wiredInUSA November 2020

Issue No. 113 - November 2020

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

National Park plans improvements to service and scenery Page 9

Connectivity solution gets recognition. Page 11

Further order for wire rod mill. Page 27

Combined drawing lines for bright bar Page. 33

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EDITOR

It’s all about quality for Yellowstone National Park as it seeks to improve cellular coverage in the eight per cent of the park it is currently available. The park is asking for public comment on its proposal to improve telecommunications services in its developed areas. This will entail laying 187 miles of fiber optic cable along the park’s roads, and the removal of five microwave radio reflectors installed in the backcountry in the 1980s. Turn to page 9 for the full story. The offshore wind industry has received a shot in the arm with the granting of $2.166m from the US Department of Commerce. The grant will be used as a roadmap for establishing the industry in the state of Maine, and will be matched with $267,624 in state funds, and $112,457 in local funds. The roadmap will be created by examining manufacturing processes, supply chains, port facilities, transportation systems, shipbuilding opportunities, ecosystem relationships, workforce development plans, power interconnections, exports and economic impacts. Full story on page 13.

David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA November 2020

November 2020 Issue No.113 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 November 2020

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© 2020 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

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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 and Europe) Gill Watson Publisher Caroline Sullens

Sales & Marketing (International) Sales Director Jason Smith jason@wiredinusa.com +44 1926 834 684 Accounts Manager Louise Jennings louise@intras.co.uk

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Diary Shows & Events 2021

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National Park plans improvements to service and scenery M A K I N G T H E NEWS

Yellowstone National Park has asked for public comment on its proposal to improve telecommunication services in the park’s developed areas. The proposal is to lay 187 miles of fiber optic cable along the park’s roads. Rubber-tracked vehicles would be used to install the cable underground “within the existing road corridor, immediately adjacent to and/or directly into the roadbed.” The proposal also calls for the removal of five microwave radio reflectors installed in the park’s backcountry in 1980. “Currently, these reflectors are an essential component of the park’s microwave radio telecommunication system,” Yellowstone explained. “The existing microwave radio system is the only means of telecommunication (telephone, 911 and computer networks) to the park. Each reflector is

about 28 feet high and 24 feet wide. Broadband over fiber optic cable could replace this antiquated system. Due to extremely remote duty stations, recruitment [and] retention for both the NPS and its business partners is severely affected by a lack of consistent and reliable connectivity.” Yellowstone estimates that 8% of the park currently has cellular coverage. “The proposal would not expand authorized cellular phone coverage areas in the park but would substantially improve coverage quality in existing developed areas,” Yellowstone added. ”This proposal is consistent with Yellowstone National Park’s wireless communications services plan.”

No new cellular towers would be installed under the proposal.

Front cover: NPS/Jacob W.Frank

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wiredInUSA November 2020

Connectivity solution gets recognition

and servers without costly on-site manual intervention. These rack-mounted cross-connects are available for single-mode and multimode LC fiber connections in 512-port and 204- port configurations that scale to meet shifting demands. The solutions are suitable for data centers, co-location facilities, enterprise IT infrastructure and large technology test laboratories.

Tripp Lite, a manufacturer of power protection and connectivity solutions, achieved platinum level from the 2020 Cabling Installation and Maintenance Innovators awards for its Robotic Fiber Panel systems. The Robotic Fiber Panel systems use robotic latching and remote management to automate physical cross connections in fiber networks. The systems integrate with data center infrastructure to quickly and accurately establish physical layer one fiber connections between switches

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Maine to get offshore boost

The US Department of Commerce has granted $2.166 million to support the development of the offshore wind industry in Maine. The grant, awarded by the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), will be used to develop a roadmap for establishing the industry in the state.

According to EDA, the roadmap will be created by examining manufacturing processes, supply chains, port facilities, transportation systems, shipbuilding opportunities, ecosystem relationships, workforce development plans, power interconnections, exports and economic impacts.

The funding will be matched with $267,624 in state funds and $112,457 in local funds.

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Acquisition has it taped

Kentucky-based LLFlex has acquired a wire and cable armoring tapes segment from Web Industries. The assets of the Web Industries’ bare metal armoring tapes slitting division, which includes the slitting and related assets for the production of coated and uncoated copper and aluminum cable wraps and armor tapes, will be integrated into the production infrastructure at LLFlex’s newest facility in High Point, North Carolina. With the influx of skilled labor, technical personnel, sophisticated equipment and optimized production

layout, the plant will significantly expand LLFlex’s output capacity.

LLFlex has acquired a wire and cable armoring tapes segment from Web Industries

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Packaging partners

George Evans Corporation (GEC) of Moline, Illinois, a manufacturer of custom steel toroidal reels for the wire and cable industry, has acquired Matcon Manufacturing, based in Cordova, Illinois. Matcon designs, prototypes and manufactures all types of returnable packaging solutions. Matcon will become a division of GEC, while retaining its operations in Cordova. Both companies supply custom steel fabrications to major original equipment

manufacturers such as John Deere, Case New Holland, Freightliner, Vermeer, Yetter and Caterpillar. The companies’ combined annual revenue is expected to be over $20 million with 110 employees.

DeWAL PTFE Films and Tapes New solutions for challenging applications

DeWAL designs and manufactures a broad assortment of skived, unsintered and low density PTFE films and tapes. Our specialty laminates combine PTFE with porous substrates and films to withstand abrasion, harsh chemicals, hostile environments and irregular surfaces. For cost-effective film and tape solutions for masking, insulating, shielding, conducting and coating, call DeWAL today.

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For details and specs, go to www.dewal.com.

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Serving the under served

Alaskan telecom provider GCI has been awarded a federal grant of $25 million to build a fiber network serving the Aleutian communities in Alaska. The grant is another award from the USDA Rural Utility Service’s ReConnect program, and is given in support of GCI’s Alaska United-Aleutians Fiber project to provide terrestrial broadband service to underserved areas of the state. The new infrastructure will bring broadband to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

and five other communities. Subject to permits and other contingencies, the project, including a new 1,280km submarine fiber optic system from Kodiak along the south side of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians to Unalaska, should be completed by the end of 2022. The total cost of the project is $58 million, with GCI to provide $33 million in additional funding.

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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

Power Cables are best made on TROESTER Lines

With the expansion of electricity networks, people all over the world use electricity to bring more light into their lives as well as increased joy, comfort and security.

Power cables that have been produced, using TROESTER systems, for high-quality, medium-voltage (MV), high- voltage (HV) and extremely-high-voltage (EHV) cables offer cable manufacturers significant cost benefits in production as well as TROESTER’s outstanding level of quality. This ensures that energy consumers around the world can enjoy the highest level of supply security. www.troester.de

CCV Line from TROESTER for the cost-effective production of MV, HV and EHV cables with perfect concentricity and roundness and long production lengths.

One million and counting

CDMElectronics shipped its millionth cable assembly during September.

RoHS, MIL-STD, IEC, JEDC, ITAR and IPC/ WHMA-A-620.

CDM’s New Jersey facility houses the company’s quality engineering and test laboratory to ensure that assemblies and box-builds comply with any required military and commercial test standard, including AS9100:15, AS9100D, Nadcap,

“Shipping our millionth engineered cable assembly marks a milestone in CDM’s growth and is a significant point of pride for everyone at the company,” said Nick Sarin, CDM’s assistant general manager.

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Charles “Chuck” Treadway

Changes at the top

CommScope Holding Company, of Hickory, North Carolina, has announced that Eddie Edwards, president and chief executive officer, has stepped down after 15 years with the company. Succeeding Mr Edwards will be Charles “Chuck” Treadway, who has been appointed as president, chief executive officer and a member of the CommScope board of directors. Treadway has spent 17 of the last 20 years as CEO of global businesses in the US, China and Latin America. Most recently, he served as CEO of Accudyne Industries.

Emeritus in recognition of his unique status and distinguished service to the company. Mr Drendel founded CommScope in 1976 and has served continuously as its CEO and/or chairman of the board ever since.

Mr Drendel will remain on the board and is succeeded as chairman by Bud Watts.

Watts has a long history of service to CommScope, most recently as theboard’s lead independent director. With his new, active engagement, Mr Watts will become an employee of the company, and the independent directors on the board have elected Timothy T Yates as its new lead independent director.

CommScope also announced that Frank M Drendel has been named Chairman

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Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO

Power collaboration

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) issued a statement following the agreement by US hydropower industry and environmental and conservation organizations to increase collaboration on de-carbonizing the US power grid, while protecting America’s waterways. “We applaud this important agreement that could help enable the greater use of hydroelectric power, to support a green

grid by focusing on its ability to help integrate wind and solar through water- powered energy storage projects, and ensuring they are done in an increasingly environmentally friendly way,” said Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO. AWEA is the national trade association for the US wind industry, representing 1,000 member companies and 120,000 US jobs.

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE RUBBER AND PLASTIC COMPOUND SOLUTIONS

WE PROVIDE: » EPR & Polyolefin Compounds • Moisture Crosslinkable • Peroxide Crosslinkable • Irradiation Crosslinkable • Halogen Free, Flame Retardant

• Bedding/Filler • Thermoplastic » Custom Compounding

» Customized Functional Masterbatches » Formulation Design & Development

108 RADO DRIVE NAUGATUCK, CT 06770 / +1 203-723-2590 / WWW.ELECTRICCABLECOMPOUNDS.COM

Emerson has completed its acquisition of the Italy-based Progea Group, a provider of industrial internet of things (IIoT), plant analytics, human machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) technologies. The addition of Progea’s capabilities in analytics, industrial visualization and IIoT will build upon Emerson’s embedded software and control portfolio for manufacturing, infrastructure and building automation applications. The acquisition is expected to bridge a customer technology gap by lowering the total cost of ownership and reducing the barriers of working across multiple vendors. “The acquisition of Progea strengthens our ability to provide customers with an integrated package of control, visualization and IoT, to help our customers improve overall equipment efficiency, and accelerate their digital transformation journey,” said Lal Karsanbhai, executive president of Emerson’s automation solutions business. “Progea’s capability and expertise in machine and plant- level visualization and analytics provide customers with a flexible, scalable solution for their programmable logic controller (PLC) applications in discrete and hybrid markets.”

Acquisition for integration

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IWCS 2020 CABLE & CONNECTIVITY SYMPOSIUM October 12–16 & October 19–23 , 2020 | 8 am–1 pm Eastern USA

IWCS As You Know It – Except It’s Online

The IWCS 2020 International Cable & Connectivity Symposium has been re-imagined into an exciting, robust virtual event to reach attendees from all over the world! IWCS 2020 Virtual is our full-scale symposium with all of the traditional IWCS elements: Technical Sessions, Professional Development Courses, Executive Session, Plenary — including Keynote Speaker, and virtual Supplier Exhibition! Online registration is open at www.iwcs.org We have made the conference as interactive as possible because nothing replaces meeting your colleagues in person. You are encouraged to register as early as possible prior to the symposium so that you can explore and familiarize yourself with the virtual platform and set up your Profile in advance to maximize your Networking capability.

IWCS 2020 Virtual Kicks Off on Monday, October 12, 2020!

Keynote

Michael Beesley , VP/CTO of Cisco Systems, Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group

Technology, Architecture and Supply Chain Needs to Drive Success in Our 2025+ Business, Use Case and Competitive Landscape Realities

Executive Session Technical Sessions

Supplier Exhibition Professional Development - 4 Core Courses

Reasons to Attend

As COVID-19 has changed the way we work, educate, and communicate, it is alarmingly clear that telecommunications connectivity is not just essential but critical for the functioning of global society. From telemedicine to commerce to news, awareness, communication, transportation, security, infrastructure, and everything in between, connectivity provides the network that enables modern life to go on. This conference provides: • Latest technologies presented in a symposium format • Over 110 Technical Papers and latest technologies presented via live, interactive webinars • Professional Development Courses with tutorials on basic and emerging technologies • Suppliers Exhibition with the latest developments from industry suppliers • An Executive Session with expert economic and business trends More Reasons to Attend THIS Year • Prolonged Visibility! All Technical Session presentations will be available On-Demand for over a month, through November 27, 2020! • The Supplier Exhibition will be open during the full two weeks, have 2 dedicated days with no competing technical sessions, and be available through November 27, 2020! • It’s convenient! The “live event” is spread out over 2 weeks to make it easier to attend. • The sessions are held from 8:00am to 1:00pm Eastern USA each day, Monday – Friday, October 12th through October 23rd to accommodate as many time zones as possible. • It costs less! The fees are less and there are no travel expenses so more colleagues can participate.

EUROPE NEWS

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Qingdao again selects Danieli for rolling-mill projects

Further order for wire rod mill

Qingdao Special I&S, part of the Citic Group, has ordered twin Danieli wire rod mill lines to be installed at Qingdao, in Huangdao district, China.

controlled cooling conveyors; four-stand, high speed twin module finishing blocks; and vibration-free, oil film bearing loop- laying heads.

Qingdao previously ordered Danieli wire rod mills in 2001, 2003 and 2013.

Primary products will be tire cord, bearing, spring and welding wire.

The new plant will be fitted with Danieli’s latest wire rod technologies for rolling, on-line processing, and heat-treatment, including low temperature rolling (LTR). The mill outlet design includes two-pass followed by eight-pass pre-finishing blocks; the Danieli structure control system, including water cooling lines and CCW-

The lines will produce finished wire rod of 5mm to 7mm diameter, in coils weighing up 2,375kg. Finishing speed is up to 112m per second. Danieli Automation will supply the automation and process control systems, and start up of the twin lines is scheduled for the beginning of 2021.

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wiredInUSA November 2020

Cable producer changes hands

Renewable partnership

Enlight Renewable Energy, of Israel, has acquired a 61% stake in a 372MW wind project in Sweden and is also taking a 20% interest in the Prime Green Energy Infrastructure Fund (PGEIF). Enlight and PGEIF together bought the Bjornberget wind project in central Sweden from developer RES. The Israeli renewables company’s stake in the project is 61%, but it may be reduced to 55% if new investors join the fund. The new owners will spend around $513.7 million to develop the wind farm, with construction starting immediately. Enlight and PGEIF have also agreed to operate as strategic development partners to pursue other renewable energy projects in the Nordic region. As its newest investor, Enlight is putting $59 million into the fund. The Bjornberget wind farm is scheduled to go into operation in early 2023, generating an annual 1.1TWh.

GG Group (Gebauer & Griller) is to sell its elevator division, Geba Cables, to Lafayette Mittelstand Capital. The elevator division consists of a sales unit in Vienna and two production sites in Veľké Leváre, Slovakia, and Bangalore, India. Geba Cables range includes standard flat cables and customer-specific cables, such as those with integrated data elements or cable systems with embedded optical fibers. Geba Cables offers custom wiring harnesses for each elevator type. Geba’s elevator cable products are used to connect elevator cabins with elevator control units for the transmission of electricity as well as data (including infotainment and video signals). Core products are complemented by products for the elevator control unit, elevator shaft wiring, engine room, elevator door wiring, and lighting-related cable systems.

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Umbilicals contract

Seaside resort builds on its heritage

Image courtesy of Nexans

Nexans has signed a contract with Subsea 7 to design and manufacture 46km of umbilicals for the Sangomar field, offshore Senegal. The umbilicals will provide hydraulic, control and instrumentation services for a stand-alone floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility and associated subsea infrastructure. Nexans will deliver 13,471m of dynamic umbilicals to be installed from north to south. Nexans will also provide main static umbilicals, 8,719m of production infield umbilicals, and 14,650m of injection infield umbilicals in the subsequent four phases of development. The Sangomar Field development was discovered in 2014. Located 2km below the seabed floor, the field is spread over 400km 2 , in water depths of between 700m and 1,400m.

Image: www.photoeverywhere.co.uk

A subsea transatlantic fiber optic cable has reached the UK resort of Blackpool, as part of an initiative to attract more technology companies to the area. The cable is said to have the capacity to provide some of the world’s fastest, most resilient internet speeds. The North Atlantic Loop is made up of several undersea fiber cables connecting the UK to the US and Northern Europe. The cable landing in Blackpool is known as CeltixConnect-2, and is part of the Aqua Comms network. Andy Hudson, chief network officer at Aqua Comms, said: “As our reliance on technology grows greater, the world of telecoms continues to change at a rapid pace, internet connectivity needs to be secure yet agile, flexible and resilient, and nowhere is this more critical than in the transatlantic market – one of the busiest oceanic data routes in the world, linking North America to Northern Europe.” Leader of Blackpool Council, councillor Lynn Williams, added: “Blackpool’s new connectivity puts it at a major advantage, compared to other UK locations, and is testament to the town’s entrepreneurial spirit … [building] on its historic association with cutting-edge technology.”

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wiredInUSA November 2020

Major first for inter-array cables

Austria’s largest solar plant

The 11.5MW Schafflerhof solar power plant will be the largest in Austria when it begins operations in December 2020. Currently under development on a former gravel dump near Vienna, the plant is also noteworthy for the environment-friendly installation of its modules. Thomas Hager, of MaxSolar GmbH which was were commissioned with the construction, said: “We have committed ourselves to the BNE seal of approval ‘Good Planning’, which aims to combine climate change and environmental protection. The Agro-PV-Schafflerhofstraße is one of our best practice examples of renewable energy projects that are compatible with land use and nature conservation.” Pasture seed has been sown, and the modules are mounted slightly higher than necessary to provide grazing and weather protection for around 150 Jura sheep. In addition to classic modules, 500 bifacial modules are also installed, which are mounted vertically and in an east-west orientation. Between the rows of modules it will be possible to grow crops and to cultivate them with tractors. The 11.5MW Schafflerhof solar power plant. Photograph courtesy of MaxSolar

Hellenic Cables has been awarded its biggest contract to date for inter-array cables. DEME Offshore has ordered 650km of 66kV inter-array cables for the UK’s Dogger Bank offshore wind farm phases A and B. The Dogger Bank facility is located over 130km off England’s north-east coast, and is being developed in three 1.2GW phases by joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor. Once complete, Dogger Bank is expected to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, generating around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs. Under the contract Hellenic Cables will design, manufacture, test and supply 66kV XLPE-insulated cables and associated accessories. The cables will be produced at Hellenic Cables’ vertically integrated submarine cables plant in Corinth, Greece. Production will begin in 2021 and delivery will be a phased roll-out, in line with the project execution program. DEME Offshore holds the contract for engineering, procurement, construction and installation of subsea inter-array cables for the first two phases of the wind farm. Hellenic Cables will design, manufacture, test and supply 66kV XLPE-insulated cables and associated accessories

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Import investigation

Swedish grid calls for reinforcements

Photo by Kristophers Ozolins on Unsplash

The European Commission has launched an investigation into the importation of fiber optical cables from China, following a complaint by Europacable on behalf of its membership. In its official notice of the action, the commission said: “The European Commission has received a complaint … on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union, alleging that imports of optical fiber cables originating in the People’s Republic of China are being dumped and are thereby causing injury to the Union industry.” According to Europacable, Chinese imports rose by 150% from 2016 to 2019. In 2019, approximately 1.2 million kilometers (745,000 miles) of cable were installed in Europe, with between 15% and 20% originating from China. European Commission anti-dumping investigations take up to 15 months, but provisional duties can be put in place within eight months. If imposed, final tariffs or penalties normally apply for five years.

Image courtesy of NKT

NKT has entered into a frame agreement with Ellevio for low and medium voltage power cables to reinforce and develop the power grid in central Sweden. The four- year agreement is for cables with voltage levels between 1kV and 36kV for projects including the replacement of overhead lines with underground power cables and reinforcing the power grid in urban areas around Stockholm. For NKT and Ellevio the newly signed frame agreement is a continuation of an existing partnership covering more than the supply of power cables. Peter Marcusson, Nordic director of sales for utilities at NKT, said: “With the new frame agreement we continue our engagement in ensuring the grid has the capacity needed to be ready for the increased electrification driven by urbanization and the transition to renewable energy.” “Part of our long-term relationship with Ellevio also includes the collaboration on the development of new products and methods to future proof the power grid in the region. Part of the infrastructure is aging and needs to be reinforced and expanded tomeet the growing demand for electricity, added Mr Marcusson.

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ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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Shake on it. The deal is struck between Hasçelik San Ve Tic and SMS group

Combined drawing lines for bright bar

Hasçelik San Ve Tic, operator of the highest production capacities for bright steel bars in Turkey, has placed an order with SMS group for a combined drawing line (CDL) KZ-RP IIIB/25 to expand both its production range and capacity. The new drawing line, based on the Schumag design (the bright-steel processing machine designer Schumag was merged into SMS group in 2008) comes with optimized features and new developments along the entire process chain. The scope of supply includes a coil preparation unit with double coiler, a two-carriage drawing machine, a two- roll straightener, a chamfering machine and the entire electrical and automation system.

With this drawing line Hasçelik, which has been combined under Faydasiçok Holding since March 2017, is expanding its production range to include round bars from bar to bar and from coil to bar of between 19mm and 42mm. In addition, the company will have the facility to produce hexagons, squares and other sections. The plant will be designed for a maximum drawing force of 250kN, a maximum speed of 80m per minute and a bar length of 2.5m to 6.5m. Hasçelik’s overall product portfolio includes drawn bars of up to 100mm, and peeled and ground bars of up to 160mm in diameter.

Commissioning of the drawing line is scheduled for summer 2021.

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wiredInUSA November 2020

Joint venture can get to work

Carbon fiber in cable production

Brian Kim, CEO of Essex Furukawa

New commercialization of a communication cable from LS Cable and System LS Cable and System has commercialized a communication cable that uses carbon fiber as a shielding material, rather than the conventional copper or aluminum. Carbon fiber is only a quarter of the weight of steel, but is ten times stronger and seven times more elastic. Using carbon fiber makes the cable up to 20% lighter, and adds flexibility and durability. If carbon fiber is applied to automotive wires and cables, weight savings of up to 25kg per vehicle are possible. LS C&S has finished preparation for mass- production of LAN cables for equipment operation and system management in smart factories and buildings, and is now applying the new technology toall industrial cables. “It’s hard tofindacaseof commercialization of cables to which carbon fiber is applied anywhere in the world,” said Roe-hyun Myung, president and CEO of LS C&S. “We are making efforts … through continuous [research and development] in new materials and environment-friendly products.”

Superior Essex Inc and Furukawa Electric Co have announced the finalization of a global joint venture, expanding upon a previous magnet wire partnership. The combined company will operate as Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire LLC, using the “Essex Furukawa” brand. Customers of Essex Furukawa are expected to benefit from an expansion of custom product solutions, the sharing of best practices, and better service for customers from additional points of shipping, expanded global sales and technical teams, increased global rod and foundry resources, and a diversified global development team. “This is an exciting day, not only due to the finalization of the Essex Furukawa deal, but also as it marks the creation of a technological powerhouse in the magnet wire industry that can service many of the leading enterprises,” said Brian Kim, CEO of the newly formed Essex Furukawa. There will be no immediate or material change to the organization evident to the customer, though Essex Furukawa may pursue some restructuring.

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Power boost

Stepping up aluminum wire production

Image courtesy of Trungnam Group

Vietnam’s has celebrated the launch of a 450MW solar farm and power transmission system built in the country’s Ninh Thuan province. Representing a $603.4 million investment, the Thuan Nam solar plant, with 500kV transformer station and 220/500kV power line network, will boost Vietnam’s grid capacity and help resolve nationwide power shortages, while increasing the share of renewables in the energy supply. By mid-2019 Vietnam had 4,464MW of solar farms, most located in Ninh Thuan province. The surge in capacity led to overloading of the grid, especially in the Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces: Trungnam said some solar farms had been forced to reduce their capacity by up to 60% for the sake of grid stability. The situation prompted the company to invest in two transformers and 17km of power lines, together with the country’s largest solar farm. Supported by a fast-track procedure, Trungnam completed the entire project in only 102 days, the company said. Trungnam Group

LS Cable & System employees are producing aluminum cables for electric vehicles. LS Cable and System has started mass production of aluminum wires for electric vehicles, and has developed a new facility exclusively for aluminum wire production. Major automotive electronics companies in Japan and elsewhere are also building aluminum-only facilities because, when production facilities for copper and aluminum wire are combined, copper particles can corrode the aluminum. LS Cable currently supplies Korea’s largest automotive manufacturers, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, and is expecting the proportion of aluminum wires in the Korean wire market will be more than 30% by 2025, compared with around 5% at present. “Through LS Alsco, a subsidiary that specializes in the aluminum business, we can supply high-strength aluminum and produce them in batches from materials to finished wire products,” the company said. “We are also considering additional investments as we are about to sign a supply contract with a global wiring harness company.”

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wiredInUSA November 2020

Safety partnership

New plant ahead of schedule

LS Cable & System has agreed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a technical partnership with Korea Electrical Safety Corporation in offshore wind power projects. The two companies will cooperate to standardize the pre-operation inspection of offshore wind farms and to secure safety standards for submarine cables. Kim Hyeong-won, executive director of the LS C&S energy business division, said: “According to the Green New Deal policy, offshore wind power generation is expected to be invigorated, but Korea does not yet have any rules on the use and safety of submarine cables. Relevant regulations for a reliable supply of power need to be rapidly established.” Kim Hyeong-won, head of the energy business division of LS Cable & System (right), and Kim Kwon-joong, techni- cal director of Korea Electrical Safety Corporation (left)

Image courtesy of Kyungshin

South Korean automotive components manufacturer Kyungshin Cable is expecting to start operations at its new factory in Serbia’s Smederevska Palanka several months ahead of schedule. Production could begin in late February or early March 2021, the company said. Kyungshin Cable Europe is aiming to supply environment-friendly automotive components, mainly cable sets to vehicle manufacturers such as Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Ford, Volvo and BMW, and to serve Korean battery suppliers.

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International project for the Arctic

Home grown cable

Image courtesy of lincolngapwindfarm.com.au Hengtong Cable Australia will supply 56km of 33kV, 30km of fiber, and 30km of bare copper cable to RJE Global for Stage 2 of the Lincoln Gap wind farm near Port Augusta, in South Australia. Stage 1 of the Lincoln Gap is operating with 126MW turbines, and construction of Stage 2 is being finalized. The wind farm will include a 10MW grid-scale battery storage system. When fully operational, the facility will have a capacity of 464MW.

Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO, Cinia Ltd

Cinia Ltd, in collaboration with Russian telecom operator MegaFon, is developing the Arctic Connect submarine cable project, the first trans-Arctic submarine telecommunications cable between Europe and Asia. Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO of Cinia Ltd, described the project as “a real international opportunity”. Cinia Ltd is the leading party of the Cinia Alliance that also includes C-Fiber Hanko Oy, Pietarsaaren Seudun Puhelin Oy, Lapit Oy, Napapiirin Energia ja Vesi Oy and Rovaniemen Kehitys Oy from Finland. Sojitz Corporation, a multinational trading and investment company, has agreed to fund Cinia Alliance as the leading party of the Japanese partnership that includes Atago Corporation, Crypton Future Media, Hokkaido Electric Power Co, Optage Inc and Sakura Internet. In Norway, Bredbåndsfylket Arctic Link AS, comprising Bredbåndsfylket, Ishavslink AS and Sør- Varanger Utvikling, has been established to join the alliance. The 10,000km Arctic Connect cable system will significantly increase the redundancy of global networks by providing a new route between Europe and Asia. The project is currently undergoing a feasibility study, with construction work scheduled to begin in 2022.

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Products, Machines & Technology

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High-tech rewind Windak has supplied its latest rewind line, OW26T-UW26T, to a major fiber optic cable manufacturer in the USA. The unit’s main feature is the integrated SafeWind unit, which enhances the laying quality and ensures safety during the winding process. The laying unit has adjustable guide rollers for the correct cable width and it is driven by a motion control drive and AC motor. Laying pitch is set on the main panel and turning points are set and controlled by a recipe memory. All manual functions - including turn point while running in automatic pitch - can be fine-tuned by remote control during the winding operation. The laying unit is traversed to the side for loading and unloading of the reels and has 16-inch vertical adjustment to have the cable come straighter to the reel. Maximum reel size is 2.59m, and maximum weight is 7,250kg. Maximum achievable line speed is 200mpm in “speed” mode. An integrated laying unit is mounted on the take-up.

Wear your heart rate on your sleeve? Portland-based Liquid Wire produces advanced fluid circuits on both plastic and textile substrates using a metal gel based on a patented non-toxic gallium alloy modified with proprietary additives. The resulting circuit consists of fluid interconnects trapped in soft elastic materials, duplicating the mechanical behavior of a moving human body. This flexible circuitry allows sophisticated sensing and data processing functions to be directly integrated into form-fitting garments for medical wearables, safety clothing, or for non-wearable applications such as in robotics or aerospace. Performance garments, however, need regular laundering, subjecting them to heat and abrasion conditions that few electronics can withstand. In October the company announced that its stretchable circuitry had passed a stringent wash test regimen required by performance apparel makers. Jorge Carbo, innovation director of Liquid Wire, said: “Through a third-party validated wash test program with the textile experts at Hohenstein, we are pleased to have delivered on this promise of making our invisibly integrated electronics something

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that customers can count on in their next- generation garments.”

the cables are compatible with MSA OEM platform hardware and are fully compliant with OEM equipment warranties. Dustin Guttadauro, L-com’s product line manager, said: “By supporting multi-source agreement, these DAC cables are able to work with a multitude of different vendors’ hardware including switches, routers and servers.” Rugged test cables Fairview Microwave, an Infinite Electronics brand, has launched a new series of flexible vector network analyzer (VNA) test cables. The new high frequency VNA test cables are designed for phase stability of ±6° at 50GHz and ±8° at 70GHz, as well as voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of 1.3:1 at 50GHz and 1.4:1 at 70GHz. The 50GHz assemblies are terminated with 2.4mmconnectors, while the 70GHz versions use 1.85mm connectors. Braided stainless steel armoring around the coax provides a rugged but flexible cable with a flex life of over 100,000 cycles, making the cables suitable for semiconductor probe testing, precise bench top testing, and for laboratory production testing.

Liquid Wire’s metal gel sensors measure respiration and joint flexion, and, Carbo added “temperature, heart rate, and other biometric sensor capabilities are also embeddable into Liquid Wire soft circuits.” New line of DAC cables L-com has launched a new range of direct- attached copper (DAC) cables, designed to provide high speed connectivity for data center and enterprise networking applications. The cables are designed in accordance with industry standards for applications requiring SFP-style cables and connectors. The new DAC cables utilize standard SFP+ and SFP28 transceivers attached to copper- based twin-axial cable. Both active and passive options are available in speeds of 10Gbps or 25Gbps. Coded for MSA (multi-source agreement),

The cables are terminated with stainless steel connectors, rugged enough for up to

S S The new range of direct-attached copper (DAC) cables from L-com

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5,000 mating cycles when attached with appropriate care.

AutomationDirect’s 22 AWG machine tool wire conductors are primarily for use in control cabinets, in machine tool applications, and in appliance wiring applications at temperatures from -25° to +105°C. MTW wire complies with the National Electrical Code (NEC) and NFPA standard 79. Voltage rating for all applications is 600V. Conductors are bare, annealed copper and a color-coded, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) outer jacket that is flame retardant and heat- and moisture-resistant. Up to ten solid and four spiral-striped wire colors are available, depending on wire size and length. Bendable assembly AFL has introduced its NodeFLEX cable assembly , a universal, flexible node cable assembly that features a bendable rubber boot with integrated steel rods which hold the cable in place up to 90° after flexing. This feature allows a single product to cover both aerial and below-grade or pedestal applications. MTW wire is UL approved, and RoHS and CSA compliant.

A swept right-angle 2.4mm and 1.85mm conn ector option allows the cables to fit into tight spaces and can reduce the length of necessary cable in many applications. S S A new series of flexible vector network analyzer (VNA) test cables from Fairview Microwave 22 AWG for industrial equipment Insulation type MTW machine tool wire is now available in 22-gauge from AutomationDirect, in addition to existing MTW wire sizes of 20 AWG to 10 AWG. The 22 AWG wire offers an 8% smaller diameter with a 3A 600V rating, as needed for many types of terminal block connections that cannot accept larger wire.

Will Miller, senior product manager for AFL’s outside plant cable and connectivity

MTW wire is designed and approved for use in industrial and commercial equipment.

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Testing for datacoms The independent cable testing and certification body BASEC has extended its cable testing and certification range with new capabilities for the data communications market. The new services will use industry-standard equipment to test the performance of the full range of datacoms cables including categories 5e, 6, 6A, 7, 7A and 8. BASEC’s CEO, Tony Lioveri, said: “BASEC has been working in partnership with cable manufacturers for nearly 50 years, and has a strong brand and heritage of being the mark of quality and safety. “To be able to leverage this cable expertise to the datacoms market is an exciting proposition for BASEC. “Our goal is to give confidence to end- users, manufacturers and re-branders that by using the BASEC mark that they can be assured of guaranteed quality and safety throughout the supply chain.”

products, said: “Because the NodeFLEX cable assembly is the only product needed to service aerial and below-grade installations, MSOs utilizing hybrid fiber-coax networks can accelerate their node+0 and fiber deep deployments.” The NodeFLEX assembly is available in armored or dielectric cable of up to 24 fibers.

S S The NodeFLEX cable assembly

Multiple connector variations and furcation options are available. In addition to the 90° bend, the 5/8″-24 UNEF fitting is IP68-rated for submersion in up to three meters of water for up to 72 hours, ensuring long-term reliability of below-grade installations. Miller added: “This allows network engineers, procurement and logistics personnel … to manage half the amount of part numbers. Additionally, technicians utilizing these products in the field have more flexibility to what is stocked in their trucks, requiring less trips back to the warehouse between work orders.”

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EDITORIAL Index

AFL

41 22 29 41 43 15 15 18 37 27 20 27 30 31 24 28 34 15 34 16 28 15 28 33 30

Hengtong Cable Australia

37 40 15 36 28 40 39 14 15 30 37 29 31 24 27 33 37 34 35 15 14 39 15 9

American Wind Energy Association

Infinite Electronics

Aqua Comms

John Deere

AutomationDirect

Kyungshin Cable

BASEC

Lafayette Mittelstand Capital

Case New Holland

L-com

Caterpillar

Liquid Wire

CDM Electronics

LLFlex

Cinia Ltd

LS Cable and System Matcon Manufacturing

34, 35, 36

Citic Group

CommScope Holding Company

MaxSolar GmbH

Danieli

MegaFon

DEME Offshore

Nexans

Ellevio

NKT

Emerson

Progea Group

Enlight Renewable Energy

Qingdao Special I&S

Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire LLC

SMS group

Freightliner

Sojitz Corporation Superior Essex Inc

Furukawa Electric Co

GCI

Tripp Lite

Geba Cables

Trungnam Group

George Evans Corporation

Vermeer

GG Group

Web Industries

Hasçelik San Ve Tic

Windak

Hellenic Cables

Yetter

wiredInUSA November 2020

44

ADVERTISING Index

AIM Inc

10 13 11 15

Beta LaserMike (An NDC Technologies Brand)

Clinton Instrument Company

DeWAL

Electrical Cable Compounds Inc

16, 23

IWCS

25 14

Madem

Messe Düsseldorf

7

Nano-Diamond America Inc

12 19

Paramount Die

Sikora

8

Troester

17 21

Windak Group

Zumbach Electronic

2

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

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wiredInUSA November 2020