. equipment replaced manuFurther work on the Atal operation. Multiplexing lantic cable was hindered allowed a cable to carry by the Civil War in Amermore than one message at ica, but in 1865 a vessel, the same time, and complex the SS Great Eastern, was electro-mechanical relays converted for cable laying, permitted signals to be fora new cable was designed warded directly from the and made to more rigorundersea cable to the conous principles. Despite a necting landlines without setback that year when re-keying. Messages could the cable broke just 600 now be sent at 40 words per miles from Newfoundland A map depicting the first Atlantic submarine cable system. minute, and while competiand was lost in 12,000 feet tion led to lower prices, the cable industry continued to be of water, success seemed reachable. A second expedition in very profitable. 1866 not only laid the cable without incident from Ireland to The repair of deep sea cables had also by now become rouNewfoundland, but recovered and completed the lost cable tine. Before laying a cable on a new route, an accurate survey of the previous year, providing two circuits for messages bewas made to establish the bottom conditions and find a safe tween Europe and America. path for the cable, and careful records were kept as the cable Finally, commercial promise was realized. Messages were was laid. Precision measuring equipment allowed engineers transmitted at six to eight words per minute at a cost of $5 a to locate the position of a break from their test stations on word, a huge sum in 1866 dollars. Despite the great cost of shore, and a damaged cable could then be recovered and relaying a long cable—over a million dollars at the time— the paired. As we learned from the cable breakages in the Medresults led to a boom in cable laying worldwide. Other Atlaniterranean a few years ago, little has changed in this area: tic cables followed, as did cables linking many parts of the damaged cables are still hauled up from the depths, breaks world. By the end of the century there were 10 Atlantic carepaired on board the cable ship, and the cable sent back into bles, with two more under construction, with 36 cable ships the ocean. Perhaps the main difference is that the route suremployed in laying new lines and repairing the 130,000 veys and positioning of repair ships are now done with the miles of cable already at the bottom of the sea.
FEATURE
amount of traffic. The main disadvantage of satellites, then aid of satellite navigation systems. and now, is the time delay in round-trip transmission. A sigBy the 1920s, cable had to meet the challenge of radio. nal across the Atlantic takes about eight times as long to arSome felt that cables were now obsolete, but the lack of rive when sent by satellite. security on wireless transmissions left many customers unEnter fiber optic cable, the modern era of cable commueasy, and cables continued to prosper. With further technical nications, which made its introduction in 1988 via the layadvances in the design of the cables and equipment, speeds ing of TAT-8, the first fiber optic cable across the Atlantic. It reached 400 words per minute across the Atlantic by 1928. provided 40,000 telephone channels, and cable capacity has But this was still just for telegraph messages. increased many fold since then. Although telephone conversations had been transmitted on Despite all the changes, many things have stayed the same. short underwater cables as early as 1891, the problem of carCables still have a conducrying voices under the Atlantor to carry the signal (glass tic and the other great oceans instead of copper), an insuhad not yet been solved. Unlator to protect the circuits like on land lines, the signal against water (polyethylene level of voice transmissions instead of gutta percha), and on an undersea cable falls a strength member (steel inoff very quickly, and withstead of iron). Cable routes out amplification nothing is are surveyed with the aid of received at the other end. It satellite navigation instead was not until the early 1950s of celestial navigation, but that amplifiers capable of cables are still laid by dropbeing spliced into the cable ping them off a ship while and paid out from a cable steaming ahead, using a ship could be made reliable Two submarine cables produced 150 years apart. cable engine to regulate the enough to justify the vast paying out speed. Repairs expense of using them every are made as they always have been, by hauling the cable up 20 miles along a 2,000-mile Atlantic cable. from the depths and splicing as needed. The first transatlantic telephone cable, TAT-1, went into As for the future, I believe cable will always be the backservice in 1956. It had two cables, one to carry the eastbound bone of the global network. Land-based fiber optic technoltraffic, the other the westbound. This cable carried 36 teleogy will continue to expand high-speed delivery of data, auphone channels, each of which was the equivalent of 22 teledio, and video direct to the end user, and wireless will let us graph circuits. A call cost £3 for three minutes, about $3 a connect to the Internet and make phone calls wherever we minute at the time, worth more than $20 a minute today. go, but submarine cables will carry all this traffic around the Further Atlantic telephone cables followed at short interworld. vals, together with others all round the world. Just 10 years The early cable engineers would no doubt be impressed later, TAT-6 had 4,000 telephone channels. by our modern technology, but I’m sure they would also be Another challenge to the supremacy of cables as the long amazed to see how much of what they pioneered remains the distance message medium came with the advent of commusame today. nications satellites, which initially took away a considerable
A really quick word on a submarine cable buzzword: latency Got a second? For most people, that phrase is just a conversation starter, but for the international finance industry, the merest sliver of a second can represent millions in revenues. It’s the essence of Algorithmic Trading, also called Algo Trading, and why latency—the time it takes from when a piece of vital information comes in, to an algorithmically assessed and a generated (profitable) action is made—matters. Per a report in Information Week, “a 1-millisecond (ms) advantage in trading applications can be worth $100 million a year to a major brokerage firm.” One way to reduce latency is to make a cable run shorter, and the best way to do that is to make the route straighter. That has been a focus in recent years, with one such system being the Hibernia Express. Launched in 2015 by Hibernia
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Networks, it was the first transatlantic cable build in over a decade. The company said that the 4,600-km line, with latency of 58.95 milliseconds, offers the lowest latency from New York to London, and was 20% faster than the next fastest cable system for transmission from New York to London. Another low-latency submarine cable system is planned to connect the U.K. to Japan by laying a cable across the Arctic Circle above Canada through the Northwest passage. Such routes are as much as a third shorter than existing routes. Per an article in extremetech.com, the above approach may shave 60 ms off the 230 ms it otherwise would take for a “packet” to go from London to Tokyo. The cost of installing such a cable system can be £700 million or more. Is it worth it? Well, it’s not something one can afford to dwell on for long.
FEATURE
TeleGeography: the growth story continues TeleGeography, part of U.S. based PriMetrica, Inc., specializes in delivering market intelligence to the telecom and IT industries. It supplied the maps on the cover and below as well as the project list at right. Below, Alan Mauldin, Research Director, TeleGeography, discusses the field.
WJI: Announcements of mega-bandwidth capacity from Maudlin Google, etc., now abound: based on streaming video/IoT demand, do you expect to see a continued stream of new submarine cable system projects? Can you envision a saturation point? WJI: What is the standard expected life for a new subMaudlin: Yes again. Google, Facebook, Microsoft, as marine cable system? Has that projected span increased well as Amazon and Chinese-cloud provider Alibaba will greatly over the years? continue to be major investors in undersea cables in the Maudlin: The actual lifespan of a submarine cable is not near future. From a fixed number of 2011 to 2015, Transyears. While cables Atlantic route lit are engineered with capacity has increased a design life of 25 from 16.5 Tbps to years, most cables 54.9 Tbp, according have been decomto our data. missioned well in If by saturation advance of their point you mean that 25th year of service. there is no longer The reason for the a need for any new early decommissioncables, then I would ing of cables is due disagree. I do not see to the economic life how there could be of cable. The ecoa saturation point: nomic life of a cable demand for internais not a fixed value tional bandwidth has but rather has tradirisen consistently by tionally been based A snapshot of Trans-Atlantic submarine cable capacity growth. Chart at least 30-40%, if on the time at which courtesy of TeleGeography. not more for the past the annual unit cost decade and shows no signs of slowing. of operations and maintenance (O&M) actually exceed the annual unit price of capacity on newer cables. Once WJI: Are there any logistical considerations that may this threshold is reached, the cable will have reached the “cap” the potential number of new systems? end of its economic life, and should be a candidate for Maudlin: I don’t think the number of cable in aggregate retirement. The ability for older cables to undergo subis something to be concerned about. Cables will be built if stantial upgrades even after over a decade of operation there is a need for them. Multiple paths are also needed to has extended the economic lives for many systems. ensure sufficient resiliency. So while we are currently seeing new cable activity in the Atlantic, this is all warranted. WJI: What happens to cable systems whose useful life There’s no need for 50 cables across the Atlantic. have passed: are they all allowed to remain where they are? Or, are some in shallower waters ever “recovered”? WJI: Terabit line capacity has arrived: will the technoloMaudlin: Yes. Cables can be recovered and reposigy evolve even beyond that? tioned. For example part of the old Gemini cable was Maudlin: Yes, technology is constantly evolving and sliced/diced and moved south to Bermuda. Cables also improving. I expect we will see higher capacities per fiber can be salvaged. Some companies like Mertech Marine, pair and also more fiber pairs per cable on transoceanic engage in this type of operation. systems in the future.
WJI: How many submarine cable systems have been laid over the years? Of those, how many are still in use? Maudlin: There are 315 active cables. We do not have definitive data on the number of cables that have been retired.
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the hugely popular combined Diameter and Flaw Detection Gage DGK SuperFast Series. ”We’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all who visited (us) at Interwire 2015.
Top 10 list of on-going submarine cable projects
At Interwire, Proton Products International showcased the company’s InteliSENS SL series speed and length gauges, which it noted are saving cable manufacturers serious money every daysubmarine around the world. To date, some 354 cables have been laid that collectively account for nearly a million AsBelow cable manufacturers purchase projects, raw materials by the of TeleGeography. km. is a list of ongoing courtesy ton and then sell by length, it’s extremely important to CamTel and China Unicom Linking: Australia to Djibouti Sea-Me-We 5 Length: 20,000 make sure that when you sell Km a reel of cable at 1000 Length: 6,000 Km In 2018,away this new cable will connect Linking: Asia1003 to Europe ft, its is not ft or 1005 ft, essentially giving Linking: Brazil to Cameroon Australia to the world, able to connect Set toor launch press time, this sys0.3% 0.5%atfor free, which can be typical in many This system will have an initial to as many as seven other systems. tem, just named “Project of the Year” at production facilities. The InteliSENS SL Series gauges system capacity of 32 Tbps when the Global Carrier Awards, is designed are calibrated to 0.03%, and with no moving parts to Fiber Atlantic SemanticNet it comes into service at the end of for 24 Tbps initial capacity. wear and non-contact operation eliminating slippage, Length: 6,675 Km 2017. we are extremely proud to work with our customers Linking: U.S. to France Hawaiki Submarine Cable and provide a gauge and Indonesia Global Gateway Set to be operational in late 2017/ Length: 14,000 Km that truly helps save money improveAustralia/New profitability. Zealand to Length: 5,3000 Km early 2018, this system may have Linking: Linking: Indonesian to Singapore capacity U.S. The DGK Series of gauges have no moving partstopping and 60 Tbps. Once completed in early 2018,the Per Hawaiki, this will be fastest 10,000 times per secmeasure the diameter anthe amazing MAREA: Length: 6,6000 Km IGG will connect a range of (30+ and Available largest linkasbetween ond,Tbps) per axis. either athe dual- or triple-axis Linking: U.S. to Spain Grant Latimer, Proton islands with Singapore. U.S. andthe Australia/New Products. gauge, Super Fast Zealand. Processing Technology analyzes Microsoft and Facebook note that up to 30,000 measurements display Subsea Cable and our full cable and system will have a 160 Tbps doubtTrident Monet Length: 10,600 Km per second tothis It was without our busiest exhibition communicate diameter, ovality, lumps and neckdowns. Length: 4,500 Km capacity subsea cable. team of agents and employees Linking: U.S. to Brazil were on hand to take care Thetocompany also showed a full range of products Singapore to Australia Set be operational in early 2017, of our customers.” Linking: Grant Latimer, managing director, South Atlantic including spark testers, capacitance gauges, lump and Cable System Expected to be completed by Q2 this cable, with two fiber pairs, will g.latimer@protonproducts.com. Length: 2018, the Trident Subsea Cable neckdesign detectors, pre of heaters, speed & length gauges6,200 and Km have capacity 60 Tbps. Linking: Brazil to Angola will be connected to the already Set to be operational in 2018, this sysAustralia West Express deployed Marix cable system. tem is designed for 40 Tbps. Length: 10,100 Km
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FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER FEATURE
Proton Products International/U.K.
FEATURE
CRU: 2 reports show subsea energy & telcom cable growth Two reports by London-headquartered CRU Group, one on HV & EHV cables and another on the telecommunications market, are forecasting strong demand for both types of cables, particularly subsea systems. Below, CRU analysts share their thoughts. For more details, go to www.cruwcn.com.
Transoceanic projects fuel fiber demand
grid in the same country as an alternative to an onshore grid line.
“Due to a number of announced trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic Offshore wind typically makes up around 40% of the projects, we forecast demand for HV & EHV subsea market, with most of this concensubsea cables to remain robust trated in Europe, followed by China and other world over the next three to five years,” regions. Offshore wind is expected to continue being a said Yuya Pan, senior consultant major driver for subsea cables the next five to ten years. and one of the authors of the While Europe makes up 91% of the world’s offshore Telecoms Market Outlook, which wind, with the UK in the number one position, efforts is published biannually. to harness this energy in the US are underway, the first “I’d say there are three main of these being the Block Island offshore wind farm elements of interest in fiber which completed construction this year. However, much optic subsea cables. Firstly, the depends on what the Trump administration will do with Pan use of the Arctic ocean is now Offshore wind makes upto40% of theenergy HV & in EHV subsea market regards renewables general. feasible, due to climate change, and that can provideHV the& EHV market by use & voltage Submarine shortest distance between several continents; secondly, several really big systems which are either transpacific or EHV multi-regional are being installed; and finally new players Wind HV: 60kV – 230kV are investing, including some big content companies like 12% Google and Facebook, as well as the usual big telcos,” HV Grid EHV: over 230kV Pan explained. 37%
Offshore wind drives energy subsea cable Within the Power Cable group, the Submarine HV and EHV market is a high-value segment that is showing healthy growth. “All of the sectors covered in CRU’s HV & EHV Market Outlook report are growing at a much faster rate than the cable industry as a whole, with the submarine sector poised to record the strongest growth,” said Andy Simmonds, author of the report, Simmonds which is produced every two years, with the next edition to be published shortly. Demand is driven mainly by: • Ongoing transmission grid investment, either to replace and upgrade existing older infrastructure or new grids to deal with increasing demand for electricity in developing countries. • Offshore wind farm boom which must transmit the power generated to land for connection to the grid. • Interconnectors, connecting the grids of two different countries separated by water or the
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HV Wind 28%
EHV Grid 23%
HV: 60kV— 230kV EHV: over 230kV
Submarine HV & EHV market by use & voltage. Offshore wind makes up 40% of the HV & EHV subsea market. Source: CRU research. “The subsea cable industry for both energy and telecommunications are two of the areas that have some of the most interesting developments, from new technologies, market consolidation and new entrants, to regulatory, political and cost challenges. This part of the industry will no doubt have an interesting few years ahead,” said Natalie Noor-Drugan, publisher of CRU Wire & Cable News, which is another CRU service that provides news and analysis of topical issues affecting the global energy and communications cable industries. To find out more about the various services that CRU Group offers, contact the company’s customer services department via www.cruwcn.com.
INDUSTRY PROFILE FEATURE
Submerged in the global cable market COMPANY
Winston Qiu
Submarine Cable Networks submarine networks.com
founder and managing editor SubmarineNetworks.com
FOCUS
Launched in 2011 SubmarineNetworks. com is an open and free portal on the submarine cable industry. It provides information on the technology, financing, planning, construction, operation and maintenance, marketing, commercial and technical solutions regarding the undersea cable systems and networks. OF NOTE
Winston Qiu is a specialist in network architecture and is an experienced global IP Peering coordinator. He is head of the products and applications department of China Unicom Global Limited. He also designed the global network platform for the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games. He has a master’s degree in optical fiber communication systems from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and a bachelor’s degree in electromagnetic and microwave technology from the Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. He designs, operates and
WJI: How did you come to launch Submarine Cable Networks in 2011? At the time, was there anything similar? Winston: SubmarineNetworks.com website was officially launched in May 2011. I came up with this idea at the end of 2010. At that time, I had been working in the submarine cable industry and capacity market for more than 10 years, as a network architect, presales consultant, capacity buyer, etc. Information on submarine cable systems and the capacity market was quite limited. Most professionals considered it to be private information and few either wanted to share it or to pay a consulting company to acquire it. An example of what we offer is shown on the next page. I tried at first to write a book to share my knowledge and expertise, but gave up on that. I found that it would be better to develop an internet website as it would be able to reach a larger audience and be a better forum for visitors to enjoy free expression about this exciting field. WJI: What was your concept for your website? How has it expanded? Winston: At first, I tried to make it just a knowledge base for myself and my peers. After about three years, the website reached a leading position in the global submarine cable industry. I was amazed as this was done largely by my efforts and cost. I am quite proud to see that visitors included not just industry professionals, but others who were part of a world wide range of internet users. On a global ranking, Alexa. com has our site rated under 800,000. Considering our niche, that is good, and I hope to further improve that rating. WJI: Did you have specific goals in terms of what type of audience you are seeking? Have those changed much?
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Winston: At the very beginning, I thought the submarine cable industry was a niche market. It still is. But submarine cable capacity has become one of the most foundational demands for the global internet, as important as gas and oil is to the global economy. Internet users worldwide want to understand how submarine cable networks work, especially when their access to the internet is impacted by a submarine cable outage, or when there is news of significant additional supply of submarine cable capacity. In such cases, when internet users search any specific submarine cable in Google, the traffic likely will be driven to submarinenetworks.com, due to my innovative design of the website architecture and rich content. WJI: Why is your site free? What do you get out of all this work? Winston: I have been engaged in not only submarine cable industry, but also the internet industry. I find this very enjoyable. I enjoy the spirit of the open internet and I wish to change the semi-closed status of the submarine cable industry. So, because of those beliefs, I decided at the very beginning to make submarinenetworks.com open and free. I operate and manage the website at my own cost, with certain kinds of sponsorship. I am looking for more sponsors and investors to make the website a better and open platform for the industry. Also, we continue to be a media partner of Submarine Networks World, the world’s leading subsea cable industry gathering. WJI: How much time does your website take up? Do you have other people help? Winston: It took me about half a year to design and finalize the website architecture. I outsourced it for coding, technical maintenance and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). So far,
WJI: You are head of products and applications for China Unicom Global Limited: does your company support your mission? Winston: Though there isn’t any financial, material or technical support from my company, there isn’t any obstacle as well. So, I take that as encouragement. My achievement at submarinenetworks.com does contribute to promote my employer’s brand in the industry, as most peers and enter-
prise customers become more confident in the services of China Unicom Global after visiting my website. WJI: Do you have specific goals for what/where you would like to be, say, five or 10 years from now? Winston: Yes. I do have further goals. Beyond being the first and top-most portal in global submarine cable industry, submarinenetworks.com will be a vertical industry cloud platform for global submarine cable industry, connecting knowledge base, professionals, stakeholders and network trading. I aim to change current wholesale business model for cable capacity market through innovative online trading.
Downstream logistics: the role of cables at a cable landing station The below information on cable landing stations is from submarinenetworks.com. A cable landing station is an important component of a submarine cable system which comprises a dry plant and a wet plant. The dry plant of a submarine cable system is a segment between the beach manhole and the cable landing station. It includes land cable, power feeding equipment (PFE) and submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE), etc. The wet plant of a submarine cable system lies between the beach manholes. Typically, it includes the submarine cable, repeaters and branching units. See Chart 1. The PFE and the SLTE of a submarine cable system are installed at the cable landing station. In some cases, the PFE is installed at a cable landing station nearby the cable landing site, while the SLTE may be installed in another cable landing station much further away. For example, the terminal station at Hillsboro for the SLTE of the TPE cable system is about 150 miles further away from the cable landing site at Nedonna Beach.
Multiple submarine cable systems may share the same cable landing stations. The submarine cable system is connected with the terrestrial network at the cable landing station, through the so called backhaul system. The cable landing site is usually carefully chosen to be in areas that have: little marine traffic to minimize the risk of cables being damaged by ship anchors and trawler operations; gently sloping, sandy or silty sea-floors so that the cable can be buried to minimize the chance of damage; and lack of strong currents that would uncover buried cables and potentially move cables. Multiple types of submarine cables may be used in a submarine cable system, subject to the depth of the seabed where the cable lies. The double armored submarine cable is used at the shore-end, terminated at the beach manhole at the cable landing site, and is interconnected with much lighter land cable going onward to the cable landing station. In most jurisdictions worldwide, a cable landing license is required to land a submarine cable.
Chart 1. A typical schematic for a submarine cable landing system.
DECEMBER 2016 | 53
FEATURE
most of the articles are collected, written and edited by myself. I also have been cultivating my own SEO and internet marketing skill, which is why the articles at my website usually rank tops in Google searches.
FEATURE
No bite to myths such as subsea cable-chewing sharks The European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA/www.escaeu.org) promotes marine safety and the safeguarding of submarine cables from man-made and natural hazards. ESCA Chairman Peter Jamieson posted a piece about myths that he said continue to persist...when they shouldn’t. Note: Jamieson will neither confirm nor deny that the photo at right is of him. Below are edited excerpts from his article.
Jamieson?
In two decades the internet has become part of the fabric of submarine cables is not only not a secret (apart from of society. It is considered by many to be essential to modthe “secret” ones!), that information is fully provided to ern life. A survey by Cisco in 2011 revealed that the internet the fishing industry via projects—see next page—to avoid was as important to some people as food and water. Like damage to cables and capsizing of fishing boats, which is food and water, we take the internet for granted. We just a far likelier possibility. expect it to be there, we expect it to work. U.S. submarines and/or other clandestine agencies are People care little about the infrastructure that delivers tapping submarine cables. Another great plot, but quite the internet. For the record, more than 98% of all commusimply, this can’t be done without being detected by the nications are transported globally via a network of optical cable owner. You cannot secretly tap a submarine optical fiber submarine cables, not via satellite. Submarine cables, fiber cable without being intrusive to the cable itself. For such as the ones owned and maintained by ESCA member light to escape from an optical fiber, it has to be bent to such companies, are the backbone of a degree that the “angle the global internet, and there of incidence” of the inhas been considerable growth coming light exceeds the in recent years. “angle of total internal reUnfortunately the increase flection” of the fiber cladin publicity of new submading. To do that, the cable rine cables has also resulted would have to be stripped in an increase in submarine to expose the bare optical cable myths that refuse to be fibers. That includes cutdispelled. Every few months a ting through the cable’s story appears warning that eicore that powers the rether sharks are biting submarine peating equipment. If one cables or the CIA has submacould do that, one would rines tapping cables. Below are need to then place detecthe top three myths, and why tion equipment to capture they’re wrong. any escaped light, only Sharks damage submarine ca- Scary? Yes. But looking for a submarine cable system to that light would diffuse bles. Yes, it’s a great story you gnaw on? Not likely...still, as myths go, it is very effective. and not be a coherent may well have seen, but there is beam as it was within the no evidence that the internet is threatened by sharks. It apfiber. Modern optical fibers can carry 100 x 100G wavepeared a few years ago in a You Tube clip where a shark was lengths on each fiber. The chances of any diffuse light thusencouraged to bite some kind of cable. However, a study by ly “collected and made readable” are very slim. You would the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) of all have to do this for every optical fiber within the cables (up submarine cable damages from 2007 to 2014 revealed that to 12 for a trans-oceanic cable, and possibly 300 for a shortNO damages whatsoever were attributed to shark activity. er haul cable). Russian submarines are poised to cut submarine cables Now, that’s not to say that government agencies do not in the event of conflict. Indeed, this is a story that James have access to the information carried on the internet, but Bond or Jason Bourne would be proud of. It emerged late tapping a submarine optical fiber cable in the depths of the in 2015 that the U.S. was concerned about Russian ships world’s oceans is not one of the easier ways to do this. and submarines loitering around submarine cables, potenInstead of worrying about Russia and submarines, if the tially zeroing in on their locations in readiness to cut them governments really want to protect submarine cables, they and isolate the country. Great plot, but not so simple. To should focus on the two main causes of real documented do this, Russia would have to simultaneously cut some 16 damage: fishing and anchors! However, I recognize that a cables in the Atlantic and some 18 cables in the Pacific. story line is not likely to make the final cut for such a proWhile not impossible, it is extremely improbable. Also, posed movie, I think that Bond and Bourne likely would opt consider that Russia is as dependent on the global subto sit that one out. And as for the sharks, well, let’s just say marine cable network as any other nation. The location there’s been enough jawing about them already.
54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
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FEATURE
The art and science of laying submarine cable VBMS, a subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., specializes in shallow subsea power cable installation. Earlier this year, it laid its 1,000th inter array cable for a wind farm. It also has introduced a “kinder, gentler” method for the laying procedure. Below, Pieter Wijnmaalen, Commercial Manager, responds to questions sent by WJI. WJI: Is laying submarine cable an art or a science? Wijnmaalen: Both. Submarine cables are not only laid, they are most of the time also (simultaneously) buried. The challenge is to verifiably lay and bury this very delicate cable on a remote (subsea) location. The visibility is often poor, soil conditions can vary and weather conditions can cause extra stress on the cable, crew and vessel during laying. In the last 10 years, VBMS has overcome most of these challenges by developing and balancing cable-laying equipment, vessels and crew. To perform our “First Time Right” cable laying focus, we mix step-changing ideas with proven technology on a daily basis.
a conventional method using divers. Working with divers, you are confronted with two to three tides for this operation (only possible in slack water) so you would need about 24 hours. We can do that in a half hour as we eliminate interfaces. This allows all rigging materials, including buoyancy devices, to be recovered directly from the cable, after which the trenching operation can commence without any further intervention. This also makes for a safer process.
WJI: Are there certain depths at which the laying process is more difficult? What challenges do you encounter? Wijnmaalen: In principle, we can lay cable at any water depth. The vessel can be equipped with stronger tensioners to hold the extra weight of the WJI: Is there one part of cable at greater water depths, the process that is by far and extra (underwater) surthe most challenging, or are vey equipment can be used. there several types of probFor very shallow water areas, lems that can make a given we even can beach our vessel project especially difficult? to reduce the “float out” disWijnmaalen: The laying tance and safeguard the qualand burial element of develity of the cable during laying, oping an offshore wind farm or deploy project dedicated is an essential step, and it’s equipment. Our engineers one we handle well, but and naval architects can adapt sometimes it’s not so simour equipment and vessels ple. Our job is to connect the to various depths. The more subsea cables, on time, and critical challenge is to find ensure they perform as exthe most cost-efficient solupected and at a cost-efficient tion for the interface between price. We heavily invest in A VBMS subsea cable-laying barge at work. the cable-laying equipment state-of-the-art vessels and and the cable design. For example, a cable design can take equipment so we can do that, but the key to any project into account that the weight of the cable in very deep water we undertake is preparation. That begins with a burial ascan cause “squeezing” of the cable on the chute (back end) of sessment study to get a very detailed assessment of the soil the vessel. We have also found solutions by working closely conditions so we can pick the right burial tool and vessel. with a partnered cable manufacturer. For instance, we can A client may not want to pay for a full soil survey as they increase the contact surface of the cable with the shute: the want to offer the lowest bid, and a project that is based on more surface that is used, the less pressure there is on the working in jettable sand may suddenly have to deal with cable, preventing cable squeezing. clay layers that require a different tool. We have learned how to adjust to the unexpected. WJI: How many people tend to work on such a project, and how does experience help avoid problems? WJI: Your company completed the shore landing for the Wijnmaalen: On average, about 100 people work on a Galloper Offshore Wind Farm without use of divers, wet rigcable installation project. Our staff experience is a strategic gers or support vessels. How was this possible? asset: the best vessel or burial tool will not perform if exWijnmaalen: The key is how we lay the cable. We use perienced people are not there to manage and support the SeaSerpent, a buoyancy system for shallow water cable inefforts. That background makes it possible to find the right stallation, developed by Unique Group’s Seaflex. This opbalance between quality and costs, while predicting and miteration is remotely controlled from either the beach or the igating risks before they occur. Proactivity, safety and (safeinstallation vessel. We patented a method to release the inty) awareness are key competences in our company. You can flatable tube from the cable and let it sink onto the seabed. find out more about our company at vbms.com. In five minutes, we can do what would take 45 minutes with 56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
behavioral response by electro-sensitive This feature focuses on data cables, species. not power cables—a major feature The research was done using existing, unto itself—but it seemed appropriundersea power cables connected from ate to include one piece about an isthree drilling platforms in the Southern sue that some readers may not have Measuring California OCS at depths to about 326 been aware even existed: possible Stick meters to Las Flores on the mainland. The threats from Electromagnetic Fields cables run from the platforms toward the (EMF). EMF Meter mainland to a sea floor depth of 10 meters A new report from the Bureau of and from there are buried inshore. Over a Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) three-year period—studying, 44 species of addresses four questions about the fishes and a total of 30,523 invertebrates impact of submerged power cables Equipment used for EMF study. from at least 43 invertebrate species— on fish and invertebrates, the princithey reported four key findings: pal one being whether electromagnetic fields (EMF) from 1) Researchers did not observe any significant differences submerged power cables attract or repulse fish or invertein the fish communities living around energized and unenbrates. ergized cables and natural habitats; The purpose of the study was to consider the potential 2) They found no compelling evidence that the EMF proeffects of energized, seabed deployed, power cables on maduced by the energized power cables in this study were eirine organisms, broadly applicable to planned and future ther attracting or repelling fish or macro invertebrates; renewable energy projects in the Pacific Outer Continental 3) EMF strength dissipated relatively quickly with disShelf (OCS) region and other OCS planning areas. tance from the cable and approached background levels at The experimental design tested for the effect of inshore about one meter from the cable, and; versus deep water cable placement. Researchers found that 4) Cable burial would not appear necessary strictly for few biological effects could be detected from patterns of biological reasons. species’ relative abundance, and there was no evidence of
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www.strecker-limburg.de www.streckerusa.com DECEMBER 2016 | 57
FEATURE
Report: submarine power cables not an EMF threat
No bite to myths such as subsea cable-chewing sharks
FEATURE
This cable industry project focus is (and isn’t) a fish story The Kingfisher Information Service-Offshore Renewable & Cable Awareness project (KIS-ORCA/www.kisorca.eu) is a joint initiative between the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA), Renewable UK and the Kingfisher Information Service of Seafish. That’s a lot of names, but the purpose is clear: to prevent submarine cable systems from being damaged by the fishing industry. Below is an edited mission focus. Cable faults are caused by many events, both man-made and natural. In water depths greater than 1,000 meters, faults are almost always caused by natural events, such as underwater seismic activity, underwater landslides, current abrasion, etc. Yet in depths of less than 200 meters, faults are nearly always caused by man-made activities: fishing and anchoring account for some 70% of all cable faults. The need to limit such outages is the focus of the KIS-ORCA project. The greatest level of risk to vessels engaged in fishing operations, are to those which penetrate the seabed in any way, such as trawling, dredging and anchors from nets or crab/lobster pots. KIS-ORCA offers an “Awareness Chart” to make people aware of where submarine cable fields are. A slice of one of these maps is shown below. One problem is that due to the na-
ture of some areas of seabed where mobile sediments are found, cables that were buried at the time of installation may become exposed over time, making them more subject to being snagged. Cables can be scoured out by tides and currents, or moved by anchors and fishing gear. Either way, cables considered safe from subsea activities at the time of installation may no longer be so. Also, due to seabed movements, cables may occasionally span hollows in the sea bed. Some smaller fishing vessels do work within the confines of wind farms, working crab/lobster pots, gill nets, etc. As each turbine is linked to the next by a subsea cable and where the cable joins up with the turbine, there is potential for snagging on these sections. A “special” hazard to fishing gear stems from repairs to cables known as final splices. After a repair has
been completed by splicing two ends together, the cable vessel has a large section, or “bight” of wire that leads from the seabed to the ship. This is held onboard by rope stoppers, then the procedure is simply to slip both stoppers and lower the bight of cable back onto the seabed. Cable burial of this section is often not completely successful. Avoidance of these final splices is “highly recommended.” At the website, news items spell out potential hazards that otherwise might not be known. “Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm – Debris on Seabed. Please be advised that during the recent geotechnical operations at the Triton Knoll site, (some) 25 meters of communications cable was left lying on the seabed at one location.” It then shows location. For more details on the above topics , go to www.kis-orca.eu.
U.K. offshore wind farms, which annually produce 5,000+ megawatts of power, are also a potential hazard for fishermen. 58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
What okays are required for a proposed submarine cable system? WJI posed that question to Stewart Ash, a U.K. expert and contributor to “Submarines Cables: The Handbook of Law and Policy.” WJI: What requirements have to be met to lay a new submarine cable from A to B? Ash: There is a whole raft of legislation covering the installation and operation of a submarine cable. The details requirements vary from country to country but here is a broad overview. In each country that the cable lands, the owner will need to have a telecom operating license. The company will often need a landing license to bring the cable ashore. Then there is legislation relating to the right for the cable to exist in sovereign territory. This can include local, regional, state and national requirements for permits, wayleaves and or easements. This applies to the land, the foreshore, and the sea out to the 12 mile limit.
WJI: Are there other requirements? Ash: In many countries the cable owner will have to lease the sea bed on which the cable lies within territorial waters. Many countries first require an environmental impact study to show that the cable will have no adverse effect. Most countries have a 200 nautical mile (nm) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which allows them control over mineral resources on their continental shelves. These countries lease areas of the seabed for the exploitation of these minerals and so will require the cable owner to avoid certain areas and or liaise with the licensee concerning cable routing. Outside territorial waters, the use of the sea is covered by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Signatures to it agree to allow submarine cables free
passage. It is, however, conventional for cable owners to enter commercial agreements with other cables and or pipelines that they wish to cross, wherever they are. Such agreements cover the engineering of the crossing, additional protection burial, etc. and the methods for repairs of either asset. in the crossing area of the crossing. WJI: Does any body “own” the rights to the ocean? Ash: No country claims sovereign right beyond the 12 nm limit or economic rights beyond the 200 nm EEZ however, most of the members of the United Nations are signatories to UNCLOS and those that have not signed up tend to respect it.
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DECEMBER 2016 | 59
FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER
How does one get an ok for a submarine cable project?
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER Open fire furnace: a new concept for a more efficient use of energy An outlined new furnace shape optimization that can both reduce maintenace costs and improve product quality, may also help meet future European requirements related to eco-design and mandatory energy optimization. By René Branders
In the production of high-carbon wires for the cable industry and for the low carbon industry, the use of open fire furnaces is a well-known technology. In the austenitizing process for high-carbon wires, the furnace is working in reducing conditions and guarantees, via a heat transfer combining convection and radiation, the metallurgical conversion of the steel of the wire into austenite. In the production of low-carbon wires, a similar technology guarantees the annealing of the wire. Such equipment is generally working at temperatures between 980°C and 1100°C. The wires, that often have wire drawing residues, enter a tunnel with a preheating zone where the flue gases coming from the burners zone downstream circulate. Then, the wires are entering into a succession of heating zones equipped with burners. See Fig. 1. The
Fig. 1. Path of wire through heating zones.
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burners transfer the heat to the wires by convection. A significant contribution is also coming from the radiation of the refractory walls on the wire field. The reliability and homogeneity of the mechanical results obtained on the wires are finally depending on the capacity of the equipment to transfer in an equivalent way the heat to the whole wire field to get a same heating curve for the wires having the same diameter. Regarding the quantity of transfer by radiation—the furnace being considered as a black body with considered operating temperatures—no geometric solution can be adopted to improve the radiation effect, except minimizing losses by radiation thanks to openings to the outside.The quality of this heat transfer by convection then becomes decisive. Should the existence of zones with low convection be avoided—due to the
DECEMBER 2016 | 61
TECHNICAL PAPERS
presence of vortex for instance, or obstacles—a high circulation flue gas speed must be obtained in the whole wire field. Thus, the global geometry of the internal chamber of the furnace as well as the burners’ distribution must be designed to meet these two criteria. FIB Belgium has carried out an indepth thermal analysis of furnaces with Fig. 2. View of vortex created in furnace. classical design, supported by a calculation with finite elements. From this analysis, the company has noted the existence of disturbing elements that are limiting the efficiency of the transfer by convection. Fig. 2 shows the existence of a vortex where the speed of gases converges to zero. In such a whirl, the heat transfer by convection is no longer guaranteed and certainly not if it is Fig. 3. Depiction of a desired evenly disbursed heat-transfer. located elsewhere than in the wire the wires (recuperation of the flue gas coming from the field. Moreover, the shape of the laboratory, combined with zones equipped with burners), it was also noted that some convective aspects and counter-current movements of the preferential flows were not necessary on the wires. fumes, are leading to a rapid concentration of the flue gas to The introduction of hot gas stirring fans inside the inthe upper parts of the furnace and so, to a limitation of the ternal chamber of the furnace, leads to intense convecheat transfer to the wire field. tive flows (see Figs. 5 and 6). That is good for thermal As a consequence to this phenomenon, it has been notexchanges but that split up un-homogeneously (favoring ed that some relatively low (but homogeneous, which is the preheating of some wire positions compared to othan advantage) circulation speeds of the flue gas in the ers). In such a furnace configuration, the heating curve wire field. Indeed, the positioning of the burners is fixed of a referent wire is mentioned under curve 6 for a deteraccording to the wire field in order to avoid—thanks to mined speed. a judicious air-gas ratio on one side and while avoiding In part 1, the wire is preheated with the flue gas coming flame formation on the other—any direct hot gases blast from the zones downstream. In part 2, the wire is heated on the wires. So, a judicious gap is fixed between the by convection and by radiation in zones with predefined burner brick and the height of the wire field but to the temperatures. detriment of the speed of gases across the wire field. With such a configuration, considering the analysis of When considering the part related to the preheating of the whole wire field, the injection of heat by convec-
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECHNICAL PAPER
Fig. 4. Depiction of an unevenly disbursed heat-transfer.
Fig. 5. View of thermal exchange that is not equal across the length.
Fig. 6. View of thermal exchange that is uneven across the length.
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tive transfer is distributed according to curve 8. Despite the existence of preferential convective flows in the furnace, the whole wire field is heated quite homogeneously on all its width. Practical experience is indeed showing that such equipment allows treating extremely wide wire fields (up to about 1675 mm), while guaranteeing a very good homogeneity of the physical characteristics of the treated products, whatever the position of the wire. Considering now an optimization of the internal shape of the furnace and a judicious distribution of the burners, a substantial increase of the heating speed of the wire by convection is possible. Curve 9 is showing the evolution of a wire in an optimized furnace compared to a classical one, with the same wire characteristics and the same running speed. It is obvious that the wire is heated much more rapidly than in a classical furnace. In the preheating, the recuperation of the fumes enthalpy is optimized, which allows the heating of the wires at much higher temperatures than in classical ventilated preheating designs. The consequence of this better use of the residual fumes enthalpy is a global increase of the thermal efficiency of the furnace while saving approximately 1.5 kW for the fumes circulation turbine. In the active heating part (equipped with burners), as the wires are entering with a higher temperature
TECHNICAL PAPERS
in the zone equipped with burners, the powers that have to be used for reaching the austenitizing temperatures are decreased. In these zones, the optimization of the internal shape of the furnace chambers also allows, for each zone individually, a better use of the transfer by convection. When comparing the profile of the fumes’ speed in this new configuration (Fig. 10, as opposed to Fig. 4), one can note a sensible increase of heat transfer by convection. Moreover, the distribution of the convective energetic flow gathered by the whole wire field remains homogeneous. See Fig. 11.
Fig. 7. Heating curve of a wire in Fig. 6 for a determined speed.
Thermal results Explaining these differences in heating speed within the framework of a thermal assessment, Fig. 12 compares two installations that are treating the same wire characteristics at the same running speed and for a similar global production. Regarding thermal results, for the specific configuration of this production, the global efficiency savings are substantial, much higher than 10 to 15%. The optimal use of the residual enthalpy of the flue gas, however, requires a slight extension of the preheating zone, but this makes it possible to work without stirring fans at high temperature that are also consuming electrical energy.
Fig. 8. Wire preheated with flue gas from dowstream zones.
Conclusion The optimization of the convective aspects is leading to a substantial deFig. 9. Comparison of wire in optimized and classic furnace. DECEMBER 2016 | 63
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECHNICAL PAPER
Fig. 10. View of internal shape of furnace that has optimized heat transfer zones.
Fig. 11. Convective energetic flow reflects homogeneous application.
Fig. 12. Comparison of two installations are treating same wire characteristics at the same running speed and for a similar global production.
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crease of the global carbon footprint of the equipment and, as a consequence, of the costs linked with the production of the line. This technology, based on aspects of shape optimization of the furnace only, allows working without auxiliaries that are costly in maintenance and imply a high risk of possible defects. It is also matching with the future requirements of the European policy related to the eco-design of furnaces and the future mandatory energetic requirements that are announced and that will be imposed for all existing equipment on the European territory.
RenĂŠ Branders is CEO of FIB Belgium S.A., Tubize, Belgium. He has held various positions at the company over the years, including roles in Branders R&D, engineering, and quality control. He has worked on the development of technologies related to the fluidized bed, including for the Fifth European Community Framework Program to address socioeconomic, technical, and industrial challenges of the growing EU, where he was main coordinator for non-nuclear energy R&D. He has worked in the wire industry since 1988. He graduated from the University of Brussels, Belgium, with a degree in chemical engineering. He is president of the European Committee of Industrial Furnace and Heating Equipment Association (CECOF). This paper was presented at the 7th biennial CabWire World Conference, DĂœsseldorf, Germany, November 2015.
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TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER Properzi adds continuous rotary extrusion system to its range of equipment to provide an integrated solution for the production of ACSR/AS conductors ACSR/AS conductors are an effective alternative to ACSR conductors as they offer higher conductivity per kg of conductor and higher resistance to corrosion. By Carmelo Maria Brocato
Nonferrous rod and cable industry; an indissoluble binomial Continuus-Properzi has been serving the cable industry for almost seven decades, since the late founder, Ilario Properzi (1897-1976), invented and patented the first ever aluminum rod line, based on his ingenious method of continuous casting and direct rolling. This method has been reconfirmed over the years as the most safe and efficient technology for producing rod (both copper and aluminum) which continues to be the basic raw material used for man-
ufacturing cables and conductors. Our specialized and innovative industry is behind the simplest act of powering on our lap-top or switching on the light of our living room, although everyone knows that the sustainable growth of the population and the rise in living conditions go hand-in-hand with the reliable and continuous access to electric energy (EE). Table 1 displays the growth of the demand of EE from 2005 through 20151. At first glance, except for the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, demand for EE has grown
Table 1. Chart showing increase in electric energy demand from 2005 to 2015.
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WJI: What’s the most important news in your presentation? Brocato: There are two major novelties in this presentation. The first is that I have tried to correlate the growth of the demand for electrical energy (EE) with its driving forces population growth, increase in the standard of living and urbanization rate) which are what we call “rule of the three.” The second is that I have tried to illustrate that in the chain of the production and exploitation of EE, there are great expectations and great technical opportunities for increasing the efficiency of infrastructures thanks to the development and utilization of a new alloys base for making conductors. On the contrary, we do not see too much room for increasing the efficiency of the thermal power station operating with fossil fuel. WJI: If less than half of any fuel source is actually processed to electrical energy (EE), how much more progress do you believe is feasible?
Brocato: There is a great expectation for new power stations based on renewable sources (wind farms, solar, etc.). However, especially heavy industry has requirements of continuity which do not always match with the characteristics of the EE made from renewable sources. I think that in the future, aluminium rod and copper rod will remain the base raw material for the cable industry and 30% of the total power demand will be produced through renewable sources. WJI: There are further losses in EE during the transmission process: how much more progress is feasible for this step? Brocato: Presently the various corridors are mainly based on the very old ACSR technology. We can assess that only 15% of the overhead conductors are made with alloys rod. Slowly the various corridors will be converted and will start using alloys as the base material for making conductors.
Fig. 2. Properzi CCR all rod line in operation. inexorably, year after year, at least 2%. The different colors show the different contribution of each of the eight macro areas to the total. Asia, driven by China, is the largest consumer of EE, while there are great expectations for the growth in India, which is driven by the strategic promotion of the “Made in India” sketched by the coalition of Mr. Modi. In 2014, the aggregate world demand of EE passed 20,000 TWh1 while the world population reached 7.3 billion2. According to the forecast of ExxonMobil3, in the next 25 years the aggregate demand of EE will reach nearly 32,500
WJI: Will further gains from here be incremental, or could there be major advances? Brocato: I Brocato believe that Alumoclad and ACCC will play major roles. Power stations cannot increase their efficiency because of the limitation of the delta T between the hot source and the cold source and because of the unavoidable thermal losses in the chimney. The cable industry can produce conductors with better efficiency. The power sector has made a lot of brilliant progress but it is now necessary to have new ideas for disruptive new technology. Questions for the author? Contact him at c.brocato@properzi.it
TWh, up some 60%. This tremendous growth involves the installation of thousands of new power stations and thousands and thousands of km of cables and conductors to transport and distribute the EE. Aluminum rod and copper rod will remain the semi-finished material preferred by the cable industry for manufacturing cables and conductors. Over the years, Properzi rod plants have produced millions of tons of rod. From the first aluminum rod line manufactured in 1949 to 2015, Continuus-Properzi manufactured and commissioned some 270 aluminum rod lines in more than 50 countries. Over the years, the oldest lines have been switched off or scrapped. Our marketing department recently determined that there are about 140 Properzi Al rod plants in operation worldwide4. The production rate of such plants ranges from very small equipment sized for 1.5 tph (10,000 tpy) through superjumbo lines capable of producing 15 tph on a continuous basis, which equates to 100,000 tpy. The request for alloys and/or different tempers, continues to grow and therefore the rod plant—from the furnaces to the coiler—must be sufficiently flexible to allow the preparation and processing of complex alloys (8xxx, 6xxx, 5xxx and 4xxx series) as well as the production of large diameters up to 30 mm. Fig. 2 shows a modern Properzi Al rod plant designed for producing the most com-
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Fig. 3. Typical EE losses during the production and transmission processes. plex electrical alloys, such as AA5005 or AA8176, or the even more sophisticated and fashionable family of SAG resistant conductors known as XTAl, ZTAl, etc., all of which are intended to realize conductors capable of carrying more amps per kg of conductor.
Properzi aluminum rod plant and the new scenarios in overhead conductors EE, which is generated in power stations that can be either thermoelectric or based on renewable sources, is then transported and distributed through the wire network. Fig. 3. shows a typical scheme of the EE losses that occur during this process. Regarding thermal power stations, of 100 units of potential thermal energy (whatever the fuel), only 38 to 40% of EE are produced. Then, during primary transportation from the point of production to the point of distribution, there are further losses in the network and sometimes pilferage. Such losses vary from country to country in consideration of many factors, but statistically they range from 5% to 12% in developed countries, while this can reach peaks of 50% in underdeveloped countries mainly due to pilferage5. Our research has focused on maximizing the A/h transmitted per unit of weight. For many years, power transmission lines have been sized and manufactured using ACSR (Aluminum Conductors Steel Reinforced) conductors, considering an average conductivity of 61.5% IACS (the referenced international annealed copper standard has a conductivity equal to 100 IACS). These overhead conductors were composed of AA1350 or AA1370 Fig. 4. Typical ACSR conductor. stranded wires
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but, due to the poor tensile strength of the aluminum, it was necessary to use an internal core wire, made of steel, to support the weight of the conductor between two towers. This type of conductor presents two disadvantages: high weight per A/h transmitted and corrosion problems. For such considerations the main parameters are the temperature of the conductors and the mechanical stresses of the wire. They determine the existing reserves in transmission capacity limited by the maximum allowed temperature of the metals and the critical sag and ground clearance. Several papers have illustrated the strategy of the cable industry for new conductors such as AAAC (All Aluminum Alloy Conductors); ACCC (Aluminum Conductors Composite Core); XTAl, ZTAl (Sag Resistant Conductors). This paper will focus on Aluminum Clad Steel Wire (ACSR/AS), where Properzi is a global supplier of all the major equipment involved in the manufacturing process. This synergy has been possible since Continuus-Properzi recently enlarged its range of products with an intensive know-how acquisition policy of highly reputed companies in the market and then updating and modernizing this acquired know-how and machinery. This was the case with the O.T.T. Logos drawing machine for high carbon steel, with Redaelli stranders and with Threesixty rotary extrusion technology.
Bimetallic conductors/yestererday Bimetallic conductors, introduced in the U.S. in 1915, were steel covered with copper6. The production process was based on copper casting around a steel bar; the resulting large diameter billet was hot rolled and then cold drawn into wire. When, after 30 years, aluminum became an important conductor metal in North America—aluminum production in the U.S. reached the same level as copper production in 1952—Copperweld Steel Co. started thinking about an Alumoweld wire. Two major obstacles prevented use of the same process. The first was the weld at the interface of the two metals because the intermetallic compound of aluminum and steel is brittle. The second obstacle was the low melting point
Fig. 5. Typical ACS wire strands and detail of an ACS wire.
TECHNICAL PAPERS Table 2. Comparison of characteristics of ACSR and ACSR/AS. of aluminum, which did not permit heating the bimetallic billet to the hot rolling temperature for steel. The Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, found a way to apply a heavy layer of aluminum over steel during the 1950s. The process used an application of atomized aluminum powder onto steel rod, refining both the weld and the cladding with heat and pressure. Usually the final wire had 25% aluminum by area. During the following decades the Alumoweld product encountered increasing demand by the electrical market because of its advantages: corrosion resistance in difficult environments, light weight and high tensile strength, and excellent conductivity. Alumoweld wires can be the core of ACSR strands in a variety of configurations and geometries.
Bimetallic conductors/today: ACSR/AS wire More recently, a new method has been developed for aluminum-steel bimetallic wires; it is usually called Alu-Clad Steel, Alumoclad Steel or Alumoweld. Aluminum-Clad Steel, as the name implies, consists of a thick
layer of pure aluminum (1350 or 1370) bonded onto the outer surface of the high strength steel rod as indicatively displayed in Fig. 5. The bonding is a sort of inseparable welding accomplished through a special continuous extrusion machine, at high temperature and high pressure. This manufacturing strategy eliminates the peculiar defect of bimetallic conductors: galvanic corrosion. It goes without saying that the enhanced resistance to corrosion significantly reduces the maintenance and replacement costs of the conductors and therefore that of the whole infrastructure. There are several other advantages in electrical transmission lines when ACS wires are used instead of the traditional galvanized steel wires: ACS wire is lighter than galvanized steel, and the high electrical conductivity of ACS wire reduces the thermic losses in the transmission system. With ACS, it is possible to have three to four times higher conductivity than with galvanized steel. Also, the excellent stability of
Fig. 6. Overview of the of process for manufacturing ACS wire.
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Fig. 7. View of Pro-Form machine.
aluminum layer over steel makes ACS the best option for high thermal conductors like ACSS (Shaped Wire Aluminum Conductor Steel Supported)7 or TACSR (Thermal Resistant Aluminum Conductors)7. Table 2, courtesy of Midal Cables, illustrates the better electric performance of an ACSR/AS conductor versus the classic ACSR conductor, both in terms of lightness and electrical conductivity. In addition to their application in high-voltage power transmission lines, ACS wires also find application in optical ground wires (OPGW), neutral strands and messenger wires. Before jumping to the manufacturing process of ACS wire, it should be noted that one of the most critical disadvantages of galvanized steel is the instability of the mechanical and electrical characteristics over time.
How is ACS wire made?
Fig. 8. Picture of Properzi ACS wire drawing machine.
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The manufacturing of ACS wire requires stringent repeatability of the quality obtained through specialized know-how, skilled operators and, last but not least, first-class equipment. Fig. 6 shows the main manufacturing steps of ACS wire. The feed stock materials are the steel wire and the aluminum wire rod AA 1350 or AA 1370. The preferred steel wire has a carbon content of 0.6% and UTS in the range of 1,000 MPa. The aluminum rod, 9.5 mm, is either 1350 or 1370, with an H12 temper. The main process to be accomplished is the extrusion of aluminum to encase the steel wire. The surface of both feed stock materials must be extremely clean and free from any trace of oxidation. The steel wire, after it has been cleaned through proper cleaning equipment, must pass through an induction heater to raise the temperature up to 300°C to 350°C before entering the extrusion machine.In this stage of the manufacturing process the main actor is the continuous extrusion machine that Properzi manufactures and commercializes under the brand Pro-Form (standing for Properzi Forming). It is well-known that the principle of the conform extrusion process is based on the action of a rotating wheel that pushes the feed material through the “extrusion shoe" causing an increase in temperature of the feed stock material till the plastic status. In the case of ACS wire, the Pro-Form machine has the so-called "tangential configuration" so that the steel wire is pulled into the die box of the extrusion wheel, while aluminum is extruded into the die box to encase the steel wire. The steel wire is pulled at high tension against the compressive stress of aluminum. The high level of friction elevates the temperature and pressure and the process causes an inseparable weld to occur between the steel and aluminum. Fig. 7 shows the first Properzi Pro-Form which has been manufactured and then installed in our Factory for internal trials. This is a vivid example of Properzi attitude of approaching trials and experience before approaching the clients who in this way, will benefit of the latest state of the
Conclusions The demand of EE is growing year after year, and from the present 20,000 TWh it is projected to reach 32,500 TWh in the next 25 years. The cable industry is continuously studying new strategies for optimizing the existing infrastructures and for reducing the losses of energy during the transportation and distribution of EE. Aluminum rod and copper rod has been, and will remain, the basic material for the production of cable and conductors. Properzi has been a key supplier of rod plants for almost seven decades. The ACSR/AS conductors are an effective alternative to the old ACSR conductors as they offer higher conductivity per kg of conductor and higher resistance to corrosion. During the years, Properzi has added ACS wire drawing machines and more recently the Pro-Form continuous extrusion machine to their product offering. These additions allow Properzi to design and manufacture the complete set of equipment required for the production of ACSR/AS.
Carmelo Maria Brocato is Vice President of the Board of Directors and Commercial Director of Continuus-Properzi S.p.A., Milan, Italy. He was invited to join the board in 2013, and has served as Commercial Director since 2009. He joined the company as sales manager in 1998. He significantly contributed to the commerHugens cial success of ingot production plants originally developed by Continuus-Properzi in the early 1990s. He received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering (power station specialization) from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1987. This paper was presented at CABWIRE World Technical Conference, DÜsseldorf, Germany, November 2015.
References 1. Enerdata, Global Energy Intelligence 2. United Nations; Department of Economic and Social Affairs 3. ExxonMobil; the Outlook for Energy: a view to 2040 4. Continuus-Properzi Marketing Studies and Analysis 5.www.nationsmaster.com 6. History of Copperweld Steel Company's™ Glassport Operations 7. www.midalcable.com
Acknowledgments Continuus-Properzi is very grateful to Midal Cables, the world’s largest single site aluminum rod producer and one of the most important cable makers worldwide, for the great contribution and the information received about ACSR/AS wire and conductors.
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art but...well tested equipment. At the exit of the extrusion machine, the bimetallic conductor has a diameter larger by 20% of the inlet diameter of the steel wire, so that it results in diameter ranging between 9.3 ÷divided by 4.5 mm depending on the inlet diameter of the steel wire and the application. The bimetallic conductor is then coiled on a proper take-up machine for the subsequent drawing operations to various wire sizes ranging from 2 mm through 4.75 mm depending on the final application. The proportion of aluminum and steel remains unchanged in the wire drawing process and thus maintaining a uniform product density and conductivity throughout the length. Properzi, through the company's Wire Machinery Division acquired in 1999 from Redaelli, designs and manufactures drawing machines for ACS wire application. Fig. 8 shows one of the two Properzi ACS wire drawing machines in operation at Midal Cables in Bahrain. The consistency of the thickness of the cladding aluminum is extremely important to the quality of ACS wire. It is quite logical, due to the "skin effect," that the greater the thickness of the cladding aluminum the higher the conductivity of the ACS wire. Fig. 9. shows the influence of thickness of the cladding aluminum versus the conductivity of ACS wire. The ACS wire at the exit of the drawing machine is coiled for subsequent stranding for the realization of ACSR/AS conductors.
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TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER UPCAST® GREENerCAST and beyond UPCAST technology, which saw its first industrial application in 1971, has not stopped evolving. Over the years it has evolved into areas once considered off-limits, and it continues to seek ways to provide further advantages in the years to come. This presentation traces some of its advances. By Juan Carlos Bodington
GREENerCAST was introduced by UPCAST OY in 2009. It represented a merge of technologies including the latest developments in refractory materials, channel induction heating, power electronics, and—equally important—operational know-why (rather than know-how). This confluence of technologies has not stopped evolving, and nowadays energy savings as compared to the debut of pre-GREENerCAST technology, represent an important 21% in terms of Kwh/ton. Parallel with the development of technologies aimed at producing the smallest possible environmental footprint, that coincidentally allow industries to produce at the lowest possible cost, UPCAST OY has been researching the vast field of metallurgy and thermal mechanics to find answers to specific customer inquiries, develop new products and markets, as well as doing basic research in cooperation with some universities. These research works include: the development of finer “as-cast” structure, which results have been already transferred into industrial production in the form of SGTube technology, and soon will be also available for rod; the introduction of 100% ETP scrap casting into HCOF rod, which industrial application has been in operation since 2014, while enamel wire processing is being taken into the pilot testing stage; and the development of improved casting technologies for old alloys, and casting of new metals and alloys.
Higher casting speed, finer as-cast structure Drawability at breakdown stages depends, among many other variables, on grain structure. A finer grain structure is easier to deal with in breakdown drawing than a big-grained structure, so it is of great importance for as-cast structure grain size to be as small as possible. For a given material, grain size depends mainly on effective cooling rate, melt flow (speed/direction), casting stroke and casting speed. The effect of casting speed on grain structure can be observed in Fig. 1, where samples of 25 mm diameter rod have been cast at different speeds. Since the initial developments on SGTube technology (see Fig. 2) nearly a decade ago, UPCAST OY’s R&D team has been studying the means of achieving the smallest possible grain structure on cast rod as well. Results have been very positive as has been observed in the evolution of tensile strength values throughout the years. For HCOF copper, for instance, from initial values in the 170 to 173 n/mm2 range casting 8 mm rod at 3.4 m/min in late 80s, to the high end of 190-195 n/mm2 range with the latest developments, that were recently tested (2014-2015) at industrial level, casting in the 5.5 to 5.8 m/min speed range. Nonetheless, faster speed also means less strands for the same production capacity, which translates into a smaller investment, both in equipment and plant floor space.
Casting from scrap
Fig. 1. Grain structure vs casting speed for 25 mm diameter HCOF copper rod.
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A lot has been said about “upcasting” from scrap and it is very typical to receive inquiries about this possibility. The focus in this paper will be on perhaps the most demanding application in terms of scrap use: high conductivity, oxygen-free copper. Environment. This is the first point. Depending on scrap grade the content of organic substances, among other pollutants, may be significant. For instance, the weight percentage of enamel in magnet wire may range from less than 0.5% for bigger sizes to around 3% in submm sizes. Burning those organics, either before or during
Below, authors reply to questions from WJI about their presentations. WJI: What’s the most noteworthy news in your presentation? Bodington: That would relate to the technology of casting 100% ETP scrap into high conductivity oxygen-free copper rod. However, each section contains information that may be interesting for different sets of readers, as for instance those casting different copper grades and alloys, or magnet wire producers. WJI: Why is the smallest possible grain structure so important? Bodington: Here's an example. UPCAST high conductivity oxygen-free copper rod is typically used as raw material for electrical conductor manufacturing. The rod is cast directly at 8 mm diameter, so the rolling process step is avoided. As a consequence, material structure is “as cast” when it goes into the rod breakdown machine. In an “as cast”
structure material, smaller grains bring several important advantages. One advantage is increased material strength, which is very useful when rod is being pulled through the drawing die or bent around capstans in the first two or three drawing passes. A second advantage is that an “as cast” structure is inherently in-homogeneous. However, the smaller the grains are, the more homogeneous the structure becomes, so stress is more evenly distributed in the material. A third reason is that impurities may precipitate in the grain boundaries during solidification. In a big grained material, impurities may concentrate in fewer grain boundaries, as the total boundary surface would be significantly smaller than that of a smaller grained material. The spots with higher impurity concentration would make the material more prone to failure.
WJI: Has UPCAST crossed the finish line in terms of refinement, Bodington or is there room for still more advances? Bodington: Luckily, no matter how advanced and refined our technology is nowadays, the finish line is always moving forward several steps ahead of us! Sometimes customers are the ones who move the line, sometimes it moves due to a sparkling idea coming from someone in our team after a nice evening beer. Simply said: for technology and manufacturing companies alike, time is never ripe for complacency. Questions for the author? Contact Juan Carlos Bodington at jc.bodington@upcast.com
the melting stage, tends to generate furans and dioxines, as include mechanical means, as argon or nitrogen bubbling. copper works as a catalyzer for their formation. In case of hydrogen, the absolutely best option is not Cu-HCOF electrical conductivity. High conductivity allowing it into the melt. Furnace charging. As melt cannot be exposed to atmo8 mm oxygen-free copper rod for best quality results is typically cast with less than 2.5 ppm of oxygen. sphere in Cu-HCOF production systems, metal to be Reduction reaction takes place by means of carbon charged needs to go through the covering layer, as menaddition, normally in the form of charcoal and/or tioned earlier, typically charcoal or flake graphite. Another flake graphite. By checking on Ellingham diagram for point is the apparent density of baled copper scrap, that is oxides, it can be noticed that at normal melting/casting much smaller than that of molten copper, so it tends to float temperatures for Cu-OF, copper will not be the only de-oxidized (reduced) metal; others, like iron, nickel or cobalt, will be reduced to their metallic form. It is well known that metal oxides migrate to the grain boundaries of the solidifying shape, that being a key consideration in fire-refined, high conductivity copper rod (Cu-FRHC). However, non-oxidized metals do not migrate but remain inside the grains, reducing significantly the electrical conductivity. Gases. The high solubility of oxygen and hydrogen in molten copper represents an important challenge. While O2 can be dealt with by sizing the system in order to allow enough dwell time for full de-oxidation to ocurr, once H2 reaches an oxygen-depleted melt, it Fig. 2. Grain size as a consequence of different casting is very difficult and costly to remove it. Options may parameters. Left: standard parameters; right: SGTube parameters; both with same chemical composition. DECEMBER 2016 | 73
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TECHNICAL PAPER on the melt. Floating material or material above the carbon protecting layer will tend to oxidize, bringing more oxygen into the system once molten. Cu-HCOF produced from 100% ETP scrap. After many trials in UPCAST OY pilot plant for process fine tuning, and long hours of engineering, an UPCAST® line suitable for processing clean 100% ETP Fig. 3. Scrap lifter releasing its scrap (about 250 payload on the vibrating table. ppm O2) as infeed material into high conductivity oxygen-free rod, came into production during the first half of 2014 with a capacity of 12000 tons per year. Its successful operation ever since confirms the suitability of both process and equipment design for this demanding application. See Figs. 3 and 4. Reprocessing magnet wire. Given that magnet wire may be produced either from ETP or Cu-HCOF, and—as explained before—high oxygen content is a problem that can be dealt with, the main difficulties are the possible release of dangerous pollutants to the atmosphere and the organics as a source of hydrogen for the melt. As a solution, the UPCAST R&D team has been exploring the use of a pre-treatment furnace in order to eliminate the enamel in an environmentally friendly way before feeding the material into the melting furnace. In this pre-treatment furnace, wires are taken to a temperature at which all organics are evaporated or burned under a low oxygen atmosphere—at about half of copper melting temperature—and then those gases are dosed as part of
Fig. 4. Vibrating table charging ETP scrap into the melting furnace.
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Fig. 5. SEM analysis on 0.18 mm magnet wire after pre-treatment (100 microns range). feeding fuel to burners using indirect heating technology, what results in fuel economy. Inside indirect heaters, temperature reaches well beyond the dioxines and furans cracking temperature, so those dangerous compounds are destroyed before they escape with the exhaust gases. Preliminary results are promising, and quality obtained is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. However, for the most demanding applications, magnet wire could not be used as the solely infeed material for an UPCAST process, as titanium and silicon—which are used as trace components for high-
Fig. 6. SEM analysis on 0.18 mm magnet wire after pre-treatment (10 microns range).
Fig. 7. 24,000 tons per year 8 mm OFE/OF copper rod plant. er voltage enamels—may accumulate in the melt and become detrimental to copper conductivity.
Copper grades, low alloyed coppers, copper alloys and other metals Even though UPCAST® is better known for its superb quality high conductivity oxygen free 8 mm copper rod OFE (UNS 10100), OF (UNS10200) and OFC (cryogenic) grades (see Fig. 7), this versatile technology has been used to cast a multitude of copper grades and copper alloys, as well as some other metals. Typical low alloyed coppers include silver bearing (Cu-Ag), copper magnesium (Cu-Mg), de-oxydized low phosphorus (Cu-DLP) and de-oxydized high phosphorus (Cu-DHP). The “upcastable” copper alloys field includes a big range of binary and terciary brasses, Phosphor/tin bronzes, nickel-silver (Cu+Ni+Zn+Mn), cupro nickel, silicon bronce, among others. Also some pure metals and some of their alloys are “upcastable,” as for instance silver, gold, zinc and cadmium. In this area, aluminum is the newly revisited research field. Upcasting aluminum. Even though copper and its alloys has been cast upwards commercially since 1971—the year first UPCAST unit went into operation—aluminum
Fig. 8. Transversal view 9.5 mm Al rod.
exchange rate. The specific heat capacity of aluminum is almost 2.5 times that of copper, and the heat of fusion is almost twice. However, when considering the energy accumulated as heat per unit of volume in the solidifying metal to be taken away to go from molten to 75% of melting temperature, copper takes the lead, being 1.9 times higher than aluminum. Thus, the casting speed of aluminum compared to that of copper is limited rather by the metallostatic pressure and the effective heat exchange rate more than by the amount of energy to be removed. Metallostatic pressure depends directly on material density and casting die submersion depth. In order to compensate for the lower density aluminum, die cooler should be approximately three times deeper into the melt than when casting copper. From the chemical side, aluminum is a very reactive element, contrasting with the “more passive” behavior of copper, so special considerations needed to be made when choosing the casting die material. This choice was also influenced by the wetting angle of aluminum on different substrates. Hydrogen is the only soluble gas in aluminum, and its big difference in solubility between the molten
Fig. 9. Longitudinal view 9.5 mm Al rod.
Fig. 10. Longitudinal section at 5.63mm.
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represented a completely new challenge, and adapting the process to this new material needed to take into consideration properties differences between the two elements. Among those: extracting the heat from the solidifying core of the aluminum rod becomes more difficult as thermal conductivity is about half of that of copper. As aluminum linear expansion is 50% higher than that of copper, the solidified shell will depart faster and farther away from the cooling surface in the die or cooler, decreasing the effective heat
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Fig. 11. Longitudinal section at 2.99 mm.
Fig. 12. Longitudinal section at 2.04 mm.
and solid phases represents a major problem for casting, as the rejected gas has no way to escape causing mainly macroporosity. Regarding the pilot level results, currently it is possible to cast more than 1000 Kg per die. Rod grain structure is typical “as cast,” with large columnar grains. There is very little segregation and microporosity due to shrinkage is negligible. See Figs. 8 and 9). However, surface visual aspect deteriorates rather quickly— after some 2 hours of casting—but remains stable (rough) for the remaining casting campaign. Later on, this visual quality of the rod surface showed no effect on drawing. Rod was drawn easily down to 1.2 mm diameter. Roughness disappeared completely already at 5.63 mm diameter. See Figs. 10-12.
Conclusion Continuous existing process improvements, as well as the development of new processes and technologies are key elements for the evolution and adaptation of modern industries, both technological and manufacturing ones, to the rapid changes in market conditions. UPCAST OY is conscious of the increasingly complicated challenges faced by manufacturing industries nowadays. UPCAST®, being a mature technology that has been showing its capabilities since its invention in Finland in 1968 and its first industrial application in 1971, has not stopped evolving. It has broken into areas that once were considered off-limits, such as obtaining small grain as-cast structure (without grain refiners), casting 100% ETP scrap or magnet wire scrap into high quality HCOF copper rod without harmful environmental emissions, casting new metals and alloys (including aluminum) and casting faster than ever.
Juan Carlos Bodington is technical advisor for Upcast Oy, Pori, Finland. He is responsible for customer service, plant commissionings, technical support to sales, and R&D. In 1997 he joined Outokumpu Castform Oy, where he worked in the technical area. The company re-formed as Upcast Oy in 2006. He has worked in the wire and cable industry since 1987 in technical and management positions for companies that include Phelps Dodge, Alcatel, and Kabelmetal Indonesia. He holds an M.Sc. degree in industrial automation and robotics from the Catholic University of Ávila, Spain, and an electrical engineering degree from Simon Bolivar University, Caracas, Venezuela. This presentation was made at the 2nd Continuous Global Casting Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2015. Bodington
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Based in Bristol, Connecticut, USA, Wire & for the Specialized a pleasure to lead theresponsibility chapter through a year that saw a Germany had ribbon Biehler and France hadand Latour. All those TheCorp. PV ribbon can supplier also be integrated in-line Plastic is a line major of used with wireanand cable films activity platform. As of 2013, highly successful tour of the Marmon Group R&D as well PV annealing tinning line Humblet rolling mill to produce interconnect ribbons directly from cam-driven mechanical multi-slide come with a major equipment that operates out of eight warehouse locahe combines his responsibilities as as yet another good chapter golf outing. He introduced offers speeds, low operating costs round A singleor double-stand rolling mill drawback: set upofhigh time. That is whyFisher, NUMALLIANCE in copper North wire. America, including the Northeast, North CFO with chapter those Regional Operations Management the 2016 president, David James Monroeintro- tions Austria’s Plasmait GmbH reports that its recently can be used for in-line operation, subject to required size came with a concept of servo driven camless multislide, OMCG North America President Bob Sears with the It was a magical time at the event...courtesy of a magician Carolina and Texas. ofWire Bekaert Latin America. He holds a commercial engi& duced Cable PV Corporation, who also theoffers Marmon ribbon annealing and thanked tinning line high and tolerance the finished ribbon. card tricks. able to harbor most of tooling inSchool an all-electric company’s CNC Minimalist 6 system. with a bagfull of of seemingly impossible neering degree theexisting Solvay Business the output from production while reducing operating of costs. Unlike traditional tinning process, the plasma tinenvironment. The NUMASLIDE is yours to WAGO reported two personnel Brussels University. The Bridon Bekaert Ropes Group is the OMCG Perdiscover. the company, ning line operates without chemical cleaning, offers CNC systems forQuirk processing wire Parent, Breen Color; Mark Long, Wire fluxing Company; www.nummalliance.com. lineTeachers’ has a top produc- forms additions. Juliano Matias was a joint venture between Bekaert and Ontario or cooling agents for dry and environmentally friendly from 0.040 in. to 0.700 in. with its unique, and Jim Stocking, Hitachi; Harishnational Panchal,sales Lloyd & Bouvier; speed of 210 m/ named manager for Pension Plan that combines the ropes and tion advanced production. The flux-free plasma tinning process avoids standard, eccentric bend head. Complementary options Mike Canterino, of Fluoropolymer Resources, Inc.; Grant min. That enables it contamination tin bath with flux, greatly reducing tin Canada. He previously was nationcords businesses of Bekaert and Bridon. OMCG North America U.S. to produce up to 250 available: robots, welding, grooving,John cold heading, Campbell, Multi/Cable Corporation; waste, resulting in average annual manager savings Rivers, there as al marketing for alone Phoenix threading, stamping and forming, assembly OMCG SpA Italy ton metric tons of PV chamfering, much as 100,000 euros per line compared to the tradiFluorogistix LLC; and Pat Harper, Hueson Corp. Contact, he instrumental Erik A. Macs has been named Multislide operations. Forwhere progressive strip forming ribbon a year flux based tinning to process. That not include At Interwire, OMCG NorthofAmerica thein a typ- and “Itional am looking forward serving as does the chapter presiin developing director sales forshowcased Wire and projects, OMCG’s Servaxis and Multislide machines ical production split additional savings from reduced scrap rates. Continucompany’s technology for wire, tube and strip forming dent this year,” said regional Fisher, who talked about the value Plastic Machinery Corp (WPM). between interconnect have capacities todeal120 with ton and strip95% width ousblanking production of 500 kgup combined average projects in the formsHe of has systems Servaxis of the chapter’s scholarship program, and the return to er networks morewith thanmodular 25and years of bus bar ribbons uptimes and high level of automation allow PV ribbon to +80 mm. www.omcg.com. and Multislide forming capabilities that provide soluMoheguntoSun infor June for Operations Summitt a range of scrap experience in wire and for acable typical size range theproducers reduce labor costsWAI’s and rates while imtions to reduce costsmachinery critical to profi of 0.8 mm to 8 mm industrial salestability. at previous & Wire Expo 2016. “Being thecomhost chapter,quality. we areThe proving production consistency and product The company displayed its CNC Minimalist 6 model. SAMP U.S. wide and 0.1 to 0.5 lineMatias also features theponents lowest use and and sales and marketing positions hoping forUSA, a greatInc. turnout to energy showcase the maintenance talents and ItGem features a feed that is very close to bend tools, which mm thick. The ribbons Gravure’s Derekfor Olsen with ErikMachinery, Macs, who is all cost per kg of finished material for the overall lowest electronics. The Progressive Inc., SAMPSISTEMI Italyparticipants as well information of all the event as the are usually coated reduces wirewinning torsionthe effect. The model, which uses cost of PV ribbon production. smiles after raffle for Red Sox tickets that were company alsogreat named JoeWAI Stirpe Fine International Corp., and function and things does for the industry and At Interwire, the SAMPSISTEMI division of Italy’s with 20 The micron-thick The new linesales can be equippedfor with specially designed simple multi radii bend capability. donatedtooling, by Gemhas Gravure. as its regional manager Thermoplastics Engineering its wiping members.” SAMP exhibited machines, layercapability of solder with system several for round wires for including productionthe of a new CNC unit was shownCorp. with Prior CAD to to that, machine upstate New York. He has a diverse he had beenline can DM80.2x8.22 Macs Fisher also thanked the following event been spon(16 wire, 22 dies) multiwire line,introthe coating thickness tolerance of ± 3 microns. The type round PV ribbons that have recently Group, which noted were very gracious hosts, even that allows easyheprogramming while the machine is in background in technical sales and Monroe involved withyield ebeam crosslinked produce ribbons of various strength, typically with BM-630-D + SV800 motorized pay-off, the latter will sors: Platinum: Carris Reels, James Wire & be duced in solar panel manufacturing. allowing competitors its facility. production. It also usestoIGES and STEP file importStirpe business development with a focus wire materials research atvisit Judd Wire; filmbutpackRp 0.2% below 60 MPa, 70 MPa blown or 80 MPa in some in Contact: Igor Rogelj, Plasmait GmbH, tel. 43-318-252operation during the show. Also a single PVC horizontal Cable, MultiCable, Specialty Cable and PolyOne; Past chapter leaders recognized and ing to machine controllers, viathe the2016 “Easy on 4750, control andTE60-25 electricalforproducts aging manufacturing atwere Union Camp; and special and casesmachine also below 50 MPa. extrusion info@plasmait.com; www.plasmait.com. extruder model automotive Gold: Quirk Wire, T&T Marketing, Wireapplication & Plastic will be board, and officers, introduced. addition to Fisher, Program” that creates theare program and simulate Copper ribbons paid off fromcan a 500 kg spoolthe with and applications. Over the last several decades, he has injection molding processing at In Dennison; and Teflon displayed. Machinery, Fluorgistix and Chemours; Silver: Breen officers for 2016 include: Derek Olsen, Gem Gravure, forming 3Dtinned animation on the screen. It4-10 can indicate finished PV ribbon spooled onto kg spools held leadership position in business development and film heatwith sealing and thermoforming research with The DM80.2x8.22 represents the latest generation High-speed camera provides view Color Concentrates, Fluoropolymer Resources and of vice RichHe Goyette, EISThe Wire Cable, Co., ifAmerican therepresident; isinany interference part and machine, a continuous production. single-head, precision management at Siemens, Invensys Eurotherm and KJ Durafilm. hasbetween a degree in & mechanical multiwire design toBronze: improve production versatilofSpecialty essential machine performance winding spooler includes an accumulator S&E Polymers; Amarak Automation all part oflayer the simple and effective “What youCable, seeAto is ensure SAMP treasurer; and Michael Crouchley, Champlain Electric Corp. Based in Germantown, Pennsylvania, engineering from Central New England College. increased output and reduced energy consumption. uninterrupted production during spool changeovers on the ity, U.S.-based Fastec Imaging reports that its IL5 HighAssociates, NDC Technologies, James Monroe, Joe as what youof get” philosophy. Other pluses include remote secretary. Srubas is the past1991, president. The other board USA, WAGO suppliers spring pressure connection member the WAI since he was the 2013 winThe line offers increased energy effi ciency and with a take-up side. An automatic spool changeover unit can be Speed 5MP camera can record any cable and wire maninternet machine diagnostics and controller program Snee Associates; Mossberg Associates and W. Gillies members are: Brian Holden, Carris Reels, Inc.; David well asfactor interconnect, interface and automation solutions ner of itsintegrated Donnellan Memorial Award, which honors with the take-up unit, and multiple lines can be power ≥ .95 enables the drawing line to have lower ufacturing equipment in action so companies can assess updating. Technologies. n Braun, Teknor Apex; Nick Roth,the Pittsfield Plastics; technology. an individual’s Association. HeLori run by acontributions single operator,toreducing labor cost considerably. the process.
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(LR) FasCorder Mode, operate the camera as a regular camcorder to record and pause as needed and follow the action, stop recording and review what was taken, and then append additional footage at will, even after a power cycle. “Unlike traditional high-speed camera systems that only record for a few seconds and require careful triggering, the IL5’s Long-Record (LR) option can record at high speed for many minutes at high resolutions, to many hours at reduced resolutions.” Contact: Fastec Imaging, tel. 858-592-2342, info@ fastecimaging.com, www.fastecimaging.com. A press release said that the camera can be used to capture processing at high-speed for wire straightening, stranding, twisting and weaving equipment, as well as cutting machines. There are four models, from 2560 x 2080@230fps to 800 x 600@1650fps. All models record over 3200 fps at VGA resolution and more than 18,000 fps at smaller resolutions. Able to save images to an SSD or SD card while recording high-speed bursts of hundreds or even thousands of images at a time, the IL5 is always ready for the next high-speed snapshot. The Fastec IL5 camera can be controlled over Gigabit Ethernet via Fastec FasMotion software on a PC/Mac or via the built-in web interface with a favorite web browser on a PC, Mac, tablet or even a smartphone. Using the
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Plenum-rated Cat. 7 cable designed to top 10 gigabit Ethernet demands Hitachi Cable America, Inc., reports that the company’s ® new StratoGig-HD advanced plenum-rated Cat. 7 cable is designed to accommodate 10 gigabit Ethernet and beyond. Per the company, the multi-purpose, high-performance Cat. 7 cable, made at its U.S. plant in Manchester, New Hampshire facility, can also support up to 120 watts of power for Power over Ethernet applications as well as all HDBaseT applications up a full 100 meters. With a plenum listing from UL, the StratoGig-HD can be installed in almost any indoor environment. Additional features of this highly versatile cable include four pairs of 22 gauge cop-
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other paraffin waxes, it provides low volatility and is ® stable over a wide temperature range. LOXIOL G70S is an external lubricant that provides metal release for extrusion and injection molding applications. This ester wax allows for high extrusion rates and provides excellent surface properties where printing is required. Contact: Emery Oleochemicals, tel. 513-762-2500, gp.americas@emeryoleo.com, www.emeryoleo.com.
Software to attain hard results At IWCS, U.K.-based Cimteq showcased the company’s current and new emerging products. Per the company, much of the focus was on a relatively new development, CableMES. The software leverages the global scope and scalability of the Wonderware platform with Cimteq’s extensive cable manufacturing knowledge to produce a solution that enables cable manufacturers to more effectively manage and control every aspect of the manufacturing process. Along with Wonderware, Cimteq is able to integrate Ortems and Preactor to provide industry-leading Finite Capacity Planning capability, enabling CableMES to bring clarity at a granular level to each aspect of the manufacturing process such as: production planning; production order generation; production monitoring and control; and warehouse management.
Cimteq has seen more demand for its CableBuilder software to make design and manufacturing processes more efficient and easier to handle. It enables a company to seamlessly manage cable product data through the typical workflow milestones of design, production, customer quotation, ordering, quality assurance and ERP system. This enables significant productivity gains through the efficient handling of product data, ensuring continuity and data integrity throughout the cable lifecycle. Contact: Cimteq, www.cimteq.com.
Industry supplier of cable filler products has in-house/sister company resources Toner Plastics, Inc., a U.S. supplier of a broad range of cable fillers, discussed the company’s unique capabilities
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at IWCS 2016, focusing on its product range and the extensive resources it has access to from its sister companies. The company reports that its extrusion facility can produce a broad range of filler products, including solid rod fillers (EPDM, PVC, PE, FRPE, PP, etc.), coated yarns, up-jacketed strength members, cross-webs, star profiles and tapes. A wide range of reel sizes and footages are available in weights up to 300 lb. Per the company, wire and cable customers typically decide to work with Toner Plastics because they are concerned about quality problems, frustrated with poor
customer service, restrained by supply chain inefficiency, and challenged with the need to reduce raw materials costs. A key advantage the company has over its competitors is its relationship with S&E Specialty Polymers, a premier specialty plastics compounder which allows for the streamlined development of custom formulations for specific extruded product applications. Based in Massachusetts, Toner Plastics has seen steady growth in its filler business, and it plans to continue adding new production capacity and capability. The company has nine plastics extrusion lines and its products are currently used for datacom and fiber optic applications. It is one of four plastics manufacturing companies. The company also provides tolling services, and can handle raw material sourcing as well as inbound and outbound logistics, although customers that prefer to provide their own raw materials have the flexibility to do so. Contact: Robbin Burton, Toner Plastics, Inc., tel. 413525-2369, rb@tonerplastics.com, www.tonerplastics.com.
TPUs offer excellent properties, can be used for both jacketing and insulation ®
At IWCS, P.A.T. Products, a distributor of LARIPUR thermoplastic polyurethane, showcased a range of wire and cable jacketing and jacketing compounds. Per the company, LARIPUR TPU is widely used as wire and cable jacketing because of its excellent mechanical and physical properties. Polyether-based TPUs fit for applications that require low temperature flexibility, high
Storage reels are rugged, practical The AVC1500 series of portable cable storage reels from U.S.-based Hannay Reels feature rugged steel and aluminum construction with a non-reflective matte black finish. Per the company, the reel comes with a permanently attached standard direct crank and Velcro cable fastener. The manual rewind models come with a spring-actuated pin-lock and cam-lock drag brake. Optional heavy-duty locking caster wheel set, frame mounted carry handles,
and divider discs can be added. The company notes at its website that all reels are built to order and most ship within a week. “When a reel is handcrafted, it outlasts and outperforms retrofitted reels and provides a fit and function our customers have come to rely on. Our reels guarantee confidence by standing up to the most demanding jobs and providing lifetime value, proving that, since 1933, you can’t buy a better reel than a Hannay Reel.” Contact: Hannay Reels, catalogs@hannay.com, www.hannay.com.
Battery cables are highly flexible Switzerland’s HUBER+SUHNER has expanded its product range for battery cables in road vehicles with the recent of highly flexible, robust cables that meet ISO 6722-1 and LV112-1 standards as well as the new IVECO specification
You can take our new cold welder almost anywhere Supplied in a handy carry pack, our CP180 machine welds wire, strip and profile 0.30mm to 1.80mm (.0118" to .071"). Find out more at www.pwmltd.co.uk . Pressure Welding Machines Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1233 820847 Email: pwm@btinternet.com North America inquiries: Tel: 774-991-0504 Email: joe@jsnee.com
www.witels-albert-usa.com World leader in cold weld technology
New PWM welders and dies available only from PWM or its authorised distributors.
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flex life, and resistance to hydrolysis and fungus/bacteria growth as well as good weathering properties. The TPUs, which also offers excellent abrasion and cut resistance, are available in a broad selection of durometers, ranging from 77A to 52D. Halogen-free flame retarded, UV stable and reduced gloss/low coefficient of friction grades are featured for wire and cable applications. In compounding jacketing resins, TPU can be used to extend product life and add value to a variety of resins, such as PVC and acetal. P.A.T. Products also offers a line of TPU based color masterbatches to minimize processing issues, ® flow lines and other surface irregularities. LARIPUR TPU is manufactured by COIM SpA. Contact: Erik Espling, P.A.T. Products, tel. 207 9426348, espling@patproducts.com, www.patproducts.com.
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(No. 11-847). Per the company, the new cables have excellent resistance to high and low temps, UV rays, weathering, motor oil, fuels and hydrolysis. They are flame retardant, resistant against battery acid, oils and other automobile fluids, and easy to strip and process. They comply with EU-directive 2000/53/ EG (end of life vehicles) and are free from lead, mercury, cadmium and chrome VI. The stranding is based on individual .21 mm wires that will help improve the flexibility of the cable compared to standard battery cables. HUBER+SUHNER’s flexible but robust cross-linked insulation material (REMS) allows cables to keep flexing performance even in the lowest temperatures where other jacket materials, such as PVC, would get very stiff. “Flexibility can have its disadvantages, including compromising durability and sturdiness,” said Marc Moser, product manager automotive at HUBER+SUHNER. “The automotive market needed a cable solution that was both flexible and robust, and that is why we have created these new high flex battery cables.” Contact: HUBER+SUHNER, www.hubersuhner.com.
Industry software can predict crosstalk as well as reduce prototyping iterations At IWCS, OptEM Engineering Inc. showcased its OptEM Cable Designer software, which it notes is the first software tool customized and dedicated to design, analyze and model the electrical and propagation parameters for all types of copper cables including unshielded and shielded twisted-pair, quad, ribbon, subsea umbilical and specialty cables found in telecommunication and data transmission applications.
Plasticizer offers more PVC options U.S.-based PolyOne Corporation announced the commercial availability of its SynPlast™ L9TM plasticizer that provides equivalent performance characteristics to 810TM linear plasticizer. Per the company, the new SynPlast option for flexible PVC features supply stability to help counteract historic supply chain disruptions of 810TM, and is formulated for use in wire and cable and automotive slush molding PVC applications. Flexible PVC compounders have traditionally relied on 810TM to achieve critical performance properties at both elevated and low temperatures. When 810 alcohol became scarce in 2013, a global supply shortage of 810TM plasticizer spurred a need for alternatives. In cooperation with a leading wire and cable PVC compounder, PolyOne’s cross-functional Synthetic Esters team proactively began developing another option. The result, SynPlast L9TM plasticizer, relies on linear 9 alcohol to achieve the same performance properties as 810TM, but with abundant supply availability. “The 810TM shortage could have spelled disaster for our wire and cable compounding customers,” said PolyOne Corporation General Manager Don Wiseman. Contact: PolyOne Corporation, www.polyone.com.
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Per the company, the software reduces prototyping iterations and costs by allowing engineers to simulate cable performance prior to prototyping and lab measurements. Cable design details are entered through the GUI or by reading Excel spreadsheets. Built-in libraries of frequency-dependent materials and object definitions are used in cable construction and can be easily customized. Enhanced design features include Pair Advisor (calculates conductor and insulate diameters for a selected standard) and Lay Length Advisor (optimizes lay length values for data cables to minimize NEXT). Once drawn, the cable cross section is automatically extruded by the software producing a 3D cable model showing rotations, pair twisting, and customized insulation colors. During cable simulation, software’s built-in electromagnetic (EM) field solver analyzes high frequency skin and proximity effects in wires, eddy currents in shields, and dielectric losses in insulation. These effects are crucial for accurate analysis and modeling of copper cables. OptEM Cable Designer is the only commercial tool that accurately predicts crosstalk in long segments of twisted pair cables. On output the software provides ASCII reports for LRCG parameters, characteristic impedance and attenuation, and plots S-parameter data for RL, IL, NEXT, FEXT, ELFEXT, and PS-NEXT and PS-FEXT. Contact: Joan Beckett, OptEM Engineering Inc., tel. 403-289-0499, jbeckett@optem.com, www.optem.com.
Patent Update tensile-strength layer such that the protective cover has an outside diameter D.sub.o.ltoreq.5 mm and the optical fibers exhibit a delta attenuation of less than 0.8 decibels at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers when placed under a crush load of 100N/cm for 10 minutes.
layer and preparing an insulation sample from the cable sample. The insulation sample is prepared from cable sample by cutting a circular layer having a set thickness at desired radius from the central axis of the cable.
Method for determining an electrical property of cable insulation U.S. Patent No.: 9,482,715 Patent date: Nov. 1, 2016 Filed: Sept. 29, 2014 Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG Inventors: Andreas Farkas, Hossein Ghorbani, Tomas Ahlberg; Johan Andersson, Ulf Nilsson A method for determining conductivity of cable insulation of a cable including at least one conductor that determines the central axis of the cable and insulation layer surrounding the conductor longitudinally and radially includes steps of retrieving a cable sample from a cable, which sample includes a length of at least one insulation
Methods of manufacturing wire, wire pre-products and wires U.S. Patent No.: 9,4787,329 Patent date: Oct. 25, 2016 Filed: Dec. 13, 2013 Assignee: General Cable Industries, Inc., U.S. Inventor: Frederick J. Kelley Exemplary methods for manufacturing a wire and resultant wires are disclosed herein. The method includes extruding a cross-linkable polymer that is substantially free of curing agent about a conductive core, then adding a curing agent to the extruded wire pre-product, then heat-curing the extruded wire pre-product.
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(Cont’d. from p. 20)
PATENTS
Semi-solid unbalanced audio cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,455,070 Patent date: Sept. 27, 2016 Filed: Jan. 24, 2014 Assignee: Belden Inc, U.S. Inventor: Galen Gareis Implementations of audio cables including a conductor spirally wrapped in a non-conductive thread to centrally position the conductor within a channel comprising mostly air include a first conductor having a first diameter, and a non-conductive thread spirally wrapped around the center conductor, the non-conductive thread having a second diameter. A first jacket surrounds the center conductor and thread, having an inner diameter approximately equal to the first diameter plus twice the second diameter. A second conductor surrounds the first jacket and/or the center conductor and thread. In many implementations, the first diameter is less than the second diameter.
Copper alloy wire and copper alloy spring U.S. Patent No.: 9,476,474 Patent date: Oct. 25, 2016 Filed: Dec. 13, 2011 Assignee: Nippon Seisen Co., Ltd., Japan Inventors: Kiyohito Ishida, Takayuki Akizuki A copper alloy wire is a filamentary material of a copper alloy containing, in percent by mass, Ni: 3.0 to 15.0%, Al: 0.5 to 5.0%, and Si: 0.1 to 3.0%, with the remainder being composed of Cu and incidental impurities, which is provided with the tensile strength (.sigma.B) of 900 to 1300 MPa and electrical conductivity of 10 to 22% IACS and, in addition to that property, satisfies an intensity ratio of A:B:C of 1.0:1.2 to 6.0:2.2 to 8.0 when A, B and C represent diffraction intensities of Cu (111), Cu (200) and Cu (220), respectively, according to an X-ray diffraction method in a predetermined cross section, and which is used for an operation or contact spring by incorporating in mobile phones and various small electronic instruments by formulating into a copper alloy spring used, particularly, for an electrical conductive spring.
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Cable transport device U.S. Patent No.: 9,475,673 Patent date: Oct. 25, 2016 Filed: Dec. 31, 2014 Assignee: Schleuniger Holding AG Inventors: Peter Schutz, Thomas Wortmann A cable transport device having a pivotably mounted cable transporter, a first drive means connected in a stationary manner to a base frame and intended for achieving an exactly defined pivot movement of the cable transporter around a pivot axis and a second drive means for synchronous driving of at least two cooperating pressure rollers. The second drive means with a drive axle for the pressure rollers is connected in a stationary manner to the base frame, and the drive axle of the second drive means coincides with the pivot axis for the cable transporter. In additional versions, the second drive means with a drive axle for the pressure rollers is also connected in a stationary manner to the base frame, and the rollers’ axes of rotation are parallel to one another and parallel to a common pitch axis. In these versions, transmission of the drive movement to the toothed belt driving the pressure rollers is effected via a toothed belt which is tensioned symmetrically to the center of rotation of the pivot axis between a first intermediate shaft arranged on a base plate of the cable transporter and a second intermediate shaft fixed to the machine frame, the pitch axis of the cable transporter being identical to the axis of the first intermediate shaft. The cable transport device may be equipped with a guide sleeve that includes a grooved plate and a cover plate that may be replaced for adaptation to different cable diameters and for correction of the cable position.
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BLIND BOX INFO: Address responses to Blind Box to: WJI, Box number (as it appears in print or on-line), 71 Bradley Road, Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662 USA. facturing CLASSIFIED AD RATES: • $1.30 per word for WJIwhere a small scratch or nick can be an unacAir-cooled extruder p ceptable result is the Surface Inspector, and on-line classifieds at wirenet.org (20-word mini-defect. ThePAYMENT POLICY: All adswhich must be pre-paid. flow of insulation for comes headin two models, the SI3100 and SI4100. mum). • Blind box numbers, add $25. • Boldface DEADLINES: is due a full month inAt advance. wire Düsseldorf, Maillefer The Surface Inspector provides theCopy operator with lines, add $6 per line (up to 18 characters per line). Contact: classifi ed@wirenet.org for more details. extruder, model MXI 150, that up-to-the-second digital image feedback of the current Specify category. with a low melt temperature. jacket, bar or water soluble tape quality on any production line. This continuous stream of real time information–especially the failure images–allowsWWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. the operator CAREER OPPORTUNITY MACHINERY to isolate causes of jacket imperfections COM. and waterFor sol- New (Hakusan Heat PRODUCTION SHIFT SUPERFOR 1 offThis yearresult of mfg 1999 ubleSALE: tape folds. allows you toPressure identify the Welders, Ferrous & NonVISOR. Hitachi Cable America Inc., a Pittini (Italy) LTM/DO 11 and passprevents wire customer comcauses of surface defects Ferrous; Marldon Rolling Ring Wire and Cable Manufacturer, seeks a drawing in very good working plaintsmachine or rejects. Traverses) & Used Wire & Cable Production Shift Supervisor for its plant Using the Surface Inspector, you can capture images of order, rotating die boxes with rotodie Equipment (buttwelders, coldwelders, in Manchester, NH. Responsibilities: yourable printed cable, savefrom the images coiler to draw down 5.50mmto disk and print them ers internally and pointers). Tel: 727-863-4700 include to direct, coordinate and superto include your quality reporting to out 1.30mm Springinwires. It includes two both vise the activities of manufacturing peror by e-mail, and to your customers. The Surface Inspector’s displayplease send to urbassoc@ of hydraulic pay off systems, mechansonnel, to follow the daily production verizon.net. also makes it easy for engineering and production MFL Groupsuper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529 Mossberg As ical descaler, brush unit (stationary & schedule and to Interface with other visors to examine the defect. MGS Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . 103 Mossberg In rotating), and unit, two this departments such as Engineering, QA Defectcoating locations candrying also be recorded, will allow of for buttfurther welders, point machine, comand Planning. Micro Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Nextrom (US SERVICES analysis of the defects later on. The Surface pressor, 3 off water chillers, strapping Inspector will catch defects on the wires Mid-South before they reach Wire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Nextrom Oy Job Requirements: Requires an AS/BS NEED PROCESS HELP? Control sysstation complete for export capability. your customers or fail in the field. with wire & cable manufacturing expeMorgan-Koch Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Niehoff Ende tem retrofiInc., ts, repair, and Thetroubleshootunit ensures good medium Contact: Craig Taymer International, If you require anyGirdwood, further information rience. 1-3 years Six Sigma experience, ing for steel wire equipment. Mesh due to the homogenous melt, re tel. 905-479-2614, ext. 232, craig.girdwood@taymer.com, knowledge of 5S and JIT principles, please email david@aussiebedproducts. welders, wire cutting lines, etc. Jim at quality. The MXI 150, which is www.taymer.com. Kanban’s and Lean manufacturing concom.au or phone Australian mobile Visit usLLC, at Wire Expo has low Teknutronics tel. 724-880-7601. cepts. Prior supervisory experience with +61418511241 booth # 531 part of t excellent interpersonal communication voltage skills. To apply for this job, contact: canizing Hitachi Cable America Inc., tel. 603EPL 30 669-4347, Ext. 395, Fax 603-634-4174, ity solu Email HR.NH@hca.hitachi-cable.com. product investm POSITIONS WANTED and mai tion env WIRE & CABLE REPRESENTAThe M TIVE AVAILABLE FOR THE age cate AMERICAS. Do you need an experidesigne enced salesman in Mexico, Central and lation o south America? Please contact Antonio cores. T Ayala at 1953ayala@gmail.com.P by prov triple cr tion of PERSONNEL SERVICES line con “LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR head an SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the measure foremost recruiting firm in the Wire bility to & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have and ma partnered with industry Manufacturers during y to secure the services of executives, run. managers, and thousands of key individConta ual contributors. Contact: Peter Carino, Maillef pcarino@ wireresources.com or online jorma.le at www.linkedin.com/in/petercarino1/ www.m Wire Resources Inc., PO Box 593, Riverside, CT 06878, tel. 203-6223000. www.wireresources.com. DECEMBER 2016 | 85 52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
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finishing equipment; lubrication; heat treatment; stress relief; annealing; oil tempering; patenting; corrosion; galvanizing; statistical process control; bridge rope and strand; nails, barbed wire, mechanical springs. The price is $235, $195 for WAI members. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.
started drawing their own wire in the 1850s, rolling bars into rods in the 1870s, and making their own steel in the 1900s. Wire is the binding thread through 125 years of Roebling and American industrial history chronicled in The Roebling Legacy. The price is $75, $50 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.
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FERROUS WIRE HANDBOOK. Written by WAI members and edited by Dr. Robert M. Shemenski, this 1,168 page, hard-cover, indexed publication is a definitive industry resource for ferrous wire. It is a modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering, or operations sectors of THE ROEBLING LEGACY. This the industry. The publication includes 288-page indexed book by Clifford 36 chapters on a broad range of topW. Zink presents a different perspecTHE PRACTICAL APPLICATION ics including many of the equipment tive of the Roebling legacy. “But OF THE PROCESS CAPABILITY types, processes, and specialty applicait’s all wire,” proclaimed a 1950s STUDY. Creating a universal lantions of steel wire manufacturing. The Roebling Company brochure about guage for problem solving, this 2011 book begins with a history of the steel its product line, which included wire 135-page booth by industry expert industry and its evolution, followed Douglas Relyea, founder of Quality rope, copper magnet and electrical by details on: continuous casting; Principle Associates, a consulting wire, screens and hardware cloth, W IWRIE THETNEENRErod SR S•defects; GIHGTHETand NEENRaircraft RIER EP U E IRPISPfor R ES TSRTARIrod AGIHGcooling; •S TSRTARIA E RR ORLOLstrand, LSL S• flat •W IW PLULLEThe LRESRlist S/ W /price WDEG EG RG$40 S controlled firm. isDEG $45, aircord and pickling and coating; mechanical desWAI members, plus shipping. To purbraided wire, PC wire and strand, galcaling; deformation in cold drawing; chase, go to wirenet.org and click on vanized bridge wire, among others. wiredrawing theory, machinery, and The WAI Store. To maximize quality, the Roeblings
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86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
SCRUBdata. data. SCRUB
Because itsits grooved rolls turn onon thethe bearing’s inner race, your line Because grooved rolls turn bearing’s inner race, your line speed could improve asADVERTISER much as as +30%. The deeper groove and nonspeed could improve as much +30%. The deeper groove and nonADVERTISER ............................ PAGE ............................ PAGE opening assembly radically cutcut changeover downtime. opening assembly radically changeover downtime.
Amacoil Inc .............................................. Cover 3
Mexichem Specialty Compounds Inc .... Cover 2
Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd ..............................29 Micro Products Co.............................................83 Sjogren innovation puts the impossible in in reach. Sjogren innovation puts the impossible reach. Black Sea Technology Inc ................................21
NDC Technologies (Beta LaserMike Products) .. 23
Cable Consultants Corp....................................35
Paramount Die Co .............................................49
Carris Reels Inc ....................................... Cover 4
Pressure Welding Machines Ltd ......................81
Clinton Instrument Co .........................................4
Proton Products International Ltd .............12, 79
Electric Cable Compounds Inc.........................78
Queins Machines GmbH ...................................17
George Evans Corp ...........................................85 SJO CO S JGORGERNE. N . CM OM
REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc....................55
Honeywell .............................................................1
Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc..........................2
Howar Equipment ..............................................15
SIKORA AG ..........................................................7
WHuestis I RIER EG Industrial UG IUDI EDSE S..............................................59 • • MA C LCUL TUCTH SE S • • T ETSETSITNI GN G& &H AHNA DN LDILNI GN G W MGANG ENTEITCI CB RBARKAEKSE S& & C EH........................................................84 Sheaves Inc
Inosym Ltd ...................................................28, 77
Sjogren Industries Inc ................................. 26-27
KEIR Manufacturing Inc ....................................85
Steel Cable Reel / Tektapes ...............................25
Lieber & Solow Co .............................................13
August Strecker GmbH & Co KG .....................57
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supplies equipment equipment machinery machinery products products companies companies contacts contacts supplies INSIGHT trade names names driving driving directions directions social social media media links links INSIGHT trade The Wire Association International, Inc. | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | www.wirenet.org The Wire Association International, Inc. | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | www.wirenet.org DECEMBER 2016 | 87
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Wire Wirestraightening straighteninghas hasbeen beenturned turnedinside-out inside-out
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX PEOPLE
ADVER DVERTISERS’ ISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE Teknor Apex Co .................................................47 Tubular Products Co .........................................24 UL International Ltd...........................................51
February 2017 WJI • Packaging
Vandor Corporation .............................................5 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp ..........................9 Witels Albert USA Ltd........................................81 Wyrepak Industries .....................................20, 39 Zumbach Electronics Corp ...............................33
WIRE ASSOCIATION INT’L ADS Interwire 2017............................................... 30-33 WAI Membership................................................65 WAI Industry Search.................................... 85-86
WIRE JOURNAL
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
SALES OFFICES NORTH AMERICA
Robert J. Xeller/Anna Bzowski Wire Journal International Tel: 203-453-2777 Fax: 203-453-8384 sales@wirenet.org
ASIA/WAI
India Office Wire & Cable Services Pvt. Ltd. Rahatani, Pune - 411017, India Huned Contractor mobile - +91 988 1084 202 hcontractor@wirenet.org China Office Zhuang (Frank) zhilu Shanghai, China 200331 mobile - 0086-18018681117 zzs12151116@163.com
EUROPE
U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark & Scandinavia Jennie Franks David Franks & Co. Tel/fax: 44-1223-360472 franksco @btopenworld.com Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service Int. Tel: 49-8801-914682 Fax: 49-8801-914683 dmelcher@t-online.de
88 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
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