WiredInUSA September 2019

Issue No. 99 - September 2019

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

Green energy getting greener Page 9

More power for Ireland. Page 10

Wire investments. Page 27

Research cooperation. Page 33

Quick Reliable Service Always there to help

www.zumbach.com • sales@zumbach.ch

EDITOR

Clean and green energy is a hot topic these days. And expanding its vegetarian maintenance program is C2 Energy Capital, an investor in renewable energy and storage assets. Following a successful trial period at a Florida solar site, the company is expanding its ‘solar sheep’ program across ten solar projects. The program provides more clean energy options to commercial customers, and benefits regional sheep farmers. Between 80 and 100 sheep graze on the Florida site daily, keeping the rural location clean and maintained. And because of its location, the sheep are protected by a guardian dog which lives among the flock. During the next phase, the company is expanding the projects to cover 300 acres in three states, driving down maintenance costs. The full story can be found on page 9. Connectivity also plays a large role in this latest issue, with IWCS ready to throw open its doors at the end of the month in Charlotte, North Carolina. We have a preview of the show starting on page 38. Please feel free to stop by Booth 225 and collect your free copy of wiredInUSA on CD, as well as copies of sister publications EuroWire and Wire & Cable ASIA.

David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA September 2019

September 2019 Issue No.99 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

Show Diary 2019

09 PAGE

Making the News Industry news from the USA

26 PAGE

Europe news The latest news from Europe

32 PAGE

Asia & Africa News The latest news from Asia & Africa

38 PAGE

IWCS 2019 Cable & Connectivity Symposium

46 PAGE

Products, Machines & Technology The latest news from machine industries

wiredInUSA September 2019

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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

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USA: Danbury Corporate Center, 107 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 06811, USA Tel: +1 203 794 0444 Email: doug@intras.co.uk

News Editor David Bell david@wiredinusa.com

Features Editor (USA and Europe) Gill Watson Publisher Caroline Sullens

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

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wiredInUSA September 2019

Diary Shows & Events 2019

September 18-20 September 2019 wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand www.wire-southeastasia.com October 1-3 October 2019 wire South America São Paulo, Brazil www.wire-south-america.com

october 21-22 October 2019 Wire & Cable Verona 2019 Conference Verona, Italy www.wirecable19.com september 29 September - 2 October 2019 IWCS 2019 Cable & Connectivity Symposium Charlotte, North Carolina, USA www.iwcs.org november 18-20 November 2019 CRU World Optical Fiber & Cable 2019 North Carolina, USA www.worldopticalfiberconference.com

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

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

wiredInUSA September 2019

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Green energy getting greener M A K I N G T H E NEWS

C2 Energy Capital LLC, an investor in renewable energy and storage assets, is expanding its “solar sheep” program for vegetation maintenance following a successful pilot program at a Jacksonville, Florida, solar site. The 7MW solar project is among suppliers for JEA’s SolarMax program, aimed at offering more clean energy options to commercial customers. C2 Energy Capital expects to reduce its vegetation maintenance costs through the new program, and will roll out the new program across ten solar projects. Additional benefits of the solar sheep program include providing new economic opportunities for regional sheep farmers.

farmer to control ground vegetation on the site.

Between 80 and 100 sheep graze the site daily. Due to its rural location, the sheep are protected by a Great Pyrenees guardian dog who lives among the flock. “In the next phase, we’ll scale up our solar sheep program to projects covering over 300 acres in three states, and drive down ground maintenance costs,” said Michael Howell, director of asset management for C2 Energy Capital. The company is also involved in a test program with site vegetation management through the use of wildflower plantings, to limit mowing while providing pollinating habitat for

insects. Front cover:

C2 Energy Capital LLC is expanding its “solar sheep” program. Photograph courtesy of C2 Energy Capital LLC

In early 2018, C2 Energy Capital began the test program with a regional sheep

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wiredInUSA September 2019

Image: Amazon

More power for Ireland

Amazon’s latest renewable energy project in the EUwill be located inCork, Ireland, andwill be the second Amazon wind farm in the Irish Republic. The new facility will be capable of generating 23.2MW. “Playing a significant role in helping to reduce the sources of human-induced climate change is an important commitment for Amazon,” said Kara Hurst, director of sustainability, Amazon. “Major investments in renewable energy are a critical step to address our carbon footprint globally.” Richard Bruton, Ireland’s minister for communications, climate action and environment, commented: “Under the Climate Action Plan, we are committing that

70 percent of Ireland’s electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030. Industry leadership iskey tohelpingus reachthis target. “This project is another example of AWS’s commitment to renewable projects in Ireland, adding clean energy to the grid, and supporting Ireland’s climate commitments. “Construction will begin on the project this year and [it] will start contributing to Ireland’s renewable energy capacity by 2020. We look forward to continuing to work with AWS as we strive to make Ireland a leader in the renewable energy space.”

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New fiber route

Zayo Group has announced plans to build a new long-haul fiber network between Salt LakeCity, Utah, andDenver, Colorado. The 500-mile route will be primarily underground, and will replace Zayo’s existing route between the two cities that passes through Wyoming. “This flagship route will provide diversity that no other provider can offer,” Dennis Kyle, senior vice president of Mountain Region at Zayo, believes.

Colorado is ranked among the country’s fastest growing states, driven by technology, aerospace, healthcare and biotechnology services. Utah has a strong technology sector including cloud computing, big data, and software development, combined with growing aerospace and life sciences sectors.

The new route is scheduled for completion in 2021.

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Expansion for Arizona facility

Times Microwave Systems (TMS) has completed a major expansion of its Mesa, Arizona, manufacturing facility. The new 62,000ft 2 facility is one of several Amphenol businesses planned for the location. Bill Callahan, general manager for Times Microwave Systems, said: “We are excited to be expanding our manufacturing capabilities in Mesa and the greater Phoenix area. This creates a manufacturing center of excellence in the western US that complements our Connecticut and

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Re-appointment to the board

John Zachow, Davis-Standard’s vice president of wire and cable, has been re-elected to a three-year term as a board member for the non-profit Wire and Cable Industry Supplier’s Association (WCISA). Zachow will again serve with other industry professionals to support WCISA companies, exhibits, outings and scholarships. “WCISA is an essential organization in promoting and serving the wire and cable industry,” said Zachow. “I am honored to

be able to serve another three years with such a talented and experienced group of peers. One of the great things that the association, including me, places great value in is the development of future industry members through education. We are very active in providing scholarships for college students of families of member companies and interns of member companies.”

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Getting around to a rounder cable

Southwire Company LLC plans to boost its cable production and quality by using the Maillefer Round Premium package. The system will be installed into an existing line later this year, making Southwire the first North American company to use the technology. Southwire expects to be able to produce rounder cables up to 6 inches (152mm) in diameter, weighing up to 25lb per foot, and at production speeds faster than was previously possible. Southwire

will also reduce material usage, which is significant due to the many plastic layers extruded over the conductor for safety and durability. Southwire’s high voltage power cable is engineered to run underground over long distances. Due to the trend away from bare conductors and overhead transmission lines, demand for this type of cable has increased dramatically.

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wiredInUSA September 2019

Atlanta fiber lease

Southern Telecom Inc (STI) has confirmed that “a major telecom carrier hotel” in Atlanta has leased a 1,728-fiber cable. The services provider says the connection, provided via a project that began last year, uses its existing conduit system in the city. The duct system runs 12 route miles and utilises cast iron pipes that were initially installed as steam ducts beneath the city streets. The pipes provide a protected environment for dark fiber and conduits, more secure than direct burial.

“We’re excited about the progress of this project, and further supporting the customer’s critical fiber deployment here in Atlanta,” commented Barry Navarre, business development manager for STI. The project started when the customer sought to expand into a neighboring building. The Atlanta infrastructure is part of a fiber optic network that, STI says, runs for 2,600 route miles in the US southeast.

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Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) and We Energies have announced their partnership to acquire the remaining 150MW of the planned Badger Hollow solar farm in Iowa County, Wisconsin.

Invenergy is the developer for the 300MW project.

Under the deal, We Energies will own 100MW of the solar output at Badger Hollow, while MGE will own 50MW. “This is another significant step in our transition to a clean energy future,” said Kevin Fletcher, CEO of WEC Energy Group, the parent corporation of We Energies. “Along with the environmental benefits of solar energy, this purchase will lower costs to customers over the life of the project.” The initial phase of the Badger Hollow project should begin operation next year, with the remaining 150MW generating in 2021. MGE has already finalized a similar agreement with Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), another subsidiary of WEC, on splitting ownership of the first 150MW bloc at Badger Hollow. Under the deal, MGE will own 50MW and WPS 100MW. The agreement still needs regulator approval.

Wisconsin partnership

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Ciena will supply the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG) in support of its Project THOR regional middle- mile fiber network. The initiative will connect around 400 miles of deployed public and private fiber infrastructure to help bring broadband services to over 230,000 state residents. The project is funded by grants from the Colorado department of local affairs and contributions from local government. NWCCOG is a voluntary association of county and municipal governments. Through Project THOR, NWCCOG aims to improve access to broadband services and lower the cost. Around 85 percent of the fiber required to achieve these goals is already in place through fiber networks deployed by organizations such as the Colorado Department of Transportation. Improving service reliability will also be a major goal. “Whenever there’s a fiber cut it impacts not only consumers in our towns, but cellphone carriers, public safety centers, schools, hospitals, andother critical services,” stated Nate Walowitz, regional broadband director, NWCCOG. Ciena will supply its Waveserver Ai packet-optical transport platform and 5170 Service Aggregation switch; its Blue Planet manage, control and plan (MCP) software will provide end-to-end lifecycle operations. Graybar, a partner in the Ciena Partner network, will assist in Project THOR’s deployment while Mammoth Networks will operate the network once the roll-out is completed.

Broadband initiative

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New patents for AFL

Patents’ power of six

AFL has received six new patents for technology and product developments in fusion splicing, connectivity and conductor accessories. The AFL Hyperscale division received patents for “optical traceable patch cord”, which can be easily traced, allowing installers and network engineers to find a cable that needs to be connected, disconnected or moved; and for “housing for cable transition assembly,” a special breakout module. Two patents were received by AFL’s Optical Connectivity division. The first patent was for the Titan RTD ® multiport terminal, a factory-terminated outside plant fiber terminal designed for quick and easy subscriber connections anywhere

in the network, and the second for a subsea pressure housing that is installed inline, maintaining the full cable strength and enabling connectivity to control and sensor lines. One patent was received by AFL’s Fusion Splicing division. “Methods for splicing optical fibers” is a method to splice fluoride-based fiber to silica-based fiber. The two fibers vary greatly in melting temperature (about 250°C to 1,600°C), making traditional fusion splicing impossible. Finally, AFL’s Accessories division received a patent for “grounding connectors”, a new design for a split parallel grounding connector.

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Expansion plans for Digital Realty. Photograph courtesy of PRNewsfoto/Digital Realty

Data center expansion

Digital Realty, a provider of data center, colocation and interconnection services, has plans to expand in Asia and Europe. The company is to build a data center in Seoul, South Korea, and its third facility in the Frankfurt area in Germany. Digital Realty has agreed the purchase of land from the Seoul metropolitan government. The site is within the Sangam Digital Media City in northwest Seoul, part of an urban planning zone focused on technology and media companies. The new facility will offer up to 12MWs of critical IT capacity.

In Germany, Digital Realty has bought a 34-acre plot in Hattersheim, three miles from Frankfurt Airport, for its next facility in the region. It will provide up to 84MW of IT capacity. Company CEO A William Stein said: “Looking ahead, wewill continue to invest in opportunities to meet the growing demand for data center solutions across the region.” Digital Realty operates data centers throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.

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EUROPE NEWS

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Image: Alloy Wire International

Wire investments

The UK’s Alloy Wire International, a manufacturer of round, flat and profile wire, has invested in 560mm single block and 200mmmulti-block drawing machines. The installations will increase capacity and secure AWI’s three-week lead times, valued by customers in the automotive, aerospace, nuclear and oil and gas sectors. A round of new investment has included internal and external refurbishments, new floors in the flat wire rolling department and, following consultation with employees, a re-organization of the manufacturing plant to deliver further production efficiencies. Ian Fitzgerald, operations director at AWI, said: “Our rapid growth has been driven by our ability to provide over 60 high- performance alloys to our customers, quicker than anyone else, and this is something we need to maintain.

“That’s why we’ve decided to look at our manufacturing facilities and identify certain areas where installation of new machinery would be beneficial. This has seen us source and configure new wire drawing machines, which come with touch screen technology that gives the operator more real-time information such as length to weight conversion and machine temperatures.” Mark Venables, managing director of AWI, said of future spending: “We already have plans in place to purchase a multi-hole oil drawing machine and laser guided re- spooling winders. “None of our purchases are off-the-shelf; there is always the opportunity to configure the machines to our exact production requirements.”

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wiredInUSA September 2019

Cutting copper costs

Offshore first nears completion

Miroslav Majoros

A Romanian local paper, Ziarul Financiar , quoting Telekom Romania’s CEO, Miroslav Majoros, revealed that the company intends to dismantle old copper networks in rural areas where it has few customers. It is expected that the move will reduce maintenance costs. “We have an extensive copper network which, in some areas, is not widely used, but we have to keep it in operation for one or two clients in isolated villages. In these areas we have started a project to dismantle the copper network, as we can provide the services via the mobile network,” Majoros explained.

Three export cables have been installed for the Formosa 1 phase 2 offshore wind farm in Taiwan. Jan De Nul Group’s cable laying vessel Willem de Vlamingh recently completed the installation as part of an engineering, procurement, construction and installation deal that also included 17 inter-array cables. A shallow draft design allowed the Willem de Vlamingh to position itself in water depths as shallow as 7m, so limiting the shore pull required to around 1,750m. At the beach landing the cables were pulled through three HDD ducts into the transition joint bays. Willem de Vlamingh is also acting as trenching support vessel for jet-trenching of the export and inter-array cables. The wind farm, Taiwan’s first commercial- scale offshore wind project, is owned by Formosa I Wind Power Co Ltd, a partnership between Ørsted, JERA, Macquarie Capital and Swancor Holding. It is located approximately 6km off the west coast of the Miaoli district in the Taiwan Strait, in water depths of between 15m and 30m. Phase 2 consists of the original demonstrator project — two wind turbines with a total capacity of 8MW — extended to a total capacity of 120MW.

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Renewables revisions key to greater capacity

Inter-array contract

Prysmian Group will work with Vattenfall to provide submarine inter-array cable systems for the Hollandse Kust Zuid III and IV offshore wind farms in the Netherlands. The contract follows Vattenfall’s successful bid for the permit to develop the non- subsidized wind farms. Prysmian will design, test and supply 172km of 66kV XLPE-insulated inter-array cables and the related accessories. The cables will be produced in Nordenham, Germany, for delivery before 2022. The 750MW Hollandse Kust Zuid 3 and 4 offshore wind farms are part of a wider energy plan supported by the Dutch government. The aim is for 16 percent of the country’s overall energy consumption to be sustainable by 2023. Work on the schemes is expected to start by early 2020. Prysmian will design, test and supply 172km of 66kV XLPE-insulated inter-array cables

Poland’s government is set to hold auctions for up to 2.5GW of onshore wind energy, following revisions in the country’s Renewables Act. The revisions include plans to extend the deadlines for developers to secure interconnection agreements for their projects, as well as rules to strengthen the Guarantees of Origin (GO) scheme. The Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) expects theauction tobe held inNovember or December 2019. WindEurope’s chief policy officer, Pierre Tardieu, said: “It’s great news that Poland will have a 2.5GW onshore wind auction this year. This builds on their last auction in November 2018, which showed that onshore wind is very competitive on price: it’s now cheaper than new coal and nuclear. “The Polish government clearly sees an important role for bothonshoreandoffshore wind [to meet] rising energy demand. But the stringent set-back distance law on wind turbines will need fixing to allow for future growth beyond this year’s auction.”

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wiredInUSA September 2019

Leadership changes

New equipment gets subsea try-out

All change at the head offices of Nedschroef

Automotive manufacturer Nedschroef has announced that its current CEO, Dr Mathias Hüttenrauch, will resign from his position in September 2019. Dr Hüttenrauch joined Nedschroef in September 2011 and has been CEO since January 2012. He led the development of the company’s China plant, and implemented a diversification strategy by setting up the Aviation business unit, and acquiring the high tech company CP Tech. Under his leadership, Nedschroef achieved over 50 percent growth in turnover between 2012 and 2018. He will remain as advisor for Nedschroef’s management and supervisory boards until 31 st December 2019 to support the new management. Dr Hüttenrauch said: “I believe it is time for a personal change to seek for a new challenge. I am thankful to Nedschroef, its shareholders and supervisory board, and, most important, its employees for this incredible journey over the past eight years.” fastener

Deme has used its cable installation vessel, Living Stone , to complete the installation of 85km of subsea export cable for Elia’s modular offshore grid (MOG). The cable will connect Elia’s offshore switch yard to the shore station at Zeebrugge, and the Rentel wind farm offshore substation. Deme reported that Living Stone collected the cable from Hellenic Cable in Greece, transported it to the site in Belgium, and completed the cable installation, offshore jointing, and four pull-ins. The dual-lane cable installation system is capable of installing one cable while the next cable is being prepared on deck, including the application of a cable protection system. The MOG in the North Sea is the first of its kind for Belgium. It will group and connect energy generated offshore fromwind farms including Rentel, Seastar, Mermaid and Northwester 2. Connected energy from the MOG will be transmitted to the Belgian onshore grid. The MOG is of strategic importance for Belgium to further develop renewable energy in the North Sea. Deme also deployed a new trailing suction hopper dredger, the Bonny River , to backfill the 45km trench for the project. Deme’s Living Stone vessel during the cable-laying process. Photograph courtesy of Deme

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Senegal making solar moves

Division’s sale prospects

Leoni’s management is said to be continuing with informal talks with potential buyers for its wire and cables unit. The move to shed the division follows a 25 percent drop in liquidity for the company. Leoni announced in July that it would explore a listing or sale of its Wire and Cable Solutions (WCS) business, which supplies the healthcare, factory automation, transportation and automotive markets. “The wire and cable business with industrial clients will likely see robust demand, while interest in the unit catering to car makers is limited,” said a company source. Industrial clients account for roughly 40 percent of the unit’s annual sales of around two billion euros. Deutsche Bank and UBS are advising Leoni on the unit sale, while Rothschild is believed to have been brought in as restructuring advisor. Leoni abandoned its 2019 profit targets in March,when thecompanyalsoannounced job cuts.

Image: Engie Africa

Engie, and its investment partners Meridiam and Senegal’s Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investment (FONSIS), have signed the EPC, operation and maintenance, and finance contracts for two 60MW solar PV projects located in the Kaolack and Diourbel regions of Senegal. The partners were awarded the projects in April last year. The PV plants are part of Senegal’s Scaling Solar initiative, conducted jointly by the Senegalese authorities and International Finance Corporation (IFC). Construction and operation of the plants will be managed and executed by Engie. Yoven Moorooven, CEO of Engie Africa, said the project “reaffirms [Engie’s] commitment … to bring clean and affordable energy to the country while creating sustainable jobs. These projects are perfectly in line with the strategy of the group to become a leader in the zero carbon transition.” Engie is already involved in Senegal’s Senergy project, a 30MW solar plant in Santhiou Mekhé, and in Ten Merina, a 29.5MW plant near the capital, Dakar. The group is also implementing solar energy solutions for rural households in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal through a partnership agreement signed with L’Agence Sénégalaise d’Electrification Rurale (ASER).

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ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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Mohammed Al Tayer

Research cooperation

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) researchers are working with Stanford University as part of the university’s Energy 3.0 Programme. The fields of research include radiation cooling to improve the efficiency and performance of solar panels; using autonomous robots for monitoring and maintaining solar power plants; and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast the short-term performance and production of photovoltaic solar plants. “Joining the Energy 3.0 Programme provides DEWA’s researchers with an important opportunity to take advantage of the global expertise and the environment for advanced research at Stanford University by ensuring they have access to the most successful experiences and best practices in electricity, water, artificial intelligence, and smart networks,” said Saeed

Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.

The program aims to exchange knowledge and expertise to develop solutions for the world’s most pressing energy problems, as well as accelerate innovation and expand research and studies on advanced energy technologies. DEWA’s research and development center at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park highlights four major operational areas: electricity generation from solar energy, integration of smart grids, energy efficiency, and water. The center carries out research in renewable and alternative energy, collaborating with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy, the SpanishNational Renewable Energy Centre, United Arab Emirates University and Khalifa University.

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wiredInUSA September 2019

New silicone cables

Research into weight loss

Elcab Cable (Elcab Kablo) has released new halogen-free silicone cables, with low smoke density and high temperature resistance. The cables are fiberglass, steel or copper braided, or double-insulated, and will fit various conductor structures such as mono or specially stranded conductors. Elcab’s cables are used in the white goods sector, and for machinery, medical, lighting, construction, electrical, electronic, automotive and textile applications where cable harnesses are necessary. The company has expanded its product range to include power cords for double- grounded 16A, single 16A, 2.5A and for custom designs. Cable properties can include environmental resistance, ozone resistance, or high temperature resistance up to 300°C. Elcab Cable’s certification range includes ISO9001:2008, VDE, RoHS and EAC. New halogen-free silicone cables from Elcab Cable

Reducing vehicle weight improves acceleration and handling, as well as fuel economy, but average vehicle weight has increased with the demand for more safety and convenience features. Now, Japan’s Yazaki Corporation’s research and development subsidiary, YTC America, is investigating the use of aluminum-carbon nanotubes to replace copper wiring in vehicles and, reduce weight. The average vehicle contains up to 60lb of copper. Yazaki is experimenting with combining lighter aluminum with carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes are cylindrical molecules of carbon atoms in microscopically fine strands, and can be added to aluminum to give greater strength and conductivity. The carbon nanotube material also raises the heat resistance of aluminum, possibly making it suitable for high-voltage battery cables in electric cars.

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Mill refurb plans

Co-investment strategy

Israel’s Cellcom has completed both an indirect co-investment in wholesale broadband provider Israel Broadband Company (IBC), and the sale of its independent fiber optic infrastructure to IBC. In a press release to confirm the developments, Cellcom said it paid approximately $16 million for the indirect stake in IBC, the majority of which was “indirectly provided as [a] shareholder loan to IBC”. The operator said it had received around $48 million for the independent fiber optic network in residential areas. The transaction was financed entirely through shareholder loans indirectly provided to IBC by Cellcom, and its now co-investor in the wholesale broadband provider, Israel Infrastructure Fund (IIF).

The Iraq Ministry of Industry and Minerals has revealed that a steel billet mill and a rebar mill will be part of the ongoing refurbishment of State Company for Iron and Steel (SCIS). UB Holding, the contractors responsible for the refurbishment, ordered an electric arc furnace plant from Danieli in early 2018. The plant is scheduled to start production by the end of 2019, producing 150mm billets a a rate of 500,000 tons a year. The Iraqi ministry added that SCIS has begun construction of the new rebar mill. The mill will have a capacity of 600,000 tons per year, and is scheduled to go into production in 2020. According to the refurbishment plans, the plant will also add a continuous caster to expand the billet production and, in the final phase of the plan, a new direct reduced iron plant with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons.

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wiredInUSA September 2019

China rebar report

Sunshine cable plan

Photo by Alex King on Unsplash

South Chinese electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers using scrap as feedstock suffered losses in July as steel scrap prices held firm while rebar prices weakened. Industry observers SMM said that as of 30 th July losses at EAF steel mills stood at 78.5 yuan per metric ton, compared with 38.5 yuan per metric ton a week earlier. SMM based its assessment on steel scrap prices in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, of 2,370 yuan per metric ton without taxes. In south-west China, comparatively cheap steel scrap with high prices for rebar kept losses at bay for producers, but while local rebar mills remained under full operation, it was expected that continued rainfall would be likely to lower production in the short term.

An Australian Sunshine Coast business, Auscom, has been awarded a $1 million contract to provide a key section of an international broadband submarine cable network. Under thedeal, Auscomwill deliver the land-side fiber network to connect a beach landing to a cable landing station at Maud Street, Maroochydore. Once the network comes into operation in mid-2020, the Sunshine Coast is expected to provide the fastest international connection point to Asia from Queensland and east Australia. The $35 million Sunshine Coast international broadband submarine cable is jointly funded between Sunshine Coast council and the Queensland government through its jobs and regional growth fund. Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson said the contract announcement marked the next major milestone in the project. “[Sunshine Coast] council is the only local government in Australia to secure an investment in an international submarine cable, and works have begun on the installation phase ensuring that the connection is on track to be operational by mid-2020.”

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“Green” for safety

Cook Islands cable continues on course

Safety-enhanced eco-friendly cables from LS Cable LS Cable and System believes the current standards for fire-resistant cables in South Korea are lower than those in other advanced countries. In response to this, LS Cable has launched a series of safety- enhanced eco-friendly cables. The new HFIX+ cables are designed for greater fire resistance; the company says the cables will emit less toxic gas, when exposed to fire, than existing polyvinyl chloride cables. The new “green” cables are engineered to function at high temperatures, withstanding up to 1,050º Celsius for two hours. HFIX+ cables will also be used to reduce pollution at facility docks by supplying electricity to ships. Where ships in port use electricity generated by their own engines it creates smoke, and reduces air quality.

Photo by Umberto on Unsplash

Avaroa Cable Ltd, the state-owned enterprise established by the Cook Islands’ government to manage and operate the Manatua Cable project, is halfway through its manufacture of the 3,600km fiber. The fiber optic cable, with six branches for landings across Polynesia and with 32 repeaters, is under construction at a specialist facility in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is scheduled for completion and final testing in September 2019, after which it will be taken by ship to the South Pacific. Cable laying will start in Apia, Samoa, later in the year. Preparation work is continuing in the Cook Islands with the construction of two cable landing stations, one each on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, with contracts in place for the cable land routes. The Trans Polynesian Information Superhighway is on target to be live in May 2020. The cable will operate at up to 10 terabits per second.

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IWCS 2019 Cable & Connectivity Symposium

29 September - 2 October, 2019 Charlotte Convention Center Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Exhibitors’ Products

Beta LaserMike – an NDC Technologies brand Booth: 401 NDC Technologies’ cloud-based support portal myNDCnowoffers language support, including French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. “NDC is a global organisation serving the diverse needs of customers in over 60 countries in many languages,” said Mahesh Havildar, vice president of customer service. “Offering multi-lingual support on myNDC enables us to communicate to our customers in their own language. “This also allows us to accelerate the way we help our customers by making access to content, features and functions faster, easier and friendlier.” NDC is continually enhancing myNDC to create the most positive customer experience. “Customer intimacy and customer satisfaction is very important to us.

myNDC offers 24-7-365 support and enables NDC team members to efficiently create incidents, view a customer’s installed base or service history and tap into a comprehensive and growing knowledge base. Customers have access to a database of frequently asked questions, and can quickly reach NDC support through several channels and easily generate their own return material authorisations (RMAs) for product repairs. myNDC also offers live chat for immediate support and feedback to customer service requests.

S S Language support is now available to NDC customers on the myNDC portal

The addition of language support is one way NDC is assisting customers.

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Exhibitors’ Products

Cersa MCI IWCS Booth: 201

technology) for round product (20 to 2,000µm). A complementary solution to the current offering to improve quality inspection. • Optical fibre-measuring devices: a complete solution to ensure high-quality certification during the drawing process. The largest and most demanding companies choose Cersa instruments to certify production and master their processes. More than 500 high-speed lines are drawing with Cersa-MCI instruments worldwide.

Established in 1981, French company Cersa- MCI designs and manufactures high-level measuring devices for fine wire, cable and optical fibres. The company uses its experience to help customers enhance production quality, using advanced technologies such as interferometers and diffraction cameras to ensure high-speed measurements and high accuracy.

Its sensors are useful on-line and off-line for non-contact measurement applications.

Cersa-MCI measuring devices are split into two lines:

On-line devices:

• LDS one or twoaxes for finewirediameter monitoring during drawing process (5 to 2,000µm) • LPS-3-H to monitor diameter and detect lump and neckdown in a single product for larger wire and cable diameters (0.3 to 5mm) • SQM-F to display and characterise any kind of surface defects (new patent

Off-line devices: The range of LDS one-axis gauges, developed more than 20 years ago for laboratory applications and continuously improved, for tiny wire measurements. Fitted with WSR accessory (measures over 360°) and associated with CIM software, it becomes a complete solution for measuring wires from 2mm down to 5µm.

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Exhibitors’ Products

Chase Corporation Booth: 100

of super-absorbent polymers (SAP) for specialty applications.

Chase has manufacturing facilities inOxford MA, Lenoir NC, Hickory NC, Pittsburgh PA, Greenville SC and Suzhou China, with sales offices located throughout the world. Chase also offers contract manufacturing and product design services, with in-house capabilities for coating, laminating, printing and slitting at its ISO 9001:2015 certified plants.

Chase Corporation offers a comprehensive range of cable component materials.

Products include a wide range of multi- ply shielding tapes, heat seal and pressure sensitive coated films and laminates, foil- free edge tapes, screening tapes, marker identification tapes, water blocking tapes and yarns, and a full range of non- conductive and semi-conductive tapes for MV, HV and EHV cable designs. Chase’s brand names include Chase and Sons ® , Neptape ® , Firefite ® , Highdraw ® , AquaBlok ® , Slicktape ® , Powerline ® , Dualite ® microspheres and Chase BlH2Ock ® strand fill compound.

Cimteq Ltd Booth: 502

Do you need to design wire and cable faster, quote more accurately and avoid costly mistakes that lead to waste? Are you looking for a trusted supplier whowill support your business in taking full advantage of Industry 4.0? For some 20 years, Cimteq has designed andmanufactured software with customers spanning Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia.

The newest member of the Chase family is Stewart Superabsorbents, a supplier

Cimteq’s CableBuilder software manages the complete cycle of cable design and

S S Production of one of the many component materials produced by Chase Corportation

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Exhibitors’ Products

Customers of CableMES report an almost immediate impact to bottom line through maximising plant production, improving product quality, reducing inventory and ensuring on-time delivery. Cimteq recognises that the cable and wire industry is fast-paced and increasingly competitive and seeks to reflect that in its own growth. The expansion of its senior management team and launch of the online Cimteq Academy are some of the initiatives launched so far in 2019. To find out what Cimteq could do for you, visit Booth 502 to meet the team and learn more about how your business can reap the benefits of joining the growing Cimteq community. Employee Yufei Du will also give a presentation on “Applying Industry 4.0 to a Cable Factory”.

manufacture through typical workflow milestones of design, customer quotation, ordering, production, quality assurance and ERP system.

Customers across the globe renew year- on-year to derive the following benefits: accurate costings through consolidation of all relevant systems and applications into one application; waste reduction through digital twinning; and the automation of labor-intensive tasks. Rapid design allows for rapid customer response, and with all the benefits of such a sprint to market. Cimteq’s portfolio also includes its CableMES manufacturing execution system, specifically designed with the cable industry in mind.

Medek & Schörner IWCS Booth: 518

Established in 1929, Medek & Schörner has been producing cable marking machines and optical fibre coating lines for decades. Due to its close relations within the cable

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Exhibitors’ Products

• Fiber ribbon production lines with excellent ribbon planarity (including in- line coloring) • Splittable ribbon • Production of compact fiber units (CFU) • High-quality gravure printers • Embossing meter markers and hot foil sequential meter or footage markers • High-performance ring markers • Video systems for monitoring the printing quality of high-speed printing machines • Laser marking systems for cables • Custom-made cable marking machines and optical fiber solutions • IoT/Industry 4.0-ready interfaces Thanks to the modular construction, the capacity of any system can be increased quickly and significantly by adding or exchanging individual components, even if a system has already been in operation for several years.

and wire industry, the company is always in touch with new requirements, which are rapidly converted into production concepts. This enables continuous further development. The company not only offers quality and high-performance machines, but its employees are also going a step further to provide reliable customer support and a high standard of after-sales service. Nearly all mechanical, electrical and electronic components are manufactured in-house, making Medek & Schörner largely independent of external suppliers and able to react to customer requirements quickly and efficiently. The company guarantees unlimited availability of spare parts for all its machines, including older and smaller models. The product range begins with simple coding machines and extends all the way to fully automated high-speed production lines using cutting-edge technology.

The MGS Group Booth: 106

The product portfolio includes:

• Optical fiber color coating systems including ring marking, tight buffering, and proof testing

The MGS Group, which consists of MGS Manufacturing, Hall Industries and

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Exhibitors’ Products

air wipes, swage tools, electric brazers, double twist bunchers, twinners, tape heads and single twist cablers.

Northampton Machinery Company, is an international supplier of automation and technology solutions for product handling and twisting systems, customized for individual processes. The companies offer comprehensive design andengineeringcapabilities,apersonalized service, and ruggedly built machinery for decades of reliable, consistent service.

Photo and video presentations at the MGS booth will highlight the new, fully automatic dual take-up FAT820 SFL series with a robot handling system for depalletizing and palletizing; various dual reel take-ups from fiber to 1,000mcm cable; the Northampton single and double twist wire bunching machines; triple twist twinner; and the latest design in slip ring brushes and holders, plus the standard product range, including payoffs, take-ups, rewinders, dancers, accumulators, capstans, length counters,

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