EuroWire July 2021

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The International Magazine for theWire & Cable Industries

New DST10 Sparktester

Small in size and cost effective. Aimed at coiling, rewinding, packaging and space restricted applications.

Zumbach is a global leader in the industry, family owned since 1957. Driven by innovation and experience. We are here for you and ready to build the future together. www.zumbach.com • sales@zumbach.ch

Supermac – Global Solution Provider in Extrusion and Process Technology along with IIOT applications

Supermac Industries established in the year 1974 is a leader in manufacturing of high end systems and process technology for the wire & cable in Power and telecom sector and related Industries. The ISO 9001 and CE certified company specializes in offering customized and tailor made solutions to fulfil specific needs of the variety of customers all across the globe. With a highly skilled design team, with the best of manufacturing and highly talented commissioning team, trained experts in cable processes and technology, we offer design to process expertise to bring in the best product for you.

IIOT screen

Supermac has expertise providing on line commissioning from remote. Post commissioning customer service support is provided

from both on site as well as from remote. In our endeavour to conform to industry 4.0 norms, Supermac has taken strong strides forward in implementing several digital initiatives and can provide IIOT enabled extrusion lines supported by Siemens Mind sphere software

The company has three established and running units near New Delhi and are adding another unit under our expansion program.

The state-of-the art facilities are equipped with international and indigenous machinery to carry out the process of manufacturing as per the customer’s requirements. Supermac has strategic partnership 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.

High speed building wire line

Supermac specializes in the following areas: • State of the art CCV Line with

• Rubber extruders for Insulation and sheathing materials • Silicone extrusion lines with infrared vulcanization system • Cat 5.6 and 7 Lines • FTTH drop cable lines • Fluoropolymer – FEP, PTFE /ETFE Lines • Loose tube/Secondary coating lines for fibre optics • Extruders for variety of applications – up to 175 mm • Cross-Head Single/Dual/Triple • Haul-Off Caterpillar • Capstan • Take-up and pay-off of all types and sizes and as per requirement above 4.5 meters and 40 MT

Scholz Vulcanization system for Power Cables up to 132 KV XLPE and 33 KV for Rubber • Specialized Medical Tubing extrusion lines • 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 and Optical fiber Cables. • HCV insulation and sheathing line • Hybrid and composite CCV lines for both XLPE and Rubber.

Supermac CCV 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: office@supermacindia.com

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

Editor ....................................................................................... David Bell

Editorial Assistant .......................................... Christian Bradley

Regional expansion Alphagary, a US designer and manufacturer of polymer compounds, is expanding its product and regional footprint with the purchase of Shakun Polymers Private Ltd. A producer for wire and cable markets in the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa, Shakun will continue to provide next-generation materials to meet the high safety and performance standards in the Asian and African markets. The company’s product development focus is on halogen-free, flame-retardant compounds and PVC-based compounds for data and power cables. More details can be found on page 10. Mr Sharma will be responsible for implementing and managing sales activities, identifying new market opportunities for the company’s product offering, and “defining the actions required to bring a new dynamic” to NDC’s business in the region. Targeting the Turkish market is something which Alloy Wire International (AWI) has also taken an interest in with the appointment of Gürfil San Ve Elek Cih Paz AS to help grow its Turkish business by 20 per cent over the next 12 months. Angus Hogarth, director of R&D at AWI, said: “Orders to Turkey have enjoyed consistent growth over the last two years and we are now in a position to invest in a local agent that will give us an even stronger presence in the area.” See page 20 for more details. A by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the worldwide reduction in the use of fossil fuels. This has created a vacuum in the supply chain of base oils, used to create lubricants, which are now either unavailable or in short supply. Also looking at growth in the Asian market is NDC Technologies, following the appointment of Dipesh Sharma as director of sales for the rest of Asia (page 17).

Design & Production ............................................... Lisa Wright

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Subscriptions ......................................... Louise Jennings

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Europe

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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 offices. POSTMASTER : Send address changes to EuroWire, Intras Ltd, C/O 701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA 19032. This publication and its full contents of layout, text, images, and graphics is copyright protected. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or any other storage or retrieval system without the publisher’s written permission. The publisher, owners, agents, printers, editors and contributors cannot be held responsible for and hereby exclude all liability whatsoever for errors, omissions or the accuracy and claims printed or inferred in the editorial or advertisements published in this, previous or subsequent editions or for any damages, costs or losses caused thereby. EuroWire reserves the right to edit, reword and subedit all editorial submissions in accordance with editorial policy. EuroWire expressed graphically or by text is a registered name and style trademark of Intras Ltd, UK. All matters relating to this Disclaimer are governed by the laws of England. EuroWire is published six times per year and incorporates the title and publishing rights only of the former series of publications known as ‘ Transfil Europe ’. EuroWire is circulated to engineers, managers and personnel in the wire, cable, fibre optic and wire product industries upon receipt of a completed subscription form. An annual subscription is available from Intras Ltd, UK, at Euros 140.00, £120.00, US$195.00.

As a result, UK company Metalube’s research and development team is bringing to market new product variants that avoid the most severely affected base oils. An in-depth look at this is on page 23.

David Bell Editor

Front cover courtesy of FMS – Force Measuring Systems AG showing their automatic tension control

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July 2021

Dates for your diary . . .

31 August – 2 September 2021 WireShow Trade exhibition Shanghai, China Organisers: Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai Co Ltd www.wireshow.com

Next Issue Getting Technical

6-9 September 2021 TOLexpo Trade exhibition Lyon, France Organisers: Global Industrie www.tolexpo.com 14-16 September 2021 AMI Cables Trade exhibition Cologne, Germany Organisers: AMI www.ami.ltd/event-cables

New ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers for highly filled wire and cable compounds Featuring ■ IWCS – show issue ■ Focus On UK

16-18 September 2021 China (Guangzhou) International Metal and Metallurgy Exhibition Trade exhibition Guangzhou, China Organisers: Guangzhou Julang Exhibition Design Co Ltd julang@julang.com.cn www.julang.com.cn

Subscribe today!

4-8 October 2021 IWCS (virtual event) Technical symposium and exhibition Orlando, Florida, USA Organisers: IWCS www.iwcs.org

www.read-eurowire.com July 2021 • US$33*

The International Magazine for theWire & Cable Industries

5-7 October 2021 wire South America

Trade exhibition São Paulo, Brazil Organisers: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH info@wire-south-america.com www.wire-south-america.com 26 -27 October 2021 Interwire Trade exhibition Atlanta, Georgia, USA Organisers: Wire Association International

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

sales@wirenet.org www.wirenet.org

As with all shows, and with the continuing coronavirus pandemic, please check to ensure the event is going ahead

Contents July 2021

Photo: Colton Duke • www.unsplash.com

51 60 Technical Article

8

Corporate News

24 Technology News

Research on cold-resistant optical cable in alpine regions By Hengtong Optic-Electric Co Ltd, China

34 Focus On USA

64 Editorial Index 64 Advertisers Index

42 WireShow, China

Corporate News

Inside the Baowu plant

▲

Revamping of fully automatic roll shop

China Baowu Steel Group has awarded Tenova two contracts for the revamping of a fully automatic roll shop for its silicon steel plant at Baoshan Iron and Steel, in Baoshan, Shanghai, China. The scope of the contract includes the disassembly, relocation and revamping of five Pomini roll grinders and two Pomini auto loaders with the complete automation system. In 2008, Pomini Tenova supplied a fully automatic roll shop with five roll grinders and two auto loaders for the cold rolling mill of the group’s stainless steel branch. With this revamping, the previous roll shop will be transferred to the Baoshan Silicon Plant, where the customer is expanding its production of non-grain oriented silicon steel coils. The current roll shop will be completely upgraded with an advanced automation

system that will integrate all grinders and loaders and introduce technological solutions to ensure high safety and quality standards. Three new features will modernise Pomini’s equipment: the new NDT inspec- tion system Inspektor3, with eddy currents and creeping waves for on-line roll surface and subsurface defect inspection; continuous profile compensation (CPC) for true and undisturbed in-process measurement and correction of roll profile during grinding; and Pomini Process Monitoring (PPM), allowing the optimisation of the grinding process parameters to reach the desired roll surface quality. PPM is also part of the Digital Advanced Solutions provided by Tenova, offering the latest Industry 4.0 developments and

including Tenova Edge, which enables process variable and data collection for machine condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. “Since 2001, we have managed to create a long-lasting collaboration with Baosteel Group (now Baowu Group), witnessed by a total of 130 references, including 99 new roll grinders, ten auto loaders and 11 revamping,” said Livio Taccani, Pomini Tenova commercial director. “This new order is a remarkable confirmation of Baowu Group’s trust in Pomini, and we are proud to help the company achieve its goals through our reliable technology.” The project is forecast to be complete by summer 2022. Tenova SpA www.tenova.com

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July 2021

BEDDING

LOWVOLTAGE INSULATION

MEDIUMVOLTAGE INSULATION

SHEATHING

RUBBER COMPOUNDS FOR YOUR CABLES. SINCE 1996. mixercompounds.com

Corporate News

Alphagary acquires Shakun Polymers share Alphagary, a designer and manufactur- er of polymer compounds, will acquire majority share ownership of Shakun Polymers Private Ltd, a producer of com- pounds for the wire and cable markets in the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. With this strate- gic investment, Alphagary will expand its product and regional footprints, as Shakun will continue to provide next-generation materials designed to meet the high safety and performance standards in the Asian and African markets. As a direct complement to Alphagary’s product offerings, Shakun’s product development focus is on halogen-free, flame-retardant compounds and PVC- based compounds for data and power cables. In addition, its semi-conductive andcross-linkable compoundswill expand Alphagary’s portfolio. Key members of the Shakun management team will remain with the business. Alphagary president Gautam Nivarthy said, “Shakun has rapidly built a significant market position by providing quality materials geared toward meeting

customer needs in Asia and Africa. While Alphagary has a broad reach from its facilities in the USA, Europe and Mexico, the addition of Shakun’s market position in Asia and Africa coupled with the team’s entrepreneurial spirit will enable us to broaden our innovation horizons.” Shakun’s compounds have applications in power cables, building wires, telecom- munications and fibre optic cables, instru- mentation cables and photovoltaic cables. The company has four manufacturing fa- cilities in India. Alphagary (Mexichem Specialty Compounds) www.alphagary.com Shakun Polymers Private Ltd www.shakunpolymers.com

Virtual open house at Levaco Levaco Chemicals Group is opening its virtual doors with free online events for customers, suppliers, partners and potential customers. The virtual trade fair experience will include conferences, discussions and information material about Levaco Chemicals GmbH and Defotec Entschäumer Vertriebs-GmbH.

download, or they can chat with the ex- perts, face to face. The first events – Fibre Days and Cable Days – took place in June, but further events will be scheduled in 2021 and 2022. Details will be posted at www.levaco-group.com/online-events.html Levaco Chemicals Group is a producer of dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, defoaming agents, flocculants, fixing agents and super absorbers.

Experts from Levaco and Defotec will guide visitors through the different top- ics. Each conference will take 60 minutes in total. Visitors will also benefit from videos, brochures and technical data sheets for

Levaco Chemicals GmbH www.levaco-group.com

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July 2021

Corporate News

Harry Prunk leaves Sikora board As announced by the supervisory board, Harry Prunk left the Sikora board of management at the end of March, after more than 45 years of work, shaping the development of the company.

probably nobody who does not know Harry Prunk. I would like to thank him for his passionate commitment, his untiring support of our employees, his valued advice and especially for his valuable friendship.” Dr Jörg Wissdorf has taken over Mr Prunk’s responsibilities. The graduated aerospace engineer previously worked in various leading positions in sales and marketing as well as being managing director at national and international companies. Mr Frank said, “Jörg Wissdorf has many years of experience in corporate management. I am convinced that he will significantly shape and drive the further development and success of Sikora, and I am pleased that we could win him for this position.” Mr Prunk will remain professionally active after his retirement as Sikora board member, and will realise new projects as a consultant for corporate development, with a focus on management and internationalisation. Sikora AG www.sikora.net

Mr Prunk started his career at Sikora in 1975, directly after finishing his studies in electronics, as the third employee with the company founder Harald Sikora. 11 years later he was appointed managing director of Sikora Industrieelektronik GmbH. In 1981, he founded the first subsidiary, Sikora International Corp, in California, USA. Since 1996 he has been a Sikora shareholder. Since the transformation of the company into Sikora AG in 2002, Mr Prunk has been a member of the management board, which he chaired from 2011 to 2015. He was responsible for the sales, marketing and service areas and was particularly involved in the internationalisation of Sikora. The medium-sized company is currently globally positioned with 14 subsidiaries. “We thank Harry Prunk for more than four decades full of outstanding achievements

▲ Harry Prunk has left the Sikora board of management after more than 45 years

for our company, for the close cooperation with customers in the wire and cable, hose and tube as well as plastics industry, and for his persistent commitment in building up the Sikora subsidiaries and representatives,” said Prof Dr Thomas Sikora, chairman of the supervisory board. Dr Christian Frank, Sikora CEO, com- mented, “Harry Prunk understands and embodies Sikora like hardly anyone else. With him, the company developed many new regions and inspired numerous customers. In the cable industry there is

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The inTernaTional magazine for The wire and cable indusTries Landing at an exhibition near you…

ARRIVALs

Interwire 26th-27th October 2021 Atlanta, Georgia, USA STAND - To be confirmed Made in Steel 5th-7th October 2021 Milan, Italy STAND - To be confirmed Fabtech 13th-16th September 2021 Chicago, USA STAND - To be confirmed Tolexpo 6th-9th September 2021 Lyon, France STAND - To be confirmed

www.tolexpo.com

www.fabtechexpo.com

www.madeinsteel.it

www.interwire21.com

www.read-eurowire.com

• Industry news • High profile show issues • Specialist features • Latest technology news • Technical articles • Fasteners section

Corporate News

Hitachi Cable America implements CableSuite Hitachi Cable America (HCA-NH) is completing the rollout of CableSuite from InnoVites BV. With the implementation of CableERP, based on Microsoft Dynamics, HCA-NH will have an industry-specific solution on a world-class ERP platform. processes of engineering, costing and product data maintenance; and CableMES is a manufacturing execution system that integrates with equipment and provides operators with online information about the status of machines, quality of products and progress of jobs. and related markets. Products include category copper communication cables, fibre optic cables, industrial Ethernet cables, wireless cables, aerospace cables, and round and flat electronic cables.

The automotive division designs and manufactures materials and components such as power cable harnesses for electric/ hybrid vehicles, brake hose products and electric sensor harnesses. InnoVites BV www.innovites.com

After options, HCA-NH decided that CableERP with Microsoft Dynamics was the best platform for achieving its strategic objectives. CableERP will support HCA-NH to become more responsive to customer requirements and improve its operations. HCA-NH has been utilising CableBuilder and CableMES for some time. With the implementation of CableERP, the company will be using the full CableSuite, with the strength of individual tool components through the out-of-the-box integration between the solutions. CableSuite consists of three integrated components: CableERP is the complete ERP solution for wire and cable manufacturers, based on Microsoft Dynamics D365, with features necessary for the industry; CableBuilder is cable design software that enhances the evaluating multiple

Hitachi CableAmerica is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Metals, Ltd, a global manufacturer of high-grade metal products with customers in the computer, automotive and aerospace industries. The performance cable systems and materials division designs and manufactures a complete line of copper and fibre optic cables for the communications industry

Hitachi Cable America Inc www.hca.hitachi-cable.com Tramev’s new website is online Tramev has launched its new website, with a design that maintains continuity between the old and the new, with a range of visual and usability improvements. Designed to be highly user-friendly, the new site has revised and enriched content to offer the information necessary to answer customers’ questions. The contents adapt to the screen of the user’s device, whether on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Tramev Srl www.tramev.com

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Corporate News

Farewell to Giancarlo Losma, former UCIMU president

Giancarlo Losma passed away on 30 April, 2021. He was past president of UCIMU- Sistemi Per Produrre, the Italian machine tools, robots and automation systems manufacturers’ association, which he led from 2008 to 2011. A visionary entrepreneur and founder of Losma SpA, based in Curno, Bergamo, Italy, Mr Losma was 74 years old and had many ideas for the future of the company’s entrepreneurial activity, to which he devoted his whole life, assisted by his wife, Letizia. He established his company in the 1970s, understanding the importance of the issue of environmental sustainability and protection, outside and within a factory. The business expanded, and after the creation of a factory in India, in addition to branches in the USA, Germany and the UK, Mr Losma was involved in the extension of the Curno headquarters because, as he used to tell journalists, “Here, there’s no room for anything more.”

Mr Losma was among the promoters of the creation of the ITC network – Italian Technology Center – in India, established in2012. Hewas alsoamember of the Italian delegation of CECIMO, the European Association of Machine Tool Industries, as well as being president of Piccola Industria di Confindustria Bergamo. Barbara Colombo, president of UCIMU- Sistemi Per Produrre, said, “We are stunned and grieve the loss of Giancarlo, our colleague and dear friend, with whom we shared important battles and achieved significant goals. His commitment and dedication to UCIMU prove that he considered our association as an integral part of his professional activity, devoting time and effort to it. In particular, the enthusiasm conveyed by President Losma regarding the experience of the network in India has been a source of inspiration for new opportunities, starting from the network project in Vietnam, on which we are working.” UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre www.ucimu.it

▲ Giancarlo Losma

He joined UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre in 1989, and in 1996 became a member of the steering committee – a position he held until 2003. Hewas then vice president of the association from 2003 to 2008, until he became president. From 2011 to 2015, he was president of Federmacchine, the Italian Federation of Associations of Manufacturers of Capital Goods.

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Corporate News

Registration opens for Interwire 2021 The Wire Association International (WAI) has announced the participation of 20 company sponsors that will support Interwire 2021 and the WAI’s 91 st Annual Convention, which will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The new show dates are 26-27 October, 2021. 4.0 – the theme of the event – by visiting the Industry 4.0 pavilion, various exhibits, presentations and briefings on the topic. Interwire 2021 registration is now open at www.interwire21.com.

The 2021 staging of Interwire will mark 40 years since its inception. Hosted biennially, Interwire is an international trade event that includes exhibiting companies, speakers and visitors from more than 50 countries. TheWire Association

Since all activities will be held on the ex- hibit floor, registration includes the Industry 4.0 sessions, exhibits, keynote, pro- duction solutions and welcome reception.

International, Inc www.wirenet.org

Guests will be able to explore the technologies associated with Industry

NDC appoints director of sales to accelerate growth in Asia

NDC Technologies, a provider of connect- ed measurement and control solutions, has appointed Dipesh Sharma as director of sales for rest of Asia (RoA). The company states that the appointment will enhance its strategic growth plan and build on a strong footprint of established sales and market share in the region. Mr Sharma will lead the go-to-market strategies that bolster NDC’s growth in RoA. He will be responsible for imple- menting and managing sales activities,

identifying new market opportunities for the company’s product offering, and “defining the actions required to bring a new dynamic” to NDC’s business in the region. RoA includes the Indian subcontinent, Taiwan, South Korea, Southeast Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. Mr Sharma has held both sales and service roles within NDC Technologies, and was instrumental in setting up the direct service support team in the RoA region.

Before moving into his most recent position as director of customer service for rest of Asia and Middle East, and general manager for India in 2020, he was the service manager for APAC. With a full range of measurement and control systems, NDS helps manufacturers to use process data to enhance production processes and increase productivity. NDC Technologies, Inc www.ndc.com

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Industry & technology news from the world of fasteners

ISSN: 2633-9714 online

ISSN: 2633-9706 print

www.read-eurowire.com www.read-eurofasteners.com

www.read-wca.com www.read-fastenersasia.com

To advertise call UK, ROW, USA, CANADA & S. AMERICA, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND, ITALY Jason Smith | Email: jason@intras.co.uk | Tel: +44 1926 834684 CHINA, TAIWAN, HONG KONG Linda Li | Email: linda@intras.co.uk | Tel: +44 1926 834685

for the wire and cable industries...and now fasteners! Leading magazines

Corporate News

New US business unit for Mixer Mixer SpA has been producing rubber compounds in pellet form exclusively for the cable industry for 25 years. Founded in Italy in 1996, it provides products for insulation, sheathing and bedding. its know-how developed through 25 years of experience, with local staff and production, in addition to a dedicated on-site warehouse. Steven E Houpert has been appointed business manager for North America.

The Italian firm has expanded its activity by founding XO Trade – a business unit based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. This new Mixer subsidiary is completely focused on the US market, with particular reference to automotive low- and medium-voltage insulation being considered strategic for this area. Mixer’s presence in the American wire and cable industry is consolidated by

▲ Mixer specialises in rubber compounds in pellet form

Mixer’s Ekopren® brand is a complete portfolio of cross-linkable rubber com- pounds that can be customised for continuous vulcanisation or e-beam cable production lines. The range also includes thermoplastic bedding compounds with enhanced fire performance and flexibility. These tailored rubber-based solutions are designed to support customers and meet

the special international specifications required for applications such as low- and medium-voltage, automotive, offshore, marine, and photovoltaic. Ekopren grades are exported to more than 30 countries worldwide. Mixer SpA www.mixercompounds.com

Thomas Copp retires as Reelex welcomes new CEO After 26 years as president and CEO of Reelex Packaging Solutions, Inc, Thomas Copp has retired, effective 29 March. guided Reelex through the dot-comboom and bust, as well as the 2008 financial crisis.

industrial automation background. Most recently, he served as vice president of business development at Infiltrator Water Technologies. Prior to this, he was part of Emerson Electric. Reelex Packaging Solutions, Inc www.reelex.com

Mr Copp arrived at Reelex (thenWindings, Inc) in 1995. He served as president of the Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association (WCISA) and successfully

Reelex’s board of directors has elected David Gerhart as president and CEO, effective immediately. Mr Gerhart joins Reelex with an engineering and

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Corporate News

AWI targets Turkish growth Alloy Wire International (AWI), a producer of round and profile wire, straight bars and wire rope in high-performance nickel alloys, has appointed Gürfil San Ve Elek Cih Paz AS to help it grow its Turkish business by 20 per cent over the next twelve months. Angus Hogarth, director of R&D at AWI, said, “We are now supplying our wire into more than 60 countries worldwide and this is only possible thanks to the network of sales representatives we have developed around the globe. Orders to Turkey have enjoyed consistent growth over the last two years and we are now in a position to invest in a local agent that will give us an even stronger presence in the area. Yusuf Gunes’s knowledge and business experience will open up new contacts for us, as well as meeting the requirements of existing customers.”

Mr Gunes went on to say that AWI has a good reputation inTurkey and customers are “switching on to its ability to make small order quantities in short three-week lead times, and in such a wide size range.” Alloy Wire International supplies customers involved in automotive, aerospace, defence, medical, nuclear, oil and gas and renewables. Its range of exotic alloys is available from 0.025 to 21mm (0.001" to 0.827") in small batches or medium/large volume, within a three-week timeframe. Demand has come from the Far East, Eastern Europe and Australia, with new international sales agents also appointed in Russia and Singapore. AlloyWire International www.alloywire.com Forklifts go electric Lubricant manufacturer Metalube has purchased seven all- electric forklift trucks for use at its plant in Irlam, Manchester, UK, replacing its entire fleet of LPG (liquid propane gas) forklifts. The switch to Mitsubishi electric vehicles will save the company an estimated 31,500kg of CO 2 , and the trucks are around 50 per cent quieter. Commenting of the new investment, production manager Graham Clarkson said, “The benefits of upgrading our trucks are many. We will reduce maintenance with zero oil and filter changes, along with reduced tyre wear due to a unique four- wheel steering system.” Mr Clarkson added, “Safety is another advantage. These new models have a fail-safe seatbelt system that can be set so the forklift cannot be operated unless the operator has the seatbelt connected around their waist. Mitsubishi Curve Control is also fitted to our machines; this automatically reduces the machine travel speed when turning corners, reducing the chance of an accident.” Mitsubishi Electric Forklifts are around 300mm shorter than the company’s previous trucks, so the drivers will have more space to turn, reducing the chances of accidents in confined spaces. They are fitted with advanced technology that projects a blue spotlight onto the floor ahead of the forklift when in reverse, alerting pedestrians that a truck is in the vicinity. Metalube Ltd www.metalube.co.uk

Commenting on his appointment, Yusuf Gunes said, “I’m looking forward to travelling in Turkey and meeting with AWI’s customers to find out how we may further help with their wire needs in ‘exotic’ alloys such as Inconel, Nimonic, Hastelloy, Monel, MP35N, Phynox and Waspaloy. They are already used by manufacturers of springs, fasteners and mesh, for example, with these materials often used because of their excellent performance in high temperature or very corrosive environments.”

▲ Yusuf Gunes, AWI’s new representative in Turkey

Garantit la plus haute qualité First class quality

1. Diamond and PCD dies 2. TC dies

3. Shaped dies 4. Guide tooling

5. Straighteners and straightening rolls 6. Enamelling dies and extrusion dies 7. Machinery 8. Consumables 9. Services

▼ Metalube has replaced its LPG forklifts with electric models

Tel. +33 329360808 mail@adc-sarl.fr www.adc-sarl.fr France

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Corporate News

Pelican adds vaccination benefit to wellness programme

Wire Experts Group, the parent company of Pelican Wire in Florida, USA, and Rubadue Wire in Colorado, USA, is adding an additional benefit to its corporate wellness programme to address COVID vaccinations. Beginning in March, the HR departments at both locations began distributing $150 gift cards to each employee-owner who completed the COVID vaccination process. Pelican Wire human resources officer Amy Foster said, “Through partnerships with organisations such as Florida Blue and Case Benefits, we provide not only all- inclusive insurance benefits and family leave, but also a myriad of wellness programmes to our employee-owners. “These include paid gym memberships, managed weight loss systems, smoking cessation programmes, nutritional partnerships and easy access to various medical and emergency resources for immediate support. Updating our programme offerings to include COVID vaccinations during this critical time was

Ted Bill, Wire Experts CEO, commented, “I am very optimistic the USA is on the right track with COVID-19 vaccinations. From the outset of this pandemic, we have proactively worked to do everything possible to protect our employee-owners and their families. So naturally, we are strongly encouraging every member of our team to get vaccinated. Our leaders are showing the way by being the first to be vaccinated and we’ve created the programme to simply express that encouragement in a meaningful way. “I’m sure I speak for most of us when I say I am looking forward to the day masks are no longer needed and we can get back to more in-person meetings.” Wire Experts Group https://wireexperts.com PelicanWire https://pelicanwire.com RubadueWire https://www.rubadue.com

▲ Wire Experts CEO Ted Bill

the next logical step in protecting our employee-owners and their families, who are truly the heartbeat of our organisation.”

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Corporate News

Applying Industry 4.0 to cable factories Cimteq, a provider of software to wire and cable manufacturers, is encouraging the industry tonot ruleout investment insmart factory processes in an updated industry white paper titled Applying Industry 4.0 to the Cable Factory Environment. The key message is that it is possible to improve processes and future-proof businesses without significant outlay and disruption. While it is estimated that 70-80 per cent of cable cost can be attributed to the material, replacing manual labour with automated machinery is not going to significantly reduce the cost of cable manufacturing. into wire and cable manufacturing could be a simple move towards digital improvements of existing assets. Implementing systems and processes that reduce human error and reliance on traditional spreadsheets and in-house processes can eliminate costly mistakes. Yufei Du, business development manager APAC for Cimteq, said, “The wire and cable industry should not discount implementing smart factory processes but should seriously consider doing so in a way that is different to other industries. Essential automation practices and the establishment of a fully synced and integrated system is vital for any wire and cable manufacturer looking to future-proof its business and fully Long-term partner in renewable energy Nexans has signed a preferred supplier agreement (PSA) with Empire Offshore Wind LLC to electrify the future of New York State, USA, by connecting the Empire Wind offshore projects to the onshore grid. cables that will deliver renewable energy to over one million homes. “Smartification”, however, does not necessarily mean full automation. A quick way to embrace smart factory processes

understand how efficient their design and manufacturing processes are. “Reducing downtime of machines, reducing scrap and waste, and identifying errors and bottlenecks early on can all be achieved through automation and smartification. Systems can be implemented alongside existing assets, so the move towards a smart factory can be done cost-effectively with speed and very little disruption.” The white paper can be downloaded from Cimteq’s website: https://cimteq.com/en/ our-academy/white-papers Cimteq Ltd www.cimteq.com Two cable systems will connect the offshore substation for Empire Wind 1 to landfall and a substation in Brooklyn, New York. Empire Wind 2 will link to Long Island by three parallel cables. Nexans www.nexans.com

Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor and BP through their 50/50 strategic partnership in the USA. It is planned for an area of 80,000 acres, in federal waters, an average of 33km south of Long Island and east of the Rockaways.

The turnkey projects cover the full design and manufacturing, as well as the laying and protection of over 300km of export

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2021 Media Pack

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Corporate News

Reacting to global lubricant crisis In recent weeks, the global lubricant market has witnessed its biggest ever challenge – the massive worldwide reduction in the use of fossil fuels (due to COVID-19) has created a vacuum in the supply chain of base oils, a by-product of fuel. These base oils used to create lubricants are now in scarce supply or simply unavailable, impacting massively on manufacturing across the board, writes Chris Nettleship, technical director at Metalube Ltd. ▲ Metalube is researching product variants that avoid the most severely affected base oils

scramble to secure any material that does make it to market. What were once commodities, in a highly competitive market, are now highly prized specialities sold to the highest bidder. In some applications these short-term supply issues can, in part, be overcome by delaying lubricant changes. Although not ideal, the option of extending the life of oils in gearboxes or hydraulic systems is a pragmatic one, when faced with either paying double or triple the price for fresh oil or being unable to purchase it at all. For other applications, such as wire and tube production, where the lubricant is both a critical part of the process and is consumed during it, this is not an option, so the supply problems are much more immediate. Many lubricants applied in wire and tube drawing processes have historically used the heavier base oils that have experienced the most significant supply disruption. Despite the already dwindling supply, there had been little incentive to consider other, more modern but often more expensive options – the prevailing sentiment being that it was tomorrow’s problem, not one for today. COVID and the“new normal” that the world will adjust to have now changed that. While the supply issues are undoubtedly at their most acute now, it appears unlikely that the base oil supply landscape will revert completely to that of pre-COVID times. Manufacturers of wire and tube will be forced through necessity to reconsider the choice of lubricants for their processes. Metalube’s new chemistries and products will therefore not be a short-term fix but a long-term solution in advancing lubricant technologies. Metalube Ltd www.metalube.co.uk

around 1 per cent of refinery output going into the lubricant market as base oil. In simple terms, refineries produce fuels and base oil is a by-product. A further complicating factor is that not all oil refineries are equal. The newer generations of these refineries use more advanced techniques (such as hydrocracking) to produce higher fuel yields from the crude, maximising the return on investment (in normal times). The side effect of this is that the base oil by-products are also more refined with higher purity, which is good news; but the bad news is that during hydrocracking the “heavy” oils are broken down and only light oils are produced. Many older refineries have been closed due to being uneconomic, so the supply of heavier oils used in wire and tube lubricants has been dwindling. The collapse in fuel consumption caused by COVID means that refineries are either shut down entirely or running at significantly reduced output. Even though demand for materials such as base oils is high, without the outlet for the fuels the refineries simply cannot operate: they have no way of storing the substantial amount of excess fuel that they would produce. The high demand coupled with the scarcity of supply is creating disruption in the base oil market, as companies

Metalube’s research and development team is now bringing to market new product variants that avoid the most severely affected base oils. Additionally, new future-proof chemistries are completing the laboratory development stage and are available for phase-1 field testing. COVID-19 has significantly impacted our travelling habits, with our roads and skies enjoying decreased traffic, resulting in the reduction in the use of fossil fuels. This is great for the environment, but travel changes have had a hidden, but massive, impact on the production of almost all lubricant products, including those used in the manufacture of wire and tube. To understand why requires us to delve a little into the chemistry of the products and the processes by which they are made. The key building blocks for most lubricant products are the base oils. These can form up to 80-90 per cent of a typical lubricant and are therefore critical to being able to manufacture the finished product. Although the global base oil market is, in absolute terms, very substantial (with sales revenues of almost $30bn) it is actually a very small part of the output of crude oil refining. The overwhelming majority of crude oil is converted into fuels such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene, with only

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Technology News

▲ The rewind lines can be either tyre-driven or with conventional drive pin design

Rewind lines with short set-up times

Windak’s complete payoff, take-up and rewind lines minimise cycle times and make the reel-changing procedure quick, safe and easy. Efficient rewinding requires machines with short set-up time and an efficient flow of handling the full and empty reels. Windak’s lines have been designed for fast reel changes, accurate tension control, high line speed and high quality winding. The rewind lines can be based on the complete payoff and take-up range, either tyre-driven design or with conventional drive pin design. Both designs are of portal type, with traversing on floor rails.

The Windak Premium has floating pintles and a second tyre drive as options. The Windak payoffs and take-ups range from 400 to 2,600mm flange diameter. Test equipment, printing and other auxiliary equipment are available for integration with the line. The company can customise a rewind line with caterpillar length counter, automatic cutting station, changeover station, CO 2 accumulator and servo-driven tensioning dancer for sensitive cables. Features and options of the rewind lines include synchronisation of payoff and take-up with fast acceleration and deceleration for minimised cycle times;

driving the reel on the flange or with conventional drive pin; independently controlled pintles; and semi-automatic unloading of the reel. Floating pintles make the reel-changing process quick and easy for the operator. All Windak rewind lines include running to set length at set speed. Optional remote- control operation allows safer and faster reel changes. The touchscreen HMI is programmable to suit the operator’s needs, and servo- controlled traversing allowsmore accurate winding and layer wind. Windak OÜ www.windakgroup.com

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Technology News

Wire and cable surface defect detection Measuring devices based on non-contact laser measurement for geometric moni- toring of wire and cable have been avail- able for many years. The measurement of the outer diameter, the calculation of the ovality, and the detection of shape defects such as lumps and necks are part of the classical measurements. As diameters become smaller and speeds increase, many devices are limited in performance by their technology.

second. Scratches, die marks or defects such as impurities, bubbles or particles on the insulation are displayed on PC software for analysis and characterisation. The system works like a “ring camera” around the circumference of the cylindrical object. The image is analysed in real time by algorithms in order to provide defect information such as length, width, surface and location. It allows the operator to identify and isolate the causes, and generates alarms according to the customer’s parameters. SQM was developed to focus on very fine dimensions: wire diameter from 2,000μm down to 20μm. The technology is suited to detecting and characterising defects on metal wires with a reflective surface (such as steel, copper, gold and silver); drawn products and certain extruded products; and enamelled wires, plated wires and some insulated wires. Cersa-MCI www.cersa-mci.com

The inspection of the surface appearance and detection of surface defects on cylindricalproductsduringproductionpre- sent an even greater technical challenge. Measuring techniques and equipment do exist, but they are often either dedicated to offline measurement of samples, or for in-line measurement at diameters of several millimetres or even centimetres, and at low speeds. There has previously been a lack of equipment capable of detecting defects that may appear on the surface of wire, cable or tube during the drawing

▲ Cersa’s SQM surface defect detection instrument

or extrusion process, particularly for products with very small diameters and at high speeds. Demand frommanufacturers for zero-defect production and minimal scrap has led Cersa to fill this gap by developing a new measuring device. The SQM is a patented instrument developed to meet the need for continuous monitoring of the surface quality of fine wire, cable or tube. It offers high-resolution and real-time surface defect detection with 200,000 images per

Complete rod preparation portfolio for advanced wire cleaning

Lämneå Bruk’s rod preparation portfolio includes five machines designed for continuous, in-line mechanical descaling of wire rod. Mechanical descaling is an environmen- tally friendly method of rod cleaning, so the machines have a minimal environ- mental footprint and facilitate efficient, space-saving in-line rod cleaning for wire prepared for the next production steps. The descaling system consists of a four- or six-sheave scale breaker, a four-pair brushing unit, a new sandpaper descaling machine, a water jet and the Candocoat cleaning and coating machine. The reversed bending descaler, suitable for low-high carbon rod preparation, is available in two sizes for wire diameters from 5.5 to 12mm. The design is equipped with bending rollers with solid carbide steel placed at the centre, eliminating the need to change the entire roll. The mechanical brushing system is fitted with an intelligent brush pressure detection system for improved cleaning results and extended brush lifetime.

The high-pressure water jet is a compact descaling system that uses only water, without any chemicals in the cleaning process. As no wearing occurs while cleaning the rod, the result is consistent wire quality. The cleaning and coating machine removes scales from carbon steel and stainless steel wires in a three-step process: loose particles are removed from the surface with hot water, the lubricant carrier applies a wet coating, and the rod is dried. The most recent launch in Lämneå Bruk’s rod preparation portfolio is the second generation of the descaling sandpaper machine. The machine has one or two 300mm-wide sanding belts, with rod wire guide rollers and integrated line speed feedback to avoid the risk of over-sanding if the line stops. The device is also equipped with features such as belt tracking control, synchronisation to line speed, and individual drives for each flyer and sand belt to allow full rpm flexibility. Lämnea Bruk’s sandpaper descaling machine is suitable for low- to high-carbon and stainless steel wire.

The rod preparation equipment is manufactured entirely in the company’s ownworkshop in Sweden, and is designed, manufactured and tested according to European safety standards. Lämneå Bruk AB www.lamnea.se

▲ The new sandpaper descaling machine

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