wiredInUSA May 2020

Issue No. 107 - May 2020

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

IWCS 2020 goes virtual Page 9

70 years of wire and cable. Page 11

December date for wire 2020. Page 29

Company reflects on its 40 th year. Page 35

RAYEX S XT • Precision measurement for wall thickness, eccentricity and diameter • Easy and quick set up for new products • Added longevity due to high-quality X-ray source Wall Thickness Measurement Made Easy

www.zumbach.com • sales@zumbach.ch

EDITOR

This year’s 60 th IWCS symposium and exhibition is going entirely virtual. Themove, due to the coronavirus pandemic, will see the IWCS provide an interactive platform during October. Although it is still in the planning stages, the event could be held over a two-week period, with more than 100 papers already registered. “The response to our considerations of this 2020 ‘virtual’ platform has been really inspiring, with a variety of options, opportunities and benefits,” said Dave Kiddoo, CEO of IWCS. More details can be found on page 9. wire 2020 – the largest exhibition in our industry calendar – has also quickly been rearranged with new dates of 7 to 11 December at the Fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. Existing contracts with organisers Messe Düsseldorf remain valid for the new dates, and visitors’ tickets already purchased for the original dates are also valid. “It is very important for us to inform you of this new date as soon as possible in order to ensure planning security for the entire industry and its partners,” said Wolfram Diener, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. “Our customers and partners can trust us to act calmly and responsibly even in difficult situations.” Full story on page 29. David Bell Editor

3

wiredInUSA - May 2020

May 2020 Issue No.107 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

SHOW DIARY 2020

09 PAGE

MAKING THE NEWS Industry news from the USA

28 PAGE

EUROPE NEWS The latest news from Europe

34 PAGE

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS The latest news from Asia & Africa

40 PAGE

PRODUCTS, MACHINES & TECHNOLOGY The latest news from machine industries

wiredInUSA - May 2020

4

wiredIn USA

© 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

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 and Europe) Gill Watson Publisher Caroline Sullens

SALES & MARKETING (INTERNATIONAL) Sales Director Jason Smith jason@wiredinusa.com +44 1926 834 684 Accounts Manager Karen Low karen@intras.co.uk

5

wiredInUSA - May 2020

DIARY Shows & Events 2020

JUNE 17-20 June 2020 Korea Metal Week 2020 Seoul, South Korea www.korea-metal.com

SEPTEMBER 22-24 September 2020

The 21 st China International Spring Industry Exhibition Guangzhou, China www.springexpo.com.cn

SEPTEMBER 23-26 September 2020 wire China Shanghai, China www.wirechina.net

OCTOBER 11-14 October 2020 IWCS 2020 Cable &

Connectivity Symposium A virtual symposium & exhibition www.iwcs.org

OCTOBER 26-28 October 2020

OCTOBER 27-30 October 2020 Euro Blech Hanover, Germany www.euroblech.com

CRU World Optical Fiber & Cable Conference 2020 Milan, Italy www.worldopticalfiberconference.com

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

wiredInUSA - May 2020

6

IWCS 2020 goes virtual M A K I N G T H E NEWS

This year’s 60 th annual IWCS conference is going virtual.

“We actually envision that we might actuallybeable toattract anadditional number of new visitors/attendees to IWCS who would not normally be able to attend the face-to-face conference in the past. “Your I WCS board of directors is considering all options in a very creative manner, to maintain the very same value, quality and integrity of our IWCS 2020 Cable & Connectivity Symposium, including the supplier exhibition. “In addition to the professional development courses and the plenary, executive and technical sessions, we intend to includeaplatformfor the IWCS supplier exhibition, potentially open during each of the other sessions as well as dedicated times for attendees to visit with exhibitors. Exhibitors would be able to provide promotions, new product presentations, videos or ‘on call’ live conversations to meet with attendees as part of their IWCS virtual experience.”

The symposium and exhibition, due to be staged at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, USA, will be held entirely online in October. The move, due to the coronavirus pandemic, will see the IWCS provide an exciting and interactive platform for the discussion and sharing of innovations in critical cabling infrastructure on which the world depends, especially now. “Our conference is a learning environment that fosters discussion, encourages innovation and professional development. We are creatively designing a full program to provide valuable opportunities for our speakers, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors,” said a spokesman. “The response to our considerations of this 2020 ‘virtual’ platform has been really inspiring, with a variety of options, opportunities and benefits,” said Dave Kiddoo , CEO of IWCS.

9

wiredInUSA - May 2020

70 years of wire and cable

Southwire celebrated its 70 th anniversary on 23 March 2020. The company, founded in 1950 by Roy Richards Sr, began making wire and cable with just 12 employees and three machines and has grown to 7,500 employees in over 40 US cities and seven countries around the world. Mr Richards’ original idea was to take electric light to his grandmother’s home in Carroll County, Georgia, but, over the next two years , Southwire shipped five million pounds of wire and cable and doubled its plant size. To this day, Southwire remains

family-owned through the ownership of Roy’s children and grandchildren.

In a press release to mark the milestone, the company said: “Today is a day of celebration for seven decades of Southwire, but, more importantly, it is a day that we can express our gratitude to everyone who has helped our company grow. So, thank you – to our customers, partners , employees and more. You are the ones to whom we owe our success, and today, a deep and genuine message of gratitude goes out to all of you.”

Clinton High Frequency Spark Tester

NEW!

Auto calibration with Clinton STCAL system Pinhole and bare wire di erentiation Detachable display can be located 25’ away Flexible front panel password security Optional Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, PROFIBUS Modbus TCP and Analog communications Easy connection to most PLCs Voltage Watchdog

HF-15B Spark Tester

(860) 669-7548 www.clintoninstrument.com

When the result matters…

®

For Drawing, Compacting & Tube Ø1.2mm to Ø120.0mm +

Quality UP. Costs DOWN. Nano-die® Performs: very low friction & extreme hardness better Copper and Aluminium utilization +0 tolerance for full die life better surface quality No die polishing/no re-cutting required

Applications include compacting & stranding; wire & tube drawing; rod breakdown. Materials include aluminium & alloys, copper, brass, welding alloys, low carbon & stainless steel. Trial and take advantage of the benefits of Nano-Die® from Nano-Diamond America. (Nano-Die® is a registered trademark. Product distribution is exclusive through select NDA Distributorships) Nano-Diamond America, Inc. 2025 Woodbrook Court, Tel: +1 (434) 220-0435 visit www.nano-die.com/press Charlottesville, VA 22901 Fax: +1 (804) 980-7770 or e-mail admin@nano-die.com

US onshore wind projects

JohnWoodGroupplchaswonengineering, procurement and construction jobs on US onshore wind projects with a combined capacity of 230MW. In a statement, Wood said that the combined value of the contracts is around $100 million, and the projects will take up to 12 months to execute. Wood will deliver full EPC services for the 128MW Flat Ridge 3 wind farm in south- central Kansas. The project is being

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 developed by the renewables arm of American Electric Power Company Inc, as an extension of the Flat Ridge 1 and 2 wind parks. The company has also won a contract from Black Hills Energy to support its 40MW Corriedale wind project in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and will work on four wind parks in Oregon’s Morrow and Umatilla Counties for Orchard Windfarms.

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

New venture on hold

Brian Kim, CEO of Superior Essex, announced in late-March that the proposed joint venture between Essex Magnet Wire and Furukawa Electric Co has been postponed until October 2020. The change of date is a result of expert advice regarding health and safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. On completion of the joint venture, the Essex Furukawa brand is expected to bring market leadership positions in North

America, Europe and Asia; to enable strategic customer partnerships; and to expedite research and technological advancements, especially in electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) development.

wiredInUSA - May 2020

14

Online design tool

Molex has launched a custom cable creator to enable customers to design their own cable harnesses, online. The tool is designed tomeet the needs of most major industries, including consumer, home appliance, medical and data computing. The Molex Cable Creator allows users to choose from many different product connector families, circuit sizes, wire gauges, UL styles, cable lengths andmore. A proprietary pinout configurator gives

options to select individual connections and wire color.

“The new Custom Cable Creator [will] help wiring harness designers develop solutions to meet their exact needs,” said Jonathan Thompson, global product manager, Molex. “With the amount of customization now available, customers can easily design their own pinout for the wires and greatly simplify cable routing and management.”

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.

15 Ray Trainor Drive Narragansett, RI 02882

www.dewal.com usa1@rogerscorporation.com 800-366-8356 (International: 001-401-789-9736)

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

15

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Hoosier state upgrade

American Electric Power’s Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) has announced that it plans to spend $77 million to upgrade the electric transmission network in northeastern Indiana. Area Improvements Project will include 24 miles of new 69kV transmission line, and the upgrade of around four miles of 34.5kV transmission line to 69kV standards. The company added that the project involves The Western Fort Wayne

rebuilding some sections of line in the company’s present right of way.

The plan is designed to strengthen the local electric transmission system, reduce the likelihood of power outages, speed recovery of service when outages occur, and prepare the electric system to support economic development. Construction is set to begin in spring 2021, with the facilities coming into service in late summer 2022.

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

wiredInUSA - May 2020

16

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.

The range of stamps featuring ten wire sculptures by Ruth Asawa. Photograph courtesy of USPS

Post and wire

The US Postal Service (USPS) has released a set of stamps featuring ten wire sculptures by Ruth Asawa, who died in 2013. The stamps are a tribute to the late Japanese-American artist, whose technique borrowed from traditional Mexican basket weaving.

showcases Asawa’s wire sculptures, showing a 1954 Lifemagazine photograph of Asawa in the margin of the set. Asawa’s wire sculptures can be seen in the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Photographed by Dan Bradica and Laurence Cuneo, the set of 20 stamps

wiredInUSA - May 2020

18

Offshore wind progress

Ramboll, of Denmark, has been chosen by Dominion Energy to support development and engineering of the Coastal Virginia offshore wind (CVOW) project, expected to be supplying to the grid by late 2026.

compared to 20GW in Europe, there are plans for major expansions in the coming years.

The offshore array will become the largest in the USA.

Although at present the USA has only 30MW of established offshore wind,

THE MAC EDGE

®

Breaking new ground in nondestructive testing since 1928.

See the Rotomac® 20mm EC Rotary at Tube 2020 Hall 6, Stand H-20 http://www.mac-ndt.com/tube-2020

mac-ndt.com

WiredinUSA 1/2 pg HORZ MARCH 2020 Ad.indd 1

2/13/20 11:12 PM

wiredInUSA - May 2020

20

Strengthened by steel.

I

N

N

T

E

O

T I

R

N

A

I

A

C

T

I

O

O

9 YEARS WAI 1 9 3 0 - 2 0 2 0

S

N

S

A

A

L I

W I R E C I N

N C

W

I R

E

L

A

A

S

N

S

I O

O

T

C

A

I A

N

T I

R

O

E

T

N

I N

STEEL: Strong. Tough. Reliable. And the right choice for structural support.

If you are on a mission to learn about steel wire, you will want to prepare for the rugged challenges of this global sector. But don’t go it alone.

Think of the Wire Association International (WAI) as an ally for alloys—a resource to help you meet your educational and manufacturing goals straightaway. That’s our mission and it has been for 90 years. Join forces with peers who are centered on steel wire. Get training and industry news. Meet influencers and experts. WAI is the only choice for wire industry pro- fessionals unless, of course, you’d rather get to “B” on your own.

Use the QR code to reveal why members around the world rely on WAI for career support.

JOIN TODAY: www.wirenet.org

21

wiredInUSA - May 2020

AFL has introduced a new tool, the RT-02

Glue-less splicing

AFL has introduced a new tool, the RT- 02, for ribbonizing and splicing 12-fiber ribbons. Said to be the first ribbonizing tool that uses a glue-less process, the RT- 02 eliminates glue cure time and possible contamination of the splicing equipment. Greg Pickeral, fusion splicer product manager for AFL, said: “Those who have ribbonized with traditional methods will really see and feel the difference,” adding that the new features “must be seen to be appreciated.”

The RT-02 ribbonizer is suitable for 200µm and 250µm loose fibers, for 200µm and 250µm MPO termination, and for mass fusion splicing loose fiber cables. Loading in order of the color code sequence is not necessary, and fibers can be inserted at will and loaded directly into the fiber holder after inserting all twelve fibers.

wiredInUSA - May 2020

22

Image: (left to right) Dan Hill, chief executive officer for Würth Industry North America, and Greg Mark, CEO and founder of Markforged. Photo Würth.

The addition of additive manufacturing

Würth Industry North America (WINA), a division of the fastener distribution company Würth Group, has signed a national agreement with Markforged, a provider of industrial metal and carbon fiber 3D printers. The agreement is expected to benefit Würth Industry’s customers in the general manufacturing market, as well as oil and gas, heavy equipment, and transportation. “We are thrilled to bring innovative digital supply chain solutions to our customers,” said Dan Hill, CEO for Würth Industry North America. “By integrating Markforged 3D printing technology with our existing kanban programs, we are able to offer quicker time to market and lower inventory costs. We’re able to cut out the sourcing, purchasing, and transportation costs, and deliver the value directly to the customer.”

“We’re excited to expand the global reach of our solutions with Würth and continue to push the bounds of what’s possible in additive manufacturing,” said Greg Mark, CEO and founder of Markforged. “Markforged makes it easy to build anything you can imagine, and that capability will allow industrial manufacturers to lower inventory costs by printing production tools and parts – quickly and reliably.” Markforged’s 3D printing technology can be used with a wide range of metals, from high-conductivity copper to industrial tool steel, and superalloys such as Inconel. In addition, its composite platform can print in continuous carbon fiber, Kevlar ® and more, creating functional parts said to rival aluminum in terms of strength and stiffness, but at a fraction of the weight.

wiredInUSA - May 2020

24

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

West coast expansion

ABB is developing a west coast distribution center for its Electrification Installation Products business (previously Thomas and Betts) in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has planned for the distribution center to be fully operational during the third quarter of 2020. “This new distribution center in Phoenix brings us closer to customers on the western part of the US, allowing us to deliver to contractors and industrial

builders the products they need, when they need them,” said Ken Shotts, head of US distribution. “Our new facility in Arizona represents an important milestone in the expansion of our logistics capabilities,” said Christy Tilton, head of sales for US ABB Installation Products.

THE MAC EDGE

®

Breaking new ground in nondestructive testing since 1928.

See the Rotomac® 20mm EC Rotary at Tube 2020 Hall 6, Stand H-20 http://www.mac-ndt.com/tube-2020

mac-ndt.com

WiredinUSA 1/2 pg HORZ MARCH 2020 Ad.indd 1

2/13/20 11:12 PM

wiredInUSA - May 2020

26

Battery research bids

The Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) is asking for research proposals to support innovation and development in lead battery technologies. The organization is seeking research bids that focus on developing energy storage applications such as microgrids for renewable energy, load following for electrical grids, and demand response for commercial and industrial applications. This latest research request aims to identify new ways to continue the improvements in lead battery performance. Dr Matthew Raiford, manager of CBI’s technical program, explained: “Each year we push the boundaries of research in lead battery technology. We’ve made great progress in the last 12 months with

our rolling research program, so we’re opening up the opportunity for universities, companies, and other research institutes to submit proposals for a new wave of research projects. “We know that demand for battery- supported energy storage is growing exponentially, and innovation in our technology needs to keep pace with this growth.” CBI believes that, as a newer application for lead batteries, research into field and laboratory tests for energy storage systems is essential to gain deeper understanding of total energy throughput, and to increase service life and performance.

27

wiredInUSA - May 2020

EUROPE NEWS

wiredInUSA - May 2020

28

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf, Constanze Tillmann

December date for wire 2020

wire 2020 – the world’s leading international trade fair for the wire and cable industry – will now take place from 7 to 11 December 2020 at Düsseldorf Fairgrounds. This is Messe Düsseldorf’s timely response to the postponement of the exhibition announced at the end of February. It was agreed in consultation with all partners involved in order to counteract the increasingly dynamic developments regarding the spread of coronavirus.

to ensure planning security for the entire industry and its partners,” said Wolfram Diener, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. “Our customers and partners can trust us to act calmly and responsibly even in difficult situations.” Existing contracts with Messe Düsseldorf remain valid for the newdates; visitor tickets already purchased also remain valid. 2,600 exhibitors in 15 halls are expected to present their latest machinery and equipment for wire and tube production, processing and finishing, end products, products and services.

“It is very important for us to inform you of this new date as soon as possible in order

29

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Greek manufacturer winning contracts

Northern Europe expansion

Image: Hellenic Cables Group

Image courtesy of Windak Group

Energinet has selected Hellenic Cables as one of three cable manufacturers to supply underground high voltage cable systems (145kV-170kV). In addition to supplying high voltage cables, the contract will include all the other elements needed for Denmark’s high voltage onshore network. The eight-year contract will demand an estimated 4,200km of cable. The orders will be distributed to the three manufacturers, either by direct assignment or by competitions between participating manufacturers per the framework agreement. Hellenic Cables also has an agreement with Semco Maritime A/S to supply inter-array cables for the Mayflower Wind project, a joint venture of Shell New Energies US LLC and EDPR Offshore North America LLC. Work on the project is expected to begin in 2025. The company will provide 300km of 66kV, XLPE insulated submarine inter-array cables and the order is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, with final installation expected around 2025.

The machinery manufacturer Windak is expanding with a new production facility in Estonia, bringing together two established facilities. “This opportunity came at the perfect time, as wewere looking for key opportunities that would allow us to expand our company, our services, and reach new customers,” said Staffan Edstrom, Windak Group’s chairman. “This new production facility will allow us to [increase exports], improve our production process and organize Open House events, which will help us to keep closer communication with our EMEA customers and suppliers.” The new facility is expected to be officially opened around July of this year. cable packaging

wiredInUSA - May 2020

30

Spanish utility plans 2020 investments

Early start for planning procedure

Iberdrola’s CEO, Ignacio Galán The Spanish utilities company Iberdrola will invest €10 billion in Spain’s economy with the delivery of several solar projects during 2020. During the company’s online AGM, Iberdrola’s CEO, Ignacio Galán, said the company will invest the money across the entire business, to boost economic confidence and prevent job losses in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, saying: “We share with you the certainty that speeding up investments, once these exceptional circumstances come to an end, is the best – I would venture to say the only – way to get through this situation of crisis and uncertainty.” However, with Spain in lockdown, Iberdrola has been forced to call a temporary halt to construction work on its solar and wind projects. The company has PV projects of 590MWp and 328MW under construction in Spain’s Extremadura region, as well as a 149MW project in Portugal that is yet to break ground. The company currently has a 9GW backlog of renewable projects but confirmed that, regardless of the Covid-19 outbreak, it expects to commission at least half of these projects before the end of 2020.

Germany’s Amprion has secured a waiver from the relevant authorities to allow the transmission system operator to bypass the regional planning procedure for the sections of DolWin4 and BorWin4 offshore grid connection systems between the North Sea coast (Hagermarsch) and the Emden area. Thecompany can now start preparing for the public planning procedure, and expects to submit the necessary documents and start the procedure in 2022. The 900MW DolWin4 and the 900MW BorWin4 systems are planned to be commissioned in 2028 and 2029, respectively. The two offshore systems will be connected to the Amprion grid in Lingen, in Lower Saxony. The cables will cross the island of Norderney and reach themainland in the coastal town Hagermarsch. On the mainland, Amprion has to install between 150km and 170km of land cable between the coast and the grid connection point in Lingen. DolWin4 and BorWin4 will be installed in parallel at the onshore sections. The administrative districts of Aurich and Emden, the relevant authorities for the 43km section between the North Sea coast and Emden, waived the planning procedure on the grounds, explained Amprion, that the established Regional Plan already contains suitable corridors for offshore cables.

31

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Calling route planners

Plea to remember clean energy

Image courtesy of TenneT Offshore GmbH

TenneT Offshore GmbH has issued a tender for the technical planning of an onshore cable route, part of the approval process for its BorWin6 offshore grid connection in the German North Sea. The tender will include the technical planning of the country route of the BorWin6, which lands in Neuenkoog (Büsum) and has to be routed to the Büttel network connection point, partly within a corridor that is already contractually secured. This corridor is to be sought in parallel with the existing and under construction systems HelWin1 and 2, SylWin1 and NordLink. The converter of the cable system is to be built in the vicinity of the HelWin1 and 2 and SylWin1 converters in the UW Büttel. The 900MW BorWin6 offshore grid connection is scheduled for commission in 2027.

Dr Fatih Birol

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is calling for governments to put clean energy technologies “at the heart” of economic stimulus packages drawn up in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Paris-based agency is concerned that policy makers could lose sight of long-term climate change goals as they develop responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, and believes that clean-energy-focused stimulus packages would bring the twin benefits of boosting economic growth and accelerating the clean energy transition. IEA executive director Dr Fatih Birol said: “Although [the coronavirus repercussions] may be severe, the effects are likely to be temporary. We should not allow today’s crisis to compromise our efforts to tackle the world’s inescapable challenge.” Dr Birol added that governments’ economic stimulus packages “offer an excellent opportunity” to ensure that clean energy investment continues. Established technologies, such as wind and solar, can be widely deployed, while investment in newer technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen would help them to scale up, and lower costs.

wiredInUSA - May 2020

32

Offshore transition work

New line for low voltage cable

Image courtesy of FairWind FairWind has completed the electrical installation of 59 transition pieces for the Borssele 1+2 offshore wind farm for Bladt Industries. The project scope included mounting circuit breakers, lights, cabling, filling high voltage switchgear with liquid air, and all other necessary electrical components. The transition piece segments were assembled in Aalborg harbor, Denmark, before their installation at the 752MW wind farm, which is under construction 23km off the coast of Zeeland. The work represents FairWind’s first large- scale electrical and high voltage project, and is also the company’s first contract with Bladt. In addition to the Bladt contract, FairWind was contracted by Siemens Gamesa for turbine pre-assembly work for the same project.

Image courtesy of Maillefer

Maillefer’s new FPO/FTU14 is a floor traversing payoff and take-up, available in both tire and dog pin drive versions, and geared for line speeds of up to 400m per minute. With the tire drive version, a double tire configuration ensures traction even at high cable tensions. The equipment is rated for reels weighing up to 14 tons and can handle reel diameters between 630mm and 3,200mm. Spooling is possible in any vertical position, giving faster reel changes when spooling on small reel sizes, and the ergonomic control panel is easily accessible from a choice of operator positions.

33

wiredInUSA - May 2020

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

wiredInUSA - May 2020

34

Image courtesy of Ducab

Company reflects on its 40 th year

Commenting company’s performance in 2019, its 40 th anniversary of operations, Ducab chairman Dr Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh revealed the progress of Ducab-HV (DHV) towards its key strategic targets. Highlights have included the manufacture and delivery of DHV’s first 220kV cable order to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); achieving record monthly production volume (November 2019); energization of the full turnkey 132kV system for phase 3 of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park; completing a 220kV system type test; and commencing the one- year pre-qualification test in a European- based test laboratory. Ducab Group has announced a 5% climb in overall profitability in 2019, driven by gains in key areas of its cable and metal manufacturing portfolio. on the

With six manufacturing facilities across four sites in the UAE, Ducab has a manufacturing capability of over 115,000 metal tonnes of high, medium and low-voltage cable types; its upgraded production capacity of 175,000 tonnes of copper rod and wire per annum is complemented by 50,000 tonnes per annum of aluminum rod and overhead conductors. The company exports 60% of its overall production. Outside of the energy sector, Ducab is to supply over 90% of the cable requirements for the Expo 2020 project, including the Route 2020 Metro expansion, and is a supplier to the Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia and Delhi Metro and Lucknow Metro rail projects in India.

35

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Second plant completion

New market investment

Image courtesy of LS Cable

Image courtesy of Riyadh Cables

LS Cable and System has completed its second submarine cable plant in Donghae, Gangwon province, South Korea, more than doubling its submarine cable production capacity. Construction began in March in 2019. The plant will continuously manufacture submarine power cables of about 30cm in diameter, at tens of kilometers at a time. This second plant has facilities for production, storage and transportation of ultra-high voltage cables on a large scale. Most of the facilities were developed in-house and include a 50m- tall manufacturing facility and a 5,000-ton turntable capable of holding 1,000 five- ton truck loads of cables at one time.

Riyadh Cables expects to access opportunities in the power distribution market, following its recent investment in new production facilities for LV and MV cables with solid aluminum conductors. The company has added aluminum continuous extruding machinery into its cable production lines, to cater for the supply of the power cables to Australian and western European utilities. The new cables are also suitable for renewable energy applications, to interconnect wind farms to the main substations.

wiredInUSA - May 2020

36

Saudi solar finance

Bidder selection for PV schemes

Image courtesy of ACWA Power

A consortium of Saudi-based ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Alternative Energy Projects Company (AEPC) has achieved financial closure for the 500MW Ibri II solar project in Oman. A syndicate of international and local lenders, including Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Bank Muscat, Riyad Bank, Siemens Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Warba Bank, will provide the $275m senior debt. “Successfully achieving financial closure during these challenging times is a testament to the determination of all the stake holders in this project to keep doing the best we can, within the constraints,” said Paddy Padmanathan, chief executive officer of ACWA Power. Located 300km west of Muscat, the $400 million independent power project (IPP), Oman’s largest utility scale solar plant, is being developed on a “build, own, operate” basis.

Saudi Arabia has published a shortlist of bidders who can compete for the installation of up to 1.5GW of solar photovoltaic capacity across the kingdom. The developers were selected following a request for proposals, in the second round of the country’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), in two separate categories. The first category targets two solar projects with a combined capacity of 70MW, while the second covers four schemes totaling 1,400MW. Category A includes the 50MW Madinah and 20MW Rafha projects. According to data issued by the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry, two bidders were shortlisted for each of the two projects. Category B includes the Al-Faisaliah (600MW), Jeddah (300MW), Rabigh (300MW) and Qurrayat (200MW) projects. A total of four bids were submitted for each of the four schemes.

37

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Light research Cables keep out the cold

Image courtesy of Sumitomo Electric

Researchers at NTT have developed awide- band, high performance quantum light source (squeezed light source) that could be used for optical quantum computer chips operating at room temperature. The team has found that squeezed light has compressed quantum noise that can be used to create quantumentanglement. The light source can output continuous-wave wide-bandwidth high level squeezed light. The light source can also increase the clock frequency of the quantum computer itself, with implications for high speed quantum computation. NTT said the researchers have succeeded in compressing over 75% of the quantum noiseby usingahighperformancenonlinear optical waveguide, fabricated by NTT, and the high quality optical control and measurement technology of the University of Tokyo. For the next stage, the research team aims to demonstrate the generation of large- scale entanglement states and optical quantum operations to develop universal quantum computers using wide-band squeezed light. Experimental setup for squeezing level measurement. Image courtesy of NTT

Sumitomo Electric Industries has a range of flame-retardant cables suitable for severe cold environments down to −40°C. The company received an order for 400km of cables in 2016, via Kawasaki Heavy Industries, for a gas-to-gasoline (GTG) plant in Turkmenistan. The cables were manufactured and delivered by a Sumitomo Electric group company, PT Sumi Indo Kabel Tbk (SIK). The cables have been in operation in severe cold environments since 2019, the launch of theGTGoperation that is the only one of its kind in the world. Turkmenistan is located in the southwestern part of central Asia, where temperatures can be as high as 40°C to 50°C in summer, and below freezing in winter. The difference in temperatures is large, not only over the year, season to season, but also over the course of a day, daytime to nighttime, and with very severe weather conditions. Sumitomo Electric developed the new cables by addressing the composition of the coating material. Conventional highly flame-retardant cables could break the jacket if used in cold environments of around −15°C, depending on the wiring condition. Sumitomo Electric’s new cables, however, do not break the jacket even in the harsh environment of −40°C, retaining high flame retardancy (IEC 60332-3-24).

wiredInUSA - May 2020

38

Ultra-small optical fiber

Wiring revisions

Image courtesy of Hengtong Group

DoE under-secretary Mohammed bin Jarsh Al Falasi TheAbuDhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has revised its regulations for electrical wiring, in place since 2014, in an effort to ease financial burdens on nationals wishing to build new villas. A specialized task force at the DoE’s regulatory affairs department reviewed the regulations, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) and Al Ain Distribution Company (AADC), to identify areas that could be modified to cut costs for residential villa owners. DoE under-secretary Mohammed bin Jarsh Al Falasi said: “Reviewing the regulations on electrical wiring is part of our efforts to streamline the process of electrical installations in homes, …while making the set-up more cost-effective.” Teams from the DoE, ADDC and AADC modified regulations for allocating electrical panels for distribution boards in residential villas, which have an average electric current of 200 amps or more. It is expected that at least half of new residential villa owners in Abu Dhabi will benefit from the amendments.

Hengtong has launched new single-mode fibers (SMF): the BoneCom ® Smini-G652 D series, used for MANand trunk transmission networks, and BendCom ® Smini-G.657 A2 series with excellent bending performance. In contrast to traditional 245-micron and 200-micron small diameter fiber, the novel fiber has a diameter of 180microns. The new fiber is said to be cheaper, have better attenuation and provides a more stable cabling process when applied to ultra-small air blowing micro cable and ultra-dense optical cable. The parameters of the two products accord with the ITU-T G652 D and ITU-T G.657 A2 international standard, and are fully compatible with traditional SMF. BoneCom Smini-G652 D series are more suitable for high-density optical cable and air blown micro-cable, used in pipelines. Compared with traditional SMF, 30% more BoneCom fibers could be contained in the same size cable while increasing the communication capacity and reducing cable manufacturing cost. BendCom Smini-G657 A2 has excellent bend-resistant performance and can be micro-miniaturized for use in narrow spaces.

39

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Products, Machines & Technology

wiredInUSA - May 2020

40

Partners in prototype After an 18-month collaboration, Cimteq and Aesa Cortaillod have launched a new prototype that integrates Cimteq’s cable design software, CableBuilder, with Aesa Cortaillod’s quality management software, CIQ. Ali Shehab, Cimteq president, commented: “By seamlessly interconnecting CableBuilder and CIQ through a single and universal interface, it is possible to simplify the overall handling of large design and production data pools. “This represents a quantum step towards the smart factory, with the ultimate goal of closing the loop from the initial cable design concept all the way to production and delivery, resulting in significant raw material savings, improvements in quality, and major produc tivity gains.” Amanda Shehab, Cimteq director, added: “In future, we also plan to integrate our CableMES with Aesa’s CIQ, as it provides a highly sophisticated analysis tool. “It is vital that CableMES knows the quality status of every piece of material, finished and semi-finished product on the shop floor. This can be done through CabeMES’s own quality module, or through a third-party system like CIQ.”

measurement data is at the heart of any cable manufacturer’s drive for continuous improvement. The CIQ quality management system supports traceability features as well as extended quality improvement and data management capabilities. In very real terms, it opens a window on to the shop floor by tracking process and test data.” Power of four comes to cleat range Cable gland and cleat manufacturer CMP Products has launched “Saturn” (QSDSS) a new quad cable cleat range that allows cables to be safely installed in quad formation. Designed and developed by CMP’s in- house research and development team, the Saturn quad cleat has a high short circuit ratingof 152kAand has undergone stringen t third-party testing and certification. Saturn cleats safely restrain single cables in quad (also known as quadrafoil or quatrefoil) formation, whilst also protecting the integrity of the cables and the cable management system in the event of a short circuit. The new quad cable cleat range has a compact design for space-constrained projects and is manufactured in the UK from 316L stainless steel for high strength

Aesa Cortaillod’s CEO, Vincent Arbet- Engels, PhD, said: “Accurate, reliable

41

wiredInUSA - May 2020

and corrosion resistance. The quad cleat is suitable for harsh environments.

identificat ion quality by automatically identifying cables, and printing and applying th e flag labels. The new unit removes the need to print labels in advance and the time needed to apply themby hand. The BradyPrinter A5500 can identify c ables of 1.52 to 15.24mm in diameter, and apply labels with widths up to 50.8mm and lengths between 19.05 and 76.2mm.

Designed to restrain cables across a range of industries, including datacenters, rail, energy and more, the Saturn has been third-party ce rtified in accordance with IEC 61914:2015. CMP is also the developer of the “Venus” (QPSS) cable cleat, manufactured with an integrated C-clamp and bolt. The Venus has a short circuit rating of 135kA and can be installed in a range of applications where quadruplex cable is fitted. Lee Frizzell, CMP’s technical director, commented: “In a space-sensitive but safety-conscious industry, the Saturn series offers a compact solution, whilst maintaining an incredibly high level of restraint, demonstrated by robust third- party testing.” Cable marking time Brady believes that experienced operators can print and manually apply a flag label on a cable in 15 seconds, using the new BradyPrinter A5500 300dpi flag printer applicator.

S S The new BradyPrinter A5500 300dpi flag printer applicator

USB-ports and ethernet connectivity make the BradyPrinter A5500 practical to implement in a variety of production environments.

Whisper that boosts design

The BradyPrinter A5500 helps increase production output and improve

TE Connectivity has launched its new Strada Whisper cable receptacles, allowing

wiredInUSA - May 2020

42

Welding wire gets tough SSAB’s Duroxite ® brand of overlay products, including overlay pins and wire rolls for welding, has been extended with the addition of Duroxite ® 200 flux-cored welding wire. Duroxite overlay products are made of abrasion-resistant materials deposited onto mild steel or Hardox ® wear plate to create an extremely wear-resistant compound material. “Duroxite 200 wire is mainly used for capping, routine maintenance or repair work. It can be welded on mild steel, Q&T steels, cast materials and stainless steel. A common application is capping the weld when joining complex carbide overlay plates, such as Duroxite 200, and maintaining the same service life as the plates. Duroxite 200 wire is self-shielded and welded with an open-arc process using manual or machine welding,” explained SSAB’s product manager, Lingyun Wei. Duroxite 200 wire forms overlay with primary chromium-rich carbides and co-existing refined multi-alloy carbides to provide a combination of wear and impact resistance. It has been developed for applications with severe abrasive wear and moderate impact at up to 600°C, such as in sand and earthmoving equipment, or wear plates operating at high temperatures in the steelmaking industry.

engineers to design for up to 112G PAM-4 data rates in servers, switches and routers.

The receptacles incorporate Strada Whisper connectors at one end and connect to a variety of high speed solutions at the other, including backplane, mid-board or input/output (I/O) products, bypassing the printed circuit board (PCB) and minimizing insertion loss and crosstalk. Strada Whisper cable receptacles are useful for maintaining optimized signal integrity at high frequencies and, by saving space on the PCB, are especially valuable for dense equipment designs. The receptacle can be used with a variety of TE’s backplane, mid-board and I/O products including small form-factor pluggable (SFP), quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP), quad small form-factor pluggable double density (QSFP-DD), Sliver, and octal small form-factor pluggable (OSFP) connectors. Dean Harmon, product manager at TE Connectivity’s data and devices business unit, commented: “We strive to be among the first todeliver next-generation data rates in our connectors and cable assemblies. “Our StradaWhisper cable receptacles can optimize signal integrity at high frequencies, to facilitate the design of our customers’ next-generation data center equipment.”

43

wiredInUSA - May 2020

Longer cone draws benefits

Safe new solution Borealis and Borouge have introduced the new FR8101 halogen-free flame- retardant solution, based on metal hydrate technology. In the event of a fire, the new material actually releases water to reduce the intensity of the flames. Jacketing made with FR8101 is resistant to the flaming droplets that often cause fire to spread within buildings and, by retaining its shape even in intense heat, FR8101 jacketing stays on the cable, even if the cable is burned. The use of FR8101 eliminates material decomposition during the extrusion process, which can result in lower production speeds and inferior cable performance. The excellent mechanical properties allow manufacturers to run production lines at high speeds. Used in tandem with a cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation solution provided by Visico™/Ambicat™, FR8101 is a simple way to fulfill CPR requirements without using other FR insulation or bedding. This makes for more efficient processing during production, but also lighter cables, and thus easier installation.

Italian manufacturer Vassena Filiere has launched a new die — the VFB4.

The VFB4 die’s characteristics include a very long nib, inside of which a recess is carved inside the die’s cone, which acts as a pressure insert. The benefits of the design are said to include better lubrication, increased wear resistance and greater surface quality.

S S The VFB4 die from Vassena Filiere

The increased wear resistance is due to the longer (54mm) nib, which extends the life of the die. Less stress on the wire during the drawing process creates a better quality of wire and improved surface quality. Vassena Filiere suggests the VFB4 for high- carbon steel because of the high speed of draw.

The VFB4 die is the latest of Vassena Filiere’s developments for the wire drawing industry.

wiredInUSA - May 2020

44

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

wiredIn USA Digital . Networking . Monthly .

wiredIn USA

wiredIn USA

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

www.wiredinUSA.com

45

wiredInUSA - May 2020