WCA November 2014

Industry news

THE Machines has received an order for a plant to produce submarine cables with optical fibres with sleeveless continuous length of up to 120km formed and welded tubes. The future target is to provide a single length of 240km. These production lines are specifically designed to meet these challenges and are composed of the following main core components: • One fibre optic steel tube production line for up to 48 fibres. The lines are being designed for a production speed up to 30m/min and a dial-in adjustable and controlled fibre excess length of 0.1 to 0.5% • One production line for the sheath over the steel loose tube (which is available at the customer’s plant) • One armouring and welding line to apply a layer of reinforcement elements and to form and butt weld a copper screen over the cable Since the armouring line is equipped with 630mm diameter spools it is necessary to stop the production line to re-load the machine. A unique in-line system has been developed allowing the welding process to be stopped and restarted without losing any welding seam quality or weld seam integrity. THE Machines Yvonand SA – Switzerland Website : www.the-machines.ch Submarine cable order for THE Machines New coating service from Applied A new service for used fuse welding and tipping mandrels that strips worn Parylene ® and Teflon ® coatings and applies PTFE Natural ™ coatings is being introduced by Applied Plastics Co Inc, of Norwood, Massaschusetts, USA. Featuring a smooth, anti-stick surface that withstands heat up to 300°C continuous, with excursions to 371°C, PTFE Natural™ coated forming mandrels provide a 0.05 coefficient of friction per ASTM-1894 to simplify catheter removal in fuse welding and tipping operations. Suitable for larger diameter mandrels 0.02" and up, the service lets users recondition rather than discard worn mandrels, which saves delivery time and eliminates grinding, especially with complex configurations. PTFE Natural ™ mandrels are coated using a proprietary process that enhances the bonding surface and prevents flaking and cracking. Applied Plastics Co Inc – USA Website : www.appliedplasticsinc.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2014