wiredInUSA October 2017

Issue No. 76 - October 2017

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

Solar initiative to cut costs for town Page 9

New European representative. Page 12

Baltic power link. Page 31

Another world first? Page 37

EDITOR

Planning for the future is more important than ever, and Amtrak achieved its goal of creating one of the most modern and sophisticated telecommunications systems available when it converted the National Guard building in Washington DC into its new headquarters. The 82,000ft 2 building includes a converged network capable of providing high bandwidth and wireless connectivity for the up to 500 users housed across four floors of office space. A fiber optic network was the obvious choice to achieve its requirements, so Amtrak and its consulting engineers selected passive optical LAN due to its affordability, reliability, long life and reduced power consumption. You can read the full story on page 16. Davis-Standard LLC has strengthened its position in the market with the acquisition of Maillefer International Oy of Vantaa, Finland, and Ecublens, Switzerland. “We are proud to welcome the entire Maillefer team to the Davis-Standard family; together we become the market leading global extrusion systems and services provider to a world-class customer base,” said JimMurphy, Davis-Standard president and CEO. Turn to page 18 for more details. “In the pink” has a whole new meaning for Allied Wire and Cable (AWC), which switched to a sturdy, vibrant pink reel in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, starting 1 st October 2017. The pink reel, nicknamed “Betty”, is believed to be three times sturdier than its traditionally colored counterpart. It will replace one of the most popular and commonly used sizes: 12x9x5x1.5 inches. See page 20 for the full story. David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

October 2017 Issue No.76 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

SHOW DIARY 2017 / 2018

09 PAGE

MAKING THE NEWS Industry news from the USA

30 PAGE

EUROPE NEWS The latest news from Europe

36 PAGE

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS The latest news from Asia & Africa

42 PAGE

PRODUCTS, MACHINES & TECHNOLOGY The latest news from machine industries

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wiredIn USA

INTRAS INTRAS LIMITED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

DIARY Shows & Events 2017/2018

OCTOBER 3-5 October 2017 wire South America São Paulo, Brazil www.wire-south-america.com

OCTOBER 8-11 October 2017 IWCS 2017 - The International Cable & Connectivity Symposium Florida, USA www.iwcs.org

NOVEMBER 7 November 2017 CabWire World Conference Düsseldorf, Germany www.cabwire.com

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

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

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

wiredInUSA - October 2017

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EASIER QUICKER LIGHTER Unique, original-content news and information for the domestic US wire and cable market.

wiredIn USA Digital . Networking . Monthly .

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Delivered direct to your email inbox or available on-line FREE... so pass on to colleagues !

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Solar initiative to cut costs for town M A K I N G T H E NEWS

EDF Renewable Energy company groSolar, and the town of Ontario, New York, have completed a solar project located on land shared with the town’s wastewater treatment facility. “The project is an excellent example of howmunicipalities, state agencies and private companies are collaborating to bring new sources of distributed power generation to communities across the country,” said Timothy Heinle, groSolar’s vice president. The project will generate approximately 3,500,000kWh of energy in its first full year of operation, and will provide power to the town at a fixed price for the next 25 years.

supervisor, John Smith, and through funding from Governor Cuomo’s NY- Sun initiative to build a self-sustaining solar industry in New York. NY-Sun is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). “Under Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) strategy, solar power is integral to driving the state’s clean energy economy, while reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said Alicia Barton, president and CEO, NYSERDA. “The Town of Ontario solar project serves as amodel for other communities across the state that want to reduce energy costs and create a clean, sustainable future.”

The project was made possible by the leadership of Ontario’s town

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

A new addition to the Han-Eco ® series

Small space cable installation

Harting has added two new products to its Han-Eco ® series.

Ultimately, this saves the user both time and money.

Two new hoods, in size 6B and 10B, with M40 cable entry enable the user to take advantage of larger cable cross sections and offer more cabling space while maintaining a compact size. The Han-Eco 10B lengthened hood is said to offer significantly more cabling space than the standard type, and so avoids the need for adapters or extensions.

The main advantages of the Han-Eco series have been retained: the light plastic connectors are easy to install, corrosion- resistant, and offer flexible assembly possibilities. The integrated frame and the optionally enclosed cable gland further reduce the number of required accessories.

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The US department of commerce will continue itsantidumpingduty investigation into imports of carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod originating from Belarus, Italy, South Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the UAE and UK. The Department of Commerce said on 15 th September that its final determinations in the countervailing duty investigations of wire rod from Italy and Turkey will coincide with the final determinations in the other antidumping cases. The products under investigation are: 7213 91 30; 7213 91 45; 7213 91 60; 7213 99 00; 7227 20 00; and 7227 90 60, as classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The United Wire rod robe

States International Trade Commission (USITC) will determine if damage was caused and the US Department of Commerce will establish if dumping was involved. If the fact of causing damage to the national manufacturer is established the investigation will continue, and the commission will issue its final determinations before 2 nd January 2018. The US Department of Commerce will issue the final determinations before 20 th November 2017.

Clinton High Frequency Spark Tester

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Father and son team Phillipe and Joachim Linders

After working as the European sales agent for General Inspection (GI) for over 25 years, Malaga-based representative Phillippe Linders has seen his son join the company. New European representative

representation, but Phillippe assures that, regardless of his age: “I hope to continue this fantastic work for a number of years to come.” GI was pleased to officially announce that Joachim will help to further develop the European market.

Joachim Linders has taken over the fastener, automotive and aerospace

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Network in place

Amtrak chose VT Group to undertake the project. Aaron Reale, RCDD and director of operations at VT Group, explained: “This GPON solution is truly cutting edge. We use cable containing a single strand of single-mode fiber capable of providing hundreds of users’ unlimited bandwidth. People often think that fiber optic cabling is fragile, but it has a tensile strength almost three times that of traditional Category 6 copper cable, and it’s a fraction of the size and cost.”

In converting the National Guard building into its new 82,000ft 2 headquarters in Washington DC, Amtrak was determined to create a state-of-the-art facility. Its goal was to create one of the most modern and sophisticated telecommunications systems available to meet its present and future telecommunications requirements. Among the highest priorities was a converged network capable of providing high bandwidth and wireless connectivity for the up to 500 users housed across four floors of office space. A fiber optic network was the obvious choice to achieve its requirements, so Amtrak and its consulting engineers selected passive optical LAN due to its affordability, reliability, long life and reduced power consumption. Passive optical fiber networks (also known as GPON) are widely recognized as a solution for data bottlenecks and to leverage a cabling infrastructure with unlimited bandwidth potential. They are also easier to configure and have a smaller footprint. GPONare capable of protecting high-security communications through advanced data encryption, and offer cost savings over traditional networks, areeasily expandable, and have fewer energy and cooling/ventilation requirements.

The new headquarters for Amtrak in Washington DC. Photograph courtesy of CiJUSA.com

Richard Thompson, director of network engineering at Amtrak, said: “GPON is transforming the Amtrak IT ecosystem into a highly resilient and scalable network, aligned with future technology objectives.”

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Advanced Cable North America 2018 February 27 – 28, Atlanta, GA, USA

Macroeconomic Trends and New Opportunities

Regional Market Updates

End-user Perspectives Regulatory Compliance and Supply Chain Management

Trends in Automotive Cable Demand Renewable Energy Cables

Data Communications and Connectivity

Advanced Energy Cable Applications Cabling Solutions for Electric Vehicles

Fiber to the Home

Wireless Network

exceptional opportunity to team up with an organization that shares our values, and commitment to providing superior customer solutions.” “This is a historic day for all Maillefer customers and employees as we join Davis-Standard, an organization built on technology and service,” stated Lars Fagerholm, preceding CEO of Maillefer and newly appointed as Davis- Standard’s executive vice-president, Maillefer. “Maillefer is proud to join an organization with as strong a brand and industry reputation as its own. Together, the dedication to our products, service and customer support will continue as it has in the past.”

Davis-Standard LLC has announced the completion of its acquisition of Maillefer International Oy of Vantaa, Finland, and Ecublens, Switzerland. “We are proud to welcome the entire Maillefer team to the Davis-Standard family; together we become the market leading global extrusion systems and services provider to a world-class customer base,” said Jim Murphy, Davis- Standard president and CEO. “It is an Welcome to the family

DeWAL PTFE Films and Tapes New solutions for challenging applications

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REEL OVERACHIEVER. ELIMINATES REWINDING.

We’ve Reinvented In-Line Packaging Of Spools And Reels.

Windak’s new generation of CO packing solutions allows for continuous in-line packaging of customer put-ups or master reels.The robust design accommodates a large range of cable diameters, up to 3” in diameter at line speed to 1,000 fpm.

Advantages: - Robust integrated open design. - Cutter made for larger cables - Designed for in-line sequential printing on the cable - Infinitely variable speed automatic gearbox - Portal Style Pay-Offs & Take-Ups

WINDAK INC. USA 221-B S. McLin Creek Rd Conover NC 28613 USA TEL +1 828 322 2292 FAX +1 828 322 1716 infoamericas@windakgroup.com

See Us at Interwire Booth 1641

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 “The pink reels are stronger than our regular reels and will bend, but not break,” said AWC CEO Tim Flynn. “They’re tough, just like a breast cancer survivor.” Allied Wire and Cable will also donate $5,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The foundation’s goal is to help raise awareness, to support those affected by cancer, and to promote early detection, education and support services. AWC’s rollout of pink reels is its latest initiative in contributing to local and national communities by supporting charitable organizations.

Allied Wire and Cable will switch to a sturdy, vibrant pink reel in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, starting 1 st October 2017. The pink reel, nicknamed “Betty”, is believed to be three times sturdier than its traditionally colored counterpart. Cable in the pink

It will replace one of the most popular and commonly used sizes: 12x9x5x1.5 inches.

In-Process Gauging Off-Line Inspection Quality Cable Testing

Get more from Beta LaserMike.

See us at Wire Southeast Asia, Booth H35

Making Light Work

www.betalasermike.com

management and market strategy for the central and Atlantic regions of the United States. Bob Elinoff joins inside sales after nearly 30 years as a mechanical manufacturing engineer. He will concentrate on account development in his new position. Justin LaPointe’s new customer service post makes him the customer’s conduit to order placement and fulfillment, a similar position to his previous role in the financial industry. In addition to the appointments, Sjogren has named Art Williams as its manufacturers’ agent in the southeast region of the United States. Williams brings years of experience in the wire processing industry and will provide a direct link to Sjogren customers in the region.

Sjogren Industries has appointed three new additions to its sales team. Ryan Byrnes is named territory sale manager; Bob Elinoff has been appointed to inside sales; and Justin LaPointe has become a customer service representative. Ryan Byrnes comes to Sjogren Industries after three years in the wire drawing field with Traxit North America, where he served as technical sales manager. At Sjogren, Byrnes will be responsible for business development, territory account Recent appointments

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CommScope has opened a new advanced manufacturing technology center at its Kessel Lo, Belgium, site. The center will showcase a newly formed partnership with Yaskawa, believed the world’s largest robot supplier, to determine the feasibility of adding robot technology and greater automation to CommScope’s infrastructure manufacturing processes. The center will allow CommScope to develop automated manufacturing competencies and technology, in a laboratory setting, through cross-functional collaboration and partnerships with universities, knowledge partners and suppliers. Chris Story, senior vice president of global supply, CommScope, said: “The digital factory is making manufacturing exciting again. We expect to see employees doing jobs for industries which never existed. CommScope sees the growing proliferation of flexible automation as a key part of how we innovate for our customers.” The center includes a mechatronics laboratory where tools will be developed to facilitate craft sensitive and high precision operations. This area will also focus on the development of laser-enabled process equipment. CommScope’s new technology center will develop and test technology and robotics to add greater automation to its global manufacturing network and support its operations workforce in improving quality, efficiency and speed. High precision robots will allow a level of consistency and precision that cannot be achieved by human labor, especially in fiber optic connectivity and circuit technologies.

Advances in manufacturing

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Troester will be exhibiting at wire South America

Brazil date for Troester

Troester GmbH & Co KG is a supplier of machines andcomplete lines for thecable manufacturing and rubber processing industry. The company’s products include CV lines for XLPE and rubber cables, silane lines, sheathing and insulation lines. The company will be exhibiting on Booth 535 in hall 5 at wire South America in São Paulo, Brazil, from 3 rd to 5 th October.

Troester will present its new developments in the fields of high voltage CCV and VCV lines for XLPE power cables up to 500kV; medium voltage CCV lines; and sheathing lines for medium and high voltage cables. In addition, a newcompany to the Troester group, X-Compound GmbH, will be on the stand to present its kneader technology for the continuous compounding of HFFR, PVC, XLPE, semiconductive materials and EPR/EPDM.

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Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, has selected a final route for the Mark Twain Transmission Project, a 345,000 volt transmission line and substation to be built in northeast Missouri. The approximately 100-mile route, which will be nearly 100 percent co-located on existing right of way, has received assents from the commissions of the five counties in which the line will be located. Specifically, the route will co-locate on existing right of way on Northeast Missouri Electric Power Cooperative’s (Northeast Power) 161,000 volt line between Palmyra and Kirksville, and Ameren Missouri’s 161,000 volt line from Kirksville to the Iowa border. Approximately 59 miles of Northeast Power’s 161,000 volt transmission line will be completely rebuilt, replacing the current wooden H-frame facilities with new steel, mainly monopole, structures. ATXI will pay for the poles, insulators and hardware. “Due to the age of Northeast Power’s current 161,000 volt line, it would need to be replaced within 10 to 15 years at a cost of approximately $30 million,” said Douglas Aeilts, CEO and general manager, Northeast Power. “WorkingwithATXI on this co-location project allows Northeast Power to save a significant amount of money while enhancing the reliability of our transmission system.” ATXI expects to invest approximately $250 million in the project, which is scheduled to be operational in December 2019.

Missouri transmission upgrade

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

Nature and energy preservation

Faith Technologies, in partnership with Schneider Electric, is building what is described as the largest, most advanced microgrid in the midwest to supply renewable energy to the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve. A new 18,000ft 2 environmental center is expected to be complete and open to the public in January 2018. Faith Technologies is partnering with the Boldt Company on the building construction. The Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve in Wisconsin connects the community with nature for a healthier, stronger and more sustainable future. The microgrid will include photovoltaic solar, a hydrogen fuel cell, battery storage, micro turbine and a natural gas generator, which will enable Bubolz to demonstrate some of the most advanced methods of energy conservation.

“Photovoltaic solar is the fastest-growing energy resource in America, and Faith Technologies and Schneider Electric are workingwith innovators like Bubolz tobring together distributed energy resources like cogeneration and photovoltaic solar systems,” said Philip Barton, Schneider Electric microgrid competency center director. “By marrying the internet of things to its energy system, the Bubolz microgrid will be able to optimize when it consumes, produces or stores energy.” The grid will utilize Schneider Electric’s energy control center and EcoStruxure’s microgrid advisor. Among the benefits of the advanced microgrid are the potential for zero carbon emissions and possible 50 percent lifetime power savings.

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Sea trials

Seabras-1 is one of the world’s longest uncompensated subsea cables, directly connecting North and South America, and Seaborn is the exclusive operator of a Seabras-1 route with deployed XTS- 3300. “This is an impressive achievement that far surpasses what we expected. Infinera has distinguished itself,” said Larry W Schwartz, chairman and CEO, Seaborn Networks. “We are delighted with the performance of the XTS-3300 and the Infinite Capacity Engine 4 for subsea applications. The XTS- 3300 delivers industry-leading capacity- reach performance for our subsea customers, where spectral efficiency is paramount and bandwidth demand is growing at more than 45 percent per year,” said Dave Welch, president and co-founder of Infinera.

Infinera, a provider of intelligent transport networks, and Seaborn Networks, a developer-owner-operator of submarine cable systems, have announced the successful completion of a subsea field trial of the industry’s highest spectral efficiency on an ultra-longhaul subsea cable. The 8QAM trial demonstrated 4.5 bits per second per hertz on the Seabras-1 cable, owned and operated by Seaborn, for a distance of over 10,500km, enabling up to 50 percent more capacity than systems without advanced coherent technologies such as Nyquist sub-carriers and SD-FEC gainsharing. Infinera and Seaborn validated the performance of the Infinera XTS-3300 meshponder featuring the advanced coherent toolkit (ACT) on the Seabras-1 submarine cable, helping Seaborn to maximize the return on its cable assets.

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EUROPE NEWS

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Baltic power link

Although the Baltic power grid will eventually need to be synchronized with European power grids, the Estonian transmission system operator Elering believes the grid’s ability to function autonomously has to be increased. Elering’s chief of communications, Ain Köster, told a Baltic news service: “Since the three Baltic countries and Poland have been unable to reach an agreement regarding synchronization with the western European power grid, it would be reasonable to increase the capability to function as an energy island if Russia should cut us off from its power grid.” He added that if Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania increase that capacity, they would gain extra time to reach an agreement on synchronization. On 19 th September, European commission vice-president for energy union Maros Sefcovic visited emergency reserve power stations built by Elering to increase the reliability of the power grid. The main topic of the meeting was the desynchronization of power grids. Following the meeting, Elering CEO Taavi Veskimagi said: “Our first priority is to find a short-term solution which would keep lights on in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian homes if, for some reason, we should

unexpectedly separate from the Russian joint power grid.”

Elering’s chief of communications, Ain Köster

The European Commission’s joint research center believes that the best synchronization option for the Baltic states is via two LitPol Link interconnections, costing up to €960 million.

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

Digital acquisition

Phase one underway

ABB has announced its completed acquisition of the communication business of the Keymile Group, a manufacturer of mission-critical and broadband telecommunication solutions with installations across 100 countries. “We are pleased to add Keymile’s mission- critical communication networks business to our portfolio, strengthening our offering to utilities and bringing new opportunities in the industry and infrastructure sectors,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s power grids division. “This acquisition will support our digitalization push.” The acquisition will bring key products, software and service solutions, as well as research and development expertize, that will enhance ABB’s existing digital portfolio. Keymile’s experienced team will become part of the grid automation business unit of ABB’s power grids division.

DeepOcean’s Maersk Connector vessel has completed its loading of the first phase of the Nemo Link ® cables in the port of Blyth. Two 59km 400kv HVDC XPLE cables were simultaneously spooled from a freighter, onto the 7,000 tonne split capacity duel concentric carousel. The vessel is now en route to the UK coast near Ramsgate where installation of the cables will begin. The cables will be buried by DeepOcean’s T3200 trencher, said to be the world’s most powerful subsea trencher. DeepOcean is scheduled to complete the second phase of the project in the second quarter of 2018. Nemo Link will consist of two subsea and underground cables connected to a converter station and an electricity substation in Belgium and the UK, allowing up to 1,000MW of electricity to flow in either direction between the two countries.

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Dry dock project

Chemical range

Image: www.amicoshipyard.com

Spanish copolymer manufacturer Repsol has introduced new ranges of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) and ethylene butyl acrylate copolymers (EBA) to be marketed under the new brands of Repsol Primeva ® and Repsol Ebantix ® , respectively. Repsol now produces over 45 grades of copolymer for use in adhesives, cables, films, foams and many other products. The new Primeva and Ebantix ranges are complemented by Repsol’s range of polyolefins such as LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE and PP.

Prysmian Group has supplied medium voltage cables for use in the expansion of the dry dock area of the port of Genoa. Around 35km of customized 12/20kV MV cables, some in aluminum and the others consisting of an optical fiber submarine cable with galvanized steel wire armor, wereproduced for theproject by Prysmian’s Pignataro and Merlino plants. The aluminum cables will supply eight transformer cabinets, whilst the submarine cable will provide the 60Hz supply to the cabinet of the ship repair area from the 45FV cabinet. Maurizio Ciantra, trade and installers sales manager, Prysmian Italy, commented: “For Prysmian Italia, this project marked a great result in terms of collaboration between our engineering offices and our production plants. In fact, we workedwith the customer to define the final specifications and requirements of the Prysmian cables.” The port of Genoa is Italy’s largest port, with 22km of docks and a berth draft between 8m and 15m. It can accommodate ships up to 270m long and weighing 100,000 tons.

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

New cable vessel for Japan

PVC cable conference

PVC4cables will host its first conference in France in October 2017. Themed ‘Sustainability, innovation, market: the new horizons of the PVC cables industry’ the one day event will explore new solutions in stabilizers, plasticizers and fire retardants. Discussions will center on the technical and environmental performance of PVC cable and its properties, recycling technologies and the impact of regulatory frameworks on the PVC cable market in EU countries. As the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers’ (ECVM) platform dedicated to the PVC cables value chain, PVC4cables brings together the producers of PVC resins, stabilizers and plasticizers and is also open to PVC compounders and cables producers. drive environmentally responsible developments in the PVC cables sector and provide a valuable point of reference for the industry and its stakeholders. The organization aims to

Image: www.cdl.lk

On 7 th September 2017 a keel laying ceremony was held at Colombo Dockyard for Kokusai Cable Ship Co’s latest cable lay vessel. It will be delivered in 2019. The vessel, which uses the Vard 9 01 design from Norwegian company Vard Design, will be custom-built for the installation and repair of subsea telecommunication cables. Developed in close cooperation with the shipowner, the shipyard and key suppliers, the vessel is expected to add “a new level of efficiency and capability to the cable laying market in Japan”. Built in full accordance with Class NK and Japanese flag regulations, as well as all relevant international safety and environmental standards, the vessel will feature diesel electric propulsion, DP2 positioning and largecabletankscombinedwitha2,000-ton capacity carousel. The total cable carrying capacity will be 5,000 tons. The outfitting will include a dual cable lay system, A-frame, hydro plough and trenching ROV.

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New ship takes shape

Bangladeshi power grid

Image: www.uljanik.hr

The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply more power plants to Bangladesh. Orion Group, an industrial conglomerate, is developing two 110MW power plants, each of which will operate on six Wärtsilä 50 engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO). The contract for these baseload plants follows a string of power plant orders for Wärtsilä from Bangladeshi companies as the country continues to invest in its energy infrastructure. The two equipment supply contracts are for the Orion Power Rupsha and the Orion Power Sonargaon projects. The Rupsha plant, located in Lodonchora, is due to become fully operational in May 2018. The six Wärtsilä 50 engines will be delivered in December of this year. The Sonargaon plant is scheduled to be in operation by August 2018 with the Wärtsilä delivery scheduled for January of that year. The electricity will be fed to the national grid.

Nexans has begun the construction of a new cable-laying vessel for submarine HV cable systems installation. Built by Uljanik Group, a Croatia-based shipyard, the high capacity Nexans vessel is designed for worldwide installation of large volumes of HVDC and HVAC cable systems, even in the most severe weather conditions. The vessel covers the complete Nexans submarine product range, and has a 10,000-tonne capacity turntable. The new ship, designed by consulting agency Skipsteknisk AS, features the highest standard of dynamic positioning (IMO class 3) capabilities. Its laying equipment will allow the vessel to perform complex installation operations of flexible products in shallow to deep water. Aligned with Nexans’ CSR policies and its commitment to sustainable development, the vessel is specifically designed for reduced environmental impact. The ship also benefits from the latest requirements for crew safety and vessel security in compliance with the strictest international safety standards. The new vessel is expected to be delivered and to start operations by late 2020.

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ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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Image; www.dewa.gov.ae

Another world first?

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is thought to have achieved a world record by awarding the 700MW fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. It will be the largest single-site concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the world, basedon the independent power producer (IPP) model. The contract was awarded to a consortium of Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power andChina’s Shanghai Electric, who bid the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) at $7.3 cents per kilowatt hour. The project, which will have the world’s tallest solar tower at 260m, will be commissioned in stages, beginning in late 2020.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said: “Our focus on renewable energy generation has led to a drop in prices worldwide, and has lowered the price of solar power bids in Europe and the Middle East. This was evident today when we received the lowest CSP project cost in the world.” The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected togenerate 1,000MW by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030. The 13MW photovoltaic first phase became operational in 2013. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was launched in March 2017, and the 800MW photovoltaic third phase will be operational by 2020.

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wiredInUSA - October 2017

Cables app

5G cooperation

Kelani Cables PLC has introduced a wire calculator mobile app for selecting domestic or industrial electrical cables. The household component of the app has simple attributes that help find wires for single-phase wiring purposes. The consumer enters the electric current or rated power data of any item of equipment to find the cable with the best suited cross-sectional area. The electrical engineering component caters to project managers, engineers and electrical technical officers. Users can input more variables to this component, such as apparent power of a transformer (kVA) and voltage drop, length of the wire, determining whether it is single-core or multi-core, conductor material (copper or aluminum), wire type (armored or not) and especially the wire laying method (inside conduits or underground). Kelani Cables’ technical operations manager, chartered engineer Shyama Perera, said at the launching ceremony that this software is equally important for households and for people in the electrical engineering sphere.

The China Telecom Beijing Research Institute, China Electric Power Research Institute, and Huawei have agreed to cooperate on a 5G power slicing technology project. differentiated capabilities for diverse requirements of innovative industry applications,” said Zhu Xuetian, director of network technology andplanningdepartmentofChinaTelecom Beijing Research Institute. “The three-party collaboration project is the first exploration of 5G slicing in power industry applications. 5G slicing is applied to vertical industries, such as the electric power industry, and this will incubate more new applications and business models.” “5G slicing provides

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Bending U-bolts

Higher fiber production

Videx has introduced a new bending system concept

Furukawa Electric Company is planning to nearly double its fiber manufacturing capacity by 2019, and increase its capacity for optical fiber cable. Between 2014 and 2016, Furukawa Electric increased its fiber production capacity by 20 percent and planned to achieve another capacity increase of 20 percent by 2018. However, in order to meet strong customer demand for optical fiber and optical fiber cable, the Furukawa Electric board has approved capital spending of $150 million for further expansion in production, primarily in the US and Europe through its wholly owned subsidiary OFS. “The proliferation of hyper-scale and edge data centers, 5G wireless, and fiber-to-the- home, along with the greater digitization of communications in business, [is] creating the need for fiber in the network around the world,” said Timothy F Murray, head of the global optical fiber and cable business of Furukawa Electric and CEO of OFS. “Furukawa Electric is responding with greater capacity as we foresee this demand continuing into the next decade, with communication traffic estimated to increase during this period.”

Israel’s Videx has introducedanewbending system concept, using a slide bending die and integral stripper mechanism. Using the new line of VAS-DBQ machines, manufacturers will no longer need to make bending dies for each part. Videx Machine Engineering develops and builds machines for manufacturing U-bolts and other bent parts, working directly from wire coil. The new machines work with a floating bending die that covers the entire range of round and square bottom U-bolts, enabling the producer to make new sizes in minutes. VAS-DBQ types are equipped with a positive stripper system that allows running the machines at the fastest possible speed without the risk of parts jamming. The VAS line of machines pull wire from a coil, straighten, cut to length, chamfer and thread both ends, and then bend to shape. They can also perform cold forming operations, such as heading and extrusion, and material removing operations such as drilling and pointing.

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Zambia’s network nears completion

Consumer/producers on the rise

Zambia’s minister of communication and transport, Brian Mushimba, has reported that the laying of an optic fiber network in various parts of the country is nearly complete, with only 10 percent of the works yet to be done. He added that the construction of communication towers is also in progress. The minister spoke in Durban, the location of a meeting of SADC ministers. Mr Mushimba said the nationwide efforts in communication infrastructure will increase access to communication by 94 percent. The government believes affordable access is essential, attaching great importance to the provision of easy access to communications as a vehicle for achieving its socio-economic targets.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is to install solar panels, free of charge, on the roofs of 640 villas in Hatta as part of an effort to put Dubai among the most sustainable cities in the world. The project also supports the Shams Dubai initiative and the Hatta comprehensive development plan, and seeks to contribute to the protection of the environment for future generations.

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Opening up the network

Cable record for Australia

Withanexistingnetworkof fiber opticcabling set tobe removedduringconstructionworks on Canberra’s Stage One light rail project, an Australian manufacturing plant has created an entirely new cabling solution to significantly improve the network’s current capacity to provide secure communications between Canberra’s federal government departments. Prysmian Australia CEO Frederick Persson said government body ICON, which manages the 1,000kmgovernment network of fiber optic cables, was looking for a faster, reliable and cost-effective solution to replace the current assortment of cabling that stretches along the 12km Stage One light rail path.

Grameenphone’s exclusivity in using the Bangladesh Railway’s fiber optic network will end as the government looks to make the most of the resources available to realize its Digital Bangladesh vision. In 1989 Bangladesh Railway (BR), under a signalling modernization project, installed the optical fiber network at 300 stations with financial assistance from the Norwegian government. In 1997, as the capacity of the fiber optic remained mostly unused, Grameenphone signed an agreement with the railway division to use, maintain and run the business operation of the fiber optic cable. The government has now taken an initiative to withdraw the exclusivity agreement between Grameenphone and BR, citing the cable as a public resource that, as such, should be open to all. A joint committee of representatives from Grameenphone and BR is reviewing the terms of agreement between the two. 20-year

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Products, Machines & Technology

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Dust-free connections AFL has modified the LC version of its Poli- MOD patch and splice module to include an automatic “shutter” for increased dust protection. As LC connectors are inserted or pulled from the module, the shutter protects the contents from dust particles that may interfere with connections. “Built-in shuttered adapters are a perfect fit for the Poli-MOD and add another level of convenience for our customers,” explained Tom Jeffers, product manager for AFL’s insideplantdivision. “Theseadaptersprovide exceptional dust protection and increase safety, complementing the versatility and ease-of-use of these products.” cable and leverage a snap-in splice sleeve cradle to securely manage single and ribbon fiber arrangements. The Poli- MOD accommodates up to 24 fiber interconnections in an industry-standard, single-slot LGX ® 118 footprint, with the capacity to outfit a standard 4RU rack-mount panel with up to 288-fiber interconnections. Available in SC, LC, ST and FC connector arrangements, the Poli-MOD features organized fiber routing andmulti-directional cable entry access. The module is also offered in an arrangement that supports DAS (distributed antenna system) networks by eliminating an interconnection point while providing a splicing environment for rack and wall-mount panel applications. Poli-MOD modules can Poli-MOD modules secure

also be used for many other applications, including telecommunications cabinets, data centers and LAN/WAN.

New compliant compounds

With the EU’s latest construction products regulations (CPR) taking effect, Teknor Apex has developed new Halguard ® low-smoke halogen-free flame-retardant compounds to enable cable manufacturers to comply with CPR for fire performance. The new regulations affect products used as permanent installations in a building structure, such as data cables, control cables and building wire. Cable manufacturers supplying such products to European markets must make a formal declaration of performance to certify that a particular product meets CPR performance standards, validated in testing by an independent body. CPR focuses on the fire reaction of a cable, its contribution to fire propagation through heat given off in combustion, the amount and transparency of the smoke emitted, and the acidity of the produced gases. The fire reaction of a cable is indicated by a classification system, with cables ranked from B2ca to Fca. Class B2ca requires the lowest heat release, lowest fire growth rate, and lowest flame spread performance from cable testing.

David Braun, Teknor Apex wire and cable industry manager, said: “Among Halguard

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compounds now available are products suitable for class B2ca and below, under the new system.”

“According studies, contaminated fiber endfaces typically account for 85 percent of optical network failures,” explained Maury Wood, product line manager for AFL’s test and inspection division. “With the advent of broadband and enterprise data center links at 100Gbps and higher, the universal adherence to best practice fiber cleaning and inspection methods is an operational imperative.” The FOCIS WiFi2 utilizes AFL’s portfolio of inspection adapter tips for both connectors and bulkhead sleeves, including all 2.5mm (SC, FC, ST) and 1.25mm (LC) ferrules, as well as multi-fiber connectors and bulkhead sleeves (MPO/MTP/MPO16). AFL also offers an adapter tip for high density LC PC/UPC optical distribution frames. A FOCISWiFi2 app supports live image video streaming, auto-focus, IEC/IPC standard and user-customized pass/fail auto-analysis, pinch-to-zoom on endface images, report generation, multi-language GUI support and day/time stamped job saving. Expanded count range OFS has expanded its AccuRibbon ® DC fiber optic cable range to include fiber counts up to 864, available in dielectric and metallic/armored versions. AccuRibbon DC cables were previously available in fiber counts up to 432. The cables are designed to significantly reduce cable preparation times and cable weights, which help lower deployment and to industry

For cleaner fiber AFL has launched its FOCIS WiFi2, a next- generation fiber optic connector inspection system that uses an Android or iOS wireless connection for live image video streaming. The FOCIS WiFi2 probe is ergonomic and lightweight. The probe hardware has a single multipurpose button, a single multi- color functional status LED, and a battery charging port for all-day mobility. The status LED enhances workflow productivity by allowing rapid operator assessment of the cleanliness of the fiber endface (either passing or failing standard rules) as well as “fiber not found” error notification.

S S AFL has launched its FOCIS WiFi2

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splicing costs and shorten installation time. Super-absorbent polymer tapes replace the gel to impede water migration in the cable core, and the cables have been used with success in outside plant installations and applications.

offering the new AccuTube+ rollable ribbon fiber optic cable. Available with 1,728 and 3,456 fibers, these cables can be installed in common 1.25 inch and 2 inch ducts, respectively. The AccuTube product line is designed for ruggedness, fiber protection, ease of installation and ready accessibility to fiber ribbons. In a rollable ribbon cable 12 fibers are connected by matrix material to form a flexible ribbon. The ribbons can be rolled into tight bundles, so doubling the fiber density of a cable. The fibers are unrolled into a ribbon that can be spliced with traditional flat ribbon machines. Eric Whitham, OSP cable product manager, said: “Users can enjoy the significant time and cost savings benefits of 12-fiber mass fusion splicing, as compared with single fiber splicing, while getting the highest fiber density. In outside plant installations customers can double the fiber count viable for a particular duct size.” In addition, OFS is introducing 144 and 288 fiber rollable ribbon versions of its indoor/ outdoor AccuRiser™ fiber optic cable. These cables are designed to offer the triple benefits of mass fusion splicing, compact size and flexibility for tough indoor routing applications. As fiber counts rise, but duct space and cable storage space remain at a premium, these smaller, more flexible cables can be excellent alternatives to more traditional cable technologies.

S S The AccuRibbon ® DC fiber optic cable range from OFS

In addition to satisfying TelcordiaGR-20 issue 4 requirements, the AccuRibbon DC cables have met OFS’s own aggressive coiling simulations where cables are twisted and coiled under real-life installation conditions. This installation simulation testing is beyond the current minimum testing standards used by the industry. Rollable ribbons OFS has introduced two new cable product families using new fiber optic rollable ribbon technology.

The company is expanding its AccuTube ® ribbon in loose tube cable range by

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Crush-resistant cable L-com Global Connectivity has released a new line of armored USB cables for use in industrial computing, test and measurement, data acquisition and data storage applications. A premium USB 3.0 cable is covered with a crush-resistant stainless steel or PVC armor for use in situations where standard cables would be damaged from excessive force or impact. The stainless steel armor provides 1,500 psi of crush resistance, and the PVC armor provides 800 psi. The cables have 24 AWG USB power leads for maximum power transfer and a braid shield for maximum protection against EMI/ RFI. The cables are available in stock lengths of 0.3m, 0.5m, 1m and 1.5m and feature type-A to type-A or type-A to type-B USB 3.0 connectors. Flat new addition Heilind Electronics, a distributor of electronic components and an authorized distributor for 3M, has added the manufacturer’s new 7700 series 0.025 inch round conductor flat ribbon cable to its interconnect and cabling products inventory.

The 7700 series supports IDC (insulation displacement contact) termination and can be used in controlled impedance LVDS (low voltage differential signaling) wire-to- board applications, including automated test equipment and communications network equipment. In addition, the 7700 series flat ribbon cable not only supports speeds of up to 20Gbps, but also enables tighter folding with minimal performance impact. 3M’s 7700 series ribbon cable is constructed from30AWGsolidconductorsandpolyolefin insulators, with an outer layer laminated with flexible foil to control impedance at 95 ohms. Siemens’ PowerLink IP is a power line carrier (PLC) system for digital high voltage substations. The systemuses thehigh voltage lines between substations as a channel, overlaying a modulated carrier frequency on the frequency of the transmission voltage in the overhead lines. Traditional PLCs for high voltage lines typically use bandwidths of up to 32kHz, offering a data transmission rate of up to 320kb per second. In contrast, PowerLink IP uses a much broader frequency band of up to 256kHz, allowing a data rate of up to 2.5Mbps of bidirectional transmission. High voltage development

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