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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.
Fort Wayne Wire Die's Eric Bieberich discussed the importance of matching dies.
An overhead view of some of the more than 40 tabletop displays.
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 automotive field. When you consider that some five million vehicles may be built a year, and that each one has 25 kg of cables— some 125,000 tons of copper—that is a substantial market. That market should also grow larger because of “mega-trends” of customers wanting more electric and electronic capabilities from their vehicles, which should increase the average amount of cable to as much as 35 kg per vehicle. That is a great increase, and it is good for us all.
Keynote speaker Sergio Valdés Ramírez.
Aluminum cable is likely to be more widely used, as the alloys have gotten better, allowing them to be thinner in diameter and lighter. All this represents a golden opportunity for cable manufacturers. But there are huge challenges too, as there is need for even better conductors. There also needs to be a global look at drivers, such as renewable energy. For some of the applications, such as umbilicals for oil extraction in waters as deep as 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.
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 attendee,
Lenny Argentine, manager of new business development at the office in Camden, New York. The third staffer was IW’s Jose Gallegos, regional sales representative, out of theInman, 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.
From l-r, International Wire’s Jose Callegos, Lenny Argentine and Alex Boekholt.
Leoni Cable’s Rafael Rodriguez, process engineer team leader, and Adavik Jurado, process engineer manager.
Two attendees from Leoni, Rafael Rodriguez, process engineer team leader, and Adavik Jurado, a process engineer, said that they had primarily 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.
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;
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.
Kia plant tour attendees get an overview.
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.
