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Previews: Wire India 速 & Spring World I N T E R N AT I O N A L

WIRE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2012

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Equipment OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

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WIRE JOURNAL

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

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

CONTENTS

Volume 45 | Number 9 | September 2012

F EATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Preview: SpringWorld ® . . . . . . . . .14

WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

SpringWorld® returns to Rosemont on Oct. 3-5 to once again present the latest in spring and forming technology.

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Preview: wire India 2012 . . . . . . .34

Technical Papers . . . . . . . 68-86 Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 92 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 95

Next issue October 2012

Organizers of wire India note that the country has a great need for more infrastructure and housing, just two sectors that should keep the wire and cable industry busy for years to come—all of which should translate to a very positive experience.

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 This feature presents a range of equipment, much of it presented at wire 2012. It also includes an interview with one U.S. company that went to Düsseldorf to look at new equipment, including its preshow efforts, experiences at the event and what it is now trying to resolve.

T ECHNIC AL PAPERS New improvements for surface oxide testing of copper rod Gil Baker, Tim Stahlhut and Horace Pops . . . . . . . . . .68

• CRU Analysis • Preview: IWCS

Benefits of the two-roll rolling process on aluminum and copper rod Wade P. Krejdovsky, Ketav Patel and Noell Wilson . . .82

Cover: At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Ernst Koch GmbH displayed its KHZ drawing machine. At left, Bob Strauss, Morgan-Koch Corp., the U.S. business of Ernst Koch GmbH, points out to Jeff Slater, Fort Wayne Metals, some of the finer points of the system, which with its tilted placement and smoke effect was hard to miss. See p. 48.

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE SOUTHWIRE REEL MANTRA: RIP IT GOOD . .86

When U.K.-based Bridon set out to expand its capacity to produce the world’s largest and most complex ropes in package weights of up to 650 metric tons, it turned out that it would require the largest rope machine ever made. Above, the capstan for the company’s new system, supplied by Germany’s SKET GmbH, is carefully maneuvered into Bridon’s Neptune Quay facility.

Southwire went to the wayback machine to resurrect an iconic song by DEVO, a 1980s band, to introduce the company’s SIMpull Rip CHIP™ disc for easy removal of stretch wrap on a reel. The result? The DEVO’s classic “Whip it” song has become “Rip it.” Sung by the original band members, the Southwire-produced song offers a unique tone for new product promotions. Photo by Gary Leftwich, Southwire Company.

CONTENTS

WHEN ‘BIG’ IS JUST NOT ENOUGH . . . . . .10

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

EDITORIAL

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

Is the wire and cable industry your community? Publisher | Steven J. Fetteroll

Every time I visit a plant, I am reminded of just how remarkable a profession the wire and cable sector is, and a recent trip I took placed an exclamation point on the truth of that statement. A few key staffers of the company—which has grown steadily despite the recent economic downturn—pointed out with pride the investments they have made both in technology and in employee training. They recognize that both those elements are needed to be successful. The results could be seen on the shop floor, where all the pieces of the production process flawlessly meshed. Being in the wire and cable business defines us and we should celebrate it because what we do keeps the world working. Power and data transmission, energy exploration, military systems, automobiles, airplanes and the hundreds of millions of smart phones and portable music players and much, much more just don’t happen without wire and cable. Interestingly, this same successful company has a large number of WAI members because membership is viewed as an investment in human resources. While I am not claiming a direct correlation between WAI membership and success, I would suggest that employees who are part of a strong professional network are drivers of innovation and are better poised to manage challenges. Capital investment in manufacturing is significant for obvious reasons. However, it’s not simple, especially in uneasy economic times, for some companies to make training and development a high priority. But if you consider that the ultimate goal—to be successful—requires both technology and a well-rounded workforce, a call here is warranted for a commitment to the body that represents the industry. Employees charged with managing the next critical capital project or re-engineering a production cell should be given all the available tools. WAI is an important resource as we are a unique provider of information and education as well as a network for the combined industry. We are the community that connects the collective experiences of hundreds of different wire and cable manufacturing operations. In May, the WAI Board of Directors placed a renewed emphasis on membership with the understanding that it needs to better reflect the diversity and depth of the industry. The Member Relations Committee has launched a coordinated effort to encourage membership and the early response has been exceptional (see pp. 30-31). For those of you who are not members, I encourage you to revisit the issue. This is a terrific time to become involved and invest in yourself.

Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR Sept. 25-28, 2012: wire China 2012 Shanghai, China. To be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 3-5, 2012: SpringWorld 2012 Rosemont, Illinois, USA. To be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Contact: Tom Renk, The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI), tel. 630-369-3466, fax 630-369-3773, info@casmi-springworld.org, www.casmi-springworld.org. Oct. 29, 2012: International Technical Conference (ITC) Mumbai, India. This multi-industry association event, to be led by U.K.-based International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA) and supported by WAI, will be held in conjunction with the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 staging of Wire & Cable India in Mumbai, India. It will include technical papers, networking opportunities and more. Contact: WAI, sfetteroll@wirenet.org, IWMA, www.iwma.org. Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2012: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Nov. 11-14, 2012: 61st IWCS Conference™ Providence, Rhode Island, USA. To be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, www.iwcs.org, phudak@iwcs.org, tel. 732-389-0990. Nov. 15-18, 2012: Cable & Wire Fair Istanbul, Turkey. To be held at the CNR Expo Center, this event, organized by CNR Holding, includes cable accessories, cable realignment, electrical insulation materials, equipment and machines. Contact: Esra Aydin,

CNR Holding, tel. 90-0212-465-74-74/2-22, esra.aydin@cnr.net, www.cnrexpo.com or www.cnrcablewire.com. Nov. 15-18, 2012: Wire & Cable Asia 2012 Shanghai, China. This new event is being organized by U.k.-based Integer Research, www.integer-research.com. April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center to stage its trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 83rd Annual Convention. May 2013: wire Russia 2013 Moscow, Russia. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Sept. 17-19, 2013: wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 8-13, 2013: wire South America 2013 São Paulo, Brazil. Messe Düsseldorf and its partner Grupo Cipa will stage this new fair for the Brazilian market. The new event will be held in parallel with TUBOTECH at the Imigrantes Exposicoes Exhibition Centre in São Paulo. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, fax 312-781-5188, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. April 7-11, 2014: wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany. This biennial event will be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

WIRE A SSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. Sept. 10, 2012: New England Chapter 18th annual golf tournament Ellington, Connecticut, USA. This event will be held at the Ellington Ridge Country Club.

Oct. 22, 2012: Western Chapter 12th annual “Wild West Shootout” golf outing Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA. This event will be held at the Los Verdes Golf Course.

Oct. 18, 2012: The Vannais Southeast Chapter 11th annual golf tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. This event will be held at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa.

April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center to stage its trade show, technical programs and its 83rd Annual Convention.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Bridon installs world’s largest rope machine at its Neptune Quay plant U.K.-based Bridon has expanded its capacity in a big, big way, installing the largest machine ever made for producing steel wire ropes. Scheduled for a November launch, the system will be able to manufacture the world’s largest and most complex ropes in package weights of up to 650 metric tons.

A Bridon employee is dwarfed by the capstan of the company’s new record-sized machine, supplied by Germany’s SKET GmbH. A press release said that it ordered the 10 million euro system from Germany’s SKET GmbH “to meet demand for the offshore sector in particular due to the increasingly challenging applications the industry requires.” The closer, an eight-basket section that was to be the first element installed at the Neptune Quay plant, “will allow the company to produce far more complex ropes than had ever previously been possible with such weights,” it said. The machine, it said, will allow Bridon to make offshore ropes that are specifical-

ly engineered to deal with the challenges of deepwater deployment under tough environmental conditions. In the release, Bridon cited the need “to keep pace with the ambitions of the oil and gas industry as a principal motivation for the Neptune Quay site’s construction.” While the historical challenge of deep-water deployment has been to deploy 300 metric tons in 3000 meters of water, the industry is increasingly demanding lifting systems that can deploy weights “significantly in excess of 300 metric tons and as great as 600 metric tons, at depths of up to 4000 meters, requiring multistrand ropes that boast massive breaking loads, optimized bend fatigue performance, effective lubrication, and minimal rotation under load.” In addition to the new closer, the facility also got a new stranding machine, also from SKET, that winds dozens of wires together into individual strands that can be spun together by the closer machine, the release said. It added that the logistics for the project required a lot of planning. “To ease the load out of 650 metric-ton rope reels onto vessels moored at the factory’s deepwater quayside, Bridon has commissioned Newcastle-based engineering firm Pipe Coil Technology to deliver an innovative take-up stand; a machine which is used to move new ropes on the final reels from the closer to the Quay side without any assistance. This enables a variety of methods to get reels of all sizes onto vessels moored alongside the plant.” Observed Bridon Group Chief Executive Jon Templeman, “In constructing a state of the art factory that will lead the world in the production of large, complex ropes, we knew we could settle for nothing less than the biggest and best rope-making machinery ever produced. The closer, strander, and take-up stand at Bridon Neptune Quay are not only the largest rope making machines in existence; they also have the capacity to make the most complex and highly engineered ropes ever conceived. Close collaboration with our customers has developed our understanding of the complex tasks they face in the world’s toughest environments. Thanks to this collaborative approach, and to the ingenuity of our key suppliers, SKET and Pipe Coil Technology, this machinery will surpass all previous rope-making equipment in manufacturing ropes tailored to 21st century offshore challenges.”

Holland Wire plant to be consolidated The Michigan plant of Holland Wire Products, Inc., will be consolidated into the operations of its parent company, Hickory Springs Manufacturing Co. A story in the Holland Sentinel by Stephen Kloosterman cited Bobby Bush, a company spokesman, as saying that the closing will result in the loss of some 40 jobs in the Holland plant. Employees have been offered positions in a

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

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Sevkabel Group supplies cables related to 2014 winter Olympics Russia’s Sevkabel Group has provided nearly 400 km of power cable to increase electrical capacity to the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana and the ski resort complexes in Rosa-Hutor and the Imeretinskaya Valley, which are venues for the 2014 Winter Olympics to be based in Sochi, Russia. A press release from Dow Electrical & Telecommunications (Dow E&T), which is providing the company’s DOW ENDURANCE™ family of insulation and semiconductive materials to Sevkabel, said that the project includes

INDUSTRY NEWS

plant near Hickory Spring’s headquarters in North Carolina, it noted. In the report, Bush said that orders had dropped, and that shipping costs made the Holland plant expensive to operate, as Holland Wire Products used wire sent from North Carolina to make bed springs, which were then shipped back to North Carolina. “We didn’t need two plants running at under-capacity,” he said. A few employees have indicated they were interested in the offer, said the report, which noted that the equipment from the Holland plant will be moved to North Carolina within six months. Founded in the 1960s, Holland Wire was bought by Hickory Springs in 1988.

Cables from Russia’s Sevkabel Group will be used for new sites being built to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. both medium- voltage and high-voltage cables. The cables made by Sevkabel, a Dow Inside licensee, will be installed underground to manage long-term reliability issues, some of which are associated with the extreme weather and terrain conditions in the region, it said. The MV and HV cables range from 6 kV to 220 kV, all manufactured to meet stringent industry standards using

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INDUSTRY NEWS

DOW ENDURANCE materials, the release said. Installation, it noted, has already been completed for 54 km of 110 kV HV cable and 340 km of 10 kV MV cable. “Increasingly, underground power cables are being recognized for technical advantages and consistent performance,” said Filip Tauson, Commercial Director Europe/Middle East/Africa, Dow E&T. “In addition to the obvious benefits for power losses associated with challenging terrain and weather, underground systems offer improved economics over the life of the system with lower short- and long-term maintenance costs with a life expectancy of more than 40 years.” “The combination of our manufacturing expertise and quality products, combined with Dow E&T’s technology leadership and commitment to innovation will enable us to deliver the long-life, reliable cables that our industry demands,” said Sevkabel Group Director General Vladimir Bukhin. For more details, go to www.dow.com/electrical.

LS Cable & System reports winning major power cable order from Kuwait South Korea’s LS Cable & System announced that it has won a cable project worth $110 million, the second such contract it has received from the Ministry of Electricity and Water of Kuwait. A press release said that LS Cable & System will supply and install 400 kV extra-high voltage conductor with insulated cables and connectors on a turnkey basis. Kuwait, it said, is currently building a new town on its border with Saudi Arabia named Sabah Al Ahmad. Last spring, the ministry awarded LS Cable a similar contract worth $107 million, it said. “Unlike ordinary extra-high voltage cable using pure copper for the conductor, the conductor with insulated cables to be installed at Sabah Al Ahmad will be a high-tech cable in which the strands of wire comprising the conductors are coated with enamel to reduce transmission resistance,” the release said. “This raises transmission capacity by more than 20%. If this type of conductor with insulated cable is used, the overall weight and thickness of the cable can be reduced as much as the transmission resistance drops, greatly reducing the cost of cable manufacturing and power grid implementation. This product is a typical high-value-added cable that requires precision and sophisticated skills not just for development, but also for production.” The release provided the following technical details: “As power cables carrying electricity develop resistance at their center due to the magnetic properties of the conductor, the electric current concentrates mostly along the outer surface (the “skin”) of the conductor. Due to this “skin effect” about 25 to 45% resistance will be generated, and limit the transmitted electric current after all. However, a conductor with properly insulated cable will only have about 5% resistance thus raising transmission capacity by at least 20% as compared to conventional products. As a conductor with insulated cable consists of strands of conductor wires with an

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

enamel coating instead of solid copper wires, the technology for keeping each strand electrically insulated is needed. This is what makes such a cable a state-of-the-art cable product. Conductor with insulated cables require the highest design capabilities with regard to the arrangement of the enamel-coated strands and ordinary strands, segment configuration according to the type of conductor, and compressibility of the conductor.” An unidentified spokesman was cited as saying that LS Cable has become a notable global supplier of EHV cables, which are vital for construction new power grids, and that the company “will try and win contracts throughout the Middle East market where large infrastructure projects are expected to be built soon.”

Joint venture inaugurates a new U.S. copper wire rod plant in Indiana On July 10, SDI La Farga LLC, a US$39 million joint venture of U.S.-based Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) and Spain’s La Farga Group, held a grand opening celebration of its new copper wire rod plant in New Haven, Indiana, which has fired up its furnace and melted its first load of copper scrap. A press release said that the venture, which will produce 8 mm copper rod, will employ some three dozen employees by 2013. It noted that SDI, which has exported a large portion of its copper scrap to China, will be a significant scrap supplier for the venture. Using advanced refining technology, the company will provide high purity copper rod at competitive prices while reducing carbon output, it said. An article in Recycling Today said that the 85,000-sq-ft operation will run on a 24-hour cycle, with eight hours required to melt a full furnace charge, eight hours needed to prepare the molten copper for casting and eight hours required for casting. The mill’s primary line produces 8-mm rod while a secondary breakdown mill can make thinner gauge wire, it said. It noted that the plant is based on La Farga LaCambra’s operations in Barcelona, though the (continued on page 15)

An interior view of the new SDI LaFarga plant in New Haven, Indiana.

INDUSTRY NEWS

SpringWorld to return to Rosemont Convention Center this October A myriad of challenges face spring manufacturers, which organizers of SpringWorld® 2012 insist makes it essential for anyone in the industry to attend this event, to be held Oct. 3-5, 2012, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, USA.

SpringWorld® 2012 will showcase both spring and wireforming techology.

“In this fiercely competitive marketplace, with spring manufacturers facing all sorts of economic pressures and business challenges, spring manufacturing executives should be attending this year’s SpringWorld,” said Rick Ross, president of the Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI). “It is the perfect time to do some strategic planning, to step back and analyze your customers’ future needs, and figure out what equipment will best serve those needs. Spring World gives you a chance to see all this machinery in one place, and allows you to kick some tires to find out what will work best for your customers.” A CASMI press release said that there is a sense that the outlook for the spring industry is positive and upbeat. “Two months prior to the show opening, the exhibitor base is optimistic, with a 96% sellout of planned floor space,” it said, noting that the show will offer new equipment options, methods to retool equipment and reorganize the shop floor. A strong attendee showing is also expected as registration has been ahead of the pace for the 2010 event, which had some 2,700 attendees, it said, suggesting that this means that the economy is again gaining steam. “We expect a strong attendance again this year as Rosemont is the place to see all the equipment available to the spring industry in one place” said CASMI Executive Director and Show Manager Tom Renk “If you are in the spring industry, you should be at SpringWorld 2012 to see the equipment, to meet with your peers and monitor what your competitors are doing. This is our own industry show and we need to support it to help make the industry even stronger.” SpringWorld also includes wire-forming equipment,

14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

which represents about 15% of activity, the release said. Exhibitors at SpringWorld 2012 will be offering: coiling, bending, and wire forming machinery, four-slide equipment and tooling. There will be testing equipment and computer software, laboratory analysis, and other metal testing capabilities. In addition there will be companies offering plating, heat-treating, stress relief, ovens, payoffs and turntable equipment as well as equipment leasing options. There will be U.S. material suppliers and international materials companies offering a full range of wire and metal sizes and alloys. The SpringWorld show floor will present technology and wire providers from the U.S. and all over the world, including China, Taiwan, Japan, India, and companies in Europe, the release said. Show registration has been strong, with attendees from outside North America coming from Australia, India, China, Columbia, Brazil and throughout Europe, it said. The three-day event will begin with a 9 am steel ribboncutting on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The organizers note that SpringWorld is the only show in the world sponsored by spring manufacturers for spring manufacturers. Advance registration is free up until Sept. 20 for qualified company executives and personnel with primary business in manufacturing springs and or wire forms. After that date, there is a $25 registration charge. To reg-

Some 2,700 people attended SpringWorld® 2010. ister, go to www.casmi-springworld.org. For more details, contact the CASMI SpringWorld Show Office at tel. 630369-3466, or Show Manager Tom Renk at the same number, or tom@casmi-springworld.org. CASMI was founded in 1944 as a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the development of good business practices, and sharing of technical information through ongoing communications among the job-shop spring manufacturers in the Greater Chicago area. Membership now includes spring companies in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Recycling Today reported that the plant will use copper scrap supplied by Fort Wayne-based OmniSource, a subsidiary of Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), as well as material purchased on the open market.

Noranda Aluminum plans to build a new rod mill at yet to be chosen site U.S.-based Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced plans to invest $45 million investment to build a new rod mill in the U.S., the exact location yet to be determined. A press release said that rod mill project includes infrastructure development and construction of a new, state-ofthe-art mill to produce redraw rod, which is used in the manufacture of electrical wire and various types of cable, as well as for deoxidizing steel. The company expects spending on the project to begin in 2013, and expects full production to be realized in 2015, it said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Redraw rod has been one of our strongest primary aluminum products in recent periods, and we expect continued growth in this product,â&#x20AC;? said Noranda President and CEO Layle K. (Kip) Smith. At its website, Noranda notes that its smelter produced approximately 13% of total primary aluminum production in the U.S. during 2011. Its focus is aluminum foil and light gauge sheets, but it also produces rod.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

furnace is more than 50% larger than the original furnace in Spain. The mill is the first in the U.S. using advanced and patented technology for refining copper to achieve the ASTM B-49 standard, the release said. A key to the process is the 250-plus-ton capacity refining furnace supplied by Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Continuus-Properzi, which supplied the casting and rolling line and ancillary equipment. The newly designed furnace charges the scrap from the top of the furnace rather than the traditional practice of using lateral doors, making it easier to load large quantities of scrap each loading cycle through the charging door positioned on top of the furnace, it said. Explained a Properzi spokesperson, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically it is a tiltable/reverberatory/refining furnace improved by a patented (Properzi) charging door geometry allowing the feeding of the scrap from the top by means of a belt type conveyor arranged by the buyers. The casting and rolling line and its ancillaries are entirely supplied by (us), with a 30 ton/hour rate of 8 mm copper rod or better FRHC rod meaning Fire Refined High Conductivity rod. The casting (wheel), three meters in diameter, is followed by five break-down cantilevered rolling passes and one finishing monoblock with eight stands (using) a typical Properzi configuration. Coils of 3.8-5.0 ton are automatically discharged and packed. The technology and know-how for making rod from scrap is from La Farga, an important shareholder in the project.â&#x20AC;?

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The Prysmian Group has been awarded a contract from Telecom Argentina to supply and install an optical network that will provide the passive infrastructure for the first part of the country’s new FTTH network. A press release said that the contract will involve building a network that will serve 4000 homes, with projected initial take-up/connection rate of just under 40%. The Prysmian Group will work with Valtellina Sud América S.A., a contractor that will handle the system installation activities. “Work will start immediately and will continue over a two year period, during which time Telecom Argentina will continue to formulate the next stages of their broadband roll-out,” it said. The contract includes Prysmian’s in-house produced optical fiber, both standard G652 and BendBright G657, bend insensitive technologies, together with a wide range of passive connectivity components in order to provide the full end-to-end passive network, it said. “This is a highly significant project for both Telecom Argentina and Prysmian Group,” said Gustavo Etchepare, CEO of Prysmian Group in Argentina. “Consumer demand for greater bandwidth continues to grow and the only true future proof way of keeping pace with this demand is to install optical fiber closer and closer to the final customer. Telecom Argentina recognizes this and we are both delighted to be working with them on this project and determined to provide them with the system they need to meet their customer needs both now and well into the future.” The release explained that Telecom Argentina is expanding its broadband services by deploying a FTTH network, using GPON technology, that addresses three discreet urban scenarios: the closed (condominium) environment, individual new buildings (MDU), both of which are considered “greenfield” and open-neighborhood configuration. The initial project, it said, is the first stage in Telecom Argentina’s master plan to roll out highspeed broadband, focused mainly on the city of Buenos Aires, across all three infrastructure scenarios, in response to growing consumer demand for faster broadband services.

Telecom Argentina selected Prysmian Group as their preferred contractor in an open tender process which attracted interest from system suppliers around the world, the release said. “With numerous production facilities worldwide Prysmian is very much a local company in Argentina, having a major copper telecom cable production facility in the plant of La Rosa.”

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

Prysmian Group lands a major fiber contract from Telecom Argentina

INDUSTRY NEWS

O.M. Lesmo’s 50-year anniversary: a legacy for company and customers Earlier this year, Italy’s O.M. Lesmo met with wire and cable industry customers at wire Düsseldorf, with Commercial Director Giovanni Cecchini-Manara welcoming them at a celebration of the rotating equipment supplier’s 50th anniversary. “To be here today makes me very proud,” said Cecchini-Manara, observing that achieving 50 years was only possible because of “the efforts of so many good people before us.” Those efforts, he declared, came from not just staff, but from the very good partnerships and support that “you, our clients and partners, have generously extended to us in so many ways along the years.” Those fundamentals, he said, are what makes the company’s continued presence possible. “Let me thank in particular all those clients who have repeatedly put their trust in our equipment, installing in their factories many machines along the years.”

North America, “where we have established our second home”; in Europe, “our first home, where we have served the German-speaking customers from our base in Stuttgart, and where in the Nordic Countries we have so many friends who have repeatedly given us their trust.” Success, never a given, was hard-earned and painful, said Cecchini-Manara, noting that recent years have seen machinery producers disappear or be taken over by bigger firms. Despite harsh economic times, O.M. Lesmo chose not to cut expenses by offshoring some of its Italian manufacturing to the east, he said. “It has been a decision

O.M. Lesmo Spa Commercial Director Giovanni CecchiniManara speaking at the company’s 50th anniversay celebration during wire Düsseldorf.

Key company executives who have helped make O.M. Lesmo’s 50th anniversary possible include board members (l-r) Maria Laura Piva, marketing manager; Dr. Alvaro Piva, who has managed the company for more than 20 years; and Giovanni Cecchini-Manara, commercial director, active in the industry for two decades. The Golden Jubiliee also honored the most veteran company employee. See p. 20. The company’s technology has been deployed around the world, Cecchini-Manara said. Success stories include South America, “where we have so many good friends and we are historically a very well accepted brand”; in Southeast Asia, “where for so many years we have had friends who not only purchased from us, but who also stimulated us to improve”; in the Middle East and Africa, “where we have been pushed to provide equipment with always higher specifications at a more reasonable price”; in Russia and the neighboring countries, “where we pride ourselves by blending in the local culture and habits”; in

18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

taken not only out of logic, but also with our deep feelings. It has been a decision to continue to sustain our homeland, giving to our Italian subcontractors the chance to support us locally. It has been hard at times, we have felt alone in this at other times. But eventually it has proven a good decision, and we are proud of it. If we are here today, it is because so many colleagues have made it possible, with hard work and excellent ideas. “It is therefore with a lot of enthusiasm that today we celebrate our golden jubilee,” said Cecchini-Manara. “It is not only an anniversary, it is a remarkable achievement that we have the duty to honor.” For more comments, see pp. 62-63.

Nexans wins 110 million euro contract to supply HV and MV cables to Libya Nexans announced that it has won contracts worth around 110 million euros from Libya’s PEWCO (Public Electrical Works Company), a subsidiary of GECOL, the state-owned company responsible for the production and distribution of electrical power to supply cables for projects to upgrade the country’s power transmission and distribution infrastructure. A press release said that the contracts involve the supply of over 1,000 km of high-voltage (HV) and low and medium-voltage (MV) cables. The transmission contract includes 245 kV underground cables to be manufactured and supplied by Nexans France, with 33 kV and 15 kV distribution cables and optical fiber cables to be supplied by Nexans Greece, and accessories to be supplied by Nexans Italy, it said.

INDUSTRY NEWS

PEWCO will install the cables while Nexans will supply the required accessories and optical fiber cables as well as engineering services, technical assistance and training to PEWCO and GECOL, the release said. Cable delivery and installation is expected to take place during 2012 and 2013. Nexans provides a complete range of power cables and accessories (HV, MV and LV) as well as installation techniques in diverse environments for applications that can range from power utility networks to other infrastructure networks, such as railways, airports and more.

news in brief OM Lesmo SpA’s Silvio Oriani was honored at the company’s 50th anniversary celebration (see p. 18) during wire Düsseldorf, for his 60 years of industry experience, including the last 30 with Lesmo. “We all are very thankful to Silvio, and we expressed our gratitude with a special moment during the celebration,” a press release said. ... Leoni AG reports that it has strengthened its position in optical

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Oriani

fiber technology with the acquisition of the assets of U.S.-based Richard Losch, Inc., which specializes in fiber optic solutions for high-power laser applications. A press release said that Leoni will continue to operate the business at its location in Bend, Oregon. It added that the CEO, Richard Losch, has joined Leoni as Technical Director High Power Lasers. Losch’s company produces quality fiber solutions using unique connector designs and proprietary manufacturing techniques for connectors and cable assemblies as well as repair of high-power cables. Customers include international OEMs in the industrial, medical and biotechnology markets as well as research institutions and defense contractors, it said. ... As of Aug. 20, Japan’s NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), a global cloud services provider and whollyowned subsidiary of NTT Group, was scheduled to have started operations of the Asia Submarine-cable Express (ASE), a 40-gigabit-per-second (Gbps), ultra-low latency undersea cable connecting major cities in Asia. ASE, which eventually will incorporate 100 Gbps optical technology, will launch with a total carrying capacity exceeding 15 tbps, a press release said.

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ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS India: a land of incredible potential, but one in need of more reliable power India recently made headlines for massive power outages that saw power lost on consecutive days for as many as 300 million people in northern India. “Infrastructure India: A Long Road Ahead,” an article by Charles Runckel, Runckel Associates (Internet www.business-in-asia.com), looks both at India’s potential for business, including power concerns as well as other aspects. Below are updated excerpts from Runckel, whose company provides the full spectrum of international business consulting services for clients interested in doing business in Asia. China and India often are compared in the same breath by western executives weighing sites for expansion or outsourcing, but the reality of the situation is that in terms of infrastructure, China is decades ahead of India, an important consideration for industries reliant on strong power, water, transport or information infrastructure. Like China, India is a large country and some sections are far more developed than others, so major destinations like Bangalore or Delhi need to be considered separately from some remote province in central India. Also as in China, the

A not unusual sight in India: a labyrinth of cables. massive population moving from very poor to somewhat poor is resulting in titanic shifts in demand for commodities vital to businesses, swamping the electrical grid and threatening the vital supply of fresh water. Whether your business makes high-tech gadgets or bathroom slippers, infrastructure matters and a long-term consideration of what to expect is the first step in any outsourcing plan. While the list of problems is extensive, however, an investor should keep in mind that India has just as many advantages. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and businesses should be aware

of both the advantages and pitfalls of investing in India. India’s overstressed power grid is one of the most obvious signs of lagging infrastructure development. In India, power failures can and should be expected daily, even in the most developed areas of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Any respectable business or factory in India maintains a diesel generator, and the shopping malls and call centers are built atop huge storage tanks of fuel. The outages aren’t just spikes, but rather hour-long blackouts with multi-hour brownouts thrown in. Beyond keeping industrial machines and computers running, air conditioning is essential to office work in this unmercifully hot country, and even service providers must bear the burden of backup power. In a good hotel, visitors may not even notice the shift from grid to generator, but this necessity adds to the cost of building and operating a facility in India. Effectively, the government is passing the buck on infrastructure to the investor, and generator costs add up fast. Some industrial parks or research parks will provide continuous power through shared generators. Is the situation going to improve? India’s government has committed itself to improving the nation’s power grid, but in the world’s largest democracy, government targets tend towards “Electricity for all by 2012” (a part of many politicians’ election campaigns) rather than “Reliable power by 2012” or “A well-managed grid by 2012.” India’s airports are unfortunately the first thing a traveler sees, and they are undergoing much needed improvements. To take Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport as an example, the airport currently is built to accommodate 12.5 million passengers a year but must deal with 16.2 million (for comparison, Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi airport is built to handle 45 million). The aesthetics of the structure aside (which are poor, with claustrophobically low ceilings in places), the check-in area actually leaks when it rains. A third terminal is being built, however, with 35 million passengers a year capacity and the modern features that international travelers have come to expect. This pattern is true across India, where currently the air facilities are sorely in need of replacement (upgrades to most would not be worthwhile), but also where those replacements are being built and at a frenzied pace. At India’s ports the dual problems are a lack of infrastructure and a crippling bureaucracy. This differs greatly from port to port, but in general the necessary upgrades are being made, but very slowly. The inefficiency issue is harder to fix, and is a reflection of India’s bloated public sector. The often-quoted statistic is that Shanghai’s port can turnaround a container ship in eight hours, but the same ship in Bombay takes three days. Without a doubt, China or Thailand’s ports are well ahead of India’s, though again this is a matter of efficiency (and delays) and not outright capability (India can still deal with container ships, just not

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

22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ASIAN NEWS BRIEFS Ultra-high-voltage power transmission project is planned for China’s Zhejiang Province Construction on a west-to-east ultra-high-voltage direct current power transmission project was slated to have begun in East China’s Zhejiang Province as part of efforts to ease power shortages in its eastern regions. China Daily reports that the project, funded by the State Grid Corporation of China, will transport about 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually from the Xiluodu Hydropower Station in Southwest China to Zhejiang after its scheduled completion in 2014. It noted that the change will annually save 12.28 million metric tons of standard coal, cutting 34 million tons of carbon emissions. The SGCC, the nation's major power grid operator, will invest US$3.79 billion) in the project, the report said. It will start in Yibin, a southern city in Sichuan Province, and deploy a 1,680 km transmission line that will traverse the Guizhou, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces to reach Zhejiang’s central city of Jinhua. SGCC Vice-President Shu Yinbiao said in the article that compared to previous projects, the line will be built with a greater transmission capacity, more advanced technology and a higher domestic manufacturing level. It noted that China has made further use of ultra-high voltage direct current power transmission projects to meet demand from economicallydeveloped eastern cities affected by power shortages.

Eurofer claims that India is dumping steel wire The European Commission said it had received an antidumping complaint by European steel producers' group Eurofer against imports of stainless steel wires from India. Reuters reports that the complaint claims that producers of certain types of steel wire have benefited from a number of subsidies granted by India, and are selling their wire in the European Union (EU) at below-market prices, hurting European competitors. It reported that the Commission would investigate whether or not the steel wire is being unfairly subsidized and has invited the Indian government for consultations on the matter. The article said that India and the EU have been negotiating a free trade agreement since 2007, but talks stalled this year over differences in duties on cars and market access for software and service companies. The EU, India’s biggest trading partner, bought more than US$49.26 billion worth of Indian goods and services in 2010, the article said, noting that the sum represents 2.4 percent of the EU total. India has also encountered problems with the EU over a law requiring all airlines flying in and out of Europe to pay for their carbon emissions, the article said. It noted that India has said it will not comply with the law, but there are other aspects that may make that stand difficult to maintain.

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 23

ASIAN FOCUS

quickly) so this is a factor to necessarily add into time calculations, and additional costs of shipping should be considered when weighing manufacturing costs between India and other Asian countries. India’s rural population continues to flow towards the urban centers for work and skilled labor (including Chris Runckel knowledge workers) is moving from the second-tier cities to the main hubs of Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Mumbai. The national government is trying to redirect migrants to the second tier cities to prevent slums from forming, and knowledge industries are increasingly looking at second tier cities as salaries in the major cities, especially Bangalore, skyrocket. A recent college graduate can expect to make $300 a month in Delhi, over $500 in Bangalore and $150-$250 in a second tier city. Unskilled, and even skilled, labor is abundant and the shortages seen in Eastern China and Southern Vietnam are not an issue. Workers are often satisfied with a lower standard of dorm or hostel (if any) than those in East Asia, who have come to expect sprawling dorm towns with limited, but still present amenities. In India, such housing and other issues tend to take care of themselves, however the result of this is that transport systems are not as organized as in China or Vietnam, so like much else in India decreased efficiency is traded for low cost. The choice of which city in India to go to depends on what incentives are offered by the city in question and how its infrastructure matches a company’s needs. India’s infrastructure presents a bleak image, but most of the problems are surmountable with adequate planning and investment. For some industries, the problems are just too numerous and the lack of infrastructure drives investors to China and Vietnam, despite rising labor costs, worker shortages and declining government incentives. For others, India’s rock bottom wages and English-speaking workforce trump the infrastructure headaches. It is essential to plan for and budget the additional costs involved (such as a generator) from the beginning, or else India becomes a quagmire requiring ever more investment. If proper precautions are taken, however, India holds as much potential as China did 10 years ago and the current lack of infrastructure should be seen as just another hurdle to overcome in outsourcing. Jason Black, a research leader in grid systems with Battelle’s Energy, Environment and Material Sciences Global Business, recently said in an interview that India’s power grid is reasonably good for transmission but has problems with distribution side, a situation made worse as often the demands as its current generation mix often can't meet the demands of the population. As a result. rolling blackouts happen on a regular basis in many parts of the country.

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Teknor Apex Europe has promoted Christopher G. Smith to business development and technical project manager for non-automotive TPE markets. He has more than two decades of plastics experience, working extensively in toolmaking, design engineering, and application development. He had served for four years as an application development specialist for Teknor Apex. He previously worked at Fylde Precision Toolmakers, Synventive, Magna Automotive and Husky Injection Molding Solutions. He has a degree in polymer product manufacturing and design from London Metropolitan University. Teknor Apex Europe is a business of U.S.-based Teknor Apex, a global supplier of advanced polymer materials.

Earlier this year, Andy Lewis became the new executive manager of the International Wire and Machinery Association (IWMA). He has more than 20 years of experience as a marketing professional. In his last position he was responsible for marketing in Europe and the AsiaPacific regions. The first overseas project for Lewis will be manning the IWMA stand this month at wire China 2012, and then at Wire & Cable India. He replaces Phillip Knight, who retired. Based in the U.K., the IWMA is the world’s largest corporate membership association for the wire, cable and wire product industries, with nearly 300 member companies in more than 50 countries.

OBITUARY John Randolph Wheeler, Jr., of Mystic, Connecticut, USA, died January 2, 2012, at age 83. He graduated from Philips Andover Academy and Amherst College in 1950 and served two years with the US Army Engineers during the Korean Conflict before joining his family’s business in 1952 as a sales engineer. He went to England in 1963 as an export sales manager. During that period he traveled exten-

24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

sively throughout most of the European and Asian countries developing client markets for the sales of Davis Standard’s wire and cable extrusion equipment. He returned to Pawcatuck as wire and cable product manager in 1966 and eventually became manager of international operations. He retired in 1998.

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Stanley Black & Decker reports agreement to acquire Infastech U.S.-based Stanley Black & Decker (SB&D) announced that it has agreed to acquire Infastech, a global manufacturer of specialty engineered fastening technologies based in Hong Kong, from CVC Capital Partners and Standard Chartered Private Equity Limited, for US$850 million. The deal, a press release said, expands SB&D’s industrial franchise, engineered fastening platform and footprint in emerging markets; creates a highly complementary fit with existing Emhart Teknologies’ engineered fastening business; and increases the company’s scale, expanding its global presence and opening new end markets for specialty fastening growth. With revenues of about US$500 million and more than 2,000 employees, Infastech is a leading producer of engineered mechanical fasteners and one of the largest Asian-based global players in the specialty mechanical fastener market, it said. Infastech supplies highly engineered fastening technologies and applications for a diverse bluechip customer base in the industrial, electronics, automotive, construction and aerospace end markets. More than half of its 2011 revenues were generated in the Asia-Pacific region and once combined with Emhart, SB&D’s engineered fastening platform, the enlarged business will generate close to 40% of its revenues from this high growth region, it said. Total company revenues from the emerging markets will increase to about 16%, an important step towards the company's mid-decade goal of 20%, it said Infastech’s product portfolio includes brands such as Avdel®, ELCO® and iFormTM, which collectively are sold to customers in more than 150 countries worldwide, the release said. The combined engineered fastening platform will generate approximately half of its revenues from automotive manufacturing, a third from industrial fastening applications and 20% from high growth verticals such as electronics, it said. “With the acquisition of Infastech, the engineered fastening platform will be the first of the company's recently identified new growth platforms to achieve its mid-decade goal of $1-$2 billion in revenue.” “Infastech is both a highly accretive acquisition and a perfect strategic fit for Stanley Black and Decker,” said SB&D President and CEO John F. Lundgren. “It adds to our strong positioning in specialty engineered fastening, an industry which has solid growth prospects,” he said.

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH NTT Communications to launch the Asia Submarine-cable Express As of press time, NTT Communications was scheduled to have launched the Asia Submarine-cable Express (ASE), connecting Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia, with Hong Kong slated to be added to the network next year. A report in Global Telecoms Business said that ASE is designed to operate at 40 gigabits a second and can carry data at more than 15 terabits a second. NTT, it said, will integrate the cable into the backbone of its tier-1 global IP network at first, and then its cloud-based network service, Arcstar Universal One. It will also integrate ASE’s routes into its Arcstar global leased line service. NTT Com, the major investor in the system, partnered Philippine Long Distance Telephone, Telekom Malaysia and Singapore’s StarHub for the project, the report said. The submarine cable, which is said to offer the lowest latency network service between Tokyo and Singapore, will ultimately offer 100 gigabits/sec technology, it said. A report said that once the subsea cable is launched, NTT Com will begin offering an enhanced global leased line service, by incorporating ASE’s low-latency routes

28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

into its existing Arcstar Global Leased Line Service. The newly enhanced service leverages ASE’s Japan-Singapore connection with more than 65 milliseconds latency, more than 3 milliseconds faster than routes via other subsea cables, it said.

Company plans submarine cable system to connect U.S. and Brazil Seaborn Networks plans to develop a Brazil-U.S. submarine cable link. Described as “an emerging submarine player,” Seaborn Networks previously announced a plan to build Seabras-1, a 32 Tbps submarine cable that would provide what it said would be the first direct route between Sao Paulo and the United States. Set to go live in 2014, the network has already attracted both Tata Communications and Sidera Networks as wholesale customers, it said. The Seabras project was announced in 2011 by eFive Telecoms (Pty) Ltd., who led the project as principal. In April 2011, the Bank of China announced that it was interested in investing 60% of the funds required for the project. The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa has also expressed interest in funding.

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WAI

NEWS

WAI NEWS

WAI President to present at chapter’s technical seminar this month in Poland WAI President Nick Nickoletopoulos confirmed that he will be among the presenters at the Sept. 20-22 technical seminar to be held at the Antalowka Hotel in Zakopane, Poland. “I plan to go as WAI President and have agreed to give a presentation there on the Association,” said Nickoletopoulos, general manager Sivaco and Ifastgroupe. He said that he was impressed by the scope of the seminar, which will include technical presentations on subjects including wire drawing, lubricants, induction patenting, transmission line wires, and high carbon steel wires. “We are very pleased that Nick will be here,” said Poland Chapter President Jan Pilarczyk, who noted that participants will include presenters of invited papers and attendees from some 40 drawing plants and institutions from Poland, Italy, Germany, and Czech Republic, among others. The program, “High Carbon Steel Wires and Ropes: Technology and Properties,” will include the presentations, tabletops, an awards ceremony, and more. Registration for the seminar is from 4 pm to 6 pm on Thursday, Sept. 20, followed by a banquet that will include the awarding of the Prof. M. Schneider Prize. The seminar starts at 9 am on Friday, Sept. 21, with the opening ceremo-

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

ny. With Pilarczyk serving as moderator, the technical sessions run from 9:10 am to 11:30 am, including presentations by Prof. Etienne Aernoudt (Drawing induced structural and mechanical anisotropy); Nickoletopoulos (WAI: its activity for development of the wire industry); Prof. Bogdan Golis (Mechanical descaling of high carbon steel wire rods) and Dr. Sylwia Wiewiórowska (Theoretical and experimental analysis of processes of drawing of new generation TRIP wires). Following a break, technical sessions resume from noon to 5 pm, moderated by Chairman Prof. Etienne Aernoudt. The presentations will be by Dr. Zdzisław Konopka, Dr. Krzysztof Konopka (Induction patenting of high carbon steel wires); Prof. Tadeusz Knych, Dr. Andrzej Mamala, Dr. Beata Smyrak and Dr. Piotr Uliasz (Selected material, constructional and operational problems in electrical overhead transmission systems); Prof. Pilarczyk (Recent research concerned with steel wire drawing carried out at CUT); Prof. Zbigniew Muskalski (Some aspects of theory and technology of drawing of high carbon steel wires); Eng. Roman Glik (Current marketable position of “Polskie Liny” Sp. z o.o); and Eng. Maciej Górak (Presentation of drawing machines producer, GCR Company, and of drawing lubricants producer, Lubrimetal Company). For more information on the 2012 event, contact Sylwia Wiewíorowska at wiewior@wip.pcz.pl; tel. 48-500-020-676 (mobile).

Lucretia L Burt Sales Administration Leggett & Platt Inc

Brian Davis Bldg Wire Dept Mgr Southwire Co

Cy Butterworth Manufacturing Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Dustin Devine Operations Southwire Co

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

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

John Dognazzi Business Development Engineer Sikora International Corp

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

Douglas G Drysdale Product Design/Appl Nexans Canada Inc

Ryan T Goad Safety Manager Southwire Co

Eddie Everson Materials Manager Southwire Co

Joshua K Grooms Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

Scott Fields Department Manager Southwire Co

Danny L Henderson Process Engineer Southwire Co - Building Wire Products

Steven Ford Materials Manager Southwire Co

Steve Henderson Operations Southwire Co

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

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

Blair L Parker Department Manager Southwire Co

Jimmy D Tarpley Quality Analyst Southwire Co

Charles A Pearce Senior Production Manager Southwire Co

Ben M Thornton Electrical Engineer Southwire Co

Charelle Peterson Engineer Southwire Co

Chris Tucker Process Engineer Encore Wire Corp

Jared B Pointer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Rick Vascotto VP Utility Sales and Marketing Nexans Energy

Nathan Pongetti Controller Southwire Co

Wellington E Kendall, III Engineer Southwire Co

Karla C McGuire Purchasing Agent REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc

Janet S Rainford Director of Inside Sales and Marketing Nexans Energy

Hai T Lam Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Greg L McKibben Senior Environmental Manager Southwire Co

Wesley Robinson Process Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Taylor B Latham Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

David McLendon Engineering Manager Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Jeffery K Lawrence Management Representative Elken, Inc

Scott Roulaine Materials Engineer Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Veerag Mehta Director Technology Polymer Dynamix LLC

Scotty Joe Ledbetter Process Engineer Southwire Co

Charlie Miller Maintenance Manager Southwire Co

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

Joe Long Materials Manager Southwire Co

Laine Mitchell Planner Southwire Co

Garan A Mason Operations Manager Southwire Co

Jon M Moon Industrial Engineer Southwire Co

John D Mattingly Engineer Southwire Co

Ronnie Moore Mechnical Designer Southwire Co

Jesse Mayfield Engineer Southwire Co

Steven D Morris Manufacturing Manager Southwire Co

Cheryl McBrayer Quality Manager Southwire Co - Forte Power Systems Inc

Rodrigo Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Byrne Condusal S A De C V

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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 31

WAI NEWS

Natalie R Henley Human Resource Specialist Southwire Co

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER 4 speakers confirmed for Oct. 11 New England Chapter educational program Experts in Lean, toxic materials, perfluoropolymers and TPUs for wire and cable will be featured at an educational program that the New England Chapter is staging on Oct. 11 at the Holiday Inn Boxborough in Boxborough, Massachusetts. The program will begin at 4 pm with a networking reception, followed by the presentations and then dinner. The presenters include: • Bruce Hamilton, president of GBMP, a Boston-based non-profit provider of lean technology, will explain why it is not unusual for organizations to struggle with their implementation or use of Lean methodology in their operations. His 30-minute presentation will provide insight to managers seeking greater depth and breadth of Lean deployment that transcends even the most unique business venues. His 2004 video, Toast Kaizen (recipient of 2005 Academic Shingo Prize), has been used world-wide to introduce the basics of lean manufacturing. • Liz Harriman, deputy director of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts, helps companies identify safer alternatives to toxic chemicals used in manufacturing. She has made presentations at prior New England Chapter educational programs and was part of a federal project that studied Life Cycle Assessments for cables. She plans to discuss new developments in chemical restrictions and policies, such as the EU RoHS and REACH directives, EPA chemical action plans and TURA higher hazard substances. • Jacob Lahijani is a senior research scientist with DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions, located in Wilmington, Delaware. His primary focus is the development of high-performance perfluoropolymer materials for wire and cable and semiconductor applications. During his 30-year career with DuPont, he has served in a number of research positions working in the areas of advanced polymeric materials and fluoropolymer processing. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. He will speak on DuPont’s™ ECCtreme™ ECA perfluoropolymer resin. • Steven Stoll is a senior technical sales representative for the TPU business of Huntsman Polyurethanes. He holds a degree in biochemistry from Oakland University, and a master's degree from Central Michigan University. He has more than 30 years of experience in the polymer field in a variety of technical and commercial roles, and is the holder of five patents. He will talk about the development and commercialization of a halogen-free flame retardant TPU for the wire and cable market that passes stringent VW-1 flammability testing. Brian Holden, Carris Reels, Inc., and Roy St. Andre, EIS Wire & Cable, are the co-chairs for the educational event. Also working on the program is chapter President John Rivers, Delaware Marketing Services. “The goal for this program is to provide information on more than one topic

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

that would be of interest to the wire and cable industry,” said Rivers. “We’ve got good speakers and the 30-minute presentations will be long enough to provide good information yet allow attendees to ask for more details later.” For more details, including ticket cost and lodging availability, contact Anna Bzowski at tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, abzowski@wirenet.org.

Ohio Valley Chapter reports the results for its 2012 golf tournament The WAI Ohio Valley Chapter held its 10th annual golf outing at the Grantwood Golf Course in Solon, Ohio, on Aug. 2, with the winning team claiming top honors by shooting a very respectable 10 under par. A total of 34 golfers played, with the winners being Dave Simpson and Chris Winkel, both of Worldwide Superabrasives, and Vince Griffin and Mike Swift of Premier Wire Die. Griffin, whose team has had much success at past chapter tournaments, said that it proved to be another good day at the Ohio Valley golf outing. He noted that the team was without one of its mainstays.

From l-r, tournament vice chairman Mike Caranna of American Spring Wire with the winning foursome of Mike Swift, Premier Wire Die; Chris Winkel, Worldwide Superabrasives; Vince Griffin, Premier Wire Die; and Dave Simpson, Worldwide Superabrasives Ironically, the missing “mainstay” for the event was none other than the person who has organized it the last three years: Aaron Nolan, Sumitomo Electric Carbide, Inc., who has been a regular on Vince’s team. He did, however, have a pretty good excuse, one that even a passionate golfer would have to accept: his wife Amy had just given birth to their first child, daughter Alexa Marie, on July 28, days before the event. “I hated missing the tournament, but I had to be with Amy,” he said. Sponsors for the event included Amacoil, $5000 Hole in One; Wire Lab, Closest to Pin; US Synthetic Wire Die, Closest to Pin; Premier Wire Die, Corporate Hole; Enkotec, Corporate Hole; Bekaert Orrville, Corporate Hole; Victor Metal, Corporate Hole; and Worldwide Superabrasives.

Poland Chapter’s 9th technical seminar to be held this month

On the opposite page is the wrapup for the Ohio Valley Chapter’s 10th Annual Golf Tournament, the second WAI chapter (the other being the Midwest Chapter) to have held a golf tournament this year, leaving three more to come. Up next will be the New England Chapter’s 18th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held Sept. 10 in Ellington, Connecticut, USA, at the Ellington Ridge Country Club. For more details on this event, call WAI’s Anna Bzowski at tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, or abzowski@wirenet.org. The New England event will be followed by The Vannais Southeast Chapter 11th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held Oct. 18 in Conover, North Carolina, USA, at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa. The final outing of the year will be the Western Chapter’s 12th Annual “Wild West Shootout” Golf Tournament, to be held Oct. 22, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA, at the Los Verdes Golf Course. Each event offers a range of sponsorship opportunities for companies that would like to both support the event and get a bit of exposure. For more details on such opportunities, as well as the cost for playing and registration, e-mail WAI’s Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org or visit the individual chapter pages at www.wirenet.org.

WAI’s Poland Chapter is holding its ninth technical seminar on Sept. 20-22 at the Antalowka Hotel in Zakopane, Poland. Chapter President Jan Pilarczyk said that participants will include invited presenters of papers and attendees from some 40 drawing plants and institutions from Poland, Italy, Germany, and Czech Republic, among others. The program, “High Carbon Steel Wires and Ropes: Technology and Properties,” will include the presentations, tabletops, an awards ceremony, and more. The seminar will include a banquet on Thursday, Sept. 20, followed by the awarding of the Prof. M. Schneider Prize. The seminar starts at 9 am on Friday, Sept. 21, with the opening ceremony. Presentations will be made by Prof. Etienne Aernoudt, Dr. Nicholas Nickoletopoulos (WAI); Prof. Bogdan Golis, Dr. Sylwia Wiewiórowska, Dr. Zdzisław Konopka, Dr. Krzysztof Konopka, Prof. Tadeusz Knych, Dr. Andrzej Mamala, Dr. Beata Smyrak/Dr. Piotr Uliasz, Pilarczyk, Prof. Zbigniew Muskalski, Roman Glik and Eng. Maciej Górak. Closing ceremonies will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, at 9 am. For more information on the 2012 event, contact Sylwia Wiewiórowska at wiewior@wip.pcz.pl; tel. 48-500-020 676 (mobile).

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SEPTEMBER 2012 | 33

CHAPTER CORNER

2 down, 3 more golf tourneys to go for WAI chapters in 2012

EVENT PREVIEW

Internal demand fuels Wire & Cable India 2012 has recovered and according to the Association of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the sales of cars will double or even triple by 2015. Wire & Cable India 2012 will be the ideal platform to benefit from these developments on the Indian market.” A total of 286 exhibitors from 24 countries showcased their latest products and technologies to 5,600 trade visitors at the last staging of wire & Cable India in 2010, the release said. The number of exhibitors, it noted, grew by almost 30% compared to the 2008 event and gross exhibit space rose by 50%. The 2012 staging has the support of the International Wire and Cable Exhibitors’ Association (IWCEA), the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA), the Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (ACIMAF) and the Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers’ Association (WCISA). Wire & Cable India 2012 exhibitors will present the latest wire manufacturing and finishing machinery, process technology tools, auxiliary process technology materials and materials, special wires and cables as well as measuring and control technology. The visitors, the release said, are expected to be top decision makers from the wire, cable, automotive, electrical, aerospace, telecommunication, electrical engineering, computer, chemical and construction industry. Three industry-related trade fairs will be held concurrently with Wire & Cable India 2012: Tube India International 2012, Metallurgy India 2012 and India Essen Welding & Cutting. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at Wire & Cable India 2012, Tube India International 2012 or Metallurgy India 2012, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. Organizers hope to match or top the 2010 staging of Wire & Cable India, which 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, drew some 5,600 attendees. www.mdna.com. Organizers of Wire & Cable India, the 4th International Exhibition & Conference for the wire and cable industry, report that they expect to see a strong 2012 staging when the event returns Oct. 30-Nov. 1 to the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center in Mumbai. A press release from Messe Düsseldorf, which through its subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf India Pvt. is producing the event with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said the country has many long-term needs that should result in long-term business for the wire and cable industry. The wire industry in India, it said, depends greatly on the construction and automotive sector. The extended global economic crisis has held back growth for the building sector from the projected average of 10% per year to a more modest yet still respectable 7% increase, it noted. “Infrastructure and housing are the growth engines of the construction sector and the government places high priority on transportation networks and residential housing (urban areas alone are in need of millions of apartments). The Indian automotive industry

34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The India market continues to exhibit promise as the manufacturing sector grows to implement technological solutions to improve quality, increase productivity, and strengthen the bottom line. This offers Beta LaserMike a tremendous opportunity as our customers recognize the real competitive advantage of using non-contact measurement in their production processes to realize growth goals. We suspect this need will continue into the foreseeable future as India remains locked as being a significant player in the wire and cable industry. At the show, we will debut our new AccuScan 4012 single-axis diameter gauge and our recently acquired line of DCM Cable Testing Solutions. Jay Luis, marketing manager, Beta LaserMike, www.betalasermike.com. Niehoff GmbH believes in the India wire and cable market, where we have been active for more than 30 years. Our subsidiary there, Niehoff of India (NOI), was founded in 1997, and currently has about 95 employees. Our modern equipped factory near Hyderabad opened in 2007 and was expanded in 2011/2012. NOI builds rod breakdown machines, annealers, spoolers, bunching machines and pay-

offs conforming to Niehoff standards, mainly destined for the Indian market, and provides complete after-sales service. Our booth will display an MMH type multiwire drawing machine, pictures of machines as well as a movie showing them in operation. We will be joined by partner companies Strecker (wire welding machines), Bühler-WürzKaltwalztechnik (cold rolling mills), Zeller + Gmelin (drawing lubricants), Leimbach (cable machinery) and HFSAB (lead extruders and cable repair and recovery systems). Niehoff Maschinefabrik GmbH & Co. KG. Queins Machines GmbH looks forward to displaying information about its wide range of modern rigid, planetary, skip-type and tubular stranders, machines for the production of off-shore and umbilical cables, continuously transposed conductors (CTC) as well as capstans and taping machines. The company also offers used and reconditioned cable-making machines which have been modernized and finished with new components according to the customer’s specification. For contacts in India, please contact Smeets India Techno Trade Pvt., New Delhi, at tel. 91-011-4050-89-15, www.smeetsindia.com. Queins Machines GmbH, www.queins.com.

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 35

EVENT PREVIEW

Exhibitor comments

EVENT PREVIEW

Yes, our outlook for India looks positive. India has been living with sub-standard products for a long time and there is definitely a change happening. With growing needs for telecom and power, the overall infrastructure needs improvement. This can only happen when the quality of the required products improves. India is a super power in production and this is what it is going to show also in its infrastructure. Kanchan Dogra, managing director, Rosendahl India, rosendahlaustria.com. Troester GmbH & Co. KG will warmly welcome visitors at Wire India to learn more about the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state-ofthe-art technology and to discuss their latest requirements. A world-leading supplier of machines and complete lines for the cable manufacturing and rubber processing industry, comprising CV Lines for XLPE and rubber cables, silane lines, sheathing and insulation Lines, Troester will present information and new developments in the field of: CCV and VCV lines for MV, HV and EHV cables up to 1000 kV; rubber CV and CCV-lines up to 35 kV; silane technology for LV cables; and insulation and sheathing systems. We will be joined by X-Compound, a new Group member that will present its kneader technology for the continuous compounding of HFFR, PVC, XLPE, semiconductive materials and EPR/EPDM. Troester GmbH & Co. KG, www.troester.de.

The Gauder Group looks forward to once again presenting its collective technology to the India market. Our Group members offer tailor-made solutions. We design and manufacture high-quality bunchers, stranders and cablers made in Europe; SETIC focuses on machines for special/instrumentation/LAN cable (in one step or two steps) as well as for PC and automotive industry (double-twist process); POURTIER develops complete lines to produce all kinds of power cables (HV and EHV, from overhead cable to insulated cable). Stranding lines and accessories are made in China for the production of power and communication cable by DALOO, the single designer and manufacturer of reliable low-cost machinery rich of European experience. GAUDER offers a wide range of second-hand machines. We also provide high technology bows along with services. Gauder Group, www.gaudergroup.com. Miguel Sanfelix and Luis Morancho will be at the wire India booth of Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s C.M. CaballĂŠ, s.a., to provide information and literature, and to discuss any requirement with visitors. CaballĂŠ has more than 60 years of experience in the design and manufacture of rotating machinery for the production of power and telecommunication cables as well as steel ropes, including a wide array of stranding, twinning, bunching and cabling machinery and ancillary equipment. At the trade show, CaballĂŠ will show developments

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that include: an upgraded rigid stranders and drum twisters for HV energy cables; a complete range of double-twist stranders to manufacture compacted conductors of Cu and Al up to 400 sq mm; a complete range of stranders and closers for steel ropes; and the latest improvements in existing stranders for all type of cables. C.M. Caballé, s.a.

List of exhibitors The following list of exhibitirs, provided by the organizers, includes the companies from outside India. Not all booth numbers are included. For the full list of exhibitors, go to www.wire-india.com/ or see the Show Program at the event. Anhui Changjiang Jinggong 1E47B China Anhui Herrman Machinery 1F50 China Beijing Holland Trading Co 1F42 China Bongard Trading GmbH 1G17 Germany Buss AG 1E33 Schweiz Calmec Precision Ltd 1D59 Canada Candor Sweden A/B 1B70 Sweden Ceeco Bartell Products, 1E46 USA Chang Zhou Riyur Machine Co 1F46 China

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

CM Caballé 1A50 Spain Comsuc Tech Development Ltd 1E44 China Condat Lubrifiants France Sweden Conductix-Wampfle France Conoptica AS 1C50 Norway Dalian Tongda Equipment Tech 1D48 China Daloo Machinery Co Ltd 1E27 China Danyang Resistance Wire Fact 1G47 China DEFOTEC GmbH 1G25 Germany Deyang Dongjiagang Mech 1E45 China Dongguan City Success Ind Co 1G41 China Dongguan Xinmei Precise Mold Co. 1E47A China EBNER GmbH 1F37 Austria Eder Engineering GmbH 1F31 Austria EJP Maschinen GmbH 1F06 Germany Enkotec A/S 1E26 Denmark Ernst Koch GmbH & Co 1F16 Germany FAINPLAST Italy FIB BELGIUM SA 1D22 Belgium Fiber-Line Int’l BV 1D35a Netherlands Force Measuring Systems 1F43 Switzerland FSP-One SAS France Fuhr GmbH & Co KG 1F14 Germany

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Kyoeisha Chemical Co, Ltd 1C48 Japan Lamnea Bruk AB 1B70 Sweden M + E Italy Mademgulf Industries 1E31 Bahrain MAG 1E36 Austria Maillefer Extrusion Oy 1F02 Finland Mali GmbH 1E32 Austria Mario Nava SpA 1B70 Italy SCHOLZ GmbH & Co. 1F11 Germany Medek & Schörner GmbH 1F33 Austria Messe Essen GmbH 1E20/1G25/1F04 Germany MFL Group Italy Micro Products Company USA Minelco GmbH 1G21 Germany Nextrom Oy 1E28 Finland Ningbo Kaite Machinery Co 1E50 China Nuova Sima Srl Italy Nuova Tecno Tau Srl Italy OCN SpA Italy Pourtier sas 1E27 France Proton Products Int’l Ltd 1E52 UK PS Costruzioni Meccaniche Srl Italy Queins Machines GmbH 1F10 Germany

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PVC compounding W&P, model ZSK Planetary strander 1+3/800 (31,5 ) 54/61 wire rigid strander 630mm ø DIN (24,8 ) Medium wire (17 dies) drawing machine with annealer Extruder 80mm / L/D=24 Bundle packer NIEHOFF or HENRICH 630mm ø (24,8 )

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QUEINS bow twisters 1+6/630 (24,8“) QUEINS bow cablers 1+4/1600 (63“) QUEINS rigid stranders 54 or 61 wires, 630 mm (24,8“) QUEINS belt type capstans, 8 kN, 12 kN, 15 kN, 20 kN pull QUEINS pay-off ’s / take up’s, all sizes STOLBERGER tubular stranders, pre-owned, 1+6/500-560 mm

A huge number of first class pre-owned machines for the wire and cable industry

QUEINS MACHINES GMBH Hans-Georg-Weiss-Str. 12 52156 Monschau GERMANY Tel.: +49 2472 8080 Fax: +49 2472 3014 info@queins.com www.queins.com

For contacts in USA:

QMS INC. Miami, Florida Tel.: +1 (305) 665-2523 Fax: +1 (305) 740-9460 qmsmachinery@att.net

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 39

EVENT PREVIEW

Gauder & Co SA 1E27 Belgium GIMAX Srl Italy GOTEX SA 1C38 Spain Guangzhou LMS Mach Co 1F36 China Handuk Ultrasonic Co, Ltd 1C48 S Korea Hangzhou Harbor Tech Co 1D53 China Hans Schmidt & C. 1F18 Germany Hefei Smarter 1F44 China Henrich GmbH 1G15 Germany Honghui (Shanghai) International Trading 1C58 China Hsiang Chuan Machinery Co 1C60 Taiwan Huzhou Jindu Micro-Nano Mat 1E48 China Inductotherm 1F51 UK InnoVites 1F45 Netherlands Institute of Spring Technology 1F49 UK IVA/ESSEX SAS France IWCEA France France IWMA - Int’l Wire & Machinery Association 1C52/1F51/iF41 UK Jiangsu Handing Machinery 1D44 China Jiangsu Qunye 1C52 China JSC "VNIIKP" Trade House of VNIIKP 1E29A Russia. Karan Enterprise 1B70 India KUVAG GmbH & Co KG 1F35 Austria

EVENT WRAPUP

RAVNI Technologies France Reber Systematic GmbH 1F08 Germany Redex SA 1D26 France Ronak Industry 1A72 India Rosendahl GmbH 1E28 Austria RSD Technik GmbH 1G19 Germany Saarstahl AG 1F12 Germany Samp India Cable Mach Pvt, Ltd 1D02 India SAS Engineering and Planning Srl Italy Schnell Wire System Srl Italy SETIC sas 1E27 France Shanghai Hosn Machinery 1E42 China Shanghai Lanpo High Voltage 1F48 China Shanghai Shenchen Wire & Cable 1F3 China Shanghai Surrey Polymers Co 1G49 China Shanghai Xudong Electric 1G35 China Shanghai YingGong Cold 1C56 China Shanxi Tianxiang Machinery Co 1G37 China Shaoxing Kaicheng Mica Mater 1D46 China Siebe Engineering GmbH 1G13 Germany SIKORA AG 1E24 Germany SIRIO Wire Srl Italy

SKET GmbH 1G15 Germany Solvay Solexis SpA 1G31 Italy SPAJIC doo 1F34 Serbia SPX Precision Components USA Supreme Superabrasives Co, Ltd 1G45 China Suzhou Forever Import 1F47 China Suzhou Listrong Mech 1E47 China Tramev Srl 1D24 Italy TRAXIT Int’l GmbH 1A72 Germany Troester GmbH 1E20 Germany UBIFRANCE France Vinston Machinery Ltd 1E41 China VÖDKM/AWCMA Verband 1F31 Austria WAFIOS AG 1E22 Germany Welding Wire Machineries Srl Italy YUAN HSIANG Metal Ind Corp 1C61 Taiwan Zenkoh Co, Ltd 1C48 Japan Zhangjiagang SanFeng Mach 1C54 China Zhangjiagang Victor 1D57 China Zhongshan Tianhua 1G43 China Zumbach Electronic AG 1D47 Switzerland

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40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

April 23-25, 2013 | Georgia World Congress Center | Atlanta, Georgia, USA

INTERWIRE 2013 LEADING WIRE BUSINESSES IN THE AMERICAS. WHY INTERWIRE? When industry professionals look for new wire and cable technology they choose Interwire, the benchmark for wire business in the Americas. Information is exchanged at Interwire. Machinery is debuted, reviewed, and sold at Interwire. And the promise of international networking on the Americasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stage continues to excite visitors to this vital marketplace. Location: Atlanta, Georgia. Interwire returns to the city of its origin where it was introduced in 1981. Compact: 3 full days of exhibits. Interwire 2013 offers a concentrated show schedule. Operating equipment. Interwire is a machinery show. Visitors will see operating equipment. Renewed energy. Attendance at Interwire 2011 surged with a 19% uptick. Visitors came from 53 countries. More than 400 companies exhibited making Interwire the largest trade show of its kind in the Americas for the wire and cable industry. Special industry theme days to be announced. Look for presentations, technical papers, and executive discussions to orbit around three central themes related to operational excellence in the manufacture of wire and cable. Specific topics to be announced. Fully supported. Show management continues to work with allied organizations, supporting sponsors, and educational supporters to interest a growing number of international participants in the show. Event news is communicated to Wire Journal International readers in 108 countries worldwide.

Learn more about exhibiting and speaking opportunities at www.wirenet.org.

The Wire Association International, Inc. 1570 Boston Post Road | P.O. Box 578 | Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | Fax: (001) 203-453-8384 | www.wirenet.org

EXHIBITING COMPANIES — As of August 2012 — Esteves Group USA Etna Products Inc. EuroWire Magazine George Evans Corp. Evolution Products Fabritex Inc. Filtertech Inc. Fine International Corp. Fisk Alloy Wire Inc. Flymca & Flyro FMS USA Inc. Foerster Instruments Inc. Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc. Frontier Composites & Castings Inc. Fuhr GmbH & Co. KG Gauder Group Inc. GCR Eurodraw SpA Gem Gravure Co. Inc. Genca GMP Slovakia sro Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Guney Celik Hall Industries Handuk Ultrasonic Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co. Ltd. Heacock Metal & Machine Co. Inc. Heany Industries Inc. Hearl Heaton - Pentre Group Heatbath Corp. Heraeus Noblelight LLC Heritage Wire Die Inc. Howar Equipment Huestis Industrial ICE Wire Line Equipment Inc. IDEAL Welding Systems iim AG Measurement & Engineering INHOL LLC InnoVites Cable ERP Software International Wire Machinery Association (IWMA) InterWire Products Intras Ltd. IWG High Performance Conductors Inc. Joe Tools Inc. Keir Manufacturing Inc. KP America Inc. Lämneå Bruk AB LaserLinc Inc. Leggett & Platt Wire Group Leoni Wire Inc. Lesmo Machinery America Inc. Lloyd & Bouvier Inc.

Lubrimetal Corp. The Lubrizol Corp. LUKAS Anlagenbau GmbH Magnetic Technologies Ltd. Maillefer SA Manner Plastics LP Markem-Imaje USA Mathiasen Machinery Inc. Messe Düsseldorf North America MFL USA Service Corp. - Frigerio The MGS Group MGS Manufacturing Inc. Micro Products Co. Microdia USA Mid-South Wire Morgan-Koch Corp. Nanjing Capatue Chemical Co. Ltd. Niagara Composites International Niehoff Endex North America Inc. Northampton Machinery Co. (USA) Numalliance North America Oklahoma/Iowa Steel & Wire OMA USA Inc. OMCG North America Inc. Paramount Die Co. Parkway-Kew Corp. Pave Automation Design Phifer Wire Inc. Pittsfield Plastics Plas-Ties Co. PolyOne Polytec Inc. Precision Die Technologies Inc. Pressure Welding Machines Ltd. PrintSafe Promostar srl Properzi International Inc. QED Wire Lines Inc. QUEINS Machines GmbH Radyne Corp. Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Rautomead Ltd. Redex SA Reel Options by Vandor Corp. Reel-O-Matic Inc. Refractron Technologies Corp. RG Attachments Ltd. RichardsApex Inc. Rosendahl Nextrom Technologies Roteq Machinery Inc. S&E Specialty Polymers SAMP USA Inc. Sark-USA Inc. Sarkuysan AS

Shanghai Pudong International Exhibition Co. SIKORA International Corp. SIMPACKS Sivaco Wire Group Sjogren Industries Inc. Smeets SA Joe Snee Associates Inc. Sonoco Reels SPX Precision Components FENN Division Strecker USA Sylvin Technologies Inc. T&T Marketing Inc. Talladega Machinery & Supply Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. Taymer International Inc. Tecnoherramental SA de CV Teknikor Teknor Apex Tensor Machinery Ltd. Traxit North America LLC Troester GmbH & Co. KG Tubular Products Co. Tulsa Power Inc. United Wire Co. Inc. US Synthetic Wire Die Reel Options by Vandor Corp. Vollmer America Inc. WAFIOS Machinery Corporation Stolberger Inc. dba Wardwell Braiding WCISA - Wire & Cable Industry Suppliers Association Web Industries Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. Windak Inc. Wire & Cable ASIA Magazine Wire & Cable Technology International Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. The Wire Association International, Inc. Wire Journal International Wire Lab Co. Wire Machine Systems Inc. WireCo WorldGroup WiredIn USA Witels Albert USA Ltd. Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. Worth Steel & Machinery Inc. Zumbach Electronics Corp.

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

Ace Metal Inc. AEB International Inc. AIM Inc. All Forming Machinery Inc. Amacoil Inc. Amaral Automation Associates American & Efird Inc. Anbao Wire & Mesh Co. Ltd. AW Machinery LLC AXIS Computer Systems Inc. Axjo Plastic AB Aztech Lubricants LLC B&H Tool Co. B&Z Galvanized Wire Industry Inc. Bartell Machinery Systems LLC Baum’s Castorine Co. Bekaert Corp. Bergandi Machinery Co. Besel Basim San Tic Ltd. Sti Beta LaserMike Blachford Corp. Bogimac Engineering Boxy SpA Breen Color Concentrates Inc. Butt Welders USA Caballe SA Cable Consultants Corp. Canterbury Engineering Co. Carris Reels Inc. Cary Compounds LLC Cemanco LC Central Wire Industries Ltd. Chase Wire and Cable Materials Cimteq Ltd. Clayton Industries Clinton Instrument Co. CM Furnaces Inc. CMEC International Exhibition Ltd. Collins & Jewell Co. Inc. Commission Brokers Inc. Condat CONDUCTIX WAMPFLER Conneaut Industries Inc. Cortinovis Machinery America Inc. CPA Wire Technologies GmbH Davis-Standard LLC Die Quip Corp. Domeks Makine Ltd. Sti Ebner Furnaces Inc. Electron Beam Technologies Inc. Enercon Industries Engineered Machinery Group Inc. Er-Bakir Elektrolitik Bakir Mamulleri A.S. ERA Wire Inc.

FEATURE

Equipment W

ire and cable equipment can last for decades, but the industry depends on new and better ways, especially for more demanding products, all of which results in interest in the latest technology. This feature presents a range of equipment, much of it shown at wire Düsseldorf, comments from a few exhibitors and the story of how one U.S. company prepared for the trade show.

AIM Inc. U.S. AIM Inc.’s display at wire Düsseldorf included the AccuForm Modular 3Dx (AFM-3Dx) with integrated indexing tool changer. The modular line consists of components, interchangeable within the same size, that include the turntable, straightener, feeder, three-dimensional bender and optional accessories such as punching, chamfering, threading, drilling, piercing, marking, cold heading, among others. Each wire bending machine can have up to 32 motion axes, depending on the machine configuration. These machines take wire directly from coil, straighten it, bend it, and cut it to create wire products AIM’s new AFM 3D12-T model designed with the use of AIM’s exclusive software package. SmartEditor® provides flexibility and simplicity in setup. Programming is quick and easy. All you need is to enter the lengths and angles of your product, view the design, edit if necessary, and begin production. A turret option (-T) can add one servo axis for a automatic and programmable bending tool-changer along with a second bending pin. Each AFM-3Dx machine has a two-plane wire straightener, with each plane having 11 “V” groove roller bearings. Two different diameters of rollers allow straightening of a wider range of wire with just one straightener. Wire range: 2.7 mm to 8 mm, wire

44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

linearity is less than 5:1000 for a 6-mm wire diameter. For wire diameters under 2.7 mm, an additional straightener is required. The feeder module has four driven rollers, one wire guide, sprocket-belt reduction unit, precision hi-torque drive (HTD) belts and one brushless servomotor. The feed speed is 120 meters/min, with repeatability of +0.1 mm. www.aimmachines.com.

Cortinovis Machinery SpA Italy At wire Düsseldorf, Cortinovis Machinery SpA, part of the Eurolls Group, displayed a double-twist buncher specifically designed for manufacturing high-quality steel strand. The range of the machine allows the user to produce, using the double-twist process, strands from 7 wires up to 37 wires, utilizing wires from 0.1 mm up to 2.6 mm diameter. Bobbin sizes range from 250 mm DIN to 1250 mm DIN. The strand is formed by two pretwisters, with separate motors and deviation pulleys,

Cortinvois Sales Manager Raffaele Contini and Claudio Morara, general manager Eurolls China, by the doubletwist buncher at wire Düsseldorf.

Among the attendees at wire Düsseldorf was a team from Astoria Wire & Metal Products, which designs and manufactures high quality custom wire and fabricated metal products from its plant in Bedford Park, Illinois. Founded in 1947, the family owned company offers a diversified range of products and services for sectors that include wire, tube and sheet metal. Below, company President Richard Zidek and Sales and Marketing Director Carolynn Zidek discuss their plans and goals for wire Düsseldorf with WJI. WJI: What did you do before you came to the show to prepare for your purchase? Richard/Carolynn Zidek: Last year we spent over $900,000 in new equipment purchases. We have a very strong commitment to staying competitive in our manufacturing processes. Our feeling is, if companies don’t keep up with the times they will eventually become noncompetitive. In today’s global economy that is not an option for Astoria. We knew we wanted to attend the Düsseldorf show to see what was out there but it’s interesting how this unfolded. Our process started in January when a team of seven visited one of the exhibitors (WAFIOS) at its U.S. office in Connecticut. Our visit was strictly to learn more about tooling options but while there we discussed some of the new innovations that would be released at the show. We suddenly became very interested in some new equipment options that originally were not planned for this year. We visited a second exhibitor’s U.S. headquarters and learned more. Then we called a third equipment supplier to see what they would be showing. Now there was not a doubt that we would be attending. One of the most difficult things about a show like Düsseldorf is we don’t have an endless budget and have to be very controlled. It’s more a question of what manufacturing process are we going to put our dollars in because we can’t buy it all. Going to the show really helps in narrowing it down. WJI: How many exhibitors did you visit? What was your experience with the different representatives? Richard/Carolynn Zidek: Our original plan was to spend serious time with the three exhibitors cited above. We ended up spending serious time with 10 companies, which is a lot for the three days we were scheduled to be there. We also had casual conversations with another 10 companies. We were amazed that each exhibitor we visited had plenty of people in the booths to answer any and all questions we had. It was not a “high pressure-buy now” approach. It was more that the exhibitors made sure we had full knowledge of their equipment and how it would relate to Astoria. They made us feel that we were the only ones at the show even though we are a small company compared to some of the large companies visit-

ing. From a hospitality aspect, let’s just say we did not go hungry or thirsty while at the show. We actually took our visit further. Besides visiting the booths we took two days and visited two of the exhibitors’ manufacturing facilities, which proved to be just as important as visiting the booths. WJI: What capabilities in particular were you looking for? Richard/Carolynn Zidek: We definitely had great interest in CNC wire forming with robotics and grid welding. The most important factor that we consider when purchasing a piece of equipment is service. If we have a problem, we want to know we will be taken care of in a reasonably quick matter. Also, the availability of parts and tools. Another extremely important factor for us is the setup time and the ease of setup. The machines only generate revenue when they are running, not when they’re being setup, so we want the ability to get that done as fast as possible, and have it be accurate as well as easy to do.

From l-r, the Astoria Wire team of Carolynn Zidek, sales and marketing director; John Smogur, director of operations; Kevin Zidek, vice president; and Paul Teska, maintenance manager, at the WAFIOS booth during their factfinding trip at wire Düsseldorf. Cost is a factor but certainly not the No. 1 factor. For the vast majority of our past equipment purchases, we have chosen the most expensive because we feel with equipment you get what you pay for. That said, there are some out there that are really a quality piece for reasonable dollars. The location of where the machine is manufactured is not a factor in any way. We have purchased equipment from Japan, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. WJI: What do you hope this purchase will enable you to do? Do you have any ROI projections? Richard/Carolynn Zidek: This purchase is extremely important for our company in that originally we did not plan purchases for this year, but what we saw tells us that (continued on p. 64.)

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 45

FEATURE

A customer’s perspective

FEATURE

before the product enters into the double-twist machine, which is mounted on a robust frame fitting the application and utilizes the latest technology AC motors and inverters. www.cortinovismachinery.com.

CPA Wire Technologies GmbH Austria At wire Düsseldorf, CPA Wire Technologies displayed its new LINNOX wet drawing machine for fine and extra fine wire. The system, which was especially developed for drawing high-strength steel wire beginning from a finished diameter of 0.06 mm, operates according to the principle of a sliding wire drawing process. State-of-the-

The Reelmatik 600 D double-head automatic spooling line from Domeks Makine.

CPA’s LINNOX wet drawing machine. art components and a user-friendly operating system enable an automated as well as error-free production. The LINNOX employs a unique drive concept, requires low installation and maintenance effort, can be installed without a foundation and has low energy consumption. Other advantages include a wire-efficient inline-wire straightening and testing unit, straight wire behavior, gimbally stored final drawing dies, guided identification of the wear of the drawing die and highly versatile lubrication systems. LINNOX ensures the production of wires free from residual stresses. It provides a wide range of tensile strengths and wire diameters and is highly productive, material-efficient and reliable. CPA's innovation can increase the productivity and economic efficiency of every manufacturing plant. The company's product lines include: continuous plating plants, heat treatment technologies and high-tech wire machinery. One of its other innovations is the CPA line of ROTACC PV/TV payoffs and take-ups, the system for the partly automated operation with automated guided vehicle systems. These products are complemented by the control systems developed by CPA. www.cpa.at.

lator, a double-head spooling and stretching unit, an automatic palletizing unit and a pallet stretch-wrapping unit. The system has a compact design and its double head helps it operate at high speeds, including up to 400 meters/minute linear speed for production (40 spools/hour for 500 meters spool length). The system has a spark tester and lump detector has a user-friendly design. It provides perfect laying up and comes with a user-friendly control panel. It can palletize spool sizes with ODs from 400-600 mm, IDs from 100-250 mm, widths of 300-450 mm and weights up to 200 kg. It can process flexible cables from 4-14 mm up to a 4 x 6 sq mm cable cross section, solid cables from 4-12 mm up to a 4 x 4 sq mm cable cross section and flat cables up to a 15 mm cable width. www.domeksmakine.com.

Dynamex Corporation U.S. Dynamex Corporation announced new designs of 1000 mm, 1250 mm, and 1600 mm high-speed, single-twist bunchers for aluminum and copper, and high-speed single-twist cablers for insulated cables. Similar models are also available for U.S. size reels. The machine control is by an intuitive color touch-screen HMI and a PLC with

Domeks Makine Turkey Turkey’s Domeks Makine has introduced the Reelmatik 600 D, a new double-head automatic spooling line for cable rewinding on plywood spools. The system includes a 1600 or 2000 mm motorized payoff, empty spool feeding conveyors with capacity up to 20 spools, an accumu46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

A new STB model buncher from Dynamex Corporation.

FEATURE

product recipe. The dialed-in, or loaded from recipe lay is maintained extremely accurately throughout the reel build-up. Maintenance is greatly helped by the real time display of all IOs status on the HMI. Should any alarm occur it is clearly flagged on the HMI with an option to clear it. The machine uses advanced AC vector drives that share energy through a common bus for a most efficient use of power. The internal gear-train utilizes a planetary drive that amplifies the lay accuracy, and closes the mechanical power-loop for optimal power use. The power load/unload lowers the full reel quickly to the shop floor and loads a new reel. The photo shows model STB-1250 buncher that runs stranded aluminum up to 150 mm2 and up to 500 TPM. Multi-position driven payoffs, and longitudinal in-line taping payoffs are available for cabling lines. For in-line taping on extrusion lines, Dynamex offers its unique on-the-fly auto-splicing tape-payoff systems. www.dynamexcorp.com.

GCR Eurodraw Spa Italy The GCR Eurodraw SpA booth at wire DĂźsseldorf displayed the company largest wiredrawing machine model, the MTS 1200/9, which is designed to process large diameter high-carbon steel wire rod in the range of 16 to 9 mm for pre-stressed steel wire and strand applications, as well as large diameter spring wire. The machine is equipped with capstans of 1200 mm in diameter to ensure optimum wire cooling at the highest possible speeds. The machine is made of pre-assembled sections that are easy to reassemble at the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site; each section includes all piping, motor mountings and accessories mounted on the frame itself, so that no civil work is necessary. The unique design of the die boxes and die holders allows a quick die change without the need of any tools. The machine can

e -lin n i ic le lab ra son i a av ult ow GEO N h W: wit ning NE a cle

The GCR Eurodraw booth presented multiple new systems for attendees to inspect. be operated at speeds up to 14 m/sec. GCR Eurodraw also displayed the new CLR 760/2 cold-rolling line. This machine, in combination with a mechanical descaler and a double vertical spooler, is used for high-speed production of indented reinforcement wire. This new model features a fully enclosed dustproof and noise proof guard that reduces the noise level of the machine to a minimum, a major plus as the indentation process can be very loud

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 47

FEATURE

at high speeds. The double vertical spooler model, BVD 1250, collects the wire coming from the cold rolling line and is able to replace the full spool with an empty one, semi-automatically, in less than 50 seconds. Finally, GCR Eurodraw displayed a new model, the GRM double-belt grinding unit, featuring improved belt tensioning control and improved rotation speeds, allowing a better control of the belt wear and, therefore, a longer belt life. www.gcrgroup.com.

Ernst Koch GmbH Germany At wire DĂźsseldorf, Ernst Koch showed the KHZ drawing component (see cover) of a line for cold drawing of large diameter wires, .375 in. (9.5 mm) to 1.875 in. (47.6 mm) that used to require two very strong employees. The cold drawing process of handling the rod coils, straightening the ends and pointing and feeding the rod coil took brute strength, and disengaging the pull-in dog was dangerous. Ernst Koch has developed and over time refined a system to make the cold drawing of the large diameters

A complete drawing line from Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ernst Koch GmbH that includes multiple components, including the KHZ drawing system shown on the cover. safe while requiring minimal physical effort. The system includes the payoff (KAM), drawing machine (KHZ), a rebeding device and a take-up (KAH). The dual KAM wire payoff and bending machine takes the rod coil end, straightens the coil and feeds it to the pointing machine, which can be either a milling pointer, an oscillating roll pointer or a rotary swaging machine. Then, the pointed coil is recoiled while the other side of the dual KAM is feeding the KHZ drawing unit, which has up to 110,000 lb of drawing force. It accepts the pointed end from the KAM then grips it in an automatic built-in pulling dog grip that retracts into the 36- or 39-in. diameter horizontal drawing capstan after automatically discharging the coil end. A pressure roller set keeps the proper number of drawn wraps tidy on the diameter drawing drum. The coil is collected in a 45 degree angle tilted collecting drum, and after the entire coil is in the take-up device the collection device goes to straight for the coil to be stripped. Koch also has optional ancillary equipment such as a coil compactor available for the drawing system. www.koch-ihmert.de, www.morgan-koch.com.

48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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FEATURE

O.M. Lesmo SpA Italy Italy’s O.M. Lesmo SpA, represented in North America by Lesmo Machinery America, Inc., reports that the company’s double-twist technology has been further improved by the use of an optional pre-twister for twisting insulated conductors. A double-twist buncher reduces the lay length by half when the product finally reaches the take-up reel. This second twist poses one potential problem. The wires in the outer layers are tensioned while the inner layers are compressed, creating extra length in the inner layers. This extra length of wires can push through the outer layer and result in a “pop-out,” causing knotted strands on the final cable. This problem can be solved by using OM Lesmo’s pretwister, in-line with its doubletwist buncher. The pre-twister is a rotor with idler O.M. Lesmo's new optional pulleys having pretwister. maximum rotating speed twice that of the buncher, or equivalent to the twist per minutes of the double-twist buncher. It is placed between the closing die-stand and the double-twist buncher and the members from the payoffs are guided through the closing die into the pre-twister guided by the idler pulleys. The lay length at the pre-twister approaches the final lay length and it will pull the appropriate length of members from the pay-offs. By properly adjusting the rotating speed of the pre-twister, the compression of members in the inner layer is reduced at the point of second twist on the buncher, thus eliminating “pop-out” problems. Proper synchro-

50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

nization of the rotational speeds of the pre-twister and the double-twist buncher will produce a smooth and round final product. The pre-twister in conjunction with OM Lesmo’s double twist buncher can be used for manufacturing: flexible ropes (19 strands and higher), MCM sizes (up to 24 bunched members using OM Lesmo’s DTO1600 or larger double twist machines); cabling insulated conductors, where the pre-twister can maintain the position of low elastic yarns or uninsulated ground wires in the cable configuration. Reverse concentric products can also be produced in two passes using back-twist payoffs and a pre-twister. This is especially beneficial when producing AAAC and ACSR type of conductors as well as two-layer cables using insulated cores such as 2+8, 3+9, 4+10, 5+11 and 1+6+12. www.omlesmo.com, www.lesmoamerica.com.

Maillefer SA Switzerland From its portfolio of products exhibited at the show, Maillefer highlights two innovations: the Integrated Water Tempering unit (IWT) and its improved performance extruder MXC 120-24D (shown). Regarding the IWT, most of the different types of tempering systems currently available are not suited for the high demands of the power cable extrusion process, which requires water temperature control stability and reliability. A reliable and accurate temperature control, in addition to continuous adjusting and monitoring of the extrusion process, is a must to produce a high-quality, three plastic layered cable. The IWT is a fully integrated component of the extrusion line. Tempered water circulation of the extrusion screws and the cross head flow channels are monitored, adjusted and controlled from the line control system, in the same way as the temperature zones of the extruder are controlled. One IWT unit can handle up to five independently controlled water tempering modules on the same platform. With a heating power of 6 kW and a water flow of 20 l/min., the unit is ideally dimensioned for a maximum temperature of 140°C and a maximum operating pressure of 11 bar. Each module is connected to the platform with

Maschinenfabrik Niehoff Germany

Technology displayed at the Maillefer SA’s stand included its extruder, model MXC 120-24D. quick connectors which makes service and maintenance access very easy. The highly efficient air cooled MXC 120-24D extruder is the company’s latest offering for various insulation and sheathing applications. The large processing window gives the MXC its unique capability to extrude several thermoplastic and thermoset materials such as PVC, polyethylenes, XLPE, HFFR, EPDM, plus other commodity and engineering plastics. The MXC benefits from improved temperature control due to the lower thermal inertia and the higher heat transfer rate of the redesigned heating/cooling elements. Thanks to a

At wire Düsseldorf and also at an in-house exhibition in its new factory in Schwabach, Maschinenfabrik Niehoff presented the double-twist bunching machines D 1001 and D 1201 (in Schwabach). The D 1001 type machine is designed for the manufacture of strands of up to 50 mm² (1/0) cross section for copper and up to 60 mm² (2/0) cross section for aluminum conductors with a lay length of max. 300 mm (11.8”). The machine is optimally suitable for larger strands and battery cables of both copper and aluminum. The winding force is infinitely variable and is controlled within tight tolerances across the entire bobbin filling using a closed loop load cell tension control system. The D 1251, the most recent model of the D series, can be applied to manufacture wire strands of copper with up to 95 mm² (3/0) cross section and aluminum with a maximum cross section of 120 mm² (4/0), which are used for the manufacture of underground cables and sector-shaped conductors. The machine, the largest of the D series, is designed for spools with a flange diameter of

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 51

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highly engineered screw design, the MXC provides up to a 15% to 20% boost in throughput in comparison to the previous model. www.mailleferextrusion.net.

FEATURE

Lloyd & Bouvier

WIRE & CABLE MACHINERY The double-twist bunching machines D 1001 from Niehoff GmbH.

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1250 mm which can have a total weight of 4 tons when filled. With the new D 1251 the D series double-twist buncher family comprises seven differently sized models which are representing more than 30 years of experience in the design of customer-oriented wire bunching and cable stranding machines. Due to their one-bow design, the machinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; energy consumption and noise emission are reduced compared to conventional bunching machines. Another feature is a non-contact data transfer to reduce slip rings and brushes maintenance to a minimum. www.niehoff.de, www.neihoff-usa.com.

Numallianceâ&#x201E;˘ France At wire DĂźsseldorf, Numallianceâ&#x201E;˘ showed the company's FTX technology, which replaces its existing line of FX wire benders. Is it possible to have a machine that can do it all: speed and flexibility, accuracy and user-friendliness, limited change-over, multiple material on the same platform? If such a dream machine exist, it would look like the company's FTX line, which process wire from 4 mm to 13 mm. Numalliance has put wire bending at the core of its know-how, branching out from there on other area : tube, flatstock or spring. One of the FTX's greatest assets is what rules the wire industry: speed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not only does it goes fast, but the acceleration is stunning,â&#x20AC;? said company President and CEO Joel Etienne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feeding goes at such a speed that wire appears almost like a miracle.â&#x20AC;? The machine has completely been redesigned to gain maximum advantage of all servos, optimizing the weight and offer greater bending

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52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

A close-up view of Numallianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FTX technology.

FEATURE

capabilities. The FTX is the only machine on the market that offers a whole area to perform offset bend and of course kept its iconic “Double Bend.” The Double Bend was recently pushed to its limits with the FTX as the machine was able to perform 420° of bend in one compound movement. The automotive seat business is the primary beneficiary of this development, since it can bend “round wave” spring seat wire with straight length in between two waves or at the end. It allows the production of lighter design and greater comfort springs for the seat. The machine's “Touch & Form” interface now comes with an addendum called “Tool Editor” that enable the user to pre-program a part and simulate production realistically and also creates tooling for new applications. The system can also coil spring wire into compression spring, although it does not have unlimited rotation. Numalliance is also developing a new type of in-line press operation (coin, pierce, notch or mark) notably for production of wiper blade arms. With a special deported cutting block the machine can perform wonders for all flat-stock products. www.numalliance.com.

close to the bend head that provides exceptional part accuracy. End-to-end repeatability and planarity are no longer problems. The front feed reduces the torsional effect of the wiredrawing operation relative to the standard feed, which is located far back from the bending tool. The SHARK’s front-feed advantage allows the feed rollers to be easily adjusted to remove the wire winding cast from the coil set, which can be difficult to remove completely with the wire straightener. The bend area remains free of interference as all parts are inside the

OMCG Srl Italy At wire Düsseldorf Italy’s OMCG Srl introduced the company’s new CNC wire bender, called The Shark. The SHARK 51 system CNC has a new front feed positioned

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OMCG Technical Director Daniele Maggi with The SHARK at wire Düsseldorf .

FEATURE

SHARK’S aluminum arm, which provides less inertia and has quicker response for the Z axis rotation. It also allows a longer arm length for long parts. The SHARK’s wire line has been raised to allow standard totes to be placed directly under the bend head, thus reducing material handling. The wire line base allows for additional optional units for blanking, chamfering, grooving, drilling, etc. The SHARK has a very heavy vibration-free base for stability. Electric controls are mounted in the base frame with an operator control panel independent to allow the best ergonomic position for the operator. Tooling changes for another wire size is about five minutes for the feed rollers, bend finger, mandrel and cutter. The SHARK can use the same tooling as the OMCG’s W10 CNC model. Motor temperature is displayed on screen for XYZ axis. Easy adjustment can be made of the axis acceleration/ deceleration while machine is in operation. Change wire part parameters while machine is forming and the change will be in next part produced. Prior to first piece, you can run a 3D simulation to check for machine interference with the part to machine and make corrections. You can design the part on your desk top CAD computer and download by DXF to the SHARK’S machine control and the computer will calculate the program code to make the part. Internet capability from our factory to the customer machine for any programming or trouble analysis is now standard. With this feature we can change any parameters and update system programs. www.omcg.com.

Otomec: its earliest origins ... One system that drew a lot of looks (but sorry, not for sale) from attendees at wire Düsseldorf was a wiredrawing system built by Metallurgica Rusconi, the predecessor company to Italy’s Otomec Srl. According to the company, this system was set up in Italy at the end of the 19th century in the Gerenzone Valley near Lecco, to produce any derivatives of wire rod, more specifically: wire, nails and fences. The end of the 19th century saw the introduction of new significant techniques that increased the productivity, such as the spread of ovens, the solder puddle (welding) and the diffusion of mechanized processes in many stages of production. Energy power was provided by ancient wooden wheels that, using water powerfrom the Gerenzone River, actuated a series of gears which, by means of leather belts, moved the flywheel of the drawing machine. At the time, the rod wire was put in a wooden tub for a first bath. Then it was drawn in the drawing machine several times in order to narrow the diameter down to the desired size. After this process the wire was again put in wooden tubs filled with a copper solution so to coat it uniformly. At this point a metalworker had to take the wire and organize it in small coils, ready to be used for subsequent derivatives. The system could just reach a speed of 10-20 meters per minute, but it was kept in use for nearly the first half of the 20th century.

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This century-plus old wire drawing machine produced by Metallurgica Rusconi, the predecessor to Italy’s Otomec Srl, was displayed at the company’s booth at wire Düsseldorf. Pictured are Otomec Partners Alberto Rusconi and Pietro Rusconi.

... and the company today Italy’s Otomec Srl designs, produces and sets up cleaning and plating plant for wire and other products made from steel and nonferrous metals. The company’s OTO’FF line can process copper, alloy, aluminum and brass wires from 0.80 to 3.60 mm; steel and stainless steel wire from 0.80 to 2.40 mm. It can provide coatings with tin, silver, zinc, nickel, copper and gold at speeds of up to mt/min depending on the coating thickness. Complete lines can be available as standard (spool-tospool basket-to-basket), multipurpose (spool and basketto- spool and basket, with optional accumulating device) and multiplater (double storage tanks, with fast change over of coating solution). The company’s process is controlled by electronic devices and the new machines can work both off-line and in-line with the wiredrawers at speeds up to 1000 mpm. Otomec plants are also used for pickling, degreasing and polishing: wire from 0.10 mm up to 12 mm; strips and sheets up to 500 mm widths; and bars up to 10 x 300 mm. www.otomec.it.

At wire Düsseldorf one of the focuses for Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH was highlighting production of finished power cables by merging power SZ with sheathing. Being able to go from single insulated conductors to a finished power cable offers a lot of advantages for the manufacturer, and Rosendahl responded to that challenge by further development of technologies and improvement of processes. The result was a merger of Power SZ stranding and the sheathing process in one line. The equipment is ideal for producing low-voltage cable up to 1 kV with a cross section up to 240 sq mm² of each single conductor. The perfect result of the finished power cable can be observed on the take-up reel. Thanks to the SZ technology, where no heavy mass is in rotation, the working principle is the same as that of conventional helical stranding systems. The payoff and take-up stands in the line are stationary reelers that need no special foundation. The non-rotating reeler also helps to improve the line efficiency due to a very fast and simple reel loading and unloading cycle. As the reel does not need to be transferred between the stranding and the sheathing process, time and space saving is guaranteed. There is also no limita-

FEATURE

Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH Austria

A close-up of Rosendahl’s new power cable technology. tion for the size of the take-up, which helps to get a longer product length on bigger take-up reels. The advantage of non-rotating machinery allows a very safe working area for the operators and reduces the maintenance efforts. A perfect combination for optimized manufacturing conditions: Low investment and reduced operating costs guarantee an efficient production of power cables. www.rosendahlaustria.com.

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SAMP USA/SAMPSISTEMI U.S./Italy At wire Düsseldorf, SAMP presented its new multiwire Drawing Machine Platform, built on many years of research and in-depth testing that culminated in a series of modular machines that sets new standards in the wire manufacturing sector. Designed for copper and aluminum wire, the DM Platform: reduces production expenses by increasing energy efficiency and power factor costs; increases line productivity by diminishing set-up times, reducing and simplifying maintenance operations, ensuring an easy accessibility of machine spare parts; and maximizes process efficiency thanks to a significant

power distribution independent from the machine's kinematics thanks to highly efficient, high-torque brushless electric motors; fewer machine components for easier maintenance operations and reduced lead time of spare parts; and the use of line automation and motion control architecture to achieve the most advanced platforms available in the market. www.sampinc.com, www.sampsistemi.com.

Sictra Srl Italy At wire Düsseldorf, Sictra Srl, a part of the Eurolls Group, displayed a TFC 16 multiwire drawing line for processing plain or tinned copper wires. This machine incorporates a horizontal annealer for easy string up and maintenance. These machines, depending on the number of dies (13 min and 31 maximum) can cover a range of wires from 0.10 to 1.35 mm. It includes drawing rings

SAMP USA’s Marco Gerardo by the company’s DM 80 multiwire drawing system shown at wire Düsseldorf. reduction of acceleration and deceleration ramps. The DM Platform has four product segments that collectively meet every customer requirement depending on their final application (from building wire to white/brown goods, automotive, etc.). The specific segments are: DM 80 EL, for up to eight wires per row and 22 drafts, max. wire inlet of 3.60 mm; DM 80, for up to 10 wires per row and 37 drafts, max. inlet wire of 2.05 mm; DM 105-80, for up to 16 wires per row and 29 drafts, max. inlet wire of 2.60 mm; and the DM 105, for up to 16 wires per row and 25 drafts, max. inlet wire of 3.20 mm. Three key advantages for the DM Platform series include: a mechanical driving

Rosanna Galbiati, Cortinovis Machinery-Sictra Division and Massimiliano Perrone, Cortinovis-Sictra Spa, by the TFC model at wire Düsseldorf.

of 100 mm and 120 mm and 135 mm capstan. The entire drive is by helical gears. The range of Sictra annealers (16-wire pictured) can handle up to 32 wires. www.sictra.it, www.cortinovisamerica.com.]

Sheaves - Pulleys Cable Guides ProcessSheaves.com 866-344-6774 58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Tulsa Power’s new coiler, a new line of Automatic Cut and Transfer (ACT) coiling equipment, has generated tremendous interest not only in tubing and profile applications, but in wire and cable processes as well. The new ACT coilers have the ability to spool or coil and are fully automatic and highly reliable. The new technology and “no nonsense” design appear to address the customer identified weaknesses of other equipment offerings,

namely “overly engineered” systems and reliability issues. This series of coilers is adaptable for the toughest wire and cable application requiring accumulation, a contact dancer, hydraulic cutting and on-line printing to the ultra-critical micro tubing applications requiring non-contact, ultrasonic position control for extremely low running tension. The ease of operation and user friendly interface allow a single operator to oversee multiple lines generating a labor savings over previously used manual and semi-automatic systems. Couple an ACT coiler with now available on-line packaging equipment, i.e. multiple position twist-tie, stretch wrap, coil counting and boxing, and the process becomes even more automated and labor saving. www.tulsapower.com.

WAFIOS AG Germany

The new ACT coiler from Tulsa Power.

The WAFIOS stands at wire Düsseldorf presented many types of new technology, one of which was the company’s universal spiral spring machine, model SPM 2, a new approach to the production of spiral springs made of strip material. The machine is able to coil semi-finished strip material into all kinds of spiral springs. The cross section of the spring material of up to 6.5 mm² also enables the production of larger springs. Spiral springs are mainly used in the automotive industry, e.g. for the motor management, the interior of cars and vehicle instruments. Moreover, they serve as mechanical energy storage devi-

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SEPTEMBER 2012 | 59

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Tulsa Power U.S.

FEATURE

ces in toys, for example, or in drive and oscillating elements of mechanical clocks. A program-controlled displacement of the roller feed is possible via the height axis. Thereby, the strip material can be guided tangentially from the edge where the strip material exits towards the coiling axis. The result is a considerable increase in output. Due to the intelligent star-shaped arrangement of slides, all kinds of spiral springs can be produced on the SPM 2. Besides these universal application possibilities, short tooling times allow an economical production of small batch sizes. The formerly used horizontal machine structure has been replaced by a vertical structure. Thereby, several improvements were made. A better access of the tool room considerably facilitates operators

Windak AB Sweden At Wire 2012, Windak AB displayed its latest automatic reeler AR24-D, a dual-head, fully automatic reeler developed for automatic packaging of cable and wire products on spools and reels between 300 mm (12 in.) and 600 mm (24 in.) in overall diameter. It can be run for both in-

The AR24-D automatic reeler from Windak.

The WAFIOS SPM 2 universal spiral spring system. with the change of tools at the front plate and results in an increased availability of the production unit due to the shorter tooling times. The SPM 2 uses the new WAFIOS programming software WPS 3.2 EasyCam that has now has an expanded programming of production sequences by means of electronic cams. Thus, axes can be moved electronically â&#x20AC;&#x153;into each other.â&#x20AC;? The self-explanatory user interface and user guidance facilitates programming for experienced WPS programmers as well as for beginners. The star-shaped arrangement of bending slides around the coiling unit enables a flexible response to different production requirements. With an output of up to 100 pieces a minute, the SPM 2 outshines all previously reached outputs in the production of springs made of strip material. The machine not only meets criteria of highest outputs and quality standards but also low investment costs. Right from the beginning, the development focused on total cost of ownership by means of target costing calculations. www.wafios.com.

60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

line applications with an extruder and off-line applications with a driven payoff or flyer, loads and unloads the reels automatically, and includes stretch wrapping of the spool to contain the cut end. When the machine is combined with the integrated palletizer, it makes a complete automatic spooling line with a short investment payback. The AR24-D Reeler will minimize floor space requirements, reduce material handling and save labor costs, providing one of the widest ranges of cable diameters and reel sizes. Some of the noteworthy features and options include: 50% less parts than earlier generations; flexibility in handling different reel sizes, 280-600 mm or 400800 mm in diameter; ability to handle both rigid building wire and sensitive LAN cable; choice of single head or dual-head reeler; and for both in-line or off-line operation. Windak customers demand cost effective solutions with short payback time. The AR24 Dual head offers maximum flexibility and high output. www.windak.se.

Wire Machine Technologies Israel Wire Machine Technologies CEO Yoav Dvir-Dahbash notes that his company is the only one in the world that has actual production capabilities to manufacture glasscoated wire below 15 microns in diameter. The company can sell finished micro-wires, but it is also willing to work with qualified strategic partners by supplying them the production machines on a lease basis. It can supply a wire production machine, a re-winding machine and an ILS package (documentation, spare parts, service and training). Capacity for one set is production of 500 meter per minute/30 km per working hour and 180 Km per

shift. Setup is quick (five minutes) and the equipment has a small footprint. There are no chemicals, pollution or hazardous materials and the system produces very little noise. The key is an innovative development process that coats the wire in glass. The process can use the same glass for all metal melt temperatures, and is not limited to a narrow melting temperature that can limit the types of metal elements and alloys that can be produced. The result of the process is a controlled homogeneous manufacturing process that meets all requirements. The continuous uninterrupted process can produce a 10 km of micro wire on a single spool. The process can work in four areas: amorphous metals (Fe, Ni and cobalt-based); conductive metals (gold, silver and copper); high-melting temperature wires ((platinum, stainless steel and DFeCr); and low melting temperature wires (Pb, Zn and Sn). yoav@wwmt-m.com, wmt-m.com.

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SEPTEMBER 2012 | 61

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At Wire Expo 2012, WMT CEO Yoav Dvir-Dahbash displays samples of glass-coated micro wire produced by his company’s technology.

Exhibitor thoughts

FEATURE

Below, four equipment suppliers respond to a question from WJI about how their customers. WJI: Some wire and cable sectors are quite strong, but there has also been an extended period of economic uncertainty: what are your customers most concerned with? Adjusting the workforce to its right level without jeopardizing the recovery: the worforce is a cost but it is also what makes the economy, as hiring more means more spending and more business. To survive, lots of our cus-

Recent difficult times have revived a somewhat forgotten sense of economic consciousness for everyone affected and our industry is no exception. Today, conservation and cost-cutting are paramount. Extravagance is replaced by austere cost savings measures. Our customers are paying closer attention to maintenance practices, energy con-

Niehoff Endex North America CEO Robert Wild at the company’s booth at wire Düsseldorf.

COO Ludovic Vallet COO (l) with David Galas, U.S. Business Development, at the Numalliance™ booth at wire Düsseldorf.

tomer had to shed and run lean on their team, relying more on automation than ever, a plus for a machine builder and robot integrated company like Numalliance. But as the economy resumes, we have seen a slow recovery in unemployment since the industry keeps workforce at its optimum. Ludovic Vallet, COO, Numalliance.

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servation, and material savings. While new equipment is still being considered, more and more old equipment is being overhauled and upgraded to increase productivity and improve quality. Robert Wild, CEO, Niehoff Endex North America. Customers need a supplier that truly understands their needs. We know how to design and build our machinery, but it is our clients who use it every day, and we must listen to them to understand what and where to improve. We have continuously developed new technology, pushing innovation everywhere, such as the single bow used in

E-mail: fukaseco@ja2.so-net.ne.jp

Most of our customers are currently extremely busy. It seems though that there is uncertainty for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or should I say for six months after the U.S. elections? Is

FEATURE

our double-twist machines that is now being used by many of our competitors. OM Lesmo pioneered environmental advances long before the rest of the world. Also, our business is not just to sell Giovanni Cecchini-Manara, commerequipment, it is cial director, O.M. Lesmo SpA. to stay with our clients along the life of the machinery, and to do this we have a plan to increase our local presence with more customer service centers. Our intention is to continue along the same path, further improving our efforts, modernizing and reorganizing with the most innovative techniques, and always listening to our clients. After all, we are here to stay. Giovanni Cecchini-Manara, commercial director, O.M. Lesmo SpA.

Constantine Grapsas, president, AIM, Inc. this work load going to continue? Almost everyone is concerned about the stability in our current economy. Since they are busy now, they try to increase efficiencies and plan for possible downsides in the near future. Constantine Grapsas, president, AIM, Inc.

Sk Bldg #1 2-10-10 Makuhari-Hongo, 2- 6 -1 Hamada Mihama -Ku Hanamigawa-Ku, Chiba, Chiba Bhiba-Ken 261-0025, Japan 262-0033 Japan Tel : +81-43-276-0630 FAX Fax :81-43-276-0463 +81-43-276-0463 SEPTEMBER 2012 | 63

FEATURE

(continued from p. 45.) the advances in equipment are coming fast and furious. What we hope for is fast setups as I alluded to above. The ROI question is a very good one. I know this does not sound like a good business practice, but in the past 67 years we never looked for ROI. We figured we would be able to generate increased revenue through better efficiencies. Not necessarily getting a return for the equipment itself. We are fortunate that most of our purchases are done with cash flow generated from operations so we usually donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have an interest expense. If we do, it has typically been only for a short time. Now with the cost of more sophisticated pieces of equipment we need to start learning and looking at ROI. WJI: Have you placed an order? Richard/Carolynn Zidek: We have not made our purchase yet. As much as we would like to get one of the systems we saw at wire DĂźsseldorf, we have to balance that need out with other considerations. So, we are still debating where to put our money this year, and it could an automated turret punching cell, a robot for our current

64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WAFIOS machine or another CNC wire forming machine. Even if we do buy another wire forming machine, we would still have to decide whether to purchase options for it that we do not need at this time but that if we do get them, it could give us capabilities that may help us with future opportunities. WJI: Looking back, was there anything you might have done differently in the shopping process? Richard/Carolynn Zidek: Honestly, I believe we really went into the show prepared. Visiting the two exhibitors prior to going really prepared us much better than just going to the show. Some of our questions were answered before getting there. Then, when we arrived, we were ahead of the process because of what we had already learned, which gave us more time to spend with other exhibitors we knew we wanted to visit. You always wish you had more time for a show like this, so the preparations prior to arriving is critical to a good show experience and leaving with as much knowledge as possible so the best decision can be made. If there was one thing the four of us would have changed, it would be to not to have eaten so much!

CALL FOR PAPERS

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

The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. invites authors to submit an abstract to help define its 2013 conference program offerings. Technical and practical topics welcome. Accepted authors receive: • complimentary meeting registration; • a copy of the Conference Proceedings materials; • access to the conference sessions, exhibit hall, and opening reception; • industry exposure; and • complimentary 1-year WAI membership. Whether your field of expertise is in a ferrous, nonferrous, electrical, fiber optic, or general discipline, WAI wants to hear from you. Why not share your expertise, your current research findings, and your viewpoint with your industry colleagues at Interwire 2013? Submit your abstract today! See the submission form on the reverse side.

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

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ABSTRACT SUBMISSION In order for the Wire Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference Programming Committee to properly assess the scope and content of your proposed technical article, please submit a 75 word abstract.

PAPERS Accepted speakers will receive an Authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide with details about manuscript and presentation preparation via e-mail. Only original papers not previously published will be accepted for Wire Association International paper awards and possible publication in Wire Journal International. Please complete the following information. Send to: Marc Murray, Director of Education & Member Services, The Wire Association International, Inc., 1570 Boston Post Rd., P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA, Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, Fax: (001) 203-453-8384, E-mail: mmurray@wirenet.org. Check your area of interest: Operational Presentation Technical Paper Presentation Check your category: Ferrous Nonferrous Electrical Fiber Optic General Author(s)

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A ED L ER W IN N AWAR

New improvements for surface oxide testing of copper rod

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER

This paper presents new methods for improving repeatability of the surface oxide test and it reveals how the critical sub-surface oxide defects influence this test. The tighter repeatability and better understanding of this test can lead to cost savings. By Gil Baker, Tim Stahlhut and Horace Pops

Outlined in the literature1 in 2009, the Surface Oxide Tester is widely thought to solely measure uniform surface oxides (USOs) but actually four properties contribute to its one total result. Along with USOs, the three other properties that contribute to the surface oxide measurements are: reduction efficiency, surface roughness and subsurface oxides (SSOs), when present. The SSOs are, by far, the most influential on copper rod test results, but heretofore their influence has proved to be extremely puzzling to cop-

Fig. 1. Comparison of new method for measuring test reduction efficiencies to previous methods.

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per rod producers. For this reason, combined with the fact that SSOs almost always have a detrimental effect upon rod quality, it is important to be able to detect and quantify them. Thus, it is exciting that the research presented in this article provides a much better understanding of the influence of SSOs on the surface oxide test and presents previously unknown methods of detecting and quantifying them. Such methods will not only help to clarify uncertainties in the surface oxide test, but will also elevate productivity and performance of copper rod by both increasing the coil quality and lowering the required level of pickling agents, such as alcohol. This article includes a foundation for understanding the importance of reduction efficiency and describes a new test accessory that is capable of directly measuring reduction efficiency for each test. Also, a new method is introduced that improves repeatability by allowing optimization of the measurement scales for both copper oxide constituents. Although a method for measuring surface roughness has been developed, due to space limitations it will not be presented here. Likewise, discussions of basic concepts and recommended practices for surface oxide testing can be found elsewhere1-4. Three other subjects in this articleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;reporting of thickness instead of volume; a new discussion of foil testing as a physical calibration; and a new suggested deaeration practiceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; serve as bridges to approaching more crucial concepts.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 2. Adding deaeration to an undeaerated system increases test efficiency and allows its measurement.

Fig. 3. Foil tests showing results for various current densities and DO levels and also their results adjusted by test efficiency.

Thickness calculation assumptions Wire and cable industry test results are reported in terms of oxide thickness. However, the surface oxide test actually only measures the mass of the film components (constituents) present and not a thickness. In contrast, some researchers outside of the industry only report oxide volumes per centimeter of sample length. An advantage of this latter approach is the elimination of some testing variables. For example, when converting mass (or volume) measurement to film thickness assumptions are made both that surface roughness can be neglected and that the film is of uniform thickness throughout. In addition, the presence of SSOs in rod adds to the volume of oxide material but does not contribute to the uniform thickness. Further, the thickness calculation assumes that all constituents, such as copper oxides, have theoretical densities. In contrast, surface oxides grown in rod production are typically porous. While this fact should not influence how the system is used in wire and cable, it is important to understand the correct nature of the films.

Fig. 4. Foil tests over a wider range of current density. These tests were made using the old deaeration method and old deaerator.

Inefficiencies in the QC lab style test The surface oxide test uses a technique known as coulometric reduction, which has been successfully employed for surface film analysis of corrosion coupons since the 1930s. This method can be performed so accurately that its confidence interval5 can be below one Angstrom (0.1 nm)6. However, to use coulometric reduction in its

Table I. Use of the efficiency monitor with foil testing at various current densities and dissolved oxygen levels.

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the convenient but inefficient reduction test configuration, certain elements—such as dissolved oxygen, electrolyte contamination and reduction products—“steal” (or drain away) a portion of the hydrogen produced from reduction of the surface film. Historically, this test has used equations that ignore efficiency. For example, the equation for each constituent thickness is shown below in its simplest form for rod testing: Constituent thickness = Kc * timec * CD

Fig. 5. Testing of copper rod with subsurface oxides. Each data point is the average of three rod tests in fresh but non-deaerated electrolyte. highly accurate form, the user must ensure that the test has 100% reduction efficiency, which requires significant time and effort both during test preparation and while testing. This level of accuracy, however, is definitely not needed. The test introduced to the wire and cable industry in 19772 made surface oxide analysis affordable and practical for the QC Lab. When used in the recommended configuration (especially including deaeration, electrolyte refreshing and proper curve-solving practices)1-2 the test is fast and has been used quite successfully as a grading tool. The downgraded rod coils are drawn on more forgiving machines to more forgiving end-products. This coulometric reduction test causes hydrogen to be formed at the sample (cathode) by electrolysis. The amount of liberated hydrogen can be easily determined with very high accuracy because it only involves the measurands of current and time. In the 100% reduction efficiency test configuration, all the formed hydrogen goes directly to reduce surface oxides (or other surface films). However, in

where Kc is the unique electrochemical equivalent constant for each constituent; timec is the time required to completely reduce that constituent; and CD is the current density given by Eq. (2): CD = constant test current/sample surface area

Eq. (2)

However, Eq. (1) should really include a reduction efficiency term as corrected as follows: Constituent thickness = ε * Kc * timec * CD

Eq. (3)

where ε is the reduction efficiency averaged over the testing period, and is governed by Eq. (4). ε = No. of H2 mol. used to reduce surface films/total No. of H2 mol. generated during timec. Eq. (4) For example, if the test could be said to be 50% efficient (ε = 0.50) then the actual film thickness would be only half of the presently reported results with Eq. (1).

New efficiency measurement advance Recently, Confident Instruments has developed a unique accessory for determining these reduction efficiencies during each test both automatically and without requiring

Fig. 6. Other sections of copper rod exhibiting subsurface oxides.

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Eq. (1)

TECHNICAL PAPERS Figs. 7-8. A metallographic section of copper rod with subsurface oxides formed due to (left) hot cracks in the cast bar and (right) from fold-overs of bar corners.

extra operator maintenance. This accessory evaluates the electrolyte automatically after the test has finished (for greater accuracy it can be set to measure it before the test as well). Thus, it can also be used as an electrolyte monitor. Instead of the only two previous approaches that have been taken—namely, to ensure 100% efficiency or just concentrate on doing a good but unverified job of keeping that efficiency fairly consistent—now there is a third option that can also be combined with good electrolyte maintenance. See Fig. 1. Lack of efficiency measurements has been a big barrier to improving repeatability for the following three reasons: the reduction efficiency (ε) changes from test to test, albeit this change is considerably less significant in well-maintained systems; improvements to the test configuration that improve repeatability also tend to increase reduction efficiency and thus change the test results, as can be inferred from Eq. (3), and consequently, grading criteria must be changed if ε is not measured, as shown in Fig. 2; and while the reduction efficiency (ε) discussed here is dependent upon the electrolyte only, the actual and overall test efficiency dramatically decreases when SSOs are present as they act as an additional current drain (discussed later).

Foil testing Before presenting data taken with the new efficiency monitor, here are some of the finer points of using copper foil for testing1. Copper foil is not a primary standard and foil manufacturers are not taking steps to control surface oxide levels. However, it can be used as a secondary standard inasmuch as the production of foil through cold rolling is a much more consistent process compared with wiredrawing and even more so compared with hot-rolled rod. Consequently, testing the surface oxide layer on copper foil has been an excellent method for demonstrating the repeatability of the system. Furthermore, most of the inner wraps of foil have a very consistent uniform oxide level.

As the thickness of surface oxide on foil is very thin, here are some observations/suggestions for foil testing. • The cuprous oxide constituent on foil is so low that it is not discernable when testing at current densities typically used in QC Labs. Therefore, only the cupric oxide constituent is used for testing. • Untreated foil has cupric oxides so thin that more accurate measurements are made at current densities somewhat lower than those typically used in QC Labs. • After the outer wraps of the foil roll are discarded, the inner foil wrap should be cut and tested promptly to avoid an increase in those thin oxides which are very sensitive to the atmosphere or waiting in the electrolyte. A foil holder designed for the cell can make the test procedure swifter and more accurate. Also, more than one test at each condition may be taken and averaged. • Typically, foil is tested with a surface area greater than rod. For example, a 50-mm-wide foil with the length in the electrolyte the same as a straight 8-mm-diameter rod, is just over four times greater in surface area than the rod. This brings the volume of the oxide reduced closer in comparison. • Foil can be heated to increase the surface oxide thickness, but the thermally grown surface oxides have different structures than those produced in metal-working processes.

Using the efficiency monitor with foil testing Copper foil samples were tested at three different current densities and at two electrolyte states, namely, in an electrolyte with high dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (8.2 mg/l) due to refraining from applying deaeration and in an electrolyte that was deaerated to very low levels of DO (1.3 mg/l). A measurement of reduction efficiency was taken for each test, and all of these results are presented in Table I and in Fig. 3.

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Deaeration influence on reduction efficiency Current density is directly related to the rate at which hydrogen is produced at the sample surface. However, the primary mode of mass transport of dissolved oxygen (DO) molecules in the electrolyte is via diffusion. As such, the rate at which dissolved oxygen molecules arrive at the sample surface is approximately constant. When a dissolved oxygen molecule arrives at the sample surface it is immediately reduced during the test. In other words, the dissolved oxygen molecules are reduced before surface oxides are reduced, because of their lower reduction potentials. The data in Table I and Fig. 3 reveal that the combination of these two rates (namely, hydrogen production and DO molecule diffusion) results in the reduction efficiency decreasing with decreasing current density for foil testing. As current density is reduced, the rate of hydrogen (H2) generation approaches half the rate of DO molecules arriving at the sample (each with an O2 molecule lightly bonded to a water molecule via dipole-induced dipole force), and the reduction efficiency approaches zero. Other molecules contaminating the electrolyte may include charged particles, whose mass transport are dominated by migration instead of diffusion. When such molecules are present in abundance, the relationship between current density and reduction efficiency may be different than that shown in Table I and Fig. 3. Table I shows the result of reducing the dissolved oxygen to a level considered very low for QC lab tests, namely, 1.3 mg/liter. The reduction efficiency still reduces as current density reduces, but the latter has much less influence. Furthermore, the reduction efficiency remains much higher for the very low DO tests and is closer to 100% efficient for all three tests. Therefore, it is advantageous to perform foil testing at these “very low” DO levels (even with the use of the efficiency monitor), for three reasons: • Lower influence of current density on test results. • Faster testing for a given current density (since more of the H2 goes to reduce the film constituents). • More accurate testing since error analysis would reveal that it reduces the uncertainly from efficiency measurement, which is less accurate compared with the quantity of generated H2 measurement. Although very low DO levels are advantageous in foil testing most QC labs do not employ this condition as previously there had not been a convenient and inexpensive means to monitor the DO level. (Handheld DO meters are too time-consuming to use before or after each test in the QC lab.) It had been thought that it would take much too long to get such low DO levels. Both problems have been solved mostly by the addition of the new efficiency monitor. Even though this monitor measures the efficiency influenced by contaminants other than DO molecules, familiarity with how a given deaerator apparatus influences reduction efficiency in otherwise pure electrolyte will help to indicate when other contaminants are present.

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Table 2: Influence of dearation time on DO levels using improved dearation. Confident Instruments redesigned and began shipping a more efficient deaerator in 2010, which reduced the DO level from slightly above 8 mg/l for freshly mixed electrolyte down to the “very low” level of 1.3 mg/l with only 85 seconds of deaerating time, as shown in Table 2.

Using improved deaerator Heretofore, a recommended deaeration time for the electrolyte was between 10 to 15 seconds after it was refreshed and then again after every test. However, it appears that a better strategy is to deaerate the refreshly mixed electrolyte when it has been added to the cell down to the “very low” level (~1.3 mg/l) and then deaerate for a shorter time after every test. For this deaerator the initial deaeration time can be only 85 seconds (as per Table 2) and then 10 seconds after each test should be sufficient to maintain this level. If the system is idle for significant time due to line downtime, a greater deaeration time should be applied before the next test after the downtime. Deaeration using nitrogen or argon for 85 seconds still has a very insignificant cost. This new technique ensures that the DO level is consistent from test to test and can be verified with the efficiency monitor, even during rod testing. It enhances repeatability because the DO Level is always known, unlike the previous method of only applying short deaeration times. Fig. 4 shows foil data taken before 2010 using the old deaeration method as well as the less efficient deaerator. The phenomena of reduction efficiency decreasing with decreasing current density has again been observed. This data combines tests where the cell was deaerated for 10 seconds after each test with data having 15 seconds deaeration times. The latter showed less influence of current density than the former, but not a dramatic difference. Because the tests in Fig. 4 were not deaerated as thoroughly as with the “very low” tests of Fig. 3, higher current densities had to be applied before it reached the same high reduction efficiency. For example, in Fig. 4, the data point near 0.5 mA/cm2 current density is about 9 Ǻ, which is equivalent to the tests in “very low” DO electrolyte of Fig. 3 where 10 Ǻ is reached at only one tenth the current density. So for testing foil, and some wire, high current densities can result in high test efficiencies.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 10. Microstructure of wire showing surviving subsurface oxides and related cracking.

Fig. 9. The vast majority of subsurface oxides cause rod-source fines (which are highly abrasive). Also, some oxides remain in the wire.

Influence of subsurface oxides on results The influence of current density on foil may not be of great concern for many rod producers since typical current densities used in rod plant range from 0.15 to 0.5 mA/cm2, which is the high range of tests in Figs. 3 and 4. Consequently, for foil and most wires, with any deaeration practice and proper electrolyte refreshing, the reduction efficiency should be high and of little concern. However, for rod producers, of much greater concern is the influence of subsurface oxides (SSOs). Fig. 5 shows tests made on rods containing SSOs. Three rods samples were tested and averaged for each data point and they were performed in a freshly mixed electrolyte without any deaeration. The relationship of current density for the rod tests is very different than for foil tests of Figs. 3-4. Foil, most wire and some rod, exhibit the very predictable relationships between reduction efficiency and current density of Figs. 3 and 4. However, when SSOs are present in the rod there are dramatic changes. See Fig. 5. The influence of SSOs will be different for each rod source since the SSO to USO volume percentage will be different as will the geometric characteristics of the SSOs. Thus, the relationship between current density and test results will not always appear exactly as shown in Fig. 5 when SSOs are present.

Origins of subsurface oxides (SSOs) Subsurface oxides are created by events that can be broken into three categories: 1) less than 100% descaling, resulting in surviving scale being embedded in the rod by rolls downstream from the descaler; 2) copper covering

over scale before reaching the descaler, thus preventing the removal of the covered scale; and 3) copper covering oxide (not scale) any where after the descaler. The reason for Cat. 1 faults is obvious, but there are multiple causes for Cat. 2 and 3. Cat. 2 is heavily influenced by the casting practice. Three casting problems that readily cause SSOs are cracking in the casting wheel, hot cracks in the cast bar and fold-overs of bar corners. See Figs. 7-8. Both Cat. 2 and 3 are influenced by rolling practice. One example of poor rolling practice is allowing overfills where copper is deformed into overly tight gaps between the rolls. These overfills are pressed back into the rod at the next roll stand resulting in copper flowing over the previous rod surface. Another example is continuing to operate the mill when there is significant pitting on the rolls. This leads to protrusions on the rod, which again cover over the portions of the surface at the next roll stand. SSOs influence the surface oxide test when they are partially exposed to the surface and thus to the electrolyte, whose low viscosity allows penetration even into narrow folds. This exposure permits them to be fully or partially reduced during the test and thus inflates the test results. Figs. 7-8 along with Fig. 6 show that there can be varying degrees of SSO exposure to the electrolyte. Some SSOs have no exposure such as the SSOs on the bottom of Fig. 7, which would not be reduced at all in the surface oxide test.

Principles governing the influence of subsurface oxides (SSOs) Models were created and tested to understand how SSOs influence the surface oxide test. Details on model creation and the results on model tests are in the appendix at the end of this article. At this point, only two key concepts will be presented and made use of in the next section. Principle of partial SSO reduction. The research has shown that any type and quantity of SSOs will only be par-

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Fig. 12. Example of using the Dual Current Density Method to test a rod. At a low current density the Cu2O inflection point was seen and afterwards the test increased to a high current density to speed the through the reduction of CuO.

Fig. 11. Voltage-time curves (a) and amplified derivative curves (b) for surface oxide tests on foil at three current densities: 0.10, 0.050 and 0.025 mA/cm2. Only the lowest current density detected both oxide constituents.

tially reduced before the measurement is considered to be complete, namely, when the cupric oxide inflection point is crossed for typical tests. The SSOs will continue to be reduced after the cupric inflection and may be completely reduced, depending upon how long the sample remains connected, but this reduction is not added into the results. The percentage of SSO reduction that influences the test is related to the degree to which the SSOs are exposed to the electrolyte, the geometry of the SSOs, the amount of SSOs relative to the USOs and the current density.

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Principle of constant drawn current to SSOs. The fact that SSOs are not completely reduced during the test means that they tend to act like a reservoir, drawing the same percentage of current under different electrolyte conditions. To understand the full effect of this principle, it should be remembered that lack of efficiency is caused by dissolved oxygen and other contaminants “stealing” hydrogen molecules away from the reducing of copper oxides. This “stealing” (or draining) occurs because the majority of contaminants reduce at lower reduction potentials than copper oxides (both USOs and SSOs). So the SSOs can only obtain current flow from the current available after reducing draining molecules. However, the percentage of current drawn to the SSO is approximately constant regardless of the reduction efficiency the electrolyte allows. Thus, the degrees to which the SSOs elevate the surface oxide test results are dependent upon the test efficiency. For example, if the electrolyte has been conditioned such that a 90% reduction efficiency is possible on tests without SSOs, then when SSOs are present, which in this example draw 10% of the available current, the overall efficiency drops to 80% and increases the test results by 12.5%. However, when starting out with electrolyte that only allows 20% reduction efficiency without SSOs, the same SSOs would still draw about 10% and cause the overall efficiency to drop to just 10%, thus increasing the test results by 100%. So the same amount of current to the SSOs produces a dramatic difference in surface oxide results elevation due to reduction efficiency. The tests were all performed in electrolyte that was not deaerated and thus this dramatic change with current density is seen. See Fig. 5.

Saving money. It is very important to know whether a high surface oxide test result is due to high USOs or the presence of high SSOs. Increasing the IPA content in the pickling solution (or rod cleaning) increases both material and environmental costs. However, increasing these additives will only reduce high USOs but will probably not reduce high SSOs, and therefore, will not eliminate problems caused by SSOs in terms of subsequent drawing issues. Knowing when subsurface oxides are present can alert plant managers sooner yielding faster remedies to production problems and therefore, less downgraded coils. Five factors to distinguish between high USOs and high SSOs are listed below in order of convenience and definitive strengths. • SO monitoring accessory for surface oxide testers. The most convenient method to monitor the degree to which SSOs are presence will be introduced as an accessory to the Confident Instruments’ surface oxide tester. It will perform its measurement automatically and during the same time required for most tests. • Dual dissolved oxygen level testing. This test configuration makes use of the “Principle of Drawn Current to SSOs” described earlier. It involves setting up two cells or two full surface oxide testers. One cell should be maintained at the “very low” dissolved oxygen level as has been described herein, namely, ~1.3 mg/l. The second cell should be either without any type of dissolved oxygen conditioning to provide the “high” DO levels used in testing here (7.5 to 8.3 mg/l) or should be saturated with dissolved oxygen by supplying filtered compressed air to the deaerator. The latter method is more precise and consistent because dissolved oxygen saturation always occurs at a precise level for the same temperature, electrolyte concentration, and purity. In this configuration, there would be use of a “Foil Ratio” which is found by measuring foil in each cell. Using example test efficiencies of 0.90 for the low DO level cell and 0.20 for the high DO level cell, the foil ratio would be 4.5. In other words, testing foil in the high DO level cell would produce results 4.5 times higher than testing in the low DO cell. With such a foil ratio established, performing a test on rod with enough SSOs to draw, say, 10% current to themselves during the test, the ratio would shoot up to 8 on the drawn current principle alone. Thus a ratio significantly higher than the foil ratio indicates the presence of SSOs and the degree to which it exceeds the foil ratio characterizes the level of SSOs present. Further discussion of this test configuration is continued on the web site4. • Examination of hot-rolled rod, wire, fines and cast bar. Since subsurface oxides (SSOs) are easily detected by metallographic analysis, their formation can be traced to its original source. It is convenient to first inspect the cast bar cuttings for hot cracks. If the cast bar does not show sources of subsurface oxides, a “fishpole” can be analyzed and a mill constant analysis can be performed. However,

since examination of fishpoles is rather time consuming, it may be more feasible to employ a method for tracing fines generation sources in drawing, as was introduced7. Samples are collected from mill emulsions localized to individual stands after the descaler. Those samples can be filtered in the laboratory to reveal weights of fines in the emulsion. Metallographic polishing and etching of cross-section will clearly indicate the presence and nature of SSOs in the rod, as represented by Figs. 6-8. Twisting the rod can help pinpoint the location of SSOs because cracks usually form where SSOs are present. While this method yields very definitive results, it is also very time consuming. Some plants monitor the surface integrity of their rod and wire with eddy current or EMATs (a form of non-contact ultrasonics), which might indicate when a problem started to occur. Lasers or other non-contact monitors may also be an option for detecting overfills, flashing, and bar-corners. • High variability. When SSOs are present the overall surface oxide results often display high variability, because the formation of SSOs is usually periodic in nature. Causes of SSOs include cracks in the casting wheel, hot cracking in the bar caused by high levels of impurities such as lead or bismuth, coining of oxide particles into the rod surface during hot-rolling, or excessive worn spots on rolls. Examples of SSOs from these periodic issues were shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Some think that because the line is highspeed the volatility of surface phenomena should be low. However damage to one part of a roll, for example, can impart damage to the rod at the same intervals no matter how fast the line moves. In addition, there are issues that can cause SSOs of a more consistent nature, namely, overfills or flashes at the bar corners (often referred to as “batwings).” See the resulting SSO in Fig. 8. Often SSOs are scale, which are grown at a temperature range where mostly cupric oxide forms. Therefore, the high variability tends to be seen in the cupric measurements and often the cuprous oxide values are quite consistent and have a low standard deviation. Thus it may be further dramatized by both volatility and a higher CuO to Cu2O ratio. Since QC Labs typically test only one rod sample per coil, it is important to use SPC or to display a history of past coil tests in order to spot this volatility associated with SSOs. This feature is so important, that an SPC display is provided on the gLCD Touch Screen, which provides easy interaction for managers. • Twist testing combined with surface oxide testing. Torsional twisting of rod places stresses on the surface that tends to produce cracks and open-up fissures near SSOs9. As twisting proceeds, the brittle SSOs frequently fracture and exfoliate. The optimum degree of twist testing exposes SSOs without causing significant exfoliation. Previous research on ETP rod showed that a 5x5 twist test for 8 mm rod is the optimum level of testing to be performed prior to surface oxide testing10. It would be more convenient to use 10x10 twist testing since many labs already employ this

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Distinguishing between high uniform surface oxides and subsurface oxides:

TECHNICAL PAPERS

test as part of their grading. Unfortunately, the surface oxides tend to exfoliate during the 10x10 level, and thus are no longer capable of being measured by the surface oxide tester. When subsurface oxides are exposed by 5x5 twisting, the resulting surface oxide values are usually significantly higher than before twisting. The 5x5 twisting process can also be combined with the Dual Dissolved Oxygen Level Testing Method. Furthermore, there are plants that already routinely combine a method of capturing and weighing vaulted-off fines with their 10x10 twist test.

copper that have been separated from the bulk copper. A percentage of subsurface patches will be completely exfoliated as fines and thus will not harm further drawing passes. However, a significant percentage of SSOs will survive the coarser die passes and may cause the aforementioned problems. These surviving subsurface oxides are especially troubling for magnet wire because they can open-up during annealing, thereby forming fissures that can hold excess enamel, which in turn hinder the vaporization of solvent during the curing process resulting in beads12. A metallographically polished wire showing SSO scars is seen in Fig. 10.

Consequences of high uniform surface oxides and high subsurface oxides

Important concepts of curve solving

Subsurface oxides (SSOs) or rolled-in scale both tend to originate as casting scale and, as such, are much greater in thickness compared to the uniform oxide films (USOs) present after alcohol or acid pickling. While rod with either high USOs or SSOs will not draw particularly well, their consequences will be somewhat different. High uniform surface oxides. Rod having very high surface oxide thickness is difficult to draw in the rod breakdown machine2. It has been postulated that this problem occurs because the oxides will not allow a strong boundary lubricant film to form. However, the reverse is actually true because as the generally porous surface oxides become thicker, the surface energy of the rod surface increases. What actually makes drawing rod with high oxides difficult is the fact that the brittle oxides tend to fracture and break off when drawn and when the oxide thickness is too high there is more oxide materials breaking off. These oxides not only tend to clog the draw die entrance, they trap lubricant molecules leaving the inner and deforming portion of the die with a scarcity of polar molecules. Furthermore the oxide particles tend to form copper soaps that may also aid in clogging actions7. Along with less effective boundary lubrication, the surface oxide film crumbles apart due to both the tribological contact and the expansion of the work-piece surface, causing micro-fine and abrasive particles introduced to the deformation zone. Thus, higher USOs cause more die wear, which in turn is more likely to cause wire surface damage. In contrast to SSOs, it is possible with good drawing practice to have little negative influence of high USOs after the rod breakdown machine. High subsurface oxides. Unlike high USOs, high SSOs in rod extend their detrimental influence all the way to the finished product. They have a strong and immediate influence starting in rod breakdown machine by increasing fines. More fines being generated further accelerate the fines generation process7. Unfortunately, even when most of the fines are generated and removed in the rod breakdown machine, oxides still remain in the wire and can cause wire breaks or enamel faults when the wire is drawn to finer sizes11. The influence of SSOs can be seen in Fig. 9 from oxides that fracture during drawing and sprawl off along with layers of

Users of this electrochemical test in labs other than rod plants, such as R&D, corrosion, tire cord and art restoration usually search for inflection points on the curve. These correspond to the peaks in the test curveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first derivative and are the recommended method of solving these curves by most researchers. In contrast, using times indicated by predetermined voltage levels is much less accurate and dependable. R&D workers in other labs optimize the conditions to produce clear inflection points. For example, when a material of unknown surface properties is received, the first test performed may simply guide the worker in setting up the best conditions to obtain clearer results for testing subsequent samples. The main parameter they adjust is the current density but also electrolytes and their concentrations are adjusted to obtain the best test results. Of course, this practice cannot be copied in the rod QC lab for two main reasons. First there is usually only time to test one sample per coil. Second, even if there was time to test multiple samples, due to the testing at less than 100% reduction efficiency it is prudent to maintain consistent conditions from test to test. Consequently, conditions are set once and held constant for every test. Although, there are times when these conditions reveal all inflection points non-ambiguously, other times the best inflection points can be harder to find. In quality control rod labs, the current density tends to be set so high due to time demands that sometimes the cuprous oxide inflection point is not discernable in the curve. Not only are oxides being reduced too fast to reveal the peak, but they would be too close to the start of the test where the filtered first derivative values are still settling. Perhaps a more problematic case than the cuprous not being discernable at all, is when the cuprous is discernable sometimes and other times it is not, which sets up a situation where the values of the cuprous jumps back and forth from zero to substantial values. This can easily cause a flitting of 20% of the total value. Such a practice reduces the repeatability of the results. Fig. 11 shows foil tested at three different current densities, namely, 0.100, 0.050 and 0.025 mA/cm2. Using the curve solving method that seeks inflection points, the first two tests (at higher current densities) would indicate the

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Summary and conclusions The surface oxide test has been very valuable in grading rod since the late-70s. However, this paper has focused on factors that influence test results, especially subsurface oxides (SSOs) and test efficiency. Understanding these influences and taking the steps to either improve the test or to better diagnose the line yield substantial cost savings via better grading and swifter production remedies. The influence of SSOs was determined by studying test data and the characteristics of SSOs, which led to development of models for experimental SSOs simulation in rod. These experiments yielded key concepts, two of which were presented in the main paper, namely: • The SSOs are only partially reduced during the test time used for the calculations, resulting in a reservoir effect that always draws current. • This reservoir effect drains the current available after reducing drain molecules of either dissolved oxygen or other contaminants, thus dramatically elevating oxide values for tests performed with little to no deaeration and/or infrequently electrolyte refreshing. Means to distinguish between uniform and subsurface oxides were discussed, and included long-known methods

as well as new methods that grew out of the research findings, namely: • An accessory that will conveniently monitor for the presence and strength of SSOs automatically during each surface oxide test, and is presently being developed. • A method for monitoring the presence and strength of SSOs has been described, making use of dual cells at substantially different dissolved oxygen levels. • Metallographic examination of hot-rolled rod, wire, fines, and rod after twist testing. • Variability of test results are also an important indication of subsurface oxides, and is related mostly to the variability for the cupric oxide constituent. • Twist testing combined with surface oxide testing was discussed in regards to how this method can be used effectively. Consequences of having both high uniform and subsurface oxides in rod were described and include such problems as poor drawability, inferior lubricity, wire breaks and excessive fines generation. Accuracy and repeatability improvements for the Surface Oxide Test have been realized via a number of innovations: • The development of an accessory for the Surface Oxide Tester that measures reduction efficiency during each test. Experiments conducted by testing of copper foil exemplify the monitoring of reduction efficiency. • A new method has been described for managing dissolved oxygen, with the goal of holding dissolved oxygen to what had previously been considered a “very low” level. • A new method was developed to determine more accurately the presence and amount of cuprous oxides in rods, wires or foil, which has been given the name, “Dual Current Density Method,” because it employs two different current density values during the test. Other issues were discussed to bridge the concepts mentioned above, such as the pros and cons of reporting oxide results as either volume or thickness and proper practices in using foil testing for test analysis.

References: 1. G. Baker and H. Pops, “New Developments in Rod Surface Measurement and Analysis,” Wire Journal International, Dec. 2009, pp. 72-78. 2. H. Pops and D. R. Hennessy, “The Role of Surface Oxide and its Measurements in the Copper Wire Industry,” Wire Journal International, March 1977, pp. 50-57. 3. ASTM B49-10 “Standard Specification for Copper Rod Drawing Stock for Electrical Purposes.” 4. www.confident-instruments.com/SOT.htm. 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_interval 6. R.H. Lambert and D.J. Trevoy, “Analysis of Films on Copper by Coulometric Reduction,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 105, 1958, pp. 18-23. 7. H. Pops and G. Baker, “Formulation, Analysis, and Measurement of Fines,” Wire Journal International, Oct. 2009, pp. 68-79. 8. www.confident-instruments.com/fines-pot.htm.

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absence of cuprous oxide. However, for the third test an indication of cuprous oxide is obtained. Of course, the cuprous constituent is present on all three foils tested, but could only be measured at the lowest of the three current densities (0.025 mA/cm2). A similar effect occurs with rod at high current densities. In order to improve repeatability and accuracy, a “Dual Current Density (DCD)” Method has been developed for the Confident Instruments surface oxide tester. The test starts at a user-selected low current density that allows the cuprous oxide inflection point to be easily detected. When the curve crosses a user-selected voltage value, the surface oxide tester automatically increases the current density to a value that will process the CuO reduction at a speed fast enough to keep up with production. An example curve produced by this method is shown in Fig. 12. It can be seen that the curve takes a jump in voltage level at the current density transition point, in line with research in the Appendix. A voltage level is set to trigger the transition or the transition can be initiated manually. While this Dual Current Density (DCD) method is new to surface oxide testing, it is really analogous to the best practice employed in most instruments, namely, the ability to optimize the scale for a given measurement. In the past, cuprous and cupric oxides were always measured at the same current density, thus the same “scale”. A better approach, introduced in the DCD Method, is to use two “scales.” Not only does this method solve the larger threat to good repeatability of flitting between zero and a significant value of cuprous, but it also determines cuprous oxide thickness’ more precisely because a more appropriate “scale” is used. Calculations used with this method can be seen at the web site4.

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9. H. Pops and G. Kingsbury, “On the Origin of Twist Test Cracks in Copper Rod,” Wire Journal International, January 1988, pp. 58-71. 10. G. Baker and H. Pops, “Analysis and Automation of Copper Surface Oxide Measurement,” Wire Journal International, Feb. 1999, pp. 90-97. 11. K. Yoshida and K. Tanabe, “Improvement of Surface Quality of Drawn Copper Wire by Scalping,” Wire Journal International, July 2009, pp. 72-76. 12. H. Pops and J. Walker, “Characterization and Causes of Continuity Faults within Enamels and at the Enamel/Copper Interface,” Wire Journal International, Oct. 1994, pp. 74. 13. H. A. Miley, “Copper Oxide Films,” The Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 59, 1937, pp. 26262629.

Gil Baker founded Confident Instruments, Inc., which develops custom instruments for QC Labs. He was previously Sr. Metallurgical Engineer at Superior Essex. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. He won the WAI’s the 1993 and 2008 awards for Best Nonferrous Paper and Baker Stahlhut Pops the 1999 award for Best General Paper, as well as a 1998 Essex Technology Award. Tim Donnellan Memorial awards, he has won a total of 17 Stahlhut has a BS in Computer Science from Purdue paper awards. He holds an Sc.D. degree from the University. He is experienced in embedded C developUniversity of Pittsburgh and M.Met.E. degree from ment and SQL development, along with hands-on Lehigh University, and a B.Met.E. degree from repair experience and electronics training. He also has Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the sole or coexperience in developing Ethernet communication holder of 10 patents. Many of his papers have been solutions. Tim has led the development of the Surface published in leading technical journals. This paper, Oxide Tester firmware at Confident Instruments. which was presented at Interwire 2011, won the award Horace Pops is president of Horace Pops Consulting, for best paper in the nonferrous category. Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. A past president of the WAI and the recipient of its Mordica Memorial and

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Fig. 13. Illustrations of models A and B concerning SSO configurations with respect to the USOs.

Fig. 14. Illustration of how the SSO simulations of either Model A or Model B are connected electrically.

Appendix: Determining the influence of subsurface oxides from model testing: Simulating Subsurface Oxides (SSOs)

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This section discusses testing subsurface oxides models in order to understand how they influence the Surface Oxide Test. It is emphasized here that QC Labs do not necessarily have to construct and use these models, which are used here only for research. Since the influence of SSOs, as highlighted by the data of Fig. 5, is of great concern to many copper rod producers, it has been imperative to seek a better understanding of their influence upon the surface oxide test. One approach might be to obtain, analyze and characterize numerous SSOs on rod, which would require a considerable research effort. An alternative is to create approximate models of the SSOs and to refine those models as understanding of the phenomena increases. Presented in this paper are data from one model that will be shown to illustrate a handful of key concepts. Initial concepts for SSO models have been determined from metallographic examination of twisted rod9, from Rod Fines Potential Analysis7 and from observation of SO test results, such as shown in Fig. 5. Figs. 6 to 8 show metallographically polished rod cross-sections revealing subsurface oxides. The majority of these oxides originated from casting scale that was embedded into the rod surface during hot rolling. An extremely large (relative to the USOs) piece of scale was seen that had a significant percentage of its area exposed to the surface. From observa-

tions of these type of SSOs, Model A is developed, as illustrated in Fig. 13, and represents a patch of oxide much larger than the thickness of the USOs. Model B, shown in Fig. 13, has a gap between oxide layers. This is acceptable because while SSOs appear solid, many are in fact, somewhat porous and have cracks extending from the rod surface to the interior. The very low viscosity electrolyte (much lower than water) seeps into these SSOs, displacing air, and can reduce them. Metallographic examination led by twist testing provides a very limited sample of the overall population of SSOs. However, input in developing models has also come from Fines Potential Analysis (FPA) of rod that was introduced in a 2009 WJI article7-8. In a brief description of one FPA configuration, thoroughly cleansed rods were twist tested, which caused the brittle SSOs to rupture thus liberating the SSOs and the copper layers above them. These fines were captured and analyzed, revealing a flake-like predominant characteristic that was consistent with many rod sources tested. In this method, it is also important to section the fines to gain an understanding how they were formed based upon the geometric oxide patterns in the fines. This approach analyzes the entire rod surface at once and thus may be a valuable overall view of SSOs to combine with metallographic analysis of rod. Fig. 14 shows how Models A and B for SSOs have been simulated. It depicts the typical Surface Oxide Test configuration with a sample (copper foil in this case), a reference electrode and an auxiliary electrode. However, for this simulation the sample is electronically split between a main sample (a long length of copper foil) and the SSO simulator. A constant current is provided to the overall sample as in typical surface oxide tests. Fig. 14 shows the use of two 10-ohm resistors allowing the monitoring of the current drawn off the constant current to the simulator. For Model A, the SSO simulator is simply a shorter length of copper foil and for the best approximation of Model A (Fig. 13),

Editor’s Note: The appendix has been shortened for space considerations. To request a PDF of the full appendix, please send an e-mail to editorial@wirenet.org.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

the shorter foil can be processed to increase its oxide thickness to be higher than the longer (main) foil. However, in this article, data is shown for Model B and in that case the simulator is more complex. The simulator for Model B is shown in Fig. 15 and depicted in Fig. 16. Here the shorter length of Table 3. Surface oxide results for simulator tests at various current densities and copper foil is sandwiched dissolved oxygen levels. between plastic sheets, but with gaps on each side of the foil spaced by plastic shim, which are much thicker than the double layer and thus does not impinge upon it. As seen in Fig. 15, the electrolyte moves higher in the simulator than the cell level due to surface tension. The total area of the simulator foil that is wetted by the electrolyte is measured for these experiments. In Fig. 14 a switch is shown in the model to simulate a transition between USO and SSO reduction. However, for the data presented here, for simplicity, the switch remained closed throughout the test. Finally, a Luggin capillary was added to the simulator and its center was positioned at 8 mm above the simulator bottom. It allows the monitoring of the voltage at this position in the simulator. The data presented in Fig. 17 and Table 3 used simulator shims 1 mm thick and the area of the simulator foil wetted by the electrolyte was about 14.5 percent of the total foil Fig. 15. View of the SSO simulator in the cell. area (main and simulator). Fig. 17 shows data taken from one test and its similar features to the other fives tests will be described. (All six curves can be viewed on the web site4.) In Fig. 17, the dark blue graph (a) is the main voltagetime curve, as in typical tests, measured at the reference electrode. This curve is solved using its first derivative (b)

Fig. 16. Illustration of the SSO simulator, with close-up at top right.

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Fig. 17. A set of test curves from a test with the SSO simulator.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 18. Surface oxide results for simulator tests at various current densities and DOâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;levels.

Fig. 19. Average test voltages for simulator tests at various current densities and DO levels.

to find the cupric oxide (CuO) inflection point, which is the time used to solve for the total â&#x20AC;&#x153;thicknessâ&#x20AC;? of both the main foil and the foil in the simulator together. The surface oxide results, determined in this manner, are shown in Table 3. The light blue curve (d) is the amount of current that flows into the simulator and the purple curve directly below it (e) represents the percentage of the total current flowing into the simulator. Notice that to the left of the CuO Inflection Point, the purple curve mostly stays below 10% and only rises to a maximum of 12% near the Inflection Point. Thus it always stays below the percentage of oxide in the simulator (~14.5%). The reason for this is that not all the oxide inside the simulator can be reduced at the voltage levels for reduction of oxides on the main foil. As shown on the left side of Fig. 17 and in four of the six tests the simulator current starts out higher and soon drops

downward while the Reference Voltage is still fairly constant. This drop is due to the depletion of ions in the electrolyte inside of the simulator. Before the Reference Voltage is allowed to rise near the Inflection Point (and beyond) the simulator current remains at this lower level. However, when the Reference Voltage is allowed to rise, due to completion of the oxide reduction on the main foil, the extra voltage required to drive ions up into the simulator by migration is now available. (This phenomenon is referenced elsewhere, such as by Miley13.) Thus, after the Reference Voltage rises, the Simulator Current rises dramatically and only levels off when the oxide reduction inside of the simulator is complete. A horizontal dashed light-blue line is marked on Fig. 17 to illustrate the simulator current level where copper oxides are no longer being reduced and hydrogen gas is now formed inside the simulator. Therefore, these test curves show that a significant portion of the simulator oxide is reduced after the test is considered to be completed and thus is not counted in the test results. Further results are shown in Figs. 18-20.

Fig. 20. Surface oxide testing performed on the simulator-only indicates that it reduces oxides at a higher reference voltage range than the same length of foil outside of the simulator.

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TECHNICAL PAPER Benefits of the two-roll rolling process on aluminum and copper rod This presentation describes how experience and research by two companies led to the evolution of two-roll rolling mill technology that resulted in dramatic increases in productivity and quality of aluminum and copper rod. by Wade P. Krejdovsky, Ketav Patel and Noell Wilson

Southwire (SW) and Siemens (formerly the Morgan Construction Company) have cooperated together since a formal partnership was drafted in 1965. SW has sold 85 continuous-cast SCR® (Southwire Continuous Rod) copper rod systems worldwide using Siemens rolling equipment. The SCR continuous-cast system is a world leader in ETP (electrolytic tough pitch) copper rod production because of its ease of operation, low operating costs and high operating efficiencies in producing quality rod to meet international standards. Southwire also sells SCR systems to produce EC (electrical conductor) grade, electrical alloy and mechanical alloy aluminum rod. The two firms have worked jointly as well as independently within their center of competence to improve the production and quality of nonferrous products rolled on their systems. The system has the No-Twist mill arrangement of stands. It has a roughing mill of alternately arranged horizontal-vertical stands followed by a finishing mill also consisting of alternately arranged horizontal-vertical stands. The pass progression is oval-round with the exception of the first stands which reduce the typically trapezoid shaped cast bar. Historically, each cross-sectional area reduction will range from 30-36% in the roughing stands and 20-30% in the tied No-Twist finishing mill1. Today, reductions can top 40% in the roughing mill and 35% in the individually driven finishing mill.

History of the equipment The mills provided by SW and Siemens were, and still are today, built to last. The original SCR-1 mill—installed in Carrollton, Georgia, USA, commissioned in 1965—is still rolling today after being relocated to Taiwan. A mill provided in 1968 for Palabora, South Africa, is still rolling today without having had any major modifications to the mill in 43 years. Most of the original rolling mills are no longer in operation today, but the individual stands from many of these mills have been moved and integrated into existing mills.

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Innovations in productivity and quality Innovation has been a hallmark of SW and Siemens cooperation over the years. The entire SCR system is continually evaluated and improved. SW has a copper mill and three aluminum mills for development and testing. Some of the major innovations and incremental improvements that have pushed production and raised quality are independently driven finishing mill stands, the hydraulic roll mounting, the exponential coiler pipe, the No. 2 shear and rolling guides.

Independent stand drives Traditional rolling technology for aluminum and copper implemented area reductions of about 30% in each rolling stand. As the stock approached the final stand the normal procedure was to reduce the reduction in each stand with “leader passes” and final passes that tended to do less work and less reduction. However, when a change to larger size rods were made, the rolling would stop earlier in the mill and the finished rod would come off of stands that were doing a 30% reduction with no ill effects. Knowing this, designs started to be more aggressive with the reductions in the mill. Gradually the reductions changed from 30% to over 40% in each stand. This reduced the number of stands required to roll a given area cast bar to the smallest desired rod section of 8 mm. Shortly after going to heavy reductions the cost of small to medium variable AC (VAC) drives and motors dropped to competitive levels and it became practical to make a finishing mill with eight small to medium individual motors rather than one or two larger motors driving multiple stands. The motor selection can be fine-tuned to provide appropriate power at each stand depending on the work being performed. By using a stand-by-stand basis, motor selection becomes more efficient and overall power consumption can be less than using one, larger motor driving the tied stands. In the individually driven finishing mill, the horizontal-vertical rolling train requires two shafts with couplings at each rolling stand. This configuration of two-shaft reducers pro-

Roll mounting for both roughing and finishing

alignment, longer roll life and less running eccentricity in the roll, which improves rod size tolerance.

Exponential coiler pipe Several improvements were engineered in the coiler area to improve the quality of the rod. The radius of the rollerized turndown changed from 1 m to 1.5 m. This longer radius greatly reduced the effort to push the rod through the horizontal-to-vertical transition. The load on the pinch rolls reduced with the longer radius. In addition to the new rollerized turndown was the introduction of the “exponential coiler pipe” that replaced the “cardioid” design. The new pipe curve changed the length over diameter ratios that allow for a longer and smoother path. This has resulted in significant improvements to pipe life. The combination of rollerized turndown and the exponential coiler pipe results in a softer rod from undergoing less work hardening. Orbital or laid coiling are options provided on new mills.

No. 2 shear As cast copper bars got bigger, the rolled front end would develop a ragged convex shape that progressively got worse with each stand. After several stands the front end would sometimes split and cause a cobble in the mill. In the old wire bar mills, the practice was to periodically cut off the front end section and to feed a new sheared end into the mill rolls. The intermediate shear accomplished the same thing on larger mills, eliminating the split front ends prior to entering the finishing mill. This minimized the effect of finishing mill cobbles by cropping all of the stock between the No. 1 and No. 2 shear instead of requiring that it be removed manually.

Hydraulic roll mounting can be provided in both the roughGuides specifically designed for non-ferrous ing and finishing mills. Mill rolls were originally manually Siemens has used its expertise of guide design and tailored assembled and disassembled in several steps. The installation it for the nonferrous mill. Static entry and delivery guides are could vary depending on the size and strength of the operator. The parts could be assembled yet still not run true. Hydraulic mounting brought consistency to this operation and allowed the operators to leave the heavy work to the machine and to concentrate on precisely installing the parts in the correct sequence. Besides the benefits realized in production, arguably the biggest benefit of hydraulic roll mounting is the increased operator safety. The hydraulic pump and accompanying tools facilitate the mounting and dismounting of the hydraulically mounted rolls. Hydraulic Fig. 1. Stands, reducers and motor layouts of tied finish (left) and individually driven mounting gives precision finishing mill (right). SEPTEMBER 2012 | 83

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vides less cost than driving through six, three-shaft reducers. The alignment and commissioning of the drives and reducers are also more accurate and less time consuming. Proper alignment of the reducers on multiple axes in a tied mill was a cumbersome and potentially inaccurate process. See Fig. 1. The above changes allowed the area of the section going into the 8-stand finishing mill to increase from 700 mm2 to 1300 mm2, which reduced the number of roughing mill stands that a customer had to buy for a given tonnage rate. A quality benefit is that, for rod size changes, the pass design was no longer limited to the reductions that were built into the fixed gearing of the finishing mill. On a single stand, a larger rod can be finished out of a process round of the approximate required area by changing the roll grooves shape, reductions, roll parting and motor speeds. The reduction of tension or compression in the pass sequence resulting from the individually driven stands improves the general rolling stability and ultimately the final rod size tolerance. An additional benefit of using independently driven stands is the roll life. If the stands were tied, all the roll diameters in the entire finishing mill had to be within a set, tight tolerance to maintain acceptable tension levels. All of the rolls in the finishing mill had to be grouped together based on diameter. This would sometimes result in excessive grinding on some rolls to match the diameter of others, a costly practice wasting roll material. Because the stands are no longer tied to one another, there is flexibility in the diameters of the rolls used. The operator now has the ability to manipulate the speed at each stand to maintain appropriate tension levels for the given roll diameter. This function allows additional regrinds of the mill rolls for significantly extended mill roll life.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Fig. 3. No. 3 shear.

Fig. 2. Experimental coiler pipe.

used to provide support for stable sections entering and leaving the stand respectively. Roller entry guides are used on unstable sectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;typically ovals, flats and diamondsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to ensure the section enters the pass in the correct orientation. The guides also help reduce scratching and provide a method for cobbles to escape, thus protecting the roll. The design of the guides has changed over the years in order to improve life, improve rod quality and reduce operating costs. Some guides from 1950s are still used in some SCR systems. These guides have individual adjustments for each roller holder and this can lead to inconsistent setup methods. The guide rollers utilized bushings lubricated with grease. The A-Series guides, designed in the 1970s, are still in use today. These guides also employed individual roller holder adjustments. The roller bearings could be lubricated with either grease or air/oil. The smaller guides could be setup with mechanical gauges or optics. The ASR-Series guides were created in the late 1980s. The guides provided individual or symmetrical roller holder adjustment. A height adjust-

Fig. 4. ReE-35ASR entry guide mounted on an 8 in. finishing stand. 84 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ment was also provided. The use of bench optics provides consistent setting of guides in the roll shop, eliminating variability from operator to operator who would manually use gauge bars or cobbled bar sections to set up the guides.

Study on capacity increases Since their inception, the SCR systems have increased in size. The increases have included the cast bar size and the reductions taken at each rolling stand. A more aggressive roll pass design has been instituted in the recent years. To make the increased reductions at each stand, the stands must be able to withstand the forces acted upon it by the rolling process. There are two types of housings used in the nonferrous mill ,depending upon the type of the roll neck bearing. The roll neck bearing is either an oil film bearing or a roller bearing. The oil film bearing provides a higher rolling capacity than the roller bearing. The oil film is more com-

Fig. 5. Chart showing increased stand capacity.

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monly used on today’s stands. Thin shell-oil film bearings allow the stands to use large diameter shafts, minimizing the deflection under load. Studying and developing the oil film bearing application has resulted in increased capacity. Bearing capacity curves have been updated over the years and today’s stand capacities have exceeded the initial theoretical limits1. Older SCR systems used 12 stands to reduce a 5.0 sq.-in.- cast bar (3225 sq. mm) to the required rod size2. Today, a modern SCR systems incorporates a pass design utilizing the same number of stands (12) reducing a 10.6 sq.-in.-cast bar (6850 square mm) to Fig. 6. Aluminum stock area reduction in eight-stands at two mills. the same rod sizes, an increase of more than 212% area reduction for the entire system. The original SCR-1 system in Carrollton, Georgia, used 12 stands to reduce a 2.8 sq. in. (1806 sq. mm) cast bar. The reduction capacity from the old to new systems represents a nearly 380% increase. Another example is the SW aluminum mills in Hawesville, Kentucky. The last eight stands of the No. 1 mill reduce a 1.426-sq.-in. (920 sq. mm) section to a 3/8 in. rod. The No. 3 mill uses eight stands to reduce a 3.0 sq. inch (1935 sq. mm) section to a 3/8 in. rod. For the same number of stands, the No. 3 mill uses a feed section 210% bigger than the No. mill to roll the same product. Several mills have increased the cast bar size (see Fig. 5) with existing equipment due to the stands’ ability to accept a larger bar and increase the reduction per stand. Older examples of cast bar increases include SCR-1, increasing from 2.8 to 5.0 sq. in., and Hitachi, increasing from 5.0 to 10.0 sq. in. Also, at the No. 3 mill in Kentucky, the cast bar size was increased from 2.0 to 3.25 sq. in. (162%) without changing the rolling stands. A further bar increase to 3.4 in. is planned. The comparison between a mill commissioned in 1968 and a modern mill designed in 2011 provides an excellent examFig. 7. Copper stock area from cast bar to 8 mm rod ple of how today’s equipment advancements and aggressive at 2011 and 1968 mills. pass design allow a producer to roll faster with the same number of stands. The 1968 mill cast a bar of 4.0 sq. in. (2581 sq. mm) and rolled it down to 8 mm rod in 12 stands. The same number of stands to roll 8 mm rod, the modern mill will modern mill is designed to cast a bar of 10.2 sq. in. (6580 be casting a bar 255% larger and rolling at a rate 215% square mm) and also roll it down to 8 mm rod in 12 stands. greater than a mill from 1968. See Figs. 6-7 for stock area The rolling rate of the 8 mm at the 2011 mill is 40 metric tons comparison through the mill. . per hour compared to 18.5 at the 1968 vintage mill. Using the

TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 8. View of two-roll concept.

Two-roll rolling process The Siemens rolling process incorporates two-rolls for all stands in both the roughing and intermediate mills. The tworoll concept is in practice in hundreds of ferrous and nonferrous installations around the world. The process allows for heavy reductions while maintaining dimensional integrity. The SCR systems guarantee the final rod will be within one–half the diameter tolerance allowed by ASTM B49. Fig. 8 shows the two-roll conceopt. Additional benefits are realized in processing and production. Single-point, roll-parting adjustment on a two-roll system is simple and can be made while under load. Symmetrical roll parting adjustment can also be provided.

Cobble removal is easier as stands can be opened and rolls are easily pulled off line and replaced. The Siemens stands also have larger space between stands compared to those from the other suppliers. This is a benefit when removing cobbles from the pass line as it allows operators to cut the bar in-between the stands and roll out the cobble. The inventory of rolls needed on hand is significantly lower on two-roll systems compared to others. Rolls can be redressed several times increasing the life of the roll. With the same H-13 tool steel rolls used 30 years ago; mills have gone from 400 tons per groove to over 4,000 tons per groove on the finishing roll. This has been possible due to a combination of factors, including rolling coolants, surface treatments, and statistical analysis of roll life. If the pass width is small enough, multiple grooves can be placed on a roll, which effectively doubles the life of the roll. The significantly improved groove life in addition to the roll life has resulted in dramatically decreased roll inventory today compared to the past.

References 1. T. Bulak, “The Latest in Aggressive Roll Pass for NonFerrous Mills,” Southwire user Meetings, 2007. 2. D.E. Gould, “Roll-Pass Design” Nonferrous Wire Handbook, Volume 1 – Nonferrous Wire Rod. The Wire Association International, Inc.

Wade P. Krejdovsky is the manager of the Rolling Technology Group for Siemens Industry, Inc. Metals Technology Long Rolling Business Unit, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, where he has been since 2005. He previously worked as a metallurgist for six years at SPS Technologies Aerospace Fastener Division, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, USA. He holds a B.S. degree in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University Krejdovsky Patel Wilson as well as an M.B.A. degree for management at Saint Joseph’s University. Ketav Patel is a Southwire Company in Carrollton, Georgia where he has roll pass engineer at Siemens Industry, Inc. Metals been working in various positions in the continuous castTechnology Long Rolling Business Unit, Worcester, ing of copper and aluminum rod since 1965. A profesMassachusetts, USA, where he has been since 2008. He sional enginer, he holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engipreviously worked as a overhead crane design engineer neering from the University of Tennessee, and holds at North American Industries, Woburn, Massachusetts, seven United States patents associated with continuous USA. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering rod mills. This paper was presented at WAI’s 81st Annual from Gujarat University, India. Noell Wilson is an SCR Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 2011. Project Manager in the SCR Technologies Group at 86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

PRODUCTS DEVO-inspired song calls for a ‘Rip it’ approach to stretch plastic unwrapping On the surface, a 1980s Punk/New Wave band from Ohio and a wire and cable manufacturer from Georgia might not have a lot in common. But DEVO and Southwire Company have come together on a remake of “Whip it,” an iconic song that encourages electrical contractors to “Rip It” good.

Photo by Gary Leftwich, Southwire Company. The collaboration has resulted in a new video that promotes Southwire’s SIMpull Rip CHIP™ disc, an amazingly simple breakthrough that saves time while eliminating the need to use a knife to remove the stretch wrap placed around wire and cable reels for shipping. The bright green disc is attached to a nylon cord, that, when pulled, in less than 30 seconds easily cuts through the protective stretch wrap. “It’s an idea we came up with after visiting job sites and talking to our customers. That’s why we wanted to feature some of them in the ‘Rip It’ video,” said Phil Tuggle, senior vice president of marketing and business development of Southwire’s Electrical Division. VH1 named “Whip It” one of the top 100 songs of the 1980s. DEVO was known for sarcastic humor and postmodernist dress that included yellow jumpsuit stage costumes, black turtlenecks and red stacked “energy caps.” “The Rip CHIP disc is a fun and effective addition to our packaging that we launched earlier this year as a way to make life easier for contractors on job sites,” said Jack Carlson, president of Southwire’s Electrical Division. “It wasn’t that far of a reach for the 80s music fans in our company to take ‘Whip It’ and make it ‘Rip It.’” Southwire’s ad agency, Eric Mower + Associates, helped rewrite the lyrics to the iconic song and Southwire lined up original DEVO band members Mark Mothersbaugh

and Gerald Casale to record it earlier this year. Seen in the photo (l-r) are Southwire staffers: Juan Galindo, the engineer who developed the rip cord method; Rhonda Gauthreaux, marketing; Jason Pollard, videographer; and producer, Janice Saari, marketing communications. A number of electrical contractors have starring roles, singing and doing a DEVO-inspired dance in DEVO-style hard hats while demonstrating how to use the Rip CHIP disc. The ‘Rip It’ video can be seen at www.southwireanddevo.com. Contact: Southwire, www.southwire.com.

Complete kitting solution can help installers of spacer cable systems U.S.-based Hendrix Wire & Cable, which supplies complete spacer cable systems that include cable, hardware, spacers and other accessory products, has introduced a kitting solution that it said makes it simpler for installers to use the spacer cable systems. A press release said that with the company’s kitting solution, the components needed to complete the spacer cable system can be purchased together, assembled at the Hendrix manufacturing plant, and then shipped directly to a job site or a temporary staging area. This offers multiple benefits, it said, noting that as cables are cut to length for the job, this reduces both scrap and installation time as well as short lengths left on the reels at the end of the job, less set ups on reel trailers and less splicing. Another benefit is that warehousing costs can be eliminated along with the time to kit the material at the utilities warehouse, it said. Hendrix Wire & Cable, an ISO 9001-certified provider of overhead and underground power distribution products, has four operating divisions, one of which is Aerial Cable & Systems, whose benchmark product, spacer cable, reduces weather-related outages and provides options for areas difficult to engineer with standard bare wire systems. The spacer cable is available at 15 kV through 69 kV. Contact: Hendrix Aerial Cable & Systems, overhead@hendrix-wc.com, www.hendrix-wc.com.

Cable constructions now offered in continuous aluminum armor cladding U.S.-based Belden, Inc., reports that it now offers continuous aluminum armor cladding for its standard or special SEPTEMBER 2012 | 87

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cable constructions, including instrumentation, control, variable frequency drive (VFD) and industrial communication and networking products. A press release said that the company’s continuous armor eliminates the need for conduit and is easier to install and re-route, reducing both the physical cost and the labor cost of installation. The continuous aluminum armor, MC rated for superior crush resistance, is impervious to fluid ingress and is suitable for installation in harsh and hazardous locations, it said. Standard Belden cables that are now available with the continuous armor include FOUNDATION Fieldbus/ PROFIBUS PA (183076F), PROFIBUS DP (183079A), ControlNet Quad Shielded Coax (183092A) and Blue Hose Cable (189463). Continuous aluminum armor, the release said, is impenetrable because it is applied as a continuous strip of aluminum, that is wrapped around the cable and welded at the seam for impenetrability, and corrugation permits bending without kinking. It noted that Belden now offers three types of MC armor, the other two being aluminum interlocked armor and galvanized steel interlocked armor as well as Belclad corrugated aluminum or steel tape that is sealed to prevent fluid ingress (i.e., chemicals, water and other fluids) into the cable core. Contact: Belden, Inc., www.belden.com.

Cable-based antennas are designed to be low-cost solutions for aircraft U.S.-based W. L. Gore & Associates announced that it has developed new lightweight cable-based antennas that improve signal propagation without increasing the amount of hardware required on an airplane. A press release said that the antennas are ideal for both wide-body and single-aisle passenger aircraft as they provide reliable access to different wireless protocols so passengers can easily connect to in-flight entertainment, Internet servers, and e-mail accounts. The antennas, it said, are easily installed along the length of the cabin ceiling, and with signal propagation occurring every meter along the antenna, passengers are assured reliable access, regardless of their location in the plane. Passenger signals are transmitted via a signal network computer and outside antenna to satellites that connect to the worldwide network, it said, adding that the antennas meet all shock, vibration and fire specifications, including AirBus ABD0031 and FAR Part 25.1359(d). “Unlike typical broadband technology that requires sepa88 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

rate hardware for each type of wireless access, the versatile GORE cable-based antenna reduces airline costs because the antenna requires only one set of hardware to service the entire aircraft, regardless of its size,” the release said. The antenna offers a single solution for providing connectivity for a variety of electronic devices, sending and receiving signals in frequencies from 400 megahertz to 6 gigahertz, which makes it compatible with numerous communication standards, including Bluetooth, DECT, DECT2, Global Star, GSM, IRIDIUM Sat, MMS, PDC, TETRA, UMTS, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g, and WiMAX, it said. The antennas, available in lengths of more than 65 meters, require no maintenance for the lifetime of the aircraft, it said. Contact: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.gore.com.

New probe station test cable line intended for high-tech applications U.S.-based MegaPhase has developed the MegaPhase PS Series, a line of high-frequency probe station test cables for advanced microwave and optical electronic systems. A press release said that the new test cables, which will be ready to ship in the third quarter, are phase-stable, low-loss assemblies designed specifically for probe station measurements through 70 GHz. The PS Series cable, it said, can be mechanically formed to ensure proper connector to connector spacing and that interfering surfaces associated with a given probe can be avoided while ensuring the station head has complete freedom of movement. The cables, the release said, are sold as both OEM components or as replacement cables for existing probe stations, offering the following benefits: phase/amplitude stable for greater measurement accuracy; low VSWR: better than 1.45:1 at 40 GHz and 50 GHz; 1.50:1 at 67 GHz Insertion loss: better than 4.26dB at 40 GHz; 6.00dB at 50 GHz; 6.85 dB at 67 GHz; and shielding effectiveness: greater than 90 dB per MIL-STD 1344, method 3008. Connectors, it said, offer: 26.5 GHz; precision SMA; 34 GHz; 3.5 mm connector, intermateable with SMA, 2.9-mm interfaces; 40 GHz; 2.92-mm (“K” type), intermateable with SMA, 3.5-mm interfaces; 50 GHz; 2.4mm, intermateable with 2.4-mm and 1.85-mm interfaces; and 67 GHz; 1.85-mm, intermateable with 2.4-mm and 1.85-mm interfaces. Custom lengths available upon request for all frequencies. Contact: MegaPhase, tel. 877-634-2742, fastquote@megaphase.com, www.megaphase.com.

Feed & form system to be shown at SpringWorld has front-feeding unit Italy’s OMCG Srl, represented in the U.S. by North America OMCG, reports that at SpringWorld 2012 it will present the Minimalist 6 (pictured) and C51F models, the

Huestiss Industria Industriall Jac cket Stripp ers Cable Jacket Strippers Cable Cable Coree SSalvage alvage System Syst tem

High-voltages XLPE cables can resist problems with UV U.S.-based Champlain Cable Corporation reports that high-voltage XLPE cables have historically been unsuitable for exposure to direct sunlight, a problem that the company has surmounted with its new EXAR 150FX-UV cable. A press release said that the new cable can be used for multiple applications where there is a need for UV resistant high-voltage power cables, such as military, construction, mining and agricultural equipment, where exposure to direct sunlight is common. “We’re excited to have developed this feature,” said Richard Antic, Vice President, Business Development, Champlain Cable. “We see significant opportunities for this technology and have already had strong

Strippers remove remove jackets jackets quickly quickly and and easily easily without without damaging damaging Strippers the valuable valuable core. core. A protective proteective stripping tool and rotating rotatiing blade work work together to lift, cut and separate separate the jacket jacket from m bare bare or braided braided cable cable cores. cores. Free-standing, Free-standing, bench-mounted bench-mounted or or custom custom models quickly coores from quickly remove remove jackets jaackets from various various cable cores .030"–4.0" (.76–102 mm)) diameters.

For more details, oorr to place an order order,r, call us at 800-972-9222,, or em email 800-972-9222 mail us at sales@huestis.com sales@huesttis.com tis com

www.huestisindustrial.com www w.hues . stisindustrial.com m Air Wipes, Pay-offs, Take-ups, Tak a e-upss, Buncher Buncher Pay-offs, Accumulators, Spoolers, S Cold Pressure Welders, Cable Jacket Machinery Pressure W elders, Ca able Jac ket Strippers, Custom Mac h y hiner

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first feed and form interest in the marketmachines with a frontplace. Our independent feeding unit. third-party testing partA press release from the ner has validated that company, which notes this is a significant that it first introduced the improvement over any competing products on the market.” all-electric CNC feed & The release said that the cables are rated at 150°C and 600 form bending machines, to 1000 volts, meet a validation test of 1500 hours exposure said that the new to Xenon Arc Accelerated UV and a weathering test with no machines feature all the advantages of OMCG’s CNC color fading and excellent subsequent mechanical and elecmachines, which include an excellent wire straightener, a trical performance. Those test criteria, it said, are 25 times multi-radii bending head and easy programming software as as stringent as those set by TÜV for solar applications. well as a whole new set of features, such as extreme-forming precision, higher speeds and improved wire torsion control due to the completely new feeding system. The machines, it said, “are particularly appreciated in all those applications where generating radii is a key requirement for the customer.” The Minimalist 6 (Mini 6) has a small Model machine footprint and is designed to process C 1000 CJS wire from 6.5 mm down to 2 mm at very fast speed, the release said. The Mini 6 is able to complete 10 bends in 4.7 seconds, which makes it a natural for applications such as small wire forms like double torsions, it said. The Mini 6 has a front arm that allows a 27.6 inch frame to be made, it noted, adding that it is a smaller, faster verModel BJS 1000* 1000 sion of the Shark C51F, which is also * Model BJS 1000 is known as “The Shark.” For details on the ISO9001 ISO 9001 bench benc ch mounted. All other C51F model, which can process wire up to REGISTERED REGIS STERED models ar are re fr free ree e standing standing. g. 10 mm wire, see p. 54. Contact: Bob Sears, North America OMCG, tel. 630-860-1016, Stripping faulty cable jackets jackets from costly cable cores cores demands d b.sears@omcg.com, www.omcg.com. precision and protection. protection. Huestis Industrial Cablee Jacket Jacket precision

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

Contact: Richard Antic, Champlain Cable Corporation, tel. 800-451-5162, rantic@champcable.com, www.champcable.com.

Wire stripper can handle most wire Switzerland-based Schleuniger reports that its standard UniStrip 2550 model can process most wires without having to change blades, but it can also be equipped to handle difficult-to-strip insulations. A press release said that the UniStrip 2550, a fully programmable stripping machine, offers high precision and flexibility, able to strip wire from 0.03 mm to 6 sq mm (32 - 10 AWG) and jacketed cables up to 5.5 mm in diameter. The machine comes standard with V blades, the optimum solution for stripping most wires without having to change blades, it said. The UniStrip 2550, the release said, can also be equipped with radius, die or flat blades, depending on the application. These special blade types are used for stripping wires with difficult to strip insulations, it said. The model has an integrated library of standard wire sizes and an intuitive menuguided touchscreen interface that make it the most userfriendly machine of its type on the market, it said. The 2250 model complements the company’s UniStrip 2300 stripping machine, but the UniStrip 2550 can be used for radius blades, die blades, etc. Contact: Schleuniger North America, tel. 603-668-8117, sales@schleuniger.com, www.schleuniger-na.com.

Laser system can be used to inspect both carbide blanks and tools Italy’s Aeroel Srl has introduced a new family of laser instruments that it said is ideal to check full carbide tools and blanks. A press release said that the laser instruments, based on the company’s Intelligent Laser Micrometer XLS40, use a special “zero run out” fixture to hold the part, which can be rotated manually or with a motor-driven friction wheel. The application software, it said, can check the effective cutting diameter and the run-out of the tool, no matter the number of cutting edges, which can be either odd or even. When measuring hard metal blanks, such as those used for making dies, it can provide the diameter, the ovality and the straightness, it said. The instruments, the release said, are perfect for the lab or the workshop as they are simple and cost-effective, and a touch-screen PC can process the measurement data. Contact: Aeroel Srl, aeroel@aeroel.it, www.aeroel.it.

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Video highlights 4 cold-welders U.K.-based PWM has produced a series of videos demonstrating four of the company’s high-performance cold welders in action that can be viewed at its website. A press release said that the videos show how PWM’s P1500, P1000, EP500, and HP200 cold welders use the multiple upset technique to create strong, permanent welds on copper and aluminum wire and rod, without heat, flux or fillers. “We have been manufacturing cold welding machines and dies for over 25 years but still find that many wire and cable manufacturers are unfamiliar with the process and the benefits it offers,” said PWM Managing Director Steve Mepsted. “The videos give manufacturers an opportunity to watch the process from start to finish. They can see how our user-friendly machines

operate and view the welds produced by our precision-engineered UK-made dies. PWM’s EP500, P1000 and P1500 freestanding rod welders cater for wire/rod sizes from 5 mm to 30 mm. The HP200 portable model, mounted on a trolley, is for wire 2 mm to 6.50 mm diameter. Contact: Pressure Welding Machines (PWM), www.pwmltd.co.uk.

Standard published for aerospace and industrial electrical cable NEMA has published the ANSI/NEMA WC 27500 standard for aerospace and industrial electrical cable. A press release said that the standard contains requirements for finished aerospace and industrial electrical cables intended for signal and low-voltage power applications with defined environment or temperature conditions found in commercial aircraft, military aircraft and high performance vehicles. It noted that the contents and scope of WC 27500-2012 may be viewed at the NEMA website. A hard or electronic copy may be purchased for $95 by visiting global.ihs.com, or contacting IHS by phone at 800-8547179 (U.S. only) or 303-397-7956 (international). Contact: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, www.nema.org.

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MEDIA

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS seeking positions are entitled to free “Position Wanted” classified ads. Limit: one ad per issue, three ads per year. This benefit is not transferable to nonmembers or to companies.

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

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: • $1.30 per word for WJI and on-line classifieds at wirenet.org (20-word minimum). • Blind box numbers, add $25. • Boldface headlines, add $6 per line (up to 18 characters per line). Specify category.

PAYMENT POLICY: All ads must be pre-paid. DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance. Contact: classified@wirenet.org for more details.

PERSONNEL SERVICES

MACHINERY

“LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry manufacturers to secure the services of thousands of key individual contributors and managers.

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

Contacts: Peter Carino, pcarino@ wireresources.com or at www. linked in.com/in/petercarino1, or Jack Cutler, jcutler@wireresources.com. Wire Resources Inc, 522 E Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830, tel. (203) 622-3000 or (800) 394-WIRE. Visit our website at www.wireresources. com.

DIES APOLLO DIA-CARB COMPANY Sells Natural/PCD diamond dies. Fair prices/excellent lead times. Contact Paulette, Owner/Sales Tel. # 1 (508) 226-1508 or 1 (508) 226-0946 E-mail: apollodie@comcast.net AJEX - WIRE & COMPACTING DIES. Ajex & Turner offers a wide range of Wire Drawing and Compacting Dies for any size in PCD, ND, Carbide and Nano at a very competitive price with a Conoptica Report. We also make Extrusions Tools and machines for die polishing and regrinding and supply with die polishing accessories at free of cost. Kindly contact us by email: sales@ajexturner.com and visit our company’s website at: www.ajexturner.com.

MEDIA THE ROEBLING LEGACY. This 288-page indexed book by Clifford W. Zink presents a different perspective of

the Roebling legacy. “But it’s all wire,” proclaimed a 1950s Roebling Company brochure about its product line, which included wire rope, copper magnet and electrical wire, screens and hardware cloth, aircord and aircraft strand, flat and braided wire, PC wire and strand, galvanized bridge wire, among others. To maximize quality, the Roeblings 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

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

FOR SALE 1 - NIEHOFF Model SPH801.1.G.E.A Automatic Spooler 2 - WARDWELL 24-C Braiders 1 - NEB 12-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor 3 - TMW 24-Carrier Cable Braiders, 6” Horn Gears 1 - EDMANDS 18-Wire, 6+12, 16” Planetary Cabler Line 2 - NEB Model C62-2 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers, 1987 1 - COOK 36” Cabler, Model R8 1 - SYNCRO F13 Rod Breakdown, refurbished 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 3.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 2 - D/S 2” 30:1; 2.5” 24:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruders 1 - WAYNE 1.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 2 - SKALTEK Model A12P-4K Payoffs 1 - HALL 40” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer 1 - CLIPPER DF6 Dual Cone Flyer Payoff (24” Reels) w/Reel Jacks 1 - BARTELL 12-Bay B64 Tubular Strander 1 - ROSENDAHL 630mm Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, never used 1 - NOKIA Model EKP50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, 1997 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbished

1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 2 - STERLING DAVIS 40” Take-ups, Model TURA-40 2 - AL-BE Model MS12 Respoolers, 12” Reels 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model PRR1 Rim Drive Powered Reel Roller 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Takeup w/Coiling Head 1 - WEMCO 84” Take-up, Model 8284B, w/Mobility Package 1 - TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister 2 - ENTWISTLE 4-Wire 24” D.T. Twisters, Model 4WDT24 1 - KENRAKE Model TWD101 Twister 2 - TULSA Accumulators, 18’ height, 20x21 sheaves 1 - FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 1 - EUBANKS Model 4000-04 Cut and Strip Machine 3 - CARPENTER Strippers, Model 70-B 1 - MICRODIA Crosshead, Model M9000/10XFL 1 - DCM Electronic Switching System, Model ES-350PC 1 - FORMULABS ‘Codemaster 5’ Spiral Striper, w/5’ Oven

Contact: Martin Kenner

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

92 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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

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

shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store. ELECTRICAL WIRE HANDBOOK SET. Focusing on the special needs of the insulated wire and cable industry, these books examine materials, equipment, and products. They include sections on electrical conduc-

tors, insulating materials, extrusion equipment, power transmission, building wire, flexible cords and cables, control and signal cables, communication cables, magnet wire, heater wire, and other applications. The set is divided into three separate handbooks. Part 1 is Wire and Cable Production Materials; Part 2 is Wire and Cable Production Processes, and Part 3 is Types of Cables. While the updated handbook includes the latest information available, the new format allows for more frequent future updates. Parts 1 and 2 are now available, The original handbook will be available until Part 3 is published. The price is $99, $59 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on the WAI Bookstore. THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, was written by Gary Conner, the author of Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop, describes six sigma and how it is used in smaller companies. Published by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, it shows the relationship between continuous improvement, lean, and quality, and focuses on implementation for operators, managers, and owners. It explains how continuous improvement tools support each other and how they can accomplish what just one or two tools by themselves cannot. The book includes a supplementary CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

Please e-mail the requested information to: WAI’s Cindy Kirmss at ckirmss@wirenet.org. For more details, you can call her at 203-453-2777, ext. 116.

WASHINGTON ROEBLING'S FATHER: A MEMOIR OF JOHN A. ROEBLING. This 271-page, softcover, indexed book edited by WAI Historian Donald Sayenga and published in 2009 focuses on the legacy of the legendary engineers. Even among legendary engineers, the Roebling family stands out. The brilliant and irascible patriarch John A. Roebling achieved renown as a canal engineer, bridge designer, and innovator of wire rope— a technology that makes possible modern suspension bridges, high-rise elevators, construction cranes, and cable cars. All four of John’s sons inherited the family business, but only the eldest—the reserved, thoughtful Washington—staked an independent claim to fame, most notably for his work on the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Between 1893 and 1907, Washington Roebling wrote about his father’s life, character, career, and achievements with candor and intimate family details. Part biography, part memoir, Washington Roebling’s Father makes available for the first time the text of this remarkable manuscript. Donald Sayenga, an internationally recognized authority on the history of wire rope, has painstakingly transcribed the original manuscript and tracked down annotations for hundreds of people, places, events, and technologies. The price is $55, $45 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 93

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WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFIED AD INFORMATION

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2012 ℩㿁兎冕幉⧪ Wire & Cable Asia 2012 2012㄃11㦗27-28㡴 ᧨ ₼⦌ₙ䀆 _ 27 - 28 November 2012, Shanghai, China

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

Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Gimax Srl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .insert, between pp. 16-17

Bergandi Machinery Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

GMP Slovakia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

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

Howar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50, 62

Caballe SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33, 89

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

Integer Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

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

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

CNR Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Lesmo Machinery America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Commission Brokers Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Lloyd & Bouvier Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

George Evans Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Locton Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

FIB Belgium sa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Fisk Alloy Wire Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Paramount Die Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Flymca & Flyro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Parkway-Kew Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

FMS USA Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Power Sonics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Fuhr GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

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

T Fukase & Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Properzi International Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Fushi Copperweld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

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

Gauder Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54, 64

REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

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

Reel-O-Matic Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

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

SEPTEMBER 2012 | 95

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE Refractron Technologies Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Sealeze A Unit of Jason Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Sheaves Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 SIKORA AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Steel Orbis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Nov. 2012 WJI • Auxiliary Equipment & Supplies Advertising Deadline: Oct. 1, 2012

Stolberger Inc dba Wardwell Braiding Machine Co . . . . .55 August Strecker GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Troester GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Tubular Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Tulsa Power Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Ultimate Automation Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 WAFIOS Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Wyrepak Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15, 36

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 WAI Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Interwire 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42-43 Interwire 2013: Call for Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65-66

WIRE JOURNAL

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

NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

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

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

96 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SALES OFFICES ASIA/WAI INDIA OFFICE Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service International Spitzwegstraße 4 82402 Seeshaupt Germany Tel: 49-8801-914682 Fax: 49-8801-914683 dmelcher@t-online.de

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