wiredInUSA December 2020

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Americaˊs online magazine for wire and cable

Issue No. 114 - December 2020

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

Increased cloud coverage Page 9

New Mexico facility. Page 11

Norway to Denmark cable starts work. Page 27

Singapore cable. Page 33

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EDITOR

NAI has opened a new plant in Coahuila, Mexico, to manufacture interconnect devices such as cable assemblies, harnesses and box builds. The new 38,000ft 2 plant will provide NAI with the option to double capacity, and operations are due to begin in February 2021. Full details are on page 11. A $2 billion investment in zero-emission infrastructure, education and access is being carried out over the next ten years by Electrify America LLC. The company has introduced a new program to add solar-powered canopies at electric vehicle charging locations. The first – in Baker, California – is operational, and the company plans to add the solar canopies at 125 other sites in 2021. By the end of next year, it expects to have around 800 total charging stations and 3,500 DC fast chargers in 45 states across the US. Turn to page 16. All of us at wiredInUSA understand it has been a testing and trying year for everyone with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting on both our personal and professional lives. We would like to wish everyone a merry and safe Christmas holiday, and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for 2021.

David Bell Editor

wiredInUSA - December 2020

December 2020 Issue No.114 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

Show Diary 2021

09 PAGE

Making the News Industry news from the USA

26 PAGE

Europe news The latest news from Europe

32 PAGE

Asia & Africa News The latest news from Asia & Africa

38 PAGE

Products, Machines & Technology The latest news from machine industries

wiredInUSA - December 2020

wiredIn USA

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wiredInUSA - December 2020

Diary Shows & Events 2021

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September 22-24 September 2021 wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand www.wire-southeastasia.com

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

wiredInUSA - December 2020

M A K I N G T H E NEWS

Increased cloud coverage

Amazon Web Services is spending $2.8 billion to build a new AWS Cloud region in Hyderabad, the capital of, and largest city in, Telangana, India. “Hyderabad is already an important talent hub for IT professionals and entrepreneurs,” said AWS’s Jeff Barr, in a blog post. “We have been investing in India for quite some time, and opened our first office there in 2011. “This upcoming infrastructure region in Hyderabad is the latest in a long series of investments that we continue to make in India to power continued customer growth and provide more choices to our customers in India.”

With India among the fastest growing telecommunication countries in the world, the Hyderabad region is AWS’s second in India; Amazon Web Services launched an AWS region in Mumbai in 2016. In 2019 AWS expanded the Mumbai region to include a third availability zone. The Hyderabad AWS Cloud region, which will be part of AWS’s Asia Pacific cloud, is scheduled to open in mid-2022 with three availability zones. The company also announced a new European cloud region in Zurich,Switzerland to join the European roster of existing regions in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the UK.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

New Mexico facility

around the world. We are uniquely able to offer flexibility and dual capacity with our manufacturing locations, as well as make investment decisions and deploy new initiatives quickly. The products that will be produced in this facility serve our core markets of industrial, medical and telecom providers.” Operations are scheduled to begin in February 2021.

NAI has opened a new plant in Coahuila, Mexico, to manufacture interconnect devices such as cable assemblies, harnesses, and box builds. The primary purpose will be to provide local support to NAI’s customers in the region, and to improve logistics by a closer proximity. The plant will occupy nearly 38,000ft 2 , with an option to double capacity. Jon A Jensen, president and CEO of NAI, said: “NAI has a strong track record of supporting our customers with local manufacturing and engineering support

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Broadband acquisition

Stonepeak Partners has acquired Astound Broadband for $3.6 billion. Astound, previously owned by private equity firm TPG and cable management company Patriot Media Management, is the operator of RCN Telecom Services LLC, Grande Communications, Wave Broadband and enTouch Systems. It provides high speed internet, broadband, digital TV and telephone services to over a million customers around the country. Infrastructure

“We are delighted to partner with … the Astound team for the next chapter of growth,” said Brian McMullen, partner at Stonepeak. “In our increasingly connected society, we believe there is an extraordinary opportunity to deliver faster speeds and greater coverage, fundamentally enabling many aspects of everyday life.”

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Country connectivity

Working together, CommScope and Converge ICT plan to build internet infrastructure to connect unserved and underserved communities in the Philippines. CommScope will utilize its plug-and-play fiber optic products for the project, to reduce installation time and increase speed of deployment. Converge ICT will also use CommScope’s optical distribution technology for fiber- to-the-home networks.

The move to expand broadband connections in the Philippines comes at a time when the country is developing increased e-commerce activity and remote working.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Changes on board

The Association has appointed Gary Bolton as the association’s new president and CEO, with effect from 2 nd November 2020. He moves into the role after serving as vice chair of the board. Mr Bolton has been deeply involved with the association and has previously chaired the finance and audit committee, the public policy committee, and the marketing committee and served two terms as board treasurer. He succeeds president and CEO Lisa R Youngers, who is Fiber Broadband

leaving the association for a new industry opportunity. Previously vice president of global marketing and government affairs at ADTRAN, Bolton also served on the executive team for two successful venture-backed broadband start-up companies and held executive and senior management roles at Ciena and Nortel. He serves as an adjunct professor in the college of business at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

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wiredInUSA - December 2020

Charging network

The electric vehicle (EV) charging network Electrify America LLC has introduced a new program to add solar-powered canopies at station locations. The first Electrify America DC fast charger site to feature a solar powered canopy is in Baker, California, where the solar panels charge an on-site battery energy storage system (BESS). The company expects to have over 125 fully operational BESS installations in 2021, with 75 located at California stations.

To date, Electrify America has opened 500 vehicle charging stations across the US. By the end of 2021, the company plans to install, or have under development, around 800 total charging stations with about 3,500 DC fast chargers in 45 states. The network is investing $2 billion over ten years in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, education and access.

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wiredInUSA - December 2020

I N N O V A T I O N S F O R T H E C A B L E I N D U S T R Y

ELECTRICITY IS LIFE

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The 5.3MW ground-mount solar energy system at San Joaquin County’s Foothill Landfill

Using landfill for power

Ameresco the completion of a 5.3MW ground-mount solar energy system at San Joaquin County’s Foothill Landfill. This is Ameresco’s second renewable energy project with the Californian county. “San Joaquin County, and its local communities, have long prioritized the development of renewable energy resources, both for reducing emissions and supplementing existing electricity generation,” said Kathy Miller, chair of the San Joaquin County board of supervisors. “In addition to its environmental impact, the solar energy system will provide further utility cost savings to our region, which will directly benefit residents and local governments’ ability to better serve its constituents.” has announced

and the county will receive a $500,000 immediate lease payment for the use of the land. “...San JoaquinCounty is always looking for ways to provide an improved environment for our residents, while at the same time providing cost savings to taxpayers,” said Chuck Winn, supervisor of San Joaquin County. “The county recognized that the Foothill Landfill site in Linden had a large amount of undeveloped land. “When Ameresco approached us about the potential use of the undeveloped land for solar arrays, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. This is a long-term partnership and the resulting project will provide a great benefit to the county and our residents.”

The system will generate approximately 10,473,000kWh of electricity per year,

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Operations have started at the 162MW Wagyu solar PV project, located near Houston, Texas

New plant in operation

Cypress has announced the start of commercial operations at the 162MW Wagyu solar PV project, located near Houston, Texas. Systems) constructed the Wagyu solar project, owned by Cubico Sustainable Investments and originally developed by Cypress Creek. Creek Renewables RES (Renewable Energy

Cypress Creek will provide operations and maintenance, and asset management services for the operation. Cypress Creek’s CEO, Sarah Slusser, commented: “Wagyu is Cypress Creek’s largest project to date and our twenty- first project in Texas to reach commercial operation.”

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Plans have been unveiled to test and validate the technical and economic capabilities of the SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system

Sea trials for offshore power

When deployed at WETS, the SeaRAY AOPS will comprise a moored configuration consisting of a surface wave energy converter; a single, combined mooring, data, communications and power cable; and a seafloor base unit providing 100kWh of energy storage for payload operation. The SeaRAY AOPS is said to significantly lower costs and carbon emissions, reducing operational complexity, increasing safety, and enabling capabilities not currently available. The systemsupports awide rangeof potential applications expected to spur innovation in critical industries such as defense and security, offshore energy, aquaculture, and science and research. Following successful completion of the WETS sea trials, C-Power expects to complete the commercial launch of the SeaRAY in 2021.

Columbia Power Technologies (C-Power) has unveiled plans to test and validate the technical and economic capabilities of its SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system (AOPS). The upcoming sea trials for SeaRAY AOPS, run in partnership with the US Department of Energy and the US Navy, were scheduled to start at the end of 2020 at the Navy’s Wave Energy Testing Site (WETS), located off Marine Corps Base Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Initially conceived during a US Department of Defense project, the SeaRAY AOPS provides in-situ power, energy storage, and real-time data and communications support set to advance the marine economy toward a future of autonomous, connected and resident technologies. The system is designed to support unmanned offshore activities, including subsea vehicles, sensor packages, and operating equipment.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

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Apex Clean Energy has confirmed that the permit for its long-delayed wind farm has been granted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Approval by DEQ was the last key hurdle for Apex, which says construction should be completed by the end of next year. “We are on track to start site preparation work this winter,” said Charlie Johnson, senior development manager for the company. The 75MW Rocky Forge Wind will sell its power to Dominion Energy, which has a contract to provide renewable energy to Virginia’s state government. The wind farm was first proposed in 2015. A series of local, state and federal permits were issued for a plan for 25 turbines no taller than 550 feet on North Mountain, in the north-eastern corner of Botetourt county. By the timeacustomer was secured for the produced energy, technological advances had changed the project. Apex found it could build fewer turbines, if at a greater height. The amendment required new permits from the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, the Federal Aviation Administration and DEQ. With more efficient turbines, the project’s site plan will be about 120 acres, a 40% reduction from the original concept. The turbines, roughly the height of a 50-story building, will be evenly spread along a 3.5 mile segment of ridge line.

Long-awaited go-ahead

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Thomas Farrell, chairman of the board

Utility owner states its place

soliciting bids for small-scale solar (up to 3MW) while proceeding with another RFP for large-scale solar, onshore wind and energy storage. While solar is expected to dominate Dominion’s renewable energy additions until 2035, the company is adding considerable amounts of offshore wind. Dominion plans to file with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for federal permits for half of its 2.6GW planned offshore wind development in Virginia.

During its third quarter earnings call in November 2020, Dominion Energy confirmed the steps in its clean energy transition, including its large offshore wind development. Thomas Farrell, recently appointed executive chairman of the board, said Dominion had become “the third-largest owner of solar capacity among utility companies in the country.”

Dominion announced theaddition of 500MW of solar in Virginia, across nine projects.

The $8 billion project is the largest offshore wind development, to date, in the US.

While the company’s 2020 integrated resource plan remains under consideration by Virginia regulators, the utility issued a request for proposals (RFP) in October,

wiredInUSA - December 2020

EUROPE NEWS

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Image courtesy of SkagenFiber

Norway to Denmark cable starts work

Altibox has announced that the 173km Skagenfiber submarine fiber optic cable between Hirtshals (Denmark) and Larvik (Norway) is now in operation. The launch was celebrated with a digital commemoration. “It is gratifying to see that Norway is increasingly equipped with fiber connections, both in andout of the country. Until quite recently, Norway was more like a dead end … on the international fiber cable map,” said district and digitalization minister Linda Hofstad Helleland, during the event.

key European data links, causing delays by both distance and response time and increasing the digital vulnerability. “It is important that more good connections are established between Norway and other countries so that data traffic can [follow] alternative roads if one or more connections are breached, either due to physical breaches as a result of accidents, or deliberate attacks,” said TPO vice president Toril Nag of Lyse, the industrial group that owns Altibox.

Skagenfiber is part of a European fiber network that Altibox is establishing.

Until recently, most international data traffic has traveled via Sweden and on to

wiredInUSA - December 2020

New premises for rope maker

Notified Body status secured

Image courtesy of Slingco Ltd

Image courtesy of UL International

UK-based cable grip and wire rope maker Slingco Ltd has built a new head office after outgrowing its existing base in Whitworth, Lancashire. The company moved into its new premises in December. David Carroll, finance director at Slingco Ltd, said: “Although 2020 has been a challenging year, we remain in a strong position. Our new premises will further strengthen our position in the UK and international markets, and prepare us for future growth.” Founded in 1980 by Chris Dykins, Slingco designs and manufactures products for cable and conductor installation, support and protection. The company is run by Mr Dykins’ sons Nick, the UK managing director, and Matt, serving as president of Slingco America Inc.

UL International (Netherlands) BV has achieved System 1+ Notified Body status for product area 31 (power, control and communication cable) of the EU’s Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. The Dutch government authorized UL International (Netherlands) as Notified Body number 2821 following a successful assessment by RvA (Raad voor Accreditatie) during 2020. The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) includes power, telecommunications, data and control cables manufactured for, or imported into, the EU to be permanently installed in buildings. To comply with the regulation, cables must meet strict testing and quality assessment requirements before they can use the CE marking and be used in buildings. UL has been extensively involved in all aspects of CPR testing for cables since it became mandatory in July 2017. With this new designation, the process is further streamlined for UL’s global customers as testing, qualityassessmentsandcertification can all be conducted by UL, helping customers move products into the EU marketplace. Because of UL’s global reach, customers can access other sectors around the world through testing and certification that meet market requirements.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Second cable for Gozo

Wire rod mill

Clint Camilleri, minister for Gozo

Image courtesy of Danieli

Infrastructure for the second fiber optic cable in Gozo, Malta is complete, and expected to be in operation before the end of 2020. The minister for Gozo, Clint Camilleri, described the cable as the “first step” towards attracting gaming and digital companies to move into Gozo by securing a reliable connection with the rest of the world. The project has involved the installation of 24 optic fibers.

Habaş Sınai ve Tibbi Gazlar İstihsal Endüstrisi, Turkey, has selected Danieli to supply a wire rod line, slab caster, and all associated technology for its Aliaga steelmaking plant. The line will produce a range of steel products, including welding wire, low, medium and high carbon PC wire and reinforcement steel, at speeds up to 110m per second. The line is expected to go into operation during the third quarter of 2021. The new line will include a ten-pass fast- finishing block with Multidrive (M2 ® ) configuration; a Danieli structure control (DSC ® ) water cooling line; and a four-pass reducing and sizing twin module block (TMB ® ) with an individual drive-control system. A high-speed shear (HSS ® ) for head and tail trimming, double-pipe oil-film bearing loop- laying head, controlled cooling conveyor for both high speed and retarded cooling, and a coil handling system with vertical coil compactor will complete the line. Habaş already operates a wire rod line that was supplied by Morgårdshammar (part of the Danieli Group) in the 1990s.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

First power to Bavarian grid

Acquisition brings blend industrial solutions

Kemno offices near Milan

Image courtesy of Statkraft

The Norwegian energy company Statkraft has announced that the Schornhof solar park is delivering power to the Bavarian grid, following its commissioning of 30MW capacity. Located in the municipality of Berg im Gau, Bavaria, the solar park is designed for a total installed capacity of 120MW. The solar park is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, generating over 110GWh of electricity annually. With the commissioning of the solar park, Statkraft and Anumar have also secured a further 40MW, still under construction, through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). The two companies have now finalized electricity supply contracts of 90MW. Statkraft has announced that it will shortly begin construction of its 519MW Ventos de Santa Eugeniawind project in north-eastern Brazil. Ingolstadt-based Anumar designs, builds and operates solar power facilities in Germany and Chile.

Condat SA has acquired the Italian company Kemno, and will create a 100% subsidiary to be named Condat Italia. Kemno sas di Novati Davide &C, specializes in the production of neat and soluble coolants. Mainly active in the cold heading business, Kemno also offers metal working fluids, maintenance oils and greases, and quenching oils. Condat, based in France, formulates and produces a wide range of lubricants for a diverse range of industries including wire drawing, tunnel boring, forging, glass, machining, heat treatment and industrial maintenance. It is expected that Kemno will benefit from the acquisition as it will be able to expand, whilst supported by an international and stable group. Condat Group will benefit from a strengthening of its diversification strategy in Italy, particularly in the fastener and machining industries.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Double spooler

Developing a world- beating superconductor

Rosendahl’s new semi-automatic double spooler, RODS1250 H, is designed for high speed insulation processes. The RODS1250 H has a highly rigid machine frame with a product clamp for easy thread-up, and includes a height- adjustable traverse pulley unit for better winding quality. The RODS1250 H double spooler is set up for flat cables and for products of up to 15mm in diameter, operating at speeds of up to 1,500m per minute with reels of up to 2,500kg in weight. The spooler can change between two spools at full production speed, and an automatic reel change cycle is said to take only a few minutes. The Rosendahl double spooler is made for semi-automat- ic cable production

NKT is working in conjunction with six partners

NKT and six partners have started work on the Superlink project, the prototype development of a superconductor specially designed for the city of Munich, Germany. When the Superlink technology has been developed, and the project tendered, it is expected to become a 12km underground power link - the longest superconducting power cable in the world. Anders Jensen, chief technology officer at NKT, commented: “We are proud to take part in the early stages of the development of SuperLink, where Stadtwerke München and Stadtwerke München Infrastruktur are taking a significant step to leverage superconducting power cables. It is important to continue to develop solutions to support the transition to renewable energy and the ambitions of the German Energiewende. “[At] NKT we see superconducting power cables as a part of the future, to ensure optimized access to clean energy in larger cities such as Munich.” The superconducting cable will be cooled to -200ºC with nitrogen in a closed circuit; a cooling system with redundant back-up coolers will be an integral part of the system.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

wiredInUSA - December 2020

G8 Subsea has completed the landing and pull-in of the world’s first submarine cable for offshore solar power and data

Singapore cable

Singapore-based engineering firm G8 Subsea has completed the landing and pull-in of the world’s first submarine cable for offshore solar power and data. The Northern cable landing, situated in Woodlands, Singapore, will transmit data and 5MW of renewable energy to the network infrastructure on the mainland. G8 used its own cable protection duct system (CPDS) to facilitate the cable landing process which, it believes, vastly reduces the cost of cable landings. The CPDS is applicable to both telecommunications and high voltage subsea cables, and ensures the long-term safety of the cable on both sea and land portions.

components of an offshore floating solar plant in Woodlands. The efficiency of data collection and condition monitoring of floating solar plant and subsea cables is an important aspect of the trials, as each system has multiple subsea linkages and components subjected to the challenging subsea environment. In September 2020 G8 delivered the world’s first modular floating substation designed for the future expansion of offshore floating solar plants at industrial scale on water. G8 says that the modular floating transformer platform (FTP) can hold stable and exact positioning of up to 20MW capacity of solar plant equipment and power inverters under marine conditions, while allowing maintenance and expansion capabilities to the plant.

G8 also carried out trials to monitor critical mooring points and subsea cable

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Lasers reach beyond fiber

Phase 5 contract

Ducab HV will supply and install high voltage cabling for Phase 5 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (MBR Solar Park). The Phase 5 project will demand approximately 275km of cable, with all relevant accessories and terminations. The project will be executed over three plots of 300MW each, and is said to be among the most cost-effective solar parks in the world. In addition to cable and accessory supply, Ducab HV will be responsible for cable installation, acting as cable subcontractor appointed by Shanghai Electric of China. The latest project award follows Ducab HV’s work on the 132kV system for Phase 3 of the same facility.

Image courtesy of Liquid Telecom

Econet, which owns African wholesale network Liquid Telecom, is looking to use laser beams to carry data traffic in areas where fiber is impractical. The company is working with Project Taara, an Alphabet venture, to install laser beams carrying up to 20Gbps for up to 20km over areas where it is impractical or not economically viable to install fiber. Norman Moyo, Econet’s executive for new enterprises, said: “This technology and our partnership with Taara forms an important building block towards realizing our vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind.” Project Taara has a pilot in India’s Andhra Pradesh, where the mountainous terrain makes conventional fiber networks difficult: the company is using free-space optical communications (FSOC) as an alternative. The lasers can connect cell towers as well as Wi-Fi hotspots, said Mahesh Krishnaswamy, general manager of Project Taara.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

High security cable

Cables for northern Kenya

LS Cable and Systems has developed a new optical cable, said to be capable of preventing hacking by using a special optical fiber and strengthened coating that “blocks” information leakage. When an optical cable is bent round, light escapes and provides an opportunity for hackers to paralyze a network or connect hacking equipment to intercept the optical signals. Infrared coatings and metal tubes can be used to prevent hacking, but they are not often utilized because of the high manufacturing costs and installation problems. LS Cable believes its anti-hacking optical cables could be used by financial institutions, defense industries and data centers. Employees of LS Cable & System inspect the optical fiber they have produced

Dr Katherine Getao The Kenyan government has launched the construction of a 630km high speed fiber optic cable to facilitate communication in remote areas, including the northern frontier region. The ministry of information, communication and technology, through Kenya’s information and communication technology (ICT) authority, has also commissioned the rehabilitation of fiber optic cable between Eldoret and Nakodok fiber optic cable. Speaking during the commissioning of part of the project in Nadapal, ICT authority chief executive Dr Katherine Getao said the internet connectivity, with speeds of 100GB per second, will be used by towns and facilities along the cable corridor. “This section of the project will provide connectivity between [the] Northern Rift part of Kenya to the counties of Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Turkana and West Pokot,” she said. Both projects are part of the $500 million South Sudan Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development Facilitation project (EARTTDFP) that connects Kenya and South Sudan through the laying of a fiber optic cable and the construction of a superhighway.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Egyptian contracts

Increased production set for the Philippines

Elsewedy Electric has confirmed that its subsidiary has signed three new EPC contracts, worth a total of around $54 million, with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). The subsidiary, Elsewedy Electric for Trading and Distribution, will construct two 30km overhead transmission lines to connect to the Toshka 4 substation, and will construct both the Toshka 4 and West Port Said substations. The company specializes in high voltage transmission lines and has over 1,000km of 220kV and 500kV lines and substations within Egypt and Africa.

Yokowo Co Ltd will manufacture and assemble automotive wiring harnesses and components in the Philippines. Ground- breaking activity will begin in January 2022, and the new facility is expected to be in operation in April 2022. This will be the second confirmed Japanese investment in wiring harness production in the Philippines during the year, the first being Sumitomo Wiring Systems, which is developing the company’s biggest factory in the world in Pangasinan. As a new manufacturer in the Philippine wiring harness production sector, Yokowo recently registered a 100% wholly owned business in the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission under the name Yokowo Manufacturing of the Philippines. Headquartered in Tokyo, Yokowo Co describes itself as specialist in antennas, fine connectors, microwaves and advanced devices for the automotive, semiconductor testing systems, mobile device and advanced medical device sectors.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

HVDC line nears completion

Angola connectivity to see a boost

A key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Matiari to Lahore 660kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) project is nearing completion. The 886km transmission line runs from the south-west to the north-east of Pakistan, passing through the provinces of Sindh and Punjab. It is the first 660kV DC project overseas for the State Grid Company of China (SGCC) with completely independent intellectual property rights. A power outage in northern Pakistan in 2015, which resulted in 2,000 people dying from dehydration and heat stroke, was a chief driver for the transmission project. In 2015 China and Pakistan agreed to form a “1+4” cooperation structure, with the CPEC at the center and Gwadar Sea Port, energy, transport infrastructure, and industrial cooperation being the four key areas for common development. The HVDC transmission line was planned within the CPEC, between SGCC and the National Transmission and Despatch Company in Pakistan.

Nzadi Consortium and the submarine cable engineering firm WFN Strategies have started work on the Nzadi Cable project in Angola. The Nzadi Cable system will comprise a main trunk cable from Luanda to Cabinda, with a branching unit for future connection to Soyo, as well as a potential northward expansion to both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It will consist of a fiber count of up to 14 fiber-pairs. The system is expected to enter service in late 2023. According to Domingos Coelho, chairman of Nzadi Cable System’s board of directors, the project is committed to utilizing as much local content as possible, so benefitting local businesses for the provision of the civil works in the Luanda, Soyo and Cabinda provinces of Angola. In the mid- to long-term, services are expected to be contracted to local businesses for the provision of water, power, infrastructure security, and dry plant maintenance, as well as direct employment for predominantly young professionals who will be required to operate and administer the subsea network.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Products, Machines & Technology

wiredInUSA - December 2020

Connectors agreement AFL an d Senko Advanced Components have signed a Technology Transfer and Patent License agreement for SN connectors and adapters. Under the agreement, AFL will manufacture SN connectors and adapters while the standard is under development in IEC as IEC 61754-36 type SAC connector. The SN interface has already been adopted in transceiver specifications QSFP-DD and OSFP MSAs – the new specifications for the next generation of pluggable transceivers for 200Gbps, 400Gbps, and 800Gbps data center interconnects (DCI).

the optical path. SN connectors provide individual and independent duplex fiber breakout at a quad-style transceiver (QSFP, QSFP-DD and OSFP) said to be more efficient, reliable and scalable than the MPO connector. New FO cables Tripp Lite, a manufacturer of power protection and connectivity solutions, has introduced a range of 40 new fiber optic patch cables and breakout cables to connect switches and other equipment in 400GbE networks. The cables are compatible with QSFP-DD transceivers with an eight-lane electrical interface to support 400Gbps speeds (50Gb per lane). Available in single-mode and multimode types, the fiber optic cables have different combinations of connectors to ensure compatibility with an array of equipment. New end types include CS and 16-fiber MPO connectors for use with QSFP-DD transceivers. Trenching ROV for Asian subsea project Forum Energy Technologies will provide specialist subsea equipment for a “major

S S The SN connector

The SN connector is a duplex optical fiber connector that uses LC-style 1.25mm outside diameter zirconia ferrules, designed for hyperscale, edge, enterprise or co- location DCI. It is designed to give superior optical performance while reducing the typical number of connection points in

wiredInUSA - December 2020

delivered to this client, and we are thrilled the organization continues to see the value our ROVs deliver.”

cable maintenance project in Southeast Asia”. The contract, won through Forum’s local representatives, will see the company deploy a Perry XT500 trenching system and Dynacon launch and recovery system.

Twisted and shielded assemblies Harwin has expanded its Gecko connector range with designs for greater resilience against ambient electromagnetic interference (EMI) and crosstalk from neighboring wiring. Engineers can now specify double-ended cables with either twisted-pair wiring (different colors being applied to each for easy identification) or fully shielded mesh braidings (with metal backshells on the connectors), or a combination of the two. These new cable assemblies are available for Gecko-SL connectors, with options for female-to-female, male-to-female (featuring either standard or reverse-fix orientations on the male connector), and male-to-male (again with standard and reverse-fix o rientation options). The assemblies are also offered with the female-to-female, male-to-female and male-to-male variants based on the latched-type Gecko, or with single-ended options for both male and female.

The XT500 system is suitable for cable maintenance projects with a 3,000m depth rating and has 3m ROV burial capability on the ocean floor. The vehiclewill bemanufactured at Forum’s facility in Yorkshire, UK, and installed on the client’s vessel in early 2021. The equipment will be used to support telecommunication contracts in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. As part of the contract Forumwill also deliver operational and maintenance training for the client’s personnel and provide support during the first mobilization onboard the vessel, including sea trials. S S Forum Energy Technologies will provide specialist subsea equipment for a “major cable maintenance project in Southeast Asia”

Kevin Taylor, Forum’s vice president - subsea vehicles, said: “This is the fifth ROV we have

Optimized for use in high-density electronics, the Gecko connectors present a compact

wiredInUSA - December 2020

The fully operational plant will produce over two million tons of liquid steel per year for the production of rebar and wire rod. All the rolling mills are equipped with an automated in-line quenching system (QTB/ QTR) to ensure consistent mechanical and structural properties, in accordance with international standards. Endless casting contract Danieli will supply a high speed rolling mill to Korea Steel Shapes Co (KOSCO) to produce deformed bars in 10mm to 57mm diameters. The new rollingmill, to be installed in KOSCO’s Chilseo pla nt, will be linked directly to a Danieli five-str and caster, through a Danieli Automation Q-Heat induction heater. It will be the first complete Danieli minimill in South Kore a – a melt shop and caster were previously supplied by Danieli in 2007. Danieli’s direct casting rolling technology will pr ovide high efficiency and energy savings, and will allow KOSCO to reduce CO 2 emissions whilst improving material yield by up to 98%. The mill will comprise 16 housingless stands, two four-pass, multi-drive high speed twist- free finishing blocks, fed by two-strand slit- rolled material coming from the upstream

and lightweight alternative to bulkier and heavier Micro-D units.

They are currently in use in a wide range of aerospace and defense systems, as well as robotics, satellites and medical equipment.

New complex for long products A new minimill steel complex at AQS (Algerian-Qatari Steel) has beencompleted by Danieli. Consisting of two melt shops and fume- treatment plants, two bar rolling mills, a wire rod mill, and two water-treatment plants and auxiliaries, the complex in the industrial area of Bellara, Algeria, is already in production with Conticaster #1 and rolling mill #1 operating in hot-charge mode.

S S A new minimill steel complex at AQS (Algerian-Qatari Steel) has been completed by Danieli

The AQS complex consists of two ACelectric arc furnaces, two ladle furnaces, and two continuous casting machines feeding the downstream rolling mills.

wiredInUSA - December 2020

intermediate mill. Smaller bar sizes will be produced on two strands at very high speed, fully exploiting the mill’s capacity for the whole product range. An in-line quenching and self-tempering process will improve the mechanical properties of deformed bars, in particular the yield strength, while a dual high speed twin-channel system will discharge the bars onto a 102m cooling bed for smaller bars. Diameters over 22mm will be discharged through a roller table with aprons. A finishing area with automatic counting and bundling will complete the supply, with the entire process fully controlled by a Danieli Automation process control system. New addition to spring end grinding series Wafios has introduced its G660 single- and dual-plate spring end grinding machine, completing the G450 series first introduced in 2017. The G660 is equipped with grinding wheels of 660mm diameter and loading plates of 740mm diameter; they allow a smooth grinding of spring ends of up to 13mm wire diameter. As with other Wafios machines, the G660 is installed with the latest Wafios WPS EasyWay 3.2 control program, which is easy to use and offers a high level of operational safety.

S S The new G660 single- and dual-plate spring end grinding machine from Wafios

This control system is ready for operation in future Industry 4.0 applications, such as predictive maintenance or smart machine. Successful features of the G450 machine have also been adopted and refined, including iQtemperature. iQtemperature allows the in-process measurement of the

wiredInUSA - December 2020

All of Lapp’s patch cord types have the internationally recognized safety certification of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), making them suitable for equipment in the USA and Canada. Lapp’s patch cords use compact RJ45 connectors for application in high port- density situations, and are suitable for ethernet applications up to 10GBase-T.

workpieces’ temperature, which can thus be controlled in accordance with process instructions.

This significantly increases production rates while also guaranteeing quality standards.

The machines also include the Wafios particulate deflector, a spe cial coating of the extraction channel that effectively reduces soiling, grinding deposit and other dirt to a minimum, thereby reducing both maintenance and costs. The automatic generation of a basic spring end grinding program on the basis of entered spring data makes it possible to start production quickly and to process even very small batch sizes. A newly developedmodular loading system optimizes the spring end grinding process for batch sizes from 5,000 springs. UL-certified patch cords A range of new patch cords from Lapp are describedas “more versatile” than standard pre-assembled cables, so allowing users to reduce parts in storage and simplify logistics. The application of a double shielding of foil screen and copper braiding means the Etherline ® LAN Cat 6A patch cords can be used in offices or in industrial control cabinets with low electromagnetic load.

Fire protection is provided by a low-smoke, zero-halogen outer sheath.

S S The new range of patch cords from Lapp

wiredInUSA - December 2020

EDITORIAL Index

AFL

38 27

Harwin Kemno

40 30 43 34 35 11 31 37 20 31 38 34 28 30 13 39 28 42 37 36

Altibox

Amazon Web Services

Lapp

Ameresco

18 30 24 13 22 14 30 14 20 25 34 34 16 36 39

Liquid Telecom

Anumar

LS Cable and Systems

Apex Clean Energy

NAI NKT

Astound

Columbia Power Technologies

Nzadi Consortium

CommScope Condat SA Converge IC

Renewable Energy Systems

Rosendahl

Senko Advanced Components

Cypress Creek Renewables

Shanghai Electric

Danieli

29, 41

Slingco Ltd

Dominion Energy

Statkraft

Ducab HV

TPG

Econet

Tripp Lite

Electrify America LLC

UL International (Netherlands) BV

Elsewedy Electric

Wafios

Forum Energy Technologies

WFN Strategies Yokowo Co Ltd

G8 Subsea 33 Habaş Sınai ve Tibbi Gazlar İstihsal Endüstrisi 29

wiredInUSA - December 2020

ADVERTISING Index

AIM Inc

10 13 11 15

Beta LaserMike (An NDC Technologies Brand)

Clinton Instrument Company

DeWAL

Electrical Cable Compounds Inc

16, 23

Madem

Messe Düsseldorf

Nano-Diamond America Inc

12 19

Paramount Die

Sikora

Troester

17 21

Windak Group

Zumbach Electronic

Marketing: Contact Jason Smith, wiredInUSA, Tel: +44 (0) 1926 834684 Email: jason@wiredinusa.com News: Contact David Bell, Editor, wiredInUSA, Tel: +44 (0) 1926 334137 Email: david@wiredinusa.com

The Professional Publishers Association Member

wiredInUSA - December 2020

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

wiredinUSA, EuroWire and Wire & Cable ASIA... The leading magazines for the wire and cable industries Download your 2020 media packs today and benefit from an international coverage

wiredIn USA Digital . Networking . Monthly .

www.read-wca.com

www.read-tpt.com www.read-eurowire Published in English and Chinese languages

America’s online magazine

international magazine for the wire & cable industries

The magazine Wire & Cable ASIA is published six times each year in both English and Chinese languages. A leading magazine in the Asian market for the wire and cable industries, Wire & Cable ASIA is available in print, CD ROM and online, and its circulation is closely controlled to ensure maximum exposure to professionals within the industry. Distribution With its bilingual issues, Wire & Cable ASIA has a unique and increasing wiredIn USA

The magazine A leading international magazine for the wire and cable industries, EuroWire is printed six times per year and is the only magazine published in six different languages including German, Russian, French, Italian and Spanish.The latest corporate news, technology stories, and regular features covering the production and processing of wire, cable, fibre optics, springs, fasteners and precision parts, all form the mainstay of this highly respected magazine. Distribution EuroWire has an increasing and unrivalled distribution across Europe and the Americas and is THE most important source of information in our industry. Total global distribution: over 18,000 per issue. 2020 EDITORIAL FEATURES JANUARY ■ wire Düsseldorf 2020 – show preview MARCH

2020 DITORIAL FEATURES

NUARY

distribution across Asia and the rest of the world. Total global distribution: over 16,500 per issue.

wire Düsseldorf 2020 – show preview

Europe – 40%

Asia (including China) – 41%

Asia (including China) – 24% ■ wire Düsseldorf 2020 – show issue

Americas – 16%

Rest of the World – 3%

MARCH

*Typicaldistribution

Europe – 46%

*Typicaldistribution

Rest of the World – 3%

(Comprisesprinteddistributionandelectronicdistributionplusbonuscirculationat international tradeshows.Pass-along readership isnot included) Website statistics Based upon a 12-month period (1 August 2018 to 31 July 2019): Total sessions served (unique visitors) 122,419

wire Düsseldorf 2020 – show issue

Americas – 27%

MAY

■ Wire Expo – show issue ■ Compounds, colourants, masterbatches and additives

Total hits 545,806

Total hits 549,615

UsageanalysisprovidedbyMatrixStats

JULY

■ Armouring and reinforcing of cables ■ Cutting and weldin

ADVERT MATERIAL & PRODUCTION Liz Hughes

■ What’s new in wire and cable machinery ■ Wire drawing and machinery

ADVERT MATERIAL & PRODUCTION Liz Hughes

Email: liz@intras.co.uk Tel: +44 1926 334137

SEPTEMBER

SALES www.read-wca.com

SEPTEMBER www.read-eurowire.com SALES

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UK, ROW, USA, CANADA & S. AMERICA, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND Jason Smith Email: jason@intras.co.uk | Tel: +44 1926 834684

UK, ROW, USA, CANADA & S. AMERICA, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND Jason Smith Email: jason@intras.co.uk | Tel: +44 1926 834684 ■ wire China – show issue ■ Reels, spools and winding

wiredInUSA – the brightest FREE online ezine for the wire and cable is

■ IWCS – show issue ■ wire China – show issue

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