wiredInUSA December 2017

Season’s

Issue No. 78 - December 2017

www.wiredInUSA.com

Greetings

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

Rebar gets tied down Page 9

New center for manufacturer. Page 10

Researchers shine a light. Page 31

Fiber installation stays grounded. Page 37

EDITOR

Robotics is coming more and more into the news on what seems a daily basis. Now Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR) has created a robot to tie steel reinforcement bars before pouring concrete, saving hours on major construction projects. The robot – Tybot – is rigged to a gantry crane that locates rebar junctions and attaches a tie. This both speeds up the work and reduces the number of people required to do the job, which in certain cases can be labor intensive. An example is that when Brayman Construction built the Hulton Bridge in 2015, it took a crew of ten workers 7,400 man hours to tie over two million joints. The full story can be found on page 9. Seaborn Networks and IOX Cable Ltd have entered into a joint agreement to supply the first next-generation subsea fiber optic route between the USA and India, interconnecting in South Africa and Brazil. Seaborn is the developer-owner-operator of Seabras-1, as well as ARBR, to be built between Brazil and Argentina; and SABR, a new subsea system between Cape Town, South Africa, and Seabras-1. IOX is the developer of the IOX cable system, the first next-generation subsea network interconnecting South Africa, Mauritius and India. Turn to page 16 for more. The whole team at wiredInUSA would like to wish everyone Season’s Greetings and best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2018. David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

December 2017 Issue No.78 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

SHOW DIARY 2017 / 2018

09 PAGE

MAKING THE NEWS Industry news from the USA

30 PAGE

EUROPE NEWS The latest news from Europe

36 PAGE

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS The latest news from Asia & Africa

42 PAGE

PRODUCTS, MACHINES & TECHNOLOGY The latest news from machine industries

wiredInUSA - December 2017

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wiredIn USA

INTRAS INTRAS LIMITED

© 2017 Intras Limited UK ISSN 2046 - 9497 Publishers of EuroWire and Wire & Cable ASIA magazines

INTRAS OFFICES Europe: 46 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 4HY, UK

Tel: +44 1926 334137 Fax: +44 1926 314755

Email: read@wiredinusa.com Website: www.wiredinusa.com

USA: Danbury Corporate Center, 107 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 06811, USA Tel: +1 203 794 0444 Email: doug@intras.co.uk NEWS Editor David Bell david@wiredinusa.com Features Editor (USA) Dorothy Fabian Features Editor (Europe) Gill Watson Publisher Caroline Sullens

SALES & MARKETING (INTERNATIONAL) Sales Manager Jason Smith jason@wiredinusa.com +44 1926 834 684 Accounts Manager Julie Case juliecase@intras.co.uk

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

DIARY Shows & Events 2017/2018

MARCH 6-8 March 2018 AMI Cables 2018 Cologne, Germany www.ami.international DECEMBER 6-9 December 2017 Iran Wire 2017 Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran www.iranwire.ir

FEBRUARY 27-28 February 2018 Advanced Cable North America 2018 Georgia, USA www.integer-research.com

APRIL 16-20 April 2018

wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany www.wire-tradefair.com

MAY 16-17 May 2018 WAI Operations Summit & Expo Nashville, Tennessee, USA www.wirenet.org

JUNE 6-8 June 2018 The 19 th China International Spring Industry Exhibition

Guangzhou, China www.julang.com.cn

For more info visit: www.wiredinusa.com/showinfo.php

wiredInUSA - December 2017

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M A K I N G T H E NEWS

Rebar gets tied down

our big challenges is finding people to tie deck rebar,” said Muck, who has experience of building bridges as chief executive of Pennsylvania contractor Brayman Construction. Muck explained that when Brayman built the Hulton Bridge in 2015 it took a crew of ten workers 7,400 man hours between April and September to lay 113,000ft 2 of rebar, tying over two million joints. “[Tybot] both speeds up the work and reduces the number of people to do it,” Muck said. “This is the construction industry looking to the robotics industry for a solution to a business problem.” He added that Tybot can tie rebar at night, or when workers are needed elsewhere. Mr Searock added: “This is a very boring robot that has great application and profitability.”

A US start-up has developed a robot to tie steel reinforcement bars before the concrete pour, saving hours on construction projects. The machine, called the Tybot, uses a robotic arm rigged to a gantry crane that locates rebar junctions and attaches a tie. Since structures can have thousands of such intersections, the robot could circumvent a labor- intensive, expensive and injury-prone process. It is the first product of Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR), launched by construction firm boss Steve Muck and robotics expert Jeremy Searock, formerly of Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center. “What we’re trying to do at ACR is methodically look at the most difficult critical path challenges, and our first product reflects that, because one of

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

New center for manufacturer

Growth continues at Helukabel. Photograph courtesy of Helukabel

In November, Helukabel held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new US headquarters. The eight-acre property is located in the Chicago suburb of West Dundee. The initial buildout will be for a 75,000ft 2 facility, with 7,000ft 2 allotted to office space and the remaining to be used for warehousing cabling products and accessories. The site allows for further expansion up to 200,000ft 2 as the company continues to grow.

second physical expansion over the past ten years. The company initially started out in a 13,000ft 2 facility, and we expanded into a 43,000ft 2 facility just five years ago,” said Helukabel USA president Markus Dannheim. “It was important to find a property in close geographic proximity to our current location to maintain our existing employee base. Our employees, and the relationships they have created with customers around the world, are a fundamental key factor for the continued success our company has experienced over the past years.”

Helukabel USA has grown rapidly since it was founded at the end of 2007. “This is the

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New lines for New Mexico

The cooperative will also make other improvements,and is to invest in smart grid projects. The Roosevelt County electric cooperative will receive $13.9 million to build 66 miles of new power line and improve another 40 miles. Smart grid and other improvements are also planned. Officials say the modernization efforts will save money, while making rural systems more efficient and reliable.

Members of New Mexico state’s congressional delegation are anticipating that $32 million in rural development loans will help increase access to affordable electricity in parts of eastern and northern New Mexico. The loans are being offered through the US Agriculture Department. The Jemez Mountains electric cooperative will receive $18.3 million to build a new 58-mile stretch of power line and improve a further 28 miles of existing line.

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Phillips Hardy came to the rescue by using Helix Steel’s Micro Rebar

Rebar redevelopment

US construction company Phillips Hardy was called in to help a customer dealing with aging bridge infrastructure, resulting in increasing construction demands and funding shortfalls. Phillips Hardy sought ways to make the infrastructure more resilient, enabling longer lifespans and lower lifecycle costs, while supporting higher traffic demands. That search led them to Helix Steel and a twisted steel micro-reinforcement technology called Micro Rebar. “By adding Helix Micro Rebar to the concrete mix, we have been able to deliver a bridge deck overlay that is less susceptible to deterioration and cracking,” said Jason Stastny, project manager from Phillips Hardy.

Helix Steel is the manufacturer of twisted steel micro rebar (TSMR), a three- dimensional concrete reinforcement technology that increases shear strength, durability and ductility while providing pre-crack capabilities. Said to be four times the tensile strength of rebar and one-third of the weight, TSMR enables a reduction in overall carbon footprint and provides valuable LEED credits. Since 2003, TSMR has been used in applications ranging from structural foundations, walls and slabs to suspended structural concrete, paving and tunnels.

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Image: www.seabornnetworks.com

Three routes, one aim

interconnecting South Africa, Mauritius and India. IOX has begun work for the cable route survey and, once completed, will provide a direct route between South Africa and India via Mauritius. Seaborn’s SABR and the IOX system will interconnect in South Africa. The Seabras-1 + SABR + IOX system route will be available exclusively through Seaborn and IOX. “We are extremely pleased to work with IOX to provide this unique and highly secure route,” said Larry Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Seaborn. “This alliance will reshape the global communications landscape for the southern hemisphere.”

Seaborn Networks and IOX Cable Ltd have entered into a joint provisioning agreement to supply the first next-generation subsea fiber optic route between the US and India, interconnecting in South Africa and Brazil. The path, connecting the US with three BRICS countries and Mauritius, is expected to provide the most secure and reliable route between these markets by using fewer diversions than existing routes. Seaborn is the developer-owner-operator of Seabras-1, as well as ARBR, to be built between Brazil and Argentina; and SABR, a new subsea system between Cape Town, South Africa and Seabras-1.

IOX is the developer of the IOX cable system, the first next-generation subsea network

wiredInUSA - December 2017

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Exhibitors

Indiana steel boom?

ArcelorMittal is to invest over $100 million in its Indiana Harbor steel mill in East Chicago. Indiana Harbor general manager Wendell Carter is reported to have announced the investment as part of a planned $276 million in capital spending during 2018.

that ArcelorMittal will dedicate some of the 2018 spending to start projects at ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor steel mill in northwestern Indiana’s Porter County. Earlier this year, the American Iron and Steel Institute said that steel production in Indiana rose by 5 percent during 2016 as the state “continued to lead the nation” in steel making.

Carter spoke to northwest Indiana business leaders in Valparaiso, adding

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

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Power through protein?

A discovery at Arizona State University has refuted the established belief that proteins are inert organic matter and, as such, are poor conductors of electricity. Researchers at the university have found a protein that can conduct electricity as efficiently as a metal, a finding that offers potential for powerful new medical diagnostic tools.

switch the electrical conductivity of a protein molecule on and off.

A statement from Arizona State University said that Lindsay’s research could potentially transform the way science understands the electrical properties of proteins, and might also prompt research to probe the quantummechanical nature of proteins.

Lead researcher Stuart Lindsay and his team have also tested a device that can

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Control cable with choice

AutomationDirect now offers flexible multi-conductor control cable in shielded and unshielded versions, ranging in size from 18AWG to 10 AWG and with three to 41 conductors (including green/yellow ground). Individual stranded copper conductors have black PVC/nylon insulation and are marked with identification numbers.

enough to allow easy installation. Shielded versions include an overall aluminum Mylar foil tape with drain wire, and tinned copper braid for maximum effectiveness against external electrical noise interference. The cables resist sunlight, oil and moisture penetration, and are suitable for wet or dry, indoor and outdoor locations. The multi-conductor flexible control cables are UL and CSA approved, and RoHS compliant.

Even with a rugged premium grade TPE outer jacket, the cables are flexible

wiredInUSA - December 2017

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The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) has released details of over 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world. The data reflects the largest representative sample ever published. Using an interactive map, FOSA has provided a geographic breakdown of global DFOS installations in more than 75 countries. Key findings include that China has more deployments than any other nation, with roughly 11.3 percent of all identified installations, followed by Germany at 9.4 percent. The US appears third, with around 6.5 percent, and fourth is South Korea with 4.8 percent of installations. The assets most frequently monitored using DFOS include power cables (22.2 percent), tunnels (20 percent), pipelines (13.5 percent) and perimeters (8.4 percent). The identified installations span over 20,000 miles (33,300km) in length. “According to our data, the United States is well behind China and Germany in terms of total deployments of fiber optic sensing. We are committed to raising awareness of this powerful technology, which can help bring US infrastructure and asset security into the 21 st century,” said Mark Uncapher, director of FOSA. Fiber optic sensing enables highly precise remote monitoring of physical assets by measuring deviations of light in a fiber optic cable. Deviations occur as a result of acoustic, temperature or strain signals. Uncapher added: “Power cable faults and pipeline leaks can be detected and located instantly, and footsteps can be heard on a perimeter in the middle of the night. They are all detectable through fiber optic sensing.”

Fiber security

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Lutze is expanding its industrial Ethernet cable range with an unshielded cable with PVC jacket

Cable drops its shield

Lutze is expanding its industrial Ethernet cable range with an unshielded cable with PVC jacket for light industrial duty category 6 UTP 4X2XAWG23. The new cable is intended for use in low- noise industrial environments, where the effort of installing a shielded cable does not offer any benefit for the application. The cable has a teal-colored jacket and is UL listed type CMR, CMX outdoor and UL recognized per AWM 21695 600V, providing an economical solution for

industrial environments where commercial grade Ethernet cable is insufficient.

The PVC jacket is oil, abrasion and sunlight resistant, so suitable for indoor andoutdoor applications. It is also suitable for cable tray installation, per NEC800, and 600V rated for installation on a machine or inside a control panel.

Solid copper conductors support easy termination with IDC technology.

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

The new line of cable assemblies from Fairview Microwave

Cables for wireless

Fairview Microwave has launched a new line of low-PIM, plenum-rated SPP-250- LLPL cable assemblies for use in wireless infrastructure. Typical applications include multi-carrier communication systems, indoor wireless systems, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and PIM testing. The new low-PIM jumper cables feature a maximum PIM level of –155dBc and are made with UL910 plenum-rated SPP-

250-LLPL cable. The PIM levels of each cable have been fully tested, with the test results marked on each cable. They offer a maximum operating frequency of 6GHz with a maximum VSWR of 1.25:1 up to 2GHz, and 1.35:1 up to 6GHz. The cables are designed to be lightweight and flexible, and offer an operating temperature range of -55° to 125°C. They are available with 4.3-10, 7/16 DIN, N and 4.1-9.5 mini-DIN connector combinations.

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The Beta LaserMike products group at NDC Technologies has released the latest version of its advanced process visualization and control system. InControl v3.0 includes new features and functions that expand the control of Beta LaserMike gauges on process lines, and offers more process insight to help manufacturers improve product quality, increase productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. “InControl is the most intuitive process visualization and control system on the market,” believes Salim Hiouel, product manager for the Beta LaserMike product line. “This system effectively ties a range of Beta LaserMike non-contact gauges together to continuously monitor product dimensions and automatically control the line to keep production processes and product quality under control. It is easy to set up, simple to configure and effortless to use.” InControl is designed to give operators an advanced level of graphical user interface, functionality and ease of use. Version 3.0 builds on earlier releases with added performance capabilities. InControl offers multiple Beta LaserMike gauge support (including diameter, wall thickness, lump and neckdown, and length and speed), expandedclosed-loopcontrol, scanning flaw detection, total wall thickness calculation, product defect marking, real-time trend analysis and statistical process control, data collection and reporting, with support for several languages.

Take more control

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

The Ölflex servo 7TCE from Lapp

Flexible resistance

Lapp Group USA has introduced its Ölflex servo 7TCE, a highly flexible, oil-resistant servo cable with TC-ER approval. Suitable for use directly on industrial machines and in cable trays, this new cable is designed to eliminate the need for two different types of cable or the need for conduit. The product is described as offering a rugged design, suited to harsh environments. The 7TCE features a specially formulated thermoplastic elastomer jacket, as well as cross-linked XLPE insulation, to withstand temperatures up to 105°C. In addition to being UV and oil resistant, the 7TCE is flame retardant and will also resist harsh cleaning solutions.

The cable’s low-capacitance design enables long distance runs with limited losses in current and voltage. The nominal voltages are 600V (UL TC-ER) and 1,000V (UL flexible motor supply) with a minimum bend radius of 6× cable diameter. The 7TCE passed all cold and crush impact tests and is compliant with North American and European standards, including UL TC- ER, c(UL) CIC, CE and RoHS. The 7TCE is suitable for motor connections between servo controllers and motors on industrial machines, tray applications and moving machine parts, assembly handling and integrated production systems.

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Award-winning cable from AFL. Photograph courtesy of AFL

Award-winning innovation

is at a premium in today’s environment, and our solution addresses this in a unique way.” AFL’s wrapping tube cable with SWR is an ultra-high density outside-plant cable designed specifically for FTTH and access markets. The SpiderWeb Ribbon provides what is said to be the smallest cable diameter and lowest weight, high fiber-count ribbon cable in the industry. The cable is available with between 144 and 1,728 fibers in the armored option, and up to 3,456 fibers in the non-armored configuration. Earlier this year, AFL received a 2017 Lightwave innovation review with a score of four, out of a possible five, points for the same product.

AFL’swrapping tubecablewithSpiderWeb Ribbon ® (SWR) was given a silver level award by the annual Cabling Installation & Maintenance (CI&M) innovators’ awards program. AFL received the award for demonstrating a development that “resulted in not just incremental improvement, but in marked improvement over previous methods employed, approaches taken or products/systems used.” “Network and data center operators are continually challenged to meet the growing demand for bandwidth delivery to both consumers and businesses,” commented Doug Baker, product line manager for AFL’s cable division. “The many innovations found in our wrapping tube cable enable the deployment of the maximum optical fiber densities commercially available today. Space

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

EUROPE NEWS

wiredInUSA - December 2017

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The Synlight system at German aerospace center, DLR

Researchers shine a light

The German aerospace center DLR has inaugurated its Synlight system in Jülich, in North Rhine-Westphalia. The system comprises 149 high-output lights to simulate concentrated solar power inside a specifically designed three-story building. The Synlight system will help researchers create solar fuels, independent of disruptive changes in weather patterns. The overall objective is to develop solar units that can producehydrogenor other fuels atmaximum efficiency. The institute of solar research has set up a honeycomb-shape array of xenon short-arc lamps, mounting them vertically on a tall support frame. Mirrored reflectors of around 1m diameter can be used to concentrate the rays to 20cm x 20cm (7.87 x 7.87 inches). This corresponds to a power concentration

of around 10,000kW/m², compared to original sunlight at a maximum of 1kW/m². Temperatures at the focal point can rise above 3,000°C. Since the lamps can be employed in up to three different simultaneous tests, the time between new developments is shortened. The high temperatures are intended to produce resources, such as hydrogen, in a sustainable way. To create hydrogen, light is concentrated on a demonstration system containing a cerium oxide lattice. If steam is introduced into the reaction chamber, the oxygen it contains will combine with the metal at around 800°C and will be absorbed by it, so that hydrogen is the only product left. Bernhard Hoffschmidt, director of the institute, described thegas as “analchemist’s dream,” as “this high-energy fuel can be used to create virtually anything.”

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

Bending venture

Wire buy

Alan Pickering, joint managing director

UK-based integrated long products steel maker British Steel has completed the purchase of the Dutch wire rod producer FNsteel, thereby expanding its wire rod range with new specifications. “This acquisition not only expands our international footprint, it complements our current operations – enabling us to increase our product portfolio and offer a higher technical specification of rod to our customers,” said British Steel chief executive Peter Bernscher. “We’re looking forward to working in partnership with the FNsteel team to deliver the high quality wire rod our customers, current and new, rightly expect.” FNsteel employs nearly 300 people in Alblasserdam, near Rotterdam, and will continue to trade under its current name. The company manufactures wire rod of between 5.5 and 30mm in diameter, and supplies to the European automotive, construction and engineering industries. British Steel already employs around 300 people at its Scunthorpe rod mill, where it produces wire rod in diameters of 5.5 to 17mm in 0.5mm increments.

Scarborough, uk-based Unison Ltd, manufacturer of tube bending machines and simulation software, has entered into a joint venture with Pneuform Machines Ltd, leading to full integration within the Unison group. The joint venture will strengthen Unison’s portfolio by adding a range of small diameter tube and wire bending machines. Alan Pickering, joint managing director at Unison Ltd, said: “The partnership will see new product lines added to our product portfolio, which already houses the world’s largest range of all-electric tube bending machinery and sits alongside our Evbend range of machines. Unison Ltd is committed to delivering the same high level of service and industry expertise Pneuform’s clients have grown to expect over the past 50-plus years.” Pneuform considers that the joint venture will enhance the marketing and technical development of the range of machines it produces, with the Pneuform range supported jointly by Unison and Pneuform. “The joint venture will secure future ongoing support for existing customers and provide confidence that the bending machines will continue to be developed, supported and marketed into the long-term future,” a spokesman said.

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Preferred bidder

Dutch connections

Michael Hedegaard Lyng

VBMS, a subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster, has signed a preferred bidder agreement for the supply and installation of inter-array cables for Moray Offshore Wind Farm East (MOWE) in the UK. MOWE is a joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and Engie. The project scope includes the supply, installation and burial, termination and testing of approximately one hundred 66kV inter-array cables. Execution of the project will begin in 2020. VBMS said the contract award is subject to financial close of the project, scheduled to take place in the second half of 2018. Moray East project director Oscar Diaz said: “This announcement marks another major milestone for Moray East. Advances in technology have enabled us to develop a project capable of delivering power at less than half the cost of similar projects being delivered today. “Cooperation with our supply chain has been vital to deliver cost reductions through optimizing technology, such as this vital aspect of the project, and we look forward to working with VBMS through project delivery.”

In a consortium with VBMS, the Boskalis subsidiary, NKT has been awarded delivery and installation of the export cable systems for Netherlands grid connection system Borssele Beta. Awarded by TenneT, the Borssele Beta order comprises 138km of 220kV AC high voltage submarine cables to be delivered, ready for installation by VBMS, in late 2019. NKT president and CEO Michael Hedegaard Lyng commented: “I am pleased… that we are seen as a strong partner in solutions to realize renewable energy targets. Further investments in a new grid infrastructure in both Europe and globally continue to provide an attractive outlook for NKT.” Future plans include the connection of the Borssele 3 and 4 wind farms, located in the North Sea about 20km from the Zeeland coast, to the onshore grid via the Borssele Beta connection system. When commissioned, the entire Borssele offshore wind area is designed to have a capacity of 2 x 700MW.

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

New to the Nordics board

Extending platform reach

Marko Tuorilin

Aqua Comms DAC, the operator of the AEConnect subsea fiber optic network between New York, Dublin and London, has announced that PacketFabric has selected AEConnect to provide transatlantic capacity and extend the reach of its software-defined networking (SDN) platform into Europe. Aqua Comms’ submarine cable system delivers connectivity from New York to Ireland with diverse backhaul fiber to additional PoPs in the US, Ireland and UK. Using an entirely automated SDN-based network architecture, with optical and packet switching technology, PacketFabric enables dynamic, real-time connectivity services between major carrier-neutral colocation facilities. “Leveraging AEConnect to establish end-to-end high capacity transatlantic connectivity extends the reach of our network to provide more customers with scalable, reliable and secure access to network and cloud environments in the US, as well as internationally,” explainedWilliam Charnock, CEO, PacketFabric. As part of the strategic partnership, Aqua Comms utilizes the PacketFabric platform to extend the reach of its service footprint across the US.

Swiss cabling manufacturer Reichle & De- Massari has appointed Marko Tuorilin as managing director for its Nordics area. Mr Tuorilin, based in Sweden, has been connected to the industry for many years and is experienced in the data center, LAN and FTTx markets. He worked previously in various sales and business development functions for connectivity infrastructure suppliers and distribution companies. During his professional career, he has been associated with companies such as TE Connectivity, Hexatronic, Coromatic and Rexe. Fluent in Swedish, Finnish and English, Mr Tuorilin’s area of responsibility will include Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Roger Keller, EVP Europe and Latin America, said: “With our company’s focus on data centers, LAN environments and FTTX infrastructure, the countries in northern Europe have a significant importance for R&M. We are very much looking forward to [working] with Marko on our growth objectives for this area.”

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What goes around…

Balance of power?

Nexans has launched Nexans Recycling Services, aimed at promoting and encouraging the circular economy, and to help customers and partners manage cable waste. Nexans intends to simplify disposal of any copper or aluminum cable, regardless of its origins. The new service allows installers, distributors and utilities, as well as OEMs, resource companies and contractors, to benefit from monetary compensation for their cable waste based on a transparent valorization process. Nexans Recycling Services include turnkey logistics solutions, from collection of leftover and end-of-life cables from construction sites, renovation sites or dismantled installations, to transfer to Nexans’ recycling facilities. In addition, the Nexans service provides empty containers for bulk cable waste and trucks for cable drums. According to a 2008 EU directive, companies in Europe are legally responsible for their cable waste until they can prove it has been appropriately disposed of, or recycled. To this end, full traceability of the recycling process is provided.

Wärtsilä is to supply a 39MW power plant to Aqualectra, the utility company of Curaçao. The turnkey project will provide additional generating capacity and provide Aqualectra with the capacity and flexibility needed to add more wind power to the island’s system. The company already has over 46MW of installed generating capacity from wind energy and plans to add more renewable energy generation in the near future. The new plant will operate on four Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines running initially on heavy fuel oil (HFO), but switching to liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel at a later date. The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled to be delivered in mid-2018, and the plant is expected to be fully operational in November of that year.

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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Image: www.adac.ae

Fiber installation stays grounded

The airport operator Abu Dhabi Airports has completed the installation of a new airport-wide fiber optic network at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE. The network project is among the largest infrastructure projects to be undertaken by the operator this year, and connects the entire campus via a reliable backbone network. The project involved laying 1,233km (766 miles) of fiber cables underground, the equivalent of a round trip between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Planning for the project began in March 2015.

Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, acting CEO, said: “Delivering this project was key to Abu Dhabi Airports as it sets the base for efficient, high quality and high speed backbone network solutions adhering to best international standards. “The delivery of this project was challenging due to its scope and complexity, which involved multiple teams from several contractors, stakeholders and service providers. I would like to thank our technology project team and our partners for the dedication and close coordination that made this milestone achievable.”

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wiredInUSA - December 2017

Crossing the Gulf

Closer to home

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has selected Ciena’s converged packet optical platform as the foundation for the new Batelco Gulf Network (BGN). The BGN runs over an optical transfer network (OTN) supporting up to 8.8TBps, and will connect all the countries across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Arabian Gulf region. The 1,400km BGN terrestrial fiber cable, managed by Batelco, can be interconnected with other regional and global cable systems for access to onward connectivity to Europe, Asia, Africa and the rest of the world. Mohamed Bubashait, said that Batelco chose to invest in the network as a fully owned and managed terrestrial fiber optic cable network, thus providing Bahrain with a new international gateway to meet growing demand for data services and applications. Batelco chief global business officer Adel Al-Daylami, added: “The BGN is a reliable alternative to more vulnerable submarine cables, all with scalable capacity and the shortest inter-Gulf latency. This new partnership with Ciena will enable us to achieve all of this.” Batelco Bahrain’s CEO,

image: www.fero.co.nz

The Auckland wiring manufacturer Fero has moved its offshore operations from China to Samoa. Fero’s general manager, Sam Fulton, explained: “We see Samoa as the best kept secret in manufacturing. I think there is a lot of opportunity to look closer to home, and not go to the standard Asia, China, Vietnam or Taiwan manufacturers.” Fero provides wiring for the technology sector, with a quarter of its finished product previously sourced from China. This production has been moved to the Samoan facility previously used for similar manufacturing by the Japanese company Yazaki. “When the Japanese company closed its operation here earlier this year, more than 700 people lost their jobs,” said Greg Fulton, managing director of Fero. “They were purpose-built premises for our industry — the wiring industry. The quality they have been producing up here has been exceptional; they haven’t had a quality issue for four years so we know they can do it really well.” Problems with quality and the challenge of distance were among the reasons to relocate from China. Fero has employed 75 former Yazaki workers, and intends to expand to 200 over the next two years.

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Cable consortium

Cape Town gets POP

image: www.capetown.travel

NTT Corporation, SoftBank, Facebook, Amazon, PLDT and PCCW Global have signed an agreement to participate in the construction and maintenance of the Jupiter large-capacity low-latency optical submarine cable between Asia and the United States. The Jupiter cable system will have a total length of 14,000km, connecting Japan, the US and the Philippines. There will be two landing points in Japan, a US landing station in California and a landing at Daet in the Philippines. NTT Com’s Asia Submarine-cable Express (ASE), Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) and PacificCrossing-1 (PC-1) cableswill connect with Jupiter to provide a redundant three- route structure linking major cities in Asia, Japan and the US. Jupiter will feature a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer, employing WSS (wavelength selective switch) for a gridless and flexible bandwidth configuration. The cable is expected to launch in early 2020 with an initial design capacity of 60TBps, which will be expanded later to meet rising data demands and complement existing cable systems. Communications

Angola Cables has announced plans for a point of presence in Cape Town, its second in the South Africa after Johannesburg, as the company prepares to serve the market with the new South Atlantic Cable System (SACS). The Cape Town POP will be opened by the end of 2017. “Increasing demand has resulted in Angola Cables’ decision to develop a POP infrastructure for customers based, or with operations, in Cape Town,” it said in a statement. The announcement of the Cape Town POP follows the news that the SACS project is nearing completion. SACS will be the first submarine system to connect the west coast of Africa with Brazil. The company will soon begin laying the deep-water section. The fiber optic cable will be supplied by Japan’s NEC, with France’s Orange Marine contracted to lay it on the ocean bed. It is expected to be fully operational before mid-2018. The deep-water phase will take 90 days to install 6,200km of cable at depths of up to 5km. The cable system will provide a more direct route to the US for South African Internet users. Internet traffic to the US is currently routed via Europe and then across the north Atlantic.

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ASEAN development forum

Promoting industrialization

Huawei and Huawei Marine hosted October’s 3 rd Asia Pacific Submarine Networks Forum in Hangzhou. Themed “Developing ICT hubs: make submarine cables a strategic asset”, the forum discussed the submarine cable industry’s role as a key facilitator of Asia-Pacific ICT development. The forum was attended by over 200 delegates, including Chinese and ASEAN government regulators, submarine telecom operators, the investment community, solutions providers and industry analysts. “Infrastructure is the key bottleneck for developing countries,” said Shi Yulong, principal of the Institute of Spatial Planning and Regional Economy, National Development and Reform Commission of China. “Infrastructure interconnection is an important part of the construction for the ‘one belt, one road’ program, and ICT infrastructure is taking the lead in building it.” Throughpresentationsandpanel discussions the forum addressed the challenges and opportunities facing the Asia Pacific region, and how to facilitate growth in the digital economy of the region.

The Nigeria Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council, established in March 2017 under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has begun initiatives to accelerate industrialization by installing 18,000km of fiber optic cable throughout the country. The installation of fiber lines to promote the digital economy was one of several initiatives identified by the industrial council and agreed for implementation. The council also sought to begin strategic power projects to deliver another 4,200MW of electricity into the national grid. The industrial council has set up five sub- committees, of both public and private sector leaders and members of the council, with five focus areas identified as necessary to fulfil, council objectives. The focus areas are critical infrastructure, skills and capacity, trade and market access, policy and regulation, and financing.

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New plant for domestic cables

Competition commission findings

Image: www.lscable.com Construction work has begun in Myanmar on LS Cable & System Asia Ltd’s new power cable manufacturing plant in Thilawa Special Economic Zone, east of the capital Yangon. The 19,800m 2 facility will produce overhead wires for power transmission or distribution, and low voltage cables for buildings and houses. The company aims to complete the construction by November 2019. The company expects the new cable factory to significantly reduce Myanmar’s reliance on cable imports, which account for more than 50 percent of the country’s total cable demand, and to help lower cable prices in the country. Myanmar’s power cable market is expected to grow at about 10 percent per year. For the business in Myanmar, LS C&S Asia established a joint venture, LS-Gaon Cable Myanmar, with its subsidiary company Gaon Cable Co, with an initial investment in May 2017 of $18 million.

South African power cable supplier Alvern Cables has admitted that it engaged in price fixing and market division tendering between November 2001 and November 2012. A competition tribunal has confirmed an administrative penalty of five percent of Alvern’s 2010 turnover. The cables in question were mainly building wires. The competition commission first lodged a complaint with the tribunal in March 2010 and the complaint was updated in May that year to include other companies in the power cable supply market. In its complaint, the commission said the investigation had revealed that South Ocean Electric Wire Company (SOEW), Alvern, Tulisa Cables and Aberdare Cables had allegedly agreed to directly or indirectly fix the sellingpriceof power cables to wholesale distributors and OEMs, and Alvern and Aberdare had agreed to divide markets by allocating these customers in terms of the supply of power cables. Alvern has admitted it contravened the competition act in regard to these complaints. The tribunal has confirmed an administrative penalty against SOEW, while Aberdare Cables has been granted conditional leniency.

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Products, Machines & Technology

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Cable joint monitor A product developed by EA Technology in collaboration with UK Power Networks has been nominated for the prestigious IET innovation award. Called the Cable Canary, the device helps predict cable joint failure and so potentially prevent power outages and reduce the risk of injury within substations. A research program within UK Power Networks developed into a collaborative partnership between the electricity distribution company and EA Technology to develop the Cable Canary technology. The monitoring device uses an advanced radio frequency current transformer (RFCT) and a unique algorithm that discriminates against noise sources and signals from remote partial discharge activity that could otherwise result in false alarms. The Cable Canary can be rapidly installed in a substation without any disruption to electricity supply. As part of UK Power Networks’ project, Cable Canary prototypes were installed within London substations. During the trial, a cable joint with degradation was identified at a critical location before a dangerous failure could occur.

CableCanary identifiedhigh levels of partial discharge activity within a high voltage transitional joint. Further investigation showed degradation that could have led to a failure. “This shows the potential benefits of the technology to the electricity industry and to commercial organizations with power networks.” Category 7 additions Lapp has introduced five new variants of its Etherline Profinet Category 7 range. For fixed installation, the cable affixed with a “Y” is flame-retardant with a PVC sheath; it can be halogen-free and flame-retardant with an FRNC sheath, or have a more mechanically robust PUR sheath. There are also two variants for flexible installation (affixed “Flex”) with a flame- retardant PVC sheath or with a halogen- free and flame-retardant FRNC sheath. The new cables are suitable for use in machines and plants or for network infrastructure where large amounts of data are transferred, for example from high resolution cameras. The new profinet cables have a data rate of 10GB. Cables compliant with Category 6A also achieve comparable speeds, but Category 7 cables work at a significantly

Anne McIntosh, director of HV5-9s, EA Technology, said: “During field trials the

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Stephen Walton, Ellis’s chief engineer, said: “We are not a company that will ever rest on its laurels. We are always looking at ways to enhance our current offering, or add to it with innovative new solutions, and the twist- foot Vulcan+ is a perfect example of this approach. “We’ve taken an already extremely successful product and developed it in a manner that broadens its appeal; not just in terms of channel usage, but also by turning it into a truly quick-fit, easy-to-order-cable cleat solution.” The twist-foot fixing mechanism operates by simply placing the Vulcan+ cleat into the channel and twisting it 90 degrees. It is suitable for trefoil cables ranging in diameter from 19 to 58mm, and single cables between 30 and 104mm.

higher transmission frequency of 600MHz. This ensures performance and transmission reliability, even when cables become damaged or aged. The cables comply with the Profinet standard, and are certified for the North American market.

New twist

Cable cleat manufacturer, Ellis, has launched its twist-foot Vulcan+.

Designed for installation on cable channels and ladders with inverted rungs, the cleat features a new pre-installed fixing mechanism to significantly reduce installation time and simplify the ordering process. It is also short circuit tested to meet the stringent requirements of IEC61914.

Two teeth better than one?

Elematic’s new range of 2-Lock cable ties with a double metal tooth has been designed to provide maximum reliability and safety with excellent resistance to vibrations and dynamic loads. A new locking system, based on an over- molded stainless steel cage with double tooth, acts symmetrically on the cable tie body, so allowing a higher tensile strength

S S The Vulcan+ from cleat manufacturer Ellis

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In 2000, due to the outdated technical specification of electrical wiring, the market regulator imposed a ban on the use of aluminum wiring in the construction of residential and public buildings. Having analyzed international practices in cable production for residential, public and industrial buildings, Rusal launched the production of 8030 and 8176 alloys at the Kandalaksha and Irkutsk aluminum smelters. The aluminum wiring manufactured by Irkutskkabel and Kamskiye Cable has undergone extensive testing in accordance with current testing methods. Experts fromRosElectromontazh Association and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations Research Institute were involved in the evaluation process. Cables with a power core made of alloys 8030 and 8176 are said to have a number of significant advantages over copper, including lower price, lower weight and increased flexibility. Software, all at sea Cable deployment control software was used in a successful at-sea trial deployment of ocean bottom nodes in the Norwegian North Sea. These alloys are widely used in electrical wiring production in the US and China.

compared to cable ties with a single steel tooth.

The body of the 2-Lock cable tie is perfectly smooth on both sides. The absence of the rack on the body allows a more accurate tensioning as there are no predetermined ratchet points in which the tooth has to sit. This eliminates the risk of abrasion, either internally on single bundles or externally on multiple bundles of cables. Black 2-Lock cable ties have a carbon black content for UV resistance in outside applications. They provide highmechanical performance at temperatures as low as –40°C and are UL94 V2 flammability rated. UC Rusal’s aluminum alloys 8030 and 8176 have been approved by Russian authorities for use in electrical wiring applications. The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation has approved the order that regulates construction of electrical installations andpermits theuseof aluminum wiring in buildings and structures. A permit from the regulator is a major breakthrough for Russian producers of aluminum wiring in the domestic market and in the CIS countries, and the approval opens up new market opportunities. Aluminum wiring for Russian markets

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