FEATURE: GREEN
Italy has been a very good host over the years to conferences co-hosted by the Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers Association (ACIMAF) and the WAI. The upcoming conference that will be held Oct. 16, promises to continue that educational legacy, with a focus on innovation.
ACIMAF and the Wire Association—which have successfully teamed up on previous conferences in Italy: Verona in 2019, Milan in 2013, Bologna in 2007 and Stresa in 2003—have high expectations for the return to Milan in 2023. This special event has the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – ITA/ICE.
The program will consist of 24 technical and business presentations balanced between ferrous and nonferrous topics. Below are the scheduled presenters. The titles and abstracts of the full program presentations can be accessed at www.wirecable23.com.
Ferrous Track. Gianbruno Luvarà, Pittini Group; Mario Beaupain, ZT Srl; Amit Agarwal, Tata Steel Ltd.; Roberto Nanni, Schnell SpA; Nathan Harris, QED WireLines; Chetan Soni and Matthew Watkins, CRU; Christian Otto, Ilmenau University of Technology; and Lorenzo Facchinelli, Eurodraw Wire Equipment Srl.
Nonferrous Track. Kazunari Yoshida, Tokai University; Hend Jaoua, MSP; Klaus Eichelmann, Reber Systematic GmbH + Co. KG; Giulio Properzi, Continuus Properzi SpA; Alessio Boscolo, Phoenix Optical Research and Technology Ltd.; Federico Bussola, SAMP; Aisling Hubert, CRU; Camillo Cardelli, IPOOL Srl; Vasamsheti Adarsh, APAR Industries Limited; Palazzo de Giureconsulti; and Marcus Gilch, Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH & Co. KG.
Beyond the presentations, representatives for 40 key industry suppliers will be there to share their latest innovations with the industry. The day-long program will present unique networking opportunities, both during the conference at the gala dinner, always a much-anticipated highlight.
The featured presentation will be delivered by Srinivas Siripurapu, who is the chief innovation officer and R&D officer at Prysmian Group. He also was a keynote speaker at Interwire 2023. Headquartered in Milan, Prysmian operates in more than 50 countries, with more than 30,000 employees and €16 billion in sales.
ACIMAF President Ferruccio Bellina said the conference continues to draw more attention for good reason. “The quality of the papers, the pres-
tigious venues chosen for the conference and for the gala dinner, will attract wire and cable industry leaders from around the globe.”
The ACIMAF Board of Directors selected a special combination of venues in the heart of Milan. The Palazzo dei Giureconsulti will host the conference and tabletops while the Palazzo Serbelloni will serve as the site of the gala dinner. Both locations are truly attractions unto themselves.
The Palazzo dei Giureconsulti was funded by Giovanni Angelo Medici, a nobleman of Milanese origins who later became Pope Pius IV. Construction started in 1562, based on a project by Vincenzo Seregni, architect of the adjacent Duomo, and developed around the civic tower of Broletto.
The event is expected to exceed the 2019 Verona attendance of 235 persons.
The Palazzo Serbelloni traces back to Grande Gabrio, a 16th century arms merchant and swordsman. The palazzo has seen six centuries of the Serbelloni family, including a cultured aesthete of the 1700s, patron of Palazzo Serbelloni and inspirer, with Parini, with the marvelous decorations of Villa Sola Cabiati on Lake Como, to his son Gian Galeazzo, which hosted Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796, thus entering history, up to the present day.
To register and for the latest details on Wire & Cable Milan, go to the event website: www.wirecable23.com.
• Provides lowest capital cost per twist compared to
• other stranding machine types.
• Optional in-line roll forming of the individual strands
• allows production of compressed and compact
• using Single Input Wire (SIW) constructions.
• May be used to produce 6+1 ACSR/AAAC. When
• combined with in-line roll forming, Trapazoidal (TW)
• layers may be produced.
• Optimally configured with stem pay-offs.
The event website, www.wirecable23.com, includes the full details of the event, including the session descriptions, event registration and hotel details. The three official conference hotels are listed below:
Hotel Galileo
Address: Corso Europa, 9
Website: https://www.hotelgalileomilano.it
Email: galileo@milanhotel.it
Rates: Double for single use €140
Hotel Bianca Maria Palace Milano
Address: Viale Bianca Maria, 4
Website: https://www.biancamariapalace.com
Email: booking@biancamariapalace.com
Rates: Comfort double for single use €209
Hotel Dei Cavalieri
Address: Piazza Giuseppe Missori, 1
Phone: +39 02 88571
Website: https://www.hoteldeicavalieri.com
Email: reservation@deivavaliericollection.com
Rates: Classic double for single use €200
aluminum up to 1000 KCM / 500 mm²
Products include MV & LV Power, Building Wire, Overhead Conductors
There is greater pressure on industry to pursue more environmentally friendly directions because of global warming, and many have responded quite well, as shown in reports here by some leading manufacturers. Yet the green-wave mindset may include good intentions that go too far, such as a European plan to cull fluoropolymers. This feature also looks at the realities of addressing Scope 3 and just how reliable ESG ratings of manufacturers are.
The Prysmian Group launched its proprietary ECO CABLE green product line at the 2023 FTTH Conference in Madrid.
Per the company, fiber is intrinsically green as full-fiber networks consume significantly less electricity than copper-based broadband networks, and enable energy savings, helping achieve the twin transitions of Digital Europe and the European Green Deal. Prysmian has taken a step further by introducing ECO CABLE for its telecom products. The ECO CABLE label assignment is based on an automatic calculation system using recognized and measurable criteria in line with the main regulatory frameworks and requirements, with a very specific focus on cable products: carbon footprint, absence of substances of very high concern, recyclability/circularity, recycling input rate, environmental benefits and cable transmission efficiency, which for optical cables means an increase in fiber density.
All the Group’s telecom cables have been assessed, and approximately 30% of them are now ECO CABLE compliant. The roll out of those labelled telecom products began in May in Europe, with the rest to follow later in the year.
At the Madrid conference, the Prysmian Group presented its complete FTTx portfolio for cables and connectivity to meet all demands—current and future—from the market, including the latest solutions for internal and external
distribution, cabinets and CasaLink. A specific focus was given to the evolution in cable density with Sirocco HD and Extreme, FlexTube and FlexRibbon, and to sustainability, with ECO CABLE and the Ecoslim system of ducts and microducts that are slimmer, more sustainable and easier-to-install. For more about the Prysmian Group, see p. 46 and p. 80.
As a family business, Southwire notes that the business proudly continues to build on its commitment to environmental stewardship by prioritizing stakeholder expectations and supporting the wellbeing of its local communities and the environment. Below, the wire and cable manufacturer—which has nearly 9,000 employees at 60+ plants in 21 states in five countries—discusses its approach.
We recognize that our success depends on the conscientious use of the finite resources of our planet, and we maintain a commitment to responsible growth and actively integrating environmental priorities into our operations.
In July 2020, Southwire announced a goal to achieve 100% carbon neutral energy for our operations by 2025 (2018 baseline). This objective—coined Carbon Zero— will address our Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Southwire will achieve this goal through eco-efficiency projects to reduce energy consumption and increase the use of green energy – including owned renewable energy sources, purchased green power, renewable energy certificates (RECs) and carbon offsets.
Toward the pursuit of its Carbon Zero goal, in July 2021, Southwire entered into a long-term Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) purchase agreement associated with the Rayos del Sol solar project in Cameron County, Texas. Southwire also signed a contract to participate in Georgia Power’s Customer Renewable Supply Procurement (CRSP) program.
Through these and other efforts, Southwire is using nearly 173 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, enough to meet approximately one-third of the organization’s electricity use. As a result of its leadership in advancing renewable energy, Southwire was accepted into the U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership in 2023.
In July 2022, Southwire was presented with the inaugural Energy Matters Award for Best Sustainability by a Large Company from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Some Southwire’s successes that helped it receive this award include its commitment to being a founding member of the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact; the construction of its new copper rod plant that will have 100% renewable electricity; and the installation of a solar canopy, solar-powered picnic tables and electric vehicle charging stations at its corporate headquarters.
Southwire strives to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the organization. In 2021, Southwire completed collaborations with its bank lenders to integrate a sustainability-linked pricing mechanism into the renewal of its five-year Asset Based Loan (ABL). Southwire is among the first companies to establish a sustainability-linked ABL facility. The ABL enhances Southwire’s commitment to achieving its Carbon Zero goal with financial incen-
tives and transparent assurance of the company’s progress toward the goal.
The company is also committed to advancing responsible production of copper, as one of the nation’s largest consumers of copper. In January 2022, Southwire committed to be a partner of the Copper Mark, an organization focused on the copper industry’s contribution to sustainable development. In February 2023, Southwire signed letters of commitment for the Copper Mark, affirming its commitment to the responsible production of copper and beginning the comprehensive assurance process for four manufacturing sites in 2023.
Earlier this year, Southwire was named as the Official Wire and Cable Provider of Formula E, a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) racing, for the 2022/2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season. As a part of Southwire’s ongoing collaboration with Formula E, the company has been named as the Title Sponsor of the 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix on June 24.
The company continues to develop next-generation solutions to help our customers deliver power in more sustainable ways. In recent years, Southwire announced acquisitions of Novinium cable rejuvenation services – innovative technology to extend the life of utility cable and reduce its carbon footprint – and Sinclair Digital Services – expanding Southwire’s investment into DC powered intelligent buildings.
Additionally, Southwire is participating in an ongoing copper supply traceability pilot project with BHP. The companies have completed the first two phases of the pilot to study carbon traceability in the supply chain using blockchain technology from BHP’s copper mines in Chile to copper rod production at Southwire’s rod mill in Carrollton, Ga., and through to Southwire’s wire manufacturing operations. The pilot continues to explore the potential to offer low-carbon products to the end customer.
Driven by the highest standard of excellence, we are focused on continuous improvement and are proud our results continue to build a stronger, more sustainable Southwire.
To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to sustainability, visit https://www.southwire.com/sustainability.
Interwire 2023 served as a telling statement: the suppliers and manufacturers that gathered once again at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta are indeed ready to meet the incredible future demands that will be needed by society.
Following the pre-event staging of WAI’s iconic Fundamentals course that had record attendance, three days of Interwire exhibits and presentations invigorated attendees. They heard inspiring talks by industry leaders, could sit in on educational elements and panel discussions, visit a show floor that bristled with technology from some 300 exhibitors and hear lofty thoughts from a NASA astronaut who proved to be well grounded.
Through it all, as the following pages will show, it is the people active in the industry who will make it happen ... as has always been the case.
By the numbers, Interwire, last held in 2019, saw total attendance of 3,184, representing 43 states and 42 countries. Representatives came from 285 wire and cable manufacturing operations. But Interwire is about more than numbers. It is about the role the WAI serves the industry through providing educational programs (such as its iconic Fundamentals course, see p. 60); fostering business meetings via the exhibits, sessions addressing relevant issues and honoring the award winners (see p. 62); and the many Association volunteers who make it all possible.
The full program was led off Tuesday morning with a banging of the gavel by WAI President Kurt Breischaft, who reported how the Association stayed true to its educational mission during the Covid disruption. It continues to look for ways to further those goals, with one initiative being an ongoing pilot program to deliver multi-media training and development to the industry.
Breischaft observed that the WAI was able to return to normal activities with the 2022 staging of Wire Expo in Dallas, and that the resulting momentum had carried through to Atlanta. “We feel that Interwire signals a return to normal activities,” he said, crediting the WAI’s board, committees, volunteers and the industry at large.
Breischaft announced the winner of a new Association honor: the WAI Champion Award, and introduced the first recipient, Southwire President & CEO Richard Stinson, who the next day would receive the award that honors an industry executive for his/her strong support of the WAI’s mission.
Multiple awards, some delayed because of Covid, were issued, including 2021 WAI President Tom Heberling presenting the President’s Award to William Jarae, a long active presenter who retired from Charter Steel; Wire Foundation COB John Drummond recognized the 2022 Wire Link Scholar, Southwire Chief Applications Engineer Erika Akins, and the 2023 U.K. representative, Sam Otter, wire rope global procurement manager for Gripple; 2022 WAI President Jim York of Insteel received a plaque and a bound copy of 2022 WJI issues; the 2023 President’s Award was presented to Robert Wild, president and CEO of Niehoff Endex North America; the Mordica Memorial Award to Dr. Bruce Keifer, retired, Primetals Technologies, USA; and the 2023 Donnellan Award to W.T. Bigbee, vice president of operations, Encore Wire Corporation.
pres ent:
• The sustainable pre-treatment, easier than you think; WiTechs, Netherlands
• Sustainable additives to increase thermal stability of dry lubricants and best practise of use; Tecnovo SRL, Italy
• Wire rod for mechanical descaling: Pittini state of the art of wire rod scale engineering for wire drawing and cold rolling; Pittini Group, Italy
• The Perfect Wire—The Perfect Machine; ZT S.R.L., Italy
• Aligning processes and practices for sustaining high speed drawing of low to high carbon steel wires; Tata Steel Limited, India
• Mass sensor for cold rolling process of deformed wires; Schnell SpA, Italy
• A practical approach to continuously measuring and controlling the zinc coating thickness on multiple strands of galvanized steel wire; QED Wire Lines Inc., Canada
• Influence of the process parameters on the mechanical properties and on the surface oxide of hot-rolled wire rod; Caleotto S.p.A., Dipartimento di Meccanica, Politecnico di Milano; Italy
• Key challenges in steel long products; CRU Group, United Kingdom
• Finite element simulation of multistage wire drawing processes of unalloyed carbon steels; Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
• Advances in steel wire drawing machine cooling systems; Eurodraw Wire Equipment Srl, Italy
• Improving cooling in tooling—Case studies from the wire drawing process; Örebro University, Sweden
• Investments & Incentives: electrifying the wire and cable industry for a brighter future; Prysmian Group, Italy
• Optimal processing conditions for manufacture of flat magnet copper wires for electric vehicle motors; Tokai University, Japan
• Numerical simulations of extrusion process: a good tool for troubleshooting extrusion issues; MSP, France
• RESY-Innovativ wire drawing filtration systems for lubricants and oil mist; Reber Systematic GmbH+Co. KG, Germany
• A quantic jump in Aluminium conductors: How to get 80 – 90% IACS conductivity; Continuus-Properzi, Italy
• Sorting of PVC Cables with and without Lead; PHOENIX SRL, Italy
• Energy saving in the wire and cable industry; SAMP Srl, Italy
• Energy security and decarbonisation: The impact on high voltage cable demand; CRU Group, United Kingdom
• Evolution of the formulations of PVC and HFFR compounds from introduction of CPR to the present day; IPOOL SRL, Italy
• Unleashing the full potential of Industrial IoT with GPT-3; 40Factory + MFL Group, Italy
• Additional Presentations from: Niehoff and SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS
CONFERENCE: PALAZZO GIURECONSULTI GALA DINNER: PALAZZO SERBELLONI
ORGANIZED BY: SPONSORED BY:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS:
