WCA September 2018

Contents

Regulars

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Industry News 46 行业新闻 56 Technology News 65 技术与产品 70 India Insight 70 印度透视 72 Telecom News 74 通信新闻 76 From the Americas 80 来自美国的消息 84 wire China 2018 110 Editorial Index 110 通讯目录 110 Advertisers Index 110 广告索引

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Technical Articles

106 Revolutionising the wire manufacturing process

By Rupert Parmenter, Sicme Italia Impianti Srl, Italy

108 线缆制造工艺的变革

作者: 意大利 Sicme Italia Impianti Srl 公司的 Rupert Parmenter

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Getting Technical - Alternative to soldering: Back-cast resistance welding electrodes made of tungsten and copper ensure optimum current transfer Feature - wire India 2018 Next Issue 84 56

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bigstockphoto.com “Shanghai Tower & Jin Mao Tower, Pudong District, Shanghai, China” Photographer efired

bigstockphoto.com Artist Ivan Zhukevych

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2018

Editor ( 编辑 ): ............................................... David Bell Features Editor – USA ( 专栏编辑 – 美国 ): .............................. Dorothy Fabian Editorial Assistant ( 助理文字编辑 ): ............................... Christian Bradley Design/Production ( 设计/制作 ): ............ Julie Tomlin Production ( 制作 ): .................................... Lisa Wright Translation ( 翻译经理 ): ............... TTC wetranslate Ltd Linda Li Advertising/Marketing : ......................... Jason Smith ( 广告/营销 ): UK, ROW, USA, Canada Giuliana Benedetto Italy Linda Li 中国 Advertisement Coordinator ( 广告联络人 ): .............................................. Liz Hughes Accounts Manager ( 财务经理 ): .................. Julie Case Subscriptions ( 订阅) ..............................Julie Case Publisher ( 发行人 ): ........................... Caroline Sullens Founder ( 创办人 ): ................................... John C Hogg Europe ( 欧洲 ) Advertising/Marketing & Editorial ( 广告, 营销及编辑部 ) 46 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 4HY, UK Tel ( 电话 ): ................... +44 1926 334137 Fax ( 传真 ): .................. +44 1926 314755 Email ( 电子邮址 ): ....... wca@intras.co.uk Website ( 网站 ): ........... www.read-wca.com 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. Wire & Cable ASIA reserves the right to edit, reword and subedit all editorial submissions in accordance with editorial policy. Wire & Cable ASIA 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. 《亚洲线缆》杂志所有图文受版权保护。未经书面授权 不得全部或部分以任何方式转载。出版商、编写者、代 理商、印刷商及投稿者对在本期、以前、以及将来刊登 的稿件或广告的准确性和提出的索赔不承担责任。英国 Intras Ltd 公司拥有《亚洲线缆》 ( Wire & Cable ASIA ) 图像和文字注册商标。 Wire & Cable ASIA is published six times a year. It is distributed throughout North and South-east Asia to registered readers in wire, cable and wire component producer and consumer industries. Annual subscriptions are available from just US$80. 《亚洲线缆》一年出版六期，面向整个北亚、东南亚地 区的电线、电缆和线材制品的生产商和用户发行。订阅 一年：欧元 140 ；英镑 120 ; 美元 195 。 USA ( 美国 ) Editorial ( 广告/营销 ) Intras USA – Doug Zirkle Danbury Corporate Center, 107 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 06811, USA Tel ( 电话 ): ................... +1 203 794 0444 Email ( 电子邮址 ): ....... doug@intras.co.uk

INTRAS INTRASLIMITED

© Intras Ltd ISSN 0218-3277

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2018

Far Eastern promise and gearing up for wire China The wire and cable industry shifts its focus to the Orient, with wire China being staged from 26 th to 29 th September. Expectations are already running high after 42,000 visitors attended the four-day show two years ago. The Shanghai New International Expo Centre is the venue for the industry’s most important show in the Asian market, where exhibitors will show off new technologies on more than 97,000m 2 of floor space. Our coverage starts on page 84 and there are more than 20 pages highlighting what’s on show at this year’s event. Please feel free to stop by our stand (W1G26) to collect your free copy of Wire & Cable ASIA and sister publication EuroWire . Confidence in the region can be further highlighted by UK company Alloy Wire International targeting Japan as part of its Far Eastern sales drive. The company, which recently broke through the £10m order barrier for the first time, has invested more than £100,000 in establishing a new sales partner in the country, and setting up a dedicated Japanese website and a suite of marketing materials.

Early indications are that its faith in the market is more than paying off, with orders up 1,000 per cent on this time last year. Turn to page 40 for the full story.

David Bell Editor

When and where

2019 28 February-2 March: TEL – trade exhibition – Istanbul, Turkey Organisers: Voli Fuar Hizmetleri Fax : +90 212 604 5051 Email : info@voli.com.tr Website : http://tel-fair.com

3-5 October: wire South America – trade exhibition – São Paulo, Brazil Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Fax : +49 211 4560 668 Email : info@ wire-south-america.com Website : www.wire-south-america. com

5-7 March: Cables 2019 –

27-29 November: wire India – trade exhibition – Mumbai, India Organisers: Messe Düsseldorf India Pvt Ltd Fax : +91 112 697 1746 Email : info@wire-india.com Website: www.wire-india.com

conference and technical programme – Düsseldorf, Germany Organisers: AMI International Tel: +44 117 314 8111 Email : info@ami.international Website: www.ami.international

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Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com “Se Cathedral, Sao Paulo, Brazil” • Photographer Aleksandar Todorovic

Industry news

❍ A roll grinder from Pomini Tenova

Tenova roll grinder heading to the USA

also be used on rolls from other existing rolling mills on the same site. This order is of particular significance because of the importance of the customer and the demands of aluminium applications. Additionally, there are several upcoming projects in the aluminium industry in North America. JW Aluminum manufactures flat-rolled aluminium products for the building and construction markets, in stock used by the heating and cooling industry, light gauge converter foil for the flexible packaging industry and honeycomb foil for the aerospace industry. Tenova – Italy Website : www.tenova.com

TENOVA, a specialist in solutions for the metals and mining industries, has been contracted by JW Aluminum to supply a roll grinding machine for work rolls and back-up rolls, a chock changer for work rolls and back-up rolls, and a chock tilter for its expansion plant at Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA. With its aim to increase production at its South Carolina plant with the installation of proven equipment utilising green technology, JW Aluminum chose Pomini – the Tenova brand in production of roll grinders – for its references in aluminium applications, worldwide and in the USA. Pomini Tenova machinery will be installed by the end of 2019 to support the launch of the new equipment, foreseen in early 2020. A Pomini Tenova roll grinder will

Graphics bigstockphoto.com Artist Eky Studio

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Industry news

AESA Cortaillod celebrates 40 years

Manufacturers consistently introduce improvement initiatives to boost yield while ensuring product quality. A key requirement in helping cable manufacturers assess improvement initiatives is accurate and reliable measurement data. Consequently, AESA does not limit itself to offering high-performance devices. The company also offers a data management system that allows for the centralisation and monitoring of all available quality data. During the last 40 years, AESA has established trusted relationships with cable manufacturers worldwide. No matter if it is small companies or large industrial groups, working in telecoms, global energy, automotive or other sectors, it has been listening to specific needs to develop and propose tailored solutions. AESA Cortaillod – Switzerland Website : www.aesa-cortaillod.com must

AESA, a Swiss company that innovates in cable quality metrology, is celebrating its 40 th anniversary this year. During the last four decades, AESA has demonstrated its expertise, sound understanding of test equipment performance, and how it relates to the measurement of electrical parameters. The company constantly strives to leverage its know-how to pioneer novel solutions that provide its customers with a competitive edge in terms of quality and process improvements. AESA applies its tradition of excellence and innovation using the latest technologies to produce equipment for the electrical characterisation of cables to meet the ever-increasing requirements and demands of the wire and cable market. Recently the company proposed a new concept that consists of integrating all

the required components for fast and accurate measurement into compact units. These devices are equipped with an embedded network analyser and Windows-based PC. This not only offers operating comfort, but also ensures reliable measurements and efficient data management. Today, profitability is the driving force behind business operations. ❍ The Scorpius DT COAX measuring system from Aesa

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CENTRAN TAPES & YARNS

Chengdu Centran industrial Co., Ltd Chengdu Centran IMP.&EXP Trading Co., Ltd Wuxi Centran cable material Co., Ltd Room 604, Building 4, Idealism Center, No.38 Tianyi Street Chengdu Hi-Tech district, 610041, Sichuan, P.R.China Tel: 0086-28- 85322171, 85322172 Fax: 0086-028 -85322175 E-mail: market@china-centran.com Http:// www. China-centran.com CBDWD • Reinforced semi-conductive water-blocking tape CHBSD & CHBDD • Sea water-blocking tape CMZSD & CMBZD 3. Binding, Bedding, Barrier & Separating tape • Non-woven tape CWB • Reninforced Non-woven tape CHWB • PET laminated Non-woven tape CZDF • High strength Woven tape CHB • Semi-conductive nylon tape CBNLD • Semi-conductive non-woven tape CBZD • Semi-conductive Polyester tape CBPLD • Semi-conductive woven toteron tape CBHD • Flame-retardant tape CFR • Marking tape MT-20 4. Yarns • Water-blocking yarn CZS • Water-blocking Rope ZSS • High tension polyester yarn HZT • Ripcorn Yarn HT • Water-blocking E-glass Roving yarn BSW 2. Semi-conductive Water-blocking tape • Double-side semi-conductive water-blocking tape • Single-side semi-conductive water-blocking tape • Semi-conductive laminated water-blocking foam tape • Single-side semi-conductive water-blocking woven tape CBZSD CBDZD CBHZD Centran industrial is a leading global supplier of excellent raw materials for cable and wire industry. We are one of the biggest manufacturer of water- blocking tape , Water-Blocking yarn & Polyester yarn , flame retardant & Marking tape etc. in china. 1. Non-conductive Water-blocking tape • Double-side non-conductive water-blocking tape • Single-side non-conductive water-blocking tape • PET laminated non-conductive water-blocking tape CDZDF • Reinforced non-conductive water-blocking tape CHDZD & CHDSD CZSD CDZD

VISIT US AT W5 C01

Industry news

Compound acquisitions for Japan’s MCC JAPANESE materials supplier Mitsubishi Chemical Corp (MCC) has announced plans to buy the Indonesian PVC compound producer PT ABC Plastindo. The acquisition will be completed shortly. Plastindo supplies products for various applications including automotive components, electronic cables and electrical appliances. MCC has thermoplastic elastomer and PVC compound production sites in Thailand, operating its business mainly for automotive application. With the acquisition of Plastindo, MCC expects to accelerate its business expansion into the automotive and electronic cable segments in the growing ASEAN region. In late June the company announced its acquisition of the Mumbai-based PVC compounder Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt Ltd, aimed at increasing MCC’s footprint in the ASEAN medical market. MCC has stepped up its mergers and acquisitions activities in the performance polymer sector in recent months. Mitsubishi Chemical Corp – Japan

Website : www.m-chemical.co.jp PT ABC Plastindo – Indonesia Website : www.abcplastindo.com $40m deal for EHV cables in India LS Cable & System has won a contract worth $40 million to supply extra-high voltage cables in eastern India. The company said the contract with Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation is the largest project ever won by the company’s local subsidiary, LS Cable and System India. The deal is said to account for roughly 20 per cent of the annual Indian market for extra-high voltage cables, which is estimated at $200 million. LS Cable plans to penetrate deeper into India, the world’s third-largest energy user, where there is growing demand to renovate outdated power have accounted for more than 95 per cent of the vast market for extra-high voltage cables on the back of their price competitiveness,” commented an official from LS Cable. LS Cable first built a production facility for communication cables in 2008, and added a voltage cable line in 2012. LS Cable & System – South Korea Website: www.lscns.com Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Company – India Website : www.apgenco.gov.in infrastructure. “India-based companies

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Industry news Bespoke cold welding solution streamlines production A CUSTOMISED cold welding system developed by British company PWM in partnership with USA manufacturer Virtus Precision Tube (formerly Luvata) has streamlined and improved the process of copper tube production. The system has improved uptime, reduced costs and created a better working environment for operators, according to Joe Napier, VPT’s engineering programme manager. “We produce over 40 million pounds of roll-and-weld copper tube each year, in sizes from ¼" to ½", he said. ”The cold welding system we have developed with PWM is part of our continuous improvement programme. It supports our ongoing drive to develop high-performance tubing solutions for the HVAC and refrigeration heat exchanger markets. “Copper strip is supplied in large narrow rolls and, approximately every 20 minutes, the tail end of one roll has to be joined to the head of the next roll. The new cold welding process is more straightforward than the crossweld process we used for a decade, and works the first time, every time. It’s faster, easier to standardise, and requires less operator input and training. Most advantageous of all, the new weld is stronger and capable of handling the tensions we place on the strip during tube production.” Before approaching cold weld specialist PWM, VPT also tried alternative methods of joining strip such as brazing, dovetail profiles, lap joints and laser welding. PWM successfully test welded VPT’s strip using a portable ST40 cold pressure welding machine, capable of joining copper strip as wide as 45mm and as thin as 0.2mm. Precision engineered to create reliable permanent welds stronger than the parent material, the ST40 enabled VPT to reduce the operational scrap rate on the line by 15 per cent during production trials. PWM has now supplied VPT with three ST40 welders that run full-time in production. Adaptations such as automatic flash trimming and annealing of the weld (to soften it and make it less brittle), and automation of the weld cycle and die opening system have been developed to streamline the process. VPT will field the new system across all tube mill production lines and currently has four more ST40 units on order, with more to follow. “Technical assistance from PWM, particularly from its chief design engineer Ivan Turner, has been incredible throughout,” added Mr Napier. “Any problems we had during the development and early fielding of the units were quickly resolved. For example, we went through four design improvements to arrive at our current tooling.” PWM Ltd – UK Website : www.pwmltd.co.uk

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Industry news Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation closes the acquisition of Ovako NIPPON Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC), one of the largest steel producers in the world, has confirmed the closing of the acquisition of Ovako Group. Ovako will continue to drive its business under the Ovako brand and will legally be part of NSSMC as a subsidiary. “We are very pleased to now fully begin our journey as part of NSSMC. For Ovako, the acquisition means that we now have a strong industrial owner in the global steel industry,” said Ovako president and CEO Marcus Hedblom. “We are looking forward to leverage NSSMC’s technological expertise and global reach to deliver even more value to our customers.” Ovako announced on 15 th March 2018 that NSSMC had entered into an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Ovako Group from Triton. The parties have agreed not to make the terms and conditions of the transaction public. NSSMC Group manufactures a wide array of advanced steel products in more than 15 countries, including 12 steel mills in Japan. NSSMC reported steel production at the consolidated level of 45 million tons for the fiscal year ending 31 st March 2016. Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation – Japan Website : www.nssmc.com Ovako AB – Sweden Website : www.ovako.com New director of operations Miltec UV has appointed Oliver Hamann as its new director of operations. Mr Hamann brings more than 20 years of extensive knowledge in systems engineering, opto-mechanical design and manufacturing, fibre optics, lasers, microscopy, computer vision, particle characterisation and spectroscopy. He has a Master of Science in Physics from the Universitat Hamburg in Germany, his country of origin. Miltec UV – USA Website : www.miltec.com

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Industry news

FTTH Council Asia-Pacific reveals new boards

common utility corridors and the utilisation of natural pathways for low-cost fibre deployment to address the emerging demand for high-speed connectivity and the digital divide among rural and urban subscribers.” Also joining the newly organised board are Venkatesan Babu, of DSM Functional Materials, who will serve as vice president. Tim Yamada, of Sumitomo Electric, has taken on the role of secretary, and Ronald G Brusola, of Converge ICT Solutions, has become treasurer. Finally, two director roles have been filled by Raadjkoemar Matai, of YOFC, and Paul Ng, of Corning. The appointment of the board follows the council’s AGM which was held after its annual conference in Manila, Philippines, last month. As the largest FTTH conference in the Asia-Pacific region, the event brought together more than 50 speakers and more than 500 delegates from government bodies, regulators, telecoms/mobile network operators, cable TV network operators, broadband service providers, consultants,

ENABLING 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities through ‘deep fibre’ will become a key focus for the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific, as it announces a new board of directors who will take the council’s work to the next level. To drive the council’s mission of accelerating the adoption of optical fibre access and empowering consumers and organisations through broadband services, six leaders within the telecom industries have been appointed. Dr Arvind K Mishra, head of application and system engineering at Sterlite Tech, has taken on the position of president. “Deep fibre is essential for sustainable and reliable FTTx infrastructure to support 5G, IoT, smart cities and emerging large-scale bandwidth-consuming applications which provide a greater user experience,” said Dr Mishra. “As the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific moves forward, our continuous focus will be on creating and building awareness on best telecommunication practices of regulatory policies in the Asia-Pacific region. “This will include open access, building code, dig-once

investment firms and solution providers. FTTH Council Asia-Pacific – Philippines Website : www.ftthcouncilap.org

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Industry news

Kocks’ RSB heading to China

CHINESE titanium manufacturer Tian Cheng Titanium Industry Co Ltd has placed an order with Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG, of Hilden, Germany, for a reducing and sizing block (RSB ® ) in 5.0 design. Founded in 2007 the company – with locations in China, the USA, Europe and South Korea – specialises in titanium products for the worldwide supply of the aviation, chemical and energy industries. The new RSB 5.0 produces titanium bars and bar in coil within a dimension range of Ø 13 to 100mm. This latest milestone in Kocks reducing and sizing technology enables TC Titanium to considerably expand its product range and to fulfil the high quality requirements of the aviation industry. Commissioning is scheduled for the beginning of 2019. Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG – Germany Website : www.kocks.de ❍ Pictured, from left, Stefan Schwarz, general manager sales, Kocks, Germany; Wei Che, vice president, TCTi; and Sun Ke, Kocks, Beijing, China

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Industry news

Industry leaders join forces to serve USA manufacturing

“I am extremely excited about this new partnership with IVC. We are now ready to fulfil any kind of customer request nationwide with qualified service personnel.” “IVC Technologies is very excited to offer condition-based monitoring services through a world-class organisation such as Pruftechnik,” said Pete Epperson, president IVC Technologies. “With over 30 years in the CBM field, we have seen many vibration platforms come and go. “I can say with great confidence that IVC’s analysts will be carrying Pruftechnik analysers far into the future as we continue on our path of delivering the most versatile and valuable condition monitoring services in the industry.” Pruftechnik Inc – USA Website : www.pruftechnik.com IVC Technologies – USA Website : www.ivctechnologies.com

PRUFTECHNIK Inc and IVC Technologies have joined forces to provide a comprehensive condition monitoring solution for clients throughout North America. Pruftechnik Condition Monitoring Services powered by IVC Technologies combines the strengths of Pruftechnik’s suite of alignment and condition monitoring tools and IVC Technologies’ 30+ years of providing extensive condition monitoring services to the industry. Bringing together these two industry innovators will enable manufacturers to boost their maintenance organisations’ reliability performance. “Pruftechnik USA was able to add more than 30 new people to the organisation since its creation in 2016 to provide high-quality customer service,” said Florian Buder, CEO Pruftechnik North America. “However, it has become obvious that it is an ideal timing and opportunity to collaborate with an established world-class organisation, such as IVC Technologies, to reach the next level and to extend our service offering across the continent.

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Industry news

Bringing LAN cabling to top hat rails

R&M, a Swiss cabling systems developer and provider for high-quality network infrastructures around the world, is supporting high-density LAN cabling on top hat rails. With a width of 18mm, the new slimline DRM45 DIN rail adapter corresponds to 1 HP (horizontal pitch), the typical pitch pattern on standard 35mm top hat rails (DIN EN 50 022). When it comes to structured cabling for local area networks (LAN), planners, installers and building owners want compact solutions. Increasingly, small building distributors or switch cabinets for industrial, functional and residential buildings not only require controllers, network connectors and other technical building system components, but also RJ45 network connections. These are needed, for instance, for the Internet of Things, industrial Ethernet, Internet connections for machines, and controllers for smart buildings. In such cases, the 35mm top hat rail is often the installation platform of choice. R&M has developed the slimline 1HP DRM45 adapter to meet this demand. The shielded and unshielded versions of the RJ45 copper modules Cat 6A EL, Cat 6A ISO and Cat 6A coupler fit into the housing. In fibre optic cabling, the adapter supports LC Duplex and SC Simplex connections. The adapters can be clicked into and snapped out of the top hat rail in just a few steps. The copper and fibre optic adapters

are equally easy to insert, click in and, if required, replace or remove. The plug connections can still be accessed from the front with a higher packing density. The integrated ground spring can also be enabled or disabled from the front. A hinge connects the dust cap with the adapter so that the cap does not get lost. R&M – Switzerland Website : www.rdm.com ❍ R&M increases packing density with the slimline DRM45 DIN rail adapter for copper and fibre optic connectivity

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Industry news

DAVIS-STANDARD LLC has acquired Brampton Engineering of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Brampton Engineering, LLC is a provider of multi-layer AeroFrost ® air-blown and AquaFrost ® water-quenched film systems, film winding and many other film production solutions. “We are pleased to welcome Brampton Engineering with their globally recognised blown film technology to our team,” said Jim Murphy, Davis-Standard president and CEO. “Brampton Engineering’s focus on customer support, technology and its employees align well with the values of Davis-Standard.” Gary Hughes, CEO of Brampton Engineering, said on teaming with Davis-Standard: “Davis-Standard is a global leader in plastic extrusion technology and we are proud to join their team. “Davis-Standard brings resources and support to our business to better serve our customers worldwide and we are excited about the solutions we can present together.” Mr Murphy added: “We are very enthusiastic about working with Gary and the Brampton Engineering team and are excited about our future together.” Davis-Standard LLC – USA Davis-Standard snaps up Brampton

Website : www.davis-standard.com Brampton Engineering – Canada Website : www.be-ca.com

❍ Operations underway at Brampton Engineering

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Industry news

Quality at the treble from Metalube

❍ Quality manager Lesley Hallam is pictured with the BS OHSAS 18001 award

ALCUMUS ISOQAR has awarded Metalube the BS OHSAS 18001, an internationally recognised British standard for occupational health and safety management. The company has also received recertification for ISO 9001:2015 and 14001:2015. OHSAS 18001 enables Metalube to manage risk and help aid compliance with legislation, as well as maintain a safe and healthy working environment for employees and visitors to its factory in Irlam, Manchester, UK. The accreditation provides the company with cost savings through reducing or eliminating costs associated with work-related injuries or illness. It also enables the company to measure health and safety performance by establishing a framework for controlling and measuring health and safety performance. The aim is to also reduce the occurrence of accidents and incidents by staying abreast of relevant legislation, reducing the likelihood of prosecution and fines. Robert Brown, managing director, said: “Occupational health and safety represents a top priority for Metalube. “The OHSAS 18001 certificate reflects our commitment as a company to implement to the highest safety standards and to ensure that these exemplary principles are well maintained. We are also thrilled to be recertified for ISO 9001:2015 and 14001:2015.” Metalube Ltd – UK Website : www.metalube.co.uk

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Industry news

Cimteq and AESA join forces

thorough control of manufacturing, enabling for continuous improvement and optimisation of plants’ capabilities.” Cimteq Ltd – UK Website : www.cimteq.com AESA Cortaillod – Switzerland Website : www.aesa-cortaillod.com

Manuel Felder, senior area sales manager AESA, said: “This cooperation will allow us to provide a full-fledged solution for cable manufacturing covering the entire management of production processes, starting from design to final testing. This will allow customers to have a

TO stay ahead in the competitive industry of wire and cable, it is paramount that cable manufacturers improve their productivity and profitability in the face of increasingly complex challenges. The cable market is continuously evolving, and new, increasingly stringent requirements are regularly introduced. To keep their competitive edge, manufacturers must consistently introduce improvement initiatives to boost yield whilst ensuring, and continuously enhancing, product quality. The partnership between Cimteq Ltd and AESA SA will provide customers with the combined skills, knowledge and products to provide a complete integrated solution, helping customers to become more profitable by saving materials and increasing quality. Cimteq provides an innovative set of integrated products that are designed to manage the design and manufacturing functions of the cable manufacturer’s business. CableBuilder and CableMES reduce waste, improve quality and traceability, reduce lead time, improve customer service, improve product design and improve data and costing accuracy. AESA has been providing measuring systems, devices and quality- performance services for 40 years. It leverages its know-how to pioneer innovative solutions which provide clients with an advantage in terms of quality and process improvements. The CIQ quality management system supports additional traceability features as well as extended quality improvement and data management capabilities. Ali Shehab, Cimteq CEO, said: “The partnership will give us the leading edge in being the first system that completely closes the loop between design engineering, manufacturing and quality control. “The closed loop saves materials and improves product quality for our customers. We do this by seamlessly combining best-of-breed products from Cimteq and AESA.”

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Industry news

Balance of power ABB has received an order from Transpower New Zealand Ltd to upgrade the HVDC link that interconnects the transmission grids and acts as an energy-balancing system between the North and South islands. Demand for power on the North Island, which has a population of over three times the population of the South Island, is substantially higher and relies on power generated on the South Island. The 600km North-South HVDC interconnection enables power transmission to areas of high demand, and plays an important role in the New Zealand electricity market by allowing power trading between the two islands. The first New Zealand link was commissioned in 1965 by ABB (then ASEA) as one of the earliest HVDC transmission systems in the world. It was originally a bipolar 600MW link with mercury arc valves, until the original equipment was paralleled onto a single pole in 1992, and a new thyristor-based pole was commissioned to increase capacity to 1,040 MW. The scope of the project includes a valve upgrade of pole 2 consisting of capacitors, fiber optics and valve control units based on the latest ABB Ability MACH control system. Transpower New Zealand Ltd – New Zealand Website : www.transpower.co.nz

Jakarta plant venture for LS Cable LS Cable & System is to be part of a joint venture with the AG Group. A press release said that LS signed an agreement with AG Group to jointly invest $40 million in the construction of cable plants near Jakarta, due for completion by 2019. The plants will produce overhead cables for infrastructure and low and medium voltage cables used for construction and plants, and are expected to generate around $100 million by 2025. LS Cable & System CEO Myung Roe-Hyun, said the discussions with AG Group received “a boost” after South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in announced the new southern policy during a business forum with Indonesia in November 2017. The AG Group is described as among Indonesia’s top ten companies, active in banking, hotels, construction and resorts. LS Cable & System – South Korea Website: www.lscns.com

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Industry news

❍ Visualisation of technology development towards Industry 4.0 at Sikora Ready for the future at Sikora

Mobile data accessing: The Sikora processor devices provide the industrial network protocol OPC UA, which increasingly prevails as a standard language of the IIoT and allows a comprehensive data exchange with IT systems. The devices are equipped with all standard interfaces, and therefore fit for Industry 4.0 and, with regard to the hardware, optimally designed for future developments. Via an Ethernet interface, remote maintenance is also possible with the Ecocontrol and this allows the company’s employees to access a system independent of the location. Sikora service offers customers comprehensive services regarding the area of Industry 4.0. These include mobile diagnosis by Wi-Fi transmission, for example, from the Laser Series 6000 or Spark 6000 to the Sikora App or SAM (Smart Assistance Manager). In addition, remote maintenance via safe cloud access is increasingly gaining importance for customers. The development of special maintenance software tailored to individual customer requirements that enables predictive product maintenance will also be possible in the future. For example, a Laser Series 6000 device may then send an automated fault message when the gauge head is dirty. Sikora AG – Germany Website : www.sikora.net

THE term “Industry 4.0” – together with the “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT) – shapes the discourse on sustainability and competiveness of the industry. The interaction between human, machine and production during the running production process enables independent production control via intelligent machines. Sikora measuring technologies are equipped with interfaces for Industry 4.0. How the customer benefits is shown in the following overview. Data transmission: In classic production lines, Sikora devices receive nominal values from a programmable logic controller (PLC) of the customer and in return transmit real measuring values. The received information is the basis of process optimisation. Visualisation of measuring values and plant control: With the integration of the Ecocontrol processor system into the production line, the customer gains various new networking and control possibilities in the area of Industry 4.0. All of the company’s measuring devices are connected to the Ecocontrol. It visualises the transmitted data, creates trend and statistical data and, on this basis, initiates specific measures for plant control. The regulation is done by increasing or decreasing the line speed or extruder rpm. Furthermore, the Ecocontrol is able to mirror the recorded production data to any desired display systems in the line, where it can be further processed.

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Industry news

Serving the industry for 18 years ❍ A welding robot at work at Inosym Reels

production space, Inosym has invested in robotic welding, robotic handling, CNC machines and automated electro static painting. All reels are manufactured to high quality, and suitable for advanced cable and wire production environments. Inosym reels were developed to provide cable and wire manufacturers with a product that was realistically priced and of high quality. Inosym Reels – New Zealand Website : www.inosym.com

INOSYM has been supplying reels to the cable and wire industry for 18 years and to over 65 countries worldwide. Specialising in steel and plastic reels that are manufactured to European and USA standards, Inosym offers reels to meet the varying needs of modern manufacturing plants. The company is committed to providing its customers with reels and bobbins at competitive prices. Within its 30,000m 2 of factory Tecalsa’s route into Vietnam

Tecalsa/Reisucal has announ- ced the agreement of collaboration which has been reached with the company Secat Pte (Saturn Engineering Consulting & Trading Pte), based in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The agreement was signed by Kien Nguyễn, vice director of Secat Pte, and Ruben González, sales manager of Tecalsa SL. Secat will represent Tecalsa’s interests in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. Tecalsa SL – Spain Website : www.tecalsa.eu

❍ Kien Nguyễn, vice director of Secat Pte, left, and Ruben González, sales manager of Tecalsa SL, at the signing of the agreement

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Industry news

Borealis expands its HV test facilities

BOREALIS and Borouge, providers of value-creating polyolefin solutions for the global wire and cable industry, have inaugurated the newly expanded high voltage (HV) electrical testing facilities at the Borealis Innovation Centre in Stenungsund, Sweden. Four million euros has been invested in order to expand and equip the facility with cutting-edge testing equipment, which is said to be unique among polymer producers. The facility enables the companies to continue their position as innovation leaders in the most demanding segments of wire and cable. It also opens up new opportunities for collaboration with customers and value chain partners. The wire and cable laboratories in Stenungsund have been important development centres for cable insulation products since 1970, when the first cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation products were produced at the Stenungsund plant. The scope of testing activities has been expanding steadily over the decades, starting with testing on electrical cables and cable extrusion lines in 1986. In 2009, a new three-layer continous vulcanisation (CV) extrusion line was installed. The completion of this most recent two-year investment project in electrical testing now significantly expands the range of testing activities. The newly enhanced Stenungsund HV testing centre offers alternate current (AC) and direct current (DC) simulation testing for the performance of commercial cable materials in the medium (MV), high (HV), and extra high voltage (EHV) ranges. When developing new materials, testing is crucial to help ensure material safety and promote quality assurance. Within the framework of customer and value-chain cooperation, the HV testing centre can also open up an entire spectrum of new project types, and can accelerate the time to market for new innovations. Increased demand for electricity, growing urbanisation, the efficient supply of energy from renewable sources, and the interconnectivity of

power grids are just a few of the trends driving the wire and cable industry. To meet and even anticipate these trends, Borealis and Borouge continue to invest in research and development and testing to deliver step-change solutions based on proprietary technologies. Collaboration with customers and value chain partners takes place for the mutual advancement of electrical competence, but has also been a key factor in providing improved material solutions that support the global energy industry in their efforts to implement more sustainable technologies. For one, transmission technology must ensure the efficient connection of remote, clean energy sources to the grid. Here, Borealis has built on its years of operational experience in extruded HVDC materials and its proprietary Borlink™ technology to set higher standards in proven system performance, setting a new world record of 640 kilovolt (kV) for extruded HVDC cable technology in 2017. The tailor-made Borlink compounds used for these cables are produced in Stenungsund. Borealis Group – Austria Website : www.borealisgroup.com Borealis Innovation Centre in Stenungsund, Sweden ❍ The newly expanded

ROD BREAKDOWN & WIRE DRAWING MACHINES SINGLE & DOUBLE TWIST BUNCHING MACHINES STRANDING MACHINES EXTRUDERS TAKE-UPS / PAY-OFFS / STATIC COILERS ACCESSORIES Tecnologĺa del Cable y Aluminio S. L. Since 1973 the best option in machinery, equipment & accessories for the wire and cable industry.

C/ Progrés nº28, nave 3 – Pol Ind. Sant Ermengol 08630 – Abrera - Barcelona – SPAIN Tel. +34 93 770 44 02 Fax +34 93 770 11 92 tecalsa@tecalsa.eu – http://www.tecalsa.eu

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Industry news

Alloy Wire International targets Japan as part of Far Eastern sales drive

A UK manufacturer is targeting a major sales drive in Japan as it looks to boost its presence in the Far East. Alloy Wire International (AWI), which supplies more than 60 different ‘high performance’ alloys to clients in automotive, aerospace, oil and gas and nuclear, has invested £100,000 in establishing a new sales partner in Tomoe Engineering Co and launching a dedicated Japanese website and suite of marketing materials. The company has also gone one stage further by joining its new sales team at its first ever Tokyo exhibition, showcasing its range of materials and three-week delivery lead times to an audience of nearly 90,000 delegates. It was a major success, with lots of new enquiries taken and a foothold now established, paving the way for a sales push that could generate £250,000 of new contracts over the next 18 months. Angus Hogarth, sales director at AWI, said: “Export orders now account for more than half of our £10m turnover and we’re continually finding that our wire, technical expertise and service are in demand all over the globe. “Japan, with its high-tech industries and precision engineering, is perfectly suited to our capabilities. It offers us massive potential and we made the decision about 18 months ago to make a concerted effort to target customers in this marketplace.” He continued: “The first step was to forge a relationship with a local Japanese company and that was quickly sorted with the appointment of Tomoe Engineering Co, a $240m industrial specialist. This gave us the platform and from there we have travelled more than 48,000 miles, spending time training their staff and creating Japanese marketing materials and a website. “We have recently returned from M-Tech (Mechanical Components & Material Technology) Expo…wow, what a show. Nearly 90,000 people visited

❍ On the Alloy Wire stand at M-Tech are, from left, Osamu Koiwai, Ryo Hiratsuka, Mark Venables, Angus Hogarth and Hisashi Ohshita

flat and shaped wire in a range of materials that is growing by the month, with more than 60 currently available to choose from. Investment in pursuing new business with Japan is paying off, with orders up 1,000 per cent on this time last year and website traffic up to 1,200 visits per month – compared to an average of 90 during 2017.

during the three days and we saw a lot of possible new customers, who handled wire samples on display and expressed surprise at the extent of the size range available – from 0.025mm to 21mm diameter. “They were also impressed to find out how closely we work with Tomoe Engineering Co and the fact we can get wire to them within three weeks of a client placing an order.” Alloy Wire International makes round,

Alloy Wire International — UK Website : www.alloywire.com

New CEO at Ungerer Klaus Lenz has been appointed as the CEO of Ungerer Technology GmbH. Mr Lenz has close to 40 years of experience in the metal strip industry and started his career at ThyssenKrupp in Krefeld, Germany. He has been involved in several projects and company/equipment optimisations worldwide such as at ShanghaiKrupp stainless, China; ThyssenKrupp stainless in Mobile, Alabama, USA; Fives DMS and Andritz/Sundwig, and several more projects worldwide before joining Ungerer. His main focus is to maintain the company and its technological leadership through new developments in the field of measurement systems, where Ungerer

has introduced several key technologies. Ungerer Technology GmbH – Germany Website : www.ungerer.com

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Industry news

‘Factory of the Future’ topping-out celebration

LEONI is celebrating the completion of the building shell of the Factory of the Future after a recent topping-out ceremony. This marks the next milestone in the realisation of its Competence Centre in Roth, Germany: Through digital technologies, intelligent products and solutions and cloud-based services the company will here create the basis for production. The megatrends of e-mobility, autonomous driving and connectivity are leading to serious changes in the structures of the automotive sector. In particular, the wiring – the vehicle’s nervous system – must adapt to these new requirements. Increasing data rates and rapidly growing power demands call for new, more flexible data and power architectures. “We want to take even better advantage of the opportunities presented by digitalisation in the future. To this end, we are expanding our portfolio to include intelligent cables, systems and services. The Factory of the Future will provide ideal underlying conditions for innovation and efficient production,” said Bruno Fankhauser, member of the board of directors of Leoni AG with responsibility for the wire and cable solutions division. In addition to the development and production of data cables for autonomous driving, solutions for even safer, more efficient and more reliable

❍ The new Leoni site

power distribution in electric vehicles are being developed. Every watt saved can be translated into range (mileage), and every minute saved in the charging process enhances the appeal of electric driving. This includes, for example, a charging cable for so-called high-performance direct current charging. The cable temperature rises substantially during charging and therefore requires active cooling using a liquid. The LEONiQ technology enables the cable to monitor its own temperature and the

possible ingress of liquid, and visualises the charging status using luminous fibres – like Leoni’s intelligent charging cable iEVC. System simulation is another area due to be expanded. The focus here is on the functional simulation of energy and data transmission systems to support customers in the development process of finding a solution even earlier, significantly accelerating this process. Leoni AG – Germany Website : www.leoni.com

New directors at Wire & Cable ASIA publisher

David Bell has been appointed managing director of Intras Ltd, publisher of EuroWire , Wire & Cable ASIA , wiredInUSA , Tube & Pipe Technology and Tube Products INTERNATIONAL magazines. Additionally, David becomes a shareholder in the 34-year-old company, and will retain his position of editor of the wire titles. After nearly eight years with the company, Jason Smith has been promoted to sales director and will continue to be involved in the sales and marketing activities of the wire magazines. Caroline Sullens assumes the position of chairman of the Leamington Spa, UK-based business, and Mark Sullens will continue as a director. As part of the changes, the company also has a new logo, which is already being rolled out on its websites and marketing material. Intras Ltd – UK Website : www.intras.co.uk

❍ David Bell

❍ Jason Smith

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Industry news Topping-out of new building for Sikora production and logistics SIKORA celebrated together with the involved parties and guests

topping-out for the new production building at its location in Bremen/ Mahndorf, Germany. The new building offers an effective area of 7,000m 2 – three-and-a-half times more space than the previous building. Completion of the building work is scheduled for November 2018. “With the topping-out event, we have reached another milestone on the way to completing our new building for production and logistics. We are on schedule with the building work,” said Dr Christian Frank, CEO. “This is possible thanks to the engagement of all parties who created with their commitment the basis for our project. “It is remarkable to see for the very first time, due to the completion of the shell, the true dimensions of the building. This is a special moment.” The expansion at the production headquarters in Bremen, Germany, is a strategic investment in the future.

❍ The new building of Sikora AG creates more space for production and logistics (Visualisation: Gruppe GME)

for communication and creativity purposes for new ideas and innovation. The building is being erected on the site of the old production building, which had been demolished. Production has been moved to a building only 400m from Sikora headquarters, ensuring a very short connection to management, administration and the research and development team. Sikora AG – Germany Website : www.sikora.net

“We invest in further growth and global competitiveness,” added Mr Frank. Strong growth as well as diversification of the company to new markets, and accompanying new and further development of technologies and devices, were the impulses for the expansion. Sikora has also been offering its technologies to the metal market. The new building offers space for production and logistics on three floors including a stacked storey with areas

70 th anniversary time for Setic

It is celebration time for French company Setic, manufacturer of rotating equipment for the wire and cable industry. The company, founded in Roane, France, in 1948 is now celebrating its 70 th anniversary – and is part of the Gauder Group companies purchased by Sampsistemi. Setic’s early and constant vision for technological and advanced solutions has been a trademark over the past 70 years, resulting in its current position in today’s rotating machinery market. It was only in the early 1960s that telephony saw a great expansion, resulting in new demand for communication cables. Setic saw this and used its expertise from textile rotating machinery to create the first Setic rotating machine for communication cable. Late in the 1990s came a new international technological challenge for the production of Cat cable. Once again Setic had the vision, designing equipment for the production of such cable. This encouraged the company to move to a new facility for increased production, the creation of a new R&D department and enhanced sales force.

❍ The Setic team celebrating the 70 th anniversary

Today, Setic designs, manufactures and supports equipment for the production of high-end data and speciality cables, from twinning to stranding operations. Setic’s engineers constantly improve and develop equipment for the next generation of cable manufacturing processes. Built on a strong foundation, Setic continues advancing with investment in its facility and in technological development, and has a worldwide presence through various locations. Setic – France Website : www.pourtier-setic.com

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