VOLUME III | ISSUE II | APRIL 2012
Rs. 125
WIRE BULLETIN India’s Quarterly Bulletin Dedicated to the Wire and Cable Industry
KEC International bags new orders
ASK THE EXPERT
Q: How can I reduce the debris that causes breaks during wiredrawing?
See answer on p. 17
NEWS BITES • Beta LaserMike has completed the acquisition of the trade and assets of DCM Industries Inc., a leading US-based provider of test and measurement solutions for wire and cable applications.
• Phillip Knight retired as the executive secretary of the IWMA on February 29, 2012 after serving for nearly 11 years. During his tenure IWMA membership increased by more than 40 per cent.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
Always think outside the box and “embrace opportunities that
appear, wherever they might be.” ~ Lakshmi Mittal, CEO, Arcelor Mittal
“
One must have strategies to execute dreams.” ~ Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Ltd.
KEC International said that it has bagged orders worth Rs 1,253 crore in its power systems, water, telecom, transmission, and cable business from India, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Afghanistan, Kenya, and the Philippines. “Of this orders of Rs 723 crore are in the transmission business while the rest are in power systems (Rs 253 crore), water business (Rs 123 crore), cable segment (Rs 105 crore) and the telecom business (Rs 49 crore),” a company note said.
The Saudi Arabia order is for the construction of double circuit overhead transmission lines and underground cable works on a turn-key basis. The contractual completion period of the project is 21 months. In the power system business, the company has secured orders from Kenya, India and Philippines for substation works while the water business has fetched the company orders from Madhya Pradesh for the construction of canals and from West Bengal for flood protection works. In telecom, the company has received an order from Power Grid to establish a 2,200 km optical power ground wire communication network under hotline conditions in the eastern region in India.|WB
The packed trains arriving at the Messe Nord station in Düsseldorf and the serpentine queues of exhibitors and visitors waiting to gain entry every morning, were proof enough that the wire 2012 show held at Düsseldorf, March 26-31, had notched yet another successful year. According to organiser Messe Düsseldorf, the wire show posted an increase of 10.4 per cent in space bookings this year as compared to 2010 with 1,290 exhibitors over 57,000 sq. metres of stand space.
Finolex to increase wire and cable capacities
The board of directors of Pune-based Finolex Cables Ltd. approved investment of about Rs 80 crore toward increase or rebalancing of capacities for the manufacture of wire and cable products at its manufacturing units at Roorkee (Uttarakhand) and Urse (Maharashtra) to be done over the next two financial years. Finolex Cables Ltd., the flagship company of the Finolex Group, was established in 1958 and is India’s largest and leading manufacturer of electrical and telecommunication cables with a turnover in excess of Rs 16 billion (about USD 320 million). The company, which started its operation with the manufacture of PVC insulated electrical cables for the automobile industry, has since augmented its product line. The Finolex product range includes PVC insulated electrical wires and flame retardant low smoke electrical wires, PVC insulated single core and multi-core
industrial flexible cables, rodent repellent multi-core flexible cables, PVC insulated winding wires and three-core flat cables, XLPE three-core flat cables, power and control cables, high-voltage power cables (up to 33 kV), polyethylene insulated jelly-filled telephone cables, auto and battery cables, co-axial and CATV cables, LAN cables, switchboard cables, fiber optic cables and others.|WB
Supermac commissions new crosshead extruder
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
wire 2012 creates good impact
New Delhi-based Supermac Industries (India) Ltd., pioneers in extrusion technology, have successfully commissioned their new dual crosshead DCH 160/190 at Universal Cables, Satna. The crosshead is the first of its kind in India. The company has recently introduced new products in India including a 4,500 mm take-up with a capacity of 40 tonnes and a maximum opening of 3,000; a highspeed insulation line with speed of 800 mpm for building wire and control cables; extruders up to 175 mm screw diameter and extruders for special purpose cables; a CCV line for MV cables up to 66 KV; and rubber HCV lines, a company press note said.
The dual crosshead 160/190 is suitable for sheathing applications for cables up to 220 KV. Supermac Industries has a global clientele and has been expanding its avenues over the years. It has participated in wire and cable exhibitions in Russia, Brazil, Egypt, and Bangladesh and most recently displayed its product range at wire 2012. “Extrusion expertise has always been our core strength and we have been very focused on taking up challenging assignments that have led to the development of various new products and technologies,” the note adds. The company has now expanded its capacity by adding a new production facility to manufacture extruders. The company claims that the facility is the largest of its kind in the country with the capacity to produce up to 120 extruders per year.|WB
“Many of our customers in the wire and cable industry achieved record sales in 2011 or at least came very close to the pre-crisis years of 2007 and 2008. The markets in Asia, in particular India and China, have been the driving force of the recovery,” said Heinz Rockenhauser, president of the International Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association (IWCEA). Reportedly, the strong presence of exhibitors from India confirmed the fact that the upward spiral of the growth curve is set to continue. “Our company is now entering India in a big way because we envision high demand for lubricants in the wire industry. The same is the situation for many other products,” said Douglas Hunt, commercial director, Metalube. This was also the reaction of Robert Tarimo, Marketing Manager-Global HV Solutions, Dow Wire & Cable Europe, who said that their company now wants to strengthen its presence in the India market in view of the expected developments in the infrastructure, automobile, and other sectors. For detailed report, visit www.wirebulletin.net.|WB
A D V E R T I S M E N T
See page 7.
MACHINES THAT GROW YOUR BUSINESS.
spxprecision.com
APRIL 2012
EDITORIAL
W
hat, would you say, determines the country’s manufacturing health? Is it a combination of many sectors, primarily power, realty, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, heavy engineering, and so on? That is what one would like to believe. However, here’s a surprise. Some would even term it shocking. A close look at the details of the index for industrial production (IIP) suggests that rubber insulated cables make for a key component in arriving at the manufacturing status of India.
Take a look: In October 2011, when industrial production contracted by 5.1 per cent, the output of rubber insulated cables shrank by 83 per cent. If you counted this out, the IIP would have decreased by 0.7 per cent. An analysis done by ICICI Securities Primary Dealership shows that while capital goods have been one of the most volatile components within IIP, ‘insulated cables is a key contributor to that volatility.’ It may certainly appear to be rather strange that the humble cable can play such a stellar role in determining the rate of industrial growth. For an answer, one must look at the mathematics of indices. The index value for each individual item is multiplied by its weight. All numbers obtained by multiplying weights and sub-indices are then added up. This sum is divided by the total weight to get the figure for the overall index. In this case, rubber insulated cables had a weight of just 1.2276 out of the total weight of 1,000. In other words, a mere 0.12 per cent.
Normally, that would mean that what happens in this one item should make little difference to the overall index. The catch is that while index values for almost all the other items is in the hundreds, the value of the index for this particular item was 1,251 in October 2011 and was as high as 7,678 in June 2011. Despite its low weight, its contribution to the overall index is significant. No wonder, while investors and economists watch global copper price movement, in India, rubber insulated cables is something that they keep close tabs on.
Meanwhile, we have returned from wire 2012, which was a success marked by lots of interaction between the manufacturers, vendors, buyers, and the media. One could experience waves of positive energy at the show and it does seem that things will move in the right direction this year unless and until any major global crisis, economic or otherwise, topples the apple cart. The new concepts we took in at the show will be reflected in future issues of WIRE BULLETIN. Huned Contractor Editor hcontractor@wirenet.org | hunedc@gmail.com
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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 Printed and published by Steven J. Fetteroll on behalf of WAI Wire and Cable Services Pvt Ltd and printed at K. Joshi & Co., 1745/2 Sadashiv Peth, Near Bhikardas Maruti Temple, Pune - 411 030 and published at 501 Rainbow Plaza, S. No. 7, Pimple Saudagar, Village Rahatni, Pune - 411 017. Editor: Huned Contractor. WIRE BULLETIN is published quarterly by WAI Wire and Cable Services Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wire Association International, (WAI) Inc. ©2012 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. Address all correspondence concerning advertising production, editorial, and circulation to WIRE BULLETIN, E-402, Kumar Pragati, Off NIBM Road, Kondhwa, Pune 411 048, India, Tel.: 9881084202. Individuals on the WIRE BULLETIN team may be contacted by e-mail using first inital and last name @wirenet.org. 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. Subscription rates: Rs. 125 per year, India. Single copies: $6 in the US; all other countries $7. Periodicals postage paid at Guilford, CT 06437, USA. WIRE BULLETIN grants photocopy permission to libraries and others registered with Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, USA, for a fee of $0.50 per article. Payments should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders or reprints should be sent to WIRE BULLETIN, E-402, Kumar Pragati, Off NIBM Road, Kondhwa, Pune 411 048, India, Tel.: 9881084202. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WAI Wire and Cable Services Pvt Ltd, 501, Rainbow Plaza, S. No. 7, PimpleSaudagar Vil. Rahatani, Pune - 411017, India.
CALENDAR & EVENT REVIEW Event Review
WORLD CALENDAR April 5-8, 2012: Modern Machine Shop (MMS) 2012
New Delhi, India. Modern Machine Shop 2012 is a single-stop event for metal working machinery, low-cost automation, material handling, and quality control systems and equipment. According to the organisers, this exhibition aims to bring about progressive change in job shops regarding quality, efficiency, and productivity. Contact: Tel.: 080-66246600, Fax: 080-66248881, E-mail: imtma@imtma.in.
April 19-21, 2012: Power-Gen India & Central Asia
New Delhi, India. Power-Gen India & Central Asia will combine with HydroVision India and Renewable Energy World India to showcase services and technologies across the thermal, renewable and hydro power sector, all under one roof. Themed ‘Switching On India’s Power Future,’ this event will address the technical and logistical issues facing the Indian government’s ambitious plans to modernise its power infrastructure. Contact: Tel.: 0124-4524508/09810707214, E-mail: avnish-seth@interadsindia.com.
Green power drives Constro 2012
Constro 2012, the country’s biggest international exhibition on construction machinery, materials, methods and projects, organised by the Pune Construction Engineering Research Foundation, was held in Pune from January 12-15 with renewable energies as its key theme. More than 300 stalls displayed Indian and foreign products showcasing innovative and lightweight construction technologies, affordable housing, and sustainable construction during the exhibition. According to Naren Kothari, Chairman, Constro 2012, “Some of the latest technologies included the conversion of organic waste into manure and the generation of power through windmills and solar panels.”
April 19-22, 2012: Diemould India 2012
Mumbai, India. Organized by the Tool and Gauge Manufacturers Assocation, this event will take place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, NSE Complex. Exhibits will include dies and moulds, press tools, gauges and accessories for machine tools, CAD/CAM system related to dies and moulds, die casting machines, die/mould polishing machines, and cutting tools. Contact: Tel.: 022-28526876, E-mail: write to mumbai@tagmaindia.org.
April 23-27, 2012: Hannover Messe
Hannover, Germany. This year’s show will also focus on the implementation of ‘green’ processes. Worldwide companies will explore current industry trends in the pivotal fields of automation, energy technology, industrial supply and sub-contracting services and R&D. Contact: Mr. S.J. Patil, Hannover Milano Fairs India P. Ltd., Tel.: 022-40050681, Fax: 022-40050683, E-mail: info@hmf-india.com.
May 22-23, 2012: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2012
Dallas, Texas, USA. The exhibit and conference, organised by The Wire Association International, Inc., features an ‘Operational Excellence’ theme and includes case studies, plant tours, roundtable discussions technical paper presentations, a comprehensive exhibit, on-floor production solutions demonstrations, networking activities, and more. Contact: The Wire Association International, Inc., 1570 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT 06437 USA, Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, Fax: (001) 203-453-8384, www.wirenet.org.
June 11-13, 2012: CRU Conference
Vienna, Austria. Among other topics, experts will discuss how wireless technology, recent trends in transportation, and the energy mix of tomorrow will affect the wire and cable market. Contact: Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7903 2444, E-mail: conferences@crugroup.com.
“We are looking futuristically and want to make a case for implementation of green power technology for housing societies and new projects. We expect solar power to be made available at Rs 9 to 10 per KW in the next four to five years and this will prove highly economical in days to come,” he added. Special panel discussions were also held that covered topics like green rating systems and e-waste management. While the exhibition held in 2009 had over a lakh visitors, the number increased by 50 per
cent this year. One of the novelties at the venue was the set up of three windmills that generated a total power of 15 KW.
Good turnout for EFY
The Electronics For You Expo 2012 held from February 16-18 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi reportedly attracted more than 15,000 visitors. “Right from manufacturers, buyers to students, the expo attracted all kinds of people related to the electronics industry, from different parts of the country. A powerful mix of seminars, conferences and summits running in parallel at the expo provided useful insights into the Indian electronics industry for the benefit of design engineers, manufacturers and senior decision makers alike,” a press note said. More than 450 leading brands exhibited their products and technologies while offering business opportunities in various electronics sectors including components, semiconductors, test and measurement equipment, training and educational solutions, PCBs, electronics manufacturing service (EMS), wire-wound components and electronics design houses. Amin Ajmel, CEO, Sunrise Instruments, said, “I would like to see more companies in automotive electronics but I think EFY Expo is great as it houses names like Millennium Semiconductors. Such brands should be retained for years to come.” Ajay Kaswani, Partner, Emsons Radio Corp. said, “I expect more Taiwanese companies to participate the next year because this is one platform where Indian companies get to interact with foreign players.”|WB
September 25-28, 2012: wire China 2012
Shanghai, China. wire China 2012 will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center along with Tube China 2012. An expected 1,400 exhibitors will show wire, fastener and spring manufacturing and finishing machinery, process technology tools and auxiliary process technology equipment as well as special wires and cables, measuring and control technology, and test engineering. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601, Tel.: (312) 781-5180, Fax: (312) 781-5188, E-mail: info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.
October 8-12, 2012: World Steel Conference
New Delhi, India. Organized by The World Steel Association (WSA) this conference is intended to make the steel industry more sustainable in view of the recent global economic uncertainties. The WSA represents 170 producers, accounting for 85 per cent of the world steel production. Visit: www.worldsteel.org.
October 30-November 1, 2012: Wire & Cable India 2012
Mumbai, India. Organised by Messe Düsseldorf, this show will be held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon (East). Exhibits will include machinery for wire manufacturing, finishing, casting, surface and heat treatment, rolling, pressing, forming, wire cleaning, coating, stranding, cutting, marking, sheathing and insulating, coding and printing, welding; measuring and controlling technology, QA and measuring systems, lubricants, adhesives, and packaging. Visit: www.wire-india.com.
January 7-10, 2013: Tekno Arabia 2013
Dubai, UAE. Tekno is the 11th international trade fair for the industrial machinery, metalworking, machine tools, and tubes/pipes industry giving companies access to the Middle East market. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601, Tel.: (312) 781-5180, Fax: (312) 781-5188, E-mail: info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.
April 23-25, 2013: Interwire 2013
Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Interwire is a trade event for the international wire and cable manufacturing community. The largest event of its kind in the Americas, it includes exhibiting companies, speakers, and attendees from more than 50 countries around the world. Contact: The Wire Association International, Inc., 1570 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT 06437 USA, Tel.: (001) 203-453-2777, Fax: (001) 203rmation that 453-8384, www.wirenet.org. Do you have info
section? belongs in this e-mail to: Please submit by enet.org. wirebulletin@wir
APRIL 2012 | 3
INDUSTRY NEWS WAI honours R.K. Tyagi
Raj Kumar Tyagi, director of Assomac Machines, was presented with a plaque during the wire 2012 show at Düsseldorf, March 26-31, to honour his noteworthy contributions to the activities of the Wire Association International’s India Chapter over the years.
WAI President Nicholas Nickoletopoulos (l) and WAI Executive Director Steven Fetteroll (r), honour R.K. Tyagi at wire Düsseldorf.
“Given the fact that the wire and cable industry in India is poised for remarkable growth, there is now a greater need for the WAI to spearhead more events, including technical conferences, promotion shows, etc. to be able to help the industry’s players interact within their own group as also with those from outside India,” said Nicholas Nickoletopoulos, President, WAI. On this occasion, Tyagi reaffirmed his commitment to the WAI and said he was looking forward to the wire show to be held in Mumbai later this year where he hoped the India chapter would have a bigger role to play. Also present on the occasion was Steven Fetteroll, executive director of the WAI.
Lapp establishes Centre of Excellence
Lapp India Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Germany-based Lapp Group, inaugurated the Lapp Centre of Excellence es-
tablished at the R.V. College of Engineering in Bangalore. The centre was created to provide instruction and practical skills to students of cables, cable accessories, and systems. The centre covers 1,225 sq ft and comprises a laboratory facility with end-to-end cable research and testing requirements. It is the second college in the country to offer cable amoung its core curriculum subjects; the first being PSG College of Engineering in Coimbatore where Lapp India’s first Centre of Excellence is located. Chairman of The Board of Lapp Holdings AG, Andreas Lapp, who is also the Honorary Consul of the Republic of India for Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, highlighted the need to transfer knowledge by sharing the story of his father, Oskar Lapp, who invented the first control cable ‘OLFLEX®’ more than 50 years ago simplifying work for mechanical engineers worldwide. In keeping with the organisation’s legacy to nuture talent, he opened the facility and said, “We want to facilitate students, who are the future, with the best infrastructure and open avenues for innovative thinking, ensuring a better tomorrow.”
tions,” said Dr. Ewald Bentz, Director, Lapp India who further added, “To induce the research mode among the students right from the beginning, we will be setting up five Centres of Excellence across the nation by the end of the next year.” Dr. B.S. Satyanarayana, principal, R.V. College of Engineering, said, “The current energy output of India is approximately 180 GW, yet there is a shortage between 15-20 per cent during the peak hours and the most striking fact is that almost 30 per cent of the energy produced is being lost during transmission and distribution due to inappropriate usage of cables. This clearly showcases the knowledge divide about cables as an application.” Srinivas P. Kamisetty, Managing Director of Lapp India, Dr. Ingo Karsten, General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany and Dr. M.K. Panduranga Setty, President, RSST also attended the inaugural.
Ajex & Turner signs new agency agreement
Ravi Bansal, CEO, Ajex & Turner.
Dr. Ingo Karsten, general Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, surveyed the centre.
“Students come with a fresh perspective and can re-look at technology and develop more sustainable and inclusive applica-
Ajex & Turner has secured an exclusive agency agreement with the UK-based Batoyle Freedom Group for the sale of its lubricants for nonferrous wire including Batoyle’s Mastersol DC-13 and Mastersol CT-21 for copper wiredrawing and Batral A10/A7 for aluminium wiredrawing. Founded in 1875, the Batoyle Freedom Group has an extensive history of manufacturing specialist quality lubricants, oils and greases for a number of industrial markets. “We are able to offer our global clients a truly customer-orientated approach thanks to a divisional structure with teams of technical specialists focused specifically on meeting the manufacturing and service needs of the industry sector they serve. The five main lubricant divisions served are the automotive, glass, industrial, textile and wire & tube industries,” a company statement said.
Elecrama 2012 reaches a milestone
Elecrama 2012—organised by IEEMA Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association and held in Mumbai from January 18-22, 2012—drew huge crowds and an impressive list of participants from the power equipment industry. The event had a positive note throughout, flagged off with inaugural comments by Sushilkumar Shinde, Union Minister of Power. According to him, the Indian power industry is on the cusp of major growth with 80,000 MW of power units under construction. He said the prime minister was keen on resolving the present issues in the sector, including supply of coal and gas, as the growth in the industry directly impacts the economic progress of the country. “As a nation we have progressed immensely in terms of speed. For instance, through the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana the government is targeting rural electrification of 1,10,000 villages during the 12th Five Year Plan. Earlier India used to add 10,000 MW of power in a given five year plan, and last year we added 12,000 MW in a single year. This is a fantastic achievement for a nation, which is growing at 8-9 per cent year-on-year. Of course we have to do more
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and that too in shorter spans of time as compared to the western world. The per capita consumption in India is 800 KwH as compared to 7,000-8,000 KwH in the west. We have a long road ahead,” Shinde said.
Sushilkumar Shinde, Union Minister for Power, Government of India, Ramesh Chandak, President, IEEMA, and Indra Prem Menon, Chairperson, Elecrama 2012, lit the ceremonial lamp to inaugurate Elecrama 2012.
Ramesh Chandak, President, IEEMA, said, “The domestic equipment manufacturing industry has grown substantially to fully meet the domestic power generation demand. The T&D [transmission and distribution] players have the contemporary technology and have established themselves globally. However, the built-up equipment capacity stands under-utilised across several products, as there has been a surge in imports in recent time.” Chandak requested that the union minister create a level playing field for domestic electrical manufacturers. “The domestic electrical equipment manufacturing industry is at a substantial disadvantage vis-a-vis imports, which is impacting the commercial viability of the industry and would have long-term consequences. T&D is an important part of the power sector. Worldwide the investment in T&D is one-and-a-half times more than power generation. In India, the ratio stands at 1:1,” he said. The event received 20 per cent more bookings compared to the earlier show with more than 350 delegates from Africa, Latin America, CIS, and South East Asian countries.
Dow and Teknor Apex announce collaboration
Dow Electrical & Telecommunications (Dow E&T), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., and Teknor Apex Co. announced a joint market development agreement for flexible vinyl. Under this agreement, Teknor Apex has been granted exclusive marketing rights in North America for flexible vinyl compounds containing Dow Ecolibrium™ Bio-Based Plasticizers in certain applications such as consumer and industrial products, certain medical devices, automotive components, and select wire and cable products. Teknor Apex plans to commercialize compounds made with Dow Ecolibrium this year and will introduce the new compounds at NPE 2012 this month.
“Our relationship with Teknor Apex has provided Dow E&T with a unique opportunity to market beyond the power industry,” said Thorne Bartlett, New Business Development Director, Dow E&T. “Working with a company like Teknor Apex will allow us to bring this sustainable technology to a host of consumer and industrial end products that utilise flexible vinyl compounds, including certain wire and cable construction applications.” Made from virtually 100 per cent renewable feedstock, the use of
INDUSTRY NEWS Dow Ecolibrium Bio-Based Plasticizers in flexible vinyl compounds may help cable makers and durable goods’ original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 per cent if used instead of traditional diisononyl phthalate PVC plasticizers. A privately held firm founded in 1924, Teknor Apex Co. is an international polymer technology company and one of the world’s leading custom compounders of plastics. Teknor Apex, headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA, operates manufacturing facilities around the world, and sells in 90 countries. Six of the eight Teknor Apex business units focus on plastics compounding, including bioplastics, colour concentrates, nylons, thermoplastic elastomers, toll and specialty compounds and flexible and rigid vinyl. The company’s subsidiaries in China, Singapore, and the United Kingdom serve its customers in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Sterlite enters new geographies
Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL), a leading global provider of transmission solutions for the power and telecom industries has beefed up its international presence with an entry into the markets of North America and Latin America. This was announced during a presentation of its results for the quarter ended December 31, 2011. The company’s international sales currently account for about 30 per cent of the total revenues. During Q3 FY12, the company received new orders valued at about Rs 680 crore for its telecom and power products. “There have been focused efforts in product development that have led to the introduction of ACCC conductors, G657 optical fiber and blown fiber optic cables, amongst many more. The company has also progressed well in its three power infrastructure projects,” a statement said.
2011 for energy conservation in the manufacturing of BEE Star-labelled appliances (ceiling fans) sector. Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Minister of Power, Government of India, presented the award to Sunil Sikka, President, Havells India Ltd. This is the second consecutive award to the company for implementing best practices and the only company in India to win this award since it has been constituted in the fans category. The National Energy Conservation Awards are presented to organisations that have made systematic and serious attempts for efficient use and conservation of energy in various sectors including industrial units, buildings, and municipalities. Havells is the first company in the country to introduce energy-efficient CFL lamps ‘Green CFL’ and fans with a BEE fivestar rating. Also, the company has launched BEE five-star-rated geysers and energy-efficient electrical motors ranging from 0.12 HP to 300 HP. The other quality product offerings include cable and wires, switchgears, capacitors, and industrial products.
Imagination Age: Fourth Wave of American Economic Progress.’ Dr. Cox’s recent work focuses on the new business models arising from the globalisation of the labour force and the emerging power of India and China.
Cords Cable secures export order
Cords Cable Industries has received a prestigious export order amounting to USD 1,226 million (approximately Rs 65 million) from its newly added worldwide reputed customer Arcelor Mittal for supply of LT power cables at Saudi Arabia. The order is the third in a row received from Arcelor Mittal which has further strengthened the company’s position in the overseas markets. “The endeavour is to offer highquality tailor-made customised cables at competitive price along with our well recognised service and unfailing commitment,” a company statement said.
Anticor expands production capacity
Sikora renews support for SOS children
Sikora has once again announced its support for the SOS Children’s Village Bhuj in India. The company has had a three-year partnership with the SOS Children’s Villages worldwide. Using the motto ‘Education is my road to the future,’ Sikora provides the needed funds to educate 50 children on site annually. In addition, since 2010, 13 girls of the village belong to Sikora’s godchildren.
Ahmedabad-based Arvind Anticor Ltd., a leading manufacture and exporter of pickling equipment, has won an order worth Rs 3.5 crore from Kalptaru Power Transmission Limited for a complete pickling plant with a fume extraction system. This is the third order received by the company from the same client. This pickling equipment is to be supplied to KTPL at their Raipur plant. Anticor also said it won an order worth Rs 3.5 crore to be executed at KEC in their Nagpur, Jabalpur, and Jaipur tower manufacturing and galvanising plant.
Anticor plans to invest Rs 6 crore to set up a state-of-the-art facility at Devraj Industries Park, Piplaj, 10 kms from Ahmedabad. The company is also actively looking for exports and has executed orders worth USD 5,00,000 at Iran, Australia, Phillipines, and Bangladesh. With this new facility Anticor hopes to capture the domestic and export market worth Rs 20 crore at the end of 2012.
Gauder America signs joint agreement
Lloyd & Bouvier, Inc., a US-based supplier of used, rebuilt, and new wire and cable equipment, has entered into a joint venture agreement with Gauder America to be the exclusive representative in the US and Canada to sell Gauder’s used equipment. Gauder America is a new subsidiary of Gauder SA. Commenting on the development, Lloyd & Bouvier’s management stated, “We are looking forward to working with Gauder America to be able to offer our customers a broader range of used equipment. We will continue to offer our customers all of the other services that we have been providing for the past 25 years, and this will only enhance our operation and ability to service our customers.” Henri Bonhomme, Sales Director, Gauder said, “This long-term agreement with Lloyd & Bouvier will now allow the US and Canadian customers easier access to our extensive inventory through a strong and USbased partner. It will provide 2,50,000 sq. feet stock and more than 1,000 production lines readily available for serving the US and Canadian projects.” For more information contact: Ron Reed at Lloyd & Bouvier, 978-365-5700, ron@ lloydbouvier.com, or Sebastien Pasquali, +32 473 83 68 67, sales@ gauderamerica.com.|WB
Premjeet Saggu with the Sikora godchildren.
Agarwal
Pravin Agarwal, Wholetime Director Sterlite Technologies Ltd., said, “Although this has not been one of the best fiscal periods for our company, we continue to be very bullish and optimistic in our direction, our growing global reach and our increased participation with clients’ requirements — from fiber to bandwidth and from conductors to actual power transmission. We would continue to build organisational capability, focus on economies of scale, costs and technology advancements to ensure our business progress.” STL is optimistic about the industry outlook considering that the Government of India has plans to provide financial assistance to state governments to set up transmission networks that would facilitate evacuation of renewable energy being generated within the state.
Havells India bags NEC award
Havells India Ltd., a leading player in the lighting and fixtures segment, electrical and power equipment sector in India, has bagged the National Energy Conservation Award
Premjeet Saggu, Office Manager, Sikora India, recently visited the project. “It was a pleasure to see how the children develop, especially in terms of the enormous growth with regard to personality development and academic inputs,” he said. Sikora AG, headquartered in Bremen, Germany, operates worldwide as a specialist for measuring, control, and test equipment for the wire and cable industry.
Dr. Cox to deliver keynote address at WAI Operations Summit
Dr. Cox
Leading economic expert, educator and former Fed Chief Economist Dr. W. Michael Cox will be the keynote speaker for the newly structured WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo, May 22-23, 2012 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, Dallas, Texas, USA. Dr. Cox, Director, Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, will set the tone for the conference with his address entitled ‘The
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BUSINESS INNOVATION
Ramesh Chandak, President | IEEMA To sustain the envisaged annual GDP growth rate of 9 per cent over the next 20 years, it is estimated that India will need to increase its electricity generation capacity from around 180 GW presently to over 800 GW by 2032. This would require a matching upgrade of the electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) segment. The electricity sector requires a projected investment of about USD 300 billion over the next five years.
In this interview, Ramesh Chandak, President, Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) discusses the challenges and the steps needed to help the industry. Chandak is also the Managing Director & CEO of KEC International Limited (KEC), a global transmission and infrastructure company, headquartered in Mumbai. He is a member on the Management Board of the RPG Group and serves on the Board of Raychem RPG Ltd., KEC Global FZ LLC, UAE, SAE Towers USA and other companies. At KEC, he has led the firm’s transformation into being the world’s largest transmission line construction company, assuming leadership when its turnover was Rs 501 crore in 2002 and taking it to the current height of over Rs 4,000 crore. Q: What is the current status of the Indian electrical equipment industry? A: The Indian electrical equipment industry registered a moderate 9 per cent growth
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in the first half of the financial year 20112012, according to data compiled by the IEEMA, the apex Indian industry association of manufacturers of electrical, industrial electronics and allied equipment. The export-import trends based on select major ports trade data indicates alarming growth of almost 20 per cent in imports, especially from China, South Korea, Germany, and other EU countries. Q: Is anything being done to improve the situation? A: The Maira Committee set up to study this scenario has sent its recommendations to Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel. It suggests an import duty of 14 per cent on power generation equipment to strike a balance between protecting local manufacturers and the need to import equipment to boost power production. We all know that Chinese imports are relatively cheaper because equipment makers from China benefit from low interest rates and an undervalued currency, which in itself lends to cheaper exports. If this [14 per cent import duty] is levied, it will create a level playing field for the Indian manufacturers to compete with imports. India now has adequate domestic capacity to fulfill the anticipated annual demand for power generation capacity augmentation, which was not the case earlier. Q: What is the status of the cable sector? A: A huge growth of 96 per cent in control cables due to sustained demand from the independent power producers (IPPs) and infrastructure sectors have helped the overall cable sector to grow by 29 per cent. The demand for power cables has been stagnant in terms of KM despite a moderate 8 per cent growth in the HV cable segment. The industry believes that the tonnage usage of major raw materials like copper
and aluminium, in the cable sector has been declining and has affected the topline of the sector. Q: What are the major concerns for the Indian T&D equipment industry? A: About 90 per cent of the manufacturers in most sub-sectors of the domestic electrical equipment industry are micro, small, and medium enterprises. Currently it is estimated that the size of the domestic electrical equipment industry exceeds Rs 1,10,000 crore (USD 25 billion) and exports of electrical equipment stand at around Rs 18,000 crore (USD 4 billion). The industry’s biggest challenge is lack of domestic availability of critical inputs and raw material and the widening skill gap and manpower crunch. The electrical equipment industry is facing a major problem in securing skilled and employable manpower that is technically competent, equipped with skills and ready to be deployed. The government needs to provide additional funds and facilities to modernise technical institutes, provide interest-free loans to technical institutes to upgrade their laboratories, involve the industry in the board of studies and incentivise the industry in providing internship to students and teachers. Q: Why has it become difficult to meet targets for capacity addition in the power generation sector? A: There are several problem areas such as: • Unavailability of fuel/lack of coal linkages for new projects. • Land acquisition issues. • Delays in environmental and other clearances. • Inadequate domestic manufacturing capacity for balance of plant. • Shortage of erection/commissioning agencies/skills.
• Poor availability of construction equipment/machinery. • Non-standardisation of layouts and design parameters for power plants. • Shortage of domestic supply of skilled manpower. • Poor logistics infrastructure.
Q: What should be done to change things? A: There is an urgent need to improve fund availability to the power sector, provide fuel linkages and faster regulatory clearance for timely completion of power projects, accelerate renovation and modernisation activities and accelerate the deployment of rural electrification schemes. Q: What about standardisation of product specifications and design parameters? A: There are no appropriate standards specified by the central and the state utilities and in some cases tenders are floated with outdated specifications and design parameters which causes a lot of trouble to the manufacturers. Standardisation of specifications for various equipments used in the power sector across utilities, at least under the centrally sponsored schemes, will not only lead to cost competitiveness of the industry being enhanced but also minimise the lead time in manufacturing and procurement. The domestic testing and calibrating facilities for electrical equipment, especially high voltage equipment, are inadequate and costly. Manufacturers have to send their products abroad for testing for want of domestic testing facilities or bear a long waiting period at the Central Power Research Institute which results in high logistics cost and delay. The government needs to take urgent steps for the upgradation of testing and calibrating infrastructure in the country, especially for high voltage equipment.|WB
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SPX is a Fortune 500, multi-industry manufacturing leader. The Fenn Division of SPX Precision Components is a global supplier of high quality metal forming equipment for over a century. Our experts work with a wide variety of industries to create custom metal forming and shaping equipment to their desired specifications. Fenn Division is located in Newington, Connecticut, USA. Rolling Mills Wire Flattening and Shaping Drawbenches Spring Coilers
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CORPORATE FOCUS-INDIA Flexon Cables: A diverse portfolio With the cable industry in India becoming extremely competitive, Mumbai-based Flexon Cables has not only increased the range of cables it offers but has also become a big player in the automotive sector to help it stay ahead.
Mehul, Jimit, and Jaydeep Deliwala.
Television in India has been in existence for just about four decades. For the first 17 years, it spread haltingly and the transmission was mainly in black and white. The thinkers and policy makers of the country, which had just been liberated from centuries of colonial rule, frowned upon television, looking on at it as a luxury Indians could do without. However, such a thought never crossed Kishor Deliwala’s mind when he decided to turn to entrepreneurship in 1968 and set up a unit to make auxiliary cables for television. “My father had the right visionary approach and he knew that the cable market was going to expand rapidly,” said Kishor’s youngest son, Jimit, who, along with his brothers Mehul and Jaydeep, now lead Flexon Cables. With its two manufacturing plants at Vasai and Daman, Flexon is one of those companies
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that has not only established a niche in the highly competitive electrical wire and cable manufacturing market in India but has also managed to almost double its production capacity year-on-year. In the meantime, what it has also done is to become one of the leading manufacturers of automotive cables. “We supply cables to both heavy and light duty vehicles for four-wheelers and two-wheelers for the purpose of lighting, igniting, battery charging, starter, steering column, horn, signalling, motor antenna, motorised outside rear view mirror, power windows, stereo systems, communication, etc. “Our automotive cables are manufactured as per different standards such as DIN:72551 Part 5&6, JASO: 611D, BIS: 6862, etc., with bright annealed high conductive electrolytic copper conductor conforming to the requirements of the specified standard. Most of these are customised products according to the make and design of the vehicle,” Jimit said. In recent times, Flexon has introduced new variants such as Flex 125 that can withstand temperature variations from -40 to 125°C and Flex 150 that operates within a range of -40 to 150°C. “Given the fact that India is now a major hub in Asia for passenger and commercial vehicles, our current focus has been on developing and marketing a new range of cables for this sector,” Jimit said. Meanwhile, the company has also established a strong footprint in the production of domestic cables which include single core insulated wires in voltage grade of 1,100 volts that conform to the quality standard of is: 694/1900. Its product range also includes instrumentation and industrial cables along with co-axial cables/telephone pairs that are used for cable TV and internet networks. “Our cables have features to get optimum output, which means maximum channels with clear picture and sound quality as well
as high-speed data transmission. For this, the inner conductor is made of electrolytic grade copper and the dielectric is made of low-loss special grade physical foam [gas injected foam] insulation compound. It is extruded through highly sophisticated machine lines. Moreover, its double screen [laminated tape and braid with jelly] ensures low-loss transmission, higher bandwidth, clear reception and better attenuation values than the cables with single screening,” Jimit said. With up to 35 per cent growth every year, Flexon started its Vasai plant just a year ago to meet the growing demand for various cables. But, as Jimit puts it, it’s not just about increasing the production. “Essentially, our focus is on continuous development in tune with the increasingly complex requirements of the industrial, instrumentation, domestic, automotive and other sectors. For example, the cars that are made and sold in India by the Indian companies or the MNCs are a far cry from what the scenario was just a decade ago. Today, a car is not just a means of commuting from one place to another. It also has to be packed with comfort and security features so that, for example, you can use your GRPS network while driving, your co-passengers can watch a movie on the back seat, you can park in a congested area using a video screen on the front panel and even switch on or off individual air-conditioning outlets. Therefore, we keep developing our cables to meet such exacting standards and requirements,” he said. And along with this comprehensive view of the market and the products, the company has also been at the forefront of ensuring that its cables are made in accordance with the legalities of environment conservation. “Our cables are manufactured as per the RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) specifications and this applies to the PVC and soldering too. As such we have consis-
A display of Flexon brand cables.
tently invested in modern technology to be able to meet such high benchmarks in production. The additional advantage of upgrading technology regularly is that we are able to produce cables with the highest accuracy in dimensions,” Jimit said. Meanwhile, the company has also been in an expansion mode with the addition of new verticals. This has led to the setting up of a sister company called Adilec Systems that provides steel wire reinforced PVC hoses and end fittings. Under the brand name Rolytube, the company makes these hoses for use in suctions, ducting and exhaust of fume gases as also for other industrial uses ideally suited for electrical wire conducting, connecting switch boards, busbars, switch gears and panels. “These are particularly useful for connection of wiring when the hoses are required to be roughly handled. At present the range includes the types RT-10 to RT-200. Other types in the range will be included progressively at a later date,” Jimit said.|WB Contact: Flexon Cables Bldg 7, Shah Industrial Plaza, Sativali Road, Vasai (East), Thane - 401 208 Tel.: 073502-06888 E-mail: jimit@flexoncables.com www.flexoncables.com
CORPORATE FOCUS-INTERNATIONAL SPX Precision ComponentsFenn Division: Strength of a century A hundred is certainly long enough to create expertise of the highest order. That has been the case with this American manufacturer of rolling, flattening, and shaping mills.
Ferguson The company’s history dates back to 1900 when Wilson L. Fenn opened his first machine shop in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Fenn’s products include metal forming machinery and critical, close tolerance parts for the aircraft industry. In 2001, SPX Corp. purchased the company, and today, these two product lines make up the two distinct divisions of SPX Precision Components, with the Fenn Division (now located in Newington, Connecticut) as a supplier of high quality metal forming equipment. Their experts work with a wide variety of industries to create custom metal forming and shaping equipment to customers’ specifications. By 2008, SPX Corp. initiated a worldwide re-branding, and this year, Fenn carries a new green and grey logo, which “signifies our commitment to progressive innovation,” said Nelson Ferguson, a Fenn
sales consultant with more than 55 years’ experience in the machinery business. The company’s products now include: • Rolling mills for breakdown and finish rolling of plate, strip, powder or rod. The metal can be hot or cold-rolled and finished in straight lengths or coil to coil. • Wire flattening and shaping lines for the production of various shaped wires including photovoltaic ribbon, dental and medical wire, transformer strip, well screen wire, electronics and jewelry, among others. The types include single stand, multi-stand, 2Hi/4Hi and combination rolling mill/shaping lines. • Turks heads that produce a direct formation of wire from round to squares, rectangles and special shapes for both ferrous and nonferrous wire and rod. • Rotary swaging machines to size, reduce, shape, taper, bond, or form metal parts without chips. • CNC camless spring coiling machines, with up to six axes for the high-speed production of springs, rings, and wire forms. Fenn also designs and manufactures a full line of custom or standard hydraulic and motorised chain drawbenches, applicable for straight length die drawing of rod, wire, or tube for both ferrous and nonferrous materials. It also has a laboratory research and development equipment segment that includes rolling mills, wire flattening and shaping mills and rotary swaging machines. “We also upgrade and provide a remanufacturing service for Fenn-supplied machines,” Ferguson said. The company’s headquarters serves as the primary location for design, engineering, and building of its metal forming machinery, with options for manufacture in Asia. Due to its global customer base, Fenn
Fenn Division assembly area inside the Newington facility.
retains knowledgeable sales representatives for regions around the world. With SPX Corporation’s 2011 turnover of approximately USD 5 billion, currently about 75 per cent of Fenn products are supplied to companies in North and South America, with the remaining 25 per cent spread around the globe. Says Ferguson: “Fenn has continued to focus on growing its global customer base through innovative design and competitive pricing.” Elaborating about its presence in India, Ferguson informs that Fenn currently operates with an exclusive agency agreement, supported by personnel from the SPX/Fenn headquarters. In addition, Fenn has partnered with an electrical integrator in India to provide quality electrical drive and control systems for their machines, supported completely locally for the India market. Meanwhile, research and development plays an important role in the company’s stride to create global footprints. “We are currently working with the department of engineering at a leading university to develop innovative manufacturing processes of our current product line,” Ferguson said. Serving businesses in a wide range of markets, including basic metals, renewable energy, materials research, aerospace, oil and water well screens, agriculture, military, automotive, superconducting technol-
Combination wire flattening and shaping line in an Indian customer’s facility.
ogy and the medical industry, the company has recently partnered with Korean and Indian companies for manufacturing certain parts of the product line outside the USA. “The reason that Fenn has a competitive edge in the global scenario is that it has extensive application and process knowledge to pass on to its customers. Additionally, we operate a program of continuous product improvement to increase efficiency, quality, and reliability of our metal forming machines and we are a certified ISO 90012008 company,” Ferguson said. Meanwhile, the biggest strength of Fenn is the backing of its parent company SPX Corp. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX is a global Fortune 500 multi-industry manufacturing leader with operations in more than 35 countries. The company’s highly specialised products and technologies serve the infrastructure, process equipment, and diagnostic tools markets.|WB Contact: SPX Precision ComponentsFenn Division 300 Fenn Road, Newington, CT 06111, USA Tel.: 860-594-4300 | Fax: 860-667-4667 E-mail: precisionsales@spx.com www.spxprecision.com Contact in India: Namdeo Ranjane Sourcesmart | sourcesmart@gmail.com See ad on page 7.
Erratum: In our article on the Lapp Group published in the January 2012 issue, it was erroneously stated that Oskar Lapp, the founder of the company, was US-based. He was based in Germany.
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FEATURED CONCEPTS
Fastened to last
he fastener industry in India is moving ahead at a good pace in tune with growth in the automobile, engineering, and aerospace sectors.
The booming automotive and agriculture sectors in India add momentum to fastener manufacturing, which currently has dominant support from the aerospace industry.
Consider this: the automobile industry in India is one of the largest in the world and one of the fastest growing globally. It manufactures over 11 million vehicles and exports about 1.5 million each year. The dominant products of the industry are twowheelers with a market share of over 75 per cent and passenger cars with a market share of about 16 per cent. Commercial vehicles and three-wheelers share about 9 per cent of the market between them. About 91 per cent of the vehicles sold are used by households and only about 9 per cent for commercial purposes. The industry has a turnover of more than USD 35 billion. Thus, the bearing on the wire and fastener industry in India is significant. A recent report indicates that the growth of the industrial fastener sector in India has been parallel to the growth of the automotive sector. Additionally the engineering industry—including companies from the construction and other allied sectors—has been directly responsible for the increasing production and sale of fasteners. Likewise, support from the government through the various subsidies has helped the country’s industrial fastener industry. As such, India’s fastener industry is expanding its selection and production capacity, optimistic that the demand will continue to strengthen in 2012. Many companies expect an increase of more than 20 per cent in output and exports, with some even anticipating a surge to exceed 50 per cent. To meet demand the industry’s major players are setting up manufacturing facilities equipped with the latest technologies. One of the R&D thrusts at Jalandher-based GDPA Fasteners is to be able to produce bolts up to 75 mm in diameter and 2,000 mm in length. The enterprise is focused on offering larger models and finer threads with new environment-friendly finishes such as G-Blu passivation, a better corrosion resistance coating alternative to hexavalent chromium. Further, New Delhi-based Micron Precision Screws Ltd. has invested in infrastructure to support the manufacture of models for automotive and general use. The production facilities include multi-station bolt making equipment, flat and circular thread rolling machines and a turning centre. The company follows ISO 9001:2002 and has recently fulfilled the requirements of Six Sigma. Lakshmi Precision Screws Ltd., another manufacturer catering to the automotive, wind energy, agricultural and machinery sectors, has joint ventures and license agreements to enhance its R&D capability. To boost competitiveness, the company now offers cold-forged high-tensile steel fasteners with M1.3 to M30 diameters and a wide range of industrial fasteners.
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Sundram Fasteners Ltd. (SFL), a market leader in high tensile fasteners, and a part of the TVS Group, Chennai-based SFL, was established in 1966 and has a diversified product line with world-class facilities in four countries. Its product range includes high tensile fasteners, powder metal components, cold extruded parts, hot forged components, automotive pumps, gears and couplings, hubs and shafts, tappets, and iron powder. Over the years, the company has acquired cutting-edge technological competencies in forging, metal forming, close-tolerance machining, heat treatment, surface finishing, and assembly. With its total installed capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes, SFL has a large number of cold forging machines to manufacture both bolts and nuts. Its hot forging facilities add to the manufacturing range of larger nuts. Continuous state-of-the-art heat treatment furnaces ensure consistent metallurgical properties and SFL offers a wide option of surface finishes from zinc phospating, zinc plating with various passivations, and CR+6 free zinc plating. The company has also started to produce aerospace fasteners among its product range of special fasteners and has an exclusive plant to handle fasteners made from titanium. To tap the fastener potential of the growing wind energy segment, SFL is setting up an exclusive plant that will have the technological expertise of Peiner Umformtechnik GmbH, Germany, a 100-per-cent-owned subsidiary of SFL. Ghaziabad-based Landmark Fasteners manufactures aluminium pop rivets and high tensile bolts. Landmark’s self-drilling screws have a xylan coating that passes 1,000 hours SST with leak-proof EPDM washers. Mitter Fasteners, established by Devinder Sahani and Mukesh Sahani in 1982, enlarged its activities through the OEM of cold forged components, sheet metal, and machined items for leading automotive manufacturers. Sterling Tools Limited (STL) a maker of high tensile cold forged fasteners, is among the leading OEM suppliers in India, serving the needs of automotive companies in India, Europe, and USA. Swastik Fasteners manufactures and exports brass anchors, nuts, bolts, screws, and washers. The tremendous growth potential of the Indian fastener industry has attracted foreign companies, too. One example is the Italian company Rivit Srl, which has established a subsidiary, Rivit India Fasteners P. Ltd., in India that will operate with its own sales offices and technical services. With supplies sourced from Rivit Italy, the subsidiary has a large warehouse of in-stock fastening systems, tools for their installation, and related spare parts. Rivit is a leading fastener manufacturer and marketer. Its
DEFINING INDIA’S FASTENER INDUSTRY The fastener industry in India may be classified into two segments: high tensile and mild steel fasteners, which broadly include nuts, bolts, studs, rivets, and screws. All types of fasteners, except high tensile and special type fasteners, are reserved for the SSI sector. Mild steel fasteners are primarily manufactured by the unorganised sector while high tensile fasteners—used in engineering applications—require superior technology and are dominated by companies in the organised sector. The organised sector commands nearly 70 per cent High tensile fasteners. of the fastener market; the balance is controlled by the unorganised sector and imports. General application fasteners are chosen mainly based on price; brand and quality have little impact on the selection process. Fastener manufacturing is an intricate process that requires high working capital. No less than 30 tools are needed to manufacture just one fastener, which results in higher start-up costs for new manufacturers who have to invest heavily in tools. Due to the varied design specifications in assemblies, particularly in the automobile sector, fastener producers maintain a large inventory that caters to a diverse clientele. Some of the premier fastener manufacturers in India include Sundram Fasteners, Swastik Fasteners, Precision Industrial Fasteners, Sterling Tools, VC Group, Conex Metals, Avdel (India), GKW, Titanium Tantalum, Agarwal Fasteners, Hilti India, LPS Borsad, and Scovill Fasteners. Growth in the fastener industry comes with its own challenges; primary among them are the rising input costs and the threat from the European Union (EU). Rising steel and power costs are expected to eat into the profit margins of manufacturers, thereby creating cost pressures. On the other hand, if the EU has very strict anti-dumping laws, they are likely to impose import tariffs or ban industrial fasteners from India if they feel extra subsidies or a standardized process hasn’t been followed in the manufacturing process.
EUROPEAN DIRECTIVES FOR FASTENERS Recent European directives have put new emphasis on the importance of fasteners, especially for designers of vehicles and electrical/electronic equipment. The three most important are the End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive; the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive; and the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) Directive. The goal of the ELV Directive is to reduce the amount of waste from scappred vehicles. For automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, this has resulted in the restricted use of certain hazardous materials and has encouraged the design of vehicles and components for ease of dismantling. This is similar to the WEE and RoHS Directives. While RoHS is concerned with materials of construction, WEEE encourages a design-for-disassembly philosophy. As a result, both automotive and electrical/electronic product manufacturers have to make certain changes in the type of fasteners they use. One of the methods is to redesign assemblies so they are single components, using moulded snap-fits instead of separate fasteners, and redesigning assemblies so that fewer fasteners hold more parts together. Even as there are cost-effective solutions like adhesive bonding, welding, heat-staking and similar processes instead of fasteners, they usually make disassembly and recycling more difficult, hence the reliance on fasteners.|WB product range includes blind rivets, rivet nuts for laminates, self clinching, welding studs, blind bolts, cage nuts, and installation tools. “By establishing a branch in India we are recognising the full potential of one of the most exciting and dynamic markets in the world. The intention is to develop relationships with end customers and to create a distribution network so that all the prospective partners will be able to assure their customers that the range of products, and after-sales service, from Rivit India Fasteners will be the same as from the head office with the added of advantage of being easily accessible,” a news report said. The good news is that the global demand for industrial fasteners is projected to increase by 4.8 per cent annually to USD 66 billion in 2012. Fastener demand, which reached USD 52 billion in 2007, has grown by nearly 9 per cent annually since 2002. Although part of this growth is inflationary in nature, especially since 2005, the real gains in demand have been fuelled by increases in world economic growth, increased fixed investment activity and greater manufacturing production. Although future market gains will be
somewhat constrained by the use of new materials and manufacturing methods that reduce the numbers of fasteners required, global gains in motor vehicle production and greater demand for aerospace-grade fasteners for aircraft will contribute to growth. Although many countries produce fasteners, few are net exporters. For example, the USA is a major global supplier of high-end fastener products, but overall it is a net importer of fasteners. Countries in the Asia/ Pacific region are the largest net exporters of fasteners to the rest of the world, followed by Western Europe. Taiwan, Japan, and China lead the Asia Pacific region and the world in net fastener exports, although China will soon overtake Japan as the world’s second-largest net exporting country. Germany (whose net exports in 2007 matched China’s), Italy, and Switzerland contribute the most to Western Europe’s position as a net exporter.|WB
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FEATURED CONCEPTS
Thermoplastic compounding
he Asian demand for thermoplastic compounds stands at 11 MT and colour compounds account for the largest share.
The sector is dominated by independent companies and China is the largest regional consumer and producer. A survey conducted by AMI reports the following findings. The Asian demand for compounds reached nearly 11 MT in 2010, a year-onyear increase of almost 7 per cent, according to a study published by British researcher Applied Market Information (AMI, Bristol, www.amiplastics.com). That figure is still low compared to the average growth rate of 9 per cent per year witnessed in the first half of the decade. However, the economic crisis seriously affected the curve, slowing demand growth to an average of 5.5 per cent per year from 2005-2010, AMI reported in its Guide to the Thermoplastics Compounding Industry in Asia. The key industries include wire and cable, building and construction, automotive, household appliances, and electronic equipment. Whereas the western compounding market tends to be more integrated, only 10 per cent of the 1,038 Asian companies AMI examined were integrated. Clearly, the Asian market is dominated by independent companies. However, whereas ‘integrated compounders tend to dominate the industry in volume terms,’ the independent sector is growing in importance with the development of masterbatch and more technically sophisticated compounds, AMI reports. China continues to be the largest Asian compound consumer and producer of compounds; Vietnam and India have also seen a boost to their compounding business.
Southeast Asian compound demand 2010. © 2011 Plastics Information Europe. Source: AMI.
Colour compounds: Leading the way
At 44 per cent of the total, or 4.7 MT, colour compounds accounted for the largest share of Asian demand last year, the study found. In order to match specific customer requirements, resin producers have traditionally dominated this field to ensure colour control and consistency. Nevertheless, as the technology for colour compounding has become more widely available, the number of independent compounders has risen. However, most independent compounders still supply largely unsophisticated colour compounds to injection moulders. AMI explains that “entry barriers to this sector of the industry are low, machinery is available on the second-hand market and the technical knowledge relatively easy to obtain.” But the number of compounders capable of producing more advanced technical compounds reportedly is on the rise—the study points out that such operations either tend to be integrated into polymer production or
are run by major international players who can assure their products’ quality. South East Asia’s colour compounds market is significant because of its large consumption of styrenics (specifically PS and ABS) for E&E applications. However, the more modern ABS plants in countries like Taiwan and Korea operate a continuous process that requires little or no background colour at all. This enables the processor to reach greater color consistency using a masterbatch or even powder pigments. The study found that powder pigments still dominate the Asian processing sectors, especially in industries where quality or consistency are not that important, including toy manufacture in China. The method of processors dosing pigments directly into the moulding or extrusion equipment is not only attractive from a cost perspective, AMI says, it also “tends to be used in products which are for the local market, rather than those destined for export.”
Masterbatch: Impressive growth rates
One of the fastest growing sectors of the compounding industry has been masterbatch, accounting for 6.7 per cent of all Asian demand last year. Overall, demand rose from 5,75,000 MT in 2005 to more than 8,00,000 MT last year. Of this, colour masterbatch accounted for the largest share of demand (at roughly 30 per cent), followed by black, white, and additive masterbatch. A number of factors contribute to masterbatch growth in Asia, including the tight specifications of Western or Japanese OEMs, which often specify the type of masterbatch to use, as well as the fact that many Asian companies supply western markets. Consequently, they need to abide by western quality standards—both arguments that speak for the use of materbatch. Nevertheless, AMI emphasises that the Asian masterbatch market is highly diverse, ranging from the
MPFP MASTERBATCHES Suited for colouring complex melt processable fluoropolymer (MPFP) resins used as plenum space jacketing materials, MPFP colour masterbatches come in 10 colour-coding formulations matched to Munsell and RAL standards. Products are available in FEP and PVDF resin systems and are expandable to include other MPFP resins as needed. They maintain inherent flame retardancy and low smoke emissions that allow fluoropolymers to be used as jacketing material for plenum spaces. more well developed (including Singapore, Taiwan and Korea) to smaller but rapidly developing markets (such as Vietnam and India).
Technical polyolefins: Carving out their own niche
Growth in Asia’s polyolefin technical compound sector, which accounted for a little more than 9 per cent of Asian demand last year, has been stimulated by the increasing use of materials such as glass fibre, flame retardants, or UV stabilisers in the automotive industry, appliances and consumer electronics. AMI reports that Japanese OEMs have been a leading influence because of their tendency to favour polypropylene over more expensive engineering resins.|WB Contact: Regine Futter Tel.: +44 117 9249442 E-mail: rfutter@amiplastics.com www.amiplastics.com
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GLOBAL NEWS BAHRAIN—Madem Gulf Industries, the largest wooden reels supplier in the Middle East, has officially received the PEFC certification for the manufacture of its products. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Scheme (PEFC) is the world’s largest forest certification organisation promoting sustainable forest management. CHINA—NEC Corp. has signed a multi-million
dollar supply contract with the global consortium of communications companies, including NTT Communications, KT, Chunghwa Telecom, and others, to construct the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) system, a high-bandwidth optical submarine cable system that will link nine countries and territories in Asia.
CHINA—China Auto Electronics Group said its
wholly-owned subsidiary, Henan THB Electric Co., has bought a 51 per cent stake in Liu Zhou Tianhai Mengli Electric Co. Ltd. for 5.01 million yuan (USD 1 million) cash. Liu Zhou Tianhai Mengli Electric designs, manufactures and sells wire harness products to Wuling GM China.
CHINA—Kobe Steel has announced the launch of Kobelco Spring Wire, a new steel wire processing company in China for the production of high quality springs. The new company is likely to commence operations by the first half of 2013.
FRANCE—Nexans has been awarded a major contract to supply power, control, and instrumentation cables from its specialised POWERMINE® range for Chinalco’s new Mount Toromocho open-cast copper mine in Peru. In cooperation with Anixter USA, its distribution partner for this project, Nexans will provide more than 1,200 km of cables to the Aker/ Jacobs Engineering the turnkey EPC contractor for the mine. FRANCE—Pourtier received a repeat order from ABB for a new HVDC cable production unit. ABB recently chose Pourtier for the delivery of complete lines to manufacture its
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high-voltage power cables, including AC cable (Milliken type) and HVDC cable (trap wires).
GERMANY—SMS Elotherm, the induction
specialist in the SMS Meer Business Area, and Tech Induction Corp. (USA), have joined forces to improve the customer support in North America.
INDIA—Ducab-HV, a joint venture between
the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has opened its new high-tech plant at Jebel Ali, Dubai, in line with its plan to produce highvoltage cables for the region. The new factory will manufacture and sell cable systems in the voltage range of 66 kV to 400 kV, covering the highest voltage currently used in the GCC.
IRAQ—Gulf Bridge International, the Middle
East’s first privately-owned submarine cable operator, said it has reached a major milestone with the landing of the first subsea cable in Iraq. Broadband penetration in Iraq currently stands at less than 3 per cent.
ITALY—Prysmian Group, a world leader in the
energy and telecom cables and systems industry, showcased its upgraded xsNet portfolio at the FTTH Council Europe Conference in Munich in February. The Prysmian Group–formed by the combination of Prysmian and Draka–has maintained the former Draka xsNet brand and has rebranded and improved the system by including a selection of the best products from both of the former companies.
KENYA—A Mombasa family has invested
KES 1.3 billion in a new mill that is set to boost production of steel in Kenya. Tarmal Wire Products began production late last year. The Mazeras-based firm has the capacity to produce 84,000 tonnes of steel annually.
KOREA—Korea Electric Power Corp., LS Cable
& System, and American Superconductor Corp. announced that the world’s longest distribution voltage superconductor cable system has been energised at the I’cheon sub-station near Seoul. Powered by AMSC’s Amperium™ supercon-
ductor wire and installed in Korea Electric Power Company’s (KEPCO) electricity grid, the 22.9 kV alternating current cable system is capable of carrying approximately 50 MW of power.
OMAN—Oman Cables Industry has won the
2011 corporate governance excellence award in the industrial sector. The award was adjudicated by the Omani Centre for Corporate Governance under the arm of the Capital Market Authority.
QATAR—LS Cable & System has won two contracts worth a total of USD 102 million to supply 220 kV level extra high-voltage transmission cables to the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corp. and deliver large-capacity electric transmission 1,000 V bus ducts to the Public Works Authority of Qatar for the Hamad Medical City project. SWEDEN—ABB, a leading power and automa-
tion technology group, will invest more than USD 400 million to double the capacity of its high-voltage cable manufacturing facility in Karlskrona, Sweden, to meet the growing demand for subsea cables.
SWEDEN—Sandvik Materials Technology began
negotiations with the unions in Sweden to restructure the wire and resistance strip operations, which will enable a shift toward more advanced and profitable products for the energy sector. The restructuring will primarily affect the production of wire and resistance strip in Hallstahammar, Sweden, which will be discontinued over the next 18 months.
THAILAND—Siam Industrial Wire Co. (SIW)
is among Thailand’s first manufacturing companies to receive energy management certification from the Management System Certification Institute. The interior of Siam Industrial Wire’s plant uses a translucent roof to save money and energy on lighting. SIW is Thailand’s largest producer of high-tensile pre-stressed concrete steel wire and strands with annual output of 2,00,000 tonnes.
UNITED KINGDOM—Batoyle Freedom Group has appointed India-based Ajex & Turner Wire Dies Co. for the sale of lubricants for nonferrous wire. The Indian company has manufactured wire dies, extrusion tools, machineries, and lubricants for ferrous and nonferrous metals for five decades.
USA—US-based Mueller Electric Co. Inc.— a global manufacturer and distributor of test leads, cable assemblies and accessories, clips, connectors, and accessories for electronic component, factory automation, and test and measurement markets—has been named as an authorised supplier for RS Components, a distributor of electronics and maintenance products. USA—Houston Wire & Cable Co. has expanded its Denver electrical wire and cable distribution center, more than doubling the size of the facility to better accommodate the needs of customers in its Western and Mountain regions.
USA—Molex has acquired Temp-Flex Cable Inc., which designs and manufactures specialty wire and cable products for the medical, aerospace, military, computer, electronics, test-andmeasurement, and industrial markets. The acquisition will give Molex access to development and manufacturing expertise for specialty wire and cable products that will expand its high-performance cable business. USA—Nucor Corp. announced plans to continue the expansion of its special bar quality production capabilities over the next two years. It has approved USD 290 million for projects to be completed at its steel mills that will expand its bar and wire rod capacities by a combined one million tonnes.
USA—Encore Wire Corp. is building a
2,02,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant on its McKinney, Texas, campus. The expansion is part of the company’s capital expenditure plan for 2012 that will also include the purchase of manufacturing equipment to produce aluminium wire and cable.|WB
PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY Products Low smoke/emission cable suitable for public installations
European company Top Cable has launched the Toxfree RZ1-K (AS), a cable that features a LSZH polyolefin outer sheath, zero halogens, and low smoke/corrosive gas emission which, in case of fire, ensures the highest security in public places according to the Low Voltage Electrotechnical requirements by the REBT 2002. According to the company’s website, this cable is representative of Top Cable’s broad range of halogen-free cables, in all its versions: unipolar, multi-conductor, armoured, screening, and their aluminium equivalents. This cable was designed starting with an electrolytic copper conductor, class 5 (flexible), based on EN 60228. Its XLPE insulation allows these cables to transmit greater power and better resistance to surges. The LSZH outer sheath of the Toxfree RZ1-K (AS) cable ensures that, in case of fire, the fire does not spread. Also the cable emits a reduced amount of smoke, which helps maintain visibility during evacuation. In case of combustion, the cable does not emit toxic gases. “Moreover, it doesn’t emit hydrochloric acid, which corrodes computers and electronic equipment. By not emitting dioxins into the atmosphere, it is considered an environment-friendly cable. Because of all the security characteristics previously mentioned, the installation of Toxfree RZ1-K (AS) cables is required by the REBT 2002 in public places,” the website states. Considered highly versatile, its service temperature ranges from -30 to 90ºC. The maximum short-circuit temperature is 250ºC, for a maximum of 5 seconds. The bending radius is five times that of its external diameter. For further details visit: www.topcable.com.
Measurements visible from gauge head on Sikora’s Laser Series 6000
Draka introduces radiation-hardened fibers
Draka, part of the Prysmian Group, has introduced Super RadHard single-mode fiber (SRH-SMF) and Super RadHard multimode fiber (SRH-MMF), two new radiation-hardened fibers with substantially improved performance. The RadHard fibers are available as part of the Draka specialty fibers portfolio, within the DrakaElite family. These are built using Fluorine as a dopant in the core region, replacing Germanium used in the previous versions of the RadHard fiber. Fluorine greatly improves the radiation-induced attenuation (RIA). For the SRH-MMF the refractive index profile still has graded-index design, combining high bandwidth (even during and after irradiative circumstances) with low radiation-induced attenuation (RIA).
Electrotech offers flat cables for power and data Draka SRH-SMF and SRH-MMF radiation hardened fibres are built using Fluorine as a dopant in the core region, replacing the Germanium used in previous versions.
Draka’s regular RadHard fiber has been used in various irradiative environments. One showcase is CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva. Within CERN, Draka has installed over 1,500 kilometres of RH-SMF inside the 27-kilometre-long LHC tunnel, which is about 100 metres underground near the border of France and Switzerland. Both the new fibers are aimed at special applications in high energy physics as well as within the nuclear industry (for example, uranium enrichment to recycling and nuclear power plants). In particular, in nuclear power plant environments, successful tests have been completed at high dosage levels of 2MGy, showing excellent performance. For further details visit: www.draka.com.
Software measures in-situ load, predicts fatigue life
Safe Technology introduces Fe-safe/ True-Load™, a software solution for accurate in-situ load measurement, which was developed with partner Wolf Star Technologies to predict fatigue life.
Sikora’s new Laser Series 6000 diameter gauge heads now have an integrated LCD display with control panel option. This allows the operator to read the diameter measuring value directly from the gauge head. In addition, the LCD display informs about events such as dirt in the measuring range and gives messages, if the cable is out of the measuring range. With the use of an externally connected control module, the operator can now set up the current diameter nominal value up to four digits after the decimal point. Via the line speed or the extruder rpm the module controls the diameter automatically to the set value. For further details contact: Sikora AG, Bruchweide 2, 28307 Bremen, Tel.: +49 421 48900-0, Fax: +49 421 48900-90, E-mail: sales@sikora.net, www.sikora.net.
Suggested strain gauge locations can be interactively modified by the user through True-Load/Pre-Test with immediate feedback regarding the load transducer effectiveness. Further, the software leverages the data from a handful of strain gauges to understand the structural response of the entire structure. This type of knowledge is critical to understanding the loading environment on structures and performing accurate fatigue calculations. “Fe-safe/True-Load™ offers unparalleled in-situ load calculation with typical strain gauge correlation to within 2 per cent of measured values. True-Load/Post-Test produces multi-channel data files, loads definition files (LDF), and fe-safe macros. Complex structures can go from strain gauge measurement to FEA fatigue results with unparalleled accuracy in a matter of minutes,” the note adds. For further details contact: info@safetechnology.com, www.safetechnology.com.
According to a press note, the software turns complex components into multi-channel load cells. Working with finite element models, it optimises the location of strain gauges on a component. After strain measurement in the field, it then calculates the time histories of each individual applied load. These loading histories can be used for laboratory testing or applied as loads in a fatigue-from-FEA analysis. Fe-safe/True-Load transforms complicated structures into load transducers by using results from a user-defined unit loading, and/or mode shapes, to determine the ideal strain gauge locations and orientations for optimal load sensitivity independence.
Electrotech has described its ESG flexible power and data bus system as a solution for running power and data to both industrial and commercial equipment. The company says that the system “will save time and material by eliminating the need for junction boxes, splices and home-run wiring.” The family of multi-conductor flat cables is available with five to seven conductors, with individual conductors ranging from 16 AWG to 6 AWG. The cables are made with PVC, polyethylene, or halogenfree sheaths. According to a press note, the power connection boxes are rated from 1 to 76 amps and use insulation displacement connection technology. The ESG flexible power bus system is available with a series of power connection boxes that provide IP65 protection, which makes them appropriate for wash-down or outdoor applications. For further details contact: Electrotech Sales Group, LLC, 151 Discovery Dr., Unit 111, Colmar, PA 18915, USA, Tel.: (001) 215-997-8855, Fax: (001) 800-522-3868, www.esgllc-usa.com.
Cicoil cables flex in extreme temperatures
Cicoil has introduced festoon cables that are flat in construction and designed for continuous flexing as well as extreme temperature applications of -65 to +260ºC. “Ideal in overhead crane, gantry and material-handling systems, these UV-resistant cables are an excellent alternative to PVC and Neoprene-jacketed flat cables,” the company reports. Cicoil further explains that its crystal-clear silicone encapsulation is tear-resistant, needs no external armour or conduit for protection, and will not deform or wear during a 10-million-pluscycle lifetime that includes tight bending and high-speed flexing. The company states that its “unique silicone extruded cables are unaffected when exposed to flames (UL 94 V-0), extreme heat, ice, snow, salt water, acid rain, coarse sand, shock, vibration, sunlight and most chemicals.” Anti-friction coating options are also available. The cables are available off the shelf from 4 to 28 AWG. Custom designs can incorporate shielded wires or signal pairs, tubing for air or fluid transfer, and the company’s patented Strip Mount™ fastening strip. For further details visit: www.cicoil.com.
InnoVites releases bottleneck scheduling solution
InnoVites BV, a software development company with offices in India and The Netherlands, has announced the release of a new module of InnoVites for Cable to optimally load bottleneck resources in a cable factory. This module is available from version 2.10 of InnoVites for Cable. The module is designed to reduce the set-up times for processes such as extrusion and armouring. Scheduling the production orders in the right sequence increases the output of these bottleneck resources and improves the company’s bottom line. The scheduling module is also an easy tool for the production planner to optimally load active production orders on the various production resources. The planner uses an overview screen to see the active production orders, and can move orders between production resources with a few mouse clicks. Commenting on this new development, Albert Groothedde, CEO, InnoVites, said: “InnoVites has an exclusive focus on the wire and cable industry. That’s why our investments in R&D are specifically targeted at industry issues and create high value for our customers. Using our experience and discussions with customers we develop best practices that we implement in our software solutions.”
InnoVites showcased these innovations at the wire show in Düsseldorf, Germany, last month. InnoVites for Cable is based on the popular Microsoft Dynamics AX software and was developed for the needs of wire and cable distributors and manufacturers. The InnoVites Cable ERP software is fully integrated with CableBuilder, the popular cable design software from its partner Cimteq. For further details contact: E-mail: info@innovites.com.
BNSF launches range of cold forged brass nuts
Brass Nuts Screws Fasteners (BNSF), a Jamnagar-based manufacturer and exporter of nonferrous metal components and wiring accessories, has launched a new range of cold forged brass nuts conforming to DIN 934 and ISO 4032. Previously the brass nuts, being distributed in Indian and most of the world markets, have been made by the bar turning process. BNSF will be one of the first companies offering DIN 934 and ISO 4032 grade brass nuts by cold forging. Cold forging is a better and stronger process which imparts superior physical properties to the nuts. Most of the nuts used for automobile applications are used with high torque where traditional brass nuts fail. The new range of brass cold forged nuts are useful in applications in which strength is required. In addition, BNSF has focused on products such as brass and copper accessories like brass electronic connectors, galvanised conduit fittings, brass grease nipples, metal castings and brass couplers, and DC tape clips, among others. For further details visit: www.brass-nuts-screws-fasteners.com. continued on p. 14
APRIL 2012 | 13
PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY New composite structure protects cable, reduces operating costs
cable can be used to monitor the temperature and the state of the cables in real time. For further details visit: www.lscns.com.
KEI unveils marine and offshore cables
LS Cable & System has introduced a new 12/20 kV air-blown fiber optic composite power cable that combines both electric power and communication cables, necessary for building smart grids and communication networks into one. Immediately after the announcement the company entered into a supply contract with Energy Australia worth USD 10 million. The most salient characteristic of this cable is that, unlike conventional fiber optic composite cables, the installation is done using highpressure air. With this new installation method a tube of 3-5 mm in diameter is installed inside the cable and the fiber optics are pushed inside by the high-pressure air. Existing fiber optic composite cables can combine a maximum of 16 core wires into one, but this method makes it possible to bind up to 144 optical cable core wires. A key feature of the air-blown fiber optic composite power cable is that it is also scalable which makes it possible to meet the needs of customers who want to build power grids and communication networks as the demand arises. Also, unlike conventional fiber optic composite cables, the dual structure consisting of a plastic tube and sheath protects the cable, thereby greatly reducing the risk of damage. And because only the internal cable needs to be replaced using air pressure, operating and investment costs are also reduced. Another advantage is that the optical
At the recently held electrical transmission and distribution exhibition, Elecrama 2012, KEI Industries Ltd. unveiled its comprehensive range of cables for marine and offshore applications. The range covers power, control and instrumentation cables and fire-resistant cables which meet international standards (IEC, NEK or BS). A wide variety of cables manufactured by KEI have a special halogen-free sheath that is mud resistant and suitable for sub-zero installation conditions encountered in the North Atlantic ocean on oil producing platforms. KEI is the only manufacturer in India having DNV Norway Type approval for elastomeric cables as per NEK 606 and IEC 60092-350, 353 and 376 for marine and offshore platform installation.
KEI has developed and established an inhouse design, manufacturing, and testing facility to offer these cables. The special braiding, taping, and extrusion facilities at KEI make it possible to design and offer cables as per its customers’ requirements in a short period of time. Anil Gupta, CMD, KEI Industries Ltd., said, “We see great potential in this vertical as the shipbuilding and offshore industry has seen growth over
a period of time. In India, we are already the leading suppliers of cables for ONGC’s offshore platforms. Additionally, our overseas customers in countries like the Middle East and Korea, where we have supplied a variety of cables, have shown great interest and thus we see good prospects in export to other counties as well.”
Eraser’s Model HTS1C strips solid and stranded wire
Eraser’s Model HTS1C thermal wire stripper is a lightweight hand-held wire stripper for stripping solid and stranded wires. The HTS series is especially effective on insulations such as P.T.F.E. and Teflon. The model HTS1C strips ½" to 43 AWG and can strip lengths from 0 to 2" and it comes with a removable length stop for use when shorter strip lengths are needed. The temperature at the stripping elements is variable up to 1,100°F (594°C). The HTS1C has a cradle switch. When the tool is placed in the cradle, heat to the elements is disconnected. The Eraser Company, Inc., celebrating its 101st anniversary, manufactures a wide range of industrial products, including wire, cable and tubing cutters, wire and cable strippers, wire twisters, wire brush wheels, de-reelers, infrared heating equipment, measuring tools and FybRglass. The com-
pany is ISO 9001:2008 certified and offers a free Eraser Sample Program (ESP). “Send a 10-20 foot sample of your material and Eraser will recommend the best solution for your processing needs from its line of more than 200 products. For unique processing needs, Eraser will custom-design a solution for you,” a company note states. For further details contact: Tel.: 315-454-3237, www.eraser.com.
Ultra high-density fiber optic cables reduce weight, diameter
Optical Cable Corp (OCC) has unveiled its HC-Series, a new family of ultra highdensity fiber optic cables. “No other cable matches the mechanical and environmental performance of our HC-Series cables while maintaining such a small diameter and highduct efficiency,” said Ted Leonard, Vice President of Technology and Engineering, at OCC. “These HC-Series cables are the ideal solution for campus networks and indooroutdoor installations.” The new cables feature tight-buffered 12-fiber units, creating rugged cables with an outer diameter that OCC cites as being much smaller than conventional cables using loose tube construction. Suitable for direct pulling with wire mesh grips, the HC-Series cables may also help reduce costs by eliminating the need to splice outdoor cable to indoor cable at the building entrance, the company reports.
“The HC-Series cable couples the density of a ribbon style fiber-optic cable with the ruggedness typically associated with OCC’s
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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.
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PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY fiber optic cables,” Leonard said. By combining the ruggedness of OCC’s tightbuffer technology with high-fiber density, the HC-Series cables may offer up to a 20 per cent reduction in diameter and weight relative to conventional loose-tube cables, the company claims. The cables are currently available in fiber counts from 24 fibers to 288 fibers. For further details contact: OCC, 5290 Concourse Drive, Roanoke, VA, 24019, USA; Tel.: (001) 540-265-0690, www.occfiber.com
Cerro Wire introduces steel pulling grips
A leading manufacturer of copper electrical building wire and cable, Cerro Wire LLC has introduced a complete range of wire equipped with RectorSeal single-use steel pulling grips, the simple, reliable, and durable single-use wire pulling tool. Rated for use on THHN and XHHN wire, the company reports that these steel pulling grips reduce total set up time for a four-wire pull to less than five minutes. Eighteen sizes are available, ranging from 1 AWG to 750 MCM. Made with an extremely durable steel body, the pulling grips are far less likely to fail during an installation than a pulling grip made of aluminium. They also have a shorter body length, which allows them to corner better, further reducing failure risk compared to other pulling grips.
The contractor can receive the wire with all three or four wire lengths on a paralleled reel, ready to pull. At the end of each wire is a steel lanyard, used to pull the wire through the conduit. Lanyards are of staggered lengths to stagger the heads, making entry into the conduit easier. To complete the pull, a contractor simply attaches his rope to the lanyard. After the pull is complete, the grips are simply cut off and are disposable. “No more taking hours of expensive labour just to prepare to pull wire by preparing pulling ends,” said Rick McDonald, President of Cerrowire Electrical Distribution. “Contractors using our pre-installed steel pulling grips will add significantly to their bottom line.” Cerro Wire LLC supplies its products to wholesale electrical distributors and retail home improvement centers across North America. Cerrowire’s Electrical Distribution Division offers building wire for residential, commercial and industrial use. The company’s operating philosophy focuses on customer service, low-cost operations, simplification and innovation. Cerro Wire is a Marmon Wire & Cable/Berkshire Hathaway company. For further details contact: Dale Crawford, Tel.: (001) 256-773-2522, E-mail:dcrawford @cerrowire.com, www.cerrowire.com.
Harwin expands range of cable clips
Harwin’s range of EZ-BoardWare surface mount cable clips, originally offered in
four sizes covering 1-3 mm cable diameters, has been expanded to include devices that can manage two 0.9 mm diameter wires side by side, or one 1.32 mm diameter mini coaxial cable. When used with coaxial cables if the outer cover is stripped back to reveal the screening braid, the company says its EZ-Cable Clips can provide a direct path to a ground lane, significantly improving EMC performance of the system. Harwin’s EZ-BoardWare family of surface mount PCB boardware products are intended to replace traditional components that usually require a secondary assembly process. Cable management devices, for example, are usually bulky and screwed to the board after all the other components have been automatically placed, notes the company. In contrast, Harwin’s EZ-Cable Clips are billed as ‘small and tidy’ and are surface mounted along with every other standard device. A further advantage is that the parts do not degrade and become brittle like the plastic devices they are superseding, contends Harwin. “EZ-Cable Clips are not only very cost-effective, they save space, reduce interference and last longer than traditional plastic products,” said Harwin Product Manager, Dave Humphreys. For further details visit: www.harwinasia.com.
Zumbach extends its JACKETMASTER system
A new oscillating DVW2 measurement device from Zumbach Electronic AG extends the company’s JacketMaster processing system for sector insulations and cable jackets. The company reports that the device can accurately measure and control dimensions of width, height, insulation thickness, diameter, ovality, and jacket thickness within a few 1/100 mm for application with straight and pre-spiralled sectors, both solid and stranded, aluminium and copper. The system’s two DVW2 devices capture pertinent measurement data before and after extrusion. An optional third measuring head can be applied at the cold end of the line to automatically compensate for hot/cold shrinkage.
Zumbach’s oscillating DVW 2 measurement device.
The JACKETMASTER processor displays data in numerical and graphical form, monitors tolerances, and controls the process to optimise thickness and material consumption. It also calculates statistics and interfaces with external networks, the company reports. For further details contact: cedwards@zumbach.com.
Tulsa Power’s technology automates wire and cable spooling
US-based Tulsa Power exhibited its new automatic cut and transfer (ACT) system of high performance spooling and coiling designed for use in wire and cable processes at wire 2012 last month. “These new systems have the ability to spool or coil and are fully automatic and highly reliable. The new technology and ‘no nonsense’ design has
ASSOCIAZIONE COSTRUTTORI ITALIANI MACCHINE PER FILO ITALIAN WIRE MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION Its aims are: to improve the knowledge and culture of new generations in a highly specialised field with roots in Italy that date back through the Italian Renaissance as far as the iron age by sponsorship of university research, scholarships, seminars and conferences; to encourage and assist engineers and technicians of its member companies in the search for new innovative techniques, seen as victories in the battle for continuous improvement and a job well done; to promote the diffusion of a responsible and professional attitude to the community, the environment and customers; the compliance of all member companies with a set of regulations to govern after sales procedures and prices that will guarantee high standards of quality and good value for money for each and every customer.
MEMBERS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A. APPIANI AEROEL ANGELI ATOMAT A.W.M. BOBBIO BOXY CARLO SALVI CEA COSTRUZIONI ELETTROMECCANICHE COMAPAC WIRE MACHINERY COMETO CONTINUUS-PROPERZI CORTINOVIS MACHINERY DANIELI & C. OFF. MECC. DELISI EFAF ELMECC-WTS EME ELETTROMECCANICA ERBESE ESSEBI EUROALPHA EUROTEK FEDERICO DICK FROMA GCR EURODRAW
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GHISLANZONI UMBERTO HENKEL ITALIA I.LE.S. KONER KONER DIES LUBRIMETAL M+E MACCHINE + ENGINEERING MARIO DI MAIO MARIO FRIGERIO M.E.P. MONTORFANO MORONI & C. O.C.N. OFFICINE MECCANICA TRINCA OFFICINE MECCANICHE DI LESMO O.M.A. OMAS O.M.C. O.M.SA. O.R.I. MARTIN OTOMEC PRAXAIR SURFACE TECNOLOGIES PROMOSTAR PS COSTRUZIONI MECCANICHE REDIES RIGON INSTRUMENTS
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RTP PAGANONI SACMA LIMBIATE SAMP SAS ENGINEERING & PLANNING SCHNELL SIB SICME ITALIA IMPIANTI SICTRA SIF SIMPLEX RAPID S.M.E.I. TEAM MECCANICA TECNOFIL TECNO IMPIANTI TECNOSIDER TECNOVO TEKNODIAM TENOVA T.L.M. TRAFCO TRAMEV VAN DIES VIDA VITARI WELDING WIRE MACHINERIES W.T.M.
Corso Italia, 45 • I 20122 Milano • Italy • www.acimaf.com
addressed customer-identified weaknesses of other equipment offerings, namely ‘overengineered’ systems and reliability issues,” a press note states, adding, “The ease of operation and user-friendly interface allow a single operator to oversee multiple lines generating labour savings over previously used manual and semi-automatic systems.” This series of spooler/coilers is adaptable for wire and cable applications requiring accumulation, a contact dancer, pneumatic cutting and on-line printing to the ultra-critical micro tubing applications requiring non-contact, ultrasonic position control for extremely low running tension. Its special control features and a user-friendly, colour operator touch screen interface allow for convenient operator controls with exceptional switchover reliability at high speeds. The automatic design eliminates products from piling up on the floor, as is required on manual switch-over machines, thus saving operator time, minimising scrap rates, improving wind appearance and product quality, while offering better safety. For further details visit: www.tulsapower.com.
New cable for wind power industry
Hendrix/Kerite Cable (Marmon Utility LLC), a premier provider of high-quality underground power distribution products,
has announced its offering of 34.5 kV TRXLP-insulated medium-voltage cable for applications in the wind power industry. Hendrix manufactures all cables in the USA, which are made and tested to ICEA/AEIC standards and are dry-cure, triple-extruded. The 34.5 kV cable is available in both aluminum and copper conductors. Standard conductor sizes ranging from 1/0 through 1250 kcmil in full and reduced concentric neutral configurations are also available. Hendrix can accommodate quantity and length changes just prior to manufacturing to adapt to last minute changes to farm layouts.
“Hendrix collaborates with customers to develop a flexible delivery schedule that best meets the client’s project construction schedule. All of Hendrix’s delivery solutions offer extremely high on-time shipment rates. Additionally, Hendrix provides engineering support to assist clients in aligning cable specifications with industry standards to ensure they are specifying the optimal product for their specific application,” a news report states. For further details visit: www.hendrix-wc.com. continued on p. 23
APRIL 2012 | 15
PRODUCTION TIPS Spark tester safety
The machinery running in wire and cable plants can pose risks to line operators who load, monitor, and maintain the equipment. Spark testers, in particular, pose the risk of electrical shocks, secondary accidents resulting from shocks, and environmental hazards. That said, considering the highvoltage dangers that exist in the process and test equipment used in some wire and cable
16 | WIRE BULLETIN
factories, the risk of dangerous shocks from typical spark testers is relatively low. However, precautions are necessary to eliminate or minimize injury to operations personnel. An operator could be shocked under normal operating conditions by physically touching the electrode or by placing their hand near enough to the electrode to allow the voltage potential to strike the operator by arcing. The distance an arc can jump is governed by the level of the test voltage. Typically the protective covers and guards prevent this. However, in unusual applications, such as inside twisting machinery where electrodes are more accessible, the risk is greater. If operators check for lumps or other defects by touching the running wire, and a pinhole or bare wire comes in contact with their hand, the voltage will discharge into them. With proper grounding, this would not happen as the center conductor would not become charged. Secondary accidents can happen as a result of shock. For example, the response to shock is to move away from the source of the shock. If an operator is working on an elevated platform or in proximity to other objects, falls or impact injuries could result, which might be more severe than the shock itself. An environmental hazard of spark testers involves the emission of ozone into the air. Ozone in high concentration is a source of indoor air pollution. AC spark testers emit ozone because of the corona field. The larger the corona field is, the more ozone is produced. DC equipment generates only trace amounts of ozone. The principle danger is to operators who work in proximity to spark testers. The ozone risk can be lessened by proper ventilation.
Safety around spark testers is a shared responsibility. Spark tester manufacturers design equipment that is safe to operate through the use of current limited power supplies, safety guards and enclosures, and properly designed interlock circuits. Manuals and support documentation for installation and use of the equipment also helps to ensure safe operation. At the factory, process engineers should apply the equipment correctly and install it according to manufacturer instructions. The spark testers should be integrated into the line controls thoughtfully to ensure safe and effective use. Similarly, the line operator should have a thorough understanding of the equipment and the risks involved in its use and care. To prevent accidental contact with charged electrodes, spark test equipment is fitted with interlocked covers, safety enclosures, and end guards. Covers should open easily to allow stringing of wire, and they also have to be durable, designed to protect operators from the voltage source. If the guards are not in place the risk of accidental contact increases. End panels in spark testers are easily replaceable and if water is a problem, properly installed air wipes are a better solution than removing safety guards. When guarding the electrode is not possible or practical, such as in twisting machinery, and other custom machinery, choose a spark tester that offers interlock terminals that will shut power to the voltage generator when the machine’s safety enclosure is opened. The interlock circuit should completely remove voltage in the time it takes to open the cover and touch the electrode, usually within 50 milliseconds.
Since spark testers are used in a variety of applications (extrusion, rewinding, packaging, twisting, cabling) careful selection of the unit is essential. Once selected it should be correctly installed and securely mounted in an area that offers sufficient work space and the area should be properly ventilated. The single most important step to ensure safe spark tester use is to ground the center conductor of the wire being tested. Every wire and cable specification requires that the center conductor be firmly connected to Earth Ground. This way the high voltage output of the spark tester is completely confined to the spark tester. If this is not the case, the test voltage and frequency can be broadcast up and down the entire line causing interference with other gauging, causing false counting (in some situations) and it can affect the quality of the test as well. Grounding the extrusion line is a straightforward process because there is easy access to the center conductor and there are enough grounded points of contact prior to the crosshead, such as guides and sheaves, that a reasonably good ground is assured. Generally it is best to connect the center conductor to the grounding stud or terminal on the spark tester, when one is provided. However, any secure ground is sufficient for safe operation. The best safety tip is to be mindful of the spark tester. When the cover is opened, the operator should check that the voltmeter has dropped out. One rule of thumb from an operator is: “if it’s shiny, don’t touch it.”|WB Excerpts from the “Spark Tester Safety” Webinar, January 2012, by David Carroll, Clinton Instrument Co. Learn more about free webinars and other WAI membership benefits at: http://www.wirenet.org/members/member.htm
ASK THE EXPERT ASK THE EXPERT
continued from p. 1
Q: How can I reduce the debris that A:
causes breaks during wiredrawing?
The debris, or fines, you describe are certainly problematic. In the wiredrawing process, fines are described as a finely divided mixture of the metal conductor, its oxides, soaps, sludge, slivers, and other debris. In addition to wire breaks, these particles can create die wear, poor lubrication, and surface damage. Overall, fines lead to poor productivity, lowered quality, and increased manufacturing costs.
The following mechanisms are likely to create fines during wiredrawing: • Abrasive wear • Third body abrasive wear • Surface deformation wear • Adhesive wear • Delamination wear • Surface oxides on rod • Drawing and rod-related slivers • Chemical compounds
Abrasive wear occurs when two materials are in direct contact with each other, and asperities in the harder substance, such as a draw die, remove particulates from the softer wire metal. In the case of polycrystalline diamond or carbide dies, abrasive wear is accelerated if the grain size is fine. See Fig. 1.
Hard particles such as fines, oxides, or slivers often settle between the draw die and the wire being drawn. This process, known as third body abrasive wear, can be more deleterious than abrasive wear because a greater number of sharp wear points are exposed.
Adhesive wear occurs when two solid bodies make sliding contact with each other. During this process the asperities undergo
Fig. 1. Photomicrograph of fines created by abrasive wear.
microscopic adhesion and shearing, resulting in particles. When the lubricant is out of control, galling may occur where the softer material bonds to the harder component over a large percentage of its area.
Delamination wear nucleates as small cracks beneath the wire surface due to high internal tensile stresses that are generated during wiredrawing. These cracks propagate parallel to the wire surface and can be exacerbated when the wire is in the hard condition or is bent around a diameter that is too small. Fines exhibiting the same curved shape as the wire are possible.
Surface deformation can occur when the outer surface of the metal conductor undergoes more severe work hardening than its interior; it may become brittle and fracture easily, thereby forming very small particles of fines.
Several parameters can accelerate or aggravate the formation of fines. As might be expected, it is extremely important to have proper lubrication, which includes complying with the recommended operating temperature and chemical make-up. Filtration is equally important to remove fines since they can adversely affect surface quality and drawability.
ISSUE
FINES REDUCTION METHODS
Rod Quality
Reduce fines potential Reduce surface oxide on rod Proper rolling mill analysis
Filtration
Maintain good quality filtration
Die Quality
Replace worn dies promptly Use optimal die angles Use sufficient cone and bell
Lubricant Quality
Ensure good lubricant flow to each die Track lubricant quality
Drawing Temperature
Provide adequate cooling of wires and capstans
Die Alignment
Ideal alignment is often impossible. Instead, align die to minimize asymmetry in drawing
Table 1. Common fines reduction methods. Proper die geometry and blending is critical since hard wear surfaces such as grain boundaries of the die particles, wear rings, grain pull-out, broken nibs, and missing stone are all likely to contribute to the formation of fines. Further, it is important to negate wire vibrations and to have the best wire-to-die alignment that is practicable.
Many techniques can be used to examine and analyze fines. One method is to observe the outer surface of the wire or rod to reveal defects such as pits, galling, slivers, or protrusions. Another useful method is to inspect fines that are collected from the wiredrawing machine or filtration system. The identification of the shape and constitution of the fine is an extremely beneficial means to confirm which wear mechanism(s) cause fine generation.
Monitoring the rate of fines generation on a regular basis can also prove beneficial. Information concerning the origin and causes of fines generation can be obtained by vigorous examination
of both the hot-rolling operation and the wiredrawing process.
The formation of fines can be reduced and/or prevented using the methods shown in Table 1.
A new “Fines-Potential Test” was developed to collect fines from the surfaces of copper rod or wire. It involves a torsional twist on cleaned as-received rod that loosens but does not remove the outermost scale and fines. The particles are removed and collected in a glass apparatus employing ultrasonic vibrations. Using gravimetric analysis of the recovered and dried fines in addition to the associated rod, the amount of fines compared to rod weight can be determined. Results have shown a direct linear relationship between the weight of fines and the surface oxide thickness.|WB Excerpts from: Dr. Horace Pops and Gil Baker, “Formulation, Analysis, and Measurement of fines,” Wire Journal International, October, 2009, pp. 68-79. For a copy of the full article, contact Marc Murray at mmurray@wirenet.org.
APRIL 2012 | 17
TECHNICAL ARTICLE Strategic management for optimal utilization of wire rope By Surajit Dey, Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, India
To achieve optimum asset performance, an organization needs to improve operations and maintenance work by developing and adopting necessary precautionary and preventative strategies, which minimise failure and unplanned downtime of assets. A structured operation and maintenance programme needs to be developed, which includes oil lubrication, the methods of application, rope cleaning, proper inspection of wire rope, and the ultimate control and management of the programme. Industry is continually striving to improve rope life by developing better rope lubricants/dressings, improvements to winder rope mechanisms and rope construction designs. In recent years it has become clear that, with the prevailing skills shortages, mining and other industries require a structured programme preferably carried out by an external focused and specialised maintenance team in order to achieve above average capital investment returns through optimal rope life, reduce wear to sheaves, optimal use of shaft hoisting time, protection of the environment, and safety. The elements of the programme are planning, execution, performance monitoring, and assurance of each activity. This programme will help to enhance the production performance, optimize reliability of assets, reduction in operations and maintenance expenses, optimize the use of resources, to be in full compliance with company policies and statutory regulations.
Planning
Planning varies for different sites, conditions, and operating requirements. It can be carried out using the following structured framework.
Wire rope register
Overall planning is required to document a wire rope, including elements such as selection, certification, storage, thorough examination and inspection, maintenance, history of use, records of damage or wear, and final discard. A detailed record of examination or inspection helps to identify the patterns of damage occurrence. This information can then be used in conjunction with the anticipated cycles of work to determine expected deterioration prior to the next scheduled inspection. On detecting damage which exceeds that predicted in the maintenance records, a re-evaluation of the life expectancy of the wire will be required and this should be followed by an inspection of all other associated machinery in order to establish the source of the accelerated damage.
Risk and reliability centered planning
A risk and reliability centered approach are employed to achieve the desirable functional integrity of the plants and systems. The functional criticality of the wire rope is assigned according to the risk based assessment of the wire rope. It helps to study the condition of rope over period of time at regular intervals depending on the age and the condition of the rope in the installation to achieve optimum safety, economy, and reliability of the ropes in their current installation. It also helps to identify the appropriate
18 | WIRE BULLETIN
maintenance strategy, to meet the business objectives with regard to wire ropes. Critical rope assessment is based on the potential consequences related to: • Changes in diameter of rope under load; • Number of broken wires especially in a lay; • Changes in lay length of the wire rope; and • Relative loss in metallic crosssectional area of the wire rope.
Value added planning
Inspection and maintenance planning of the wire rope needs to be carried out based on the fact that all cost will be justified as adding value. This incorporates a cost-benefit analysis as part of the planning stage. For this analysis, determination is made on a full life cycle basis. Activity cost-benefit analysis shall be used to challenge the relevance and cost effectiveness of the inspection and maintenance. This would lead the life cycle cost optimization through objective refinement of inspection and maintenance practices. The same techniques shall also be employed for evaluating the cost effectiveness/benefits of: • Outsourcing vs. in-house effort; and • Replacement/residual life extension option.
Life cycle planning
An organization needs to develop an inspection and maintenance plan to match full life cycle objectives considering the aforementioned risk-based and value added analysis. The life cycle planning of wire rope is required to achieve optimal economic production, concurrently meeting safety and statutory requirements in line with the business objectives. Input for life-cycle planning includes: • Inspection and maintenance record of entire wire rope system; • Functional criticality evaluation; • Statutory requirement, • As-built information; operation and maintenance manuals; • Manual recommended maintenance plan; • Value added maintenance and inspection assessment; and • Operating objectives and operating expenses. The life cycle plan includes: • Expected service life of the wire rope vis-à-vis the field life; • Expected performance of wire rope; • Resource requirements, including in-house and external service provider; • Spare parts requirement for entire wire rope system; and • Overall maintenance and inspection plan of wire rope.
Execution Routine inspection
The time interval and extent of inspection and maintenance for wire rope varies depending on their construction and use.1 Visual inspection is the simplest Non Destructive Examination (NDE) method for wire ropes. Visual inspection can only include the exterior strands. Core damage, fa-
tigue cracking, internal corrosion attack, insufficient lubrication, and other potentially serious types of degradation may be invisible in visual inspection. The general condition of wire rope is monitored on a daily basis when in use, to inspect the signs of general deterioration and damage. The wire is inspected by a responsible person or a responsible team before commencement of work and on completion of a work cycle. Wire rope of six or eight strands construction holds up to 90% of their strength in their outer strands. It is the support provided by the core which maintains the wire efficiency and performance. Internal examination is therefore a vital component of any inspection regime and may be carried out.
Periodic Non Destructive Evaluation of wire rope
Wire rope is a consumable item with limited life. During service life, the physical properties of wire rope will change. There are two types of stretch that usually occur in wire ropes. These are constructional stretch (or permanent stretch) and elastic stretch (or load stretch). Constructional stretch occurs due to the wires within the rope bedding in. The rate and degree of this stretch varies according to the type of rope, load on the rope, and sag of the rope. New ropes stretch more. Stretch decreases throughout the rope’s useful life and increases again at the time of wear. It is difficult to predict constructional stretch. Stranded ropes with a fibre core generally stretch 0.25-0.75% depending on the load on ropes. Elastic stretch is the stretch induced by a change in rope end load.2 At the commencement of service, the individual wire and strands settle into position and the rope breaking strength increases. After reaching a maximum it decreases rapidly. This decrease in breaking strength is caused by the progressive loss of the metallic cross section, by wire breaks and by changes in the structure of the wire rope. Regular NDE of wire ropes is required to attain maximum service life avoiding costly, and possibly inconvenient, replacement. It is necessary to observe excessive wear on the outside wires resulting in marked reduction of rope diameter, broken wires, corrosion and pitting, state of lubrication, core condition, etc. The reduction in rope diameter due to excessive wear of outside wires should be thoroughly investigated and its cause determined. In case of broken wires, their number and distribution over a distance should be taken into account to calculate their effect. The frequency of the wire rope examination depends upon the following factors:3 a. Statutory requirements b. Type of appliances and design of the system c. Operational environmental condition d. Method and frequency of operation e. Manufacturer’s recommendation f. Result of previous inspection and examination g. Experience with the previous ropes of the system Required tools and instruments for NDE a. Vernier caliper b. Steel tape
c. Piece of white chalk d. Pencil e. A roll of marking tape f. A piece of cleaning cloth g. Wire brush h. Pair of gloves i. Note book j. Carbon paper k. Defectograph machine with rolls of machine paper Manual operation in NDE Determination of rope diameter. The diameter of the rope is measured with the help of a Vernier caliper. The measurements are required to be taken at two points 1 metre apart on a straight portion. At each point of measurement of diameter two measurements at right angles with each other should be taken. The average of the four measurements will be the measured diameter of the rope. The measurement of the rope with even number of strands is done from crown to crown of the strand with the discussed method. At the time of measurement of rope with odd number of strands the caliper is required to apply diagonally to the axis of the rope, so that a crown adjacent to a valley is covered. Determination of lay length. The lay length of the rope is measured to detect any increase in length of the rope. The lay length is measured by wrapping the carbon paper round the rope under the plane white paper and rubbing along the paper. There will be carbon marking on the underside of white paper confined to the strand crowns of the rope. Then length of a lay is measured by a scale from the marked paper. Before doing the above measurement the portion to be measured must be properly cleaned. Checking the stability of the rope. A good conditioned rope should have all strands tightly laid. This tightness can be examined by inserting a screw driver between the strands when twisted. There should be stiff resistance when inserting the screw driver if rope is in good condition. This examination is to be done by a very skilled person otherwise the rope will be damaged. Operation of defectograph for NDE A wire rope defectograph uses the DC magnetic method or the permanent magnetic method and is suitable generally for magnetisation of the rope with permanent magnets and detection of the changes of magnetic field around the rope and total magnetic flux. Various types of sensors can be adapted to the instrument depending on the design of the magnetic concentrators and type, number and location of sensing devices. The entire rope is scanned by defectograph to find a local fault (LF) in a damaged rope section, and metallic loss in the cross-sectional area (LMA). The rope can be scanned in two parts also. The marking on the rope is done with marking tape for scanning the entire rope. The wire rope defectograph is normally calibrated by 80 sq. mm and 20 sq. mm rod for Hall effect channel for comparison of metallic cross section. To calculate relative loss in cross-sectional area, account is taken of the fact that steel cross-sectional area for stranded rope is about 55% of the full (nominal) cross-sectional area. Average rope continued on p. 20
APRIL 2012 | 19
TECHNICAL ARTICLE speed during study is normally maintained at nearly 1.0 metre/second, but it can be increased for scanning of very long rope.4 As per NDE it can be suggested that the rope be discarded if one of the following criteria is fulfilled: • Relative loss in metallic cross section of wire rope greater then 10% normally but it depends upon the type of rope. • Reduction in diameter of wire rope greater than 6%. • The lay length should lie between 6d and 8d, where d is the diameter of the rope in mm. • Concentration of broken wires in a rope lay more than 3 normally, but it depends upon the type of rope. • Abrupt changes in lay length, diameter of wire rope, or loss in metallic crosssectional area compared to the last examination. Case study A wire rope of 28 mm diameter, full locked coil construction, lay LH, galvanised of multi-rope friction winder, considered for Non Destructive Evaluation over a period of two years. The rope was used in a cage winder in a mine and discarded within 26 months. The length of the rope for scanning was 428.307 m. The results obtained in-situ in two consecutive studies on this rope after its installation is tabulated in Table 1.5 The lay length during first investigation is shown in Fig. 1. Calibration charts (with 80 mm and 20 mm rod) is shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 1. Measurement of lay length.
Fig. 2. Calibration of defectograph.
Preventative wire rope maintenance programme
An efficient programme includes the following parameters: Lubrication of wire rope Periodic application of a high quality preservative lubricant increases the service life of wire rope resulting in cost savings, reduction in downtime, and significantly reduces the possibility of breakage causing injury or death. The majority of wire rope is manufactured with high carbon steel which has a tendency to corrode when subjected to outside conditions such as moisture, acid rain, road salt, salt air, etc. A wire rope has hundreds of individual wires, which are formed and fabricated to operate at close bearing tolerance one to another. A high quality lubricant that has penetrating capabilities will reduce the wear caused by the metal-tometal contact occurring when the wires
20 | WIRE BULLETIN
Investigation Time After Installation
Number of Flaws Detected
Relative Loss of Metallic Cross Section
Diameter Measured (mm)
Lay Length Measured (mm)
7 months
1
negligible
29.97
178 (5.93d)
1 year, 8 months
3
1.9%
27.84
179 (6.43d)
Table 1.
slide and adjust to accommodate the differences in length as the wire rope bends around a drum or sheave. Lubricant also repels attack from the three major causes of corrosion: moisture, salt, and acid. Practical lubricant application methods. There are two basic methods of application, manual or automatic. The method to be employed depends on:6 • The number of cycles the winder or hoist operates per day; • The load it carries; • The operating speed of the conveyance; • The rope lengths; and • The shaft or environmental conditions.
Manual application can be used on stationary ropes such as guide ropes, stay ropes and stage ropes, on Koepe tail ropes. Automatic application can be employed on medium- to heavy-duty winders. The wire rope lubricating oil The basic requirements for a successful wire rope lubricating oil are as follows: • It must be penetrating oil that has the ability to work its way to the core of the rope through capillary action; • It must have the correct adhesive properties; • It must be compatible to the primary lubricant with which a rope has been manufactured; • It must be pure oil that does not solidify; • It must have the ability to prevent internal and external corrosion by repelling and displacing water; • The oil must have the strength to withstand the crushing loads applied to it within and on the surface of the rope; and • It must be of such a nature that the oil can be optimally applied through spraying, rolling or brushing with minimum waste. Rope and drum cleaning Rope and drum cleaning is an essential part of any winder rope maintenance programme for increasing rope, sheave, and drum life. Where ropes have previously been coated with a dressing and are to be lubricated with oil, this dressing and any abrasive backfill must first be removed from the ropes and winder drums to allow optimum penetration of the oil into the ropes preventing the now softened rope dressing from flinging off the ropes. Removal of broken wires If ends of broken wires are found during inspection that might cross adjacent wires and destroy them when running over sheaves, these broken wire ends must be removed. Broken wires ends are removed by moving the wire ends backwards and forwards until they break deep in the valley between two outer strands. Cutting or shifting of steel wire ropes Due to rubbing between two layers of the rope on the drum or due to climbing of the rope over another layer on the drum, local damages occur. The rope is shortened by cutting the damaged portion and the rope is shifted to the fixing point. The service life of the wire rope can be increased by this process. End-for-ending wire rope The various rope sections are subjected to very different stresses. Sometimes the rope can be revered after certain time so
that the drum end of the rope is shifted to other end.7 This process is done after a cost benefit analysis.
manuscript. The views expressed in the paper are those of the author and not of the organization he serves.
Performance monitoring and assurance
References
A performance indicator can be established to monitor efficiencies, effectiveness, variances and performance of wire rope systems. Performance indicators are used to set target, monitor performance and trend and as a guide to improve future planning and optimization. The effectiveness of the entire programme is indicated by: • Impact (opportunity loss) due to breakdown of wire rope system; • Planned vs. actual maintenance cost; • Availability of wire rope; • Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of the wire rope system; • Condition monitoring trends of wire rope; and • Load transmitted against the planned transmission of load.
Performance measurement provides a presentation of strategic-performance measures from four perspectives: financial, customers, internal processes, and learning and growth. Management needs to conduct periodic quality audits of the entire programme. Corrective actions arising out of the audit review provides for continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Strategic management encompassing the production and operation aspects in order to get the best out of the producing facilities through wire rope, by way of optimal use of wire rope in a safe, reliable, cost effective, and consistent manner. A strategic maintenance programme maximises the reliability of wire rope, develops a total planned maintenance programme, the systemising of all maintenance (i.e., preventive, predictive, and planned), plus the control of maintenance quality. The strategic dimensions of maintenance management form the basis for wise decision-making, which can be performed during any phase of the system’s life, but preferably sooner than later. The maintenance strategy should contain considerations of the following elements: • Technical documentation; • Failure Mode Effect Analysis of wire rope; • Critical evaluation of wire rope; • Value added planning & Life Cycle planning; • Optimized utilisation of resources; • Measures of effectiveness of maintenance programme; • Records regarding competences of the maintenance personnel; • Proper maintenance budget and cost tracking; and • Audits and review of the entire programme.
Acknowledgment
The author is grateful to Director, CIMFR for his kind permission to publish the paper. The author wishes to thank Dr. D. Basak, Scientist E-II, CIMFR for his valuable advice during preparation of the
1. “Wire Ropes and Their Uses,” Copyright © North of England P&I Association 2008, website: www.nepia.com. 2. D. Basak, S. Pal, and D.C. Patranabis, “In-situ Non-destructive Assessment of a Haulage Rope in a Monocable Zigback Passenger Ropeway,” Insight Vol. 50, No. 3 March 2008, pp. 136-137. 3. R. Verreet and W. Lindsay, “Wire Rope Inspection and Maintenance,” 1996, CASAR Special Wire Rope, website: www.casar.de 4. D. Basak, S. Pal, and D.C. Patranabis, “Nondestructive Evaluation of a 6X25 FW Haulage Rope in a Monocable Continuously Moving Passenger Cable Car Installation,” IACSIT International Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 5, December, 2009, pp. 486-488. 5. CIMFR (erstwhile CMRI) Project Reports on Non-Destructive investigation on Steel Wire Ropes, 2006-2008. 6. S. Babendererde and J. Pusch, “Managing and Lubricating Ropes with Oil,” OIPEEC Conference-Johannesburg, September 2007. 7. R. Verreet, “Handling, Installation and Maintenance of Steel Wire Ropes,” 2/97, CASAR Special Wire Rope, website: www.casar.de. 8. D. Basak, “Comparison of Condition of a Haulage Rope with Nondestructive Evaluation Standards: A Case Study,” Journal of Nondestructive Testing & Evaluation, Vol. 4, Issue 2, September 2005, pp. 43-46. 9. S.D. Singh and B. Ghara, “Steel Wire Rope Condition Monitoring by Non-destructive Investigation and Evaluation While on Installation/Service,” 15th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, Rome (Italy), 2000.|WB
Biographical information
Dey
Surajit Dey is responsible for the engineering workshop of the Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India. He joined the institute in 2002. Previously, he worked for about four years as a junior plant and machinery engineer at Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Bangalore, India. He earned an M.Tech. degree in industrial engineering and management from the Indian School of Mines; graduated from the Institution of Engineers, Kolkata, India, after studies in mechanical engineering; and earned his diploma in mechanical engineering from West Bengal State Council of Technical Education.
ECONOMIC NEWS the need to strengthen business ties with India. India-Saudi Arabia bilateral trade has increased five times in the last 10 years and was recorded at USD 25.61 billion in 201011. In 2010-11 India’s exports to Saudi Arabia were worth USD 5.22 billion while imports were worth USD 20.38 billion.
India seeks Saudi investment in infrastructure
Maharashtra to set up NIMZs
Pranab Mukherjee
INTERWIRE 2013 | THE LARGEST WIRE AND CABLE MARKETPLACE IN THE AMERICAS.
Saudi Arabia has been urged to invest in India’s infrastructure sector and further boost economic engagements between the two countries. “We look forward to Saudi investment for development of our infrastructure and in other sectors,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said during a meeting with a visiting Saudi business delegation. Addressing the 9th India-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission meeting, the finance minister said: “India needs an investment of close to a trillion dollars in the next five to seven years to build and expand its existing infrastructure to be able to sustain a GDP growth rate of 8 to 9 per cent.” Mukherjee emphasised the need to prioritise the proposed USD 750 million joint fund to be set up on cooperation. The finance minister also urged Saudi Arabia to assist India in meeting its growing energy demands. “The rapidly expanding Indian economy has a growing requirement of crude oil to sustain its development momentum. We hope that Saudi Arabia will be able to assist India in meeting its energy security needs in the years to come,” he said. Saudi Arabian Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfeeq bin Fouzan Al Rabiah, who led a 35-member business delegation to India at the beginning of the year, also emphasised
Maharashtra plans to set up three more manufacturing zones under the National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) apart from the two which are coming up in Raigad and Aurangabad districts, a PTI report stated. The NMP, which proposes creating National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs), aims to increase the share of the manufacturing sector in GDP to 25 per cent from the present 16 per cent, and create 100 million new jobs by 2022. The first phase of the NIMZ will be established along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). On completion, this corridor is expected to account for 43 per cent of GDP, 50 per cent of industrial production and exports and 40 per cent of the total workforce.
While credit growth has slowed from the torrid pace of early 2011, it remains robust in most economies,” the document states. Asia is exporting everything from commodities like metals and rice to sophisticated electronic products and cars. Regional growth has already started to slow down due to weaker demand, although domestic factors have also played a role, especially in India and China. Recent stresses in several regional financial markets suggest that financial channels of contagion also pose a risk for Asia, according to the article. “Further financial turmoil in the Euro zone would likely have a substantial impact on Asia by reducing access to credit. Euro zone banks are an important source of funding for many Asian banking systems, and play a crucial role in providing trade credit,” it said.
Bangladesh beckons Indian power units
Tough times for Asian exports
Asia, one of the world’s most trade-dependent regions, may face difficult times in 2012, economists with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have said. Events unfolding far from Asia’s shores could shape the region’s economic outlook for 2012, but Asian policy makers still have the room to respond aggressively to a deteriorating global economic scenario, economists added. “Despite the prevailing global uncertainty, Asia has until now, proven to be very resilient. It has boasted strong domestic demand, low unemployment, and factories working at near-full capacity.
S A V E
A street in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh expects Indian companies to invest USD 7-9 billion in its power sector and a few entities have already evinced interest. Bangladesh would need about USD 30 billion for its planned power capacity addition over the next five-six years and expects about 25-30 per cent of the investments for the same to come from India, Bangladesh Power Secretary Mohammed Abul Kalam Azad told PTI in an interview.
T H E
Grappling with acute electricity shortage, Bangladesh is embarking on significant capacity addition plans and is in the process of inviting tenders for projects having capacity of more than 5,000 MW. Currently, Bangladesh has an installed capacity of more than 7,600 MW which is expected to reach 21,000 MW by 2021. According to Azad, many companies, including those from India have participated in tender processes for various power projects. In January, NTPC inked a pact with Bangladesh Power Development Board to build a USD 1.5 billion Khulna project with capacity of 1,320 MW. Separately, NTPC has agreed to export 250 MW power to Bangladesh.
SMEs not opposed to FDI in retail
A survey on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail on SMEs undertaken by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) confirms that the SME sector, by and large, supports 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail and expects earlier and speedier implementation of 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail in consideration of the overall benefits for industry and business. The government’s decision of mandatory sourcing of a minimum of 30 per cent from Indian micro and small industry will help SMEs to achieve higher growth in sales, size of the industry, capacity addition, increased contracts/orders, qualitative improvements and branding of the products, technology upgradation, employment, etc. “India’s growing retail boom is a success story. Up to 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail and its early implementation would give a major boost to the all-round growth of organised retail in the country having substantial positive impact on the growth of SMEs,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.|WB
D A T E
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INTERWIRE 2013 LEADING WIRE BUSINESSES IN THE AMERICAS. WHY INTERWIRE? When industry professionals look for new wire and cable technology they choose Interwire, the benchmark for wire business in the Americas. Information is exchanged at Interwire. Machinery is debuted, reviewed, and sold at Interwire. And the promise of international networking on the Americas’ stage continues to excite visitors to this vital marketplace. Location: Atlanta, Georgia.
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APRIL 2012 | 21
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Ahmed
Bansal
Ahmed to head FIEO
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has announced the appointment of M. Rafeeque Ahmed as its new president. Ahmed, the chairman of Farida Group, was FIEO president from 2002 to 2004, FIEO said in a statement. Prior to his new role, Ahmed was a senior functionary in various industry bodies, including president of the All-India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association, chairman of the Footwear Design and Development Institute, and chairman of the Council for Leather Exports. He is a member of the All India Footwear Panel Advisory Committee and is the founder-chairman of the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers Association, it said.
Bansal addresses wire meeting
When, on January 16, 2012, the Indian Copper Development Centre organised a seminar on the subject of technology and equipment for the manufacturing of high quality magnet wire at Hotel Hilton in Mumbai, Ravi Bansal, CEO, Ajex & Turner, was invited as a guest speaker to emphasise on the quality of wire and lubricants that allow customers to achieve performance and productivity goals within predetermined time limits. Bansal highlighted the fact that to manufacture good quality wire, the correct geometry of the die and good quality of the lubricant is absolutely necessary to ensure minimum breakage and to maintain brightness on the wire. “For maintaining the correct geometry, laser, CNC, and automatic machines are used and for checking the geometry, Conoptica should be used which intimates the right geometry of the die to ensure the correct size of the wire. The Conoptica measuring instrument is the highest die profile checking instrument,” he said. The participants had the opportunity for one-to-one interaction with Bansal after his speech.
Wooden joins RF Industries Ltd.
RF Industries Ltd. (RFI) announced that Hal W. Wooden has joined the company in the newly created position of Vice President of Sales. “Hal has over 19 years of executive sales management experience in the wireless and networking industry along with eight years of project and program management expertise in the SCADA and telemetry marketplace. He is well-known in our product markets and is in demand as a keynote speaker at wireless industry events. We believe his vast experience and relationships will support efforts to coordinate higher distributor and OEM sales growth for all RFI’s business segments,” said Howard Hill, CEO, RF Industries. Wooden, 49, was most recently Vice President of Sales at Talley, Inc., where he managed vertical market directors, territory managers, and sales engineering activities. When he joined Talley in 2001, he was in charge of all aspects of brand development, product offerings, production and sales for CAxT, Talley’s cable assembly operations.
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Advaithi
Dogan
Prior to joining Talley, Wooden was National Sales Manager for Smiths Interconnect (PolyPhaser/Times Microwave Division), where he handled key OEM accounts including Nortel and Ericsson while supervising regional sales managers, distributors and manufacturers’ representatives. Prior to Talley, Wooden served as Corporate Director of Business Development with TDI Power, where he was a member of the executive staff. Wooden has also worked as Director of PCS and Account Manager at Emerson Network Power (Northern Technologies), where he developed overall sales and marketing strategy and worked closely with OEMs to develop custom solutions for the PCS market. He attended the University of Louisiana Monroe, where his coursework was focused on the study of psychology. RFI manufactures, designs and distributes radio frequency (RF) connectors and cable assemblies, medical cabling products, RF wireless products and fiber optic cable products. Its coaxial connectors, cable assemblies and custom microwave RF connectors are used for wi-fi, PCS, radio, test instruments, computer networks, antenna devices, aerospace, OEM and government agencies. Medical cabling and interconnector products are specialised custom electrical cabling products for the medical equipment monitoring market. RF Wireless products include digital data transceivers for industrial monitoring, wide area networks, GPS tracking and mobile wireless network solutions. Fiber optic cable, connector and harness products serve computer, aerospace, computer networking and specialty applications.
Eaton names Revathi president, electrical sector
Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation has named Revathi Advaithi President - Electrical Sector, Americas Region. In her new role, effective April 1, 2012, Advaithi will be responsible for the company’s electrical business in North, South and Central America. She will oversee manufacturing operations, sales, marketing, technology and product development for 12 divisions and USD 4.2 billion in revenues. “Revathi’s global perspective and considerable knowledge of electrical business operations, coupled with her strong leadership capabilities, will help her to lead our continuing growth strategy in the Americas,” said Thomas S. Gross, Vice Chairman and CEO, Eaton Corporation. “I look forward to helping guide Eaton’s electrical sector to continued growth with our existing and new customers. Eaton’s technology and solution leadership in energy management, electrical power efficiency and sustainability and reliability combined with our customer-focused employees has been a powerful engine for growth,” said Advaithi. “I am excited to have the opportunity to lead such a diverse and growing organisation,” she added. Advaithi first joined Eaton in 1995 in the Global Leadership Development Program as a manufacturing supervisor at the hydraulics facility in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She
De Vos
then held several operational roles before taking an international assignment as plant manager for the hydraulics facility in Havant, England. She left Eaton in 2002 to join Honeywell where she held several senior roles within the sourcing and supply chain functions before being appointed Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell’s field solutions business in 2006. Advaithi rejoined Eaton in 2008 as Vice President and General Manager for the Electrical Components Division. Since 2009, she served as President, Asia Pacific, Electrical Sector, based in Shanghai. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, and an MBA degree in international business from Thunderbird - Garvin School of International Business in Glendale, Arizona. Eaton, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a global technology leader in diversified power management solutions that make electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power operate more efficiently, effectively, safely and sustainably. Eaton’s electrical sector is positioned through its power distribution, power quality, industrial automation and power control products and services to answer the electrical power management challenges of customers in the industrial, institutional, government, utility, commercial, residential, information technology and original equipment manufacturer markets. Over the last several years, the company has driven innovation in solar and wind power, smart grid, electric vehicle (EV) charging and advanced services & solutions to optimise energy efficiency in data centers and other critical facilities.
Dogan to service Sikora in Turkey
Ahmet Volkan Dogan has been appointed service engineer at Sikora Turkey. “The creation of a new position in the field of service allows Sikora’s office in Istanbul to react faster to customer requests and to further expand its business in Turkey,” a press note states. “What is crucial is the proximity to our customers. With Dogan in our team we can offer quick support if customers need us,” said Harry Prunk, CEO, Sikora AG. Dogan is an engineer for electronics and communication. Educated at the University of Kocaeli, he has many years of engineering experience. He has been through a three-month training programme at Sikora’s headquarters in Bremen, Germany, and has been the the contact person for all service requests in the Turkish-speaking world since November 14, 2011. Sikora has been active in the Turkish market since July 1997. At that time, the company was represented by the International Trade Consultancy (ITC). As a result of the strong demand for measuring and control system solutions in the East European and Asian region, Sikora Turkey was founded as a sales office on January 1, 2009. The head of Sikora Turkey is Ajda Sarigülle. “We are proud to offer service also in Turkey,” said Harry Prunk, CEO, Sikora AG.
SPE names De Vos its new CEO
The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has appointed Willem (Wim) De Vos as its new Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Susan Oderwald, who left SPE in December. “In our worldwide search for a new chief executive officer, we were delighted to find in Wim a 20-year veteran of the plastics industry who is already active in and understands our society, has a truly global perspective, and brings outstanding management experience at a time when the SPE is focused on growth,” said Russell Broome, SPE’s 2011-2012 President. “His expertise in extending business activities into emerging markets and his global network in the plastics industry will be of enormous value in carrying out SPE’s mission of strategic growth,” he added. Willem De Vos comes to SPE after serving as CEO of the Vitalo Group, a global supplier of plastic packaging and thermoformed products. Previously he managed compounding and processing units of Recticel, an international producer of polyurethane automotive components. He entered the industry in 1991 with technical and sales positions at EuroCompound, a supplier to the textile and automotive industries. As head of the Vitalo Group, De Vos oversaw an enterprise with worldwide factories and sales offices, including locations in Europe, the USA, Mexico, India, Thailand, China, Japan, and the Philippines. At Recticel, he first supervised plants in Belgium and Detroit, Michigan and then, as a director of Recticel Interior Solutions, based in Germany, he was responsible for several European and Asian car brands. In addition to his responsibilities in Europe, he set up Recticel’s first plant in China, and was a board member of a Japanese joint venture. A member of SPE, De Vos most recently served as chair-elect of the European Thermoforming Division. His speaks Dutch, English, French, German and some Italian. De Vos holds an engineering degree in polymer chemistry from Industriële Hogeschool CTL in Gent, Belgium, and an executive MBA degree from the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.|WB
PRODUCTS, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY Media Anixter guide for security cabling infrastructure
The Security Infrastructure Resource Guide, available free from Anixter, includes six sections and an appendix that “will help you determine the right infrastructure products for the application, pay attention to performance standards, and follow best practices,” the company reports. In describing the guide’s usefulness, Anixter says, “Whether you are planning the design and installation of a traditional analog coaxial system or a modern IP security system, your cabling infrastructure matters enormously. It can be the single point of failure if not planned and installed correctly.” The guide’s content includes current trends and business drivers affecting cabling infrastructure decisions, current infrastructure and the benefits of standards, best practices and cabling infrastructure for security systems, key considerations and best practices for all security infrastructure, key considerations for deploying security infrastructure solutions, etc. The document is free and available for download at www.anixter.com after contact information is provided.
IWCS issues call for papers
The 61st annual IWCS International Cable-Connectivity Symposium, scheduled for November 11-14, 2012, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, has invited authors to submit paper abstracts through the IWCS website by April 30, 2012. Abstracts for papers are sought from the worldwide academic, manufacturing, and user communities, including subject matter experts, application solutions providers, and product innovators, as well as professionals who are engaged in the various industry segments. The conference draws more than 1,000 engineers, scientists, product development specialists and industry executives.
Topics of interest include cable, fiber and conductor design, developments in processing and manufacturing, present and future network demands, assembly and installation techniques, connectivity issues, wiring harness design and challenges, market studies, testing, and standards. Additionally, the 2012 symposium will emphasize innovations and new cable component applications for raw materials compounds such as fluoropolymers, PVC, olefins/halogen free, thermoplastic elastomers and thermoplastic urethanes. The call for papers information is available for download at www.iwcs.org.
Report on India’s cable market
Netscribes (India) Pvt. Ltd., a knowledge consulting solutions company, has prepared Electric Wires And Cables Market In India 2012, a report that primarily states that the strong focus in infrastructure will cause elec-
tric wires and cable demand to rise even further. The report provides a brief introduction to the cables and wires market and shows the distribution of the global cable and wire industry. It also provides the classification and a comparison between polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cables on various parameters. The market overview section gives a snapshot of the Indian electrical equipment industry. It also highlights the market size, growth, and segmentation. For further details visit: www.researchandmarkets.com.
Report compares cost of over and underground cables
A typical underground cable.
An independent study reporting on the cost of overground verses underground transmission cables was launched recently with endorsement from The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The report reflects six transmission options for the Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC) to consider when planning for the development of the UK’s existing power infrastructure. The report findings conclude that when comparing overall lifetime costs, overground transmission cables are the most economical technology. For example, 75 km of direct-buried AC underground medium capacity (6,380 MVA) cable will incur a lifetime cost of £ 1,414.3 million, whilst its overground equivalent will cost £ 299.8 million. “The report is intended as a generic tool, as a costing reference for the government to make a decision on introducing new underground or overground cabling,” said Mark Winfield, principal consultant engineer at Parsons Brinckerhoff and lead author of the report. Parsons Brinckerhoff won the tender to produce the report for the IPC, requesting and analysing data from 24 manufacturers and distributor sources. Amongst those contacted included ABB, Siemens, and Northern Ireland Electricity. The report differs from a previous, similar report launched by KEMA due to the depth of the research and its international scale, which was based on comparative data from 24 countries. The six transmission technologies included in the study were overhead lines, directburied underground cables, tunnel-buried underground cables, direct-buried gas insulated lines (GIL), tunnel-buried gas insulated lines, and high-voltage subsea cables. The report addressed the need for an extended transmission network due to increased power generation from sources such as renewables and nuclear new-builds, but the effect emerging technologies such superconductivity will have on cost were not considered. “We have DECC support, and a much more reliable set of international supplier and manufacturing data than before,” said IET President, Professor Mike Sterling.
GIL is a relatively new technology explored in the report and would be a new venture for the UK in an underground capacity, joining parts of Europe and the Middle East who already utilise the technology. “GIL is used in the UK in small aboveground sections, but is not widely used,” said Winfield, adding, “This is to preserve the safety of the public and to prevent tampering of the technology. It can kill if drilled into, so it’s just not safe having it sitting above ground where the public can touch it.” Variables such as fixed building costs are highlighted by the report, which specify costs that remain unaffected regardless of route length. For example, in the case of underground cabling, extras such as cable terminations and accompanying compounds must be funded regardless of the length of the power lines. Medium capacity DC subsea cables top the list for highest fixed building costs, incurring £ 1,376.3 million per 75 kms. These costs are influenced by factors such as research, assessments, landing costs, materials and logistics. The report also advised how the variable length of a power route affects construction costs, taking into account the complexity of each technology. For further details visit: www.theiet.org.
Technology AlumGreen showcases new technology
At wire 2012, AlumGreen presented a completely new process for coating cold drawn steel products with aluminium. The process is designed to provide a more homogeneous and durable coating than that achieved by galvanising. Also, production costs are reduced radically and natural resources are protected at the same time. The process is ready for industrial application and is the first of its type in the world. The presentation made at the exhibition was of the first ever 12-strand plant for steel wire, currently being built to the order of a Russian customer at Zink Körner in Hagen (Germany). “Aluminium coatings are superior to zinc coatings with respect to their corrosion resistance by a high factor. Consequently this new process provides the most durable corrosion protection currently available today on the market,” a press note stated. The AlumGreen process is based on a completely new approach in which a corrosion protection layer is added to the wire as it is led through a closed coating chamber filled with molten aluminium. As the wire runs through the coating plant continuously, there is no limit to the length of the wire to be coated. Aluminium yields for a lower coating thickness a protective effect that is several hundred per cent more effective than that for zinc. This process therefore reduces significantly both purchasing and production costs. The most important factor is that the material costs for aluminium are only around a third of those for zinc. Initial investigations reveal that the overall production cost is 30 per cent lower than for galvanising. Now that the first plant is being built for coating wire with aluminium, AlumGreen is working intensively on the further development of the process, to be used for steel strip, bars and tubes. For further details contact: AlumGreen GmbH, Fritz Hotze, Erlenstrasse 8, 83558 Maitenbeth, Germany, Tel.: +49-
8076-1617, Fax: +49-8076-8434, E-mail: mail@alumgreen.com, www.alumgreen.com.
SMS Meer presents ecoplants
With the rising cost of energy and raw materials as also the stricter regulations on environmental protection, SMS Meer presented a new sustainability concept at this year’s wire & Tube show. “In [the] future, particular focus will be placed on product innovations, known as ‘ecoplants,’ which bring both ecological and economic factors into harmony with each other,” a company statement said. SMS Meer ecoplants enable customers to save energy, reduce emissions and thus act in a responsible manner. At the same time, they offer good opportunities for generating more sales and profit. “Sustainability has become a key factor in our customers’ growth. The market demands environmentally and economically sound solutions which go hand in hand. This we can achieve with our ecoplants,” said Dr. Joachim Schönbeck, President, SMS Meer. “Modern plants need to meet more stringent requirements with regard to environmental protection and use of resources. Our ecoplants sustainability concept generates real added value for our customers - in economic terms too,” he added.
Weight-optimised cable systems
Cable manufacturers are in the process of developing weight-optimised cable systems for vehicles with conventional but also alternative drive systems as well as on-board power supplies for high voltage. In a report by the Copper Development Association (CDA) published in the run-up to the Detroit Motor Show in early 2011, entitled Copper At The Heart Of It All, there is reference to the general trend toward bringing vehicles with electric or hybrid drive systems on to the roads and to the fact that in these vehicles “there is a lot of new technology, which means a lot of copper cable.” The article quotes Bob Weed, vice president of original equipment manufacturing for the CDA, who has studied electrification since the early days of vehicles. According to Weed, the average car produced in North America contains 50-55 pounds of copper. “In an electric car, that amount is closer to 150-180 pounds,” he said, adding, “more than two-thirds of the copper will be found in a car’s wiring harness and electrical components, which will naturally increase as vehicles rely more on electric power.” Weed expects that by the year 2015 one-tenth of all vehicles sold in the USA could contain an electric drive system in some form or other. Due to the weight of the copper and the trend in copper prices, many scientists are also working on replacing the copper cables used for vehicles’ power supply with aluminium conductors. These electric and hybrid vehicles depend on a power supply, the details of which are currently being discussed under the ‘energy turnaround’ umbrella term. A key component of this concept is the use of renewable energy sources with de-central, intelligent controllable networks for the transmission of electricity. A report entitled Renewable Energy & Grid Developments Provided By CRU, which the trade association of International Cablemakers Federation (ICF) published in its July 2011 ICF Newsletter, explains that these technologies will require more cable per electricity unit than previously needed with conventional technology.|WB
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