WCA September 2016

Industry news

Over the past ten years, the turnover of Melos GmbH has almost tripled and the number of employees has doubled to more than 200. The company ended the 2015 business year with a turnover of €80.5m. The company also started the new business year strongly with a 14.2 per cent increase in turnover, compared to the first five months of the previous year, and is preparing itself for the future by building a state-of-the-art development centre with a total investment of €3m. Markets and customer needs have changed greatly over the last few years, and Melos’s standard B2B business has become increasingly demanding. Today, the company offers a wide range of solutions rather than just being a supplier of components. Aside from the strategic orientation, the company’s infrastructure is being improved. Melos GmbH focuses 100 New development centre for Melos

per cent on the production site at Melle, Germany, and will be investing extensively in expanding its development, production and logistics in the coming years. The building of a competence centre for research and development – with advanced analysis and experimentation systems, new laboratory buildings and associated offices – represents the next step for the company. As one of the main drivers of positive development at Melos GmbH the industrial compounding product sector, in particular, will benefit heavily from these investments. A further construction project is the ‘Melos Village’ open-air showroom. Here, Melos’s sport and leisure products can be experienced and enjoyed in an entertaining atmosphere across an area of around 1,800m 2 . Melos GmbH – Germany Website : www.melos-gmbh.com

Cleaning and degreasing wire the Plasmait way

removal of large quantities of soaps and scale, where conventional cleaning processes such as ultrasonic cleaning can be used as pre-cleaning in combination with fine, dry plasma treatment. After cooling in an inert atmosphere the material can also be led to ambient air where a fine oxide layer is formed on the processed material surface. This results in a high degree of surface passivation, which will protect the surface by slowing down subsequent surface corrosion.

SURFACE cleaning and degreasing is an important part of the wire production process. Traditionally this involves mechanical or wet, chemical processes that are potentially harmful to the operator and the environment. One way to turn production chemical-free is to use plasma surface cleaning, which is a dry surface treatment. PlasmaCleaner is a plasma surface treatment machine designed for surface cleaning, degreasing or oxide removal on ferrous and non-ferrous wire. Plasma treatment is a dry process that requires no rinsing or drying. Plasma treated surface can be used for removal of wet lubricant or fine oxide layer removal. Whilst the material is kept in an inert atmosphere, the material surface is cleaned and activated, allowing for effective surface coating (good coat adhesion) or strong intermetallic layer creation between the material and surface coating. PlasmaCleaner can be used in conjunction with polymer coating/ extrusion (PTFE, FEP, PFA, ETFE or Teflon), cladding, spray coating, taping, enamelling or magnet wire, or for production of power and signalling conductors for various cables (solid, rectangular, braided or bunched). PlasmaCleaner can also be used as an efficient and accurate preheater. Plasma is ineffective when it comes to

Plasmait GmbH – Austria Website : www.plasmait.com

❍ Plasma treated copper wire

New president at the helm Magnetic Analysis Corp (MAC) recently promoted Dudley M Boden to president and chief executive officer. Having spent 15 years as MAC’s vice president – sales & marketing, Mr Boden brings an in-depth understanding of the company’s test systems and customer inspection needs. He is now focused on broadening the firm’s product offering in order to take advantage of new opportunities that have arisen. “Boden’s work in expanding overseas operations and strengthening the sales force and office procedures is providing a firm basis for future successful initiatives under his leadership,” said MAC’s chairman, William S Gould 3 rd . Prior to joining MAC, Mr Boden was a director and general manager of Minolta Corporation’s Instrument Systems Division. While there, he was responsible for production and sales of quality control equipment. He holds a degree in Photographic Science and Instrumentation from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Magnetic Analysis Corporation – USA Website : www.mac-ndt.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2016