wiredInUSA January 2018

Issue No. 79 - January 2018

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

The $3 billion cable splice Page 9

Putting Monet where the need is. Page 10

Ultra-high first. Page 31

Cable ship with the future in mind. Page 37

EDITOR

Firstly, happy New Year to everyone. Now the Christmas festivities are but a distant memory, it is back to work with news that General Cable is being sold to Prysmian Group for $30 a share – valuing the company at some $3 billion. The new group will provide a footprint in more than 50 countries worldwide with an increase of the Prysmian presence in North and South America and Europe. The full story can be found on page 9. Around 60 new jobs will be created by Southwire as it expands its distribution facilities in the west Georgia area. A new 400,000ft 2 property is under development which will accelerate the company’s corporate growth. See page 11 for full details. A new 8,000-mile Pacific subsea cable is due to land in the next few months, linking Oregon to Asian landing stations in Chongming, Nanhui, Lingang, Busan, Toucheng and Maruyama. The cable will provide capacity up to 80Tbps. You can read more on page 16.

David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

January 2018 Issue No.79 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

SHOW DIARY 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

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wiredIn USA

INTRAS INTRAS LIMITED

© 2018 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 - January 2018

DIARY Shows & Events 2018

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

MARCH 6-8 March 2018 AMI Cables 2018 Cologne, Germany www.ami.international

APRIL 16-20 April 2018

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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 26-29 September 2018 wire China 2018 Shanghai, China www.wirechina.net

Guangzhou, China www.julang.com.cn

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

wiredInUSA - January 2018

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M A K I N G T H E NEWS

The $3 billion cable splice

Prysmian Group and General Cable Corporation have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Prysmian will acquire General Cable at a cost of $30 a share – valuing the company at $3 billion. unanimously approved by each company’s board of directors, is expected to close by the third quarter of 2018, subject to the approval of General Cable’s shareholders. “The acquisition of General Cable represents a landmark moment for Prysmian Group and a strategic and unique opportunity to create value for our shareholders and customers,” said Valerio Battista, Prysmian Group CEO. The transaction,

“Through the combination of two of the premier companies in the cable industry we will be enhancing our position in the sector, by increasing our presence in North America and expanding our footprint in Europe and South America.” John E Welsh, III, non-executive chairman of the board of General Cable, said: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of a thorough and robust review of strategic alternatives undertaken by the General Cable board of directors. We are confident that this transaction maximizes value for our shareholders.”

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

Putting Monet where the need is

Image: www.te.com

Algar Telecom, Angola Cables, Antel, Google and TE SubCom have announced that the low-latency Monet cable system is ready for service. The 10,556km submarine cable between Florida and Brazil will provide approximately 64Tbps of capacity to users. Commenting on the news, Antonio Nunes, chairman of the Monet executive committee, said: “We are proud to have completed this project with SubCom in the most efficient manner possible. The open cable approach enabled each Monet party to meet its respective network objectives while still benefitting from the strengths of a joint-build partnering model. Each of the parties working with TE SubCom was able to create a network that should meet our technology and cost needs well into the future.”

Monet provides a powerful and stable Internet backbone, designed to serve current connectivity needs in the Latin American region and meet future needs as demand increases. “The successful implementation of Monet is the result of excellent teamwork between TE SubCom and the purchasers tomitigateproject risks. TE SubCom is proud to have delivered, on time, a flexible, highly reliable system to this distinguished group of customers,” said Debra Brask, vice president of project management of TE SubCom. Shore landings for Monet include Boca Raton (Florida), and Fortaleza and Praia Grande (Brazil).

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Storage expansion

“The addition of this new space fits well into the future plans for our logistics network, supports our ‘accelerate growth’ corporate strategy, and will provide us with the capability to better serve our customers.” The expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, creating around 60 new jobs.

Southwire is expanding its distribution facilities in the west Georgia area. Adjacent to the company’s existing West Georgia and Retail East customer service centers in Villa Rica, a new 400,000ft 2 property is under development. “Looking long-term, we project that we will reach capacity in our current Villa Rica distribution facilities by 2019 or 2020,” explained Kurt Hennelly, Southwire’s executive vice president of sourcing, distribution and manufacturing strategy.

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Power co streamlining

GE Power has announced plans to reduce its global workforce by approximately 12,000 positions, affecting both professional and production employees. The cuts, combined with actions taken previously in 2017, will help GE Power to reach its announced target of $1 billion in structural cost reductions in 2018. This announcement aligns with GE’s effort to reduce overall structural costs by $3.5 billion in 2017 and 2018 to strengthen the company’s competitiveness, and drive increased value for customers and shareholders. GE said in a press release that the plans are driven by “challenges in the power market worldwide.” Traditional power markets including gas and coal have softened. Volumes are down significantly in products and services driven by overcapacity, lower utilization, fewer outages, an

increase in steam plant retirements, and overall growth in renewables.

GE Power indicated it is focused on improving operational excellence and reducing its footprint and structure, which will help drive significant improvements in cash flows and margins. “This decision was painful, but necessary, for GE Power to respond to the disruption in the power market, which is driving significantly lower volumes in products and services,” said Russell Stokes, president and CEO, GE Power. “Power will remain a work in progress in 2018. We expect market challenges to continue, but this plan will position us for 2019 and beyond.” GE has previously confirmed that power generation will remain a core business for the company, as will health care and aviation.

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Pacific crossing

group with connectivity from the landing station throughout the West Coast and with connectivity options throughout North America.

The New Cross Pacific (NCP) US backhaul group, comprising Chunghwa Telecom, KT Corporation, China Telecom, China Mobile International and China Unicom, has selected Zayo Group Holdings for a private dedicated network (PDN) to diversely backhaul traffic from its US landing station. The 13,000km (8,000 mile) NCP subsea cable will link Asian landing stations in Chongming, Nanhui, Lingang, Busan, Toucheng and Maruyama with the landing station in Hillsboro, Oregon. The NCP cable is expected to land in the next few months, providing capacity up to 80Tbps.

The PDN solution provides dark fiber as well as a full range of managed fiber solutions.

“This milestone agreement leverages our dense fiber connectivity across the West Coast to cable landing stations, andprovides the group with a high-capacity solution that we can turn up quickly and efficiently,” said Jack Waters, CTO and president of fiber solutions at Zayo. Most domestic bandwidth to and from a trans-Pacific destination will route through one of the new West Coast cable landing stations.

Zayo’s 4,300km (2,700 mile) backhaul solution will provide NCP’s US backhaul

wiredInUSA - January 2018

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RENEWABLE ENERGY CABLE

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Conference agenda at a glance

DAY 2 North American Cable Market Outlook

DAY 3 Breakfast Breifing: Trends in Automotive Cable Demand Morning Networking Break Renewable Energy Cables

Morning Networking Break Macroeconomic Trends and New Opportunities Lunch and Networking Break End-user Perspectives Regulatory Compliance and Supply Chain Management Networking cocktail reception

Data Communications and Connectivity

DAY 1

Lunch and Networking Break

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Advanced Energy Cable Applications Cabling Solutions for Electric Vehicles

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Exhibitors

Take a meeting

The American Wire Producers Association will hold its 2018 meeting in the Westin Mission Hills resort and spa at Rancho Mirage, California. Taking place from Sunday 18 th to Wednesday 21 st February, the event will include breakfast sessions, specialist rope, stainless and PC strand committee meetings, networking opportunities and tennis and golf tournaments.

To date, two speakers have been confirmed: Carolyn Lee, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute, andClareWZempel, abusiness economist and regular speaker to the AWPA.

Registration and hotel information will be available on the association website.

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

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Spooled rebar

Commercial Metals Company is to invest in a second spooler to produce hot-rolled, spooled rebar at its micro mill in Mesa, Arizona. This investment is in addition to the January 2017 announcement of the first spooler in the United States, located at the company’s new micro mill in Durant, Oklahoma. The company expects to begin shipping spooled rebar from the Oklahoma mill in the spring of 2018, and from the Arizona mill about a year later.

The Beta LaserMike brand has been faithfully serving the wire and cable industry for over 50 years and we have thousands of satisfied customers that rely on our measurement systems every day to improve quality, increase productivity and deliver manufacturing savings. We are committed to your success. Precision Measurement & Control Solutions “We are excited to expand our production capabilities of spooled rebar in the United States. The ability to produce and sell spooled rebar from both Oklahoma and Arizona will allow us to reach a broader geographic market. The micro mill technology lends itself well to spooled rebar production and allows us to offer spools from 1.5 to 4.8 tons,” commented Tracy Porter, executive vice president, CMC Operations.

In-Process Gauging Off-Line Inspection Quality Cable Testing

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Underground cable contract

Prysmian Brasil has signed a contract with AES Eletropaulo for the implementation of an underground power transmission system in the city of São Paulo. The scope of the project includes the supply of materials, equipment and technicians to perform civil works, electromechanical assembly, testing and commissioning of the underground transmission line. The new line will connect the power grid of AES Eletropaulo to the transformer distribution station currently under

construction in the Vila Mariana neighborhood, south of São Paulo. The underground line will have a total extension of approximately 2.9km of Prysmian high voltage cables, totaling 18,000m of cabling.

The completion of the work is scheduled for October 2018.

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Electricity supplies are now repaired following hurricane Maria. Photograph courtesy of NBC News

Restoring power after hurricane Maria

Whitefish Energy crews have completed repairs to the south-to-north 50900 transmission line on the island of Puerto Rico, enabling the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to deliver power to areas that have been without electricity since hurricane Maria hit the island on 20 th September. Line 50900 is a major artery of the Puerto Rico electrical grid, running from power generating stations in the southern part of the island, over the Central Range (La Cardillera Central) to the populated areas of the north, most notably greater San Juan. The line was heavily damaged by hurricaneMariaand requiredmajor repairs and reconstruction of both transmission lines and towers. Whitefish Energy’s team of linemen, pilots and engineers have

cleared rights-of-way, assessed damage, developed construction plans andairlifted crews and equipment to restore the line to northern Puerto Rico. “The completion of this work is a major milestone in the recovery efforts on Puerto Rico, and it represents a collaborative effort across Whitefish Energy and a number of our subcontractor partners, who have done some remarkable work under extreme and challenging conditions,” said Andy Techmanski, CEO of Whitefish Energy. “With our transmission work now complete, PREPA will take the final steps to verify switch and distribution capabilities so that electric power can be delivered to the residents and businesses in greater San Juan that have been without electricity for two months.”

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Exelon Albemarle Corporation are founding investors in Volta Energy Technologies, a new Napierville, Illinois-based firm that aims to connect technical and product development expertise with investment opportunities. “The energy sector is undergoing a transformation,” said Chris Crane, president and CEO of Exelon. “We must help lead the nation through this change by investing in the next big innovations that provide the best commercial and customer solutions. Exelon launched and invested in Volta because we operate at the forefront of energy innovation, and energy storage represents an important next frontier.” Some reports suggest that the worldwide advanced battery and storage market will rise to over $100 billion within a decade. Over the next year, Volta will seek other investors who hold energy storage as a key element of their business strategy. “Investing in Volta is a strategic priority for us,” said Luke Kissam, CEO of Albemarle Corporation. “Many expect that there will be exciting innovations in lithium battery technology in the future, and we want to be a part of any process that might identify new technologies to power the potential of clean energy solutions. We are excited about ultimately creating value in the markets, and for Albemarle, through our partnership with Volta.” Traditional venture capital funds often lack the expertise required to advance innovations from laboratory to market, and public research institutions are not charged with commercializing their work. Volta’s aim is to bridge the gap. Corporation and

Bridging the storage gap

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

The submarine cable through Lake Ontario is the first to connect Toronto and the USA. Photograph courtesy of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper

Lake crossing cable

Tiger Infrastructure Partners has invested in Crosslake Fibre, a company established to develop fiber optic cable projects throughout North America, including a new submarine cable from Toronto to Buffalo, through Lake Ontario. The project, announced in May 2017, will be the first submarine cable system across Lake Ontario to directly connect Toronto and the United States. Foreign ownership restrictions in Canada have historically prevented ownership of fiber by non-Canadian carriers. As a result, the Canadian market is dominated by large incumbents who do not typically sell dark fiber. “Crosslake will enable the purchase of new, diverse dark fiber between Canada and the US, allowing carriers to displace leased fiber and add diversity,” said Michael

Cunningham, CEO of Crosslake. “We are excited to partner with Tiger Infrastructure to grow the Crosslake platform.” Crosslake’s Toronto to Buffalo network will have a high fiber count cable and be physically diverse from other routes between Toronto and Buffalo while being shorter in length. The targeted completion date is September 2018. Crosslake Fibre has also announced plans for a submarine system connecting cable landing stations in Wall, New Jersey, to Long Island. Thephysically diversecablewouldaddress growing demand for network connectivity and high capacity bandwidth options.

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FirstEnergy is planning to redesign and modernize the Ohio electric system, as well as prepare for smart technologies, with an investment of $450m. FirstEnergy has filed the three-year investment plan, to reduce the frequency and duration of power outages, with the public utilities commission of Ohio (PUCO). The proposed projects are expected to help restore power faster, boost the systemagainst adverse weather conditions, and enhance system performance. FirstEnergy utilities president Steve Strah said: “Portions of our system were originally designed to serve hundreds of customers on single, standalone lines, meaning a single outage could leave many customers without power until repairs are made. “Our plan would allow us to isolate damage to a confined area and allowother customers along the line to be quickly restored by rerouting power from nearby lines.” The proposed projects include circuit tie, whichaims tohelpprevent or shortenoutages by tying adjacent lines together and creating multiple paths for power to flow to customers, and reconductoring which involves installing larger wires to support greater power flows and enhance reliability. FirstEnergy’s projects also include reclosers that allow grid operators to isolate an outage to the immediate area where damage occurs, as well as data acquisition systems for remote monitoring of power grid conditions.

Three-year plan

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

Arctic cable

The first subsea cable in the US sector of the Arctic Ocean has gone live, with the entry into service of the northern Alaska section of Quintillion’s network. Quintillion plans to extend its cable west to Tokyo and east to London, but the first section links the Alaskan coastal communities of Utqiaġvik, Wainwright, Point Hope, Nome and Kotzebue. Interim CEO George Tronsrue said: “The Quintillion system makes it possible for local service providers to offer the same world class products and services [that have been] available [for some years] to consumers in the lower 48,” (the 48 states of the US between Canada and Mexico). Crews completed installation of the Alaska Arctic portion of the cable system in early October, and the company expects its customers to be live

soon, enabling high speed broadband capability to consumers and businesses in these communities. The system will deliver gigabit and higher bandwidth services on a 1,400-mile (2,250km) subsea and terrestrial fiber network, including a subsea trunk line from Prudhoe Bay to Nome with branching lines to the five communities. In addition to the subsea cable system, Quintillion has installed terrestrial fiber between Fairbanks, in the center of the state, and Prudhoe Bay on the north coast. Phase two of the project will extend the backbone cable from the Nome branching unit, west to Asia, terminating in Tokyo, with options for additional branches into Alaska. Phase three will run east from Prudhoe Bay through the Canadian Arctic.

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Funding for education

K-12 education. They are a method for engaging learners in creative, higher- order problem solving through hands-on design, construction and repetition. “Our Einstein’s Workshop will allow our children to experiment, take risks and explore their own ideas,” explained Ann Akerman, CEO of the SCSDB foundation. “Our program is intended to inspire confidence in young learners and help them acquire entrepreneurial skills that are immediately applicable in the real world.” AFL’s community outreach program offers grants and sponsorships, as well as funding for a range of projects including volunteer groups and disaster relief.

AFL has presented $5,000 to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind (SCSDB) foundation, designated for Einstein’s Workshop, a MakerSpace program designed to emphasize learning and exploring of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities. The grant is part of AFL’s community outreach program that focuses on STEM education and social service support. MakerSpaces can have a significant impact on student learning and development, and have been recently identified as one of the most important developments for

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

EUROPE NEWS

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The world’s most powerful ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transformer

Ultra-high first

ABB believes it has set a new record with the successful testing of the lowand high voltage units of the world’s most powerful ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transformer. The ±1,100kV (1.1 million volts) UHVDC transformer, developed and manufactured in close collaboration with State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), has passed a series of type tests, paving the way for the implementation of the Changji-Guquan UHVDC link to transmit power from the Xinjiang region in the northwest, to Anhui province in eastern China. Changji-Guquan, the world’s first ±1,100 kV UHVDC link, will set a new world record in terms of voltage level, transmission capacity and distance. It will be capable of transporting 12,000MW of electricity — 50 percent more than the ±800kV UHVDC links currently in operation. Transmission distance

will be extended from around 2,000km to over 3,000km, enabling the integration and transmission of remote renewables on a much larger scale. Once operational the UHVDC link will feed eight 500kV and two 1,000kV AC lines. In addition to the transformer, ABB has developed and tested a range of other key ±1,100kV components, including converter valves, bushings and DC circuit breakers. “In addition to transporting more power across longer distances with lower losses, this breakthroughwill enable the interconnection of AC and DC grids and support the future linking of regions and countries,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s power grids division.

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

Undersea, under attack?

Swiss acquisition

Rishi Sunak MP

Huber+Suhner is to acquire fellow Swiss company Inwave Elektronik AG. According to a statement from Huber+Suhner, Inwave Elektronik AG specializes in microwave and RF-over-fiber solutions. The latter is the conversion of radio frequency to analog fiber optic signals and vice versa, often used in GPS solutions. Huber+Suhner describes the acquisition as “specifically to strengthen its expertise in the radio frequency systems business”. Inwave Elektronik AG is an owner- managed company with four employees. Huber+Suhner expects to complete the integration of the company into its radio frequency division in Herisau by the end of 2018. No information has yet been released regarding the plans for the company’s management in the future. In addition to radio frequency systems, Inwave Elektronik specializes in fiber optics and low frequency technologies to create solutions for communication, transportation and industrial applications.

A report, written by UK Conservative MP Rishi Sunak for the Policy Exchange think tank, describes the undersea cables that form the backbone of the UK’s Internet infrastructure as “at high risk from attack”. The study warns that if such an attack managed to disrupt the UK’s worldwide Internet connection it would deal a “crippling blow” to the country’s security and economy. While 97 percent of global communications are transmitted through fiber optic cables they remain “uniquely vulnerable” to sabotage. Despite their importance, the report said the cables were often poorly protected, their locations publicly known, and they come ashore at just a few remote landing sites in the UK. However, their importance is acknowledged with US intelligence officials aware that when Russia annexed Crimea, one of its first moves was to sever the main cable connection to the outside world. In April 2017 Spanish and Brazilian governments launched a project to lay an undersea cable in the Atlantic Ocean to reduce their own reliance on the USA for routing communications.

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Cable lay charter

Italian job

Image: www.oceanyield.no

ERT-EBROS billet welding system. Photograph courtesy of Primetals

Ocean Yield ASA, a ship-owning company with investments in vessels on long term charters, has announced its time charter contract for the vessel Lewek Connector . The charter will commence in early March 2018 with a firm period of 130 days and an extension of up to 130 days. The vessel will conduct cable lay operations for Ørsted’s Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm project.

The Italian steel producer Ferriera Valsabbia SpA has placed an order with Primetals Technologies to supply ERT-EBROS endless rolling technology for the company’s bar rolling mill in Brescia. The system welds together billets intended for rolling, thus enabling a continuous rolling process with a consistently high product quality. The new ERT-EBROS plant is scheduled to commence operation in September 2018, and is the first such system in Italy. The system will be designed for an annual production capacity of 900,000 tonnes. Ferriera Valsabbia operates an EAF-based minimill producing billets and bars for rebar, and is among the largest rebar producers in Italy. The bar rolling mill was supplied by Primetals Technologies in 2007/2008, including the installation of a hot-charging system for billets as well as a system for single-bar high speed delivery that allows rolling speeds of up to 29m per second in two-slit rolling mode. The mill will process low-carbon steel billets with a square cross-section of 150mm x 150mm in 9m lengths. The resulting rebar is produced in diameters of between 8mm and 40mm.

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

New facilities for cable handling

Technology companies share the journey

Image: www.vbms.com

Huber+Suhner and Kostal Kontakt Systeme have reached a framework agreement for a strategic collaboration. The two companies, represented by Reto Bolt, COO of the Huber+Suhner radio frequency division, and Dr Markus Bergholz, CEO of Kostal Kontakt Systeme GmbH, have signed a memorandum of understanding and plan to work together to implement solutions for the transmission of high data rates in cars, buses, and commercial vehicles. The collaboration will focus on cables and contact/connector systems. Kostal Kontakt Systeme will contribute its many years of experience in the field of contact systems in the automotive market, and Huber+Suhner its expertise as developer and manufacturer of solutions for high speed data communication and cable technology. The companies are responding to the growing demand for high performance data cables and connectors as a key technology for autonomous driving.

VBMS has expanded its subsea cable storage and handling capacity with new facilities at the Dutch ports of Vlissingen and Rotterdam. At Vlissingen, with direct access to the North Sea, VBMS has opened a new ISPC- certified cable storage facility with a 2,300m loading quay. Both onshore and offshore access is unrestricted, and the area can be increased when required, the company said. In collaboration with Blue Offshore, the company has also completed the construction of a subsea cable storage and splicing facility at the port of Rotterdam, comprising two turntables, a jointing habitat and a range of equipment through which cables can be offloaded, transferred, and loaded onto floating barges or vessels. The company now operates three cable storage facilities in the Netherlands, located in Vlissingen, Dordrecht and Moerdijk.

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Harnessing the customized solution

HV testing center

With the high voltage market demanding an increasing number of tests at higher voltage levels, Nexans is to significantly enhance its testing capacity by building a new direct current (DC) laboratory that will allow simultaneous testing of three independent qualification loops. Each loop is composed of multiple cable sections and joints, and is connected to the electrical network through two terminations. It is designed to represent the various configurations existing in power grids. The generators, rated for voltages up to 1.2 million volts, operate in a controlled environment that guarantees the optimum equipment availability required for performing aging tests that typically last for over a year. The new facility, under development at Nexans’ Calais center of excellence, will be dedicated to HDVC cables. A 6,500m 2 HV testing area will comprise 12 HV test laboratories equipped with world-class generators operating at up to 1.5 million volts. It is COFRAC-certified (ISO 17025) and addresses both AC and DC applications. The Calais center is a critical asset for qualification of Nexans cable systems, and played a key role in qualification of the company’s 500kV AC and 525kV DC systems. The Calais center also performs electrical, thermal and mechanical modeling.

Image: www.adaptronic.com

Schleuniger Group is to acquire 60 percent of adaptronic Prüftechnik GmbH, based in Wertheim, Germany. With the acquisition, Schleuniger will add customized solutions for testing cable harnesses, connectors and assemblies for the aviation, astronautics, railway technology, automotive, automation technology and industrial sectors to its existing service range. adaptronic develops and produces application-specific wiring test systems, adapters, test tables and test consoles for high and low voltage applications. The company generates a significant portion of its sales through customer- specific application engineering, and the maintenance of the test systems it supplies. Following the transaction, the remaining 40 percent will remain in the hands of adaptronic’s founder, and current principal owner, Peter Müller, and with the minority shareholder, Stefan Friedrich. “adaptronic’s alliance with the Schleuniger Group will enable us to benefit from the global sales footprint we need to drive forward our internationalization plans,” said Peter Müller, who will remain as CEO.

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ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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The new ship currently being built. Photograph courtesy of Vard

Cable ship with the future in mind

Japan’s Kokusai Cable Ship is adding a new Vard-designed cable-laying vessel to its fleet. The vessel, currently being built at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka, will be capable of carrying out cable installations for offshore wind projects in Asia and is expected to be delivered in 2019. According to Vard, Kokusai Cable Ship’s new vessel will be custom-designed for installation and repair of subsea telecom cables and, in addition, will be prepared for the expanding power cable installation market with a high capacity below-deck cable carousel. On 14 th November, UK-based MAATS Tech confirmed it had signed a contract with Colombo Dockyard to design and install

a 2,000t carousel on the vessel. MAATS said it worked closely with Vard, Colombo Dockyard and the client during the design phase to achieve the required capability based on the future projected subsea power cable market in Asia. The vessel will feature diesel electric propulsion, DP2 positioning and large cable tanks combined with the 2,000t capacity carousel. The total cable-carrying capacity is 5,000t. Outfitting also includes a dual- cable lay system, A-frame, hydro plough and trenching ROV. The new cable layer will be in accordance with ClassNK and Japanese flag regulations, as well as all relevant international safety and environmental standards.

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wiredInUSA - January 2018

New wire facility

Spur into action

Turkish company Murat Ticaret, which specializes in the manufacture of electrical wiring harnesses for the automotive industry, is to invest in a new wire production plant in Skopje, Macedonia. The facility will create 300 jobs and will export its products to the European market. Construction work on the 18,000m 2 facility is expected to begin in early 2018, with completion scheduled for December 2018.

Image: belaucable.com

Belau Submarine Cable Corporation (BSCC) and NEC Corporation have announced that a new submarine cable linking the Republic of Palau is completed and ready for commercial service. The Palau Spur interconnects with the existing SEA-US submarine cable (connecting the Philippines and Indonesia to the West Coast of the United States via Guam and Hawaii) from a branching unit located between the Philippines and Guam. The Palau Spur has an initial design capacity of 500Gbps, and will connect the republic of Palau to Guam with onward connectivity to Asia, North America and the rest of the world. The president of the Republic of Palau, His Excellency E Tommy Remengesau Jr, declared BSCC open for business at a special celebration held at the National Museum in Koror, Palau. “This marks the completion of critical national infrastructure that has already made its presence felt in improved services, and will continue to support the sustainable development of Palau long into the future as technologies evolve,” the president said.

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Copper replacement plan brought forward

Cable burials at sea

SBSS has announced multiple contracts across the submarine telecommunications and subsea oil and gas markets in Indonesia. PT Saipem has awarded SBSS the full cable installation scope for the BP Tangguh Phase 2 project, including the submarine installation and burial of 60km of composite power cables, to connect offshore platforms to gas production facilities. The project is scheduled for delivery in late 2018. SBSS executed Phase 1 of the BP Tangguh project almost ten years ago. The company has also been engaged to deliver two separate projects in the telecommunications sector. Demanding a combined 2,800km of fiber optic cables for installation and burial, both projects are currently in progress and will see the SBSS installation fleet occupied into 2018.

The Bangkok Post reports that Thailand’s state telecom enterprise, TOT, plans to install fiber optic lines to replace copper wires nationwide by 2021, five years ahead of its original plan. The move is primarily to serve the government’s efforts to switch from nine-digit fixed-line numbers to ten digits by 2021, to deal with increases in mobile service demand. TOT president Monchai Noosong said the company has set a budget to install the fiber optic lines. The government plans to increase the digits of fixed-line numbers across the country to ten by inserting a 1 after the existing 0 prefix of each number. After implementation, total phone numbers will increase by 550 million numbers, with 500 million reserved for mobile service and 50 million for fixed- line numbers. Mr Monchai said the plan to remove TOT’s copper wires nationwide sooner than originally planned has indirectly resulted in the conpany scrapping its earlier plan of establishing the infrastructure fund for underground pipes. “Many copper wires were laid out in TOT’s underground pipes across the country, so when the existing copper wires are removed and replaced with fiber optic lines, there will be more space to serve network expansion in the future.”

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“Vulnerable cables” warning

Call for infrastructure investment

Submarine cables forming the backbone of Taiwan’s communications with the rest of the world may have long been targeted by the Chinese military, and are high on the list of priority targets to be destroyed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) should cross-strait relations once again deteriorate into belligerence. Eli Huang, special assistant to former Taiwan deputy defense minister Lin Chong-pin, made the comments in the National Interest magazine. The article refers to the submarine cables as Taiwan’s Achilles’ heel. Thereareat least ten international submarine cables between Taiwan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Damaging Taiwan’s cables would disrupt international business and financial markets, wreaking havoc on neighboring countries that share close economic and military ties with the island. The article also speculates on the PLA’s military use of its extensive cable network through the South China Sea, especially since state-owned China Telecom linked Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands with ultra-fast fiber optic cables. The network creates a strategic advantage in anti-submarine warfare for the Chinese navy by forming an underwater observation system of subsurface sensors.

The Malaysian communications and multimedia ministry has said that investment in a comprehensive fiber optic network and in telecommunication towers is required to bring high speed Internet to the country. The setting up of a comprehensive communication network infrastructure would require enormous spending, taking into account hilly terrains and the vast area involved. The ministry added that the government has outlined several initiatives on fiber optic systems, such as the high speed broadband (HSBB) and suburban broadband (SuBB) projects, to deliver connectivity to a wider population. The successful roll-out of the first phase of the HSBB project resulted in Malaysia achieving the highest number of high speed broadband subscribers in southeast Asia. In December 2015, Telekom Malaysia Bhd signed two public-private partnership agreements with the government to implement HSBB phase 2 and the SuBB. HSBB 2 will see the expansion of the previous HSBB infrastructure, and will cover state capitals and major towns, while SuBB will cover suburban and rural areas, including educational institutions.

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Cool approach to wire rod

Access restored after double damage

Image: www.sms-group.com SMS group will equip Xinji Aosen’s wire rod mills with the latest design in loop layers and pinch roll units. Xinji Aosen Iron & Steel Co Ltd, based in Shijiazhuang city, has placed an order with SMS group for the supply of high-speed equipment for its wire rod mills numbers 8 and 9. Both mills will be designed for an annual capacity of 700,000 tons, and will roll wire rod in sizes from 5.5mm to 16mm, and rebar in diameters from 6mm to 16mm at rolling speeds as high as 105m per second. The wire rod outlet of mill number 9 will be equipped with one six-stand and one four- stand wire rod block. Installing two separate blocks will allow Xinji Aosen to cool the rolling stock before and behind the blocks in such a manner that all sizes can be finish rolled at low temperatures and to close tolerances. Ten wire rod mills in China already use this mill concept. Commissioning will take place during the summer of 2018.

Zimbabwe lost almost all Internet access for nearly six hours during December when two of the country’s international fiber connections were cut. According to Liquid Telecom, customers in Zambia and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were also affected by loss of service. “We apologize to affected customers in Zimbabwe, Zambia and parts of DRC for the unexpected interruption of our Internet service,” said Liquid Telecom. “This was due to cuts on primary and secondary fiber routes near the South Africa-Zimbabwe border. Both fiber breaks are fixed and now back in service.” According to Zimbabwe local media, the first cut occurred when a tractor cut through a fiber in the Limpopo province of South Africa, close to the border. Shortly afterwards there was a failure to TelOne’s cable into Botswana, used as a back-up to the main Liquid Telecom connection. An Econet Wireless spokesman said the outage was due to a technical fault which has since been resolved. “Econet sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience caused.”

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Products, Machines & Technology

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Secure sealing for cables

Described as “revolutionary”, the system includes a hybrid fiber rope system which combines the advantages of fiber rope in subsea deployment, while heave compensation is achieved with traditional steel wire rope systems. Cees van Veluw, Huisman’s product manager, cranes, said: “We strongly believe in the future of cranes with fiber rope included – not just because of a CAPEX and OPEX evaluation, but also to further shift the limit of what can be deployed in subsea applications. “Our extensive research and development program…has shown that the fiber rope with the best lifetime performance would require some serious active cooling of the fiber rope on the crane when performing active heave compensation (AHC). “However, the actual thermal behavior of fiber ropes in AHC have proved to be unreliable to predict and hard to measure.” Proper spooling of the sensitive fiber rope is done by Huisman’s traction winch and storage winch systems, while AHC is done with a steel wire rope on a direct winch. For traditional knuckle boom cranes, 120mt and 200mt versions are available, while the recently introduced hybrid boom crane can be delivered with larger capacities of 400mt and 600mt. by the company

Alpha Wire has added cable glands to its product range.

The latest extension to the FIT wire management accessory range, cable glands offer a solution for cable strain relief and sealing enclosures, as well as protection against flames, dust and water for cables and systems in industrial applications. The collection includes three types of easy installation glands in various sizes; standard dome cable glands; flexible spiral cable glands; and hole plugs in NPT, metric and PG thread sizes. The glands are equipped with chloroprene rubber seals and are safe for use at temperatures up to +150°C. The rubber seals provide protection against dripping water and heightened water pressure in accordance with IP68. The cable glands have a large clamping range, with various approvals including IP66, IP68 (5 bar, 30min), UL 514, C22.2, and RoHS. Crane combination Huisman has developed a system for the application of fiber rope in subsea deployment crane applications.

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November’s SPS IPC Drives 2017 trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany.

Full load is available at all depths, making deployment of up to 600mt now possible at depths of 4,000m and beyond.

The cable belongs to the core line performance class and is suited to continuous use in power chains with moderate to high travel paths and accelerations. Other possible applications include non- stationary machine parts, linear robots or handling systems, and wind turbines. The two UL listings of MTW (machine tool wire) and TC-ER (tray cable-exposed run) for North America allow for use in industrial machinery or fixed installation in open cable trays. The Ölflex chain and Ölflex chain CY are designed for North American operating voltages of 600 volts or 1,000 volts (wind turbine cable tray). The wire is made from fine, conductor class 6 copper. Special stranding technology allows for use in continuously flexing applications such as drag chains, with up to five million bending cycles. It is also suitable for moderate torsion in wind turbines with rotation angles of ±150° per meter. In the shielded CY version, tin-plated copper braiding provides protection against electromagnetic interference and ensures compliance with EMC regulations.

Acid-resistant alloy Outokumpu has extended its product range with Ultra Alloy 825, a titanium stabilized austenitic nickel-based alloy with copper. The alloy’s corrosion resistance against some acids, as well as under sour service conditions such as in environments containing hydrogen sulfide, make it suitable for use in processing equipment for the chemical and oil and gas industries. Ultra Alloy 825 fulfills the requirements of W Nr 2.4858, UNS N08825 and ISO NW8825 in the relevant material standards. Ultra Alloy 825 will be available as wire rod, coil and sheet. Sandra Arman, product manager for the Ultra range at Outokumpu, said: “Outokumpu is the only major stainless steel company that can offer this nickel-based alloy in coils up to 1,500mm width, both hot and cold rolled.” Tough new cable Lapp’s new Ölflex ® Chain power and control cable was presented at

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by a dry clean as best practice standard operating procedure,” explained Maury Wood, senior product manager for AFL’s test and inspection division. “Using the Debris Destroyer in conjunction with AFL’s other fiber cleaning products provides the strength to clean any end- face contamination challenge.” Tray cable range Nexans has created a new Intercond ® tray cable range, designed to provide the robust and reliable power and control connections of a tray cable with the dynamic capabilities of an advanced automation cable suitable for servo motor installations. Intercond cables are available in servo motor and multicore versions, and are suitable for dynamic applications such as drag chain, moving machine parts and wind turbines. The range offers a faster homologation process for machine tools, in particular with reduced installation cost and effort, as cables can be installed without metal conduits. Testing at Nexans’ dedicated automation facility is said to have demonstrated that the cables offer superior dynamic performance, with up to 3 million cycles when bending at 7.5 times the cable

The outer sheath is made from a thermoplastic polymer.

The cable can withstand UV radiation, oil- based lubricants and other chemicals, and is flame resistant in line with CSA FT4. The temperature range in fixed installation ranges from –40 to +90°C, making the cable suitable for use in tough ambient conditions outdoors or for direct underground installation in line with US standards. The pen is mightier AFL has released its FCC3 Debris Destroyer pen, designed specifically for cleaning fiber optic connectors, adapter sleeves, optical distribution frame bulkheads and bare fibers in preparation for fusion splicing.

S S The FCC3 Debris Destroyer pen from AFL

In combination with wipes, tips and sticks, the pen removes connector end-face contaminants such as dirt, dust and oil, and eliminates electrostatic charge. The Debris Destroyer pen is saturated with 99 percent medical grade isopropyl alcohol to dissolve tough end-face and bare fiber contaminants.

“For the most stubborn fiber cleaning tasks, AFL recommends a wet clean followed

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