WCA September 2021

Featuring: Industry news highlights

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

Bringing cable packaging into the stratosphere.

Innovative design We removed everything that wasn’t needed from the payout tube, and improved everything else.

Smaller boxes Less shelf space, easier to carry. Reduce box width by more than 20%.

or

Backward compatible Swap out REELEX II tubes with REELEX AIR and drop into your exsiting boxes. Or, take it a step further and reduce box sizes for maximumbenefit.

Shipping efficiency Up to 40%more boxes per pallet means huge improvements to shipping efficiency andmuch less cost per box.

Lessmaterial, lower cost 40% less material. Less plastic means less cost, while being better for the environment. 40% less material

(Even) better payout Rounded entry provides

smoother pulls, while I-beam design promotes even better payout performance.

A new package from the leaders in packaging innovation.

REELEX P A C K A G I N G S O L U T I O N S I N C.

www.REELEX.com

Patterson, NY USA

Effective flame retardant for HFFR/PVC cable compounds

EcoPiren ® is a natural magnesium hydroxide obtained by XRF separation and innovative milling of brucite mineral. EcoPiren ® is used as an effective flame retardant and smoke suppressant in halogen free and PVC cable compounds. It can be applied in compounds of cable sheathing, bedding or insulation as a single flame retardant or in mixture with synthetic aluminum hydroxide (HFFR) or with antimony trioxide and zinc borate (PVC).

Application of EcoPiren ® achieves the highest grades of fireproof classifications in polymer systems. ⸰ Prevention of burning droplet formation ⸰ Reduction of smoke toxicity ⸰ Effective smoke suppression ⸰ High productivity due to high decomposition temperature (330 °C) ⸰ Good processability ⸰ Improvement of the CPR category of the cable ⸰ Optimization of the cost of compound ⸰ Naturally occurring and environmentally friendly

www.brucite.plus info@brucite.plus +7 (495) 789 65 30

“

CableBuilder Enterprise

provides us with an advantage over our competition. Southwire ®

”

A S YOU READ THIS, hundreds of manufacturers across 44 countries are using Cimteq’s cable design and manufacturing software to: > Improve product quality > Reduce human errors

“

It’s hugely reassuring that the ever-vigilant CableMES is there to give us early warning of production issues. Hitachi Cable America Cimteq is innovative, prompt and customer- driven. Nexans Canada Increase your competitive advantage. Go to cimteq.com/en/asia ” ”

“

SEE US AT

> Produce more quotations > Maximize plant production

+44 1978 664 215 info@cimteq.com

INDUSTRY 4.0

Contents

8 Industry News 26 Technology News 38 India Insight 56 Editorial Index 56 Advertisers Index Regulars

43 Industry News 47 Products 50 Manufacturing Technology

Technical Article

16

52 Research on cold-

resistant optical cable in alpine regions

September 2021

Getting Technical New ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers for highly filled wire and cable compounds Featuring Wire cleaning, treatment and finishes Compounds and colourings Next Issue

26

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Visit us online at www.read-wca.com

bigstockphoto.com Artist Ivan Zhukevych

Editor ( 编辑 ) ................................................. David Bell Editorial Assistant ( 助理文字编辑 ) ................................. Christian Bradley Design & Production ( 设计/制作 ) ............................................... Lisa Wright Advertising/Marketing ( 广告/营销 ) ............................................... Jason Smith UK, Italy, ROW, USA & Canada Linda Li 中国 Advertisement Coordinator ( 广告联络人 ) ............................................... Liz Hughes Accounts Manager ( 财务经理 ) . ........ Louise Jennings Subscriptions ( 订阅) . ................... Louise Jennings Founder ( 创办人 ) .................................... John C Hogg

Europe ( 欧洲 )

Advertising/Marketing & Editorial ( 广告, 营销及编辑部 ) Intras Ltd PO Box 6828, Warwick, CV34 9SP, 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

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

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 three times a year. It is distributed throughout North and Southeast 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》每年出版 3 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。订阅年 费最低 80 美元。

All rights reserved © 2021 Intras Ltd ISSN 0218-3277

Photograph courtesy of Metalube Ltd

Challenging times for lubricants in the wire industry Whilst the last 18 months has provided a challenge for everyone, there are other issues being addressed by the industry as a result of COVID-19. One effect of the pandemic is the massive worldwide reduction in the use of fossil fuels, which has created a vacuum in the supply of base oils, used to create lubricants in our industry. The restrictions in travel have resulted in a reduction in the use of fossil fuels, and with base oils being a by-product of the refining process, this has had a dramatic effect on the lubricants industry, specifically for wire and tube. UK company Metalube tasked its research and development team with producing new chemistries and products for when the industries return to some sort of normality. Full details can be found on page 24. Registration is now underway for wire 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 9 to 13 May next year. Having firstly been postponed from April in 2020, the staging of the most influential of the industry exhibitions will be eagerly anticipated by companies worldwide. More about this on page 21. New dates have recently been announced for the staging of Wire & Cable India in Mumbai. The show will now go ahead from 23 to 25 November 2022.

Diary of events

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

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 4-8 October 2021 IWCS (virtual event) Technical symposium and exhibition Orlando, Florida, USA Organisers: IWCS www.iwcs.org 26 -27 October 2021 Interwire Trade exhibition Atlanta, Georgia, USA Organisers: Wire Association International

sales@wirenet.org www.wirenet.org

25-27 November 2021 WireShow

• As we go to press, the Wireshow in Shanghai, China, has just been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further updates and an announcement on a new date will be announced in due course.

Trade exhibition Shanghai, China Organisers: Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai Co Ltd www.wireshow.com

9-11 February 2022 wire Southeast Asia Trade exhibition Bangkok, Thailand Organisers: Messe Düsseldorf Asia www.wire-southeastasia.com

David Bell Editor

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

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry news

❍ Upcast evaluates and analyses risks, and minimises them through technical methods

Integration of machinery safety requirements

The EU Machinery Directive was originally published in 1998, and the current version was accepted in 2006. Its purpose is to integrate regulations and requirements with regard to the safety of machinery and equipment, and remove trade barriers by increasing the free movement of goods within the EU/ETA. The Machinery Directive is becoming more widely acknowledged around the world, including in Turkey, Norway and Switzerland. Upcast Oy considers machinery safety to be “a matter of honour”. The basic requirements in the design of a casting line are to guarantee that the line is of high quality, it is easy to operate, and all possible risks related to health and safety are taken into account.

Upcast has gathered know-how and experience of these aspects over decades. The company’s design actively utilises the EN standards for machinery safety, which ensures that the solutions are tested and proven to be good. The team evaluates and analyses risks, which are then minimised through technical methods. With regard to any possible remaining risks, the customer will be informed during training as well as in dealing with operating instructions and warning signs. Knowing in detail themethods related to and determined in the EU directives, EN standards and the Machinery Directive represents an advantage in the market. The buyer also has a responsibility to check and ensure that the supplier has sufficient knowledge and experience in

the field of machinery safety and can deliver safe machinery and equipment. Although lines are designed and built to meet the highest safety requirements, substantial responsibility for the safe operation of machinery remains with customers and their operators. The safety equipment must not be removed or modified, the original spare parts and consumables should be used, and customers should invest in their own safety culture in order to maximise the machinery safety of the casting line. Receiving feedback such as close-call reports and development suggestions from customers helps Upcast Oy to improve its lines and machinery safety. Upcast Oy www.upcast.com

Graphics bigstockphoto.com Artist Eky Studio

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

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

Industry news Sky City contract

AEI Cables has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to supply low voltage power and fire performance cables to the Sky City project at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The supply of the cables for power, control and fire performance for the commercial and retail sector of the site will begin in September, and will continue into next year. AEI Cables will work in partnership with its long-term Hong Kong distributor Fordex Electric Company Limited for the project. Stuart Dover of AEI Cables said, “The need for cables which offer the highest levels of fire performance for an international airport of this kind cannot be underestimated, with large numbers of people moving about. We are proud to be chosen to supply the cables for such an iconic world-class project.” Sky City is an integrated commercial development that forms a core part of the strategy to expand and transform HKIA into a major aviation hub. The complex will feature retail units, entertainment facilities, dining space, hotels and office towers across approximately 25 hectares of land at the north of the airport island. AEI Cables’ Firetec Total Fire Solutions range offers enhanced fire performance cabling, accessories and technical support from its distribution facility at Washington, Tyne andWear, UK. Applications for Firetec include residential and commercial

buildings, shopping malls, airports and protected buildings, to ensure that fire alarms, sprinkler systems, building monitoring and security systems can continue to operate in the event of a fire. All AEI Cables products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB, covering design, manufacture and supply. The company also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyd’s, the Ministry of Defence, Network Rail and LUL, and operates to international standards around the world. AEI Cables www.aeicables.co.uk ❍ The Sky City development will feature shops, recreation facilities, hotels and offices

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Innovative • Reliable • Smart The new generation of NIEHOFF multiwire drawing lines

You manufacture copper and aluminium wires of the highest quality. When choosing equipment, top production speed and reliability are a must. Your new machines must run at maximum output to make your investment pay off. Fast. What we offer: the new generation of NIEHOFF multiwire drawing lines. MMH 112 Multiwire Drawing Machine with Continuous Resistance Annealer RM 202 and Dynamic Single Spooler S 632 : fast, precise, efficient. Created for your success. How you benefit: You will save time and effort during installation. Your production output will increase while energy consumption decreases. You will experience great ease of operation and maintenance. The quality of your products will improve.

Convincing Quality

Innovative Solutions

What will convince you: the whole package - it makes the difference.

Worldwide on Site

Expertise, Customer Driven, Service – in Good Hands with NIEHOFF

Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH & Co. KG Walter-Niehoff-Strasse 2, 91126 Schwabach, Germany Phone +49 9122 977-0, Email: info@niehoff.de

www.niehoff.de

Industry news

Sikora receives innovation award Sikora AG, a manufacturer and supplier of measuring, control, inspection and sorting technology, has been named as one of the most innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Germany 2021/2022, according to a survey conducted by the independent German Association for Consumer Studies (DtGV).

❍ Sikora develops and produces technologies at its headquarters in Bremen, Germany

This year, for the first time, DtGV is presenting the SME Innovation Award 2021/2022 to small and medium-sized companies from Germany that demonstrate particularly high innovation potential in their segment and/or state. For the selection, the number of patent applications by German SMEs in 2020 was first determined based on the Corporate Patent Classification (CPC) system. Citation frequency was then taken into account to determine a score value. Sikora received the award as a result of achieving a score value in the CPC main class “instruments”, which is among the top ten per cent of all examined SMEs. In the parallel federal state ranking, Sikora is listed among the top three companies from Bremen. “This award makes us very proud and confirms the corporate course we have been following since the foundation of the company,” said Dr Christian Frank, CEO at Sikora.

On-demand webinars and podcasts for cable manufacturers NDC Technologies, a specialist in intelligent on-line process measurement and control solutions, has introduced a new series of webinars and podcasts designed specifically for cable, metals and tube manufacturers. The series includes on-demand videos to give manufacturers an inside view on how to optimise process efficiency, improve product quality and realise manufacturing savings through a range of process measurement and control techniques. The videos are recorded sessions of NDC’s webinar events that take place throughout the year, and can be viewed either live on the day or on-demand. The podcasts are recorded round-tables with industry experts discussing a variety of issues facing the cable, metals and tube industries, and looking at best practices solutions. The webinars and podcasts can be viewed at www.ndc.com/on-demand-webinars/ NDC Technologies Inc www.ndc.com Each year, Sikora invests more than ten per cent of its turnover in the research and development of new measuring and control technology as well as inspection, analysis and sorting systems for quality assurance during the production of wires and cables, hoses, tubes, pipes and sheets, glass fibres or plastics. Sikora AG www.sikora.net “Thanks to our inventive spirit and innovation potential, we are able to continuously offer our customers future-oriented technology solutions. Thus, we create the basis for highest customer satisfaction and long-term growth.”

Jiangsu Qunye Electrical Co., Ltd. is a specialized spools manufacturer. We have highlevel workshops and offices, first class equipment lines and complete inspection facilities, advanced management and quality control systems to fulfill all customers’

requirements. We manufacture all kinds of metal and plastic spools and gain a good market share both at home and abroad.

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry 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. After evaluating multiple 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 inte- grated 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 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. Lynne Humenik, president and CEO at Hitachi Cable America Inc, commented, “The implementation of CableERP provides HCA-NH with a sustainable and innovative IT platform that will strongly support our growth strategy. InnoVites is a trusted partner of HCA-NH, and for several years now it has proven its industry expertise. We are confident that with their support the implementation project will be a success.” Hitachi Cable America 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 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

Hitachi Cable America Inc www.hca.hitachi-cable.com

Advertise in this issue and be seen at...

15 th October 2021 Editorial closing date: 1 st November 2021 Advertising deadline date: November Issue

January Issue 25 th November 2021 Editorial closing date: 1 st December 2021 Advertising deadline date:

2021 Media Pack

Industry news

Partnership to make solar energy accessible in ASEAN

JJ-Lapp, the cable technology joint venture between Jebsen and Jessen Group and Lapp Holding Asia, has expanded its partnership with Clenergy, a solar mounting gear provider, for the distribution of Clenergy’s products in countries across Southeast Asia. The partnership will enable engineering, construction and procurement companies in ASEAN, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, to access Clenergy’s entire portfolio of products through JJ-Lapp’s regional network. Electricity demand in Southeast Asia (SEA) is projected to grow at a 3.7 per cent annual rate during 2016 to 2040 – twice the global average. To meet this demand while achieving ASEAN’s

target to secure 23 per cent of primary energy from modern, sustainable and renewable sources by 2025, SEA countries are substantially scaling up their deployment of renewables in the energy sector. This has resulted in the SEA region being one of the fastest growing solar energy markets, with the share of renewables in the region’s primary energy mix predicted to rise to 37 per cent by 2040. JJ-Lapp and Clenergy’s partnership comes at a time when the industry’s confidence in investing in renewables is growing due to the region’s rising population, economic growth and renewable energy capacity development. “The synergy of Clenergy’s long- standing experience in the solar energy

❍ Installation of ezShade

Working with Clenergy will enhance JJ-Lapp’s offering for the renewable energy and solar industries, enabling the company to provide a one-stop solution for customers’ product needs. Clenergy’s range of solar mounting gear from the SolarRoof, Ground, Water and Elevate series will complement JJ- Lapp’s current suite of offerings, such as Lapp solar cables and connectors, Trina solar panels and Huawei solar inverters, to meet the growing demand for renewable energy in the region. JJ-Lapp www.jj-lapp.com Clenergy www.clenergy.com

space backed by the strength of our network and reach within ASEAN will make sustainable energy practices more accessible and drive the industry forward,” said John Hng, regional head of business development at JJ-Lapp. “This is an exciting time for us as we continue to pursue growth opportunities while developing the solid foundation that we’ve built throughout the region.”

❍ Clenergy’s commercial tilt solar-racking

Final acceptance for the largest Kocks RSB 500 Chinese special steel producer Nanjing Iron & Steel Co Ltd (NISCO) has granted to Friedrich Kocks GmbH the final acceptance certificate for the commissioning of a three-roll reducing and sizing block (RSB ® ) 500++/4 in 5.0 design. ❍ Kocks RSB 500 at NISCO

The Kocks three-roll RSB 500++, for medium and large size SBQ products, operates at NISCO’s 800,000 t/a medium bar mill as the finishing unit for the production of straight bars within a dimensional range of Ø 50 to 160mm. Kocks was also responsible for the thermomechanical rolling process, including five water boxes, and a full automation package. The low temperature rolling process is applied for sizes up to Ø 130mm. In addition to the RSB 500++/4, NISCO has operated an RSB 370++/4 in its small bar mill since 2013. Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG www.kocks.de

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry 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. 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

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 a Sikora board member, and will realise new projects as consultant for corporate development, with a focus on management and internationalisation. Sikora AG www.sikora.net

achievements 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 representa- tives,” said Prof Dr Thomas Sikora, chairman of the supervisory board. Dr Christian Frank, Sikora CEO, commented, “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 probably nobody who ❍ Harry Prunk has left the Sikora board of management after more than 45 years

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TEL Istanbul, Turkey WIRE CHINA Shanghai, China

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GUANGZHOU WIRE FAIR Guangzhou, China KOREA METAL WEEK Kintex, Korea WIRE SOUTHEAST ASIA Bangkok, Thailand

INTERWIRE Atlanta, GA, USA

WIRE EXPO Uncasville, CT, USA

WIRESHOW Shanghai, China

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www.read-wca.com PO Box 6828, Warwick, CV34 9SP, United Kingdom. CONTACT INTERNATIONAL SALES: Tel: +44 (0)1926 334137 - wca@intras.co.uk

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JIANGSU TAILONG MACHINERY GROUP COMPANY JIANGSU JINTAILONG MECH&ELEC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD

■ Jiangsu Tailong mech&elec technology co., ltd (original: Jiangsu Jintailong mech&elec equip manufacturer) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiangsu Tailong Machinery Group. ■ The leading wire equipment manufacturer in China with a long history produces a full range of machinery in large scale for steel cord, steel rope and other wire industry sectors. It has major domestic and worldwide market share and a long history of exporting to Europe, America and Southeast Asia. ■ The company covers an area of 800000m 2 , with more than 2600 employees, over 1900 sets of various kinds of high precision processing and inspection equipment, and is among the TOP 500 Machinery Processing Enterprises of China. ■ The professional design team provides customized equipment according to every customer’s special requirements. OEM service is also provided. ■ Complete product range, advanced technology, with well-established ISO9000 quality system and product safety certificate.

Steel Cord Steel Rope Hose Wire Bead Wire Cutting Wire Welding Wire

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All kinds of high, middle and low Carbon Steel Wire

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Other Special Wire

Permanent-Magnet Direct Drive Dry Drawing Machine

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31 Draft Wet Drawing Machine (for ultrastrong emery wire)

Turnover Type Wet Drawing Machine

Spray Type Wet Drawing Machine

Add: No. 288, East Daqing Road, Taixing City, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China Sales Tel: 0086-523-87668197 Mobile: 0086 18051189045 Fax: 0086-523-87760660 P.C: 225400 E-mail: jstl@vip.163.com Http: //www.cnjintailong.com

Industry news

wire 2022 and Tube 2022 registration underway Companies wishing to present their machinery, equipment, services and products at the trade fairs wire and Tube have been able to register with organisers Messe Düsseldorf since March this year. The events will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 9 to 13 May 2022. Messe Düsseldorf reports that the response has been good, and it is already clear that the industries are committed to the trade fairs. The wire and Tube project team is confident that both trade fairs will again present themselves as the international industry events in 2022. “Personal dialogue with our exhibitors is what defines us as Messe Düsseldorf,” said Daniel Ryfisch, project director of trade fairs wire, Tube and Valve World Expo, and their international satellites in China, Thailand, Brazil, Russia and India. wire 2022 will take place in exhibition halls 9 to 17, with Tube in halls 1 to 7a.

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.messe-duesseldorf.de

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH

Micro surface defects become visible !

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SQM is now available ! Please contact your local agent for more information

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry news

LLFlex hires manager for new North Carolina facility

LLFlex, a provider of packaging mate- rials and industrial laminate solutions for the building and construction, wire and cable, and consumer packaging industries, has hired Shawn Sylvester as plant manager for its new manufacturing facility in High Point, North Carolina, USA. Mr Sylvester will oversee day-to-day operations at the recently opened plant, which expands LLFlex’s output capacity and includes equipment sup- porting its two main business segments – packaging and industrial laminates. Prior to joining LL Flex, Mr Sylvester held several positions during an 18- year tenure with Mannington Wood and Laminate Floors, starting as a quality manager and eventually serving as plant manager. He is certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt and Manager of Quality & Organizational Excellence by the American Society for Quality.

“Shawn’s quality assurance and management expertise will assure consistently excellent manufacturing standards as production at the North Carolina facility continues to ramp up,” said Victor Dixon, CEO of LLFlex. “With the spacious new facility providing LLFlex ample elbow room for production growth as well as a regional warehouse, distribution and logistics centre, Shawn’s leadership will be instrumental to adding products and services while ensuring premium product quality.” LLFlex’s North Carolina plant houses high-speed equipment for custom lami- nating, coating, embossing and slitting to address growing product demand. The facility uses automated slitting and packaging robotics to provide short lead times and customised solutions. For the company’s packaging segment, new laminators with solvent coating stations and new slitting assets provide additional annual capacity of more than 40mn lb of product. For the industrial laminates segment, which caters to the wire and cable, building and construction and other industrial markets, a new laminator with

❍ Shawn

Sylvester

and services offered by Russian and international exhibitors. The Metal Plaza lecture area comple- mented the trade fair activities in the halls with a comprehensive supporting programme of factual lectures, work- shops and seminars, which took place safely under strict hygiene regulations. Key industry players such as Rosendahl Nextrom, Maillefer Extrusion, Niehoff, Kambak, Heinrich-Wagner Sinto, Inductotherm and Eges met their customers and established new business contacts. Metallurgy Russia and Litmash Russia will again be held together in Moscow from 7 to 9 June 2022. wire Russia will be held in the summer of 2023. multiple coating stations and dedicated slitter are complemented by an advanced steel, copper and aluminium cable wrap production cell that adds more than 43mn lb of combined slitting and laminated capacity annually for these industrial markets. LLFlex has US manufacturing opera- tions in Kentucky and North Carolina, and sales and supply chain offices in the USA, UK and China. For the wire and cable industry, the company’s line of cable armour, wraps and tapes includes mono and co-ex layered film formulations using high- quality resins throughout the structure for consistent, reliable long-term performance. LLFlex, LLC www.llflex.com

Russian metal fair quartet Three days of technological inno- vations, products and services, live meetings and talks in Moscow: the Russian metal fairs wire Russia, Tube Russia, Metallurgy Russia and Litmash Russia were held at the Expocentre exhibition centre from 8 to 10 June. Around 200 companies from 11 countries participated in the regional event. As well as Russian companies, exhibitors from Germany, Italy and Turkey were strongly represented.

On display were machinery and equipment for wire production and wire processing; current technologies in the fields of tube production, tube processing and tube machining; and machinery, plant, equipment and solutions for the casting and processing industries as well as for metallurgical processes. During the three days of the exhibition, trade visitors were able to learn about the wide range of products

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.messe-duesseldorf.de

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry news

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. Three new features will modernise Pomini’s equipment: the new NDT inspection 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

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

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

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 auto- mation system that will integrate all grinders and loaders and introduce technological solutions to ensure high safety and quality standards.

❍ Inside the Baowu plant

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry news

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 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 undoubt- edly 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 prod- ucts will therefore not be a short- term fix but a long-term solution in advancing lubricant technologies. Metalube Ltd www.metalube.co.uk

Reacting to global lubricant crisis

❍ Metalube is researching product variants that avoid the most severely affected base oils

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’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 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.

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021

Industry news NDC appoints director of sales to accelerate growth in Asia

NDC Technologies, a provider of connected 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 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. RoA includes the Indian subcontinent, Cimteq, a provider of software to wire and cable manufacturers, is encouraging the industry to not rule out investment in smart factory processes. In an updated industry white paper titled Applying Industry 4.0 to the Cable Factory Environment, Cimteq has harnessed the company’s knowledge to help wire and cable manufacturers realise the benefits gained from introducing smart factory processes. The key message conveyed in the paper is that it is possible to improve processes and future-proof businesses without significant outlay and disrup- tion. While it is estimated that 70- 80 per cent of cable cost can be attributed to the material, specifically copper, replacing manual labour with automated machinery is not going to significantly reduce the cost of cable manufacturing. “Smartification”, however, does not necessarily mean full automation. A quick way to embrace smart factory processes 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

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, NDC helps manufacturers to use process data to enhance processes and productivity. NDC Technologies, Inc www.ndc.com 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 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 auto- mation 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

Applying Industry 4.0 to cable factories

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September 2021