EuroWire May 2018

Nashville-bound for Wire Expo 2018

There is a buoyant mood owing through the wire and cable industry at the moment. Admittedly, it is di cult not to be energised after spending a week in Düsseldorf, Germany, for wire 2018. But that feeling is continuing as attention switches this month to across the pond. More speci cally toWire Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The bi-ennial staging of Expo provides an ideal opportunity to share practical insight at theWire Association International’s Operations Summit. This year there is a keynote speech from former Navy SEAL Curt Cronin on how he made his teammore e ective and uni ed; there’s the chance to nd new products and solutions from the table-top exhibition; and learn how technology and best practices combine to help advance manufacturing operations.

Based at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, the Summit runs from 14 th to 16 th May with exhibits open on 15 th and 16 th May. Over 150 exhibitors will display more than 90 product types, including wire and cable making machinery, supplies and ancillary equipment, and industry services. Our coverage starts on page 40 in this issue. Feel free to stop by booth 214 and pick up your free copy of EuroWire and sister publication Wire & Cable ASIA , as well as the latest CD of wiredInUSA .

David Bell Editor

Publishing Team

Editor:

................................................................................................................................David Bell

Features Editor (USA):

.....................................................................................................................Dorothy Fabian

Editorial assistant:

..................................................................................................................Christian Bradley

Design/Production:

............................................................................................................................Julie Tomlin

Production:

..............................................................................................................................Lisa Wright

Sales & Marketing: UK & ROW sales.............................................................................................Jason Smith (International) Italian speaking sales...................................................................Giuliana Benedetto Chinese speaking sales ............................................................................................Linda Li Advertisement Coordinator: ..............................................................................................................................Liz Hughes Accounts Manager: ................................................................................................................................ Julie Case Subscriptions: ................................................................................................................................Julie Case Publisher: ....................................................................................................................Caroline Sullens Founder: ..........................................................................................................................John C Hogg

* US$33 purchase only Front cover: Sikora AG See page 88 for further details US copies only : EuroWire (ISSN 1463-2483, USPS No: 022-738) is published six times a year, January, March, May, July, September and November by Intras Ltd and distributed in the USA by UKP Worldwide, 3390 Rand Road, South Plain eld, NJ 07080. Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, NJ and at additional mailing o ces. POSTMASTER : Send address changes to EuroWire, Intras Ltd, C/O 3390 Rand Road, South Plain eld NJ 07080. www.read-eurowire.com © 2018 Intras Ltd, UK ISSN 1463-2438

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TheProfessional PublishersAssociation Member

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(bigstockphoto.com “The Grand Ole Opry,” Nashville, Tennessee Artist: pdb1)

Regulars Market News Contents

May 2018

8

Diary of events

Deutsch Inhalt 58

Neuigkeiten

88

Inserentenverzeichnis

9

Corporate News

Содержание на русском языке 64 Ηοвости рьінка 88 Перечень рекламодателей

26

Transatlantic Cable

Sommaire Français 70

32

Technology News

Nouvelles du Marché Index des Annonceurs

88

40

Wire Expo 2018

Indice Italiano 76

Notizie del Mercato

88

Indice degli Inserzionisti

88

Editorial Index

Indice Español 82

Noticias de Mercado Indice de Anunciadores

88

Advertisers Index

88

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May 2018

Next Issue GettingTechnical Revolutionising the wire manufacturing process

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Feature wire Düsseldorf 2018 Review

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Technical Articles

54

72

Use of Sepiolite Masterbatches for Enhanced Fire Performance in Cable Compounds By Eric Xirinachs, Delta Tecnic

Utilisation demélanges maîtres de sépiolite pour améliorer les performances au feu des composés de câbles par Eric Xirinachs, Delta Tecnic

60

78

Einsatz von Sepiolith- Masterbatches für verbessertes Brandverhalten bei Kabelcompounds von Eric Xirinachs, Delta Tecnic

Utilizzo di masterbatch di sepiolite per migliorare le prestazioni antincendio nei composti per cavi a cura di Eric Xirinachs, Delta Tecnic

66

Использование сепиолитных концентратов для улучшения огнестойких характеристик кабельных компаундов Эрик Ксиринакс, Delta Tecnic

84

Uso demasterbatch de sepiolita paramejorar las prestaciones contra incendios en compuestos para cables Por Eric Xirinachs, Delta Tecnic

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May 2018

Dates for your diary. . .

2018 June

6–8 June: International Metal and Metallurgy Exhibition – trade exhibition – Guangzhou, China Organisers :

Julang Exhibition Co Ltd Fax : +86 203 862 0781 Email : julang@julang.com.cn Website : www.julang.com.cn

September

26–29 September: wire China – trade exhibition – Shanghai, China Organisers : SECRI and Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co Ltd Fax : +86 216 169 8301

Email : shanghai@mdc.com.cn Website : www.wirechina.net

October

14–17 October: IWCS – symposium and trade exhibition –

Rhode Island, USA Organisers : IWCS Tel : +1 717 993 9500 Email : phudak@iwcs.org Website : www.iwcs.org

November

27–29 November: wire India – trade exhibition – Mumbai, India Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf India Pvt Ltd Fax : +91 112 697 1746 Email : info@wire-india.com Website : www.wire-india.com

2019 March AMI Cables – conference – Düsseldorf, Germany Organisers : AMI Tel: +44 117 314 8111 Website : www.ami.international

Wire Expo 2018 15–16 May: Wire Expo – exhibition – Nashville, Tennessee, USA Organisers : Wire Association International Fax : +1 203 453 8384

Email : sales@wirenet.org Website : www.wirenet.org

Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com “The Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee” Photographer: pdb1

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Corporate News

▲ ▲ Bilstein’s expanded fully automatic batch annealing plant in Hagen Hohenlimburg, Germany

Third order for annealing plant

The plant was designed in such a way that the previously required visual check is no longer necessary. Essential design modifications for almost all plant components, including annealing bases, base locations, heating hoods, multimedia couplings, protective hoods and instruments, were successfully implemented. The heating hood features a particularly energy-efficient technology that leads to low combustion gas consumption. Due to the bypass cooling, Bilstein is able to extract large amounts of useable heat. Some of the waste heat is converted into electrical power, up to 400 kWh per annealing charge. Thermal energy of up to 5,300 kWh is achieved by the heat extraction. Tenova LOI Thermoprocess – Germany Website : www.tenova.com

After a successful test phase, the plant was expanded by four annealing bases in 2015 (stage II). In December 2017, the contract for stage III, consisting of eight further annealing bases was awarded. Production is scheduled to start in autumn 2018. Hot- and cold-rolled steel strip coils with a coil weight of 30 t maximum, an outer diameter of 1,000mm to 2,000mm and a coil width of 150mm to a maximum 1,350mm are annealed in this plant. To meet the requirements for fully automatic operation of the bell-type annealing plant, a series of adaptations were essential for the batch annealing technology itself. In automatic operation, the operating personnel do not have access to the plant. Various independent safety zones ensure that regular maintenance work does not interfere with the automatic operation.

BILSTEIN, Hagen Hohenlimburg, Germany, has placed another follow-up order to Tenova LOI Thermprocess in Essen for the expansion of its fully automatic batch annealing plant. This furnace plant has fully automatic stacking of coils and intermediate convectors, an automatic coupling of all media and fully automatic operation of protective hoods, heating hoods and cooling hoods. Except for one operator in the measuring station, no further operation personnel are required. With the latest expansion of its batch annealing plant, Bilstein has doubled the original quantity of annealing bases. The contract for stage I was placed in 2011 and consisted of 12 annealing bases with six heating hoods and six jet-cooling hoods. The plant started fully automatic operation in November 2012. based in

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Corporate News

Wire Expo looms in Nashville

• Fundamentals of wire and cable manufacturing course • Manufacturing management work- shop: Perfecting your leadership qualities • Mordica lecturer Gary L Spence, former vice president at Encore Wire Corporation, discusses continuous cast copper rod processes • Post-show plant tour of the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant on Thursday, 17 th May Ask the expert and production solutions demonstrations, popular staples in the exhibit hall, are scheduled on 15 th and 16 th May • The welcome reception on 15 th May, with entertainment sponsored by James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp, will be held on Delta Island within the Gaylord campus • WAI members are invited to attend the WAI rewards breakfast and annual meeting on Wednesday. Wire Association International – USA Website : www.wirenet.org Website : www.wireexpo18.com Additional highlights include: •

services. Wire Expo exhibits are open in the Ryman Convention Hall from 10am to 5pm and 10am to 3pm on 15 th and 16 th May, respectively.

THE Wire Association International (WAI) Inc returns to Nashville, Tennessee, USA, for its biennial Operations Summit & Wire Expo, held in conjunction with its 88 th annual convention. All of the events are hosted at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. The Summit runs from 14 th to 16 th May, and the exhibits are open on 15 th and 16 th May. Curt Cronin, former Navy SEAL and keynote speaker, will present: “Tapping into Your Potential: Attempting the Absurd and Achieving the Impossible,” on Tuesday, 15 th May at 9am. John T Johnson, owner and president, Mid-South Wire Company, Nashville, and president of the American Wire Producers Association, will deliver opening remarks, also on Tuesday morning. The presentation is open to all conference registrants. More than 150 exhibiting companies will be represented on the exhibit floor. Displays will cover more than 90 product types including wire and cable making machinery, supplies and ancillary equipment, and industry

Education highlights include: • Far-reaching effects of

process

automation

•

Intellectual property profits

• Three tools to drive high performance • Employee engagement of wire manufacturing – a Nexans case study • Data-driven safety – a Leggett & Platt case study • Improving safety, quality, productivity and customer service

▲ ▲ The atrium at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

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Corporate News

Goodbye and welcome!

to accelerate our record of innovation in the industry.” Maryam Salmani has a Master’s degree from Université de Montréal École Polytechnique, and Mansi Murabiya has a Master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Concordia University, and is also a graduate of Gujarat Technological University in Surat, India. William Sun studied industry drafting at the Rosemount Technology Centre in Montreal and has a Bachelor’s degree from Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, while Martin Lefebvre is a graduate of École Polytechnique de Montréal and has worked at such companies as Invitation V, Jikko, Les Serres Riel, Bombardier Transport, and Pratt andWhitney Canada. Tensor Machinery Ltd – Canada Website : www.tensormachinery.com spending time with his grandchildren and enjoying the warm Florida weather. Mr Hunter has joined the company as sales engineer. In this position, he will be responsible for equipment sales throughout North America. Mr Tomaz added: “Scott is an experienced professional who brings the necessary skills and knowledge, having previously worked in the wire and cable industry. He will undoubtedly be an asset.” A three-year stint at Amaral Automation Associates is part of Mr Hunter’s experience. Wardwell Braiding Co – USA Website : www.wardwell.com

Tensor Machinery Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of fibre-optic and specialised copper wire machinery with customers in 35 countries, has hired four new employees as the company continues to grow. Joining Tensor are Maryam Salmani, mechanical engineer; Mansi Murabiya, electrical engineer; William Sun, machine designer; and Martin Lefebvre, production coordinator. realised remarkable growth and success in the past year,” said CEO Robert Kepes. “The hyper growth in 2017 led to challenges of meeting customer expectations in design, manufacturing and delivery. “In response, we tripled the size of our engineering department and doubled our overall workforce. I welcome these new people on board and our goal for 2018 is “Tensor Machinery has WARDWELL, a supplier of braiding equipment, has announced the retirement of Steven J Elderkin and the appointment of Scott A Hunter. Mr Elderkin’s retirement comes after nearly 45 years at Wardwell and in several positions, including supervisor of assembly and customer service technician. Wardwell president John Tomaz said: ”From the beginning, Steven has been a tremendous asset to our company. Every part of business that he’s been involved in has been improved. We’ll certainly miss having him around.” Mr Elderkin is looking forward to

New staff as company continues growth

Further expansion at Cable Tapes UK

Cable Tapes UK has appointed Jonathan Moia as logistics controller. He will be working closely with both the administration and marketing departments. Mr Moia brings enthusiasm, drive, desire and a hands-on approach. Staff can look forward to dedicated day-to-day running of the warehouse and an innovative approach to administration. He said: “I am thrilled to have joined such a successful team and am looking forward to developing the departments even further and helping to grow our customer base to new heights. I deliberately set myself challenging targets and strive to achieve them in record time.” Cable Tapes UK – UK Website : www.cabletapesuk.com

▲ ▲ Jonathan Moia

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Corporate News

THE increasing demand for power, light and communication has kept wire and cable in high demand. Ajex and Turner believes this trend will continue for reliable, efficient energy and data communications, strenghtening the industry further. Considering all these special requirements, leaving behind the traditional wire drawing dies, its R&D team is working on VNT dies for better wire surfaces and energy saving. Working on zero per cent tolerance and maintenance-freeVNT dies

▲ ▲ VNT dies from Ajex and Turner

VNT dies provide a good solution between the economical tungsten carbide and PCD dies, which wear out quickly. The VNT dies, based on high quality carbide and having the diamond firm coating on the die surface, enable wire plants to lower the production cost and save metal as the extremely hard diamond coating gives very low friction, and the die hole size remains the same throughout its working life. A single VNT die is equivalent to 100 carbide dies and provides more than double production during its lifetime compared to a PCD die for ferrous and non-ferrous wires. Wire plants, setting the standard of wire drawing and compacting die selection, can enhance their efficiency and save production costs. Ajex dies work on zero per cent tolerance and are completely maintenance free. The VNT dies do not allow die heat up, which prevents wire breakage, as well as there being no requirement for coolant. Joining forces CommScope has partnered with Fluke Networks® to help ensure optimum fibre optic cabling performance. CommScope’s exclusive Systimax® link loss calculator will now be incorporated in Fluke Networks’ CertiFiber® Pro Optical Loss Test Set (part of the company’s Versiv™ Cabling Certification System) and the company’s LinkWare™ Live cloud service. This marks a transformational change in the certification of ultra-low-loss single-mode and high bandwidth multi-mode fibre optic network projects in data centres. CommScope – USA Website : www.commscope.com Ajex and Turner Ltd – India Website : www.ajexturner.com

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Corporate News

Decalub green cleaning TecHnOlOgieS FOcuS On: Wire Cleaning ( for plating and high glossy finish )

AXJO Plastic AB and Windak AB have signed an agreement in which Axjo Plastic acquires 24 per cent of Windak. The acquisition is in Windak Holding AB and sister companies Windak AB, Windak Inc, Windak Australia andWindak OU in Estonia. Axjo and Windak both focus on the cable industry and have cooperated for a long time. Now they are taking another step – which means greater benefits for customers. Windak is a privately owned Swedish company that started in 1994 and manufactures cable industry machines. “For Windak and for our customers, there are great benefits of closer cooperation. For example, we can construct concepts that reduce shipping costs for the coils properly by mounting the coils directly in the Windak machine. Axjo also has a good sales staff who can reach out, be more present with the customers and inform about all the new technical possibilities Windak has to offer,” said Urban Bollö, CEO and partner of Windak AB. Windak has its headquarters in Järfälla, outside Stockholm, and has approximately 67 employees distributed in Sweden, Estonia and the United States. The company has an approximate turnover of 97 MSEK. Axjo Plastic, like Windak, is a privately owned Swedish company that started in 1945. It manufactures, markets and sells cable drums and other round packaging for cable, fibre and other string products. The company has its headquarters in Gislaved; the group consists of almost 110 employees and has sales of almost 340 MSEK. “After working with Windak since 2003, it is extra fun to integrate our business more. There will be great advantages for our customers that the machines, already at the design table, are adapted to the correct cable drums. We will also come up with new concepts where customers can ‘pay by unit’ and thus rent the machines instead of buying them,” said Jacob Nilsson, CEO and owner of Axjo Plastic. Axjo andWindak sign joint ownership agreement

Wire Rod Lubrication ( for frictionless drawing )

Rod Dry Preparation ( with no speed limit )

DECALUB 31, avenue de Condé 77500 CHELLES, FRANCE E-mail: info@decalub.com Website: www.decalub.com

Axjo Plastic AB – Sweden Website : www.axjo.com Windak AB – Sweden Website : www.windakgroup.com

▲ ▲ The Windak site in Sweden

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Corporate News

Experience counts for compound producer Mixer

MIXER SpA is an Italian compound producer with more than 20 years’ experience in the cable market. The company is a totally focused expert in compounds for cable insulation, jacketing and bedding to improve fire resistance of the final cable. Leading the market driver from “make it cheaper” to “make it better” is the philosophy behind the development of every project by Mixer Compounds, in order to provide solutions for cost-effective and safe power cables. The main topic the company aims to underline is the compliance of its compounds for cable insulation, jacketing and bedding with the most severe tests requested by the toughest classes of CPR regulation, and the ability to support cable producers in achieving the best classes in fire resistance, minimising cable design modification, and substituting the bedding compound with Mixer’s in-house designed technology: product formulations, machinery and software to drive the plant have been designed by the team, achieving unique results in the market. Of particular interest are the Ekopren® thermoplastic bedding compounds suitable for the European regulation CPR (Construction Product Regulation). In order to be compliant with this regulation, cables should withstand specific tests regarding fire propagation, gas emission and dripping. Ekopren® compounds combine all these requirements with an excellent processability and flexibility. EPDM-based compounds

A range of compounds fromMixer

▲

with flame-retardant technology and compounding procedures are the key to achieve these results. Mixer can support and serve customers in more than 30 countries worldwide, delivering performance products and service that allow them to compete in the cable market and sustaining the production operation with inspired technicians, able to achieve customers’ goals in terms of performance and cost. Mixer offers a complete portfolio of peroxide-crosslinkable (for continuous vulcanisation lines) and ebeam-crosslinkable rubber compounds for cables. Vipa and Vipa Polimeri add high performance compounds to range Vipa and Vipa Polimeri operate in the field of thermoplastic compounds for the wire and cable industry. Both companies are expanding the portfolio of halogen-free, flame-retardant PVC and PE compounds with innovative, high performance and optimised materials. Among the newest solutions are: • HFFR compounds with improved thermal resistance • Special HFFR compounds offering a good combination of flexibility and high CPR performance • Low-smoke/chlorine emission PVC compounds for CPR applications • Solutions for phthalate-free PVC compounds • PVC-based conductive compound Both companies are widely implementing the quality system in terms of traceability of raw materials throughout the whole supply chain, enhancing high-quality products for customers’ satisfaction. Vipa/Vipa Polimeri – Italy Website : www.vipa.it New CEO at Leoni Aldo Kamper has been appointed as president and chief executive officer of Leoni AG. Currently the CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, he will take up office on 1 st October 2018 at the latest. Leoni AG – Germany Website : www.leoni.com Mixer SpA – Italy Website : www.mixercompounds.com

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Corporate News

Looking ahead to Industry 4.0

FLEXIBILITY, efficiency and digitisation – this is Industry 4.0 – the current subject of the manufacturing industry. It is not quite clear how Industry 4.0 in fully automated production will look. Nevertheless, it is certain that a reliable transmission of increasing data volumes, due to the steadily growing linking and communication of machine parts, even under the most difficult conditions will have to be ensured. Cables, especially for machine construction, robotics or railways, are subject to extreme torsional stress and very high temperatures. These cables come into contact with different chemicals, oils or detergents. The subject of longevity with respect to Industry 4.0 in industrial sectors is of basic importance. 70 years after its foundation, SAB Bröckskes (SAB) presents itself as an innovative answer to the trends of digitisation and Industry 4.0. The company presents a range of new industrial Ethernet 6, 6A, 7 and 7A cables that are not only robust but also ensure quick and efficient data transmission. SAB is not only a cable manufacturer but also offers support in automation techniques, for example in the range of new communication systems for drive technology. The individual requirements of the customer and the long-term experience of SAB as a manufacturer of flexible cables are combined in new products. The quick and flexible production of sample lengths is no problem. The cable manufacturer focuses on two Industrial Gigabit Ethernet cables that have been developed for the increasing data transfer in automation techniques. Besides the CATLine CAT 7A RT, a CAT 7 A cable for robot applications, SAB Bröckskes is going to present a cable chain cable with UL/ CSA approval – the CATLine CAT 7 A S, in addition to: • CATLine CAT 7 A RT – for robot applications. Gigabit Ethernet cable with UL/CSA: This cable is suitable for rough industrial conditions in automation techniques, for example at high temperatures, pollution by oil and aggressive chemicals • CATLine CAT 7A S – for cable chain applications. Gigabit Ethernet cable with UL/ CSA: This is suitable for rough industrial conditions in cable chains, for example at high temperatures, pollution by oil and aggressive chemicals • CATLine CAT 6A HT – temperature resistant: The CATLine CAT 6A HT is suitable for rough industrial conditions at temperatures up to -90°C/180°C (fixed) or -55°C/180°C (flexible) • CATLine CAT 7A DR reeling. CAT 7A Gigabit Ethernet cable: These have been developed for different applications whenever a considerable data volume must be transferred safely. They are, for example, used in stage techniques of theatres, signal transmission and mobile trash rake cleaning or in high rack storage techniques • CATLine CAT 7A R - Rail CAT 7A: Especially appropriate for rail applications, the cable fulfils the requirements of no flame propagation of DIN EN 60332-3-25, DIN EN 50305 section 9.1.1 and 9.1.2, and is flame retardant and self-extinguishing according to DIN EN 60332-1-2 SAB Bröckskes GmbH & Co KG – Germany Website : www.sab-cable.com

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Corporate News

Single component liquid product for chemical coppering of wires for tyres and welding

In order to optimise the process, and therefore the final result, in the formulation of Cuprocond 67 L, inert surfactants have also been included, which allow a uniform adhesion reaction of copper, and antioxidant agents that limit the oxidation, due to atmospheric agents. The solution of Cuprocond 67 L must be simply added to water and heated to working temperature (40°C), and then corrected with sulphuric acid, up to the free acidity required by the specific line. The obtained copper layer is relative and proportional to the surface to which the chemical adhesion will occur: the smoother and cleaner the surface to be coppered, the better will be the resulting layer in terms of uniformity. Finally, there is the possibility, with the use of technologies to minimise waste proposed by Condoroil Stainless, to recover from the spent solution by-products having a certain commercial value, such as metal copper, sulphuric acid and ferrous sulphate and, moreover, to reduce the costs of waste water treatment and disposal of

IN the automotive industry the classic carbon steel wire was replaced around the 80s with copperised wire, exponentially improving the resistance and performance of the tyre itself; the copper layer binds to the special rubber of the tyre, consolidating the overall structure of the finished product. In the welding market the copper wire must have, besides the conductivity characteristics, a shiny aesthetic appearance. Currently for the preparation of the coppering solution, copper sulphate water and concentrated sulphuric acid are solubilised in water, leading to many inconveniences such as, for instance, superficial roughness increase, micro-crystalline embrittlement phenomena (causing physical properties variations) and iron increase in the solution limiting the duration of the coppering solution. For this purpose Condoroil has developed Cuprocond 67 L with the addition of corrosion inhibitors, which slow down the parasitic acid

▲ ▲ Chemical coppering from Cond- oroil

the sludge generated during the purification itself.

dissolution process and eliminate the problems of mixing the two components (thus improving safety for operators in the workplace).

Condoroil Chemical Srl – Italy Website : www.condoroil.com

Ceia induction heating systems

▲ ▲ The Ceia plant

For more than 30 years Ceia has dedicated itself to the design and construction of induction heating systems. High and medium frequency induction generators, control units, temperature sensors for temperature measurement and wire soldering alloy automatic feeders make up a line of equipment called Power Cube Family that can be used in industrial sectors where rapid, precise and repeatable heating of any type of metal is required. In particular, for companies that gravitate around the wire industry, Ceia is able to offer solutions that are claimed to maximise production, reduce energy consumption and certify the quality of the product. All Ceia systems can be used easily, stand-alone or integrated into automatic production lines. Each generator and controller can interface with any PLC via fieldbus. In addition, the V3 + master controller is equipped with a built-in data log and web server system that allows data storage for an appropriate process quality control.

Ceia SpA – Italy

Website : www.ceia-power.com

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Corporate News

New chairman for IWCS board

“Scott has done an outstanding job as our vice chairman since 2016 and as a board member since 2010. While on the IWCS Symposium Committee starting in 2003, then as committee chairman in 2008, he was instrumental in recasting the IWCS Professional Development programme to its current form with tracks of core and elective courses, and in introducing the related IWCS Professional Development Certification programme.” Mr Wessels added: “He also co-taught the MA101 Selection and Use of Materials in wire and cable course in both the United States and in China for many years. He was instrumental in encouraging the start and evolution in our use of social media to promote and reach beyond those already aware of our symposium.” Mr Wessels oversaw the transition of management of the organisation, introduced the IWCS Webinar Series, enhanced the scholarship programme to include more universities, expanded the IWCS into connectivity sectors of the market, and made the vision of a technical symposium in China a reality. IWCS Inc – USA Website : www.iwcs.org

to be known even more as the essential place to hear about and discuss such innovation. “Through our academic scholarship programmes we have fostered a great relationship with specific universities, and another goal is to build on that to enhance and further encourage the presence of academia in our technical sessions. “Finally, I believe that we have made great progress in using social media to promote our symposia and new development, including our successful webinar series. The further evolution of our social media platforms and capabilities, including real-time communication and feedback at our symposia, will draw in and connect those in our industry in new and dynamic ways.” transition demonstrates IWCS’s commitment to long-term succession planning and keeping high calibre, capable leaders at the head of the organisation. “Scott’s service spans more than 15 years and during that time he has had a significant impact. Mr Wessels said: “This

SCOTT H Wasserman, of the Dow Chemical Company, has been elected chairman of the board at IWCS. Mr Wasserman succeeds Robert Wessels Jr, of CommScope, who has served as chairman since 2008 and will continue to serve as a director. Guy Castonguay of Corning Optical Communications, was elected vice-chairman and Jeff S Barker, of Prysmian Group, was re-elected as Treasurer. “A goal for my tenure as chairman is to continue the stellar growth of IWCS under the ten years of Rob Wessels’ leadership, including our first, and now annual, conference in Shanghai, China, in partnership with UL,” said Mr Wasserman. “IWCS has always been the premier technical forum for the sharing and discussion of the technology that has been essential to the wire and cable industry, particularly for the trends that have re-shaped our markets over the years, including the introduction of fibre-optic technology, and most recently, the evolution of high-speed and low-loss communications to 4G and now 5G platforms. The goal is for IWCS The former vice chairman,

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Corporate News

Calibrating vibration sensors beyond limits

Thanks to the high weight of the base of 7.6 tons and decoupling of this foundation from the remainder of the building, faulty measurements caused by building vibrations (eg caused by employees in the building) are excluded. Extremely suppressed interference sources, such as an adjacent road or train track, are considered in the measurement; however, they do not have any influence on the respective measuring result. It took roughly one year from the initial idea to establish and complete the new calibration laboratory. In the meantime, the calibration laboratory is fully functional and is extensively used for research and production of Pruftechnik vibration sensors. Pruftechnik Dieter Busch AG – Germany Website : www.pruftechnik.com Cimteq Ltd is offering manufacturing professionals the opportunity to improve and extend their capabilities in the Effective Production and Technical Management of Cable-Making, leading to a certified qualification. The course has been developed to drive managers, supervisors and engineers in functional teams to achieve improvements in performance through an integrated approach. The centrepiece is a combined training and coaching service that leads to a certified qualification. Cimteq Ltd – UK Website www.cimteq.com Cimteq training

SEVEN tons of concrete and 600kg of granite form the foundation for the calibration of vibration sensors with an average weight of just 50g each. Using two calibration systems, it is now possible to calibrate Pruftechnik vibration sensors beyond the standard limits to ensure reliable readings for a long period of time from factory calibration as well as after re-calibration. The deepest secrets of Pruftechnik Condition Monitoring are literally located in the basement. In addition to the Paralign® and alignment laser calibration laboratory, a completely new calibration laboratory was set up for Condition Monitoring vibration sensors. Two shakers on a solid concrete-granite foundation enable the calibration of in-house Pruftechnik vibration sensors. Both new high-frequency shakers generate vibrations in the ranges of 0 to 200 Hz and 5 to 50,000 Hz. With that, the analysis and calibration possibilities exceed the limits of requested standards and measuring tolerances. Especially in research and development, Pruftechnik now has new capabilities to calibrate vibration sensors even more precisely and to develop more meaningful measuring results. The calibration measurement per sensor takes just a minute. This provides an advantage of saving factory calibration time during volume production. Beyond that, end-to-end calibrations will be possible in the future. Thus, the vibration sensor is calibrated directly using a connected measuring device (eg Vibxpert II).

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Transatlantic Cable

Alex Griffiths, an analyst with the consultancy Wood Mackenzie, thinks this probable. As he told the Financial Times : “The UK supplies high value-added steels to the USA — steels that, in the short term, US users will struggle to source domestically.” † British Steel – the largest steel producer in Europe and one of the top ten exporters in the UK – responded to the Trump tariffs with “disappointment.” But the company also observed that American sales account for only a small percentage of its exports. Insteel and Mid-South Wire are among hundreds of specialised USA wire businesses expecting to be hurt by the steel tariffs “As industrial America sorts out the tariffs’ prospective impact, one thing is clear: the divide between the metal producers and their customers slices directly through Mr Trump’s blue-collar constituency.” The reference is, of course, to President Donald Trump’s announcement in the spring of plans to impose steep tariffs on imported steel (25 per cent) and aluminium (10 per cent). And Natalie Kitroef and Ana Swanson of the New York Times had identified an anomaly at the heart of Mr Trump’s jobs-centred initiative. (“Trump’s Tariff Plan Leaves Blue-Collar Winners and Losers,” 3 rd March) Representative of the winners is Michael A Bless, the president of Chicago-based Century Aluminum, who greeted news of the tariffs with jubilance. “Enthusiastic and gratified are probably understatements,” he told the Times . Mr Bless believes that the tariff on aluminium would allow him to restart some production of high-purity aluminium for military use at Century’s plant in Hawesville, Kentucky, in partial shutdown for three years now. He said he plans to invest more than $100 million in the smelting operation and to add 300 hires to his 1,850-strong workforce this year. “These are jobs that are sorely needed,” said Mr Bless. Labour unions are in firm agreement. Leo W Gerard, the president of the United Steelworkers union, which also represents aluminium workers, said his members were tired of enduring layoffs because of an onslaught of artificially cheap steel and aluminium produced by “cheaters” in China. The upending of a business calculus But Monica de Bolle, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a private and non-profit Washington-based think tank, asserted that Mr Trump’s “America first” thinking is producing more losers than winners.

Steel

Their high exports to the USA may cushion British steel companies from the impact of the Trump steel tariffs

The Financial Times (London) has reported that Britain’s steel sector is alarmed about the potential consequences of USA trade tariffs announced on 8 th March by President Donald Trump, who invoked national security as the justification for import duties of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium. With exemptions only for Canada and Mexico – signatories, with the USA, to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – the tariffs were to take effect promptly, despite immediate and widespread negative reaction. Gareth Stace, director of the UK Steel lobby, said that such tariffs would, if implemented, “have a profound and detrimental impact on the UK steel sector.” (“UK Steel Industry Recovery at Risk from Trump Trade Tariffs,” 9 th March) Liam Fox, the British trade secretary, was said to be planning to put the case for a UK exemption from the proposed tariffs on an upcoming visit to Washington. But the Financial Times noted that Britain’s membership of the European Union precludes its striking unilateral trade deals; and it was confirmed by Downing Street that Mr Fox’s representations would be within the EU framework. For its part, on 10 th March the European Union, together with Japan, pressed USA trade representative Robert Lighthizer for exemptions from the tariffs. But the Associated Press reported that the longtime USA allies appeared to win no quick concessions. Cecilia Malmström, the EU trade commissioner, said after meetings in Brussels that she got “no immediate clarity on the exact USA procedure for exemption,” but that further talks were planned. Ms Malmström had said earlier that the bloc was ready to retaliate if Europe were to be targeted by the Trump measures. Industry observers told Financial Times reporters Michael Pooler and George Parker that steelmakers across Europe are concerned that steel shipments once destined for the USA will end up on the continent instead, and drive down prices. † With reference to the UK specifically, the reporters noted that only some seven per cent of UK steel output, or 350,000 metric tons (mt), was exported to the USA last year. Analysts point out that Britain tends to export to the USA high-value and speciality steels, as distinguished from commodity products that are more readily substitutable. Finding themselves without alternatives, American customers of the UK steel producers might be willing to absorb the cost of the tariffs.

Image: www.bigstockphoto.com Photographer Adrian Grosu

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Transatlantic cable

† Over the long haul, Ms Sheth acknowledged, tariffs – not excluding those announced by President Trump in March – may hurt the industries they are intended to prop up.

She said: “If the point is to protect American jobs, if the point is to protect small and medium-sized businesses, this is exactly the wrong way to do things.” That view is supported by the numbers. The mills and smelters that supply raw material, and that stand to benefit from the tariffs, have been shrinking for years. Today, those USA industries employ fewer than 200,000 people. In contrast, according to a Heritage Foundation analysis of Commerce Department data, cited by the Times , the companies that buy steel and aluminium employ more than 6.5 million workers. One of those companies is Insteel Industries (Mount Airy, North Carolina), which operates ten plants from Arizona to Pennsylvania producing steel wire products for concrete reinforcing. It employs 1,000 workers, most without college degrees. “The jobs that we have are good jobs,” said Insteel’s chairman and CEO H O Woltz III. “Our guys make a lot of money.” Mr Woltz pays around $20 an hour on average, and he has been able to increase his payroll despite stiff competition from abroad. But now his business calculus is being upended, according to the Times reporters, who wrote: “It is people like H O Woltz III who feel most vulnerable.” The feeling is warranted. Mr Woltz buys most of his raw material from domestic mills, but he expects them to raise prices as their foreign competitors are hit by the tariffs. He fears that, if he has to raise his prices to commercial builders, he will lose business to rivals paying much less for their raw materials. Said Mr Woltz: “If the customers have the option of purchasing from Malaysians or Colombians, who don’t have to pay that extra cost, that’s what they are going to do.” Right now, Mr Woltz pays around $600 per ton of steel wire rod. The impact of a 25 per cent tariff would add $150 to that price. Currently he makes $40 profit per ton on sales. Noted Ms Kitroef and Ms Swanson: “The math would destroy his balance sheet.” ‘We are steel workers, too’ A smaller player further down the supply chain, Mid-South Wire Co (Nashville, Tennessee) is a family business founded by John T Johnson’s father 51 years ago. Its 150 employees all get health insurance and a retirement plan. Many spend their entire working careers at Mid-South, turning hot-rolled wire rod into such products as bucket handles, dishwasher racks and shopping carts. The experience of having lost many customers to lower-cost Chinese manufacturers taught the younger Mr Johnson that his hold on his market is only as secure as his price advantage, now under threat by the Trump tariffs. If his sales are badly hurt by the tariffs, the company will be compelled to let employees go. As he expressed it to the Times reporters, to Mr Johnson it feels as if the administration cares only about the people melting and hot-rolling steel – not those turning that material into racks at a hardware store or the products sitting on them. “We are steel workers, too,” he said. “Our jobs and our livelihood are centred around steel just as much as the steel mills.” † Time will tell whether employers like these wiremakers will cut jobs because of the tariffs. Economic growth remains strong, and the recently enacted corporate tax cut will give USA companies more cash to work with. “We think the dial won’t move that much,” Atsi Sheth, an economist at Moody’s Investors Service, told the Times . “You are likely to gain jobs in a few sectors, but lose them in others.” Even so, the prospect of retaliation from trading partners, and an ensuing trade war, should stir memories of President George W Bush’s ill-fated tariffs of up to 30 per cent on steel imports in 2002. One study of the results found that higher steel prices cost more jobs than the number of people employed in the industry at the time.

Energy

Suspicions become reality as USA officials confirm Russian cyberattacks on vital USA infrastructure

The reporting by Bloomberg News was stark: “Russian hackers are conducting a broad assault on the US electric grid, water processing plants, air transportation facilities and other targets in rolling attacks on some of the country’s most sensitive infrastructure, US government officials said 15 th March.” The announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was the first official notice that Russian hackers have taken aim at facilities on which hundreds of millions of Americans depend for basic services. But it did not come as a surprise. Last July, it was reported that Russian hackers had breached more than a dozen power plants in seven states; according to a Bloomberg source, this aggressive campaign has since expanded to dozens of states. The DHS alert declared that, since at least March 2016, “Russian government cyber actors” have targeted US “government entities and multiple critical infrastructure sectors.” It further asserted that vital manufacturing sectors and commercial facilities also had been targeted by the ongoing “multi-stage intrusion campaign by Russian government cyber actors.” USA Energy Secretary Rick Perry told lawmakers during a 15 th March hearing: “The warfare that goes on in cyberspace is real.” Cyber attacks, he warned, “are literally happening hundreds of thousands of times a day.” Fears for the USA electric grid Bloomberg reporters Jennifer A Dlouhy and Michael Riley summarised the findings of a joint DHS/FBI analysis that described the hackers as extremely sophisticated. In some cases they first breached suppliers and third-party vendors before “hopping from those networks” to their ultimate target. The DHS did not say whether these attacks were successful. According to the alert, the Russian hackers “targeted small commercial facilities’ networks.” As reported by Ms Dlouhy and Mr Riley, the attackers typically took a three-pronged approach: • They selected targets and methodically went after initial victims as a way to reach their ultimate prizes, including industrial control systems used by power plants and other infrastructure • Tactics included sending spear-phishing emails and embedding malicious content on informational websites to obtain security credentials that could then be exploited for more information and access • Once they obtained access, the attackers “conducted network reconnaissance,” and moved within the systems to collect information on industrial control systems. (“Russian Hackers Attacking US Power Grid and Aviation, FBI Warns,” 15 th March) † US intelligence officials have long been concerned about the security of the country’s electrical grid. As noted by the Bloomberg reporters: “The recent attacks, striking almost simultaneously at multiple locations, are testing the

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