CONTENTS
Volume 49 | Number 11 | November 2016
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
FEATURES
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Industry Profile. . . . . . . . . . . 18 Patent Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Wrapup: wire China . . . . . . . . . 36
Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 27
Organizers report that wire China and its sister tube show set records for both attendance and exhibit space. Further, there was considerable interest in the expanded technical elements.
WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Green...and sustainable . . . . . . 40
Technical Papers . . . . . . 52-67
The story of “green” continues, but the increasing interest seems to be more on sustainability, a related sister concept that is far from a new focus, but one that has gathered more traction.
Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Career Opportunities . . . . . . 78 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . 79
Next issue:
December 2016
• Wrapups: Mexico ITC and IWCS • Submarine Cables
TECHNICAL PAPERS Meeting customer demand for rod qualities through improvements in operating practices and rod mill equipmentBruce Kiefer, Wade Krejdovsky, Bhaskar Yalamanchili, Peter Power, Richard Gordon, Thad Boudreaux and Leonardo Cunha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 IWCS Paper: The extensive research of the radiation characteristic of leaky cables Zhao Rui-Jing, Lan Yan-Rui, Wang Bin, and Huang De-Bing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Cover: The gears of industry first and foremost have to be productive, but green is a part of the overall scheme, as is sustainability, a focus that has been getting much more attention.
NOVEMBER 2016 | 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONTENTS CONTENTS
Proton Products International/U.K.
At Interwire, Proton Products International showcased the company’s InteliSENS SL series speed and length gauges, which it noted are saving cable manufacturers serious money every day around the world. apple bitten by internet sales 11 As cable manufacturers purchase raw materials by the ton and then sell by length, it’s extremely important to is good make sure that when you sell a reelIt of cable to at be 1000 king of the jungle, ft, its is not 1003 ft or 1005 ft, essentially giving away and in terms of busi0.3% or 0.5% for free, which can be typical in many ness, Apple has long production facilities. The InteliSENS SLroaring Series gauges enjoyed sucare calibrated to 0.03%, and withcess no moving parts to with its elecwear and non-contact operation eliminating slippage, tronics goods. But we are extremely proud to work even with mighty our customers Apple has found that theand and provide a gauge that truly helps save money world can be cruel. improve profitability. this case, some The DGK Series of gauges haveInno moving parts(aand lot!) of its adapters, measure the diameter an amazing 10,000 times per secand syncond, per axis. Available as eithercharging a dual- or triple-axis ing cables being sold gauge, the Super Fast Processing Technology analyzes online at the websites upoftoAmazon 30,000 and measurements per second to display and Groupon are counterfeits. And poor communicate diameter, ovality, lumps and neckdowns. ones at that. In an attempt to restore order, Apple has The company also showed a full range turned to the courts to stop Mobile Star,of theproducts distribuincluding spark testers, capacitance gauges, lump and tor to those websites. neck detectors, pre heaters, speed & length gauges and
4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
the hugely popular combined Diameter and Flaw Detection Gage DGK SuperFast Series. ”We’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all who visited (us) at Interwire 2015.
Tech remains an industry draw
36
Organizers of wire China 2016 report that not only didLatimer, the tradeProton show Products. break records, its technical Grant program, “Innovation, Optimization and Vitality,” was quite busy. doubt The sessions, theyexhibition said, focused It was without our busiest and on our full “exploring the innovative, optimized and vitalityteam of agents and employees were on hand to take care reinforced road of development for China’s manufacof our customers.” Grant Latimer, managing director, turing industry under the new normal economy.”
g.latimer@protonproducts.com.
JUNE 2015 | 73
Someone has to be the first one. At the forefront since 1970s.
UPCAST® innovations have lead the way. It is an honor to be the role model! UPCAST OY, P.O.Box 60, FI-28101 PORI, FINLAND, tel. +358 207 577 400, fax +358 207 577 401
www.upcast.com
Wherever. Better.
EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL EDITORIAL
The new ’green’ is the ‘old’ sustainability There was a period when the wire and cable industry embraced green. I still recall walking the halls at wire Düsseldorf, four or five shows back, when “green” was hot. It was showcased in a big way, with some booths literally blooming with shades of green touches. Personnel in green jackets handed out green pens. The love fest, however, did not last long. Suppliers discovered that customers, by and large, liked green, but not enough to pay more for it. Green gradually faded away. Now, a new force, a new sense of excitement is taking place, and that is sustainability. This is not a new idea and while it is still far from universally embraced, it is getting a far warmer reception than green did because it appears to be taking root in a way that green did not: sustainability, ultimately, is about good business. Unlike “green,” sustainability holds appeal because it requires a company to take a long-term view at what it is doing and how it could do it better. There can be a “green” element, but the focus, again, is on improving a company’s operations. It wasn’t that sustainability did not exist long ago, only that it took time for its potential to translate to meaningful results. And the results are mounting, to the point where they are hard to dismiss. For instance, Ford announced in October that it plans to reduce its water use by nearly 75% by 2020. By investing in new technologies, such as its three-wet paint process and minimum quantity lubrication or “near dry machining,” it saved 10 billion gallons of water from 2000 to 2015, a decrease of 61%. Consolidated Edison, facing the need to add a substation to meet increased power demand in New York City that could cost $1.2 billion, instead will spend about $200 million to deploy a mix of distributed solar, fuel cells and efficiency measures. The Home Depot reported that by various measures, it has reduced its supply chain carbon emissions by 35% over 2008 levels, and seen its stores reduce energy use by 30% over 2004 levels, a savings of more than 8 billion kilowatts over 10 years. The above measures could all be tagged “green,” but the gains are the results of a focus on sustainability. Of considering possibilities that once weren’t explored. Experts say that just about any company can find such gains, and that they needn’t be mega-large investments. It’s not that green has disappeared for manufacturing, only the starring role—and how it is to be achieved—has begun shifting to sustainability. However you want to color it, finding better, smarter ways of doing something is not a fad. It just makes good sense.
Mark Marselli Editor-in-chief
6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
®
Quality in its concentric form. With passion, we develop future-oriented measuring and control devices for quality assurance of wires and cables, such as the CENTERVIEW 8000. A non-contact gauge providing continuous concentricity, diameter and ovality measuring values during the extrusion process. An innovative scatter plot diagram shows the distribution of short-term concentricity variations to ensure a perfect conductor concentricity for increased cable quality and process optimization. – 8-point concentricity, 4-axis diameter and 8-point ovality measurement for highest precision even at micro-coax cables – auto-positioning of the gauge head to the conductor position for optimum ease of use
www.sikora.net/centerview8000 Visit us from May 8-11, 2017 at Interwire, Atlanta, GA
CALENDAR
CALENDAR Dec. 7-9, 2016: Wire & Cable Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam. To be held at the ICE, this event is organized by Century Expo Group, VELINA and HCMWCA. Contact: Century Expo Group, tel. 84-466506188, info@wireviet.com, www.wireviet.com. May 8-10, 2017: Global Ferrous Rod & Wire Symposium Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, to be co-located with Interwire 2017, focuses on ferrous rod and wire processes, www.wirenet.org. May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, which will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 87th Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org. May 12-15, 2017: wire Russia Moscow, Russia. To be held at the EXPOCENTRE in Krasnaya Presnya, this event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. June 9-11, 2017: Wire & Cable Guangzhou 2017 Guangzhou, China. To be held at the China Import Export Fair Complex. Contact: Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co., tel. 86-20-38251558, wire@china. messefrankfurt.com, www.wire-cable-china.com.
event is organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Contact: Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 3-5, 2017: Wire South America São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Imigrantes Exhibition & Convention Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 8-11, 2017: 66th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium Orlando, Florida, USA. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org. Nov. 7, 2017: CabWire World Conference 2017 Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Center, this event is organized by U.K.-based International Wire & Machinery Association. Contact: IWMA, tel. 44-121-781-7367, info@iwma.org, www.iwma.org. May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 88th Annual Convention.
Sept. 19-21, 2017: wire Southeast Asia 2017 Bangkok, Thailand. To be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), this
WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS January 26, 2017: New England Chapter Annual Meeting Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 203453-2777, abzowski@wirenet.org. May 8-10, 2017: Global Ferrous Rod & Wire Symposium Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, to be co-located with Interwire 2017, focuses on ferrous
8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
rod and wire processes, www.wirenet.org. May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 87th Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org.
May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 88th Annual Convention.
INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS nkt cables refocus path continues with 2 sales of non-core activities nkt cables, which has been refocusing its core business as part of its EXCELLENCE 2020 strategy, announced two recent divestments at its website: the sale of its automotive cable activities to a subsidiary of the German-based Wilms Group and an agreement to sell all of its business activities in China to Srising Technology Co.
the sale of its Chinese activities to Srising Technology Co.—a high-tech provider for electrified railways industry in China—includes railway solutions as well as medium- and high-voltage cables and accessories. There are two plants, one located in Hebei, south-west of Beijing, and the second in Changzhou, west of Shanghai. Some 380 employees will be transferred to Srising Technology Co. In 2015, business revenue from the operations was 88.8 million euros. “We have been in China for a long time and executed well on some milestone projects particularly within railway, but in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for us to drive a profitable business in China,” Lyng said. Not included in the deal is the sales office of nkt cables in Australia, which will be integrated in the Specialties division. The closing is subject to Chinese governmental approval.
LS Cable reports Saudi Arabia orders
As part of a refocus, nkt cables is also divesting its activies in China, which include railway cables. The announcement said that the activities to be sold to the Wilms Group include automotive cables, flexible and special cables as well as a plant located in Vrchlabí, Czech Republic, with around 400 employees. The Wilms Group, a wire and cable manufacturer, employs some 6,500 people worldwide. The closing of the transaction, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to take place in Q1 2017. The release said that nkt cables has been active in the automotive cable industry since 2007, when the activities were acquired. “Although being a profitable business, the automotive industry is a niche market for nkt cables and it is not defined as a core business in (our) strategy.” “nkt cables has been a proud owner of the automotive cable business for years, but it has been a niche market for us with exposure to a few, large automotive customers,” said nkt cables President and CEO Michael Hedegaard Lyng. “I am convinced that with Wilms Group we have found the right successor to develop the business further, due to their experience and complementary offerings. With this divestment ... we can focus on our core businesses...that includes becoming a leading player within the high-voltage on- and off-shore power cables segment driven by to our recent acquisition of ABB’s high-voltage cables business.” In the second announcement, nkt cables reported that
LS Cable & System, Ltd., reports that it has won two orders from Saudi Electricity Company worth $67 million to supply extra-high voltage cables in Saudi Arabia. A press release said that the ordered cable will be used for expanding the electrical grid system in the capital, Riyadh, and the southwestern port city of Jeddah. The contract includes the cable, worth about $40 million, and the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the project. “The latest achievement is meaningful as it came at a critical time when a lot of Middle Eastern countries have cut their government spending and are postponing or canceling large projects due to falling oil prices,” said LS Cable & System President Yoon Jae-in. The release said that Saudi Arabia is the largest electricity market in the Middle East, along with Qatar and Kuwait, and that there is competition from industry-lead-
LS Cable & System Ltd. production of power cable .
Got news? E-mail it to the WJI at editor@wirenet.org.
10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
FEATURE
ultra-high-voltage cable market since the late 2000s, U.S.-based Carris Reels, Inc., has purchased the backed by its value-added products such as underwater remaining interest in J. Hamelin Industries, a Canadian power cables and 380kV underground power cables.” reel company that it has worked closely with since it bought half of business in 2008. ASW Austrian A pressand release said that company addition of J. enter Hamelin, which has been serving wire and cable customers partnership for specialty steel market throughout and northeast U.S.offor 77 years, AmericanCanada Spring Wire Corp. (ASW) Bedford isHeights, a majorOhio, plus and for both companies. “We welcome Joh. Pengg AG (Pengg) of Thörl, J.Austria Hamelin to the Carris family, looka forward to announced that they haveand formed partnership future growth and operating at a ‘beststeel of industry’ to manufacture high quality, specialty wires for the (level),” said Carris Reels CEO David Ferraro. North American market. toHOSN manufacturing reels, J.Dean Hamelin operA press release said booth that the new entity, to be called AtIn theaddition Shanghai at Interwire, Zhang, l, ates an extensive recycling and Edison repair network ASW.Pengg LLC, willsales, be located in ASW’s Ohiothroughchief of North American and Qin, chief ofsite. South Substantially all offacilities ASW’s wire manufacturing assets in out Canada, with in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta American sales, point to machines sold to the Americas. Bedford Heights, and Pengg’s activity North and Saskatchewan offering wood and of steel reelAmerirepair/ can business, contributed to the new entity recycling, saidhave the been release, noting the following. J. to Withupitsthespecifi c personnel servicing the U.S. and make Hamelin alsopartnership. has U.S. assembly facilities in Marion, other in the American continent, HOSN is “Wemarkets areand pleased to be joining with Pengg in this effort Indiana, Enfield, Connecticut. In 2010, the compacommitted to supplying high-effi ciency drawing and to strengthen base of business and expand ouroperates product ny launched aour significant investment and now strandingtoequipment to the spring wire and cableand industry in North American makers aoffering highly efficient and automated nailed woodspecialreel plant the Americas. ty St. wire users,” In said ASW President and CEO Timothy in Jerome. addition to automated production At Interwire, HOSN displayed very photos of itsbrand JLKover Selhorst. “ASW has established strong lines, unique material handlingapractices have been series rigid stranding machine with bottommarket, loadingand or our 50 years of serving the North American employed, yielding a state-of-the-art facility. side loading system. Thisjoining uniquewith machine isthesuitable we’re very excited about one of world’s Ferraro said that J. Hamelin CEO Harold Stotland for producing large-length, compact/round bareAmeriAl/Cu premier specialty wireengaged producers North will remain actively in to thecreate organization, both wire, ACSR and aluminum alloy wire. The machine is ca’s highest quality steel wire manufacturer.” as a stakeholder in Carris Reels and as vice president of driven by individual motors for the rotating cage and the All ASW employees will be retained the new manufacturing for three Carris nailed in wood manufacstranding pitch can be adjusted freely. Another featured venture. Greg whoQuebec; has served as ASW president turing sites (St.Bokar, Jerome, Enfield, Connecticut; product wastwo an aluminum breakdown for for the past years, will as machine CEO. Heused will and Madera, California. Hecontinue noted that Stotland, who drawing aluminum alloy, and all kindswho of shaped wires be joined by Roland Tutzer of Pengg, will serve as has been active on the Carris Board of Directors for the from 9.5 mm downOfficer to 1.8-5.0 mm.president. Many customers also Chief and vice past sixTechnology years, “will continue in that governing role.” showed strong interests inusHOSN’s drum twister which “This partnership gives the opportunity to combine “Harold and his teams complement our talented is used for cabling low, medium and high voltage power the knowhow of two well experienced wire manufacturemployee-owners, as our collective experience and will cables and for applying armoring andsaid screening wires. ers for the benefit of our customers,” Pengg CEO assure we are meeting our customers’ needs for custom www.hosnglobe.com. Alexander and Phillipp. “We want to grow our“This market share packaging solutions,” Ferraro said. acquisiin North and South America, Europe and Asia and will tion strengthens our competitive position by expandbe able to offer additional products to all markets. We
54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Ultimate Automation, U.K. Wire & cable in theLtd. news
At Interwire, Ultimate Automation displayed the latest
version of the company’s UMW-100, Counterfeit productsULTIMAT = 1 sour Apple 2D
wire andbecome weldinganmachine, incorpoTheforming internet has essential which element of life, but rates faster drives and control systems. for Apple it has also left the company with a sour taste The UMW can be combined the UCW-100 because of how a shady businesswith has used it to flood the market counterfeit products. model with to create an integrated forming and welding Apple a trademark infringement caseThe against cell for has the filed production of shelving products. Mobile LLC, which accused of producing counframes Star are produced on itthe UMW-100 and then terfeit Appleinto chargers and cables where for salethe on frame Amazon. It transferred the UCW-100, supclaims that Mobile Star printed Apple logos on cables port/brace wire is fed direct from coil, and welded and chargers “pose a significant of overheating, fire, into the that frame. Further optionsrisk include press stations and electrical shock.” It says the chargers and cables were forHamelin’s post-forming andStotland, secondary bend heads for formJ. l, with Carris Reels CEOnot being sold onHarold Amazon as genuine Apple products, and ing loops and eyes. Dave Ferraro. only were they not real, the chargers could very well pose aing riskour to consumers. geographic footprint across North America. Apple Hamelin has a track record of delivering value reported that enhanced packaging programs through innovation in it bought process, automation and reel tracking systems. We have well over 100 an exciting future as we leverage our shared experience iPhone devices, and knowledge to drive profitable growth. As part of Apple power the negotiation, Harold will have an equity position in products, and Carris, further aligning our future objectives.” Lightning Stotland described the deal as win-win for both parcables sold as genuine bysaw an opportunity to better align our comties. “We sellers paniesatto achieve shared growth objectives,” he said. Amazon.com its can “Fulfillment Amazon” “Together weand aredelivered strongervia and leverageby new opporprogram. tunities.”Apple’s internal testing revealed that almost 90% ofCarris these products were counterfeit. were described Reels, based in Proctor,They Vermont, manufac-as Ultimate Automation Sales Director Martincomponents, Smith by a poorly constructed with inferior or missing tures plywood, nailed wood, wood/metal, plastic, and flawed design and inadequate electrical insulation. UMW-100 model stamped reels and spools, with Mobile 550 employees Apple ismetal seeking an injunction against Star fromin 12 locations in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. selling the manufactures counterfeits, asking the company destroy all Ultimat the UMW 2D wiretoforming & counterfeits. It is alsoUTW asking for damages of Machines $2 million welding machines, Automatic Ring per type. General Cable The lands largest portion andproduct UCW T-Welders. company has a machine to Amazon is not requirement named in the from case, the but said in a statement suit everyone’s manufacture of of it3-year cable contract that has “zero Canadian tolerance” for fake products on its site. POP displays, lampshades, supermarket shelving and That said, ifHydro-Québec you were among whoGeneral bought some Canada’s hasthose named Cableofas automotive components, etc. www.ultimat.com. the abovecable products, whichfor tend to last very long,awarddeep its main supplier thenot next three years, down you kinda knew that it was too good a deal to be ing it a contract valued at an estimated $108 million. true, didn’t you?
NOVEMBER 2016 | 11
JANUARY 2016 | 11
INDUSTRY NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS
ing cable manufacturers in Europe and Japan vying to
Carris buys remaining gain moreReels market share there. “LS Cable hasinterest ranked first in terms of market share in the Middle Eastern in Canada’s J. Hamelin Industries
INDUSTRY NEWS
very much look forward to working together with the ASW team to create a world-class wire manufacturing unit in North America.” Joh. Pengg AG, a global supplier of spring wire products, specializes in products for the automotive, electronics and mechanical engineering industries, produces drawn, oil-tempered round and shaped wire. The announcement said that ASW.Pengg plans to make a number of investments over several years to expand the product offering of the business.
TE Connectivity business unit will supply MAREA submarine cable Facebook, Microsoft, and TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, announced that TE SubCom has been named the system supply partner for the new MAREA submarine cable across the Atlantic Ocean. A press release said that TE SubCom has completed the route survey and begun manufacture of the system at its facility in Newington, New Hampshire. The parties are on track to begin laying cable using TE SubCom’s cable installation ships next year, with a scheduled completion date of October 2017. As announced by Facebook and Microsoft in May 2016, MAREA will be the highest-capacity subsea cable to ever cross the Atlantic – featuring eight fiber-pairs and an initial estimated design capacity of 160 Terabits/sec. The 6,600 km submarine cable system will also be the first to connect the United States
12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
to southern Europe: from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Bilbao, Spain. This new southern route will provide greater diversity of connections and enhanced reliability for customers, as well as optimal connectivity to data centers on the East Coast of the U.S.” Led by Facebook and Microsoft, TE SubCom is constructing MAREA to be interoperable with a wide variety of network equipment, the release said. The new open design provides customers lower costs and easier equipment upgrades, which lead to faster growth in the speed of communications for users since the system can evolve at the pace of optical technology innovation, it said.
Continuus-Properzi issues warning about continued intellectual piracy Continuus-Properzi President Giulio Properzi has issued an announcement to the nonferrous industry to avoid being tricked by unscrupulous companies that are trying to market unauthorized equipment that constitutes intellectual piracy. The press release stressed that all of the Italian com-
Leoni to open its 3rd plant in Serbia Leoni reports that it plans to invest some 22 million euros to build a new production plant in Nis, Serbia, that when complete will employ some 2,500 people. Per the company, Leoni already has two plants in Serbia: one in Prokuplje that is primarily for Wiring Systems but also has a section for Wire & Cable Solutions, and a second plant in Malosiste/Doljevac that is just for Wiring Systems. The Nis plant will also be dedicated to Wiring Systems. After the signing of the contract, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that the Serbian government has so far allocated 31 million euros in subsidies for Leoni, according to an update on the Serbian government website. The subsidies, not all paid yet, are for all three plants. The foundation stone for the construction of the new plant will be set up in December, while the factory is scheduled to start operating next August.
Prysmian wins contract for offshore wind farm in the Belgium North Sea The Prysmian group reports that it has won a contract worth up to 13 million euros from Tideway B.V. to supply cables for an offshore wind farm project in the Belgian North Sea. A press release said that Prysmian will supply the 33 kV submarine cables in various cross-sections, related cable accessories and the offshore cable termination and testing services. The cables will be made at Prysmian’s facility in
NOVEMBER 2016 | 13
INDUSTRY NEWS
pany’s continuous casting and rolling equipment lines, machines, furnaces or systems are entirely designed and produced in Italy, and that any company marketing systems that look like—or even carry the Continuus Properzi name—is guilty of piracy as no industrial agreement or license has been granted to any Chinese company. The release said that Properzi, well known for the Properzi process but also for lead strip lines to feed the Pb-acid batteries industry or its revolutionary aluminum ingot production lines, has seen more and more unauthorized advertisements or promotional leaflets that have appeared in the international industry press or trade shows. These present similar or copied machines with the Continuus-Properzi or Properzi brand name, some even using pictures taken from Continuus-Properzi’s literature. It noted that even the company’s recently patented method of producing self-annealed copper wires, “has drawn the attention of unscrupulous Chinese operators.” The release said that Continuus-Properzi not only wants to censure this piracy, but wishes to warn that anything presented as if it is legitimate Properzi technology “must be regarded as a blunt and patched copy that often infringes Continuus-Properzi’s numerous patents or steals (its) industrial secrets or know-how. “Continuus-Properzi regrets that the highly respected Chinese Government does not take sufficient measures to control a limited number of unfair competitors in many industrial fields that highly damage the Chinese international reputation and image with their unscrupulous, unfair and disloyal business behavior,” Properzi said.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Drammen, Norway, with delivery scheduled for summer 2017, with the work completed the following spring. The cables will be used by Rentel N.V., a consortium of Belgian specialists that joined forces to develop, finance and operate the Rentel offshore wind project, which holds a 309 MW offshore wind concession. The Rentel wind farm is located 34 km from the Port of Zeebrugge and 40 km from Oostende off the Belgian coast. It will consist of 42 Siemens D7 type wind turbines and will produce nearly 309 MW at its peak, supplying electricity to 285,000 households. “The project will become the fifth offshore wind farm to be constructed within the Belgian North Sea, and shall contribute to Belgium’s leading role within offshore wind energy towards achieving EU climate standards and increasing the security of energy supply in Belgium.”
ADVARIS to partner with Maillefer; Industry 4.0 to be a plant reality ADVARIS Informationssysteme GmbH and Maillefer Extrusion Oy report that they have concluded a strategic partnership for the business area called the Maillefer Factory System (MFS). A press release said that ADVARIS will be equipping Maillefer and its customers with cutting-edge operation management systems for the cable and wire industry. Maillefer offers a complete set of technology and services for turnkey-ready cable factories and extensions of existing factories as a general contractor and is now planning to intensify this business area.
At the signing of the partnership are, l, Juha Hiltunen, Director, Project Management at Maillefer Extrusion Oy, and Dr. Manfred Moser, ADVARIS. Maillefer reported that it was important to choose the right partners for the individual elements involved in creating a cable factory. “Right from the beginning, ADVARIS was our ideal partner for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution system (MES). For us, as a premium supplier, the decisive factors are high quality, reliability and know-how, and ADVARIS delivers all three,” said Juha Hiltunen, Maillefer 14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Extrusion’s director of project management. The ADVARIS ERP/MES solution, “ADVARIS Cable,” includes all software modules required for the operation of a cable factory, the release said. “From cable design to manufacturing, to quality assurance and delivery, Maillefer’s customers can now rely on the support of an integrated system.” Observing that his company is a pioneer of “Smart Factory”solutions, ADVARIS Managing Director Dr. Manfred Moser said that he sees numerous benefits from the cooperation. “Bundled strengths, and a stimulating exchange of knowledge as complementary partners, create additional competitive advantages for both companies. Thus for ADVARIS users, Industry 4.0 is no longer utopia, but is becoming an established way of life.”
TE Wire & Cable to license technology via agreement with U.K. enterprise TE Wire & Cable LLC, a leading thermocouple and specialty wire and cable manufacturer, reports that it has signed a licensing agreement with Cambridge Enterprise for what it described as “ground-breaking thermocouple cable technology” developed by researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. A press release said that the dual wall, low-drift type K and type N mineral insulated (MI) thermocouple cable design was developed to improve temperature measurement accuracy, extend thermocouple life and significantly enhance drift characteristics. The new cable design was developed for high temperature thermocouple applications and thermocouple installations that require longer use at higher temperatures. The technology will be of particular interest to those involved in aerospace/aircraft manufacturing for measuring jet engine temperatures and for processing applications like heat treatment. “Even though this is a completely new technology for us, TE Wire is well positioned to promote it to our customers and corresponding applications,” said TE Wire & Cable President Robert Canny. “Our depth of application knowledge and industry ties in heat treatment and the aerospace world will allow us to refine this technology in cooperation with forward-thinking customers.” The processes underlying the new technology is outlined in a paper titled “Development of a Low Drift Type K Thermocouple Cable for Aerospace Applications.” The paper is co-authored by Dr. Michele Scervini, a research scientist at The University of Cambridge in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy,
INDUSTRY NEWS
and Trevor D. Ford, chief metrologist and technical director at CCPI Europe Limited, the company that performed independent testing in its calibration laboratory on the new low-drift mineral insulated thermocouple.
SMS Group reports that it has won a contract for wire rod mill in China The SMS Group reports that Chinese Guangdong Guoxin Industrial Co., Ltd., has awarded it an order to supply the mechanical core components and the complete electrical and automation package for a new wire rod mill complex. The new complex will be built in the Sino-German Development Zone, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, with production scheduled to commence in 2017. A press release said that the works will be designed for an annual capacity of 1.4 million tons (700,000 tons per year per mill). The two one-strand high-speed mills will roll wire rod from 5.5 to 25 mm and rebar from 6 to 14 mm at rolling speeds of up to 105 m/s. The steel grades to be rolled will include cold-heading, alloyed, spring and stainless steels as well as tire cord and welding wire. As core equipment, both wire rod mills will feature compact cantilever stands (CL stands) in the intermediate mill, six- and four-stand wire rod blocks and a loop laying head. The CL stands will be of identical design and exchangeable with one another. SMS group will supply
Seated at the signing ceremony are Burkhard Dahmen, l, chairman of the managing board of SMS group GmbH, and Huang Min, chairman of Guangdong Guoxin Industrial Co. their tried-and-tested and reliable wire rod blocks in six- and four-stand design. The division into two blocks means that all final dimensions can be finish-rolled in a maximum of four passes. All dimensions can therefore be rolled thermomechanically, i.e. at low temperatures and with close dimensional tolerances. Besides the mechanical equipment, SMS group will
The Green Crosshead That Reduces Waste While Increasing Productivity & Profits. Run Two Consecutive Colors Without Stopping Production. The Switcher Crosshead from JoeTools is the easy choice in sustainable production. With the Switcher Crosshead’s unique ability to run two consecutive colors without stopping the production process, you can bring extraordinary performance to your extrusion manufacturing. Along with less scrap and waste, the Switcher can increase productivity and efficiency while reducing downtime and costs. And JoeTools offers complete systems starting at $44,000. To find out more, visit us online at www.joe-tools.com or contact JoeTools at 877-832-7864 or sales@joe-tools.com .
Extrusion Heads & Tooling For Greater Productivity NOVEMBER 2016 | 15
INDUSTRY NEWS
supply the complete electrical and automation package, from the roller table at the exit end of the reheating furnace down to the coil transfer system, and perform the commissioning activities. The supply scope includes the technological control systems for the automation, the switchgear, drive system, sensor technology and HMI system.
Central Wire Industries acquires Sanlo Canada’s Central Wire Industries (CWI) reports that it has acquired Sanlo, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of galvanized and stainless wire rope, custom extruded products, and engineered cable assemblies. A press release said that Sanlo, located in Michigan City, Indiana, provides “wire rope and mechanical cable assemblies with reliable, cost effective solutions to an ever-increasing array of applications in a wide range of industries.” Those products include galvanized steel and stainless steel cable, nylon, vinyl, and various other extruded resins, and finished goods with numerous assembly configurations. The acquisition, the release said, includes the Sanlo trademark and all of its operating assets and its intellectual property, which will allow Central Wire to further diversify its customer base and provides Strand Core the opportunity to connect directly with end-users. Sanlo’s current sales leader, Luke Vandercar, will serve as general manager of the facility. “Sanlo brings to CWI and Strand Core a depth of product development and technical sales which further deepens all operations,” said Central Wire Industries President and CEO Paul From. He noted that Sanlo is geographically well located and has a “value defined” workforce that is capable and experienced. Central Wire manufactures and distributes stainless steel, nickel alloy, and copper and brass wire and welding wire products, with more than 900 employees at nine manufacturing facilities, six in the U.S., two in Canada, and one in the U.K. The release said that the Sanlo acquisition marks the third such deal in the past two years: in 2014, it added Strand Core, a U.S. manufacturer of stainless and galvanized strand, wire rope, and rope assemblies, and in 2015 it added CWI UK Ltd., (formerly Hempel Wire), a U.K. manufacturer of stainless and nickel alloy wire specializing in a wide range of rolled profiled wire
16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
NEC to develop Indonesian submarine cable system to connect many islands NEC Corp reports that it has signed a contract with PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk (Telkom) to develop the Indonesia Global Gateway Cable System (IGG), an optical submarine cable system that will connect the islands of Sumatra, Batam, Jawa, Bali, Kalimantan and Sulawesi with Singapore. A press release said that the IGG will be approximately 5,300 km long, with capacity of 100 Gigabit per second (Gbps) via the four-pair optical fiber submarine cable system. It will connect the cities of Dumai, Batam, Jakarta, Madura, Bali, Makassar, Bilikpapan, Takaran and Manado with Singapore. “Once IGG is completed in early 2018, this cable system will not only enhance connectivity among these major cities of Indonesia, but it is designed to provide direct connectivity between two international submarine cables, one from Europe landing in Dumai, and the other from the west coast of the U.S. terminating in Manado.”
AWT to be U.S./Canadian rep for Progress Maschinen Automation U.S.-based AWT Machinery reports that it has signed an agency agreement to represent Italy’s Progress Maschinen & Automation, in the U.S. and Canada. A press release said that AWT Machinery will represent the technology of Progress Maschinen, an innovative machine building company that specializes in wire mesh and rebar equipment. It said that the company’s main focus is to design and build fully automatic setup machinery, that virtually eliminates the need for an operator. Its lines include a welder—able to process two different mesh sizes on a single product—that a single operator can run that normally would take multiple employees. For more details, contact Scott Liebenberg or Clive White at AWT Machinery,tel. 815- 315-4260, www. awtmach.com.
Huber business furthers its capacity expansion for fire retardant additives The Fire Retardant Additives (FRA) business unit of the Huber Engineered Materials division of J.M. Huber Corporation (Huber), announced that it has expanded by 10% its capacity for Martinal® fine precipitated alumina trihydrate production at its newly acquired Martinswerk Plant in Bergheim, Germany. A press release said that the additional capacity is projected for completion by the third quarter of 2017. This addition follows a 20% capacity expansion in precipitated alumina trihydrate just completed at Huber’s Bauxite, Arkansas facility in the United States. The investment by Huber in additional capacity in Bergheim commenc-
laid a foundation for further improvement of the wire. In 2013, they made the world’s first high-performance ironbased, multi-filament superconducting wire, and in 2014, they developed the world’s first 10-meter iron-based superconducting wire, the first step toward large-scale manufacturing.
Chinese researchers report milestone for iron-based superconductor wire
FTTH project will enable firm to serve 20% of Italy’s population by 2020
The Institute of Electrical Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that a research group led by Ma Yanwei has developed the world’s first 100-meter, iron-based superconducting wire. The announcement noted that production of ironbased superconducting wire in the U.S., Japan and Europe falls short of 100 meters, which it noted is key for the mass application of the material. The Yanwei-led research team was able to get past the technological difficulties in large-scale manufacturing, producing a wire that is 115 meters long. “The successful development of this improved superconducting wire means that China possesses intellectual property that can be applied to medicine, national defense and many other industries.” Per the release, the research group created the world’s first iron-based superconducting wire in 2008. In 2010, they invented a special technology for welding, which
Telecom Italia and Swisscom’s Italian operation, Fastweb, plan to build a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in 29 cities in Italy at a total cost of 1.2 billion euros. An announcement said that the joint venture will carry out civil works and install fiber from street cabinets to three million customer premises on behalf of the two companies, allowing them to share excavation costs. The number of residential and business premises covered by Fastweb FTTH network will increase from two million to five million by 2020, 20% of the Italian population, it said. The fiber will be capable of a connection speed to 1 gigabit per second. Both operators will provide ultra-broadband access services on a wholesale basis, significantly increasing the level of competition in the market. Per Reuters, the partnership will be owned 80% by Telecom Italia and 20% by Fastweb.
Innovation meets Tradition
THE buttwelding company since 1933!
www.strecker-limburg.de www.streckerusa.com NOVEMBER 2016 | 17
INDUSTRY NEWS
es only seven months after the February acquisition of Martinswerk GmbH, including the joint venture interest in Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co KG. “This investment is the first in a series of expansions planned for Bergheim as we begin implementing our longer term strategy for the business,” it said.
INDUSTRY PROFILE WETHERSFIELD, CONNECTICUT
PROFILE
COMPANY
FENTON GROUP Principal Ed Fenton FOCUS Fenton notes that his first “true” job in wire and cable was as assistant editor to Dick Callahan for Wire Industry News (the old “Pink Sheet”) and the Directory of Wire Companies of North America. Dick, and his wife Harriet, also ran the former New England Wire & Cable Clubs, which hosted the Charles D. Scott Distinguished Career Award and the Bob Mansfield Memorial Golf Outing, plus a year end luncheon meeting. He took over this organization in the mid-1990s, working with Ray Zirkle as a sales rep for Wire & Cable Technology magazine. The former Wire Clubs evolved into what is now the Wire & Cable Manufacturer’s Alliance, Inc. (WCMA), a non-profit corporate membership organization that continues to run the Distinguished Career Award, the Golf Outing, and the annual meeting. OF NOTE Fenton serves as executive director of the WCMA, but he also offers full marketing services to individual companies via the Fenton Group. He can be contacted at fentongroup@cox.net.
His life is an industry story WJI: You’ve been involved with the wire and cable industry for a long time: when did it actually start for you? Fenton: From birth…(ha-ha). Seriously, my father and uncle both started their careers at Rome Cable, Rome, NY, then ended up with management positions at Camden Wire Company, which became part of International Wire Group. I worked as summer help for Camden Wire, Camden, New York, from 1978-1981. I also worked in the 1990s for Dick Callahan, a wire and cable industry publishing icon whose insights and reports were unforgettable. I also helped run the New England Wire & Cable Clubs, which evolved into what today is the Wire & Cable Manufacturer’s Alliance, Inc. (WCMA). WJI: You’ve been in and out of the industry: how is it that you always seem to come back? Fenton: Though I took an interim management consulting position with an office equipment company in the early 2000s, I really have never truly been “out of the industry.” During that time, I was still responsible for running the Wire & Cable Clubs and its events. Some people may not know how I make a living, but over the years I have worked in the industry as an independent contractor versus a full time employee. I have been able to knock out a living providing independent project management and contracting work in marketing and marketing communications for wire and cable companies and industry suppliers, leveraging my publishing, promotion and association background experience. I was also part of the founding group that produced the Wire & Cable Focus conference and exposition. I became a co-owner of this event, which was merged with the International Wire & Cable Symposium (IWCS) in 1999. WJI: What’s the appeal? Fenton: We all hear industry veterans say that you can’t ever leave this great industry once it gets in your blood. In my position, I have seen many talented individuals leave the industry, only to get pulled back in at some point. The wire and cable industry, which became significantly more competitive and globalized starting in the 1990s, still maintains a sense of fraternity and camaraderie that you don’t often find in other indus-
18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Ed Fenton Executive Director, WCMA & Principal, Fenton Group
Ed Fenton at IWCS 2016. tries. To date, I also see an increase and need for mentoring as there is a need to pass along the wisdom of the many industry veterans who will retire in the coming years to a new generation of young people. WJI: You recently were named to head WCMA: what can you tell us about your goals there? Fenton: I ran the organization myself during the 1990s and had a wonderful executive director, Deb Mathiasen, who came in to help us grow during the early 2000s. Because of her service, we went from 50 to about 90 corporate members. Best wishes to Deb with her new position! Back in the role of executive director, I plan to keep reminding our Board of Directors that we need their strategic thinking so we can deliver industry events and support other associations to continue to promote the best interests of our wire and cable industry. I also have been engaged in putting tools into place to make sure our web site and administration are well oiled so we can spend most of our time with the strategy and growth conversations. We are very appreciative of this chance to talk to our fellow WAI members, and we welcome all companies in the wire and cable field to visit us at www.wcmainc.org.
Patent REPORT
16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
NOVEMBER 2016 | 19
PATENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS
“Despite economic recession and depressions, World the actual news is that SSCC, at a cost of $49 million, Wars, and fierce global competition, our customers see is getting a cable that “will span 1,300 km and link the value in our products and continue to support us. We Samoa’s largest islands of Upolu and Savai’i to the look forward to many more years of continued growth Southern Cross cable network in Suva, Fiji.” and success.” Multiple media reports noted that Tuisugaletaua Sofara Sommers thanked Fenn staff for their dedication, comAveau, Samoa’s minister of communication and IT, said mitment and loyalty. “It makes me very optimistic about that the project will mean improved internet for Samoans, Technical advances are a necessity for any industry, and to that end, our success for the next 115 years.” while the new cable will also allow existing carriers to companies invest considerable resources in R&D. This monthly will reduce internetsection costs substantially. He says the project list the abstracts of recently approved U.S. patents. will Most are direct to wire take 18 months to build and come into service. Alcatel-Lucent unit chosen for and cable while a few may be more indirect/downstream. Per the reports, the business is the result of the partSOOC undersea network project nership between Samoan operators Bluesky and Digicel, Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN), the the Computer Service, and financial investors the Samoa Differential transmission cable andhas differential Inventors: Fund, Herbert II, Richard Speer, undersea cablessignal subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent been National Provident theCongdon Unit Trust of Samoa and signal transmission aggregated cable Keith Hoover awarded the development of the Sonangol Offshore Samoa Life Assurance. The project has been established OpticalU.S. Cable (SOOC), a critical infrastructure project Patent No.: 9,472,323 Anfinancial electricalassistance cable includes a cable jacket extending a with from the World Bank, the Asian Patent date: 18, 2016 Filed: Dec. 2014 length and having passageway that ofextends designed to reduce theOctober cost-per-bit associated with29,the Development Bank, an andinternal Australia’s Department Assignee: Metals Ltd., Japan along the lengthand of the cable jacket. Twisted pairs of insudelivery of data trafficHitachi to Angola, including its offshore Foreign Affairs Trade. Inventors: Detian Huang, Masanori Kobayashi, lated electrical conductors within the internal pasoil and gas production facilities. Per Wikipedia, Samoa hasextend a population of 194,320. It sageway along the length of the cable jacket. Each twisted A press release said Risa that Akiyama the 1,900 km SOOC undersea is located south of the equator, about halfway between pair includes two Zealand insulatedin conductors twistedregion together a network will connect to landing pointscable at four locations of Hawaii and New the Polynesian of inthe A differential signal transmission is composed helical manner. At least two optical fibers extend within the along the Angolan coast, providing a high-speed cona Twinax cable including twin electrically insulated wires, Pacific Ocean, with a total land area of 1,097 sq mi. internal passageway along the length of the cable jacket. nection the Luanda and Cabinda fulfill whichbetween are arranged side by area side in contact withtoeach other, The optical fibers are independently held within the interand a telecom drain wire, which arranged in contact with and national needs. Theis development phase is under Midal Cables build nal passageway of thereports cable jacketplans relative to to each other. to both of the twin electricallytoinsulated wires, wayparallel and construction work is scheduled start in the aluminum conductor plant in India and ahalf shield second of tape, 2016.which is wound around a circumference of theconnecting Twinax cable including drainnetwork wire. When in “After Angola to thethe global Bahrain-based Midal Cables has reported that it plans cross several sectionalundersea view, ancables, isosceles triangle is defined compostion forconductor wire coating through ASN is pleased to fur-as toResin set up an aluminum unitand in Angul, which is as itstobase, a line segment joins respective insulated wirestate comprising the same therhaving, contribute the development of that the Angolan fiber part of India’s of Odisha. centers of the twin electrically insulated and as optical infrastructure,” said ASN Oil & Gas wires, General Per U.S. a report Business Standard, the project was PatentinNo.: 9,472,317 its vertex point,Bénard. a center“This of theaward drain iswire, the isosceles Manager Yohann a prime illusrecently Patent cleared by the State 18, Level Single date: October 2016 Filed: Window April 19, 2012 triangle a vertex fiber-optic angle of nottechnology smaller thanis 74 degrees Limited,The Japan tration thathas submarine becomClearance Assignee: Authority Teijin (SLSWCA). facility, which greatertelecom than 90 medium degrees. for offshore assets.” Masaki Mitsunaga, ingand the not standard will have Inventors: annual production capacity of 60,000 metric Zenichiro Shidara, Hidenori tons, would be located at the aluminum park in Angul Nakagawa by National Aluminium that is being jointly developed Samoa government: activity has Electrical cable with optical fiber Company and for a state-owned agency land A resin (Nalco) composition wire coating, whichfor is excellent begun acquisition and industrial infrastructure develop-abrasion U.S. for Patentsubmarine No.: 9,472,322 cable project in extrudability, heat deterioration resistance, Samoa’sPatent government has18, established a submarine ment, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development date: Oct. 2016 Filed: June. 15, 2015 resistance, flame retardancy and insulating properties, can cable company, SamoaCommScope Submarine Cable Company Assignee: Technologies LLC, achieve lowLtd smoke-producing properties and contains no Corporation (Idco). halogen compound and an insulated wire obtained there(SSCC), that it notes isU.S. the country’s first locally owned “The project by Midal Cables will create employment such entity. That statement may be a bit misleading as opportunities for 350 people,” the report said.
PATENTS
from. The resin composition for wire coating comprises (A) a specific thermoplastic polyester resin (component A), (B) a polyester block copolymer (component B), (C) a polycarbodiimide compound (component C), (D) magnesium hydroxide (component D), (E) an inorganic porous filler (component E), (F) a hindered phenol-based antioxidant (component F) and (G) a phosphorus-based antioxidant (component G) in a specific ratio.
matrix. Each data transmission wire is spaced and insulated from any adjacent wire by the polymeric matrix. The power transmission wires are flattened relative to the data transmission wires, and have a larger gauge than the data transmission wires. The FFC comprises non-shielded end regions flanking a shielded middle region that includes a shielding layer on at least one side of the cable, and a non-conductive coating covers the shielding layer.
Spooling cable 9,459,425 October 4, 2016 Filed: Dec. 20, 2013 Google Inc., U.S. Christopher Smith, Lalgudi Jayaram, Sandeep Hill, John Paul A spool system includes a spool and a spool support. The spool includes a spool body, a shaft, and an anti-rotation feature. The spool body has a center axis of rotation. The shaft includes a first end disposed on the spool body and extends from the spool body along the center axis of rotation to a second end. The anti-rotation feature is disposed on the shaft and defines a non-circular shape. The spool support supports the spool and defines a slot sized to slidably receive the shaft and a feature receiver that has a complimentary shape of the anti-rotation feature. The spool moves along the slot between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the stowed position, the anti-rotation feature of the spool is received by the feature receiver and prevents rotation of the spool. In the deployed position, the anti-rotation feature allows rotation of the spool. U.S. Patent No.: Patent date: Assignee: Inventors:
Airbag wire retention feature U.S. Patent No.: 9,469,258 Patent date: October 18, 2016 Filed: Feb. 2, 2015 Assignee: Teijin Limited, Japan Inventors: Masaki Mitsunaga, Zenichiro Shidara, Hidenori Nakagawa A wire retention feature for an airbag module is provided where the airbag module has an inflator, a wire harness, and at least one of a cover, a wrapper, and a cushion. The wire retention feature has a tab extending from at least one of the cover, the wrapper, and the cushion, and a fastener securely attached to the wire harness. The fastener is securely connectable to the tab such that a pulling force being applied to the wire harness is distributed among the fastener, the tab, and at least one of the cover, the wrapper, and the cushion without negatively affecting the transmission of electrical signals through the wire harness to the inflator.
Flat-flexible cable and apparatus U.S. Patent No.: 9,460,831 Patent date: October 4, 2016 Filed: July 10, 2015 Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation, U.S. Inventors: Jon Ledwith A cord reel assembly described herein comprises a cord reel including a flat flexible cable that comprises a ribbon of generally parallel power transmission and data transmission wires embedded in a non-conductive polymeric
20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Fire resistant optical communication cable using ceramic-forming fibers U.S. Patent No.: 9,459,423 Patent date: Oct. 4, 2016 Filed: Nov. 12, 2013 Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC, U.S. Inventors: Emanuela Gallo, William Hurley, Christopher Quinn, Waldemar Stocklein A fire resistant optical communication cable is provided. The fire-resistant optical communication cable includes an extruded cable body including an inner surface defining a passage in the cable body and an outer surface. The fire-resistant optical communication cable includes a plurality of elongate optical transmission elements located within the passage of the cable body. The fire-resistant optical communication cable includes a layer of intumescent particles embedded in the material of the cable body forming an intumescent layer within the cable body. The cable may include one or more elements having flame resistant coatings that, upon exposure to heat, form a ceramic layer increasing the combustion time of the coated element.
System, composition and method of application of same for reducing the coefficient of friction and required pulling force during installation of wire or cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,458,404 Patent date: Oct. 4, 2016 Filed: Oct. 29, 2015 Assignee: Encore Wire Corporation, U.S. Williamwere Bigbee, Jr.,inSheri A total of Inventors: 22 presentations made two Dahlke, tracks. Ronald Raedeke, Jason Gillen, the company’s success. Melvin Debord Probst reported that electrical A composition and method forsystems reducingfor thevehicles coefficient have evolved to support new features demanded of friction and required pulling force of a wire orbycable customers. Today, the wiring system for the emulsion average is are provided. A composition of aqueous vehicle includes 3,000 meters, with 1,500 single cables provided that is environmentally friendly, halogen free and 3,000 contacts. Those products, he said, represent a and solvent free. The composition is compatible with labor-intensive assembly business, and as result, they now various types of insulating materials and may be applied have 70,000 employees in 82 plants worldwide. The ferrous track was a collection of outstanding, com-
Elastic signal transmission cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,455,072 Patent date: Sept. 27, 2016 Filed: Feb. 5, 2015 Assignee: Asahi Kasei Fibers Corp., Japan Inventors: Shunji Tatsumi, Yasunori Yuuki, Hiroyuki Makino An object of the present invention is to provide an elastic signal transmission cable having a length of several centimeters to several meters that has a shape deformation tracking ability and enables high-speed signal transmission. The inventive elastic signal transmission cable has an elasticity of 10% or more and transmission loss of 10 dB/m or less in a relaxed state at 250 MHz, and comprises an elastic cylindrical body having an elasticity of 10% or more and a conductor portion containing at least two conductor wires wound in the same direction around the elastic cylindrical body. CabWire offered a combination(section of education cont’d.and on p.market74) ing opportunities in a congenial setting.
NOVEMBER 2016 | 21
DECEMBER 2015 | 41
PATENTS EVENT WRAPUP
after the wire or cable is cooled and also by spraying or submerging the wire or cable in a bath. The composition contains lubricating agents that provide lower coefficient of friction for wire or cable installation and continuous wire or cable surface lubrication thereafter.
ASIAN FOCUS
ASIAN FOCUS Dutch firm forms JV with Polycab to set up copper wire facility in India Trafigura, a Dutch multinational commodity trading company, and Polycab Wires Pvt. Ltd., one of India’s largest wire and cable producers, have agreed to jointly set up a copper wire rod facility in Halol, Gujarat, India. Per a press release and media reports, the venture, which has a proposed investment of about $25 million, is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2017, with annual capacity of 240,000 metric tons. The plant is designed to use nearly 30% less energy and produce significantly lower carbon emissions than existing facilities in India. Polycab Wires Chairman and Managing Director Inder Jaisinghani said that the plant will reflect the company’s desire to deploy an advanced copper rod mill. The reports said that for Trafigura, the project represents its first base metal manufacturing investment for the Indian sub-continent. The project is aimed at addressing the rising domestic supply-demand gap that exists in the copper wire rod market. That demand is driven by the construction, power, transport and telecoms industries, among others. The joint venture will bring together Trafigura’s global expertise in metal trading and Polycab’s experience in the Indian copper wire rod market.
capital and inventory management with this backward integration JV with Trafigura, our longstanding partner,” Jaisinghani said. “Polycab has predominantly served a domestic customer base and with the projected growth of the country our partnership with Trafigura strengthens Polycab’s resolve of providing high quality material at local costs. This partnership will ensure consistent and high quality copper rods for the increasing demands of the country.” “We are extremely encouraged by our partnership with Polycab Wires,” said Raoul Bajaj, CEO of Trafigura India. “Not only has Polycab set up one of the leading wire manufacturing units in the world, they are growing the company capacity to meet domestic demand for the next 10 years.”
Bangladesh department continues efforts to further deploy fiber optics
“Trafigura has been trading with Indian counterparts since inception,” said Trafigura CEO Jeremty Weir. “We established our first dedicated operating subsidiary in 2009, leveraging local and international knowledge to consistently understand and address the challenges in the country’s commodity and metals industry. We are committed to the Indian market and our new investment which fits with the flagship ‘Make in India’ program of the government of India.” The Indian copper wire rod market is expected to grow 12% year-on-year. With increased public infrastructure investment by the government the market is expected to witness a significant rise in demand in the foreseeable future. “We see a great opportunity for managing our working
22 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Bangladesh’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) division continues to pursue an ambitious plan to further deploy fiber optic cables. Per multiple media reports, the goal is to connect 2,600 union parishads (the smallest rural administrative and local government units) through fiber optic cables. A government purchase committee approved the project, which will be implemented by the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) to provide internet and other connectivity to the local government offices. Under the “national ICT intra-network for Bangladesh government phase-III,” which is also known as the Info Sarker-3 project, the government will build some other digital infrastructure at the union level, said Shyam Sunder Sikder, secretary of the ICT division. “We will now finalize the development project proforma that will have all the development details,” Sikder said. He noted that there are some other formalities to be com-
NOVEMBER 2016 | 23
ASIAN FOCUS
a project that saw the connection of pleted before placing the project 18,130 government offices through before the Executive Committee a nationwide network. The project, of the National Economic concluded in June, saw the distribuCouncil for final approval. tion of 2,500 tablets to government At the same time, the officials. Bangladesh Telecommunications BCC also connected Bangladesh Company Ltd. (BTCL) is conSecretariat, seven divisional and all necting 1,100 union parishads district and 485 upazila (sub districts) through fiber optic cables. The level government offices under this project is scheduled to be comproject, officials of the ICT division pleted by December this year and said. They also established 800 video 950 unions have already been conferencing systems, 254 e-agriconnected, said M. Moinuddin, culture service centers, telemedicine the project director. The stateservices in 25 healthcare centers, owned company will soon begin disaster data recovery centers and a new project to connect another Bangladesh continues to pursue a fiber-optic specialized training labs at universi1,000 unions, he added. cable deployment mission. ties across the country in the last two The ICT division is aware of years. A Wi-Fi network was installed the BTCL project, said Sikder. in the secretariat and 25,000 tablet PCs were distributed “We will connect the union parishads that are yet to be to government officials under the Info Sarker-2 project. connected.” “Info Sarker-3 is actually an extended version of the The government has appointed China Railway two previous projects,” said Sikder, the ICT secretary. International Group for the Info Sarker-3 project, and Before completing this project, BCC also ran another China’s Exim Bank will provide some $156 million in project named Bangla Gov Net to connect district officlow-cost loans, per the project summary. es of the government through fiber optic cables. To date, the ICT division has completed Info Sarker-2,
PEOPLE
PEOPLE Paul Knorsch has joined DavisStandard as the Aftermarket Group and Business Development Leader at Davis-Standard’s German subsidiary, ER-WE-PA GmbH. In his new role, he will work closely with the Global Aftermarket Team to support Davis-Standard products, locations and initiatives worldwide. He will be based in Erkrath and report to Kai Möllendorf, ER-WEKnorsch PA’s Managing Director. Based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA, Davis-Standard, LLC, is a global leader in the design, development and distribution of extrusion and converting technology.
FEATURE
SSW Holding Company, Inc. (SSW), announced two promotions. Thomas Sommers has been named executive vice-president of sales. A 32-year company veteran, his role at the company has been expanded to direct all its sales activities. He previously spearheaded customer growth in Mexico and helped execute SSW’s successful expansion into several markets, including residenture:Layout 1 12/30/2009 7:55 AM Page 48 tial cooking, commercial refrigeration and HVAC. A graduate of Loras College, during his career with SSW he has held a series of operational and sales roles of increasing responsibility at divisional and corporate levels. The company also named Matthew J. McMillin as executive director, innovation and product strategy. He joined SW in 2001, having previously led SSW’s
product development team through the introduction and launch of several successful product innovations within the residential refrigeration and laundry markets. He holds degrees from the University of Kentucky (BSME) and Indiana University (MBA) and previously held engineering roles with General Electric Appliances. Both men will report to SSW President Mark A. Gritton. Based in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, SSW’s operating companies include: Alabama Wire Products, Inc.; American Appliance Products, Inc.; Collis de Mexico; Collis Inc.; Premier Manufacturing Corporation; and Straits Steel & Wire Company. Greg Grace has joined Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. as director of engineering. He has more than 20 years of experience in the wire and cable industry. His cable career in engineering and operations began at Times Fiber Communications, where he worked with wiredrawing, extrusion, and braider machinery making coaxial cable. He then worked at Judd Wire, where he worked with extruders and braidGrace ers as well as cablers, tapers, drum twisters and electron beams making automotive, medical, and airframe products. He further expanded his industry knowledge at PMC Aerospace, where he made airframe and thermocouple wire and cable. He
OBITUARY
Paul Polishuk, expert optics and tele-wired vice and founded Horizon House Hall: Dr. Wireless is alreadyanused ason anfiber extension of the communications technology and markets who was an network. Many workers use wireless as their primary LAN International, a company formed to organize the first major telecom advisor to the White House as well as the founder of of connection, whether they areInc. moving around Information Gatekeepers, (IGI), died Julythe 18,office 2016. or trade show in the U.S. not. Others wireless cardsPolishuk in theirearned laptops to provide He left in 1977 to form IGI. Born inuse Boston in 1935, a B.S. degree from MIT in 1956, an M.S. degree andif a Over the years there was much “anywhere connections” so they never haveinto1962 worry PhD is in nearby. physics from Ohio State 1964, andcome later to reali-growth, and he was quite active, LANa port As 3G and 4Ginnetworks serving as president and chairman added a degree in management from MIT. He served in ty it awill to see how this transforms the work-of the board of the IGI Group of slewbeofinteresting key executive positions, both in and outside placeofand the types of devices people use to do their jobs. Companies, which includes IGI government. Consulting Inc., IGI, IGICom and He was a senior research scientist at the Laboratory 12 overseas offices. from 1956 to 1968, at which time he served as the first Polishuk He was also active with the director of planning for the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory Wright-Patterson Airmade Force Base. In Polishuk,Plastic Optical Fiber Trade Below is an at edited presentation by Paul IGI Group President Polishuk, Organization (POFTO), and wasPaul featured in sev- r, with Abang Annu 1971, he joined the Office of Telecommunications, U.S. president and CEO, IGI Group, and co-chair, Plastic stories on POF in WJI. Heatwas to have Department of Commerce, as deputy director. He was Ehsan, a presenter thesaid 18th Int’l Conference on POF Optical Fiber Trade Organization (POFTO). at the 18th eral worked until a few days before he passed. He is director of the Policy Support Division, responsible International on Plastic Fibers (POFsurvived by two sons, Paul and Phil Polishuk, a for telecomConference policy development for theOptical White House. and an optical medium is needed. Because of the large 2009), held September A key proponentdaughter, He which became was acting deputy director in2009. 1972 and served Patricia Campbell, and seven grandembedded base of copper, the familiarity, and the ease in this capacity until whenthat he left federal real-world serchildren. of POF technology, he1976, believes it offers
POF: the ‘other’ fiber option
advantages beyond its core use in automotives. Developments in Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) technolo24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL gy have led to a number of new applications, opened new markets, and seen the entrance of a number of new com-
of use—and thus the comfort level with the technology among technicians and design engineers—it is difficult for POF to displace copper. In addition, copper techno gy for transmitters and cables continues to be develope Wireless is also a potential competitor for all media, bu
JoeTools reports that the company recently hired Mike Zimmerman to expand its sales engineering staff. He has 32 years of experience, including 25 years with Canterbury Engineering. His career began at Laribee Wire, where he worked for seven years in a variety of manufacturing and supervisory roles before joining Canterbury Engineering in 1988. He had two years in manufacturing and product quality inspection that led up to his position of sales engineer. He was named “Salesman of the Year” numerous times. Based in Lilbrun, Georgia, USA, JoeTools is a full service, design and manufacturing resource for extrusion crossheads, tips, dies, breaker plates and all accessories for the wire and cable industry. Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), announced two executive appointments for its broadcast system services.
REELS AND DRUMS Metal reels for wire and cable. Process and transport.
HANDLING EQUIPMENT Take apart reels for coil’s production. All the necessary accessories for reels and coils handling.
Mark Ward was named director, systems integration and services. He will head the Program Management Office and be responsible for all external and internal customer project management as well as the development of RFS’ growing services business. He will also be involved in sales and operations of the company’s Broadcast and Defence Systems (BDS) Business Unit. He has an extensive background in communications, and most recently spent seven years at BAI Communications as National Business Development Manager, and six years as General Manager of Vertical Telecoms. The company also named Tristan Gough as project services manager in the broadcast services department. He will perform project management functions and deliver cost-effective solutions for customers. He has worked closely with RFS on two major projects. He has over 15 years of experience in telecommunications, having worked as Project Manager at Syndicate Communications and NBN Co. Based in Meriden, Connecticut, USA, Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) is a global designer and manufacturer of cable, antenna and tower systems, plus active and passive RF conditioning modules, providing total-package solutions for wireless infrastructure.
You can take our new cold welder almost anywhere Supplied in a handy carry pack, our CP180 machine welds wire, strip and profile 0.30mm to 1.80mm (.0118" to .071"). Find out more at www.pwmltd.co.uk . Pressure Welding Machines Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1233 820847 Email: pwm@btinternet.com North America inquiries: Tel: 774-991-0504 Email: joe@jsnee.com
GMP Slovakia s.r.o., Pribenik - Slovakia sales@gmp-slovakia.com www.gmp-slovakia.com
World leader in cold weld technology
New PWM welders and dies available only from PWM or its authorised distributors.
NOVEMBER 2016 | 25
PEOPLE
most recently worked at Bartell Machinery, where he had been designing, troubleshooting and installing large rotating wire and cable equipment. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, both from Cornell University. Based in Clinton, Massachusetts, USA, Lloyd & Bouvier, Inc., is a supplier of new, used and rebuilt wire and cable equipment.
FIBER WATCH
FIBER WATCH FO sets 1 terabit per sec speed record Nokia Bell Labs, Deutsche Telekom T-Labs and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have reported that they have achieved unprecedented transmission capacity and spectral efficiency in an optical communications field trial with a new modulation technique. The breakthrough research, they said, could extend the capability of optical networks to meet surging data traffic demands. Per a press release, the three companies showed in an optical communications field trial that the flexibility and performance of optical networks can be maximized when adjustable transmission rates are dynamically adapted to channel conditions and traffic demands. As part of the Safe and Secure European Routing (SASER) project, the experiment over a deployed optical fiber network of Deutsche Telekom achieved a net transmission rate of one Terabit, which is close to the theoretical maximum information transfer rate of that channel, and thus approaching the Shannon Limit of the fiber link. The Shannon Limit was discovered in 1948 by Claude Shannon, Bell Labs pioneer and the “father of information theory.” The trial of the novel modulation approach, known as Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS), uses quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) formats to achieve
DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS ISO9001 OF PAYOFF & TENSION CONTROL REGISTERED EQUIPMENT FOR WIRE & CABLE
higher transmission capacity over a given channel to significantly improve the spectral efficiency of optical communications. PCS modifies the probability with which constellation points—the alphabet of the transmission—are used. Traditionally, all constellation points are used with the same frequency. PCS uses constellation points with high amplitude less frequently than those with lesser amplitude to transmit signals that, on average, are more resilient to noise and other impairments. This allows the transmission rate to be tailored to ideally fit the transmission channel, delivering up to 30 percent greater reach. It was 50 years ago when optical fiber was introduced. With the promise of 5G wireless technology on the horizon, optical transport systems today continue to evolve to help telecommunications operators and enterprises meet network data traffic growing at a cumulative annual rate of up to 100 percent. PCS is now part of this evolution by enabling increases in optical fiber flexibility and performance that can move data traffic faster and over greater distances without increasing the optical network complexity. The research is a key milestone in proving PCS could be used in the future to extend optical communication technologies.
With all of the suppliers out there...why should you call Wyrepak Industries for your manufacturing needs? Quite simply, Wyrepak is a name you can trust for reliable and dependable products. With our many years of experience in creating cost-effective manufacturing applications, backed by a solid guarantee and excellent customer service – Wyrepak has it all! For more details on any of our manufacturing product solutions, call us at 800-972-9222 or email sales@wyrepak.com
WYREPAK INDUSTRIES — A Huestis Industrial Company • www.WYREPAK.com
68 Buttonwood Street, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809-0718 USA • tel: 800.972.9222 or 401.253.5500 fax: 401.253.7350 2C_WYREPAKHuestis_WhyCallWyrepak_WJI_halfHoriz_VariousCombos_withShowInfo_v6_03092015_press.indd 1
26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
10/13/16 12:51:01 PM
FASTENER UPDATE
FASTENER UPDATE Report: the U.S. industrial fastener market looks good through 2020 A report from The Freedonia Group, “Industrial Fasteners,” predicts that the U.S. market for industrial fasteners will return to more sustainable growth levels through 2020, following a surge in demand experienced during the recovery-fueled 2010-2015 period. A press release said that the industry performance has always been strongly impacted by trends in its largest end-user market, automotive manufacturing. As vehicle output moderates, so does associated fastener demand. The fastest growth in fastener sales will be in the construction market, as construction activity—both residential and nonresidential—continue to advance well through 2020. Demand for aerospace-grade fasteners is expected to outpace growth in standard fastener sales, supported by relatively strong conditions in aerospace manufacturing, as well as by the increasing use of higher value aerospace-grade fasteners, particularly those made of titanium. Per the release, the Freedonia Group projects that sales of standard industrial fasteners will register gains through 2020, but at more subdued rates than those seen during the 2010-2015 period. “Essentially, growth is forecast to return to a sustainable rate for this relatively mature market where many of the products are considered commodity type. Production gains in the motor vehicle market will slow considerably from the output growth posted during the 2010-2015 period, dampening associated fastener sales. In addition, machinery shipments are expected to moderate through 2020, leading to slower growth in associated fastener sales. Above average gains are forecast for standard fasteners utilized in both aerospace applications and fabricated metal products. Competition from foreign producers is intense for most standard fasteners, continuing to hold back value gains. Growth in the maintenance/repair/operations (MRO) segment for industrial fasteners is expected to be in line with the much larger OEM segment. MRO sales will be restrained by fastener-containing equipment being increasingly designed to be replaced, rather than repaired. The report analyzes the U.S. industrial fastener market, including historical demand data (2005, 2010, 2015) plus forecasts (2020, 2025) by product (standard, aerospace-grade) and market (OEM, MRO, construction). The 261-page report can be ordered for $7,900 (corporate license) and for $5,300 (individual license). Contact: The Freedonia Group, www.freedoniagroup.com.
OCTOBER 2016 | 27
WAI NEWS
WAI November 2016
Alejandro Diaz Torres, head of engineering practices, flexible cord plant, Viakable Operaciones, Monterrey México
MEMBERSHIP
Q: What does your company do? A: Viakable manufactures wire and cable for different industries. We specialize in high-end engineered cable for different applications. We have been manufacturing products for the energy, automotive and construction sectors and we are currently expanding our product range to service the aerospace industry.
This section introduces a new WAI member each issue.
Q: What is your role there? A: I am head of the engineering process at the flexible cord plant. I am responsible for optimal standards and conditions in our machinery so that our operators can manufacture our products efficiently and meet our quality requirements.
SPOTLIGHT
Q: What do you like best about your position? A: My position involves finding solutions for new challenges. It demands constant collaboration and teamwork with other areas, such as production and maintenance. Q: How has your industry most changed? A: Industry changes in the automotive sector are driving changes in our industry as well, with new ways of doing things and new products and developments. In general, Mexico´s trade agreements have made our country more competitive with more wire and cable competitors in our local and international markets, driving changes in the way we work to do things more efficiently. Q: How does your company remain competitive? A: First by understanding our client´s requirements and working closely with them to meet their needs, but also through innovation. Our company is very interested and supportive in developing an innovative culture. Our people participate in innovation programs to explore different markets and industries in order to understand new industry trends and remain competitive. We have many training programs to develop our skills. Q: Why did you recently join WAI? A: I see WAI as a window to learn about new technologies and equipment and accessories for producing wire and cable, and meeting suppliers from around the world. 28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
WAI newsletter relaunched, features new name, frequency, video and focus WAI NEWS
WAI’s electronic newsletter for Association members has undergone significant change in recent months. It has been relaunched as HardWIRED, with a 10 times per year format that now includes an educational format, that is available to non-members. The newsletter will feature video content, and the first one, which has already been sent out, can be accessed at wirenet.org. It features a brief welcome by WAI President Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire, and a seven minute video on the proper way to clean an extrusion screw that was shot at Nexans’ plant in Chester, New York, as well as two short pieces on downstream applications for wire and cable. “We wanted to make this easier and more relevant for the industry,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. “We understand that time is limited, so we wanted to make this something that would be informative as well as entertaining. Each newsletter will have an educational element. The first one is on cleaning an extrusion screw, and the second one will be a piece on wire breaks by Horace Pops, a master on the subject who has presented many times on this topic. I think people are going to like this, so I encourage everyone to give it a try.” To access the newsletter, just go to www.wirenet.org and click on the HardWIRED logo.
From the WAI Ferrous Wire Handbook With 36 chapters over 1,168 pages, the Ferrous Wire Handbook, published in 2008, remains the Association’s most-ever comprehensive literature project, written by three dozen wire industry experts and edited by former WAI President Robert M. Shemenski, an industry consultant and president of RMS Consulting, Inc. The book is a modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering and operations sectors of the industry. The chapters present straightforward explanations of different processes, supported by charts and photos. The content covers a full spectrum of sectors, with individual chapters—from wire rod production and deformation in cold drawing to patenting and straightening and cutting wire—that explain the process in practical terms. A company that just wants one or two chapters need not pay for the entire book ($235/$195 for WAI members). A PDF of a single chapter, from 4 through 36, can be ordered for $25, $20 for WAI members. Each order will include an additional free PDF with the first three chapters (A short history of the Ferrous Wire Industry, Evolution of Modern Steel Manufacture, and Modern Steel
Manufacturing), which serve as an industry introduction and overview. To get the first three chapters for free, go to www.mywai.org. There you can see and order the other individual chapters. Future issues will present chapter summations here.
CHAPTER 8: Rod Defects
ON SALE NOW!
SUMMARY: This chapter, 29 pp., covers 16 topics, 39 charts/pictures and a bibliography. Chapter elements covered: • Seams (cracks) • Laps • Fins (overfill) • Rolled-in extraneous matter • scratches • roll marks • fire crack transfer marks • roughness • slivers (shell) • core segration • surface decarburization • hard spots • mechnical damage • hot shortness and burned steel
NOVEMBER 2016 | 29
Introducing INTERWIRE 2017 -AND-
WAI’S 87TH ANNUAL CONVENTION: MAY 8-11. EXHIBITS: MAY 9-11. ATLANTA. GEORGIA. USA
Proof that wire & cable never looked so good after enduring so much. Everyone wants something specific when it comes to ferrous, nonferrous, and electrical wire. And when it is about wire & cable manufacturing, it is all about ...the process. So when you’ve been around wire and cable as long as we have, you know that short cuts don’t work. Except one: INTERWIRE. INTERWIRE represents decades of wire & cable making advancement bundled into one efficient package. It is the time-tested way your competitors stay relevant in this business. And the direct link between you and the solution to the process you call your own. Maybe it’s technical know-how you seek. Or machinery to upgrade your plant. Training for your team. Or finding contacts far and wide. Interwire delivers. It is an international wire & cable industry fair and the largest marketplace of its kind in the Americas—36+ years in refinement. We’re in the process of planning Interwire 2017 for our followers who come from 50 countries to participate. Follow developing details: www.interwire17.com. PRESENTATIONS. PRODUCTION SOLUTIONS. EXHIBITS. TOURS. NETWORKING. SALES. PURCHASING. PRODUCT REVIEW. TRAINING. SPEAKING, EXHIBITING, AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
The Wire Association International, Inc. | WWW.WIRENET.ORG
ROLL TWIST COIL BUNDLE BRAID INSULATE GALVANIZE COAT PAINT ENAMEL TWIST PAIR SUBMERGE BURY WEATHER SUSPEND DRAW BEND SHAPE BARB SPRING ELECTRIFY CRIMP CUT STRIP SOURCE ANNEAL QUENCH CONNECT TEST CRATE SHIP DELIVER
Wire. Cable. Supplies. Equipment.
exhibitors Accuracy Technical Services LLC Ace Metal Inc. ADVARIS GmbH Agape Industry Inc. AIM Inc. AITMAC Inc. All Wire Forming Machinery Inc. Amacoil Inc. America Bybon Corp. American & Efird, LLC American Kuhne Inc. AW Machinery LLC Aztech Lubricants LLC B & H Tool Co. Inc. Balloffet Die Corp. Baum’s Castorine Co. Inc. Beacon Reel Co. Bechem Lubrication Technology LLC Bekaert Beneke Wire Co. Bergandi Machinery Co. Blachford Corp. Black Sea Technology Inc. Bloom Engineering Co. Inc. Boockmann GmbH/ The Slover Group Cable Consultants Corp. Calmec Precision Limited CardConnect Carris Reels Inc. Cavallero Plastics CCPIT Ceeco Bartell Products, Bartell Machinery Systems Cemanco LC CERSA-MCI Chase Wire & Cable Materials Chemetall Chengdu Centran Industrial Co. Ltd. Chhaperia International Co. Cimteq Clifford Machines & Technology Clinton Instrument Co. CM Furnaces Inc. CMEC International Exhibition Ltd. CN Wire Corp. Commission Brokers Inc. Condat Conneaut Industries Inc. Davis-Standard LLC DEM S.p.A. Die Quip Corp. Dino-Lite Scopes (BigC) Domeks Makine Ltd. Sti Dynamex Corp. Ebner Furnaces Inc. Electron Beam Technologies Inc. Electronic Drives & Controls Inc. Enercon Industries ERA Wire Inc. Esteves Group USA Etna Products Inc. George Evans Corp. EVG Inc. Fabritex Inc. Facts Inc.
Fenn LLC Fil-Tec Inc. Filtertech Inc. Fine International Corp. Fisk Alloy Inc. Flymca & Flyro FMS USA Inc. Foerster Instruments Inc. Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc. FSP-One Inc. Gauder Group Inc. Gem Gravure Co. Inc. GIMAX W. Gillies Technologies LLC GMP Slovakia s.r.o Granite Falls Furnace Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Hafner & Krullmann GmbH Hangzhou Dongxing Telecommunication Material Co. Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co. Ltd. Hangzhou Juli Insualtion Co. Ltd. Heany Industries Inc. Heatbath Corp. Houghton International Inc. Howar Equipment Inc. Huestis Industrial ICE Wire Line Equipment Inc. IDEAL Welding Systems iiM AG measurement + engineering InnoVites Integrated Control Technologies International Wire Group, Inc. International Wire & Cable Machinery Association IP Automation Inc. Iron Tiger Manufacturing Inc. Isabellenhutte Co. Jianyin Hygrade Electromechanical Technology Co. Ltd. Joe Snee Associates, Inc. Joe-Tools Jouhsen - Bundgens Inc. Kablosan Turkey - FBC Yayincilik Ltd. sti Kabmak Muh. Ve Mak. San Kalmark Intergrated Systems Ltd. KEIR Manufacturing Inc. Kinrei of America Lamnea Bruk AB LaserLinc Inc. Leggett & Platt Wire Group Leoni Wire Inc. Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. Magnetic Technologies Ltd. Maillefer Extrusion Oy Mathiasen Machinery Inc. Melos GmbH Metal Link Inc. Metalloid Corp. MFL Group MGS Manufacturing Inc. Micro Products Co. Microdia USA Milacron Canterbury Engineering/Genca Morgan-Koch Corp.
Mossberg Associates Inc. Mossberg Industries Inc. Nano-Diamond America Inc. Nantong Yingjie Metal Products Co. Nation Grinding Inc. NDC Technologies Niagara Composites Industries Inc. Niehoff Endex North America Inc. Nylene Canada Inc. Oden Technologies Inc. OMA USA Inc. OMCG North America Inc. Ozyasar Tel Ve Galvanizleme P & R Specialty Inc. P/A Industries Paramount Die Co. Parkway-Kew Corp. Phifer Wire Inc. Pioneer Machinery USA Pittsfield Plastics Eng. Inc. Plas-Ties Co. Pourtier & Setic of America Precision Die Technologies Inc. Precision Process Inc. Premier Wire Die PrintSafe Progress Maschinen & Automation AG Promostar srl Properzi International Inc. Q8Oils QED Wire Lines Inc. Queins Machines Raajratna Stainless Wire Inc. RAD-CON Inc. Radyne Corp. Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Rautomead Ltd. Reel-O-Matic Inc. Refractron Technologies Corp. RichardsApex Inc. Roblon A/S Rockford Manufacturing Group FELM Rosendahl Nextrom Roteq Machinery Inc. S&E Specialty Polymers SACO AEI Polymers SAMP USA Inc. Sanxin Wire Die Inc. Sarkuysan SA Schlatter North America Schnell SpA Shanghai Dehong New Materials Co. Ltd. Shanghai Hosn Machinery Technology Co. Ltd. Shenyang Jinggong Cable Material Co. Ltd. Sikora International Corp. Sivaco Wire Group Sjogren Industries Inc. Skaltek Inc. Sonoco Reels Star Materials Co. Ltd. Steel Cable Reels Stolberger Inc.
DBA Wardwell Braiding Subec AB Supermac Industries Ltd. Sweed Machinery Inc. Sylvin Technologies Inc. T & T Marketing Inc. Takikawa Tantec Est Inc. Tapeformers Ltd. Taubensee Steel & Wire Co. Taymer International Inc. Technical Development Corp. Tecnofil SA TECVIL Teknikor Teknor Apex TEKTAPES Tensor Machinery Ltd. Thermoplastics Engineering Corp. Tillos Group Traxit North America LLC Troester GmbH & Co. KG Tubular Products Co. Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc. United Wire Co. Inc. Vandor Corp. Vinston US Corp. Vollmer America Inc. WAFIOS Machinery Corp. Weber & Scher Mfg. Co. Inc. Windak Inc. Wire & Cable Technology International Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. wire 2016/Messe Düsseldorf North America Wire Association International, Inc. Wire Journal International, Inc. Wire Lab Co. Wire Machine Systems Inc. wired up Witels Albert USA Ltd. Woodburn Diamond Die Inc. WTM srl Zhejiang Baichuan Conductor Technology Co., Ltd. Zumbach Electronics Corp.
CHAPTER CORNER
CHAPTER CORNER The hole that will be talked about for at least a year The WAI Southeast Chapter gathered on September 29th for the annual Golf Tournament – The Vannais Tournament. The outing, now in its 15th year, returned to the beautiful Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, NC and as usual, selected the award winning Robert Trent Jones, II course to test the 26 team field. “The tournament founder, the now deceased Steve Vannais, would be pleased to see that the original purpose of this event continues, which is to let this industry that works so hard, have some fun together,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. The tournament is an essential activity of the Southeast Chapter as it provides an opportunity for the industry in this region to have some fun. Not surprisingly, with teams from Prysmian, CommScope, Superior Essex, Nexans and Southwire, competition noses its way onto the course. This well-established event attracts many returning players and teams. The scramble format keeps play moving and the Board looked to further increase the speed of play by removing fundraiser mulligans. While this year’s event went off under sunny skies, play was suspended for nearly 30 minutes for what turned out to be a genuine drenching mixed with hail. The break came as
the teams played their “14th hole” and fortunately, play returned quickly as the course drained efficiently. The break gave everyone a chance to compare scores and it became clear that the last five holes had meaning for many of the teams. ‘Hail’ this memorable event. It was game on for those teams in the hunt and as often is the case, pressure can be the agent of something special. This was certainly the case for “Team Process ControlCommscope” as it came around to hole #7, which was their second to last, or 17th hole, of the tournament. They knew that par or conservative play was not going to separate them from the field. Below is what left them smiling for literally the rest of the day. Sure enough, the double eagle was the difference maker. During the dinner, Chapter President Art Deming of Nexans also recognized the generous support of the event sponsors (see next page).
Double Eagle Hole #7, 444 yards, handicap 9. Greens and fairway condition: damp Ricky Rudisill tee shot gets them to within range David Cabe holed out from 195 yards
Putting contest winner Ken Brown, AFL: no measurement was necessary as he drained the 30-foot putt.
From l-r, the first place team of CommScope’s Jason Morrow, Tim McElhany (Process-Control), David Cabe and Ricky Rudisill, who won with a score of 56. (Photo by Jason M.) 32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
From 195 yards out, Cabe did his share. Photo by Tim McElhany.
S�������� C������ T����� ��� T��������� S�������!
$10,000 H���-��-O��
L��� D����
Commission Brokers
J. J. Lowe Henderson Sales & Service Maillefer RichardsApex
L���� Zumbach Joe Tools
B������� C��� Teknikor Contracting 360 Control Technologies
D������ R���� Sonoco Reels
P������ C������ Southwire Company W. Gillies Technologies Breen Color Concentrates
C�������� A���� Carris Reels The Okonite Company Wire & Plastic Machinery
A������� D���� Sikora
C������ �� ��� P�� NDC Technologies/ Beta LaserMike Technical Development Corp Rosendahl Nextrom USA Sonoco Reels Joe Tools
C�������� H��� American Kuhne Axjo America Breen Color Concentrates Carris Reels Cemanco Chase Corp Clinton Instrument Davis-Standard
Egret Consulting Fluoropolymer Resources Gateway Recovery Gem Gravure Haynes Wire Company Henderson Sales & Service JJ Lowe Joe Snee Associates Joe Tools Keir Manufacturing Lloyd & Bouvier PolyOne Distribution Process Control Corp Progressive Machinery QMS America Sonoco Plastics Sonoco Reels Southwire Company Standridge Color Corp T&T Marketing Teknikor Automation & Controls Tulsa Power Wayne Wire Die Windak Wire & Plastic Machinery
WAI Southeast Chapter 2016 Scholarship Winners
NIKLAS ENDLER
LANDON SMITH
DAVIS RYMAN
Attending: University of Georgia
Attending: West Georgia Technical College
Attending: University of Georgia
Son of: Dominik Endler / Bekaert Corporation
Grandson of: Irv Baston / Technical Development Corp.
Son of: Wade Ryman / RichardsApex
NOVEMBER 2016 | 33
CHAPTER CORNER
CHAPTER CO CORNER
Ohio Valley golf tournament: a fast (but not furious) experience The Ohio Valley Chapter held its exclusive “sprint” outing on October 6 at the Grantwood Golf Course in Solon, Ohio. It is the fastest WAI chapter golf outing because the field, with 32 players, is small, but that makes for a brisk pace that the golfers enjoy. Chapter President Rob Fulop, Wire Lab Company, described the fall day as beautiful and the course conditions as excellent, all the ingredients one needs for a recipe for a very enjoyable chapter outing. “We had a good mix of
suppliers and manufacturers and look forward to building up our numbers going forward,” Fulop said. Tournament winners, at 6 under par, were Brad Robillard and Chris Lins, both of Beta LaserMike, Matt Frey of Elk Technologies, and Mark McClain, American Wire & Cable. “It was a great day spent with suppliers, customers and new friends. This golf tournament was the perfect venue to network and meet new people in the wire and cable industry,” said Tournament Chairman Mark MacKimm of Rainbow Rubber & Plastic. The events sponsors included Amacoil, Beta LaserMike (a division of NDC), PolyOne Corporation, Premier Wire Die and Rainbow Rubber & Plastic.
OHIO VALLEY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Among those playing at the Ohio Valley golf tourney was the team of, l-r, T.J. Phillips, Midwest Conveying; James Halverson, Midwest Conveying; and Patrick Oswald, NASCO.
President – Rob Fulop, Wire Lab Co. Treasurer – Thomas Maxwell, Jr., Die Quip Corp. Past President – Dane Armendariz, Chemetall Director – David Gooch, Charter Steel Director – Mark MacKimm, Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc. Director – David Rascati, Premier Wire Die Director – Robert Taillard, Bekaert
N.E. Chapter planning at IWCS Life is often a matter of timing and opportunity, so the New England Chapter decided to take advantage of the recent staging of IWCS in Providence, Rhode Island, to hold a meeting there. The group discussed the recent golf tournament in Avon, Connecticut, as well as their upcoming annual meeting, to be held January 26, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. The meeting will start at 5:30 pm, and on-line registration will be available soon at wirenet.org. New England Chapter board members “convened” in Providence.
At the 2016 annual chaper annual meeting, l, a magician entertained, and President Dave Fisher spoke about the year to come.
NOVEMBER 2016 | 35
CHAPTER CORNER
CHAPTER CO CORNER
EVENT WRAPUP With records for both attendance and exhibit space, wire China and Wire Tube were in high gear at the Shanghai venue.
Record attendance for wire China Organizers of wire China 2016, the 7th All China International Wire and Cable Industry Trade Fair report that the biennial event saw record attendance, with strong support for its bolstered fastener segment. A press release from Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and the Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute (SECRI) said that the event at the Shanghai New International Expo Center saw 42,199 trade visitors from 94 countries and regions, an increase of 10.9% over the prior show. In addition to the large number of local professionals, a growing presence of overseas buyers attended the fair.
The top 10 countries and regions of overseas visitors include South Korea, India, China/Taiwan, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Iran, Thailand, U.S., Indonesia and Vietnam, it reported. The wire event, combined with its sister tube event, also set a record, with 1,650 companies from 31 countries and regions exhibiting in nine halls covering over one million square feet of exhibit space. There were international pavilions from Germany, Italy, North America, Australia, France, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The release said that a stunning display of achievements from transformations by Chinese enterprises was
Organizers said that more overseas buyers attended.
36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
presented. Domestically produced equipment and technologies with independent intellectual property rights and brand influence were another highlight for overseas buyers. The organizers said that both exhibitors and visitors were greatly satisfied in terms of achieving their business goals at the show. “The biennial Wire & Tube China brings together high-quality buyers from China and many surrounding countries, some of whom have already signed on-site letters of intent to purchase,” said Wafios AG CFO Dr.lng. Christoph Müller-Mederer. “This show has clearly become an important
Maillefer reported very good activity at its booth.
Call: 1 800 872 1068 • +1 630 406 9550 Email: info@micro-weld.com Web: www.micro-weld.com
Micro Products Company Batavia Illinois USA
NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2016 2015 || 37 41
EVENT EVENT WRAPUP WRAPUP
“Our main objective for participating channel for Wafios to expand into isthe to Asian showcase our Ilatest machinery market. believe that with tothe customers fromofthe region,” said advancement Industry 4.0, the Christian Schalich, manager industry as a wholearea will sales become better for andGermany’s better.” SIKORA AG. “We were able to accomplishdeclared this andwire at theChina same Davis-Standard time technologies 2016explain to be a the veryadvanced successful exhibioftion. our“We machines while theof customers met with many our existtest them. Having talked with moreand vising and some potential customers, itors than two years ago, I am pleased they were very interested in our latest that have met our objective fully wirewe and cable extruder technology.” andItaly’s will surely be back in 2017.” WTM praised the compeFrance’s Numalliance also tence and professionalism of reported the many good results, including the sale of a visitors. “We are very happy to report Attendance at the biennial event was up nearly 11% from the prior show. machine to a Thailand that an enthusiastic feeling.customer Most of them was highlight their participation. werethe focusing on of advanced technoloBSHatElectrical Appliances from other parts of among Asia who “Not onlylooking does this exhibition Niehoff GmbH was thewere 411 exhibitors the combined trade (Jiangsu) events. gies and fortrade our solutions to reach out to the domestic Thai marCo., Ltd., “We focus on wires and fasinterested in getting familiar with the enhance their products with up-to-date (IWCEA), the Austrian Wire and Cable Machinery ket, but it also drewinformation large numbers of teners industries, especially on spring latest technology in wire and cable equipment. ... The we reManufacturers Association (VÖDKM-AWCMA) as well industry visitors from regional countries who otherwise machinery and wire bending machines. ceived will be very precious for further manufacturing. Great thanks to all as the International Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association wouldn’t be entering the European markets,” said Patrick During the exhibition, we were able to improving and innovating our products visitors in helping us build an unforFrance (IWCEA-FRANCE), German Wire Cable Maurissen, sales director for Numalliance. gettable wire show in- Shanghai. meet with the many suppliers forand relevant We and services.” Machine Manufacturers Association (VDKM) and the wire Southeast Asia 2015 was supported by internaproducts, a really prolific experience.” Maillefer reported that the wire show look forward to wire China 2018.” Wire and Cable Suppliers Association (WCISA). tional industry partners including International Wire to overseas A total of 38 seminars were held In addition buyers attain-Industry in Shanghai was a big success. “We Association representatives were very positive about &met Machinery Association (IWMA), the Italian Wire ing fruitful results, the domestic buyers that offered in-depth and well-rounded nearly all our existing and several the opportunity offered for their members. “This edition Machinery Manufacturers Association (ACIMAF), also found suitable suppliers during the analysis of industrial development. new potential customers from China. the International Wire & Cable Exhibitors Association Micro-SMac-WJI Novmbr15-Ad 10/27/15 12:20 PM Pageis1better than the last and we have seen good numbers Themed “Innovation, Optimization We also hosted a number of customers exhibition. Observed Mr. Tian from
CHINA
SOUTH AFRICA
short time. India is a huge country, a place with a multitude of religions/cultures, and from an industrial point of view it’s not possible to generalize into a single evaluation. What is certain is that India is a land China is and will remain the most important BRICS that has thousands of opmember country, despite slowing growth. Brazil is lookportunities, as does—to ing more like India, mired in corruption scandals, while a lesser extent and all the India at this point under a new regime holds the most differences considered promise. Again, whether the reforms promised by the —South Africa. Companew government in India lead to rapid growth remains Bellina technical element included to a focus fasteners. An industry conference at the event was well attended. nies in South African are to The be seen. Russia will continue have on problems and it focusing on quality and innovation and our Group is laywill take several years to recover from Western-imposed the exgroundwork tenet for aof big‘Going market development there. sanctions. Not much has been heard from South Africa, and Vitality,” the 2016 China Wire & The 12-year historying of the Global and WelcomBrazil, the world’s sixth largest economy—even though though it is now offi cially a member. Cable Industry Conference focused on hibition acts as a microcosm of a ing In,’ the participants have found it is market, very farthe from Italy and presents some customs I exploring think thatthe theinnovative, BRICS areoptimized going to continue to be relevant. sustainable and growing inspiration and creativity during clearthe ance and trade policies issues—is a market increasingly While the pace of GDP growth may slow for a few years and vitality-reinforced road of develrelease said. “While the industry as four-day event to explore further important framework. due to political and socio-economic sanctions, opment for China’s manufacturing factors or a whole faces a bottleneck, wirefor & our strategic development opportunities.” One other thought: the BRICS acronym etc., these remain temporary roadblocks at best. As 40% industry under the new normal econTube China present new concepts, The next staging of was wireoriginally & Tube used to define countries characterized by a developing of the world’s population resides in these countries, it is omy. During the forum, the guests innew directions and new transformaChina will be held September economic situation, a strong growth in GDP, a large popinevitable that at some point in the future they will produce terpreted the 13th Five Year industrial tions, and have driven the sustain26-29, 2018, at the Shanghai New ulation, a vast territory and abundant natural resources. and consume the majority of the world’s output. Rahul development strategy and guiding able development of wire and pipe International Expo Center. For In 2015, we can’t talk of them any more as “developing Sachdev, Wire & Plastic Machinery. opinions, providing insights for the production, processing and trade. further information, contact countries” but as superpowers that, together withMesse the G7 wire industry to understand the future As the premier exchange platform, Düsseldorf North America, tel.Bellicountries, dominate the worldwide market. Fabio Russia faced economic and political distresses in 2014 the industry’s the in exhibition together TKT global Group. 312-781-5180; info@mdna.com, butdirection now theforsituation may adjustment, be back to normal a very bringsna, improvement and development. industry professionals and, under the www.mdna.com. “the growth of any country is possible only if the number of employed persons grows” is satisfied, India will be the next territory that we must serve intensively with our equipment and technology. Of course, the basic infrastructures are presently not sufficient and not adequate to permit the harmonious growth of this giant. Carmelo Maria Brocato, Continuus-Properzi.
38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
MAY 2015 | 37
FEATURE
EVENT WRAPUP
DIA
Drawing more with less!
The latest addition to a long history of innovation is the new type MSM 86 rod breakdown machine designed for wires made of copper, copper alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, and other non-ferrous metals. State-of-the-art technological features and modular design result in dependably high quality wire surfaces and high production output. The real innovative power comes from unprecedented energy efficiency and an energy consumption which is 10% lower than that of its predecessor model MSM 85 and 20% lower than that of conventional rod breakdown machines. The MSM 86 is designed to be combined with the new R 502 continuous resistance annealer. With an annealing power of 530 kW, the R 502 is the most powerful NIEHOFF annealer to date. Power consumption is reduced by 20% compared to state-of-the art DC annealers due to the newly developed voltage control system NAC (Niehoff Annealing Controller) and the AC annealing principle. High efficiency: 2 wires Cu 2.60 mm with 24 m/s = 8,100 Kg/h NIEHOFF combines outstanding expertise along your entire value chain with customer proximity and reliable service, for the entire lifecycle of your investment. It is just this combination that will make the difference, so you can concentrate on what is most important to you: your decisive competitive advantage. Expertise, Customer Driven, Service – in Good Hands with NIEHOFF Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH & Co. KG Walter-Niehoff-Strasse 2, 91126 Schwabach, Germany Phone +49 9122 977-0 / Fax +49 9122 977-155 info@niehoff.de www.niehoff.de
FEATURE
...and GREEN sustainable
Technology evolves, but in a way, so has the concept of “green.” There was a period about a decade ago when “green” unto itself became a hot topic. Green continues, but now the driver seems to be more from an overlapping sister concept: sustainabilty. This feature presents how Southwire evolved its path, as well as a range of other elements, including a look at a troubled steel plant, a market report on renewables, and more.
‘Green’ and sustainability a joint focus Southwire Company, LLC, a leading North American manufacturer of electrical wire and cable, notes that the company has long focused on empowering its customers, employees and communities. It has also placed a high priority on both sustainability and being “green.” Below, Rebecca Cranford, senior vice president, Sustainability, EHS & Quality, discusses the company’s efforts. WJI: How does Southwire determine what its focus will be terms of its “green” and sustainability goals? Does this come from a committee? Did you have a consultant help plot out what type of advances were possible? Cranford: Southwire is a privately held business, owned by the children of our founder, Roy Richards, Sr. The values of our company largely reflect their desire to own a generationally sustainable business, one that is focused not just on short-term financial results, but one that manages and anticipates future economic, environmental and social risks and opportunities. This long-term thinking enables us to calculate our ROI a little differently than others. That being said, our strategic sustainability goals—in five areas, one of which is green—and initiatives are established with input from various stakeholder groups, including our shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers and even regulators. They help us to determine what is most “material” or important to Southwire as we look to the future. Beyond that, at the Board of Directors level, we have a Sustainability Committee that meets quarterly and is comprised of two shareholders, two independent board members, our CEO, general counsel, and me. Within the company, we have a strategic sustainability and an environmental leadership committee, both comprised of members of our executive leadership team including our CEO. This is supported by environmental, health and safety committees as well as “Growing Green” teams within our corporate office and within our various manufacturing committees.
40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Rebecca Cranford
WJI: How well has Southwire done to date at meeting its goals, and how does it determine future goals? Cranford: Today, we have a set of measurable goals, the progress of which is tracked by this governance structure and reported each year through our annual sustainability report. The below chart shows the status as of the last completed year. As many of those goals are coming close to expiration, Southwire’s executive leadership team engaged in a series of working sessions to develop the company’s next generation of sustainability goals. The timing aligns well with the company’s new leadership and strategy, as well as the approaching 10-year anniversary of Southwire’s formal sustainability program. The goal-setting process included: • Defining what “sustainability” means to Southwire, including a discussion about “Why invest in sustainability?” • Using the output of these discussions to inform and refine our future approach to sustainability. • Determining our sustainability vision, mission and goals aligned with the company’s strategic direction. An Ohio-based sustainability governance consulting firm, BrownFlynn, has been instrumental in producing our annual sustainability report and assisting with strategy. WJI: When did Southwire achieve its first zero-waste-tolandfill location? What was the biggest challenge in accomplishing that? What enabled the company to go from 11 locations in 2014 to 22 in 2015?
WJI: How many applicable company sites are not yet “zero waste,” and do some of them have processes that make it unlikely for them to ever go 100%? Cranford: As of January 1, 2016, 14 remain. Some of those sites came through acquisition, and we are still working to establish programs. One of the biggest problems we
face is the added cost for remote locations to ship their remaining trash to waste-to-energy locations. Shipping waste as far as 10 hours away is a significant increase over using a local landfill and unto itself may impact the environment in other ways. This is a challenge we are working through today. Overall, we are very proud to have achieved better than a 96% reduction in our waste to landfill since our baseline year of 2007. WJI: Regarding your gains in “energy intensity,” what have been the largest reduction contributors? What do you think is possible, say, over the next five years? Cranford: Southwire, as a company, has had a focus on energy reduction for many years, well before we even started publicly reporting goals. There hasn’t been one big change over the last few years. Instead, many smaller improvements to improve technology, lighting, resource utilization, etc., have been made. We’ve used both internal and external engineering resources to help us understand the best solutions. WJI: How does your Supplier Sustainability Program fit into your green efforts? Have your suppliers been receptive? Cranford: The program helps ensure we have safe, reli-
SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD
Baseline (year) 0 of 36 locations (0%) (2014)
2014 Status 0 of 36 locations (0%)
2015 Status 3 of 37 locations (8%)
Achieve zero-landfill status at all locations by year-end 2017.
0 of 36 locations* (0%) (2007)
11 of 36 locations* (31%)
22 of 53 locations** (42%)
Increase energy efficiency from 2010 baseline by 10% by year-end 2020.
9.40 Adj. MMBtu/ton (2010)
7% over baseline
8% over baseline
Increase water use efficiency from 2010 baseline by 10% by year-end 2020.
269 gal/ton (2010)
33% over baseline
26% over baseline
Provide customers with environmental impact data for N/A our products through the development of Environmental (2014) Product Declarations for top 25 products in key markets by year-end 2018.
0%
0%
Offer key customers recycling and/or like-kind exchange programs for processing end-of-life Southwire products by year-end 2016.
Limited customers
Strategy underway
Strategy underway
Publicly report sustainability data consistent with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
N/A
Achieved
Achieved
Goals Implement ISO 14001 or equivalent environmental management systems at all manufacturing and warehouse locations worldwide by year-end 2020.
* Only manufacturing and warehousing facilities are included in this statistic (excludes offices) **Includes manufacturing facilities, warehousing facilities, and offices
NOVEMBER 2016 | 41
FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER
Cranford: Our efforts in sustainability and what we call “growing green” were formalized in 2007. We released our first generation of sustainability goals in 2008. Among those goals was the drive to be landfill free by 2017. The first site was our plant in Heflin, Alabama, in 2010, followed by our plant in Flora, Illinois. In the years that followed, we have systematically added facilities to the list as we shifted from a culture of just “landfill it” to one that looked to eliminate, reduce and recycle and use what was left to convert waste to energy. In the early years, our plants worked the challenge individually, with their own teams and location leadership. As the years went by, we became better at best practice sharing and “lending forward” our good ideas as well as developing special focus teams at the enterprise level to deal with common challenges.
FEATURE
able and socially responsible suppliers providing us with the highest quality of raw materials. Our audit process helps us ensure that our suppliers operate in a responsible manner and that they will be around in the future. As importantly though, it’s about relationship building and collaboration. We’ve gained a lot of benefit from the time we’ve spent in our suppliers’ plants. These visits afford us the opportunity to learn from each other and share best practices, especially in the area of EHS (Environmental, Health and Safety). WJI: How have your goals in these areas changed? Cranford: Our efforts and the underlying motivation for investing in “green initiatives have evolved over the years. Our early environment efforts were largely focused on (regulatory) risk and cost reduction. They were primarily focused within “the four walls” of our manufacturing operations while also extending into our product packaging and freight. Although these areas will always be foundational to our environmental efforts, the motivation for why we invest has evolved, and we are looking beyond our manufacturing footprint. Our focus has evolved into more of a shared value proposition. Where do our values and our business objectives
intersect, and how can we “build worth,” not just for Southwire but for key stakeholders? Who can we partner with and have the greatest environmental, safety or social impact that is fueled and sustained by a legitimate business need? For example, we are not just transforming our products, but also the way the grid is designed and operated. Our solutions (e.g., C7™ cable and Intelligent Grid) allow utilities to better manage assets, whether they be power lines or substation equipment, in a safe, more efficient and reliable manner. This reduces cost, carbon emissions, and environmental impact by providing better solutions, for example, ones that reduce material usage and the environmental impact of costly line rebuilds. Southwire is able to develop these innovative solutions though its collaborative relationships with leading industry, utility and research organizations like EPRI and DOE national laboratories. Southwire industry experts are active in more than 30 industry organizations, from ASTM International and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). It was also a founding member of NEETRAC, the National Electric Energy Testing Research and Applications Center.
The 3 stages of adapting sustainability: a Southwire timeline When Southwire decided to invest in sustainability, its executive leadership team’s discussion evolved to its full scopes. Using BrownFlynn’s Sustainability Maturity ContinuumSM, the executive leadership team began to plot out exactly what the journey would entail. The Beginning stage for most companies has to do with their environmental impact, and is largely driven by regulatory, “reputational” or financial drivers, a key part of the “Why invest?” stage. The focus is on improving the environmental impact, eco-efficiency, safety and compliance of business operations. It often begins in a particular business Southwire’s sustainability journey has been, and continues to be, a multi-stage process. line or location before the efforts expand including new goals for employee wellness, diversity and inacross the enterprise. This held true for Southwire when early clusion, but also our 12 for Life® and Project Gift® cooperative sustainability efforts, goals and reporting focused on environeducation program aimed at offering students opportunities to mental clean-up and footprint reduction, and looked forward to get real-world skills to help them attain real-life success. product impact by introducing a lead-free cable. Best-in-Class companies embed sustainability into every As companies progress to the Advanced stage, their reach and aspect of their business. They are a driver of both innovation impact begins to extend. This happens both internally, movand brand differentiation. Activities support a broader societal ing from a single location/business line to a company-wide focus, while efforts focus on the company’s most “material” approach, and externally, moving beyond a “within our four (or the most significant environmental, social and governance walls” focus to a broader impact on local communities, customtopics). Best in class companies also lead the charge to push for ers and supply chain. Regulatory activities evolve from reacpositive change within their industry and society as a whole. tionary to anticipatory while focus turns more multi-topic, movThere is no end to the sustainability journey, and for both ing beyond Environmental, Health and Safety to address areas Southwire and society, that is a good thing on multiple levels. of broader social impact. Southwire has adapted this appoach,
42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Green energy trend continues to be a market driver FEATURE
Where specialty cables have previously been focused in heavy industries—such as shipping, oil and gas and mining—the rise in government intervention supporting green energy plans is pushing renewables to the forefront. Renewable energy, energy that is derived from natural processes, is continuing to be a greater feature in the electricity, heating and cooling and transport sectors. Wind power has been one of the fastest growing sources of renewable electricity generation globally over the last decade, with the majority of global demand driven by China and the U.S. Installed wind generating capacity in China is the highest in the world at 30.8GW in 2015, following rapid net additions between 2009 and 2015 in conjunction with large government support and investment. The U.S. has been behind the curve with renewables investment on the world stage, but plans from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have triggered new installations and onshore wind power installations are on the rise. The majority of specialty wind turbine cable is consumed in the manufacture of the nacelle, the large module that sits on top of the wind turbine tower and contains the mechanical components. Other specialty cable consumption is in the turbine tower, when the wind turbine Growth in solar installations has is installed. There are currently 10 major companies that produce windUS turbines: Vestas (Denmark), GE (U.S.), Goldwind (China), Gamesa (Spain), Enercon (Germany), Siemens (Germany), Guodian (China), Mina Yang (China), Envirson (China) and CSIC (China). A greater
Africa & the Middle East
80 GW of annual installed capacity
proportion of turbine production has moved away from Europe to China in the last five years. Solar power generation is the conversion of sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics (PV). Solar cables are primarily used on solar farms, large-scale PV systems where multiple PV panels are connected together by flexible solar cables. The sector has grown rapidly since 2012 and, like wind power, there has been a high amount of net additions in capacity in China and the U.S. However, solar is much more fragmented than the wind market and there is a long tail of new entrants—such as Brazil, UAE and Egypt—that are expected to be key players in the next five years. Globally, new installed capacity per year is expected to rise from 50GW in 2015 to 87GW per year by 2020. Solar cable production is mostly in the U.S., Europe and Japan. The largest players in solar cables are large cable producers that have expanded their specialty ranges to include renewables, though there is a growing Chinese market too. Solar cables need to be able to withstand a wide temperature range, be resistant to UV, oil and abrasions and often have some fire performance properties. Although the specifications vary from country to country, there are some standards that relate directly to PV wire including UL 4703 (Standard for PV wire), used in the U.S. shifted Europe China and and TUV from 2 PfG (Cables for to applications in PVthe systems), used in Europe. For more details on the report, contact Editor Louisa Winnik at louisa.winnik@integer-research.com
Europe North America & Latin America Asia Pacific & South Asia
60
40
20
0 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Source: Integer
Fig. 1. Growth in solar installations has shifted from Europe to China and the U.S. 44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
You may never have heard of RE100, but it’s safe to say that you know many of the 81 participating companies that have agreed to its shared initiative: a commitment to achieve use of 100% renewable electricity. The basis for the initiative, launched at Climate Week NYC 2014, was that the private sector accounts for around half of the world’s electricity consumption, and that switching that demand to renewables would accelerate the transformation of the global energy market and aid the transition to a low carbon economy. At the RE100 website (re100.org), it makes the business case for renewables and showcases business action, while working with others to address barriers and develop transparent reporting mechanisms. It notes that RE100 stems from The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, a non-profit body that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. It’s not surprising that the majority of the 81 participants are not manufacturers—from Bloomberg and Google to Bank of America and Facebook—but big industry is represented. Below are three auto manufacturers. Of interest, their goals can be seen both as altruistic as well as good business. BMW Group. The German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturer is committed to procuring 100% of electricity from renewable sources for its operations and has an interim target to source more than two thirds of its electricity from renewables by 2020. “Renewable technology will improve,” said Jury Witschnig, Head of Sustainability Strategy for Product, Production and Environmental Protection. Witschnig “A few years ago, this technology didn’t make sense as an option, but it is now getting cheaper and a more attractive investment.” BMWs Leipzig manufacturing campus uses four wind turbines to supply all the energy required to produce its i3 family electric vehicle (plug-in EV) and its i8 super sports car (hybrid plug-in EV). Tata Motors Limited. Tata Motors, India’s largest auto manufacturer, seeks to use 100% renewable energy across all its own operations. “The renewable energy we used during the financial year 2014-15 accounted for around 5% of our total energy consumption, and resulted in the avoidance of over 32,000 metric tons of carbon emissions,” said Arvind Bodhankar, Global Head – Health, Safety, Environment. “Our consumption of renewable
energy is mainly from wind power ... Our ‘captive wind power’ project has 21.95 MW capacity. In 201415 our Pimpri Works plant at Pune used 26 million units of wind power, equal to carbon savings of over 24,000 metric tons, and savings of $2.44 million in electricity charges. We also have 6 MW off-grid generation of solar energy at our Pune, Dharwad and Sanand plants.” Bodhankar General Motors. GM, which produces vehicles in 30 countries, uses 48 megawatts of solar energy at 22 facilities. It plans to meet all the electricity needs of its 350 operations in 59 countries with renewable energy by 2050, either by purchase of such generated energy or its own efforts. It has three U.S. plants that use landfill gas as a source of energy. “Our 100 percent renewable goal, along with GM’s pursuit of electrified vehicles Tulauskas and responsible manufacturing, is part of the company’s approach to strengthening our business, improving communities and addressing climate change,” said David Tulauskas, GM’s Director of Sustainability. “We believe, and continue to prove, there is economic opportunity in addressing climate change.” He noted that GM currently saves $5 million from using renewable energy, “a number we anticipate will increase as more projects come online and the supply of renewable energy increases.”
NOVEMBER 2016 | 45
FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER
RE100: global support for renewables includes industry
FEATURE
Update: Italian steel complex remains a troubling story The below article, which includes excerpts from multiple articles—most notably a 22-page government report, The ILVA Industrial Site in Taranto, prepared by Policy Department A for the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)—updates two previous WJI stories about the Ilva steel plant, which has been both a blessing and a curse. It is a continuing story, one that may see a new owner emerge this year. Bidders for the Ilva steel complex are said to include an offer from ArcelorMittal and Marcegaglia, as well as offers from Italian steelmaker Arvedi and Turkish rival Erdemir. The events that led to the forced sale are memorable in terms of balancing business and environmental goals as well as the role of oversight bodies. Taranto is known as “The Spartan City” because it was the only colony ever founded by Sparta, in 706 BC. As of 2011, it was the third-largest continental city of Southern Italy. Italsider, a state-controlled company, began operations at the Ilva steel plant in Taranto in 1965. The integrated steel plant, whose product range includes wire rod, has employed as many as 16,000 people, and thousands more as contractors. Capacity topped 11 mmt, with production at times representing as much as 40% of Italy’s steel production. The flip side was the cost for those achievements. In 1991, Taranto was described as the most polluted city in Italy and western Europe, and declared a high environmental risk area by the Ministry of Environment. The Ilva steel complex was deemed the largest offender. For years, there were complaints about pollution from the massive site, including “red dust” that coated the area. The European Pollutant Emission Register estimated that dioxin emissions from the Taranto ILVA operations were responsible for 30% for all such reported emissions in Italy in 2002. An even higher number was reported for 2004. There was friction between different factions, some of which wanted better conditions, while others were afraid that it would result in lost jobs. Starting in 1990, Italian authorities and courts adopted various measures aimed at forcing the plant’s operators to bring the plant into compliance with applicable environmental legislation, to punish those responsible for the poor environmental performance of the plant and to ensure that damages are remedied. However, the authorities and courts have not always agreed on the legal and political responses, leading to a series of sometimes contradictory decisions. The European Commission has also intervened by starting infringement proceedings on two separate occasions, 46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
one of which resulted in a decision of the Court of Justice finding that Italy had failed to properly apply relevant EU legislation. The case illustrates the potential that the EU Commission has in stimulating Member States to ensure that companies comply with EU environmental legislation, but also the limits of that potential. Per a 2015 government report, steel making inherently has environmental challenges, but the Ilva complex was especially bad. In 2008, hundreds of sheep were slaughtered after dangerous levels of dioxins were found in their meat and milk. In 2010 the plant emitted over 4,000 mt of dust, 11,000 mt of nitrogen dioxide, 11,300 mt of sulphur dioxide, 7.0 mt of hydrochloric acid, among other hazardous elements. Studies found that cancer rates were higher for local residents. That same year, Taranto authorities prohibited children in the neighborhood closest to the plant from playing outside because the soil was contaminated with harmful substances emitted from the plant. In 2011, the Court of Taranto requested a survey to evaluate emissions from the steel plants and an epidemiological study to investigate on the health status of the resident population. Based on the test results, in July 2012, the company was banned by a judge from producing hotrolled coils, as opposed to the cold areas where finishing work was done. The chief executive of ILVA, his son and the former director of the plant, were arrested. In December 2012, the Italian government enacted a law recognizing ILVA as a plant of national strategic interest, and allowed it to resume its steel production for a period not exceeding 36 months. In May 2013, a judge for the Preliminary Investigations of Taranto issued a seizure order of some 8.1 billion euros—equivalent to the cost savings allegedly realized by the Riva Group by not keeping the plant compliant with environmental requirements since 1995— against
ic situation in the region and beyond when considering such options as a (temporary) closure of a plant.” There were also questions as to how difficult it would be for any prospective buyer to save the plant. Asked an Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, “Who will take on a company which loses millions each month, some €16 million today but €50 million a month in the past, which has very strict rules concerning pollution and which still has one furnace impounded?” The potential buyer consortium of ArcelorMittal/ Marcegaglia has pledged to raise production from its current level of 4.8 mmt to more than 6 mmt by 2020. “In recent years Ilva has been through some tough times that have affected all of its stakeholders, including employees and the local community,” said Geert Van Poelvoorde, executive vice president and CEO, ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Products. “(Ilya) is in need of a strong partner and immediate investment to stem the significant losses and guarantee a sustainable future. In ArcelorMittal, Ilva will find an experienced and committed partner ready to transfer its financial support, management know-how, operational expertise and product technology. We have carried out extensive due diligence and are satisfied that with targeted investments and a robust plan the plant can be successfully turned around.”
FENN SWAGERS Since 1900, Fenn has supplied high precision equipment for the production of Aerospace Cable Assemblies Wire rope flight control cable assemblies for: Military applications (US MILL SPEC Fittings) Commercial applications
Contact us today to find out how Fenn Swagers can take your production to new heights www.fenn-torin.com
NOVEMBER 2016 | 47
FEATURE
entities owning the site. The debt-plagued steelworks has been under special administration since 2013. The European Commission in 2013 and 2014 sent official letters to the Italian government, requesting it to take measures to ensure that the Taranto steel plant operated in conformity with the Industrial Emissions Directive. It also noted that Italy had failed to comply with the “polluter pays” principle. Per Wikipedia, in 2014, the Italian National Institute of Emissions reported that Taranto was the third worst polluted city in the world, behind only China’s Linfen and Romania’s Copşa Mică. That same year, the plant emitted 7.4 million tonnes of CO2, making it one of the 30 largest emitters within the entire EU. The report to ENVI spelled out the challenges that can exist when a major source of environmental problems is also a major employer. “The ILVA case is a particularly severe case of corporate non-compliance with applicable environmental legislation and the consequences for the environment and local population. It also shows the consequences of the failure of national authorities to implement in a timely manner legislation adopted to transpose EU environmental legislation. (It also reveals the challenge) for authorities to find an adequate response to serious cases of environmental non-compliance, as there are pressures to take into account factors such as the econom-
FEATURE
New steel wire coating serves as double ‘green’ duty You could say that a product introduced earlier this year Green Terramesh, an environmentally friendly modular system used to form vegetated (green) faced soil reinforced by Maccaferri is green-on-green, as the environmentally slopes (also known as Mechanically Stabilized Earth) and friendly polymer coating system for wire products, PA6, has embankments, has been used globally on some of the most been used for the company’s Green Terramesh® unit, which significant infrastructure schemes. It consists of pre-fabriis designed to reinforce slopes. cated units of double twisted wire mesh (8×10 type) lined Per the company, the specifically formulated PA6 coating with an erosion control blanket and stiffened with a welded is an organic-based, extruded polyamide material that ofmesh panel. Two pre-formed steel braces are supplied to be fers improved adhesion characteristics, enhanced resistance connected at the job site to maintain the unit to the required to mechanical damage and better cold temperature perforslope angle. The angled front face and the erosion control mance. Resistance to hydrocarbon pollutants is also claimed blanket are designed to facilitate the establishment of natural together with long term strength and elasticity. vegetation of the units. The characteristics of erosion control Maccaferri reports that the product is far more environblanket vary depending on the usage. mentally friendly then traditional wire coatings as it contains As all components are factory fitted, Green Terramesh is no pthalates, heavy metals or other ozone depleting chemmore rapid to install than icals. Furthermore, competitor reinforced soil unlike PVC, it doesn’t systems. The unit is simemit hydrogen chloride ply erected on site, the during burning. bracing angles support “Although offering the face at the designated better performance, angle without the need for PA6 is not seen as an alany external formwork or ternative to PVC coatshuttering. ed wire products, but Structural backfill is more an enhancement. placed upon the soil reinWe see it being used forcement geogrids, and a when PVC or HDPE suitable fill is placed imcoated products do not mediately behind the front provide users with the face. For example on a required design life, revegetating ‘Earth Type’ environmental or techunit, good quality topsoil nical performance.” would be placed immedisaid Maccaferri Techately behind the front face nical Manager David to promote the rapid vegeCrowther. He noted tation of the slope. that while Maccaferri The Green Terramesh believes there are many applications for the main unit is fabricated company’s line of PA6 from heavily galvanized Green can be direct or indirect, and in this case Maccaferri scores products, it will continGalMac® and polymer points both for its products and the materials used to make them. ue to manufacture PVC coated steel wire. coated products for use in less demanding applications. Green Terramesh units are produced in the company’s facThe PA6 coating is available on the entire range of Mactories around the world. A single piece of double twisting caferri’s double-twist wire based products, which include steel wire hexagonal mesh which forms the soil reinforcegabions, Terramesh and Green Terramesh soil reinforcement ment geogrid, the front face and the upper return; no connecsystems and other company’s rock-fall protection meshes. tions are needed between the geogrid and the facing system. Extensive accelerated testing has shown that, compared The steel mesh is coated in a GalMac zinc-aluminium alloy with traditional PVC or HDPE coatings for wire products, with a polymer coating to deliver a long design life. On tallthe new Maccaferri PA6 system is 50% harder and is 25% er structures, Maccaferri’s polymer geogrids, MacGrid WG, more malleable, even after long-term exposure to UV. As Paragrid, and Paralink are used as primary soil reinforcewell as this, results showed that PA6 gave a three-fold imment within these structures. provement in coating-to-wire adhesion, significantly more Maccaferri’s PA6 coated products are manufactured in resistance to impact and abrasion damage, and achieved a accordance with EN 10245-5:2011: organic coatings on 30% improvement in design life. steel wire.
48 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
FEATURE
Small cable order soared in record advance for solar power Solar Impulse 2, the special solar-powered plane landed in July in Abu Dhabi, successfully ending the first ever round-the-world flight using only the power of the sun. And Prysmian was along for the ride in the form of the electrical cable it had provided for the plane. “We are proud to be part of this important project,” said Prysmian Director of Aerospace Business Alain Jeanguillaume. The company served as one of the project’s specialized partners, supplying some 150 km of special aerospace cables used to distribute power around the aircraft. The feat was amazing as the plane is the size of a 747, and actually has a wingspan 13 feet longer, while weighing in at about a 25th of the larger vessel. The epic journey began more than a year ago from Abu Dhabi, and saw it visit India, Myanmar, China, Japan, Hawaii and the United States. The Solar Impulse 2 is first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel. Bertrand Piccard who piloted the aircraft with André Borschberg, believes the flight represented “more than a success in aviation history. Solar Impulse made history in the field of energy.” Not only was the Solar Impulse the first solar plane to accomplish an oceanic crossing, the plane completed a 40,000 km trip around the world. The plane has four engines powered by 17,000 solar cells that send the collected energy to the batteries. The Aerospace Business Unit of the Prysmian Group provides about 60,000 km of cable a year for the aviation and space industry, Jeanguillaume said. Its customers include Airbus, for which it has provided aluminum cables that meet very demanding aerospace standards, with a 30% weight savings compared with traditional coper cables. For
50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
an A380 Airbus requiring about 700 km of cable, the aluminum cables would weigh about 5,000 kg, about 500 kg less per plane. The company can offer cable solutions not only for light planes, like the Solar Impulse, but also for the largest commercial aircraft.
In June, Statnett, Norway’s state owned power system operator, energized 68 km of conductors from Nexans, but an 8.5-km stretch of that order was different: it had a special gray-green surface treatment that enables them to blend into the pine forest background. Per Nexans, this was the second such order the company has received from Statnett to change the colors of the conductors. The 420 kV line was constructed to reduce the 8 TWh energy deficit in central Norway by increasing the grid capacity between
a region with energy surplus to central Norway. The collective orders for 297 km will also facilitate a grid connection for approximately a hundred small hydropower schemes between Ørskog and Fardal. The patented treatment process is able to produce different types of conductors in almost all colors, and in contrast to traditional coatings methods, it has no adverse effect on the aluminum wire substrate, the conductors remain easy to connect and the color will not deteriorate over time due to UV exposure.
The colored conductors have undergone electrical and mechanical tests, and a complete system was assembled with implosive fittings to ensure the conductors will behave as expected. The results were welcomed by the customer. “We were looking for a solution that would allow us to reduce the energy deficit in central Norway, while maintaining the natural beauty in our country,” said Statnett Electromechanical Engineer Steinar Beurling. ”
Not All Cable Jacket Strippers Are Created Equal! There’s the Huestis Industrial Cable Jacket Stripper, and then you have all the rest... We have more satisfied customers than anyone else because ours works the best! Safe and quick — it protects the valuable core from damage, never allowing it to touch the blade, shielded by our patented process. Huestis Industrial machines — our performance is legendary!
For more details or to place an order, call us at 800-972-9222, or email us at sales@huestis.com
Model CJS 1000
Model BJS 1000* Strippers can be customized to meet your specific requirements. * Model BJS 1000 is bench mounted. All other models are free standing.
ISO9001 ISO REGISTERED
www.huestisindustrial.com Air Wipes, Pay-offs, Take-ups, Buncher Pay-offs, Accumulators, Spoolers, Cable Jacket Strippers, Custom Machinery
NOVEMBER 2016 | 51
FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER
Overhead power cable blends into Norway’s pine forest scenery
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECHNICAL PAPER
52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
WJI: What’s the most important contribution for quality in this paper? Kiefer: The study of defects utilizing both “Cause & Effect” and “Key Input Variable/Key Output Variable” concepts to identify defects, the search for causes, and how to prevent their occurrence should provide valuable insight for rolling mill quality control. The paper also presents the various rolling mill variables, rated by significance, for a list of common defects. Utilizing these methods along with metallography should definitely guide training and operator performance, leading to the reliable production of the required quality, with minimal rejects, that adds value with reduced costs. WJI: Is there any one quality problem that most often happens in a rod mill? Kiefer: Probably the one that op-
erators and rod users would note as the most prevalent is surface defects, since many can be seen with the naked eye and can significantly affect downstream operations like cold heading and wire drawing. Scale is another frequent problem with rod quality. However, the type of quality problem that happens most often varies from mill to mill, since there is a wide range of rolling line equipment, cooling technology and rod customer requirements in the industry. WJI: Can more robust employee training really make a difference? Kiefer: Although there have been many advancements in instrumentation for monitoring of dimensions and surface quality through the process line, the operators still play a critical role in controlling quality. The monitoring equipment needs to be maintained, attention needs to be given to feedback from the systems,
in rolling speeds and temperatures. In new mill installations, the water cooling lines are designed for No-Twist® Mill entry temperatures down to approximately 800°C, with sufficient temperature equalization into the block. Finishing blocks and post-rolling water cooling. The finishing block area typically demands the most attention to detail in terms of setup and maintenance because of the high speeds involved. Also, many of the pass, roll and guide changes needed for the rolling program occur in this block, which greatly influences mill utilization rates. Most rod mills produce a variety of sizes and qualities, many times rolling on a supply and demand basis to meet the market demand for shorter deliveries, satisfy customer special requests, and make quality products to their specifications. This resulted in a significant development more than two decades ago of “single family rolling,” which is based on the mill line having only one set up from number one stand through many stands of the mill. Size changes are accomplished by changing only a last series of stands in the mill and dummying selected stands prior to the finishing block to provide the proper feed section size3. Aside from greatly improving mill utilization, this system makes it much easier to maintain product quality. Water boxes provide the ability to control the tempera-
and corrective action needs to be taken quickly to remedy any problems detected. Kiefer Employee awareness of rod quality and how various elements through the process route affect quality can help minimize problems with downstream users. Helping employees understand the concepts included in the quality control tools discussed here can have a significant positive influence on product quality. Questions for the author? Contact him at bruce.kiefer@primetals.com.
ture of the stock during and after rolling, which is essential to achieve the required mechanical and metallurgical properties as well as the amount and type of scale. The length, number and arrangement of water boxes is tailored to the rolling rate, product mix and quality requirements of the mill. Pinch roll and laying head. As the first stage in the formation of a high-quality rod coil, these units are required to form the proper size ring throughout the coil, including head and tail ends, with a good ring pattern laid on the conveyor. The pinch roll must use grooved rolls suitable for the product size range and must be sufficiently powered to ensure stability of speed on all products and overcome the resistance in the water cooling boxes. Good control of the pinch force is also needed in order to avoid deformation of the product, which can affect the dimensions and surface microstructure. Within the laying head, an efficient pipe path is needed to form a good ring pattern. Recent developments have produced a new generation of laying head technology, with an improved pipe support design, more efficient pipe path and new configuration of pipe with dramatically increased pipe life and reduced chance of rod damage during the loop-forming process4. The controlled cooling conveyor. The controlled coolNOVEMBER 2016 | 53
TECHNICAL PAPERS
What’s noteworthy in this paper
TECHNICAL PAPERS 54 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
transitm of diameter. High carbon grades for bedding and seating applications can be satisfactorily Figure e 4.2. Photom
seams,processed laps, slivers, and depth, secondary with a 2%scratches maximum defect and industrial micrograph grades need toof sliver in c conform to cross‐sectio a 3% elimin Figure e 4.2. Photom n value.on Shown Figs. 3 and 4 are examples of laps and slivers, respectively. epends maximum very much the insubsequent wireA pro M Damage: D Scrratches, Gou uges, etc. 3.2.2 Mechanical High grade cold heading products often demand Surfacee defects from m mechanicaal damage caan be aexami seriou u M Damage: D Scrratches, Gou uges, etc. 3.2.2 Mechanical macroa downgra cationsSurface demand a maximum defect depthcaanofbe0.5% e defects from m mechanica al damage a seriouus source off coil rejectioon and thedra mi a d seating applications can be satisfactorily downgraades, since thhey can causse breaks duuring wire decari mechan o post-rollinng transit d industrial grades need to conform to a 3% wire draawing. Usuallly a result of microa mechanical damage, scratches, gouging g (Figg. 5),eliminatt mples of laps and slivers, respectively. Figure 5. Examplee of gouging,, exhibiting a and impact can be b difficult to t transit abrasion TECHNICAL PAPERS
A propee heavy and a deep tra ansverse groooves. eliminatte if the sourrce is not reaadily identifieed. examinaa A propeer identificatiion requires a meticulouus macro a Fig 4a. Photomacrograph of slivers. Figure 3.1. Photomacrograph of lap examinaation of breaak samples. Starting S from m thethe micrr macro analysis, a the defect shoulld be inspectted indecarbuu Figure 3.2. Photomicrograph of lap in cross‐section microstrr theFig. micr togouging, chheck exhibiting sub-surrface 5. roscope Example of heavyscale, and deep Figure 5.grooves. Example e of gouging, , exhibiting decarbu urization, intternal oxidattion and transverse heavy a deep and ansverse microstr ructure (Fig.tra 6.1 & 6.2).groooves. Figure 5. Examplee of gouging,, exhibiting 5 | P a g e heavy a deep tra and ansverse groooves.
Fig. 4b. Photomicrograph of sliver in cross-section.
spots, 180° apart, as indicated. These high spots cause lubricant breakdown in the drawing operations, leading to galling and die breakage. As drawing speeds have increased, section and shape control are more critical. Dimensional tolerance control starts with the basics Fig. 6a. Scrape from the reforming area. of mill setup and stock section monitoring throughout the roughing and intermediate mills so they consistently deliver the required feed sizes to the pre-finishing and finishing blocks. Important factors include pass design Figu Figuree 6.1. Scrapee from the reforming and gap settings, pass wear, roll and guide alignment, and area show interstand tension. With the pre-finishing mill determin5 | P a g e ing the feed section to the finishing block, those stands are critical to final dimensions, particularly if a post-finishing block is not part of the process. Loopers before and after the pre-finishing stands ensure that part of the e 6.1. Scrapee from the reforming Figurre process is tension-free, thereby helping with section con- Figure area showii trol. Also, mini-blocks as pre-finishing stands can greatly improve the consistency of feed sections for the finish Fig. 6b. Transverse photomicrograph showing scraping rolling. effects on microstructure. The most important stage of the process for tolerance Therereare a 6.2. many sou urces ofPhoto mecchanical dam mage e 6.1. e from reforming Trans sverse omicrograp ph during c Figure Figur control is theScrape finishing block.the A rigid block like the ® Morgan Vee No-Twist Mill with proper setup can proarea g effects on microstruct m ture. includiin showiing scraping vide tolerances better than the typical industry specifiworn, d cation mentioned above. To achieve tighter control for materiaa “close-tolerance wire rod”6, it is generally necessary to the cooo install a post-finishing mill block for size control, like 6 | P a g e reffo coil the Morgan Reducing/Sizing Mill (RSM). This mill is a four-stand block with an oval-round-round-round pass transferr sequence, with close-centered stands in the last two positranspoo tions and multiple gear ratios between the stands so that handlinn it can be used to finish all product sizes. An RSM is able to roll to a tolerance as low as +/- 0.1 mm (0.004 in.) with of scrapp ovality at 0.12 mm (0.0047 in.). To achieve any sort of tolerance continuity, it is essential to monitor mill stock closely with in-line dimension Fig. 7. Coil with surface scrapes. gauges or through constant sample checking at the in-
2. Photomicrograph of lap in cross‐section
Figuree 7. Coil with h surfaceNOVEMBER scrapes 2016 | 55
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECHNICAL PAPER
spection station. Surface condition: rolling defects—laps, slivers, etc. Because surface defects are a substantial cause for scrap and downgrades, rod intended for the manufacture of cold drawn bars or wire is categorized as cold-finishing quality. These products must be free of all surface imperfections such as seams, laps, slivers, scratches and secondary scale. The severity of tolerable surface defects depends very much on the subsequent wire-drawing schedule and final product application. High grade cold-heading products often demand “defect-free” rods, whereas other heading applications demand a maximum Figure 8. Relationsh hip between n temperaturre and scalee formation.. onsh hip between n temperaturre and scalee formation.. defect depth of 0.5% of diameter. High carbon grades for Fig. 8. Relationship between temperature scale. Figure 8. Relationsh hip between n temperatur re and scaleeand formation. bedding and seating applications can be satisfactorily formation. processed with a 2% maximum defect depth, and industrial grades need to conform to a 3% maximum value. Figs. 3 and 4 show examples of laps and slivers, respectively. Mechanical damage: scratches, gouges, etc. Surface defects from mechanical damage can be a serious source of coil rejection and downgrades, since they can cause breaks during wire drawing. Usually a result of post-rolling mechanical damage, scratches, gouging (see Fig. 5), transit abrasion and impact can be difficult to eliminate if the source is not readily identified. A proper identificang: Fig. 9b. AcidFigu Figure 9.1. Mechaniical Descalin ure 9.2. Acid d Cleaning: 10μ requires thick, cleaning: 10µ tion a meticulous examination of break samples. Fig. 9a. Mechanical des.1. Mechani ical Descalin ng: Figure 9 Figu ure 9.2. Acid d Cleaning: 10μ thick, k, Aim 1% by b Figu weight. Aim m 0.5% Max x. by weight.. 20μ thick haniical Descalin ng: ure 9.2. Acid d Cleaning: 10 μmax. thick, thick, aim 0.5% by Starting 20µ1% thick, aim 1% thick k, Aim by b weight. Aim m 0.5% Maxx. by weight.. from the macro analysis, the defect should be 20μcaling: 1% by b weight. Aim m 0.5% Max x. by weight.. weight. inspected in the microscope to check sub-surface scale, by weight. decarburization, internal oxidation and microstructure (Figs. 6a and 6b). There are many sources of mechanical damage during coil production and transportation, including troughs and static guides that are worn, damaged, misaligned, or of the wrong material; worn laying head pipes; rubbing on the cooling conveyor; excessive contact in the coil reform tub; contact during coil transfer to transfer car and compactor; coil unloading and transport. An example of 8 | P a g e coil scrapes from handling is shown in Fig. 7. The toler able depth of scrapes depends upon product application. Descalability. the hot rolling of carbon steels 8 | P aDuring ge 8 | P a g e e and subsequent post rolling cooling, the scale formed on re 10. Oxide e thickness v variation wiithtime time and & temperature 10. Oxide thickness variation with temp. Fig. Figur TS & Ductillity (ROA/E Elongation) 3.4 Variaation of Mecchanical Properties; UT High Carbon specs 7,000 psi range being asked for now High Carbon specs 10,000 psi range being asked for before Assuminng that chemiistry is unifoorm throughoout the billett, variations in mechaniccal propertie es are typically a result of uneven uLSL heating in the furrnace or nonn-uniform coooling, eitherr from the wLSLater USL USL o the rings on o the controolled coolingg conveyor. Since property box cooliing or from air cooling of variationns directly afffect the draw wability and end use perfformance, itt is importannt to minimizze them. s propper selection of the waterr cooling uniits and good maintenance of In the waater cooling system, the system m is importaant for achievving uniform m temperaturre through thhe rod coil. However, H it is equally im mportant to have h a closeed-loop tempperature conttrol system too continuoussly monitor the t rod temperature in eaach cooling zone z and maake adjustments to the waater boxes too compensatee for billet tem mperature varriations, as well w as changges in the cooling system m such as waater temperatture. Non-unifform coolingg on the conttrolled coolinng conveyor is manifesteed primarily in the form of o around-thhe-ring tensiile strength variations. v Coooling each segment of the t rings is complicated c by the overlapping patteern, resultingg in a higher material dennsity at the eddges of the conveyor. c M Most conveyorrs are equipp ped with dam mpers in171200 the plenum p 172800cham mber, such a the as Optifleex system in the 166400 168000 169600 174400 176000 177600 168000 169200 170400 171600 172800 174000 175200 Stelmor conveyor c sysstem, or the newer Optim mesh system m within the nozzle n deck to t direct morre air to the higgher density regions of thhe coil. In ad ddition, a lay ying Increased pattern with w consiste ent ring spac Figure 11. demand forcing tensile uniformity Fig. 11.oIncreased tensile uniformity. and no “cclumping” f rings will help hdemand enable afor uniform coooling condittion. Conveyyor speed adjustmeents and steps along the conveyor c zonne allow for shifting of thhe contact pooints betweeen the rings. Thhese adjustmeents also opttimize the seeparation of coil c rings to allow the ceentral portionn of Coil Quality the rings and the oute er overlap regions to coool at substanttially equal rates. r Studiess have shownn that 56 3.5 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL mor controlleed cooling syystem can proovide aroundd-the-ring tensile strengtth ranges as low l the Stelm
176400
With good control of the rolling and cooling process, it is possible to have a finished rod with the 2
TECHNICAL PAPERS NOVEMBER 2016 | 57
TECHNICAL PAPERS 58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
TECHNICAL PAPERS NOVEMBER 2016 | 59
TECHNICAL PAPERS 60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Defect prevention Improved defect prevention depends upon combining equipment selection and maintenance, operating practices and quality control. Early detection. This is an important process contributor to minimize the amount and frequency of reject material. Effectively doing this requires knowledge of the Key Input Variables (KIVs) of the process and their contribution to defect creation, coupled with quantitative measurement data from the process. Improved identification capability. This enables defect recognition which leads to selecting the process variables to be investigated for correction (See Table 2). Controlling the process variables. This oversight is the key to improved prevention of defects. There can be several variables involved in creating a defect, so it is important to know and control each of them. Proper equipment maintenance. This is paramount to ensure that the process variables can be kept within their predetermined limits.
Training It is now clear that quality control involves many factors that depend on the knowledge and performance of operating personnel, which in turn depends on their training. Several strategies and tools are used to improve this, such as the familiar “fish bone” diagram. The authors include two such examples. Fig. 14, the "Five Why Cause and Effect Diagram," covers potential root causes for generation of laps. Fig. 15, the Key Input Variable (KIV)/Key Output Variable (KOV) diagram, lists the process variables that affect an output variable where they occur in the process flow. This diagram is useful in explaining reasons for tensile strength increase in high-carbon wire rod.
Conclusions The conversion of billets into wire rod is an extremely complex process wherein a multitude of factors act and
interact to establish final product quality, which also consists of many parameters. Achieving the ever-increasing demand for improved quality depends not only on the selection of rod mill equipment and its maintenance, but also on its operational process control. It is essential that this process control is guided by well-trained operators who can rapidly access accurate information concerning both the process input variables (KIVs) and the product assessment variables (KOVs).
References 1. A. Mascanzoni, G. Pepi and A. Civardi, “Setup of an industrial cycle including heat treatment of c.c. blooms for reducing central segregation in high carbon steel wire rods,” Proceedings, Wire Association International, 1988. 2. T. Matsui, S. Ogata, M. Fujita and M. Asakawa, “Relationships between surface flaws and caliber design on bar and rod rolling,” Report for CIRP, Japan, 1974. 3. S.M. Shore, J. Dyck and T.M. Shore, “New rod rolling technology for improved mill utilization and product quality,” MPT International, August 1995. 4. C.D. Lashua and B.V. Kiefer, “Recent developments in laying head technology for high-speed rod rolling mills,” Proceedings, AISTech 2014, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 2014. 5. M. Gentile, S. Teegavarapu and C. Lashua, “Stepless reform technology for wire rod mills,” Proceedings AISTech 2014, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 2014. 6. H. Kushida, S. Hattori and M. Moriga, “Sizing mill rolling technology for closed-tolerance wire rod,” Kobelco Technology Review, No. 25, April 2002. 7. J. Tominaga, et al, “Manufacture of wire rods with good descaling property,” Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982. 8. R. Batista, R. Macedo and D. Santos, “The influence of cooling conditions of steel wire rod on scale formation and its application on mechanical escaling,” WJI, 1994. 9. S. Garber and G.M. Sturgeon, “Scale on wire rod and its removal by mechanical means,” Wire Ind., Vol. 3, 1961. 10. P. Hastings and J. Heerema, “Influence of test method, rolling conditions and steel chemistry on tensile variation for high carbon wire rod,” Proceedings, WAI, 2001. 11. S.K. Cho and S.W. Choi, “Effect of wire rod size and its packing density on the tensile strength deviation of high carbon steel wire rod in the Stelmor process,” WJI, 1996. 12. W. Krejdovsky, D. Jones and B. Kiefer, “Improved wire rod properties resulting from controlled cooling in modern water box and stelmor conveyor cooling systems,” Proceedings, WAI Conference, 2006. 13. S. Kling, “Advanced process and quality control in hot rolling mills using eddy current inspection,” IV Con-
NOVEMBER 2016 | 61
TECHNICAL PAPERS
gather samples, transport them to the testing area, test them and analyze the results. Modern shear systems provide the ability to quickly obtain samples from the rolling line, even in the high speed areas of the rolling line, for quicker inspection. Each crew should be well trained to use the available tools to provide consistency of defect detection between shifts17, 18. A summary of the various types of defects that can be encountered in wire rod products, along with the probable processing sources for the defect is presented in Table 1. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper, rod surface and internal defects can result from upstream melting and casting, as well as from the rolling mill. These melting and casting sources are included here as a reminder that they can be important factors in an investigation.
TECHNICAL PAPERS 62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
IWCS
THE
International Cable • Connectivity Symposium Industry Leadership, Innovation and Professional Development
NOVEMBER 2016 | 63
TECHNICAL PAPERS
T TECH ECHN ECHNICAL NICAL PAPERS PAPERS
TECHNICAL PAPERS 64 | 64TH IWCS CONFERENCE PAPER
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECH ECHN NICAL PAPERS
NOVEMBER 2016 | 65
TECHNICAL PAPERS 66 | 64TH IWCS CONFERENCE PAPER
TECHNICAL PAPERS
TECH ECHN NICAL PAPERS
NOVEMBER 2016 | 67
PRODUCTS & MEDIA
PRODUCTS & MEDIA TECHNOLOGY Line of dual-axis laser gauge offers both efficiency and high precision At IWCS, Zumbach Electronics Corporation showcased the company’s ODAC® 14XY Laser Gauge, which has a modern dual-axis measuring head from the ODAC® laser measuring unit series that the company notes features the highest accuracy, robustness, reliability and functionality. Per the company, the compact design of the ODAC measuring head allows it be used in virtually any wire and cable manufacturing, including plastics, rubber, steel and other metals. Known for precision, quality and ease of use, the laser measuring heads from ZUMBACH are among the best of their class. The laser diodes as light sources combine with intelligent and powerful measured-value processors that facilitate simple and flexible integration. Outstanding features include single-scan calibration (CSS), single-scan monitoring and a high data rate output (up to 125 data packages per second). The measuring heads can be used with all line speeds, and production vibration has no noticeable influence.
The device is especially suited for fine and extra fine wires, enameled wires, cables, steel cords, fibers, medical tubing, extruded plastic or rubber products. The ODAC® 14XY comes in two measuring ranges: the micro version can process from 0.015 mm to 3 mm OD by virtue of using a special laser that enables it to measure the smallest diameters within the micrometer range, and the standard version, for sizes from 0.06 mm to 16 mm. Zumbach’s adaptive signal processing technology in
68 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
the measuring units increases accuracy. All the measuring heads of the ODAC® series have patented adaptive signal processing that make subsequent regular re-calibrations superfluous. Re-calibration is not needed except for special circumstances, such as for a component exchange or compliance to calibration regulations ISO 9000/9001. Contact: Jorge Lage, Zumbach Electronics Corporation, tel. 914-924-7216, jlage@zumbach.com, www.zumbach.com.
Chlorinated polyethylene for cable jackets used in harsh environments 3N International, a U.S. based raw materials supplier, introduced a line of chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) products at IWCS that is available in both the cost-efficient thermoplastic, and the melt-resistant thermoset versions. Per the company, its CPE polymers traditionally were used in the industrial hose and automotive industries as they excelled at withstanding heat and weathering, as well as resisting oil and chemicals. Those properties have proven to be beneficial in producing cable jackets for use in harsh industrial settings.
CPE combines the resilience of PVC (polyvinylchloride) with the flexibility of TPE/TPR (thermoplastic elastomer/ rubber). Similar to PVC, the chlorine incorporated in CPE results in its resistance to flame, chemical, and oil. CPE’s amorphous structure grants it with elastomeric properties comparable to TPE/TPR. Finally, the saturated molecular backbone of the CPE polymer allows it to withstand to heat, UV, weather, and oxidation. Through the adjustment of the manufacturing process, 3N International has formulated several grades of CPE products for meeting the various needs of cable manufactures. The specialty CPE products offered by 3N International include high processability grades, high mechanical strength and heat resistance grades, low temperature flexibility grades, and grades with additional resistance to oil, chemical, and fire. As a result of the versatility of
Visit
us at wire Düsseldorf — stand 11 D52
50 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
NOVEMBER | 69 MARCH2016 2016 | 37
JANUARY 2016 | 25
CHAPTER PEOPLE CORNER
also received the WAI’s President’s Award in 2014 for extraordinary volunteer service. He served two terms on the Association’s board of directors, and is still a member of its education, member relations and paper awards committees. A former member of the board of directors of the New England Chapter of WAI, he served as that body’s in providing 2000. Hethe has also chaired the WAI’s nancepresident design while best possible control. The reels areofloaded a shaft and held in place since with a Fundamentals Wireonto Manufacturing program locking collar. Tension ranges 75 tomoderator 2000 gramsand can 2007, frequently serving as afrom course be achieved at all speeds with reel weights up to 25 lbs. presenter. Based in Bristol, Connecticut, USA, Wire & For heavier an alternative cradlewire design Plastic Corp.reel is aweights, major supplier of used andcancable be ordered. This planetary strander is designed mainly for equipment that operates out of eight warehouse locathose cable products that require a consistent low tension tions in running North America, including the Northeast, North while at higher speeds. OMCG America Bob Sears with the It was a North magical time atPresident the event...courtesy of a magician Carolina and Texas. Contact: Ken Luterbach, Tensor Machinery Ltd., tel. 828company’s CNC Minimalist 6 system. with a bagfull of seemingly impossible card tricks. 322-8224, sales@tensorfiber.com, www.tensorfiber.com. WAGO reported two personnel OMCG offers CNCMark systems forQuirk processing wire Parent, Breen Color; Long, Wire Company; additions. Juliano Matias was High-powered UV LED curing forms from 0.040 in. to 0.700 in. with its unique, and Jim Stocking, Hitachi; Harishnational Panchal,sales Lloyd & Bouvier; named manager for standard, eccentric bend head. Complementary options system offers multiple advantages Mike Canterino, Fluoropolymer Resources, Inc.; Grant Canada. He previously was nation® grooving, cold heading, available: robots, welding, Excelitas Technologies Corp., a global Campbell, Multi/Cable Corporation; Johntechnology Rivers, al marketing manager for Phoenix chamfering, threading, stamping and forming, leader focused on delivering innovative, customized phoOMCG SpA Italy Fluorogistix LLC; and Pat Harper, Hueson Corp.assembly Contact, where he instrumental Erik A. Macs has been named ® and Multislide operations. For progressive strip forming tonic solutions, showcased the company’s OmniCure At Interwire, OMCG NorthofAmerica “I am looking forward to serving as the chapter presiin developing director sales forshowcased Wire and the AC Series UV LEDServaxis product family at IWCS. machines projects, OMCG’s and Multislide company’s technology for wire, tube and strip forming dentPer thisthe year,” said regional Fisher, who talkedAC8225-F+ about the has value dealPlastic Machinery Corp (WPM). company, the new OmniCure have blanking capacities up to 120 ton and strip width projects in the formsHe of has systems of athe chapter’s scholarship program, and the return er networks morewith thanmodular 25 yearsServaxis of higher UV LED curing system for fiber optic to to +80 mm.power www.omcg.com. and Multislide forming capabilities that provide soluthecoatings. Mohegun infor June fordesign WAI’s Operations Summitt Its Sun custom optical outstanding a range of provides experience in wire and cable tions to reduce costsmachinery critical to profi opticalExpo performance over longer working distances, a industrial salestability. at previous & Wire 2016. “Being thecomhost chapter, we are The company displayed its CNC Minimalist 6 model. SAMP USA, Inc. U.S. typical requirement for fiber coating processes. With ponents sales and marketing positions hopingMatias for a great turnout to and showcase the talents and high peak irradianceelectronics. and exceptional the ItGem features a feed thatfor is Progressive verywith close toMachinery, bend tools, which Gravure’s Derek Olsen Erik Macs, who is all Theefficiency, Inc., SAMPSISTEMI Italy information of all the event participants as well as the system supports increased line speeds and enables cusreduces wirewinning torsionthe effect. The which uses smiles after raffle for model, Red Sox ticketsand that were company alsogreat named JoeWAI Stirpe Fine International Corp., function and things does for the industry and At Interwire, the SAMPSISTEMI division of Italy’s tomers to realize significant cost savings from reduced simple multi radii bend capability. donatedtooling, by Gemhas Gravure. as its regional sales manager for Thermoplastics EngineeringThe its electricity members.” SAMP exhibited several machines, including the consumption. CNC unit was shownCorp. with Prior CAD to to that, machine capability upstate New York. He has a diverse he had been Macs The compact, air-cooled UV LED curingsponsystem Fisher also thanked the following event DM80.2x8.22 (16 wire, 22 dies) multiwire line, thecan Group, which noted were very gracious hosts, even that allows easyheprogramming while the machine is in background in technical sales and involved with ebeam crosslinked be Platinum: easily +integrated into existing or Monroe new the production BM-630-D SV800 motorized pay-off, latter will sors: Carris Reels, James Wire & be allowing competitors its facility. production. It the also usestoIGES and STEP le importStirpe business development with a focus wire materials research atvisit Judd Wire; blown film packPer company, Tensor, which is fi well known for build- in lines, and is ideal for optical fiber coating or marking operation during the show. Also a single PVC horizontal Cable, MultiCable, Specialty Cable and PolyOne; Past chapter leaders recognized and the ing to machine and cabling machine controllers, viamost the2016 “Easy ing custom equipment to meet customer’s well as for other applications such as display onapplications, control andas electrical products aging manufacturing atwere Union Camp; extrusion and extruder model TE60-25 automotive application will be Gold: Quirk Wire, T&T Marketing, Wire & Plastic board, and officers, introduced. In addition to Fisher, the Program” that creates the program and can simulate needs, discussed the advantages of the planetary strander. bonding. The OmniCure AC8225-F+ provides high he peak and applications. Over the last several decades, has injection molding processing at Dennison; and Teflon displayed. Machinery, Fluorgistix and Chemours; Silver: Breen officers for 2016 include: Derek Olsen, Gravure, forming 3D animation onfor the screen. It can indicate The system is designed lighttoGem medium-size reels irradiance of upposition to 16W/cm2 at 10-15 mm working disheld leadership in business development and film heatwith sealing and thermoforming research with The DM80.2x8.22 represents the latest generation of Concentrates, Fluoropolymer Resources and can hold fiber and/or copper wire products. A Color tances, as well as superior uniformity for rapid, even vice Richoptical Goyette, EIS Wire & Cable, Co., ifAmerican therepresident; isthat any interference part and machine, management at Siemens, Invensys Eurotherm andcurKJ Durafilm. He hasbetween a degree in mechanical SAMP multiwire design to improve production versatildesign and feature of the machine isyou that every ingSpecialty with greatly reduced power consumption compared Polymers; Bronze: Amarak Automation all part ofunique the simple effective “WhatCollege. see is position S&E treasurer; and Michael Crouchley, Champlain Cable, Electric Corp. Based in Germantown, Pennsylvania, engineering from Central New England A increased output and reduced energy consumption. itsphilosophy. ownisdual-loop dancer as well asother a motor-driven reel ity, to traditional lamp solutions, or James other LED products. Associates, NDC Technologies, Monroe, Joe An what youhas get” Other pluses include remote secretary. Srubas the past1991, president. The board USA, WAGO suppliers spring pressure connection member of the WAI since he was the 2013 winThe line offers increased energy effi ciency and with aas payoff that communicates to the plc through wireless. This optional replaceable window provide added protection internet diagnostics and controller program Snee Associates; Mossberg Associates and W. Gillies members are: Brian Holden, Carris Reels, Inc.; David well as interconnect, interface and automation solutions ner of itsmachine Donnellan Memorial Award, which honors capability eliminates the need for traditional slip rings that power while supporting the ability to adjoin multiple UV LED factor ≥ .95 enables the drawing line to have lower updating. Technologies. n compromising on optical uniformity beBraun, Teknor Nickcontrol Roth, Pittsfield Lori technology. an individual’s contributions to the Association. are usedApex; for motor and ensuresPlastics; a lowerHe maintesystems without
PRODUCTS & MEDIA
This timely innovation will benefi t customEuropean household care busiers who high and complex parts, as he just the make money, shevolume said. “It meant that people who had ness in Switzerland. In 2002 NUMALLIANCE is the sole CNC wire bending no obligation to believe me, did.” It was Audit as if, beyond wasinDirector Internal of machine manufacturer ableand toshe offer aancomplete range family, friends and mentors, had additional sup- of P&G was appointed Director equipment simple 2D feed and harda huge tool port team.from “That’s really who youand are,form and it made Treasury (Europe, Middle East, bending solution for wire, tube, spring and fl at-stock. impact on my life.” Africa) in 2004. He joined Bekaert There no to produce high volume andfrom simple Theispresentations wowed the approximately 130 attendas Chief Financial Officer and memthe need CPE polymer, cable jackets produced CPE are shape parts at exotic destination. Jobs are coming back, ideal a large of industrial settings that demand berrange ofheartily the Bekaert Group Executive ees. They alsoinapplauded for 2015 President and multi-slide benders are flexibility, the solution. mechanical strength, heat resistance, cheminMicrowave 2006, andpreferred took on additional Robert Srubas, Times System, who said and it was Until now, Italy had OMCG, America had Nilson, ical resistance. for the Specialized a pleasure to lead theresponsibility chapter through a year that saw a Contact: David Li,activity 3N International, tel.All Germany had Biehler and France had Group Latour. those films platform. As of330-665-3821, 2013, highly successful tour of the Marmon R&D as well Humblet info@3ninc.com, www.3ninc.com. cam-driven mechanical multi-slide come with a major combines his responsibilities as as yet another good he chapter golf outing. He introduced drawback: set up time. That is why NUMALLIANCE CFO with those of Regional Operations Management the 2016 chapter president, David Fisher, James Monroe planetary strander achieves came with aLatin concept of servo driven camless multislide, ofWire Bekaert America. Hewho holds a commercial engi& High-speed Cable Corporation, also thanked the Marmon able to harbor most of existing tooling in an all-electric tension via wireless communication neering degree from the Solvay Business School of the environment. The NUMASLIDE is yours to discover. Brussels University. The Bridon Bekaert Ropes is At IWCS, Tensor Machinery, Ltd., one ofGroup the company’s www.nummalliance.com. focus with attendees was the high-speed planea joint venture between Bekaert andcompany’s Ontario Teachers’ tary strander that canthe rotate up to 200advanced rpm while maintainPension Plan that combines ropes and ing excellent tension control at all speeds. cords businesses of Bekaert and Bridon. OMCG North America U.S.
PRODUCTS & MEDIA
tween each curing system. “The new OmniCure AC8225-F+ delivers higher irradiance and performance parameters to enhance fiber optic coating applications.” said company Vice President of Solid State Lighting and UV/ Microscopy Oliver Scheuss. “As a result, users can significantly lower electrical and equipment maintenance costs while increasing production speeds.” Contact: Excelitas Technologies, omnicure@excelitas.com, www.excelitas.com.
Focused on the measure of the draw At IWCS, Sikora International Corporation presented the company’s line of innovative measuring, testing and controlling equipment for process optimization, quality assurance and cost savings during the production of wires, cables and optical fibers. One focus at the event was the company’s technology for optical fiber applications in drawing towers. Per the company, there was much interest in Sikora’s FIBER TEMP 6003. Installed either at the cold or the hot end of the drawing tower, it precisely measures fiber temperature. That ability makes
70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
it the perfect solution for manufacturers of optical fibers that are highly interested in receiving early and precise information on the fiber temperature to control the helium cooling while minimizing consumption, said Sikora Sales Manager Sue Lynch. She added that the FIBER TEMP 6003 also works for the furnace control. SIKORA also focused on its laser technologies for diameter, ovality and eccentricity measurement, such as the CENTERVIEW 8000e model (pictured), which is a premier device for measuring eccentricity, and talked about X-ray based systems for diameter, ovality, wall thickness and eccentricity measurement. Innovative capacitance gauges with integrated FFT/SRL functions, as well as lump detectors and spark testers completed the SIKORA presence at IWCS. The company notes that its powerful series of gauge heads for application in the drawing tower includes the measurement of the diameter, ovality, position, vibration frequency, tension and spinning of optical fibers as well as devices for airline and lump detection. Contact: Sikora International Corporation, tel. 770486-1233, www.sikora-usa.com.
At IWCS, Huestis Industrial reported that an industry staple, the Wyrepak high-speed driven cap clipper cap payoff system, has not lost any of its luster. Per the company, the Wyrepak clipper cap payoff system is a marvel that has been tried and proven over the course of many years, and it still extremely effective today. It consists of a metal rim, plastic, or aluminum pilot, reinforced plate with locking hub and optional steel bridge for structural support and works with drag off, or driven payoff stands. It provides the ability to pay off material from a reel/jack stand into a flyer cone at speeds up to 3000 FPM, maintaining the proper tension to avoid looping wire, kinks, and twisting while starting, running, and stopping.
The system comes with a tension brush (your choice of tine thickness) that is matched to provide the best back tension range for the product you will be using it on. The model is made and built in the USA, both durable and long lasting, with plenty of individual replacement parts available to keep the clipper cap assembly in operating condition for years and years. They are available in sizes to fit reels from 16 in./406 mm to 48 in./1210 mm. Many custom configurations are possible, and they can work with most jack stands and flyer cones regardless of manufacturer. Contact: Howard Fancher, Huestis Industrial, tel. 401253-5500, ext. 102, fancher@wyrepak.com.
Buss kneader, with gentle shear rate, excels at mixing of cable compounds At IWCS, Buss Inc. highlighted the company’s kneading technology for mixing cable compounds. Per the company, the working principle of a Buss kneader, based on the interaction between pins secured to the barrel interacting with the flights of a rotating and oscillating screw, provides a high degree of mixing without damaging either the polymer and/or fillers/additives. The mixing process in a Buss kneader is typically performed at lower temperatures and lower pressures compared to other technologies resulting in lower required
ISO9001 REGISTERED
DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS OF PAYOFF & TENSION CONTROL EQUIPMENT FOR WIRE & CABLE
Need a special pulley? Got tension control issues? Looking for the perfect pay-off? Wyrepak Industries has the answer for all of your manufacturing needs! For more details on any of our manufacturing product solutions, call us at 800-972-9222 or email sales@wyrepak.com WYREPAK INDUSTRIES — A Huestis Industrial Company • www.WYREPAK.com
68 Buttonwood Street, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809-0718 USA • tel: 800.972.9222 or 401.253.5500 fax: 401.253.7350 2C_WYREPAKHuestis_NeedASpecialPulley_WJI_halfHoriz_VariousCombos_withShowInfo_v3_03092015_press.indd 1
10/13/16 12:45:15 PM
NOVEMBER 2016 | 71
PRODUCTS & MEDIA
U.S.-made high-speed driven cap remains an industry staple
PRODUCTS & MEDIA
specific energy. This process allows efficient mixing of highly thermal sensitive materials like PVC or HFFR compounds that typically incorporate ingredients such as EVA, ATH, MDH, etc. Buss kneaders are also the best option when reactive additives should remain stable at relatively low temperatures without compromising the homogeneous distribution in the mixture as in peroxide based XLPE. The gentle shear rate makes this system the best option when ingredients are sensitive to shear including: semiconductive shields for MV and HV cables, where sensitive, but intensive, mixing of carbon black is required; and reactive compounding for the manufacture of silane crosslinkable compounds, which has greatly benefited by the operating characteristics of a kneader. Key to this success relates to the silane being delivered directly into the melt during the process delivering a highly efficient injection of liquids not found in other technologies. Many other compounds in the cable industry use very sensitive ingredients and require good mixing quality. Buss kneaders specialize in these compound types. Contact: Buss Kneaders, tel. 630-681-2030, www.busscorp.com.
Cable software provides fast and accurate EM field simulations CST CABLE STUDIO, an electromagnetic simulation tool dedicated to the fast and accurate simulation of cables, was showcased by CST of America, Inc., at IWCS. Per the company, CST CABLE STUDIO is primarily used in the automotive and aerospace industries to simulate both the effects of EM fields coupling into cables (immunity) and EM fields radiating from cables (emissions). This makes it highly suitable for cable design and simulating cables inside of electrically large systems such as buildings, aircraft and vehicles. Analyses for Electromagnetic Susceptibility (EMS) of cables and electronics to external sources of radiation, or naturally occurring threats such as lightning strikes, are absolutely essential for engineers looking to implement these cables into their systems.
72 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
CST CABLE STUDIO is easy to use and it bridges the gap between pure 2D cross-section analysis and pure 3D full-wave analysis by combining transmission line theory, circuit simulation and 3D full-wave calculations in a convenient and sophisticated way. Built-in libraries enable the definition of single wires, ribbon cables, twisted cables and shielded cables. Any combination of these basic cable types can be combined to build up more complex cable bundles. With data rates on the rise and an even more crowded EM spectrum, design of high speed cables for Signal Integrity (SI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) are also a concern for the consumer electronics and communications industries. A built-in impedance calculator can be used to extract R,L,C,G parameters per unit length or to calculate characteristic impedances within the cable. Tight integration with a circuit simulator allows time and frequency domain analyses. Contact: Frank Scharf, CST of America, Inc., tel. 508665-4473, frank.scharf@3ds.com, www.cst.com.
System can measure the lay length of twisted pairs in data cables to Cat. 8 NDC Technologies displayed the company’s innovative Beta LaserMike LayScan lay length measurement system at IWCS.
Interwire 2015 update: companies have Filtertech, Inc..............................1049 Enkotecnearly Company Inc ..................108 cable and allows taken 90% of the exhibit space
INTERWIRE 2013 | THE LARGEST WIRE AND CABLE MARKETPLACE IN THE AMERICAS.
GENCA ........................................940 Thank you to our sponsors for the full use of General Copper...........................2160 International Corporation.....332 Enshang Machinery More than nine months out from WAI’s Fine staging of Interwire the customEnterprise Co Ltd .......................666 their support of Technologies, LLC ......958 2015 in Atlanta, exhibitors at last count have now accounted W Gillies Finoptics Inc ...............................1801 er’s off-line ER-Bakir Elektrolitik AS ...924 for nearly 90% of the Bakir floor plan’s 106,100Fisk sq ftAlloy at the Georgia Gimax Srl......................................140 Inc .............................2140 analysis tools World Congress Center. WAI Sales staff reports that a total of ERA Wire Inc ...............................354 GMP Slovakia Sro........................758 FLYMCA & FLYRO.................1907 such as trend 93,300 sq ft of floor space have been taken. Ernst Koch GmbH & Co............1358 charts, statistiGolden Wire & FMS USA, Inc ..............................618 P l a t i n u m Technologies Level Sponsor “At this time, we’re ahead of where we were two years cal analysis or Cable Equipment Co, Ltd .... 912/06 Esteves Group ...............................806 Instruments ago,” said WAI Sales Director Bob Xeller.Foerster “There’s a lot of Inc ..............1814 FFT analysis to Granite Falls Furnace .................1562 Etna Products, Inc ......................1706 positive momentum.” At this point, all of Forever the larger booths Cable Materialsreadily Group..512/03 observe, Gold Level Sponsors have been taken, with the largest availableFort sizes now being Guangzhou Hanstar Fluoro-Plastic Euroalpha Srl ................................558 and Wayne Wire Die,measure Inc..........1532 400 sq ft (20 x 20). If demand continues to stream in, it may Insulated Wires Co, Ltd....... 412/07 report systematEurobend GmbH ........................1058 Fortune Machinery .....................1053 be possible to expand the floor plan, he said. Silver Level Sponsors Guill Tool & Engineering ............211 ic lay variations Eurolls Spa....................................858 Fridea Srl ....................................1739 within each lay. Per the company, Cable manufacturers are looking for Guney Celik ..................................652 ......................................132 Frigeco USA Inc ........................1739 AEuroWire wide range of sponsorships for Data can be easily stored on a local PC. LayScan meaways to improve crosstalk performanceexists and reduce prodHafner & Krulmann GmbH .........370 George Evans Corp accurately ......................711 sures lay lengths up to 25.4 mm at throughput speeds up to uct costs. LayScan and consistently measures USA Inc ........................1739 the 2015 staging of Interwire inFrigerio Atlanta Bronze Level Sponsors vom Hagen &accuracy Funke ....................140 m/min with a measurement to within 0.025 EVG Inclength ........................................150 the lay of twisted pairs in data communication ca- a &152.4 Companies seeking recognition at Interwire 2015 have Frontier Composites Castings ..215 mm on the same twisted pair. Hall Industries ...........................1032 bles range up to Products, Cat. 8 products. And, itopportunities eliminates scrap, costly Evolution Inc ................133 wide of WAI sponsorship at the Georgia FSP-One ......................................2128 S u p p Pro o r t e d software by: SRL can rework and productivity lossesthe resulting fromtomanual, Handuk Ultrasonic Co,system Ltd ........2011 World Congress Center, from full event individual ele- The Beta LaserMike Fabritex, Inc..................................616 Fuhr GmbH ...................................752 be used in conjunction with LayScan for a total on-line time-consuming lay length measurement methods and ments that are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Hangzhou Harbor Technology Fastener Engineers .....................2056 cable performance quality solution. SRL Pro can be crosstalk performance issues from lay variations. Gateway Recovery Four levels of corporate sponsorships are available to help.....................2158 Co, Ltd ............................... 1512-11 before and/or after the extruder to identify potential LayScan can be used to organization measure the four pairs at thewithGroupused Fenn LLC....................................1955 ..................424 companies promote their in Gauder/Gauder connection Hangzhou Exhibition Co .............. causes of structural return lossJR problems on data commucabler orand to measure an individual pair at a twinner FIB Belgium SA .........................1358 Interwire WAI’s 85th Annual Convention, to Machinery betoheld Corp Gavlick ............1053 217/306/318/1917/1919 nication cables. confirm the accuracy of twisted-pair cable construction April 28-30 in Atlanta, Georgia. All the corporate sponsorFil-Tec Inc ..................................1502 Gravure Contact: NDC Technologies, tel. 937-233-9936, Hariton Machinery Co, Inc ..........147 during production. A data acquisition and Gem control systemCo Inc ....................706 www.ndc.com/betalasermike. effectively collects and processes each lay length in the AMERICAN WIRE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION
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
Visit our stand #711 at Interwire 2015
72| |WIRE WIREJOURNAL JOURNALINTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL 32
NOVEMBER 2016 | 73
PRODUCTS & MEDIA
WAI NEWS INTERWIRE PREVIEW
HAIW13Sponsors_Layout 1 3/21/2013 11:14 AM Page 1
Patent Update PATENTS
(Cont’d. from p. 21)
Noise suppression cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,455,071 Patent date: Sept. 27, 2016 Filed: June 5, 2015 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Yosuke Sumi, Naofumi Chiwata, Katsuya Akimoto, Katsutoshi Nakatani, Hiroshi Komuro, Kenji Ajima, Hiroshi Okikawa, Yasuharu Muto A noise suppression cable includes a conductor wire, and a magnetic insulation layer on a periphery of the conductor wire. The magnetic insulation layer includes an insulating material and two or more types of magnetic powders that have different frequency characteristics from each other. ‌ The following effects can be obtained in the embodiments. (1) It is possible to
provide a noise suppression cable which is capable of reducing electromagnetic wave noise over a wide band and is easy to manufacture. (2) By using the flat-shaped magnetic powders and orienting the flat direction thereof along the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the cable, impedance is increased as compared to the case of using granular magnetic powders mixed at the same ratio as that in the embodiments. This allows electromagnetic wave noise (emission noise) emitted from the cable to be suppressed more effectively. (3) By using the flat-shaped magnetic powders and orienting the flat direction thereof along the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the cable, it is possible to reduce the amount of magnetic powders for obtaining an electromagnetic wave noise suppression effect equivalent to that in the case of using granular magnetic
74 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
powder. (4) It is not necessary to use a ferrite core. Therefore, an appearance is better, problems during handling such as cracks on the ferrite core do not arise, and it is possible to suppress electromagnetic wave noise emission without increasing an outer diameter of the cable.
Semi-solid unbalanced audio cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,455,070 Patent date: Sept. 27, 2016 Filed: Jan. 24, 2014 Assignee: Belden Inc, U.S. Inventor: Galen Gareis Implementations of audio cables including a conductor spirally wrapped in a non-conductive thread to centrally position the conductor within a channel comprising mostly air include a first conductor having a first diameter, and a non-conductive thread spirally wrapped around the center conductor, the non-conductive thread having a second diameter. A first jacket surrounds the center conductor and thread, having an inner diameter approximately equal to the first diameter plus twice the second diameter. A second conductor surrounds the first jacket and/ or the center conductor and thread. In many implementations, the first diameter is less than the second diameter.
Power cable system U.S. Patent No.: 9,455,069 Patent date: Sept. 6, 2016 Filed: Mar. 11, 2016 Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC, U.S. Inventors: Bradley Blazer, Dana Bookbinder, David Chiasson, Andrew Dodd, David Smith, Kenneth Temple, Jr. A technique facilitates the provision of electrical power in harsh environments, such as subterranean environments. The technique employs a power cable having at least one conductor and a polyimide insulation layer disposed about the conductor. A fluoropolymer tape layer is disposed about the polyimide insulation layer. The fluoropolymer tape layer is processed into a uniform, bonded layer. Additional cable layers also may be employed to help provide protection in the harsh environment.
9,453,980 Sept. 27, 2016 Filed: Sept. 25, 2014 Mitsubishi Rayon Co, Japan Tsuyoshi Kimura, Yoshihiro Tsukamoto, Kouji Asano An optical fiber cable is formed with an optical fiber and a coating layer made up of at least one layer provided on the outer periphery of the optical fiber. The material is made of a halogen-free resin composition containing polyolefin resin (A) and melt tension enhancer (B). U.S. Patent No.: Patent date: Assignee: Inventors:
Coaxial cable with protruding portions of insulating foam U.S. Patent No.: 9,449,741 Patent date: Sept. 20, 2016 Filed: June 16, 2014 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Masahiro Abe, Sohei Kodama, Akinari Nakayama A coaxial cable includes a center conductor, an insulating foam provided to cover an outer periphery of the center conductor, and a protruding portion provided around an outer surface of the insulating foam to absorb stress.
The protruding portion has a waved shape that oscillates in a circumferential direction of the insulating foam.
Electric cable 9,449,740 Sept. 20, 2016 Filed: Sept. 22, 2014 Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Hirotaka Eshima, Fumihito Oka, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Takahiro Futatsumori An electric cable includes a conductor core including conductors each covered with an insulation layer, and a braided layer formed on an outer periphery of the conductor core. The braided layer includes a braid of a first line group and a second line group. The first line group includes first metal lines and first fiber lines arranged along a longitudinal direction of the conductor core and is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the conductor core. The second line group includes second metal lines and second fiber lines arranged along the longitudinal direction of the conductor core and is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the conductor core in a direction opposite to the first line group. U.S. Patent No.: Patent date: Assignee: Inventors:
NOVEMBER 2016 | 75
PATENTS
Optical fiber cable
CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS
WAI MEMBERS seeking positions are entitled to free “Position Wanted” classified ads. 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.
CAREER OPPORTUNITY SENIOR PROCESS ENGINEER. Provide technical instruction and direction to the manufacturing person-nel (processes include extrusion, cabling, braiding, testing), sales, engineering, and maintenance. LAN cable (CAT5e,CAT6, CAT6A) preferred. Troubleshoot and analyze the pro-cess/materials/equipment when required.Maintain ISO 9000 quality system through the frame work of our Quality Manual. Provide routine employee training, systems implementa-tion/improvements and maintenance of quality records. Product development experience re-quired. Please respond to hr@transcableusa.com or apply through our website www.transcableusa.com Job Requirements: Requires an AS/ BS with wire & cable manufacturing experience. 1-3 years Six Sigma experience, knowledge of 5S and JIT principles, Kanban’s and Lean manufacturing concepts. Prior supervisory experience with excellent interpersonal communication skills. To apply for this job, contact: Hitachi Cable America Inc., tel. 603-669-4347, Ext. 395, Fax 603-634-4174, Email HR.NH@hca. hitachi-cable.com.
POSITIONS WANTED WIRE & CABLE REPRESENTATIVE AVAILABLE FOR THE AMERICAS. Do you need an experienced salesman in Mexico, Central and south America? Please contact Antonio Ayala at 1953ayala@gmail.com.P
BLIND BOX INFO: Address responses to Blind Box to: WJI, Box number (as it appears in print or on-line), 71 Bradley Road, Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662 USA. PAYMENT POLICY: All ads must be pre-paid. DEADLINES: Copy is due a full month in advance. Contact: classified@wirenet.org for more details.
partnered with industry Manufacturers to secure the services of executives, managers, and thousands of key individual contributors. Contact: Peter Carino, pcarino@ wireresources.com or online at www.linkedin.com/in/petercarino1/ Wire Resources Inc., PO Box 593, Riverside, CT 06878, tel. 203-6223000. www.wireresources.com.
MACHINERY FOR SALE: 1 off year of mfg 1999 Pittini (Italy) LTM/DO 11 pass wire drawing machine in very good working order, rotating die boxes with rotodie coiler able to draw down from 5.50mm to 1.30mm Spring wires. It includes two of hydraulic pay off systems, mechanical descaler, brush unit (stationary & rotating), coating and drying unit, two of butt welders, point machine, compressor, 3 off water chillers, strapping station complete for export capability. If you require any further information please email david@aussiebedproducts. com.au or phone Australian mobile +61418511241 WWW.URBANOASSOCIATES. COM. For New (Hakusan Heat Pressure Welders, Ferrous & NonFerrous; Marldon Rolling Ring Traverses) & Used Wire & Cable Equipment (buttwelders, coldwelders, ers and pointers). Tel: 727-863-4700 or by e-mail, please send to urbassoc@ verizon.net.
SERVICES PERSONNEL SERVICES “LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have 76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
NEED PROCESS HELP? Control system retrofits, repair, and troubleshooting for steel wire equipment. Mesh welders, wire cutting lines, etc. Jim at Teknutronics LLC, tel. 724-880-7601.
MEDIA FERROUS WIRE HANDBOOK. Written by WAI members and edited by Dr. Robert M. Shemenski, this 1,168 page, hard-cover, indexed publication is a definitive industry resource for ferrous wire. It is a modern-day reference tool for those working directly in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering, or operations sectors of the industry. The publication includes 36 chapters on a broad range of topics including many of the equipment types, processes, and specialty applications of steel wire manufacturing. The book begins with a history of the steel industry and its evolution, followed by details on: continuous casting; controlled rod cooling; rod defects; pickling and coating; mechanical descaling; deformation in cold drawing; wiredrawing theory, machinery, and finishing equipment; lubrication; heat treatment; stress relief; annealing; oil tempering; patenting; corrosion; galvanizing; statistical process control; bridge rope and strand; nails, barbed wire, mechanical springs. The price is $235, $195 for WAI members. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store. THE ROEBLING LEGACY. This 288-page indexed book by Clifford W. Zink presents a different perspective of the Roebling legacy. “But it’s all wire,” proclaimed a 1950s Roebling Company brochure about its product line, which included wire rope, copper magnet and electrical wire, screens and hardware cloth, aircord and aircraft strand, flat and braided wire, PC wire and strand, galvanized bridge wire, among others. To maximize quality, the Roeblings started drawing their own wire in the 1850s, rolling
WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFIED AD INFORMATION NAME ________________________________________________________________________ TITLE _________________________________________________
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”)
bars into rods in the 1870s, and making their own steel in the 1900s. Wire is the binding thread through 125 years of Roebling and American industrial history chronicled in The Roebling Legacy. The price is $75, $50 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS CAPABILITY STUDY. Creating a universal language for problem solving, this 2011 135-page booth by industry expert Douglas Relyea, founder of Quality Principle Associates, a consulting firm. The list price is $45, $40 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.
Please e-mail the requested information to: WAI’s Cindy Kirmss at ckirmss@wirenet.org. For more details, you can call her at 203-453-2777, ext. 116.
THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, by Gary Conner, the author of Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop, describes Six Sigma and how it is used by smaller companies. It includes a CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store.
FOR SALE 1 - NEB 72-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor 1 - NEB 48-C Harness Braider, Motor 1 - HACOBA Model DF24 24-Carrier Braider 2 - J.B. HYDE 24-C, 48-C Braiders 1 - CEECO 60” Rotating Cabler 1 - REEL-O-MATIC 24” Caterpuller Capstan 1 - GOODMAN 18” Caterpuller Capstan 1 - ROYLE 48” Belt Wrap Capstan 1 - VITECK 36” Belt Wrap Capstan, CBW-36-D 1 - BARTELL 36” Dual Wheel Capstan 2 - NEB 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers 1 - ALLARD 36” Closer, Model STC-36 2 - SYNCRO FX13, F13 Rod Breakdown Drawer 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 3.5” 24:1 Extruder Line 1 - ENTWISTLE 2” 24:1 Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 1.5” 24:1 Extruder 1 - BRABENDER 1.25” 24:1 HiTemp Extruder 1 - SKALTEK 2000mm Payoff, Model AX20-4K-1 2 - TULSA 96” Payoffs, Model CTPO-30, 2005 2 - TULSA PO10 Portable Payoff Commission
1 - SKALTEK 1600mm Payoffs, Model A16-4K 1 - DYNAMEX Tape Payoff, Model TPB30-2-D 1 - SKALTEK 2500mm Take-up, Model UX25-T-1 1 - TULSA 96” Gantry Traversing Take-up, GTU-30 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 1 - AL-BE Model MS12 Respooler, 18” Reels 5 - REEL-O-MATIC B12, B12X Respoolers 1 - SKALTEK MP360 PURE Packaging Line 1 - GRAHAM INT’L 72” Rewind Line, 2015 1 - WINDHAK AR24-D “SpoolWind” Spooling Line 2 - WINDHAK UW612 48” Take-ups 1 - CEECO Tape Line 1 - NASHOBA 3-Head Taper 1 - USM Single Head Tape Line 7 - KINREI 560mm D.T. Twisters 1 - METEOR Model ME301 3-Head Winder 1 - ENTWISTLE 4WDT24 4-W 24” D.T. Twister 2 - NEWMCO 16” D.T. Quadders 1 - HALL Tape Accumulator 2 - IMCS Bulk Bag Unloaders, 4,000lb capacity 1 - ARTOS MTX10, MTX5 Wire Processors
Commission Brokers Inc., Cranston, RI 02920 • 401-943-3777 www.CommissionBrokers.com • marty137@aol.com
B r o k e r s
NOVEMBER 2016 | 77
CLASSIFIEDS
COMPANY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2PUBLI C AUCTI ONS oc at i on: Asset sSur pl ust ot heOngoi ngOper at i onsof L
1Gr e e nwoodRd, S i dne y , NE6 9 1 6 2 I ns pec t i on: Monda y , De c e mbe r5th, 8 : 3 0AMt o4 : 3 0P MMDT
OVER 400 LOTS I NCLUDI NG:2000SAMPMT 4012+1Di eRodBr ea k down Mi l l ,2000SAMPAS / 3840DownCoi l er ,2000I RWI NNEUMANNT i nE l ec t r opl a t i ng L i ne ,( 17)DAVI SST ANDARD,AMERI CANKUHNE,NOKI A,MAPREE x t r uder s ,Dua l S pool er sw/Da nc er s&Ac c umul a t or s , Coi l i ngL i nes , Ca ps t a ns , T a k eUpsa ndPa y offs , Ca bl er s , Rewi nd/ T a peL i nes , T es tS y s t ems , Qua l i t yCont r ol E qui pment , Ai r Wi pes , Ba nd Ma r k er s ,Dr y er s ,Bul kMa t er i a lVa c uums ,S SWa t erT r oughs ,Chi l l erw/Rec i r c ul a t i on S t a t i on,Por t a bl eChi l l er s ,( 9)CAT&MI TSUBI SHIE l ec t r i cF or k l i f t s&Rea c hT r uc k s , NCY200HPAi rCompr es s or , Ai rDr y er , L a r geQua nt i t yofS pa r ePa r t sa nd 2008QUI Cons uma bl esI nc l udi ngBea r i ngs ; Mot or s ; Ha r dwa r e; Ca bl e; Dr i v es ; MCC' s ; et c .
OVER 600 LOTS I NCLUDI NG:E ngi neL a t hes , Ver t i c a lMi l l s ,SCOTCHMAN50T Hy dr a ul i cI r onwor k er , RI DGI D&GREENLEEPi pea ndCa bl eMa c hi ner y , GENI EZ20/ 8N S nor k elL i f t , TEREXT S 20S c i s s orL i f t , T i l t erT r uc k s , Reel T r uc k s , Wa l k i eS t a c k er , Wel der s , Ba nds a ws , LI ST ACa bi net s , Pa l l etRa c k i nga ndmuc hmor e
Sal eI nConj unc t i onWi t h:
AUCTI ONCONT ACT: J enni f erRei ner|1. 847. 545. 6374|j en@per f ec t i oni ndus t r i al . c om
Pe r f e c t i onI ndus t r i a l Sa l e s• www. pe r f e c t i oni ndus t r i a l . c om
ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE
ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE
Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd ..............................47
KEIR Manufacturing Inc ....................................77
Black Sea Technology Inc ................................43
Locton Limited ...................................................73
Carris Reels Inc ....................................... Cover 4
Mexichem Specialty Compounds Inc ..... Cover 2
Commission Brokers Inc ..................................77
Micro Products Co.............................................37
DRUIDS Process Technology SL .....................70
Niehoff GmbH & Co KG.....................................39
George Evans Corp ...........................................73
Paramount Die Co ...............................................4
Fenn LLC ............................................................47
Pressure Welding Machines .............................25
FMS USA Inc ......................................................23
Proton Products International Ltd .............21, 38
GMP Slovakia .....................................................25
Queins Machines ...............................................27
Honeywell .............................................................1
Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc..........................2
Howar Equipment ..............................................72
Steel Cable Reel/Tektapes ................................49
Howar Equipment / Unitek ................................19
SIKORA AG ..........................................................7
Huestis Industrial ..............................................51
Sjogren Industries Inc .................................12, 13
Inosym Ltd ...................................................11, 69
August Strecker GmbH & Co KG .....................17
Joe-Tools Inc......................................................15
Unitek / Howar Equipment ................................19
NOVEMBER 2016 | 79
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX PEOPLE
ADVER DVERTISERS’ ISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE Upcast OY ............................................................5 WAFIOS Machinery Corp ........................ Cover 3 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp ..........................9 Wyrepak Industries .....................................26, 71
January 2017 WJI Compounds & Colorants
WIRE ASSOCIATION INT’L ADS Interwire 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Wire Journal Digital Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
WIRE JOURNAL
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
SALES OFFICES NORTH AMERICA
Robert J. Xeller/Anna Bzowski Wire Journal International Tel: 203-453-2777 Fax: 203-453-8384 sales@wirenet.org
ASIA/WAI
India Office Wire & Cable Services Pvt. Ltd. Rahatani, Pune - 411017, India Huned Contractor mobile - +91 988 1084 202 hcontractor@wirenet.org China Office Zhuang (Frank) zhilu Shanghai, China 200331 mobile - 0086-18018681117 zzs12151116@163.com
EUROPE
U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark & Scandinavia Jennie Franks David Franks & Co. Tel/fax: 44-1223-360472 franksco @btopenworld.com Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service Int. Tel: 49-8801-914682 Fax: 49-8801-914683 dmelcher@t-online.de
80 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
Advertising Deadline: December 1
Visit our stand #1350 at Interwire 2015