EuroWire May 2023

9-11 May 2023

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Ahead of the show, Kjell E Johnsen, head of Conoptica’s wire and cable division, discussed his thoughts on the industry, Conoptica’s progress and plans for the future. What trends are you noticing in the wire production industry? As the cost of manufacturing in China continues to rise, we are seeing increasing demand from countries whose manufacturing capabilities are growing, for example Vietnam and India. Cost is not the only issue though, as geopolitics and rising tensions across the globe are of increasing importance. We are also seeing new demand from existing markets. Many organisations are now starting to move their manufacturing capabilities to their home market, especially in the USA. So, for our business, we are seeing demand from additional and new factories and assembly plants in old markets – as well as new ones. Something else that’s of great interest to the team at Conoptica is the move to rectangular wire in electric vehicles. The science is simple: the more copper you can get in the wires in the coil of the motor, the more powerful the engine. Our shaped die measurement system has

been available for many years, waiting for a mainstream deployment. We’re also seeing increased demand for larger die measurements (>7mm), with numerous enquiries for our CU20 system. We believe this is the result of the constant drive to improve product quality and productivity increases; perfect die geometry and accurate values for the die profile needs to be considered early in the process. How is Conoptica’s business in repsect of the pandemic? Business is booming and our customers seem to be back to full business – and consequently investing in the wire industry. Our measuring instruments are designed and manufactured to be operational for 15-20 years. Our first generation of systems (called CP1000) were discontinued in 2001. However, we continued to service and maintain them until 2019, when spare parts were no longer available. Even so, some of these first-generation systems are still operational around the world. What is next for Conoptica? We invest heavily in both R&D and our engineering team. Innovation and continuous improvement are part of Conoptica’s DNA. Our team is working on

a number of new products and upgrades, which we will announce over the next few months, that will enable larger dies to be measured at faster rates. We are also investing in our service division to provide tighter turnarounds and quicker fixes for customers. Conoptica www.conoptica.com Conoptica will be showcasing its portfolio of drawing die measurement systems and service options at Interwire

Controle Mesure Systemes Booth 969

Based in France, Controle Mesure Systemes offers a variety of advanced ultrasonic and eddy current testing solutions to meet quality control needs. The company designs and develops its own non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment for the inspection of finished and semi-finished products including wires, tubes, bars, billets and plates.

›››

59

www.read-eurowire.com

May 2023