Interwire Wrapup by Wire Journal International, Inc.

WIR WI IR REE JOU JOUR RNALL JUNE 2015

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INTERNATIONAL

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Interwire Wrapup n

Testing & Measuring

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

Volume 48 | Number 6 | June 2015

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

FEATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News. . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Interwire Wrapup

Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Interwire Wrapup

Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 24

n Testing & Measuring Wire Link Scholar report: . . . . . 32

WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Tata Steel Europe’s Gareth Penn, the 2015 Wire Link Scholar, recalls his two-week visit to the U.S., which included plenty of stops, including Interwire.

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Technical Papers . . . . . . 82-93 Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Wrapups: Interwire & GCCF . . . 36 These co-located events at the Georgia World Congress Center offered a memorable blend of technical, networking and commaraderie along with social events and Association meetings.

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Career Opportunities . . . . . 101 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . 103

Next issue July 2015

TECHNICAL PAPERS Ultra-D ultrasonic degassing and processing of aluminum Victor Rundquist and Kiran Manchiraj. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 IWCS Paper: Round-Robin Cable Burn Tests on a Single Fiber Cable Ravinder Kumar Kinnera, Dr. Emanuela Gallo . . . . . . . 89

• Equipment at Interwire • Wrapup: wire Russia

Cover: Two highly admired industry luminaries were honored at Interwire 2015: Mordica Memorial Award winner Prof. Tadeusz Knych and Donnellan Award winner Dominique Perroud. Photo by Nichole Szymaszek.

JUNE 2015 | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONTENTS

AN ACROSS-THE-POND EDUCATION . . 32 Gareth Penn, the 2015 Wire Link Scholar, a shift superintendent at Tata Steel Europe’s rod mill in Scunthorpe, U.K., traded in his work desk for a twoweek, all-expenses paid trip to the U.S. He toured manufacturing operations, got to play tourist and ﬁnished with a very busy schedule at Interwire 2015. Per his report, the experience was a success on all those levels.

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AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL 36 Atlanta once again put out the welcome mat for Interwire and the Global Continuous Casting Forum. Since Interwire 2013, the city has added the College Football Hall of Fame—a very fun site that hosted the WAI’s Reception— and a ferris wheel that’s nearly 20 stories tall. You might have passed on riding it, but it did add a splash of color to the city’s nightscape.

EDITORIAL WIRE JOURNAL

EDITORIAL

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

Another Interwire crosses the finishing line Have you ever watched a crew team work their rowing shell? Over the course of the past few years watching my daughter compete, I have gained a true respect for this sport that is not well known to many of us. Yes, I have watched it as an Olympic sport, and I have seen local schools practicing, but as is often the case, casual observations may not be truly reflective of the extent and depth of the task. What I have learned about rowing is that it is all about teamwork, preparation, and more preparation, and of course, execution. Months of preparation will lead up to a race that will be over in less than 10 minutes. Each rower will be exhausted as the boat crosses the finish line. As part of the team that produces the Interwire Trade Exposition, it all sounds very familiar. The post show coverage in this issue will give you the story of Interwire and the Global Continuous Casting Forum, but I want to take this opportunity to thank the team that creates and produces this special event. Over the past 15 years, I have been honored to work with a group of very talented and dedicated colleagues. Their skill sets are truly complementary and they care deeply about the event and the industry. The average years of experience is in excess of 20, so their rowing stroke is efficient and synchronized. Also in the boat is a group of volunteers tallying more than 100 that contribute to the show through their participation on the Board of Directors as well as committees for Exhibition Planning, Conference Programming, Education, Member Relations and Memorial Awards. This group represents the industry, and therefore, the strategic advantage of the team. To the 80 some authors, presenters and speakers, you brought an important balance to the boat. You shared your expertise and innovations and as a result, the attendees and the industry benefit greatly from your support. To the exhibiting companies, you are the boat! The event is a trade show and without the support from the 400 exhibiting companies, the industry would be without this important marketplace for North America. From the entire appreciative and exhausted staff, thank you to all of our Interwire teammates. Steve Fetteroll ... and Anna Bzowski, Dave LaValley, Cindy Kirmss, Mark Marselli, Marc Murray, Livia Jacobs, Paul Streeto, Janice Swindells, Chuck Szymaszek, Nicole Szymaszek and Bob Xeller.

WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL (ISSN-0277-4275) published monthly by The Wire Journal, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wire Association International, Inc., which is located at 71 Bradley Road, Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662, USA, and can be contacted at tel. 203-453-2777; fax 203-453-8384; Internet wirenet.org; e-mail editor@wirenet.org. Address all correspondence concerning advertising production, editorial and circulation to the above address. WJI is printed in USA. Subscription rates: $110 per year, USA; $120 per year, Canada and Mexico; other countries, $140 per year (includes air mail). Back copies: $10 WAI members, $15 non-members. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, CT 06443, USA, and at additional offices. Wire Journal International grants photocopy permission to libraries and others registered with Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, USA, for a fee of $0.50 per article. Payments should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders or reprints should be sent to the Wire Journal International, 71 Bradley Road, Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662, USA. © 2015 by Wire Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Publisher of WJI assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein. Back issues of WJI are on microfilm and available from University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Phone: 313-761-4700. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wire Journal International, 71 Bradley Rd., Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443, USA.

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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See us at wire Southeast Asia, September 16-18, Bangkok, Thailand

CALENDAR

CALENDAR June 21-25, 2015: Jicable 9th International Conference on Insulated Power Cables Paris, France. This forum focuses on research, industrial development, installation and operation of insulated power cables and accessories. Contact: Jicable, tel. 33-1-56-90-37-04, jicable@see.asso.fr, www.jicable.org. Sept. 16-18, 2015: wire Southeast Asia 2015 Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna. com, www.mdna.com. Oct. 5-8, 2015: 64th IWCS conference Atlanta, Georgia, USA. To be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, iwcs.org.

Oct. 6-8, 2015: wire South America 2015 São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Imigrantes Exhibition & Convention Center. Contact: MDNA, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. April 4-8, 2016: wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany. This biennial event will be held at the Messe fairgrounds. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. June 8-9, 2016: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. This WAI event, which will be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort Center, will include its trade show, technical programs and WAI’s 86th Annual Convention.

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS For more information, contact the WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org.

June 12, 2015: Midwest Chapter 13th Annual Golf Tournament West Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Midwest Chapter will return to the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club. Contact: Steve Fetteroll, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org. Sept. 14, 2015: New England Chapter 21st Annual Golf Tournament Ellington, Connecticut. USA. The New England Chapter will return to the Ellington Ridge Country Club. Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, or by e-mail at abzowski@wirenet.org.

Oct. 15, 2015: The Vannais Southeast Chapter’s 14th Annual Golf Tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. The Southeast Chapter will return to the Rock Barn Golf and Spa. Contact: Art Deming, tel. 252-955-9451, art.deming@nexans.com.

Sept. 17, 2015: Ohio Valley 12th Annual Golf Tournament, West Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Ohio Valley Chapter will return to the Grantwood Golf Course. Contact: Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org, tel. 203-4531748.

Nov. 3, 2015: 7th biennial CabWire World Technical Conference Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Congress Centre, this conference is a joint venture between the IWMA, IWCEA, ACIMAF and the WAI. More details to follow.

Oct. 5, 2015: Western Chapter’s 15th Annual Golf Tournament Fontana, California, USA. The Western Chapter will return to the Sierra Lakes Golf Course. Contact: John Stevens, tel. 905-851-5633, jstevens@emc-wire.com.

June 8-9, 2016: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. This WAI event, which will be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort Center, will include its trade show, technical programs and WAI’s 86th Annual Convention.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS ArcelorMittal to close its Georgetown rod mill due to severe market woes ArcelorMittal reports that it plans this year to close its wire rod mill in Georgetown, South Carolina, because of difficult market conditions. A press release that spelled out the reason for the layoffs was blunt in its assessment for the closure: “ArcelorMittal Georgetown, the company’s primary producer of wire rod in the United States, has been severely impacted by waves of unfairly traded steel imports from China and other countries. Even in the most recent quarter, wire rod imports rose to account for 36% of the U.S. market.” The combination of imports, competition in key domestic markets and high legacy costs “has forced the company to take a deeper look at all operations throughout the nation in an effort to eliminate inefficiencies while investing in facilities that can compete effectively in all market conditions,” it said.

Local 7898 and onsite contractors. At its website, ArcelorMittal notes the following: “The plant operates one electric arc furnace at an annual capacity of 600,000 tons of liquid steel and 750,000 tons of wire rod. Founded in 1969, the facility covers more than 60 acres of land with buildings totaling 578,000 square feet. The facility serves the construction, automotive, industrial and converter markets.” An article in South Carolina’s Sun News cited a wire rod buyer as saying he was not surprised by the closing because the Georgetown mill had an “unsustainable cost structure,” with one factor being the higher cost of scrap in the Southeast compared with the Midwest. In that article, it also cited another rod buyer as saying that the mill’s location was not ideal because the US Army Corps of Engineers had not dredged the port at Georgetown for several years, which prevented unloading vessels carrying direct reduced iron and forced the transport of raw materials by truck. It added that the company said those transport costs were a factor, but that the main challenges were imports and the high costs of scrap, electricity and natural gas.

Alcatel-Lucent to provide fiber-optic cable link between Spain and Algeria

ArcelorMittal’s steel plant in Georgetown, South Carolina, which once again will be closed. Photo by Charles Slate of the Sun News. This is not the first time the plant has been closed. The facility was first idled in 2009 following the economic recession and was brought back online in February 2011 with a revised labor agreement and gain sharing program aimed at lowering fixed costs and rewarding employees when jointly identified production and quality targets were achieved. “Despite our joint efforts and a highly productive workforce, the facility has incurred significant losses since the restart due to high input costs and imports,” said P.S. Venkat, CEO, ArcelorMittal Long Carbon North America. “Georgetown is a very productive plant, making 300,000 tons of product per year with fewer than 200 full-time ArcelorMittal employees. That’s about 1,500 tons per worker. Imports have really been damaging to the Georgetown facility, and the business overall.” The closure will impact 226 employees including salaried employees, hourly members of United Steelworkers

Alcatel-Lucent and the Algerian post and ICT ministry have signed a turnkey agreement for the deployment of an underwater fiber-optic cable that will link Oran, Algeria, and Valencia, Spain. A press release said that the 100 Gbps long system, called Orval, will be more than 560 km and have an ultimate design capacity of 20 Tbps. “This speed and capacity will facilitate the delivery of broadband services to an estimated 42 million internet users in Algeria and Spain,” it said. The Orval submarine cable system is part of Algeria’s Orsec plan to reinforce the ability to face natural disasters such as the earthquake of 2003, the release said. Alcatel-Lucent will be lead contractor in charge of designing and manufacturing the system in consortium with IT Marine, which will be responsible for marine operations. The contract’s financial details were not disclosed.

TPC Wire & Cable acquired by private equity group and management group The Audax Group, an investor business, announced that it has partnered with management to acquire TPC Wire & Cable Corp. (TPC) from Pfingsten Partners for an undisclosed price. TPC, based in Macedonia, Ohio, produces high-performance, ruggedized wire, cable, and connectors used in

Got news? E-mail it to the WJI at editorial@wirenet.org.

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Algerian Quatari Steel orders a Danieli integrated steel minimill TPC President/CEO Steve Michalski (r) and staffers at the 2014 Power-Gen® International Tradeshow. harsh industrial applications. “We look forward to partnering with (company President/CEO Steve) Michalski and the rest of the TPC team to continue growing the business organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions,” Audax Group Co-CEO Geoffrey S. Rehnert said in a press release. “We are excited to have Audax as our new partner,” said Michalski, who joined TPC in 2007 as director of MRO sales, became vice president of sales and marketing in 2008 and president and CEO in 2009. “Their track record of helping teams execute aggressive add-on acquisition strategies will supplement our growth initiatives and further enhance our ability to offer our customers premium products and service levels.” TPC, founded in 1978, serves a wide range of industries and is known for having products that perform and outlast ordinary cable and help reduce down time from lost production, replacement costs, maintenance, repair and administrative or regulatory challenges caused by failed wire, cables and connectors. At its website, TPC reports that it also conducts business through distributors in, Canada, Mexico and Peru, and that “future expansion is in the strategic planning

Italy’s Danieli Group reports that earlier this year it received an order from Algerian Qatari Steel (AQS) for an integrated steel minimill. A press release said that, in the presence of the Algerian Minister of Industry Abdussalam Buchuareb and the Governor of the State of Jijel Ali Bedrici, AQS ofﬁcials were given the go-ahead to construct an integrated minimill for the production of two million tons per year. The total investment, it said, amounts to US2 billion, including infrastructure. The complex will be composed of a 2,100,000 tons per year meltshop, featuring two 120-ton electric arc and reﬁning furnaces and two 5-strand continuous casters for billets; a rolling mill for the production of 750,000 tons of 16 to 40-mm bars; a second rolling mill for the production of 750,000 tons of 8 to 16-mm bars; and a third rolling mill for the production of 500,000 tons of 5.5 to 14-mm wire rod. The technological area is complete with all the auxiliary plants that also include a water treatment plant with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters per hour. Destined primarily for the construction of infrastructure in the country, this will be the largest and most modern steel complex in Algeria for the production of steel, the release said. The technological part of machines, automation and assistance was awarded to the Danieli Group, a project

JUNE 2015 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

stages for Chile, Colombia, Singapore, Australia and Johannesburg, South Africa.” It also notes that it won an award for its innovative work on the ﬁrst-ever anti® microbial cable product called DEFENDER for the industrial food and beverage and medical facilities markets. The DEFENDER antimicrobial cable jacket uses a silver-ion based antimicrobial additive as an ingredient that eliminates more than 99% of bacteria within 24 hours of exposure.

INDUSTRY NEWS

valued at US$750 million. The contract was signed by the President of AQS President Hasnaoui Chiboub and Danieli Chairman and CEO Gianpietro Benedetti. The order will be managed by Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA. based in Buttrio (Udine), Italy. “The Minister underscored the importance of this project for his country, as it will set an example in terms of fast construction and competitiveness, not to mention an example for the people of Algeria, motivated by their ability to build their own future,” the release said. Benedetti recalled that he himself had submitted the proposal to the Minister of Industry in Paris, back in 1986, but it was decided not to go ahead with the project. “Today’s project obviously has a much higher technological content, it is environment-friendly and the most competitive in the Mediterranean area for the production of wire rod and bars,” the release said. It noted that the site will employ approximately 1,000 people internally (engineers and technicians) and another 3,000 external personnel for various services. AQS is a jointly owned Algerian/ Qatari company (51% and 49% respectively). “This order confirms the worldwide leadership of the Danieli Group in the field of EAF steelmaking plants, including those that operate in combination with a direct reduction plant.”

Microsoft takes to subsea cable to challenge Amazon and Google

Microsoft plans to use undersea fiber cables to connect data centers in North America with similar facilities in Ireland, as part of its plans to take on Amazon and Google. A report in The Inquirer cited David Crowley, managing director of network enablement at Microsoft, as saying in a blog that “over the past nine months, Microsoft has been significantly investing in subsea and terrestrial dark fiber capacity by engaging in fiber partnerships that span multiple oceans and continents. And today, our connections across the Atlantic and Pacific just got stronger.” Microsoft, the report said, has formed a partnership with Hibernia and Aqua Comms, each of which will provide a cable to connect Microsoft’s data centers in North America and Ireland. The company is turning to the underwater cables to help deliver data at higher speeds, with higher capacity and lower latency, a necessity related to its commitment to the cloud. Microsoft also plans to hook up with sites in Asia, and has formed a consortium with China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom and KT Corporation, the report said. TE SubCom will supply the cable for the New Cross Pacific Cable Network, it said. “When we look to the future with these investments, we believe our customers will see that Microsoft is pulling together all the components necessary to make its cloud services the most reliable, accessible and secure,” Crowley said. “Competition in the cloud and infrastructure space continues to heat up. But it’s not a battle that 12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

will be won on just cloud or infrastructure alone, but instead on holistic innovation and providing value to customers from the ‘sea to the sky’.” Microsoft claimed that the investment will help the firm to compete with the likes of Amazon and Google on cloud costs. The report also noted that Google spent $300 million for a faster Trans-Pacific cable last year that will link Japan and the west coast of the U.S. to improve global internet connectivity.

REELEX reports that it will provide 2 packaging lines to Polish company U.S.-based REELEX reports that it has commissioned two G2 D-1500 REELEX packaging lines at Małopolska Fabryka Kabli Spółka z.o.o. (MFK), a new European cable manufacturer. A press release said that MFK, located outside Krakow, Poland, and co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, is a startup manufacturer supplying high-performance data cables. Packaging those cables are two REELEX G2 D-1500 coiling lines equipped with the latest technology from REELEX. These lines are among the most advanced REELEX lines ever installed, featuring unique characteristics such as two motorized payoffs per line (to minimize time between supply reels), digital tension control, EU safety guarding including new swinging door guarding designed by REELEX, G2 controls with touch screen HMIs and more, it said.

CTC Global enters partnership with Taihan Electric Wire Company U.S.-based CTC Global and South Korea’s Taihan Electric Wire Company (TEWC) announced a partnership to produce and sell ACCC® electrical conductors for the U.S., Canadian and Korean electrical transmission markets. A press release said that the ACCC conductors will be made using CTC Global’s composite carbon-fiber core. TEWC, founded in 1955 and with a U.S. office opened in 2000, will use its network of sales representatives to sell ACCC conductors directly to U.S. and Canadian customers, it said, adding that the two companies “will also look for other opportunities to cooperate globally.” “We are very pleased to be working with Taihan Electric Wire Company to serve our domestic and international customers and to grow the market for our high performance ACCC conductors,” said CTC Global CEO J.D. Sitton. Taihan Electric USA President Chun Won Lee said that TEWC is “very happy to add ACCC conductors to our product line-up and believe that these products will enable us to better serve our existing customers and to expand our offerings to new customers.”

Visit our stand #1806 at Interwire 2015

INTERWIRE PREVIEW

INDUSTRY NEWS

from A to Z

CTC notes that this further representation “will greatly “This project was also a milestone for installation techsupplement (its) existing territory representatives and manniques in Vietnam, the release said. It noted that the project ufacturing and distribution partnerships with General Cable is one of more than 325 ACCC installations in 30 counUSA and Lamifil NV.” tries. The ACCC conductor for this project was manufacBlachford Corporation .................406 & Co KG ....................1068 In other news, CTC Global reportedBongard that high-capacity tured by KMI Wire and Cable of Indonesia, one of the 19 Boockmann Engineering GmbH .264suppliers of ACCC conductor worldwide. BLMACCC Group®USA Corporation ....224used for conductors have been an installation of a qualified double circuit in Vietnam. A press release that Power ................424 Bloom Engineering ......................601 BOWsaid TECHNOLOGY Construction Company 2 (PCC2) and Vietnam Technique Strong demand seen for U.S. insulated Bohl SPG Packaging Systems .....161 Boxy SpA/HOWAR Eqpt .........1320 Development Co, Ltd (VTD) recently completed the sixth Bojininstallation Cable Drum Breen Color Concentrates Inc ......250 wire and cable demand through 2019 of ACCC conductor in Vietnam using 248 sq Manufacturer Co, Ltd .......... 912/04 Insulated wire and cable demand in the U.S. is projecteld Wire mm (470 kcmil) Glasgow size ACCCBrookﬁ conductor on theCo ......................549 ed by a U.S. market research firm to increase 6% a year double circuit Linh Trung - Thu Duc Bac 110 KV line for through 2019, at which time such revenues are expected the Ho Chi Minh City High Voltage Network Company. to be worth $27 billion. Visit our stand #1058 at Interwire 2015 A press release from The Freedonia Group said that the market will continue to recover from its depressed 2009 level. “A strong expected recovery in construction expenditures will fuel growth in demand for several types of wire, including building, power, and magnet wire and cable. “ The new study, Insulated Wire & Cable, covers product types that include building wire and cable, which it said “held the largest share of demand in 2014 and will see the most rapid advances through 2019, reaching $8.3 billion.” An acceleration in growth of building construction expenditures, after a period of tepid improvement between 2009 and 2014, will drive advances, it said, citing power, magnet and fiber optic wire and cable as also seeing strong advances. The release said that one possible reversal, due to slow growth in US motor vehicle production through 2019, primary, ignition, and battery wire and cable demand will see a pronounced deceleration from the previous five-year period, when demand was driven by robust increases in vehicle output. Per analyst Mariel Behnke, “Among the major markets for insulated wire and cable, construction is forecast to see the fastest growth. In addition to building wire, rising construction expenditures will also benefit demand for other types of wire used in building construction, such as coaxial cable.” Electrical equipment was the largest market for insulated wire and cable in 2014 at $5.8 billion. Demand in this market is projected to increase 3.9% a year through 2019. Increasing electricity production – as well as use of new sources of power generation, such as solar and wind farms – will increase demand

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APRIL 2015 | 69

Mathiasen Machinery to sell 2 upcast rod systems in Chile U.S.-based Mathiasen Machinery, Inc., reports that it has been awarded an exclusive contract to sell two complete continuous copper rod upcast systems in Chile. A press release noted the following about the systems, which belong to COCESA, a power cable manufacturer that bought the upcast systems new in 2008. Each system has a monthly output of 770 tons of 12 mm oxygen-free copper rod. Decommissioning took place in late 2014, and the equipment is still installed. For more details, contact Mike or Mark Mathiasen at either tel. 860-873-1423 or mmi@mathiasen-machinery.com.

tion of the cable, and saying Russia’s excuse was that it was a “protection of their military exercise zones.” It noted that, “Russian authorities have never asked Lithuanian institutions or received any prior authorization for such activities in exclusive economic zone of Lithuania.” The 400-km long cable, which runs from Klaipeda in Lithuania to Nybro on Sweden’s east coast, was built to improve Lithuanian and Scandinavian trading on electricity markets, and to increase the security of power supply to both the Nordics and Lithuania.

Visit our stand #703 at Interwire 2015

KEIR - BackBone™

Features: • Improved bow strength (no holes) • Wire is out of the air stream • Bow shaped like a wing for improved aerodynamics and low cw factor • Wear strip eliminated and replaced by wear bushings with windows for easy inspection and dust cleaning • Wear bushings can be changed while bow is mounted on the rotor

Politics trumps cable-laying in unsettled Baltic Sea Russian naval ships have repeatedly disrupted cable-laying work between Sweden and Lithuania in the past few months, prompting diplomatic protests from both countries affected. A report in Sweden’s thelocal.se, which ran in multiple sites, said that the laying of the Nordbalt cable, which is being built between Sweden and Lithuania, has been disrupted four times by Russian ships in the past two months. “Sweden has discussed the matter with Russian authorities,” Pezhman Fivrin, spokesperson for Foreign Minister Margot Wallström told the Aftobladet newspaper. Sweden intends to take up the issue with Russian representatives. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has also taken action, summoning the Russian foreign minister claiming that Russia is in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In a statement, it accused Russia of “attempts to interfere” with the construc-

Flyer Bow

Advantages: • Up to 40% lower power (amps) consumption and reduced noise • Higher TPM - maintaining wire quality • Reduced elongation @ higher TPM • Reduced bow breakage • Increased life on wear surfaces reducing downtimes and maintenance • Easy assembly and change out of wear bushings • Wire breaks are contained within the bow - extending bow life

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JUNE 2015 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

for power transmission and distribution wire. However, decelerating growth in the production of appliances and other electrical equipment will restrain increases in demand for other types of wire and cable used in the electrical equipment market, such as appliance wire and hook-up wire. The 261-page report, published 05/2015, is available for $5300 from The Freedonia Group, Inc. For further details or to arrange an interview with the analyst, contact Corinne Gangloff at tel. 440-684-9600 or pr@freedoniagroup.com. More information is available at www.freedoniagroup.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Micro-Product’s Interwire news: we now offer Supermac technology U.S.-based Micro Products Company, manufacturer of Micro-Weld butt welders, announced at Interwire that it has entered into an alliance with India’s Supermac that will enable the company to offer quality extrusion equipment to its customers in North and South America. A press release said that MicroWeld is proud to represent Supermac’s extrusion and CCV lines and allied products, which carry the CE mark and comply with all requirements established by European Union countries. Supermac has the expertise and experience to meet increasing demands for designing systems and Micro Products announced its alliance technologies for some of the with Supermac at Interwire 2015. leading global wire and cable manufacturers, it said, noting that Supermac has three modern, well-equipped manufacturing facilities in India, with in-house fabrication, automation and testing facilities as well as a team of highly specialized engineers for handling commissioning and installation tasks. For more details, go to www.micro-weld.com.

Hibernia’s Express: the company’s latest cable deployment is a milestone Hibernia Networks announced that the company, with the help of partner TE SubCom, has made and loaded more than 2,000 km of armored cable onto three cable-laying ships that have either already laid the cable or soon will. A press release said that laying the fast and high-capacity fiber optic cables represents a historic milestone for global communications as Hibernia Networks’ Express cable will be the first modern fiber optic cable connecting North America to Europe in more than 12 years. It said that the cable will cater to the need for additional, fast and high-performing global network capacity. Hibernia Express is on schedule for delivering service to high-bandwidth network operators, including carriers, global financial firms and technology companies, by September 2015. 16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Sikora to open office in Massachusetts

Sikora International is opening an office in New England that will be operational by July 1 to better serve its testing and measuring customers in the region. A press release said that the office will be located in Beverly, Massachusetts. Sikora International USA President John Dognazzi said that the company is dedicated to having sales and technical support located in the same regions with its customers. Sikora’s U.S. business is based in Peachtree City, Georgia.

Business Development Engineer Steve Kapantais, who will head Sikora’s new U.S. office, at Interwire 2015. The new office is to be headed up by a new hire, Business Development Engineer Steve Kapantais. A graduate of UMASS Lowell Plastics Engineering, he has more than 15 years of experience with polyolefin materials, with specialties in crosslinked, foamed plastics and extrusion processes. He was in attendance at Interwire 2015. Based in Germany, Sikora is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of measuring and control technology for the wire and cable, hose and tube and plastics industries.

Belden wins award for product line Belden Inc. (BDC), a global leader in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, announced that it has been recognized for its comprehensive product range with a 2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for its Product Line Strategy Leadership. “Belden is not just a supplier of signal transmission products, but a true strategic business partner delivering solutions that make end-user facilities perform more efficiently and profitably. Its global presence places it in close proximity to most of its customers and partners,” said a Frost & Sullivan analyst. “The depth, breadth and quality of Belden’s product portfolio have been driven by a global, customer-centric focus on innovation, reliability and resiliency,” said Dhrupad Trivedi, president of Belden’s Industrial IT platform. “Starting with the addition of Hirschmann’s industry-leading industrial Ethernet switches in 2007 and most recently, Tripwire’s advanced cybersecurity software, Belden has consistently invested to lead market transitions and partner with our customers to create winning solutions.”

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 of its predecessor model MSM 85 and 20% lower than 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 600 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. 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in Good Hands with NIEHOFF Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH & Co. KG Fuerther Strasse 30, 91126 Schwabach, Germany Phone +49 9122 977-0 / Fax +49 9122 977-155 info@niehoff.de www.niehoff.de

ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS Climate change may pose major challenges to Asian mega-cities The below excerpted May 6 article from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is of interest as it spells out how climate change over the next 20 years in low-lying and coastal cities in Asia could undergo major infrastructure concerns. Indirectly, it offers a long-term view of opportunities for the wire and cable industry.

The battle against climate change is likely to be won or lost in Asia’s expanding megacities. Asian cities are poised to contribute more than half the rise in global greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years if no action is taken. But with planning, resources and political commitment, cities can be part of the climate change solution. Bangkok, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Kolkata, Manila, Mumbai, Shanghai, and Yangon have one thing in common. These low-lying or coastal cities are all highly vulnerable to rising sea levels, floods, and other impacts of climate change. Major urban areas in the Pacific are at higher risk still. However, even inland cities in the region could be suddenly devastated by sudden extreme weather events like typhoons, or suffer rising temperatures and increasingly uncertain weather that damages infrastructure and livelihoods. Cities are the centers of economic growth in Asia and the Pacific, generating 80% of gross domestic product in most countries. Approximately 1.2 billion Asians will move to cities over the next 35 years requiring the construction of swaths of new homes, roads, and water and electricity networks. City leaders need to make sure existing and future infrastructure can cope with increasingly frequent disasters like Typhoon Ketsana, which killed hundreds and caused an estimated $100 million in damage in the Philippines in 2009, or Cyclone Pam in March 2015, which flattened 90% of houses and destroyed critical water and food supplies in Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila and beyond.

18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Cities also need to be prepared for the sustained year in, year out, stress from climate change. This means installing sanitation infrastructure that is able to cope with higher-than-anticipated rainfall, water systems that work even during droughts, electricity pylons that can withstand high winds, and roads that don’t crack during heat waves. “Climate prooﬁng is crucial. All ADB’s projects are assessed for climate risk, and ADB is also working

ADB chart outlining potential results of climate change that will challenge infrastructure, and indirectly, the wire and cable industry.

toward integrating management of disaster risks while building bridges, power plants, or other infrastructure,” Preety Bhandari, who headsDavid ADB’sBraun Climate Teknorsaid Apex Company has appointed Change and Disaster Risk Management Unit. as wire and cable industry manager for the compa2014,Division. ADB approved in financing ny’sInVinyl He will$1.97 directbillion all marketing and for 22 urban development projects, taking total urban business development activities for the Division’s lending to justproducts. over $24He billion. But city wire and cable has more thanplanners 20 yearsmust consider how all theseinsystems one ofalso management experience wire andinteract cable, so includvulnerability won’t business undermine the rest of the ing sales, marketing, development, andurban top network.positions. For example, climate-proofing a school executive He most recently worked for is pointless if roads to it are impassable. Cable Components, LLC, which he joined in 2007 Thispresident is a key goal for ADB in Bangladesh, for examas vice in charge of business development o ple, where a 1.5 C increase in temperature and 4% and for the past four years has served as vice presiincrease in precipitation areHe forecast cause sea dent and managing director. enteredtothe wirethe and levelindustry in the Bay of Bengal by 27 centimeters cable in 1992 when to herise joined NEPTCO Inc., or more by 2050. beginning as a sales engineer and subsequently serving Cities need to become partbusiness of the climate change as product manager and then unit manager. Asia’s already 80% of thein Hesolution. holds an MBAcities degree fromconsume Bryant University region’s energy create 75% in of chemical its carbonengineeremissions. Smithfield, RI andand a BSc degree Asian cities are poised to contribute more than half the ing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. rise in global greenhouse gas emissions over the next He is a member of the International Wire and Cable 20 years if Committee no action is and taken. cities resilient Symposium wasMaking the 2012 chairman. means making them less through Healso is also active in BICSI and energy-intensive serves on the board of more and better public transport, energy-efficient buildthe Communications Cable & Connectivity Association ings, and greater use of renewable energy.

Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province in China, opted to build a bus rapid transit system rather than more roads, slashing the city’s (CCCA). He is the holder of twocarbon patentsdioxide relatingemisto sions. ADB is helping support a similar system in cable technology. Based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Peshawar andApex Karachi Pakistan, and aconcentrates mass rail USA, Teknor is a in supplier of cable transit system in Viet Nam’s increasingly congested and colorants. and polluted Ho Chi Minh City. ADB’s Urban Operational Plan for 2012-2020 General Cable Corporation has filled several execunderlines the critical need to promotions. ensure that cities are utive positions, including two Emerson inclusive while mitigating C. Moser economic was namedpowerhouses senior vice president, generaland adaptingand to corporate the effectssecretary of climate change. Moreofthan counsel and a member the half of the world’s slum dwellers—an estimated 522.6 Operating Committee. He was previously assistant million counsel people in mid-2012—live in Asia, nothgeneral and assistant secretary and and had ifbeen ing is done that figure may rise tochief 1 billion 2050. serving as the company’s interim legalby officommunities in cities often live in cer“The sincepoorest last July. Sonya Reed has been promoted most vulnerable, least safe neighborhoods in totheexecutive vice president, chief human resources low-lying on coasts orthe riverbanks so senior homes, officer. Sheareas was previously company’s services, and livelihoods of those Kurt families are hit vice president in that department. L. Drake hardest by climate change-related events,” said Vijay has joined the company as senior vice president, Padmanabhan, technical advisor on water and chief compliance officer and will be a member urban of the issues at ADB. Operating Committee. In the newly created standalone Makinghecities change benposition, will more reportresilient directlyto toclimate President and CEO efits everyone: thoseHe living in years the cities, businesses, Gregory B. Kenny. has19 of international and—giveninAsia’s growing experience compliance andeconomic finance. clout—the He has heldrest of the world too.

Visit our stand #1550 at Interwire 2015

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

JUNE 2015 | 19

ASIAN FOCUS

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Loos & Co., Inc., reported adding ﬁve positions to the company’s sales force to better serve its expanding customer base and product scope. Jack Puckett was named Western Territory Manager, supporting customers in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii. He has worked Puckett for the company’s Hardware Division for the past three years. Ana Kopec was named an inside sales representative, responsible for day-to-day operations for customers in the Northeastern U.S. and for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. She has a strong background Kopec in customer service and handling problems. Aaron Feliciano was named an Inside Sales Representative, responsible for day-to-day operations for customers in the Midwest and Southeast U.S. He holds a Master’s Degree in biomolecular science and will be Feliciano working closely with Loos and Company’s medical market team. Sara Glynn was named an Inside Sales Representative, responsible for day-to-day operations for customers in the Central and Southeast parts of the U.S. She has a strong background in relationGlynn ship management through her most recent job in the media marketplace. Ryan Dietlin was named an Inside Sales Representative, responsible for day-to-day operations for the company’s industrial distribution and military/government customers. He has a comprehensive background Dietlin in procurement, sales and customer service. Based in Pomfret, Connecticut, USA, Loos & Company, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of stainless steel and specialty alloy wire and wire products, aircraft cable, wire rope, and military and commercial cable assemblies.

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Northwire, Inc., recently hired Fabian Weber as vice president of innovation and business development, a technical and customer-centric role that will see him collaborate with senior management on strategy for the company’s goal of driving innovation and growing sales across a diverse range of industries. He will be tasked with identifying current customer Weber challenges that can be solved with the integration of Northwire and LEMO products and services. A Swiss native, he holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland. He most recently served as VP Business Development of Sonceboz Corporation. He has taught and lectured at IBZ Schools in Bern, Switzerland, and is qualified as a Certified Professional Innovator by the University of Michigan. Based in Osceola, Wisconsin, USA, and a manufacturer and subsidiary of The LEMO Group, Northwire, Inc., (NWI), provides custom technical wire and cable, retractable cable, cable assemblies, connectors, harnesses, injection molding and over-molding products and services for diverse markets. Nancy Briner recently joined P & R Specialty, Inc., as a customer service representative. She has more than 16 years of customer service experience in various industries, including the distribution and information technology industry. She will be based at the company’s headquarters, and report directly to Vice President of Sales Vince Reidy. Based in Piqua, Ohio, USA, P & R Briner Specialty, Inc., manufactures a range of spools and reels for the wire and cable industry. RichardsApex has promoted Ralph Creneti to research associate in the company’s R&D department. He has worked for the company for 13 years, and prior to that he worked for eight years in QC and technical service for the division of Elf Atochem that provided lubricants to the cold-rolled steel industry. That division became part of Henkel Surface Technologies through a Creneti series of mergers and acquisitions at the time. He holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from Temple University. Based in the U.S., RichardsApex is a global supplier of specialty metalworking fluids.

Robert “Bob” S. Rees, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, a highly regarded wire and cable industry veteran who was working full time a week before he passed, died April 21, 2015, at age 88 in Rhode Island Hospital. “Everybody knew Bob,” said CRW & Associates President Craig White, who described Rees him as both a colleague and a friend going back to the mid-1970s. “Wherever he went, people knew him,” he recalled, noting that Bob, a long-time ﬁxture at IWCS from the organization’s days when it was still in Cherry Hill, always had a great smile and a warm greeting. “Bob used to joke that he couldn’t afford to retire but he simply enjoyed what he was doing,” he said, noting that he was still working full time but had stopped driving three years earlier. At age 88, he still had a sharp mind, and the Friday before he passed, they had discussed an upcoming sales meeting that he fully intended on attending, he said. “Bob will be sorely missed by myself and all his friends in the industry he loved.” Bob is survived by three children, three brothers, ﬁve grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Germany’s Ernst Koch GmbH & Co. KG and its USA subsidiary, Morgan-Koch, announce the death of Abbi Koch at the age of 91 on April 15, 2015, just a few days after the passing of his wife of 55 years.

Abbi Koch at the Ernst Koch factory in Ihmert, Germany, in 2008.

After WWII, Abbi with his brother, Heinrich, took over Ernst Koch Company from their founding father Ernst. At that time, the company was a repair service shop for local wire mills. Heinrich Koch died in 1974 and then Abbi guided the company to an innovative ferrous and specialty alloys wire machinery manufacturer, with the numerous technical developments to improve the quality and productivity of wire manufacture. Abbi piloted the global marketing of Koch machinery and in 1988 he entered an agreement with Morgan Construction for the formation of Morgan-Koch Corporation. Koch Company now owns 100% of Morgan-Koch. Abbi was active in the company until age 80 and still made frequent visits to the facility through age 85. Abbi’s son, Jochen Koch, is the principal executive of the company. Abbi’s other son, Axel Koch, is a commercial manager, and Heinrich’s son, Gunther Koch, is a technical manager for Ernst Koch. All who knew Abbi Koch felt they were his treasured friend. Richard “Rich” Thomas Rae, 70, of Madison, Connecticut, USA, the founder and president of ERA Wire, Inc., died from cancer on Monday, April 20, 2015, at Connecticut Hospice in Branford. The native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, achieved the rank of Sergeant E5 of the Rae First Squadron 26th Cavalry, Yankee Infantry Division of the National Guard, where he served from January 1964 to January 1970. He started his career in design and engineering as a draftsman for United Nuclear. A career change took him to the manufacturing of wire straightening and cutting machinery, which became his passion. With this knowledge, he founded ERA Wire, Inc., as a part-time venture in 1988. He continued to pursue his passion to the end with his son, Richard, Jr., and leaves a thriving family business as his legacy. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; daughter Beth (Allan) Rosenstein; sons Richard Rae, Jr., and Edward (Astrid) Rae; brother-in-law Fred Kowalski, sister-in-law Patricia Keegan; six grandchildren and a loving extended family.

JUNE 2015 | 21

PEOPLE

OBITUARIES

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH Comcast continues to roll out high-performance fiber in U.S.

cal 2-Gbps services this month to customers in the Chico, Fresno, Marysville/Yuba City, Merced, Modesto, Monterey, Sacramento, Salinas, San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Barbara County, Stockton and Visalia metro areas. That customer base is close to three million homes, it said. Previously, Comcast announced that it would offer 2-Gbps broadband in Atlanta. California is now the second such location for the Gigabit Pro ﬁber-optic broadband service.

Comcast reports that it plans to offer its 2-Gbps Gigabit Pro service to 12 markets in California along with a new 250-Mbps Internet service in the state as well as data rate upgrades for certain customers. A press release said that the cable giant plans to begin rolling out its ﬁber to the home (FTTH) based symmetri-

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PhD thesis: optical fiber successfully used as a remote-distance sensor

A PhD thesis by Mike Bravo-Acha said that he was able to successfully use a sensor attached to optical fiber that was 253 km away. A report in EurekAlert! said that in the course of his lab research, conducted at the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre, he monitored a sensor fitted to a remote optical fiber. “What is interesting is that ... all the information arrived through the fibre and we didn’t need to fit any sockets to power the sensor. This would be very useful, for example, to monitor an oil pipeline crossing the desert where fitting electrical power supply systems for the sensors is not feasible.” The thesis is entitled “Contribution to the development of new photonic systems for optical fiber sensing applications.” The report observed that in recent decades, telecommunications have been revolutionized by optical fiber technology, thanks to the promising features of light transmission through this medium. Shortly after it was developed, researchers observed that there were variations in the propagation of the light with respect to the different physical and biochemical magnitudes, which indicated great potential for using optical fiber as a sensor. Mikel Bravo’s PhD thesis has focused on this aspect because compact, electrically passive sensors can be embedded in the fiber and, bar exceptions, they are immune to electromagnetic fields. In the course of the thesis it was possible to power the device at a distance of up to 100 km, “which is the greatest distance at which a piece of equipment of this type has been powered and monitored.”

FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE Chinese company completes its acqusition of Align Aerospace AVIC International Holding Corp., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corp. of China, reports that it has completed the purchase of Align Aerospace Holding Inc., a Chatsworth, California-based distributor to aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and OEM suppliers. Per a report in China Daily, AVIC and Greenbriar Equity Group LLC, a private equity firm and Align’s current principal shareholder, reached an agreement to sell Align to AVIC International Holding (Zhuhai) late last year. The deal, for an undisclosed price, was closed after approvals came from both the Chinese and U.S. governments. AVIC International Chairman Wu Guangquan said that the acquisition of Align brings valuable experience in aerospace supply chain management. “With AVIC International’s investment, resources and relationships, we plan to grow Align’s relevance with its current customers in parallel with expanding the business globally, especially in the Chinese market,” he said. VIC International USA President Zhang Xuming agreed that it’s the right time for AVIC to acquire Align. “AVIC has the need and desire to expand its business globally, and Greenbriar was looking for buyers at a time when the econo-

24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Avic Holding and Align Aerospace gather at a ceremony for the finalizing of the acquisition. China Daily photo. my recovers (from the 2008 global financial crisis),” he said. With the purchase of Align, AVIC International will be able to integrate the distribution teams in the US, Canada and China’s Zhuhai, which is expected to help in aviation hardware purchases, stocking and distribution for aviation manufacturing and maintenance industries in China and other countries, Zhang said. In 2011, AVIC acquired US-based aircraft maker Cirrus and US-based Continental Motors, and in 2009, acquired Future Advanced Composite Components, an offshoot of Austrian ski maker Fischer. n

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WAI NEWS

WAI JUNE 2015

MEMBERSHIP

SPOTLIGHT This section introduces a new WAI member each issue.

Kyle Craft Managing Director RichardsApex AustralAsia Q: What does your company do? A: With over 100 years of experience RichardsApex manufactures, sells and services quality process lubricants, cleaners and coatings for the metal working industry, specialising in Non-ferrous rod rolling, wire and tube drawing. Q: What is your role there? A: As the Asian Product Manager, I travel throughout the Middle East, India and Asia visiting potential customers, to promote our diverse range of products, and help existing customers with ongoing technical support. Q: What do you like best about your position? A: There is a lot to like about this job; I get to travel to interesting places, try exotic cuisines, experience different cultures and meet a diverse range of people. But what I enjoy most is the problem solving aspect of the job, which involves discussing the customers’ requirements and current challenges and then recommending the solution that best meets the requirements and overcomes the challenges. Q: How does your company remain competitive? A: From our worldwide sales representatives and engineers to our technical R&D team it is the people, their knowledge, experience and relationships that continue to provide the opportunities and innovation to develop technologically advanced products, ensuring RichardsApex is the industry’s lubricant supplier of choice. Q: Why did you recently join WAI? A: I joined WAI to keep up to date with what is happening, gather news and stay informed with the latest in technology. WAI helps me keep touch within the industry and from a global perspective.

26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

MEET YOUR PEERS. ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. JOIN WAI TODAY.

Gonzalo Aguirre GM Hornos y Metales S A

James T Grayson Sls Mgr Pyrotek Inc

Gary Patrick Kooper Die Mfg, Reels Sonoco

Thomas Porcelli Ntl Acct Mgr Mar-Mac Wire Inc

Dr Shahid Akhtar Qual Mgr Hydro Aluminum Karmoy

Peng Guo Oper Eng Proj Mgr WireCo WorldGroup

Mark Kuskovsky Sr Proj Eng Pelican Wire Co Inc

Varsha Pote Asst Tech Mktg Mgr C Tech Corporation

David M Braun Ind Mgr, Wire & Cable Teknor Apex Co

Harry Hofmann Sls Mgr Expt Met Remov & Form Carl Bechem GmbH

Ryan Landry Metallographer Southwire Co

Craig Shoemaker Sr Lead Rsch Eng PolyOne

Martin Lecours Plt Mgr General Cable

Yance Syarif App Eng Fushi Copperweld

Darin Nicol GM Wayne Wire Die Co.

James Werner Southwire Co

Kyle Craft Mng Dir RichardsApex AustralAsia Edgar Damp Maint United Copper Industries Brian Duemling Pres John M Dean Co LLC Edward Lee Ferguson Plt Mgr Southwire Hayesville Pl Lowell A Gault Qual Aud Fushi Copperweld

Francisco Javier Pelaez Herrera Mgr Aserosmet sas Janusz Juraszek Prof University of Bielsko-Biala Tom Mikael Karvonen Proc Eng Elektrokoppar Arne Martin Kjarland Hydro Aluminum Karmoy James Koeplin Quaker Chemical

Bodington Oquendo Tech Advsr UPCAST OY James D Philipkosky Chrm MLP Steel LLC Jason Pierce Mkt Dev Mgr Eastman Chemical

Brinson White Spcl Proj Eng Pelican Wire Co Inc Brenton Weiskopf App Eng Pelican Wire Co Inc Erwin Velasco Pres EVISA

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WAI NEWS

The following individuals either recently joined WAI or became Platinum Members through their companies.

The Wire Association International Charting the way for wire & cable industry professionals since 1930.

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find out what membership means to you. JOIN TODAY! www.wirenet.org The Wire Association International, Inc. | Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777

mittee and the Wire Association at their next meeting. At Interwire, Joe Snee, Joe Snee Associates, led eight “As I said, we’re here as a committee to help the other members of the Exhibition Planning Committee to exhibitors have a good experience. We all know that the show floor on Monday, the day before the exhibits it’s not cheap to do this, but if we can make sure that opened, to chat with companies setting up their booths. the costs are reasonable and the forum is effective, It was a bit of a fishing expedition, he said, and in retroMDA146D-Wire15-4137x7083-BW2.ai then everyone wins.” 1 16/9/14 3:32 pm spect, a later start might have been better, but he figured that the time was still well spent. “As a committee, we’re kind of invisible, and we wanted the exhibitors to know that they have someone they can talk to. That we’re like them, and that they can feel free to point out things they like and don’t like,” Snee said. The committee had written up a list of questions and by and large most exhibitors they talked to seemed to appreciate their stopping by. One topic that will always come up is costs, Snee said. Exhibiting covers a lot of different areas, and if one does not understand the related expenses, it is easy to either spend too much or to pay for some items that are unnecessary, he explained. Blackout Sunday also seemed to cause some confusion despite this being the second or third year for a Monday move-in. “This was done to reduce setup costs,” Snee said. As a smaller exhibitor who has moved to a larger booth, he has seen the types of costs that can be incurred, from freight to carpeting, and one thing he would like to do is to help exhibitors better understand their options, he said. Another topic, a tough one, has to do with timing of other programs going on during peak exhibit times, Snee said. The keynote speaker on Wednesday got good reviews from the more than 200 attendees who sat in on his talk, but those were people who were not on the show floor and might not have returned after the talk, he said. “These are things that have to be balanced off,” he said. Snee, who has been a member of the exhibition planning committee for about eight years, said that members of the committee are forwarding post show comments for review and discussion by the comC

CMY

JUNE 2015 | 29

WAI NEWS

Exhibition Planning Committee took it to the floor at Interwire 2015

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER Southeast Chapter meets during Interwire, members enjoy reception WAI’s Southeast Chapter held a reception during Interwire that saw some 30 members and guests get a chance to socialize. “This is the second time we’re announcing the scholarship winners during Interwire,” said Woody Holland. “It’s a real plus for chapter members to meet some of the winners who benefit from our annual Vannais Golf Tournament. As a participant in the award selection committee, I am amazed at the quality and efforts of the students.” Chapter President Art Deming said that he liked the venue. He had hoped to hold a board meeting at the event for the first time, but it was difficult as too many members were either not at Interwire or had event commitments. He said he would like to try again. “I feel that with the right planning it should be part of every show.” He observed that typical board meetings are telephone call in because of schedule variations.

From l-r, chapter members Jim Perdue, Woody Holland, scholarship winner Sydney Nuckles, Brooke Stonesifer and President Art Deming at the Southeast Chapter meeting at Interwire. wire and cable and how we have so much influence in the world today.” During the chapter reception, members also got to meet Sydney Nuckles, who was there with her mom, Southwire Senior Project Engineer Kim Nuckles. Sydney was one of three recipients of Southeast Chapter scholarships. The July issue will list the winners for all the participating WAI chapters.

4 WAI chapters set golf event dates

Socializing at the Southeast Chapter reception. Deming said that despite the board meeting not working out, the Southeast reception was a winning event that had good visibility at Interwire. Looking at the big picture, he said that the chapter and the industry needs to continue to grow not only with technology, but, with talent, with leaders and with ideas. “We have great relationships with our sponsors, who year after year support the chapter’s events and help promote the industry and its principles,” Deming said. “To have a chance to meet face-to-face with members is a strong part of the wire industry. It helps make it feel more like a community rather than a business. We need that interface in order to continue our growth and to help bring in new engineers. Without new people or ideas we will remain stagnant and fall behind to other industries. We need to get our members excited about

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

By the time you read this, the Midwest Chapter may already have held its 13th Annual Golf Tournament on June 12, but four WAI chapters will be staging their annual tournaments in the coming months. First up will be the New England Chapter’s 21st Annual Golf Tournament, to be held Monday, Sept. 14, at the Ellington Ridge Country Club in Ellington, Connecticut. Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, or by e-mail at abzowski@wirenet.org. Next up, just a few days later, will be the Ohio Chapter’s 12th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Grantwood Golf Course in West Chicago, Illinois. Contact: Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org, tel. 203-453-1748. Following that will be the Western Chapter’s 15th Annual Wild West Shootout, to be held Monday, Oct. 5, at the Sierra Lakes Golf course in Fontana, California. Contact: John Stevens, jstevens@emcwire.com, tel. 909-476-9776, ext. 21, or WAI’s Steve Fetteroll at sfetteroll@wirenet.org, tel. 203-453-1748. The final event will be the Vannais Southeast Chapter’s 13th Golf Tournament, to be held Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa. Contact: Art Deming, tel. 252-955-9451, art.deming@ nexans.com.

WIRE LINK REPORT

2015 Wire Link Scholar Report Gareth Penn, the 2015 Wire Link Scholar, is a shift superintendent at Tata Steel Europe’s rod mill in Scunthorpe, U.K. The award, offered in alternative years to a U.K. and American professional in the wire and cable industry, provides a two-week, all-expenses paid opportunity to visit and learn the industry on the other side of the Atlantic. The scholarship was created by the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers in the U.K. and the WAI in America. As the U.K. representative, Penn toured companies in the U.S. and attended Interwire 2015. Below is his report.

Gareth Penn and Andy Talbot at Mid-South Wire. Landing in Chicago on a Friday night as the Wire Link Scholar for 2015, I had little sense that I was about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. The trip began with a weekend in the city, where I saw a great deal of sites that could ﬁll this report in itself, but my favorite part was a baseball game. Cubs versus the Padres. I will long remember the 11 innings, the 7-6

win for the home team, and the $10 beers. The people of Chicago were fantastic wherever I went. On the Monday morning, John Drummond, a man who I would come to know very well over the next two weeks, greeted me for breakfast. His knowledge and generosity would prove to be a huge help throughout the trip. My whole career has been on rod production, so

Gareth Penn with Kevin Natterstad and Brian Burr at Sumiden Wire Products Corporation’s plant in Dickson, Tennessee.

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WIRE LINK REPORT

there were various parts of wiredrawing that John helped me understand. Our first tour took us to Merit Steel, part of Leggett & Platt, based in Kouts, Indiana. There, we were greeted by Plant Manager Jamey Ford and Superintendent Dan Rosenbaum, who showed us around the various processes of cleaning and wiredrawing. They draw high-carbon steel for use in spring assemblies in mattresses and springs, so I was familiar with the kind of steel they were using as an input to their process. With some lunch on the road, we departed for the second tour of the day: the SDI steel plant in Columbia City, which makes sections and rails. They had a welding yard where they would set 320 foot of rail together and ship them out on special wagons. Our site is also home to a rail facility so it was good to compare how they did things. I saw firsthand an electric arc furnace, the first I had seen in my life, melting scrap into liquid metal. I had only previously seen them used for reheating. We were later met by Kurt Breischaft, a former Wire Link Scholar who is now president at SDI La Farga. We had dinner together and toured his plant the next morning. I saw another continuous casting operation from an electric arc furnace, this time for the production of copper rod. Here I saw a triple-disc pass in operation for the first time. It was especially interesting for me as our company has considered deploying this method due to its advantages for a superior control over size and shape. That afternoon we toured Fort Wayne Metals, where Process Engineer, Renee Earley, another former Wire Link Scholar, explained the company’s range of applications and material chemistry. Fort Wayne Metals produces various products from flat, shaped wire to helical hollow strand tubes for use in surgical operations in the medical industry. Perhaps the most remarkable material I saw during my visit was Nitinol, a nickel titanium alloy—which had memory properties or could be elastic, depending upon its treatment—used for stents in heart surgery among other applications. Renee then took me down the road to Fort Wayne Wire Die, Inc., where I was greeted by President Eric Bieberich, Regional Sales Manager John Dabbelt and Quality Assurance Manager Darin McIntosh, who gave me an overview of the company. What I found amazing about Fort Wayne Wire Die was that they constructed and maintained all of their own working machinery. That is no little task as once you see the shop floor you realize that they have a lot of machines operating there.

At least one stop on the trip was out of this world.

Want to be a Wire link Scholar? The WAI is accepting applications for the 2016 Wire Link Scholarshio. Candidates must have been employed in the industry for more than two years, be able to travel to Europe for two weeks in April 2016, and at the time of application be a member of WAI. For more details, e-mail WAI Director of Education & Member Services Marc Murray at mmurray@wirenet.org.

JUNE 2015 | 33

WIRE LINK REPORT

Wednesday morning we toured General Cable’s plant in Marion, Indiana. Engineering Manager Rodney Brown gave us a terriﬁc tour. We saw cables used in mining that were lead-cured, as well as electrical submersible pump cables. What struck me was the sheer size of the cables. It was a truly amazing operation to see. Wednesday afternoon was open, but quickly ﬁlled with a trip to the Indy 500 museum. Seeing the evolution of the Indy cars and engines made for an amazing visit. Thursday morning saw a long drive over to Calvert City to visit the Gerdau Ameristeel plant. Quality Assurance Manager Michael Herndon gave us a tour of the plant. It rolls steel sections, and it brought back some fond memories as it was similar to a plant where I served my apprenticeship. We were able to share a few learning points on furnace technology. The afternoon included a tour of Insteel’s plant in Gallatin, Tennessee, provided by Metallurgical Manager Chris Reeve and General Manager Ricky Wooten. Insteel produces prestressed concrete strand, not dissimilar to one of our main U.K.-based customers. It was very helpful to talk with Ricky about what he likes to see from his incoming stock.

Friday saw the ﬁnal day of plant tours on the road. It began with a trip to Sumiden Wire Products Corporation’s steel plant in Dickson, Tennessee. President Brian Burr greeted us and we were shown around by Plant Manager Kevin Natterstad. Sumiden produces stainless steel wire and strand, and it is a really well run operation with two different end products. That afternoon we made our last stop at Mid-South Wire’s plant in Nashville. Vice President of Operations Andy Talbot gave us the tour and I would see him numerous times the following week at Interwire, and he always offered a good word. Mid-South used to purchase steel from our rod mill and it was nice to hear Andy say good things about our product. The plant itself was based on the Tennessee river and brought in barges with coils that were unloaded by crane, 14 at a time. The galvanizing line there was installed in a new facility across the road with all work done inline: annealing, cleaning and coating. The property is already for the set-up of a new galvanizing line and this was a really quite impressive tour. Saturday saw us tour the Jack Daniels Distillery in the morning. It was located at the original spring that Jack used to produce his whiskey and it is still in use today. The history of the company was really quite intriguing and impressive. The afternoon saw us travel to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. Firstly, it was an unbelievable view, and secondly, it was a truly amazing look at a major American Civil War site. To learn and see at the same time was absolutely incredible.

Left: Gareth Penn and his trip mentor, John Drummond. Below: Sharing thoughts about his trip with attendees.

34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

We ﬁnally arrived in Atlanta where I spent the remainder of my journey. I found myself trying to acclimate on the Sunday while looking around the World of CocaCola the Georgia World Congress Center, where the Wireandmaintenance: in China, those Interwire 2015 exhibition was held. afraid of heights need not apply Monday morning I attended some interesting lectures on focus in WJI on wire and wire theThe fundamentals of understandably wire drawing. Ofis particular interest production, but sometimes what happens “downstream,” was the lecture on wire and rod defects. That afternoon, this instance, can Imeaning attended“later,” the tourisofnoteworthy. Southwire’sIncopper rod mill.itThe also be downright scary. As the below that was operation was similar to that of SDI La account Farga. I thorpublished in China someuses types of wire No oughly enjoyed this Daily tour asshows, Southwire a two-disc maintenance are not for the weak of heart. Twist Mill setup that is similar to our mill. This gave me

an opportunity to compare the advantages and disadvanHe of does much interest in superheroes, but tages thenot twohave types. Miao Yingjiao has turned himself one of China’s Tuesday saw the Interwire exhibitinto ﬂoor open. I found it “Spider-Men,” the growing army that spends almost truly amazing that companies showed their technologies every night suspended groundtototalk mainand sold their brands onhigh the ﬂabove oor. I the managed to a tain customers railway overhead few suppliedlines. by our mill who all had positive Aftertomidnight, when local high-speed trains come things say, which is always pleasant to hear. toThat a halt, Miao climbs onto thin wires six meters evening I attended the opening reception at the above Laibin City of south China’s Guangxi Zhuangstand College Football Hall of Fame. It had an impressive Autonomous Region. Carrying a pair of pliers, he team. with the helmet of every major U.S. college football checks whether screws are in place and the lines This was followed by the President’s Reception, are where I properly connected. met a number of people who had been so kind to me over is toI guarantee thatfor high-speed trainsthey operate the“My pastjob week. thanked them how welcome had properly theand daytime,” 24-year-old says. “I have made me in feel, for that the I will be eternally grateful. toWednesday be very careful because a single trivial mistake could saw the Member Rewards Luncheon. Here, cause a major accident.” I had to give a speech and accept an award as the Wire

18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Link scholar. I made it through without stammering, and as it was a packed room, hopefully the experience will stand me in good stead for the future. This was followed by a lecture from the keynote speaker: former Naval Captain Michael Abrashoff. He made a truly inspirational talk which left me with a number of ideas and thoughts on management style. As I write this, I have already begun implementing a few of his ideas. It is hard to place a value on just how worthwhile his talk was. Thursday saw a last walk of the show ﬂoor. Of particular interest to me was a surface defect detection scanner, by Taymer. It was a truly amazing piece of kit which gave photo shots of actual defects. I left for the airport on Friday morning with a wealth of new knowledge and a hat full of new experiences that very few people in our business will ever get. It was two weeks of my life that I will truly never forget. I would like to thank The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers and the Wire Association International for the support in the scholWorkers fasten electric wires in a rural area in China. arship scheme; my employer, Tata Steel Europe, for Photo by Song Weixing/China Daily. encouraging me to apply for and make the most of this great Steve Fetteroll formeet helping Miaoendeavor; is one ofWAI’s many Spider-Men who the to organize so much of the trip; and last but not least, John increasing demand for overhead line maintenance as the Drummond. Iof drove in his truck for a continues week, ate on every development high-speed railways the mealtrack. with This him, group including a cookout at his home. He fast of workers came into the spotlight helped and taught me so much along the greatest journey recently, when the Chinese ﬁnancial newspaper, the of my life.  Economic Daily, featured Miao.

JUNE 2015 | 35

WIRE LINK REPORT

ASIAN FOCUS

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

Wrapup

Interwire 2015: content & activity Interwire 2015 proved to be a standout for all the right reasons. The largest such event in the Americas and bolstered by committed sponsors, it provided the ultimate industry gathering for business, solutions and networking. Attendees could experience the sold-out show floor, a strong technical program, memorable speakers, the co-location of the second staging of the Global Continuous Casting Forum (GCCF) as well as a meeting of the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA), a two-wave tour of Southwireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SCR mill, a myriad of potential opportunities from face-to-face contact, entertaining social activities, and more. The post-show comments were overwhelmingly positive, a good sign for an industry that has had to endure less-than-ideal economic conditions.

Activity at the Fort Wayne Wire Die booth.

Keynote speaker Mike Abrashoff said that a big key to success for any company is its relationship with employees. Section photos of Interwire/GCCF by Nichole Szymaszek & Mark Marselli

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Attendees donned glasses for Dr. Henry Chia’s 3-D presentation.

The setting for WAI’s reception was deﬁnitely photo-worthy.

From l-r at the awards ceremony were: Gary Spence, President’s Award; Gareth Penn, Wire Link Scholar; Andy Talbot, WAI First Vice President; Prof. Tadeusz Knych, Mordica Memorial Award; Bill Reichert, WAI President; Dominque Perroud, Donnellan Award; and Dave Hawker, WAI Second Vice President. JUNE 2015 | 37

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

By the numbers, Interwire 2015 and the GCCF drew 4,080 wire and cable industry professionals from 53 countries. One key statistic is that representatives from more than 600 wire and cable manufacturing facilities were in attendance, and that some 60% of those attendees identiﬁed themselves as decision makers in the buying process. That has to be good news for the show ﬂoor suppliers of operating machinery, supplies and ancillary equipment. Collectively, they represented more than 400 companies, 84 of which were either new to the event or had not exhibited in at least six years. Wire & Plastic Machinery reported good results, citing a premier booth location, a modern audio/visual display that provided a panoramic view of its facility in Bonham, Texas, and full service bar. “It was a great opportunity to say hello to old friends and make some new industry contacts. Several meaningful discussions were held which should result in orders shortly. Overall the show was a big success and all expectations were met,” said Rahul Sachdev. “We thought it was a good show,” said Tom Baldock, who manages the sales rep organization at Guill Tool. “We received several new inquiries including two for multiple crossheads. We had an excellent dinner with our friends from a great wire customer of ours. We generated a lot of interest in the new product we introduced and are sending out multiple quotations along with technical information. It was good to see our friends and associates from our many years in the wire and cable busi-

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

ness. We also enjoyed being in downtown Atlanta at an excellent facility.” Another company reporting very good results was Fenn, which two years ago had less-than-desired results and made a full-ﬂedged effort to change that outcome. See below. There was a two-part positive buzz before the main elements of Interwire began on Tuesday. The Monday afternoon tour of Southwire’s rod mill proved to be so popular that it had to be done in two waves to accomodate the 100 plus attendees who wanted to go. The Carrollton plant has one of the most productive electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper rod systems in the world, and attendees later said they appreciated the opportunity to see the site. A second positive element, also on Monday, was the day-long Fundamentals of Manufacturing course that drew more than 130 attendees, by far a record. See p. 58.

Tuesday led off with a global industry outlook for electrical wire and cable by Philip Radbourne, a principal of U.K.-based Integer Research, Ltd. His forward-looking focus on the North American market drew a standing-room-only crowd, many of who stayed for the next presentation, Copper Drawing, by Neville Crabbe, Leoni Wire, Inc. Later panel discussions on thermoplastics and thermosets were also well attended. The technical papers were held Tuesday and ended on Wednesday, with a special presentation being held on Thursday: Manufacturing Management. The session was directed by John Barteld. An industry veteran best known as the former CEO of IWCS, he has taught business courses at York College of Pennsylvania the last 10 years, and he spoke about techniques in leadership, with a focus on strategies in being forward looking and reacting to change. (Continued on p. 54.)

Exhibitor: from ‘weak’ to ‘wow!’ results at Interwire The below report is by Jacquelyn Zenhye, director of marketing & product innovation, for Fenn. At Interwire 2013, Fenn had a 20 x 20 booth and spent a lot of money to display large equipment, but had a poor turnout. We left feeling disappointed and wondering if it was worth it. As 2015 Interwire approached, I met with our director of sales and service, Darcy Sordo, to discuss how we could improve. We agreed that it’s a competitive market out there, and that it’s vital to stay current and relevant. It’s also important to perform well for our new parent company, Quality Products, Inc. (QPI), which acquired Fenn last July. QPI provides the support for its different companies to be successful, yet run independently, and we wanted QPI to see that its confidence in us was justified. For many of our metal-forming products, Fenn, founded in 1900, is the only remaining American manufacturer left, so it was very important to us that Interwire 2015 be a success. We created a multi-step plan. Each individual element was important, but it was the collective efforts of the overall plan that were the key. We committed to this proactive approach and are absolutely thrilled to find that it was effective. Here’s what we did: • Our sales team kept in close contact with our customer base. We asked them 38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Interwire activity at the Fenn booth, which hosted a cocktail hour. if they were attending, and invited them to stop by and see us. • We sent an e-mail that included information about Fenn, a free WAI admission pass and an invite to a cocktail hour we held during the show. The cocktail hour proved to be a great way to have a second meeting with contacts made earlier in the show. • We placed a full-page ad in the WJI March show preview issue and a halfpage ad in the show program. • We attended two industry networking events at the show (WAI and WCISA). Our staff committed to meeting and talking to new people. • We held two rafﬂes that drew people to our booth and provided a pleasant way to strike up a conversation.

• We gave out interesting promotional items. (We noticed that there were fewer giveaways in 2015 than ever.) When the show ended, it was clear that we had not only met but exceeded our deﬁnition of a successful Interwire show. We generated about 60 quality new leads, signed two new agents and acquired over 100 new contacts! We now know that if we are going to spend the money to attend a trade show, we must take the time to carefully plan and prepare for the show in order to accomplish those goals. One of the most gratifying experiences at the show was the positive feedback we received from show attendees. To hear the Fenn booth experience called “refreshing” was very encouraging.

INTERWIRE WRAPUP Neville Crabbe, Leoni Wire, discusses copper wire drawing.

It Micro-SMac-WJI was standing room only for the5/18/15 opening presentations. June15-Ad 3:31 PM Page

Integer Research’s Philip Radbourne shared his global industry outlook.

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JUNE 2015 | 39

THE LARGEST WIRE AND CABLE MARKETPLACE IN THE AMERICAS

APRIL 28-30, 2015

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SCR Technologies

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BRONZE SPONSORS RICHARDSAPEX SUPPORTED BY

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B r o k e r s

WAI acknowledges the following contributors to the Interwire 2015 technical program The educational program at Interwire 2015 was the result of the combined efforts of dozens of experts, volunteers, and special guests. This year’s successful program would not have been possible without their dedication to the Wire Association International’s educational mission.

Authors/ Presenters Hal Aitken Rick Antic Motoo Asakawa Gil Baker Sean Bernhardt Sudipta Bhaumik Eric Bieberich Thad Boudreaux Sonja Breyner Paul Brigandi R. Stephen Burgess Sandra Cabral Troy Carr Jason Cary Rick Chamberlain Bill Coode Neville Crabbe Bryan Cullivan Jared Cullivan Leonardo Cunha Prajakta Shyamkant Dhamorikar Primoz Eiselt Bill Fajardo Larry Feeler Peter Fischer

Cindy L. Flenniken Roger François Anna Franzkowiak Marco Gerardo Shiori Gondo C. Richard Gordon David P. Gzesh David Hawker Harry Hofmann John Howard Vladimir Stefanov Hristov Tim Jensen Satoshi Kajino Bruce V. Kiefer Tadeusz Knych Wade P. Krejdovsky Piotr Kustra Neilan Lawrence Bernd Lohmüller Steve J. Luzik Darren McGreevy Andrij Milenin Kalpesh Patel Mike Patel C. Tom Philipp Maciej Pietrzyk Horace Pops Varsha Laxman Pote

Peter Power Igor Rogelj Randy Sheets Craig L. Shoemaker Christina B. Smiley Shinsuke Suzuki Kosuke Takemoto Andy Talbot Kenichi Tashima Gardner Tripp Bhaskar Yalamanchili Kazunari Yoshida

Moderators Dane Armendariz Bill Avise Anand Bhagwat Steven Bonnell Mark Garretson Tracy Gooding Bill Jarae Steve Jones Allen Lindholm Erik A. Macs Sergio Montes Brian Parsons Ben Paschal Horace Pops

Mike Roussel Donald Schollin Jeff Stafford Andy Talbot Richard Wagner Tim Wampler Bhaskar Yalamanchili

Course Instructors Erika Akins John T. Barteld Anand Bhagwat C. Richard Gordon David P. Gzesh Frank F. Kraft Neilan Lawrence Erik A. Macs Thomas H. Maxwell Jack McAfee Darren McGreevy Horace Pops Rudolf Vey

Guest Speakers Mike Abrashoff Philip Radbourne

INTERWIRE WRAP-UP WRAPUP

The return carries on the mission The return of the Global Continuous Casting Forum (GCCF) provided a further sense of energy to the Atlanta experience, co-located with Interwire 2015 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The GCCF built on the 2011 staging, and if four years between events seems like a long time, arranging the global event, which it truly was, required a massive amount of time and resources. This time, Encore Wire’s Gary Spence, the driver in the ﬁrst event on continuous casting of copper, was joined by General Cable’s Richard Baker, who introduced an aluminum track. The tracks included presentations by world leaders in casting technology as well as panel discussions,

and a luncheon presentation by Encore Wire CFO Frank Bilban, who discussed making a proﬁt in wire and cable. The attendees also got to attend the WAI’s reception at the College Football Hall of Fame as well as hear the keynote speaker (see. p. 48). The schedule was also set so they could spend time on the show ﬂoor. The GCCF dinner reception was held at the Georgia Aquarium, an aqua sea of tranquility with its showcase Beluga whales and manta rays gently drifting by. There, Spence, who retires this month, recalled his 45+ years in the industry, and made his goodbyes during an hourplus-long colorful presentation.

Top: a gathering of some of the GCCF attendees. Left: Gary Spence traces his earliest days. Right: Giuseppe Marcantoni, Properzi International, makes his presentation on Properzi casting technology. 42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

“Thank you for organizing and coordinating this year’s Casting Forum and Wire Show. I enjoyed the technical exchange and visiting with old friends, customers and competitors. The venue was outstanding!” said John Quinn, General Manager – Rod & Reﬁning, Freeport-McMoRan. “I particularly enjoyed the hors d’oeuvres at the reception, the College Football Hall of Fame and the closing dinner at the Aquarium. Thanks again for all your hard work – it is greatly appreciated.”

Gary Spence with 3 of the 4 drivers for GCCF 2019 Gary Spence may be hanging up his organizing spurs for retirement and more quality time on his Harley, but others will pilot the event in 2019. Those include (l-r with Spence) Richard Baker, General Cable Corporation, aluminum track; and John Hugens, Fives North America and Juan Sanchez, Freeport McMoRan, copper track. Not pictured is the fourth person, Janusz Sekunda, also of General Cable. Further, the committee could get larger if a potential third track is held, but the focus will remain on continuous casting. Spence told WJI that he has often been asked which continuous casting method was best. “I’ve always said that it’s not about the method, it’s about the people who are using it. What works well for a company is good, and the key to achieving good results is having good people. This global community of ours, and that’s what it is, is a great place. Six years ago I decided that I wanted to contribute to the industry and the Association by staging the ﬁrst-ever forum for the collective major forms of continuous casting. Now, my part is done, but I see this global community effort continuing, and this sharing of knowledge and face-to-face networking makes us all winners.”

“I had a great time,” said Will Berry, Southwire Company, who thanked Gary for his participation. “You were a great emcee. Also, you have been a great ambassador for all continuous cast people around the world. Thank you for everything you have done to make SCR a better system (AMPS) and for your active participation at the SCR User Meetings.”

The Global Continuous Casting Forum held at Atlanta was a marvel, (with) very useful knowledge sharing sessions by many speakers,” I. Rajasekhar, Sterlite Copper, India.

“Thank you for the invitation to this interesting conference, Above all, I would like to thank you for the excellent and touching speech that you have given during the gala dinner; to me it was something really extraordinary It touched very much the heart and the brain because it was a perfect balancing of heart, history and technology. A masterpiece!” Carmelo Maria Brocato, Continuus-Properzi SpA.

The Georgia Aquarium was a picture-perfect setting for the GCCF dinner. JUNE 2015 | 43

INTERWIRE WRAP-UP WRAPUP

GCCF attendee comments

INTERWIRE WRAP-UP WRAPUP

The sequel continues

The continuous casting story Four years ago, Encore Wire’s Gary Spence spearheaded the first staging of the Global Continuous Casting Forum, which presented the first-ever gathering for practitioners of all the major forms of continuous casting of copper. It was a mammoth effort and production that resulted in rave reviews. Fast forward a few years, and Spence—who is retiring at the end of June—decided to do the GCCF again, only with a wider scope by the addition of an aluminum track. With the help of Richard Baker of General Cable Corporation, the two men made the second staging of the GCCF possible. Below, they separately assess the 2015 staging, cite a few highlights and in the final question, discuss the future of the event.

WJI: Gary, you were basically a one-man band in making the ﬁrst GCCF possible. Was doing the second one any easier or was it harder? Spence: The 2nd GCCF was much easier since we had a proven template to work from. We are fortunate to have a great WAI staff who continues to amaze me. From marketing, to venue and food selection, IT support, technical program coordinating, everything just went perfectly. Juan Sanchez, and John Hugens were very helpful on the copper track and Richard Baker and Janusz Sekunda did a fantastic job on the aluminum track. WJI: Did most of the companies that attended in 2011 return, and if not, were some attendees and potential presenters lost to a still fragile global economy? Spence: I do not know the exact numbers yet, but believe we had many repeat companies and no presenters refused to participate that I am aware of. Unfortunately, commodity prices, and as you note the economy is still-fragile, negatively affected the global attendance to some extent I believe. It is also unfortunate that many companies attempt to cut costs across the board during hard times, implementing policies such as no travel or conference attendance rather than evaluating each on their own merits or value. I also believe the political landscape affected attendance from some regions. WJI: From a technical standpoint, can you cite a few copper presentations that you thought were especially useful? Spence: The technical program was developed to appeal to a wide diverse group of participants. I believe everyone should have found presentations that were of interest and that provided value to them and their companies.

44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WJI: Overall, how pleased were you with the 2015 event? Spence: I believe the forum event was outstanding! A huge success in every way. I was particularly pleased with the attendance of our ﬁrst ever aluminum track. I believe allotting time to the exhibit ﬂoor in 2015 was also a positive step. Our sponsors and exhibitors were great and we really appreciate their support. WJI: How “retired” do you plan to be? Spence: I do in fact plan to retire full time to the lake, ride my Harley Davidson motorcycle and enjoy this new phase of my life with my wife to the fullest. My career ending could not have been any better or more rewarding. Having said that, if Encore Wire or the Wire Association ever needed my assistance I would be available. However, I believe both organizations are in very capable hands.

Gary Spence

WJI: The GCCF has now been held twice, and attendees have overwhelmingly approved the event, yet Gary, you are retiring this month, and this event is very demanding to stage. Can you and Richard discuss what the plan is for this event to be held again in 2019, and how might it be different? Spencer/Baker: At the moment we have the date and place in mind—Interwire 2019 in Atlanta—and we already know that copper and aluminum will be represented again at this global event. The planning committee of Juan Sanchez, John Hugens, Richard Baker and Janusz Sekunda—along with the WAI—will begin planning in early 2018. The aluminum track got off to a good start, and we expect that it will be expanded. There also is the possibility that steel could be added as a third track. Bhaskar Yalamanchili, Gerdau Long Steel North America, has already started exploring this possibility, and that’s the kind of spirit you need to take an idea and make it happen. Bhaskar believes there

Richard Baker

WJI: In terms of the need for the program, there previously was no such forum for continuous casting of copper: what was the situation for aluminum? Baker: The major rod mill equipment manufacturers organize user group meetings on a regular basis but these are mostly for the copper casting customer base. I do not recall any aluminum casting user group meetings being held over the last 20 years so, for me, the 2015 GCCF event was a ﬁrst and a necessary event. The positive feedback that I received from the attendees conﬁrmed the value of the Casting Forum.

is a need for steel too as the AIST Continuous Casting Technology Committee already provides a forum on continuous casting that matches nicely with our goals. In some ways, this effort for steel mirrors how the aluminum track came to be, and that worked out fine. At this point, we can work hard toward that end, but we can say today that we are confident that the two existing tracks will return. Also, that there will be a very strong technical program, that we will have some of best industry experts, that the venue will be great, that we will add numbers to the exhibit floor and that this will all be possible because of the support we have received from some truly great sponsors. They really care about seeing all of this happen. This is a technical event, but the forum is also meant to be about people, friendships and camaraderie. It’s about our global communities, a place where customers, suppliers and even competitors can meet and share ideas, regardless of the specific casting process they employ. We are truly excited, both about the new ideas the committee will bring forth for 2019, and the long-term future for this forum.”

WJI: What kind of response did you get from your company when you suggested doing this? Baker: General Cable was very supportive of my involvement in the organization of the Casting Forum as they have been for my participation in the Wire Association. In addition, they supported the attendance and participation of some key GC associates who helped organize, moderate, contribute to, and benefit from the 2015 GCCF. WJI: What kind of reactions did you get from the companies you contacted to provide presenters and/or attendees? Did the event being linked with copper make it an easier sale? Baker: In general the response from the companies contacted, and invited to present, was excellent. The aluminum industry is in many ways separate from the copper industry so the link to copper was not a pull, except for the major suppliers of equipment and components. However, once people in the industry found out about the aluminum component of the GCCF, the attendance rate picked up considerably. The Wire Association marketing campaign was excellent throughout and definitely helped. Kudos to Marc Murray and Janice Swindells in particular. WJI: Overall, how pleased were you with the 2015 event…and are you sure you are ready to do this again? Baker: Before it started I was concerned about how many of the attendees would participate in the aluminum track on Wednesday morning. But by mid-morning we had 60 attendees and nearly standing room only. Marc Murray and I met at the coffee break and had difficulty getting back into the meeting room when the presentations resumed, so I was very pleased with the end result. The technical papers were excellent and, personally, I learned a lot from the presentations. The only disappointment for me was the limited time that I was able to spend on the exhibition floor due to my organizational commitment to the GCCF. I am ready to do this again, but not for a few years. Interwire 2019 has been proposed and I think that this timeframe makes sense although that really means starting to organize the event one year prior in order to guarantee a successful conference. JUNE 2015 | 45

INTERWIRE WRAP-UP WRAPUP

WJI: Richard, you volunteered to create the aluminum track. Were you able to get much advice from Gary on how to do this? Did you have an idea of what this would take and what was the reality? Baker: Gary was very helpful throughout the planning process and I was grateful for his support. I had some idea of what it would take to organize this event having arranged a Global Aluminum Processing Symposium within General Cable two years ago but, in reality, the GCCF was more involved and more time consuming than I originally imagined. My colleague, Janusz Sekunda, played an important part in helping us to organize this event, calling upon his aluminum industry contacts to participate and to present.

WAI acknowledges the following contributors to the Global Continuous Casting Forum Jeffrey Ainsworth Mohammed Al-Bedou Richard Baker Frank J. Bilban Brian Blair

Jim Grayson Tom Horn John Hugens Mike Jaap Daniel L. Jones

Bryan Nelson Keith Nieszczur Tommie L. Nilsson Mirosław Ożóg Horace Pops

Janusz Sekunda Graham Stratford Mike Southwood Gary L. Spence John Sutton

Juan Carlos Bodington Carmelo Maria Brocato

Bruce V. Kiefer Michaël Lalancette

Dave Quilter John Quinn

Sylvain P. Tremblay Piotr Uliasz

Bruce Calvert E. Henry Chia Kevin J. Condlin Brad Cooley Roberto Duralde Florent Gougerot

Timm Lux Giuseppe Marcantoni Cornelius Muojekwu Hari Muthuswami Michael Nairn

Bill Reichert Matt Reinoehl Stephen J. Ruth Carlos Sanchez Juan Sanchez Michael Schwarze

Alberto Voltolina Reed von Gal Curt Wells Donald F. Whipple Łukasz Wodziński

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

Interwire speaker:

“Each of us can captain our own ship.” Mike Abrashoff, former commander of the USS Benfold, and author of the New York Times bestseller It’s Your Ship, provided a stirring keynote address. The event, sponsored by Gem Gravure Co., saw Abrashoff explain what he did when he was given command of a ship in 1997 that was widely considered one of the worst

He met singly with each of the 310 crew members, and told them that he wanted to hear what they had to say. He learned to listen to people, both young and old, and began to see them not as slackers but as hard workers who needed direction. He told them that if they an idea, and it made sense, he would try it. Over a six-month period, small advances

Keynote speaker Mike Abrashoff connected with attendees. in the Pacific fleet. At age 36, taking over a ship with horrid morale– reflected in a retention rate of just 8%–was not something he chose, but as he had no control over the ship, crew or funding, he soon decided to focus on the things he could control. The things that mattered. The captain set out to connect people to purpose, and to make sure that safety was a top priority.

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were made that collectively began to make a difference in attitude. From such initiatives, ideas were transformed into action plans. One such effort had to do with painting the ship, which they did six times over the last year. It took a month to do, and one young sailor observed that it was a horrible task. He asked the captain if he knew why it had to be done so often. Abrashoff admitted

that he did not. The sailor replied that the ship had equipment on it that quickly rusted into streaks, Abrashoff forcing the need for the paint jobs, each of which cost about $25,000. “Did you ever hear of stainless steel?” the sailor asked? It turned out that practical maintenance was not a navy focus. Once the change to stainless steel parts was made, the ship went 10 months between paint jobs, saving money while improving morale. “Think of your own ships,” Abrashoff said. “Think where your rust is.” He found ways, some outside of the traditional naval box, such as topside jazz concerts, to make the sailors feel appreciated. Re-enlistment went up, performance went up, and the ship that was rated one of the navy’s poorest was on its way to becoming one of its best. “It’s your ship,” Abrashoff said. “I’m no different. We’re all captains of our own ships.” Technology matters, but leadership and acumen are what make an organization strong, he said. “There are many areas in which one will have little control, but where we do is how we show up as leaders.”

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

Wire & Plastic reported another good Interwire.

Attendees search for potential suppliers.

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It was show time at the S&S booth.

INTERWIRE WRAPUP Discussions at the Woodburn Diamond Die booth.

Many attendees found their way to IWG’s booth.

Productivity wins

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INTERWIRE WRAPUP Troy Carr of Bechem Lubrication Technology makes a Production Solutions presentation at the company’s booth.

The JoeTools crew won the unofficial “most photogenic” award.

Chemetall’s Rudolph Vey and Jack McAfee put on a Production Solutions presentation.

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INTERWIRE WRAPUP

show floor the first day, that the Fundamentals Course on Production Solutions returned to show floor once more, Monday had been a big hit (see p. 58), and that the reception with presentations at their booths by Chemetall US, Bechem at the College Football Hall of Fame Tuesday night—led Lubrication Technology and Horace Pops, at the Contunuusin the site by the Clark Atlanta University marching band Properzi booth. and dance group that each The return of the GCCF, exuded zest and spark—had this time with an aluminum drawn some 1,100 people. element, provided lots of He thanked his WAI predeenergy. Some 200 attendees cessor, Bill Avise, and all the from 25 countries took part sponsors who helped support in the event, which included both Interwire (p. 40) and the technical presentations, panel GCCF event (p. 46). discussions, a luncheon and Reichert said that the draw a remarkable dinner at the is obvious. “Interwire is an Georgia Aquarium. See p. 42. excellent resource for North The AWPA again met at the America, with strong value for GWCC. See below. many sectors of our industry. At the WAI Rewards As a cable manufacturer, it is Luncheon and Annual our best chance to spend time Meeting on Wednesday, Representatives from more than 600 wire and with our supplier partners and WAI President Bill Reichert cable manufacturing facilities were at Interwire. network with industry leaders.” praised the hundred plus Interaction was a main focus of WAI volunteers who colthe presentation by the keynote speaker, former Naval lectively helped make Interwire a success. “Hats off to all for the energy that went into this show,” he declared, noting (Continued on p. 58.) that exhibitors were quite pleased with attendance on the

AWPA at Atlanta During Interwire, the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA) also met, with members and potential members taking part in a breakfast that featured a presentation by an industry speaker. “It was a plus for us to co-locate with Interwire, as our members have cross-over with WAI, which makes this a win-win location,” observed AWPA Executive Director Kimberly Korbel. “The breakfast was a great opportunity to hear the latest on the steel market, while reconnecting with colleagues and customers.” She said that the some 60 people who attended the meeting got to hear a memorable presentation by Steve Murphy, Market Intelligence Manager, Gerdau Long Steel North America. He spoke about the steel market, globally and domestically, and provided economic market indicators. Korbel also updated attendees on the status of the trade legislation recently passed from committee and awaiting debate on the House and Senate ﬂoors. For more information about AWPA, go to www.awpa.org.

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Attendees discuss issues at AWPA’s breakfast meeting held during Interwire.

AWPA President Milton M. Magnus, M&B Metal Products, with speaker Steve Murphy, Market Intelligence Manager, Gerdau Long Steel North America.

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

INTERWIRE WRAPUP Bill Reichert presented the WAI President’s Award to Gary Spence, Encore Wire.

REMOVE PRINT FROM CABLE WIPE AWAY MISPRINTED TEXT FROM CABLE & TUBING

Wire Foundation President John Drummond with Wire Link Scholar Gareth Penn. See p. 32.

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WAI Second Vice President Andy Talbot presented the Mordica Memorial Award to Prof. Tadeusz Knych. JUNE 2015 | 55

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

What makes this photo of attendees at the keynote address noteworthy? You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see a single person texting.

Prof. Tadeusz Knych presents his Mordica Lecture.

The Member Rewards luncheon drew a good crowd. 56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

John Barteld discusses manufacturing management.

CHINA

comes to your activity in a region, does any of that matter? • Has Russia lost some of its appeal due to its political and economic challenges? • Will India ever achieve its potential? • Does Brazil need to resolve internal issues, from economy to trade policies? • Is South Africa a country that at this time is just not ready for meaningful growth? We are European, so it is normal to ﬁnd some differences in the BRICS nations. Every country has their own features, which are not positive or negative, just different from ours. From our experience in Brazil and India, we can say that it is a hard job to follow all the bureaucracy, and you need to have the right person who can follow these kind of issues, but that’s just because it is different from thanked our country. WAI President Bill Reichert 2014 Regarding Russia, the situation has changed from past President Bill Avise for all his work. years, but the market is still growing, although slower than before. Maybe the political situation will inﬂuence the situation, but that is not our case. Regarding India achieving its potential, that’s one of the reasons why we decided to invest there. This is one of the most powerful markets in recent years. Indian people are technically prepared and the country is growing. Additionally, the position is good because it is close to the Middle East and Far East. Shipping companies are investing in being able to offer faster trades connecting Indian ocean ports to U.S. ocean ports. We invested in Brazil and India, and there are very big differences between these two countries. Manpower costs is one of the most important differences but import duties from Europe is also a big deal in Brazil. South Africa is another country which many investors are looking at. After India, South Africa is the future. It may take some years, but this country will give us some surprise for sure. The government is promoting the country and is giving many advantages to foreign investors. Filepova, Donnellan Award winnerGabriela Dominique Perroud GMP Slovakia. with WAI 2nd Vice President Dave Hawker. Economy and trade policies have affected our business and progression in Russia over the last nine months. Even if the exchange rate differential is now moving back to the normal, our involvement in Wire Russia is reduced to the minimum this year. India is on a positive François political and economic trend and we are increasing our investments there. We achieved substantial business progress there last year. Since Encore Wire President Daniel Jones with his award-winning (and retiring) employee, Gary Spence.

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INTERWIRE WRAPUP

of WAI. “Thanks for the award. It means a lot to me,” he Captain Michael Abrashoff, whose speech was sponsored said. “I’ve been away for a lot of years, and it’s special to by Gem Gravure Company. He explained how he was able be back, to see friends from the association and industry.” to “turn his ship around” with an approach that can apply to Before he made a special presentation, Reichert spoke any ﬁeld. “We’re all our own captains,” he said. See p. 48. brieﬂy on the the state of the Association. “Everyone It was also a time to honor individual accomplishments should feel good. We’ve come full for both technical and voluncircle as an Association and turned a teering. corner. Our two-year cycle has been WAI 1st Vice President very good. We have a very sustainable Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire, model. How do we do it? It’s energy presented the Mordica Award and commitment.” He then issued to Tadeusz Knych, a full the President’s Award to Encore professor at AGH University Wire’s Gary Spence, the founder of of Science and Technology The welcome home sign was out. the GCCF, and a key driver to its (AGH-UST) in Krakow, 2015 staging. “It’s pretty neat to get Poland. Knych said that the an award for doing something you like,” Spence said. He award “was a great honor.” He also thanked Dr. Horace added that he would have more to say at the GCCF dinner Pops, noting that, without his help “I would not be standing that night. That presentation can be accessed at wirenet.org. here today.” The WAI’s next event, the WAI Operations Summit WAI 2nd Vice President Dave Hawker, Nexans, present& Wire Expo, will be staged June 8-9, 2016, at a new ed the Donnellan Award, which recognizes an individual’s location: the Mohegan Sun Resort Center, in Uncasville, exemplary contribution to the Association, to Dominique Connecticut. Perroud, CEO of SAMP Shanghai, and a past president

The Fundamentals mattered to a lot of people at Interwire At Interwire, the Association’s Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing course saw a record 130+ attendees at the day-long course, more than double the typical number. WJI asked a number of first-time attendees why they were there, and many said that their companies had asked them to go. Below, one attendee, William Woodside, materials manager, Pelican Wire Company, Inc., discussed his experience. WJI: How did you come to attend the Fundamentals course for the first time? Woodside: I began my purchasing career in the late 1980s in the wire and cable industry. I left in the mid-90s and returned in 2012 when I joined Pelican Wire. In 2013 I attended Interwire for the first time as a member of the Pelican purchasing team. As a member of the company’s leadership team, I saw the course as a tremendous opportunity to re-familiarize myself with the industry. WJI: What did you hope to get out of the course? Woodside: I hoped to get re-acquainted with the wire and cable industry, in general. Also, I hoped to collect valuable information that may help me grow in my role as a materials manager. My experience was everything I had hoped for, and more. The information on the handouts I received at the course will be a valuable resource for years to come. Understanding how important lubricants and dies are to the wire drawing process from the perspective of knowl-

58 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

William Woodside at Interwire 2015.

edgeable people in the industry—such as Frank Kraft, Tom Maxwell and David Gzesh—gave me tremendous insight. I found Horace Pops’ piece concerning damage to wire and its causes most interesting, as you really have to understand multiple processes in order to come to an accurate ﬁnding of cause. Erik Macs’ discussion was very helpful in understanding the different components of an extrusion line as well as the critical nature of tension throughout a run. IWG’s Darren McGreevy and Neilan Lawrence gave a fantastic presentation as they shared a tremendous amount of information in their PowerPoint presentation. So much so, after the show I asked Darren if he could possibly forward the presentation to me so I could share it with the Pelican Team, which he did! WJI: Would you recommend this course to others? Woodside: I absolutely would. We thought it was important to get some of our key people into the course this year, so we sent process engineers, production supervisors and maintenance supervisors to participate.

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

Thermoplastics Compounds panelists, l-r, were Hal Aitken, Nexans; Rick Chamberlain, General Cable; and Mike Patel, Teknor Apex.

Thermoset panelists included, l-r, Rick Antic, Champlain Cable, and Tim Jensen and Tim Wampler, both of General Cable.

Tom Maxwell discusses die basics. JUNE 2015 | 59

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

The upstairs at the College Football Hall of Fame offered a sports mecca of attractions.

Attendees could do their own sportscasts.

Visit our stand #270 at Interwire 2015

WAI President Bill Reichert thanks event sponsors prior to the start of the reception.

60 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

DIA

CHINA

“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. China is and will remain the most important BRICS member country, despite slowing growth. Brazil is looking more like India, mired in corruption scandals, while The Clark Atlanta University India at this point under a new regime holds the most band and dance put on promise. Again,team whether theareforms promised by the high-energy performance. new government in India lead to rapid growth remains to be seen. Russia will continue to have problems and it will take several years to recover from Western-imposed sanctions. Not much has been heard from South Africa, though it is now officially a member. I think that the BRICS are going to continue to be relevant. While the pace of GDP growth may slow for a few years due to political and socio-economic factors or sanctions, etc., these remain temporary roadblocks at best. As 40% of the world’s population resides in these countries, it is inevitable that at some point in the future they will produce and consume the majority of the world’s output. Rahul Sachdev, Wire & Plastic Machinery. From l-r, WAI Past Presidents Brian Bouvier, Russia faced economic political distresses in 2014 Dave Richards and John and Drummond. but now the situation may be back to normal in a very

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 that has thousands of opportunities, as does—to a lesser extent and all the differences considered —South Africa. CompaBellina nies in South African are focusing on quality and innovation and our Group is laying the groundwork for a big market development there. Brazil, the world’s sixth largest economy—even though it is very far from Italy and presents some customs clearance and trade policies issues—is a market increasingly important for our strategic framework. One other thought: the BRICS acronym was originally used to deﬁne countries characterized by a developing economic situation, a strong growth in GDP, a large population, a vast territory and abundant natural resources. In 2015, we can’t talk of themAany more as “developing reception goer points to countries” but as superpowersthe that, together with the G7 helmet of the college countries, dominate the worldwide market. Fabio team he played on. Bellina, TKT Group.

JUNE 2015 | 61 MAY 2015 | 37

INTERWIRE WRAPUP FEATURE

INTERWIRE WRAPUP

Bill Reichert with a table full of past presidents.

Encore Wire CFO Frank Bilban spoke at the GCCF luncheon.

Attendees on the way to the Southwire rod mill tour.

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INTERWIRE WRAPUP Jan Sorige shares his thoughts at the board meeting.

Long-term planner time! Make sure to pencil in the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo, to be held June 8-9, 2016, in Connecticut.

WAIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board of Directors met during Interwire.

JUNE 2015 | 63

FEATURE

Testing & measuring equipment Interwire 2015 offered attendees a wide range of testing and measuring equipment, from the latest laser systems to a model for shaped products. Below is some of the technology that was available on the show floor as well as a look on the opposite page at a specific aspect that one expert insists deserves more attention. ACM/Howar Equipment Sweden/Canada At Interwire, AMC AB, represented by Howar Equipment, displayed its KSM off-line technology that allows manufacturers to accurately determine not only the value of over-dimensional cost on their products but also which of its product constitutes the biggest additional cost, on which line this product has been manufactured, which shift produced the greatest additional cost, etc.

ACM’s Stefan Askenfors and Howar Equipment’s Willy Hauer at Interwire 2015. This is important because cable manufacturers over-insulate their products by as much as 7-10%! The diligent use of the KSM system will allow a reduction of this by 4-6%. A KSM system has four main components: a measuring system with backlit sample carrier and the appropriate number of digital imaging cameras, with each camera allowing for a size range up to ~1:4, depending on the particular application; measuring software that carries out the actual measurement at unprecedented accuracy and repeatability, with results displayed in a report sheet and stored in the included summary report database (KSMDB); a full optional, Database Software (KSMLDB) allows for instant comparison of the measured sample values with your specification data, which also makes over-insulation cost, trending, Cpk and Sd available; and an optional analysis software (KSMAnalyze) allows the

64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

user to precisely determine which of the products has the largest over-dimensional cost. Stefan Askenfors, principal, ACM AB, stefan@acmab.com, and Willy Hauer, president, Howar Equipment, whauer@howarequipment.com.

AESA Cortaillod/Switzerland At Interwire, AESA Cortaillod notes that it displayed Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) technology with new capabilities that meet an industry need for top reliability of the measurement for the resistance bridges. Cable manufacturers produce not only wires, but also stranded, flexible, sector-shaped and insulated conductors, among others. Measuring them requires additional skills and constraints, otherwise results are not repetitive or may be incorrect. Using integrated equipment allows mastering uncertainties related to the connecting device, ensuring the overall measurement, on the line or in the laboratory. AESA’s ResTest family (linear resistance bridges) now consists of four integrated equipment developed in this perspective. Recently, smart accessories as compacting jaws or specific torque wrenches have been specially designed for the aluminum and flexible cables, improving significantly the repeatability of their measurements. AESA SA was created in 1978 as the specialized mea-

Peter Fischer, AESA Cortaillod, at Interwire 2015.

Angle Systems LLC/U.S. At Interwire, Angle Systems LLC, showcased the company’s WTVS (Wall Thickness Vision System), a completely automated measurement system that can be used for off-line measurements of wall thickness of jacketed and primary conductor cables in a production environment.

Fines ... anything but �ine for wiredrawing, but help exists The below article is by Gil Baker, managing director, Confident Instruments. A plant manager can collect reams of data from traditional testing and measuring equipment but still be missing out due to one factor that few companies monitor: generation of fines. Fines are wear particles, some as small as a few microns, that are “liberated” from wire during drawing. They don’t get a lot of attention, but fine generation is both one of the best known indicators of nonferrous wiredrawing problems and one of the least understood indirect ways to monitor (and improve) product quality. Fines are both a problem unto themselves as well as a symptom of possible production glitches that can continue unknown. Even in low levels, fines can cause premature die wear, wire breaks, poor lubrication and surface damage. Those conditions, in turn, can result in poor productivity, lowered quality, damage to surface-critical finished product (such as magnet wire) and increased manufacturing costs. Being able to identify specific causes of fine generations can make a big difference for magnet wire producers that experience excessive enamel failures. Fines are a critical issue anytime they become so numerous that die entrances clog, promoting costly wire breaks, but they also matter to any wire producer—ferrous or nonferrous—that has to provide clean and smooth wire to post-drawing processes. It is impossible to prevent all fines, but the more one can control their generation and presence, the better the final product will be. Fines can be divided into rod-related and draw-

Dr. Horace Pops and Dr. Gil Baker at the Continuus-Properzi SpA booth at Interwire. ing-related. When rod-related fines are present they tend to be more abundant and more of a concern. This is why it is so important to monitor rod coils for sub-surface damage. Enough so that details on proper procedure to measure both surface oxides and sub-surface damage have recently been introduced into the ASTM Standard B49 for copper rod. That’s where Confident Instruments comes in. We offer a surface oxide tester that is a tremendous tool for determining the amount of sub-surface damage in copper rod that otherwise goes undetected. It can predict the amount of fines generated much easier and quicker than can be done by a Fines Potential Analyzer (FPA). One of our customers that is using this technology for its systems is Italy’s Continuus-Properzi SpA. A technical article I co-authored about this advance won the WAI’s

2012 Marshall Yokelson Memorial Award for the nonferrous division. Since then, I have furthered the research so that my company—which works in collaboration with industry guru Dr. Horace Pops, who was both my former mentor and a co-author on that paper—can consult with companies to determine and implement optimum fines monitoring methods. We provide low-cost yet very effective means of achieving adjustments that save money and improve quality. Some of the methods Confident Instruments uses includes SEM, EDAX, optical microscopy, and particle-size and dye penetrant analysis. We can outline methods that demonstrate the highest value over cost ratio for a given plant. For more details, contact Gil Baker at tel. 260-580-0800, baker@confident-instruments.com. www.confident-instruments.com. JUNE 2015 | 65

FEATURE

surement laboratory of the Cable Works of Cortaillod, Switzerland. In 1998, AESA became independent. In 2007 it acquired assets from MEA Mauf und Rudow GmbH, and is now a leader in telecom and power cable measuring and quality management. Peter Fischer, R&D project manager, AESA Cortaillod, www.aesa-cortaillod.com.

FEATURE

This included a system for fine wire diameters, from 5 to 2000 µm (0.2 to 80 mils). The Laser Diffraction Sensor (LDS) represents a world reference for fine wire, with standard wire pack down to 30 µm (1.2 mils) diameters. Another system for optical fiber provides the essentials for bare and coated fibers, diameter, tension, measurement and concentricity, and fine to ultra-fine defects detection. Unique features and real time performance enable this system to provide “full in-line fiber certification.”

Ananda Mysore, Angle Systems. The WTVS is a bench top vision-based system that uses a high resolution industrial camera with a fixed magnification. The system includes a user-friendly touch screen monitor interface and requires minimum operator interaction. The system can measure single, double or triple wall thickness measurements automatically in less than 10 seconds. This system saves the wire and cable manufacturer a significant amount of time, completing rather tedious task of measuring very small parts in the blink of an eye. What makes this software so unique and valuable is that it not only takes measurements within a matter of seconds, but also records the data into a printable inspection report thus eliminating the manual methods of recording in case of a lot traveler. The data can be saved as a TXT or CSV file for statistical analysis. This system can measure a wide range of products with many measurement capabilities. The range of products that it can measure includes but is not limited to single, dual, and triple wall, interstices, multi-tubing, flat cables, LEDs, etc. The measurement capabilities of the system includes minimum and maximum, average wall thickness, concentricity, inner and outer diameters. The system can also measure both clear and opaque parts. Angle Systems also offers a dual-head measurement system. The system can measure a wide range of diameters and thicknesses with high accuracy. The company, founded in 2009, designs, develops and manufactures high-speed metrology, inspection and automation system solutions involving vision and laser-based sensor technologies. Angle systems has products for in-line print quality inspection of cables and off-line measurement of wall thickness of the insulation. Ananda Mysore, president, Angle Systems, amysore@anglesystems.com.

CERSA-MCI/France Back at Interwire after 10 years of intense activities in wire, cable and optical fiber industries in Asia, CERSA-MCI showed its very latest measurement technology.

66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Jean Francois Fardeau, CERSA-MCI. The booth also was the setting for discussions about systems for fast diameter and fine defect checks of cable, tube and rods as well as for stranded and tapped wire; Surface Quality Measurement (SQM) for fine wire, with detection of lump neck, cracks and flaws, with real time sorting out; and measurement data acquisition, storage, display, advanced management software for a “full in line quality certification,” a money-saving off-line measurement check. The above technology stems from the company’s 30 years of R&D programs in close cooperation with its demanding customers, which enables CERSA-MCI to showcase a complete line of advanced and unique measurement instruments and software for these industries. It also supports its sales with local support that is ensured by direct instrument exchange and equipment availability. Jean Francois Fardeau, president/CEO, CERSA-MCI, jffardeau@ cersa-mci.com.

Clinton Instrument Co./U.S. At Interwire 2015, Clinton Instrument Company introduced its new high-frequency AC HF15B spark tester, which replaces the highly successful HF15A unit introduced at Interwire in 2001. Since that introduction, more than 10,000 of the AC units have been shipped worldwide. The HF15B model will offer the customer many new technologies for spark testing wire and cable. It includes multiple software selectable sensitivity levels, DSPbased voltage regulation, is backwards compatible with

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Clinton Instrument Co. introduced its HF-15B system.

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Production range: • Taping, binding, screening machines with concentric heads having dynamic dancer, for spools and pads; • High performance single twist lines with high speed back-twist feeders; • Rewinding lines with in-line measuring and quality control systems; • Take-up and pay-off units for reels up to DIN 1600, also in traversing version with horizontal axis for precision flat wires laying; • Caterpillars and capstans for any wire shape, for small and medium section; • Cable peeling machines for large diameters; • Ancillary, testing, special and customized equipment.

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Via Austria, 12 - 35127 Padova - ITALY Tel. (+39) 049 8705566 - Fax (+39) 049 8705599 www.wtmachinery.com e-mail: info@wtmachinery.com 68 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

HF-15A for ease of upgrade and has a split electrode design for better product coverage and fast string up. The unit features Modbus RTU via RS-485 full duplex; has auto calibration when used with Clinton Instrument’s STCAL system for both voltage and sensitivity to EN50356, IEC/CEI 62230 UL and NEMA standards; redundant output voltage monitoring; and four types of bare wire/pinhole differentiation and alarms. The model, which can come with optional Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Profibus, Modbus TCP communications, is compatible with Clinton’s analog units and HF20 GB AM modules. It has a large easy-to-see alphanumeric display that can be detached and relocated up to 200 feet away, with a percent load view, barewire/pinhole/total count views, pin number security and basic configuration functions. The unit has four relay outputs with selectable functions (high voltage on indicator, fault alarm, voltage watchdog, gross bare wire alarm) and others available. Whether basic or with options, manufacturers will find that the AC HF15B exceeds their needs while testing to all known norms around the world. Woody Holland, sales manager, Clinton Instrument Company, wholland@clintoninstrument.com.

FMS USA/U.S. FMS showcased the company’s innovative line of tension measurement/control products to intrigued show attendees at Interwire 2015. Potential customers sought out FMS to learn more about the RTM X42 Wireless Tension Monitoring System, designed for monitoring individual strand tensions in rotating wire processing machinery. As the industry leader with this technology, the latest generation of the RTM X42 System offers increased capability and flexibility, all at a reduced cost when compared to previous RTM generations. At the heart of the system is the highly regarded FMS Force Measurement Sensor that is designed specifically for use in rotating applications and provides accurate, trouble-free performance. The RTM X42 System provides for the collection of tension data for up to 42 individual wire strands, which are then processed and wirelessly sent off of the rotating part of the machine to a receiver. Once these signals are received, the tension data can then be monitored on a PC (as pictured) for alarming, logging, or graphing, or sent over a fieldbus network to a PLC with a custom HMI.

At Interwire, Foerster Instruments showcased the company’s testing equipment that can be integrated into your wire manufacturing process for optimal production speeds. The company’s DEFECTOMAT and CIRCOGRAPH family of instruments can be used individually or combined to provide your required result. Combining these two families offers you a comprehensive testing solution. The DEFECTOMAT family detects transversal ﬂaws and the CIRCOGRAPH family provides longitudinal surface defects. The DEFECTOMAT CI model has been developed with new technology that includes an optional two-channel evaluation that allows a combination of two differential channels: a differential and an absolute channel or a differential and a FERROMAT channel to be used simultaneously. The technology provides full network integration, and remote control of the settings as well as result data. A log structure is provided for every tested part, and every order can be displayed in a standardized format on a USB drive or independent of the instrument. The CI model can be used in a manufacturing line or as a stand-alone test station. The CIRCOGRAPH DS model guarantees maximum detection of longitudinal defects and can also be equipped with a variety of channels and/or sensor systems to meet speciﬁc testing requirements. With the addition of FOERSTER’s rotating heads you can cover diameter ranges from ®

Warren Carter, FMS USA, with attendees at Interwire. Another product that was well-received is the RTM X42.MP Telemetry System that provides telemetry (encoder, tension, and additional I/O) capability for bowtype wire processing machinery. With numerous versions of the RTM X42 Wireless Tension Monitoring System available, FMS surely offers a compelling solution to OEMs and end users who have a requirement for greater process monitoring and control. Steve Leibold, director of sales, FMS USA, Inc., steven.leibold@fms-technology.com.

JUNE 2015 | 69

FEATURE

Foerster Instruments, Inc./U.S.

FEATURE Tom Watterson, Foerster Instruments, Inc., by a company system displayed at Interwire 2015.

Edward Wark, iiM Measurement Engineering, makers of VisioCablePro testing equipment.

2 to 135 mm of round stock. A complete test of the entire wire is possible at an increased line speed. When testing most copper and specialty steel, in hot conditions or during the cold forming process, we will provide the right solution. Tom Watterson, regional sales executive, Foerster Instrument, Inc., watterson.tom@foerstergroup.com.

The optimally preset optical focus and illumination substantially reduce the operator inﬂuence, therefore simplify the operation. This device was specially designed for use in laboratories and in production as a quick-test station. Measurements are all according to the IEC 60811-201; 202; 203 standards. To display the precision and the repeatability of the measurement results, every device is approved with a measurement capability test (Gage R & R analysis) to ensure optimal certainty during measurements. The suitable measuring software FMC-3 is included in the complete VCPX5 package while the optional additional CAQ interface VCPEasy can connect databases to the measuring system and instantly compare nominal with measured values. Due to the excellent precision, easy operation and the reasonable price, cable manufacturers are able to reduce costs immediately. With continuously rising material prices and higher quality requirements, the investment in the innovative measuring device VCPX5 pays itself off within a very short time and simultaneously improves the quality of your cable products. Edward Wark, account manager, iiM Measurement Engineering, www.iimag.de.

iiM Measurment Engineering/Germany iiM Measurement Engineering, makers of the ® VisioCablePro brand of testing equipment, presented its newest generation model, the VCPX5, at Interwire 2015. VisioCablePro products have been specially developed to carry out offline measurements that specifically fulfill cable producers’ requirements to measure the geometrical features of insulating skins and cable sheaths. The VCPX5 is our most innovative device for automatically measuring cable cross sections with a complete outer diameter range from 0-5.12 in. (0-130 mm). In addition to very high measurement resolution, up to 2 μm, the VCPX5 is characterized by its easy operation and quick measurement procedure. The model is very easy to use, taking only about 15 minutes to train an operator to use it for independent measure.

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FEATURE

LaserLinc/U.S. Interwire visitors were excited about the latest improvements to LaserLinc’s flagship Total Vu platform for product and process monitoring and control. Configurable displays perfectly satisfy operator needs by displaying all of, and only, the information operators want. Ease of operator use ensures the benefits of the system are fully realized.

extruder through the puller station,” said Jay Luis, the company’s marketing communications manager. “We wanted to demonstrate that by implementing highly accurate measurement and control solutions along the critical points in the cable extrusion process, manufacturers can significantly increase productivity, reduce waste, and improve product quality to successfully grow their business.” The integrated system solution included the following Beta LaserMike products: a pre-heater system for uniform, in-process wire heating to eliminate insulation voids in primary cables; AccuScan gauges for precise, high-speed on-line measurement of cable diameter and ovality (the new AccuScan 6012 is the industry’s 4-axis diameter and ovality gauge for measuring products up to 12 mm); a CapScan gauge for accurate on-line measurement of cable capacitance; a CenterScan gauge for accurate, reliable monitoring of insulated cable diameter and eccentricity of conductors; a Lump and Neckdown detector system, including the new LN3015 3-axis gauge; a high-frequency spark tester for on-line detection of

Dan Dixon, LaserLinc. Of particular interest were the data collection and reporting capabilities. The system captures all data from LaserLinc’s precision measurement devices. It is also used to capture measurements from other devices and sensors delivering temperatures, pressures, speeds, and other process and product data. Data is stored in Comma Separated Value (CSV) format for post-processing and is accessible in real-time to PLCs, HMIs, ERP, and MES systems. Now, you can also fully customize and automate reporting using the ubiquitous tool, Microsoft Excel. Create templates with formatting, formulas, images, graphs—even macros. Then, browse and select items to include in the report: recipe information, statistics, logged data, Process Tracker and flaw event logs, and more. Reports may be printed, saved electronically, or both. LaserLinc specializes in laser and ultrasonic technology for precision measurement of diameter, ovality, wall thickness, and eccentricity. Beyond expected interest in our measurement and control solutions for the wire and cable industry, conversations were often focused on overall usability and service. The company offers a four-year warranty with “spare-in-the-air” coverage, and no-cost, support and training via an internet connection. Dan Dixon, president, LaserLinc, Inc., jeff.kohler@laserlinc.com.

NDC Technologies/U.S. At Interwire, it was hard to miss NDC Technologies’s display of an end-to-end measurement system solution. “We displayed a complete cable extrusion line measurement and control system with gauges in place from the 72 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Jay Luis, marketing manager, NDC Technologies, by an end-to-end line of multiple measuring units. faults in cable insulation, such as voids and pin holes; a LaserSpeed gauge for non-contact length and speed measurement of moving product, with +/-0.05% accuracy; and a DataPro process controller and data management system. The company also displayed: a BenchMike bench-top system for fast, accurate dimensional measurement of cut product samples; a LayScan system for accurate, consistent cable lay length measurement of twisted pairs; an SRL Pro on-line structural return loss (SRL) prediction and analysis system; a DCM ES-2G system for quality testing of Cat 5e/6/6a/7/7a/8 cables up to 2.2 GHz; and a DCM SCS-700 system for quality testing of Cat 5e/6/6a cables up to 700 MHz, as well as low-frequencies down to 100 Hz. Jay Luis, marketing manager, jay.luis@ betalasermike.com.

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. As cable manufacturers purchase raw materials by the ton and then sell by length, it’s extremely important to make sure that when you sell a reel of cable at 1000 ft, its is not 1003 ft or 1005 ft, essentially giving away 0.3% or 0.5% for free, which can be typical in many production facilities. The InteliSENS SL Series gauges are calibrated to 0.03%, and with no moving parts to wear and non-contact operation eliminating slippage, we are extremely proud to work with our customers and provide a gauge that truly helps save money and improve proﬁtability. The DGK Series of gauges have no moving parts and measure the diameter an amazing 10,000 times per second, per axis. Available as either a dual- or triple-axis gauge, the Super Fast Processing Technology analyzes up to 30,000 measurements per second to display and communicate diameter, ovality, lumps and neckdowns. The company also showed a full range of products including spark testers, capacitance gauges, lump and neck detectors, pre heaters, speed & length gauges and

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.

FEATURE

Proton Products International/U.K.

Grant Latimer, Proton Products. It was without doubt our busiest exhibition and our full team of agents and employees were on hand to take care of our customers.” Grant Latimer, managing director, g.latimer@protonproducts.com.

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FEATURE

Scienscope International/U.S. At Interwire, Scienscope International displayed solutions to address what it identified as a strong industry need. As consumer and industrial products continue their march towards smaller and more intricate form, manufacturing challenges arise with tighter requirements throughout the spectrum of quality assurance. These challenges include higher inspection rates, tighter characteristic specification including dimensional tolerances, and documentation of results. In response, the company’s MAK2 Video Inspection Scope (pictured) addresses many of these challenges. It has a macro zoom lens based scope that provides superior image quality, wide fields of view and is easy to operate. Focus adjustment, magnification change, iris aperture control, camera settings and image display are within easy and understandable reach of any level of operator. The MAK2 provides an economical inspection solution in a variety of stand options to meet the needs of bench space ergonomics and sample size. Image capturing and retention is achieved without a computing device and can be shared by a built in SSD card slot. To complement the MAK2 video inspection scope, Scienscope International offers many other inspection scope alternatives. These range from standard binocular and trinocular (with camera port) microscopes configured on a variety of stands including articulated arms and gliding

boom type stands. Additionally, there are Micro Zoom Lens systems which provide up to 1000X magniﬁcation for purposes of viewing very small components and providing both Field of View (FOV) and larger than FOV dimensional measurements to 28”x24”x12” work envelopes.

Jeff Bronson, Scienscope, at Interwire 2015. Every system is optioned to meet the individual organizations budget and operational requirements. Lastly, and most recently, Scienscope has introduced an economical yet highly functional X-ray inspection line of systems for imaging and inspecting impossible to see components. www.scienscope.com.

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FEATURE

Sikora AG/Germany Sikora International Corp./U.S.

Starrett Bytewise Measurement Systems/U.S.

At Interwire, Sikora highlighted the company’s system for inspecting and sorting pellets, noting why this is such a vital need. The purity of XLPE pellets, as they are used for the insulation of medium, high, and extra-high voltages cables as well as for on- and offshore cables, is a decisive characteristic for the quality of the end product. Damages caused by breakdowns due to contaminated material can easily run into the millions. Therefore, the production of highly clean material as well as the continuous detection and sorting out of contaminated pellets before they get into the extrusion process is of essential importance. With the PURITY SCANNER, Sikora provides a system for a 100% online inspection and automatic sorting of XLPE pellets. The model intelligently combines X-ray

At Interwire, Starrett-Bytewise Measurement Systems showcased its in-line measurement technology for wire and cable profiles. Historically, in-line measurement systems for wire and cable have employed a principle of measuring a part’s “shadow.” These systems are often adequate for measuring round wire and cable. But what about profile wire

Profile360 Sales Director Jim Williams, Starrett-Bytewise Measurement Systems.

Harry Prunk, Sikora AG, at Interwire 2015. technology with a dual-axis optical system. This allows the detection of metallic and organic impurities of 50 µm in the pellet itself and on its surface. Contaminated pellets are separated and sorted out in order to prevent that they get into the cable insulation. Due to the specially developed X-ray technology, the PURITY SCANNER inspects colored (e.g. black) pellets as well as semi-conductive XLPE material for impurities and sorts them out automatically. The system is typically installed between the hopper that is fed from the XLPE supply (octabin, bag or silo) and the hopper of the extruder, whereas the compound is fed by gravity. The transport system is hermetically sealed assuring that there is no risk that dust or other contaminants can get into the flow of XLPE pellets. With the PURITY SCANNER, the production process in the cable industry is improved significantly and, thus, the safety and life time of the cable is increased. John Dognazzi, managing director, sales, www.sikora-usa.com, sales@sikora-usa.com.

76 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

and cable? Wouldn’t it be helpful to also capture critical dimensions like angles, corner radii, minimum widths, minimum thicknesses, gap widths, area, etc.? For these more complicated profile dimensions, Starrett-Bytewise introduces the Profile360, which uses a combination of lasers, cameras, and sensors to give you the complete exterior profile shape of your wire and cable. The robust system is designed to withstand the factory floor environment, and its C-frame shape allows you to move the Profile360 in and out of line without disrupting your production. While this technology has recently been adapted for the wire and cable markets, the Profile360 concept is not new. Rubber extrusion, plastic extrusion, WPC and roll-forming industries have been using larger Profile360 systems since 2002. Customers in these industries report benefits like reduced scrap, faster start-ups, faster die and new product development, fewer returns, faster report generation and a better understanding of their processes. Jim Williams, sales manager, Starrett Bytewise, www.starrett.com/bytewise.

Taymer International/U.S. Taymer International highlighted the company’s Surface Inspection System (SI3100) at Interwire. The SI3100 consists of multiple cameras to capture highspeed, real time images of cable surfaces. The system

Proﬁle360 Sales Director Jim Williams, Starrett-Bytewise Measurement Systems. enabling the operator to verify the defects. This allows operators to determine the type of defect, to identify false positives (i.e. a water droplet), or even detect surface blemishes (i.e. surface discoloring, scratches). The surface defect image, type and size are saved to a

database along with the defect location in meters or feet. Operators can quickly pinpoint the defect locations after production is completed. The system easily integrates to existing production lines and works well for all type of cables (armored, jacketed, bare wires, and convoluted proﬁles). The model ensures that any problems are discovered before the defective products are sent to customers. Taymer also presented another of its camera inspection products, the Print Length Veriﬁcation System (PLV1500), which continuously monitors cable length markings to ensure that the cable is marked in precise 1 m or 2 ft increments. The PLV is able to be integrated with your existing inkjet and hot foil printers to verify and recalibrate the printing interval when necessary. Taymer has more than 50 years’ experience producing machines that include accurate length measurement machines, vision systems to detect surface and printing defects and various cable printers for the global industry. Craig Girdwood, managing director, Taymer International, craig.girdwood@taymer.com.

Vollmer America/U.S. At Interwire 2015, Vollmer America presented its new VBK 512 12E model for thickness and width measurement system.

JUNE 2015 | 77

FEATURE

software can determine the size and types of a wide range of surface defects. Even defects as small as 0.6mm can be detected and an alarm triggered. Digital images are enhanced, magniﬁed and displayed on a remote monitor,

FEATURE

The VBK 512 12E is a fully digital measurement system designed for use on high-speed, wire flattening rolling mills. This is the newest version of the gauge used for

Alton Gayheart, Vollmer America, by the company’s new VBK 512 12E model. more than 50 years throughout the world. The new design maintains the accuracy of our contact gauge approach along with newly designed wire guides and completely new digital transducer and processing design. All four digital transducers are spring loaded open and are positioned into the wire using precise pneumatic proportional valves with a controlled pressure and ramp speed.

The guides in the standard unit will provide stability to the measurement for more than 90% of the normal applications and special guides can be applied for other shapes. The material is touched by our highly polished natural or synthetic diamond contacts that can be supplied in several configurations depending on the wire shape and dimensions. Most importantly, when there is a lot of oil and debris build up on the wire, the VBK 512 12 with adjustable pressure is able to cut through the dirt and oil to make a correct reading. The system features analog and digital interface as well as Profibus, TCP/IP and OPC links. Vollmer GmbH offers a full line of contact and non contact thickness gauges (Laser, X-ray and Isotope) full AGC controls (mass flow, feed forward and feedback) and SPC analysis software and hardware. Alton Gayheart, regional manager, Vollmer America, al@vollmeramerica.com.

Zumbach Electronic AG/Switzerland Zumbach Corporation Corp./U.S. Zumbach’s new AST H 15A series of spark testers were shown at Interwire 2015. These units are alternating current, high-frequency spark testers designed to detect faults in insulation or sheathing layers of cables. The AST H 15A features controlled, adjustable output voltage from 0.5 to 15 kV AC, bead-chain electrodes, pin hole and bare-patch detection with various industry inter-

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FEATURE

faces such as Ethernet and RS communications. For spark testers to function properly, it is necessary for the internal conductor of the product to test and the Spark Testers to be earthed and for the cable to travel through a high-voltage test electrode. If the insulation presents a fault, a voltage flash-over takes place between the test electrode and the internal conductor, the armor or the shielding, and the spark testers registers a defect in the insulation. The ionized air in the test electrode provides an optimal contact with the entire surface of the cable, and this allows detection of the smallest faults with a very high reliability. To reliably detect faults in the insulating sheath, every point of the cable’s surface must remain in the test electrode for a certain time period as specified by testing organizations. The length of the electrode, therefore, depends on the line speed and is applied in engineering solutions for clients. Zumbach’s global wire and cable customers have come to rely and trust the AST spark testers for in-line fault testing on single conductors and jackets during the extrusion or rewinding process. Testing during this process has become a standard procedure today. Zumbach’s spark testers can be used to test the most diverse range of cable products as per international standards, like IEC 62230, UL 1581, UL 2556 and further standards. The control and display unit, the BAE 2 SP, allows the

manual control of the electrode unit. It is fixed on the electrode unit or used separately, and a pivoting fixation device allows flexible positioning of the unit. For appli-

Jorge Lage, Zumbach Electronics Corp. by one of the company’s new AST H 15A spark testers. cations where the spark tester is controlled via interface, the BAE 2 SP can be used as a local display. Zumbach has many different spark tester models depending on end user’s desired test voltage, cable diameter and line speeds. The best solution depends on the products, manufacturing process and desired standards to be met. Jorge Lage, area sales manager, Zumbach Electronics Corp., jlage@ zumbach.com.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPERS Ultra-D ultrasonic degassing and processing of aluminum A novel ultrasonic degassing system has been developed for use in molten aluminum on a continuous basis that required extensive analysis of the material in the liquid and solid phases, as well as the full metallurgical analysis of finished product. This paper, which includes updated information presented at TMS 2105, reviews those elements as well as the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to stand up to the molten metal environment without frequent operator interaction. By Victor Rundquist and Kiran Manchiraj

The ultrasonic degassing system (Ultra D) discussed here consists of electrical controls, ultrasonics power supply and, custom designed transducer and ultrasonic stack. The Ultra-D unit is lowered into an aluminum melt and is allowed to process the aluminum continuously. Previous work in this area has been confined to laboratory models and small scale proof of concept designs. What sets this unit apart is its ability to operate continuously in a harsh molten metal production environment for days on end. Two production environments will be discussed. The first environment was a continuous wire rod plant using the Southwire wheel and belt casting system. The second was a large scale die-casting plant using individual electric melting furnaces at each casting machine.

Design of ultrasonic system The design of the ultrasonic system consists of two main components: the ultrasonic stack degassing module and the insertion mechanism with associated electrical controls. The ultrasonic probe must be inserted into the molten aluminum to a preset depth and this depth must be maintained as the level of the molten aluminum fluctuates. The mechanism of ultrasonic degassing requires a certain amount of molten metal both above and below the working end of the degassing probe. The Ultra-D system employs a robotic arm or a simple linear actuator to maintain the depth. The choice of the depth control is dependent on the process being degassed. In a process like continuous casting for wire rod the process itself is static and the simple linear actuator mounted to the side of the launder system will suffice. In contrast, a large die-casting shop with many individual casting operations will benefit from the highly versatile and portable robotic arm. With either method the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PLC will receive feedback from a laser sensor and adjust the depth of the Ultra-D probe accordingly.

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To reduce the amount of operator interaction the system must be able to operate uninterrupted for long periods of time. Through the use of advanced materials and design procedures the probe can operate continuously in molten aluminum for 48 hours at a time. After this 48 hour period the probe must be polished to maintain optimum degassing efficiency. The polishing process takes a mere 30 seconds and the system is back in operation. A single probe can tolerate 10 polishing operations before being discarded. This allows the system to operate for 480 hours without having to use any additional consumables.

Measurement and analysis methods Hydrogen measurement. To determine the hydrogen concentration, the concept of a partial electrochemical cell is employed. The voltage across the cell is measured and converted into the hydrogen concentration. A solid electrolyte sensor contains a reference material of known hydrogen concentration. This sensor is placed into the melt and hydrogen ions pass into or out of the sensor. The resulting voltage potential is sent to the instrument for conversion to hydrogen concentration. The instrument reads out in ml H2 per 100g aluminum or mL/100g. This unit will be used throughout this paper. The instrument used for this process was an Alspek H. The user must pay special attention to the amount of time the sensor has been in use. After some time in the melt the sensor is saturated (or depleted) of hydrogen and must be replaced. The instrument has facilities for alerting the user to the need for a sensor change. Fig. 1 shows the Alspek H unit in a launder. Measurements are dependent on the alloy mix being tested. Correction factors based on laboratory data are used to make sure that the instrument is reporting correctly. The most important factor in this correction is the magnesium level in the alloy. In the continuous casting system a high magnesium alloy was produced.

Fig. 1. An Alspek H unit working in a launder. Spectrum analysis. During all of the testing, samples were taken at pre-set intervals. The samples were cast using an industry standard puck mold designed for spectrum analyzers. All of the samples were tested at Southwire Company’s metal lab at the aluminum rod plant. The spectrum analyzers are state-of-the-art twin machines. For the die casting alloy the machines were calibrated using the NIST SS-380 DD standard. For the 5000 series alloys used at the continuous casting plant, the spectrum analyzers were calibrated using the respective NIST 5xxx alloy standard. Metallurgical analysis. During all of the trials, selected samples were prepared for metallurgical analysis. Standard procedures were used to prepare the samples. In as-cast parts from the die-casting plant the aim was to look for macro and micro porosity. The continuous casting and rolling plant looked for porosity in the cast bar and a standard microstructure in the rolled rod. When looking for porosity special attention was paid to the shape. Round, spherical pores indicate gas porosity while oddly shaped pores are due to shrinkage. Since the aim of the ultrasonic degassing system is to remove the dissolved gases in the aluminum, reduction of spherical porosity was the goal. Final part/material evaluation. For the final evaluation of the produced parts and wire rod the respective plant’s normal QC procedures were followed and in certain cases expanded upon. For the continuous cast and rolled rod the standard tests are a tensile test for strength and a twist test for surface flaws. In addition to these two tests an eddy current analyzer is employed before the rod is coiled. The tensile test delivers a max stress value along with the percent elongation. These figures will indicate whether the rod produced is suitable for its end use. Different wire rod customers require different tensile strengths. To perform the twist test an operator inserts a sample of rod into a stationary chuck and the other end is connected

Continuous casting system results Hydrogen measurement. In a continuous casting setup the location of the degassing step should be chosen very carefully. As the molten metal leaves the holding furnace and travels down the launder system the metal will lose

Fig. 2. Hydrogen max solubility in aluminum1.

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to a rotating chuck. The rod is twisted a number times in one direction, the motor reverses and then the same number of rotations in the other direction. Using a 10x magnifying glass the operator looks for defects in the rod surface that the twisting will reveal. Typically the defects revealed in a twist test are from either casting problems or problems in the rolling mill. The eddy current test continuously counts surface flaws in the as-rolled rod. Depending on the size of the flaw it will increment small, medium or large counters. Small flaws usually fall within the noise range of the instrument. Medium and large flaws will indicate a problem in either casting or in the rolling mill. In the die casting plant most of the QC checks are visual. A selection of cast parts are sent to the machine shop and machined to the customer’s specifications. These are then visually inspected for porosity. All of the produced parts are inspected for surface defects by the machine operator. On critical parts a second visual inspection is carried out by trained personnel to verify that no surface porosity exists. Expanding on the above testing, all of the parts produced with ultrasonic degassing were machined to the customer’s specifications and visually inspected for porosity. Additionally micrograph analysis was performed to observe any microstructure changes as the degassing system operated.

aph of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;gassyâ&#x20AC;? ingot. A sample of ingot from another day of testing was also sectioned and polished. There were no ons of hydrogen level spiking and very little hydrogen porosity in the related ingot.

sions TECHNICAL PAPERS

ontinuous casting operation it is concluded that several aluminum alloys can be produced using the Ultra-D Ultrasonic g System without the use of corrosive chemicals. Microstructural analysis revealed that the rolled rod did not reveal any In addition, rod produced through ultrasonic degassing had the same physical and mechanical characteristics of the rod through conventional degassing techniques. Upon investigation of inclusion removal, the efficiency of the superheat. AsUltra-D it coolsdegassing off it will naturally 5xxx alloys is over 97%. Complete removal of medium to large oxide films were obtained viaevolve the Ultra-D degassing hydrogen to theprocess. atmosphere. This die-casting operation, the Ultra-D system provided a continuous assurance that the metal in the furnace had the lowest fact is well known in hydrogen the literature and is ossible given the environmental conditions. Further, an analysis of micro/macro structural properties that the maximum shown in Fig.revealed 2 as hydrogenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s were significantly enhanced when the metal was ultrasonically degassed. Additionally, it issolubility concluded the continuous in that aluminum versus the temperaof a die casting furnace is beneficial because of the uncertainty of the feed stockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hydrogen ture content. of the metal. The ultrasonic degassing system was placed in the transport launder system. ces This location is near the outlet of the furInternational, Aluminum Alloy Castings: Properties, Processes, and Applications, Chapter 5,nace. pg. 47. The location of hydrogen measureMetals 1998, TMS, Peter D. Waite, Improved Metallurgical Understanding of the Alcan Compact After Two Years above, the mentsDegasser is important. As stated ial Implementation in Aluminum Casting Plants. hydrogen will evolve from the metal as it quist, V., Manchiraju, K., & Han Q. (2015). Ultrasonic Degasing and Processing of Molten Aluminum II. Light Metals cools. ThisPart holds true for both untreated t Shop for Aluminum Production, (pp. 943-948). metal and degassed metal. Fig. 3 shows the difference in hydrogen levels of metal that was not degassed and metal that Fig. 3. Hydrogen levels in the transport launder with and without was degassed with the Ultra-D degassing Ultra-D degassing system. system. The left side of the chart is the gures to Add (with superscript referencing TMS paper) furnace exit temperature and the right side is close to the casting machine. Note the Before & After Ultra-D Degassing dramatic drop in hydrogen levels at the Casting temp 1318 +/- 30 F start of the degassed metal curve. Spectrum analysis. Spectrum analysis of the molten aluminum was performed at various locations. The most notable locaBefore Ultra-D Degasing tions are before and after the degassing After Ultra-D Degasing step. The traditional rotary degassing unit typically uses a mixture of chlorine and argon to remove alkali metals. The Ultra-D system does not use any chlorine or other 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 corrosive chemicals. Data Point The objective of the spectrum analysis 3 Optimized Hydrogen concentration before and after Ultra-D degassing is to conďŹ rm that the ultrasonic degassing system does not alter the chemical makeFig. 4. Optimized hydrogen concentration before and after Ultra-D up of the alloy and to investigate if it is degassing3. capable of removing unwanted alkali metEQUATION 1: als. The degassing system did not change (đ??ťđ??ťđ??ťđ??ťđ?&#x2018;&#x2013;đ?&#x2018;&#x2013;đ?&#x2018;&#x2013;đ?&#x2018;&#x2013; â&#x2C6;&#x2019;đ??ťđ??ťđ??ťđ??ťđ?&#x2018;&#x201C;đ?&#x2018;&#x201C;đ?&#x2018;&#x201C;đ?&#x2018;&#x201C; ) the concentration of the main elements in đ??¸đ??¸đ??¸đ??¸% = đ?&#x2018;Ľđ?&#x2018;Ľđ?&#x2018;Ľđ?&#x2018;Ľ100 (1) (Eq. 1) the 5154. đ??ťđ??ťđ??ťđ??ťđ?&#x2018;&#x2013;đ?&#x2018;&#x2013;đ?&#x2018;&#x2013;đ?&#x2018;&#x2013; Of special importance to the wire rod Where: Hi = initial hydrogen concentration; Hf = ďŹ nal product is the Sodium (Na) and the hydrogen concentration at casting (after Ultra-D degasing); Lithium (Li) levels. If the Na and Li levels is the efďŹ ciency of removal expressed in percent. Hi = initial hydrogen E% concentration are even slightly high, 5 PPM or higher, Hf = final hydrogen concentration at casting (after Ultra-D degasing) it will affect the conductivity, hardness, E% is the efficiency of removal expressed in percent rollability and drawability of the ďŹ nal product. Table 1 shows the removal of the Na and Li from the aluminum. Metallurgical analysis. During the operation of the ultrasonic degasser, samples were taken of both the cast bar and the ďŹ nal rolled rod. The cast bar was subjected to sectioning, etching and optical microscopy. Figs. 4 and 5 show a micrograph of the polished and etched sections of both traditionally degassed and ultrasonic degassed metal. 3 Fig. 5. Degasing efďŹ ciency vs. casting temperature for 5xxx alloys .

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% wt Harmful Elements

Before US

After US

0.0001833

0.00011

0.0002167

0.00*

Table 1. Trace element concentrations. *Below detectable limit of instruments.

Average Flaw count per 8000# coil

LARGE

MEDIUM

SMALL

0.6

4.9

47.9

Fig. 6. Hydrogen concentration over time in die cast furnace during ultrasonic degassing.

Table 2. Surface Flaws for coils made with ultra. In addition to the microstructure evaluation of the cast bar, the same evaluation was carried out on the final rolled rod. In both the cast bar and rolled rod micrographs there were no differences in traditionally degassed material and ultrasonically degassed material. Final Part/Material Evaluation. For final product evaluation, the rolled rod is subjected to various tests depending on the particular alloy being made. The 5xxx alloys undergo diameter checking, Eddy Current testing, tensile testing and twist testing while the 13xx and 6xxx series alloys add in electrical conductivity. Table 2 summarizes the data for 5xxx alloy rod produced using the ultrasonic degassing process. The flaws were far below the maximum allowed. The final step for rod qualification is customer acceptance. The 5xxx series rod produced using the ultrasonic degassing was used internally by the rod plant to make aluminum strip. The aluminum strip then went to a wire mill where it was used as the exterior cladding for MC cable. All of the coils produced with the ultrasonic degassing system were accepted by the customer and processed into the final product of MC Cable.

Fig. 7. Sealing surface of ﬁlter housing before and after ultrasonic degassing.

Die casting system results Multiple trials were carried out at a large scale die casting plant using individual electric crucible furnaces. The parts that were the subject of the tests were all porosity sensitive. The parts were two different ﬁlter housings and a hydraulic bushing. The degassing system was placed into the melt opposite from the ladle, with a ceramic foam ﬁlter in between. Hydrogen measurement. Compared to the continuous casting system, the die-casting furnace arrangement is less complex to measure the hydrogen due to the homogeneity of the melt. Either method described above could be used, but since the Alspek H unit was readily available it was chosen. The hydrogen probe was placed in the furnace opposite the degassing system, but still on the

Fig. 8. Sampling locations for PoDFA analysis3.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS Fig. 9. PoDFA results from 5052 at 8000 pounds/hour on Southwire Alloy rod line3.

Fig. 10. 5xxx aluminum 50x micrograph, before degassing3.

Fig. 11. 5xxx aluminum 50x micrograph, after Ultra-D degassing process3. 86 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Fig. 12. Effect of humidity on a typical rotary degassing unit2.

Fig. 13. Hydrogen levels while adding “gassy” ingot. melting side of the ﬁlter. The temperature in the furnace remained mostly constant with a recorded temperature change of +/- 15oF. This temperature ﬂux was minimized by feeding the solid ingot into the furnace at a constant rate, rather than in batches. Fig. 6 shows a typical degassing session where the initial high hydrogen was removed and then kept low throughout the casting operation. If the system had not been degassed the hydrogen level in the furnace would have gone up as more and more cold metal was melted. During some of the degassing trials the die casting line was shut down overnight and then re-started in the morning. This allowed the furnace to sit and equilibrate the hydrogen in the melt with the atmosphere. Upon re-starting the process the Ultra-D ultrasonic degassing unit and the hydrogen analysis resumed. Spectrum analysis. Similar to the continuous casting operation, the die casting operation needed to be sure

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Alloy 5052 6201 4047

Total Inclusion Removal Efﬁciency by Ultra-D Degaser 98.47% 80.23% 55.68%

Table 3. Inclusion removal efﬁciencies3. Before Ultra-D Degaser # of Oxide Films 108 Length1 Short, Med, Long Thickness1 Thin, Med, Thick

After Ultra-D Degaser 20 Short Thin

1Short

= less than 250 micron, thin = less than 1 micron, (ABB speciﬁcation)

Table 4. Oxide film removal by Ultra-D degasing process3. that the alloy composition was not being changed during ultrasonic degassing. During degassing the alloy ingredients did not change as the ultrasonic degassing system was operating. Also of interest is the trace element analysis. This is purely for double checking the ingot supplier as it is supplied on a certified basis. There were no detectable trace elements in regards to Li and Na, therefore it is not reported. Metallurgical analysis. Samples of the castings were taken directly from the production line. At preset intervals the castings were removed, labeled and saved for evaluation. Previous reject castings were also provided by the plant for evaluation and comparison. A selection of the castings was sectioned and polished. Figs. 7 through 10 are photographic results of the die cast parts. Special attention was paid to the shape of the observed porosity as well as the amount of porosity. As can be seen in the micrographs, as the degassing system is allowed to run the microstructure is improved through reduced porosity. In addition, any observed porosity becomes non-spherical, suggesting that it is not caused by hydrogen. Final part/material evaluation. To replicate the standard QC operations at the die casting plant, all of the castings for evaluation were machined according to the final part dimensions. A visual check for macro porosity was carried out using a 10 X magnifying glass. The die casting plant receives customer returns based on visual macro porosity after machining. The only other QC step is a surface quality inspection related to die condition. Fig. 11 is a data excerpt showing the number of parts created with visible porosity in each 30 minute period. The final data point for the die-casting trials is customer acceptance of the cast parts. Data provided by the die cast

Fig. 14. Cross section of “gassy” ingot. plant stated that there was no customer returns due to porosity for the parts processed with Ultra-D degassing.

Sources of Hydrogen Contamination Environmental. Fig. 2 shows the maximum solubility of hydrogen in aluminum. This curve will dictate how much hydrogen can be absorbed by the aluminum at a given temperature. The actual amount of hydrogen absorbed will depend on the temperature of the melt and the current environmental conditions. Fig. 12 shows the effect of humidity on hydrogen content in the melt. From this figure it can be seen that there is a limit to which aluminum can be degassed based on the ambient humidity. Furnace energy sources. Typically, furnaces use one of two energy sources. Electric furnaces are often used for smaller applications, while the ubiquitous gas-fired reverb furnace is used for larger applications. In an electric furnace there is no external source of hydrogen except for the environment, while the fuel used in a gas furnace is a hydrocarbon. If the burners on a gas fired furnace are not tuned correctly, either too much air or fuel will enter the reverb chamber. This will result in unnecessary dross in the event of too much air or extra dissolved hydrogen in the event of too much fuel. In the continuous casting example above there are twin holding furnaces feeding the casting operation. It was routinely noted that one of the furnaces exhibited .08 mL/100g to .10 mL/100g of hydrogen higher than its twin counterpart. In a separate investigation it was found that furnace controls were malfunctioning and the burners was not operating correctly. Feedstock. In the large-scale continuous casting operation, the feedstock was mainly hot metal from a nearby smelter mixed with some internal dry scrap. From this mixture it was not possible to observe the effect of feed material on hydrogen content. On the other hand, at the die casting facility all of the feed material was ingot from the same supplier. During one of the trials it was observed that every time an ingot

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was loaded into the furnace the hydrogen level would spike and then return to the steady state level. Fig. 13 shows hydrogen levels versus time for this observation. A sample of the ingot was sectioned and polished and a large quantity of hydrogen porosity was observed in the ingot. Fig. shows a photograph of the “gassy” ingot. A sample of ingot from another day of testing was also sectioned and polished. There were no observations of hydrogen level spiking and very little hydrogen porosity in the related ingot.

Conclusions In the continuous casting operation it is concluded that several aluminum alloys can be produced using the Ultra-D Ultrasonic Degassing System without the use of corrosive chemicals. Microstructural analysis revealed that the rolled rod did not reveal any porosity. In addition, rod produced through ultrasonic degassing had the same physical and mechanical characteristics of the rod produced through conventional degassing techniques. For the die-casting operation, the Ultra-D system provided a continuous assurance that the metal in the furnace had the lowest hydrogen content possible given the environmental conditions. Further, an analysis of micro/ macro structural properties revealed that the properties were signiﬁcantly enhanced when the metal was ultrasonically degassed. Additionally, it is concluded that the continuous degassing of a die casting furnace is beneﬁcial because of the uncertainty of the feed stock’s hydrogen content.

References 1. ASM International, Aluminum Alloy Castings: Properties, Processes, and Applications, Chapter 5, pg. 47. 2. Light Metals 1998, TMS, Peter D. Waite, Improved Metallurgical Understanding of the Alcan Compact Degasser After Two Years of Industrial Implementation in Aluminum Casting Plants. 3. V. Rundquist, K. Manchiraju and Q. & Han, 2015, Ultrasonic Degasing and Processing of Molten Aluminum Part II. Light Metals 2015, Cast Shop for Aluminum Production, (pp. 943-948).

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Victor Rundquist is an SCR development engineer for Southwire Company SCR Technologies, Carrollton, Georgia, USA. He has been with the company since 2006. He previously worked in the electrical engineering department of Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA, and for the NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, Rundquist USA. He holds an M.S. degree in electrical engineering and a bachelor’s degree in wireless engineering, both from Auburn. Kiran Manchiraju is Senior Director for Metals Research and Development for Southwire Company, Carrollton, Georgia, USA. He oversees all new technology development and integration, including product development/launch and tactical and strategic business planning. He previously was chief metallurgist. He joined the company in 1996. He holds an M.S. Manchiraju degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA, and an MBA from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia. This paper was presented at WAI’s 83rd Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2013.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS 90 | 63RD IWCS CONFERENCE PAPER

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TECHNICAL PAPERS 92 | 63RD IWCS CONFERENCE PAPER

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PRODUCTS AT INTERWIRE TECHNOLOGY New range of alloys are designed to handle the hottest demands

Aluminum wire lubricant is cleaner, has no viscosity woes

At Interwire, U.S.-based Rhenium Alloys, Inc. (RAI), showcased the company’s capabilities and solutions for high-temperature wire applications.

At Interwire, Bechem Lubrication Technology, LLC, introduced its latest innovation in water-dilutable products: the Unopol AL Series for aluminum wire drawing to the North American market that creates a more effective filtration process. The product was also the focus of a Production Solutions presentation at the company’s booth by Troy Carr (pictured), the company’s business development manager, metalworking lubricants, fluids & services. A press release said that the products, already in use by the company’s customers in the European and Asian markets, offer many advantages over traditional

Per John Nichols (pictured), the company’s business development director, RAI manufactures high-temperature compositions that include tungsten, tungsten rhenium, molybdenum, molybdenum rhenium and tungsten copper. These materials are manufactured into rod, wire, plate, sheet and foil. It also blends specific powders for specialized applications and high-temperature refractory metal wire rod and tubing for medical applications. Focusing on wire, the company notes at its website that its rhenium wire is 99.99% pure and has high strength and excellent ductility. It also offers molybdenum-47.5%-rhenium wire used in welding, electronics and wire mesh grids for the space industries and tungsten-rhenium wire, a staple in thermocouples and electronics products. All wire compositions are available in a full range of sizes to meet your requirements. The key to product development is that RAI has been a manufacturer of powder metallurgy high temperature refractory metals since 1966. RAI’s employees have many years of experience working with refractory metals and are experts in manufacturing high temperature raw materials. The company also has full lab capabilities to test and articulate full mechanical properties and chemical analysis on all its materials. Industries that RAI serves include aerospace and defense, LED, medical, semiconductor and high-temperature furnace applications. Contact: John Nichols, Rhenium Alloys, Inc., tel. 440-309-2076, John.Nichols@rhenium.com, www.rhenium.com.

94 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

straight-oil products used in the aluminum wire drawing industry. Even with the advent of low-viscosity, high-lubricity products like the company’s Berudraw AL Series, filtration eventually becomes more challenging. As the aluminum oxides build in straight oils, the oil becomes higher in viscosity and more difficult to filter. As viscosity rises, additives are needed to reduce the viscosity or it will result in higher carry-off in the filtration process. The new Unopol AL Series, used at concentrations of 20-25% for drawing aluminum rod and lower concentrations for multiwire and fine applications, offers a distinct cost savings versus the 100% of straight oils. It also is a safer product due to the reduction of oil mist and slippery surfaces. The series can also be used on rod machines that process EC grade aluminum and typical aluminum alloys required in the electronics industry. Its use eliminates cross contamination of a straight oil rod product, providing a cleaner wire surface after drawing that does not collect dust and dirt. Contact: Troy Carr, Bechem Lubrication Technology, LLC, tel. 440-561-6001, carr@bechem.com, www.bechem.com.

Steel Cable Reels (SCR), part of Cabrol Group, presented a complete Knock Down Steel Reel™ at the booth that was built to NEMA standards at Interwire. Per the company, staff was able to assemble the 78-in. reel in less than 30 minutes. The innovative and robust design was very well received by cable manufacturers as a ﬂatbed truck is typically able to load only nine assembled 78 in. reels, but can easily handle 45 of them when they have been broken down. That ability represents signiﬁcant transportation savings for cable and utility companies. And, as the parts are interchangeable, the reels can be recycled time and again.

Service is also an important capability for SCR, whose service teams are able to provide reel assembly and recycle services on site in North and South America. The team is currently working on recycling over 5,000 steel reels at various locations. With a combination of parts and skillful tweaking of existing one-piece reels, SCR is able to convert them into reusable condition. Since a lot of cable manufacturers hold existing inventory of reels, this conversion helps them recycle reels and optimize resources. SCR also provides logistics and coordination services for a turnkey solution. With three manufacturing locations and a distribution network, SCR annually serves the global supply chain over 27,000 reels. The company also does custom work, which includes reels as large as 14 ft. that were designed and developed by its in-house engineering team. Contact: Keshal Parekh, Steel Cable Reels, tel. 713-851-5713, kparesh@scrholdings.com, www.steelcablereels.com.

Visit our stand #270 at Interwire 2015

A 3D approach to industry software Returning to Interwire for the seventh straight time, U.K.-based Cimteq, suppliers of CableBuilder software for the wire and cable industry, showcased a new product: CableBuilder3D.

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Large steel knock-down reels fit very compactly, able to be easily shipped

international operators) ISO 9001, ISO 14001, I production capacity dur production capacity by around 2.5 million km o new plant will also prov The release said that t high-voltage cables for 150 kV. The facility wil the infrastructural energ as the export market, “f A press release said that the new product further hubasto serve secures CableBuilders reputation the best cable the most ad design system in the world. It fully integrates into the3Dproject and beginnin CableBuilder and has extensive modelling graphics abilities, engineering drawing generation and full CAD The two projects, whi capabilities. The system can take designs generated in CableBuilder and automatically transform themmillion, into 3D about €30 were near-photorealistic drawings negating the need to hire in a photographer or subcontract out to an external graph- with Pry Battista, along ics agency. The images can be integrated into datasheets to provide much more professional literature that can Fanciulli, during a press then be supplied to the cable makers own customers for use in their marketing material both on and ofﬂine. Minister Victor Ponta, t Minister of Finances Da Mihai Tudose. “These n Our great British plan already started in 2 welders arelion,” it said. hard to beat The company also rep Meet Stuart, workshop foreman and cold to study a submarine co weld expert. He’s been making and testing our machines and dies for over 15 The Prysmian Group sig years, helping customers improve production and reduce costs. Whatever you’re welding, you’ll Romanian Transmission find PWM products dependable, accurate and extremely good tial development of a su value. Just like Stuart. and Turkey. The goal is Find out more at www.pwmltd.co.uk suppliers the opportunit Video demo countries such as Turke www.pwmltd.co.uk three production faciliti it has a long track recor ed in various regions. MADE IN THE 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

New PWM welders and dies available only from PWM or authorised distributors.

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

JUNE 2015 | 95

INTERWIRE PREVIEW FEATURE PRODUCTS

GENCA ........................................940 Filtertech, Inc..............................1049 Enkotec Company Inchighlighted ..................108 The company also CableMES, a cable-specific Manufacturing Execution System (MES) General Copper...........................2160 Fine International Corporation.....332 Enshang Machinery based on theCoWonderware platform. Companies Enterprise Ltd.......................666 W Gillies Technologies, LLC ......958 FinopticsrecogInc ...............................1801 nize that MES is fastBakir becoming a “must have” when ER-Bakir Elektrolitik AS ...924 Gimax Srl......................................140 Fiskability Alloy Inc .............................2140 it comes to cable manufacturing due to the ERA Wire Inc ...............................354 GMP Slovakia Sro........................758 FLYMCA & FLYRO .................1907 to reduce manufacturing costs, improve quality and Ernst Koch GmbH & Co............1358 increase performance. Golden Technologies Wire & FMS USA, Inc ..............................618 Cimteq CEO...............................806 Ali Shehab said that bothFoerster productInstruments were Cable Equipment Co, Ltd .... 912/06 Esteves Group Inc ..............1814 well Products, received by at Interwire. “It was great to Granite Falls Furnace .................1562 Etna Inc attendees ......................1706 Cable Materials Group..512/03 see some of our existing customers and Forever hear their feedGuangzhou Hanstar Fluoro-Plastic Euroalpha Srl ................................558 Wayne back and success stories. We received a Fort lot of appre-Wire Die, Inc..........1532 Insulated Wires Co, Ltd....... 412/07 Eurobend ........................1058 ciation forGmbH the responsive and professional support we Fortune Machinery .....................1053 Guill Tool & Engineering ............211 provide.Spa …....................................858 We look forward to returning againSrlin....................................1739 two Eurolls Fridea years.” ......................................132 Guney Celik ..................................652 EuroWire USA Inc ........................1739 Contact: Ali Shehab, Cimteq Ltd., tel. Frigeco 44-19786Hafner designed & Krulmann .........370 The freestanding machine, for GmbH wire sizes 5 George Evans Corp ......................711 Frigerio USA Inc ........................1739 6422, info@cimteq.com, www.cimteq.com. mm to 12.50 mm forvom copper and&5 Funke mm to....................140 15 mm for Hagen EVG Inc ........................................150 Frontier Composites & Castings..215 aluminum, is low maintenance and simple to operate. Hall Industries ...........................1032 Evolution Products, Inc ................133 The EP500 is pneumatically powered and electronically Cold-pressure welder provides hot ......................................2128 FSP-One Ultrasonic Co, ........2011 controlled, so needs Handuk only a compressed air Ltd supply and Fabritex, ..................................616 Fuhr GmbH...................................752 resultsInc for copper and aluminum access to a single-phase electrical supply. No set up time Hangzhou Harbor Technology Fastener Engineers .....................2056 At Interwire, PWM, represented in the U.S. by Joe Snee .....................2158 Gateway Recovery Ltd ............................... is necessary. Once theCo, operator has set the weld 1512-11 parameFenn LLC....................................1955 Associates, showcased two of the company’s models. Groupters, Gauder/Gauder ..................424 the programmable controller (PLC) takes pneuHangzhou JR Exhibition Cothe .............. A press release said that the PWM’s electro/pneumatFIB Belgium SA.........................1358 matic system through 217/306/318/1917/1919 the required sequence. The weld Gavlick Machinery Corp ............1053 ic EP500 cold pressure welder (pictured) provides wire cycle takes only a minute to complete, and the machine Fil-Tec Inc ..................................1502 Gem Gravure Hariton Machinery Co, Inc ..........147 and cable manufacturers with a cost-effective methodCo Inc ....................706 is quiet, clean, and energy efficient. Operating instrucof permanently welding large non-ferrous rod sections. tions are provided in seven languages. A second model, the smaller air/ Visit our stand #711 at Interwire 2015 hydraulic HP100 cold pressure welder for joining wire and strip 1 mm to 5 mm, has a solid steel welding head for extra strength and stability. This is mounted on a trolley, enabling the operator to roll the machine to the work area, saving time and effort. The HP100 is easily activated by hand or foot and, using the multiple upset technique, will complete the cold pressure weld quickly and efficiently. PWM produces manual and powered cold welders for nonferrous wire, strip and profile from 0.10 mm to 30 mm. Contact: PWM, tel. 44-1233820847, pwm@btinternate.com, www.pwmltd.co.uk; and in the U.S., Joe Snee Associates, tel. 774-9910504, joe@jsnee.com.

Future of continuous rotary extrusion is now

U.K.-based Meltech™ showcased the future of continuous rotary extrusion (CRE) with the introduction of Strongform™, a new generation CRE machine for nonferrous metals at Interwire. 72 96 || WIRE WIRE JOURNAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

“CRE machinery has been fundamentally the same for the past 40 years, but Strongform ... (helps manufacturers achieve unprecedented gains in process efficiency and product quality, it will reduce their capital outlay and operating costs due to the simplification of a number of key machine components. We are typically experiencing OEE rates of 85% and OTIF rates of 95%. Strongform™ was recently recognized by U.K. manufacturing organization EEF with its North West “Smart Product of the Year” award. Contact: Meltech Engineering, Ltd., tel. 44-1254691488, sales@meltech.co.uk.

CRE machines are typically used for processing aluminum, copper and their alloys, for a broad range of applications including electrical conductors, busbars, power cables, power generators, refrigeration and air conditioning tubes. In copper processing, flash (waste) generated is typically cut by half due to the accuracy of the new machine. JUNE 2015 | 97

FEATURE PRODUCTS

Per the company. Strongform re-thinks the conventional CRE machine with a unique cantilevered extrusion wheel and a substantially more robust machine configuration. It uniquely allows full visibility of the extrusion process and direct access to the extrusion tooling enabling much greater process control and efficiency. “This is a first in continuous rotary extrusion,” said Meltech CRE Sales Director Peter Drever, who noted the following. “The ability to see the extrusion process in action and make fine adjustments gives complete control to the machine user allowing much tighter product tolerances and a consistently higher quality product.” “With easier access to the extrusion tooling, Strongform can reduce CRE machine set-up times from hours to minutes, and reduce downtime for maintenance and tool changes by up to 90%. The incorporation of a new heat recovery process that allows waste energy to be recovered can also yield significant energy savings, around 30%.

ADVARIS GmbH Tel. 49-7251-981760 www.advaris.com Solutions offered for heat-treating, cleaning and coating of steel wire info@advaris.com Canada’s QED Wire Lines, Inc., spread the good word at Interwire about the company’s equipment for heat-treatGermany Booth ing, cleaning and coating of steel wire.551

™

chemistry laboratories. and greases. Technical support serContact: Rich Reed, Electrolock Inc., to increase productivity and rich@electrolock.com, www.wirecableinsulation. M AB vices com. provide cost savings. Personnel: Andrew Turner, 905-669-4010 Die lines meet Stuart Duff,can Matt East.multiple needs

INTERWIRE PREVIEW

FEATURE PRODUCTS

pose of promoting the image alian technology in the field of hines and products for the wire cable manufacturing industry. It Proprietary mica tale offers non-profi t voluntary association even greater performance Electrolock Inc. announced at Interwire plays antheU.S.-based important international addition of Pyrodox to its current line of wire and cable insulation products. of cooperation in improving the A press release said that the proprietary brand of tape uses muscovite mica and phlogopite mica tion andmica of the performance, major to organization provide the proper high temperature fire survival, and the durability to insulate wire e and cable trade shows. ACIMAF and cable from extreme temperatures while maininfo@roloil.com team taining circuit integrity. Pyrodox comes in several makes USA proposals conchnolstyles – Booth GP 300, 771 GPand 400, GPworks 500, GM 500, and GP 600 – each with varying specifications for thickness, ctively to improve weight, mica content,coordination and more to serve oil exploration, military and defense, aerospace, and any other ween its industries member companies that require high-quality micaand tapes to withstand extreme temperatures. The product comes Italian Trade (ICE) in slit padsCommission and traverse packs.for the Exhibiting: Lubricants roll“We are very excited to release our own propriing of bar, wire, promotes marketing activity aimed etaryand branddrawing of mica tape,” saysrod, Electrolock National Product profi Manager noted that since tubes, lesRich andReed, strip.who lubricants enetrating markets thethe more 1957,the the company has beenof serving wire and for fastener production, heat treatcable industry by designing, manufacturing, and ment andhigh protectives, metalworking converting temperature insulation for wire and fitable geographical regions. cable applications at its state-of-the-art electrical and lubricants, plant maintenance oils

Exhibiting: Under the motto “Always a twist ahead,” Germanybased ADVARIS will present its new generation of “Advaris Cable,” its tried-and-tested software solution for the sector. Managing Director Dr. Manfred Moser says, “Advaris Cable is the most comprehensive, fully integrated operations manageNew-generation of cable software builds onsystem the manufacturer’s ment for cablelegacy and wire proAt Interwire, Germany’s ADVARIS GmbH presented its new generation of “Advaris Cable,” a tried-and-tested ducers available on the market toda software solution for wire and cable industry. Per ADVARIS Managing Director Dr. Manfred Moser, (We) support all aspects of cable “Advaris Cable is the most comprehensive, fully integrated operations management system for cable and wire manufacturing, from product data producers available on the market today. (We) support all aspects of cable manufacturing, from product data management through production to management through production to warehouse management and sales.” At its website, the company notes that the ADVARIS warehouse management and sales. Cable Solution supports the entire business process for the technical, commercial and logistical order handling Personnel: Manfred Moser. of a cable factory. Beside the standard functions of an

Per the company, its product focus is custom designed and built high-speed lines for galvanizing, Galfan®, patenting, annealing and oil-tempering processes. Combining innovative design concepts with 30 years of practical experience, we have developed a range of products and equipment that is both technologically advanced and ruggedly dependable. The company also supplies the latest development in HighTurbulence® pickling and galvanizing technology. Our multiple stage cleaning systems have high-turbulence acid that greatly accelerates the pickling process. Now with computer control and nitrogen wiping in galvanizing, Galfan offers significant savings and accurate coating weights. Contact: QED Wire Lines, Inc., tel. 450-458-1200, sales@qedwire.com, www.qedwire.com.

At Interwire, Microdia USA showcased a range of the w.acmab.com company’s extrusion technology. QED Wire Lines The company offered Inc. multiple products for attendees s@howarequipment.com to consider. These included: ECOMEX 30, a crossTel. 450-458-1200 head specially engineered to optimize the production eden/Canada Booth 1320 www.qedwire.com speed of new ecological compounds sensitive to stress, mechanical friction, high pressure and overheating; hibiting:sales@qedwire.com Tools20Booth designed to crosshead save with CV ECOMEX THRG,952 a thermostatic Canada tube attachlation compound usage andcuring $$$s ment and gum space adjustment means of controlling wall thickt its from the rear; MICROFLEX , plus 9000 07 TL, a fine ses. Cable cross-section measureal cold wire, triple-layer prodcrosshead with a fixed center head with fine manual tunnt and data acquisition equipment Exhibiting: QED specializes ing for micro skin-foamskin, medical tubes and more; nee in equipment for center heat-treating, AVANTIS 50, a fixed crosshead for power cable; morACMcleaning will beand10displayed and operand AVANTIS FO, a fixed coating ofcenter steelcrosshead wire. for optical fiber buffering with injection jelly fitting and precient, for all Custom to seedesigned the extremely and built, ourprecise sion injection microtube centering, deploying an entry d high-speed are for galvanizing, guiding plate tolines guarantee multiple fibers have perfect ERP system, it also provides a wide range of functions quick method of performing all matic ® positioning and stability. Galfan , patenting, annealing and required specifically in this industrial sector, such as Contact: Alban Adams, Microdia USA, tel. 860-495ve cable design, detailed oil-tempering processes. Combining -dimensional cable measurements. Aeroel Srl planning of the individual lengths 5788, alban.adams@microdia.ch, www.microdia.ch. and spool sizes for production or metal billing. errous innovative design concepts with 30 oKSM 15 model also allows quality Tel. 39-0432-671301 years of practical experience, we lic 98 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL have developed range ofthe products trol departments toatrack efﬁwww.aeroel.it 5 and equipment that is both techno-

High-speed tape splicer is ideal for high-speed extrusion taping

The ADVARIS modules can also be implemented individually, for example, to improve an existing ERP system. Smaller solutions for sub-areas, such as plant data collection, production scheduling or cable design can be implemented in the same way as the rollout of comprehensive all-in solutions for the entire order handling process. Contact: ADVARIS GmbH, tel. 49-7251-981760, info@advaris.com, www.advaris.com.

Recycling capabilities based on both experience and long-term relationships At Interwire, Gateway Recovery, Inc., showcased the company’s expertise and ability to serve the wire and cable industry. Per the company’s website, Gateway Recovery was founded by Chris Delzell and Charlie Rowe in 2000 as a full service scrap metal recycling and processing facility, and since then it has been expanded the range of services it offers. For wire and cable, the company annually processes more than 20 million pounds of insulated wire and bare wire. It services many of the leading wire and cable manufacturers, able to handle products such as flat wire, specialty wire and plated wire. It can source both domestic and export markets. Gateway Recovery notes that it “buys, sells and brokers nonferrous and ferrous metals in virtually any form. Whether you manufacture wire and cable, or aluminum seat supports, (we) can be your scrap buyer and processor. We can help you handle your scrap more efficiently and treat the environment better at the same time.” The company recycles industrial and commercial scrap metal for companies across North Carolina, the Mid-Atlantic and throughout the United States,and can provide both quick and efficient service as well as provide solutions for difficult to handle scrap metal. The company states that its philosophy “is to build solid, long term relationships with our customers,

At Interwire, Dynamex Corporation presented the newest version of the company’s patented automatic tape-splicer for high-speed taping at the extruder. Per the company, the model is the first low-cost, small footprint, longitudinal taping system with fully automatic on-the-fly tape splicing at full line-speed. This innovative process enables taping continuously with unattended automatic splices at constant tension. Payoff is PLC controlled, with digital AC drives, and runs up to 1,500 FPM. It operates with AL/PE, PE, Mylar, Kraft, tissue, waterswellable, etc. The tape leaves the payoff and is redirected to the wire-line and enters the tape-folder that folds it around the core prior to entering the extruder. Models are now available for flat pads, traversed pads, or universal for both styles, up to 3 in. wide tape.

For taping in a cabling line, Dynamex offers non-driven two position tape payoffs, for flat pads, traverse pads, both styles, for single or two tape operation. These units operate best with “Dial-In-Angle” tape redirection units, delivering the tape to the cable at the correct angle. Dynamex offers newly designed rugged single-twist cablers and bunchers (CU and AL offered for 36 in./1000 mm, 48 in./1250 mm). Contact: Dynamex Corporation, tel. 310-329-0399, sales@dynamexcorp.com, www.dynamexcorp.com. JUNE 2015 | 99

FEATURE PRODUCTS

based on trust and integrity. Our goal is to provide premium service to our customers and to ensure the reliability of our scrap to our consumers.” It also notes that it is committed to being a good steward of the environment. “Our non exposure ground water runoff permit coupled with our newly installed oil recovery system ensures that we treat the environment as well as we treat our customers.” Contact: Gateway Recovery, tel. 704-883-8642, info@gatewayrecovery.net, www.gatewayrecovery.net.

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES PRODUCTION MANAGER. Nexans, a worldwide leader in the cable industry is seeking a Production Manager for our Energy Division at our Chester NY facility. This position will manage production according to output demand, safety, scrap targets, efﬁciencies and the budget. Requires well developed leadership skills with the ability to motivate, coach and facilitate continuous improvement. A degree in Engineering or Business along with 3 to 5 years management experience in a manufacturing environment is required. Send resume to corinne.

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allendorf@nexans.com. Visit www. nexans.com. SALES ENGINEER. An opportunity exists for a qualified candidate to fill a new position of Sales Engineer. Responsibilities will include up to 50% travel calling on established accounts as well as cultivating new ones. Must be well organized and able to work independently from a home office. Desired qualifications: 5+ years’ experience in the wire and cable industry, excellent verbal and written communication skills, proficient with MS Office, dependable with a high level of integrity. Salary to be

FOR SALE 1 - OMA 48-Carrier Braider w/Caterpuller, 2012 1 - COBRA 450 36-Carrier Braider 1 - HACOBA Model DF24 24-Carrier Braider 12 - WARDWELL 24-Carrier Braiders 8 - WARDWELL 12-Carrier Braiders 1 - NEB 72-C #2 Braider, Long Legs, Motor 1 - REEL-O-MATIC 24” Caterpuller Capstan 1 - FARRIS 30” Caterpuller Capstan 2 - ROYLE 24”, 48” Belt Wrap Capstans 1 - VITECK 36” Belt Wrap Capstan, CBW-36-D 2 - NEB 12-Wire 8” Vertical Planetary Cablers 1 - ALLARD 30” S.T. Closer 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 4.5” 24:1 Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 3.5” Rubber Extruder 2 - DAVIS STANDARD 2”, 2.5” Hi-Temp Extruders 1 - ENTWISTLE 2” 24:1 Extruder 1 - DAVIS STANDARD 1.5” 24:1 Extruder 1 - AFA 84” Portal Payoff 2 - TULSA 96” Payoffs, Model CTPO-30, 2005 Commission

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1 - SKALTEK 1600mm Payoff, Model A16-4K 2 - TEC 2-Position 16” Powered Payoffs 1 - DYNAMEX Tape Payoff, Model TPB30-2-D 2 - TULSA 96” Gantry Traversing Take-ups, GTU-30 1 - SPHEREX 18” Dual Reel Take-up, refurbed 1 - CLIPPER Model SP16 Dual Spooler 1 - AL-BE Model MS12 Respooler, 18” Reels 7 - KINREI 560mm D.T. Twisters 1 - METEOR Model ME301 3-Head Winder 1 - TEC Model DTC630 D.T. Twister 1 - ENTWISTLE 4WDT24 4-W 24” D.T. Twister 2 - NEWMCO 16” D.T. Quadders 1 - METRONIC AlphaJet C Inkjet Printer, 2005 1 - HALL Tape Accumulator 1 - WARBRICK “Chalkmaster” Talc Applicator 2 - IMCS Bulk Bag Unloaders, 4,000lb capacity 1 - EUBANKS Model 4000-04 C/S Machine 1 - SCHLEUNIGER Model UC3750 Cutter 1 - SCHLEUNIGER Model HS4500 Hot Stamper 1 - SCHLEUNIGER Model CT32 Crimper 1 - SCHLEUNIGER Model CC36 CrimpCenter

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agreed upon. Please forward your resume in complete conﬁdentiality to. Q_Cables@yahoo.com or to WJI (address at top page) at Blind Box 6-1.

PERSONNEL SERVICES “LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting ﬁrm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry Manufacturers to secure the services of 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.

DIES APOLLO DIA-CARB COMPANY Sells Natural/PCD diamond dies. Fair prices/excellent lead times. Contact Paulette, Owner/Sales Tel. #1 (508) 226-0946 E-mail: apollodie@comcast.net.

MACHINERY 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.

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MEDIA THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, by Gary Conner describes Six Sigma and how it is used by smaller companies. Published by SMA, it costs Price, $95, $75 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 specializing in the education and application of data analysis techniques to industrial problem solving. The list price is $45, $40 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store. SIX SIGMA AND OTHER IMPROVEMENT TOOLS FOR THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS CAPABILITY STUDY. Creating a universal language for problem solving, this 135-page indexed booth (published in 2011) was written by industry expert Douglas B. Relyea, founder of Quality Principle Associates, a New England-based consulting firm specializing in the education and application of data analysis techniques to industrial problem solving. The book includes: the benefits of statistical process control over statistical product control; real-world industrial examples and case studies showing how to use the techniques;

102 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ways for management to determine if the investment in process capability studies is providing an appropriate return; methods to correct lack of stability and capability once either condition has been identified, such as the ANOVA technique and the simple three-factor designed experiment; and a flow chart that enables machine operators to execute a process capability study without interfering with productivity. The list price is $45, $40 for WAI members, plus shipping. 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 brochure about its product line, which included wire rope, copper magnet and electrical wire, screens and hardware cloth, aircord and aircraft strand, flat and braided wire, PC wire and strand, galvanized bridge wire, among others. To maximize quality, the Roeblings started drawing their own wire in the 1850s, rolling bars into rods in the 1870s, and making their own steel in the 1900s. Wire is the binding thread through 125 years of Roebling and American industrial history. The price is $75, $50 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store. STEEL WIRE TECHNOLOGY, 4TH EDITION. This 348-page indexed book by Per Enghag, published in 2009, represents a bridge between theory and practice, providing useful information as well as new

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.

material for both veteran wire industry people as well as mechanical engineering students. The newest edition includes two new chapters: Roller Dies, and Modeling and Simulation. Other topics include: wire rod preparation and scale removal; drafting; tribology, lubricant carriers and lubricants; wiredrawing machines and other wiredrawing machinery; drawing dies and die preparation; wire cleaning; material behavior in a die; heat treatment; drawing force and power; surface coating; work hardening; and wire testing. Some chapters have been updated to present new production and testing methods. The Steel chapter, now Steel and Steel Standards, includes a review of global steel standards. The Heat Treatment chapter now includes oxygen potential data (Ellingham diagrams) as well as thermodynamic principles. Diffusion processes have been introduced and utilized for decarburization calculations. The book is useful as a practical resource for technicians, supplementary reading for students in mechanical engineering, or as course literature within a company. Author Per Enghag has more than 30 years of experience in metals. After starting his career as director of The Swedish School of Mining and Metallurgy in the 1960s, he moved to steel wire products producer Garphyttan in the 1970s. He has operated his own company, Materialteknik HB, in Örebro, Sweden, since 1980. The price is $110, $95 for WAI members, plus shipping. To purchase, go to wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

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

AlphaGary Corp ...........................................Cover 2 Anbao Wire & Mesh Co Ltd .................................24 Beta LaserMike/NDC Technologies ......................1 Cable Consultants Corp ......................................55 Carris Reels Inc ...........................................Cover 4 Cemanco ...............................................................24 Commission Brokers Inc ...................................101 Esteves Group USA .............................................78 Eurobend GmbH...................................................14 Eurolls SpA ...........................................................67 Eurotek Srl ............................................................77 George Evans Corp..............................................96 Fenn ...................................................................... 75 FMS USA Inc .........................................................50 Foerster Instruments Inc .....................................63 Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc ......................................71 Gauder Group .......................................................51 Howar Equipment.................................................59 Huestis Industrial .................................................22

Inosym Ltd ......................................................11, 48 Joe Snee Associates Inc .....................................69 KEIR Manufacturing Inc.......................................15 Messe Dusseldorf Asia ........................................29 Metal Flex Co Ltd..................................................97 Micro Products Co ...............................................39 NDC Technologies/Beta LaserMike ......................1 Niehoff GmbH & Co KG .......................................17 Paramount Die Co ................................................73 Pressure Welding Machines Ltd .........................95 Proton Products International Ltd ................35, 61 Queins Machines GmbH ......................................57 Rainbow Rubber & Plastics Inc ............................2 REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc ......................23 SAMP USA Inc ......................................................49 Sanxin Wire Die Inc ..............................................13 Sheaves Inc...........................................................70 SIKORA AG .............................................................7 Sjogren Industries Inc ....................................52-53

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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE Steel Cable Reels .................................................60 August Strecker GmbH & Co KG........................27 Talladega Castings and Machine Co Inc..............4 Teknor Apex Co ....................................................79 Tubular Products Co ............................................19 Vandor Corporation .............................................31 WAFIOS Machinery Corp ............................Cover 3 Windak Group .........................................................5 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp .............................9 wire Southeast Asia .............................................29 WTM Srl .................................................................68 Wyrepak Industries ........................................62, 74 Zumbach Electronics Corp .................................25

August 2015 WJI Auxiliary Equipment wire Southeast Asia preview

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ADS WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Interwire 2015 Sponsors/Volunteers . . . . . . 40-41 GCCF Sponsors/Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46-47 Wire Expo 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

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Advertising Deadline: July 1

Midwest Technical Center Now Open

WAFIOS is expanding its footprint in Nor th America with a superior level of suppor t and technical resources available through the WAFIOS Midwest Technical Center. • Machine Showroom • Interactive Demonstrations • Application and Process Development • Training classes for Spring Coiling and Forming, Wire Bending and Tube Bending - Basic Process Setup - Advanced Process Optimization - Machine Maintenance • In-house Exhibitions

iQ Functions Demonstrated iQ autopitch Automatic Pitch and Diameter Correction

iQ control

In-Process-Control of Spring Length and End Position

bend Automated Optimization of Bending Sequences

inspect Automated Measurement and Correction of Program Data

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Wire Bending & Forming Machines

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WAFIOS Machinery Corporation 27 NE Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405 USA Phone: 203-481-5555 / Fax: 203-481-9854 A Subsidiary of WAFIOS AG Precision Machinery for Wire, Tube and Formed Parts

Visit our stand #1350 at Interwire 2015