Wire Bulletin - Jan 11

VOLUME II | ISSUE I | JANUARY 2011

Rs. 125

WIRE BULLETIN India’s Quarterly Bulletin Dedicated to the Wire and Cable Industry

Sterlite signs deal with CTC Cable

ASK THE EXPERT Q: I am a mechanical engineering student and a member of a group project for a Manufacturing Processes course. Our student group was instructed to design a process for the manufacture of 2024 Aluminium wire. We must focus on defining the complete process parameters. Can you help provide your expertise?

See answer on p. 17

NEWS BITES • Tata Steel plans to invest Rs 4,500 crore this fiscal for various projects, followed by Rs 7,000 crore in 2011-12.

The company is also in the process of placing orders for the six-million tonne Orissa project and should start production in three to four years.

• Steel Authority of India Ltd’s Ranchibased R&D Centre for Iron and Steel (RDCIS) proposes to develop 18 new products in 2010-11, in collaboration with SAIL’s manufacturing units.

& Sterlite Technologies, provider of transmission solutions for the power and telecom industries, and CTC Cable Corp. have announced a strategic relationship wherein the former would manufacture specialty ACCC power conductors for the Indian market, using CTC’s patented ACCC conductor technology.

“Sterlite has been engaged in actively exploring the latest technologies to make it easier, faster and more cost-effective for utility companies to build power infrastructures. India needs to rapidly increase the current-carrying capacity on its grid to keep pace with its economic development.

ACCC conductors would offer India a unique ability to increase the current-carry-

Prysmian-Ravin targets 10% market share for cables Prysmian, a global player in the energy and telecommunications cables industry, and Ravin Cables Ltd., its Indian joint venture subsidiary, recently presented their development strategies and growth objectives for the Indian market.

QUOTABLE QUOTES I have been a great believer in the “India growth story.” ~ Wilfried Aulbur, MD & CEO, Mercedes Benz India seems to be one of the only “fewIndia bright beacons in the otherwise dark and confused global economic scenario.” ~ Prashanth Narayan, VP & Head (PMS Investments), ING Investment Management India

IN THIS ISSUE: Editorial .............................. 2 Calendar & Event Review ..... 3 Industry News ..................... 4 Business Innovation ............ 6 Corporate Focus.................. 8 Featured Concepts ............ 10 Global News...................... 12 Products, Media, & Technology .................... 13 Production Tips ................. 16 Ask the Expert ................... 17 Technical Article................ 18 Economic News ................. 21 People on the Move........... 22 Ad Showcase..................... 24

ing capacity of the existing lines and to significantly improve the overall economics on new lines,” said Rajendra Mishra, COO (Power), Sterlite Technologies.

US-based Composite Technology Corporation (CTC) develops, produces, and markets innovative energy efficient products and renewable energy projects for the electrical utility industry. CTC’s products incorporate advanced composite materials and innovative design solutions that provide solutions to efficiently modernise the electrical grid systems.

CTC’s principal subsidiary is CTC Cable Corp. and its primary product is the patented ACCC® conductor for transmission and distribution power lines. The ACCC® product line is designed around advanced composite materials which enable the highly efficient transmission of electricity.|WB

Vijay Karia and Fabio Romeo.

“Our commitment is to establish a credible and sustainable full range cables sup-

plier in the Indian market, targeting a 10 per cent market share, said Fabio Romeo, COO, Prysmian Group, at a meeting with Indian journalists in Mumbai.

“Furthermore, by leveraging on Prysmian’s state-of-the-art technology, expertise, and capabilities, we believe that Ravin Cables can become one of the top three cable systems suppliers in India. To deliver these ambitious objectives, we are committed to implementing a long-term investment programme involving resources, training, technologies, and manufacturing facilities.

“The group’s initial plan is to invest in a new high voltage cable manufacturing unit of up to 220 kV as well as to improve Ravin’s product offer in the industrial cables market in sectors that include automotive, mining, and renewable energies.” continued on p. 5

Havells doubles its capacity Electrical and power equipment major Havells India has doubled its cable and wire manufacturing capability at an investment of Rs 120 crore. The company, which has a 10 per cent share of India’s Rs 12,000 crore cable and wire industry (including electricals), expanded its manufacturing plant at Alwar in Rajasthan to make Rs 2,400 crore worth of electrical goods.

“The expansion is in line with the demand the market is witnessing in both the domestic and international markets,” said Sunil Sikka, President, Havells India.

According to Sikka, the capacity expansion will also help the company in meeting the growing domestic demand and also to target new emerging markets such as the Middle East and Africa regions. The company expects the demand of its cable and wire products to hit Rs 1,800 crore by 2012 from the

organised construction sector and independent home builders.

“We now have the capacity and it is up to the marketing division to do its job, which they would be able to achieve as there is a 10-15 per cent growth in the market,” Sikka said. He added that the investment of Rs 120 crore was a part of the Rs 200 crore expansion plan which the company had earmarked. “We regularly invest in capital expenditure for the company’s expansion,” he said. The state-of-the-art wire and cable plant in Alwar was first acquired by the company in 1996. The plant manufactures various ranges of low tension, high tension, and electrical high voltage cables.

Currently, the USD 1.2 billion company is present in 50 countries with 11 domestic and four international manufacturing plants which churn out products like switchgears, motors, geysers, fans, CFL lamps, and luminaires.|WB

Global wire and cable market to cross USD 113.9 Bn According to a new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., a market research publishing company, the global market for insulated wire and cable is forecast to exceed USD 113.9 billion by the year 2015.

The factors influencing the market in a major way include a resurgence of the global construction industry and the robust expansion of the energy sector. Further, the rise of smart grids in matured economies and increased investments in high-speed rail networks are poised to drive market growth in the next few years. The insulated wire and cable market suffered a severe blow during 2008 and 2009 mainly because of the global economic recession.

Slowdown in construction activity, especially in matured markets such as North America and Europe, and decline in worldwide automotive sector impacted the wire and cable revenues to a noticeable extent.

Likewise, the weak demand for wire and cable products in other end-use sectors such as telecommunications and electronic equipment also discouraged market growth. However, the wire and cable market is expected to witness significant demand growth in the coming years driven by robust expansion in the wind energy, nuclear energy, and other green energy sectors. Information processing and communications—two of the largest markets— are expected to prop up growth in the global insulated wire and cable market.

In wireless communications, applications such as base station transmission units and antenna towers are expected to drive the demand for wire and cable.

Asia-Pacific represents the largest as well as the fastest growing regional market for insulated wire and cable worldwide, as stated by the new market research report. Prior to the onset of global economic recession in 2008, the Asia-Pacific insulated wire and cable market grew by leaps and bounds driven by huge growth in telecommunications, energy, and construction/infrastructure sectors. The insulated wire and cable market witnessed a decline in 2009 in the region and is likely to recover by 2011 driven by growing demand for telecommunications, data wire, and cable products, especially in China and India.

The telecommunications, data wire, and cable category constitutes the largest as well as the fastest growing segment in the global insulated wire and cable market. continued on p. 5 A D V E R T I S M E N T

See page 7.

JANUARY 2011

EDITORIAL

T

he best of any achievement is that it gets you into soaring spirits. That is what we can say after enjoying three productive days at the Wire & Cable India show at Mumbai in November. The buzz at the exhibition prompted dozens of introductions, enquiries, and new WIRE BULLETIN subscribers.

We received more than enough content to include in this issue.

More importantly, we were pleasantly surprised by the strong contingent of the foreign companies, a clear indicator that India is being taken very seriously by manufacturers from Germany, France, Austria, USA, U.K., and China.

The foreign exhibitors we spoke to shared the unanimous opinion that India is certainly the most ‘happening’ place; its growth ensured by the government’s proactive policies of strengthening the country’s infrastructure and power domains. Meanwhile, the boost in the automobile segment has added another feather to this upward spiral of the economy. Yet, this outlook is tempered by the recent spate of scams and corruption deals that reveal one inescapable fact: a rising economy breeds greed. As such, not all foreign manufacturers are rushing to establish production plants in India. Many—remaining focused on the sale and service of their products— have adopted a wait and watch stance.

On the news front, the feedback we have received from subscribers over the past 12 months indicates that WIRE BULLETIN is on the right path. After a superb first year, we too, are in an expansion mode, increasing the publication from 16 to 24 pages to accommodate more industry and technology-related articles and to provide continued value to our readers. New content debuts in this issue and includes Company Profiles on pp. 8 and 9 and an Economic News column on p. 21.

As the activities of the Wire Association International in India are also set to increase, it is in your interest to become a member and obtain the benefits of networking. See membership information on p. 15.

We invite your suggestions to help us continually improve the publication.

Keep writing in.

Huned Contractor Editor hcontractor@wirenet.org

2 | WIRE BULLETIN

WIRE BULLETIN Publisher | Steven J. Fetteroll Editor | Huned Contractor Contributing Writer | Mark Marselli Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications | Janice E. Swindells Graphic Artist | Adrienne E. Simpson Advertising Sales | Robert J. Xeller & Anna Bzowski WIRE BULLETIN is published quarterly by WAI Wire and Cable Services Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wire Association International, (WAI) Inc. ©2011 by WAI Wire and Cable Services Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this document or related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Printed in India by K Joshi & Co. The publisher of WIRE BULLETIN assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein and cannot attest to the accuracy of the included information.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WAI Wire and Cable Services Pvt Ltd, 501, Rainbow Plaza, S. NO.7, Pimple-Saudagar Vil. Rahatani, Pune - 411017, India.

CALENDAR & EVENT REVIEW Event Reviews

WORLD CALENDAR February 11-14, 2011: Energy Power India – 2011 Bangalore, India. This international level mega electrical convention and trade show will be held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). The event, organised by ELCA and conducted by AdsStation, will enable manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, agents, electrical consultants, and those in the electricity industry to promote brand image, establish contacts, expand markets, and initiate business deals. The event will also promote electrical safety, energy conservation, and green energy.

Contact: AdsStation | 1365, 2nd Floor, Sarakki Gate, Kanakapura Main Road, Bangalore - 560 078, Tel.: 080-65707899, www.adsstation.biz.

March 15-17, 2011: Cables 2011 Cologne, Germany. This international conference and exhibition for the plastic cables industry will be held at the Maritim Hotel, Cologne. It will be the 11th international conference of its kind organised by AMI for companies involved in the cable industry. This well-established event regularly attracts more than 250 delegates from across the global supply chain, bringing together cable producers, raw materials suppliers, and equipment manufacturers. The two-day programme will cover key technical, material, and regulatory trends and developments in the context of a challenging business environment.

Contact: www.amiplastics.com.

India economic summit focuses on manufacturing India’s development trajectory has seen a green revolution for agriculture, a white revolution for the diary industry, a technology revolution in the IT sector, and now India needs a revolution for manufacturing. This was the view expressed by Jyotiradtiya Scindia, Minister of State, Commerce and Industry at the India Economic Summit organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from November 14 to 16, 2010, at New Delhi. The minister was addressing the plenary session on ‘India’s Role In Global Competitiveness’ on the second day of the summit and was categorical in stating that development initiatives and financing models can create global competitiveness for Indian manufacturing by leveraging India’s strength in skilled manpower.

March 15-18, 2011: CABEX-2011 Moscow, Russia. Organized by MVK International Exhibition Company, this event for cables, wires, fastening hardware and accessories and installation technologies (CABEX). will be held at the EcoCentre.

Contact: Natalia Medvedeva | Tel./Fax: 7-495-925-34-82 or 995-05-95, ext. 260, mns@mvk.ru, www.cabex.ru.

Scindia

April 4-8, 2011: Hannover Messe Hannover, Germany. Deutsche Messe, organiser of the world’s largest technology event (Hannover Fairs), has announced Hannover Messe 2011, a leading industrial technology event that will showcase 13 leading international trade fairs at a single venue in Hannover, Germany. More than 130 firms—many of them from India—are slated to participate. The spotlight will be on industrial automation, energy technology, power transmission, industrial sub-contracting, and services.

Contact: Deutsche Messe | Messegelände, 30521 Hannover, Germany, Tel.: +49-511890, Fax: +49-5118932626, www.hannovermesse.de.

May 2-5, 2011: Interwire 2011

The minister defined the contours of a new manufacturing strategy focusing on rational exit mechanisms, technology zones, training programmes, and infrastructure development that is expected to be announced by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry very soon. Scindia added, “The main divide in India was that between those who had opportunities and those who did not. The role of the Indian government is to reach

out and provide equal opportunities. Along with information technology and engineering growth, we will be able to do that.”

Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hero Group, emphasized some of the fundamental constraints that need to be addressed in achieving a decent and sustainable manufacturing growth path. He listed poor infrastructure, redundant labour laws, and the lack of capacity of the Indian capital goods sector as the some of the obstacles that need to be overcome for the Indian manufacturing sector to move ahead.

Mining sector focus An exclusive show highlighting the mining sector of India will be presented with bC India 2011 scheduled to take place at Mumbai from February 8-11, 2011. Under the emerging economic upswing, effective and environmentally-friendly mining technology is now in greater demand in India and worldwide. bC India, a Bauma Conexpo show, will offer a platform for machines, processes, and solutions for the construction, building, and mining industries. According to figures from the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), prospecting for ores such as iron, bauxite, chrome and titanium was carried out in almost 3,000 Indian mines in 2008-09.

A press release from the show organizer said, “The Indian mining groups must develop their capacity over the next few years to meet the domestic energy demand. The country’s coal production must rise annually by 8-10 per cent to satisfy the growing energy demand of India’s processing industry alone.

Currently, around 90 per cent of Indian coal is produced by two state-owned mining groups: Coal India Ltd. (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL). India is the seventhlargest country in the world in terms of its area, and its infrastructure development will require huge quantities of raw materials.”|WB

Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI returns to the Georgia World Congress Center for the trade show (May 3-5) and the Wire Association’s 81st Annual Convention (May 2-5). Interwire is an international trade event that draws participation from more than 50 countries around the world. It is the largest and longest running wire and cable marketplace in the Americas.

The exhibits feature technology and information from the more than 500 companies that are represented. More than 90 distinct elements comprise the technical conference, which is the most robust offering ever, featuring technical paper and operational presentations, courses, production solutions, a productivity workshop, panel discussions, guest speakers, and a keynote address from astronaut Mike Mullane.

Contact: WAI | Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, www.wirenet.org.

May 2-5, 2011: Global Continuous Casting Forum Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI offers the Global Continuous Casting Forum for copper practitioners from around the world. The program runs concurrently with Interwire 2011.

Contact: WAI | Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, www.wirenet.org.

May 18-19, 2011: National Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The National Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo is one of the exclusive showcases of the latest technology for the electrical wire harness, wire and cable processing, and related industries.

Contact: www.electricalwireshow.com.

May 23-26, 2011: wire Russia Moscow, Russia. Organized by Messe Düsseldorf, the International Wire and Cable Trade Fair (wire Russia) will be held along Tube Russia at the ZAO Expo Centre Krasnaya Presnya.

Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America | Tel.: 312-781-5180, erowe@mdna.com.

June 15-17, 2011: Wire & Cable Expo China Tianjin, China. To be held at the Tianjin International Exhibition Center, the 15th staging of this event will include a conference, exhibition and featured events.

Contact: AIT Events Co., Ltd. | Tel.: 86-10hat mation t r 85868930, www.bvents.com/event/389490o f in e v a wire-cable-expo.

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in this to: belongs by e-mail it m b u s t.org.

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JANUARY 2011 | 3

INDUSTRY NEWS Bedmutha to set up new facility Bedmutha Industries, one of the leading steel wire manufacturers in western India, initiated an IPO of Rs 92 crore to set up a 36,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) manufacturing facility for low relaxation pre-stressed concrete (LRPC) wire and spring steel wire with installed capacity of 18,000 tpa on 12 acres at Nashik in Maharashtra. LRPC wires, which are in high demand, are used in pre-stressed concrete girders for roads, railway sleepers, and flyovers. It also plans to set up a high-tech galvanising plant of 48,000 tpa and manufacturing of aluminium rods and conductors with capacity of about 42,000 tpa. Its expansion plans have received a ‘mega project’ status under the package scheme of the incentives offered by the Government of Maharashtra.

Nashik is known as a pilgrimage city.

K.R. Bedmutha, Chairman, Bedmutha Industries, said that the company has already placed orders for all the critical machineries required for the new project. Currently the company has four manufacturing units at Nashik with a galvanised wire capacity of 25,300 tpa. It also produces high carbon PC wire, spring steel, and binding wires. It offers a wide range of wire and wire products such as cable armour wires, stray wires, spring steel wires, and barbed wires. “With

all the four manufacturing units at Nashik strategically located in proximity to the source of raw materials and markets, this will ensure cost savings and logistic benefits,” Bedmutha said. The company has recorded a turnover of Rs 150 crore and net profit of Rs 10 crore for the year ended March 31, 2010.

lutions space,” Goel said. The company would also get engaged in the cell-site rollout across India for independent power infrastructure companies, he added. Shilpi Cables is also eyeing overseas markets in Africa and the Middle East where there is tremendous scope for its services.

Shilpi Cables to expand its product portfolio Delhi-based Shilpi Cable Technologies, a radio frequency (RF) cables manufacturer, is planning to set up a wire and cable assembly shop, expand its product portfolio, and manufacture low voltage power cables and cable accessories. The funds will be channeled out of an IPO of over Rs 50 crore. A family-owned venture in operation for more than three decades, the company bought out its joint venture partner, Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmBH & Co KG, for Rs 22 crore in 2008. “The JV was set up to manufacture RF cables but our partner wanted a majority stake which we were not willing to concede,” the company’s director, Manish Goel, said in a media interview. The company caters primarily to the telecom sector and its products are used in telecom towers.

“This segment is poised for exponential growth over the next few years and hence our growth prospects are immense,” Goel said. In FY10, the company clocked a turnover of Rs 170 crore and profit before tax of Rs 14.9 crore. According to the stock market buzz, given the growth prospects of the industry, the company could double its turnover and profit after tax in the next two years. Recently, the company started a new division to cater to the passive telecom infra space. “This division will look after the operations and maintenance of networks and also be active in the in-building wireless so-

A view of the plant.

Also, Shilpi Cable Technologies has entered into an agreement with Crossbow Telecom Projects to undertake turnkey telecom service provider (TSP) business that is in relation to undertake civil and electrical works required for the setup and establishment of the telecom infrastructure. Through this pact, the company will establish a separate TSP division within its management control. Crossbow will be responsible to provide project management and consultancy for all the locations where TSP projects are implemented. Further, Crossbow will also identify the clients, liaison, and secure projects on behalf of Shilpi Cable after taking due approvals from its board of directors. As per the agreement, Crossbow will be entitled to 33.33 per cent share of gross profit generated from all the projects.

Bajaj Electricals receives order of Rs 408 crore

BEL’s Pune plant.

Under the aegis of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidhyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), Pune-based Bajaj Electricals Ltd. (BEL) has received orders worth Rs 408 crore for the construction of 312 kms of 400 kV double-circuit transmission lines, village electrification, and high mast and street lightening segments. With these new orders, the company’s order book has crossed Rs 1,150 crore, to date. BEL, a 72-year-old company with a turnover of over Rs 2,252 crore, is a part of the USD 6 billion (Rs 29,000 crore) Bajaj Group. It has six strategic business units i.e., C. Engineering and Projects, Appliances, Fans, Luminaires, Lighting, and Morphy Richards. Its tower manufacturing facility has been approved and appreciated by Powergrid and several electricity boards across the country.

One of BEL’s transmission towers.

BEL’s plant manufactures a range of towers of 110/132/220/400/765 kV single/double circuit power transmission lines. The present capacity for manufacturing trans-

4 | WIRE BULLETIN

mission line structures is more than 30,000 tonnes per annum. It is the first company in India to have designed, type-tested, and supplied monopoles of 400 kV double circuit line with a height of 42 metres for the Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.’s project line from Dadri to Ballabhgarh. There are many advantages vis-a-vis the lattice towers, the biggest being that monopoles provide ease of erection in areas where space is a constraint. For a lattice tower four foundations are required for the tower legs that consume land of up to 100 sq. meters whereas a monopole can be erected in a 5 sq. meter area.

Wire rod demand favours steel giants The increasing intake by the construction and manufacturing sectors has helped major steel companies like the state-run Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) and Vizag Steel post excellent sales figures for wire rod as reflected in the financial results of 2010. In fact, SAIL achieved its best-ever July-September quarter sales of 3.17 million tonnes (MT) due to this demand. “In comparison to sales in the previous quarter (Q-1), the Steel Authority of India Ltd. achieved a growth of 30.8 per cent,” the company reported in a statement. The steelmaker said the sale of wire rod during the period increased by 60 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year; and that the sales of other products like bar, sheet, and coil was also higher.

“During the July-September quarter of 2010-11, SAIL sold 8.5 lakh tonnes of special and value-added steel products, showing a growth of 10.1 per cent over the corresponding period last year,” the statement said. SAIL has an annual steel production capacity of about 14 million tonnes. Meanwhile, the cumulative production of saleable steel comprising wire rod, rebar, rounds, re-rollables, and structurals at Vizag Steel’s Visakhapatnam rose to 1.5 million tonnes during the first half of 2010.

The company sold 1.33 million tonnes of saleable steel in the first six months of the last financial year. This was mainly on the back of record sales in September that stood at 3,50,000 tonnes, 70 per cent higher as compared with the same period last year.

Kalpatru wins transmission line contract in Africa The Indian firm, Kalpataru, has been awarded a contract to construct a high-capacity electricity transmission line from Mombasa to Nairobi. The 400 kilovolt (kV) line with a price tag of Sh 7.4 billion (USD 91 million) will be used to transfer electricity from thermal power stations in the coastal area to Nairobi. The plants include the 90 MW Rabai diesel plant that is already operational, the 120 MW diesel facility being erected by KenGen, and the proposed 300 MW coal power plants expected by 2014.

“This line will improve the power system stability, reliability, and reduce technical losses besides playing a major role in regional power trade,” said Joel Kiilu, managing director, Kenya Electricity Transmission Co. The project, which is being implemented in a turnkey basis, will involve the construction of 393 km of 400 kV and 81 km of 220 kV transmission lines and should be completed within 27 months.

A recent news report stated that the company has also received two other orders worth Rs 3.84 billion. The first order is to supply and construct a transmission line in

INDUSTRY NEWS Maharashtra worth Rs 2.86 billion; the second is to set up a transmission line in the Philippines for Rs 980 million.

A street in Mombasa.

GPIL selects CableBuilder© Gupta Power Infrastructure Ltd. (GPIL), a leading cable brand in India with a turnover of USD 170 million, has chosen CableBuilder© to further enhance its design and quoting processes. CableBuilder is a popular and powerful cable design software developed by Cimteq Ltd., the industry partner of InnoVites.

According to M.K. Gupta, Managing Director, GPIL, “The investment in this software is a part of the company’s strategy to further enhance the R&D infrastructure in GPIL. It makes the company more responsive and effective when it comes to matching customer requirements with technological innovations.”

InnoVites is the exclusive reseller of CableBuilder in India and sells and supports this solution from its Cable Competence Center at Hyderabad. InnoVites also develops and sells ERP software specific for cable manufacturers: InnoVites for Cable©.

This innovative and complete business solution is based on Microsoft Dynamics® AX.

Tata Steel to invest Rs 1,000 crore in plants Tata Steel proposes to invest Rs 1,000 crore to establish two units in the Gopalpur Industrial Park being developed by it in the Ganjam district of Orissa. About Rs 250 crore will be spent on a 50,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) ferro-chrome plant. The company will also erect a 4,00,000 tpa rebar steel mill. These units are expected to go on stream by the end of 2012. The foundation stone for the industrial park was laid by the Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The park is coming up on 3,200 acres taken over by the company more than a decade ago for the mega steel plant near Gopalpur that the company had then proposed.

According to a media report, Tata Steel will use the strength of companies in the Tata Group to develop the internal and external infrastructure with a view to attracting maximum investment to the industrial park. Speaking during the stone-laying ceremony, H.M. Nerurkar, Managing Director, Tata Steel, said, “This industrial park is expected to attract investments worth Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore through establishment of ancillary and downstream industrial units in the area.” The new project would depend on rain water harvesting, 100 per cent recycling of used water, and desalination of sea water.

Sify Technologies to lay global undersea cable

Chennai-based Sify Technologies, provider of enterprise and consumer Internet serv-

ices, has proposed to lay an international undersea cable connection between Delhi and Singapore, Sify Technologies’ chairman and managing director, Raju Vegesna, is reported to have told the Economic Times. The discussions in this regard are in nascent stages. He didn’t divulge further details about the project. This will be in addition to the project the company has on hand. According to the report, it has already entered into an agreement with the Middle East-based submarine cable operator, Gulf Bridge International, to lay an international undersea cable to India, which will enable telecom operators and other communication companies to connect in the region.

India to lay optical cable through Bangladesh

A street in Dhaka.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), the state-run telecom operator in India, will lay optical fiber cable (OFC) through Bangladesh to connect northeast India with the rest of the world. Speaking on the sidelines of launching Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) services in Tripura, BSNL General Manager Debkumar Chakraborty said, “BSNL will lay optical fiber from Agartala to Dhaka.

Around 12 km optical fiber is needed to connect Agartala and Akhuwra (nearest town in Bangladesh to capital Agartala) telephone exchange. We will also be extending our network from Sabroom to Chittagong (in southeast Bangladesh) sea port and then to Ashugang (in eastern Bangladesh) port.”

He added that apart from overcoming the geographical isolation of the northeast region, the new project will give relief to the present OFC network passing through the hills that often gets disconnected.

US, Japan, and Western Europe will continue to lead the world in production of more advanced, highly-engineered fasteners. However, Chinese firms are narrowing the technological gap as their access to capital grows and they acquire more manufacturing experience.|WB

Prysmian-Ravin continued from p. 1 As part of its worldwide expansion strategy in high growth countries and in the hightech cables and systems sector, Prysmian acquired a 51 per cent stake in Ravin Cables early in 2010, thus entering into a joint venture agreement with the Karia family that now controls 49 per cent of the company. Ravin Cables’ Board of Directors appointed Luigi Sarogni as chief executive officer and Vijay Karia as chairman and managing director of the Board of Directors.

“Thanks to the integration with Prysmian, we will be able to bring to India state-ofthe-art cable technologies that were scarcely available before,” Karia said.

The integration has started yielding its first business results. Reliance Infrastructure has awarded Ravin Cables contracts for developing 220 kV systems for various sites. For the first time, cables and network accessories produced by Prysmian will be provided to the Indian market. In particular, Ravin Cables will supply some 52 kms of 220 kV high voltage cables, including joints and terminations, in Mumbai. The cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s most advanced plant, capable of producing cables of up to 500 kV. The Indian high voltage cables and systems market is expected to grow strongly, doubling in size over the next three years, thanks to the country’s dynamic economy and the need to rapidly develop the power grids. The

group is considering starting local production of high voltage cables at Ravin Cables’ facility in Pune.|WB

Global wire and cable continued from p. 1 The growing adoption of the Internet and the emergence of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology are fuelling the market for telecommunications, data wire, and cable across the world.

Power wire and cable represents the other major product segment in the global insulated wire and cable market. The report provides annual sales estimates and projections for the insulated wire and cable market for the following geographic markets: USA, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The major players profiled in the report include ABL Electronic Supplies Inc., AEI Cables Ltd., AFC Cable Systems Inc., Alcan Cable, Alcatel-Lucent SA, Alcoa Inc., Amphenol Corp., Asia-Pacific Wire & Cable Corp. Ltd., Brand-Rex Ltd., Cable USA Inc., Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, Cerro Wire LLC, Copper Cable Co., Delphi Corp., Draka Holding NV, Draka Ltd., Electrical Components International, Finolex Cables Ltd., Fujikura Ltd., Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., General Cable Technologies Corp., Hitachi Cable Ltd., LS Cable Ltd., Nexans, NKT Cables Group GmbH, Olex Cables Ltd., Permanoid Ltd., Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd., Rea Magnet Wire Co. Inc., Southwire Co., Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., and Tele-Fonika Kable Handel SA, among others.|WB

Global fastener demand to reach new heights

The global demand for industrial fasteners is forecast to expand 8.5 per cent per year to USD 80.5 billion in 2014. According to a media report, the global motor vehicle output will make a strong recovery from the declines registered during the 2004-2009 period, bolstering associated fastener demand. The Asia/Pacific region is expected to register the strongest sales increase through 2014, paced by healthy 12.8 per cent annual demand gains in China. China surpassed Japan to become the world’s largest manufacturer of motor vehicles in 2009, providing industrial fastener producers with important new sales opportunities as output continues to climb.

Producers in developed areas such as the

JANUARY 2011 | 5

BUSINESS INNOVATION

Harold Prunk, CEO | Sikora AG Sikora, headquartered in Bremen, Germany, has developed a reputation over three decades as a global leader in the supply and support of excellent measuring, controlling, and testing equipment for the wire, cable, plastics, and rubber industries. In 1972, Harald Sikora presented the first non-contact measuring systems for energy cables. This technology enabled the sensor to detect the position of the cable inside the CV tube where power cables are cured on a non-contact basis. The innovative product gained immediate success and became the standard system for CV lines.

Today the sensor is known as ‘the Sikora’ around the world. On September 12, 2002, the company evolved into Sikora AG stock company.

Since then the company has expanded rapidly and has set up regional offices in China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the USA. WB interviewed Harry Prunk, CEO, Sikora AG, about the company, its plans, and its focus on India. The following are excerpts from the Interview: Q: What has been Sikora’s pioneering contribution to the control of various parameters in the production of data cables?

A: Sikora offers a great variety of measuring and control devices that are suitable for the production of data cables. One of these devices is the Centerview 8000. It helps the operator of an extrusion line

6 | WIRE BULLETIN

to center the conductor in the insulation, monitor the concentricity and moreover provide measuring results that allow for a control of the outer diameter or wall thickness to the nominal size. A unique feature is the patented cloud diagram. This is an additional way of visualizing the measured values of the ongoing measurement at the processor system EcoControl.

Another technology which plays an important role during the production of data cables is capacitance measurement with high resolution. For this application Sikora offers the Capacitance 2000, which includes a multi-zone electrode to measure the capacitance including FFT analysis and SRL prediction.

Q: When did Sikora establish a presence in India and what was the market scenario then?

A: Sikora has been active in the Indian market for more than 20 years. Originally we started our business with sales representatives in India who sold our devices to the customers on site. In 2004 we established an office in New Delhi, ensuring reliable and flexible customer support.

Q: How well have Sikora’s products been accepted in India?

A: On the one hand, our products, which are made in Germany, have a very good reputation in India. On the other hand, the product on its own is not sufficient to convince customers. An important aspect is service. Our customers should feel all around satisfied. If they need help we are there to support them. That’s the reason why we have service employees in New Delhi and Mumbai today who care for all customer needs.

Q: Does the production of data cables in India require any specific customisation in Sikora’s products?

A: There are no customisations necessary to run the devices. This applies [to] all the other devices that we offer. The production requirements for high-quality data cables are the same in India as somewhere else in the world.

Q: Has Sikora set up a manufacturing base in India? Or is there any plan to do so?

A: We think our strength results from the capability to control the quality of the manufacture of our products. This can be best achieved at our headquarters in Bremen. In particular, with regard to the quality management norm ISO 9001, our intention is to keep our production in Germany.

Q: What is the company’s current market share in India?

A: We are one of the leading suppliers of measuring and control technology in India.

This is confirmed by the excellent turnover development in the last few years. Due to our innovative technology and the service network we have a very good market position.

Q: What are your future plans for the Indian market?

A: We aim at further extending our current market share in India. We still see some potential in that area. That means we aim at entering new markets other than wire and cable. We believe that our products are also suitable for other industries to serve quality need on the highest level.

Q: Do you see the Indian growth story, especially in infrastructure and automobiles, as an integral part to your operations in India?

A: For years we have pursued the development in India and notice that there is great potential in the automotive, communication, installation, and energy industry.

This has also been confirmed at the Wire 2010 show in Mumbai where we got many device inquiries for these application fields.

Q: Have there been any particular demands from the Indian wire and cable sector regarding your Centerview 8000 or any of the other products?

A: There is a significant demand for our Centerview 8000 regarding online quality control of communication, installation or automotive cables of up to 25 mm. Moreover, there is the need for measuring technology in insulating and jacketing lines that offers more than conventional diameter measuring devices. In this respect the X-Ray 6000 for eccentricity, wall thickness, diameter, and ovality measurement plays an important role in the Indian market.

Q: How important is R & D in your company’s portfolio of various activities?

A: Research and development is our secret of success. It is only with innovative products that you remain competitive and assert your position in the market. To strengthen our position we invest a great part of our turnover into research and development. Moreover, in February 2011 we will dedicate our new Technology Center at our headquarters in Bremen.

Q: What is the next generation of measuring systems that will be offered by Sikora for the global market?

A: Sikora has many new as well as further developed products in the pipeline.

There is for example the new online length measuring system Length 6000. This device is pioneering as the technology defines the length of cables through the comparison of image patterns. It is reliable for all kinds of products, even for those with reflective surfaces. Apart from that, we work on several projects that generate ideas from customers and machine manufacturers.

Our ultimate ambition is to provide customers with equipment that improves the quality and productivity of their production lines.|WB

In India please contact: Source Smart Namdeo Ranjane 206 Stanford Plaza, B65 New Link Road Andheri(W), Mumbai 400053 Telephone: 22-2673-4850 Fax: 22-2673-4851 Email: sourcesmart@gmail.com

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JANUARY 2011 | 7

CORPORATE FOCUS-INDIA Shankar Cable Industries: Gearing up for expansion With the Indian Railways among its primary clients, the company is currently increasing its capacity in view of the government’s emphasis on infrastructure development.

on making cables for the railways. Later, what really gave us a good holding in this sector was the fact that we were the first to start sequential length marking on railway cables when such specifications were released by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation of the Ministry of Railways,” said Jaiswal, a graduate in mechanical engineering from the Tever Technical University in Russia.

Equipped with ISO 9001:2000 certification for the implementation of quality management systems by BSI Management Systems India, Shankar Cables provides a wide range of products that include PVC wire cables, control cables, armoured and unarmoured cables, railway signalling cables, railway signalling power cables, jellyfilled axcel counter quad cables, and super enamelled copper wires.

– Ashish Jaiswal –

Ashish Jaiswal For more than 30 years, the Gorakhpurbased Shankar Cable Industries has retained its niche position in manufacturing cables, specifically for use by the Indian Railways.

That, indeed, has been a creditable journey and one that the company’s CEO Ashish Jaiswal would like to continue. However, this domain expertise has been a long time in the making. It began when O.P. Jaiswal, the founder of the company and Jaiswal’s father, first ventured into entrepreneurship in 1975 with the production of house wires.

“My father, a 1972 batch graduate in electrical engineering from the Madan Mohan Malviya Engineering College of Gorakhpur, started this business on a very small scale. Having found success with house wires, he then focused his attention

8 | WIRE BULLETIN

“The vision of our company is to create complete coordination through forward and backward integration by developing or sourcing products and their main substitutes to add value for our customers...”

An external view of the Shankar Cable Industries plant.

“Apart from railway cables, our controlled cables have an excellent market share. These are suitable for measuring circuits in generating stations, sub-stations, industrial installations, etc. On account of the armouring, the cables can withstand rough installation and operation conditions, and tensile stresses. These can be laid in water or buried directly into the ground, even on

steep slopes. They can also be installed indoors or outdoors, in the air or in cable ducts,” Jaiswal said.

With a turnover of Rs 129 crore for the financial year 2009-10 and in view of the impressive orders for different kinds of cables from Indian Railways, Shankar Cable has set up a state-of-the-art plant for manufacturing high density polyethylene (HDPE) double wall corrugated (DWC) pipes of different sizes using the latest Italian technology. “By the end of this financial year (2010-2011) we are planning to start another plant for the manufacturing of bigger sizes of DWC pipes which will be used for sewerage disposal,” Jaiswal said.

An internal view of the Shankar Cable Industries plant.

The company’s current order book, excluding supplies to be made to Indian Railways, is worth Rs 75 crore which, as Jaiswal puts it, may increase after enacting a plan to begin the export of cables and DWC pipes to the Middle East countries.

“The vision of our company is to create complete coordination through forward and backward integration by developing or sourcing products and their main substitutes to add value for our customers. We are very keen on adapting the latest technologies in the most cost-effective manner. Moreover, as suppliers to Indian Railways, we also see ourselves as fulfilling a social obligation by providing it the best of cables. Continuous research and development is also an integral part of our operations and all our cables go through very strict quality control checks.

Flaws found during production are immediately referred to our R&D team members who work on finding the right solutions,” Jaiswal said.|WB Contact: Shankar Cable Industries Industrial Area, Lucchipur, Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh – 273 015 Tel: 0551-2260767/9415260222 E-mail: shankarcable@gmail.com Website: www.shankarcable.com

CORPORATE FOCUS-INTERNATIONAL InnoVites: Perfecting performance parameters Building a bridge between information technology and cable manufacturing, InnoVites developed a solution to help cable companies improve business performance.

Groothedde In an intensely competitive global business environment, cable manufacturers consistently seek solutions to improve performance and profit margins. At the same time, highly cyclical markets, power shifts in key supply chains, and price volatility of raw materials are all contributing factors that force cable manufacturers to cut costs and increase business agility.

“There are certain questions that cable manufacturers have to always answer such as: Can the working capital be driven below the industry average? Can the response time be faster than the competition to changing customer demands? Can one reach out in the supply chain and create value for the customers? For answers to these and such questions, the requirement is for an ERP system that understands the unique nature of the cable business,” said Albert Groothedde, CEO, InnoVites.

InnoVites is a company with offices in India and The Netherlands that provides Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to help cable manufacturers improve business performance. It combines the powerful and user-friendly functionality of Microsoft Dynamics® AX ERP software with its domain experience in the cable sector to deliver ERP solutions for cable companies. To help understand how this connection works, Groothedde offers a couple of case studies. Universal Cables Limited at Satna in India, a company belonging to the M.P. Birla Group, uses the CableBuilder© package to integrate its design, cost, and quoting processes; improve quality; and reduce costs. Gupta Power Infrastructure Limited (GPIL) of India has selected CableBuilder to innovate its product data management, while improving the quality and responsiveness of customer interaction in quotation operations.

CableBuilder software from InnoVites.

One reason InnoVites is focused on the cable sector is Groothedde’s experience in this domain. He began his career as a cable industry consultant for Proloq in 1997 after graduating as a mechanical engineer from the University of Delft, The Netherlands.

[He also holds an M.B.A. degree from the Rotterdam School of Management.] Later, as an industry director for the cable sector at Baan Co., he acquired a deep understanding of the business needs of cable companies. He was responsible for the definition and the launch of the Baan Industry Solution for Cable in 2002, and expanded his international leadership experience as director of global customer support at Cordys, a global BPMS software supplier.

As a founding co-owner of InnoVites, he returned to the cable industry which he describes as his “first love.”

Given his background, Groothedde naturally wanted to find solutions for the cable industry. “The precise management of materials, the tracking of materials’ market price, the effective management of information relating to cable lengths, and customer orders are unique characteristics of the cable industry. The effective management of these characteristics requires a specialised software solution that understands the unique nature of the cable industry and is designed to address the issues today’s cable manufacturing companies’ face,” he said.

Groothedde outlined specific factors that make cable manufacturing companies unique.

Length management, for example, is a critical element throughout the cable manufacturing process and must be managed at multiple levels of production. “Today’s cable manufacturers must be able to control and transfer length-related information across the whole production process to be sure that the right lengths are produced and eventually purchased,” he said. The second factor is that the cable manufacturing industry involves processing numerous, expensive raw materials—such as copper and aluminium—into highly specialised finished goods at diminishing margins.

ufacturers must be able to record and track detailed data relating to the specifications of the raw materials used in any manufactured cable.

InnoVites developed software called “InnoVites For Cable” that addresses all such specific business issues in the industry. The software uses Microsoft Dynamics AX as its platform. “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel for functions that are generic across industries. Instead we want to leverage the enormous innovation power of Microsoft and complement the popular AX software with the features that are relevant for the cable industry,” Groothedde said.

“Cable manufacturers must use IT to manage the risks of price changes...”

– Albert Groothedde –

InnoVites, a Certified Microsoft Partner, received Microsoft’s endorsement for the quality of the “InnoVites For Cable” solution.

A long-term industry partner is Cimteq, who developed CableBuilder. “CableBuilder is a powerful cable design solution from Cimteq, for which InnoVites is the exclusive reseller in India. This solution helps our customers to enhance the processes of engineering, product data management, and quotation management,” Groothedde said.

InnoVites has integrated the two products

into one solution to bring its customers the maximum benefit. Meanwhile, even as InnoVites continues to reach out with a global footprint, India is one of its priority regions.

That explains why it has set up a Cable Competence Center in Hyderabad. “We are now developing here a solution to address manufacturers’ planning and scheduling operations,” he said.

Explaining the vital role of IT in the cable industry, Groothedde says: “The cable industry, as a conversion industry, employs a lot of capital to generate moderate margins.

Moreover, this capital is largely captured in commodities with highly volatile prices, like copper. Cable manufacturers must use IT to manage the risks of price changes— the right IT solutions for cable manufacturers give insight into the risks and provide tools to manage these risks. Here, an ERP system works like the nervous system of a human body. It collects and processes information from all parts of the business and provides managers with the tools to control the organisation, and the information to make decisions and to respond to changing business environments.”|WB Contact: InnoVites The Netherlands Galileilaan 23 F, 6716 BP Ede The Netherlands Tel.: +31-0-88-5000-150 InnoVites India Plot No. 564/A39, Phase III, Road No. 92, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad Tel.: 040-64636345/09701230284 Email: agroothedde@innovites.com Website: www.innovites.com

InnoVites’ office at Hyderabad.

“This makes the industry particularly hungry for capital and makes the management and control of working capital integral to success. Today’s cable manufacturers need to have complete visibility and control over inventory levels and work in progress and must borrow from LEAN manufacturing principles so that the working capital can be optimally managed,” Groothedde said. Further, the price volatility of metals, combined with the fact that they represent 80 per cent of the value of the finished goods, requires specific and tight controls to minimise risk and exposure. Cable manufacturers, therefore, need systems to track processes and enable changes to be reflected in the final order value, depending on the nature of the agreement with the customer.

Due to the high cost of raw materials, manufacturers must avoid waste and produce the exact length of cable required by the customer.

“Cable manufacturers must also be sure that the reels on which the raw materials are stored are optimally used to reduce waste.

They must be able to manage the reels so that the right lengths of strands are available and are positioned in front of the right machines” he said. And finally, cable man-

JANUARY 2011 | 9

FEATURED CONCEPTS Destination: India ire & Cable 2010, the third international exhibition and conference for the wire and cable industry hosted by Messe Düsseldorf at Mumbai in November, was a clear indicator of India’s allure to foreign companies. WIRE BULLETIN queried participants to learn the details.

W

The traffic was dense, bumper to fender.

The weather was hot and balmy with no trace of the approaching winter. And hours before the opening there was no sign that the show would be in perfect order. Yet, on the morning of November 18 when the exhibitors entered the imposing hall of the third international exhibition for the wire and cable industry held at Goregaon (East) in Mumbai, it was apparent that the next three days would pass without chaos or irritation. That is precisely what happened.

Business was the order of the day and everyone spoke it, mostly in English, even if that wasn’t their native language.

A view of the wire and cable exhibition at Mumbai.

For the 281 exhibiting companies the show proved to be a perfect meeting ground for existing and potential clients. But what was most surprising was that the number of foreign companies (172) easily overshadowed those from India (109). The signal was clear: India is now a ‘happening’ country when it comes to the wire and cable sector and as one of the participants put it, “The scenario is going to get stronger over the next five years.”

When we analysed the show data, surprisingly China had the most booths (37) followed by Germany (33). “It shows the aggressive marketing strategy being adopted

by China to sell their products in India,” one exhibitor said.

Upward spiral The primary factor for this attraction toward India is the country’s consistent economic growth despite the two years of economic recession that hindered most of the developed countries. According to estimates by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Indian economy registered growth of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10, with 8.6 per cent year-on-year growth in its fourth quarter. The growth is driven by robust performance of the manufacturing sector combined with government and consumer spending. The GDP growth rate of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10 exceeded the government forecast of 7.2 per cent for the full year. According to government data, the manufacturing sector witnessed a growth of 16.3 per cent in January-March 2010, from a year earlier.

Economic activities that showed significant growth rates in 2009-10 over the corresponding period last year were mining and quarrying (10.6 per cent), manufacturing (10.8 per cent), electricity, gas and water supply (6.5 per cent), construction

10 | WIRE BULLETIN

(6.5 per cent), trade, hotels, transport and communications (9.3 per cent), and financing, insurance, real estate, and business services (9.7 per cent). The Gross National Income was estimated to rise by 7.3 per cent in 2009-10 as compared to 6.8 per cent in 2008-09. The per capita income was estimated to grow at 5.6 per cent in 2009-10.

India’s industrial output grew by 17.6 per cent in April 2010. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for 80 per cent of the index of industrial production (IIP), grew 19.4 per cent in April 2010, compared with 0.4 per cent a year ago.

Not surprisingly foreign players are making a beeline to India.

As providers of value-creating plastics solutions to the wire and cable industry across the world, Borouge and Borealis displayed advanced insulation, semiconductive, and jacketing materials while promoting their Visico solutions for low- and medium-voltage cables offering reduced complexity versus other silane crosslinking technologies.

“In recent times the Indian government’s emphasis on improving the infrastructure and allocating a huge budget for it is good news for all the wire and cable players.

Also, because of the growth in India’s telecom sector, the need for power cables will be on the rise. As such, India is definitely an important country for us as of now,” said Frank Waets, Senior Technical Manager, Borouge.

What everyone is eyeing right now is India’s construction industry that has been growing at more than 20 per cent CAGR over the past five years. Taking a cue from the government’s ambitious forthcoming projects for the Eleventh Plan period, the demand for construction is expected to grow by at least 8-9 per cent. During this period private sector investment in the infrastructure sector is expected to total Rs 1,323.85 billion, constituting 42.46 per cent of the total investments. According to a study conducted by ASSOCHAM, the Indian real estate industry was expected to reach USD 60 billion by the end of 2010.

The increasing number of special economic zones (SEZs) should also contribute to this robust growth.

From l to r: Mahesh Poddar, Steven Fetteroll, Huned Contractor, and Nirmal Singh met at the WAI booth.

Further, it is estimated that the power sector will grow at least 1.8 to 2 times of the GDP, translating to an addition of generation capacity by nearly 18,000 to 20,000 MW each year. It is estimated that nearly 3

to 3.5 per cent of investment per MW goes toward power cables. Therefore, with an approximate investment of Rs 40 million per MW, the demand for cables will be in the range of Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.4 million.

“The steel wire sector has an annual turnover of Rs 8,000 crore with the production of approximately 2.5 million tonnes of steel wire per annum. The growth of this industry is directly linked to the growth of the infrastructure, automobile, and power sectors,” said Tirthankar Banerjee, Secretary, Steel Wire Manufacturers Association.

support. We have already started assembling the products here and may even start full-scale manufacturing with localisation of vendors,” said Silvio Piller, Area Sales Manager, Zumbach Electronics AG.

G. Abraham and Silvio Piller, Zumbach Electronics AG, were among the exhibitors at Wire & Cable India 2010.

Banerjee

Eder

Adding fuel to this growth engine is the automobile sector. In a report by the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the turnover of the auto component industry was estimated at more than USD 19.2 billion in 2010. This will positively impact the wire and cable industry, especially players supplying wire harnesses, cables, and other components to OEMs. The Indian telecommunications network with 621 million connections (as of March 2010) is the world’s third largest and a sector that has grown at a speed of 45 per cent recently. The Indian Telecom Analysis (2008-2012) report by RNCOS Industry Research Solutions shows that the mobile telecom segment has surpassed all the other segments in the Indian telecom sector due to the advance of services such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and 3G.

The foreign hand Interestingly, even as the foreign companies set up sales offices on Indian turf, there is also a scramble by Indian companies to form associations with leading foreign players to gain both branding mileage and enhancements to their production processes and technologies.

Scouting at the exhibition for quality vendors, Zoeb Chitalwala, Director, Zarhak Steels Ltd., said, “The entry of the foreign companies has changed the perception of quality. It has now become very important to have quality control benchmarks of international standards because anything that is sub-standard will no longer find a market. As such, this is indeed a good thing to happen to India. Also, the space has expanded. Our company, for example, is now looking at the growing auto sector with interest.”

The best example of this shift of focus to India is that of InnoVites from The Netherlands that was perhaps one of the first few companies to have realised the vast potential that exists here. (See related article on page 9.)

Zumbach Electronics AG, a Switzerlandbased company that provides online monitoring and control equipment, also has found the Indian soil fertile for its operations.

“We started as an agency outfit in India almost three decades ago and then set up our own office eight years back. However, since the last four years Zumbach Electronics is now an independent Indian company. The reason for this development is obviously the increasing demand for our products and the need to provide a professional level of service

Given this situation, collaborations between Indian and foreign players are in full swing. While Walson Woodburn Wire Die exemplifies a perfect understanding between an Indian and an American company to produce natural diamond wire dies, Enkotec of Denmark is another. Enkotec makes rotary nail machines with a modernised tooling system and touch screen for data display, machine adjustments, and trouble-shooting.

“We have tied up with an Indian partner to launch this machine in February,” said Bent Just Petersen, Enkotec’s managing director.

Dr. Kurt Eder, President, Eder Engineering, Austria, attributed the rapid growth in India to two factors: “the growth of Indian economy and the huge investments in the infrastructure, telecom, automotive, power and other sectors; and, the change in the mindset of the Indians. Earlier quality was not such an important factor but now it is and therefore Indian companies are increasingly joining hands with established foreign companies to avail of the best products and technology,” he said.

The challenges The entire picture of India isn’t rosy. For one thing, India is still being looked upon as a good place to sell but not to produce.

“Yes, it is true that not many of the foreign companies have started to manufacture their products here for the wire and cable industry unlike what is happening in the automotive sector where giants like Mercedez-Benz, Volkswagen, General Motors, and others have already invested huge amounts in the local manufacturing of their vehicles. That may be because everyone is still studying the scenario with caution.

Manufacturing operations can be started only when there is a guarantee that the wire and cable sector will witness long-term growth,” Dr. Eder said.

Another obstacle is that the Indian bureaucracy continues to be a nightmare for most of the foreign companies. “What is most annoying is that the policies change with any change in the government which is not the case in most of the other countries.

As of now the policy is in favour of FDIs and industrialisation but this could shift if another political party with a different agenda takes over,” Dr. Eder said.

Also, it is not as if every player is enamoured of this foreign influence and impact on the Indian wire and cable industry. New Delhi-based Sarvasv Machinery & Equipments, for example, has avoided any foreign partnership. “Getting into one for the sake of it is meaningless. We are able to provide wire and cable machines of topnotch quality without the need to obtain technology from abroad,” said Varun Kapoor, the company’s director. Clearly enough, there is scope for more.|WB

FEATURED CONCEPTS China: Taking giant strides nce a mere work station, now an exporter in its own right, China’s wire and cable industry has travelled far.

O

The economic gloom of 2009 in China is in the past. That became apparent at the Wire China 2010 event held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center from September 21-24, 2010, where 4,30,550 sq. ft. of exhibition space was booked to capacity by 1,098 participants, 746 of them from across China.

The buzz at that time, according to media reports, was that the Chinese economy had picked up speed again and its GDP growth rate for 2010 was estimated at 10 per cent by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

China’s wire market has become one of the world’s fastest growing markets; its output leads the world in turnover. Related statistics show that the total value of production in China’s wire industry increased by 6.3 per cent in 2009, while the total output rose by about 10 per cent.

A Messe Düsseldorf media release prior to the Wire China event, anticipated a bright future for the wire and cable market in 2010 because the government’s RMB* 4 trillion stimulus package which was expected to continue to play a role in promoting growth.

Many other factors are expected to drive the demand for wire in the domestic market such as high-speed railway, 3G communications networks, and the construction of intelligent power networks, nuclear power plants, major infrastructure projects, and urban property development.

At the same time, other themes will also effectively stimulate demand for cable and

wire in China such as green energy networks involving wind and solar energy. China has also become the world’s largest producer of steel tube, contributing one-third of the world’s overall tubular steel products.

China’s output of crude steel in 2009 was 568 million tonnes while processed steel material amounted to 692 million tonnes.

The domestic steel consumption structure is as follows: 51.9 per cent for construction, 33.8 per cent for industry, 6.3 per cent for transportation, and 8.0 per cent for the remaining sectors. The predicted consumption of steel tubes by the major domestic steel consuming industry in 2010 stated that from among the major users, real estate will increase by 12.6 per cent, railways by 15.8 per cent, and cars by 16.5 per cent compared to last year.

Offshore oil—another area that is scheduled to enter into a rapid development phase over the next five years with an investment of more than RMB 120 billion—is slated to drive the demand for submarine cables for power transmission between platforms as well as for the flow of communication and technical data. In fact, it is estimated that the demand and supply gap for submarine cables will reach 3,000 kms. Some of the companies producing submarine cables include Quingdao Han Cable, Ningbo Orient, Zhongtian Technology, Shanghai Cable, and Hubei Hongqi Cable, with an average annual capacity of 3,500-4,000 kms.

For 15 years at a stretch China’s wire and cable industry has had an annual increase of more than 15 per cent. It has become the largest industry, second only to the automobile sector. By 2008, the total output value of this industry had exceeded RMB 400 billion, higher than that of the USA. For many foreign companies it is a matter of life or death to be present in China.

Among other things, the activities there help to secure jobs at the company headquarters, which is a view shared by Dr. Ing. Hans-Jochem Steim, managing director of the Kern-Liebers Group headquartered in Schramberg, Germany.

China has a growing economy. Photo courtesy: www.freeimages.co.uk The company’s production programme includes various types of springs and bent components, as well as stampings and needles for textile machines. In May 2007, the company, together with C.D. Wärzholz, a semi-finished goods producer from Hagen, Germany, opened two inter-connected factories on a 70,000 sq metre lot in Taicang. In one of the buildings, a subsidiary managed by a joint venture entity of both the companies produces steel strips, which are either sent directly to Asian customers or are further processed in the other building. According to a Kern-Liebers’ spokesperson, this and

other foreign investments help secure the sustained growth of the Kern-Liebers Group and the jobs at the German locations.

According to a study reported by the International Cablemakers Federation, China will continue to hold its position as the world’s top wire and cable supplier. The growth of China’s wire and cable industry has been achieved as part of the country’s transition from a centralised economy to a market economy, as well as its transition from a rural agrarian economy to an urban industrialised economy. No other country is likely to duplicate this feat, considering the following factors: • the size of China’s labour force; • the role of the strong central government; and • governmental policies to promote domestic business investments by offering subsidies in facility and energy costs, structuring tax breaks and other incentives; and making strategic use of value-added taxes to promote domestic manufacturing.

Other advantages include progressive government measures to encourage foreign investment and to support key industries in electronics manufacturing, transportation, electric power, and information and communications technology. Providing a glimpse of what is to come, the report states, “As the standard of living improves for the entire population, China’s contribution to worldwide GDP will increase. And if past performance is any indicator, China’s wire and cable industry also will continue to grow with the economy. In recent years, this growth has been partially fuelled by the cost advantages of manufacturing in China, but in the future, the extent of domestic demand also will contribute to wire and cable industry growth.”|WB

* The official currency in China is the Renminbi (RMB) or the Yuan (CNY); 1 RMB equals Rs 6.81.

JANUARY 2011 | 11

GLOBAL NEWS CANADA—ArcelorMittal has agreed to an acquisition deal with Canadian mining company Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. worth USD 433 million which is focused on its Mary River iron ore mine located on Baffin Island in the east Arctic. The mine has been proven to hold reserves of at least 365 million tonnes, averaging more than 66 per cent iron content.

CHINA—Hu An Cable started the construction of its new USD 67 million plant to strengthen its cable production capabilities. The group has already placed orders for two world-class production lines for ultra-high voltage power cables from Finland and Germany.

CHINA—Taiyuan Mining Machinery Group Co., a Chinese state-owned manufacturer of heavy-duty machinery products and coal mining machinery equipment, has signed a contract to build a two-strand high-speed wire rod production line with an annual output of 1 million MT for Chinese steel maker Zhengfeng Iron and Steel Co. The contract is worth USD 30.77 million.

DENMARK—NKT Cables has signed a contract with RWE Innogy, Germany, for the manufacture and delivery of high voltage submarine cable to the Welsh offshore wind farm Gwynt Y Môr, one of the world’s largest wind farms with a capacity of 576 MW. NKT Cables will produce 85 kms of 132 kV high voltage submarine cables and accessories for the transmission system, the contract value of which is around 260 mDKK. The cables are to be produced in Germany.

FRANCE—Nexans has been awarded a contract to supply 5,000 km of specialized low-voltage (LV) power, control, and instrumentation cables for Mochovce 3&4, currently under construction in Slovakia. The contract is valued in excess of Euro 20 million. The cables for the Mochovce nuclear power plant are being manufactured in the Nexans Mehun-sur-Yevre plant in France and they will be installed onsite over a 12-month period beginning in January 2011.

12 | WIRE BULLETIN

FRANCE—France Telecom-Orange and the other members of the LION2 consortium have signed an agreement to build a submarine cable in the Indian Ocean. The 3,000-km LION2 cable will extend the LION cable to Kenya via the island of Mayotte. The project is being conducted by a consortium of France TelecomOrange and its subsidiaries Mauritius Telecom, Orange Madagascar, and Telkom Kenya, along with carrier companies Emtel, Societe Reunionnaise du Radiotelephone and STOI Internet. The construction of the LION2 cable represents a total investment of around Euro 56.5 million.

FRANCE—Nexans has been awarded contracts worth Euro 7.5 million to supply its specialized FLAMEX rail cable solutions for installation on the new and modernised rolling stock on the São Paulo City Metropolitan Transportation network, as Brazil’s largest city upgrades its subway system for the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

GERMANY—Leoni has been awarded a project to equip a new two-litre MultiJet turbo diesel engine from Fiat Powertrain with cable harnesses. It is to be used in several upcoming cars of both Fiat and Chrysler, starting with the new Dodge Journey. The engine cable harness comprises 57 wires with a total length of around 110 meters and more than half a kg of copper content. It resists temperatures of 150°C. GERMANY—ArcelorMittal Hochfeld GmbH has reinstated its order with SMS Meer for the supply of a complete high-capacity wire rod mill for quality steel. It will commence production in spring 2012. Additionally, the wire rod blocks will be equipped with a new individual drive technology (MEERdrive) developed by SMS Meer. The mill has been designed to roll technically demanding grades to the closest of tolerances with an annual capacity of 6,90,000 tonnes.

ITALY—Specialty steel wire rope manufacturer Redaelli Tecna has claimed a place in the Guinness Book of Records after loading out the

world’s heaviest steel wire rope from its new dockside facility in Trieste Harbour. The record-breaking 361 tonne Flexpack rope, a compacted non-rotating steel wire rope for ultra-deepwater applications, had a nominal length of 3,000 m and a nominal diameter of 160 mm.

OMAN—General Cable Corp. has formed a joint venture with International Cable Industries LLC (ICI), a limited liability company in Oman. The joint venture company, in which General Cable will have a majority interest, will distribute a wide variety of wire and cable products for the energy, electrical infrastructure, and construction markets in Oman and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

THE PHILIPPINES—Filipino-owned Harbour Industrial Development Corp. is investing P1.948 billion for the establishment of a steel manufacturing facility in Panabo, Davao del Norte to serve the Mindanao market and export as much as 20 per cent of its production to Manado, Indonesia. The firm has applied for a pioneer status saying it would be the first to employ such new technologies as twin 4-stand tungsten carbide monoblock high-speed delivery and twin tempcore quenching system. Its state-of-the-art equipment will make it the first company in the Philippines to manufacture PNS 211 and small sizes of PNS 49 from billets rather than from wire rods.

SOUTH KOREA—A South Korean consortium has won a USD 1 billion deal to lay fiber optic cables in Saudi Arabia. Korean Middle East Engineering, a joint venture of four South Korean businesses, was named the main project contractor by Saudi Arabia’s Integrated Telecom Co. The project will establish a national network in Saudi Arabia and also connect the country with Sudan, Yemen, Oman, and the UAE by undersea cable by December 2013.

SOUTH KOREA—LS Cable has signed a contract to buy 3,000 kms of superconducting power wire from American Superconductor Corp., the world’s first commercial-scale deal

for the next-generation product. The firm said it would use some of the new cables in South Korea. The rest will be exported to the United States for the Tres Amigas project in New Mexico aimed at connecting the country’s three main power networks.

SOUTH KOREA—Taihan Electric Wire Co. has won a USD 81 million deal with Australia’s Energy Australia Co. to build a 132 KV turnkey power cable.

UK—UK telecom operator Cable & Wireless has signed a memorandum of understanding to buy 51 per cent in Bahamas Telecommunications Co. for USD 210 million from the local government. The move will bolster the company’s operations in the Caribbean region.

USA—Teknor Apex Co. has agreed to purchase the worldwide Sarlink® thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomer business from Royal DSM NV. Sarlink operates compounding facilities in Leominster, MA, USA and Genk, Belgium and has extensive engineering and laboratory resources for application development. The addition of the Sarlink TPV business will strengthen the position of Teknor Apex as the world’s most diversified independent compounder of TPEs and expand its portfolio at the high-performance end, particularly for automotive applications.

USA—General Cable Corp., a North Americabased wire and cable supplier, has received a USD 270 million order to supply underwater and underground transmission cables for an offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea starting in 2012. The company’s subsidiary, Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke GmbH, will design, manufacture, supply and install two 60 kilometer sections of 150 kV high-voltage export submarine cables as well as three single cores measuring 12 kilometers each of terrestrial underground transmission cable.|WB

PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY Products PWM presents manual cold pressure welders British company PWM, which has been designing and manufacturing cold pressure welders and dies for more than 30 years, exhibited its range of high-performance manual welders at Wire & Cable India 2010 at Mumbai. PWM’s hand-held welders, the M10, M25, and M30 models, are ideal for joining wire in confined spaces. Suitable for nonferrous wire and strip 0.10 mm to 1.80 mm diameter, the machines are comfortable to hold and easy to use. The larger BM10 and BM30 bench-mounted models are durable, low maintenance machines with similar capacities. The versatile M101, one of PWM’s best-selling models, can be bench-mounted or supplied with a trolley, enabling the machine to be wheeled directly to the work area. The M101 has a capacity of 1.00 mm to 3.60 mm diameter copper and 1.00 mm to 5.00 mm EC aluminium.

Rigid strander from AEI Rajasthan-based Associated Engineers & Industrials (AEI), introduces a latest-in-theseries rigid stranding machine with the following features: • motorised bobbin pintles requiring minimal maintenance; • auto regulated pneumatic braking mechanism settable at control desk; • instant detection of wire breaks, displayed at control desk; • rapid row loading hydraulic system dedicated for each cage; • latest AC drives and PLC/touch panel control systems using Profibus and Profinet communication for complete line synchronisation in case of power failure; and • remote diagnostic assistance over a telecom network.

AEI has manufactured high technology stranding machines for the production of medium, high and extra-high voltage power cables for 40 years.

For further details contact: Ajmer, Rajasthan, Associated Engineers & Industrials Ltd., Tel.: 0145-2440125, 2440126, Fax: 91-145-2440126, E-mail: info@aeimachines.com.

needs of those using all-dielectric, selfsupporting fiber optic cable on overhead or in underground facilities.

For further details contact: Sherry Salyer, E-mail: shsalyer@ofsoptics.com.

Cerro Wire introduces True Sequential Footage™ Cerro Wire LLC, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical building wire and cable, has introduced True Sequential Footage™, a sequentially printed cable reel that provides accurate wire length with each cut.

True Sequential Footage prevents the need to carry excess cable inventory, providing precision length, accurate footage, and cost control. It uses a footage mark to document remaining wire, beginning with zero at the bottom of the reel and ending with the finished length at the top. The accurate footage mark allows for quick identification of the re-order point, guaranteeing the full purchased wire length and reducing random lengths. This better controls end-of-reel scrap and reduces the need to carry excess inventory.

For further details contact: Cerro Wire LLC, Consumer Markets Div., 1002 Industrial Way, Crothersville, IN 47229, USA, Tel.: (001) 866-572-3776.

Eland copper cables

For further details contact: Kris Lancaster, E-mail: kris.lancaster@ btinternet.com.

Lapp Kabel offers PV cable line Lapp Kabel has launched its product range for photovoltaic (PV) cabling under the name Ölflex Solar. All of the cables are UV-resistant with a high resistance to weather and temperature extremes. The latest addition to the product range is the electron beam cross-linked Ölflex Solar XLR. The TÜV-approved cable offers thermal resistance from -40°C to +120°C, thereby guaranteeing long-lasting functionality under any weather conditions.

The standard cross-linked Ölflex Solar XLS solar cables are increasingly being used in temperature ranges from -40°C to +100°C. Both types of cable are normally mounted on flat and pitched roofs and field systems for wiring solar modules together and connecting the individual rows of modules and the power inverter. Due to its large conductor cross-section, the hard-wearing XLS is used in large PV systems as a collective line to carry high electric loads between the individual rows of modules and as a connector to the power inverter. It is also suitable for underground installation.

In contrast, Ölflex Solar V4A is recommended for use on stables, barn roofs, and other agricultural buildings.

It’s sheath is rust-free stainless steel, thus offering effective protection against rodents and termites. To supplement the cable, Lapp Kabel also offers extruded, pre-assembled or freely configurable Epic Solar connectors and built-in connectors to connect the solar modules. Robust and weather-resistant connector boxes also form part of the company’s solar range. The so-called Epic Solar module box (supplied with or without cable) is attached to the rear side of the solar module. Solar modules can be connected in parallel using Y-splitters.

For futher details contact: Grant Joyce, Lapp Kabel, Tel.: +27 (0)11 201 3200, E-mail: grant.joyce@lappkabel.co.za, www.lappcable.co.za.

UK-headquartered Eland Cables has announced that its national rail-approved rail telecom cable portfolio now includes a full range of Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) and armoured LSZH trackside cables. The network rail approval (NR/PR/TEL/00015) covers 32 variants of 0.63 mm and 0.9 mm LSZH and armoured LSZH copper trackside cables. Earlier this year, as part of Eland’s product acceptance strategy, 32 variants of PE and armoured PE copper trackside cables were also approved.

For further details contact: Eland Cables, E-mail: sales@eland.co.uk.

Paige Electric introduces new packaging design USA-based Paige Electric introduces a new packaging design for the wire and cable industry that is intended to replace the non-recyclable, chemically infused plywood reels which had been used for decades with a more environmentally friendly alternative. The 1 Pac2 is a 100 per cent recyclable box cable dispensing system that meets sustainability goals while saving customers time and money.

“The challenge was to develop a product that was environmentally responsible, able to handle the weight of the product, provide multiple dispensing options, and not add costs,” said Paige Electric President Lou Grotta.

The 1 Pac2 can handle weight of up to 100 pounds. The new design prevents cable tangles and stops spinning when the installer stops pulling. It includes dual reinforced handles. The 1 Pac2 can be used with or without a rack and also saves warehouse costs, stacks easier, and eliminates special handling charges during shipping.

“We get a lot of positive feedback from the guys on the job and they always mention there are no more splinters,” said Frank Conaty, Vice President, Paige Electric.

For further details contact: Frank Conaty, Tel.: (001) 908-687-7810, E-mail: fconaty@paigeelectric.com.

Sterlite Technologies launches End-To-End OPGW solution Pune-based Sterlite Technologies Ltd., a global provider of transmission solutions for the power and telecom industries, announced the launch of its new optical ground wire (OPGW) solution at AfricaCom 2010 held at the Cape Town Convention Centre. This solution, according to a company media release, is a one-stop window for application engineering, hardware supply, and installation. The solution comprises a comprehensive suite of OPGW cables and related accessories. The company’s scope of services also includes route survey, application engineering, live line/new line installation and commissioning, supply of active equipment, and integration support.

The OPGW cables have been certified by the South African Bureau of Standards and continued on p. 14

OFS launches PowerGuide ShortSpan DT cable OFS, a designer and manufacturer of fiber optic network products, announced the launch of its totally gel-free PowerGuide® ShortSpan DT All-Dielectric SelfSupporting (ADSS) cable. According to a published report, the product enables faster deployment and helps lower installation costs through reduced cable preparation time, increased span length capability, and flexible buffer tubes for ease of routing and management within closures than similar gel-filled products. The 100 per cent gelfree construction allows for light-duty attachment hardware costing on an average 40 per cent less per pole than comparable gel-filled cables on a typical 250 foot span due to lower loaded tension. Additionally, compared to similar gel-filled cables, up to 60 per cent less labour per dead-end location can be realised by using hardware that does not require reinforcing rods.

“Totally dry cables have been fieldproven in both aerial and underground installations for nearly a decade, so this is a natural extension to an existing technology,” said Timothy Pillow, Senior Vice President (Global Marketing & Sales), OFS. “The introduction of a totally gel-free ADSS cable is a significant milestone in the industry with OFS leading the way to help our customers continue to speed FTTH deployments and improve deployment economics. The PowerGuide ShortSpan DT cable enables our customers to extend their service reach and to cost-effectively serve remote rural locations,” he said.

This cable meets the IEEE 1222™ Standard for ADSS cable, which addresses the

JANUARY 2011 | 13

PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY the OPGW solution would be immediately available to power transmission utilities, large ultra mega power plants, and telecom service providers planning to merge existing power line infrastructure with long haul/access communication networks. The company plans to launch this solution imminently for all its global clients. Siraj Bhattacharya, Solution Manager (OPGW), Sterlite Technologies, said “Through our OPGW solution offering we have operationalised an extremely versatile set-up, considering all the design options mapped to geo-technical conditions applicable globally.”

For further details visit: www.sterlitetechnologies.com.

Media

the cable will perform as intended,” said Michael Smalley, AEIC’s Cable Engineering Committee Chairman, in a media report.

AEIC Cable Engineering Committee specifications and guides are used by utilities, municipalities, large industrial installations, and consultants throughout the world.

AEIC’s Cable Engineering Committee publishes seven underground cable specifications and 11 underground cable guides.

Guides and specifications undergo regular reviews and updates by the committee.

A listing of specifications and guides, as well as information on becoming an AEIC member, may be found at AEIC’s website.

For further details contact: the AEIC secretary, E-mail: secretaryaeic@ bellsouth.net., www.aeic.org.

New guide reports on global Specification guide for extruded cables industry power cables The Cables: Global Industry Guide proThe Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) Cable Engineering Committee, an authority on underground electrical cable, has released its second edition of Guide for Developing Specifications for Extruded Power Cables Rated 5 kV Through 46 kV. AEIC CG10-10 is designed to provide guidance for electric utility engineers who must develop cable specifications for medium voltage cables (5 kV to 46 kV). The electric utility industry has relied on AEIC specifications for underground cables to ensure that quality and reliability issues are met.

“It is often necessary, however, for an individual utility to augment its purchasing specification to include items that are specific to its needs. This updated guide should be of significant help to electric utility personnel, describing the choices that must be considered and outlining the criteria necessary to ensure

14 | WIRE BULLETIN

vides data and analysis related to the global cables industry including market size and segmentation, textual analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, and profiles of the leading companies. This report provides analysis on a global, regional, and country basis. Other highlights include: • in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards, • individual chapters on the five major markets of France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US; and • a five-year forecast of the industry.

The report is published by www.companiesandmarkets.com, an online business information aggregator with more than 5,00,000 market reports and company profiles. In terms of company profiles, the company’s online database allows clients access to market and corporate information to more than 1,00,000 different companies.

It provides clients with a fully indexed database of information wherein they can find specific market reports on their niche industry sectors of interest.

For further details contact: Mike King, Tel.: +44 (0) 2030868600, E-mail: info@companiesandmarkets.com.

Study covers transmission power cable costs The UK-based Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) announced the launch of a comprehensive study into the costs of building new high-voltage cables.

The IET, in partnership with the energy consultancy KEMA, will produce an independent report to compare the costs of laying power transmission cables underground, in tunnels, or under the sea against the costs of building new overhead lines.

The report, which is due for release this year, is intended to provide an objective and independent basis for assessing the overall costs of these different methods of power transfer through Britain’s electricity transmission system. It will also provide an indication of the environmental impacts of the different technologies.

The study will examine technical and cost issues around the different methods, looking at case studies from both the UK and abroad, as well as drawing on information from a wide range of organisations, companies and academicians. It will provide cost implications from a variety of factors such as terrain, geology, length of cable, power carrying capacity of cables, voltage, and network operating characteristics. KEMA will provide the technical content and analysis, while the IET will provide quality assurance and engineering oversight for the study. As part of the information gathering process, the IET will host

a seminar at which organisations will have the opportunity to contribute facts and cost information about the various technologies.

For further details visit: http://electrical.theiet.org/.

Technology What Does BS 8519 Mean?

Terry Journeaux, Prysmian’s technical marketing manager, discusses exactly what the new BS 8519 standard means and how best to comply.

The BS 8519 is a new code of practice for selecting and installing fire resistant power and control cables, applying only to cable used in life safety and fire fighting systems, specifically in large and complex buildings.

Although it is not a legal requirement to comply with its recommendations (because it is, after all, a code of practice), it is still important to be aware of what BS 8519 recommends.

As buildings become larger, taller and ever more complex, the electrical systems that support them must follow suit. This is especially pertinent when specifying cable and components for systems designed to protect life in the event of fire in such buildings.

Should these systems fail, the emergency staff trying to manage the fire is at greater risk of death and injury themselves. Some say that the publication of BS 8519 has resulted in confusion within the industry— especially with regard to the interpretation of the different test methods needed for control and power cables. Confusion such as this is not a good situation for anyone responsible for specifying or installing any type of life safety or fire fighting electrical system. Therefore, common sense dictates that one fully understands the implications of the BS 8519 code. continued on p. 15

PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY BS 8519, introduced in February 2010, is now effective. The standard acknowledges that fire engineered solutions for high rise and complex buildings require a higher level of performance than other building types. BS 8519 offers recommendations for the selection of fire resistant power and control cables in systems such as: • wet riser pumps; • sprinkler pumps, water mist, powder, water spray, and automatic foam extinguishing systems; • fire fighting and evacuation lift supplies; • supply and control to pressurisation systems; • supply and control of smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems; • supply and control of fire barriers; and • supply and control of smoke barriers, smoke control dampers, smoke curtains, and smoke fans.

The guidance and recommendations of BS 8519 would be sufficient to ensure best practice for any of these key applications and also provide a secure route to compliance with Approved Document B, which refers to BS 7346-6 and has now been withdrawn and replaced by BS 8519. It is important to note that BS 8519 does not cover the wiring of fire detection and fire alarm systems which are still covered by BS 5839.

A particularly important part of BS 8519 is the introduction of three fire survival times.

Life safety systems must remain operational for 60 minutes in large and complex buildings and 30 minutes in other types of buildings. Fire fighting systems should be fully functioning for 60 or 120 minutes depending on the system being used.

This means that in life endangering situations, the appropriate survival time can be chosen from BS 8519 in order to be certain that the cables operating the fire fighting power and control systems will perform as

intended. This gives assurances to any fire fighters and emergency staff that need to occupy or enter a building following an evacuation, that systems protecting them should work as expected. The three-time category cable requirements are split between control and power cables.

BS 8519 also gives recommendations for component use in a cable system such as fixings, containment systems, glands and joints, so that they do not compromise the circuit integrity in the event of fire. It suggests that joints should be avoided unless absolutely essential and that cable fixings and fixing centres should always be according to the cable manufacturer’s recommendations. Robust armoured cables should be fixed either directly to the building structure or to a cable management system. If additional mechanical protection is needed for cables, a cable management or containment system is advisable. This must be able to maintain its full function in adverse conditions such as fire, direct mechanical impact and under pressure from water jets, and for the same period of time as that set out for cables.

Specific tests for cable management systems under BS 8519 are still in the process of development so manufacturers should be consulted before installation. BS 8519 recommends that HV supply cables serving life safety and fire fighting systems should directly enter fire-rated switch rooms from two diverse routes and not pass through other parts of the building structure. This is to ensure security of power supply. If such cables have to be routed through the building, they should be fire protected by a suitable protective system.

A full colour detailed guide on BS 8519 is available free from Prysmian. To receive a copy, e-mail cables.marketing.uk@ prysmian.com.|WB

Align yourself with WAI members and be recognized in the company of the industry’s most dynamic leaders The Wire Association International (WAI) is teeming with vibrant, like-minded people who are accomplished in the wire and cable industry and are bound for CONTINUED ACHIEVEMENT. Whether you already lead an organization or you are in line for a role that suits you, we think you will identify with the thousands of world-wise professionals who value WAI membership for its career-sustaining resources. Membership offers a daily means to unite with colleagues and streamline even your most ambitious agenda.

Find contacts, vendors, and customers through WAI’s extensive website. Chat online or catch a free educational webinar. Take print or online delivery of the industry’s leading publication—Wire Journal International. Get a year’s worth of networking at Interwire and Wire Expo trade shows and receive discounts at the same time. Technical workshops, mentorship, committee work; all are business-building groups in WAI’s global community. And all help WAI MEMBERS MAINTAIN THEIR COMPETITIVE EDGE.

Positively Engaged. Absorbed. Informed.

Whatever your pursuit—WAI will help you develop a following. So join online today at WWW.WIRENET.ORG. Tomorrow is looking better already.

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

JANUARY 2011 | 15

PRODUCTION TIPS Silver coating on copper conductors: The silver lining for mission critical industry applications

Silver- and nickel-plated copper conductors are widely used in the cable industry for high-technology electronics, aerospace, defense, and medical applications because the reliability of the cable is paramount in such mission critical industries.

Special requirements exist for high-quality silver-plated copper conductors. One of the key requirements for reliability of bare conductor is a uniform coating of silver, for which relevant standards are used in the industry. Research findings suggest the need to use a continuous 1-micron silver coating over copper; however since the cost of such use has become a concern, standards have been overlooked recently resulting in thinner silver coatings on these conductors.

Why plate copper wire?

Copper has excellent electrical and mechanical properties, which make it useful in electrical conductors. Other than silver it is the next best conductor of electricity. Bare copper tends to react with atmospheric oxy-

16 | WIRE BULLETIN

gen forming cupric oxide on its outer layer.

That’s why copper and its alloys are plated with other metals to avoid corrosion.

Typically metals like silver, nickel, and tin are used as coating elements depending on the application. Nickel can be used to provide good protection against corrosion and high temperature; however it degrades resistance and solder-ability. Tin, due to its low melting point, should not be used for high-temperature cables.

Silver plating on copper and copper alloys Silver is the best conductor of electricity and is resistant to corrosion; therefore it is used for plating on copper for most electronic applications. It provides good resistance to high temperatures of up to 200°C. In Radio Frequency (RF) applications, silver plating provides excellent conductivity due to the ‘‘Skin effect’’ (in which the current density near the surface of the conductor is greater than at its core).

Silver plating provides improved solderability for hook-up wires. The electroplating process is used for silver plating as it provides good control over the thickness of the coating. Multiple ends of Silver Plated Conductors (SPC) are typically stranded together and subsequently insulated with fluorocarbon plastics like PTFE, ETFE, FEP, etc.

When copper is coated with silver— under humid conditions in presence of air— corrosion can occur in copper. This happens due to the formation of galvanic cells between the copper and silver, where, in the presence of moisture at pinholes or breaks in silver, cuprous oxide tends to form.

The oxides, visible as brown-red deposits on exposed copper, is a well-researched problem commonly known as “red plague.”

In one study, red-plague corrosion in insulated cables affected the electrical conductive path. The primary causes were identified as pinholes in the silver plating and the presence of moisture and air during use, even inside the insulation.

To ensure a continuous coating of silver, that is free of pinholes, a minimum thickness (1 micron or 40 microinches) of silver coating is required. Various international standards have been defined to ensure reliability and quality of SPC conductors.

While cables that use sub-standard conductors may not have immediate negative impact, they do impose serious risk on the long-term reliability and functionality of the end application. So, it is imperative

that high-quality cables complying with relevant standards are used in mission critical industries.

This section presents findings reported by Mr. Sunand Mittal in his article entitled: “Silver coating on copper conductor: do we need 1-micron coating?”

To purchase a copy of his article, contact WAI’s Director of Education & Member Services at: mmurray@wirenet.org.|WB

Biographical Information

Mittal Sunand Mittal is associated with Sukriti Vidyot Udyog Pvt. Ltd., INDIA, a manufacturer of silver- and nickel-plated copper conductors. He holds two US patents and has four patents pending in the field of semiconductors and software.

ASK THE EXPERT ASK THE EXPERT

continued from p. 1

Q: I am a mechanical engineering

student and a member of a group project for a Manufacturing Processes course. Our student group was instructed to design a process for the manufacture of 2024 Aluminium wire. Our starting point is a hot rolled rod of 9.0 mm in diameter, which we must reduce to a final wire size of 0.72 mm by using a multi die commercial practice without intermediate annealing.

We must focus on defining the complete process parameters including semi angles, lengths, reduction pass schedule, lubricant, drawing velocities, etc.

We have started the design process, but find ourselves making rather slow headway as no hints or relative information have been given to us.

We are in need of assistance. Can you help provide your expertise?

A: You will find yourself, throughout your professional career, in manufacturing processes you never studied at university so it is good to get such a project now. I’m sure you will enjoy this challenge and although we don’t think we should solve your problem, we can certainly send you in the right directions.

The standard electrical conductor grade of aluminium used is 1350 which is mostly for high-voltage Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) non-insulated overhead cable feeding cities and low/medium voltage insulated distribution cable. There are a number of aluminium alloys used in the electrical industry but 2024 is not usually used.

1. Rod Drawing Machine Systems For the 2024 aluminium drawing machine comprising a payoff, the drawing machine itself and a take-up or spooler (single reel for stop and go or dual reel for continuous operation) contact: • Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co. KG (Germany, India, Dubai, Singapore, China, Brazil, USA) | www.niehoff.de • SAMPSISTEMI division of SAMP S.p.A. (Italy, China, USA) | www.sampsistemi.com • Sangamesa Wire Technologies (India) | www.wiremach.in These companies can provide you with the processing speeds and drawing die progressions (likely referred to as “Taper Drafting”) as well as an up-to-date machine brochure including the size of the payoff coil, take-up drawing reel and recommended drawing oil (lubricant). Also ask them for a pointer and stringer so you can string up the drawing machine the first time and every time thereafter you change finish wire diameter or if the wire breaks inside the drawing machine. If for some reason, you need a final in-line induction annealer, talk with them about this.

2. Multiple Upset Rod Welders For the aluminium multiple upset rod welder (for continuous payoff), contact: • T. Fukase & Co., Ltd. (Japan) | www.fukase.co.jp • August Strecker GmbH & Co. KG (Germany and worldwide) | www.strecker-limburg.de

3. Drawing Lubricant

6. Take-up Reels

For the drawing lubricant information contact: • RichardsApex (USA, China, India, Europe, AustralAsia) | www.richardsapex.com You may also be able to get their recommendations about the drawing die cone angles and drawing die materials.

For the wiredrawing take-up reels contact: • The Pentre Group (England) | www.pentregroup.com Check out the steel “SF” drawing reel.

• Cabrol Group – MSP Division (India) | www.cabrolindia.com

4. Drawing Lubricant Systems For the drawing lubricant system (storage tanks, aluminium fines filtration, temperature control, pumping and return) contact: • Filtertech (USA) | www.filtertech.com They also have a featured system entitled, “Aluminum Wire Production & Filtration System Concepts.”

5. Drawing Dies For the drawing die information, contact: • Fort Wayne Wire Die, Inc. (USA) | www.fwwd.com • Paramount Die (USA) | www.paradie.com • Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. (India) | www.ajexturner.com

Try to get pdf copies of technical brochures from all of the companies you contact. Make sure all know that you are doing an assigned mechanical engineering project at university and that you need their help.

After all this, you will be an expert in commercially drawing 2024 aluminium alloy wire and you should get high marks on your project provided, of course, that you put some reasonable effort into it.|WB Excerpted and edited from the WAI Forums | Nonferrous Section – November 2010 Content updated December 2010.

Post your question or join the discussions at: www.wirenet.org/forum/index.cfm

You should inquire with each of them about their recommendations for die angles and die materials. Be sure to tell them the drawing lubricant, the finish line speed, and calculate the rod entry speed for them.

Rod-breakdown line. Schematic courtesy of SAMPSISTEMI.

JANUARY 2011 | 17

TECHNICAL ARTICLE Part 2: Cold rolling profile wires In continuation of the first part of this article as published in our issue of October 2010, the author examines the various factors associated with cold rolling profile wires such as the flattening process, Young Modulus, camber, and gauge control.

By Abhay D. Hajare, BTech (Hons)-IIT (Bom), MSc (UK), DSM, CMM, FIE

We have all seen how a car’s tyre gets slightly flattened when it rests on the road under the weight of the vehicle. If we mark the flattened portion with chalk and push the car a little, we would notice that the marked portion is no more flattened but has become perfectly round. On the other hand, that part of the tyre which is now in contact with the road has become flat. This flattening is temporary, not permanent. In technical language, the flattening is known as elastic deformation which recovers the moment the load is removed. The degree of flattening increases with an increase of the gross weight of the car and a decrease in the air pressure in the tyre.

The same elastic flattening of rolls in rolling mills occurs when roll wire, or anything else, is rolled. The portion of the roll in contact with the wire being rolled gets temporarily flattened as long as the contact is there. As soon as that particular section of the roll that was flattened goes up because of rotation, it becomes round in the same manner as in the case of the car tyre.

The flattening of the tyre is quite visible owing to its low elasticity and relatively high load. On the other hand, the flattening of a rolling mill roll is not noticeable because of the very high elasticity of the rolls and relatively low load. Moreover, the rolls are not easily observed in roll flattening. They are somewhat hidden inside the frame of the rolling mill.

In order to explain this phenomenon in technical terms, consider the load-extension curve that refers to the properties of any engineering material (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Load extension curve.

The above figure shows a load extension curve which has been plotted for a wire sample. The ‘Y’ axis represents load and the ‘X’ axis represents the extension of the wire under that load. The figure shows three curves, one of which is for steel wire being rolled. Steel wires are like patented medium carbon wire for flat healed wires, annealed high carbon wires for card clothing, drawn mild steel wires for reed, and flat cable armour or bush wires for industrial chains.

18 | WIRE BULLETIN

The second curve is for hardened and tempered steel rolls and the third is for carbide rolls.

The initial portions of the curves for the steel roll as well as for the steel wire overlap onto each other up to a point which is the end of their elastic limit, generally called yield point for wire. The yield point is directly related to the hardness of the material. Up to the yield point of steel wire, the curve for the steel roll is the same as that for steel wire. After the yield point of steel wire Y1, the curve for steel roll goes straight up to point Y2, which is the yield point for steel rolls, whereas the curve for steel wire takes a curvature and becomes less steep than before.

The curve up to the yield point is a straight line and it follows Hook’s Law, whereby the increase in the length or the extension is directly proportional to the load with a straight line relationship. Up to the yield point, the extension increases as the load increases. As soon as the load is removed, the extension becomes zero. If the load increases beyond the yield point Y1 to Y1’ in the case of steel wire, it does not retrace the load extension curve backwards when the load is reduced or removed. However, it comes back to point ‘P’ on the ‘X’ axis along the dotted line parallel to OY1. It can be seen that the yield point of the steel wire has increased to ‘Y1.’ In other words it gets a permanent deformation as much as ‘OP’ because the load on it exceeds the earlier yield point Y1.

Under the same load, the steel roll is still below its yield point Y2, which is higher than the highest point on the curve for steel wire. Therefore, the roll does not permanently deform while rolling. However, it gets temporarily (elastically) deformed as much as the component of its curve on the ‘X’ axis corresponding to the rolling load, as long as it is in contact with steel wire. The third curve is for carbide rolls. Note how high the yield point (hardness), Y3, is as compared with Y2 of steel rolls and Y1 of steel wire and the steepness of the straight line up to Y3 as compared with the steepness of the straight line up to Y2 or Y1.

The curves in the above figure are for elongating or stretching, i.e., for tensile loads, whereas the loads in rolling and most of the other metal-working operations are compressive or opposite to tensile. It can be seen that when the wire is under a compressive load up to the highest point on its curve, the steel roll gets only elastically deformed and does not have permanent (plastic) deformation. The straight line portion up to the elastic limit or yield point expresses the tendency of the material to undergo elastic deformation under a given load. The slope of the straight line up to the yield point is called the modulus of elasticity. It represents the rigidity of any material.

In the case of tensile loads it is called Young’s Modulus.

The higher the Young’s Modulus, the lower is the tendency to deform elastically under a given load. All steel products generally have the same value for Young’s Modulus, which is in the region of 20,000 kg/sq mm. With cold working, the value of

Young’s Modulus goes down to 18,000 kg/sq mm. On the other hand, for heattreated steels such as hardened tempered rolls as well as soft annealed steel wire, it is around 22,000 kg/sq mm. It means that the elastic deformation in both the cases is the same for the given load below the yield point. Therefore, when the wire is being rolled it deforms elastically as well as plastically. As soon as it emerges from the rolls, this elastic deformation recovers and the plastic deformation remains.

On the other hand, steel rolls are continuously under temporary elastic deformation on section after section of their circumference, which is recovered as soon as the sections go away from the wire being rolled.

This deformation or localized flattening means increasing diameter of that part of the roll temporarily in contact with the wire being rolled. It causes inaccuracy in rolled profiles. Any such deformation of the roll is more in the larger rolls than in the smaller ones. This is the reason why working rolls in cluster mills used for cold rolling of thin sheets or foils are of barely 30 mm diameter. These rolls are backed by a cluster of larger rolls.

It can be seen that the yield point of hardened and tempered steel rolls is higher than the highest point on the curve for steel wire.

However, the difference is quite low and therefore the wire soon inflicts wear on steel rolls. Consider the third curve for carbide rolls. The important features are: • Yield point (hardness) is significantly higher than that of wire as well as that of steel rolls.

• The steepness of the curve is significantly higher than that of steel wire as well as that of steel rolls.

illustration, I have considered an average value for Young’s Modulus of carbide rolls as three times that of steel. Because of high Young’s Modulus, the elastic deformation of the carbide rolls is three times that of steel rolls and, therefore, the accuracy of the profiles rolled by carbide rolls is very high compared with those rolled by steel rolls.

This is an important but somewhat neglected aspect of carbides than their high hardness, which gives rise to wear resistance because of the significant difference between the yield point of carbide and the highest point on the curve for the steel wires being rolled. With a little stretch of the imagination it can be easily appreciated that everything produced using carbide tools in place of steel tools is more accurate and there is less power consumption using carbide tooling compared with steel tooling.

Camber Camber or bow means the bending of the strip in the plane of its width. The camber is objectionable in further processing or use of the strip and should be minimised if not completely eliminated.

Cause and calculation of camber Fig. 2 shows the cross section of a profiled wire having the following dimensions.

The steepness, i.e., the slope of the curve up to the yield point is: For steel wire or rolls: on Y axis y2 - y1 x2’ - x1’ on X axis Whereas for carbide rolls it is: y2 - y1 x2 - x1 x2’ - x1’ = 3 × (x2 - x1) Therefore: y2 - y1 = 3 x y2 - y1 x2 - x1 x2’ - x1’ Young’s Modulus (carbide) = 3 x Young’s Modulus (steel) Then, the following becomes clear: • The yield point (hardness) of carbide is significantly higher than that of steel.

• The Young’s Modulus (steepness of the curve) for carbide is three times that of steel.

Young’s Modulus of tungsten carbide is as high as 72,000 kg/sq mm. This is the highest-known value of the modulus of elasticity for any known material in the world. This value comes down because of materials like cobalt and other carbides mixed in industrial carbides. For the above

Fig. 2. A profiled wire.

The wire can be rolled with four rolls out of which the bottom and the two side rolls are without any profile or groove and the top roll is with a profile containing ‘step’ and ‘blade’. Alternatively, the top roll can be a split roll i.e., made of two rolls. The wire can also be rolled with only two rolls where the bottom roll is a roll without profile or groove in it and rolls the flat bottom of the wire. The top roll is with a stepped groove that contains the entire cross-section i.e., blade as well as step, above the bottom of the wire.

The figure shows that for the bottom roll of 100 mm diameter, the blade rolling roll diameter would be 100- 2 x T = 97 mm and the step rolling roll diameter would be 100 - 2 x H = 94 mm for S No 1 in Table 1 below. Both the blade rolling and step rolling rolls rotate together on the same shaft with the same RPM. Therefore, their peripheral speeds would be in the ratio (Л x 97 x RPM)/ (Л x 94 x RPM) or 97/94 = 1.032. continued on p. 20

JANUARY 2011 | 19

TECHNICAL ARTICLE In other words, the blade of thickness ‘T’ would come out of the rolling roll assembly at a speed 3.2 per cent higher than the step.

This means the profiled wire would be bent in the plane of its width or it will have camber of 313.13 mm radius (S No 1) as seen in Table 1 below. If the profiled wire appears as in Fig. 2 while looking from the inlet side of the rolling stand, the wire will bend toward the left after its exit. This is true for rolling of the wire, not roll-drawing of the wire.

If we increase the bottom roll diameter from 100 mm to 175 mm as in S No 3, the blade rolling roll diameter would be 175 - 2 x T = 172 mm and step width (SW) rolling roll diameter would be 100 - 2 x H = 169 mm. Their peripheral speeds would be in the ratio 172/169 = 1.018. In other words, the blade of thickness ‘T’ would come out of the rolling roll assembly at a speed 1.8 per cent higher than the step. Thus, the camber would be of radius 563.33 mm (S No 3) as seen in Table 1.

Any higher radius of bending means lower bending or lower camber. Thus, the camber decreases as roll diameter increases as can be seen in S Nos 1, 2, and 3 in the table. Similarly, it can be seen from the table that the camber decreases as width W increases - compare S Nos 3 and 4, and the camber increases as wire height H increases - compare S Nos 4 and 5. When the blade thickness T decreases, the camber increases - compare S Nos 5 and 6. Since camber means the curvature in the wire, the lower radius of curvature implies higher camber.

When the wire is straight or without any camber the radius of curvature or camber radius would be infinite.

The formula for calculating camber radius is: Camber radius = (step width rolling roll diameter) x (wire width W)/(blade rolling roll diameter - step width rolling roll diameter).

From the above formula it is apparent that the phenomenon of camber is associated with height disparity between two parts of the wire cross section being rolled by rolls of different peripheral speeds. A flat wire or strip won’t have camber. From Fig. 2, Table 1, and the above formula it becomes clear that asymmetry is the main cause for camber. In Fig. 2, there is a step only at the left side of the profile, thereby bringing in asymmetry. If there is a similar step of the same dimensions on the right side of the profile as well, the asymmetry will get converted into symmetry and the camber will vanish.

All wire profiles are not so straightforward to feed into the formula to quantitatively determine camber. Nevertheless, the formula can provide at least a comparative idea of camber in two similar profiles.

Camber is undesirable and troublesome for subsequent processing or use. It may also deprive the product of that excellence which is possible without camber. If the profile of the wire is rolled in more than one pass then the wire with camber from the first profiling pass is difficult to feed into the second profiling pass and it is even more difficult for the third pass. Therefore, the endeavour should be to produce profiled wire devoid of camber.

Control of camber As discussed above, the camber is inevitable wherever a profile with asymmetry is rolled. Its magnitude depends on the factors illustrated in Table 1. However, the camber can be at least partially eliminated.

20 | WIRE BULLETIN

Camber Calculations For Wire Rolling S No

H (mm)

W (mm)

T (mm)

Blade Rolling Roll Diameter (mm)

1

3

10

1.5

97.00

94.00

313.33

100

2

3

10

1.5

147.00

144.00

480.00

150

3

3

10

1.5

172.00

169.00

563.33

175

4

3

12

1.5

172.00

169.00

676.00

175

5

4

12

1.5

172.00

167.00

400.80

175

6

4

12

1.0

173.00

167.00

334.00

175

Step Width Roll Camber Radius For Bottom Roll Diameter (mm) (mm) Diameter (mm)

Note: Lower the camber radius, the higher is the camber.

1. Camber increases as roll diameter decreases - compare S Nos 1, 2, 3.

2. Camber decreases as width W increases - compare S Nos 3, 4.

3. Camber increases as wire height H increases - compare S Nos 4, 5.

4. Camber increases as blade thickness T decreases - compare S Nos 5, 6.

Table 1. Camber calculations for wire rolling.

Depending upon the profile of the wire and whether the rolling stand is driven or is rolldrawing, the direction bending will be different. Therefore, to remove camber, rotate the rolling stand in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction and see if the camber increases or decreases. If it decreases, rotate further in the same direction until the camber is almost eliminated, or rotate in the opposite direction.

In case there are high demands on the precision of the wire we can device guidelines from whatever discussed above. In the last pass the yield strength of the strip is quite high. Therefore, there is hardly any plastic deformation of the profiled wire but relatively high elastic deformation or flattening of the rolls. Thus: 1. Finishing rolls may be of lower diameter to reduce magnitude of their elastic flattening.

2. Bright anneal the profiled wire before the last pass to reduce its hardness and improve its ductility.

3. Reduce the coefficient of friction by a) using highly polished rolls, and b) using superior lubricants.

4. Use carbide rolls to reduce their elastic deformation or flattening.

5. Apply front and back tensions as applicable to reduce the rolling load and elastic flattening of the rolls.

6. Use overall low total reduction in area so that the profiled wire has the highest possible ductility in the final pass.

Gauge control From the discussions so far we can instinctively write down ‘what to’ and ‘what not to’ do for gauge control also.

1. Be in constant dialogue with the suppliers of round wire (raw material) for: • Minimisation of surface contaminants, surface finish variation, and tensile variation within a coils; • Minimisation of diameter variation between coils assuming no measurable variation within a coil; and • Prevention of any welding within a coil.

2. Prefer annealed and pinch-drawn wire to finish annealed wire to avoid kinks in the wire.

3. Minimise the inter-stand tension variation.

4. Ensure precise concentricity of rolls with their bearings to avoid cyclic variation.

5. Avoid speed variation.

6. Avoid variation in the coefficient of friction or in lubrication.

7. Maintain the temperature of the rolls by proper cooling.

8. Avoid rolling speeds that are too high.

9. Avoid too much height and/or area reduction in a pass to eliminate the possibility of skidding.

10. Select a rigid mill for the expected rolling loads and speeds.

11. Rely more on tension control than screw-down mechanism in the last pass. As the strip becomes thin and hard, its yield strength moves very close to that of the rolling rolls.

Conclusion Knowing the whys and hows of any subject and understanding the reasoning behind the axioms thereof rather than taking them as given provides an insight that helps choosing the most suitable raw material, designing the best optimum process, solving problems, and adding excellence to the product. A sofa bed is functional as a sofa as well as bed but it is neither a good sofa nor a good bed. Similarly, a multi-purpose rolling mill can be utilised for a number of products but it cannot be the most appropriate choice for all of them. Therefore, knowing everything there is to know about cold rolling profiled wires can help work out the best equations to achieve the highest benchmarks of quality, productivity, and profitability.

Further reading 1. “Steel Wire: Whys And Hows,” A.D. Hajare, Wire Journal International, November 1991.

2. “Work Hardening of Austenitic Stainless Steel Wires,” A.D. Hajare, Wire Industry, U.K., November 1993.

3. “Bright Annealing of Steel Wire,” A.D. Hajare, Wire Industry, U.K., October 1998.

4. “Elasticity and its Effects on Dies and Tooling in Wire Production and Processing,” A.D. Hajare, Wire Industry, U.K., April 1997.

5. “Elasticity and Steel Wire,” A.D. Hajare, Wire Industry, U.K., May 1995.|WB Copies of these articles can be obtained by writing to ahajare@rediffmail.com or hajare.abhay24@gmail.com

Biographical Information

Hajare Pune-based Abhay D. Hajare is an industrial metallurgist and chartered engineer as well as a steel wire and card clothing technologist. He was graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay) and has also been a member of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) roster of experts. He has authored numerous articles related to the wire industry.

ECONOMIC NEWS Business Confidence Index for SMEs on the rise The second quarterly survey of CII, measuring the Business Confidence Index (BCI) of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), showed a bullish outlook of the sector for the Oct-Dec 2010 quarter. The BCI for the current quarter is estimated at 67.0 on an outlook scale of 0-100, moving from a most unfavourable to favourable situation. A value of 50 is the dividing line between a favourable and unfavourable change in the outlook. What is even more significant is that the outlook of this critical sector has improved over the last quarter by a significant 1.4 points. “This is a positive sign of a sector emerging from the shock of the global economic meltdown, and having a huge employment potential,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.

the survey said. The CII survey—that aims at gauging the mood of the SMEs a quarter in advance—reveals that the services sector, on an average, is expecting to perform better than the industrial sector.

The estimated BCI value of services SMEs stood at 67.5 compared to 66.5 for industrial SMEs. The exuberance of the services sector in the previous quarter had surpassed the industrial sector. Based on a list of 14 exhaustive outlook indicators, the CII Survey has highlighted four variables— gross sales, new orders/contracts, capacity utilisation, and capacity expansion—that have done exceptionally well to cross the mark of 75 on the BCI scale to indicate significantly better outlook (more than 10 per cent) from the previous quarter. This, in turn, is also keeping the prospects of employment bright with its BCI standing at 73.6

Indian energy sector needs structural reforms

A shop-floor view of a small-scale unit.

According to the survey, much of the buoyancy in the SMEs’ performance is due to domestic demand rather than exports.

The export prospects for the SMEs have come down significantly from the last quarter, which is not surprising given the slow and uncertain economic recovery in a large part of the western globe. The appreciating Indian rupee against the US dollar is further adding to the woes of the SME exporters,

According to India’s finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, various structural reforms are needed to make the energy sector vibrant and investor-friendly. “While the government is adopting a number of fiscal incentives to attract investments, including in the vital energy sector, there are structural reforms required in the energy industry to utilise those incentives,” he said.

Expressing confidence that India would soon turn to double-digit growth path, Mukherjee said that the contribution of the energy sector was vital for achieving high economic growth. “If we can put into effect some important structural policy measures, there is no reason why India cannot achieve double-digit gross domestic product growth,” he said.

Secondary steel makers to form umbrella body Several thousand secondary steel producers across the country, covering sponge iron units, mini steel plants and rolling mills, are trying to regroup themselves to form an umbrella organisation at the national level to effectively address the issue of rationalisation of iron ore prices with the Union Government. Anil Nachrani, President, Chhattisgarh Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association said, “Unless there is some correlation between the steel prices and iron ore prices, many of these units will not survive. Since 2006-07, the prices of iron ore increased nearly 400 per cent, from Rs 1,200 to Rs 6,000 a tonne, while during the same period the steel prices increased by 17.63 per cent, from Rs 22,953 to Rs 27,000 a tonne.” The secondary steel producers said they had been hit hard by what they called the frequent and arbitrary upward revision of iron ore prices.

India-Japan CEPA pact can help Indian steel makers India’s integrated steel makers, looking to move up the value chain in the auto space, will have to gear up to become more competitive once the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Japan kicks in. Under CEPA, duties on some 90 per cent of the commodities traded between India and Japan will get eliminated in the next seven years or so. At present, steel that is hot rolled, cold rolled, or galvanised attracts duties of around 5 per cent, which is likely to be zero by 2017. With the automobile sector in India clocking in sales of 35 to 40 per

cent, steel producers are moving up the ladder and creating capacity of higher auto grade steel.

Infrastructure key to India’s competitiveness High transaction costs that diminish India’s competitiveness are directly related to the country’s infrastructure deficit. Such high transaction cost means that Indian firms do not have a level playing field to compete globally. This was the view presented by Kamal Nath, Minister of Road Transport and Highways at a conference entitled “India-US: An Agenda For Co-Creation” jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the US India Business Council (USIBC) on November 8, 2010, at Mumbai. According to the minister, the key to sustaining India’s high economic growth would be to bridge the current infrastructure deficit.

Nath explained that India has embarked on a huge infrastructure development programme across the country that is aimed at constructing 70,000 kilometres of highways every year. He said that the focus of the current infrastructure development programme is public private partnership (PPP) which is aimed at engaging with the private sector; and that more than 90 per cent of current infrastructure is being built on a Build Operate Transfer Model. Nath acknowledged the lack of institutional capacity as the biggest challenge toward infrastructure development and that to develop 70,000 kilometres of highways in a year, there is a need to have 20,000 kilometres of highway development work in progress, which in turn requires bidding out several projects to the private sector. |WB

JANUARY 2011 | 21

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE WorldSteel honours Lakshmi Mittal

Cheng Sook Ee

Chua Boon Lin

SPC appoints three key market managers Singapore Polymer Corp. (SPC), a unit of Teknor Apex Co., has appointed three new managers in its vinyl and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compound businesses, as announced by Stanly Tan, SPC’s managing director. One of Asia’s largest custom compounders, SPC serves customers in the Asia-Pacific, Oceania, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Africa, noted Tan, who became head of SPC on August 1, 2010.

“Our new managers are charged with helping SPC to intensify its outreach to customers across a vast and diversified part of the world,” he said. “Many plastics processors, medical manufacturers, and wire and cable producers in the region will discover the breadth of SPC’s product offerings, including literally thousands of compounds developed in the USA by Teknor Apex.”

New SPC team members are listed below: • Serene Cheng Sook Ee, TPE marketing manager, has 10 years of experience in the polymer industry. Previously she worked for 3M Singapore Pte. Ltd. and GE Plastics (now Sabic Innovative Plastics).

• Raymond Chua Boon Lin, marketing manager in charge of vinyl medical products, has 12 years of experience in the Asia-Pacific region as a sales and mar-

22 | WIRE BULLETIN

Wu

Mittal

keting manager for medical device product ranges. Most recently, he worked for Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd. as a business manager responsible for bioscience, medical, and OEM business portfolios.

• T.S. Wu, PVC sales manager for all vinyl products in Africa and Europe, and wire and cable compounds in Saudi Arabia, Southern Malaysia, and Singapore, previously worked for Witco (later Crompton) Corp. and GE Silicones. Wu has experience in sales of commodity polymers and in technical support for silane-related applications.

Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal, received the WorldSteel Medal at the company’s annual dinner in Tokyo. The medal was presented by Paolo Rocca, chairman of WorldSteel and the CEO of the Techint Group. The WorldSteel Medal is awarded to retiring chairmen as they step down from being an officer of the executive committee (chairman, vice-chairman or treasurer). It is an honour in recog-

IN REMEMBRANCE: SCOTT HIGGINS

Tata Steel appoints new CTO Uday Chaturvedi has been appointed Tata Steel Europe’s chief technical officer effective October 1, 2010. He joined the company’s executive committee and reports directly to the Tata Steel Europe Managing Director and CEO. The responsibilities of the new role include Tata Steel Europe’s proposed new manufacturing hubs. A replacement as head of strip products in the UK will be announced in due course.

Chaturvedi has held a number of high-level operational positions during his career with the Tata Steel Group. Before becoming Managing Director, Corus Strip Products UK in 2008, he was Vice-President Coke, Sinter and Iron and TQM in Jamshedpur.

nition of distinguished service to the steel industry and WorldSteel. After four years as an officer of the executive committee, Lakshmi Mittal has now stepped down, though he remains a member of the committee. The WorldSteel Medal was first awarded in 1992 and has been presented to 16 recipients to date. Sir Robert Scholey of British Steel was the first to receive it. The last three recipients have been Kirby Adams (2007, BlueScope), Akio Mimura (2008, Nippon Steel) and Ku-Taek Lee (2009, Posco).|WB

Higgins Former president of The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc., Scott S. Higgins, died on October 30 at a hospital in New Jersey, USA, days after suffering a heart attack. He was 50 years old. A New Hampshire resident, Higgins entered the industry in 1983, and worked at, among others, General Cable Corp., Capital Wire & Cable, Hendrix Wire & Cable, IGC Advanced Superconductors and Autac, Inc. In recent years, he continued to work as an industry consultant, but also pursued his lifelong passion for boating and scuba diving,

working as a boat captain and a scuba instructor, while remaining an active member in WAI, which he joined in 1989.

Higgins, who attended Indiana State University, served on just about every WAI volunteer body, and was president in 2002. He was a founding member of the New England Chapter, where he was both a director and president, and represented WAI at events from Germany to Australia. He served as a moderator on numerous occasions for WAI technical programs, and was honored with WAI’s Donnellan Memorial Award in 2004. In addition to serving as president of the New England Chapter in 1996, he served as a member of its Board of Directors. He helped rewrite the chapter formation manual, revise the WAI bylaws and work procedures, and update the interview process for prospective WAI employees, as well as provide substantial input for WAI’s technical programs.|WB

JANUARY 2011 | 23

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