wiredInUSA November 2019

Issue No. 101 - November 2019

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

Upgrade to up output Page 9

Distributor acquisition. Page 10

Nuclear sector boom. Page 29

Wire, cable and tube conference. Page 35

Quick Reliable Service Always there to help

www.zumbach.com • sales@zumbach.ch

EDITOR

Investment is high on the agenda for Liberty Steel USA. Part of London, UK-basedGFGAlliance, the company is investing $25m installing a new electric arc furnace at its Georgetown, South Carolina, wire rod mill. The company envisages that this will increase output at the mill, purchased from ArcelorMittal in 2017, to more than 400,000 tons per year, and the upgrade is expected to be complete within six to nine months. The company is working with Danieli to carry out the upgrade. Full story on page 9. And there is news on page 10 of TPC Wire and Cable Corp completing its purchase of Pittsburgh Wire and Cable Inc, a distributor of industrial and commercial wire, cable and accessories. The transaction is part of TPC’s continuing penetration of new markets, and will expand its wire and cable product range. Another acquisition completed is that of EIS Inc by Audax Private Equity. EIS is a distributor, fabricator and converter of electrical process materials, wire, cable and assemblies with 38 branches and four fabrication facilities in North America. Full details are on page 16.

David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA November 2019

November 2019 Issue No.101 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

Show Diary 2019/2020

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

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wiredIn USA

© 2019 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

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wiredInUSA November 2019

Diary Shows & Events 2019/2020

november 11-13 November 2019 CRU Africa Cable Wire & Tube 2019 Johannesburg, South Africa www.africawirecabletubeconference.com

november 18-20 November 2019 CRU World Optical Fiber & Cable 2019 North Carolina, USA www.worldopticalfiberconference.com

March 3-5 March 2020 Cables 2020 Düsseldorf, Germany www.ami.international April 20-24 April 2020 Mach Birmingham, UK www.machexhibition.com

June 2-4 June 2020 Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA www.wireexpo20.com March 30 March - 3 April 2020 wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany www.wire.de

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

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Upgrade to up output M A K I N G T H E NEWS

Liberty Steel USA, part of the London- based GFG Alliance, will invest up to $25 million to install a new electric arc furnace at its Georgetown, South Carolina, wire rod mill and to improve the infrastructure of its melt shop. The investment will increase output at the mill, purchased from ArcelorMittal in December 2017, to over 400,000 tons per year. “We have a very efficient rolling mill at Georgetown and we now want to put a world-class melt shop behind it so we can achieve our goal to become

the leading supplier of wire rod to the region and secure the long-term future of the site,” Liberty Steel USA CEO Michael Setterdahl said in a statement. Liberty is working with Danieli to carry out the upgrade, which is expected to take between six and nine months to complete once permits are obtained. During construction the Georgetown mill will use externally sourced rolling billets, including material from Liberty’s Peoria, Illinois, wire rod mill.

Front cover images: Liberty Steel

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wiredInUSA November 2019

Image: Pittsburgh Wire and Cable

Distributor acquisition

TPC Wire and Cable Corp (TPC) has completed itspurchaseof PittsburghWireand Cable (PWC) Inc, adistributor of industrial and commercial wire, cable and accessories. The acquisition will aid TPC’s penetration of new markets while expanding its wire and cable product range. TPCpresident andCEOJeff Craneexplained: “Akeyaspectofourgrowthstrategy isbuilding onto our existing products and services by entering new markets where there’s a

need to solve complex customer problems. PWC is a great fit with our current offering of interconnect solutions and we are excited to leverage resources to accelerate growth in these key markets.” Of the transaction, PWC’s president, Jamie Carlowski said: “Our focus has always been to provide our customers with quality products and exceptional service. The core values of TPC Wire and Cable complements our mission and will allow us to continue to grow the business for many years to come.”

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Rope with built-in safety

Tower crane manufacturer Wolffkran has acquired a stake in Trowis, a German manufacturer of high-performance fiber ropes for lifting and handling applications. Wolffkran identified the potential of Trowis ropes while they were in the research phase, and actively supported the foundation of the Trowis company in July 2019. Trowis fiber ropes feature a doubly redundant, self-monitoring composite fiber construction. Sensor elements,

integrated in the rope, monitor possible fiber fracture in the load-bearing rope component and signal these to the crane operator. At this point, the load is taken over by the redundant load-bearing reserve in the rope, ensuring that the load can be lowered safely. Trowis believes that its ropes have up to seven times longer service life than steel ropes. Extensive testing is under way, and commercial production is expected to begin shortly.

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Lake crossing cable system

New Jersey’s Hylan was selected by Crosslake Fiber, a fiber optic developer across North America, to support the design, engineering and construction of its Lake Ontario fiber network leg in upstate New York. Crosslake Fiber’s Lake Ontario network is an unrepeatered submarine fiber optic cable system; the first system across Lake Ontario to directly connect Toronto, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, with dark fiber. Hylan crews built 40 miles of fiber optic

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 Hylan has been involved with fiber optic cable construction and installation since thecompany’s inception in 1960. “Wewere thrilled to be a part of this historic route, that has changed the landscape of fiber optic connectivity across North America,” said Joe Cecin, CEO of Hylan. infrastructure at the shore end in New York state, completing the link that provides an alternate route between Canada and the US.

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Smart statistics gathering

Verizon and NEC have completed a proof of concept (PoC) process that uses existing fiber optic cables as distributed optical sensors to collect information on city traffic and road conditions. The trial used NEC’s latest optical sensor technology with software supported by artificial intelligence. Previously, surveyors or engineers have needed to lay purpose- built fiber in shallow ground trenches to gather and synthesize information.

Combined with NEC’s optical sensor technology, Verizon can gather data using non-purpose built fiber already laid in the ground. The technology could lead to, or improve on, other solutions that support public functions, such as helping first responders detect and respond to gunshots, and enhancing the ability of municipalities to detect infrastructure deterioration.

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Steel wire closure

Leggett & Platt Inc has confirmed the closure of its wire mill plant in Jacksonville, due to a consolidation of operations.

people in 145 manufacturing facilities in 18 countries.

In the first half of 2019 the company produced revenue of $2.4 billion and earnings of $147.4 million.

The steel wire plant is owned by Adcom Wire Co, an affiliate of Leggett & Platt.

Adcom Wire produces spools of drawn steel wire used to make products such as paint canhandles, balingwire for recycling compactors, and coiled bedsprings.

Leggett & Platt currently employs 23,000

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wiredInUSA November 2019

Acquisition confirmed

Audax Private Equity has completed its acquisition of EIS Inc, a distributor, fabricator, and converter of electrical process materials, wire, cable and assemblies, serving end-user segments in electrical power and related markets. EIS supplies over 100,000 products from 38 branches and four fabrication facilities to customers across North America. Larry Griffin, CEO of EIS, said: “We are excited to partner with Audax as we embark on our next phase of growth.

“Our independent structure will allow us to devote renewed energy on better serving our core end markets as we look to expand both organically and through strategic acquisitions. “Audax provides expertise, resources and valued experience in the distribution industry that will help us achieve these objectives to the benefit of our core constituents of suppliers, customers and employees.”

ECC offers a broad portfolio of customized elastomeric or polyolefin based compounds utilized for medium/high voltage as well as certain low voltage flame retardant applications including: • EPR and Polyolefin Compounds • Elastomeric, Crosslinkable, and Thermoplastic Compounds • Flame Retardant and Halogen Free Compounds • Moisture Crosslinkabe Compounds • Specialty/Custom/FR Masterbatches • Insulation, Jacketing, and Bedding Compounds • ISO 9001 certified manufacturing process ensures quality, efficiency and ultimately customer satisfaction. • Non-carbon black product lines produce super-clean, elastomeric high voltage cable compounds. • Personalized customer service and support to customers worldwide. Wire & Cable Customized Compounds

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PNM Resources, an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has secured approval from New Mexico regulators to acquire the Western Spirit renewable power transmission line for an investment figure of around $285 million. The proposed 140-mile, 345kV transmission line will collect renewable power from central New Mexico and deliver approximately 1,000MW to the existing grid in north-western New Mexico. PNM Resources signed an agreement in May 2019 to acquire the power line project, and that deal has now been approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, following earlier approval by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Pattern Development and NM RETA will be responsible for the development and construction of the Western Spirit transmission line, and PNM will become the owner of the project upon its completion in 2021. The line will deliver wind-generated energy. KenWilson,anengineeringfellowwithWestern Resource Advocates, commented: “The new transmission line should be good news for Arizona utilities, where price-competitive wind options are more limited. Arizona has excellent solar resources, but a limited wind resource, which is not as competitive in price as the wind that is available in New Mexico. This new transmission line can be used by utilities in Arizona and California to bring New Mexico’s strongwind resources to customers.”

Power acquisition meets approval

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Lighting up

The Brazilian fiber provider Padtec has lit five new 100Gbps channels between Buenos Aires and Santiago (Chile) on behalf of the Argentine operator Silica Networks. The optical network uses dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) products from Padtec, and adds over 500Gbps to the total capacity.

in Argentina and Chile. Padtec is said to have lit over 10,000km of partners’ DWDM networks over the last ten years.

Silica Networks has more than 4,000km of DWDM networks connecting the cities

East coast communications

Adtran is collaborating with Talkie Communications to build a 100 percent fiber, 10G communications backbone network along the eastern coast of Maryland. The network is needed to connect underserved communities in the area and promote economic development in the region.

infrastructure investment in the state and connect hundreds of thousands of residents by 2023. Last month, Adtran partnered with the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) to jointly develop a manufacturing program in Egypt to deliver Adtran fiber products to the region. As part of the agreement the team will first focus on Adtran’s fiber access portfolio, which includes its XGS-PON, GPON and other SD-Access solutions.

The east coast project is part of a five- year, $100 million plan to accelerate

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wiredInUSA November 2019

TPC Wire and Cable Corp of Macedonia, Ohio, a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity, has completed its acquisition of Cicoil LLC. The acquisition will allow TPC to expand its market reach and strengthen its portfolio of specialized wire and cable solutions to sophisticated, high cost-of- failure environments. Making the announcement, TPC president and CEO Jeff Crane, said: “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Cicoil and all of their associates to the TPC family. Howard and his strong team have built a great and growing business. Their deep technical expertise and commitment to R&D, combined with our commitment to solving customer problems, will enable us to build on the success both companies have enjoyed. We are confident that this acquisition will better position both TPC and Cicoil to capture significant opportunities today and into the future.” Of the transaction, Cicoil’s president and CEO Howard Lind commented: “Cicoil is very excited to become part of TPC Wire and Cable, as together we have significant capabilities that will allow us to expand our product and service offering and strengthen our market presence. We have been manufacturing mission-critical cables and cable assemblies since 1956, and the entire Cicoil team is committed to growing the company’s legacy with the TPC team.”

Cable takeover

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Brad Meeks

New appointment

Cable, connectivityandwiremanagement solution provider Lutze Inc has appointed Brad Meeks as director of sales for North America. Meeks will oversee sales and channel strategy within the Lutze business across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. “The leadership experience and strong commercial background that Brad brings to his new role will help grow the business and build on our success in automation and control solutions for industrial markets,”

said Juergen Seybold, president of Lutze Inc.

Mr Meeks has previously worked for NAI Group, Eaton Corp, Belden Inc, and Alpha Wire where he held various positions including director of business development, director of marketing (Europe), and regional manager (Middle East and Africa).

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Liberty Steel and Wire Peoria named as the winner of the SMA’s Don B Daily Achievement in Safety award

Safety recognition

Illinois’s Liberty Steel and Wire Peoria was named by the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) as the 2019 winner of the Don B Daily Achievement in Safety award, in recognition of its “impressive commitment” to improving plant safety. The Peoria mill, acquired by Liberty in December 2018, was praised for the intensive safety training given to all employees at the site and for “implementing strategies that yielded immediate and tangible results” by reducing accident rates. SMA’s president, Philip K Bell, said: “The decision to conduct Ricky Rollins safety training for all employees, during a compressed period of time, showed a high level of commitment.

It is rewarding to see how Liberty acknowledged, identified and met its safety challenges head on. We are pleased and proud to bestow this award on the company.” Vikrant Sharma, president of Liberty Steel USA, said: “Employee safety is our overriding priority — and we have put a strong focus on this since acquiring the Peoria mill — so it is very satisfying to have our efforts recognized in this way by our industry peers. “Warm congratulations are due to plant general manager Rohit Gulve and his team for this outstanding achievement.”

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Image: Lightsource BP

Steel city solar

Colorado Polis, together with a solar developer, an energy company and a steel plant, has announced a large solar project in Pueblo, one of the largest steel-producing cities in the US. Lightsource BP would build, own and operate the proposed 240MW solar facility on property owned by EVRAZ North America, the steel manufacturer. The project would sell its power to Xcel Governor Jared

Energy, which would sell it on to the steel plant.

The Bighorn solar project would be one of the state’s largest, and would give EVRAZ a long-term contract to provide the steel mill with price stability until 2041. EVRAZ North America’s president and CEO, Skip Herald, said the solar power would facilitate a planned $480 million investment aimed at producing longer railroad rails.

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Photo by Zak Sakata on Unsplash

City zones for 5G testing

The Communications Commission (FCC) has named Salt Lake City and New York City as innovation zones to test new 5G services, saying they “will enableexperimental explorationof robust new wireless devices, communication techniques, networks, systems and services that will revolutionize the nation’s wireless ecosystem.” In New York City the focus will be on the COSMOS testbed, a cloud-enhanced open software defined mobile wireless testbed for city-scale deployment in West Harlem, run jointly by Rutgers University, Columbia University and New York University, in partnership with the City of New York. US Federal

data-driven research with massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) capabilities, to be run jointly by the University of Utah and Rice University, in partnership with Salt Lake City. FCCchairmanAjit Pai said: “Theseprojects will test new advanced technologies and prototype networks like those that can support 5G technologies. We’re also establishing a process to ensure new innovators can have access to this testing resource while protecting current, licensed users.” The FCC is working with the National Science Foundation (NSF), which partly funds the Platforms for AdvancedWireless Research program. experimental

The innovation zone in Salt Lake City will support a platform for open wireless

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wiredInUSA November 2019

EUROPE NEWS

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Image: Alloy Wire International

Nuclear sector boom

UK-based Alloy Wire International (AWI) has seen a 10 percent increase in orders for a specialist nickel alloy wire used within components for the nuclear power sector. “We have been supplying into this sector for a long time, and our track record for manufacturing quality is well known with customers in both the UK and overseas,” explained Mark Venables, managing director of AWI. “The last nine months have definitely been our busiest time to date and we are supplying wire that is going into existing plants and also new projects taking shape across the globe.” AWI is among the UK’s leading manufacturers of round, flat and profile wire, with over 200 tonnes of EU/DFARS approved stock available at any one time.

Inconel 750, Nimonic ® 80A and Nimonic 90 – all materials suited to nuclear applications.

The firm’s Emergency Manufacturing service, whereby wire is produced and delivered within a few days, has also been in high demand, up nearly 15 percent on the same period last year. It underlines the fluctuating demands placed on spring makers who supply the nuclear industries, and the importance of being able to access material quickly to meet sudden spikes in usage. Venables added: “Investment in our manufacturing capabilities and our technical team allow us to offer this unique service, andwe have spent over £250,000… this year in the acquisition of 560mm single block and 200mm multi-block drawing machines.”

Its range includes Inconel ® 600, Inconel 718,

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wiredInUSA November 2019

Antenna acquisition

Indoor/outdoor series

Image: AFL

Image: Datwyler

Datwyler’s new FO Universal DLTS (dry loose tube swelling) cable series comprises solid fiber optic cables with metal-free rodent protection, a flame-retardant halogen-free construction, and high crush resistance. Swelling yarns ensure longitudinal water- tightness for indoor or outdoor use. The new cables are available in two variants: with gel-free stranded loose tubes (wbGGFR) and with an additional gel-free central loose tube (ZGGFR). They allow for easy handling due to their gel-free strand interstices. The new cables fulfill the fire performance requirements of European Construction Products regulation (CPR) classes Dca, Cca and B2ca.

AFL & Telecommunication Solutions Inc (Optical Telecom), a wireless solutions provider focused on indoor and outdoor distributed antenna systems (DAS). The acquisition is expected to promote AFL’s strategy for expansion across the southwest and southeast. SamOrendain, founder of Optical Telecom, said: “With this new partnership, we are now part of a global team with a great culture and a track record of success and innovation. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity this partnership brings to our associates, our customers, and to our industry.” “As 5G and Smart Building technologies gain momentum in the industry AFL will be well-positioned to support these emerging markets, given the synergies and strengths between AFL and Optical Telecom,” explained Seneca Mullins, vice president of AFL’s enterprise services. Optical Telecom is based in Addison, Texas, with offices inDuluth, Georgia, andHouston, Texas. AFL will maintain theOptical Telecom brand. has acquired Optical

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Service secured

Scottish link

Image: Prysmian Group Prysmian Group has a three-year service level agreement with the Dutch-German grid operator TenneT for reactive maintenance operations for TenneT’s HVAC and HVDC submarine and land assets. “We are delighted to support TenneT in fulfilling its asset management strategy, designed to reduce…cable downtime during the asset lifetime,” said Raul Gil, VP submarine business unit, Prysmian Group. The group will provide experienced and qualified jointers, advanced equipment and tools for the Prysmian cables operated by TenneT, including BorWin2, BorWin3, DolWin3, SylWin1, HelWin1 and HelWin2. Prysmianwill provide asset management for critical connections, including monitoring, periodical maintenance and repairs. The agreement is the latest in a series of contracts awarded by TenneT, which has also recently awarded Prysmian the DolWin5 grid connection project.

Image: NKT

NKT has successfully concluded the Caithness-Moray turnkey project – a 320kV HVDC XLPE offshore and onshore power cable system. The connection, consisting of 2x113km of submarine and 2x20km and 2x28km underground extruded cables, has a total transmission length of 160km. The link, capableof carrying up to 1,200MW, has been in commercial operation since late 2018. The Caithness-Moray power link connects the electricity grid on either side of the Moray Firth inlet with the aim of inflicting minimal visual impact. With associated reinforcement of the existing onshore transmission network, the £1.1 billion investment by SSEN represents the largest investment in the north of Scotland’s electricity network since the era of hydropower development in the 1950s. “We are proud to be part of the green transformation of Scotland, together with our customer Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHET),” saidNKT’s ClaesWesterlind, executive vice president and head of HV Solutions Karlskrona.

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wiredInUSA November 2019

Swedish company seeks extra fiber

Addition to the fleet

The Toisa Warrior

French communications company Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has acquired a light construction vessel from UK-based Sealion Shipping, managers of the Toisa fleet, at a cost of $6 million. Purchase of the vessel, Toisa Warrior , relates to the sale of assets under Toisa’s Chapter 11 liquidation plan. Built in 2011 at China’s Wuchang shipyard, Toisa Warrior is a VS 483 Mk3 design, with an overall length of 87.7m, beam of 19m and draft of 6.55m. ASN has renamed the vessel Ile d’Ouessant and moved it from the Bahamas flag to the French flag. Plans are to use Ile d’Ouessant as a maintenance vessel for submarine cables in the Atlantic, replacing the 1982-built maintenance cable ship, Peter Faber , operated by Alda Marine. submarine

Image: Inexio

EQT, the Stockholm-based infrastructure investor, has agreed to buy Inexio, a German broadband fiber company, for a reported €1 billion. Inexio currently provides high speed internet access to over 110,000 customers and 6,000 businesses in Saarland in south-west Germany via its 10,000km fiber infrastructure. David Zimmer, who founded Inexio 12 years ago, said: “From our excellent position today, we will continue to invest heavily to bring modern and reliable fiber optic infrastructure to two million German households by 2030.” For the past three years the company has been owned by private-equity company Warburg Pincus and a number of minority shareholders. Elsewhere, EQT is partnering with Marc Ganzi’s US group to buy Zayo for $14.3 billion, and in May signed an agreement to acquire Maltese operator Melita from Apax Partners and Fortino Capital.

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Heat treating system to Russia facility

Dogger Bank projects

Image: NKT

NKT A/S has been selected as the preferred turnkey supplier of cable systems for two offshore wind farm projects in Dogger Bank. The Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B projects, each with 1.2GW capacity, are under development by a joint venture between UK utility SSE plc and Norway’s Equinor ASA. NKT will manufacture and supply 4x175km of 320kV DC offshore export power cables and 4x32km of 320kV DC onshore export cables. The contract is valued at an estimated $395.4 million. If confirmed, NKT will begin manufacturing the power cables in Karlskrona, Sweden in 2020. Installation is scheduled for late 2021.

Image: Danieli

NLMK Metiz of Russia has selected Danieli Centro Combustion (DCC) to supply a new bell annealing furnace installation for its Berezovki facility. The new system will recrystallize (heat treat) steel wire coils in a 100 percent nitrogen atmosphere. The charges will be 21-ton coils in seven stacks of three coils each. The installation will be a two-phase project: both phases 1 and 2 will see DCC supply two bases, one heating hood, two inner covers and one cooling hood. The furnaces will have a direct coupled base fan; special design diffuser and plenum; a hydraulic locking system; and silicon-carbide head burners, each with its own recuperator. DCC will supply all mechanical, electrical and automation equipment, and provide technical assistance during installation and commissioning.

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wiredInUSA November 2019

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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Wire, cable and tube conference

The first major gathering designed to boost wire and cable trade and productivity across Africa will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, between 11 th and 13 th November. Co-organized and hosted by CRU and the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK), the inaugural CRU Africa Wire, Cable and Tube conference is an opportunity for the international wire, cable, tube and pipe supply chain to meet and establish new trade partnerships with key African stakeholders.

tube exhibitions, organised by Messe Düsseldorf.

Discussions at the conference will explore the main trends impacting the global markets, and the implications for Africa. Delegates will also be updated on the expected consumption trends for wire and cable products in mining, utilities, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure within the African market. The agenda will include a day of technical showcases, and a site visit to the Robor Steel Tube and Pipe manufacturing plant.

The conference is sponsored by wire and Tube – the leading international wire and

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wiredInUSA November 2019

Indonesians urged to use Internet with respect

Tire cord in Thailand

Image: Xingda

Chinese steel cord maker Jiangsu Xingda Steel Cord Ltd Co has initiated production at its first overseas plant, in Chonburi (Thailand). Xingda Steel Cord’s general manager, Mr Liu Xiang, said: “Establishing Xingda Steel Cord (Thailand) Co Ltd is integral to our strategy of globalization and proves our commitment to better serve…the global steel cord market.” He stressed that Xingda has plans to expand internationally, adding that building and operating the Thailand plant “Will enable us to gain…experience of running a factory in another country, and this will pave the way for our further global expansion.” With an annual capacity of 100,000 metric tons, the Thai plant will produce steel cord products for the tires of passenger cars and commercial trucks and buses, providing fast and flexible delivery to tire makers in Thailand and south and southeast Asia.

Indonesia has completed the final stretch of a 13,000km (8,080 mile) optic fiber network that will bring high-speed Internet to some of its poorest regions. The final leg, called the East Palapa Ring project, consists of a 6,878km cable connecting Papua, some islands in the Maluku region and East Nusa Tenggara. The overland and undersea telecommunication cable is said to have cost around $540.18 million to build. The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, said the project should provide “a sense of justice” for Indonesians in the eastern part of the country, who will now be able to access the Internet with the same speed as others in Indonesia. The government completed the West Palapa Ring project, covering the western half of the country, in March 2018, while construction for similar infrastructure in the center of Indonesia was finished earlier this year. The president went on to urge Indonesians not to use the Internet to spread fake news and hate speech. Papua, which encompasses Indonesia’s two easternmost provinces, has seen an upsurge in protests and unrest, prompting the government to temporarily curb Internet use in response.

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Safety certified

Cross cable construction

The Southern Cross NEXT project has achieved CIF (contract in force) status and has entered its construction phase. The four fiber-pair undersea route utilizes an open cable design and is intended to enhance the existing Southern Cross system. The system will provide full fiber connectivity to Auckland, New Zealand, and will incorporate branching units and optical add-drop multiplexer technology for connections to Fiji, Tokelau and Kiribati. Alcatel Submarine Networks will build the 16,148km cable that Southern Cross believes will have the lowest latency between Australasia and the US. Developed at a network investment of around $300 million, it is designed to carry 72Tb per secondwhen completed at the end of 2021 or early 2022. Enterprise group executive of Telstra Michael Ebeid said: “With 80 percent of all the Internet traffic to Australia coming from the US, a high-speed, low-latency direct route to North America is a very important investment for our business and our customers. Southern Cross builds on our existing footprint across Asia Pacific where we carry 30 percent of the region’s active capacity.” Telstra has recently gained a quarter share of the Southern Cross cable network.

Image: LS C&S The Korean government has awarded disaster safety product certification to LS Cable & System (LS C&S) for its fire-resistant cables. The company said the certification shows its products will continue to function and carry power in the event of a fire, while emitting less smoke and toxic fumes than other products. “The high durability of a cable is essential in case of fire so that it can deliver power to operate fire alarms, sprinklers, ventilators, emergency lights and evacuation facilities,” the company said. Using eco-friendly materials, LS C&S cables are said to emit less smoke, cut emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride by over 90 percent, and be capable of withstanding temperatures of 950ºC for up to 180 minutes.

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Companies drawn together

Cable venture under consideration

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

Image: Riyadh Cables

Saudi cable producer Riyadh Cables Group Company (RCGC) is considering expanding its footprint in Bangladesh. RCGC is a worldwide exporter of electricity cables and is believed to be the fourth largest electric cable producer in the world. During a meeting between engineer Moaaz Ali Younes, business development manager at RCGC, and Bassam Maes, the marketing director, with officials from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the RCGC delegation expressed an interest in investing in the overhead electricity cable sector. “We had a successful discussion with the RCGC, although it is still at a primary level. We have briefed them about all the benefits for the foreign investors ensured by the Bangladesh government,” said the director of BIDA, Mohammad Ariful Hoque. Mr Hoque said that after returning to Saudi Arabia the RCGC will move forward with the investment proposal and submit the final plan to the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Furukawa Electric Co Ltd (Furukawa) and Superior Essex Inc, the parent company of Essex Magnet Wire, have approved the framework of a new joint venture. The joint venture will expand upon a previous magnet wire partnership between the two companies, and will see the two combine their magnet wire business operations to create a potential market leader. The combined company will operate as Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire, LLC, and will use the Essex Furukawa brand. “Today is an exciting day, not only due to the announcement of the Essex Furukawa deal, but also as it marks the creation of a technological powerhouse in the magnet wire industry that can service many of the leading enterprises,” said Brian Kim, CEO of Superior Essex.

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Exploring cost cuts

Fast fiber first

Image: Patric Pisal Hamida

Nokia and Etisalat have claimed a world first with the completion of a single-carrier terabit per second (Tbps) field trial. The trial achieved speeds of 50.8Tbps using multiple wavelengths, each with a net information rate of 1.3Tbps, over a 93km fiber route of Etisalat’s wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network. “The introduction of 5G will require a network that can support dramatic increases in bandwidth in a dynamic fashion,” said Sam Bucci, head of optical networking at Nokia. Using a single optical carrier operating at 100 Gigabaud, the terabit wavelengths usedNokiaBell Labs-pioneeredprobabilistic constellation shaping (PCS) to intelligently shape the signal to achieve maximum capacity for the specific fiber route. Nokia’s PhotonicServiceEngine3 is thefirst coherent digital signal processor to implement PCS. Part of the team responsible for working on the trial

Patric Pisal Hamida, CEO of Telecom Malagasy (Telma), has described efforts by the Madagascan government to reduce broadband prices as a “false good idea”. Mr Hamida’s comments follow a decree, issued in May 2019, intended to liberalise Madagascar’s fiber optic infrastructure by permitting licensed operators to construct, install and deploy new optic cables. He believes that, rather than duplicating existing resources, a better, and more economically viable, alternative would be to facilitate infrastructure sharing. Mr Hamida also advocated a reduction in exciseduty andpromised to reduce Telma’s prices by 50 percent if the government were to cut duty by five percent.

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Products, Machines & Technology

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Flexible control cables TPC Wire & Cable Corp has introduced a range of wire and cable products for OEM applications. The Hy-Trex ® cable series includes options for motor power and control applications for the industrial automation market, providing long-life performance in static and flexing applications. The motor power series (MP500) is aimed at applications that demand resilience and longevity during continuous flexing, torsion and twisting. Available in a variety of shielded and unshielded options, the MP500 series is available from 18 AWG up to 4/0 AWG, with three, four or five conductors. Hy-Trex control and instrumentation series (CI500) is designed for control, input/output circuitry and low voltage applications in industrial automation operations. CI500 products are available from 18 AWG to 14 AWG with up to 25 conductors, and from 12 AWG to 10 AWG with up to nine conductors. The cables are tray cable rated (TC-ER), UL recognized and listed, and offer resistance to abrasion, extreme temperatures, UV and oils.

High power fiber OFS has launched its new TrueLase YB16/250 active and passive large mode area optical fibers for the high power cutting and welding markets. The single-mode performance of the gain and passive fibers are specifically designed to meet the demand for higher power with improved efficiency. OFS TrueLase fibers have a proprietary low index coating for added temperature performance; these double clad fibers are used in the 1,040nm to 1,200nm range. Steve Allen, marketing director of OFS Specialty, said the OFS 16/250 TrueLase fibers are designed for “superior beam profilecharacteristics, highcladabsorption, precision-matched mode field designs, superior reliability, optimal manufacturing control for reliable performance, and maintenance-free operation.” Allen added: “Our 16/250 is modified matched throughout for maximum efficiency. Moreover, it has a larger modified than the current 14/250 fiber on the market while maintaining true single-mode performance, allowing our customers to go to higher powers with less degradation.”

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New flexible range Heilind Electronics, a distributor for Alpha Wire, is now stocking the manufacturer’s Pro-Met industrial cable. Pro-Met is a line of flexible industrial cable, designed to be highly resistant to oils and UV damage. Pro-Met features include two to twelve conductors, grey or transparent jacketing options, and unshielded or tinned copper braid shielding with a 300/500 voltage rating. Alpha Wire’s Pro-Met has a round construction, making it easier to install, seal and route, and is suitable for many applications including automotive, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, commercial electronics, medical devices and food and beverage. Environment and health- conscious cables Cicoil is offering non-toxic, corrosive-free, low-smoke, flame-retardant, zero-halogen environment-friendly single conductor cables. The Ultra-flex wire with outer Flexx-Sil™ rubber jacketing material has been tested and certified by a UKAS laboratory.

Electrical cables manufactured with PVC, neoprene and fluoropolymers usually require the addition of halogens to make them flame retardant, and to withstand high temperatures. However, when cables containing halogens are burned, toxic fumes and (when bonded with hydrogen) acidic gases are produced, which can cause respiratory damage, disorientation and even death. Cicoil’s proprietary Flexx-Sil jacket contains zero halogens and no additives and are, by their nature, flame retardant (HFFR), so are a safer alternative to cables manufactured with harmful halogens. Flexx-Sil does not ignite easily, but if ignited will not produce black smoke or toxic gas during combustion. In addition, Cicoil’s clear, non-corrosive jacket does not contain color additives, plasticizers or CFCs. The Hi-Flex unshielded single conductor cable is available from 30 AWG to 4 AWG in continuous lengths, cut to order. Larger and smaller AWG versions, as well as modified jacket thicknesses, are available by request. Rated for voltages up to 42,000V DC, Cicoil’s contaminant-free power cable is designed for durability and performance

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Tie that cable down! The first of a new product series, the ACFM mount from HellermannTyton is a simple method of safely attaching a cable tie mount to construction profiles and to route cables.

in extreme temperature conditions (-65°C to +165°C).

Fast track for fiber AFL Hyperscale has expanded its range with the launch of its Fiber Raceway solution. Developed for both data center distribution areas and central offices, Fiber Raceway is designed to protect and route fiber optic cable, assemblies and patch cords to, and from, network cabinets, ODFs and other terminal devices. “As interconnectivity in the data center increases, fiber routing solutions must keep pace with the speed, capacity and value requirements of large data centers and cloud providers,” said John Zhang, product manager for AFL Hyperscale. “Fiber Raceway’s modular design and tool-less installation make it the optimal fiber routing solution for data centers and provides the flexibility required to grow to meet future demand.” Fiber Raceway provides physical protection from external elements and protects against bend losses by maintaining a minimum bend radius of 41mm.

The ACFM cable tie mount can be turned into the profile slot with a 90° rotation.

No holes, screws or slot nuts are needed to provide a secure hold.

The bundled cables can be fixed parallel or perpendicular to the profile frame with cable ties up to a width of 8mm. This first mount (ACFM2W10PT6) is designed for a profile slot width of 10mm and an edge thickness of 6mm. Many manufacturers in Europe use this dimension for 45mm aluminum or steel profile frames.

It has a load capacity up to 55kg and an impact resistance of 1kg/1m.

All Fiber Raceway components conform to industry standards and are ROHS compliant with a UL94-V0 level of flammability.

S S The ACFM mount from HellermannTyton

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instant experts in diagnostics and troubleshooting,” said Stéphane Chabot, EXFO’s vice president of test and measurement. “The Optical Wave Expert …fills an existing gap in the market by eliminatingtheneedformultiple instruments and seamlessly isolating problems for quick resolution.” The integration of channel checker and OTDR capabilities on a single port means less manipulation of the optical fiber and improved field efficiency. Technicians can perform real-time channel power readings through an intuitive GUI environment and benefit from tunable OTDR capabilities.

The mount is made of impact-resistant and heat-stabilised PA66/6HIRHS and is suitable for heavy-duty industrial applications. A rounded contour ensures the bundle always lies centered on the mount, while the special head shape of the base is optimized for easy installation by hand or with a 24mm socket. The head height measures 9.3mm with a total height 19.3mm, and head width is 22.5mm x 17.5mm. Custom sizes and material variants can be produced. Expert fault-finding EXFO Inc has introduced its Optical Wave Expert, said tobe thefirst device to integrate dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) channel power validation and optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) fault-locating capabilities on a single port. Optical Wave Expert is designed to automatically measure, diagnose and troubleshoot optical fiber links. “We’re delighted to bring an innovation to market that reduces time-to-cash [key performance indicators], streamlines operations and empowers cable operators’ field operations to get it done right, first time.

“Even no DWDM network experience become field technicians with

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