WIRE & CABLE IN THE NEWS Cable system well on its way to providing much-needed access

On Dec. 9, 2022, the 2Africa cable landed in South Africa. It’s still got a ways to go, but when complete, sometime either late this year or early 2024, the 2Africa cable system will have realized an ambitious goal, one that will also have used more than 45,000 km of subsea cable from Alcatel Submarine Systems.

Per the latest update from 2Africa (see www.2africacable.net), more landings will follow as the cable is extended to a total of 46 locations by the completion of the project in 2024. One of the world’s largest such projects, it will connect Europe, the Middle East and 19 countries in Africa—with reliable internet capacity. It will support the growth of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband access for hundreds of millions of people and businesses.

2Africa will connect 33 countries in total. It will have four landings in South Africa and two each in Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia and Egypt, for a total of 27 landings in Africa and 46 in total. It will deliver more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables serving Africa today. The design capacity is up to 180 Tbps for key parts of the system.

The partners for the project are China Mobile International, Meta, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC.

2Africa is the first cable system designed to serve the whole of Africa, interconnecting the east and west seaboards of Africa. The cable further supports the continent by providing full connectivity to the Middle East, India and Pakistan, bringing seamless international connectivity to up to three billion people.

2Africa is expected to have a design capacity of up to 180Tbps at launch on key parts of the system. Future upgrade capability will be dependent on developments in optical engineering over the coming years. The current schedule calls for cable completion date in 2023/early 2024.

1st copper bar cast at Southwire rod plant that has world’s most advanced SCR system

Southwire announced that on Jan. 21, at 12:45 pm, the company’s new copper rod plant in Carrollton, Georgia, achieved a key milestone: the official start-up and first cast copper bar by the world’s largest and most sophisticated Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR®) system.

A press release said that through cutting-edge technology and practices, the new rod plant will produce more copper rod than any other SCR system, while encompassing a smaller environmental footprint. In support of Southwire’s Carbon Zero initiative to achieve 100% carbon free energy for our operations by 2025, Southwire is partnering with Carroll EMC to us all renewable electricity for the facility.

“It is truly an exciting day for Southwire,” said Will Berry, senior vice president of Modernization. “Our company is where it is today because of these copper rod plants, and starting up a new copper rod system is like starting a brand new chapter in our history. It’s a great time to be at this point; a perfect moment to build on all that we have already accomplished.”

“This place gives you energy. You can feel the anticipation around this facility and this system, and I’m proud of the team that has worked diligently to get the plant up and running. I believe that we’re sending a message to the local community that we’re here for the long haul and, at the same time, providing an international showcase for SCR technology.”

Elettrotek Kabel SpA reports that it has acquired Italy’s Controlcavi Industria Srl

Elettrotek Kabel SpA (EK Group) has acquired Controlcavi Industria Srl—an Italian manufacturer of fire-resistant electrical cables for the marine, onshore and offshore petrochemical industry—and the trading company that owned it.

A press release said that the deal for the business, now called CCI Cable Service, will expand the scope of the EK Group, enabling it to continue the growth path it has been on since its founding in 2001. The EK Group now has 250 employees and annual revenues topping 150 million euros in its three divisions: electrical cable production, cable harness production and assembly and its worldwide commercial distribution.

The Italian manufacturer of low- and medium-voltage cables was formed in 1981. It operated with headquarters in Bernate Ticino (MI) and Milan, under its trading company, CCI Cable Service Srl. Products from the company, which is known for its FIREBAR® fire-resistant technology, have been approved by many of the world’s largest industrial, naval and petroleum groups.

Southwire first patented its SCR technology in 1963. That advance, it noted, transformed the wire and cable industry, as more than half of all copper rod in the world has passed through a SCR system in some capacity.

In 1981, Southwire started the operation of its current copper rod system in Carrollton, and four decades later, copper continues to be the primary source of metal for the company’s wire and cable operations.

“On December 9, more than 40 years ago, my dad drove my siblings and I to the existing rod plant,” said Lee Richards, Southwire board member and son of the company’s founder, Roy Richards, Sr., during the groundbreaking for the new facility. “The plant was completed, and we watched it start production that night. ... My dad always believed that there was a more efficient way to make copper and aluminum rod, and the SCR system development was the result of this belief.”

“Mr. Richards’ philosophy was ‘build it big, and grow into it,’ and we’re already growing into it,” Berry said.

EK Group President & CEO Robert Gallingani said that CCI Cable Service represents a perfect fit as the company share its values and entrepreneurial culture. “This knowledge alignment will result into an easy integration between the two companies, with subsequent growth of the EK Group in markets where track records, approvals and 40 years of experience are fundamental.”

Gallingani said the deal also respects the will of the recently deceased sole director and owner of the CCI Cable Service group, Gianpaolo Brambilla, to continue the company’s development path pursued by two generations, to preserve the excellence achieved and company values.

Kern-Liebers expands Mexican plant

Germany’s Kern-Liebers, a manufacturer of highly complex strip and wire parts and assemblies has expanded its Mexican production plant in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, with an investment of US$10 million.

A press release said that the plant will produce 50 million high-precision parts for the automotive, medical and consumer goods industries, from seat belts and lifelines to tape measures and window springs. The expansion will also create some 300 jobs.

Kern-Liebers has been present in Nuevo León since June 2019, when the first phase of this plant began operating. Due to the growing demand from customers in North America, the company has added 3,387 sq mt of surface area, an expansion of about 50%. Timm Jenisch, senior vice president for North America, said that it is important for Kern-Liebers to be present in North America, the largest commercial market in the world. “We are convinced that Nuevo León is the ideal location to be in this region, due to its geographical location, excellent connectivity and favorable conditions for the industry.”

The company has plants in the U.S. and Mexico that manufacture springs and wires, as well as other products. The ceremony was attended by local officials as well as Dr. Erek Speckert, the company’s CEO and chairman of the Management Board.

Private equity fund extends its wire industry portfolio by acquiring 2 manufacturers

Auxo Investment Partners reported that it has acquired two U.S. manufacturers—TACK Electronics and Morgan Royce Industries (MRI)—for an undisclosed price.

A press release said that the two companies manufacture custom wire harnesses, cable assemblies and box builds for the semiconductor equipment, aerospace and defense, gaming, medical, transportation and energy equipment industries. The additions follow Auxo’s purchase of wire and harness manufacturer Golden State Assembly, and help expand the firm’s growing wire platform.

TACK Electronics, Inc., based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, produces custom wire harnesses and assemblies for a wide variety of electronic applications. Per its website, the business was founded in 1996 by George Maines and his wife Linda in a two-stall garage, and grew over the years. It is now run by their son, Todd Gaines, who later became CEO, and is expected to continue in that role.

Morgan Royce Industries (MRI), based in Fremont, California, was founded in 1991. It specializes in turnkey, and consignment, cable, wire harness, PCP assemblies, box builds, upgrades, reconfigurations, repairs, and more. It is headed by CEO Larry Johnston, who is also expected to remain in that role.

Golden State Assembly provides harnesses and other products for sectors that include automotive, solar, power, medical, semiconductor and agriculture equipment.

Primetals to upgrade Swiss wire rod mill

Swiss-based AFV Beltrame Stahl Gerlafingen (AFV) has chosen Primetals Technologies to upgrade its wire rod mill in the town of Gerlafingen.

A press release said that the contract calls for Primetals to supply AFV an intelligent pinch roll and a high-speed laying head. The equipment will improve production performance by ensuring uniform packaging of the coils. By improving coil packaging, the reheating furnace can be fully utilized, and the overall coil can be shortened for ease of transportation. Startup is set for summer 2023.

The wire rod mill produces 600,000 tons of coils per year while the bar outlet has an annual capacity of 80,000 tons of bars. Both machines are fed from the same roughing and intermediate mill train. The upgrades will reduce vibration levels and wear, and provide better control. For electrics, new AC motors will be supplied for the pinch roll and laying head, and technological control will be realized with a Simatic S7-1500 PLC controller.

Stahl Gerlafingen is part of the larger AFV Beltrame group, Europe’s leading producer of merchant bars. The largest producer of recycled steel in Switzerland, Stahl Gerlafingen primarily produces rebar for domestic and international markets.

ASN to supply more than a thousand km of subsea cable for upgraded order

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) will supply approximately 1,030 km of cable for a new subsea project off the west coast of Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Per multiple media sources, the announcement represents an expansion of the contract that was previously reported last year. The cable for the revised system will have 20 Tbps per fiber pair, for a total capacity of 480 Tbps on the route that will connect Mazara del Vallo in Sicily and Genoa, and 320 Tbps on the branch to Rome.

ASN was chosen by the Unitirreno Submarine Network to supply the cable. Orange Marine subsidiary Elettra Tlc will complete the survey and installation services. The system is expected to be in service in 2025.

Unitirreno reports that this will be the first such repeatered 24-pair fiber optic system in the Mediterranean region. The open cable design will allow customers to select their preferred technology solution for individual fiber pairs. The system layout will include two stubbed branching units to enable future landings in Sardinia and Palermo.

Of note, another submarine cable system is being developed in the area by Infratel Italia alongside Elettra Tlc. Known as the “Piano Isole Minori” (Minor Islands Plan), the Infratel cable system, estimated to have an investment of $50 million, will connect 21 Italian islands with a total of 860 km of cables.

2 Chinese firms in Sea-Me-We 6 project are said to quit over awarding of cable project

China Telecom and China Mobile were reported to have withdrawn from their participation in the Sea-Me-We 6 submarine cable project due to the choice of the cable supplier.

Per multiple media reports, most notably Financial Times, the issue stems from political friction between the U.S. and China. Last February, U.S.-based SubCom was awarded the contract, not Hengton Marine, which is China’s largest such cable supplier. The 19,200-km cable route, announced last year, will link Singapore to Marseille, France, passing Italy, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Pakistan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. It was scheduled for completion in 2025.

The consortium backing the project was Microsoft, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Telekom Malaysia, Airtel, and three Chinese companies: China Telecom, China Mobile and Unicorn, which as of press time was still part of the project. Since 2020, the U.S. has denied permission for several subsea telecoms cables that involved Chinese companies or directly connected the U.S. to mainland China or Hong Kong, citing national security concerns.

Primetals to supply its technology for a Southwire SCR copper rod system in China

Primetals Technologies has been awarded a contract from Southwire Company to supply rolling mill equipment for a new Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR) copper rod system for the Jinchuan Group Company in Gansu Province, China.

A press release said that the Jinchuan Group will begin producing electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper from the new SCR copper rod mill in mid-2024. The rated hourly output is 48 tons, with coil diameters of 8 mm, 8.5 mm, 12.7 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm and 25 mm, with coil sizes of two to four tons. The company will use the new system to manufacture wire and cable for the construction industry. The Jinchuan Group is a state-owned enterprise that is the fourth-largest copper producer in China.

Prysmian wins 3-year contract to upgrade the electrical grid cable lines of the U.K.

The Prysmian Group reports that it has been chosen by National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) to help the upgrading process of the U.K.’s electricity grid.

A press release said that Prysmian has been awarded a medium-voltage cable framework agreement with NGED, the U.K.’s largest electricity distribution network, that is for a minimum of three years. The deal was reached through Prysmian’s U.K. subsidiary.

Prysmian will supply medium-voltage cables primarily made at the Group’s Wrexham plant in North Wales. The cable will enable NGED Grid to expand and modernize the network. Prysmian and NGED have built a strategic relationship over many years across all voltage levels for supply into the U.K. market. Such projects include the North Sea Link, the world’s longest submarine electricity interconnector, enabling the sharing of renewable energy between the U.K. and Norway; the Viking Link, the first submarine cable connection between the U.K. and Denmark; IFA2, the turn-key design, manufacture and installation of a submarine and land power cable link to connect Tourbe in France to Chilling in Hampshire, U.K.; and the Western HVDC Link, a new submarine High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector between Scotland and England.

Hellenic Cables receives a 2nd contract to replace existing cable lines in Adriatic Sea

The contract represents the third SCR copper rod system that Jinchuan has ordered, further strengthening the well-established long-term business relationship, and providing additional evidence of the value of the solutions offered by Primetals Technologies and Southwire. Primetals Technologies will engineer, supply and implement the rolling mill, coiler, and a large portion of the coil handling equipment. The Southwire SCR 7000 rolling mill includes a Morgan No-Twist mill with 13 independently driven roll stands.

The contract also includes a 610-mm entry shear and table, one 457-mm roughing mill stand, four 305-mm roughing mill stands, one 320-mm rotary shear and downloop table, and eight 203-mm finishing mill stands, all with hydraulic roll mounting, a rod cooling and cleaning system with injectors and air wipes, rollerized turndown, two pinch rolls, coiler, designs for an in-line conveyor system, and two oil lubrication systems.

Southwire Company, which developed its SCR process in 1963, partnered with Primetals Technologies to implement new and updated systems for decades. Globally, more than half of all copper rod is currently produced using the SCR process.

Hellenic Cables has signed a second contract with Croatia’s Končar Group to supply it approximately 30 km of 110 kV high-voltage submarine cables to replace outdated cable lines in the Adriatic Sea.

A press release said that Hellenic Cables will start production of the cable this year at its production facility in Corinth, Greece, and is expected to finish early in 2024. The company will also provide accessories and related services as part of the project for Končar Engineering Ltd., a regional supplier of engineering solutions, power transmission and distribution, rail vehicles and infrastructure.

The order marks repeat business. A prior order, in 2021, completed in 2022, saw the delivery of 12 km of 110 kV submarine cables, accessories and related services. “For the second time, we have chosen Hellenic Cables as a partner in a strategic project in Croatia which will connect Croatian islands Hvar, Korčula, Cres and Lošinj with new 110 kV HV cables,” said Gordan Planinić, MOB of Končar Engineering Ltd. “This enables, above all, to maintain the security of supply of customers on the Adriatic islands as well as a significant environmental contribution to the preservation of the cleanliness of the Adriatic Sea.”

Midal Cables to provide conductors for a 126-mile long U.S. transmission line project

Midal Cables, based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will provide the transmission line conductors for the Ten West Link Transmission Line, an energy infrastructure project that had the support of the Biden-Harris administration. A press release said that Midal Cables was chosen to supply the conductors for the project, which the BidenHarris administration announced had been given the approval by the Interior Department. The project will facilitate increased renewable energy development and delivery in Arizona and California. The 126-mile long project will deploy a 500-kilovolt (kV) alternating current overhead transmission line.

“This prestigious project being supplied through EC Source to DCRT adds to many such projects that Midal Cables has had the opportunity to be associated with in North America,” the release said. It notes that Midal Cables is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of bare aluminum overhead conductors, which are made in the company’s four factories, and supplied to more than 60 countries world-wide.

Lee Spring reports acquisition of company that specializes in miniature springs

Lee Spring, a global leader in stock and custom springs, has acquired U.S.-based D.R. Templeman Company, which specializes in the design, engineering and manufacturing of springs, spring guides, rings and wire forms made from fine wire.

A press release said that Templeman, founded in 1938 and based in Plainville, Connecticut, has proprietary technology and deep experience in the manufacture of spring guides, also known as catheter coils and cable sheaths. The acquisition expands the capabilities for both Lee Spring and Templeman with an expansion in both the products and services they can offer their respective customers. All Templeman employees were invited to continue to operate from their current facility.

During the opening ceremony, Bill Livengood, president of Leoni Cables North America, expressed his gratitude for the excellent cooperation with the state of Chihuahua and the city of Cuauhtémoc. Guests at the celebration included the Governor of Chihuahua, Maria Eugenia Campos; the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Maria Angelica Granados; and local officials.

“Templeman boasts an outstanding team and their highly skilled specialization in miniature springs is in perfect alignment with Lee Spring’s growing business in medical devices, electronic components and switches and inspection instruments,” said Lee Spring CEO Steve Kempf. “Their deep expertise in these critical sectors combined with their unsurpassed reputation for quality make this acquisition a natural fit for both companies.”

The combined operations will allow both companies to offer more products and services to their respective customers, the release said. “Templeman has very talented employees and many long-standing innovative customers,” said Templeman President Richard Williams. “I am confident that the needs of both groups will be well served by the combined strengths of D.R. Templeman and Lee Spring.”

Founded in 1918, Lee Spring is based in Brooklyn, New York, with multiple facilities in the U.S., as well as locations in the U.K., Germany, Mexico, China and India.

Leoni celebrates its Mexican expansion

Germany’s Leoni recently celebrated the company’s continued growth in Mexico, where it has completed a new building that increased the production area by 40% to 10,723 sq m.

A press release said that expansion of the plant in Cuauhtémoc, which opened in 1998, was made to meet the increasing market demand. Over the next five years, Leoni will invest approximately $16.8 million for additional production equipment. The expansion is expected to result in at least 30 new jobs.

The Cuauhtémoc plant has become an important player in the automotive cables business in NAFTA. It manufactures a broad product portfolio ranging from simple single-core cables to complex multi-core cables for driver assistance systems and data cables for autonomous driving is answering the needs of Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers in North America.

In 2020, Phase I of a project called EMOMEX (E-Mobility Mexico) was accomplished. It included an investment of $27 million in equipment and machines for the design, development and production of high-voltage cables and cables for charging systems. More than 120 new employees were hired.

Reminder: WCMA Awards ceremony

The WCMA will honor the recipients of its 2023 Distinguished Career Award on April 22, 2023, at the 37th annual Awards Dinner, which will be held at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.

The recipients are: William “WT” Bigbee, vice president operations, Encore Wire; Rich Carr, CEO, Sequel Wire & Cable; Denise Coyle, sales manager, Fluoropolymer Resources, Ltd.; Scott Harden, president, Provideon Wire & Cable; Drew Richards, President/CEO, RichardsApex; John Rivers, regional sales manager, Fluorgistx; Greg Smith, president/CEO, International Wire Group; and Ronald Tessier, senior director operations, Berk-Tek Leviton.

For more information and to register for the awards event, contact Ed Fenton at tel. 860-331-7074, ed@wcmainc.org, www.wcmainc.org. n