EuroWire November 2017

Some big stories are stealing the headlines in this latest issue of EuroWire . As the industry gears itself up for a hectic start to the new year – with wire 2018 now rmly in mind – this year is ending on a high with business brisk and opportunities plenty. Schuler has an order for four forging lines in China, with delivery due to take place during the rst half of 2018. See page 9 for full details. Lapp Group has adopted a faster, more exible and more communicative approach to its buildings, with a new head o ce in Germany recently opening. Turn to page 10. Davis-Standard welcomed political heavyweights to the opening of the 15,000ft 2 extension to its site at Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA (page 11). The company also announced the acquisition of Maillefer, with president and CEO Jim Murphy stating“we are excited to expand our organisation with Maillefer’s talented workforce and out- standing management team”. The full story is on page 13. In the UK, cable theft is still a problem on our railways, despite a fall in reported incidents. The UK rail network still su ers with an hour a day of delays caused by theft. See page 15. It is always nice to hear of good stories coming from within the industry and charity seems to rmly begin at home with AlliedWire and Cable. The company, long supporter of a number of charities, has donated $14,000 to ful l a child’s wish throughMake-A-Wish. The company donated $10,000 and raised the further $4,000 from ra es and customer donations. Four-year-old Tommy, who su ers from a cardiac condition, and his Hectic end to the year

* US$33 purchase only Front cover: Beneke Wire Company See page 79 for further details

E DITOR : ....................................... David Bell F EATURES E DITOR (USA) : .........Dorothy Fabian E DITORIAL ASSISTANT : .................Christian Bradley D ESIGN /P RODUCTION : ................Julie Tomlin P RODUCTION : ..............................Lisa Wright S ALES & M ARKETING : ................Jason Smith ( I NTERNATIONAL ) UK & ROW sales

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family were able to make his dream come true when they visited Disney World. See page 21.

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David Bell Editor

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November 2017

35

Regulars

8 Diary of events

9 Corporate News

30 Transatlantic Cable

Copyright -Esteves Group

35 Technology News

79 Editorial Index

9

79 Advertisers’ Index

49

Deutsch Inhalt 52 Neuigkeiten 79 Inserentenverzeichnis

Содержание на русском языке 58 Ηοвости рьінка 79 Перечень рекламодателей

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Technical Articles

Next Issue Getting Technical: Measuring devices for quality control of optical bres in the drawing tower for a perfect t in subsea cables

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Development and Quali cation of a High Performance Zero Halogen Primary 90°C Wet Rated LV Insulation System By Mike E Slevin, David G Roberts, Allan P Marconi and James Freestone, SACO AEI Polymers Entwicklung und Quali zierung eines leistungsstarken halogenfreien primären 90°C wet-rated NS-Isolationssystems von Mike E Slevin, David G Roberts, Allan P Marconi und James Freestone, SACO AEI Polymers Разработка и квалификация высокопроизводительной негалогенной основной системы изоляции низкого номинального напряжения во влажной среде при 90°C Майк Э. Слевин, Дэвид Г. Робертс, Аллан П. Маркони и Джеймс Фристоун, SACO AEI Polymers Développement et quali cation d’un système primaire d’isolation BT sans halogènes à haute performance, homologué pour des environnements humides à 90°C Sviluppo e quali cazione di un sistema di isolamento primario BT privo di alogeni ad alte prestazioni, omologato per ambienti umidi a 90°C A cura di Mike E Slevin, David G Roberts, Allan P Marconi e James Freestone, SACO AEI Polymers Desarrollo y clasi cación de un sistema de aislamiento primario de BT de altas prestaciones sin halógenos, clasi cado para lugares húmedos a 90ºC Par Mike E Slevin, David G Roberts, Allan P Marconi et James Freestone, SACO AEI Polymers

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Por Mike E Slevin, David G Roberts, Allan P Marconi y James Freestone, SACO AEI Polymers

Indice Español 74 Noticias de Mercado 79 Indice de Anunciadore s 7

Sommaire Français 63 Nouvelles du Marché 79 Index des Annonceurs

Indice Italiano 69 Notizie del Mercato 79 Indice degli Inserzionisti

dates for your diary . . .

2017

November

7 November: CabWire 2017 – conference – Düsseldorf, Germany Organisers : IWMA Fax : +44 121 781 7404 Email : info@iwma.org Website : www.iwma.org

Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com “Azadi Tower, Tehran, Iran” Photographer: Emanuele Mazzoni

2018

February

27–28 February: Advanced Cable North America – conference – Atlanta, Georgia, USA Organisers : Integer Research Tel : +44 207 5031265 Email : info@integer-research.com Website : www.integer-research.com

March

6–8 March: AMI Cables Conference – conference – Cologne, Germany Organisers : Applied Market Information LLC Tel : +44 117 314 8111 Email : lr@amiplastics.com Website : www.amiplastics-na.com

April

16–20 April: wire 2018 – exhibition – Düsseldorf, Germany Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Fax : +49 211 45 60668 Email : wire@messe-duesseldorf.de Website : www.wire.de

May

16–17 May: Wire Expo – exhibition – Nashville, Tennessee, USA Organisers : Wire Association International Fax : +1 203 453 8384

IranWire 2017

6–9 December: IranWire – exhibition – Tehran, Iran Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Fax : +49 211 4560 668 Email : info@iranwire.ir Website : www.iranwire.ir

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

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November 2017

Corporatenews

▲ ▲ The presses of the type MML2 form drive and chassis components such as bevel gears or transmission shafts. Photograph courtesy of Schuler

Order for four forging lines

of the MML2 developed by Schuler can be optimally adapted to the respective component requirements during the design of the press and permits use for both cold and warm forging. “Economical manufacturing of parts in large volumes is only possible by optimal coordination of the equipment, process technology know-how, and tool technology,”Mr Bieg said. “At Schuler, this knowledge is combined with years of experience. The result: the particular expertise for implementing efficient, complete solutions – like the MML2 press series.” Schuler Group – Germany Website : www.schulergroup.com

Manufacturing and assembly will take place at the Göppingen and Erfurt sites, also in Germany. The delivery of the four forging lines is planned to take place in the course of the first half of 2018. Due to the large stroke range of 250 to 800mm, presses of the type MML2 with link drive, which are optionally available with ServoDirect technology, are suitable for the mass production of drive and chassis components in a large variety of sizes – frombevel gears to transmission shafts. The link kinematics reduce the forming speed, thereby increasing both the quality of the parts and the formability of the material. The link drive system

AUTOMOTIVE Chongqing Lianhao Technology from China has ordered four mechanical forging lines from Schuler. The multi-station mechanical presses with link drive have a press force between 8,000 and 20,000 kilonewtons. “We have to thank our sales department in Weingarten for the acquisition of this order,” said Markus Bieg, head of the industry division in Weingarten, Germany. “Our colleagues here will also be responsible for the technical aspects of the product and design of the system. This demonstrates how important this site is for the Schuler Group.” supplier

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November 2017

News Corporate

Throwing open the doors at new head office

FASTER, more communicative – with its new European headquarters, the Lapp Group is opening the door to the future. The office concept of the building erected by the long-established company at its headquarters in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, sets new standards. The new world of work is characterised by the open space concept: Instead of separate rooms with closed-off offices, often with restricted access, everything is open in the new European headquarters. communication, collaboration, knowledge transfer and creativity. That accommodates the desire for collaborative and mobile ways of working. As such, team zones, think tanks, lounges and project zones have been set up in a number of places. Staff can also work in the espresso bar on the ground floor or on the roof terrace. These design innovations are not just about staff well-being – the main aim is to promote customer satisfaction. more flexible, Open for more

▲ ▲ The new European headquarters of the Lapp Group

the history of the innovative family company. The new Lapp European headquarters was opened in June in the presence of around 500 invited guests as part of a customer open day. For its customers, Lapp put together a programme consisting of informative talks by respected experts, and interesting experiences. Lapp Group – Germany Website : www.lappgroup.com

makes possible – we can now respond even better and quicker to our customers’ requirements,” said Dr Matthias Kirchherr, chief sales officer of UI Lapp GmbH. The European headquarters is only the beginning for the new world of work: other office buildings of the Lapp Group in other countries will gradually adopt the concept. For partners and customers who visit Stuttgart personally for meetings, the European headquarters has another highlight in store: an exhibition featuring

“Our customers benefit from the new openness that the modern building

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November 2017

News Corporate

Ribbon cutting at new expansion

DAVIS-STANDARD president and CEO Jim Murphy welcomed Connecticut Governor Dannel P Malloy, Department of Economic Community Development (DECD) Commissioner Catherine Smith, Connecticut State Representative Diana Urban, Connecticut State Senator Heather Somers, Stonington Second Selectman Mike Spellman and more than 400 employees to celebrate the completion of a 15,000ft 2 addition to Davis-Standard’s facility in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA. A ribbon cutting ceremony followed by facility tours commemorated the occasion. The new space houses manufacturing and precision machining of advanced multi-layer blown film dies, enabling Davis-Standard to move all blown film manufacturing from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Pawcatuck. “The facility addition is the culmination of our vision to bring world-class blown film die production to Pawcatuck,” said Mr Murphy. “All Davis-Standard blown film die technology is now integrated under one roof, making us one of the largest manufacturers of seven- to 11-layer blown film dies in the world. “These dies are used for making highly technical multi-layer films used in packaging and pharmaceutical applications, which are high-demand markets for us. “We are grateful to Governor Malloy, Commissioner Smith, Representative Urban, Senator Formica, Senator Somers and Stonington First Selectman Rob Simmons for their support in making this possible.” in Southeast Connecticut since 1848 and is one of the oldest employers in the Southeast Connecticut, Southwest Rhode Island region. The expansion will bring more than 30 new manufacturing jobs to the site over two years. “Davis-Standard has long been one of southeast Connecticut’s largest employers and we are proud to support the growth of their global headquarters here in our state and the creation of new manufacturing jobs that come with it,” Governor Malloy said. Davis-Standard has operated

economy, and our state is committed to supporting this important sector and the growth of its workforce. We are excited to have Davis-Standard as a proud Connecticut-based international business.” In addition to the Pawcatuck facility, Davis-Standard has manufacturing facilities and subsidiaries in the USA, Europe and Asia. “This beautiful new facility is evidence of Davis-Standard’s global leadership in extrusion technology, as well as their commitment to economic stability in our region,” said Diana Urban, Connecticut State Representative for North Stonington and Stonington. “We are proud of all Davis-Standard has achieved over the years and their long-standing relationship with our community. “Many Davis-Standard employees come from multi-generational families who are at the core of Davis-Standard’s innovation. This is a unique situation and we’re honoured to be part of it.” Davis-Standard LLC – USA Website : www.davis-standard.com the Davis-Standard blown film die cell centre with Mike Newhall, Davis-Standard’s director of manufacturing ▲ ▲ Governor Dannel P Malloy tours

“Manufacturing is central to our success and a driving force of Connecticut’s

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November 2017

News Corporate

New production line for compounds

DURING the summer break Fainplast has installed a new production line for HFFR (halogen-free flame-retardant) compounds crosslinkable with the SIOPLAS method (XLPO-HFFR), also known as HFX. For this new line, included in its 2017-2020 investment plan, Fainplast expects complete saturation of production capacity within year 2018, with an expected increase of sales turnover of €10m in this specific product segment. The total amount of investments scheduled by Fainplast for 2017 is approximately €3m. In addition to the new HFX line, at the end of 2017 the installation of a new compounding line of the brand EVAtech will be completed. The Fainplast HFX compounds, which are developed in its R&D laboratories and produced with innovative technology, are shipped worldwide to some of the most reputable cable manufacturers for the production of high temperature cable or solar cables. Faraotti Battista, founder and chief executive of the company, said: “With this new investment we want to consolidate our leadership in the halogen-free flame-retardant cables segment. A market in which we are already one of the global leaders for thermoplastic applications.” Fainplast Srl – Italy Website : www.fainplast.com

▲ ▲ The Fainplast plant in Ascoli Piceno, Italy

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November 2017

News Corporate

Davis-Standard acquires Maillefer

DAVIS-STANDARD LLC announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Maillefer International Oy, of Vantaa, Finland, and Écublens, Switzerland. Pending customary regulatory approvals, the transaction was scheduled to close in late August or early September. “Today is an important day for Davis-Standard and Maillefer as we combine two strong brands into a market leading global extrusion systems and services provider to a world-class customer base,” said Jim Murphy, Davis-Standard president and CEO. “Maillefer is a global leader that has built a strong brand based on operational excellence, technology, and providing superior customer solutions. “We are excited to expand our organisation with Maillefer’s talented workforce and outstanding management team.” Lars Fagerholm, CEO of Maillefer, remarked that the businesses share common values that create a platform for cooperative growth focused on delivering best-in-class systems and service to customers. “Davis-Standard and Maillefer are an excellent fit. Our organisations are proud to serve our valued customers with the most advanced technological solutions and the highest level of service,” he said. “Maillefer will continue to operate and serve its customers as before, and we are excited about this unique chance for business growth and opportunity for all stakeholders.” Mr Murphy added: “We are also pleased to have the continued support of ONCAP, the current majority owner of Davis-Standard. This transaction is a major milestone in expanding our global leadership in plastic extrusion technology.” Davis-Standard LLC – USA Website : www.davis-standard.com New role for Eugenio Troester GmbH & Co KG, Hanover, Germany, a manufacturer of machinery and extrusion equipment for the cable industry, and its subsidiary X-Compound GmbH, Kaisten, Switzerland, has appointed Eugenio Urbina as “business unit manager North and Central America – cable and compounding machinery”, taking over the position from Jack Howanski, who retired in September. Mr Urbina brings more than 34 years of wire and cable experience leading multifunctional engineering teams as a liaison between suppliers, contractors, plant and corporate personnel that ensure successful completion of major engineering projects, capital investment, state-of-the-art technology and cost leading proficiency propositions as both cable manufacturer and machinery supplier. His technical know-how of wire, cable and compounding products, processes, materials and machinery, will assist the company goal to fulfil customer satisfaction, growth and development. Troester GmbH & Co KG – Germany Website : www.troester.de

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November 2017

News Corporate

Cable theft – UK railway network suffers over an hour a day of delays

“It could even get worse if we don’t keep an active eye on the issue.” Rail tracks and cable run through both urban environments and remote areas, so they are vulnerable to tampering, damage or removal by trespassers, vandals, thieves and saboteurs. “This latest British Transport Police report shows that cable theft is still a significant crime, not so much because of the value of the stolen metals, but more the devastation to passengers and others when cable assets are unprotected and damaged on the network,” added Mr Lalor. VPS Site Security claims to be one of the UK’s leading authorities on keeping secure, remote and challenging sites, and is currently helping protect over 20 rail electrification sites across the UK, and many rail and highway construction sites, with advanced CCTV technology.

“Metal theft and vandalism is a serious problem because stealing even just a few pounds worth of metal can leave thousands of railway passengers stranded,” said Peter Lalor, managing director of VPS Site Security. “The Scrap Metal Dealers Act and the police have helped reduce the theft of copper and cable significantly, but as criminals adapt to get around the new rules, the problem is not going to go away.

ANALYSIS of British Transport Police’s crime statistics for 2016/17 (published in August) indicate that cable theft is still causing major delays to the rail network, despite a drop in reported incidents. A study of the data by VPS Site Security shows that cable theft is still occurring five times a week. The BTP Authority, which oversees the transport police force, also records that the subsequent delays and disruptions to passengers was 23,670 minutes. This is half the previous year’s total delay, but still equivalent of cable theft causing network delays of over an hour a day. However, there are wide disparities between regions – Transport for London, Eastern, and Western Divisions experienced a doubling of recorded cable thefts, whilst Scotland’s incidents were halved. Trespass and vandalism, which the police categorise as ‘line of route’ crimes, rose 16 per cent from 1,278 in 2015/16 to 1,485 in the most recent year.

VPS Site Security – UK Website : www.vpsgroup.com

▲ ▲ The message from the British Transport Police to thieves is made clear

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News Corporate

Compounds PVC, and low-smoke halogen-free (LSZH/ HFFR) compounds have undergone rigorous global testing standards on a variety of cable designs. For rugged industrial applications, the TPE, TPO, TPV, and TPU materials offer a variety of features to answer severe weather and environmental conditions. Mexichem – USA Website : www.mexichem.com New thermoplastic compounding plant in India as well as electrical and mechanical attributes. Whether designing copper or fibre optic cables, customers benefit from its extensive experience in this market sector from basic flame-retardant PVC materials to low-smoke halogen-free compounds intended to support high speed data transmission. The company’s extensive list of FR PVC, speciality low-smoke plenum

MEXICHEM’S business is constructing a new thermoplastic compounding plant, designed to produce speciality thermoplastic compounds, including locally customised products, with a strong focus on the wire and cable industry. The new plant is expected to be operational by early to mid-2018 in Goa, India. In Phase I, the plant is designed to manufacture 12-15 kt of plastic compounds every year. This site will cater to customers not only in the Indian sub-continent, but also in Middle East and ASEAN countries. Sameer Bharadwaj, president of the Mexichem Compounds Business, said: “We have great faith in the Indian market and in its highly skilled and motivated workforce. That is why Mexichem are continuing to expand across the sub-continent. “The new plant at Goa will produce speciality thermoplastic compounds based on both PVC and non-PVC polymers, with a strong focus on flame- retardant compounds (speciality PVC-FR and LSZH/HFFR) for the wire and cable industry. “In addition to our complete range of existing wire and cable compounds, the site will be geared to offer locally customised compounds to meet the specific local needs of our customers in this region.” Mexichem’s PVC-FR and LSZH compounds designed for a variety of electrical, electronic, and voice and data wire and cable types, were created to achieve the balance necessary for fire performance Management change Arnd Kulaczewski is no longer CEO and president of Maschinenfabrik Niehoff. In the future, the executive management of the company will consist of three people. The chief executive officer (CEO) is expected to join the management team by the end of this year and will take over the field production and engineering. The other two members of the executive management are Elena Graf, who keeps her responsibility as chief financial officer (CFO), and Bernd Lohmüller, who remains responsible for sales and service as chief sales officer (CSO). Maschinenfabrik Niehoff & Co KG – Germany Website : www.niehoff.de

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November 2017

News Corporate

Fourth Ebner Hicon/ H2® bell annealer facility

▲ ▲ Hicon/H2® bell annealer facility

AVON Ispat & Power Limited, of Ludhiana, India, which specialises in manufacturing cold rolled strips for bicycles, rims and automotive components, has ordered an expansion to its three existing Hicon/H2® bell annealer facilities. The new facility consists of two workbases, one oil-fired heating bell and one cooling bell, which will start production mid-2018. Ebner Industrieofenbau GmbH – Austria Website : www.ebner.cc Tailor-made special compounds Crosspolimeri is a company whose main target is to satisfy that part of the compound market asking for very carefully ready-prepared and tailor-made special compounds. The company is specialised in producing thermoplastic and crosslinkable compounds with and without flame-retardant and halogen-free properties. The industrial fields of electrical cables, tubes and technical parts for the automotive, aeronautical and railway industries, and also those producing consumer goods or communication systems have been offering a multiplicity of applications for the compounds. They are the main market for the Crosspolimeri compounds. Production is in Italy, where several polyvalent production lines have a total capacity of 12,000 tons per year, and in its sister factory, Crosspolimeri AG, located close to Basel, Switzerland, which will soon be able to produce 12,000 tons per year. The main competence regards crosslinkable compounds, unfilled and filled (in order to give different characteristics and flame-retardant values), and all thermoplastic types. Crosspolimeri SpA – Italy Website : www.crosspolimeri.com

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News Corporate

Wish comes true for little Tommy

ALLIED Wire & Cable raised and donated a total of $14,000 to fulfil a child’s wish through Make-A-Wish® Philadelphia, Northern Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, during a recent charity event. The company donated $10,000 at the event, but raised an additional $4,000 through raffle prizes and other customer donations. The event honoured Tommy, a four-year-old boy with a cardiac condition, who was granted a wish when he was just three years old. After two years of hospital stays and open heart surgeries, Tommy’s wish was fulfilled and he and his family went to Disney World. Tommy’s father, Will, said: “If I had one wish, it would be to let everyone experience the joy and gratitude I was able to experience by being the father of a son who had his wish come true.” Two Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders were also in attendance and presented Tommy with a gift on behalf of AWC. Allied is proud to continually give back to an organisation like Make-A-Wish that not only brings hope to children in need, but also to the families of these children.

AlliedWire & Cable – USA Website : www.awcwire.com

▲ ▲ Tommy receives his gift from two Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders

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News Corporate

The name synonymous with rigid stranders

▲ ▲ An AEI rigid strander

smart machines that require minimal maintenance and deliver decades of trouble-free operation. “As the market for quality cables has grown, so too has the demand for high performance machines,” said Alok Jain, director. stranders incorporating the latest technologies to overcome manufacturing challenges and improving process efficiencies. “Our approach has been fruitful given the reputation and the demand we enjoy today from cable manufacturers all over the world.” The company will be exhibiting at this year’s Iran Wire exhibition in Tehran, Iran, from 6 th to 9 th December. Associated Engineers and Industrials Ltd – India Website : www.aeimachines.com “Our main focus has been the development of rigid

• Highly compacted round conductor (by dies/rolls) • Prespiralled/straight sector/Milliken conductor • ACSR/AAAC/AAC overhead conductor • Pre-shaped wire (TW) and HTLS overhead conductor • Laying-up of control cables • Copper screening of power cables • Steel wire/strip armouring continuous evaluation, resulting in machines that are powerful and updated with the latest technological features such as higher speeds, fully automatic floor/ trolley loading devices, electronic shaft synchronisation (including during power failure), individual wire break detectors, auto regulated pneumatic bobbin brakes, motorised pintles and remote diagnostics over telecom link. Moreover, AEI’s unique use of perfectly balanced fork type cage rotor construction ensures energy efficiency. Users of AEI Machines can expect AEI Machines undergo was a journey to the Niehoff headquarters in Schwabach to visit the new plant and some of its facilities. The plant was built from 2008 to 2016 and is equipped with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. Visitors also got an insight into the production procedures and the activities in the areas of quality assurance and customer service. Maschinenfabrik Niehoff & Co KG – Germany Website : www.niehoff.de

AEI Machines was established in 1971 by L S Jain, chairman, and has been manufacturing various types of rotating cable machines for the stranding, screening, armouring and laying-up of power cables and overhead conductors since its inception. Over the years the company has become totally focussed on the development and perfection of each aspect of the rigid strander, producing machines that epitomise the process of cable making and uplift the productivity benchmarks and working standards in the cable factory. total understanding of customer requirements and offering suitable products, ranging from the largest stranders in the world (128 bobbin rigid stranding machine for 500kV cables) to the highest productivity ones. These machines are suitable for the production of up to 127-wire stranded conductor (70mm 2 to 3,000mm 2 in round/ Milliken construction) for low, medium and extra high voltage (EHV) power cables: AEI’s strength lies in the Maschinenfabrik Niehoff, an international manufacturer and supplier of wire and cable machinery, supported the 11 th CRU Wire & Cable Conference, held in July in Munich, Germany. 30 presentations. The Niehoff contribution explained “How a machine manufacturer is reacting to the ever-changing market environment and offering benefits for energy cable producers”. The conference offered over

An insight into Niehoff at CRU conference

▲ ▲ The

CRU

conference

visited

the

Niehoff

One of the highlights of the CRU event

headquarters in Schwabach

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November 2017

News Corporate

CommScope to acquire Cable Exchange

industry leader like CommScope,” said Cable Exchange president Joey Hynes. “We look forward to building upon our teams’ capabilities to serve the growing data centre market.” The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. CommScope intends to fund the acquisition with cash on hand. CommScope – USA Website : www.commscope.com Experience counts Gene Shellenberger has joined Miltec as a senior process engineer. He brings over 20 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing and coating to Miltec UV. Prior to Miltec, he owned and operated Elkridge Coating Technologies. Miltec UV’s president, Bob Blandford, said: “Gene is very knowledgeable and we can already tell he is going to be an asset to our engineering and service departments.” Miltec UV – USA Website : www.miltec.com

and more complex data centres to support growth in traffic and transactions. “We are pleased to further expand our capabilities in the data centre market with Cable Exchange, a trusted and respected provider of critical network infrastructure with strong customer relationships,” said CommScope president and chief executive officer Eddie Edwards. “Further, we believe the people, products and performance of Cable Exchange are a great match for CommScope. “While the overall business environment remains challenging, we believe Cable Exchange’s leadership in the attractive quick-turn industry will complement our efforts in addressing this important market opportunity,”Mr Edwards added. The leadership team and employees of Cable Exchange will join CommScope upon completion of the transaction. Cable Exchange will operate as a stand-alone business within CommScope’s Connectivity Solutions segment.

COMMSCOPE has agreed to acquire Cable Exchange, a privately held, quick-turn supplier of fibre optic and copper assemblies for data, voice and video communications. Cable Exchange, headquartered in Santa Ana, California, USA, manufactures a variety of fibre optic and copper cables, trunks and related products used in high-capacity data centres and other business enterprise applications. 1986, specialises in quick-turn delivery of its infrastructure products to customers from its two USA manufacturing centres located in Santa Ana, and Pineville, North Carolina. This highly complementary acquisition will deepen CommScope’s capabilities in supporting the growing market for high-capacity, multi-tenant data centres and hyperscale data centres operated by the world’s largest technology and retail companies. As more user-driven information and commerce flows through networks, operators are quickly deploying larger The company, founded in

“We are thrilled to partner with an

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November 2017

News Corporate

Gimax drawing equipment

▲ ▲ Cost savings from Gimax

production of wire, the redesign also led to the introduction of a range of TRD dry drawing equipment, available with vertically or horizontally mounted capstans – non-slip (with independently driven capstans), tilted horizontal capstans, rotating dies, water-cooled capstans, etc. The capstan diameter can vary from 300mm to 1,200mm depending on the application and diameter of wire, and can reach a line speed of 35ms/second. In non-ferrous applications (aluminium), the drawbenches are often used in combination with shaving or other equipment. Gimax also manufactures fully automatic and semi-automatic respooling machines and a full range of no-twist after packing units. Gimax Srl – Italy Website : www.gimaxgroup.com

as perfect alignment of wire between die and capstan as well as low energy consumption due to an electronic control of motor and line operation go to ensure an advanced drawing solution.

GIMAX – which will be exhibiting at Iran Wire in December – has redesigned its wet drawing equipment, and the traditional submerged drawing tank has evolved into the TRS range of non-slip wet drawing units with independently driven vertical capstans, combining most of the benefits of a dry drawing line with a wet one. The TRS is a spray type wet drawbench, where the lubricant is sprayed onto the die and die box and onto the capstan. This range is suitable for both ferrous and non-ferrous wires and its reduced footprint, easily accessible parts and components not only offer cost savings in terms of floor space and labour (operation and maintenance), but are an important aid in decreasing downtime and consequently increasing productivity. High productivity and a better final wire quality coupled with features such Quality aluminium alloys The company helps ensure quality with its fully equipped die room where its dedicated staff research ways to create and maintain die angles and bearing lengths to increase wire performance. This results in improvements such as reduction of residual stress and tight diameter tolerance control. The company’s fully fledged technical team can study the problems encountered by downstream manufacturers and provide solutions to operational problems. • Isinox Metaltec manufactures high quality aluminium alloy wire in grades: 5019, 5050, 5052, 5056, 5154, 5356, 5754, 6101 and 6202.

The main features are:

Reduced die and capstan wear

• Mechanical line speed reaches 33m/ second • Fixed or rotating dies • Rotating die speed varies in proportion to line speed • Each block can be bypassed • Synchronisation by means of dancer arm • Input wire diameter starts at 2mm (steel wire) or 3mm with wire aluminium wire With 38 years of experience in welding wire machinery and with the specific experience of Gimax engineers in the

Isinox’s main applications are flexible coaxial cable, a variety of audio and video cable, vehicle signal cable, network cable, data transmission cables, etc.

Al-Mg alloy wire 5154 can be used in the above cable, as well as cable conductors, braiding and shielding, single wire conductor and other conductors. The wire is applicable to a variety of electronic components, lead wire such as capacitors, resistors, clips, staples for staplers, paperclips, etc.

Isinox Metaltec PVT Ltd – India Website : www.isinoxalloys.in

▲ ▲ Quality at the forefront from Isinox Alloys

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News Corporate

Catering for the customer

▲ ▲ Yangzhou also offers a bespoke service

YANGZHOU Havet Machinery Co Ltd manufactures reels for the cable and wire industry in Yangzhou City, China. The company fabricates the reels as DIN standards or to meet customer requirements, and also offers a design service for bespoke works. Yangzhou Havet exports to Europe and South America, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia, Middle East countries and Africa. Yangzhou Havet Machinery Co Ltd – China Website : www.havet-china.com Buss expands testing capabilities at new lab Buss has installed a working lab at its facility in Carol Stream, Illinois, USA. The fully functional test lab is specifically designed for research and development, process optimisation and customer sampling. Featuring the versatile Buss MX 30, a compact laboratory-scale compounding line, the lab is especially suitable for the testing and development of highly filled and heat/shear-sensitive compounds. The new state-of-the-art facility allows customers to test their materials and processes through hands-on trials. Additionally, customers work with Buss engineers who are specially trained to identify and resolve challenges quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.

Buss Inc – USA Website : www.busscorp.com

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News Corporate

Theleico’s supply award

THE ”Best Supplier Award 2017“ was presented to Theleico, a manufacturer of grinding wheels and abrasive bodies for industrial applications with headquarters in Meschede, Germany, by the Federation of the German Spring Industry (VDFI). This is the fourth time that the family business in the Sauerland region has convinced the jury in the category “process materials“, which no company has previously achieved. When deciding on the award, the members of the Federation of the German Spring Industry put special emphasis on criteria such as quotation, adherence to delivery dates, number and handling of complaints, service, technical service and flexibility. To be able to get a precise assessment, the period under review is three years. “We are proud of the fact that the criteria quality and outstanding service, to which we attach the greatest value in our company, have again convinced the jury this year,” said Frank Grans, managing director. “However, we will not rest on our laurels. We want to get better also in the future.“ When looking back, it becomes clear that this inner drive works at Theleico. During the past ten years the company, which was founded in 1880, extended the production area and established other production facilities and warehouses at its headquarters.

The company’s head office

▲

understanding at Theleico. Processes are documented at the customer in order to be able to develop a custom-tailored grinding tool for the application. “This does not only result in quality improvements but often also in cost savings,” said Mr Grans while already planning the next stage of improvement. By introducing a new ERP system customers are to benefit from even more effective processes at Theleico. Theleico Schleiftechnik GmbH & Co KG – Germany Website : www.theleico.de

A new 3,000-ton press is a further milestone. Moreover, last year a new sales and distribution branch office, Theleico Abrasives (Wuxi) Co Ltd, was established in China with a view to create further storage capacities and to improve service. Products will keep the quality “Made in Germany”, even though Theleico carries out sales and distribution activities in more than 45 countries. The new Best Supplier Award has not only been presented because of the expansions of past years but also because of the process knowledge and

Charter Steel contracts Tenova for a new Consteel system Tenova Inc (USA) has been contracted by Charter Steel – an American supplier of carbon and alloy steel bar, rod and wire products – to design and supply a Consteel® system to integrate with its existing EAF at its Saukville, Wisconsin, works. The Consteel system will feature the latest innovative design and automation technology associated with the proven continuous scrap preheating and feeding technology to the EAF. The Consteel design for Charter Steel utilises a “double-conveyor feed system” to overcome the challenges of the existing melt shop layout. The double-conveyor system allows the Consteel to be economically installed into almost any type of existing melt shop layout. The Consteel system, as proven in six other USA installations and 51 other installations worldwide, increases steelmaking productivity and reduces energy consumption. Installation of Charter’s Consteel is scheduled for the second half of 2018. Tenova Inc – USA Website : www.tenova.com

Videos charting Leoni’s 100-year history From the small Franconian wire production shop to one of the world’s largest cable and wiring system manufacturers: Leoni began to establish cable harness production outside Germany as long ago as 1977.

The first steps into the Americas and Asia followed in the 1990s – Leoni’s market became more global.

As part of the company’s 100 th anniversary celebrations, a number of employees have gone on video to charter the development of the company, and what it means in specific terms for an internationally successful future. Jerry Cummins is the latest employee to go in front of the camera and the video with his testimony is accessible at www.100.leoni.com, as well as on several social media channels.

Leoni AG – Germany Website : www.leoni.com

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Düsseldorf Preview & Show Issues

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Transatlantic Cable

Martín Utreras, vice president of forecasting at eMarketer , observed that the majority of social media users in Cuba were most likely foreign tourists looking to stay connected while on vacation. † Despite Cuba’s reluctant embrace of the Internet, Google of the USA was permitted to bring servers online there for the rst time in April, becoming the rst foreign tech rm to host its own content in the island nation.

Telecom

Despite signs that Internet access is gaining in Cuba, getting online is very

far from an everyday experience for residents When, in July 2015, diplomatic relations were restored between Cuba and the United States, it was widely expected that Internet access would quickly dissipate the distance between the two peoples – only 90 nautical miles apart but politically estranged from each other for more than half a century. But it would appear that, despite the early enthusiasm of USA tech companies, the Internet has been slow to take root in Cuba. According to the Cuban National O ce of Statistics and Information (ONEI), some 4.5 million people, or roughly 40.3 per cent of the population, accessed the Internet at least once in the course of 2016. But the number of Cubans with Internet access in their homes was likely signi cantly lower. In March of last year the BBC reported an at-home Internet penetration rate of roughly ve per cent. The New York-based researcher eMarketer noted that Cuba o ers few options. State-run telecom Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba SA (ETECSA), which rst began o ering public Wi-Fi in 2015, provides 391 such spots nationwide. But, wrote Matteo Ceurvels of eMarketer : “At a cost of about $1.50 per hour access remains too expensive for most Cubans, and Internet speeds are reportedly excruciatingly slow.” Mr Ceurvels reported that ETECSA began a pilot programme in December 2016 to provide some 2,000 users in Havana, the capital, with xed broadband Internet access for a free two-month trial period. In March, ETECSA said that 358 participants in the programme subsequently signed up to pay for the service, which enables unimpressive data speeds of between 128 kilobits per second (Kbps) and two megabits per second (Mbps). (“Cuba Is on a Slow Crawl Toward Increased Internet Access,” 17 th August) During parliamentary sessions held in July, vice president Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that Cuba has one of the world’s lowest Internet access rates; but he rejected the assertion that its society was “fully disconnected.” Mr Díaz-Canel claimed that social media penetration in Cuba had grown by 346 per cent in 2016 – an increase that was not readily veri able. † According to data obtained by eMarketer from the web analytics service StatCounter, Facebook is the leading social media platform in Cuba, outpacing Pinterest and Twitter.

Huawei continues to falter in the United States. But is it past caring?

Image: www.bigstockphoto.com Photographer Zsolt Ercsel

To observers of Huawei’s unavailing but unremitting e ort to gain ground in the USA the recent disclosure that the company is trimming its workforce there came as a surprise. To be sure, the Chinese gear and smartphone vendor said it was eliminating only 20 spots, or less than two per cent of its American jobs. But the sense of a change in the making had been picked up. What would, for another company, barely make the news, became in this instance a matter of interest. The rumoured cutback was even exaggerated in the media, with one outlet, citing an unnamed source, reporting in late August that Huawei was “in the process of cutting its 180-person USA workforce in half.” In fact, as noted by Colin Gibbs of Fierce Wireless , the minimal personnel cutback was plausibly attributed to “normal resourcing changes”; and, in an emailed statement to the industry site Huawei rea rmed its intention to “continue to recruit in line with the needs of [our] overall USA business.” The company further declared that its R&D, supply chain management and consumer business group operations in the USA would be una ected. (“Huawei Cutting Less Than 2% of US Jobs, Not Half,” 25 th August) Even so, the rst step backward, so to speak, was notable for a company that has been so resolute in its cultivation of the USA, despite its exclusion from any signi cant position in that market. The American animus against Huawei stems primarily from security concerns. A USA government report issued in 2012 labelled Huawei – together with the network vendor ZTE, also China-based – a potential cover for Chinese espionage. Huawei has consistently denied the allegation, but the report has largely blocked it from selling equipment to tier-one American wireless operators like Verizon and AT&T.

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Transatlantic cable

Connect will be mental health services. Jasamyn Roberts, of USTelecom , a trade association representing broadband service providers and suppliers, reported (22 nd August) that veterans can now access 300 medical providers from 50 specialities at 67 VA hospitals and clinics. She emphasised the profound e ect broadband has on the medical industry by serving as the wired backbone supporting connectivity to the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

† Other damaging assertions have been levelled at Huawei. Most recently, the New York Times reported in March that a previously unreported subpoena was sent to Huawei in December 2016 by the USA Treasury Department, signalling an expansion of an earlier probe into whether the company violated trade controls with Cuba, Sudan, Iran and Syria. This does not indicate that Huawei is under criminal investigation but does suggest that the company might be suspected of violating American embargoes. Mr Gibbs also recalled that the company’s headaches mounted in May when a jury awarded $4.8 million to T-Mobile after nding that Huawei misappropriated the carrier’s trade secrets. † Throughout, the Chinese vendor had not slackened its USA initiative, even as it found a readier welcome elsewhere. Its latest agship smartphone, the Honor 9, was released in Europe in June. But, wrote Mr Gibbs, “Huawei has yet to announce any plans to release the phone in the United States.” Elsewhere in telecom . . . † The USA Department of Veteran A airs provided some 700,000 military veterans with medical care via tech devices over the last year. Already running one of the nation’s largest telemedicine programmes, the VA is expanding with an app that will operate in every VA hospital across the country and try to reach vets wherever they live. A particular focus of VA Video

Automotive

Four European carmakers are o ering four- gure incentives for trade-ins of old diesel cars on new models of the same brand The German news site Tagespiegel has reported that Opel, Fiat-Chrysler, and Mercedes-Benz have joined the growing number of German car manufacturers o ering trade-ins with incentives to owners of older diesel cars. Opel, formerly owned by General Motors of the USA but now part of PSA Peugeot Citroen, o ers around $8,370 to owners trading in Euro 1 to Euro 4 diesel cars. The o er does not extend to UK customers, a Vauxhall spokesman told Jimi Beckwith of AutoCar . Opel does, however, continue to make $2,500 scrappage payments in Britain. Through to 30 th September at least, Fiat-Chrysler was o ering up to $7,750 on a trade-in, applicable to cars of Euro 4 standard

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