EuroWire May 2020

Adapting to change in unprecedented times

The ability to adapt to fast-changing conditions has never been highlighted more than now. Whilst the health and safety of us all is rst and foremost, many companies have adopted measures to ensure business goes ahead as normally as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. People are now working from home in unusual and testing conditions. Businesses are trying to ful l orders and compete for new work against a backdrop of uncertainty throughout the world. Companies are also diversifying and trying to help in the ght against coronavirus. Contacts built through many years of business are more important now than ever. As we are aware, there are a number of exhibitions worldwide every year – each one playing a vital role in the continued success of our industry. These exhibitions have been postponed, cancelled and many already rearranged for when we return to work and continue to thrive. wire 2020 – the largest and most eagerly anticipated of the wire and cable exhibitions – was postponed from the end of March and will now be held from 7 to 11 December this year at the Fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. You can nd details of the exhibition and the new dates on page 9.

The Wire Association International has cancelled this year’s Wire Expo scheduled for June in Connecticut, USA, (page 10), while wire India has been moved to 25-27 March next year (page 17). But spread throughout this issue is news of continuing success and bright futures, with a number of new sta appointments and the IWMA announcing its Young Person of the Year Award winner (page 12). Expansions also feature prominently (Vandor expands, page 18) and German testing and measuring company Sikora has been listed as a ‘global market leader’ (page 15).

We will, of course, bring you the latest news from across our industry through our magazines, newsletters and updates as usual. In the meantime, please all stay safe and well.

David Bell Editor

Publishing Team

Editor:

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

Features Editor (USA):

............................................................................................................................. Gill Watson

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: ...............................................................................................................................Karen Low Subscriptions: ...............................................................................................................................Karen Low Publisher: ....................................................................................................................Caroline Sullens Founder: ..........................................................................................................................John C Hogg

* US$33 purchase only Front cover: Sikora AG See page 84 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 Asendia USA, 701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA. Periodicals postage paid at Philadelphia, PA and additional mailing o ces. POSTMASTER : Send address changes to EuroWire, Intras Ltd, C/O 701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA 19032. www.read-eurowire.com © 2020 Intras Ltd, UK ISSN 1463-2438

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Regulars Market News Contents

May 2020

Photo courtesy Messe Düsseldorf/c Tillman

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Diary of events

Sommaire Français 69 Nouvelles du Marché 84 Index des Annonceurs Indice Italiano 74 Notizie del Mercato 84 Indice degli Inserzionisti Deutsch Inhalt 60 Neuigkeiten 84 Inserentenverzeichnis Содержание на русском языке 65 Ηοвости рьінка 84 Перечень рекламодателей Indice Español 79 Noticias de Mercado 84 Indice de Anunciadores

9

Corporate News

26

Transatlantic Cable

32

Technology News

41 EuroFasteners

84

Editorial Index

84

Advertisers Index

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GettingTechnical The design and application of radio frequency identi able optical cable

Feature wire 2020 New dates: 7 - 11 December

Visit us online at: www.read-eurowire.com

Technical Articles

71

Installation de câbles optiques terrestres avec des bres à perte ultra faible Par Nikita Korotkov (Corning SNG, Moscou, Russie) et Vladimir Pigarev (Saranskkabel-Optikа, Saransk, Russie) Installazione di cavi ottici terrestri con bre a perdita ultra bassa A cura di Nikita Korotkov (Corning SNG, Mosca, Russia) e Vladimir Pigarev (Saranskkabel-Optikа, Saransk, Russia) Instalación de cables ópticos terrestres con bras de pérdida ultra baja Por Nikita Korotkov (Corning SNG, Moscú, Rusia) y Vladimir Pigarev (Saranskkabel-Optikа, Saransk, Rusia)

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Deployed terrestrial optical cables with ultra-low loss bres By Nikita Korotkov (Corning SNG, Moscow, Russia) and Vladimir Pigarev (Saranskkabel-Optikа, Saransk, Russia) Verlegung von Lichtwellenleiter- Erdkabeln mit ultra verlustarmen Fasern von Nikita Korotkov (Corning SNG, Moskau, Russland) und Vladimir Pigarev (Saranskkabel-Optikа, Saransk, Russland) Развернутые наземные оптические кабели с волокнами ультранизких потерь (Никита Коротков (Корнинг СНГ, Москва, Россия) и Владимир Пигарев (Сарансккабель-Оптика, Саранск, Россия)

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dates for your diary . . .

wire China 2020

2020

September 23-26 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 11-14 October : IWCS – virtual symposium – Organisers : IWCS Tel : +1 717 993 9500 Website : www.iwcs.org December 7-11 December : wire 2020 – trade exhibition – Düsseldorf, Germany Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Fax : +49 211 4560 668 Email : wire@messe-duesseldorf.de Website : www.wire.de January 25-28 January : MACH – trade exhibition – Birmingham, UK Organisers : MTA (Manufacturing Technologies Association) Email : mach@mta.org.uk Website : www.machexhibition.com March 25-27 March : 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 As with all shows, and with the continuing coronavirus pandemic, please check to ensure the event is going ahead. 2021

Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com “Shanghai Tower, World Financial Center and the Jin Mao Tower” Photographer: BILLPERRY

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May 2020

Corporate News

Photo credit: Messe Düsseldorf/C.Tillman

▲ ▲ Visitors at wire 2018

December date for wire 2020

Existing contracts with Messe Düsseldorf remain valid for the new date; visitor tickets already purchased also remain valid. 2,600 exhibitors in 15 halls are expected to present their latest machinery and equipment for wire and tube production, processing and finishing, end products, products and services. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.wire.de

the increasingly dynamic developments regarding the spread of coronavirus. “It is very important for us to inform you of this new date as soon as possible in order to ensure planning security for the entire industry and its partners,” said Wolfram Diener, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. “Our customers and partners can trust us to act calmly and responsibly even in difficult situations.”

wire 2020 – the world’s leading international trade fair for the wire and cable industry – will now take place from 7 to 11 December 2020 at Düsseldorf Fairgrounds. This is Messe Düsseldorf’s timely response to the postponement of the exhibition announced at the end of February. It was agreed in consultation with all partners involved in order to counteract

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Corporate News

WAI Operations Summit &Wire Expo 2020 cancelled

Interwire – the long-running trade event for wire and cable in the Americas – will in 2021 celebrate 40 years since its founding. It is scheduled for 10-13 May, 2021, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where it originated in 1981. Wire Expo exhibitors are being offered refunds, or the option to transfer booth payments for Expo to their balance due for Interwire. TheWire Association International, Inc www.wirenet.org CRU Events has announced the postponement of the FTTH APAC Conference 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19. The event had been scheduled to take place from 15 to 17 June in Hanoi, Vietnam. New dates are yet to be announced. As the health and well-being of members, clients and staff is the priority, CRU and the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific will continue to monitor the situation and to take advice from the World Health Organization and relevant governments. CRU Events www.crugroup.com FTTH APAC Conference 2020 postponed

The Wire Association International (WAI) has announced that its board of directors has cancelled the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2020 due to the uncertain trajectory and effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was originally scheduled for 3-4 June at the Mohegan Sun Resort Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. The suspension of the event had previously been announced in March, pending further investigation of the availability of alternate dates and the viability of rescheduling later this year. However, after full consideration, and following recommendations by WAI’s exhibition planning committee, the directors made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the event. Some elements of WAI’s 90 th Annual Convention, including the presentation of the WAI Mordica Memorial, Donnellan Memorial, and President’s Awards, will take place in 2020, likely at a WAI Chapter event. Commenting on the decision, WAI president and exhibition planning committee member Jan Sørige said, “I am confident in our decision. Our priority is the health and safety of WAI’s community. As of today, we shift focus to Interwire 2021 in Atlanta. WAI’s staff and committee members are fully engaged to ensure that Interwire is a success. We extend thanks to WAI’s loyal exhibitor base, its sponsors and speakers, and look forward to a productive show in 2021.”

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Supermac – Global Solution Provider in Extrusion and Process Technology

Supermac established in the year 1974, is a leader in manufacturing high-end systems and process technology for wire & cable in the power and telecom sector and related industries. The ISO 9001 certi ed company specializes in o ering customized and tailor-made solutions to ful l speci c needs of a variety of customers all across the globe. Industries,

With a highly skilled design team, with the best of manufacturing and highly talented commissioning team, and trained experts in cable processes and technology, we o er design to process expertise to bring in the best product for you. The company has three established and running units near New Deli and we are adding another unit under our expansion program. The state-of-the-art facilities are equipped with international and domestic machinery to carry out the process of manufacturing as per the customer’s requirements. Supermac has strategic partnerships with German Companies – M/S Scholz to cover CCV Lines, M/S Rubicon to cover Rubber Extrusion Lines and Simpack USA for Coiling Machines and Solutions. Supermac specialises in the following areas: · State-of-the-art CCV Line with Scholz Vulcanisation system for Power Cables up to 132 KV XLPE and 33 KV for Rubber · Proven Triple Extrusion Line for SIOPLAS (XLPE) cables · High-speed Insulation Line and Sheathing Line for House Wiring & Control Cables and medical equipment sector · High output and best in class Insulation Line and Sheathing Line for Power Cables · HCV Rubber insulation and sheathing line · Hybrid and composite CCV lines for both XLPE and Rubber · Rubicon make Rubber extruders for Insulation and sheathing materials · Silicone extrusion lines with infrared vulcanisation system · Extruders for variety of applications – up to 175 mm · Cross-Head Single/Dual/Triple · Haul-O Caterpillar · Capstan · Take-up and pay-o of all types and sizes and as per requirement above 4.5 meters and 40 MT Supermac CCV Line High speed building wire line

www.supermacindia.com

SUPERMAC INDUSTRIES (INDIA) LIMITED

UNIT-I : Plot No-2, Sector-6, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon Haryana, INDIA Ph.: +91-0124-4690500 | Fax: +91-0124-4690501 E-mail: jasvinder@supermacindia.com, vkohli@supermacindia.com

OFFICE : A-28 & 29, NARAINA Industrial Area Phase-1, New Delhi-110028, INDIA Ph.: +91-11-45574317 E-mail: o ce@supermacindia.com

UNIT-II : Plot No. 18-19, Sector-2A, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, INDIA

Corporate News

IWMA Young Person Award 2020 As part of its 50 th anniversary this year, the IWMA is celebrating its Wire & Cable Industry Young Person of the Year Award. Alun Owens, one of the newest support team leads at Cimteq, has been announced as the award winner.

The cable industry, like many other manufacturing industries, has found it difficult to recruit staff at the skill levels needed to build the smart factories of the future. The new awards programme aims to reflect the efforts of the next generation of talent. Mr Owens was announced as the winner at the IWMA Industry Lunch in February. He will benefit from a prize of £500 as well as having his name and that of Cimteq promoted to hundreds of IWMA member companies around the world.

▲ ▲ (From left) Friedrich Kehrer of Messe Düsseldorf, comedian Ted Robbins, award winner Alun Owens, and IWMA chairman Martin Van Der Zwan

As well as being under the age of 30 and being with his company for at least a period of 12 months, Mr Owens needed to display a number of qualities to qualify: a significant and sustained contribution to his organisation and work colleagues; a commitment to company objectives above and beyond that normally expected at his level; and enthusiasm for his own professional development. Robert Douglass, Cimteq’s operations director, explained why Mr Owens was a worthy winner: “Whilst Alun’s programming skills are unquestionably of a high standard, it’s the way in which he applies himself that makes him such an impressive colleague. He’s only a couple of years into his career following his BSc in computer gaming and programming skills at Glyndwr University and yet he has already developed an innate understanding of how to match software functionality to real-world business requirements. Winning this award is a great achievement for Alun. His hard work and dedication at Cimteq is very much appreciated.” IWMA www.iwma.org Cimteq Ltd www.cimteq.com

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Corporate News

NewVP of sales and marketing at NDC

position.” Mr Perry takes over from Randy Luffman, who served as NDC’s vice president of sales and marketing and is retiring after being with the company since 2012. Mr Perry has more than 18 years of sales and leadership experience in the technology sector. He joins NDC from Emerson Electric, where he was the Americas regional leader responsible for directing the sales organisation and driving annual revenue growth for the company’s automation and controls business. While there, his team focused on the sales of Emerson’s PLC controls, IIoT-enabled hardware and cloud-computing platform, and industrial communication products within the power generation market. He has also held sales and sales leadership positions at GE, Danaher, Johnson Controls and York International Corporation. NDC Technologies Inc www.ndc.com

NDC Technologies, a provider of productivity-enhancing measurement and control solutions, has announced that veteran sales leader John Perry has joined the company as vice president of sales and marketing. In this role, Mr Perry will be responsible for leading NDC’s global sales organisation, executing the company’s go-to-market strategy and accelerating pipeline growth across the company’s key vertical markets. “John brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our executive leadership team and we are looking forward to him playing a key role in driving our marketing and sales growth activities,” said Marti Nyman, president of NDC Technologies. “John’s sales leadership and strong track record of selling across global markets will be a valuable asset to our company’s plans for accelerating growth and expanding our market presence.” Mr Perry commented, “I am honoured to join the NDC team and help to build on a solid foundation developed over the

▲ ▲ John Perry

years. This is an exciting and outstanding opportunity to play an important role in accelerating the company’s growth and further deepening our customer relationships and worldwide market

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Corporate News

Davis-Standard appoints new executive vice president

▲ ▲ Zachary Ament

Davis-Standard has announced that Zachary Ament has been promoted to executive vice president, with effect from 6 March. He will replace long-time Davis-Standard employee and team leader Ernie Plasse, who is retiring. Mr Ament has been with Davis-Standard for more than seven years, most recently serving as vice president of business development. In that role, he has been involved in the development and tactical execution of the company’s organisational strategy, including mergers, acquisitions and strategic agreements, positioning him well to assume Mr Plasse’s role. “Ernie’s leadership, industry knowledge and vast experience will be greatly missed,” said Jim Murphy, Davis-Standard’s president and CEO. “He’s had an extraordinary 46-year career at Davis-Standard. His humility and work ethic set an excellent example for our entire team at Davis-Standard, and we wish him all the best in retirement.” Mr Murphy added, “Zachary will do an outstanding job in this role and has been working alongside Ernie to ensure a smooth transition. We look forward to his perspective and leadership as we continue our commitment to outstanding customer service.” Mr Plasse began his career as a stockroom clerk at Sterling Blow Molding, (a Davis-Standard brand) in 1973, and assumed roles of greater responsibility in the following years, eventually becoming the vice president of manufacturing at Sterling. He relocated to Davis-Standard’s headquarters in 1994, and became executive vice president – aftermarket in 2013. Davis-Standard, headquartered in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA, designs, develops and distributes extrusion and converting technology. Its systems encompass more than ten product lines to support manufacturing applications and customers within major industries, including agriculture, automotive, construction, healthcare, energy, electronics, and food and beverage packaging. Davis-Standard, LLC www.davis-standard.com

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Corporate News

Top position in measuring, control, sorting and inspection systems

our experience create the foundation for successful growth.” all Sikora employees: “The award is an excellent motivation to continue and further expand our commitment.” The annually updated list of the “global market leaders – future champions” in Germany is based on an objective and transparent selection process. According to the index, global market leaders are worldwide- active, successful companies with mostly leading technologies and under family management. They show the largest or second largest market share in their segment. long-standing Dr Frank also thanked

Their annual turnover is between 5 and 50 million euros, of which at least 40 per cent has been generated abroad. “Future champions” are also active on at least three continents. All of these criteria were fulfilled by Sikora. The technology company was founded in 1973 by Harald Sikora, after whom it is named. As a manufacturer and supplier of measuring and control technology for the wire and cable, hose and tube, sheets, optical fibre, metals and plastics industries, the company has 14 international offices and more than 30 regional representatives. The measuring and control systems are exclusively made at the headquarters in Bremen, Germany. Sikora AG www.sikora.net

▲ ▲ The Sikora headquarters in Bremen, Germany

Sikora AG, a manufacturer and supplier of measuring, control, inspection and sorting technology, has been listed as “global market leader – future champion 2020”, based on the “global market leader index” of the Henri B Meier Entrepreneur School of the University of St Gallen and the Academy of German Global Market Leaders (ADWM). The company has already been on the list of global market leaders since 2016. CEO Dr Christian Frank commented, “We are delighted to receive this award as it cannot be taken for granted. To be rated among the global market leaders confirms the course our company is taking. The development of future-oriented technologies, the diversification into new markets, our international network and

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Corporate News

Reducing material costs in automotive wire production

as well as the stripe width, according to previously set references. It is also possible to optimise the product recipe. Due its sensitivity, the masterbatch demand can be reduced. Rosendahl subjected the system to intensive tests on its RA-A automotive wire production line. The results reveal that recipes with 2.5 per cent

When producing ultra-thin cable at high production speeds, monitoring the insulation colour by sight alone is not practical. With this in mind, Rosendahl has developed a highly sensitive colour recognition system, called DVS SK-400-C, to detect even the slightest deviations. The colour recognition sensor system measures the main and stripe colours,

▲ ▲ SK-400-C colour recognition system

masterbatch can be decreased to 1.5 per cent while still maintaining the same colour shade. The system’s main component is a PC-based evaluation unit with 360° camera surveillance. This unit consists of four cameras, covered by a protective housing. This enables continuous colour quality monitoring, which is also displayed on the reel protocol. Colour reliability is therefore immediately assured, eliminating colour complaints and faulty production. Waste and scrap are reduced at start-up, during production and even during colour changes. The system can be integrated into a new or existing production line, and can also be used as a stand-alone unit.

Rosendahl Nextrom GmbH www.rosendahlnextrom.com

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Corporate News

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

Postponement of Indian metal fairs to March 2021 The leading national Indian trade fairs wire India, Tube India, METEC India and India Essen Welding & Cutting will now take place from 25 to 27 March 2021 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre. By postponing the events until next year, the Indian organiser Messe Düsseldorf India is reacting to the current dynamics with regard to trade fair shifts in the international calendar of events for metal and metallurgy trade fairs, and COVID-19 and its unforeseeable after-effects worldwide. Together with partners from business and industry, the situation was reassessed and the difficult decision was made to postpone the trade fairs until spring 2021. Around 400 exhibitors from 25 countries are expected to attend. Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, global portfolio director, metals and flow technologies, of Messe Düsseldorf, explained, “We are very grateful to our exhibitors and partners for their support in these difficult times. Together we will master the challenges ahead. All the more reason to look forward to welcoming you all to Mumbai from 25 to 27 March 2021.” Messe Düsseldorf India www.md-india.com Magnifin initiates next stage towards expansion The board of directors of Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte has approved the preparatory work for the construction of a second production site. The board decision was based on a successfully completed feasibility study and is the next step towards the potential final approval to construct the second site. This planned significant investment aims to meet growing global demand and to support the growth in customers for high-purity, halogen-free magnesium hydroxide fire retardants. The new plant would manufacture the same product portfolio that is being manufactured at Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte in Breitenau, Austria. The expansion project would enhance the company’s ability to deliver premium magnesium hydroxides and would provide additional supply chain flexibility for its customers. Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co KG is a 50/50 joint venture between Martinswerk GmbH (part of the fire-retardant additives business of the Huber Engineered Materials division of JM Huber Corporation) and Veitscher Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH (part of the RHI Magnesita NV group of companies). Magnifin coated and uncoated magnesium hydroxides are environment-friendly, non-halogenated flame retardants used in a wide range of polymer applications, especially thermoplastic materials and elastomers requiring high processing temperatures in excess of 200°C. Typical applications include energy and LAN data cables, automotive wire and cable, engineering thermoplastics such as connectors, and construction foils. The board of directors, in a joint statement, said, “The new Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte plant would benefit from the combined strength of RHI Magnesita and Huber, who bring in extensive expertise in plant engineering, operations and sales and marketing of halogen-free flame retardants.” Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co KG www.magnifin.com

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

Huber Engineered Materials www.hubermaterials.com RHI Magnesita www.rhimagnesita.com

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Corporate News

Vandor expands

▲ ▲ A view of the warehouse expansion

Vandor Corporation, the parent company of Reel Options, has added 50,000 ft 2 of manufacturing and warehouse space to its plastics facility in Richmond, Indiana, USA, bringing the total to 175,000 ft 2 . The expansion will not only consolidate operations and improve productivity, but will also make room for more injection moulding machines on top of the existing fifty. Vandor Corporation manufactures products for a variety of industries and has a total of four facilities in the USA. The plastics division in Richmond includes Reel Options and Enviromold Plastics. It provides custom plastic injection moulding, and specialises in light- and medium-duty reel assemblies for the wire and cable industries, including fibre optics, and brake-assisted boxed reels. Vandor has also announced that Chris Nichols has joined Reel Options as national account manager. “With his 22 years’ background in plastics tool engineering as an operational and technical problem solver, Chris is in a perfect place to help existing and new customers improve on their wire and cable packaging needs,” stated Gerald Davis, president of Vandor Corp. Vandor Corporation www.vandorcorp.com Reel Options www.reeloptions.com

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Corporate News

High honour for Dietmar Harting

for Innovation initiative of chancellors Schröder and Merkel. The Karmarsch medal was donated in 1925 by the Hannoversche Hochschulgemeinschaft (now known as the Leibniz University Society Hanover eV), and is in memory of Karl Karmarsch, the first director of the Hanover University of Applied Sciences, later the Polytechnic School and Technical College, the forerunner of today’s Leibniz University. The award is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology and business. Previous winners have included former presidents of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Hans-Olaf Henkel and Tyll Necker, CEOs Prof Ferdinand Piëch (VW), Jürgen Großmann (RWE), Bernhard Plettner (Siemens) and Wulf Bernotat (E.on), as well as Maria- Elisabeth Schaeffler, shareholder of Schaeffler AG. Harting Stiftung & Co KG www.harting.com

Dietmar Harting has been honoured with the Karmarsch Medal of the Leibniz University Society Hanover eV for his outstanding commitment as a shaper and supporter of technology, science and industry. Dr Harting, the long-standing CEO of the Harting Technology Group, was actively engaged as president of national and international associations and bodies for norm setting, standardisation and innovation, contributing to the positive development of the German electronics and electrical engineering industry. His commitment was emphasised at the official ceremony at Herrenhausen Castle, Hanover, by the chairman of the board of the university society, Dr med Volker Müller, and by former German president Christian Wulff. From 2003 to 2009, Dr Harting headed the German Institute for Standardization eV (DIN), and from 2008 to 2009 he was at the helm of the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC).

In addition, from 1998 to 2004 he led the Central Association of the Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry (ZVEI). Many of the normative foundations that Industry 4.0 and industrial digitalisation today are based on were created during this time. From 1995 to 1998, Dr Harting was on the Council for Research, Technology and Innovation of German chancellor Helmut Kohl, and between 2004 and 2008 he was a member of the Partners ▲ ▲ Dietmar Harting (second from left), with Maresa Harting-Hertz, Christian Wulff, Margrit Harting and Philip Harting

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Corporate News

Cooperation for processing of flame retardants Russian Mining Chemical Company (RMCC), a producer of magnesium minerals, has announced that the first bulk shipment of brucite ore (natural magnesium hydroxide) has arrived at the premises of Quimialmel SA in Castellón de la Plana, Spain. Quimialmel specialises in the handling and processing of industrial minerals, and as a result of extensive joint trials the products processed at Quimialmel exhibit the same characteristics as the products processed in RMCC’s own processing facilities in Vyazma, in Russia’s Smolensk region. Ecopiren® is an ecological flame retardant that is used in polymer compounds for electric cables, aluminium composite panels and roofing membranes. Its benefits include consistent quality and narrowly defined particle size distribution. Vladimir Nosenko, CEO of RMCC, commented, “The cooperation allows RMCC to satisfy the fast-growing demand for Ecopiren in Spain and its surrounding countries as well as in North Africa and the Middle East. It also means we can improve our service to our valued customers by reducing the lead time and being able to offer bulk deliveries.” Agustín Quintana Gascó, CEO of Quimialmel SA, added, “The cooperation with RMCC fits perfectly in our ambition to grow our activity in the processing of high quality minerals. With our state-of-the-art equipment we are perfectly capable of meeting the stringent quality demands for Ecopiren.” Russian Mining Chemical Company www.magminerals.ru Quimialmel SA www.quimialmel.com

IWG sells Trenton facility

International Wire Group, Inc (IWG), a manufacturer of copper wire products for a range of industries such as aerospace, defence and energy, has completed the sale of its business unit IWG High Performance Conductors, Inc (HPC) to Teleflex Medical OEM LLC. HPC (Trenton, Georgia, USA) produces highly engineered, minimally invasive medical solutions, which will expand Teleflex’s portfolio of medical technologies. IWG will continue to focus on its core product offerings through its Bare Wire Division (BWD) and its Engineered Products Division, based in Camden, New York, in addition to the plated copper wire products offered by its affiliate High Performance Conductors LLC, based in Inman, South Carolina. “We are very pleased to have found this ideal new home for the medical devices business with Teleflex and are sure the Trenton associates’ capabilities will be an asset to their team,” said IWG president and chief executive officer Greg Smith.

International Wire Group, Inc www.internationalwiregroup.com

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May 2020

Corporate News

Major rolling mill automation upgrade project at Gerdau AIC (Automazioni Industriali Capitanio) has successfully commissioned a major rolling mill automation upgrade project at a plant in Selkirk, in Manitoba, Canada. The project confirms the cooperation between AIC and Gerdau group, sealed after the main rolling mill upgrade project was carried out at a plant in Jackson, Tennessee, USA, as well as several other projects at Gerdau facilities. The scope of the project included the complete rolling mill automation, from the reheating furnace exit to the cooling bed, including the rougher area, pendulum shear, continuous mill composed of 14 stands and two start/ stop shears, intermediate and dividing shears, a complete cooling bed entry conveyor, braking slide and cooling bed. Strategic motor drives were also replaced at the site, together with the automation upgrade, to increase the production capacity of the mill. The first part of the upgrade has been commissioned and the second part is scheduled for the summer 2020 outage. As part of the solution, the obsolete Automax PLC system at the site (including rolling mill control, descaler, water system and auxiliaries based on Automax, SLC500 and PLC5 from AB) was replaced with a new AB CLX PLC and auxiliary DC drives of ABB brand, and AC drives from AB. The main upgrade has improved performance and reduced both operating expenses and the loss of time, thanks to the replacement of obsolete control systems and the installation of new drives. The commissioning was completed within the previously agreed time frame, and took only two weeks. Production started at full capacity from day one. AIC is a global system integrator providing advanced and tailored automation and robotic solutions for the steel industry, with the aim to improve efficiency, competitiveness and safety of production processes. Gerdau is a major supplier of long steel in the Americas. Its North American business divisions manufacture steel products for the agricultural, automotive, civil construction, energy, industrial and mining markets. The mills utilise efficient and clean production practices, including the use of electric arc furnace (EAF) technology, and the company’s recycling practices transform millions of tons of scrap metal into steel products each year. Automazioni Industriali It operates ten mills in the USA and three in Canada.

Capitanio Srl www.aicnet.it Gerdau SA www2.gerdau.com

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May 2020

Corporate News

CO 2 neutral by 2025

create an indispensable framework for this. The climate protection targets cannot be achieved without sufficient electricity from renewable energies at competitive prices and the corresponding grid infrastructure. Based on current calculations by the VCI, the German Chemical Industry Association, the annual electricity needs of the German chemical industry on the way to greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 will increase to more than eleven times the current value (628 TWh compared to 54 TWh today). “We are therefore calling on policymakers to promote renewable energies much more strongly and swiftly. Incentives must be created to ensure that sufficient electricity and heat capacities from CO 2 – neutral sources will continue to be available in the future,” said Mr Babilas. “New procedures must be accelerated by public subsidies, and barriers to use and own production must be eliminated. Furthermore, policymakers should create comparable competitive conditions for the industry with internationally uniform CO 2 pricing.” Altana AG www.altana.com

By 2025, chemicals group Altana will reduce its CO 2 impact from production and energy procurement worldwide to zero. This year, the company’s entire power supply will be converted to renewable energies. the unavoidable use of natural gas until 2025 by financing equivalent climate protection projects in the regions where CO 2 emissions are generated. The same applies to offsetting CO 2 emissions arising from necessary business trips, company cars and the transport of goods. “We want to leave our footprint on innovations, not on emissions,” said Martin Babilas, CEO of Altana AG, explaining the decision. “With our CO 2 neutrality programme up to 2025, we are fulfilling our responsibility for climate protection and consistently pursuing our sustainability course.” By 2017, Altana had already achieved the goal it set itself in 2007 of reducing CO 2 emissions by 30 per cent in relation to gross value added by 2020. In order to further reduce emissions, Altana is relying on greater energy efficiency as Altana will compensate for

well as heat and electricity generation at its worldwide sites. In the long term, renewable energies should also replace natural gas as a source of energy. In addition to the existing solar systems at Elantas in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, and at BYK in Deventer, Netherlands, a further photovoltaic system has gone into operation at Elantas in Pune, India, which covers the electricity requirements of the new research centre at this site. In Collecchio, Italy, Elantas is currently constructing another photovoltaic system for a new production and laboratory building. Altana is also setting up a programme in close cooperation with its suppliers to improve the CO 2 balance of purchased raw materials. According to Mr Babilas, industry plays a decisive role in driving forward global climate protection. “The more companies that commit themselves to climate neutrality and create the relevant facts, the faster we can achieve the Paris climate protection targets.”

However, he added, policymakers should

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May 2020

Corporate News

New appointments at R&M

▲ ▲ Daniel Zhang

▲ ▲ Grigoris Panagos

▲ ▲ Kim Ciesla

telecom business. During his career he has worked on various projects in the information and communications market, such as FttA for 4G mobile networks and LAN connectivity for public and private networks, providing expertise and knowledge in the fields of sales and marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree of electronics engineering from the Technical University of Lamia, and an MBA with focus on telecoms from the Athens University of Economics and Business. Mr Ciesla, based in Denmark, also has many years of experience in the connectivity business, working for several different companies – most recently, Prysmian. During his career he has worked in various sales roles in the industry. Reichle & De-Massari AG www.rdm.com

active in the Chinese data centre industry for more than 20 years, with specific expertise in power, cooling, enclosures and cabling. He has held different positions over the years, including product manager, operations director, country manager and business development manager. vice president APAC at R&M, commented, “China is the second largest market for structural cabling in the world and the DC market will be extremely dynamic in the next years. Daniel Zhang, together with a highly motivated team, will establish R&M among the top players in the market.” R&M has also increased its sales presence in Europe, with the appointment of two new sales managers – Grigoris Panagos for Greece, and Kim Ciesla for the Nordics. Mr Panagos has over 16 years of experience in the connectivity and Laurent Amestoy, executive

Swiss cabling specialist Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) has appointed a new general manager for China. Daniel Zhang will succeed Sam Ho, who has directed the R&M business in the Chinese market over the last 11 years. R&M is expanding its market presence in China. The acquisition of Durack Intelligent Electric Co Ltd, a manufacturer of enclosures for modular data centres for customers in the financial, governmental, educational and co-location data centre sectors, at the beginning of 2019 was a first step that enabled the company to offer complete solutions for the growing data centre market. R&M is also setting up a fibre optic and copper assembly factory, to be operational in the second quarter of 2020. Mr Zhang joined R&M as general manager for China with the task of integrating the two businesses and to drive further growth. He has been

Online competition to detect and classify defects in steel

Severstal allocated $120,000 of funds in prizes for competitors, including a $20,000 prize for efficiency. Participants who finished in the top 50 on the Kaggle private leaderboard were allowed to submit their inference code via docker containers to Severstal for consideration for the efficiency prize. Severstal hopes that the competition will find a solution to make identifying defects in the steel production process more efficient. Successful competitors will help maintain high manufacturing standards for steel and enable Severstal to continue its innovation. PAO Severstal www.severstal.com

PAO Severstal, a steel and steel-related mining company, has held a public online competition to help engineers improve its algorithms for detecting defects in steel. Through Kaggle, an online platform for data scientists and machine learners, Severstal opened the competition to entrants from all over the world. The production process of flat sheet steel is delicate: from heating and rolling to drying and cutting, several machines touch flat steel by the time it is ready to ship. Severstal currently uses images taken by high-frequency cameras to power a defect-detection algorithm. In the competition, applicants helped engineers improve the algorithm by localising and classifying surface defects on a steel sheet.

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May 2020

Transatlantic Cable

Ifo president Clemens Fuest said in a statement at the time, “The German economy seems una ected by developments surrounding the coronavirus,” and reiterated a rst-quarter growth forecast of 0.2 per cent. The institute warned, however, that the survey could not fully re ect the potential economic results of the coronavirus. A reduction in exports, combined with an automotive sector facing disruption from a costly move to electri cation, has prompted the German economy to lose momentum. However, Ifo said, a sub-index measuring morale in the manufacturing sector rose for the third consecutive month due to “a better orders outlook”. Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics, commented, “The small rebound in February will be a relief for those braced for a big hit from the coronavirus, but it leaves the index below its [96.3] level in December. After at-lining in Q4 last year we suspect that the German economy will not grow in the rst half of this year either, even if the e ects of the coronavirus are contained.” German o cial gures released in February highlighted weakness in the manufacturing sector, showing that December 2019 recorded the biggest fall in German industrial output since 2009. And 2020 started brighter for the UK economy During February, the UK economy grew at its fastest rate since September 2018 but, as the month progressed, the manufacturing industry increasingly felt the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The IHS Markit/CIPS UK Purchasing Managers’ Index for all business sectors rose to 53.0 in February, from 52.8 in January, supported by an upsurge in construction activity. The services PMI was down to 53.2, from the 16-month high of 53.9 recorded in January. The January boom appeared to re ect increased con dence after the alleviation, in part, of political uncertainty following the UK’s general election in late 2019. That con dence was, in common with much of global industry, at risk of being undermined by the coronavirus outbreak. Chris Williamson, economist at IHS Markit, commented, “Whether this expansion can be sustained in coming months is starting to look increasingly at risk. The survey data leave policymakers juggling between current signs of both improved economic growth and rising prices, while risks to the outlook have clearly intensi ed.” The PMI survey took place from mid- to late-February, before the potential impact of coronavirus became evident.

The global manufacturing sector

US manufacturing saw a February slowdown, exacerbated by COVID-19

The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) monthly review of the business climate showed that factory manufacturing activity in the United States slowed during February. New orders and contracts were fewer, possibly a result of the coronavirus spread, which by March was fuelling nancial market fears of a recession. The ISM said its index of national factory activity fell to a reading of 50.1 in February, lower than economists had anticipated, from 50.9 in January. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, which currently accounts for 11 per cent of the US economy. The ISM index rose above 50 in January, for the rst time for ve months, following an easing of the China-USA trade tensions, but coronavirus (COVID-19) presented a new threat to factories. It was a blow, as some Federal Reserve factory surveys had indicated a stabilisation in manufacturing during the year. At time of writing, nancial markets are concerned that coronavirus could derail the longest economic expansion on record, now in its 11 th year. The ISM’s new orders sub-index dropped to a reading of 49.8 in February, compared to 52.0 in January. Export orders also fell in February, after January saw them reach their highest level since September 2018. Manufacturers reported paying less for raw materials and resources, while the factory employment index fell to 46.9 in February, suggesting manufacturing payrolls would remain weak following declines in December and January. After ending 2019 on a low, there were signs of optimism for German manufacturing In the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research’s Business Climate Index for February 2020, German business reported higher morale than of late. The new optimism slightly eased the fears of recession in the German economy, which slowed in the fourth quarter of 2019 after private and state spending weakened, and re ected an improvement in the manufacturing sector, which had witnessed a fall in exports. The Ifo Institute announced that the February reading rose to 96.1 – from 96.0 in January – which compared favourably against a Reuters forecast that it would drop to 95.3.

Image: www.bigstockphoto.com Photographer Adrian Grosu

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May 2020

Transatlantic cable

To create the new conductive sheet, the Australian team took a thin lm of indium-tin oxide (ITO), a transparent material commonly used in mobile phone touchscreens, and, using liquid metal chemistry, shrunk it from three dimensions to two. The nano-thin sheets are compatible with existing electronic technologies, and because of their exibility could potentially be printed and manufactured through roll-to-roll (R2R) processing, much like a newspaper. Lead researcher, and RMIT research fellow, Torben Daeneke said that while ITO is transparent, and very conductive, it is also very brittle, so “we’ve taken an old material and transformed it from the inside to create a new version that’s supremely thin and exible. You can bend it, you can twist it, and you could make it far more cheaply and e ciently than the slow and expensive way that we currently manufacture touchscreens. “Turning it two-dimensional (2D) also makes it more transparent, so it lets through more light. This means a cell phone with a touchscreen made of our material would use less power, extending the battery life by roughly ten per cent.” ITO manufacturing is currently a slow and expensive batch process, conducted in a vacuum chamber. “The beauty is that our approach doesn’t require expensive or specialised equipment – it could even be done in a home kitchen,” Mr Daeneke said. “We’ve shown it’s possible to create printable, cheaper electronics using ingredients you could buy from a hardware store, printing onto plastics to make touchscreens of the future.” The liquid metal printing method involves heating an indium-tin alloy to 200°C, where it becomes liquid, and then rolling it over

The PMIs suggest that the UK economy is growing at a quarterly rate of a little over 0.2 per cent, faster than at the end of 2019; but the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, speaking before the US Federal Reserve announced its interest rate cut, said that the economic impact of the virus could be large, and policymakers were working on possible responses. IHS Markit said, “There were a number of reports citing a negative impact on sales from the coronavirus outbreak, particularly to clients in overseas markets. The loss of momentum for incoming new business also contributed to the sharpest drop in backlogs of work since last September.” A PMI survey of the manufacturing sector showed factories were already struggling with increasing delays in their supply chains as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. New screen stays in touch A research team of collaborators from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Monash University and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET), led by researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, have developed an ultra-thin, ultra- exible, transparent electronic material. Reporting in Nature Electronics , the team explained that the touch-responsive material is 100 times thinner than existing touchscreen materials, and so pliable it can be rolled into a tube. Materials research

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May 2020