Capital Equipment by Wire Journal International, Inc.

WIRE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2011

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L w w w. w i r e n e t . o r g

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 44 | Number 9 | September 2011

F EATURE

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 31 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Capital Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Suppliers of capital equipment present some of their latest technology for the production of wire and cable. Also, a look by one industry veteran at how capital equipment purchasing has changed over the years, and what a manufacturer needs to see to sign off on a major purchase.

Technical Papers . . . . . . . 60-77 Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Career Opportunities . . . . . . . 84 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . 86

Next issue October 2011 • Lubricants & filtration • IWCS preview

T ECHNICAL P APERS The effect of silicon and aging on mechanical properties and fracture response of drawn high-strength pearlitic steel wire Ryan E. Pennington, Walther Van Raemdonck, David K. Matlock and George Krauss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Adhesion promotion of wire and cable jacketing by atmospheric plasma surface treatment Rory A. Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Influence of natural aging and plastic deformation on the drawability and final properties of CCR AA6201 rod Martin Iraizoz and Jorge Alvarez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Cover: In any era, new capital equipment, such as this Krupp tubular strander that graced the cover of WJI’s July 1970 cover, is heralded for advancing technology. That evolution never ceases, driven by the need to produce new and better products. See p. 38. SEPTEMBER 2011 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE INDUSTRY POWER SECTOR

. . . . .10

CONTENTS

One can argue about the health of some wire and cable sectors, but there is no disputing one area that continues to show staggering growth and investment: cabling for offshore wind farms. The Industry News section this issue has three separate stories—all with quite happy endings— about significant contracts being awarded.

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

CLOCKWINDER WITH COMMAND

. . .35

An elite U.K. submariner will continue a long-time tradition between the U.K.’s Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers (Worshipful Company) and the WAI when he serves as clockwinder on Sept. 13 at the Association’s headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut, USA. Commander Chris Groves, a member of the Worshipful Company, will carry on the tradition that stems back to 1948. Nearly every year since then, a representative of the U.K. wire industry has made the trip to perform a ceremonial winding of the clock. Commander Groves has decades of experience serving on both surface ships as well as submarines.

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EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

EDITORIAL

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

Stay positive in face of uncertainty As the global economic news remains unsettling, it is time to set your Google filter to just positive news. Of course, I am not suggesting that you ignore good data in your business decision, but you need to counter all of the doom and gloom that we are floating in. Here are a few nuggets that provide comfort to me. Sure it is cherry picking, but that was my intent. By the way, these appear alongside the same headlines that keep us up at night. • The New York Times reported, “The nation’s automakers rebounded in July to increase factory production by the most since the crisis in Japan.” • Bloomberg News reported, “The 0.9 percent increase in production at factories, mines and utilities was almost twice the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and the biggest gain of the year according to data” from the Federal Reserve. I thought this was enjoyable on multiple levels. The Wall Street Journal reported that ExxonMobil and the U.S. federal government are fighting over one of the largest oil discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico (Julia oil field) that could yield billions of dollars of crude in coming years. Apparently, the Interior Department says Exxon’s leases have expired and the company hasn’t met requirements for an extension. While exciting developments have been steady in the area of shale gas reserves, the August 11 Department of Energy report on hydraulic fracturing is consistent with the American Chemistry Council study projecting that increased production of shale gas would produce nearly 400,000 new jobs in the chemical sector and among suppliers, increase U.S. economic output by more than $132 billion and provide $4.4 billion a year in local, state and federal taxes. How about this? An economist for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (U.S.-based perspective) suggests that the rapidly accelerating wage growth in China (17% annually) could level the manufacturing playing field by 2016. In the category of global influences creating opportunities, Lakshmi Access Communications Systems Pvt., Ltd., of India has just introduced a 4.3-in. Magnum Pepper Tablet PC that works on Google Inc.’s Android operating system and retails for $99. It is manufactured in China. Look for your own good news.

Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

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. © 2011 by Wire Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Publisher of WJI assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein. Back issues of WJI are on microfilm and available from University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Phone: 313761-4700. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wire Journal International, P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578, USA.

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

www.sikora.net/laserseries6000

» We are working to see our products make a global impact. « Katja Leese, International Controller at SIKORA

During the production of cables and wires the LASER Series 6000 measures the outer diameter in a range from .01“ to 3.07“ (0.25 to 78 mm).

DIAMETER [in]

1.10535 NOM: 1.10550

40 %

1.10940 1.10550 1.10160

TOL: + .00195 / - .00195

TREND T TR REN ND D

30 %

STATIS STATISTICS TISTICS STICS

20 % 10 % 0%

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CALENDAR

CALENDAR Sept. 19-21, 2011: Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Expo Nashville, Tennessee, USA. To be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Contact: Electrical Manufacturing Coil Winding Association (EMCWA), tel. 619-435-3629, www.emcwa.org. Oct. 4-6, 2011: WiCab/TuboTech/Metaltech São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Centro de Exposicoes Imigrantes, events include includes WiCab, TuboTech and Metaltech. Contact: Cipa LTDA. Correia de Lemos, tel. 55-11-55854357; Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 26-27, 2011: American Wire Producers Association Operations Managers Meeting Jacksonville, Florida, USA. To be held at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, this event will include tours of Gerdau and Insteel facilities. Contact: AWPA, tel. 703-299-4434, www.awpa.org. Nov. 6-9, 2011: 60th IWCS Conference™ Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. To be held at the Charlotte Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 732-389-0990, www.iwcs.org, phudak@iwcs.org. Nov. 7-8, 2011: CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Center Düsseldorf, this technical conference is being co-organized by ACIMAF, CET, IWCEA, IWMA and WAI. See www.cabwire-duesseldorf.com. March 26-30, 2012: wire Düsseldorf 2012 Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, info@mdna.com, tel. 312-781-5180.

May 9-10, 2012: 2012 National Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. To be held at the Frontier Airlines Center. Contact Expo Productions, Inc., tel. 800367-5520, www.expoproductionsinc.com/wire_home.htm. May 21-22, 2012: AWPA 2012 Wire Rod Supply Chain Conference Dallas, Texas, USA. To be held at the Omni Dallas Hotel, this event, being put on by the American Wire Producers Association, is being held in conjunction with Wire Expo 2010. Contact: AWPA, tel. 703-299-4434, www.awpa.org. May 22-23, 2012: 2012 Operations Summit and Wire Expo Dallas, Texas, USA. This WAI event at the Omni Dallas Hotel includes the Association’s 82nd Annual Convention and trade show. www.wirenet.org. 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. 29-31, 2012: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center for the trade show, technical programs and the Association’s 83rd Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org. ■

W IRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. Oct. 13, 2011: Southeast Chapter 10th Annual Golf Tournament: The Vannais Conover, North Carolina, USA. This event, which will take place at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa, will also be a scholarship fundraiser for Eric Vannais, the son of the late Stephen Vannais, the former chapter president. See p. 30. Oct. 24, 2011: Western Chapter 11th Annual ‘Wild West Shootout’ Golf Outing Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA. This event will be held at the Los Verdes Golf Course. 8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Nov. 7-8, 2011: CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Center Düsseldorf, this technical conference is being co-organized by ACIMAF, CET, IWCEA, IWMA and WAI. See www.cabwire-duesseldorf.com. May 22-23, 2012: 2012 Operations Summit/Wire Expo Dallas, Texas, USA. See main listing. April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See main listing.

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS ABB wins $1 billion order for offshore wind power connection ABB announced that it has won an order worth around $1 billion from the Dutch-German transmission grid operator TenneT to supply a power link connecting offshore North Sea wind farms to the German mainland grid. A press release described the deal as the largest power transmission order in ABB’s history. The project calls for the deployment of the world’s largest offshore HighVoltage Direct Current (HVDC) system with a rating of over 900 megawatts (MW), keeping electrical losses to less than 1% per converter station, it said. The wind farms

ing capability of converter stations, cables and semiconductors, the essential components of HVDC systems, and has invested significantly in these technologies,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. He observed that the company’s technology is able to connect remote offshore wind farms to mainland networks and overcome distance limitations and grid constraints while ensuring minimal electrical losses and efficient performance. The release said the project is scheduled to be operational in 2015, at which time the offshore network should eliminate more than three million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year by replacing fossil-fuel-based generation. The order, it said, marks the third offshore wind connection order for ABB in Germany, following the 800 MW Dolwin1 link awarded last year and previously the BorWin1 project, the release said. It added that Germany’s installed wind power capacity of over 27 gigawatts currently meets about 8% of its electricity requirements, and that plans call for that rate to double by 2020.

Prysmian lands major offshore wind farm contract for HelWin2 project

A view of a prior offshore ABB project for TenneT (BorWin alpha). will be connected with AC cables to the HVDC converter station based on an offshore platform situated in the North Sea and further by 45 km of DC sea cable and 90 km of land cable to the HVDC onshore station at the grid connection point at Dörpen-West. The completed link, the release said, will be capable of supplying more than 1.5 million households with clean wind-generated electricity. ABB will design, engineer, supply and install the offshore platform, the offshore and onshore converter stations and the land and sea cable systems, the release said. Its HVDC Light transmission technology will employ 320-kilovolt cable voltage capacity, the highest level used for HVDC transmission with extruded cables, it said. The power will be transported from the 400 MW Gode Wind II and other wind farms to an offshore HVDC converter station, which will transmit the electricity to the onshore HVDC station at Dörpen on the German coast via 135 km of underwater and underground cable, where a converter station will feed electricity into the mainland grid. “ABB is uniquely positioned with in-house manufactur10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Italy’s Prysmian reports that it has been awarded a new major contract worth in excess of 200 million euros from Dutch-German grid operator TenneT for the connection project HelWin2, linking offshore wind farms in the North Sea to mainland Germany. The contract is separate from the one reported in the prior story. A press release said that Prysmian will provide complete supply, installation and commissioning of the submarine and land cable connections as part of a larger contract, worth approximately 600 million euro, that was awarded to the consortium of Prysmian and Siemens Energy. Siemens will deliver the Voltage Sourced Converter (VSC) system, with a rating of 690 MW. The turnkey connection, it said, will link the Amrum Bank West offshore wind park in the HelWin Cluster zone to the mainland. Located about 55 km offshore in the North Sea, project will transmit the renewable wind power into the German Grid. The HelWin2 project will use extruded HVDC cable technology from Prysmian together with Siemens HVDC Plus® converter technology at the offshore platform and onshore stations, the release said. The approximately 130km HVDC connection to be supplied by Prysmian’s European HV factories will include subsea and land cable types at a voltage of ± 320 kV DC along an 85 km sea route plus a 45 km land route to the land converter station in Büttel, north-west of Hamburg. Extruded 155 kV HVAC submarine cable connections shall complete the link from the offshore wind park transformer to the offshore converter platform, it said.

Supplier denies lawsuit claims that his company sold substandard/fake cable In response to a story published last issue about a lawsuit recently filed in federal court by Anixter Inc., against a company alleged to have sold millions of feet of substandard and/or counterfeit cable, the owner of the business that is the focus of the legal action—which seeks more than a $1 million in damages as well as penalties— has issued a statement denying the claims. “Commodity Cables only sells product from UL- or ETL-recognized manufacturers,” Commodity Cables Inc. President and CEO Fred Rescigno, Jr., wrote in his statement. In it, he noted that, “Many of these same manufacturers provide private label products for large U.S. manufacturers. Commodity Cables has never knowingly sold mislabeled or substandard cables to any customers and we dispute all allegations to the contrary.” Editor’s note: the use of CCI in the prior news story was related to Commodity Cables, Inc., and has nothing to do with Coleman Cable, Inc., which owns the registered trademark “CCI” and uses it as a corporate brand.

facing and research and development functions, which are integral to our growth and diversification initiatives.” The layoffs included two key company officials: Charles W. Stankiewicz, executive vice president for operations and grid segment, and Angelo R. Santamaria, senior vice president for global manufacturing operations. AMSC also reported that John W. Wood, Jr., has been named chairman of the company, replacing founder Gregory J. Yurek, who retired as CEO earlier this year. Wood, it said, has been an independent director of the company since 2006. Previously, he had served as CEO of Analogic Corp., a maker of medical imaging and security systems. Upon completion of the action, AMSC expects to employ nearly 600 people worldwide, the release said, noting that the restructuring charges are expected to cost from $3 million to $4 million for severance and related expenses.

Lloyd & Bouvier owners sell business to employee, former WAI president Carter Lloyd and Brian Bouvier, the principals of Lloyd & Bouvier Inc., a U.S.-based supplier of used, rebuilt and new wire and cable equipment, have agreed to sell the business, located in Clinton, Massachusetts, to the company’s engineering manager and a former WAI president.

Latest cuts by AMSC will reduce workforce by 150 positions U.S.-based American Superconductor Corporation, which has struggled since its single largest customer stopped making payments and ended new orders, announced that it will cut its workforce by another 150 employees, which combined with prior layoffs will result in its overall global staffing being reduced by about 30%. A press release said that the latest “reductions were made to better align costs with the company’s revenue expectations, which have been affected by business and contractual issues with AMSC’s largest customer, (China’s) Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd.” In April, AMSC reported that the Chinese company, which had accounted for much of AMSC’s revenues, “had refused to accept contracted shipments of some components and failed to pay for certain contracted shipments worth about $56 million.” AMSC manufactures high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire, but it has realized most of its revenues from its technology for renewable wind energy. “These workforce reductions are necessary to maintain the health of the business in the wake of our business and contractual issues with Sinovel,” said AMSC President and CEO Daniel McGahn. “Expenses have been reduced in virtually all departments, levels and major geographies, but we have focused on limiting the impact on customer-

From l-r at the Lloyd & Bouvier booth at Interwire 2011: Carter Lloyd, Peter Kuipers, Brian Bouvier and Ron Reed. A press release said that the owners will transfer the assets of the business to Peter Kuipers, the company’s engineering manager, who has been with the company for 15 years, and to Ron Reed, who has more than 25 years of industry experience. Reed, who has served as president of Horizon Wire & Cable, located in Leominster, Massachusetts, is a long active WAI member who served as Association president in 2008.

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

The cables and accessories will be manufactured in 2012 to 2014 at Prysmian’s European HV factories, the release said. Commissioning and commencement of commercial operation of the HVDC link is planned for 2015. The project is the fourth of this kind awarded in the last 15 months to Prysmian following BorWin2, HelWin1 and SylWin1, it said.

INDUSTRY NEWS

The new ownership will be phased in as part of the agreement, the release said. “Carter and I have enjoyed our partnership for more than 25 years. Our goal is to ensure a seamless transition with no disruption to our employees or to our customers,” said Bouvier. “Carter and I will begin to scale back our involvement over the next few years while mentoring Ron and Pete to thor-

KEIR - BackBone™

oughly understand the business and ensure the same high level of quality service and commitment that our customers have come to expect. We have great confidence in the fact that we have hand selected a winning management team to take over the reins of L&B.” “I have been friends and business associates of Brian and Carter for over 20 years,” Reed said. “Pete and I are excited about this tremendous opportunity to continue to serve the wire and cable industry.”

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nkt cables reports a second contract for submarine project nkt cables announced that it has won its second contract from 50Hertz Offshore GmbH to supply cabling for an offshore wind farm, a turnkey deal valued at 95 million euros. A press release said nkt cables will supply and install the offshore wind farm, Baltic 2, with armored high-voltage subsea cables and accessories. The approximately 60 km of the three-core 150 kV AC cables, it said, will be manufactured at the company’s production facilities in Cologne, Germany. The Baltic 2 wind farm (formerly Kriegers Flak) will be located in the Baltic Sea, approximately 32 km north of the island of Rügen, the release said. The site will have 80 wind mills with a capacity of 288 MW, enough power to serve some 340,000 households, it said. The site is expected to be in operation in 2013. “We are pleased to continue doing business with 50Hertz Offshore GmbH,” said NKT Holding President and CEO Thomas Hofman-Bang, “As Baltic 1 was nkt cables’ first subsea cable project out of the new factory in Cologne, we have made some initial experience that both parties now will prosper from in the Baltic 2 project.”

Ulbrich reports it has formed a solar group U.S.-based Ulbrich reports that it has created a new business, Ulbrich Solar Technologies, Inc., that will

Meer for the wire rod mill since it was supplied in 1969. “Even older rolling mills are able to be brought up to the state of the art and to a competitive level through optimum tailor-made solutions,” said SMS Meer Project Manager Hans Gerd Limper. The modernization is scheduled for completion next September.

SMS Meer gets order to modernize wire rod mill for ArcelorMittal Germany’s SMS Meer GmbH reports that it has won a contract from ArcelorMittal Hamburg GmbH to modernize the company’s two-strand wire rod mill. A press release said that SMS Meer will be replacing the last two mill stands of intermediate train 1, which currently has a two-strand rolling operation. It will convert this section into two single-strand rolling lines, a task it said will require the moving of the existing looper tables and positioning two new mill stands, type CL 200, in a VH arrangement for each strand, it said, adding that the new-generation cantilever mill stands will be able to absorb even higher rolling forces and rolling torques. The annual capacity amounts to 900,000 metric tons, it said. “With this revamp, ArcelorMittal aims to improve the product quality with a view to further consolidating its leading position on the quality steels market,” the release said. It noted that the project represents the fifth modernization order that ArcelorMittal has placed with SMS

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

focus on production of photovoltaic (PV) ribbon. A press release said that the new company will be headquartered at Ulbrich’s precision flat wire operation in South Carolina. “It will have an increased global presence in the international solar market that includes current solar divisions operating in Austria, Hong Kong, Ireland and the U.S.,” it said. “We believe this dedicated focus to our PV products will prove beneficial to our customers while allowing us to keep up with the velocity of change in the solar industry,” said company COO Chris Ulbrich. The release noted that Ulbrich, which has more than 15 years of experience in the solar industry, has been a leader in developing its plated precision copper flat wire that is used for solar cell tabbing, string interconnect ribbon and bus wire, including its most recent innovation, super-efficient LightCapturing Ribbon™.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Nexans awarded Italian cable contract for power infrastructure Nexans announced that it has been awarded a 33 million euro contract from Terna, Italy’s electricity transmission grid operator, to manufacture, install and test approximately 250 km of 150 kV high-voltage (HV) aluminum underground cables and accessories for power develop-

ment projects in the Lazio, Basilicata and Campania regions. The projects form part of Terna’s ten-year investment plan (2011-2021) to enhance Italy’s power infrastructure, a press release said. Installation has already begun for the cables, which will connect substations in Montalto di Castro with Canino (total cable length: 130 km); an overhead line in Rotonda-Pisticci with a substation in Aliano (total cable length: 73 km); and a substation in Avellino with a power station in Pratola Serra (total cable length: 49 km), it said. It will take about two years to complete the installation of the cables, which will have a 1600 sq mm aluminum conductor cross section with anti-explosion outdoor sealing ends, it said. The high-voltage power cables and related accessories will be manufactured in the Nexans plant based in Hanover, Germany, with additional services provided by Nexans units located in Italy.

Yazaki reports deal to acquire Italian wiring harness manufacturer Japan’s Yazaki Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Cablelettra SpA, an Italian wiring harness manufacturer. At its website, Yazaki reports that the deal, signed on July 29, includes the acquisition of the business of Cablelettra in Italy as well as the subsidiaries outside Italy. “Yazaki has been considering the acquisition of Cablelettra for several years,” it said in a news item at its website. The release said that in 2009, Cablelettra underwent bankruptcy procedures under Italian laws, and earlier this year an offer from Yazaki was accepted. The result, it said, is that Yazaki Automotive Products Srl, a newly formed Italian subsidiary of Yazaki Corporation, will acquire a certain portion of Cablelettra’s business in Italy, together with all the assets and operations of Cablelettra’s subsidiaries outside Italy.

14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Lincoln Electric Holdings acquires the welding assets of Techalloy Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., announced that it has acquired the welding operation assets of Techalloy Company, Inc., and of its parent company, Central Wire Industries, Ltd. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., announced that it has acquired the welding operation assets of Techalloy

Company, Inc. and of its parent company, Central Wire Industries, Ltd. Known commercially as Techalloy, the Baltimore, Maryland-based manufacturer is a privately held producer of nickel alloy and stainless steel welding consumables. “The addition of Techalloy expands our product portfolio of high alloy consumables required to service customers in North America and around the world,” said Lincoln Electric Chairman and CEO John M. Stropki. “In particular, Techalloy's nickel alloy welding consumables are positioned well globally in the high growth energy and infrastructure segments of our business. We expect growth in these segments to continue worldwide and believe the Techalloy product line will help expand and deepen our relationships with these key customers.”

Furukawa Electric exhibits in China as it highlights goals for global expansion Japan’s Furukawa Electric Group held its third comprehensive technology exposition on July 22 in Shanghai, China, at the Shanghai World Financial Center, where it reported that some 1,100 visitors saw the capabilities of the Group’s 29 affiliates, including 17 local corporations, as well as 85 panel exhibits of products and technology in four categories At its website, the company explained that the event, which was previously held in Bangkok, Thailand (2009) and in Shenzhen, China (2010), furthers its goals of “facilitating our expansion into overseas markets, mainly rising nations.” Due to “the ongoing depression of the domestic market, we need to increase our percentage of overseas sales to expand our commercial rights,” it said. The exhibition was used to disseminate Furukawa’s “top products and technologies, our global expansion and future plans to China and the entire world,” the report said. It also featured a keynote speech by the company president and a seminar on “The Superconductivity Technologies of Furukawa Electric.” “We will continue to work toward becoming a true global company by facilitating what we call ‘Out-out business,’ namely exporting products directly to overseas markets from overseas manufacturing hubs, rather than via Japan,” it said.

16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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term relationships will serve as an excellent opportunity to showcase S&E’s diverse product line,” said S&E U.S.-based S&E Specialty Polymers announced National Sales Manager Jay Munsey. Millan said his firm that Millan & Associates, LLC, d/b/a Millan High is very excited about growing with S&E by promoting Performance Materials & Equipment, will distribute its and selling their world class quality materials. “S&E’s lines of custom compounds in Latin and South America. diverse product offerings within the different markets and “Esteban Millan, President/CEO of Millan & Associates, their demonstrated responsiveness give us an invaluable has a solid understanding of the markets and opportunistrategic leading edge. We are looking forward to our ties in the Latin and South American regions. His longpartnership.” Esteban Millan can be reached by e-mail at emillan@millanandassociates.com. … Canadian-based Niagara Composites International, Inc. (NCII) announced that Talladega Machinery and Supply Company will serve as the sole distributor of the company’s Broken Wire Detection for flyer bows for the wire and cable industries in Canada and the U.S. A Cabling Machines press release from Niagara said that Talladega, which has an experienced Fail Safe system for detecting wire breaks before the forming die by field agent staff that understands the monitoring individual spool rotation NO SLIP RINGS demanding manufacturing needs and Reflective segments mounted to the spindle brake disk the supply chain for the industry, “has act as a target for optical position sensors mounted a stellar reputation for service, quality outside the machine’s rotation. and cost, and will increase NCII’s ability to meet and exceed our customers’ needs.” The agreement will definitely benefit both companies, said TMS’s Gerry Runyan and Greg Daniels. “We feel that if we are to The system can be custom engineered

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TMS’s Greg Daniels (l) and Gerry Runyan at Interwire 2011. present our rebuilt bunching and stranding machinery in its best light, we need to provide our customers with the best flyer bow technology in the world.” … Fort Wayne Wire Die (FWWD) has expanded the global presence of its die technology through arrangements with two companies, one in Iraq and the other in Jordan. In Iraq, Baghdad-based United AlJunied Company will be a distributor for FWWD. The Iraqi company is a

resources. After six decades serving these important markets, the time is right to leverage the Dow portfolio in an even wider capacity to bring new technology and products to market,” said Tim Laughlin, General Manager, Dow Electrical & Telecommunications. “Beyond this organic growth, we also are exploring several potential alliances with companies whose products and experience enhance or complement our own.” ■

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“Individualizing Customer Service Plans in a Custom Manufacturing Environment.” The entry, it said, outlined the development of the company’s “Create Value/Sell Value” concept, which it described as “an innovative approach to defending major business activities from foreign competition using cross-functional customer focused teams.” … Dow Wire & Cable reports that it has changed its business name. “With a growth strategy that moves beyond technology and materials for wire and cable jacketing, insulation, semiconductive and specialty compounds for the power and telecommunications markets, Dow Wire & Cable has made the decision to change its business name to Dow Electrical & Telecommunications,” a press release said. “Electricity and electrical components are a common denominator across all power and telecommunications

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gold member of the IraqiAmerican Chamber of Commerce & Industry. In Jordan, FWWD will now be represented by Amman-based Mazen Kahlef Company. The technical support and service for both companies will be led by sales engineer Khalid Sarhan Ali Al-Jumaili, who has 17 years Khalid Al-Jumaili of industry experience, including as a lead extrusion press engineer with a copper- and shaped-wire facility and a production-line supervisor with another copper wire factory. Khalid Al-Jumaili can be contacted at khaledaljumily@ yahoo.com. … C&M Corporation, a vertically integrated manufacturer of bulk cable, coil cords, and cable assemblies, reports that it is a recipient of a 2011 Innovation Prize from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc., for its submission,

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS ADB: Asia has great potential but its future performance is not guaranteed The Asian region has great potential, but for that to be realized, its leaders must address a range of challenges that will not be easy to manage, reports Asia 2050, a book commissioned by the Asia Development Bank (ADB). A press release from ADB declares that Asian leaders will need to “take bold, innovative action to sustain rapid growth and tackle growing inequalities, as well as address environmental challenges and the rising tide of urbanization if the region is to reach its full potential by the middle of this century.” The following text at the ADB website presents its perspective about the issues. Leaders from the region, which is home to over half of the world’s population, must confront a number of longerterm challenges if Asians are to take their place among the ranks of the affluent in Europe and North America. Asia’s continued rise is plausible, but by no means preordained, and fast-growing economies like the People’s Republic of China, India, Viet Nam, and Indonesia could fall victim to the “middle-income trap.” “Prosperity is earned. Asia has indeed done well over the past 40 years. Let us work together to ensure we stay on the path over the next 40 years,” said ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda in launching the book at a seminar in Tokyo organized by the Emerging Market Forum and hosted by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Kuroda stressed that regional cooperation and integration are central to Asian prosperity. Greater cooperation can help protect hard-won economic gains from external shocks and strengthen its voice in an ever evolving global system. Improving governance and strengthening institutional architecture, which are Achilles’ heels for development, must also be high on the policy agenda. An expanding middle class, the communications revolution, and changing demographics will exert pressure on governments to demonstrate greater transparency, predictability, accountability, and enforceability in their decision-making. In turn, this will strengthen the policy and governance foundations of Asia’s economic growth. As Asia’s affluence rises, competition for the world’s finite natural resources will become increasingly intense. “How we handle vital resources such as water and food will determine whether we stay on the path of economic growth and development, or stumble into conflicts of scarcity,” said Kuroda. “Asia must take radical steps now toward investing in innovation and clean technology. This will ensure that our quest for prosperity for all does not end in environmental gridlock.”

Asia’s re-emergence as an economic powerhouse will bring with it new responsibilities, particularly in helping to manage the global commons, such as free trade, climate change mitigation, and financial stability. “As an emerging leader, Asia must lead by example, by being a responsible global citizen,” Kuroda concluded. An additional 3 billion Asians could enjoy living standards similar to those in Europe today, and the region could account for over half of global output by the middle of this century, says the ADB report. This potentially promising future for the region, it noted, is sometimes referred to as the “Asian Century,” but that outcome is not guaranteed. This study is aimed at senior policy makers, top business leaders and key opinion makers within Asia to help forge a consensus on a vision of and strategy for Asia’s potentially historic rise among the global community of nations between now and 2050. The study offers a longterm perspective of the Asia region as a whole as opposed to the more common approach that delivers a short- to medium-term perspective of selected countries, subregions or issues. To achieve this promising outcome Asia’s leaders will have to manage multiple risks and challenges, particularly: • Increasing inequality within countries, which could undermine social cohesion and stability; • For some countries, there is a risk of getting caught in the “Middle Income Trap” for a host of domestic economic, social, and political reasons; • Intense competition for finite natural resources, as newly affluent Asians aspire to higher standards of living; • Rising income disparities across countries, which could destabilize the region; • Global warming and climate change, which could threaten agricultural production, coastal populations, and major urban areas; and • Poor governance and weak institutional capacity, faced by almost all countries. These challenges are not mutually exclusive. They can affect one another and exacerbate existing tensions and conflicts, or even create new pressures that could threaten Asia’s growth, stability, and security. This book postulates two scenarios of Asia’s future growth trajectory: the Asian Century and the Middle Income Trap. These scenarios are only two possibilities of how Asia’s future may unfold. They have a dual objective: to draw attention to the longer-term implications of the broad trends and to ask “what-if” questions. For more details, go to the Asia Development Bank’s website at www.adb.org.

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

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Demand for more energy likely to further increase demand for aluminum in China China Daily News reports that, as part of the energy policy in the 12th Five-Year Plan, China plans to generate 300 gigawatts of coal energy, 40 gW of nuclear power, 120 gW of hydropower, 70 gW of wind power and 5 gW of solar power to meet the needs of the country. The key energy bases, it said, will be located in Shanxi and Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions to serve the energy needs of demand centers in eastern and coastal provinces. The article said that while there are efforts in China to control the rate of growth, aluminum production increased year-on-year in the first quarter of 2011, both in China and in the rest of the world. That, it said, has led aluminum giant Alcoa to expect aluminum demand to soar as a result. Furthering demand for aluminum will be using it as a substitute for copper, “a practice that is more prevalent in China due to cost sensitivity and the absence of legacy issues where copper is already installed in wiring and cables in the country,” it said, citing the substitution of copper-clad aluminum (CCA) cable and aluminum magnet wire in China from conventional copper products.

Alcan Cable officials meet with key representatives from China in Tianjin Earlier this year, Alcan Cable President Jack Miller met with Zhijiang Feng, president and chairman of The Administrative Committee of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone and Airport Economic Area, during a visit to the Alcan (Tianjin) Alloy Products manufacturing facility in Tianjin. At the company’s website, a report said that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss Alcan Cable’s investment in the manufacturing facility that opened in 2009, and the recently commissioned rod mill at the plant located in the Tianjin Airport Economic Area. There was also a discussion about opportunities for future prospects of Alcan Cable’s STABILOY® cable products in the Chinese market, and how they will continue to develop their collaborative relationship. Prior to the meeting, Shin Ma, project manager, Foreign Investment Service Bureau, provided an overview of the current activities in the Tianjin Airport Economic Area. Attending the meeting from Alcan Cable were Torben Wetche, CFO; Howard H. Atkins, vp marketing; and Ivan Salamin, general manager, Alcan (Tianjin) Alloy Products Company, Ltd. ■

Nano-Dies from Sanxin – Big Diamond Dies that Work Better and Cost Less For some years, Sanxin has been the clear Price/Performance leader in PCD and ND dies – superb quality at surprisingly low prices. Now Nano-Dies have re-written the Price/Performance rule book in many places, including various compacting, wire drawing and tube drawing applications. Nano-Die technology has practically doubled the diameter range for diamond dies [now up to 2” or 50mm dia.] Price is about 3-6 times lower than PCD dies. NANO-DIE UPDATE – WOULD THESE BENEFITS ASSIST YOU? • Nano-Dies enable huge improvements in material utilization when Cable Compacting. In excess of 2% material savings are frequently reported, together with a better finish on the cable. • Nano-Dies draw Stainless Steel and Low Carbon Steel Wire and Tube with ease. And they leave the surface free of lubricant. • Due to lower friction, Nano-Dies draw Aluminum alloy conductors with less mechanical damage and less electrical deterioration than other dies. Also Copper and alloys.

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Keeping you ahead of the curve SEPTEMBER 2011 | 21

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN NEWS BRIEFS

PEOPLE

PEOPLE C&M Corporation has named Glenn Boswell as senior vice president of operations. He has more than 25 years of experience, most recently serving as director of operations for Rexam PLC. He previously worked for LEGO Systems and The Wiremold Company. He is versed in continuous process improvement and LEAN manufacturing. Based in Wauregan, Connecticut, USA, C&M Corporation is an integrated manufacturer of bulk cable, coil cords and cable assemblies (molded and mechanical). T&T Marketing, Inc., (T&T) has added three employees to its staff. Steve Pinnix is a process engineer. He previously worked for 17 years at Tyco Electronics in positions that included manufacturing supervisor, engineering techSteve Pinnix nician and process engineer for PVC compounding and Jessica primary/jacketing extrusion. Jessica Hoogendoorn Hoogendoorn will serve as an admin-

22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

istrative generalist. A recent graduate from Rider University with a degree in journalism, she previously worked as a customer service representative at Sovereign Bank. Joy Piscopo will serve as a financial administrator. She previously worked for 17 years for Excel Storage Products. Based in the U.S., T&T Marketing, Inc., supplies compounds to the wire and cable industry as well as a range of related services. As part of a company-wide realignment strategy, Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company reported the promotion of Tim Becker to vice president of its Wire Products Group. He will assume responsibility for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring plant and Bedding Products Division while continuing to oversee HS Wire Technology. He joined the company in 1997 as sales Tim Becker and product manager for wire and has spent the last 12 years as general manager of HS Wire Technology. Prior to joining the company, he was sales manager for wire products for Laclede Steel. He holds a B.S. degree in business management from Illinois State University. Based in

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Hickory, North Carolina, USA, Hickory Springs is a privately held company with more than 50 manufacturing plants in 16 states and China. In addition to its core furniture and bedding markets, it serves customers in the automotive, recreational vehicle, packaging, medical, marine and telecom industries. Edward Rattie has joined Hitachi Cable Manchester as manager of government sales. He has substantial knowledge

of government purchasing and military experience. He will coordinate sales from his office in Maryland. A subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. and based in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, Hitachi Cable Manchester manufactures high-performance copper and fiber optic cables. Piero Brunetti has been hired as an area sales manager for Frigeco, responsible for developing customer and business relationships with some of the main wire and cable

OBITUARY Thomas W. Tyl, 55, died at his home in Siler City, North Carolina, on Monday, July 11, following minor knee surgery. He worked for several years for the Goodyear Tire Company before branching out to work as a consultant and starting two businesses, Tire Wire Technology LLC, and Jigsaw Thermal Technology LLC. He traveled throughout the world, consulting and promoting his two companies, and was known for his industry knowledge as well as his sense of humor and zest for life. A WAI member who presented technical papers and wrote articles for WJI, he had been scheduled to co-present an upcoming webinar on saw wire. He held a B.S. degree in materials science engineering

from North Carolina State University, and masters degrees in metallurgy from Carnegie Mellon University and in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Shelley; a son, Jeffrey; stepdaughter, Jenifer Wolkowski; and two grandsons, Braydon William and Holt Thomas. Thomas W. Tyl

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industrial groups, as well as in some specific and strategic countries. He has more than 25 years of experience of business unit, sales and after-sales management positions with other wire and cable machinery companies. Based in Lecco, Italy, and part of the MFL Group, Frigeco is a global supplier of drawing, stranding and extrusion machinery for the wire and cable industry. Beta LaserMike has expanded its technical service and support in the Eastern Europe and the Middle East territory with the appointment of Adam Mackal as a field service engineer based in the Czech Republic. He has more than 10 years of experience in field service and systems installation, including positions with KUKA roboter Austria, MOTOMAN robotic Czech and Medical Technologies Czech. He also worked for Infineon Technologies and the Institute of Physics in the Adam Mackal Czech Republic, where he provided production engineering support and R&D on fiber optic equipment and electro-optical technology. He holds degrees in opto-electronics and electronics engineering and informatics from the

E-mail: fukaseco@ja2.so-net.ne.jp http://www.fukase.co.jp

26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Czech Technical University in Prague, has published technical papers and is fluent in Czech, English, German and Russian. Based in Dayton, Ohio, USA, Beta LaserMike is a global provider of precision measurement and control solutions. Mid-South Wire has promoted David Roos to operations manager, responsible for wiredrawing and galvanizing operations at the company’s Tennessee and Missouri facilities. He joined the company as QS coordinator in 1999 and most recently was quality control manager. He previously worked for Briskin Manufacturing. He has been responsible for the system and registration of multiple facilities, including Mid-South’s Nashville facility. He is a member of the American Society for Quality, the American Wire Producers Association, WAI and ASTM International. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Mid-South Wire manufactures low-carbon steel wire for a range of applications. ■ David Roos

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FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH Report: fiber optic cable is likely to continue its upward direction in 2012 The fiber optic cable market has continued a strong recovery from the lows of nearly a decade ago and is posed for further gains in 2012, according to a report from U.K.-based Integer Research. In a report at its website, the consulting company, a specialist provider of research, data, analysis and consultancy services across a growing range of global commodities markets that include wire and cable, notes that global demand for fiber optic cable in 2010 reached 182 million fiber-km. The fiber, it said, is used for applications such as long-haul intercontinental/transoceanic cables to metropolitan networks, access networks and local area networks (LANs) in homes or buildings, with each application requiring specific fiber optic cable characteristics. Not surprisingly, the report identifies China as the main driver, accounting for more than 40% of all world demand. “Some in the market had expected the demand for fiber optic cable to slow in China at the end of 2010, but the latest data for Q4 2010 show that demand has continued to remain robust,” it said. The demand in China was propelled by network operators’ efforts to improve connectivity and to cater to demand arising from 3G/4G usage, it said, adding that similar demand in other advanced economies, such as the U.S., Japan, Germany and Netherlands, is also rising due to Fiber to-the-Node and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks. This combination, it said, will likely drive demand globally for fiber optic cable in 2011 to 195 million fiber-km. Integer Research believes market growth through 2012 will come from Western Europe and North America. “Strong demand globally is breaking away from the business cycle in the U.S. and Western Europe since demand is now being driven by FTTH/FTTC,” it said. Consumer products such as the Apple iphone, ipad, ipad 2, and range of alternative Smartphones and Tablets, from HTC and Samsung, combined with AirPlay devices such as Apple TV are driving demand for streaming content and Podcasts in 720p and 1080i high definition, it said. “These devices are further exposing existing bottlenecks in telecom operators Wireless and 3G/4G networks, and driving further investment in fiber optic cable. In addition, consumers and business are now demanding FTTH/FTTC in Western Europe and North America. The key issue now appears to be that consumers are willing to pay higher sums for fiber optic access, replacing their DSL lines.” In the U.S., Corning has been surprised by the strength in demand from Verizon, and has reported that it is now reaching production levels last seen in 2002, the report said. “Indeed, Corning reported that it was at capacity at its operations in the U.S. We can even see that some of the analysts that were tracking CommScope were also citing this growth potential as one reason why The Carlyle 28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Group took over the company in Q1 2011. There is also demand in emerging markets, and new optical fiber lines are being planned in Russia, Brazil, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, and there are significant expansions in India. This also means that companies such as Draka, Prysmian,

The fiber optic cable market continues on an upward mode. Chart courtesy of Integer Research. Furukawa, SEI and Fujikura, and YOFC in China will all report strong results in their fiber optic cable operations in H1 2011, and may see a significant increase in their margins in this business through the rest of the year.” The above information was taken from the latest issue of Integer’s Wire & Cable Global Tracker, which shows import, export and production data for all product groups in every country in the world, by volume and value. For more details about the Integer Research service, go to: www.integer-research.com and then click on the wire-cable/products/wire-cable-global-tracker.

A squirrely touch is literally the source of some fiber optic woes A report from U.S.-based Level 3 Communications, which maintains an 84,000-mile fiber network, has identified the common squirrel as accounting for 17% of the damage to the company’s fiber optic network. The good news is that, while the damage is bad, it is actually down from 28% last year because of greater use of cable guards, wrote Fred Lawler, a company vice president. In a blog, he wrote, “Honestly, I don’t understand what the big attraction is or why they feel compelled to gnaw through cables. Our guys in the field have given this some thought and jokingly suspect the cable manufacturers of using peanut oil in the sheathing. If you have any new ideas on how we can combat these wayward rodents, I’d love to hear from you. We are always looking for ways to improve.” ■

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Chinese officials want EU to move quickly to end anti-dumping penalties Despite a ruling in their favor by the World Trade Organization (WTO), Chinese officials say they are concerned that the European Union (EU) may not move quickly to remove anti-dumping penalties it imposed on China for alleged dumping of fasteners on the European market. An article in China Daily cited Yang Fengdan, deputy secretary-general of the Jiaxing Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export, as saying that the Chinese government is concerned that the EU might not remove the anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports as soon as possible. The EU imposed anti-dumping duties in January 2009 of 26.5 to 85% on China’s fasteners for five years. On July 31, 2009, China brought the case to the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism, China’s first such case against the EU. The WTO’s ruling on the EU fastener case took effect July 28, and it usually takes 10 to 15 months for countries to amend rules and withdraw anti-dumping duties, the story said. But the EU is “probably unwilling to do so, delaying the implementation or partly implementing the WTO ruling,” Yang said. Further, there is a “possibility that the EU will launch a new round of review and investigations of fasteners imported from China,” she said.

China is the world’s largest producer of screws, nuts, bolts and washers, and the EU is a major destination for its fasteners. Its annual exports of fasteners to the EU reached $600 million in 2010, the story said.

EU imposes anti-dumping duties on some steel fasteners from Malaysia The European Union (EU) has set anti-dumping duties of 85% on imports of certain steel fasteners from Malaysia, with the exemption of eight Malaysian exporters. The regulation, according to an article published in www.chinafastener.info, covers steel fasteners other than stainless steel, i.e., wood screws (excluding coach screws), self-tapping screws, other screws and bolts with heads, with or without nuts or washers, but excluding screws turned from bars, rods, profiles or wire, of solid section, of a shank thickness not exceeding 6 mm and excluding screws and bolts for fixing railway track construction material. The exempt companies include: Acku Metal Industries (M) Sdn. Bhd; Chin Well Fasteners Company Sdn. Bhd; Jinfast Industries Sdn. Bhd; Power Steel and Electroplating Sdn. Bhd; Sofasco Industries (M) Sdn. Bhd; Tigges Fastener Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd ; TI Metal Forgings Sdn. Bhd; and United Bolt and Nut Sdn. Bhd. ■

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 31

FASTENER UPDATE

WAI

NEWS

WAI NEWS

Volunteer Sp✹tlight This occasional section will provide readers a better idea of the activities of WAI’s committees and its board of directors.

WAI’s Exhibition Planning Committee The Exhibition Planning Committee (EPC) was formed to provide strategic planning and to recommend specific actions to improve the value of the Interwire and Wire Expo trade shows for exhibitors and attendees. Its members visit potential locations, often when a show is being held; recommend new formats and industry venues; and respond to the industry’s changing needs. They also listen closely to comments from exhibitors in post-show surveys. “Our goal is to make sure that we are providing the best possible event location for both attendees and exhibitors,” said EPC Chairman Jan Sorige, Enkotec Co., Inc. “We know that we can’t make everyone happy, but we consider every facet of the equation, and most recently that led us to recommend Dallas to the WAI’s Board of Directors for the Association’s Operations Summit and the Wire Expo

2012 trade show. We think that this first-time location is going to appeal to a wide audience.” Sorige said that what makes the EPC effective is that its members represent a good cross-section of exhibitors, both large and small exhibitors as well as manufacturers. “The exhibitors and the attendees are the two sides of the same coin. Combine those interests and use them as a base and it helps to make this important decision. Dallas has been mentioned as a site before and it has a good industry base, and the area, given the overall economic conditions, has been thriving. We think it’s the right place at the right time.” WAI Sales Director Bob Xeller agrees with the EPC’s recommendation, and believes that the group of volunteers has proven to be an effective body. “You can find pluses and minuses for just about every location, and balancing them off to figure out what is the best location is not so easy. This took a lot of work, figuring out exhibiting costs, travel logistics, how to publicize the event and more. I’d like to thank each of the committee members,” he said.

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Chairman: Jan Sorige, Enkotec Company, Inc. Lou Arcuri, Tri Star Metals William Bigbee, Encore Wire Corp. Tom Copp, REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc. John Dabbelt, Fort Wayne Wire Die Anthony DeRosa, Cortinovis Machinery America, Inc. Jeff Dewberry, Southwire Company Carolyn Edwards, Carolyn Comm. (Zumbach consultant) Larry Fitzgerald, Davis-Standard Corp. Rob Fulop, Wire Lab Company Peter Funk, Talley Metals Carpenter Technology Corp. Robert Galperin, Parkway Kew Marco Gerardo, SAMP/USA, Inc. Gary Kantz, Esteves Group Sue Lynch, Sikora USA Jay Luis, Beta LaserMike Tom Maxwell Jr., Die Quip Corp. Richard Pechie, Vollmer America, Inc. Bob Sears, North America OMCG, Inc. Terry Sieger, Woodburn Diamond Die, Inc. Mark Sitar, Henkel Surface Technologies Joe Snee, Amaral Automation Mark Spencer, W. Gillies Technologies LLC Edmond Torbey, Niehoff Endex North America Ludovic Vallet, NUMAMERICA, Inc.

Points meeting for Wire Expo 2012 in Dallas is set for Thursday, October 6 The WAI has set Thursday, Oct. 6, as the day for the Points Meeting for Wire Expo. The exhibition will be held in the Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on May 22-23, 2012, along with the WAI’s Operations Summit. The Points Meeting will be conducted at WAI’s headquarters, with exhibitors calling in to choose their booth locations, with the order determined by a points system based on past exhibitor activity. Companies can review their point total, history and compare their ranking to other exhibitors by going to WAI’s website at www.wirenet.org/events/wireexpo/index.htm. The booth choices will be updated live during the meeting. Any booths that are not allocated during the meeting will be available to all potential exhibitors on a firstcome, first-served basis. To reserve a booth, an exhibitor must sign a license agreement and make the appropriate deposit. WAI’s sales staff can help in the process. For more details, call Robert Xeller or Anna Bzowski at 203453-2777, ext. 119/ext. 126., sales@wirenet.org. “We’re expecting a very good show as there is a lot of interest in Dallas, and AWPA will once again be co-locating with us,” Xeller said.

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SEPTEMBER 2011 | 33

WAI NEWS

Exhibition Planning Committee

I renew my WAI membership to keep up to date with machinery and process developments. Q: Why did you join WAI? A: After graduating I joined the local telephone wire plant in Western Canada and after a few years it was clear I was learning nothing of the industry. I joined WAI because I sure wasn’t going to learn anything from the company. There were no process or plant engineers at the plant before me.

Q: What are the three most valuable benefits you receive through WAI? A: A clear understanding of the wire machinery that is available and what it does; learning processing through articles in Wire Journal and through hands-on experience; and contacts and good friends in the industry. Q: Why did you get involved in the wire industry? A: I had worked as a summer student and part-time for the plant and I was hooked on the high speed manufacture of telephone wires.

Peter Stewart-Hay

Q: What can you help people learn more about? A: Keeping their machines consistently running at high

Principal| Stewart-Hay Associates Member Since:1972

output rates and smoothing out their processes—world class manufacturing.

Meet Peter Stewart-Hay. One of WAI’s worldwide members. One compelling story.

Q: What do your co-workers say about you? A: They think I am driven and tough but very fair.

He’s the guide behind the virtual curtain. The answer man. Among the front line of go-to experts who clear up conundrums on WAI’s online forums.

Q: What is your favorite memory of Interwire or Wire Expo? A: Dinner with the Baker Industries’ folks at a Washington, D.C. meeting in the 1970s. I never had so much fun in my whole life.

Answer Man | Oracle | Catalyst | Advisor | Willing and Wise | Engaged | Married to Manufacturing | Enthused Peter has the luxury of experience and the generosity to share it. He consults, considers, and concludes with lightning speed. After nearly four decades in the business, he’s achieved his goals. His only agenda is yours. Peter discovers the overlooked. He solves obscure production puzzles with Holmesian precision and aplomb. He’s seen a lot. So what motivates him? Curiosity or reciprocity? Does it matter? Peter is a storehouse of know-how. He understands that reliability leads to profitability. Peter is driven and tough but he’s bound for the South Pacific. They say everyone mellows. He’s retired but he doesn’t stand still. Maybe he will long enough to resolve the origin of the Easter Island statues. Now there’s a production mystery.

Q: What is your best wire industry related travel story? A: Being hit by lightning while we were landing in Indianapolis. At the time I didn’t understand how serious an issue that was.

Q: Where would you most like to visit? A: The South Pacific, including New Zealand because this is one of the few places I have never been.

Q: What is something almost nobody knows about you? A: I almost got married a second time but in the end got cold feet. Q: What is your greatest accomplishment? A: Building the last and most advanced MDCV line. You cannot buy one of these lines so, if you want the best performance, you must build and integrate it from components from all over the world.

MNEMONIC TIP: PETER STEWART-HAY. MAKES HAY EVERY DAY.

Meet your peers. Achieve your goals. Join WAI’s community at www.wirenet.org. The Wire Association International, Inc.

An elite submariner will continue a long-time tradition by the U.K.’s Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers (Worshipful Company) and the WAI when he serves as clockwinder on Sept. 13 at the Association’s headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut, USA. Commander Chris Groves, a Commander Chris member of the Worshipful Company, will carry on the tra- Groves. dition that stems back to 1948, when a group of 32 U.K. companies presented the clock to the U.S. wire industry in appreciation for support provided during World War II. Nearly every year since then, a representative of the U.K. wire industry has made the trip to perform a ceremonial winding of the clock. Commander Groves has had a distinguished military career. Born in Portsmouth, he comes from a naval family. He joined Britannia Royal Naval College in 1987, and saw service in the surface ships HMS Fife, HMS Hecate, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Soberton. He volunteered for submarine service in 1989, and started with the diesel submarine HMS Opportune, where he qualified for the award of his “Dolphins.” He was appointed a submarine controller in the Northwood Headquarters, then spent two years as the navigation officer in the HMS Splendid, including a six-month Far East deployment. In 1995 he was appointed to the HMS Dolphin to teach future submarine navigation officers. After completing the Submarine Advanced Warfare Course in 1996, Groves took command of the HMS Pursuer and was the officer-in-charge of the Sussex University Royal Naval Unit. In 1998 he became the navigation officer in the HMS Victorious and was chosen for the Submarine Command Course, or ‘Perisher,’ in 1999.

WAI seeks an industry scholar to see how the industry works in Europe The WAI is accepting applications for the 2012 Wire Link Scholar program, an award that is offered in alternate years to a U.K. and American professional in the wire and cable industry. The program provides a two-week, all-expensespaid opportunity to visit and learn about the industry on the other side of the Atlantic. The scholarship was created by the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers in the U.K. and the WAI in America. Candidates must be under age 35, have been employed in the industry for more than three years, be able to travel to Europe for the two weeks in March 2012 , and at the time of application be a member of WAI. For more details about the program and to apply, e-mail WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org. ■

WAI NEWS

U.K. submariner to be clockwinder for annual tradition at WAI on Sept. 13

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SEPTEMBER 2011 | 35

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER Southeast Chapter set for its 2011 golf tourney at Rock Barn golf course The WAI’s Southeast Chapter will return Thursday, Oct. 13, to the Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina, for its annual golf tournament, which has been renamed this year to the 10th Annual Golf Tournament: The Vannais, in honor of Stephen Vannais, the former chapter president who died earlier this year in a plane crash. The chapter is expecting a large turnout this year, and one extra contributor is that the event will also serve as a fundraiser for Eric Vannais, the son of the late Steve Vannais. Steve’s widow, Beth, who has helped out on the golf tourney before, will be there again this year. She will be working with Tulsa Power’s Tim McElhany, who used to co-organize the annual golf tournament with Vannais. Also helping out will be the chapter’s new president, Art Deming, Nexans Berk-Tek Electronics Cable. “The tournament was always a keystone of Steve’s desire to create an event that would inspire camaraderie within the Southeast Chapter for both the multiple wire and cable manufacturers and the vendors that have made this area a strategic location,” Deming said. “The event has long been a well-organized and fun time, thanks to the efforts of the members of the chapter, and in particular the Vannais family. Going forward, we want to help celebrate Steve’s efforts and memory.” It will be hard for any team to top the efforts from the winning foursome at last year’s tournament, where the CommScope team of Paul McConnel, Bob Gildea, Brian Yount and Brian Deese shot an amazing net score of 55 (four pars, three eagles). McElhany said that the chapter would appreciate donations for the raffle, and added that a range of sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies. Individuals and companies that wish to contribute to the Vannais fund can contact Tim McElhany at tel. 864-223-6146 or tmcelhany@tulsapower.com, Art Deming at tel. 252-236-6226, art.deming@nexans.com or WAI’s Steve Fetteroll at tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Good golf, good times reported at Ohio Valley Chapter’s tourney Some 40 golfers enjoyed the Aug. 3 return to the Grantwood Golf Course in Solon, Ohio, where the Ohio Valley Chapter held its 9th Annual Golf Tourney. The team of Vincent Griffin and Mike Swift, both of Premier Wire Die, and Aaron Nolan and David Simpson, both of Sumitomo Electric Carbide, Inc., shot an impressive score of 60, 11 under par, to claim top honors. Coming in second, with a score of 64, 7 under par, was the Charter Steel team of David Light, Chuck O’Connell, Scott Fravel and Dave Gooch. Other winners included Scott

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The winning team (l-r) of Vincent Griffin, Aaron Nolan, David Simpson and Mike Swift claimed top honors in the Ohio Valley Chapter’s golf tourney. Fravel, Mike Swift and Steve Bungo, all Closest-to-the-Pin, and Larry Braun and Kregg Himes, Accurate Drive. “Overall, we were very happy with the event,” said Aaron Nolan, speaking both as a player on the winning team and the event organizer. “The weather was difficult, rainy at times, but there was great food and great fun, and it was as good a day as you could have wanted.” Nolan also wanted to thank the sponsors who helped make the event possible. Those include Corporate Hole Sponsors: Premier Wire Die, US Synthetic Wire Die and Bongard Machines; Closest-to-Pin Sponsors: Wire Lab, Charter Steel and Canterbury; Accurate Drive Sponsor: Charter Steel; and Hole-in-One Sponsor/Closet to Pin: Sumitomo Electric Carbide, Inc.

Western Chapter returns to Los Verdes Golf Course for Oct. 24 golf tourney The Western Chapter looks forward to returning to the Los Verdes Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes in California for its 11th Annual “Wire West Shootout” on Monday, Oct. 24. The scramble format event starts at 9:30 am, with checkin and warm-up, play starts at 10 am and following the golf there will be a reception at 5 pm, then a western BBQ dinner and the awards presentations. There will be team, individual and raffle prizes, including 3 closest-to-the -in holes, plus the long drive and accurate drive holes as well as a chance to ace the elusive grand prize hole-in-one contest to win $10,000. The $90 registration fee covers the full day. A range of company sponsorships are still available, including corporate hole sponsorships for $100 each, and all sponsors will be recognized at the course and in the WJI wrapup. For more details, contact Shootout Chairman Michael Howard, michael.howard@coastwire.com, tel. 310-6399473 or WAI’s Steve Fetteroll, sfetteroll@wirenet.org, 203453-1748. ■

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FEATURE

echnology never crosses a finish line: it continues to evolve to meet demands for

new and better products. This makes capital equipment both an expense and an

investment, one not entered into lightly. Below, OEMs highlight some of their technology, including some individual component advances, a focus on safety, and observations from one industry veteran about equipment sales.

AIM, Inc. U.S. Many companies that bend wire have fixed product lines, and potential orders for new shapes are always welcome but they can require investments in additional tooling. That’s where AIM’s low-cost AFC Compact series line can help, because it makes it possible to produce wire form on a production basis while also offering the ability to prototype new parts without extra expense. The machines have a small footprint and can assist those in need of 3D CNC AIM’s AFC Compact series line of wire bending equipment. wire bending technology without breaking the bank. The AFC Compact series machines fill the void transitioning from air benders and press brakes to 3D CNC wire forming. They uncoil, straighten, bend and cut full 3D wire forms. Small in stature and price, they are designed and built with the ability to run in a full production environment. AIM, Inc., www.aim-machines.com.

Cortinovis Machinery America Inc. U.S./Italy Italy’s Cortinovis, part of the Eurolls Group, has developed and installed large planetary stranders for assembling the various cable designs required for these applications. Some constructions include members that require minimum

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

bending requirements and are required to be abrasion resistant. These armored umbilical cables have breaking strengths in excess of 200 tons. They incorporate many different types of constructions and metallic sheaths and steel or synthetic strength members. The strander can hold 24 main bobbins (3000 mm diameter) and 20 filler bobbins (1650 mm diameter). The maximum weight of each main bobbin

A planetary strander from Italy’s Cortinovis. is 30 tons and the filler bobbins are three tons. The operating speed is 15 RPM with a maximum linear speed of 45 meters per minute. The machine can handle an umbilical up to 500 mm in diameter. Other sizes and configurations are available to meet specific customer and cable requirements. As North America prepares to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure and increase the quantity of power transmission lines, decisions need to be made about how to transfer the power from the generation plants to where it is needed. Overhead transmission lines of 400 KV have significant environmental impact, and underground power lines are the best option. Milliken cables are ideal for such high-voltage underground transmission servicing highly populated areas

Below, John Drummond, a WAI Past President and principal of the Scotia Group, a U.S. consulting/sales firm based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has more than 45 years of experience in the wire and cable industry. Below, he discusses capital equipment with WJI. He can be contacted at tel. 260-625-5155, jdrummond@scotiagroupinc.com.

Rotating equipment from Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cortinovis that can produce large Milliken cables. around cities, airports, power generation plants, etc. The conductors are large cross-sections obtained by composition of sectors. The pre-spiralled sectors are made separately on rigid stranders and are composed into one big cross-section with the drum twisting line. The Milliken conductor is composed of four to seven pre-spiralled compacted sectors. Each sector is separated from the adjacent with insulating or semi-conductive tapes. Frequently, a central round conductor is used and a water blocking tape is placed between the sector layers. Cortinovis has developed rotating machines specifically designed to handle these large conductors, including the Cortinovis rigid cage strander with rotating compacting heads and then the sector assembly using the Cortinovis drum twister with rotating payoffs. Cortinovis Machinery America Inc./Eurolls Group, www.cortinovisamerica.com.

Domeks Makine/Turkey At Interwire 2011, Domeks Makine displayed its Quadromatik 400 model, a new multi-purpose, wide production range coil/spool packing line. The company notes that investment cost is always very important to

Domeks Makine staffers by the Quadromatik 400 system shown at Interwire 2011.

WJI: Gloom and doom reports seem to have dominated the financial headlines, but most recent industry trade shows have flourished and many equipment suppliers this year have been reporting brisk orders: does this surprise you? Drummond: Not really. The reality is that a fairly large number of wire companies, while not having record profit years, are enjoying some measure of profitability. It is wise to recapitalize when times are a little slower as it is less disJohn Drummond, who also ruptive to install new directs The Wire Foundation, equipment and/or new speaks about it at Interwire. processes and give operators time to adjust. If a company can do that, it will be well postured for the next solid upturn in orders. Technology providers to the wire industry are global players. Many also supply related industries and are not as dependent on the financial condition of any one country, region or industry. The number of technology suppliers to the wire industry has decreased in recent years and the remaining equipment suppliers have become much leaner; therefore, it does not take a lot of projects to push deliveries out months from â&#x20AC;&#x153;normal.â&#x20AC;? If the lead time is 14 months, we are already close to the point where an order now would have a 2013 delivery. Psychologically, a two-year wait for equipment is unacceptable. WJI: Technology always moves forward: what factors determine when the time is right for a purchase? Drummond: I have watched a number of profitable wire companies over a long period of time and one thing they have in common, regardless of their industry segment, is that they reinvest. Most of them do not announce what they have purchased, they do not want suppliers using their names in the market place, and they just go about their business of steady growth and solid profitability. That said, it makes no difference how much cash a new technology will save a manufacturer or how much profit a new product will generate, if the manufacturer does not have the cash or if borrowing the cash has the real possibility of putting the company at substantial risk; the manufacturer simply cannot purchase that piece of capital equipment. Most companies, at one time or another, get into a situation where they simply do not have the cash to execute the capital plan, so it is deferred until the cash is available.

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 39

FEATURE

Perspective: capital equipment purchases

FEATURE

WJI: In terms of capital equipment investments, how has the industry most changed since you became part of it? Drummond: The wire and cable industry is a very mature industry and as such most of the technology change has been evolutionary in nature rather than revolutionary. One could argue that multiwire drawing is revolutionary but at the end of the day, the modern day multiwire machine is not all that different than the drawing machines in medieval prints depicting artisans drawing wire through a die using a capstan to pull the wire. The truly revolutionary changes have been in the materials, both what is drawn and what is used to coat the drawn wire. The other, and equally important, revolutionary change is the ability to monitor and control the process of making wire. The advent of microprocessor control, digital measurement and data collection, and the ability to “close the loop ”makes it possible to drastically reduce labor costs, improve productivity and drastically improve quality and consistency. The constant is that the improvements in technology are generally available to all and as a result the company that gets there first enjoys a period of time of improved costs/profits; however, the second constant is that sales almost always gives the cost advantage away in an attempt to garner a larger share of the market and the third constant is that the advantage is generally short lived because the technology is available to everyone. WJI: How has capital equipment purchasing most changed over the years? Drummond: A lot of companies have leaned themselves to the point that they do not have an experienced engineering staff that can devote the necessary time to all of the details of a major capital equipment project. I am aware of installations where the equipment has not worked or performed up to expectations due to inadequate and incomplete engineering of a project. The client says, “The ____ will not run this size, or at some speed, or cannot accommodate some size reel or we do not get the up time promised by the manufacturer.” I ask, “Let me see the performance specification you provided the machine builder,” and inevitably I am shown the quotation, which is general in nature and does not contain a “performance specification.” Other situations are discovered later that could have been prevented or eliminated if there had been attention to details up front. WJI: What variables do you think will most effect sales of capital equipment in the years to come? Drummond: Probably the three most important drivers in the foreseeable future will be new materials, products that will require equipment that does not exist in its current form and the expansion/realignment of infrastructure. Other drivers will be the implementation of the “Smart Grid”; advancing super conductor technology to where a cross-country superconductor transmission becomes a reality; demand from wire and cable end users; advances by capital machinery producers; and changes in standards (UL/CSA/IEC, etc.).

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

cable producers, but especially so now given the world economic situation. One investment that would make sense is a systen that would enable a cable producer who needs both a coil packing line and a spool packing line to be able to use just one system that can do both, including processing small or large cables. Domeks’ Quadromatik 400 can do just that. The double-head coil/spool packing line automatic palletizes product for high-speed coiling or spooling of single wire and multi-cores cables with diameters from 2.5 mm up to 12 mm. It can process 150 mm inner-diameter coil types with outer diameters from 210 mm to 400 mm and coil heights from 30 mm to 190 mm; and 80 mm inner diameter spool types with outer diameters from 140 mm to 350 mm and heights of 40 mm to 250 mm. Domeks Makine, www.domeksmakine.com.

EJP Maschinen GmbH Germany Germany’s EJP Maschinen GmbH, represented in North America by Wire Machine Systems, produces today’s most innovative state-of-the-art equipment for wire to bar, bar to bar, and tube production. It offers cutting edge technology for wire, bar and tube peeling that exceeds the most stringent surface specifications that are required in the marketplace today. EJP’s model PM peeling machine is the only one on the market to achieve the required surface quality without the use of polishers after the peeling process. Surface qualities up to RZ-4 microns and A close-up view of the PM peeling RA-0.75 machine from EJP Maschinen GmbH. microns can be achieved, while maintaining superior roundness properties, with our technology. Simply put, when exiting EJP’s peeling head, the product is more round and smooth than can be achieved on any other machine on the market today. The PM model’s patented peeling head provide 100% support of the cutting tools, thus eliminating vibration or chatter marks on the wire/bar and perfect centering, while enabling the machine to automatically adjust for tool wear without operator intervention. The robust and highly engineered design enables easy operation, fast and simple tooling changes and better maintenance accessibility, which leads to more machine run-time. The PM model innovations and elimination of an added polishing process reduce the initial cost of the machine while significantly reducing total operating cost. The company’s other product lines include: combined drawing machines, straighteners (two-roll and dual-plane), and

FEATURE

shot-blasting machines (round and profiles) up to 60 mm diameter. EJP Maschinen GmbH, www.ejpmachines.com; Wire Machine Systems, Inc., www.wire-machine.com.

Fine International U.S. Fine International Corporation provides a wide variety of machinery for wire and cable and fiber optic manufacturers. Of particular note is our latest vertical taping line, which is specifically designed for fine wire applications. The dual head unit is designed to process core wires from 0.12 mm to 2.5 mm in diameter and up to 15 mm pitch length. Each head is set to operate at a maximum 1500 rpm. Tape widths from 2 to 4.5 mm can be handled. The tape head and capstan drives are servo-based for extremely accurate lay control. Typical applications are for applying Cu-based shield- A vertical taping line from ing tapes. A 600 mm long Fine International Corporation. heating oven is utilized for heatsealing the outer bond layer and a 0-15kV spark tester can also be included in the system. Shaft payoff and take-up can be custom configured for customer’s specific reels. In addition to Fine International Corporation’s extruders, payoffs, take-ups, dancers, accumulators, capstans, preheaters, cooling troughs, gas injection systems and control panels, it also provides systems for braiding, taping and binding as well as a complete range of stranding and other equipment available through Hefei Smarter. Fine International Corporation, www.fineinternational.net.

Frigeco/MFL Group Italy Italy’s Frigeco, the nonferrous brand of the MFL Group, offers a complete range of equipment as part of its efforts to position itself as a technological and product leader. It seeks to promote strong relationships with its customers by offering support for their technological and production requirements. The “diamond” of Frigeco’s production line is the new screw profiles for its extruders. The focus has been on the thermodynamic behavior of the cylinders, adopting technologically innovative solutions (patent pending) to obtain the highest precision in the monitoring of melt temperatures all the way through the entire transformation phase. Tests done in cooperation with FR and HFFR compound producers resulted in a certified noticeable increase of material delivery. Thus, Frigeco’s extruders can to delivery a quantity of material comparable to larger size 42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

FEATURE

A high-performance Frigeco extruder. extruders. Mario Frigerio and Frigeco are brands of the MFL Group, a leader in the production of drawing, stranding and extrusion machinery for wire and cables. Frigeco/MFL Group, www.mflgroup.com.

IDEAL Welding U.S./Germany

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At Interwire 2011, IDEAL demonstrated its latest in quick setup mesh welder technology. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GAM116 mesh welder uses state-of-the-art medium frequency DC welding technology that delivers high-quality smooth welds with almost no expulsion of slag. The requirement for smooth weld nuggets is becoming a standard in Europe and similar requirements are now being requested in the U.S., especially in the medical and food industry. Not only does it provide superior weld quality, there is an added benefit to this new technology in the form of energy savings of up to 35%, due to an improved power factor. End users can also install a power source roughly 50% smaller than with conventional machines, further reducing the capital investment of a new installation. At Interwire, IDEAL displayed for the first time its new quick setup linewire feeding system, with live demonstrations showing a full changeover of the linewire guides in under 10 minutes, a drastic improvement

IDEALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GAM116 mesh welder.

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and 80 mm for TU8. The take-up bobbin sizes are available up to 200 mm on either machine. Lay length is controlled by operator input on a touchscreen which can be supplied in multilingual design. Starting and stopping are by means of

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over conventional systems that can easily take over an hour. The quick setup is accomplished by using a cassette system that allows new linewire centers to be set-up offline without interrupting production. The system employs an economical yet robust design, without the use of additional servo motors and sophisticated electronics. IDEAL’s quick setup mesh welder just got quicker and easier to use, yet remains true to its simple approach to ensure an attractive return on investment. Ideal Welding, www.idealweld.com

Kinrei of America U.S./Japan Kinrei of America provides the world’s fastest ultra-fine wire tubular stranders for the twisting of wires as fine as 0.012 mm (AWG 56) and cross-sectional areas of (0.0014 mm (AWG 44) at speeds up to 5000 twists per minute in various materials, including copper, copper alloys and ferrous products, by providing different internal tensioning systems. These machines, model TU8 and TU5, are provided in either 7-bay or 13-bay systems to manufacture up to 19-wire constructions. They provide a rotating tube with permanently sealed, high speed, low-friction bearings lubricated by a closed-loop, pressurized oil system that is fully filtered, cooled and re-circulating for a completely ecofriendly situation. Internal bobbins are oriented vertically on cantilevered shafts. Internal bobbin sizes are 58mm for TU5

A tubular strander for ultra-fine wire offered by Kinrei of America. frequency inverter. An over-twisting device can be provided for 0-40% over-twisting of conductors. These machines are specifically designed to service the cable needs, including for mini coaxial cables, for a wide variety of sectors, such as medical and aerospace. Kinrei of America, www.kinreiusa.com or www.kinrei.co.jp.

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SEPTEMBER 2011 | 45

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OM Lesmo U.S./Italy OM Lesmo’s Harish Panchal and Paolo Monfrinotti wanted to focus on an issue that they said was of equal importance to the capabilities of equipment: safety. The focus of the company’s Safety Monitoring System (SMS) matters because the equipment used to produce wire and cable requires safety measures to guard against injuries or losses resulting from rotating parts, heat, chemicals, steam, etc. “We have heard the phrase ‘Safety First’ in many factories. We also take for granted that the equipment manufacturer has incorporated various safety features in their equipment. But who is watching these precautions? Are they reliable and functioning? Are they communicating with each other?” To that end, Lesmo has incorporated three safety control systems in most of its equipment: a safety guard and soundproof housing control system; a zero-speed control system; and an emergency stop. The safety guard housing has door lock mechanisms that prevents the machine from

A chart displaying OM Lesmo’s approach to incorporating safety into the company’s equipment. rotating if any door lock is open. The zero-speed control system keeps the doors locked until the machine comes to a full stop. The emergency stop system stops the machine when activated. By redundant configuration (two switches, two stop commands, etc.) combined with Lesmo’s SMS and a safety integrated motor drive, three fundamental characteristics are assured: safety: the machine can run only if the guard is closed and locked and E-stop actuation is cleared; reliability: in case of a component failure, the safety guard control system is still operating; and failure detection: in case of a component failure, the system is able to detect the fault before machine restarts, and prevents the motor from running until the fault-cause has been removed. The SMS, which is incorporated with a zero-speed control system and also monitors the safety door locks and e-stop, is a standalone system, separate from the main PLC and other electronics that monitor and control the equipment and process, and it continuously monitors each and every safety-related component and their status. If any safety components is not meeting the safety criteria, the SMS overrides the main control system and stops the process. “In conclusion, to be really safe around any type of machinery, one needs to have someone watching the safety features, such as the SMS.” OM Lesmo, www.www.lesmoamerica.com.

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A dual automatic reel packaging system from MGS Manufacturing.

MGS Manufacturing/MGS Group U.S. MGS Manufacturing has continued its automatic packaging and robotic handling focus, which can be seen in its new dual automatic take-up system, which is ideally suited for high volume productivity as well as for ease of changing products and reels. One of these custom systems was sold to a small progressive company that wanted to package and ship customer orders accurately, quickly and at the lowest cost. It chose MGS Manufacturing because its technology allows the system, with just one operator, to rewind product at an effective speed up to 3,000 fpm (two reels winding at the same time) from master reels. The fully automated system will produce pallets of finished product, individually wrapped, labeled and ready for shipment. The system is rugged, reliable and consistent. The 630 mm (24 in.) Twin Dual Automatic Reel Packaging System includes: two fully automatic dual take-ups; automatic labeling on flange and under stretch wrap, using real time labeling from the customer’s production control system; an integrated counter, various testing and real time printing just before winding; dual payoffs with CE safety enclosures, ultrasonic sensing of reel build-down, tail catching and quick payoff reel change; a gantry robot for loading empty spools from pallet as received from a supplier; a gantry robot palletizing full reels; a pallet dispenser with motorized conveyor system; and an automatic full pallet stretch wrap (finished product ready for shipping). MGS Manufacturing/MGS Group, www.themgsgroup.com.

Morgan-Koch Corp. U.S./Germany Morgan-Koch Corp., a division of Germany’s Ernst Koch GmbH, is offering the latest technology for producing top quality spring steel wire. The OTA technology is fully automatic and provides reproducible back pull so that the sys-

A straight line drawing system from Morgan-Koch.

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tem enables straight-line drawing for the first time without a dancer and/or tuner rolls. Koch made the dream of straight and deflection-free wire guiding a reality with a refined regulation technique. The wire has a straightline and constant wire path to the drawing die, which guarantees consistent cast and helix and enables the system’s compact design, higher production speeds and subsequent productivity as well as less drawing die wear. Straight-line drawing machines which have been already delivered with the OTA technology are operating to the entire satisfaction of our customers, the proof being their resulting high wire quality. Morgan-Koch Corp., www.morgan-koch.com.

Nextrom Oy Finland One of the areas of focus for Nextrom, a premium supplier of optical fiber glass preform manufacturing equipment, fiber draw towers and associated machinery for the global fiber market using MCVD, OVD and VAD technologies as well as fiber optic cable production lines, has been dry loose tube production. While dry tube and jelly compound has been replaced with other swellable materials, such as yarns, the inner diameter control of loose tube is challenging with materials such as PBT and PP. Typically, dry loose tube inner diameter is controlled by blowing controlled amount of air inside the tube. For dry loose tube production,

Nextrom has developed an accurate diameter control system IDC. The system includes air cleaning and flow control system with special tooling mounted to extruder cross head. Nextrom’s clenching technology is developed to eliminate post shrinkage in loose tubes or small central tubes and makes excess fiber length (EFL) control possible in dry loose tube production. The special clenching unit is placed in front of the intermediate wet capstan to prevent stress in the tube when being cooled to the glass transition temperature. This concept is very versatile and optimized for full range of the loose tube production from ID/OD 1.1/1.5 mm micro tubes with 12 fibers or less to larger central tubes up to 3.5 mm outer diameter. This technology has already proven in the industry to be a Nextrom offers dry clenching very valuable tool when optimizing loose technology for further product tube production. At the control.

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48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Fax: 410 228 1813

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www.niehoff.de

Machinery and After Sales Services for the international wire and cable industry – sophisticated solutions made by NIEHOFF.

GERMANY · RUSSIA · USA · UNITED ARAB EMIRATES · BRAZIL · CHINA · SINGAPORE · JAPAN · INDIA · CZECHIA MASCHINENFABRIK NIEHOFF GmbH & Co. KG | Fuerther Strasse 30 | 91126 Schwabach, Germany | info@niehoff.de | www@niehoff.de

FEATURE

same time cable manufacturers have been able to increase the production speed for existing loose tube lines 1.5 times higher compared to the traditional process by keeping the same quality performance of the production lines. Nextrom, www.nextrom.com.

Niehoff GmbH Germany/U.S. People who visited the Niehoff GmbH Niehoff Endex North America booth at Interwire 2011 had the opportunity to see the company’s MMH50 (eight-wire) fine multiwire line. This line, an efficient copper fine multiwire processing piece of equipment for sizes from 44–38 AWG, is not new to the U.S. as the first multiwire lines were introduced in the 1980s, but multiwire technology in the States has been more accepted in the heavy and intermediate wire ranges. More fine multiwire lines, such as the MMH50, are replacing older technology machinery and single wire equipment in the U.S., reducing labor requirements, increasing productivity and improving product quality. In today’s competitive market, where price has become more and more important in the decision making process, Niehoff differentiates itself from new arrival competition by offering more value to its customers while maintaining its reputation for high quality equipment and increased equipment efficiency and performance. It emphasizes lower operating and maintenance costs from using best available technology, and the NNH50 reflects this approach. The line features the latest electronics advances. Also, Niehoff has been converting its equipment offerings to AC drive technology due to the power savings and lower maintenance costs. AC technology takes advantage of incentives offered by power companies and government agencies to install and operate power savings equipment. Although Siemens remains Niehoff’s worldwide standard for drives, motors, MMI & PLCs, Niehoff also offers its U.S. customers the option of domestic electrics, including Allen Bradley components. Niehoff Endex is capable of providing local electrical engineering for new equipment as well as upgrades for existing Niehoff equipment. Its engineering and service and support teams are based in the U.S. and provide assistance to its North American customers. Niehoff Endex North America, www.niehoff-usa.com.

Niehoff Endex’s Robert Wild with the company’s MMH50 (eight-wire) fine multiwire line at Interwire 2011. 50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Pourtier s.a.s./Gauder Group France New rigid standing lines, type RFS 630-TZ and RFS 800TZ, have been designed by Pourtier, a member of the Gauder Group, to cope with the increasing demand for overhead conductors using trapezoidal wires. This new generation of conductors has a central core made of either steel (ACSS/TW and ACSR/TW) or composite material (ACCC™). The rigid stranders feature: a fine tension control; a straight and smooth passage for the trapezoidal wires that avoids any wire deformation; A close-up view of one of Pourtier’s exclusive use of new rigid stranders. rollers, instead of eyelets, to avoid friction; and large cage bearings for straight passage of the wires. The cages are equipped with the innovative TZ heads that guide the trap wires without friction up to the cabling block, guaranteeing the perfect position of trap wires in the conductor layers. Pourtier has already supplied numerous lines to major cable makers, including several repeat orders. Pourtier s.a.s., www.gaudergroup.com.

Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH Austria Extrusion specialist Rosendahl Machinen GmbH reports that its RX Crosshead Series is able to meet the needs of manufacturers producing “solar cables “ for photovoltaic applications. The company notes that it offers a range of RX crossheads, from RX2 to RX110, and that its RX25 2.0 double-layer crosshead perfectly meets the demands of companies that want to increase production volumes of the so called “solar cables.” A balanced polymer flow, guided by two main distributors in coaxial assembly, guarantees a smooth and stable dual-layer emergence across the outlet zone. Rosendahl RX-Type Crossheads generally provide high-precision centricity, there-

A close-up of Rosendahl’s RX25 2.0 double layer crosshead.

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fore guarding against over-sizing cable wall thickness, which helps save on material and production costs. Enhanced flow-channel geometry fits the rheology of special solar cable materials, ensures a short residence time of polymer melt and enables a quick and easy change of color or material. Easy handling is guaranteed by a compact and modular design and an optional distributor change and service-device. The RX-crosshead is designed to elimination process deviation and increase quality and efficiency in extrusion-lines for solar cables. Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH, www.rosendahlaustria.com.

SAMP USA/SAMPSISTEMI U.S./Italy SAMPSISTEMI has strengthened the company’s commitment to R&D and innovation with the introduction of the new family of multiwire drawing machines: the DM 10580. The new system incorporates many of the same concepts used for the new RBL rod-breakdown line that was introduced at wire 2010. It has CNC control process and direct drive torque motors with direct shaft-to-hub connection and a modular frame to achieve the highest flexural strength and significant energy consumptions. The main features are related to multimotor technology that allow a limited slip control for highest surface quality of finished product (including Cu SAMPSISTEMI’s DM 105-80 multi alloys and drawing system. Al/Al alloys) together with a reduction of energy consumption of up to 15% compared to conventional solutions. The optimization of motors’ synchronization via the company’s SIMOTION system allows precise motor controls to provide, among other things, the very short ramp-up/ramp-down times needed to reach the desired production speed and, together with a mixed gear solution comprised of spur and helical gears, reduced noise emissions. The drawing section combines 105 mm drawing capstan (first six drafts) and an 80 mm capstan for the remaining drafts. It is available for up to 16 wires for each row and from 18 up to 29 drafts. SAMPSISTEMI, www.sampsistemi.com, SAMP USA, www.sampinc.

industry. The overall maintenance cost has also been significantly reduced by using the new welding press, which has been designed to keep out polluted air. The stroke of their welding presses can be adjusted according to the wire diameter by raising and lowering the welding beam. This means that the consumption of compressed air is as low as possible. All existing Schlatter MG 900 mesh welders can be upgraded with this new generation of welding presses. The quality requirement of the mesh market calls for flat mesh. Schlatter Industries also designed a new single welding group with a width of under 50 mm (2 in.) suitable to weld large wire diameters in narrow spacing. The working range may start at 20 mm or partially even less. For customers looking for the highest mesh flatness quality, Schlatter now offers MF welding technology for its MG 900 mesh welder platform. The Schlatter modular design lets you select the minimum number of MF inverters to keep the overall capital investment low. Additional inverters can be installed at a later date if your wire mesh product range widens. Schatter AG, www.schlattergroup.com.

SIMPACKS U.S. SIMPACKS offers a range of coiling and packaging solutions for the wire and cable industry that includes a dualhead, automatic coiler that can coil or wind telephone and building wire cables. It can process both round and flat cables as well as computer cables with diameters from 1 mm/0.04 in. to 8 mm/0.3 in. This coiler is capable of producing six to eight coils per minute. SIMPACKS’s new single head automatic coiler can coil or wind telephone and building wire cables, both round and flat. Lengths of 50 mm cable can be coiled at a rate of six to 10 coils per minute for lengths of 2M/ 5M/ 10M/ 15M/ 25M/ 50M/100M. The company’s range of coilers can process round or flat cable, solid or stranded cable, telephone cable, battery cable, armored cable, annealed steel wire and special cable. Its new Automatic COILER + STRAP + COIL HOLDER is also available for all customer packaging solutions. Controls can be chosen by the customer from suppliers such as Allen Bradley, Siemens, Telemecanique, Mitsubishi, Omron and more. SIMPACKS, www.simpacks.com.

Schlatter Industries AG U.S./Switzerland To minimize changeover times, Switzerland’s Schlatter Industries AG, whose U.S. business is Schlatter North America, has developed a new jig system. With this new system a line wire changeover can be accomplished in minutes. The new design, with minimal lateral play, allows customers to achieve all relevant tolerances applied in the wire 52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

SIMPACKS has introduced a new single-head automatic coiler.

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SKET Verseilmaschinenbau GmbH Germany SKET Verseilmaschinenbau GmbH reported that it has produced a planetary strander, for a Korean customer, that it believes is the largest such system every made. The closer system, produced at SKET’s plant in Magdeburg, is a cagestyle strander for making steel ropes. The Model MKVS machine is capable of closing 1+8 steel wire strands into ropes of 160 mm diameter. It has eight bobbins within the stranding cage featuring a flange diameter of 2700 mm and

A record-size strander for steel wire from SKET GmbH.

is designed for 40 metric tons of steel strands to each be processed into a rope with a total weight of 600 metric tons. The machine itself weighs about 800 metric tons and is about 80 meters long. The finished ropes are wound onto drums of 5.6 m in diameter and 10 m in width. SKET Verseilmaschinenbau GmbH, www.sketvmb.de.

Staku GmbH Germany/U.S. Germany’s Staku-Anlagenbau GmbH, represented in North America by Wire Machine Systems, specializes in supplying engineered systems to produce product with optimal surface cleaning, pickling and coating capability which is unmatched in the market today. The company’s “esystems” (continuous electrolytic processes) include: eclean, surface cleaning for coating and further treatment of ferrous and nonferrous metals that requires only a fraction of the treatment time while producing far superior surface cleanliness relative to the conventional cleaning systems that are much longer and slower running; ephos, patented technology for coating with electrolytic zinc-calcium phosphate (cold heading quality product and steel wire), that enables the user to perform the descaling and phosphate coating process in one pass. Optimum coldforming and drawing properties are achieved by obtaining a 100 % homogeneous coverage of wire surface. The fine

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Surface treatment technology from Staku GmbH. crystalline structure of the electrolytically deposited zinccalcium-phosphate layer quickly dries and provides corrosion protection; and ecopp, superior homogeneous highspeed coating of wire for welding wire, fasteners or any other materials. Our technology allows you to be more competitive by increasing productivity while reducing floor space, waste streams and energy consumption as well as resulting in better air quality in the plant, all while being much more environmentally friendly. Staku GmbH, www.staku-gmbh.de, www.wire-machine.com.

At Interwire 2011, Wafios Machinery Corp. displayed its FMU 1.7 spring and wire forming system. The company notes that closer precision requirements and delivery on demand are ever-increasing elements of the spring and wire forming market. Finding production efficiencies in this environment is crucial to success and staying competitive requires that every step in the manufacturing process runs at optimum efficiency without increased cost. The Wafios FMU 1.7 can help users produce higher quality at higher speeds and to bid Don Fisher, Wafios Machinery Corp. with and produce more the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FMU 1.7 model at Interwire jobs, more 2011.

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 55

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Wafios Machinery Corp. U.S./Germany

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accurately and competitively. Specifically: it can reduce setup time, as the system allows users to cut setup time by up to 75% over competing systems; it eliminates secondary operations, a definite plus as doing a complete job in one setup is critical to bidding competitively and maintaining precision of the finished product; it has a modular tooling system, which further saves setup time; it increases production speed, which can make a difference even for small jobs, possibly three or four extra jobs a week; and it features advanced programming, using proprietary WPS software that is easy to program, with the operator interface created in-house by Wafios and used on more than 30 different company machine models, so customer service and support is provided by the company and no third-party vendors are involved. The FMU series consists of 10 machine models and covers the overall range of .006-.250 in. Wafios Machinery Corporation, www.wafios.com./www/wafios.us.

A Weber & Scher metal tape seam welding and corrugating line.

Weber & Scher Mfg. Co., Inc. U.S. Weber & Scher Mfg. Co., Inc./AFA Industries, recently introduced its latest generation longitudinal metal tape seam

welding and corrugating line for producing power cables having a longitudinally seam welded and corrugated metal tape sheath construction. The system uses the TIG (GTAW)

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FEATURE

welding process for welding the two tape edges after being formed longitudinally around the cable core. A critical component of this line is the welded metal sheath corrugating machine that imparts helical or annular corrugations into the welded metal sheath in tandem with the longitudinal welding operation. All operating parameters can be accurately set to obtain repeatable corrugating results which are critical for the purposes of product standardization. The corrugating machine, in conjunction with the Weber & Scher cable core payoff, metal tape supply stand, tape edge slitting system, forming and welding station, caterpillar capstan, cable takeup, all combine to form a state-of-the-art system for producing high performance power cables. Weber & Scher Mfg. Co., Inc., www.webscher.com.

Windak AB Sweden Windak, which specializes in automatic packaging solutions for the wire and cable industry, has offices in Sweden, the U.S., Australia and Estonia. Nowadays, given economic conditions, companies should think about cost-effective solutions. That mindset led to Windak’s designing new innovative products such as the company’s automatic reeler, model AR24, which is a new generation More than 1,200 second-hand spooling machines in stock machine that offers Reconditioned the follow6 block double ing feacapstan drawing tures and machine options: New machines designed for your production New Bongard drawing line for trolley wire

Bongard Machines USA Bongard Machines USA LLCLLC 832160 Mill· 6920 LakePointe RoadInverness Way Suite Fort Wayne, IN. 46845 Fort Wayne, IN 46804, USA Phone 260-338-2634 Phone +1 260 225 4510 Fax 260-338-2635 Fax +1 260 225 4513 E-Mail chris.z@bongard.us E Mail jh@bongard.us www.bongard.us www.bongard.us

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50% fewer parts than earlier generations; flexibility in handling different reel sizes (280-600 mm or 400-800 mm in diameter); and the ability to handle both rigid building The AR24 next-generation reeler from wire and sensiWindak AB. tive LAN cable. The model is available as a single- or a dual-head reeler, and for use as in- or off-line operations. The company’s “patent pending” solution, to attach the cable end after the cut, has made the AR24 faster, more reliable and cheaper. The above attributes make Windak’s new generation reeler the most innovative machine on the market. Windak AB, www.windakse.com, www.windak-usa.com.

Wire Screen Machinery Ireland Wire Screen Machinery observes that its semi-automatic wire weaving loom, model MW1600/2100/2500 overcomes the shortcomings of traditional looms that are generally selected for a given range of wire diameter/mesh combination, requiring at least two looms, thus two operators, double power consumption, and most of all, important floor space. The MW semi-automatic looms cover the whole range of wires from 1 to 12 mm without any major changes, if not the eventual change of the stop-pins’ rack, and the position of the front clamp beam to suit the wire dia./mesh combinations. Eventual mishaps are automatically indicated on the control panel. The systems are fast and easy to set up, and slay, heddle frames and pin racks can be activated individually. The system can run at 30 strokes per minute. Wire Screen Machinery, sales.wsm@orange.fr. ■

E DA L The effect of silicon and N ER N I W aging on mechanical AWA R properties and fracture response of drawn high-strength pearlitic steel wire

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER

Tests of wires with patented and cold-drawn pearlitic microstructures and different strengths resulted in noteworthy findings for aging, strength increases and resistance to spheroidization. By Ryan E. Pennington, Walther Van Raemdonck, David K. Matlock and George Krauss

Eutectoid and hypereutectoid pearlitic steel wires are some of the strongest mass-produced commercially available steels1-2. After drawing, this wire can be hot-dipped galvanized for corrosion protection and used in many applications, such as the main cables of suspension bridges, offshore mooring cables and anchor lines in the oil and gas industry1-6. The hot-dip galvanizing process causes aging to occur that results in a tensile strength loss and the occurrence of delamination during torsional loading3.

Fig. 1. Torque-twist curves for hypereutectoid pearlitic steel wires showing a wire that did not delaminate (A) and a delaminated wire (B)6. 60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

New steels have been developed to increase wire strength prior to hot-dip galvanizing and limit the tensile strength loss during hot-dip galvanizing1,4. However, the higher strengths result in decreased ductility as evident by the development of longitudinal delamination cracking that occurs during torsion testing. Improved understanding and control of the wire properties can result in longer span suspension bridges, smaller cable cross-sections, and lighter cables4. The torsion test is a critical test in measuring the ductility of high strength steel wires. Torsion testing is used for ductility measurement because it allows for a greater plastic strain to be developed without development of instability as observed in a tensile test7. During testing, wires with low ductility will delaminate. Delamination is characterized by the development of a longitudinal crack and torque drop during torsional loading6. Fig. 1 shows torque-twist curves for two hypereutectoid steel wires tested under similar conditions. The wire of curve A did not delaminate and shows a smooth curve of wire that deformed uniformly. The wire for curve B delaminated and the resulting torquetwist curve shows a distinct torque drop immediately after yielding followed by a period variations in torque associated with growth of the delaminated crack along the wire gage length6-7. After the delamination cracks propagated along the entire gauge length, the torque rapidly increases due to work hardening until failure6-7. Aging occurring during hot-dip galvanizing has been

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shown to decrease tensile strength1,2-5,8-10, reduce torsional ductility resulting in delamination3-6 and spheroidize cementite1,9,11. Fig. 2 schematically shows the effects of aging time due to immersion in a hot-dip galvanizing bath on the torsional ductility and tensile strength of high-carbon steel wire3. With increasing immersion time (aging), torsional ductility decreases, Fig. 2. Schematic of typical aging response in hot-dip galvanizing bath of high resulting in delamination at carbon wire in (a) torsion and (b) tension3. short times, but this is followed by recovery of ductility resulting in no delamination as aging time increases. Fig. 2b tions and cementite spheroidization11,12. shows that the tensile strength increases sharply with short Additions of Cr and Si have been made to retard aging aging times followed by a tensile strength loss resulting during hot-dip galvanizing of patented and drawn high C from ferrite recovery and cementite spheroidization3. wire1,4,9. The Cr and Si help slow the rate of cementite Aging taking place in high-carbon steel wires during spheroidization, or impede stage three aging during hot-dip drawing and/or hot-dip galvanizing can be broken down galvanizing, resulting in a smaller tensile strength loss1,9. 11,12 into three stages . Stage one occurs at temperatures Silicon is enriched in the ferrite along the cementite/ferrite lower than approximately 150째C, and is characterized by interface because Si is rejected from cementite and is a ferdiffusion of supersaturated carbon in ferrite to pin ferrite rite stabilizer, and Cr, a strong carbide-forming element, dislocations1,11,12. Due to the lower number of carbon partitions to cementite1. Also, due to the high Si levels at atoms in ferrite compared to the high ferrite dislocation the interface, Si must diffuse for cementite to spheroidize, density after drawing, stage one will be complete prior to and the low diffusion rate of Si slows the movement of the pinning all of the ferrite dislocations12. ferrite/cementite interface and reduces softening1,9. For Stage two occurs in drawn wire at temperatures between Ostwald ripening of cementite to occur, Cr must diffuse, 150째C and 250째C11, and is attributed to temperatureand its slow diffusion rate inhibits Ostwald ripening to induced decomposition of cementite, either by the temperreduce softening1,9. ature increase during drawing and/or hot-dip galvanizThis paper examines the effects Si and aging have on the ing1,11,12. Cementite decomposition takes place when carmicrostructure, mechanical properties and torsional fracbon atoms diffuse from cementite into ferrite to further pin ture response of ultra high strength (i.e. 2250 MPa) hyperferrite dislocations1,11-14, and there is the possibility of eutectoid steel wires. Specifically, the effects of aging on very small carbides forming with enough aging time15. tensile properties and the susceptibility to torsional delamStages one and two are responsible for the increase in ination are emphasized. strength and decrease in ductility seen in Fig. 2 at short hot-dip galvanizing times3. Experimental procedure Stage three aging occurs at higher temperatures and/or Two wire rod alloys were obtained with Si contents of longer aging times, and is associated with a tensile strength 0.23 and 1.3 wt %; the complete chemical compositions 11,12 decrease and ductility recovery as shown in Fig. 2 . At can be found in Table 1. The two alloys were patented in elevated temperatures and longer times, strength decreases lead and drawn directly to 4.42 mm to obtain a nominal and ductility increases due to recovery of ferrite dislocastrength level of 2250 MPa. Commercially hot-dip processed wires of the same steels were also examined for comparison. As-drawn wires were heat treated in a salt pot at temperatures of 350, 400, 450 and 500째C for times of 10, 20, 30 and 60 s. After removal from the salt pot, the wires Table 1. Chemical composition of alloys used in current study (wt %). were immediately water-

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quenched and stored at -20°C until testing. Each sample was identified by Si content, heat-treatment temperature and time. For instance, a wire with the low Si content that was heat-treated at 400°C for 30 s is designated as “Low Si-400/30.” Torsion testing was performed at a constant 0.5 rotations per minute on 10.2 cm (4 in.) gauge length wires. No axial force was applied during torsion testing and duplicates were tested for all conditions. Duplicate tensile tests were performed at an engineering strain rate of 4.17 x 10-4 s-1 and the strain was measured with a 5.08 cm (2 in.) extensometer. Metallography was performed on longitudinal wire sections etched in picral. A FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscope) operating at a 5.0 kV accelerating voltage was used for

microstructural analysis. Selected torsional delamination fractures were analyzed by light and SEM fractographic techniques. Complete experimental procedures have been explained elsewhere16.

Results

Figs. 3 to 6 summarize selected room temperature tensile properties grouped to show engineering stress-strain data (Figs. 3 and 5) followed by summary plots of the effects of processing time and temperature on 0.2 % offset yield and ultimate tensile strengths (Figs. 4 and 6). For clarity, the engineering stress-strain data contains only one stressstrain curve per condition, and the summary plots represent the average values of the duplicate testing. Each figure of engineering stress-strain data was plotted to compare heat treating temperature at constant time because heat treating temperature had the greatest influence on the wire tensile properties. Also, the as-drawn and hot-dip galvanized conditions were included as a reference in each figure. One main observation from these figures is that the yielding behavior of the wires changes with heat treatment. The as-drawn condition exhibits smooth continuous yielding with a corresponding non-linear region characteristic of cold drawn wire17. In contrast, all the heat-treated and Fig. 3. Engineering stress-strain curves for low Si depicting changes with heat hot-dip galvanized conditions treating temperature for (left) 10 s and (right) 60 s heat treatments. Wires have a well defined linear elastested with an engineering strain rate of 4.17 x 10-4 s-1. tic region, sharper transition from elastic to plastic deformation, and 0.2% offset yield strength and ultimate tensile strength values that depend upon heat treatment temperature. Also, with increased heattreating time and temperature the amount of work hardening increased, and all of the conditions, except Hi Si-350/10, had a greater tensile ductility than the as-drawn condition. In both Figs. 4 and 6, data for zero time correspond to the asdrawn condition, and the horizontal dashed line indicates the properties of the same wires after commercial hot-dip galvaFig. 4. Low Si wire variations in (left) 0.2 % offset yield stress and (right) nizing. The trends in these figtensile strength with heat treating time and temperature. The horizontal ures are of the same alloy and dashed line corresponds to commercial hot-dip galvanized wire. strength level with the values 62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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plotted based on heat-treating time and temperature. In the hot-dip galvanized condition is represented by a horievery condition, the 0.2 % offset yield strength and ultizontal dashed line. In the low Si conditions shown in Fig. mate tensile strength plots have a similar shape. There is a 8a, the shear stress at delamination values are constant or sharp increase in strength from the as-drawn condition to slightly decrease with increased heat-treating time, and the 10 s heat treated condition, followed by subsequent generally a higher heat-treating temperature results in a strength decrease for the longer time heat treatments. The lower shear stress at delamination. For the high Si condiresults also show that the 350Â°C heat-treated wires have the tions, Fig. 8b, there is a large increase from the as-drawn highest strengths; the strengths subsequently decrease with conditions to the heat-treated conditions. This spike in an increase in the heat treating temperature. shear stress at delamination then holds constant and Torque-twist curves were converted to shear stress-shear decreases with further heat-treating time. Finally, shear strain, and values of critical parameters extracted from the stress at delamination values for high Si wires were curves were reported as the average of two or three tests. approximately 50 to 100 MPa higher than the corresponThe critical values correspond to the shear strain at delamding low Si conditions. ination and the shear stress at delamination, which are the All micrographs presented in this section were taken in values of the shear stress and shear strain immediately the circumferential direction on planes parallel to the drawbefore the torque drop associated with delamination. These values are interpreted to be characteristic of the onset of delamination. The shear strain and shear stress at delamination were determined based on Nadaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s method presented by Dieter18. The shear strain at delamination results are summarized in Fig. 7. The values presented for the shear strain at delamination are an average of two or three tests. In both figures, data plotted at zero seconds represent the as-drawn condition, and the horizontal dashed line represents the hot-dip galvanized condition. If there is no data present for a specific heat-treating condition, this implies that for this condition delamination was not observed, as is the case for the low SiAD samples. The low Si condition had Fig. 5. Engineering stress-strain curves for high Si depicting changes with fewer conditions that delaminated than heat treating temperature for (left) 10 s and (right) 60 s heat treatments. the high Si wires, and those delaminatWires tested with an engineering strain rate of 4.17 x 10-4 s-1. ed conditions had a higher shear strain at delamination than the corresponding high Si condition. Also, for both low Si and high Si wires, most heat-treated conditions had a lower shear strain at delamination than the as-drawn and hotdip galvanized wires because of lower torsional ductility. Finally, increased heat-treating time and temperature either led to no delamination or increased shear strain at delamination in both the low Si and high Si wires. The averaged shear stress values associated with the onset of delamination are shown in Fig. 8 for all heat-treating temperatures as a function of time. Again, zero heat- treating time correFig. 6. High Si wire variations in (left) 0.2 % offset yield stress and (right) sponds to the as-drawn condition. If a tensile strength with heat treating time and temperature. The horizontal heat-treating condition is not present it dashed line corresponds to commercial hot-dip galvanized wire. means that it did not delaminate, and

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ing axis as close to the outer diameter (OD) of the wire as possible because that is where delamination is believed to initiate. Also, this is the area that has the most observable pearlite changes with heat treatment. Fig. 9 shows the near-surface microstructures of the asdrawn samples, low Si-AD and high Si-AD. Both wires show continuous cementite lamellae with some areas where the lamellae are curved due to the initial orientation and the resulting drawing strain. Also, both contain spherical iron carbide particles mainly located in the curved cementite areas. Selected spherical particles were evaluated with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Chemical analysis indicated that the composition of all selected spherical particles were consistent with cementite with measured compositions differing by silicon content16. Observed differences in silicon content were attributed to the presence of silicon in the ferrite matrix adjacent to the spherical particles and influenced by the electron beam. A qualitative system was developed to describe the amount of cementite spheroidization present in each wire condition, and will be used for the remainder of this paper. Stage 1 refers to conditions that still exhibit continuous cementite lamellae with no noticeable spheroidization having taken place with observed spherical particles interpreted as those also present in the as-drawn condition. Stage 2 microstructures still have lamellar cementite present; however, cementite lamellae are thinned and discontinuous in places. Also, the cementite appears feathery at the interface with ferrite. Stage 3 microstructures have the highest degree of cementite spheroidization. The lamellar structure is aligned consistent with the original pearlitic structure, but the cementite is no longer continuous because it has separated into many smaller, more spherical particles. Micrographs of samples heat treated for 60 s at 500째C are

shown in Fig. 10 and characteristic of Stage 3. The cementite lamellae are thinned and broken up by spheroidization. Comparing the low Si wire of Fig. 10a with the high Si wire of Fig. 10b shows that the cementite spheroidization in the low Si wire is more severe than in the high Si wire. This confirms that Si affects the rate of cementite spheroidization. Complete results of all microstructures and testing are summarized elsewhere16. Torsional fracture analysis was done on delaminated wires, and more specifically on those with low ductility that failed very soon after the occurrence of delamination. An example of this type of failure is shown in Fig. 11. Fracture analysis concentrated on low-ductility wires because the fracture surfaces of these wires developed without subsequent shear damage by interfacial contact with further twisting. Furthermore, if the delamination initiation mechanism is characteristic of a critical event in all wires, then wires without significant post delamination strain would offer the best opportunity to evaluate potential nucleation sites. Low-ductility torsion fractures similar to those of Fig. 11 were examined for similarities. All of these fractures had a very smooth, straight fracture edge parallel to the original wire axis and assumed to contain the initiation point. On the opposite side of the wire, the fracture edge contained shear lips which developed along a helix and identified the locations where the crack exited the sample. The smooth, straight fracture surfaces were then examined further for delamination initiation points. Several of the wires with a similar type of fracture mode were examined for a possible delamination initiation point, and many were identified to contain a large angle where the smooth, straight edge was slightly offset. Many of these angles could be seen with the naked eye, and one is shown in the white box of Fig. 11, and at a higher magnification in Fig. 12. The high Si-450/20 wire, shown in Fig. 12, had a fracture mode where the wire split open soon after delamination, and the angular offset could be seen on the straight, smooth fracture surface. Fig. 12 shows that the angular offset is close to 45째. Several of the wires containing similar offsets were then examined in the FE-SEM. Fig. 13 contains images of one interesting ridge in the high Si-450/20 wire. This ridge was located at the OD, and with reference to Fig. 12 was located to the right on Fig. 7. Averaged torsion testing results for shear strain at delamination in a 102 mm the smooth, straight fracture gage length wire for (left) low Si and (right) high Si wire conditions. All wires tested surface. This ridge had the at a speed of 0.5 RPM. 64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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opposite orientation, so the two ridges are facing each other on the fracture surface. Fig. 13a shows the second ridge of interest and its orientation. This ridge is very similar to the ridge of Fig. 12 as both have an angled face separating two regions of shear crack growth parallel to the wire axis. The microvoids from the angular face are shown in Fig. 13b. These microvoids are equiaxed when viewed at an angle normal to the angular face, and in the bottom of many of the Fig. 8. Averaged torsion testing results for shear stress at delamination in a equiaxed microvoids particles 102 mm gage length wire for (left) low Si and (right) high Si wire conditions. can be seen, as indicated by All wires tested at a speed of 0.5 RPM. arrows in the image. The transition from the equiaxed region to the more sheared microvoid region is shown in Fig. 13c. This image shows the two ridges of similar appearance it is not obvious which one microvoid orientations, and their differences can be seen caused the initiation of the delamination, but it is believed easily. The microvoids on the left half of the image are that the initiation would more likely be related to the equiaxed and are located on the angular face, and the largest ridges. This also suggests that the development of microvoids on the right half appear more sheared and come the microvoids on the 45째 plane occurred simultaneously at from the top region. Fig. 13d shows the sheared microvoids several points throughout the wire gauge length. far below and above the angular ridge. The orientation of the microvoids is similar to those seen in an examination of Discussion the ridge of Fig. 1216. Analysis of the wire microstructures presented in Figs. 9 The location and geometry of the angular ridge and and 10 shows that there are two primary effects of processchange in appearance of the microvoids with location proing. First, the pearlitic microstructure becomes increasingvides some insight into the possible delamination initiation ly spheroidized with longer heat-treating times and at highpoint. Based on the stress state during a torsion test and the er temperatures; and secondly, the rate of spheroidization apparent 45째 angle of the ridge in Fig. 12, it is interpreted decreases with an increase in Si content. To illustrate the here that ridges such as these are delamination initiation effects of time, temperature and Si addition on the extent of points. During torsion testing, a maximum tensile stress cementite spheroidization, qualitative microstructure maps develops on a 45째 angle, and this tensile stress could lead presented in Fig.14 were developed. Each investigated to the development of microvoids. The microvoids develtime-temperature pair is shown by a data point, and at each oped on the 45째 ridge should be equiaxed because of the condition the interpreted stage of spheroidization was identensile stress, and equiaxed microvoids were found on one tified. The solid lines were added to show regions in timeridge face shown in Fig.13b. Also, in the bottom of some temperature space where each stage of aging dominated. equiaxed microvoids spherical particles were found and Both Figs.14a and 14b show that increasing heat-treating interpreted to be where the microvoids initiated. Spherical time and temperature increased the amount of cementite particles were present in the AD condition, and more posspheroidization and illustrate that the rate of cementite sibly formed as a result of aging. Then with further deforspheroidization decreases with an increase in silicon conmation, microvoid coalescence can take place resulting in tent. The location of the solid lines depicts the slowing of a crack of critical length that will grow due to the shear cementite spheroidization in the high Si wire because the stress into the delamination crack observed. The shear solid lines shifted to higher temperatures and to longer stress is responsible for the microvoids in areas other than times in the high Si wire of Fig. 10b compared to the low the ridge face being distorted. Since there is only shear Si wire of Fig. 10a. stress acting on the horizontal planes where the sheared Differences in cementite spheroidization rates between microvoids are found, it is not believed that these areas are the two wire alloys are attributed to the silicon content. initiation points, and the microvoids of these areas are Silicon has been shown1,8 to partition to the ferrite/ characteristic of the shear stress driving the delamination cementite interface in the ferrite phase as a substitutional crack growth. Also, due to the fact that there are several element. For the lamellar cementite to spheroidize, the sil-

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stress needed for plastic deformation. This is attributed to Stages 1 and 2 of aging because Fig. 14 shows that many of the microstructures are still classified as Stage 1 with no noticeable changes to the cementite. No changes in the microstructure were noticed because the SEM cannot detect them. The change from continuous yielding to Fig. 9. SEM micrographs of as-drawn condition for (left) low Si and (right) discontinuous yielding also high Si wires, showing mostly smooth continuous cementite laths with some supports this because Stage 1 spherical carbide particle characteristic of Stage 1 spheroidization. Picral and 2 aging are responsible for etched and drawing direction is horizontal. discontinuous yielding. The asdrawn wires exhibit continuous yielding because the ferrite dislocations are unpinned and free to glide. The pinned dislocations in the heat-treated wires must reach a certain stress before they can glide resulting in a distinct yield point. The tensile strength increased as well because in most cases the yield strength was increased by such a degree that subsequent work hardening was enough to result in a higher tensile Fig. 10. SEM micrographs of 500/60 conditions for (left) low Si and (right) strength. Additionally, Si has high Si wires, showing Stage 3 spheroidization. Picral etched and drawing been shown to increase the direction is horizontal. activity of carbon in ferrite, allowing for more carbon pinning of ferrite dislocations and/or fine carbide precipitaicon must diffuse along with the interface. The slower silition to occur during drawing and heat treating in the high con diffusion rate impedes the interface, resulting in the Si wire, leading to higher tensile strengths19. 1,8 slowing of cementite spheroidization . Therefore, the Decreases in yield and tensile strength with increased larger alloying addition of silicon in the high Si wire heat-treating time and temperature are attributed to recovretards the cementite interface movement more than in the ery of ferrite dislocations and coarsening of ferrite preciplower silicon low Si wire. itates. Cementite spheroidization was more advanced The tensile testing data showed systematic changes in based on the stages shown for each condition in Fig. 14. strength and yielding that can be attributed to aging. The Recovery of dislocations in ferrite explains the yield increase in yield strength from the as-drawn to heat-treated strength decrease. With fewer dislocations present in ferrite conditions is due to Stages 1 and 2 aging where carbon to be pinned by carbon atoms, the stress necessary to cause atoms are pinning ferrite dislocations, resulting in a higher plastic deformation is decreased, resulting in lower yield strength. Recovery in ferrite would also be greater at longer times and higher temperatures, explaining further strength decreases. Occurring simultaneously with ferrite recovery is cementite spheroidization. Fig. 14 shows that increased heattreating time and temperature Fig. 11. Photograph of a High Si-450/20 delaminated wire after torsion testing. results in greater cementite White box indicates the location for the image in Fig. 12.

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spheroidization. A greater amount of cementite spheroidization results in more strength loss and increased ductility because spheroidized cementite is a less effective barrier to dislocation motion than long, continuous lamellar cementite11. Fig. 14 shows the effects that aging has on the occurrence of delamination and its previously explained initiation. Along with information on the stage of aging, Fig. 14 also includes information showing the torsional failure mode by open or closed symbols. With increased aging conditions, the low Si wire did not delaminate. It is believed that with enough aging the high Si wires would also have non-delaminated conditions. It is believed that with enough aging, neither wires will exhibit delamination because there is a critical stress necessary to initiate microvoids on the particles seen in Fig. 13b. As long as the critical stress for microvoid nucleation is met by the normal stress developed during torsion testing, microvoids will form, resulting in delamination by the mechanism explained previously. Some of the low Si conditions did not delaminate because the normal stress developed during torsion never exceeded the critical stress. The tensile data of Figs. 3 and 5 along with the shear strain at delamination data of Fig. 7 help to provide evidence that there is a critical stress to nucleate microvoids leading to delamination. The engineering stress-strain curves show that there is little work hardening for the 350°C wires because the yield stress is high. Additionally, the shear strain at delamination for the 350°C wires was very low. The low shear strain at delamination happens because shortly after yielding, delamination occurred because the high yield stress was close to or above the critical stress for delamination to occur. Contrasting the 350°C wires with the 500°C wires shows a different occurrence. The engineering stressstrain curves show that the yield stress is lower and that there is much more work hardening occurring. The shear strain at delamination for the 500°C wires is higher than that of the 350°C wires, so the conditions delaminated later after yielding under larger amounts of plastic deformation and corresponding work-hardening when the stress developed finally was greater than the critical stress for delamination.

Fig. 12. Higher magnification photograph of the white box area of Fig. 11 showing the large 45° angular offset indicated by arrow where delamination is believed to have initiated.

Yield and tensile strengths increased significantly with aging for short times and at lower temperatures. Subsequently, both strengths decreased with an increase in heat treating time or temperature. There was a change from continuous yielding in the as-drawn condition to a more well-defined yield point in all aged and hot-dip galvanized conditions. Ductility also increased with aging compared to the as-drawn condition. High Si enhanced the strength of as-drawn and aged wires, a result attributed to enhanced resistance to dislocation motion in ferrite. Torsion-induced tensile stresses initiated microvoids on

Conclusions Three stages of aging-dependent microstructures were observed in drawn and aged wires. Stage 1 microstructures appeared similar to the as-drawn condition with elongated lamellar cementite and some dispersed spherical particles. Therefore, all changes in this stage resulted primarily in the ferrite at a substructural level not resolvable by light or scanning electron microscopy. Stage 2 microstructures depicted incipient cementite spheroidization, and Stage 3 microstructures contained cementite and have separated into many smaller, more spherical particles. A Si addition was observed to retard cementite spheroidization during aging.

Fig. 13. Another angular ridge found on the high Si450/20 wire showing: (a) the angular ridge of interest; (b) microvoids with particles inside them on the angular face; (c) the angle between the angular face and the top of the ridge showing the two microvoid orientations; and (d) the highly sheared microvoids below the ridge.

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References 1. T. Tarui, J. Takahashi, H. Tahiro, N. Maruyama and S. Nishida, “Microstructure Control and Strengthening of High-carbon Steel Wires,” Nippon Steel Technical Report, No. 91, Jan. 2005, pp. 56-61. 2. K. Shimizu and N. Kawabe, “Size Dependence of Delamination of High-carbon Steel Wire,” ISIJ Int., Vol. 41, No. 2, 2001, pp. 183191. 3. A. Bell, S. Hobson, J. Fig. 14. Qualitative summary plots for (left) low Si and (right) high Si Wilkinson, C. O’Connor and S. showing the cementite spheroidization stage of the microstructure and if Sefton, “Development of ultra highthe condition delaminated. White symbols represent delamination and strength wire for offshore applicablack symbols represent Type 1 failures. tions,” Wire Journal International, May 2008, pp. 78-88. 4. M. Kaiso, N. Ibaraki, Y. Oki and T. Minamida, “Development of a new hypereutectoid steel for highstrength wire,” Wire Journal spherical particles leading to the development of small International, Feb. 2002, pp 116-121. cracks on planes oriented at 45° to the wire axis. 5. T. Tarui, S. Konno and T. Takahashi, “High Strength Subsequently, these cracks were driven by longitudinal Galvanized Wire for Bridge Cables,” Materials Science shear stresses imposed during torsion resulting in wire Forum, Vols. 426-432, 2003, pp. 829-834. delamination. Higher yield and tensile strengths associated 6. W. Van Raemdonck, I. Lefever and U. D’Haene, with higher Si contents correlated to higher shear stresses “Torsion Tests as a Tool for High Strength Wire and lower shear strains at the onset of delamination. Evaluation,” Wire Journal Intenational, June 1994, pp. 87The changes in deformation behavior, as documented by 98. tensile testing of systematically aged specimens, affected 7. J.K. Hallgarth, “Torsional Ductility of High Carbon the critical stresses required to create microvoids that led to Steel Wire,” Ironmaking and Steelmaking, Volume 22 No. the development of the initial cracks preceding delamina3, 1995, pp. 211-222. tion. Thus, tensile testing provided significant complemen8. T. Tarui, T. Takahahsi, S. Ohashi and R. Uemori, tary information to that observed in torsion testing. “Effect of Silicon on the Age Softening of High Carbon With heat treating at temperatures typically higher than Steel Wire,” Iron & Steelmaker, Volume 21, No. 9, 1994, conventional hot-dip galvanizing, tensile strength pp. 25-30. decreased and susceptibility to torsional delamination 9. T. Tarui, A. Yoshie, Y. Asano, T. Takahashi, S. Nishida, decreased in low Si steel wires. However, in high Si steels, H. Ohba and I. Ochiai, “Wire Rod for 2,000 MPa where strength was maintained, even high temperature Galvanized Wire and 2,300 MPa PC Strand,” Nippon Steel aging did not eliminate the susceptibility to delamination. Technical Report, No. 80, July 1999, pp. 44-49. Thus, it is clear that present technology (i.e. rod composi10. Y. Yamaoka, K. Hamada, H. Tsubono, H. Kawakami, tion, processing, etc.) does not guarantee delamination-free Y. Oki and Y. Kawaguchi, “Development of Galvanized products for all strength-diameter combinations. High-strength High-carbon Steel Wire,” ISIJ Int., Volume 26, No. 12, 1986, pp. 1059-1064. 11. C.E. Hinchliffe, G.D.W. Smith, “Strain Aging of Acknowledgments Pearlitic Steel Wire During Post-Drawing Heat The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Treatments,” Mat. Sci. & Tech, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2001, pp. sponsors of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products 148-151. Research Center, an industry/university cooperative 12. H. Delrue, J. Van Humbeeck, E. Aernoudt, I. Lefever research center at the Colorado School of Mines and NV and W. Van Raemdonck, “A study of aging of hard-drawn Bekaert for providing the as-drawn and hot-dip galvanized pearlitic steel wire by Differential Scanning Calorimetry wire.

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Pennington

Van Raemdonck

At the time this paper was written, Ryan E. Pennington was a process engineer for Bekaert Corp., Rogers, Arkansas, USA. He joined the company in 2009. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in metallurgical and materials engineering at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Walther Van Raemdonck has been General Manager of Technology Wire International for NV Bekaert SA, Zwevegem, Belgium, since 2001. He joined the company in 1986 and has since been involved in numerous product and process development projects for steel cord and wire. He earned a Ph.D. degree in metallurgy and applied materials science from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. David K. Matlock is the Armco Foundation Fogarty Professor in the George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and

16. R.E. Pennington, “Effects of Processing on the Strength, Ductility, and Fracture Response of 0.9 C–0.2 Cr–1.3 Si Wire,” M.S. Thesis, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Co., 2009. 17. R.M. Shemenski, Ferrous Wire Handbook, The Wire Association International, Inc., 2008, pp. 473-478. 18. G.E. Dieter, Mechanical Metallurgy. 3rd Edition, McGraw Hill, 1986, pp. 189-191 19. W.C. Leslie, The Physical Metallurgy of Steel, McGraw Hill, 1981, pp. 140-141. ■

Matlock

Krauss

Director of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center at CSM. He received his B.S. degree in engineering science from the University of Texas at Austin and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in materials science and engineering from Stanford University. George Krauss is University Emeritus Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. He joined CSM in 1975 and was one of the co-founders of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center. He is known through his publications on ferrous metallurgy and is the author of several textbooks on the processing, structure, and performance of steels. This paper, which was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, May 2010, won the Allan B. Dove Memorial Award for the best ferrous paper.

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(DSC) and Thermoelectric Power (TEP),” Wire Journal International, April 1997, pp. 74-80. 13. D.B. Park, E.G. Kang, and W.J. Nam, “The Prediction of the Occurrence of the Delamination in Cold Drawn Hyper-eutectoid Steel Wires,” J. of Mat. Proc. Tech., Vols. 187-188, 2007, pp. 178-181. 14. D.B. Park, J.W.Lee, Y.S. Lee, K.T. Park and W.J. Nam, “Effects of the Annealing Temperature and Time on the Microstructural Evolution and Corresponding the Mechanical Properties of Cold-Drawn Steel Wires,” Metals and Materials Int., Volume 14, No. 1, 2008, pp. 59-64. 15. W.C. Leslie, R.M. Fisher and N. Sen, “Morphology and Crystal Structure of Carbides Precipitated from Solid Solution in Alpha Iron,” Acta Metallurgica, Vol. 7, 1959, pp. 632-644.

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TECHNICAL PAPER Adhesion promotion of wire and cable jacketing by atmospheric plasma surface treatment This paper discusses current atmospheric surface activation systems, appropriate measurements of wettability and adhesion, over-treatment effects and surface analysis techniques relative to optimizing the adhesion of inkjet inks, coatings and adhesives to these polymer and fibrous surfaces. By Rory A. Wolf

Atmospheric surface activation systems This paper reviews the three primary types of atmospheric surface activation systems for three-dimensional polymeric surfaces: air plasma, flame plasma, and atmospheric chemical plasma regimens. Air plasma. An air plasma treating system is designed to increase the surface tension of polymers in order to allow improved wettability and adhesion of inks, coatings and adhesives. As a result, the materials treated will demonstrate improved printing and coating quality, and stronger lamination strength. The system consists of two major components: the power supply and the treatment device. The power supply accepts standard utility electrical power and converts it into singlephase, higher frequency power that is supplied to the treating device. The treating device applies this power to the surface of the material through an air gap via an electrode design. Only the side of the material facing the high potential electrode should show an increase in surface tension. When air is exposed to different voltages, an electrical discharge develops. When this occurs, neutral molecules and electrically charged molecules collide. These collisions cause neutral molecules to become electrically charged, resulting in filamentary discharges or “streamers.” Such filamentary discharges create a cloud of ionized air, or an “air plasma.” When a wire jacket substrate is placed under an air plasma discharge, electrons bombard the treatment surface with energies two to three times that necessary to break the molecular bonds on the surface of most substrates. The resulting free radicals react rapidly with other free radicals on the same or different molecular chain, resulting in cross-linking. Oxidative effects on treated surfaces increases surface energy as a result of polar groups being 70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

created on the surface, primarily in the form of hydroxyl groups, carbonyl groups, amide groups and carboxylic acid. Since exposures of treated surfaces to high levels of ambient humidity and temperature accelerates polymer side chain mobility and treatment degradation, it is recommended that down-stream plastic decoration take place directly following treatment. Air plasma systems are currently manufactured in two forms: blown arc and blown ion. The blown arc form of air plasma is easily distinguished by the bright flame-like electrical arc that it forms. This sub-form uses two electrodes though which air is blown between, forming this arc-like shape. In this form, the substrate is treated by coming into contact with approximately a quarter of an inch of the arc. The blown ion form of air plasma requires greater pressure of air past the electrode. This sub-form utilizes a single electrode that discharges inside the treater head. The great amount of pressure allows the charged air to rocket out of the tip of the head and form a deep, directed stream of charged ions. Flame plasma. A flame plasma is formed when a flammable gas and atmospheric air are combined and combusted to form an intense blue flame. The surface of wire and cable jacketing materials are made polar as species in the flame plasma affect the electron distribution and density on the surface. Polar functional groups such as ether, ester, carbonyl, carboxyl and hydroxyl are contained in a flame plasma; these are incorporated into the surface and affect the electron density of the polymer material. This polarization and functionalization is made through reactive oxidation of a surface. ESCA analysis shows that oxidation depth through flame treatment is 5-10 nm. This is generally less in depth than air plasma treatment, where oxidation depth is believed to be over 10 nm. However, flame plas-

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

The substrate is optimally treated by atmospheric chemical ma treatment’s extensive oxidation, due to reactions with plasma when it is positioned several millimeters downOH radicals in the flame, results in a highly wettable surstream from the source. Line speed, power level, chemface that is relatively stable upon aging. istry, chemistry mixtures and material composition primaFlame plasma systems are manufactured with two pririly determine levels of etching and functionalization mary burner configurations: ribbon and drilled port. which can be achieved. Ribbon burners are typically constructed with a cast iron body and with stainless steel ribbons which are meshed (or opposed to each other) to construct varying pilot and main Measures of wettability and adhesion flame patterns. As the open area of the ribbon construction Wire and cable jacketing substrates such as plastics are increases, so does the capacity of the ribbon burner. Drilled generally composed of non-polar, long-chain molecules. port burners are typically manufactured in brass, stainless Polymeric surfaces have a small amount of free energy. steel or aluminum and offer the flexibility of having varyFluorocarbons, silicones and vinyls have particularly low ing port diameters and port rows for wide design and treatfree surface energies. ment adaptations. The substrate is optimally treated by As such, jacketing materials have few available bonding flame plasma when it is positioned approximately 5-8 mm sites due to low levels of charged ions on the surface. In above the inner luminous flame cones. Line speed and addition to low surface energies, plastics have diverse levburner output will affect this positioning. els of conductivity that may be composites in structure, Atmospheric chemical plasma. Atmospheric chemical and may be blended with processing additives. All of these plasma treating systems generate an electrically charged variables can negatively impact molecular attraction, causatmosphere similar to air plasma, but use chemical atmosing liquids to fail to wet the surface. The surface energy of pheres in place of air to introduce a wide range of surface plastics and fibers must significantly exceed the surface modifications to a jacketing substrate. The systems are tension of liquids by a recommended level of 10 dynes/cm characterized by their generation of high density reactive to prevent ink or coating picking/liftoff and delaminations. species for low-temperature material processing. The Reliable and repeatable measures of wettability and chemical plasma process can involve surface preparation adhesion are critical to successfully printing, coating and via the breakdown of low molecular weight organic matelaminating jacketing substrates. The use of “dyne” solurials (LMWOM) and surface decontamination, fine etching tions is the most common method of measuring the surface of the surface to create new topographies, grafting of new tension of substrates. This process uses varying proporfunctional groups or chemical species on the surface, and tions of formamide (HCONH2) and ethyl cellosolve the deposition of coatings on the surface. The treatment (CH3CH2OCH2CH2OH). The percentage of each chemical process is designed to allow the interchange of gas used is dictated by ASTM D2578-84, and directly correchemistries relative to the application requirements. In the lates to surface tension of the solution usually ranging from case of plastic parts, loose surface oligomers and other 30-70 dynes/cm. The ASTM standard requires ambient residues are repetitively cleaved and degraded until they temperature (23±2ºC) and relative humidity (50±5%) test are removed largely by a combination of bombardment by ions and electrons. These organic residues are converted into water vapor, carbon dioxide and other nontoxic gases or volatilized materials. A noble carrier gas such as argon is typically used to initiate the breakdown of LMWOM and create surface etching for greater adhesion of paints, inks, coatings and adhesives. The gas species that is ionized, along with the composition and structure of the jacketing polymer or fiber itself, are the key factors that determine the degree of etching. To maximize adhesion of inks on plastics (particularly thermoplastic olefins and fluoropolymers), the deposition of polar functional groups from the use of oxygen and acetylene reactive gases with the carrier gas can be particularly effective. Atmospheric chemical plasma treatment systems are typically non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure, glow-discharge plasma systems that generate uniform and homogenous treatments. The level of surface tension and longevity of treatment are both typically greater than air plasma treatment effects, Fig. 1. Results of tests of immediate post-treatment surface and similar in treatment effect to flame plasmas. energy by the three methods described in this paper.

TECHNICAL PAPERS Appendix. Results of analysis for polymer substrates that were treated by air plasma, flame plasma and atmospheric chemical plasma.

conditions, due to the inverse temperature/surface tension relationships of liquids. A sterile cotton swab is used to apply a thin coating of the dyne solution to the substrate. If the dyne solution does not bead up within two seconds, the surface tension of the substrate is determined be at the dyne level of the solution used or higher. This testing method is fast and cost-effective. Use of a consistent number of drops of dyne solution on individual swabs for each test adds reliability to the method. Dyne markers are also used in the industry, but care must be taken to clean contamination from the tip following each test. The contact angle is also often used to determine surface tension, cleanliness, bondability, wettability, adhesion, biocompatibility and coating quality. Advancing angle measurements best represent the wetting of the substrate while receding angle measurements can predict the adhesion characteristics of the substrate. In some cases, the variation of the measured contact angle of the pretreated surface from location to location is larger than the average reduction in the contact angle by pretreatment. To gather mean-

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ingful data, the same point on the surface should be used to measure the contact angles before and after pretreatment. This reveals the change in contact angle due to cleaning while minimizing the effect of surface variation.

Over-treatment effects The primary objective of surface activation systems is to introduce high energies to bombard ions against surfaces and remove contaminants so a more stable polymer surface is exposed. And in the case of a plasma discharge, these bombardments can facilitate the further etching, grafting or the deposition of surface inks and coatings. Excessive surface treatment can result in an extreme bombardment of the base jacketing material that ultimately can destroy the entire native surface of the jacketing. Depending on the treatment process, pin-holing, surface degradation (i.e., redevelopment of LMWOM), and accelerated treatment decay rate are typical outcomes from atmospheric surface activation system over-treatments.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Surface analysis Surface analysis and microscopy methods are key tools in determining changes in surface topography and the presence of deposited functional groups on substrates. Appropriate techniques to maximize surface data for plastics while minimizing cost and response time include Atomic Force Microscopy (micrographs of atomic scale roughness to resolution depths of .01 nm), XPS/ESCA (surface analysis of organic and inorganic molecules to resolution depths of 1-10 nm), and Time of Flight SIMS (surface microanalysis of secondary ions, atoms, and molecules to resolution depths of 1 monolayer).

Background and development effort Because the processing of jacketed wires and cables is typically in-line or continuous from surface activation through the adhesion of inks, coatings and adhesives, experimental focus was placed on determining the treatment effectiveness of different atmospheric surface activation systems on various polymer substrates rather than on long-term treatment degradation profiles. As such, an analysis was conducted of immediate post-treatment surface energy as created by air plasma, flame plasma and atmospheric chemical plasma, and measured by the use of dyne solutions and sterile cotton swabs. Trials were conducted within the Enercon Industries surface treatment laboratory at a processing speed of 50 fpm. Power outputs for Enercon-designed air plasma, flame plasma and atmospheric chemical plasma systems were controlled to standard design outputs. The flame plasma treater utilized a triple slot burner, while the chemical plasma system utilized helium and oxygen chemistries. See Fig. 1 for the results of this analysis.

Wolf

Conclusions With the exception of PTFE, the polymer substrates chosen for this analysis were treated by air plasma, flame plasma and atmospheric chemical plasma at or above surface activation levels considered adequate by industry standards for promoting the adhesion of aqueous, solvent and UVbased (see Appendix) inks, coatings and adhesives. High levels of reactive oxidation and surface functionalization by flame plasma and atmospheric chemical plasma, respectively, are assumed to be key in generating dyne levels higher than air plasma for all tested substrates.

Bibliography This paper includes information presented at some two dozen presentations at TAPPI conferences. For a list of the specific papers, authors and conference dates, e-mail the author at rwolf@enerconmail.com. ■

Rory A. Wolf is vice president of business development at Enercon Industries Corporation, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA. He has 28 years’ experience in international positions in the plastics and packaging industries. He has specific experience in polymer-based flexible packaging, polymer surface modification systems, and printing industry segments. He holds an M.B.A. degree from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He is division council member, PLACE Division, in the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI); executive board member for the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE); and a member of the Society of Plastics Industry (SPI). He has published 26 technical papers, 35 industry articles, and two books about plastic surface modification by atmospheric plasma technology. This paper was presented at WAI’s 80th Annual Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, May 2010.

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TECHNICAL PAPER Influence of natural aging and plastic deformation on the drawability and final properties of CCR AA6201 rod The influence of the onset of Mg2Si precipitation on the drawability of the rod was analyzed and found to have a significant effect on the final properties of artifically aged drawn wire. By Martín Iraizoz and Jorge Álvarezn

Aluminum alloy electrical grade wire, mainly used in power transmission lines, is manufactured from 9.5 mm diameter CCR rod. As age-hardenable alloys are typically introduced, before drawing, the rod coils undergo a solution heat treatment in order to dissolve all the Mg and Si, and obtain a material with good drawability and good response to the final artificial aging. Nevertheless, as soon as the solution heat treatment ends, natural aging begins to take place, modifying the mechanical properties of the rod. The aim of this paper is try to better understand how factors such as natural aging time and plastic deformation interact during the drawing process, and how these factors affect the final artificial aging as well as the mechanical properties of the final product. It also studies the importance of the onset of Mg2Si precipitation on the drawability of the rod.

Experimental procedure An AA6201 rod coil (0.66%Mg, 0.53%Si, 0.19%Fe) was taken from the production line and solution heat-treated for 10 hours at 550°C. The coil was then rapidly quenched in water so the Mg and Si remain dissolved in the aluminum matrix. See Fig. 1. A 100 kg sample of the coil was taken and kept in a temperaturecontrolled room (22°C to 24°C). It is here where the natural aging mechanisms start to work. As days passed by, groups of samples were taken to see the effect of natural aging time on the properties of the rod. Each group of samples consisted of 40 350-mm-long rod sticks. These groups were then divided into two subgroups, having each 20 sticks. One subgroup was deformed 7% while the other subgroup was deformed 22% (both deformations having been applied by a tensile test machine at 74 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

a crosshead speed of 100 mm/min). Once all the samples had been deformed, they were artificially aged at 200°C for times ranging from 30 minutes to 10 hours. Each data point shown in Figs. 2-6 is the average result of two samples. This process was repeated 10 times, each time corresponding to a different natural aging time. All the samples considered in this paper had natural aging times that ranged from some minutes to several weeks.

Results Influence of natural aging on the properties of rod and pre-deformed wire. To see how the natural aging time affects the properties of the rod, the mechanical strength of solution heat-treated rod was plotted against natural aging time. See Figs. 2 and 3. Also, the mechanical strength of the pre-deformed and artificially aged rod was plotted against the natural aging time, taking into account the

Fig. 1. Coil process for experimental procedure.

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mechanical strength at peak aging condition. As it was reach the peak aging condition: no differences are seen in unknown how the natural aging and the pre-deformation relation to the natural aging time. could effect the time needed to reach the peak aging conInfluence of previous deformation on the properties of dition during the artificial aging, in each case the complete the rod. Even though the mechanical properties of preartificial aging curve was plotted to determine as precisely deformed rod did not evolve during the natural aging as possible the highest attainable mechanical strength for phase, a strong relation between the pre-deformation and each case. the mechanical properties of the rod was observed. From From Figs. 2 and 3, it can be seen that the mechanical Fig. 4, it can be seen that: properties of the rod keep on increasing, even weeks after The difference between the yield stress and the UTS undergoing the solution heat treatment. It is worth noting before the artificial aging treatment is big for the samples that the increase rate of the mechanical strength has a logarithmic behavior. This plays an important role in the wiredrawing industry as it shows that the rod properties at the time of being drawn depend on the time elapsed since the solution heat treatment. It is also known that the temperature of rod coil during the time between the solution heat treatment and the drawing process has an important effect on the evolution of the mechanical properties1. This paper does not address this latter aspect, but it is important to remark that such parameters are extrinsic to the material itself, being determined by factors such as shipping, handling and storage of the coils. However, Figs. 2 and 3 show that even though the properties of the rod evolve with time, this does not affect the final mechanical properties of the drawn wire, which remain constant regardless of the natural aging time of Fig. 2. Yield stress after artificial aging. Shown are the maximum the rod. One possible explanation for this attainable properties at peak aging condition. behavior could be the influence of the plastic deformation imparted to the rod, not due to its hardening effect, but as an effective nucleant of the Mg2Si phase. Even though the formation of Mg and Si clusters take place during the natural aging (these clusters act as hardeners as well as nucleants), the nucleant effect of the dislocation network generated during the plastic deformation is believed to be more effective. Therefore, the distribution and size of the Mg2Si phase would be governed by the amount of plastic deformation and not by the natural aging time. This hypothesis correlates well to what is seen in the experiments. Moreover, the higher the plastic deformation applied to the rod, the higher the density of dislocations in the rod and the higher the number of nucleation sites, thus achieving a much finer and homogeneous Mg2Si precipitation, which in turn increases the mechanical properties of Fig. 3. UTS after artificial aging. Shown are the maximum attainable the rod. The same applies for the time to properties at peak aging condition.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

deformed 7% and small for the samples deformed 22% due to the strain hardening effect imparted to the rod during the tensile deformation. This increases the mechanical strength of the material and lowers the UTS/ﾏペ ratio. The more deformed the material, the more fragile it becomes. The above mentioned difference between the yield stress and the UTS turns smaller as the artificial aging treatment progresses and the recovery mechanisms start to act. At the same time, Mg2Si precipitation begins to take place, thus increasing the mechanical properties of the material. The maximum attainable mechanical properties vary

according to the previous mechanical deformation imparted to the rod: the greater the pre-deformation is, the higher the maximum attainable mechanical strength will be. Also, the greater the pre-deformation is, the shorter the time needed to reach the peak aging state. The hardening of the material is mainly due to the Mg2Si precipitation. The previous deformation does not directly contribute to the mechanical strength of the material. It has an indirect effect providing nucleation sites for the Mg2Si to precipitate. One could say that the pre-deformation acts as a catalyst for the Mg2Si precipitation. Once the material is over-aged, there are no signs of previous deformation left. This reinforces what has been said in the above mentioned statements. Strain hardening. As noted earlier, the complete artificial aging curve (i.e., mechanical strength against artificial aging time) was plotted for the sample groups with different natural aging times. In order to obtain the mechanical strength for each different artificial aging time, four tensile tests were carried out, two of them for the samples with 7% pre-deformation and two for the samples with 22% pre-deformation. Yield stress as well as UTS were determined from these tests. Analyzing the tensile tests data, elongation to fracture as well as the strain hardening exponent n were obtained, the latter being computed as the slope of the straight line in the log-log plot of the true stress against the true strain2. Fig. 5 shows how elongation to fracture as well as the exponent n change with the artificial aging time. The strain-hardening exponent n increases at the beginning of the Fig. 4. Artificial aging curves for samples naturally aged for artificial aging treatment, showing a notorious seven days (aging temperature=200ﾂｺC). peak after around 40 minutes of treatment. Then it decreases and remains constant during the time where the highest mechanical properties of the rod are obtained. Finally, the value of the exponent increases again as the material overages. Elongation to fracture shows a similar behavior. These results are important when seen from the rod workability point of view (in this case, one could say drawability instead of workability). It is well known that the higher the value of the strain hardening exponent n, the more beneficial this is for the forming processes, and that the onset of localized deformation and plastic instability is thus delayed2. This value is meaningless if it is not complemented with such an elongation to fracture that allows the forming processes to be carried out without resulting in a rupture of the material. Fig. 5 shows that both these conditions are satisfied at the beginning of the artificial aging treatment, therefore providing optimal conditions for Fig. 5. Evolution of the strain hardening exponent n and drawing. It is possible that there could be an elongation to fracture during artificial aging. 76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

References 1. M. Amado, “Comparación de las propiedades obtenidas en alambrón de aleación de aluminio AA6201 producidos con temples T1 y T4,” Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, ALUAR, 2010. 2. G.E. Dieter, “Mechanical Metallurgy,” 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill, 1988. 3. M. Iraizoz, “Characterization of the process of manufacture of AA6101 electrical grade wire,” 10th Australasian iconference and exhibition, Sydney, Australia, 2007. ■

Conclusions The findings of this work result in the following conclusions: • Even though the solution heat-treated aluminum alloy rod gets stronger as time passes by (natural aging), this has no influence on the final mechanical properties of the drawn and artificially aged wire. • In contrast to natural aging, which has no influence on the mechanical properties of the final product, the deformation applied to the rod before the artificial aging has an important role affecting the final mechanical properties of the drawn wire: the higher the previous deformation, the stronger the final product will be. • The contribution of the previous deformation to the mechanical properties of the final product is not related to the work hardening of the material, but to its effect acting as a nucleant and providing more nucleation sites for the Mg2Si precipitation. This plays a significant part not only in increasing the mechanical strength of the material, but also in shortening the time needed to reach the peak aging condition during the artificial aging, thus reducing production costs. • As the material over-ages during the artificial aging, its properties become independent from the previous deformation. This confirms the fact that recovery mechanisms did take place in the material and that the increase in the mechanical strength is due to the fine Mg2Si precipitates. • It was observed that shortly after the beginning of the artificial aging treatment, the strain-hardening exponent n as well as the elongation to fracture reach their highest values. This means that the material at this stage (i.e. with incipient Mg2Si precipitation and partly recovered) is in optimal condition to be drawn. This reinforces the conclusions reached by Iraizoz3 about the advantages of in-line solution heat treated aluminum alloy rod coils over the batch solution heat treated ones.

Iraizoz

Álvarez

Martín Iraizoz is a process engineer in the metallurgy division of Aluar Aluminio Argentino SAIC, Puerto Madryn, Argentina, where he has been working since 2005. He is in charge of the rod manufacture process at one of Aluar’s production plants. He has been involved in processes such as ingot casting (direct chill and open mould) and dross recovery, and has also dealt with production management as casthouse chief assistant. He holds a degree in materials science engineering from the Sabato Institute of Technology, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jorge A. Álvarez works on the metallurgy team of the Development and Research Division of Aluar. He has been with the company since 2007. Previously, he worked in the Physics Department at the National Institute of Industrial Technology, Buenos Aires. He holds a degree in physics from the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, University of Buenos Aires. This paper was presented at WAI’s International Technical Conference, October 2010, Monterrey, Mexico.

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optimal interaction between the incipient Mg2Si precipitation at the beginning of the artificial aging treatment and the partial recovery of the strain hardening of the rod, both things together leading to obtain a good strain hardening exponent (due to the interaction between precipitates and dislocations during the tensile test) and a also a good elongation to fracture (due to the partial recovery of the material). This is also in agreement with the conclusions of the work of Iraizoz3, where it is mentioned that in the aluminum alloy rod production, the in-line solution heat treatment shows advantages over the batch solution heat treatment, not only concerning the costs and the final properties of the drawn wire, but also for the drawability of the material. According to the results of this work, it is better to draw a slightly precipitated material rather than one that has been perfectly solution heat-treated.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

PRODUCTS & MEDIA PRODUCTS Triple-Twist marks 10th anniversary This year the Gauder Group is observing the 10-year anniversary by its Setic s.a.s. division of the introduction of the Triple-Twist process for LAN cable production. A press release said that the patented solution, first offered in 2001, made it possible to increase production speed by 40 to 50% at a lower cost and provide better cable quality than conventional LAN pairing lines. “It is the best industry standard for Cat. 5/6/7 LAN cable production,” it said, noting some 200 TripleTwist twinning lines have been sold. The Setic equipment, the release said, “offers all the benefits of backtwist technology, combined with the advantages of the world-famous DVD 560 (twin vertical double backtwist payoff): stabilized impedance and superior consistency, hydraulic loading platform and pneumatic pintles for easy reel handling, continuous adjustment of backtwist rate from the operator’s control panel, integrated electrical cabinet and standalone equipment.” The range, it said, includes the vertical “all-in-one” Triple Twist pairing machine, type VTT 560, that can produce Cat. 5E pairs at speeds up to 6300 TPM (instead of 4500 TPM on standard 560 mm double-twist twinners) and Cat. 6 pairs at 6000 TPM (instead of 4000 TPM). The same production results can be achieved by using a double-position payoff for the Triple Twist process, type DVD TT 560 R or DHD TT 560, located before an existing standard double-twist machine, as it permits the running speed to increase to 1500-2200 TPM and allows cable production from Cat. 5 up to Cat. 7 as well as use of the twinner for other products types, it said. Setic also placed the Triple Twist pairing process on a one step machine creating the G3T 560 model for twinning four (or “n” as an option) pairs Cat. 5/5E/6E and 7/8 in one operation from insulated wires, on the same line, at speeds to 6000 TPM, the release said. Contact: Christian Pavailler, Setic s.a.s., sales.setic@gaudergroup.com, www.gaudergroup.com.

Company brings a ‘southern’ focus to its extrusion tooling repair service U.S.-based Southern Extrusion reports that the company has expanded its extrusion tool services to included assessing and repairing used and worn extrusion tools. “By providing repair services of extrusion tools, and not just ones made by us, we can contribute to the green

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process and help a manufacturer keep production costs low,” Southern Extrusion CEO and Vice President Ryan M. Otenberger said in a press release. He said that the repairs can be done at half the cost of buying new tooling, and that the service is available for any single, round-hole constructed tips and dies. That service, he said, can be done with a two- to three-day turnaround, compared to the two- to threeweeks lead time that is common for the industry. Further, resizing old tools to a new size that a manufacturer may need in the future saves time and material while embodying a green approach that their customers will appreciate, he said. “We work hand-in-hand with engineers to ensure that you have the exact tools you need to possess an efficient and high quality manufacturing process,” the release said. It noted that the company also offers customers general machining and welding services, citing one recent customer who needed a hole in an Inconel (high-grade nickel) extrusion screw filled in; the company was able to turn around in just one day. It added that Southern Extrusion has the logistics to offer its manufacturing and repair services to wire and cable companies anywhere in the world. Contact: Ryan M. Otenberger, Southern Extrusion, tel. 407-648-7074, www.southern-extrusion.com.

Cable assembly excels for use in wireless infrastructure applications U.S.-based W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., has added a rugged 18 GHz cable assembly to its GORE® PHASEFLEX® Microwave/RF Test Assemblies line. A press release said that the cable assembly is engineered for high throughput production test applications in the wireless infrastructure market. “The increased durability of this assembly reduces total costs for testing because it lasts longer, decreasing the frequency of cable assembly replacements,” it said, adding that the assembly’s stable performance ensures precise measurements and repeatability, which reduces the risk of testing errors and the need for time-consuming troubleshooting and system calibration. The cable assembly also eliminates the need to use a torque wrench to connect and disconnect accurately, which increases throughput on the manufacturing line, it said. The cable assembly is available in 1.0 and 1.5 meter lengths with both SMA and N-type male connectors, the

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

assemblies, it added, can withstand 100,000 flexures at a minimum bend radius of one inch. Contact: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., www.gore.com/electronics.

Copper reclamation system is fast, effective and very safe to use In cooperation with Encore Wire Corporation, Reel-OMatic, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of wire and cable handling equipment, has designed and produced an innovative copper reclamation system for Encore Wire that dramatically improves the efficiency and safety of separating and removing aluminum and steel armor from finished MC and AC style cables. This cable-scrapping and reclamation system automatically removes the aluminum sheathing from the inner conductors and chops it for recycling purposes, said company President Terry Simmons (pictured). He noted that as the inner conductors are removed, they are also chopped for external re-use or in-house recycling. The system, Simmons said, accommodates products ranging in sizes from .250 in. up to .750 in. in overall diameter and processes at speeds up to 190 FPM. Operator safety is improved by minimizing the time and risks associated with manual stripping that are normally present in such scrap-

ping operations, he said, adding that the new reclamation operation also considerably reduces floor space needs. Contact: Reel-O-Matic, Inc., www.reelomatic.com.

Wire-weaving loom an all-in-1 system Ireland-based Wire Screen Machinery Ltd. (WSM) has introduced a semi-automatic wire weaving loom that it reports offers manufacturers more flexibility while reducing floor space requirements. A press release noted that looms are generally selected for a given range of wire diameter/mesh combinations requiring at least two looms, two operators, double-power consump-

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tion and important floor space. The above shortcomings are eliminated by the MSW semi-automatic looms, as each one of the three models can process a range of wire from 1 to 12 mm, mesh from 1.5 to 150 mm, without any major changes other than the eventual change of the stop-pins’ rack, and the position of the front clamp beam to suit the wire diameter/mesh combinations, it said. The systems, which can run at speeds of 30 strokes per minute, are fast and easy to set up, and problems are automatically indicated on the control panel, it said. The loom comes in three models: MW-1600, weaving capacity of 500 to 1600 mm; MW-2100, weaving capacity of 500 to 2100 mm; and MW-2500, weaving capacity of 500 to 2500 mm. The company also offers a fully automatic wire stamping/cutting line with built-in device for straight section (for hooks) up to 12 mm; a fully automatic machine to make “self-cleaning” screens wires up to 4 mm, set-up with up to 2100 mm; a fully automatic CNC type wire crimping/weaving lines, diameters up to 4 and 8 mm, weaving width up to 2100 mm; and more. Contact: Peter Szilvasi, Wire Screen Machinery, Ltd., sales.wsm@orange.fr.

Aluminum busbar is a lightweight replacement for key copper cable Germany’s Leoni AG has introduced a solid aluminum busbar as a replacement for traditional copper cable used to connect the battery in cars, an end-use that it said represents a significant auto component. A press release said that the round aluminum busbar, which weighs about half of traditional copper cables, can be shaped in three dimensions and be fitted directly on or

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underneath a vehicle’s chassis. It noted that a typical car has about 3,000 meters of cable, and that the connection between the battery and the engine is one of the bulkiest single cables. The potential for saving weight on this component, it said, is even greater when the battery is located in the rear of the vehicle. The busbar has a variable diameter depending on the application and is insulated with a halogen-free, polyethylene jacket, said the release, noting that depending on the type of vehicle, the busbar can have a length of more than four meters and be deployed in either a single- or twin-track version. The component weighs only 40 to 60% as much as a common copper cable, which translates to about a three-kilo weight reduction, it said. A typical multi-core copper cable for this application has a diameter of 15.5 mm, compared to less than 14 mm for the aluminum busbar, it said, adding that another advantage is that the busbar is rigid, which makes it easier to install. The company is currently working on prototypes for the first mass-production contract involving a European manufacturer, the release said. Contact: Leoni AG, www.leoni.com.

Compounder expands product portfolio U.S.-based S&E Specialty Polymers LLC, a producer of specialty plastic compounds, announced that it has added numerous concentrates to its product portfolio. A press release said that the company, which produces a range of compounds that include flame retardant (FR) concentrate technology, has introduced new products that include: ultraviolet (UV) concentrates for polyolefin, PVC, TPR and other polymer families; FR concentrates targeting different UL ratings; combined FR and UV concentrates; blowing agent concentrates; custom-designed concentrates

Gravimetric batch blender line has been expanded, offers more viewing U.S.-based Process Control Corporation has expanded its Guardian® Series 2 family with the addition of a 12 kg model gravimetric batch blender that features a new seethrough mixing chamber door that allows for an unobstructed view of material in the mixing chamber. A press release said that the “unsurpassed accuracy, userfriendly design and affordable price” make the company’s new model’s “the new standard in the field of auxiliary plastics equipment.” The Series 2, it said, provides precise batch-to-batch dispensing and consistent homogenous blending. Standard features include off-the-shelf controls, color touch-screen, removable cartridge V-gate metering, seg-

mented material hoppers, integral drain chute and a “No Dead Zone” mixing chamber. The model may be configured with four-to-12 ingredient hoppers, with each hopper capable of running 0-100% of the recipe with dispensing accuracy up to +/- 0.02%, it said. The line includes four models (1.25/2.5 kg, 5 kg, 12 kg, and 18/25 kg) with throughput rates to over 10,000 PPH. Contact: Dana Darley, Process Control Corporation, ddarley@process-control.com, www.process-control.com.

New automotive charging cable is offered for use in electric vehicles Germany’s Lapp Group reports that it has introduced a unique new automotive charging cable that uses only about half as much material as a coiled alternative, making it 40% lighter and increasing a car’s driving range. A press release said that the new cable, called the LAPP HELIX, offers a simple yet brilliant solution for charging electric and hybrid vehicles. “In contrast to a coiled cable, the LAPP HELIX behaves like a snail, crawling out of its shell in search of food and then disappearing back inside when it’s had enough to eat,” said LAPP Group Chairman Siegbert Lapp. “Lightweight construction is often complex and expensive, but the LAPP HELIX saves weight, space, and money all at the same time: this is the Triple Crown in automotive design.” The cable is halogen-free, fire and oil-resistant, and has an operating temperature range of -40° to +90°C, making it ideal for use in tough conditions, the release said. The cable’s spiral design makes it far more compact, so a fourmeter-long Lapp Helix cable uses 60% less space than a coiled charging cable of the same length, it said. That makes it easier for manufacturers to fit the cable into the luggage compartment, tailgate or doors of a vehicle, it said. The release said that when used in a fixed charging station, the cable can be fitted underneath a flap for protection. The cable is wound horizontally and the restoring force that causes the cable to retract automatically is similar to that

USED WIRE AND CABLE MACHINERY FOR SALE

REF# Description 27-236 Davis Standard 2”, 30:1 High Temp Extrusion Line. 27-237 Nokia Mailefer 60 mm, 24:1 Extrusion Line 44-158 Ruesch 3 Stand Wire Flattening Mill 59C-311 Syncro BG-16 Wire Drawing w/ C-3 Annealer & 16” Spooler 34-216 Reinking Welded Mesh Turner and Stacker 44-157 Morgan Steel Billet Hot Rolling Mill 175mm X 175 mm Billet 11-122 Sleeper Hartley 2” Armoring Machine 59A-235 SAMP MS-400 13 die rod machine w/ RC90 Annealer 43-152 Skaltek 48” rewind line

49-214 Lewis 9FHA Straighten & Cut 5/8” diameter 34-206 SCHLATTER Mesh Welder, MG. 28, 3.5 to 12.5 mm 21-145 PROPERZI Continuous Copper Casting and Rolling Line, 12 tons/hour, 8 mm rod 28-116 HOLTON Conform Line, Model C500, Enter 7/8" rod, 21-146 OUTOKUMPU Complete Copper Casting Factory

25-139 Mag HS1 fine wire enamelling Machines 50B-259 Bartell B84 18 bay Tubular w/ outside string-up 50B-253 Bartell B64, 24 Bay, 10” diameter Tubular Strander 59A- 219Syncro 22T-13 die Rod machine w/ Spr & Coiler 50B-242 Trafalgar 19 wire, 400 mm Diameter Tubular

This is only a partial list. Please contact us with your specific machinery requirements or Visit www.mathiasen-machinery.com

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 81

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

for specific customer needs; and products with active ingredient percentages as high as 75%. As part of the concentrate development process, S&E invested in upgrading its feeding system for its polyolefin line, it said. “With these new concentrate options we have taken a major step forward toward providing customers with the full spectra of plastic compound options they require,” said S&E COO Duane Shooltz. Contact: S&E Specialty Polymers, tel. 978-537-8261, info@sespoly.com, www.sepoly.com.

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

found in a conventional coiled cable, it said, adding that the cable’s reduced material requirement results in a 25% cost saving for the manufacturer. Contact: Lapp Group, www.lappusa.com or www.lappkabel.de.

Automatic cable test system offers reliable testing of telecom cables India’s Adroit Control Engineers reports that it has launched a new Automatic Cable Test System (ACTS) that provides a reliable and repeatable test platform available for testing twisted-pair telecom cables. A press release said that ACTS includes multi pair test fixtures for testing cables up to 3GHz. It notes that ACTS is an off-the-shelf, standalone solution that consisting of loads, baluns and a wire test frame to connect test cables easily and quickly. The system saves time, it said, because only one cable connection is needed to test all the parameters, thus eliminating the need for multiple cable connections. The software enables fast, simple and easy testing of cables via a program for international cable specifications and test limits, allowing the inspection to be performed in minutes, the release said. The windows-based interface

The Wire, Cable & Plastic Industry Resource

Distributor and Manufacturers Representative offering: • Cold Pressure Welders and Dies • Wire guides, straighteners, pulleys, ceramics • Braiding Machinery, Parts and Controls • Extruders, Cross Heads, Tips/Dies, Stranding • Servo Motors/Controls/AC/DC Drives/Motors • Pressure/Temperature Transducers/Controls • Custom Control Systems/Retrofits • Diameter/Measurement Systems • Contact and Ink Jet Printers • Talc Machines • Melt Pumps/Screen Changers • Pay-offs/Take-ups/Spoolers • Material Handling Equipment • Equipment Installations P.O. Box 7816 • Cumberland, RI 02864 USA Tel: 401-405-0755 • Fax: 401-405-0757 E-mail: joe@amaralautomation.com rick@amaralautomation.com www.amaralautomation.com 82 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

enables the operator to easily and quickly set parameters for testing and save recipes for future use, and limit values can be easily programmed to suit the requirements of client, it said. The reporting structure, it added, provides operators with various options to obtain reports as desired, from a simple pass/fail summary to detailed graphical and tabular representation of specific parameters. Measurement parameters include: insertion loss (attenuation); attenuation to crosstalk ratio (ACR); near end crosstalk loss (NEXT) and far end crosstalk loss (FEXT); velocity of propagation (VoP); propagation delay and delay skew; crosstalk power sums; impedance (input and characteristic); and return loss and structural return loss (SRL). Contact: Pankaj Garg, Adroit Control Engineers, tel. 91-11-47600700; sales@adroitcontrol.com, www.adroitcontrol.com.

Web upgrade described as a boon for business enterprise initiatives U.S.-based CommScope, Inc., reports that it has made it easier for potential customers around the world to find independent companies that provide implementation services and IT infrastructure solutions for business enterprises based on CommScope technologies. CommScope has launched an enhanced BusinessPartner Locator at its website, providing visitors a detailed list of companies worldwide offering the company’s solutions and services, a press releas esaid. “This new web tool assures potential customers that CommScope infrastructure support options are available to them from the nearly 1,500 BusinessPartners around the world,” it said. “Our BusinessPartner Locator is integral to the success of our partner program,” said Stephen Kowal, vice president,

Global Channel Sales, CommScope. “We believe this new web tool shows the power of the solutions CommScope has built to support our partners and programs – something that differentiates us from the rest of the market.” The BusinessPartner Locator includes CommScope’s BusinessPartners offering services in SYSTIMAX®, Uniprise®, iPatch® and its Wired for Wireless™ and Inbuilding Wireless solutions, while also displaying their training and certifications, the release said. Contact: CommScope, Inc., www.commscope.com.

White Paper: electrical performance U.S.-based C&M Corporation has released a White Paper, “Understanding the Electrical Performance of Category Cables,” that provides non-engineers with a better understanding of the essential terminology for the technology. A press release said that the five-page document provides the reader with a foundation for understanding the uses for Category cables as well as how they function relative to moving data between electronic devices. The paper, written by Mike Levesque, Mike Karg and Himmeler Themistocle, can be downloaded at the company’s website. Contact: C&M Corporation, tel. 860-774-4812, www.cmcorporation.com. ■

NEW NEW MACHINES, MACHINES,, sh shortly hortly y available available Ref. R ef. no. no. 12-6038 QUEINS, QU high speed bow strander for 7 wires, type QSS 1+6/630, max 1400 rpm,, new machine R Ref. ef. no. no. 12-5651 QUEINS, QU bow twister for stranding insulated conductors, type QRL 1+3 or 1+4 orr 1+5/1600 (63“), rreel ee ø 1600 mm (63“), new machine Ref. extrusion line for XLPE, 3-layer crosshead, extruders 65/25D, 150/25D, 90/25D, R ef. no. no. 32-7573 QUEINS, QU 90/25D, new machine Ref. rod drawing machine for Al and Al alloys, 13 dies, inlet ø 12 - 9,5 mm (0,47 R ef. no. no. 61-7557 QUEINS, QU ,47 - 0,37“), outlet ø 1,7 - 4,5 mm (0,06 - 0,18“), double spooler, new ou Ref. rod drawing machine for CU, 13 dies, inlet ø 8 mm (0,31“), outlet ø 1,2 - 4 mm (0,04 - 0,15“), R ef. no. no. 61-7630 QUEINS, QU annealer, double spooler, new machine an Ref. automatic dual spooler for rod drawing machines, bobbin sizes 630 and R ef. no. no. 82-7591 QUEINS, QU d 800 mm flange diameter (25 - 31“) dia

Pre-owned P re -owned m machines Ref. R ef. no. no. 14-7647 QUEINS, QU fast loading rigid strander, 2 cages 30+36 bobbins, 630 mm ø Ref. & PFLEIDERER / 3 x PK 100 PVC compounding plant, capacity 800 - 1000 R ef. no. no. 21-7658 WERNER W 0 kg/h, mixing and ccooling ooling equipment, automatic feeding and weighing system for components, silos, etc. eq Ref. copper rod drawing machine model 30R13, 13 dies, inlet 8,0 mm, finished R ef. no. no. 61-7619 HENRICH, HE shed ø 1,4 mm, annealer, dual spooler for bobbins 630 mm ø, plus bundle packer / static ccontinuous o static ccoiler oiler ffor or o bobbins 1250 mm ø bo

QUEINS Q UEINS & C CO. O. GMBH GMBH

Hans-Georg-Weiss-Straße 12 Hans-Georg-Weiss-Straße 52156 Monschau Monschau G GERMANY E R MA NY

Tel e .: +49 2472 8080 Tel.: Fax: Fax: +49 2472 3014 Email: info@queins.com info@queins.com www.queins.com www.queins.com

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 83

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

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. 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. BLIND BOX INFO: Responses to Blind Box ads should be addressed to: Wire Journal International, Box number (as it

PERSONNEL SERVICES “LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry manufacturers to secure the services of thousands of key individual contributors and managers. Contact: E-mail Peter Carino at pcarino@wireresources.com or

appears in print or on-line), P.O. Box 578, Guilford, CT 06437-0578 USA. PAYMENT POLICY: All ads must be pre-paid. DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance, i.e., it must be received by March 1 for publication in the April issue. Classifieds booked on-line, run for at least one-month on-line, from the date of booking. Wire Journal International “Print classifieds” booked on-line as an “add-on” to an “online classified” booking will run in the next available issue.

e-mail Jack Cutler at jcutler@ wireresources.com, or visit the Wire Resources company website at www.wireresources.com. Wire Resources, Inc., 522 E. Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830, 203-622-3000 or 800-394-WIRE.

pounds so we know a little bit about JIT deliveries and customer satisfaction. We sell for less because our costs are less. BUY SMART - WE DO. Alan Plastics Co., Inc. PH: (781) 828-0700. FX: (781) 828-2087. Contact: E-mail: alplas@aol.com, www.alplastic.com

PURGING COMPOUNDS

MACHINERY

AMERICA’S OLDEST SUPPLIER. Since 1948, we’ve supplied millions of

WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. COM. For New (Hakusan Heat

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

FOR SALE

7 - WARDWELL 12-Carrier Braiders 1 - SPIRKA 24-Carrier Braider, Model 24N4, 1990 1 - SPIRKA 16-Carrier Braider, 500mm Take-up and Payoff 2 - NEB 12-C, 16-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motors 4 - COOK BH30 Bunchers 1 - NEXTROM 18-Wire 760mm Planetary Cabler Line 1 - EDMANDS 18-Wire, 6+12, 16” Planetary Cabler Line 2 - NEB Model C62-2 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers, 1987 1 - MGS 50” Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, Model LC50.4D-LH 1 - CONAIR 39" Caterpuller Capstan, Model 6-39 1 - Continuous Belt Caterpuller Capstan, 106” Belt Length x 8” Width 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 L/D Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 100mm 24:1 L/D Extruder, Model 100MM35 1 - D/S 2.5” 24:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extrusion Line 1 - D/S 2” 30:1 L/D Hi-Temp Extruder 1 - ENTWISTLE 2” 24:1 L/D Extruder, Model TFII-200024 1 - SKALTEK 1600mm, Model A16-4K, Motorized 1 - HALL 60” Drag Payoff, 1997 1 - HALL 40” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer 1 - VITECK 36” Motorized Payoff w/Dancer

1 - CLIPPER DF6 Dual Cone Flyer Payoff w/Reel Jacks 1 - ROSENDAHL 630mm Parallel Axis Dual Reel Take-up, never used 1 - NOKIA Model EKP50 Parallel Axis Dual Reel, 1997 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbished 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model PRR1 Rim Drive Powered Reel Roller 1 - REEL-O-MATIC Model RD-5 Rim Drive Take-up w/Coiling Head 1 - TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister 1 - ENTWISTLE 4-Wire 24” D.T. Twister, Model 4WDT 1 - FINE Preheater, Model IP4000-180-1, 2007 1 - EUBANKS Model 9800-03 Cut & Strip Machine 1 - SCHLEUNIGER EcoStrip 9300 Cut & Strip Machine 1 - SCHLEUNIGER JS8300 Jacket Stripper 1 - EUBANKS Model 4000-04 Cut and Strip Machine 1 - GETTIG Tape and Labeling System 1 - IDEAL 940 Bench Stripper (now ARTOS 45-940) 1 - CARPENTER 3-Head Stripper, Model 74-C 3 - CARPENTER Strippers, Model 70-B 1 - MICRODIA Crosshead, Model M9000/10XFL 1 - TECHMET 183 LaserMike 1 - BETA Lump Detector, Model LN1025XY-DL, 12/05 1 - BETA “Accuscan 3010”, 2006

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

84 | 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 ____

BLIND BOX? YES____ NO ____

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

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.

DIES APOLLO DIA-CARB COMPANY.

Buy & sell new/used Natural and PCD DIAMOND DIES. Fair prices and excellent lead times. Contact Paulette, Owner-Sales, by telephone at 1-508226-1508 or by e-mail at apollodie@ comcast.net. MOLONEY DIE COMPANY. Low prices on all sizes of new, used and recut carbide dies. We also recut tapered nibs. Fast turn-around.

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.

Quality service since 1985. Tel. 904388-3654. SANCLIFF SHAPED WIRE DIES. All sizes and shapes R2 to R12. Highest Quality, Shortest Lead Times, Lowest Cost and Superior Customer Service. 60+ years of quality products and service to the wire industry. Contact Bill Drumm at 1-800-332-0747, or E-Mail at sales@sancliff.com. ■

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 85

CLASSIFIEDS

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFIED AD INFORMATION

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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

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

AIM Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/Cometo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

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

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/OM Lesmo . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Amaral Automation/Amaral Associates . . . . . . . . . . .56, 82

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/Tramev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

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

Lloyd & Bouvier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

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

Mathiasen Machinery Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Bongard Trading GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Niehoff GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Caballe SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

NIMSCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Cable Consultants Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Paramount Die Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Carris Reels Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Parkway Kew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Commission Brokers Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Properzi International Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Domeks Makine Ltd Sti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Queins & Co GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

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

Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Flymca & Flyro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Reel-O-Matic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

FMS USA Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

T Fukase & Co Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

SAMP USA Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Gauder Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Sanxin Wire Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

GCR Eurodraw SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Sheaves Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Gem Gravure Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

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

Howar Equipment Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48, 82

Sjogren Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Huestis Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19, 54

SKET GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

IDEAL-Werk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Sonoco Reels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Inhol BV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Stolberger Inc dba Wardwell Braiding Machine Co . . . . . .9

Inosym Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Talladega Machinery & Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Keir Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Tubular Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Koswire Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Tulsa Power Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Lamnea Bruk AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Unience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3

Lesmo Machinery America Inc/A. Appiani . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Woodburn Diamond Die Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: Oct. 1, 2011

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

Wyrepak Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Yield Management Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Zumbach Electronics Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS Wire Expo 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 CabWire/WAI ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

DON’T

OUTSPEND

OUT

THINK

Why waste time and money waiting for new machines when you can get like-new performance for less from Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. We are the world’s ’ largest dealer of second-hand wire, cable, and optical fiber manufacturing equipment and can provide solutions to fit any need, whether it’s ’ a single machine or an entire plant. We also purchase surplus machinery for cash or trade.

Visit our all new website wireandplastic.com to see our inventory and request a quote. Or call +1.860.583.4646

20,000+ Second-Hand Machines In-Stock Equipment Sales Equipment Purchasing Reconditioning Services

SEPTEMBER 2011 | 87

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Witels Albert USA Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

November 2011 WJI • Green Focus: managing waste

W I R E

C A B L E

C O N F E R E N C E

CONFERENCE FACILITY TOURS PRESENTATIONS EXHIBITS NETWORKING

This one and a half day wire and cable conference in Germany, November 7-8, 2011, will provide an international platform for trade industry information exchange on the latest process and market developments. Following successful events in Stresa, Prague, Bologna, and Istanbul, a team of co-organizers has planned a panel of ferrous and nonferrous expert speakers, tabletop exhibits, and a choice of local factory tours to Drahtwerk, Cologne, or Leoni Kerpen, Stolberg. Delegates receive: CD-ROM of technical presentations; refreshment breaks and lunch; access to all conference sessions and the 7 November social event; reduced fees for members of co-organizer associations; and access to the optional plant tours. Lodging available at: Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel | Schnellenburg Hotel

Learn more at: www.cabwire-duesseldorf.com

Organizers ACIMAF—Associazione Costruttori Italiani Mecchine per Filo — Italy CET — Comité Européen de la Tréfilerie — France IWCEA — International Wire & Cable Exhibitors Association IWMA — International Wire & Machinery Association WAI — The Wire Association International, Inc. 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