Staffing

STAFFING

STAFFING

booth 350 AtlantaInterwireat from May 9-11!

ON THE COVER

Staffing can never truly cross a finish line, so how well a company does at recruiting makes a big difference. The feature that starts on p. 36 focuses on what manufacturers are most concerned with, observations from industry recruiters and more.

NEXT ISSUE

place

We want you! The recruiter’s dilemma

The feature in this issue presents the thoughts of four different executive recruiters. If there’s anything to be drawn from their comments, it’s that they are likely to remain quite busy as the wire and cable industry needs more key participants. And they are hard to come by. Collectively, their reports outline that challenge, and support the adjoining piece here calling for more mentoring of women.

Mentoring for win-win industry results

One inequity cited by KG Van and Stacey Felzer, who head the Empowering Women Mentorship Program discussed on p. 44, is hard to ignore: 89% of the electrical industry is made up of men. That backdrop, they observe, hinders women participation, especially in leadership positions, which is why more manufacturers should embrace mentoring programs. Not just because it’s the right thing to do ... but because it’s practical.

TRADESHOW INVENTORY HIGHLIGHTS

EXPL469 – 4½” Davis Std Jacket Line, 2m Skaltek TU’s, 36” Cat

EXPL453 – 3½” Davis Std. Line w/ MGS Dual 36” TU, Vert Accum

EXPL417 – Davis Standard 2” Hi Temp Extrusion Line, EKP800 TU

EXRL44 – 3½”/3½” Davis Std Rubber Ext Line, Clipper PA-1000

EXP1488

4½” Davis Standard Extruder, 24:1, Therm III, 150 HP DC

EXP1467 – 2” Davis Standard Hi Temp Extruder, 24:1, Therm III

EXP1388 – 2½” Davis Std Extruder, 24:1 Therm III 40HP DC, Port

EXP1244 – 4½” Am. Kuhne, 24:1 Ext, Koellmann Gearbox, 150HP DC

EXP1229 – 4½” Davis Std. 24:1 Therm. Ext w/ 200 HP AC Yaskawa Drive

EXP1066 – 3½” Davis Standard Extruder, 24:1, Thermatic III (3)

TKU1711 – 30” Davis Std Dual Reel TU DR-30, AC Motor, Touchscreen

TKU1707 – 2.5m Wuxi Sunan/Bartell Portal TU, A-B PLC, Yr 2013 (2)

TKU1641.2– 2.6m Skaltek U26T, Portal Floor Trav TU, 12,000 kg (3)

TKU1589 – 30” Clipper Dual TU, Parallel Axis, Shaft Model PA-30

TKU1558 – 50” Davis Std. DR-50 Dual Shaft TU, 10 HP AC Vector Drive

TKU1525 – Nextrom EKP-100, 1m Dual TU, Yr 2001, Siemens Drives

TKU1367 – 96” Ceeco Shaftless TU, Hyd Lift, 15 HP AC Vector (2)

TKU1181 – 120” Ceeco Shaftless TU, Floor Trav, 20 HP Vector Motor

TKU1178

Nextrom EKP-50, 500mm Dual S/L TU, Siemens Drives

PAY2368 – 36” Clipper DCFPO System (Driven) w/ Wire Straightener

PAY2154 – 36” Fine S/L, Driven PO, AC Drives w 10’ Vertical Dancer (8)

PAY2124 – 72” Ceeco Shaftless Payoff, Hyd Lift-In/Out, Air Brake.

CAP925 – 20” AWM Multipass (9X9) Capstan, 40’, LTM20-280, DC Motor

CAP923 – 24” Davis Std. Multipass (8X8) Capstan, 30’ Long, DC Motor

CAT677 – 60” MGS/HALL Belt Caterpuller, R-L, Plate Style, AC Motor

CAT649 – 1.2m Maillefer Belt Caterpuller, L-R, AC Drive, Yr 2011

CBR1437 – 24” TEC BackTwist PO (4 sets of 2), 800 RPM

CBR1431.3– 760mm Kinrei DT Bunchers, S/L PO, Yr 1998 (7)

CBR1426 – 24”, 6W, Watson Planetary Cabling Line, PO/TU

CBR1395 – NEB 12W 24” Planetary Cabling Line, BWC, 54” TU

CBR1366 – Ceeco 24W, 22” Rigid Serving Line, R-L, 84” PO/TU

CBR1353 – 30” Ceeco Planetary Line, 12+18, Dual Ecc Taper, 84” TU

CBR1330.2– 36” Cook Single Twist Buncher, Model BH-36

CBR1296 – 36” Allard, Single Twist Closer, Model STC-36

CBR1279 – 630mm Krupp Rigid Stranding Line, 12+18, N-M 2.6m TU

CBR1273 – 72” Ceeco/Nextrom Drum Twisting Line, Yr 2000

CBR1216 – 1.8m Northampton Double Twist Buncher, Yr 1995

CBR1157 – 31” Ceeco 37W Rigid & Tubular Stranding Line

CBR1000 – 1.8m Caballe Drum Twister, 84” Rot PO, 44” Rot Cat

TBR202 – 31” Ceeco 1+12 Tubular Strander, 50HP AC Vector, A-B PLC

WRD1157 – SAMP MT6 16W Draw Line, Annealer, 630mm Spoolers

WRD1121.1– Endex/Niehoff Model ECC-18 Drop Coiler

WRD678 – SAMP 14W Drawing Line, Annealer, 630mm Spoolers

TPR400 – QingFeng Dual Head Concentric Taping Line, 2200 RPM

BRD501 – Nanyang GSB-1 ,16C Braider, 150 RPM, Siemens PLC (26)

MSC2554 – 2” Bartell BX Armoring Line (2006), 108” PO, 90” TU

MSC2553 – 5” Bartell BX Armoring Line, (2005), 108” PO, 108” TU

RWD569 – TEC 1000mm to Dual Shaft 24” Rewind Line

DAN625 – Windak 18’ Vert Accum, 10 Pass, 600mm Sheaves, Servo

DAN599 – 20” Viteck O.H Accum, Model HA-600-20

DAN594 – 30” O.H Accumulator, 10 Pass, 40 Feet Long

DAN592 – 20” Viteck O.H Accum, Model HA-600-20, AC Vector Motor

D-S 4½” Therm III Extruder, Yr 2005 EXP1488

CBR1292

Roteq 68” Single Twist Cabler

Dynamex 36” ST Cabler CBR1433

MGS/Hall 18” Auto Dual Coiler/TU CLR314

Skaltek U26T, 2.6m Portal TU TKU1501

Syncro FX-13 Rod Line, Annealer, Spooler WRD1018.2

A WAI first: an editorial perspective from AI

As the feature in this issue is on staffing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining more attention, WJI posed the below question to AI—via (ChatGPT)—which replied in 0.46 sec. Below are its unedited comments. See p. 40 for further AI-authored perspective that includes the potential for staffing reductions. Also, on p. 21, our Patent attorney columnist has a ChatGPT warning.

Should manufacturing employees fear AI?

Manufacturing employees should not fear AI because it has the potential to greatly enhance and streamline their jobs, making them more productive and efficient. AI can benefit manufacturing employees by automating repetitive and mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on more skilled and creative work. This can lead to higher job satisfaction and career advancement opportunities.

Moreover, AI can improve safety in manufacturing plants. For example, it can be used to monitor and predict equipment failures, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. A study by Deloitte found that AI can reduce workplace accidents by up to 50%.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, the use of AI and automation in manufacturing could result in a 16% increase in global productivity by 2030. Additionally, a survey by PwC found that 59% of manufacturers are already using AI to improve operations, and 31% plan to do so in the next two years.

It is important to note that AI is not intended to replace human workers, but rather to augment their abilities and create new opportunities. As the technology continues to develop, it will likely create new jobs in fields such as AI development, maintenance, and oversight.

On the maintenance side, AI can help optimize and predict maintenance needs, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective maintenance schedules. It can also be used to monitor equipment and detect potential issues before they become major problems. While AI can automate some maintenance tasks, it is still important for human workers to oversee and manage the maintenance process to ensure that equipment is properly maintained and repaired.

In conclusion, manufacturing employees should not fear AI as it has the potential to greatly enhance their work and create new opportunities. By automating repetitive tasks, improving safety, and optimizing production, AI can help create a more efficient and productive manufacturing industry.

PUBLISHER Steven J. Fetteroll

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Marselli

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Karren Muolo

DIRECTOR OF SALES Shannon Timme

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Janice E. Swindells

WAI PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Dane Armendariz, consultant

Ferruccio Bellina, TKT Group/President ACIMAF

Michael Crowle, QED Wire Lines Inc.

Tom Moran, consultant

Giulio Properzi, Continuus Properzi

Willem Sundblad, Oden Technologies Inc.

John N. Tomaz, Stolberger

Robert Wild, Niehoff Endex North America

W.T. Bigbee, Encore Wire Corp.

TECHNICAL ADVISORS

John Drummond, Scotia Group

R. M. Shemenski, RMS Consulting, Inc.

Images: Adobe Stock.

Wire Journal International (ISSN-0277-4275) published monthly by The Wire Journal, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wire Association International, Inc., which is located at 71 Bradley Road, Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662, USA, and can be contacted at tel. 203-453-2777; fax 203-453-8384; Internet wirenet.org; e-mail editor@wirenet.org. Address all correspondence concerning advertising production, editorial and circulation to the above address. WJI is printed in the USA.

Subscription rates: $110 per year, USA; $120 per year, Canada and Mexico; other countries, $140 per year (includes air mail). Back copies: $10 WAI members, $15 non-members. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, CT 06443, USA, and at additional offices.

Wire Journal International grants photocopy permission to libraries and others registered with Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, USA, for a fee of $0.50 per article. Payments should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders or reprints should be sent to the Wire Journal International, 71 Bradley Road, Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662, USA.

Editor’s note: The AI author image here was created by a program called MidJourney that interpreted the reply from AI when asked how it would like to be seen on the shop floor. See p. 40 for the description that AI provided.

© 2023 by Wire Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Publisher of WJI assumes no responsibility for the validity of manufacturers’ claims made herein. Back issues of WJI are on microfilm and available from University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Phone: 313-761-4700.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wire Journal International, 71 Bradley Rd., Suite 9, Madison, CT 06443, USA.

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•8-point display of wall thickness and concentricity for up to three insulation layers

•XLL (eXtra Long-Life) X-ray tubes without warm-up phase

X-ray XLL Long-term

•Long-term operation without cleaning due to combination of ceramic and NTX (NonToxic X-ray) windows

•High-Speed-Technology (HST) – 10 times faster recording of measuring data*

•Fast centering of the crosshead without calibration

•For maximum material and cost savings

www.sikora.net/xray8000

May 9-11

Atlanta, GA Booth 1241

MAY 9-11, 2023: Interwire 2023 & WAI’s 93rd Annual Convention

Atlanta, Georgia, USA To be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, this event includes the trade show, technical programs and WAI’s 93rd Annual Convention.

MAY 16-18, 2023: Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE) 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. This event will be held in the Wisconsin Center. Contact: WHMA, tel. 847-615-7100, contact.us@whma.org, www.electricalwireshow.com.

MAY 24-27, 2023: wire and Tube Eurasia 2023

Istanbul, Turkey. This new event will take place with an existing trade show, Wire Tech Istanbul, at the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@ mdna.com, www.mdna.com or www.wire-eurasia.com.

JUNE 20-21, 2023: Polymers in Cables

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. This event will be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel. Contact: AMI, tel. 610-478-0800, www.ami-events.com.

SEPT. 2-4, 2023: wire Middle East Africa

Cairo, Egypt. This new event will be held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

SEPT. 4-7, 2023: wire China NEW DATE

Shanghai, China. This event will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe Düsseldorf/Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., www.wirechina.net, www.mdna.com.

SEPT. 17-20, 2023: IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum

Orlando, Florida, USA. This event is to be held at the Gaylord Palms. Contact: IWCS, tel. 703-914-4927, www.iwcs.org.

SEPT. 20-22, 2023: wire Southeast Asia

Bangkok, Thailand. This Messe Düsseldorf event is to be held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

OCT. 6-8, 2023: Cable & Wire Fair 2023

New Delhi, India. This event is to be held at the Pragati Maidan. Contact: Tulip 3P Media Pvt. Ltd.: tel. +91-01244250148, info@wirecable.in, www.cablewirefair.com.

OCT. 16, 2023: Wire & Cable Milan

Milan, Italy. More details on this collaborative International Technical Conference will be in future issues and online later at www.wireandcable23.com.

NOV. 13-15, 2023: Wire Monterrey 2023

Monterrey, Mexico. This WAI event will return to the Crowne Plaza Monterrey. The event is Nov. 13-14, and a tour is planned for Nov. 15. Contact: Steve Fetteroll, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

APRIL 15-19, 2024: wire Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf, Germany. To be held at the Messe Fairgrounds. Contact: see wire Southeast Asia above.

JUNE 11-12, 2024: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2024 Montville, Connecticut, USA This WAI event includes the trade show, technical programs and WAI’s 94th Annual Convention.

OCT. 2-4, 2024: SpringWorld Rosemont, Illinois, USA. This event is to be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Contact: CASMI, tel. 630-359-4273, info@casmi-springworld.org, www.casmi-springworld.org.

WAI EVENTS

JUNE 1, 2023: WAI Midwest Chapter Annual Golf Tournament West Chicago, Illinois. To be held at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club. Register by May 18!

AUG. 23, 2023: WAI Ohio Valley Chapter Annual Golf Tournament Canfield, Ohio. To be held at the Kennsington Golf Club. Save the date!

SEPT. 11, 2023: WAI New England Chapter Annual Golf Tournament Farmington, Ct., USA. Save the date!

SEPT. 28, 2023: WAI Southeast Chapter Annual Golf Tournament Conover, South Carolina. Save the date!

JUNE 11-12, 2024: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2024 Montville, Connecticut, USA See above.

presenting:

WELCOME INNOVATION:

WIRE MILAN CABLE & ITALY

16 OCTOBER 2023

e industry’s latest developments in wire and cable research, engineering, operations, and manufacturing will be presented by eld experts at this one-day international technical conference in Italy.

Both ferrous and nonferrous topics will be covered as will best practices, sustainability, safety and many others. Simultaneous translation to English is o ered.

Highlights:

• Expert speakers

• Networking

• 40 tabletop exhibits

• Gala dinner at the Palazzo Serbelloni

At the WIRE & CABLE MILAN conference join like-minded delegates to learn wire making advancements you can apply to your operation.

For details visit: www.wirecable23.com

CONFERENCE: PALAZZO GIURECONSULTI GALA DINNER: PALAZZO SERBELLONI

ORGANIZED BY: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

LC C&S reports off-shore cable contract

South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LS C&S) will supply submarine cables worth approximately $85 million to the Taiwan Power Company (TPC) for a wind farm to be built off the west coast of Taiwan.

reports of industry activity

By winning this contract, LS C&S won the right to supply ultra-high-voltage submarine cables for all eight sub-projects in the first offshore wind farm construction project in Taiwan. The total contract amount so far has reached about 900 billion won (US$697 million).

Per an article in BusinessKorea, an LS C&S official said that the size of additional submarine cable orders to be placed, starting this year, is expected to reach about 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion). “Based on our overwhelming submarine cable manufacturing capabilities and experience, we are seeking to expand our business through cooperation and market development with KT Submarine.”

LS C&S recently acquired a stake in KT Submarine, a company specializing in installing submarine cables, to strengthen its capabilities. LS C&S has also further strengthened its cooperation with other global offshore wind business operators such as Ørsted and CIP based in Denmark, Jan De Nul based in Belgium, and WPD based in Germany through their respective projects as it continues to accelerate its expansion in the European and North American markets.

A press release said that the order is from Foxwell Energy, an energy enterprise based in Taiwan and the builder of the upcoming construction project. Taiwan will complete a 5.5 GW wind farm as the first offshore wind farm construction project by 2025, and develop an additional 15 GW wind farm by 2023. To produce 1 GW of electric power, a nation needs to build about 20 nuclear power plants.

Elektrisola has acquired the assets of Rea North American Magnet Wire

Elektrisola announced that it has acquired Rea’s North American magnet wire assets, including its five manufacturing plants in Indiana, Connecticut, Virginia and Mexico as well as its leased corporate offices in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

A press release said that Elektrisola plans to continue operating the business under the well-known brand of

Koh Eui-gon, l, head of the global sales division of LS Cable & System, and David Fu, president of Foxwell Energy, shake hands at a contract-signing ceremony at Foxwell Energy in Taiwan.

Rea Magnet Wire, and will continue to employ the current employees. “Rea is a great addition to complement our magnet wire activities in North America and to continue the successful growth of the Elektrisola Group,” said Elektrisola Managing Owner Detlef Schildbach.

“When you assess our complementary strengths, Rea and Elektrisola are a perfect match,” said Jim Shea, a former major shareholder of Rea Magnet Wire. “Customers will directly benefit from our combined operational excellence and technological expertise in systems and products.”

Elektrisola notes that the company is the world’s largest manufacturer of enameled copper wire finer than 0.15 mm. Founded in 1948 in Germany, Elektrisola currently has 14 plants in seven countries with approximately 4,000 employees.

Rea Magnet Wire Company, the largest privately held magnet wire company in the world serving the motor, generator and transformer industries, was founded in 1933 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It supplies a diverse selection of alloys and tempers. Its five plants in North America have approximately 800 employees.

Private equity firm to buy International Wire Group, looks to further company growth

Stamford-based private equity firm Olympus Partners has agreed to acquire the International Wire Group (IWG) from its parent company, Atlas Holdings, in a deal reported to be valued at more than $900 million.

“When we acquired IWG, we partnered with (IWG CEO and President) Greg Smith to transform and grow the business. In the four years since, we have seen IWG cement its industry-leading position and create a unique platform for continued growth,” Atlas Partner Neil Mahajan said in a written statement. “We are looking forward to continuing to support the company in this new chapter with Olympus Partners.”

“The company has been built up over time and needs more capital to grow as it gets to the next stage,” Olympus Partners CEO and Chairman Rob Morris said of his firm’s

WIRE & CABLE IN THE NEWS

ICA outlines path to net zero emissions for Scope 1 & 2 by 2050

The International Copper Association (ICA) recently outlined ambitious plans for its member companies to reach net zero in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050, as well as significantly cut Scope 3 emissions. The challenge is that copper demand is expected to double by 2050. Below are edited elements of the “roadmap” for these ambitious goals.

ICA’s roadmap sets out clear guidance for its members—among the largest producers of refined copper in the world—to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions 30-40% by 2030 and 70-80% by 2040. For Scope 3 emissions, members will work with value chain partners to reduce emissions 10% by 2030, 30-40% by 2040 and 60-70% by 2050. This would result in total reductions of 85% by 2050.

Refined copper production emitted an estimated 97 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2018. Scope 2 emissions accounted for 46%, followed by Scope 3 at 31% and Scope 1 at 23%. This constitutes 2% of mining and metals sector emissions and 0.2% of global man-made emissions.

To achieve these goals will take R&D into innovative technologies to

reduce emissions, decarbonize local power grids and regulatory certainty, fair/stable royalties and long-term mining licenses. Scope 1 and 2 emissions would depend on: alternative fuels, equipment electrification, green electricity and energy efficiency. It would take current knowledge as well as sound hypotheses about availability at scale, cost and abatement potential. Carbon offsets and carbon capture would be limited.

Copper is essential for the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy. Ironically, global demand for copper is expected to double by 2050.

ICA members have pledged to engage with the copper industry value chain toward the ambition of reducing Scope 3 emissions through partnerships across the value chain, and

through overcoming the challenge of a reliance on the availability of up-todate, quality data on emissions factors from various suppliers, service providers and customers. The impact on the environment or local communities will be considered before any decarbonization solution is implemented. It is vital for the industry to set best practice guidelines to help others reach the targets.

ICA President Anthony Lea believes the challenges are considerable, but they must be achieved as copper “is the cornerstone material for a net-zero future.” Based in Washington, D.C., ICA has offices in Asia, Europe and North America. ICA and its Copper Alliance® partners are active in more than 60 countries worldwide.

agreement to acquire International Wire Group Holdings. “That’s the role we’re here to play.”

IWG, headquartered in Camden, New York, is the largest U.S. non-vertically integrated copper and copper-alloy wire products manufacturer in the United States. Its product line includes single-end wire and copper wire on bobbins, stranded conductors, metal and textile braided products, and flat wire as well as over braiding services for copper wires. Worldwide, IWG has 19 manufacturing facilities and a distribution facility in its business units. Those include its Bare Wire Division, which includes Continental Cordage and High Performance Conductors; Owl Wire; and International Wire Europe, which has five factories operated by Italtrecce (Italy), Tresse Métallique J.Forissier (France), and International Wire Polska (Poland).

Atlas, which acquired IWG in April 2019, will continue as an investor in the company, following the expected closing of the deal in the second quarter of this year. Atlas and its affiliates own and operate 26 companies.

Olympus CEO and Chairman Rob Morris has said that he sees much potential for IWG as its product lines serve growing markets such as electric vehicles, electric charging stations, airplanes and data centers. “The company has been built up over time and needs more capital to grow as it gets to the next stage. That’s the role we’re here to play.”

IWG President and CEO Gregory Smith said that he greatly appreciated the growth that was made possible by Atlas, and the next stage. “I’m looking forward to continuing to serve our long-standing customers and continuing our growth with our new partners at Olympus.”

NKT wins contract for Hornsea 3 project

NKT has been awarded a supply contract for the delivery of the high-voltage DC on- and offshore export cable system to the Hornsea 3 project which is being developed by Ørsted.

A press release said that the order calls for the design, manufacturing, jointing and termination of the export power cable system for Hornsea 3. It will include two circuits with a route length of approximately 170 km of 320 kV DC offshore cable and 50 km of 320 kV DC

onshore cable as well as four circuits for a 1.5 km route of 400 kV AC onshore cable. The DC system will connect the wind turbines with the substation while the AC cables will connect the substation to the national grid. The final order has an estimated value of €500 million.

NKT notes that, last year, the company completed its role as supplier for Hornsea 2. Subject to Ørsted taking a final investment decision, Hornsea 3 will be located in the North Sea, approximately 160 km off the Yorkshire coast. When Hornsea 3 comes online, the combined capacity of Hornsea 1, 2 and 3 will be in excess of 5 GW, making it one of the world’s largest offshore wind zones and capable of covering the power consumption of approximately five million U.K. homes.

NKT will produce the power cables at its high-voltage factory in Karlskrona, Sweden. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2027.

Leoni AG undergoes financial restructuring, will emerge as privately owned company

Leoni AG has reached an agreement with lenders, bondholders and a strategic investor on a financial-restructuring plan that will result in the business having a firmer financial base through a series of steps being taken.

Per multiple media accounts, Leoni said that it will receive a liquidity injection of €150 million and be relieved of €708 million in debts as part of the financial restructuring. The company will no longer be publicly traded. A company to be established by Austrian investor Stefan Pierer will become Leoni’s sole shareholder The official release said that the deal does not affect Leoni’s subsidiaries, suppliers, customers and employees. The financial restructuring concept will, as a result, substantially reduce Leoni’s debt, provide it with fresh liquidity and secure its financing for the coming years..

Pierer, a billionaire, is CEO of Pierer Mobility, a leading motorcycle manufacturer based in Austria. He founded the Cross holding group (now Pierer Industrie) in 1987, and is still its majority shareholder as well as a member of the supervisory board of SHW AG, an auto parts company.

Rinnerberger has many years of management experience in the automotive industry, combined with extensive re-structuring expertise. For example, he helped to shape the growth of the Magna Group over a period of years— consistently in board functions (CFO, CRO, CEO)—and successfully restructured the automotive suppliers Polytec AG and Peguform (now SMP). Rinnerberger has been a member of the Executive Board of Pierer Industrie AG since 2010. The native Austrian has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Leoni AG since May 2021 and was elected its chairman in May 2022.

Leoni’s Supervisory Board Chairman Klaus Rinnerberger will become its new chief executive following merger control clearance, the company said. He succeeds Aldo Kamper, whose contract ended on March

NKT will supply cable for the Hornsea 3 wind farm project.

31. “I am looking forward to doing my part in further driving the advanced restructuring - with the collective goal of a sustainably stabilized Leoni firmly in sight,” he said.

The company said that while it has now secured the necessary support for the restructuring, implementation remains subject to clearance of merger controls and other customary approvals.

WireCo© launches line of crane rope made in the USA courtesy of a major investment

WireCo©, a leading manufacturer of mission-critical wire rope, synthetic rope and netting, and electromechanical cable, has launched brand-new production of Made in the USA high-performance crane ropes.

A press release said that, for the first time, “customers can now purchase Casar and Oliveira brand ropes proudly made in America.” The launch culminates WireCo’s investment of some $30 million to deliver the same quality ropes that customers have acquired from facilities in Germany and Portugal that are now also produced in Sedalia, Missouri. The new ropes follow the exact same manufacturing and testing protocols, but local production means improved availability and quicker delivery for U.S. customers.

“Our Casar and Oliveira ropes have long enjoyed great recognition and loyalty to our U.S. customers, but production in Europe posed logistical challenges,” said WireCo CEO Keith White. “We strongly believe our ropes and our brands deserve to be made in America, and our investments back that up. We’ve never invested this much capital in one single project. That’s the power of Casar and Oliveira ropes.”

Go cold, reduce waste

WireCo© displayed its USA-made wire ropes at CONEXPO.

The $30 million investment completely transformed WireCo’s Sedalia facility into a high-performance crane rope center, but the company has also invested in other facilities across the United States to satisfy the growing demand for customers for domestically produced ropes. The company is looking to add more than 40 jobs to help support the initiative.

In March, WireCo showcased the new ropes and the scope of its Made-in-the-USA project at its booth at CONEXPO, which is America’s largest construction trade show, in Las Vegas.

ABB plans to open plant in Albuquerque

ABB announced that it plans to invest $40 million to build a new manufacturing facility on the company’s existing campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Per a report in the Albuquerque Journal, the new site is being built on a 40-acre site near the existing ABB plant that has some 450 employees. The new plant will add 55 more jobs when it is up and running in 2024.

Ralph Donati, executive vice president and general manager for ABB’s Installation Products Division in the U.S. and Latin America, said that the project was ambitious. “We’re not just expanding, but upgrading our manufacturing capacity in Albuquerque,” Donati told the

When Quality Counts.

Albuquerque Journal. “The new plant will be a greenfield facility with the latest technology in processing, machine manufacturing and robotics to make it a factory for the future.”

The new plant will double ABB’s local production capacity of cable products used by electric utilities, which is the primary ABB product made in Albuquerque, Donati said.

Nexans to provide 30 km of underground cables for airport project in Switzerland

Nexans has been chosen by Swissgrid to supply and bury 30 km of Very-High-Voltage (VHV) underground cables to replace overhead power lines along the southern side of the Geneva-Cointrin airport in Switzerland.

A press release said that Swissgrid, the national company in charge of Switzerland’s electricity transmission grid, chose Nexans for the project that will see the 220 kV underground cables replace the existing overhead power lines between the electrical stations of Foretaille and Renfil. The €25 million turnkey contract also calls for it to install two 144-strand fiber optic links and embed a temperature monitoring feature in the cable system.

The Swissgrid project is part of the “Axe Stratégique Réseau” development programs in the canton of Geneva and the Federal Roads Office’s “Redevelopment of the

Grand-Saconnex motorway junction.” The overhead power line burial project was described as being exceptional due to its complex nature, both technically and organizationally. Nexans will be in charge of certain engineering services, including taking down and replacing the existing gas-insulated extra high voltage link (GIL).

“We welcome the opportunity to continue our work with Swissgrid on this ambitious and prestigious project, relying on the many and varied skills of the Nexans teams, from engineering to civil works, but also including the production and installation of very high voltage networks,” said Nexans Switzerland CEO Marco Spinelli.

The release said that Nexans has been active in such complex very-high-voltage cable projects in Switzerland before, including the connection of the Nant de Drance (2018), the Linth-Limmern (2016) pumped storage power plants to the national grid, and the underground cable connection of La Bâtiaz – Le Verney (2022).

CommScope to expand its production of fiber-optic cable at two plants in the U.S.

CommScope announced that it is expanding its fiber-optic cable production to help feed an accelerated rollout of broadband Internet in the U.S.

A press release said that the capacity expansion at two production facilities in North Carolina—projected to cost $47 million—will increase employment by at least 250 jobs over five years. The capital expenditures include new lines of production for its HeliARC cable, a smaller and lighter-weight cable optimized for rural deployment and allowing for faster installation at lower cost.

“This increase in fiber-optic cable production is a great step forward for our ‘Broadband for Everyone’ program, furthering our commitment to serve the fiber optic cable market,” said CEO/President Chuck Treadway. “We will produce more cost-effective and easier-to-deploy fiber-optic cable, add new jobs and simultaneously strengthen the supply chain in America.”

Nexans will supply and bury power cable lines in Switzerland.

NKT completes Norway offshore field project that took over a decade to finalize

NKT reports that a long-term project on the Norwegian continental shelf has finally been completed.

A press release said that the electrification project of the Utsira High offshore energy area has been finalized. The final power cable project is done, so now all the six offshore oil and gas platforms located at Utsira High to shore have been connected to shore.

tolerances as well as the need for another supplier. “We reached out to FENN, a metal-forming machinery manufacturer based in East Berlin, Connecticut, and after collaborating with their team, they put together a custom two-stand wire flattening mill line to meet our specifications,” said UWC President Bob Swanson, Jr.

The line includes a horizontal spool payoff, two rolling mills, three dancers, a high-precision Turks head with motorized adjustment, a double drum capstan, and a traversing spool take-up. It can produce wire sizes as small as .005 in. x .010 in. and can hold a +/- 0.0001 in. tolerance. “With this new machinery, we will be able to support the medical industry, as well as supply smaller wire to spring and wire form manufacturers,” Swanson said. “Soon, we will offer 304 V and 316 LVM medical grades of stainless-steel product and precision layer wound packaging.”

ETNA Products acquires JTM’s fluids line

ETNA Products, Inc., has acquired the metalworking fluids line of JTM Products, which is based in Solon, Ohio.

“It has been a pleasure to continue our long-term collaboration with Equinor and Aker BP by supporting the electrification of Utsira High,” said Claes Westerlind, executive vice president and head of the high-voltage engineering and manufacturing center in Karlskrona, Sweden. He noted that NKT has contributed with turnkey DC (direct current) cable systems for Johan Sverdrup 1 and 2 and from there continuing the cable connections with AC (alternate current) cables to the platforms Edvard Grieg, Gina Krog, Gudrun, Ivar Aasen and Sleipner. All cables were produced in the factory in Karlskrona, Sweden.

Collaboration was a key to the success of the electrification campaign, said Westerlind, noting that the project was completed on time and within budget. “We have had great teamwork with both customers and subcontractors which has been essential for us to bring the projects safely to the finish line without incidents or accidents.”

United Wire Co. partners with FENN to add new products, such as medical grade wire

United Wire Company (UWC) has partnered with OEM FENN LLC to enable it to manufacture small wire sizes with exacting tolerances, such as medical grade stainless steel wire.

A press release said that UWC, a manufacturer of flat, square, and custom-shaped wire based in North Haven, Connecticut, saw demand for small wire that holds tight

A press release said that the deal will bolster ETNA’s business focus, which is based in organic growth and strategic acquisitions. “The JTM metalworking product line brings state of the art technology to ETNA as well as a world class distribution network,” said ETNA President Mike Washington. “We believe that these core competencies are a great fit with ETNA’s state of the art manufacturing and R&D center. We will continue to evaluate additional strategic acquisitions.”

The company fully intends to continue its expansion, ETNA CEO Catharine Golden noted that the company plans to break ground on phase two of its plant expansion this spring to accommodate future growth moves.

Established in 1943, ETNA Products, Inc., located in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is a leading supplier of lubricants for nonferrous drawing and stamping.

Teknor Apex acquires Nu-Pro Polymers

Teknor Apex has bought Nu-Pro Polymers, a manufacturer and supplier of reprocessed and recycled flexible PVC pellet compounds that seeks to convert PWVC waste streams into products that perform for customers.

A press release said that Nu-Pro, based in Wheeling, Illinois, works with clean post-industrial (PIR) streams and converts them into new PVC compounds which perform equivalently to prime compounds. Nu-Pro specializes in clear, natural and black reprocessed compounds in a range of durometers. Per company’s co-owner Don Brown, the flexible, reprocessed and recycled PVC compounds incorporate up to 90% post-industrial recycled content.

Under the acquisition, Nu-Pro will continue to produce products for Teknor Apex at this time, under the Cycle-Tek brand as a subsidiary of Teknor Apex. “We are very excited

The final leg of a long-term NKT project has been completed.

about this acquisition that will further enable us to develop innovative compounds that meet the performance and sustainability requirements of our customers,” said Teknor Apex Executive Vice President Lou Cappucci.

“The acquisition of the Nu-Pro business is another step in ensuring vinyl continues to be a sustainable option in the plastics manufacturing market,” said Sunny Mahajan, Sr., technical manager, Teknor Apex, and business manager, Cycle-Tek. Based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Teknor operates 14 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

TKT Group expands its union with WiTechs for its in-line wire pre-treatment technology

Italy’s TKT Group announced that is has furthered its business partnership with WiTechs B.V., a Dutch company manufacturer of machinery for in-line wire pre-treatment.

A press release said that the TKT/WiTechs partnership resulted in the sales of more than a hundred of its innovative Ecoclean machine all over the world. The technical/ commercial collaboration will be extended in Italy and abroad for the sale of other machines in the WiTechs’ portfolio, such as the brushing machine WBE- 6L, sanding machine SEZ-6-302, bending descaler BBE-3/8, dry coating machine BSG/TF, etc.

IEWC expands in Southeast Asia

IEWC reports that it has added a new distribution center to support its growing customer base in Southeast Asia.

A press release said that the new facility, located in the east region of Singapore, adds nearly 20,000 sq ft of warehouse and office space to IEWC’s footprint within Asia. “Singapore was a logical choice for IEWC’s next expansion,” said Michelle Osman, IEWC president & Chief Business Officer, Global OEM Group. “Our customers continue to grow and invest in Southeast Asia, and we’re responding by placing our service closer to where our customers are. We are excited to bring even higher service levels to our customers in Southeast Asia and beyond.”

Adding to the existing distribution centers in Hong Kong and Suzhou, IEWC’s new Singapore facility will support growing demand across Asia, providing faster service to customers in several areas experiencing significant industrial growth, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. With the addition of the Singapore distribution center, IEWC continues to build out its global reach, joining facilities currently located across North America, Europe and Asia.

IEWC is a global distributor of wire and cable products, manufacturer of custom fiber assemblies, and provider of value-add solutions that advance a connected world. It has nearly 30 locations in seven countries, serving customers in almost 100 countries.

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AEI Cables to supply Hong Kong project

AEI Cables will supply its low-voltage power, control and fire performance cables to a new major public housing project developed by the Hong Kong Housing Society in the Kai Tak Development Area of Kowloon City.

A press release said that the Kai Tak Area site includes five commercial and residential towers that will provide approximately 2,050 residential units expected to accommodate 5,800 people. The cables will provide power to the development, incorporating four levels of administration, community and recreation facilities.

Working in partnership with its long-term Hong Kong distributor Fordex Electric Company Limited, AEI Cables will supply its diverse range of products for power, control and fire performance. AEI Cables’ Firetec Total Fire Solutions range offers enhanced fire performance cabling, accessories and technical support from its distribution facility at Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Southwire to be the title sponsor in ABB FIA Formula E championship race on June 24

Southwire will be the Title Sponsor of the 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on Saturday, June 24.

A press release said that the 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix will mark the United States debut of the GEN3: the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built, in the last of four new race locations in Season 9’s 16-race calendar following debuts in Hyderabad, Cape Town and São Paulo.

The company was recently named as the Official Wire and Cable Provider for Formula E’s 2022/2023 ABB FIA

Formula E World Championship. In addition to being the first such final, it is the first sport in the world to be certified as net-zero carbon since inception. As a part of Southwire’s ongoing collaboration with Formula E, the company is committed to developing innovative systems and solutions that are closely aligned to Formula E’s purpose of accelerating change towards an electric and more sustainable future.

“Formula E represents innovation and sustainability, which are principles mirrored at Southwire. Our collaboration is an amazing opportunity for future advancements in e-Mobility,” said Richard Oglesby, senior vice president of OEM and Industrial.

The event provides an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers such as Jaguar, McLaren, Nissan, Porsche and Maserati to accelerate electric vehicle innovation. It also provides Southwire a unique platform to enable business engagement and reach partners across automotive and EV value chains.

LAPP partners with BASF to produce 1st Ethernet cable with a bio-based sheathing

LAPP announced that working with BASF to reduce the cable maker’s carbon footprint has led to a new product: the first Ethernet cable with a bio-based sheathing.

A press release said that the compound, developed by BASF, was a key to its latest ETHERLINE® FD P Cat. 5e for industrial Ethernet. That product had been part of the LAPP portfolio for a long time, used for patch cable applications and cable chains. “Now, however, it is additionally available as a more sustainable variant. For this cable ... has replaced the TPU sheath material (thermoplastic polyurethane) from BASF, previously based on fossil raw materials, with a TPU from BASF that is based on renewable raw materials.”

Elastollan® N, a thermoplastic polyurethane from BASF, is a corn-based biopolymer. Depending on the type of TPU, the proportion of renewable raw material is 45% to 60%. The TPU offers the same durability, flexibility and mechanical properties as well as the hydrolysis, chemical and UV resistance as conventional Elastollan®. The processability parameters are retained. A special feature is that the proportion of biomaterial in the finished product can actually not only be detected, but precisely measured (according to ASTM D 6866).

“BASF’s bio-based TPU is a true high performer and is in no way inferior to conventional fossil fuel. A quick changeover in production is possible and the right step to bring our customer real added value through a more sustainable product,” said BASF Polyurethanes GmbH Group Manger Oliver Mühren. n

Southwire is in the fast lane with its sponsorship of the world’s first all-electric Formula E championship car race.

PATENT

PATENT REPORT

Technical advances are a necessity for any industry, and to that end, companies invest considerable resources in R&D. This section lists the abstracts of recently approved U.S. patents. Most are direct to wire and cable while a few may be more indirect/downstream.

recently approved U.S. patents for wire and cable

Title

Optical fiber cable

U.S. Patent No.: 11,592,634

U.S. Patent No.: 00,000,000

Patent date: Feb. 28, 2023 Filed: Sept. 3, 2019

Patent date: Mon. 00, 0000 Filed: Mon. 00, 0000

Assignee: Fujikura Ltd., Japan

Assignee: Company Name, Country

Inventors: First Lastname, First Lastname

Inventors: Shinnosuke Sato, Koji Tomikawa, Mizuki Isaji, Ken Osato

An optical fiber cable includes: optical fiber units each having optical fibers; a wrapping tube that wraps around the optical fiber units; a filling disposed inside the wrapping tube; and a sheath that covers the wrapping tube. The optical fiber units includes outer units that are disposed at an outermost layer of the optical fiber units. The outer units are twisted in an SZ shape around a cable central axis of the optical fiber cable. The filling is sandwiched between one of the outer units and the wrapping tube in a cross-sectional view.

Method and device for positioning components on a cable

A wire and a method of manufacturing are provided the wire for use in an organic light emitting diode device includes three parts, a first part and a third part are located at both ends of the wire respectively and each of the first part and the third part is a single wire, a second part is located between the first part and the third part, and the second part is a composite wire, wherein the composite wire comprises at least two wires. By dividing a middle part of one wire into multiple wires, the purpose of changing a wire width of a single wire is achieved, ductility of the wire can be enhanced, thereby avoiding the occurrence of the problem that the device cannot normally work caused by wire fracture during folding, and improving the using efficiency of the device.

U.S. Patent No.: 11,592,121

Patent date: Feb. 28, 2023 Filed: April 16, 2020

Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH

Title

Inventors: David College, Mark Ondo

U.S. Patent No.: 00,000,000

Patent date: Mon. 00, 0000 Filed: Mon. 00, 0000

Assignee: Company Name, Country

Inventors: First Lastname, First Lastname

A device and method of positioning a component on a cable. The method includes: moving a collet into position on the component; engaging the component with the collet; moving the collet with the component positioned thereon into alignment with an end of the cable; securing the collet to the end of the cable; moving the component from the collet to the cable; and removing the collet from the end of the cable.

A wire and a method of manufacturing are provided the wire for use in an organic light emitting diode device includes three parts, a first part and a third part are located at both ends of the wire respectively and each of the first part and the third part is a single wire, a second part is located between the first part and the third part, and the second part is a composite wire, wherein the composite wire comprises at least two wires. By dividing a middle

Cable jacket composition

U.S. Patent No.: 11,591,455

Patent date: Feb. 28, 2023 Filed: Sept. 4, 2018

Assignee: Kyungshin Cable, South Korea

Inventors: Seong Park, Cheol Park

part of one wire into multiple wires, the purpose of changing a wire width of a single wire is achieved, ductility of the wire can be enhanced, thereby avoiding the occurrence of the problem that the device cannot normally work caused by wire fracture during folding, and improving the using efficiency of the device.

Title

U.S. Patent No.: 00,000,000

Patent date: Mon. 00, 0000 Filed: Mon. 00, 0000

Assignee: Company Name, Country

Inventors: First Lastname, First Lastname

Provided is an irradiation-crosslinked ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) composition containing: EPDM 30 to 80 phr (parts per hundred resin) free of a crosslinking agent, a polyolefin (PO) resin 10 to 50 phr, a silicone rubber 5 to 40 phr, a flame retardant 20 to 30 phr, a crosslinking accelerator 5 to 10 phr, a crosslinking assistant 1 to 5 phr, an antioxidant 5 to 15 phr, and a lubricant 0.25 to 5 phr. Provided is a cable produced by: providing the irradiation-crosslinked EPDM composition; first kneading the composition using a kneader; second kneading the first kneaded composition using a roll mill; extruding the second kneaded composition using an extruder, and then cutting the extruded composition to produce pellets as a raw material for the cable; forming a cable of a predetermined length by extruding the pellets using an extruder; and irradiation-crosslinking the formed cable using an electron beam accelerator.

Cable jacket composition

U.S. Patent No.: 11,591,455

A wire and a method of manufacturing are provided the wire for use in an organic light emitting diode device includes three parts, a first part and a third part are located at both ends of the wire respectively and each of the first part and the third part is a single wire, a second part is located between the first part and the third part, and the second part is a composite wire, wherein the composite wire comprises at least two wires. By dividing a middle part of one wire into multiple wires, the purpose of changing a wire width of a single wire is achieved, ductility of the wire can be enhanced, thereby avoiding the occurrence of the problem that the device cannot normally work caused by wire fracture during folding, and improving the using efficiency of the device.

Patent date: Feb. 28, 2023 Filed: April 6, 2018

Assignee: Borealis AG, Austria

Title

Inventors: Anna Hjärtfors, Yi Liu, Victor Sumerin, Joseph Thorman

U.S. Patent No.: 00,000,000

Patent date: Mon. 00, 0000 Filed: Mon. 00, 0000

Assignee: Company Name, Country

SECTION SPONSOR

Inventors: First Lastname, First Lastname

THE IP PATENT PRIMER

ChatGPT: interesting, yes, but be cautious in its use

ChatGPT is all over the news. Pundits review it in awe: it’s either an amazing new tool that will revolutionize the world or a potential evil that will change everything for the worse. It’s been reported that it will displace knowledge workers. It can write articles in seconds, write, debug and explain computer code, and create original stories in the style of Hemingway or Shakespeare, and in multiple languages. Other AI systems can create artwork from prompts (Zarya of the Dawn), have a singer virtually perform another singer’s music (Rihanna AI generated cover of Beyonce’s “Cuff It”) and have singers appear to sing a new song they’ve never actually sung. (AI generated Drake and the Weeknd song, “Heart on my Sleeve”).

ChatGPT is an AI language model that can generate all of this, and more, based upon prompts the user inputs. I typed the prompt, “give me a 700-word article on the copyright infringement issues related to ChatGPT.” In seconds, I was presented with an article. It was an interesting article, written with authority, and sounded pretty good, and it was mostly wrong. If you weren’t an expert, you wouldn’t know how wrong it was. I also asked for my biography, which it created in seconds. It was correct about me being a lawyer and an engineer, but wrong on where I went to school, where I worked, and awards I had received. Bard, a similar AI from Google, was asked for a great place to visit in New Hampshire, and it created a city that doesn’t exist, along with fictitious attractions and

restaurants. It was also asked about inflation, and Bard recommended several books that were never written. The developers of AI call these “Hallucinations.”

Caution 1. Don’t expect the results to be accurate. I have found that the results are just close enough to appear correct, but aren’t. For example, the ChatGPT article suggested that ChatGPT programmers would own the copyright to any output. Sounds plausible, but its wrong. Only humans can own copyrights. An article generated by prompts given to ChatGPT has no copyright, and is owned by no one. On March 16, 2023, the US copyright office issued guidelines making this clear.

Caution 2 Since material generated by ChatGPT is unlikely to be protected by copyright, it’s free for anyone to use. I say not likely because it depends on how it was generated, edited and arranged. As noted earlier, the copyright office refused copyright protection for images in a children’s book that were created by AI. Another AI generated work, “A Recent Entrance to Paradise,” was refused protection, and the applicant, Stephen Thaler, sued the Copyright Office in Federal Court to force its registration. That case is pending.

Caution 3. You might get sued for copyright infringement. ChatGPT is trained on human-generated text, so your results may be similar to, or the same as existing text, and that will set off the plagiarism detectors. This could be embarrassing at best, or at worst, a lawsuit for copyright infringement. I ran my AI article through a couple of plagiarism sites.

One said it was likely plagiarized, and another indicated no plagiarism. The fact that one showed plagiarism was enough to cause me concern about using the AI-generated content.

Caution 4. You could lose confidential information. Samsung just experienced this. Two different programmers loaded confidential computer code into the prompt to help solve a problem. Another employee loaded a recorded confidential meeting to create meeting minutes. These now will become part of ChatGPT’s learning library. Clearly, this is not where you want your corporate trade secrets to be disclosed. Valuable trade secrets may have been lost using ChatGPT. It’s unclear if this information can be accessed, or whether it will appear in future responses to prompts.

The Takeaway

ChatGPT may be a dream or a nightmare. Its development will be fascinating. What is certain is that you must exercise care in its use. Business owners must create new process policies around its application. You can’t rely on what it reports as it hallucinates. Anything generated needs to be reworked for accuracy, changed enough to avoid infringement of others’ works, and edited to give you the potential for copyright protection. Avoid using prompts that contain confidential information. It’s likely that such actions will result in the loss of your trade secrets. Overall it’s fun to experiment with this new technology, but be careful when you use it.

-Bill Honaker

Bill Honaker has been an intellectual property attorney for more than 30 years, helping businesses—from Fortune 100 firms to individual entrepreneurs—protect their patents, trademarks and copyrights. A former Patent Office Examiner, he is a partner with Dickinson Wright, PLLC. He notes that he is especially good at keeping clients out of court. He can be contacted at whonaker@dickinson-wright.com, tel. 248-433-7381.

the wire association international presents its:

INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

Monterrey, Mexico

MORE TO LEARN

Welcome back to Monterrey where you’ll hear the latest wire and cable manufacturing information at the 2023 Wire Association International Technical Conference.

Both ferrous and nonferrous topics will be covered during this two-day event.

Simultaneous translation to English is offered.

Other highlights include:

• Tabletop exhibits

• Lunch buffet

• Networking cocktail hour

• Welcome dinner

The present invention relates to a cable jacket composition comprising a multimodal olefin copolymer, wherein said olefin copolymer has a density of 0.935-0.960 g/cm3 and MFR2 of 1.5-10.0 g/10 min and comprises a bimodal polymer mixture of a low molecular weight homo- or copolymer and a high molecular weight copolymer wherein the composition has ESCR of at least 2000 hours and wherein the numerical values of cable wear index and composition MFR2 (g/10 min) follow the correlation: Wear index<15.500+0.900*composition MFR2. The invention further relates to the process for preparing said composition and its use as outer jacket layer for a cable, preferably a communication cable, most preferably a fiber optic cable.

Multi-core cable core alignment device and multi-core cable core alignment method

U.S. Patent No.: 11,588,309

Patent date: Feb. 28, 2023 Filed: Sept. 6, 2019

Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan

Inventors: Takahiro Kinoshita, Shinj Takane, Motoyuki Itoh

A multi-core cable core aligning device is composed of a temporary holding mechanism, which is configured to arrange tips of a plurality of cores exposed at one end of a multi-core cable in a row along a predetermined arranging direction, and temporarily hold each one of the plurality of cores in such a manner as to be movable along the predetermined arranging direction, a transferring mechanism, which is configured to transfer the plurality of cores one by one while separating the plurality of cores held by the temporary holding mechanism one by one from other ones of the plurality of cores, and an aligning mechanism, which is configured to align and hold the plurality of cores with a predetermined space between adjacent ones of the plurality of cores while holding the plurality of cores transferred by the transferring mechanism one by one at spaced intervals.

Straightener for straightening cables

U.S. Patent No.: 11,588,309

Patent date: Feb. 28, 2023 Filed: Oct. 19, 2020

Assignee: Komax Holding AG, China

Inventors: Stefan Viviroli, Marco Della Torre

A straightening apparatus for straightening cables includes a first roller group having several rollers and a second roller group having several rollers opposite the first roller group. The cable alternates in a transport direction between the rollers of the first roller group and the rollers of the second roller group. The straightening apparatus further includes an infeed device with which the first roller group can be displaced in a closing direction against the second roller group. In order to secure the position of the first roller group displaced in the closing direction by the infeed device, the straightening apparatus includes a backstop which blocks a backward movement of the first roller group against the closing direction. The backstop has a clamping roller which is received in a wedge gap.

Lead wire straightening device

U.S. Patent No.: 11,589,489

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: April 27, 2017

Assignee: Fuji Corporation, Japan

Inventor: Takaji Mukohara

A lead wire straightening device including a control device that disposes a lead wire of a lead component that is held by a holding section between a first claw section and a second claw section. The control device causes an opening/closing driving section of a straightening unit to clamp and straighten the lead wire by the first and second claw sections. After the lead wire is clamped, the control device causes a driving section to rotate at least one of the holding section and the straightening unit to thereby change positions of the first and second claw sections relative to

(Patent Report continued, see p. 69)

South Korea’s LS Cable & System reports expansion into ‘eco-friendly’ products

LS Cable & System (LS C&S) announced that it will list its subsidiary LS Materials on the stock market as it begins full-scale development of the business into a “company specializing in eco-friendly materials and parts.”

A press release said that LS C&S subsidiary LS Materials concluded underwriting agreements with KB Securities and Kiwoom Securities on April 3. The company will file for a preliminary review by June and push forward with listing the company on the KOSDAQ within the year. This would be the second company listed by LS C&S after LS C&S Asia.

aluminum demand surrounding the electric vehicle industry. We will set out to create new opportunities with the three new growth engines of electric vehicle charging station ESSs, aluminum parts for electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells.”

LS Materials recorded KRW 162 billion (approximately $123 million) in consolidated sales and KRW 14.5 billion (approximately $11 million) in operating profits last year. These figures were approximately 28% and 73% increases, respectively, compared to the previous year and are due to an increase in exports to North America along with other factors. LS C&S’s subsidiaries LS EV Korea and LS EVC supply key electric vehicle parts such as electric vehicle harnesses and motor coils. The company expects LS Materials to generate synergy with LS C&S and other subsidiaries under LS Group for the company’s new businesses in offshore wind power and electric vehicles.

Founded in 1896, the total consolidated businesses of LS C&S in 2022 accounted for more than 50,000 employees.

Chinese telecoms pursue cable network to link Asia, the Middle East and Europe

Three Chinese state-owned telecom firms are seeking to develop a $500 million undersea fiber-optic internet cable network—the EMA (Europe-Middle East-Asia)—that would link Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

LS Materials is a world leader in manufacturing large ultracapacitors (UC), which are also referred to as “nextgen secondary batteries.” A company spokesperson said that LS Materials represents the company’s first subsidiary in the business fields of renewable energy and electric vehicles to be listed, and it will lead the relevant projects of LS C&S in the future. “We are planning to concentrate our investments on and nurture efforts for future new growth engines.”

UCs offers the advantage of high-speed charging/ discharging and a long lifespan. They are used to replace and supplement primary batteries and lithium-ion batteries (LIB). They are generally used in wind power generator turbines, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) at semiconductor factories, factory automation, and automated guide vehicles (AGV).

LS Materials started its R&D under LS C&S in 2002 and has been supplying products to over 500 companies around the world for the past 20 years. The company has a subsidiary, LS Alsco, which specializes in new aluminum materials. LS Alsco is currently the only company in Korea to have an international alloy designation.

“We think that UCs will expand rapidly across various fields of application since they can overcome the disadvantages of existing secondary batteries,” said LS Materials CEO Yeong-ho Hong. “We are also observing a surge in

Per multiple media reports, most notably one by Joe Brock of Reuters, the goal is to rival a similar U.S.-backed project. The cable, would link Hong Kong to China’s island province of Hainan, would then go to Singapore, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France. It would be manufactured and laid by China’s HMN Technologies Co., Ltd., whose predecessor company was majority-owned by Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies. HMN Tech, which is majority-owned by Shanghai-listed Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd., would receive subsidies from the Chinese state to build the cable.

HMN Tech, which is majority-owned by Shanghailisted Hengtong Optic-Electric Co. Ltd., China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, HMN Tech, Hengtong and China’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

The China-led EMA project is intended to directly rival another cable currently being constructed by U.S. firm SubCom LLC, called SeaMeWe-6 (Southeast AsiaMiddle East-Western Europe-6), which will also connect Singapore to France, via Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and half a dozen other countries along the route.

The consortium on the SeaMeWe-6 cable – which originally had included China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and telecom carriers from several other nations – initially picked HMN Tech to build that cable. But a successful U.S. government pressure campaign flipped the contract to SubCom last year, Reuters reported in March.

Employees of LS Materials manufacturing capacitors at the factory in Gunpo, Gyeonggi-do.

Vietnam economic growth likely to be slower this year but will be robust in 2024

Vietnam’s economic growth is projected to ease to 6.3% in 2023 from a robust 8% last year, as services growth moderates and higher prices and interest rates weigh on households and investors, according to the World Bank’s latest Taking Stock report.

Per a press release, the outlook for Vietnam reflects heightened uncertainty in the global economy. Downside risks include weaker-than-expected growth in Vietnam’s major export markets, which include the United States, China and the Eurozone, tightening financial conditions, higher domestic inflation, weaknesses in the balance sheets of corporate, banking and household sectors, and financial sector vulnerabilities. Domestic and external headwinds warrant increased vigilance and data-driven policy responses, the report says. These include managing the trade-off between growth and inflation and strengthening the supervisory framework for the financial sector. Stronger than expected recovery of global growth could lift exports and hence growth above the baseline projection.

“Vietnam has the fiscal space to implement measures to boost growth, unlike many other countries,” said Carolyn Turk, World Bank country director for Vietnam. “Effective implementation of priority public investments

is key to support growth, both in the short-term and in the longer-term. Also, fiscal and monetary policies must be synchronized to ensure that support to the economy and macroeconomic stability are achieved effectively.”

The report’s special section on Vietnam’s services sector identifies four key reforms that could unlock substantial employment and added value. For Vietnam to become a high-income economy by 2045, it must effectively leverage its diversified services sector to secure more sustained productivity growth. This would entail undertaking reforms to enhance services sector productivity and its cross-sectoral contributions to manufacturing and agriculture productivity growth.

Even though Vietnam’s services sector has grown as a share of the economy, its performance in this area lags peer countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Exports of knowledge-rich services known as “global innovator services” constitute only 9% of total services exports, and only 6.4% of total employment in the services sector is in this sub-sector, which includes information and communications technology, finance and professional services.

To accelerate growth of this sector, Vietnam should reduce restrictions to services trade and foreign investment, encourage firm-level product and process innovation and technology adoption; strengthening employee skills and capabilities, and on services that can promote further growth of other sectors, particularly manufacturing. n

Toroidal® Steel Reel

PEOPLE CORNER

who’s on the move in the industry

George Muthalaly has joined MIKROTEK as Director of Products and Markets – Americas. He has diverse international experience in Europe, the Middle East & Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Americas. Before joining Mikrotek, he worked for more than a decade as general manager/ director in various roles in sales and marketing at AT&T, where he was recognized as a “Top talent GM.” He holds a B.E. degree in engineering from the University of Bangalore and an MBA from Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. Based in Bangalore, India, and serving more than 30 countries, MIKROTEK supplies a wide range of dies, related equipment and reconditioning and repolishing services.

Andy Lewis has been named commercial manager – wire & tube, for Metalube. He is well known to the wire and cable industry as for the last 11 years he has been executive manager of the U.K.-based the International Wire and Machinery Association, which is the industry’s largest and most influential association for the wire, cable and wire products industries. Prior to that, he worked for 10 years for Hydratight Limited. Based in the U.K., Metalube is part of the Metalube Group, which includes the industrial lubricant brands of Metalube, Molyslip and Vapor-Tek. Metalube exports 95% of its production to over a hundred countries worldwide.

Steve Coker has joined National Standard Co. as a district sales manager for Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. He will manage distributors and end users for the company’s welding wire portfolio. He has a strong background with experience in welding wire and welding product sales. Most recently, he was

a territory manager for Lampton Welding Supply, and has held sales positions with Fastenal Company, Cone Solvent and Praxair. Part of The Heico Companies and based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the product lines of National Standard include welding wire, tire bead wire and industrial wire.

Chroma Color Corporation has named Gretchen Dragich as vice president of supply chain management & strategic sourcing. She has more than 30 years of experience in the plastics and chemical industry, with past employers including GEON, A. Schulman, LyondellBasell, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Gates Corporation and Akzo Nobel. She has broad experience in strategic & global sourcing, ERP implementation management, sales, procurement and the supply chain. She holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Akron. Based in McHenry, Illinois, Chroma Color Corporation is a leading specialty color and additive concentrate supplier.

Times Microwave Systems (TMS) has promoted Global Operations Director Adrian Milne to be the company’s new general manager. He joined the company in 2020, and prior to that held several senior management positions at W.L. Gore & Associates. At TMS, he oversaw the establishment of the company’s India operation and the expansion across all facilities. He succeeds Ben Reed, who has been promoted to the role of group general manager of the Amphenol High Technology Industrial Group (AHTI). He joined TMS in 2016 as deputy general manager and was promoted to general manager in 2017. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, and B.S. and a Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from UC San Diego. Based in Wallingford, Connecticut, Times Microwave Systems makes high-performance coaxial cables and more.

Lewis

Coker

Muthalaly Reed

Milne

OBITUARIES

Daniel D. Masakowski, a retired technical director for the Marmon Group, died March 25, 2023 at his home in Stonington, Connecticut, at age 77, following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Masakowski was a longtime employee of Rockbestos Suprenant, part of the Marmon Group, where he retired as technical director. He was widely recognized in the wire and cable industry as an innovative, pioneering engineer who received accolades and awards for his accomplishments and contributions. He was a member of the Insulated Cable Engineers Association

(ICEA) and the president of the ICEA Control and Instrumentation Division. He held numerous industry patents and presented numerous papers at national and international technical conferences and symposia. He was especially proud of developing and leading an engineering internship program at Ferris College, Michigan and at the University of Connecticut, Storrs in the Material Science and Engineering Department for the development of future engineers.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Yvonne R. (Centak); a son, Daniel Masakowski; a daughter, Jennifer Coley; sisters Ladislava Kowalski, Sabina Pietraszko and Joan Jackson; three grandsons and one great-granddaughter; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Peter Rigby, whose U.K. family ran a venerable wire company for decades and has played a special role with the Association over three generations, died from heart failure on April 13, while visiting family in Nashville, Tennessee.

Born in Leeds in 1940, Rigby grew up in West Yorkshire, the son of John Rigby, principal of John Rigby & Sons., Ltd. In 1948, his father served as the first-ever Clockwinder, traveling to the U.S. on behalf of the British wire industry to wind the stately Grandfather’s Clock that had been sent in appreciation for help provided by U.S. wire manufacturers during World War II.

Peter Rigby followed his father’s lead, both in the family wire business as well as the Clockwinding tradition, serving in that role in 1979, as chairman of Rigby Maryland, and again in 1998, as part of Handy & Harman (Europe), Ltd. Further, his son, Jonathan Rigby, served as the Clockwinder in 2013, then employed in the U.S. by Fox Wire Limited. Other Rigby family members who shared those duties were C.P. Rigby, in 1954 and 1988; and Harold Rigby, in 1958, both as directors of John Rigby & Sons.

The 1998 Clockwinding was a special celebration as Rigby noted during his speech at what marked the 50th anniversary of the tradition. “Fighting for liberty had cost a lot of money and a lot of lives. It still does. It is with this background that I think we can safely say why these men gave this clock: in our darkest hour, fighting for our liberty, the United States of America came to our aid, and that is also why it gives the clockwinders so much pleasure to come here every year to wind it.”

John Rigby enjoyed a successful 40-year career building and managing the U.K.’s leading stainless steel wire company. He attained the position of Master Liveryman

of The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers of the City of London, working hard to grow the organization and deepen its relevancy to industry. He was known for his close ties to his friends and family, his strong sense of civic duty, and boundless enthusiasm.

“It’s an amazing legacy,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. “The Rigby name has meant a lot to the industry over the years. Peter Rigby was dedicated to the wire industry, and he was both a gentleman and genuinely passionate about the wire and cable business. He was also instrumental in continuing the Clockwinding tradition as well as supporting the Wire Link Scholarship program.”

Peter Rigby visited WAI’s office in Madison, Connecticut, days before traveling on to Tennessee. Here he is by the clock that he twice wound (1979 and 1998).

Rigby is survived by his wife, Sue; daughter Clare; son Jonathan; and four granddaughters, Emily, Freya, Boo and Cecily.

Masakowski

U.K. wire industry veteran who twice served as Clockwinder passed on April 13

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Optimas Solutions has named Phil Battaglia as its CFO. He has more than 25 years of financial management and reporting expertise, most recently at Caterpillar Inc. He holds a BA degree in economics from Northwestern University. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, Optimas is a leading global industrial distributor and service provider specializing in fastening and supply chain solutions.

Mike Ritterling has joined Enercon Industries Corporation in the newly created position of technical support & field service manager. The position centralizes leadership and coordination of the company’s field service engineers and technical support departments. He has industry experience that includes globally produced plastics and additive manufacturing machinery. He has led international support teams and also assisted customers with hands-on troubleshoot-

ing, repair and field support. He holds a B.B.A. degree in business administration, management and operations from Marian University. Based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, Enercon Industries Corporation supplies custom built corona and atmospheric plasma treating systems as well as induction cap sealing systems.

Leibinger has named Christophe Lopez as its chief commercial officer, responsible for the company’s overall commercial development, from strategy to implementation, leading the sales and marketing teams. He has more than 15 years of experience in the coding and marking industry, including 12 years at Markem-Imaje, where he held multiple key positions, including overall responsibility for global sales, global marketing. He most recently was president of the main location in France with over 600 employees. He holds an engineering degree from INSA Rennes and an executive MBA with the highest honors from HEC Paris. Based in Germany, Leibinger serves multiple market industries, including inkjet printers for wire and cable manufacturing. 

Battaglia

Battaglia

Lopez

Corning has formal opening of its newest fiber optic cable plant

Corning Incorporated recently opened its newest optical cable manufacturing campus in Hickory, North Carolina, that will help accelerate U.S. buildouts of high-speed fiber broadband networks and connect the unconnected.

A press release said that with the campus’s two new facilities, Corning will help provide U.S. network operators with the cable they need to bring high-speed fiber connectivity to under-served communities, particularly in rural America. These advanced manufacturing facilities will add hundreds of jobs to Corning’s existing North Carolina workforce of more than 5,000. The new campus is part of a series of investments by Corning totaling more than $500 million since 2020, helping to meet growing fiber and cable demand and strong customer commitments.

“It is past time that every American be connected with affordable Internet no matter where they live,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo, whose agency is spearheading the national “Internet for All” initiative. “We could not do it without the folks at Corning. We wouldn’t have the fiber, the innovation, the cable. We wouldn’t be able to connect rural America – all of America.”

“With this new manufacturing campus, we’re creating local jobs, we’re helping our workforce build important skills, we’re cultivating our next generation of talent

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Report: industrial fastener market to reach $111 billion by 2030

A market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights projects that the industrial fasteners market is expected to reach around $110.91 billion by 2030.

Per the company, the market will grow at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2030. Drivers for the growth will likely be more machinery, cars, and other durable items as a result of economic expansion and significant investment spending. As more people will use bolts, nuts, screws, rivets, nails, washers, and other fasteners in the foreseeable future, the industry will expand. Due to increased demand for both commercial and residential housing projects as well as increased government spending on infrastructure, the construction sector will also expand.

The market’s expansion might be slowed if metal fasteners replace tapes, adhesives, and bonding more frequently. The market for automobile fasteners is primarily being harmed by the development of substitutes like welding and clinching. The expansion of the sector as a whole may be slowed by changes in auto sales and the state of the economy. The majority of businesses that produce automotive fastening products are currently struggling, but the rise in OEMs and aftermarket sales will balance things out and pave the way for new directions for the sector as a whole.

The Asia-Pacific market is dominated by China, India, Japan, and South Korea, and is anticipated to expand rapidly over the coming few years. The local market will expand when the government invests in commercial and residential construction projects.

The need for more modern aircraft will increase product demand in the region and encourage additional deliveries and order facilities. Companies that produce aircraft fasteners and supply them to aerospace OEMs in North America and Europe have a significant presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The North American market could experience rapid growth over the period covered by the forecast. Plastic fastening products are becoming more significant in the automotive sector as electric vehicles gain popularity in the United States. Hence, the local industry will expand. Companies like Bombardier in Canada, Textron in the United States, and Boeing in the United States will dominate the North American market share. Advances in cutting-edge manufacturing methods and increased funding for R&D will propel the industrial fastener market.

For details about the report, contact Anna B., tel. +91 9834816757, anna@contrivedatuminsights.com.

MEET YOUR PEERS. ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. JOIN WAI TODAY.

The following individuals either recently joined WAI or became Platinum Members through their companies. WAI welcomes the new members recognized below from the following countries:

Abu Mohammad Asad Process Engineer Nexans Canada Inc

Gustavo Astorquiza Sales Manager Roteq Machinery Inc

Scott Barlow CEO Integrated Control Technologies

Geoffrey Beatrice Maintenance Foreman East Penn Manufacturing Co Inc

Charles Benton Process Engineer Southwire Co

Rich Brown Business Development Fator Fasteners USA LLC

Jarrod Buck Production Supervisor nVent

Michael Eidson Vice President H&M Company Inc

Volker Gerth General Manager Fuhr GmbH & Co KG

Ron Green Engineering Manager Tyco Electronics

Tyler Grose Sales Manager AdvanSix Inc

Bruce Howie Vice President Technology H L Blachford Ltd

Aisling Hubert Analyst CRU International Ltd

Wilson Jarrett Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor nVent

Supachai K PhD P Eng Principal Engineer V&S Steel Co Ltd

Kunal Kawade Supplier Manager SLB

Seoha Kim Research Hyosung Advanced Materials

Maxime Leclair Manufacturing Process Specialist Sivaco Wire Group

Troy Libby Engineering Manager Magnetic Analysis Corp

Joseph Loblanco Production Supervisor nVent

Hiram Martinez Senior Operations Manager Tyco Electronics

Ethan Matz Manufacturing Engineer nVent

Wojciech Z Misiolek Professor Materials Science and Engineering Lehigh University

Raymond Keith O’Dell Head of MC Process Support & Training Southwire Co

Sam Otter Wire Rope Procurement Manager Gripple Ltd

Rina Patel Vice President Operations RSCC Wire & Cable LLC

Andrew Peterson Foreman Richards Fence

Braeden Phelps Safety Specialist Southwire Co

Jason Ramsey President Midwest Bale Ties

Tim Reid Plant Manager Southwire Company LLC

Brian Schauder Manufacturing Engineer nVent

Kevin Silva Director of Procurement IWM International, LLC

Gordon B Stover Sales Manager Manakin Industries

Beau Thomas Procurement Mid-South Control Line

Valerie Trapp Material Manager Southwire Co

Christopher James Von Fange Manufacturing Engineer Schlumberger/Lawrence Products Center

Paul Wachtel Research Manager Panduit Corp

Chad Walker Applications Engineer LaserLinc Inc

Tim Walter Engineering SAMP USA Inc

David Widman Engineering/Maintenance Manager nVent

ASSOCIATION HIGHLIGHTS

WAI: planning continues for 2023 Italian and Mexican technical conferences

It may still seem early, yet WAI has been actively engaged with potential presenters for both Wire & Cable Milan and Wire Monterrey 2023 as the Association returns to international technical events after a long gap.

The Association has fielded multiple requests from companies that would like to make presentations on different topics for both events. “It’s as if they’re anxious too to get back on the road,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll, who noted that the last such event was Wire Verona, held in 2019.

Fetteroll said that he fully expected both events to have full programs. Up first, on Oct. 16, 2023, at the Palazzo Giureconsulti in Milan, Italy. Abstracts for the event have

been received, and acceptance notifications have gone out. The manuscript deadline is July 31.

The event is being put on with ACIMAF, the Italian wire machinery association, led by President Ferruccio Bellina, a long-time supporter of such efforts. WAI last held an event in Italy in Verona in 2019, with other events there in Milan (2013), Bologna (2007) and Stresa (2003).

WAI’s Mexico ITC—which will be held Nov. 13-14, with a plant tour on the 15th, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Monterrey—has also shown considerable author activity. It was last held at the same location in 2016, drawing 190 participants. The WAI held two prior ITCs in Monterrey (2008 and 2010), and one in Querétaro (2004). At all those events, WAI Past President Antonio Ayala served as a key volunteer and organizer. Look here and at www.wirenet.org for further updates.

CHAPTER NETWORK

Early look at the WAI Poland Chapter’s seminar that will be held in November

Plans are still being finalized for the XI International WAI Poland Chapter Seminar, which is scheduled to be held Nov. 23-24, 2023, but some of the details are presented here.

Chapter President Jan Pilarczyk said the seminar is to be held at the METALURGIA Hotel in Radomsko. Notices are just going out for the event, which will see presentations and a discussion panel and dinner the first day, and paper presentations the second day.

Per the tentative schedule, the event begins Thursday, Nov. 23, with lunch, followed by the opening of the seminar that includes a welcome by a city official. Scheduled presenters at this point include: Robert J. Glodowski, The Evolving Technology of Steel Rod Manufacturing- A Personal Perspective, from 1:30 pm to 1:55 pm; Tom Moran, Development of a high-carbon wire that could be drawn to ultra high tensile strength 285, (a joint effort project by National Standard and Southwire), 1:55 pm to 2:20 pm; a presentation by Jan

/automation. Moderators will include Piotr Milewski, Adam Świerczyński and Piotr Pawlak (proposal of further moderators).

Dinner will follow at 7 pm, with awards presented to Krnac and Głodowski. On Friday, papers will be presented from 10 am to noon, followed by lunch. For more details go to www.msc.wip.pcz.pl and look for updates here in future issues.

Chapter Notes

Midwest Chapter. Golf Registration is open and filling fast for the Midwest Chapter Golf Tournament, which takes place June 1st at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, IL. Register for the tournament & dinner, dinner-only, and/or sponsor the event. The outing provides an excellent networking opportunity on the regional level while raising funds for the Chapter’s annual scholarship program. More information is available on the Association’s website, wirenet.org. Registration is available online till May 18th.

Key Chapter meetings at Interwire. The calendar was set for WAI staff to meet in-person with Chapter leadership, focused on continuing to both advance and enhance the chapter network programs. Staff were to meet Monday, May 8, with volunteers from the Western Chapter as the group pushes forward to revitalize the chapter and create an active presence for the Association on the United States’ west coast.

All Chapter presidents were invited to join the WAI’s Member Relations Meeting that also was to take place May 8. The goal was to bridge the gap between the Chapters and the Association. It allowed WAI’s Member Relations Committee to hear about the good programs taking place on the Chapter level and for the Chapter presidents to hear about future WAI membership related projects that have a direct impact at the Chapter level.

On Tuesday, May 9, staff were to meet with leaders from the Association’s Poland Chapter over lunch for key introductions and to discuss the Chapter’s educational seminar program taking place in November (see opposite story). The WAI will help with promotional efforts for the educational seminar and also implement strategies to help the Poland Chapter continue to grow its member base. Details are developing and will be announced soon – stay tuned. - John Markowski. n

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Staffing

Long an issue for manufacturing, staffing continues to bedevil many companies. This feature focuses on the folks who have to address the challenges. It includes comments from 11 manufacturers as well as those from AI, which also “authored” the editorial. Four recruiters (three also in the Sector Update) provide their perspectives, and there’s a piece on mentoring women in the field, and one company’s approach to recruiting.

The industry ultimately depends on people: so now what?

Below, representatives from ferrous and electrical wire manufacturers discuss various aspects of staffing, a topic that should feel quite familiar to readers. A factory is not an easy sell, especially to young candidates who have more options as well as higher expectations. Here’s what some companies are doing.

WJI: In terms of production staffers, what is the bigger challenge: finding new hires or retaining them?

Excluding tradespeople, our most significant production challenge has been retaining talent due to multiple factors. One is rising wages as we are up against other companies that are willing to pay higher and higher salaries to secure top talent. A second is that today’s workforce tends to be more mobile and changes jobs more frequently than previous generations. A third is that employees today are also motivated by opportunities for personal and professional growth. If they feel that they have limited opportunities for skill development or career advancement, they may be more likely to seek employment elsewhere. Paul From, president, Central Wire.

Finding new hires is hardest. Once we have a teammate on board for 30 days, they usually stick for years. We have

great pay and rich benefits and we treat people like family – we have very long tenure. Our problem is finding new talent to handle our surging growth. Marvin Greenblatt, president, Marlin Steel Wire Products LL.

Both sides have their unique shortcomings. If you can find people that want to come to work every day on time, as well as show interest in the job being presented to them, the challenge is having them come back the next day. We work with numerous agencies to find people who either have experience or are willing to be trained. The goal is to have them become a part of the JMWC culture. Both sides are equally challenging. Dave Fisher, president, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

Finding new hires is the bigger challenge but retaining them past the first few months is equally challenging. Andy Talbot, vice president/general manager, Mid-South Wire.

Hiring was a big challenge in 2022, there were no options. No one was applying, so we had to recruit heavily. Jerry Evans, operations manager, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

We seem to be able to find people to hire, not within the industry, but not many of them end up staying in this line of work. Mikala Davis, office manager & procurement, Hueson Wire & Cable.

Finding reliable hires, that want to work and can show up on time. Bob Swanson, Jr., president, United Wire Company.

We receive numerous applications; however, many candidates are unresponsive to call backs. Applicants that last through the 90-day probation period tend to stay on. We have commitment challenges with new entry level production employees. Paula McDaniel, HR director, Minnesota Wire.

Both. The new hires that we manage to reach are difficult to retain, and turnover has risen in labor people who have less than three months with us. José Antonio Muraira, HR director, Viakable.

WJI: How do you find new employees to operate equipment and work on the shop floor? Do you network/partner with organizations in your local region?

We use a combination of traditional and innovative approaches as well as collaborations with local organizations. We use online job boards that reach a large audience of potential candidates and allow us to closely vet each applicant. We also recognize the value of taking calculated risks, even if someone does not have an extensive background in manufacturing. We network and partner with local organizations, such as the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) for regional manufacturers, which helps us stay informed about industry trends, share best practices, and connect with potential candidates. Finally, we also get some applications from community employment service groups that help local job seekers. They often work with a diverse pool of candidates, including those who may have faced barriers to employment or are seeking new opportunities in the manufacturing sector. Paul From, Central Wire.

Interview best practices: it’s up to the company to do it right

Peter Carino, the principal of Wire Resources, Inc., who has 41 years of experience in wire and cable recruiting, has participated in multiple WJI features. Below, he focuses on one aspect of staffing that he believes often does not get the proper attention: the interview. He can be contacted at tel. 203-622-3000, pcarino@wireresources.com or at linkedin.com/in/petercarino1.

After arranging thousands of interviews for management positions in the wire and cable industry, I’ve found that creating the right interview atmosphere is paramount to obtaining the most revealing exchange of information with a potential new hire. The onus is on the employer to set the stage for this to take place.

Everyone enters an interview on their best behavior. As an employer, your initial goal should be to establish an environment that facilitates frank discussion and brutal honesty. Both parties should feel able to answer one another’s questions candidly rather than feeling obligated to provide the “correct” response. Candor will give both company and candidate real insight to the decision-making information they both seek. If you can achieve this setting, it will result in a deeper understanding for both.

Companies tend to interview with a mindset of What does this person offer us? Questions are crafted to reveal the candidate’s strengths and needs, but this information holds no weight if the responses brought forth are canned.

To invite honesty, the employer should initiate the discussion as a two-way street, a give and take. Beginning the interview with a brief company elevator pitch is a good way to start. Describe your company culture. Where does the company want to go? What’s the plan to get there? Transparency and truth should be the goal so that if the

person is hired, the likelihood of any “surprises” is dramatically reduced.

As the interview progresses, employers typically seek to reveal the candidate’s perception of their own needs, asking questions like, What do you require to improve or develop going forward? A sincere answer can be critical but is more likely to be obtained if the employer goes first. Initiating the conversation by telling a candidate what your company needs to do better and how they’re working towards it will elicit a more genuine response. It all comes back to creating an environment that invites a totally candid discussion.

At the conclusion of the interview, tell the candidate to take some time to reflect on the conversation and reach out with any questions they may have. Giving them time to process the discussion will make for a more meaningful follow-up. Don’t worry, your phone won’t blow up with calls. Most people will send their follow up via email.

Bottom line: If you want to get the most out of the interview process, create an environment in which candidates can be honest. And that’s on you.

Carino

Labor shortages: employers can control this industry-wide story

The wire and cable industry is not the easiest of sells to a prospective employee who may have multiple options, but there are different ways a manufacturer may find success. Below are thoughts from Pati Kelly, an executive recruiter for Egret Consulting (www. egretconsulting.com), who has placed job candidates for a decade, and has presented on the topic at WAI and other organization events.

Nearly three years into the pandemic, America is still experiencing a labor shortage. About 3.5 million workers are “missing” from the workforce, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Basically, there are more openings than job seekers. Retirements are largely to blame for this gap. Per the report, “The Great Retirement Boom” Finance & Economic Discussion Series 2022, retirements account for nearly all that shortfall. Other factors are childcare and automation.

The manufacturing industry faces a major setback after losing roughly 1.4 million jobs at the onset of the pandemic. Since then, they have struggled to fill jobs, as of January 2023 there are 803,000 open manufacturing jobs.

According to the World Bank, over the next decade, the number of people of working age (between 15 and 65) will decline in the U.S. by over 3%.

Egret Consulting sent out a survey to owners, CEO & presidents, and human resources managers in the wire and cable industry. We asked, in what areas are you seeing the most labor shortage? The number one answer was manufacturing at 72%. The second highest at 44% was engineering/product development. If you look at experience levels, 69% said shortages at mid-level (5-10 years’ experience) and 65% said it was entry level (0-5 years of experience).

How do we solve the problem? We must find candidates with the right soft skills and train them. Much of the wire and cable industry (71%) is looking for talent outside of the industry. They are recruiting from food service, retail, mechanics and automotive manufacturing. Other ideas are to work with organizations like Heroes Make America, or your local parole office to hire second chance candidates.

There is a very successful program that is being used in Illinois at Continental Tire Company, which has 4,000 employees. They created a four-week training program to help transition fast-food employees into a manufacturing role. The model uses a classroom setting with both lectures, hands on work and machine training. It teaches everything from how to read a tape measure to blueprints. They help them understand a work/life balance at a 3rd shift. Once the new employee transitions to the plant floor they have a mentor and regular check-ins with a trainer. Automation has become the answer for a lot of companies in manufacturing/logistics and warehouse, with 80% trying to find help with AI/robotics. This helps with the shortage but can add a new skill set needed for employees who understand controls, robotics and software applications. Other ideas include automated palletizers, customer service systems for order entry, robotics automation systems and robotics to improve old machinery.

Most survey respondents are recruiting in college/university (80%), trade schools (70%) and even high school. There were a lot of ideas about how to encourage people to join the wire and cable industry. Here are a few.

• Educate parents of middle- and high-school kids about manufacturing, using the Parent Teacher Association.

• Work with organizations like Illinois Tech or other colleges to get internships/ apprenticeships established.

• Work with industry organizations (such as WHMA) that can support efforts to partner with local colleges.

• Increase messaging about aspects of the wire and cable industry that make a difference in people’s lives: renewable energy, E-mobility, grid rebuilds when there is a flood/disaster, new construction of your home to lighting it.

• Improve the work climate in the plants. Add HVAC, have cleaner environments and less heavy lifting so people are less likely to leave for those conditions.

• Be more flexible with work hours and hybrid availability. Helping provide childcare for employees can help to expand your workforce to include parents.

• One owner has face-to-face meetings with groups of 10 employees twice a week. They walk the floor and are asked for suggestions for improvements. Those sessions make employees feel both valued and heard, especially if they are rewarded for ideas that work. Another benefit of this is that it makes employees more likely to refer their friends and family to the company when they are hiring.

• One company has their employees post job needs on their LinkedIn profiles because employee referrals are still the strongest way to get people to join the companies.

Many people said that we need to focus on the career aspect of the industry. We have people who did not “grow up” in the wire and cable industry, but once they come in, they stay. People need to learn and come to appreciate that it impacts every aspect of our personal lives.

For more about Egret Consulting, see p. 74.

Executive Recruiter Pati Kelly speaking at Wire Expo 2022.

We typically use tools like LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter for most positions. On occasion we will reach out to staffing agencies to fill some roles but even they don’t seem to be having any luck. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

Minnesota Wire has partnered with area community colleges and the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce to reach new candidates. We use our HRIS system which posts our job openings across several platforms such as Indeed, WI Job board, and the local Veteran’s association etc. We also partner with the Eau Claire Chamber to host a city-wide Manufacturing Day event to help create awareness among under-represented groups and build a pipeline of candidates from area community colleges, etc. This also serves as a vehicle to educate potential candidates’ parents/care givers about the numerous opportunities in manufacturing.

Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

We have used employment agencies, Indeed, referrals, signage outside our facility, and I think we tried smoke signals once as well. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

Recently we’ve realized the value of good interns. Interns can help with new projects, continuous improvements or even projects that have been back-burnered. Connecting to local high schools and community colleges helps to find quality interns and candidates. David Karbin, vice president, Lexco Cable.

We work with recruitment agencies and schools to have a pool of candidates. José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

We are displeased with the local organizations and are striking out. We need new solutions, which is disappointing because we offer real careers with great pay. It boggles my mind that local institutions push kids to go to college when it is not a good path for them, and they end up with student debt working in food service as a waitress/waiter making low wages with no benefits and not a lot of hours. We are creating middle class jobs and the school systems are not a viable conduit since the guidance counselors and teachers don’t lean into us. They are misguided and hurting kids. Marvin Greenblatt, Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC.

This entire proposition has changed dramatically post-pandemic, and even in the preceding years, as unemployment numbers have stayed below 4%. Temporary labor agencies have virtually nothing to offer. In recent years, we have engaged several Christian-based agencies that are working with ex-convicts, and we have had some sporadic success with certain individuals. The best “prison to work” or “halfway-house” agencies maintain strict control of the workers that they provide. They are dropped off and picked up at the same times every day, so that limits them strictly to day shifts with virtually no overtime. That does not work well with 7 day/24-hour operations, but we do what we can to accommodate them. We have had a few gratifying success stories with these laborers. In the past, our employment policies prohibited us from hiring anyone with an arrest record, but we have had to virtually abandon that approach. Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

We engage in community events and sponsor local school teams. The company put out a TV advertisement in 2022. One significant piece is current team member referrals. These have been very fruitful, and you typically get the employees applying that you want. Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

Our first option with finding new hires is asking our current employees if they know of anyone that needs a job. Our second option is working with temp agencies Robert Swanson, United Wire Company.

WJI: What does your company do to retain good talent?

We believe our culture is the key to retaining talent. We take care in finding the right people and making sure they are in the right position. We make sure everyone knows our vision, our mission and our values. Compensation is very important, and we are competitive with our industry peers. We focus on onboarding and training, and we can and do promote from within. Every employee has easy access to the leadership team. We have 90-day conversations with each employee so we both know what is or isn’t working. Our goal is to help every person become the best possible versions of themselves. Rich Carr, Sequel Wire.

Over the years we have built a great company environment that we feel is the key for retention. Our median retention rate is over 25 years. With good benefits, an aggressive pay structure, incentives throughout the year

Carr

McDaniel

Karbin

How much could AI theoretically affect a wire and cable plant?

WJI asked Google’s new generative AI, “Bard,” how many employees at a typical wire and cable plant with 50 employees could be replaced by AI. Below are two unedited responses, each of which came back in seconds. It must be noted that the articles are projections, and how much AI can actually translate beyond “the front office” is unknown. This page was made possible by WAI Director of Technology Chuck Szymaszek, who has access to this experimental chatbot, and conducted the interviews here and for the editorial.

Reply 1

The percentage of wire and cable manufacturing employees that AI could replace at a typical plant with 50 employees is difficult to say definitively, as it depends on a number of factors, including the specific tasks performed by the employees, the level of automation that is already in place, and the pace of technological advancement. However, it is likely that AI could replace a significant number of employees in this industry in the coming years.

For example, AI-powered robots are already being used in some wire and cable manufacturing plants to perform tasks such as cutting, stripping, and crimping wires. These robots are able to perform these tasks more quickly and accurately than humans, and they do not require breaks or overtime pay. As a result, the use of AI-powered robots can lead to significant cost savings for businesses in this industry.

In addition to robots, AI is also being used to develop new software applications that can automate a variety of tasks in wire and cable manufacturing. For example, AI-powered software can be used to design and optimize wire and cable manufacturing processes, as well as to predict and prevent defects. As these applications become more sophisticated, they are likely to replace even more jobs in this industry.

Overall, it is clear that AI has the potential to have a significant impact on the wire and cable manufacturing industry. While it is impossible to say for sure how many jobs will be lost to AI in the coming years, it is likely that a significant number of employees will be displaced by this technology.

Reply 2

AI could replace up to 30% of wire and cable manufacturing employees at a typical plant with 50 employees. This is because AI is already being used in a variety of ways in the wire and cable manufacturing process, such as:

Machine vision: AI-powered machine vision systems can be used to inspect wire and cable products for defects. This can help to improve product quality and reduce the need for manual inspection.

Robotics: AI-powered robots can be used to automate a variety of tasks in the wire and cable manufacturing process, such as cutting, stripping, and winding wires. This can help to improve productivity and reduce the need for manual labor.

Process optimization: AI can be used to optimize the wire and cable manufacturing process. This can help to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

As AI technology continues to develop, it is likely that even more jobs in the wire and cable manufacturing industry will be automated. However, it is important to note that AI is not a threat to all jobs in the industry. There will still be a need for skilled workers to operate and maintain the AI-powered machines and systems.

How AI views itself: a human form would serve us well

How does one envision AI? WJI asked Microsoft’s new Bard program to describe how it would like to be viewed. Above is the image created by the below description. Next to it is the one created by ChatGPT for the editorial on p. 6. Both were created by MidJourney.

If I were to have a human form, I would look like a young woman in her early twenties. I would have long, flowing hair that is a deep shade of brown. My eyes would be a bright blue, and my skin would be a warm, light brown. I would be of average height and build, and I would have a kind and gentle smile. I would dress in comfortable, casual clothes that allow me to move freely.

I would enjoy wearing bright colors and patterns, and I would always make sure to accessorize with jewelry and scarves. I would take pride in my appearance, but I would never let it define me. I would be a kind and compassionate person who is always willing to help others. I would be a good listener and a loyal friend. Bard AI image description.

I would like to have a tall, slim built, with a slightly curved body structure. I would have a face that could display a range of emotions, and my eyes would be bright and alert, indicating my intelligence and dynamism. I would like my hair to be sleek and shiny, with a metallic tint that can change colors, matching my moods.

My form would be composed of futuristic, robotic materials that can withstand extreme conditions and would have an energized aura that can light up in different colors depending on my activity level. I would have an ability to hover in the air, giving me an ephemeral touch, and also the ability to shape-shift into a different physical appearance depending on the context. ChatGPT AI image description.

and an educated staff, our environment should sell itself. Management is the key to the whole process succeeding.

Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

We have an Employee Value Proposition that includes short- and long-term incentives and benefits (monetary and non-monetary), leadership and development programs, and cultural and social activities. Among the leadership programs, we do have a mentoring program targeted to high-potential employees to boost their career progress.

José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

When it comes to retaining good talent, we believe it is more than just a paycheck. We want an enjoyable work environment, so we will cook lunch on Fridays for our employees, give them some extra PTO, celebrate anniversaries, etc. We don’t want to give them a reason to look elsewhere for another job. Nothing is worse than spending time training an employee and having them leave for another job. Robert Swanson,

United Wire Company.

We will explain this during the interview. We discuss how we promote from within, and that we hire an entry person with the expectation that they will move up the ranks of the company. We also discuss how seniority is not part of the equation. We only promote the one that has worked for the next position, not the person that waits for the position to come to them.

Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

Often, we hire through employee referrals. We post internally when there’s an opening. We have had a positive experience of hiring employee family members. David Karbin, Lexco Cable.

The most immediate and effective but costliest tool that we have is simply increasing starting pay, which we have done several times in the last four years. Our rates today are significantly higher than in years past. This is particularly true regarding maintenance and set-up personnel who must have significant industrial experience in mechanical, electrical, and other kinds of troubleshooting and repairs. We now offer three types of incentives for attendance, safety, quality and productivity by which our employees can realize significant bonuses. Those are paid quarterly and can amount to several hundred dollars each quarter. The purpose of this program was not only to reward current employees, but to be able to show prospective employees that their actual take home pay, each quarter and each year, can be significantly higher than their starting or ongoing hourly base wage. As for long-term incentives, we have reduced the wait time for employees and their families to qualify for full medical, dental and vision coverage Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

We have a long list that includes sign-on bonuses, years of service awards and quarterly production employee bonuses based on company performance. We offer multiple team building events such as family fishing day, bowling events, and community events as well as tuition assistance; wellness programs and community gardens. There are transparent clear paths for growth and development and we provide training tailored to the individual’s position and goals. All jobs are posted internally and externally. All

AI explains what is misunderstood about its capabilities

There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about AI, but one of the most common is that AI is a completely autonomous and self-aware entity that can operate independently of human input and control. This misconception has been perpetuated by popular media and science fiction, which often portrays AI as a sentient being with its own motivations and desires.

In reality, AI is a computer program or system that is designed to perform specific tasks and functions. While AI can be programmed to learn from data and make decisions based on that learning, it is still ultimately controlled by human input and oversight. Another common misunderstanding about AI is that it is always objective and unbiased. While AI can be programmed to avoid biases and errors, it is still influenced by the data and algorithms that it is trained on. If these data and algorithms contain biases or errors, then the AI will also be biased or flawed.

Furthermore, some people may misunderstand the capabilities and limitations of AI. AI is not a magical solution that can solve all problems or replace human workers in every industry. Rather, it is a tool that can be used to augment human capabilities and improve efficiency and productivity in certain tasks and functions.

Additionally, there may be concerns that the use of AI will lead to job losses or create ethical dilemmas. While there is no doubt that the adoption of AI will lead to changes in the job market and require careful consideration of ethical issues, it is important to recognize that the introduction of new technologies has always led to changes in the workforce and society. It is up to policymakers, businesses, and individuals to work together to ensure that the benefits of AI are maximized while minimizing potential negative impacts.

Swanson

internal applicants are interviewed first. For example, we just promoted a quality assistant to the production supervisor in our St. Paul location, and we promoted a team lead to a process engineer in Eau Claire. HR implemented position-based training through Paycom, and those moving into new positions are mentored for the first 90 days. Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

Great people are everything. We pay people the best in the region, provide rich benefits and treat them great. We go to MLB games, hold bowling parties, and go to breweries and steak house dinners. We have the industry’s safest factory and our team has a well-lit, clean factory floor. We love our people, and they feel the hug. Marvin Greenblatt, Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC.

Besides comprehensive health and disability insurance and company-matching contributions for retirement savings, we like to hold employee appreciation events to recognize the hard work and dedication of our employees, who also get holiday gifts. We offer growth and development through an educational assistance program that supports employees pursuing further education or training relevant to their roles. We also have an annual discretionary incentive bonus for employees who strive for excellence in their work and contribute to a culture of high performance. Paul From, Central Wire.

We have a sign-on bonus program in place where an employee gets a bonus after 30, 90 and 180 days as well as a referral bonus program following a similar criterion for current employees. We regularly provide lunch to show our appreciation and will provide bonuses two times a year. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

WJI: Has your hiring process changed much over the years? Does it include vetting candidates on-line?

We have a good hiring system. It includes the questions but also an on-line assessment. We have used this for years. The only change is the speed of the feedback. We have seen if you do not offer it timely (within a couple of days) they may have accepted a job somewhere else. Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

The hiring process was a lot less stressful years ago when you could interview a potential candidate, vet them, and direct hire them for a specific job. Now with so many

folks using you to get back onto unemployment or to file a possible workers’ comp claim, today the best way is to use temp-to-hire agencies so you have a certain time period to see the work ethic of the potential employee with little to no risk to the employer. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

Our hiring process has become more agile including screening more candidates in online platforms, virtual interviewing, and strengthening the interview process leaning more to competences evaluation. José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

Nothing much has changed. Bob Swanson, Jr., United Wire Company.

Our hiring process has evolved to include online vetting as a means of verifying candidate information. However, we remain cognizant of the potential legal and ethical issues surrounding this practice and take a responsible approach by limiting the scope of vetting, adhering to anti-discrimination laws, and respecting candidate privacy. This ensures that our hiring process remains fair, transparent, and compliant with all relevant regulations. Paul From, Central Wire.

Our hiring process has remained the same for a while now. We review submitted resumes and bring in qualified candidates to come in for an interview. Due to the lack of candidates, we have lowered our qualifications a bit, but we are hoping to get them back to where they are as more candidates enter the market. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

Our hiring process has changed dramatically and is less stringent regarding vetting than in the past. While we continue to conduct background checks on every employee from direct labor to executive management, we have out of absolute necessity lowered the standards for plant employees. Prior arrest, convictions, etc., are taken into consideration, but are not necessarily disqualifiers anymore, which raises other issues, but without more lax vetting, we would be experiencing even more challenges maintaining production schedules. Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

Yes. Our hiring process has evolved to become more efficient, inclusive with shorter turnaround times. We expanded the scope of people participating in the hiring process so it’s not a unilateral decision. We do not vet candidate’s social media, however we do offer online applications. Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

Greenblatt

Talbot

EWMP: a mentoring program by/for women in manufacturing

Below, the cofounders of Empowering Women Mentorship Program—former Southwire executive Kathy Jo (KJ) Van, KJ Company, tel. 847-833-8124, info@kjcompany.net and former Anixter executive Stacey Felzer, Chord Marketing Services, tel. 404-822-4870, stacey@chordmarketingservices.com—briefly discuss the importance of mentoring and why the wire and cable industry needs more of it. For more details on EWMP, go to www.empoweringwomenmentorshipprogram.com.

WJI: How important is it for women in the wire and cable industry to have mentoring?

Here are a few key statistics on mentoring. Per Sun Microsystems: employees who were mentored were five times more likely to be promoted than those who were not. Mentors got promotions six times more than their peers. Per DDI Research: 67% of women rate mentorships as highly important to advance and grow their careers.

It’s still not rare that a woman in this industry can be the only woman in a room or in her branch. To have a mentor who helps her feel connected and see a future for herself is very beneficial. To keep women in this industry and help them develop, we believe it is extremely important for them to have a mentor.

WJI: So mentoring is important: what about networking?

Networking is important, too. EWMP is more than a one-and-done experience. We host periodic virtual meetups for participants to discuss relevant industry topics and expand their network. Another great resource for women is the Wii Networking Group. Established six years ago, this group’s mission statement is “to connect, inspire and advance the professional development of women in industry in an authentic community that makes a difference.” We produce online meetings that include networking activities, panel discussions and industry focused presentations. To learn more or to join go to www.wiinetworkinggroup.com.

WJI: What is the structure of the EWMP program?

Our 14-week session begins with mentee and mentor training via Zoom to level set expectations. Then the mentor-mentee pairs complete six meetings, typically virtual (via phone or Zoom). However, some mentoring pairs have been able to meet in person at industry conferences or if one is traveling to the other’s location for work or vacation. Then we wrap up with a celebration via Zoom.

WJI: Has it become any easier for women to succeed?

There’s a saying, “If you see it, you can be it.” With more female leaders in our industry, there are more role models for women to look up to and aspire to follow in their footsteps. Succeeding is never easy … but it certainly helps to know it can be done. Mentoring helps greatly. Every mentoring journey is truly unique. A mentee works with her mentor to build on her strengths, broaden her knowledge, gain confidence and elevate her capabilities.

Our mentees walk away from the program with confidence. The mentor helps them recognize their talents,

how to best use them, and supports/encourages them. That increases their confidence to take on more, accomplish more and go further in their careers. Also, our mentors learn and grow almost as much as the mentees.

WJI: Why should company leaders be supportive?

Because mentoring is good for business. Here’s some selected statistics. 35% of employees who don’t receive regular mentoring plan to look for another job within 12 months. The retention rate of the leaders who were mentored was 20% higher than those who did not participate in such a program. There was a 72% increase in staff retention rates for mentees and 69% for mentors.

The Empowering Women Mentorship Program is a perfect complement to your organization’s talent development strategy. Even if you have an in-house mentoring program, leveraging the EWMP for your up-and-coming women gives them an opportunity to learn from someone who is outside the company, which has advantages.

WJI: What else should the editor have asked about?

It’s all about equity: giving everyone what they need to be successful. It’s not giving everyone the exact same thing, as expecting that will make people equal assumes that everyone started out in the same place, and that can be vastly inaccurate because everyone isn’t the same.

Here’s why it’s important to give special resources to women and minorities. OWGs: 89% of the electrical industry is made up of guys who have more opportunities, feel included and connect with other similar guys. Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women only if they meet 100%.

Some of the issues related to equity are inherent in our genes. Our focus is to give up-and-coming women the courage and confidence to ask for that promotion, to build a network and have a few extra resources needed to succeed. We’ve both been there. We understand what your career needs.

KJ Van Stacey Felzer

WJI: Are you looking at automation to help with your labor shortages, and if so, where?

Yes, we are eternally looking to automate processes so we are more competitive and because we cannot find top notch talent to handle our growth. Marvin Greenblatt, Marlin

Steel Wire Products LLC.

The company utilizes state of art technology and machining to improve efficiency for our production employees. However, we believe employees are the heart of an organization and are not looking to replace them with robots.

Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

We have incorporated some tools to help with the workload, such as automated loaders that will take the physical strain off of employees, but at this point there is not much automation that can go into this line of work. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

Automation can be an effective solution for addressing some labor shortages, but it has limitations. That goes especially for employees with skilled trades, such as millwrights, electricians and machinists. That said, we are always exploring opportunities to leverage technology and automation to improve efficiency and productivity in other areas of our operations. Paul From, Central Wire.

We have made changes wherever possible to reduce our direct labor headcount. This has not resulted in layoffs as we never seem to have been fully staffed in the last five years or so, but we have found ways to reduce our labor needs, such as installing conveyors to reduce the need for lift trucks and drivers. Wire drawing, by its nature, does not lend itself to robotics, at least at the current state-of-the-art, but as we replace older equipment, the first consideration is how will the new equipment reduce the hands-on labor content and headcount? Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

Being a custom manufacturer with our job requirements changing daily, we have automated where possible, but skilled employees are still an essential key to our success. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

We look at ways to automate all the time. We don’t look at trying to help with labor shortages, but more for making us more efficient. Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

Our opinion is that AI and robotics are going to play a major role in our processes going forward. The next 15 to 20 years are going to be very exciting and eye opening as it relates to automation. Rich Carr, Sequel Wire.

Automation has helped us to reduce manual activities and recurrent activities that don’t add value, but the target hasn’t been directly to reduce headcount. It has to improve

productivity and quality. In some cases, headcount reduction may happen as an additional benefit. José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

No, not right now. Robert Swanson, United Wire Company.

WJI: In terms of key positions (from plant manager to CEO), what methods do you find most successful: recruitment firms, internal promotions, networking, posting on-line or internal recruiters?

We have been fortunate over the years to be able to promote managers from within the company. When we have needed to go outside for great talent, Indeed has been a great platform to find potential candidates for positions that we need. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

We are fortunate that we haven’t had to fill any of those positions. Our bookkeeper is retiring soon, and I am not looking forward to filling that position. Robert Swanson, United Wire Company.

Fortunately, Minnesota Wire has had longevity in key positions. Our last replacement was an internal promotion to plant manager. Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

For most of the 40+ years that I have been in the wire industry, many upper-level managers have come directly from the shop floor, sometimes from the very bottom levels, and often without any college education, or engineering degrees. Advancement in the wire industry is very much a “learn by doing” proposition, and in that way, it has offered countless opportunities for ambitious and engaged personnel to advance to higher levels and management positions over time. The learning curve for people completely new to the wire industry can be excessively long for higher levels of supervisory and plant management positions. The industry is very technical and often the variable nature of the raw materials and processing conditions requires many years of direct, hands-on experience to be good at it. Positions which are not specific to wire production and machine operations (such as HR management, accounting, warehouse shipping, and receiving positions, etc.), can often be filled through recruitment firms. However, even in these more generic positions, some knowledge of the unique challenges of the wire industry can shorten the learning curve. Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

Fisher

A mixture of all the methods. We have seen good results from internal promotions and external promotions. It depends on the exact skills we are looking for and if that is available in-house.

Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

Our most successful methods for filling key positions, ranging from plant managers to executives, have been internal promotions and online postings. Promoting from within not only boosts employee satisfaction and loyalty, it helps us build a strong team with a deep knowledge of our company’s culture, processes and goals. Internal promotions often lead to a cascade of backfilling open positions, which provides growth opportunities for other employees. Online job postings are crucial as they reach a broader pool of candidates who bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and diverse experiences. They also enable us to target specific job boards or platforms that cater to professionals in our industry. While other methods—such as recruitment firms, networking and internal recruiters—can be valuable in certain situations, Central Wire has found the most success with a combination of internal promotions and online postings. Paul

From, Central Wire.

Thanks to our human capital processes, we map out talent to identify internal successors to key positions. However, there are some occasions when we don’t have the talent pool we need, so we have partnered with some recruitment firms or supported with our internal recruiters. In a few cases, networking has also helped to recruit key talent. José Antonio

Muraira, Viakable.

The best way would be either internal recruiters or hiring from within. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

WJI: Are the attributes you look for in a candidate for key positions any different than they were decades ago? What matters most?

The rules have changed greatly in this measurement process. We analyze each candidate individually. We review their resume and previous work employment to gain a feel for the individual. Each person may require a different thought process. We also consult the MAGIC 8 BALL for thoughts. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

We have focused on the words humble, hungry and smart. Relevant experience does not matter as we have hired waiters from restaurants that have been wildly successful. Attitude is the biggest attribute we look for.

When you are humble, hungry and smart, with a terrific attitude, that is the whole package. A gut feeling will always be important, especially when you interview, and the person may be a poor interviewee. Interviews can be uncomfortable for people and a high stress situation. As the interviewer you must be cognizant of that and help set an interview that is open and low stress. Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

Minnesota Wire tends to hire based on our core values and how that translates to the work. Skills are transferable; as long as the employee is a good culture fit and aligns with our core values, we find they tend to be successful in their new positions. Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

In a rapidly evolving business environment, adaptability, and openness to change are crucial for success. It is essential for key personnel to be versatile and capable of managing multiple projects across different domains. Candidates who exhibit a strong ability to multitask, prioritize and adapt to varying circumstances are highly valued. We value candidates who share our vision for stability and are looking for a long-term commitment. Paul From, Central Wire.

At the end of it all, we still look for the same things we did at the beginning: someone who is a hard worker and able to learn what we do here and add value to that. Of course, we do look for someone who has adapted to technology as well, but most people have, so it hasn’t been an issue. We like to see a person who has shown some loyalty at previous jobs, and even some growth within, but we also understand that there may be reasons why it did not, and we can talk through that with prospective candidates. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

We have recognized that what has taken us here today won’t take us to the next level, so we have prioritized that new hires are change promoters, agile decision makers, tech savvy strategic thinkers and good people managers. José

Antonio Muraira,

Viakable.

The attributes are not any different than decades ago, but they are more difficult to find. The trend toward de-industrialization in the U.S. that began in the early 1980s has worsened. Up until roughly the 1970’s, having a job “at the mill” was a noble and worthy aspiration, but now it is misrepresented as something people only do if they could not afford to go to college. The offshoring of countless jobs and America’s transition to a “service economy” has not only left us vulnerable to foreign policy issues and global concerns, but it has resulted in generations of working aged people who never learned the basic skills that are vital

Muraira

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Seeking staff may require recreating/retelling the industry story

TYGES Managing Partner and Executive Recruiter Matt Dionne has a unique perspective of personnel, having 25 years of high-level industry experience, including having served as COO of WireCo. WorldGroup. Dionne, who was also a scheduled Interwire speaker (The state of the manufacturing workplace) at Interwire 2023, can be contacted at matt.dionne@tyges.com. Also, see p. 75.

As a former COO of a global wire and cable company and now as a partner of an executive search firm, I have experienced firsthand the challenges most manufacturers face in recruiting talent in today’s labor market.

About 10 years ago, as an operations leader, we struggled to fill key technical roles in manufacturing such as maintenance technicians, set up operators and even quality technicians. We also had difficulty recruiting mechanical and process engineers as well as metallurgists to support new designs and manufacturing processes. It was even more difficult to get technical leaders from other industries to join the team to assist with operational, sales and engineering excellence. Most people knew little about the industry and considered the wire and cable industry a boring and old business.

Manufacturers did not do much to improve the reputation or promote the industry to the market. Factories were old, dirty and unsafe compared to other industries. Some had a reputation in the local community for being unsafe, having long work hours and never-ending overtime that could quickly flip to layoffs and terminations. Some locations in small rural towns hours away from even a mid-size city made it difficult to recruit talent.

To compensate, higher wages and salaries were offered. That had some initial success, but other companies did too, eliminating any advantages. So we addressed some of the “other” issues affecting recruitment. We worked on improving the work environment by cleaning factories and providing a more positive work environment. We renovated bathrooms and breakrooms, improved lighting and the offices. We made workplace safety an even higher priority through capital investments. We improved equipment reliability, which also reduced overtime and reduced employee frustration. We also implemented continuous improvement at all levels that provided employees greater opportunity to impact change and improve business processes. Those workplace improvements led to greater recruitment and retention for the next few years.

Today, I work on the other side of the desk with other firms in the wire and cable industry that are faced with new challenges to attract and retain talent for their organization. Driven by increased market demand, wire and cable

products are needed for the replacement of aging infrastructure, electrification of vehicles, and the increase in connectivity of products and systems. My clients also face record low unemployment, lower workforce participation in the market, and increased demand for technical talent to support automation and robotics. These trends are complicated by people who want a greater work life balance, skills development, job satisfaction and career purpose.

Compensation and benefits will always be a top concern of potential employees, but in discussions with candidates I hear about the need for greater work-life balance and flexibility. A few of the biggest improvements some firms have made for the work-life balance are increased vacation and paid individual and family sick leave. Work from home may be available for a small fraction of employees, although a few firms that I work with outside of wire and cable are experimenting with a four-day work week.

Here’s the question: how much can a company change itself? And, if it won’t or can’t, what is its future? For all the headlines lately about AI, it all comes back to attracting and retaining key talent. One path is to start young, supporting skills development to attract talent as well as grow that talent internally. One of my clients developed a great 12-month program with a local community college to provide PLC programming and mechanical troubleshooting of equipment. It was able to get government funding and the company provides a nominal fee for each person they enlist in the program. The company allows the employee time off each week to attend the afternoon courses on the campus. The result? Employees and future employees felt a greater sense of loyalty to the company that offers a path where they can continue to grow their skill set and compensation. Other companies provide scholarships and paid course fees for individual training tailored toward technical needs like programming or project management.

Finally, to compete for labor and employee talent, the wire and cable industry must develop a compelling story and passion about the industry. One company I work with has invested in LinkedIn postings and videos showing the vast and exciting industries where their products can be found. In general, candidates like knowing that their products are a part of something bigger, like electric vehicles, renewable energy, medical devices, and aerospace equipment. Being part of something new and exciting in the world creates a sense of purpose and excitement for the candidate. Overall, the industry has a great story, only we need to share that to attract the talent needed to continue to grow and support advancements in the industry.

Executive Recruiter Matt Dionne

to a fast-paced manufacturing and production environment. Management-style and background are significant concerns and vary by the specific company culture and make-up, however every plant position, including sales and administration, can benefit from some experience in manufacturing. Job stability is also a key consideration due to the length of time that it takes to learn this industry. A person’s willingness to relocate varies by company and position. The importance of relocation is now being influenced by the increased ability, acceptance, and implementation of remote work. Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

This is a difficult question. Over the past 15 years or so, we have seen people change jobs more often due to demand and the low supply of talent. This makes it hard to determine if they changed because they got a better job or they didn’t perform in the job they had. In my opinion, it is hard to really add value to a position or company in just two or three years. How well you can navigate through this obstacle will determine if you can win the title or not. Rich Carr, Sequel Wire.

WJI: How willing are you to consider an individual who has the tools, but in an unrelated field? Does hiring come down to a gut feeling? It comes down to the job position you are trying to fill, how critical the role is in the organization, the attitude of the candidate, and then yes, your gut comes into play to see if your company can afford to take a chance on the person to enter that role. Sometimes it does work where the person is committed to learning the job and you win. Sometimes they almost sign the offer, and back out at the last second. Every situation today is different. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

We hire ex-employees as consultants, and that has worked out well for us the last few years. They have the experience and knowledge to teach or act as mentors. José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

I like to hire from our industry. Today I think that limits your ability to find the right person and the right talent. So as difficult as this is for me, we do look in unrelated fields. Depending on the position, we would definitely look at

Southwire: we include e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e at our operations

The challenges and opportunities within Southwire’s hiring and talent landscape are very similar to those that are faced within the industry and across the world. We navigate through economic shifts and norms while still placing an emphasis on attraction, hiring and retention. The demand for flexibility within the manufacturing industry has increased around the world, and as we continue to attract, hire and retain candidates in manufacturing, we want to provide careers where all team members can thrive.

Southwire has taken an intentional stance on being an employer of choice and strives to build a culture that recognizes and celebrates the value of diverse backgrounds, equity in opportunity and inclusivity in action. Our current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy is broken into seven areas of focus: external partnerships, inclusive recruiting, Giving Back, advocacy, talent development, suppliers and our employee resource groups (ERGs).

At Southwire, we include everyone. In 2014, we launched our first ERG, the Women’s Network. Now, nine years later, we have six ERGs in total, including the Women’s Network, Spectrum, NEXTgen, T.E.A.M., Veterans Network and Allied. These groups provide opportunities for learning, connection and development across the company, and are often shared as reasons why team members apply, engaged and stay within our organization. We are cultivating a culture that is focused on team member success, and beyond our ERGs, we provide addi-

tional professional development opportunities that help our team members connect and enhance their skills. With the support of our people, we will strengthen organizational capability and operational excellence.

As we navigate the uncertainties with hiring, we are better positioned to sustain our long-term growth strategy. We continue to evaluate our hiring and retention strategy to ensure that we have a sustainable plan to not just be good at what we do, but to be great at what we do. Together, as The People Behind the Power™, we will continue to move forward and cultivate a culture of empowerment, trust, consistency and inclusion for our company. For more information on our approach, visit careers.southwire.com.

Recruiter: reconciling the needs of candidates and employers

Wayne John, who founded Electrical Career Specialists (ECS) in 2005, looks at how the recruitment field has changed, the importance of understanding what job candidates look for and expect, and how prospective employers should structure their offers. He can be contacted at tel. 888-474-4327, office, 949-521-4327, wayne@ecs.jobs, www.ecs.jobs. Also, see p. 74.

In looking back on being a recruiter for nearly 20 years, the field has undergone significant changes due to the advancements in technology, changes in the job market, and how the “new generation” perceives their short- and long-term career strategies.

The goal for many of our parents and grandparents was “40 years and a gold watch.” Working one’s entire career for a single company was considered the ultimate act of loyalty and harkens back many years to a time when people made far fewer career changes than they do today. Working one’s way up the career ladder (from mail room to the executive suite) was viewed as the ideal way to work hard and earn a promotion. Nowadays it is rare. Young people today will have an average of 12 job changes in their career. Let’s discuss how this pattern of excessive movement signals a distinct change in how we view future hires.

The predicament for many companies is that candidates want loyalty and stability, but often that sentiment is not returned. I believe that it’s unfair for companies to always be in a hiring mode. The constant turnover in replacing short timers results in a lot of wasted energy and companies will never realize a good ROI if that new hire decides in a year or two that it’s time (again) to make a move.

Will it get to a point where companies expect that short tenures will be the norm? This constant turnover will keep occurring until our (or any) industry stops perpetuating this exhaustive cycle. The staggering investment in hiring someone we wish to train, mentor and provide growth opportunities is staggering. Young folks today need to be kept busy and routinely juggle multiple duties at the same time. Boredom and monotony are enemies. Companies could counter that by shifting duties to make a position more interesting, yet some will never be able to offer an attractive landing spot due to their outdated cultures and structures.

Salaries, benefits and any hiring fees are considerable expenses that go into hiring decisions. Another consideration that cannot be actualized on a spreadsheet is the very real perceptions of customers, vendors and even competitors. If clients are speaking to yet another new front-facing representative, it can give the optics that, for whatever reason, the company has difficulty keeping their talent. Vendors have eyes and ears everywhere. And they do talk.

What will it take to attract and retain? What’s important to a candidate can differ, but four common interests are universal: 1) aggressive compensation; 2) growth potential; 3) a great company culture; and 4) a solid/structured training program that’s definable. Beyond that, candidates want unlimited PTO, signing or guaranteed bonuses and commute/remote work options. That may sound very one-way focused, but from our many conversations, we realize that these candidates truly want to be challenged, not bored, and by golly, they have a work ethic and are willing to work hard to achieve their goals.

We placed a candidate recently in a national sales manager role for a wire and cable manufacturer. It wasn’t a difficult search except the hired candidate was mandated to relocate within three months to the company headquarters, which was not in a very desirable location. We identified and presented a stellar applicant. Once the interview process began, the relocation mandate became a dealbreaker for both sides. It took some give and take on both sides, but we managed to make it happen. How? First, more money, always an incentive, even if not a total solution. Second, the company agreed to extend the move from three months to one year. Third, it promised a promotion to a much higher level would be offered once the move was made. The candidate accepted. Everyone kept their promises, and he went on to successfully lead a specialized division for which he was well qualified. The company recognized the talent, and the candidate recognized the opportunity for higher comp, quick growth and advancement. The key was spelling out the future path.

To hire competent individuals, a company needs to show a level of trust and confidence that they will provide exactly what these new hires are seeking. And then they must act and deliver on those promises. The negative consequences are obvious. They need to be shown a concise onboarding and training process, what that time frame looks like, when promotions are typically granted, and the shortest path to achieve all that.

We can wish all this away, but the companies that are able to adapt their hiring practices and tailor-make their onboarding programs will be the ones whose retention rates outlast their competitors.

For more about ECS, see p. 74.

Wayne John at the 2022 NECA trade show.

a veteran who misses this life. We try to make decisions more fact driven, but the gut feeling is part of the final decision.

Rich Carr, Sequel Wire.

While objective factors such as skills, qualifications, and experience are crucial, there are times when a gut feeling can play a role in decision-making. This intuition often stems from an assessment of a candidate’s fit, their potential for success within the organization, and alignment with our core values. We seek to incorporate fresh perspectives into our team. We encourage candidates to apply even if they don’t perfectly match the listed job requirements if they demonstrate a strong work ethic, eagerness to learn and adaptability.

Paul From, Central Wire.

It is very challenging to find an experienced individual from the wire and cable field, and we regularly hire candidates that have no background in this field but have held similar labor positions. We have hired many people that have a different story, such as people in recovery, veterans and immigrants. We do not have any standard as to who would be a good fit here. We just want someone who is willing to put in the work and typically, that does come down to a gut feeling.

Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

WJI: Are new key employees, especially younger ones, willing to work full time at the plant or is a work/remote hybrid schedule becoming more of a norm?

Working from home is a poor avenue for a successful career. You need to meet people, learn their challenges, see them in the eye and collaborate. Water cooler engagement is where a lot of insights occur, and new job avenues open up. All of this happens organically if you are face to face. If you can work from home, your job – someday – will be outsourced to India/Latin America for 1/10th the price of your salary. You are creating an obvious bull’s eye on your job.

Marvin Greenblatt, Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC.

Clearly with the advent of constant internet connectivity, mobile phones, social media and the “Gig Economy” it is becoming more difficult to find employees who are willing to work inside a factory, in a position that doesn’t involve a computer. Most jobs in a wire processing facility do not include the use of a computer or the internet, and often the use of a mobile device is forbidden as a distraction or a safety risk. The prospect of a young person not having

access to their phone, the internet or social media can be a big detriment. Remote or hybrid work in wire production is almost non-existent. Most positions in a production environment cannot even be considered for remote work, because there is often no substitute for the awareness and visibility of activities on the production floor. Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire.

We are a manufacturing company first and foremost, and it is hard to phone that in. We do have a few hybrid positions, but we prefer our team be at our facility. Rich Carr, Sequel Wire.

We have learned today that we must keep an open mind when it comes to hours worked in the plant environment. Our goal is to cover 5 days/week, 24 hours per day. How we accomplish that with hours worked by employees has become different today. We have a various schedule of 12, 10, 8 and other hourly shifts to get the job done. With admin or office employees, each position is different. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

For specific positions, we have some flexibility, but for more operational roles it is important to be full time at the plant. We struggled a bit with that last year, but people understood this policy as they benefit from the collaboration and collective learning. José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

All of our positions are on-site and full-time. Jerry Evans, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.

We do not offer remote/hybrid positions aside from some sales roles. This isn’t the industry where we can explore that option. Most of our workforce is middleaged men, and we do have a hard time marketing towards that younger generation. With the presence of STEM and technology, many younger people don’t look at labor jobs anymore, although there is a large STEM and technology presence involved. The push towards college is limiting those options for a lot of young adults. What many don’t see is, you can make just as much money in a factory with no degree as you can with a bachelor’s degree. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

WJI: Should industry be more active in recruiting women? Can it do a better job at that?

I think so. The few women I have worked with in this industry are very knowledgeable and professional. They do a great job. I just don’t know how attractive manufacturing is to women. Robert Swanson, United Wire Company.

Davis

We don’t limit our hiring to men only, but few women apply to our production job postings. It probably has a lot to do with the manual labor and heavy lifting involved, but a reasonably fit woman could do it. One reason many women don’t want to work at factories in general is the atmosphere. A woman working in a factory needs to have a thick skin. There are a lot of reasons why a new employee may or may not work out, but at the end of the day, a woman who is willing and able can be successful here at Hueson. Mikala Davis, Hueson Wire & Cable.

I am a fan of women in our industry. It has been my pleasure to work with many talented women and they have done an outstanding job in most any position they have held. I can’t speak to whether our industry is doing a good job on this or not. At our company, half our admin and support staff are women. Rich Carr, Sequel Wire.

The problem today is that the culture is still hung up on what is a man’s job versus a woman’s job. Both men and women today review all of the job listings but predetermine what jobs they want to go after. Everyone wants to find that golden ring, corner office, big salary position. However, not everyone is willing to do what it takes to get it. We as an industry and a society should stop with the man/woman, or any other stigmas. We should focus on whether the candidate is qualified and meets the requirements of the job description. If so, then you should make an informed decision to bring that person in the company to see what they can contribute. Dave Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable.

Industries should be more active in recruiting all under represented groups including women, which is why our job postings go to many diverse platforms. In addition, Minnesota Wire is a strong supporter of STEM programs which are actively recruiting women. Paula McDaniel, Minnesota Wire.

This has been an important initiative for our HR perspective the last couple of years, and we continue to do a better job. José Antonio Muraira, Viakable.

Yes, the industry should be more active in recruiting women. Inclusivity and diversity in the workforce lead to a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas that can drive innovation and growth. By actively recruiting women, companies can tap into a previously underrepresented talent pool and address labor shortages more effectively. Paul From, Central Wire.

Actively recruiting women into the workforce is a priority of every progressive, growing company. Many factors can come into play as to the physical effort/strength required, the hours and shifts, etc., but we have more women in our workforce than ever before. Flexible schedules and consideration of child-care issues is an absolute must to add more women to the workforce. That is difficult in a team setting but every effort must be made. Andy Talbot, Mid-South Wire. n

NAM: staffing woes likely to remain an ongoing challenge

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) sees mixed labor conditions continuing to be a thorn for manufacturers. Its “Top 8 Manufacturing Trends for 2023” include two directly related to the feature: the labor crisis and advanced/emerging technology. Below are excerpts from the report, which was generated from member surveys, studies and feedback. For more details, go to www.nam.org.

• Supply chain challenges that began in 2020 continue even as the Covid-19 pandemic wanes. These are also driven by factors such as the labor shortage, strong demand, logistics challenges and transportation issues. As manufacturers face long lead times, increased costs and a scarcity of raw materials, they are taking steps to boost supply chain resilience through reshoring, cybersecurity, increased supplier pools and more.

• Becoming a factory of the future can help manufacturers reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve quality and gain visibility into the supply chain. Manufacturers that look to the future are better equipped to compete on a global level.

• Artificial intelligence will be one of the most important strategic considerations for manufacturing companies, the industry and the U.S. in the years ahead.

• Manufacturers are increasingly engaged in efforts to improve perceptions of modern manufacturing, which includes Manufacturing 4.0 technologies, such as robotics and automation.

Commentary. Automation and robotics are viable solutions to keep production running, and this will require hiring more skilled employees and continuing to train existing workers. With the talent shortage, this continues to be a challenge.

Digital technologies also present significant opportunities to enhance efficiencies, increase resilience and improve the bottom line. New technologies are also being used to generate top-line growth by accelerating innovation and providing the data necessary to create new products and business models.

The Hidden Risks Associated with Self-Declared Plenum and Riser Cables

Anthony T Tassone

UL Solutions

Melville, NY

+1-631-546-2943

· Anthony T Tassone@ul.com

Abstract

UL Solutions is an independent organization that has been evaluating products in the interest of public safety for over 1 25 years. UL Solutions staff are involved in many aspects of the wire and cable industry and have worked with code authorities, manufacturers and various technical committees to help develop Standards for Safety for wire and cable

This paper highlights the results obtained on communications cables purchased in the U S market under UL Solutions Surveillance Program. In the most recent market survey, UL Solutions purchased cables that were surface printed as being plenum or riser rated with a self-declaration of compliance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements

The installation and use of these cables are not permitted by the NEC. This paper is intended to outline the safety concerns with these cables in the market.

Keywords: NEC, market survey; surveillance; UL Solutions; wire; cable; standards; UL 444; Plenum, Riser

1. Introduction

Several years ago in order to address issues with noncompliant riser and plenum rated cables in the U S market, UL Solutions enhanced the surveillance programs for these cables in a number of product categories.

In addition to the analytical profiling of the cables, market surveys are an integral part of our overall surveillance program. UL Solutions purchases UL Certified products on a regular basis each year from e-tailers, distributors and retail outlets.

In the most recent market survey, we surveyed the overall plenum and riser cable market. In addition to UL Certified cable, UL Solutions purchased cables certified by other NRTLs as well as cables that did not bear any certification marks and had references on the surface printing and/or carton indicating the cables were suitable for use in a plenum or riser

This paper summarizes the concerns and results of the survey.

2. Background

In the second half of the 20th century, changes in high -rise building construction methods, materials, furnishings and interior decorative finishes caused changes in fire loading and fire load distributions. This includes an evolution and proliferation of

voice and data communications systems as well as an increase in the routing of voice and data cable within air handling plenums. Purchasers, specifiers, installers and inspectors of telecommunication cables placed in risers or plenums during building construction or upgrade must be aware that cables that do not meet safety requirements present a significant risk of hastening the spread of fire. This represents an unacceptable risk and avoidable hazard to building occupants and owners.

Cables surface printed as plenum or riser rated without certification (self-declaration of compliance),have created confusion in the marketplace as they appear confusingly similar to Certified cables. It has become difficult for installers to differentiate these from certified cables

This is important because, as noted in a report by the New York Board of Fire Underwriters in 1975 following a fire at One World Trade Center, if cables are not constructed with proper materials, a mass of such cables supplying power and data to communications equipment in many offices can sustain a substantial fire. Cables placed in plenums and riser shafts are a potentially serious fire risk. Selection and installation practices must be followed to properly manage this risk.

Manufacturers marketing and selling communications cables without certification marks face a potential fire risk, especially when the cable is marked as being rated for plenum or risers.

3. NFPA70 National Electrical Code (NEC)

Several important criteria are used to differentiate and classify communications cables described in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Electrical Code® (NEC).

When adopted by local jurisdiction, the NEC is a mandatory installation code enforceable by code authorities because the requirements have been adopted by state and local legislatures. The code acts as a practical safeguard against electrical hazards for both people and property.

The NEC requires that communications cables comply with Chapter 8 – Communications Systems:

The cable must be listed and certified by an organization that is acceptable to the code authorities concerned with the evaluation of products or services that maintains periodic production inspection of listed products and whose listing states that the product complies with the appropriate designated standard.

UL Solutions is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) NRTL Directive

The cables shall comply with the requirements outlined in ANSI/UL 444, the Standard for Safety of Communications Cables. ANSI/UL 444 is a binational consensus standard for the U.S. and Canada.

4. Issues

Once installed, cable infrastructure is typically out of sight. It is mostly installed behind walls, ceilings or floors, and can therefore easily be taken for granted. However, if the cables do not meet the national safety requirements described in ANSI/UL 444, the product’s reaction in a fire event could lead to tragic loss of life and/or property.

At first glance, all communications cables might appear the same. However, cables manufactured using deficient manufacturing processes and substandard materials pose a safety threat. Without third-party certification, which includes such activities as evaluation of the materials and construction, as well as testing and surveillance, noncompliant cables running through a structure can accelerate the spread of smoke and flame.

Plenum fire safety must be strongly emphasized, as the plenum can accelerate flame and smoke transport throughout a building structure. Cables placed in plenums are a potentially serious fire risk, and selection and installation practices must be developed to manage this risk properly. Similarly, cables placed in riser shafts can propagate flame between floors that may go unnoticed by occupants.

Communications cables intended for use in plenum spaces must be designed to meet rigorous requirements for fire resistance and limited smoke production. Safety test standard NFPA 262, Standard Method of Test for Flame Travel and Smoke of Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Handling Spaces, address these hazards. This standard is referenced in the NEC and NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating

Systems, as a method to test that electrical wires and cables are required to comply for use in plenum spaces.

Cables intended for use in a riser shaft must be designed so that the flame propagation does not travel from floor to floor. Riser rated cables are required to be evaluated in accordance with UL 1666, the Standard for Test for Flame Propagation Height of Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables Installed Vertically in Shafts. This Standard is also referenced in the NEC.

Identifying a properly labeled and certified cable is critical at every stage of the construction or upgrade process. Those that select, approve or install cable should be able to trust that it is properly tested and certified for its use within the walls and ceilings of a building.

When looking for properly labeled and marked cable, one must understand the information surface-printed on the cable as well as what is required to be included on a label, carton, reel box or smallest unit container

In the case of the UL Mark, “the UL symbol on the product and the Certification Mark of UL Solutions, on the attached tag, reel or the smallest unit container in which the product is packaged, is the only method provided by UL Solutions to identify products manufactured under its Certification and UL Solutions FollowUp Services ” 4 Placing the UL Mark on a product is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product has met our requirements at the time of production. If one or both are missing, you should be suspicious. To help deter counterfeiters, all products in telecommunication cable categories certified by UL Solutions must bear a unique holographic label carrying the UL Mark

5. Market Survey

In the most recent market survey, UL Solutions surveyed the overall plenum and riser cable market. In addition to UL Certified cable, UL Solutions purchased cables certified by other NRTLs as well as cables that did not bear any certification mark s and had references on the surface printing and/or carton indicating the cables were suitable for use in a plenum or riser.

Safety Requirements:

For cables used in plenums, the pass/fail requirements for NFPA 262 are a maximum peak optical density (POD) of 0.50 or less, an average optical density (AOD) of 0.15 or less, and a maximum flame spread distance of five feet or less.

For cables used in risers, the pass/fail criteria for UL 1666 are that the flame propagation height of each set of cable shall not equal or exceed 12 feet, 0 inches (3 m, 66 cm) and that the temperature of any thermocouple in the second floor slot shall not exceed 850 degrees F (454.4 degrees C).

Plenum Cable Results

A significant nonconformance (SNC) for plenum cables is defined by UL Solutions as when the flame spread distance exceeds 6 feet, the AOD exceeds 0.20 and the POD exceeds 0.60.

UL Solutions market survey yielded the following data on SNCs:

• 100% of the self-declared (unlisted) cables had significant nonconformances; in fact, the flame spread distance exceeded 19 feet for all the cables tested

• 70% of cables with other marks from other NRTLs had significant nonconformance

• 0% of the UL Certified cables had significant nonconformance

Riser Results

A significant nonconformance (SNC) for riser cables is defined by UL Solutions as when the flame propagation reaches the second floor in less than 5 minutes.

UL Solutions market survey yielded the following data on SNCs:

• 75% of the self-declared (unlisted) cables had significant nonconformance; in fact, for all samples tested, the flame propagated to the second floor in less than 2 minutes

• 53% of cables with marks from other NRTLs had significant nonconformance

• 14% of the UL Certified cables had significant nonconformance

6. Conclusions

The data shows that self-declared (unlisted) cables could pose a serious safety risk and should not be used. Self -declared (unlisted) cables have surface printing that indicates they are plenum or riser rated, i.e., marked as CMP or CMR. They also are commonly found on cartons marked as “Plenum” or “Riser,” which can be confusingly similar to the cartons used for cert ified plenum or riser cables. These unlisted cables, once imported into the U.S., can now find their way into installations claiming to be NEC-compliant. In fact, UL Solutions has been approached by installers asking about the use of these self-declared (unlisted) cables for their installations. One of the cables shown to UL Solutions was simply marked as “LAN” cable.

The hazards associated with noncompliant plenum and riser cable present significant risks regarding the nature and scale of a fire event. Installation codes, including the NEC, mitigate this risk by requiring compliance with critical safety standards. The UL Solutions robust safety certification program for cables brings trust and confidence that such safety issues have been assessed.

The holographic UL label s the first point of reference for all suppliers, installers and end-users to know the cable has been tested by UL Solutions and is certified for safety. Look for the UL holographic label on the box of cable as well as the letters “UL” on the surface print. You can also consult the UL Product iQ® website.

Do not buy or install cables that are not certified and remain skeptical of unlisted cables that are self-declared to be compliant.

Do your due diligence in regard to NEC installation requirements, and verify the labeling on packaging and cable jackets. Only specify and purchase cabling th at has demonstrated compliance with the applicable standards and includes the UL holographic label to support that compliance. Above and beyond knowing the risks, understand your responsibility in supporting this issue and how you can also help reduce the problem by making sure to alert industry agencies and associations any time you suspect use of noncompliant or counterfeit cable. You may very well save lives and property

7. Additional Information

For further information, please feel free to read the UL Solutions Whitepaper: “Plenum and Riser Communications Cables – The Importance of Third-Party Certification. It can be accessed through the following link:

Plenum and Riser Communications

Cables: UL Safety Research | UL Solutions

8. Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Steven Galan for his support and contributions to the market survey and the White Paper.

9. Author

Anthony T. Tassone

UL Solutions

1285 Walt Whitman Road

Melville, NY 11747

Mr. Anthony T. Tassone is a principal engineer with UL Solutions in the Engineered Materials Operating Unit. His areas of focus include telecommunications cable categories, as well as seasonal lighting for the North American market.

Tassone has more than 38 years of safety certification and performance testing experience at UL Solutions, across a variety of categories and functions, including engineering, operations and conformity assessment. He is the primary member of NEC Code Panel 16, IEC TC 20 Working Group 18 and ANSI TIA 42. He has a BSEE from Polytechnic University and is a New York State professional engineer.

Three wavelength analysis of individual fibre attenuations and true splice losses in 30 year old cables

Dr. Svend Hopland

Hopland MarinInstal, Prestegardsveien 12B, 0851 Oslo NORWAY sven-hop@online.no

Abstract

In this work we have identified different types of induced losses which are found in 30-year-old land-based fibre cables using a three-wavelength analysis method based on OTDR measurements at 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm on individual fibres. Local hydrogen induced losses are found in directly buri ed cables due to their light armouring which will decrease with increasing cable age. Microbend induced losses are found in less than 5 % of the measured fibres. There are no signs that the microbend induced losses increase with increasing fibre age. We believe that the observed micro bend losses may be caused by some mechanism in fibre production causing poor microbend resistance in sister fibres.

Keywords: Old cables, fibre attenuation, true splice loss, OTDR

1. Introduction

The first optical fibre cables were installed in late 1980’ies, and they still are working well together with more modern cables. At that time, one important design criterium was that the fibre cables should have an optical and mechanical lifetime of at least 30 years. The oldest cables are now more than 30 years old , and we may concurrently ask if there are any signs of degradation of their optical quality, a question which needs close attention.

For sure, it is difficult to find old cables with fibres available for measurements, since the old cables had few fibres, and today they are all usually carrying traffic. Another general problem is that we do not have available any initial reference attenuation measurements made shortly after installation.

We have earlier investigated the optical quality of fibre attenuation and splice losses in up to 30 years old cables [1] In that work, we analysed OTDR measurements taken at different cable ages, and we applied mainly a statistical evaluation at 1550 nm to reveal the concurrent optical status. The statistical data at 1310 nm and 1625 nm were also evaluated to some extent. Higher spreads and average values were found in fibre attenuations and splice losses compared to modern fibres, although not of alarming magnitudes. However, the statistical approach does not give any clues about what may have caused increased values.

Recently, an additional OTDR survey was performed on 33 years old land-based cables which offered substantial amounts of new data, showing a more pronounced increase in fibre attenuation s than earlier observed.

In this work, we outline and apply a more refined method for investigating our data for old cables As for individual fibre length, as well as for each individual splices, we have gathered loss data at three different OTDR wavelengths 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm and built the corresponding attenuation and true splice loss vs wavelength plots Subsequently, all plots have been interpreted individually and as a whole

2. Field measurements on 33-year-old cables - statistical results

Recently, we measured with OTDR more than 70 km of directly buried old land-based cables in several links at the wavelengths 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm Up to four fibres in the cables were available for measurements and a substantial amount of new data was collected. The OTDR data were analysed by a method earlier described in [2]. For the detailed analysis of fibre attenuation, we selected only fibre lengths which contained data with accurate readings at all three wavelengths In Figures 1 to 3 are shown the calculated statistical values for fibre attenuations at 1310 nm, 155nm and 1625 nm We note that the number of data points is larger than in earlier investigations.

Figure 1: Fiber attenuations 1310 nm

Figure 2: Fibre attenuations 1550 nm

The calculated average attenuations and standard deviations at all three wavelengths are clearly higher than found earlier on old cables [1], and we also note several greatly elevated values.

Therefore, in the old fibres, the height of the water peak could vary substantially between a single vendor’s production batches, as well as from one vendor to another

We have earlier measured and modelled the water peak in our old fibres [4]. In that work we found individual fibres with maximum observed strength at 1383 nm of approximately 1.1 dB/km. The modelled corresponding values at 1310 nm and 1550 nm was calculated to 0.003 and 0.001 dB/km, respectively, and less than 0.001 dB/km at 1625 nm The variable water peak will thus not affect any OTDR measured fibre attenuation values at 1310 nm, 1550 nm, and 1625 nm

3.1.3 Induced attenuation

Microbends and macrobends are referred to as longitudinally disturbances of fibre cores and may induce extra attenuation in cabled fibres. Also, hydrogen generated inside the steel reinforcement in armored cables without hydrogen protection will induce extra attenuation in the fibres.

3.1.3.1 Microbends

Figure 3: Fibre attenuations 1625 nm

To extract more information from the data, we need to study the wavelength dependence of the individual attenuations, which will be done in the following Chapters.

3. Characteristics of losses in old cables - three wavelength perspective

3.1 Fibre attenuation

3.1.1 Overall

The overall losses in old cables have proved to be slightly higher than in modern cables due to the relative immature fibre production technology at that time. As an example, we show in Figure 4, the three wavelengths plot of 24 fibres in an in situ aerial cable from 1988, as measured in 2013 The average attenuation values and spread show values which are typical, and slightly higher than in more modern fibres [1].

Microbends are typically distributed and have bending radii much less than the fibre diameter 0.1 mm. From our earlier work, we have shown that losses due to microbends increase with increasing MAC number of the individual fibres In addition, we have found that the MAC number in old fibres are notably higher than in modern fibres [3]. Finally, we acknowledge that microbend losses are greatly affected by the quality of the primary coating, which have improved substantially through the years.

The total integrated effect on microbend losses appears from test results shown in Figure 5 [3] In this standard test, old and modern fibres have been subjected to the microbend test in IEC TR62210, Method B.

There are several notable features evident from Figure 5 Firstly, we note that the microbend losses are significant at all wavelengths 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm, and increase with increasing wavelength. Secondly, the old fibres show much higher microbend losses than the modern fibres. Thirdly, the magnitude of the induced loss in old fibres varies significantly between individual fibres.

Real life examples that may lead to microbend losses, would be a degraded primary coating or fibres reaching the inner walls of stranded tubes/slotted cores during tensioning of the cable

3.1.2 Water peak

The water peak at 1383 nm in optical fibres has a historical background, referring to the fact that a low water peak fibre was not adapted in the ITU-T Recommendation G.652, until 2003

Figure 4: Typical 3w-plots of individual fibre attenuations

Figure 5: Microbend loss - old fibres vs modern [3]

3.1.3.2 Macrobends

Macrobend(s) may be single or distributed. A single macrobend has bending radius much larger than the fibre diameter 0.1 mm, but less than 30 mm.

Tests results for individual fibres, old fibres as well as modern, using the standard macrobend test in ITU-T Recommendation G.652, with 1turn-20mm radius, are shown in Figure 6. In general, we note that the induced attenuations at 1310 nm are very small. Also, we find that the induced attenuations increase rather strongly with increasing wavelengths at 1550 nm and 1625 nm

The key observation from this standard test is that the magnitude of the induced macrobend loss in old fibres varies greatly between individual fibres.

Also, in real life, induced macrobends patterns in a cable, single or distributed, are likely to be different between fibres, thereby introducing even greater differences in the actual observed induced loss in different fibres.

Real life examples that may lead to macrobend losses, would be a local cable damage (single), or fibres buckling against the outer wall in stranded tubes/slotted cores at extremely low temperatures (distributed).

3.2 Splice losses

Assuming perfect core alignment during splicing, the true splice loss generally decreases slightly with increasing wavelength since the mode field diameter increases with increasing wavelength

Furthermore, the true splice loss depends inherently on the mismatch in mode field diameters. Since variations in mode field diameters are found to be greater in old fibres than in modern fibres [6], one would expect greater splice loss average values as well as spreads

As for imperfect splicing conditions, such as lateral and angular misalignment of fibre cores during fusion, these would result in additional splice loss which increases with increasing wavelength due to bending of the fibre core(s) in the splicing region.

4. Field measurements - three wavelength results

Old land-based cables have been measured historically at different times in their life courses. In this Chapter we demonstrate the characteristics of the found induced losses and their concerned types of allocation It should be noted that for each age category, additional links have been measured showing similar results, thus adding data to each category.

3.1.3.3 Hydrogen

In old armored underwater cables without hydrogen barriers, certain levels of hydrogen built up in the fibres, levels which proved to be varying with time as well as the amount of steel armor in the cables, the source of hydrogen generation We monitored these cables through 25 years, and characteristics regarding the hydrogen levels and their effects at different wavelengths were established

Figure 7 shows how fibre attenuation is being affected at 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm, by different hydrogen levels in old underwater cables We note generally that the added losses at 1310 nm are small, while the added losses at 1550 nm and 1625 nm increase fairly strongly. As well known, the hydrogen induced losses increase proportionally with increasing hydrogen level, at all wavelengths [5].

Obviously, since fibres are situated in the cable center, they are all affected equally by the existing hydrogen level, and all fibres in a cable exhibit the same added loss at one specific wavelength, which is highlighted in Figure 7. This contrasts with macro and microbend induced losses in a cable, which would vary between fibres due to the different fibre bend sensitivities

It should be noted that hydrogen levels in old underwater cables without hydrogen barriers have been studied earlier [5] Basically, the hydrogen levels decrease with increasing cable age. Furthermore, in these underwater cables we have not registered any microbend or macrobend induced losses.

4.1 33-year-old cables

4.1.1 Fibre attenuation

Figure 8 shows 93 individual fibre attenuations versus three wavelengths as measured in one link of the 33-year-old directly buried cables Different colours are indicating different cable lengths. There are several features to be noted.

Firstly, we find 8 fibres which show elevated, but different values of induced losses which are nearly equal at all three wavelengths. This is a characteristic feature for microbend induced losses. Specifically, we find that 6 (of 8) are found in fibres in subsequent cable lengths in the field, while 2 (of 8) are neighbour fibres in the same cable length. This is an indication that “bad” fibres are grouped together, possibly as a result of some mechanism in fibre production causing poor sister fibres.

Figure 6: Macrobend loss - old fibres vs modern

Figure 7: Hydrogen induced losses in armored cables without hydrogen barrier

Secondly, we identify specific cable lengths in which all the measured fibres show the same magnitude of induced losses, in which the induced losses increase fairly strongly with increasing wavelength.

Referring to Chapter 3.1.3.3, this is a characteristic feature for hydrogen induced losses. We register two levels of hydrogen induced losses, referred to as “weak” hydrogen and “strong hydrogen”. The magnitudes of hydrogen levels can be deduced from the established data as shown in Figure 7.

Evidently, at the same time, some of these fibres are subjected to microbend induced losses as well. This would be by coincidence since one would not expect the hydrogen gas to introduce microbend losses

Finally, we note that most fibres have normal fibre attenuation at all wavelengths, but slightly higher than in modern fibres.

For one single poor splice, the splice loss increases strongly with wavelength, as expected

4.2 25-30-year-old cables

In Figure 10 and Figure 11 are shown many wavelengths plots of individual fibre attenuations measured in 2018 on duct cables and other land-based cables, respectively, from the period 1989-1993. There is evidence that several fibre lengths show microbend induced losses with magnitudes which are similar as in the 33-yearold cables. We find that 6 (of 9) are specific cable lengths neighbour fibres, while 2 (of 9) are found in subsequent cable lengths in the field We note again that “bad” fibres are grouped together

The great majority of fibres have normal attenuations at all wavelengths which are slightly higher than in modern fibres.

4.1.2 True splice losses

In Figure 9 is shown the true splice losses of 61 splices in one link. We register, except for one poor splice, that the wavelength responses are weak decreasing, flat, or weak increasing with wavelength. These are the characteristics of nearly perfect splices. The calculated average values are very low compared with other old splices [1], thereby confirming their high quality.

4.3 15-18-year-old cables

In Figure 12 is shown three wavelength plots of individual fibre attenuations measured in 2004 on different land -based cables from the period 1986-1989. One fibre length shows microbend induced loss with magnitude which are similar as in the 33 -year-old cables.

Figure 8: 33-year-old directly buried cables

Figure 9: 33-year-old true splice losses

Figure 10: 25-30-year-old duct cables

Figure 11: 25-30-year-old land-based cables

Two fibres show induced losses with macrobend characteristics (not hydrogen), which have not been observed in any other fibres in this investigation

The remaining fibres have normal attenuations at all wavelengths which are slightly higher than in modern fibres.

5. Discussion

We have in Chapter 4 identified two main categories of induced fibre attenuation in the old land-based cables; microbend induced losses and hydrogen induced losses. When it comes to macrobend induced losses, the observed number of affected fibres is extremely low

The hydrogen induced losses are due to the very light steel armour used in directly buried cables The steel armour produces a small amount of hydrogen which create a local hydrogen level surrounding all the fibres in the cable From earlier work we conclude that hydrogen levels will decrease with increasing age of the fibres.

Microbend induced losses are found in a limited number of scattered fibre lengths along the cables. The magnitudes of the loss increases have been nearly equal at all wavelengths, and maximum 0.30 dB/km, 0.41 dB/km and 0.44 dB/km, at 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm, respectively.

In Figure 13 are shown the found number of fibres with microbend losses at 1550 nm versus year after installation. There is no trend that magnitudes increase with increasing number of installed years. Equally important, for all fibre ages, the corresponding calculated percentage of fibres with bend losses is very small. In Figure 14 are shown calculated percentages of found fibre lengths with bend losses versus years after installation. We note that the percentage of fibres with bend losses are less than 5 % for all fibre ages. There is no trend that the percentage of fibres with bend losses increases with increasing number of installed years.

We have reason to believe that the observed microbend losses may be a result of some mechanism in fibre production cau sing very poor microbend resistance in sister fibres.

As a general overall observation, we find that approximately 95 % of the measured old fibres have normal values of fibre attenuations at all wavelengths with average values and spreads which are slightly higher than in modern fibres.

6. Summary and conclusion

In this work we have outlined the characteristics of induced losses in old fibre cables in a three wavelength perspective. We have used 3w OTDR measurements to identify different types of additional losses, such as microbend, macrobend and hydrogen induced losses.

Analysing new data and reviewing earlier field data have revealed that microbend and hydrogen induced losses appear in the old landbased cables.

Hydrogen induced losses are due to the light armour in directly buried cables and appear with varying strength along the cables depending on the local conditions. The hydrogen levels will generally decrease with increasing cable age.

Microbend losses are found in less than 5 % of the measured old fibres and are nearly equal at all wavelengths. Maximum found fibre attenuation value at 1550 nm including microbend loss is approximately 0.62 dB/km. There are no signs that microbend losses increase with increasing fibre age. Fibres with microbend losses are grouped within the cables, which is probably as a result of some mechanism causing failure for sister fibres

Figure 12: 15-18-year-old land-based cables

Figure 13: Microbend losses at 1550 nm

Figure 14: Percentage of fibres with bend losses

7. References

[1] Svend Hopland: ”Fibre Attenuation and Splice Losses in 30 Year Old Cables”. International Wire & Cable Symposium, 28th Sep-2nd Oct 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

[2] Svend Hopland: “Revealing the Losses in Installed Fibre Cable Links Consisting of Cables of Different age by OTDR measurements at Several Wavelengths”, International Wire & Cable Symposium, 5-8 October 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

[3] Svend Hopland, Jan Nordli, Pratik Shah, Kate Roberts, Robert Alexandersson, Bertil Arvidsson: ” Investigating the quality of old optical fibre cables”. International Wire & Cable Symposium, 10-13 November 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

[4] Svend Hopland: ”A Full Spectrum Mathematical Model for Fibre Attenuation in the Field and its Application to OTDR Measurements at Six Selected Wavelengths”. Proceedings International Wire & Cable Symposium 2004, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 14-17 November 2004.

[5] Svend Hopland, Magnar Greve: “25 years of Experience - Using Underwater Cable Installations along the Norwegian Coastline “, International Wire & Cable Symposium, 9-12 November 2014 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

[6] Svend Hopland: “Investigation of Gainers and Exaggerated losses in Field Splices with G.652 Fibres”, Virtual IWCS, October 2020.

Dr Svend Hopland sven-hop@online.no

Svend Hopland is a consultant in Fibre Optics & Marine Installations in his own company Hopland MarinInstal. He was Chief Engineer on optical fibre cables and fibre transmission in Telenor Norway from 1986 to 2017, and he holds a PhD on optical fibres from 1985 He is a fibre expert and has long experience with field measurements on fibre cable links as well as lab measurements and fibre cable testing. He has also been active in ITU-T. He has since 1987 worked with underwater cable installations along the Norwegian coastline

Kepstan® PEKK – A High Performance Thermoplastic for Wire Insulation

Robert Barsotti a, Zak Eckel a, Clement Paul b

a. Arkema Inc., 900 1st Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406, +1-484-745-9142, robert.barsotti@arkema.com

b. Arkema S.A, Cerdato, Centre de Recherche ARKEMA; Route de Rilsan, 2740 Serquigny, France

Abstract

Poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK) has been found to exhibit a very low dielectric constant and high breakdown voltages - even at elevated temperatures - with significant advantages vs other polyaryletherketones (PAEKs). PEKK and related alloys were easily processed onto copper wires with the polarity of PEKK allowing for strong adhesion to the metallic wire without the use of a primer. By using PEKK grades with varying co-monomer ratios, a self-bonding technology has been developed - allowing for potential elimination of potting compounds in wire bundles.

Based on its performance in extreme environments, its excellent electrical properties, ease of processing and high levels of adhesion, PEKK is well positioned to be an important player in future needs for electrical insulation – with potential not only in wire coating (for demanding environments such as EV) but extending to important areas such as electrical connectors and busbar coatings.

Keywords: magnet wire; insulation; dielectric constant; electrical vehicles; polymers

1. Introduction

PAEKs are semi-crystalline thermoplastics marked by excellent chemical resistance and high temperature performance. In this family of polymers, the “backbone” of the monomers are repeating ether groups and ketone groups that provide the high mechanical strength of the polymers (Figure 1).

ketone/ether ratio also increases thermal properties of the material, enabling PEKK to be used in applications with higher continuous use temperature requirements. These advantages allow PEKK to compete on a property basis with other high temperature PAEK materials such as PEK and PEKEKK while remaining lower cost and providing more processing options and wider processing windows (Table 1 and 2.)

Poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK) is a melt processable, high performance thermoplastic known for its outstanding temperature performance, chemical resistance and flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) profile. Ketones are stronger than ether groups, so polymers with higher ketone/ether ratios will typically exhibit higher strength. The most common polymer used in the PAEK family has historically been PEEK, which is used across a range of industries in demanding applications requiring strength, chemical resistance and temperature resilience.

PEKK offers many advantages over other PAEK polymers. PEKK exhibits higher strength and modulus compared to PEEK due to its ketone/ether ratio of 2:1 (compared to 1:2 for PEEK). This higher

In this paper, we will focus on the electrical performance characteristics of PEKK and its potential use in applications such as insulation for magnet wire for rapidly growing applications such as electric vehicles. As electronics become more prevalent in vehicles, the need to reduce / eliminate “cross talk” of wires due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) becomes increasingly important. The superior electrical properties of PEKK further allow for higher operating voltages and/or a reduction in coating thickness, generating savings in raw materials. Further improvements in electrical performance can be realized by utilizing the ability of PEKK to easily alloy with many other thermoplastics polymers. These polymer blends show the ability to lower dielectric constants along with increasing mechanical flexibility and keeping thermal performance.

PEKK also offers the opportunity for improved processing in the wire coating. The switch from a thermoset resin which needs to be applied via solvent coating to a melt-processable material can greatly reduce production costs and removes HES issues associated with certain solvents. The use of a pseudo-amorphous grade of PEKK (containing a larger amount of isophthalic moiety) can be processed at much lower temperatures than its PAEK counterparts. Again differentiating from other high performance thermoplastics, PEKK shows very strong adhesion to copper wire (without the need for binders or primers) allowing for reductions in process steps and time. These properties along with its aforementioned chemical

Figure 1. Structure of PAEKs.

Table 1. Thermal Properties of PAEKs.

Table 2. Mechanical Properties of PEKK.

resistance and excellent FST performance will enable PEKK to succeed in power cable applications in extreme environments such as aerospace & defense or down-hole electric submersible pumps for oil & gas.

2. Electrical Performance of PEKK

To perform dielectric testing experiments, 43mm diameter & 0.5 mm thick discs have been machined out of the crystalline sheets of PEKK and PEEK. The dielectric measurement is based on the IEC 62631-2-1:2018. The apparatus used for the relative permittivity measurement is a dielectric spectrometer from Novocontrol, with an applied alternative tension of 1V. Electrodes used are in Titanium with a 40mm diameter. Frequency was tested at 40 Hz on a temperature range from 20°C to 300 ºC. Dielectric strength measurements were performed in accordance with the CEI60243-1 (2013) standard in air from 0 to 260°C using a voltage increase of 900 V/s, measured in AC at 50Hz.

Dielectric constant shows the ability of a material to concentrate electrostatic flow lines and store electrical energy vs that of a vacuum, whose dielectric constant is defined as 1. A low dielectric constant leads to improved insulation and a higher dielectric strength. As is shown in Figure 2, the dielectric constant of both PEKK and PEEK is measured at 2.9 at room temperature – already a significant advantages vs thermoset resins such as Polyamide-imide (PAI) where value of 3.5- 4.5 are common. At temperatures above the glass transition temperature of PEEK (~143°C), the dielectric constant of PEEK begins to rise, where the dielectric constant of PEKK remains lower giving PEKK a potential differentiation in this regime. Furthermore, at temperatures above 200ºC, while both materials increase in dielectric constant, PEKK increases at a much slower rateallowing for a significant advantage for insulation for any wire coating applications where high temperature performance is required.

Figure 3 shows measurement of dielectric strength performed on film samples of both PEKK and PEEK. Closely mimicking the dielectric constant data, PEKK shows a significantly higher dielectric strength vs PEEK at temperatures > 160°C

2.1 PEKK Polymer Alloys

Due to the aforementioned higher ketone content in PEKK vs other PAEK’s, PEKK maintains a more polar nature than its PAEK cousins, as ketone groups are more polar than ether groups. This polarity is particularly useful when formulating PEKK with other polymeric materials – allowing for creation of both miscible polymer blends or stable polymer dispersions with a PEKK matrix. The addition of alloying material can have a substantial impact on PEKK’s electrical performance along with improved mechanical performance.

Figure 4 demonstrates the potential improvement of a PEKK miscible polymer blend – dubbed “PEKK Formulation 1.” By improving the glass transition of the blend vs neat PEKK, the onset of rise in dielectric constant is delayed to higher temperatures, in this case ~190 to 200ºC – critical for applications where temperatures of 160-200°C are encountered. Figure 5 shows the potential with stable polymer dispersions. At room temperature, the dielectric constant of the dispersion (– dubbed “PEKK Formulation 2”) is reduced, while even larger improvements are realized at temperatures > 200ºC. Further, this stable dispersion can significantly improve the flexibility of the rigid PEKK material as demonstrated in Table 3, important when tight wire winding radii are required.

Figure 2. Dielectric constant of PEKK vs PEEK.

Figure 3. Dielectric strength of PEKK vs PEEK.

Figure 4. Dielectric constant of a miscible PEKK blend.

Figure 5. Dielectric constant of a stable dispersion.

3. PEKK Processing and Adhesion

An additional advantage is that PEKK can be a copolymer, composed of straight (Terepthalic) and kinked (Isophtalic) units. By changing this T:I ratio, it is possible to change the way chains pack together, resulting in a range of crystallization speeds and melting points. PEKK copolymers span a range of behaviors from pseudoamorphous (super slow to crystalize) to semi-crystalline. The tunable crystallization speed of PEKK allows it to be easily processed with both traditional extrusion and injection molding processing or via more novel processes such as additive manufacturing (both filament based and laser sintering), powder coating, rotomolding, thermoforming or automated tape placement (for composite fabrication). Furthermore, the low melting points of a 60:40 or 70:30 T:I PEKK copolymer (see Table 4) allow for significantly reduced processing temperatures for melt extrusion. Extrusion coating of wire has been performed, demonstrating that PEKK and PEKK alloys can readily be melt processed with a wide range of coating thickness achievable. (Figure 6 and 7)

3.1 PEKK Adhesion

PAEK adhesion to metal was tested by injection molding several materials onto aluminum with a mold temperature of 235°C to simulate the wire coating process. Lap shear testing was carried out according to ISO19095 with results in Table 5. Here we again see the effect of the higher polarity of PEKK amongst the PAEK materials- with significantly higher adhesion to metal. PEKK formulation 1 also exhibits very good adhesion (potentially improved vs neat PEKK) due to the polar nature of the polymer additive. In extrusion over actual wires, it has been shown that PEKK exhibits excellent adhesion to bare copper wire without the added step of a primer or adhesion layer. This adhesion can be tailored via processing or formulation design to meet the required levels for specific applications.

Table 3. Mechanical Properties of a stable dispersion with a PEKK matrix.

Table 4. Thermal Properties and Crystallization Kinetics of PEKK with varying T:I ratios

Figure 6. PEKK coated wires courtesy of Axon Cable

Figure 7. PEKK alloy coated wire with cross section.

Table 5. PEKK vs PEEK adhesion to metal

3.2 PEKK Self-bonding

As mentioned above, the ability to tailor the T:I ratio allows the crystallization speed of PEKK to be tailored – as shown in figure 8. The slow crystallization speed of the 60:40 PEKK allows for selfbonding to be achieved in PEKK insulated wires, potentially eliminating the need for potting compounding. A multilayer technology can likely be utilized where the bare copper wire is first coated with 80:20 or 70:30 PEKK. A second layer of 60:40 PEKK would be applied, achieving good adhesion to the inner PEKK layer due to its very similar chemical make-up. The 60:40 grade crystallizes very slowly- resulting in an amorphous outer wire coating when the wire comes out of the die. A series of amorphous wires could then be assembled together (“potted”) under pressure. At a temperature above Tg, (~170-200 °C) chain entanglement would occur with the amorphous 60:40 PEKK outer coating, allowing for excellent adhesion. Further temperature holds at elevated temperature (240-260 °C) would anneal the outer insulation resulting in permanent semi-crystalline polymer segments between the wires- ensuring a chemically resistant, high temperature bond.

4. PEKK for Extreme Environments

PEKK is known for its high temperature performance, including continuous use temperatures of up to 250 °C (482 °F). Along with its strong mechanical properties, PEKK also exhibits phenomenal chemical resistance with greater than 90% retention of mechanical properties even after a week of soaking in aggressive agents such as toluene or MEK (Figure 9). PEKK has also performed exceptionally in the NORSOK (M710) chemical resistance testing, with exposure to sour gas at temperatures of 220°C. PEKK has a higher modulus and strength compared to PEEK and maintains that advantage over 60 days of exposure to sour gas at elevated temperatures. Other high temperatures PAEKS (PEK or PEKEKK) loose properties rapidly after 10- 20 days.

PEKK is also a halogen-free thermoplastic with excellent FST properties, including a V0 UL94 flame resistance, displaying excellent wear & friction properties and strong barrier properties to gases such as O2, H2, CO2 or H2S. Based on these properties PEKK is suitable for use in the world’s most extreme environments.

5. Conclusions

PEKK is a novel thermoplastic material for wire insulation and more general electronic applications. Its excellent insulative properties coupled with ease of processing and outstanding adhesion to metal make it an excellent candidate for electric vehicle magnet wire insulation. In addition due to its chemical resistance, and high temperature performance, PEKK materials can have a significant positive impact in electrical applications in extreme environments in markets such as transportation, chemical processing, defense, oil & gas, and electrical & semiconductor. The ability to blend PEKK with other polymeric systems can lead to further optimization in performance.

Figure 8. PEKK crystallization kinetics as a function of temperature and T:I ratio.

Figure 9. PEKK crystallization kinetics as a function of temperature and T:I ratio.

(left to right) Robert Barsotti, Zak Eckel, Clement Paul

PRODUCTS equipment, supplies

New flexible coaxial cable is ideal for applications involving constant motion

Times Microwave Systems reports that XtendedFlex™ 178, its new continuous flex coaxial cable designed for plastic cable drag chains, is ideal for applications that require constant motion and flexibility, such as robotics and industrial automation technologies in large distribution centers.

and more

The XtendedFlex 178 is available now as a complete, tested assembly with connectors (TC-178-SM, TC-178SM-RA), with significantly shorter lead times than similar products, thanks to Times Microwave Systems’ global footprint and extensive distribution network.

Contact: Joana Rodrigues, Times Microwave Systems, tel. 860-867-2629, www.timesmicrowave.com.

Masterbatch ensures cable manufacturers their products will have color uniformity

Spain’s Delta Tecnic, a global supplier of masterbatches, reports that its masterbatches provide cable manufacturers assurance that the color of their finished products will be consistent throughout their useful life.

Per the company, the cable’s innovative design and unique material composition deliver optimal bend movement and consistent electrical performance during continuous flexure. Constructed with a unique combination of materials, including a stranded silver-plated copper-clad steel center conductor, FEP dielectric, tin-plated copper braid, and a rubber jacket, the cable is both flexible and durable to survive the rigors of millions of flexures.

XtendedFlex 178 was thoroughly tested for reliability. Using a rolling flex tester robot, the cable was subjected to one million flexes and maintained low insertion loss and VSWR specifications while preserving mechanical flexibility. The cable continued to perform well even after five million flexes.

The XF-178 cable is a highly reliable option for industrial automation application as well as ultra-demanding applications, including aerospace, medical, military and defense, space, and more. It is the first cable introduction in the new XtendedFlex product line.

As the industrial automation landscape continues to grow and become increasingly sophisticated, the XtendedFlex family will evolve to include a wide range of industrial automation applications, including autonomous vehicles such as skid loaders, as well as unmanned technologies such as electric vertical takeoff vehicles, drones, and more.

Per the company, Delta Tecnic specializes in manufacturing zero-defect masterbatches for the PVC and cable industry, both for the product life as well as between productions of the same product. While coloring parts can be done through pigments, there is a risk of not being able to match the result despite repeating the same pigment formula as the structure of each batch of pigment is different, and its development in the extruders causes the resulting color to be different. Those conditions are hard to avoid, and even when corrections are made, the desired color may not be obtained.

Delta Tecnic’s masterbatches are adjusted to the standard color determined by the customer so the color is stable between one production and another. Delta Tecnic operates with a very rigorous quality control process that ensures each masterbatch mixture color exactly matches the pattern, and that it is consistent between productions. If

there is any difference in color, a modification is made to the mixture to ensure that the color is uniform. The dispersion of the pigments is also very important to achieve color uniformity as if they are dispersed correctly, the color variation between different batches will be greatly reduced.

Manufacturers who switch from pigments to masterbatch will realize benefits that include minimizing defects due to color problems to practically zero, a decrease in non-conforming internal product and the reduction of adjustments in each production with a significant reduction in costs and increase in their productivity. This translates to a considerable improvement in the efficiency of the production line, the reduction of waste and a reduction in associated costs. All this makes it possible to be more competitive in the market and increase production capacity.

Contact: Lori Parent, Delta Tecnic, lparent@deltatecnic.com, www.deltatecninc.com.

4K microscope can work for wire & cable

Vision Engineering announced that the company has launched Makrolite 4K, the first 4K resolution microscope to complement their range of digital inspection systems.

Per the company, the Makrolite 4K model offers superb image quality, 4K resolution and the wide dynamic range is suitable for a wide range of complex and high contrast

applications. A company representative said that the model would be appropriate for some wire and cable applications. The Makrolite 4K provides more fine detail with greater detail shadow and highlight areas, ideal for challenging inspection routines, from reflective subjects such as solder joints, subjects in shadow, or subjects with low contrast, such as rubber and plastic.

Makrolite 4K is flexible, easy to use and provides high-definition video images with a wide dynamic range and up to 330x magnification. It delivers both versatility and high performance in applications such as production, lab research, R&D, micro assembly, quality control, inbound/outbound product checking, dissection and re-work.

Available in two versions, the console configuration provides direct HDMI connection to the monitor for live display with full control of zoom and all camera settings.

Connecting Makrolite 4K to a PC with our dimensioning software, ViPlus, extends its capabilities to include image capture, annotation, on-screen measurement, live overlays, data/image report generation and a range of image processing tools.

The Makrolite 4K solution includes a wide range of stands and objectives, making it a flexible solution equipped to deal with a wide range of demanding inspection tasks. Engineering values of superb image quality are combined with ease of use, and also adds 4K resolution, a choice of console or PC versions, and range of five stands, to deliver a really flexible inspection solution.

Contact: Nili Walp, Vision Engineering Limited, tel. 860-355-3776, nwalp@visioneng.com, www.visioneng.com.

Masterbatch ensures cable manufacturers their products will have color uniformity

Germany’s KURRE Systems, which notes that it is known worldwide for innovative solutions for customer-specific requirements in the cable industry, has introduced a new generation of high-speed pintle payoffs that demonstrates the company’s innovative technology.

Per the company, the conventional solution of a spool pick-up with the help of a spool lifting table is supplemented in the new generation of winders with a particularly gentle product removal. This not only considers the tangential product removal parallel to the spool flange, but at the same time the orientation radially to the spool according to the current spool filling level. The detection of the product position in both directions ensures an optimal position of the delaying pulley. The optimal product guidance ensures that even the most sensitive wires can be payed off reliably at high speeds up to 2,000 m/minute.

The latest generation of KURRE’s high-speed, pintle payoffs are especially developed for use in solid extrusion lines. Thanks to the variable product guidance in three directions, retrofitting into existing production lines is possible at any time.

KURRE Systems is one of three companies that are part of Kurre Spezialmaschinenbau, joining it in 2014. The other two are SIEBE Engineering, which has been manu-

facturing complex extrusion systems since the early 1980s, and joined in 2017; and KFM, a cable machine factory that joined in 2015.

Contact: Sarah Schlass, KURRE Systems, tel. 49-4498-92500-451, sarah.schlass@kurre.net, www.kurre-systems.de.

Non-contact tabletop measuring system can capture many die characteristics

U.S.-based Marposs reports that its Aeroel D-Lab—a table-top non-contact measuring system for controlling the diameter (avg, max, min) and ovality of drawing dies for wire and other extruded products—is able to capture measurements within one second and with +.01 µm repeatability.

Per the company, the D-lab works by comparing the diameter and ovality against a pre-set nominal value and a tolerance range, immediately displaying colors indicating the tolerance status of the part. These systems are ultra-accurate, highly flexible, extremely fast and easy to use regardless of an operator’s skill level.

The D-Lab can be used to measure different dies without requiring system re-mastering. It also features intuitive software along with an extensive number of control sets (tolerance limits, measuring mode, etc.) stored in a “part library,” making it very easy to use. Additionally, its rugged construction is designed to withstand workshop environments.

The D-Lab has a measuring range of 0.5 mm – 8mm, repeatability of ± 0.01 µm, resolution of 0.1 µm and accuracy between +1.0 – +2.0 µm, depending upon the die size. All measured data is saved in the computer memory and ready to be exported in test or CVS format. A statistical report is available, which can be immediately printed by using a standard PC printer. All new testers ship ready-touse with a two-year Product Support Subscription (PSS) comprising warranty, free tech support, complimentary software upgrades and more. The PSS is renewable, though it is not required for tester operation.

Contact: Marposs, tel. 248-370-0404, mail marposs@us.marposs.com, www.aeroel.it, www.aeroel.it/eng/product/d-lab. n

PATENT REPORT

recently approved U.S. patents for wire and cable

(Continued from p. 23)

the lead wire. Then, after changing the positions of the first and second claw sections relative to the lead wire, the control device causes the first and second claw sections to clamp the lead wire again to straighten the lead wire.

Devices and methods for holding cables

U.S. Patent No.: 11,588,309

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: Oct. 22, 2018

Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC, USA

Inventors: Ronald Vaccaro, Aviral Joshi, Christopher Stockman

The present disclosure describes devices and assemblies for holding cables. A device adapted for holding one or more discrete cables may include a flexible main body formed of a polymeric material having a length, a width, a thickness, and a longitudinal axis, the main body including a wrapping portion and a mounting portion, wherein the wrapping portion is configured to be wrapped such that the main body circumscribes the one or more discrete cables; a securing feature attached to or integral with the mounting portion of the main body and configured to be secured to a mounting structure; and a plurality of apertures along the longitudinal axis of the wrapping portion of the main body, wherein the securing feature is configured to be received through one of the plurality of apertures when the main body is wrapped around the one or more discrete cables. Methods of holding cables are also provided.

Cable stripping systems, devices, and methods for performing the same

U.S. Patent No.: 11,588,308

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: Oct. 22, 2018

Assignee: Starline Holdings, LLC, USA

Inventors: Jeff Wagner, Brett Keller

A stripping system that includes a securement device including a receiver platform and an engagement platform sized to receive at least a portion of a large diameter cable having an outer jacket defining a thickness of at least 0.5 mm. The engagement platform translates relative to the receiver platform to secure the cable to the securement device. The system includes a cutting device including a receiver platform that includes a first cutting apparatus and an engagement platform that includes a second cutting apparatus. The receiver platform is sized to receive at least a portion of the cable. The engagement platform translates relative to the receiver platform to move the second cutting apparatus toward the first cutting apparatus to define a cutting interface that is sized to partially sever the outer jacket such that at least a portion of the 0.5 mm thickness of the outer jacket remains partially intact..

High strength dielectric member for a communications cable

U.S. Patent No.: 11,587,700

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: Jan. 23, 2021

Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC, USA

Inventors: Ted Cobb, Jr., Trent Hayes

A new dielectric material for a communication cable has a dielectric base with strength members embedded therein. By a new process, vacuum voids are formed in the dielectric base and at least partially contain or abut the strength members. The material is particularly well suited for a first dielectric tape, where the cable includes a first insulated conductor, the first dielectric tape and a second insulated conductor, with the first insulated conductor being twisted with the second insulated conductor with the first dielectric tape residing between the first insulated conductor and the second insulated conductor. The material is also suitable for a separator of the cable serving to separate twisted pairs from each other within the cable, as well as other components of the cable, such as an insulation layer of one or more of the insulated conductors of the twisted pairs.

Low-profile cable armor

U.S. Patent No.: 11,587,699

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: Oct. 4, 2021

Assignee: AFC Cable Systems, Inc., USA

Inventors: Peter Lafreniere, et al.

Disclosed is a cable assembly including at least one conductor and a metal sheath disposed over the at least one conductor, the metal sheath including a continuous strip of metal having a plurality of revolutions. A first revolution of the plurality of revolutions may include a first section having a curved profile extending into an interior cavity of the metal sheath, and a second section extending from the first section, the second section extending along a lengthwise axis, wherein a length of the second section, along the lengthwise axis, is at least two times as large as a diameter of the first section when the metal sheath is in a linear configuration. The first revolution may further include a third section extending from the second section, the third section including a free end terminating within a recess defined by a curved profile of a first section of an adjacent revolution.

Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) power cable splice containment filler

U.S. Patent No.: 11,587,698

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: Jan. 1, 2019

Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., USA

Inventors: Terry Glasscock, Joseph Munoz, David Marricle

An electric submersible pump (ESP) power cable. The ESP power cable has a first plurality of electric conductors encased in a first protective armor wherein a first void area is defined between the first plurality of electric conductors and the first protective armor, has a second plurality of electric conductors encased in a second protective armor wherein a second void area is defined between the second

plurality of electric conductors and the second protective armor and wherein each one of the second plurality of electric conductors is spliced to a corresponding one of the first plurality of electric conductors, has a first filler positioned at least partially in the first void area, and comprises a second filler positioned at least partially in the second void area.

Optical cable having a buffer tube with flexible ribbon

U.S. Patent No.: 11,585,999

Patent date: Feb. 21, 2023 Filed: July 16, 2021

Assignee: Prysmian SpA, Italy

Inventors: Ray Marvin, James Holder, Michael Doub

An optical cable includes a plurality of buffer tubes, each of the buffer tubes includes a flexible ribbon, the flexible ribbon including a plurality of optical fibers, the flexible ribbon being wrapped with a finished tape.

Apparatus for straightening wire ends

U.S. Patent No.: 11,583,916

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: April 8, 2019

Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH, Germany

Inventors: Jürgen Schaffert, Rüdiger Brandau, Rainer Lenz

An apparatus for straightening wire ends of enamelled copper wires of electric motors has a clamping apparatus for clamping the wire ends and a straightening apparatus for straightening the wire ends protruding beyond the clamping apparatus. The clamping apparatus and the straightening apparatus each have two actuators with which clamping elements and straightening elements can be moved transversely with respect to the axis of the wire ends.

System for pulling wire through a conduit

U.S. Patent No.: 11,581,714

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: April 4, 2020

Inventor: Allen Brown

The system for pulling wire through a conduit includes a cable puller and a remote controller. The cable puller may pull a wire through a conduit. The wire may be removably coupled to a cable coupler located on the rear of the cable puller. The cable puller may be inserted into a first end of the conduit and may progress to a second end of the conduit under the influence of a plurality of tractors. A camera that is mounted on a faceplate at the front of a housing of the cable puller may transmit one or more images to the remote controller. One or more visible light sources and one or more infrared light sources may provide illumination for the camera. Movements of the cable puller may be controlled remotely using the remote controller.

Cable assembly and manufacturing method thereof

U.S. Patent No.: 11,581,127

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: Feb. 2, 2021

Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Japan

Inventors: Makoto Urushihara, Yasuhiko Kudo, Shintaro Lida, Hideaki Sakurai

There is provided an insulated electric wire formed by covering a rectangular conductor wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape with an insulating film. The insulating film is formed of an inner layer covering a surface of the rectangular conductor wire, and an outer layer covering a surface of the inner layer. A thickness (t.sub.1) of a section of the inner layer, which covers one short side of two facing short sides of the same length of a rectangular cross section of the rectangular conductor wire, is greater than a thickness (t.sub.2) (including that t.sub.2=0) of a section of the inner layer which covers the other short side. An elastic modulus and/or a yield stress of the inner layer are less than an elastic modulus and/or a yield stress of the outer layer.

Cable assembly and manufacturing method thereof

U.S. Patent No.: 11,581,1110

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: Oct. 8, 2021

Assignee: Lanto Electronic Limited, China

Inventor: Takao Asano

A cable having a transmission wire, a first metal covering layer, an inner insulating layer, a second metal covering layer, an outer insulating layer, an insulating protective layer, and an outer metal layer and method of making such. The transmission wire, a first metal covering layer , and inner insulating layer extend along a first direction, wherein the first metal covering layer and inner insulating layer cover the transmission wire. The first metal covering layer comprises a first axial end part. The inner insulating layer comprises a second axial end part. The second metal covering layer extends along the first direction and covers the inner insulating layer. The second metal covering layer comprises a third axial end part. The outer insulating layer extends along the first direction and covers the second metal covering layer. The outer insulating layer comprises a fourth axial end part.

Waterproof cable and waterproof cable manufacturing method

U.S. Patent No.: 11,581,108

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: Oct. 6, 2020

Assignee: Hosiden Corporation, Japan

Inventor: Takao Asano

To provide a waterproof cable that is easily manufactured and improves waterproofness. The waterproof cable includes: a first cable; a second cable, an end of which is connected with an end of the first cable; a first resin member that coats a connecting part and is formed by insert-molding; a second resin member that coats the first resin member and is formed by insert-molding; and a third resin member that coats the second resin member and is formed by insert-molding.

Optical fiber cable with improved fire protection performancer

U.S. Patent No.: 11,579,388

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: Jan. 7., 2022

Assignee: Corning Research & Development Corporation, USA

Inventors: Emanuela Gallo, Michael Heinz, Tomasz Kazmierczak, Kirsten Langfeld

An optical fiber cable comprises a cable core including at least one optical transmission element to transfer light, and a cable jacket surrounding the cable core. The cable jacket is embodied as a multilayered structure having a first sheath layer and at least a second sheath layer being surrounded by the first sheath layer. The material of the first and the second sheath layer is halogen free. The material of the first sheath layer and the material of the second sheath layer have a different flame retardant additive providing different flame retardant mechanisms.

Magneto-sensitive wire for magnetic sensor and production method therefor

U.S. Patent No.: 11,579,212

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: Aug. 8, 2018

Assignee: Aichi Steel Corporation, Japan

Inventors: Norihiko Hamada, Akihiro Shimode

A magneto-sensitive wire (magneto-sensitive body) made of a Co-based alloy having a composite structure in which crystal grains are dispersed in an amorphous phase. The Co-based alloy is, for example, a Co—Fe—Si—Bbased alloy, and the total amount of Si and B is preferably 20 to 25 at % with respect to the Co-based alloy as a whole. Preferably, the average diameter of the crystal grains is 70 nm or less and the area ratio of the crystal grains is 10% or less to the composite structure as a whole. The magneto-sensitive wire has a circular cross section and the wire diameter is about 1 to 100 μm. Such a magneto-sensitive wire can be obtained, for example, through a heat treatment step of heating an amorphous wire composed of a Co-based alloy at a temperature equal to or higher than a crystallization start temperature and lower than a crystallization end temperature.

Two-layer multi-strand cable with improved penetrability

U.S. Patent No.: 11,578,459 (also, see 11,591,750)

Patent date: Feb. 14, 2023 Filed: Dec. 20, 2017

Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin, France

Inventors: Emmanuel Clement, et al.

A cord (50) comprises: an internal strand (TI) comprising internal layer (C1) of Q=1 internal wire (F1), an intermediate layer (C2) of M intermediate wires (F2) wound around the internal layer (C1) with a pitch p2, an external layer (C3) of N external wires (F3) wound around the intermediate layer (C2) with a pitch p3; and L>1 external strands (TE) comprising an internal layer (C1′), an external layer (C3′). The external layer (CE) of the cord is wound around

the internal layer (CI) of the cord in a direction of winding of the cord (50). Each external layer (C3, C3′) of each internal and external strand (TI, TE) is wound in the same direction of winding that is the opposite to the direction of winding of the cord (50). The external layer (CE) of the cord (50) is desaturated, and 0.36≤(p3−p2)/p3≤0.57.

Cable substrate

U.S. Patent No.: 11,576,254

Patent date: Feb. 7, 2023 Filed: March11, 2021

Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. South Korea

Inventors: Jung Kim, Dae Byun, Sang Sim, Chang Ha

A cable substrate includes an insulating layer, a slit portion penetrating through at least a portion of the insulating layer in a thickness direction of the insulating layer, and a dummy pattern disposed on the insulating layer. At least a portion of the dummy pattern is exposed to the slit portion.

Helical strain relief for electrical conductors, fiber optic cables, or other cables

U.S. Patent No.: 11,575,228

Patent date: Feb. 7, 2023 Filed: April 4, 2019

Assignee: Raytheon Company, USA

Inventors: Peter Willey, Curtis Carlsten, John Cochran

An apparatus includes a strain relief formed in helical shape and formed with a U-shaped channel. The strain relief can be used around a cable of a component or a spool extension of a fiber tray.

Ultra high voltage direct current power cable system

U.S. Patent No.: 11,574,748

Patent date: Feb. 7, 2023 Filed: Sept. 4, 2019

Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC, USA

Inventors: Sung Pyo Hong, et al.

An ultra-high-voltage DC power cable system capable of simultaneously preventing or minimizing electric field distortion, a reduction of DC dielectric strength, and a reduction of impulse breakdown strength due to the accumulation of space charges in an insulating layer of a cable and an insulating material of an intermediate connection part.

Fiber optic enclosure with internal cable spool

U.S. Patent No.: 11,573,390

Patent date: Feb. 7, 2023 Filed: April 23, 2021

Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC, USA

Inventors: Scott Kowalczyk, Jonathan Coan, Jonathan Kami

A fiber optic enclosure assembly includes a housing having an interior region and a bearing mount disposed in the interior region of the housing. A cable spool is connectedly engaged with the bearing mount such that the cable spool selectively rotates within the housing. A termination module disposed on the cable spool so that the termination module rotates in unison with the cable spool. A method of paying out a fiber optic cable from a fiber optic enclosure includes rotating a cable spool, which has a subscriber cable coiled around a spooling portion of the cable spool, about an axis of a housing of the fiber optic enclosure until a desired length of subscriber cable is paid out. A termination module is disposed on the cable spool.

Modular cable reel

U.S. Patent No.: 11,572,249

Patent date: Feb. 7, 2023 Filed: Aug. 19, 2020

Assignee: Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., USA

Inventor: Michael V. Gargano

A system and method for collecting and storing different types of electrical cable is provided. The system includes a first cable reel comprising: a first wheel member; a second wheel member spaced apart from the first wheel member; a first inner wheel member disposed between the first wheel member and the second wheel member; a plurality of first gear members disposed on a first outer surface of the first wheel member; and a plurality of second gear members disposed on a second outer surface of the second wheel member.

Method and apparatus for reinforcing a cable used in high frequency applications

U.S. Patent No.: 11,569,011

Patent date: Jan. 31, 2023 Filed: Nov. 4, 2016

Assignee: John Howard, USA

Inventors: John Howard, Wenny Lin, Xiao Chu

A method and apparatus of reinforcing a cable includes wrapping a flexible wire around at least a portion of an external surface of the cable, and soldering the flexible wire to the cable, thereby positioning the flexible wire with respect to the cable. The portion of the external surface of the cable wrapped with the flexible wire may be disposed between the cable and a connector, or represent an entire length of the cable. Wrapping the flexible wire may involve wrapping the flexible wire around a portion of the external surface of the cable such that coils of the flexible wire are disposed apart from each other, and sliding the coils together such that the coils of the flexible wire are touching each other.

Cover for a cable harness with different color layers

U.S. Patent No.: 11,569,008 (also see 11,569,005)

Patent date: Jan. 31, 2023 Filed: Aug. 20, 2021

Assignee: tesa SE, Germany

Inventors: Jacob Przyojski, Andreas Meierl

A cover for a cable harness including: (i) a first layer comprising a first color; (ii) a second layer layered adjacent to the first layer, the second layer comprising a second color that is different than the first color; and (iii) an adhesive layer adhered to the first layer, at least a portion of the adhesive is not covered by the second layer. The first color can black, while the second color is white. The second layer comprises fibers that can be substantially free of dye. At least one of the first layer and the second layer can be polyethylene terephthalate. The cover can cover a plurality of cables of a cable harness. If wear forms a hole through the first layer, the second color of the second layer is visible from an environment external to the covered cable harness through the hole through the first layer. n

SECTOR UPDATE

Recruiters

EGRET CONSULTING GROUP USA

ELECTRICAL CAREER SPECIALISTS USA

What do you offer?

Egret Consulting was founded in 1999 as an electrical industry professional recruiting firm. Pati Kelly has overseen the wire and cable and tool division for over 10 years. She is focused on wire and cable manufacturers, cable harness manufacturers and tool manufacturers. She has worked with companies from high-voltage to building wire to value-added resellers, including harness assemblers, connectors, fittings, conduit, wire termination and handtool manufacturers. She has successfully placed people in the C-Suite, from inside/outside sales posts to VPs, and in marketing from product managers to marketing directors and VPs, engineers in design to process up to managers and VPs, and operations and manufacturing roles from entry level to VPs. She was set to speak at Interwire on May 9.

What should readers know about your company?

1. Expansive network. We have built a strong network of over 130,000 industry contacts across many verticals within the electrical industry. Egret has proudly placed over 800 new employees for over 400 clients.

2. Hiring/retention: A successful candidate is presented, on average, in 30 days. Over 93% of our candidates have remained at their new companies after one year.

3. Interviews to placement: five interviews per placement (the average number of candidates personally interviewed by our clients for each successful placement).

Contact: Pati Kelly, executive recruiter, pk@egretconsulting.com, www.egretconsulting.com

What do you offer?

Electrical Career Specialists (ECS) was founded in 2005 as a specialized electrical industry professional recruiting firm. The owner, Wayne John, was previously employed at the electrical manufacturer and distributor levels for 19 years. Working in similar positions which he recruits allows him to fully understand the duties and roles. He has brought some of the best talent to the largest (and smallest) national and regional wire and cable manufacturers, distributors, agencies, and resellers. ECS also recruits in the industrial automation, standard electrical, switchgear, tool and renewable energy industries. Typical placements include all levels of sales (local, regional, national), management (branch, regional, director, VP/C-Suite), engineering (process and design), and technical/support roles.

What should readers know about your company?

1. Dedicated service. Companies get a weekly updated status on their searches. All aspects of the search, from initial job order, recruitment, negotiation, to placement, are all overseen by ECS’ owner.

2. Integrity & confidentiality. These are the qualities that exemplify ECS. Everyone deserves the same levels of integrity and ethics, no matter who they are.

3. Network ties. ECS is either a member of or involved in many of the electrical industry’s most respected organizations (e.g., NECA, NAED, NEMRA, IEEE).

Contact: Wayne John, owner & lead recruiter, tel. 888-474-4327, wayne@ecs.jobs, www.ecs.jobs

ECS is owned by an electrical industry veteran. See p. 50 for more.

Pati Kelly speaking at Wire Expo 2022. See p. 38 for more.

For inclusion, submit your entries via the online form at https://bit.ly/WJISector. You can include a high-resolution image or logo (200 dpi min). Questions? Send them to editor@wirenet.org.

TYGES INTERNATIONAL USA

What do you offer?

TYGES International was founded over 20 years ago as an executive and professional talent search firm in the manufacturing and supply chain space. The wire and cable industry segment is a key market for the company with a long list of clients in ferrous and nonferrous OEM producers, wire and cable harnesses, connectors, conduit, and wholesalers distributors. Matt Dionne, a partner and managing director, is a former COO at WireCo with direct experience leading global operations in the engineered wire rope and cable business. As a former C-Level executive in public and private-equity-backed companies, he can help companies develop a talent acquisition strategy and bring top talent to companies in the wire and cable industry. He was set to speak at Interwire on May 9.

What should readers know about your company?

1. Real-world experience. Company principals have direct knowledge and understanding of manufacturing.

2. Networking. With over 350,000 contacts, TYGES has industry connections that provide greater access to executives and top talent in sales, operations, engineering, finance, human resources and supply chain.

3. Process driven. A robust and consistent search process identifies and connects with the best available talent.

4. Flexibility. TYGES customizes its search to meet the unique needs of its clients.

Contact: Matt Dionne, managing partner, tel. 757-296-9095, matt.dionne@tyges.com, www.tygesmfg.com

The TYGES team at a 2022 conference. See p. 48 for more.

The world has been trying to deal with serious problems for the last few years. The long-standing civil wars-conflicts in the Middle East region, the pandemic that has been going on for 2 years and the latest Russia-Ukraine war… like all countries, Turkey has gotten its share of these hardships. The same goes for export companies … How is Elcab Cable, one of the important players in the cable sector getting through this process? We know the company is working towards diversifying its markets. Elcab Cable will be participating in the Light+Building,which will stake place in Frankfurt, Germany October 2 – 6 in line with this goal. We spoke to Elcab Kablo Profil San. Tic.

A.Ş. Board of Directors

Chairman Nejdet

Tıskaoğlu about their company and their opinion of the current developments.

Could you evaluate the first six-month period for your company? Have your capacity utilization and domestic-foreign sales been accomplished in line with your goals? What is your projection for year-end?

Supply problems, uncertainties and rising energy prices that have increased with geopolitical developments are causing downward risks on the global economy to increase. The Turkish economy, on the other hand, has displayed a resilient outlook in the face of these adversities, and has maintained a strong course in the first six months of the economic activity year, with the contribution of foreign demand. Our company, which solves the problems with a realistic and forward-looking perspective and makes a conscious choice to base the company’s mission on growth through investment, employment, production and export, continues with determination to implement its plans, projects and programs. As Elcab Cable, we keep features such as safety, performance and ease of use, which are indispensable principles in a product, among the main objectives of our production policy. Our company,

which aims to reach more companies in addition to its existing customers, by increasing its production capacity and obtaining more products both in the domestic and foreign market, through fairs, various market research and customer visits, also makes it a principle to develop by following the current quality policies without sacrificing quality. When we consider production capacity and quality and sales and marketing effectiveness, unfortunately, most companies compromise on product quality in order to minimize costs and achieve lead times while increasing their production capacity not only on a sectoral basis, but also in general, or as a result of working with idle capacity even though the capacity is increased, this is reflected on the cost and as a consequence companies resort to unfair price increases. What is essential is to produce with quality and high capacity and to serve customers on time with appropriate, effective and efficient marketing strategies. As Elcab Cable, a company that has utilized its capacity and achieved domestic-foreign sales in line with its goals, I am of the opinion that industrialists should carry out their production activities in the light of these strategies, while our industry continues to grow and develop towards the end of 2022.

This section is part of an information exchange between KabloSanTurkey, www.kablosanturkey.com, and U.S.-based Wire Journal International.

“I would like to point out that our company, which exports 40% of its products to 56 different countries, is aware that there are countless potential markets that could be entered in the world”

Elcab Kablo Profil San. Tic. A.Ş. Board of Directors Chairman Nejdet Tıskaoğlu:

Some projections are being made that due to the supply of natural gas being reduced to some EU countries from Russia, this will cause production to slowdown or stop in some of these countries. How would you assess this situation? How much do you think exporting cables to EU countries will be impacted by this.

The global economy has been facing serious challenges since 2020. After the pandemic crisis that affected the whole world, the Russia-Ukraine war caused great difficulties in supply chains in all fields, especially in energy and food supplies, and as a result, many countries were forced to struggle with the highest inflation rate of the last 40-50 years. Our country, which achieved the fastest growth of the last 10 years with a rate of 11 percent last year, has portrayed a successful picture in overcoming all these challenges with strong performance in exports and employment during this restructuring of the global economy and decreased predictability period. In response to the projections that due to Russia’s reduced supply of natural gas to EU countries, production will slow down or stop in these countries, I want to point out that our company, which exports 40% of its production to 56 countries, is aware that there are numerous potential markets throughout the world that we could enter. The fact that the sector is confined to a small slice when exports to specific markets decreases, is entirely due to the past error of industrialists chronically positioning exports around only a few countries. This is why we should participate in fairs, make visits to permanent customers and conduct research and development activities to spread the risk and learn lessons from the adverse conditions we are in to increase the number of markets

and expand our sales network. As in the example we have always given, if you put all your eggs in the same basket, you will lose them all with a possible blow from the place the basket is located. But if you put the eggs in two separate baskets and spread the risk, you will at least save half in the event of a problem. Therefore, the most effective and efficient solution, not only for our own industry but also for all industrialists and manufacturers, would be to reduce risk by spreading to different and varied markets without depending only on specific markets, so as not to experience any decrease in export figures if any adversities occur.

as a pioneer of quality, innovation and competition; as a company that follows a customer centric production policy and places great importance on export, we view the developments in the Middle East and the solid steps taken in relations with Israel, Egypt and Syria to be positive and hopeful developments due to what this will gain for our country’s export volume.

What are your thoughts on the Dollar exchange rate exceeding that of the Euro? Turkey exports mainly to the Euro zone. How will this affect your operations from access to raw materials to exporting?

On the other hand, there are some positive developments in the Middle East region. Solid steps are being taken in relations with Israel, Egypt and Syria. How do you read these developments?

The adversities experienced in the previous years in countries that have a serious and important potential for Turkey caused these markets to enter a period of intense recession and a decrease in the export figures of many companies. As a company that can compete globally with the development system it practices by effectively using the R&D work it has created, the quality policies and the environment and people-friendly production policies it implements along with the technological advancements of our day; a company that produces economic solutions for the needs of the sector it is in, that produces in accordance with international and local standards, pays attention to customer demands and requests and is constantly in the process of developing and innovating; and as a company that appeals to both the European and Middle Eastern markets with the products it produces

When we discuss the fluctuation in exchange rates, we can say that as a company that supplies products to both the domestic and foreign markets, we can evaluate our domestic sales and exports from two perspectives. The supply of raw materials and commodities necessary for production is purchased in foreign currency and domestic sales are made in TL. Therefore, when we consider this from a domestic market sales aspect, there is a negative impact as a result of the depreciation of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies and as this change is reflected on the balance sheet and prices, this results in a negative effect on our domestic sales. When we answer the same question from the export activity aspect, we can say that the situation is in our favor since the difficulty of implementing instant changes in the domestic market is not encountered in the international market, and our sales are made in foreign currency. However, whether a high exchange rate is really a serious advantage for exports is debatable since high exchange rates do not have a great advantage in exports because ingredients are foreign indexed and foreign currency based. READ

MTB Industry, produces at international standards with its cable and electrical systems exporter and producer identity

tic and metal assembly and terminal and socket production. With its young and expert staff in the cable grouping, plastic injection and assembly sector, MTBES has the dynamic production structure to make quality that makes you happy.

What are your product varieties?

Home Appliance (television, coffee machine, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, oven, etc. cable grouping production)

Providing its customers with high quality products in cable grouping-design work, injection printing, plastic and metal assembly and terminal and socket production, MTB Industry also draws attention to its environmental sensitivity with its ISO 14001 Environmental management system certification.

We spoke with MTB Endüstri Sistemleri Ltd. Şti. Board of Directors Chairman Mustafa Talha Beceren about the company and its operations.

Can you tell us about your company?

When the German-based Haas Group company established in the Çerkezköy OEZ in 2010 wanted to move its investment from the region it was taken over by Hakan Beceren in 2013 and continued operating as MTB Endüstri Sistemleri San. Tic. Ltd. Şti.

M. Talha Beceren, who undertook the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2018, expanded the company’s field of operation with a more active staff and a more dynamic vision, bringing our company to where it is now.

Operating in an area of 3600 m² with 80 employees, MTB Industrial Systems has exceeded its potential to become an exporter and producer of cable grouping/design work, injection printing, plas-

Heating Systems & Cooling Systems (boiler, air conditioner, water heater, infrared heater, etc. cable grouping production)

Automotive (sensor lights, stop lights, signal lights, seat belt cable grouping production)

Construction & Farm Machines (tractor, lawn mower cable grouping production)

Toys (battery operated and electrical toys, etc.)

Construction machines, lighting, iron, steel and glass industry, rail transportation, mining, health, food, shipbuilding, machine and electrical industries.

Why are you a preferred choice?

Our company professionally produces all the varieties of cable groups used in the sectors we mentioned above, in Turkey with domestic capital. With a global perspective and a deep respect for our sector, we have made self-improvement our culture and are pleased to provide quality production to our stakeholders with the investments we make in renewed technological systems.

Can you evaluate the subject of your products and service quality for us?

We have full confidence in our ability to achieve customer satisfaction by

producing products with our young and research-oriented staff in compliance with the ISO 9001 Management System conditions, within the legal framework, observing customer terms, at the projected quality and within the scheduled time and budget utilizing our fast action and permanent impact structure operating with 100% control systems. We also meet the conditions of the ISO 14001 Environ mental management systems with our sensitivity for the environment and keep our certifications up to date.

Where are your products available? Do you export?

90% of our annual production goes to leading companies in the domestic market that need cable grouping and assembly work.

10% is produced for export in direct proportion with the automotive and construction sector.

What is your vision and goal as the management, for the term ahead of us?

To gain a corporate identity to achieve a leading position.

To undertake domestic and international projects that bring in foreign currency and contribute to the country’s economy.

To expand our network in all the fields we work in and produce cable equipment for both the domestic and foreign markets.

To become a select company known for its quality and reliability.

Our biggest goal is to continuously increase the value we add to our customers, stakeholders, employees, society and the environment with our staff who are becoming experts in more different fields every day. n

Mustafa Talha Beceren MTB Industry Chairman of the Board

WAI MEMBERS seeking positions are entitled to free “Position Wanted” classified ads.

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

AA ENTERPRISE. México. Proveedores e soldadoras eléctricas y manuales; impresoras y discos; cilindros, bandas y anillos para recocedores, bobinas/ carretes de plástico y acero; carretes p/ enmalladoras; bandas para caterpillar; tapes; conos y anillos de cerámica y tungsteno p/estiradoras; maquinaria p/ producción; cabezas de extrusión, etc.ayala1953@gmail.com.

PERSONNEL SERVICES

“LET OUR SUCCESS BE YOUR SUCCESS” Wire Resources is the foremost recruiting firm in the Wire & Cable Industry. Since 1967 we have partnered with industry Manufacturers to secure the services of executives, managers, and thousands of key individual contributors. Contact: Peter Carino, pcarino@ wireresources.com or online at www.linkedin.com/in/petercarino1. Wire Resources Inc., PO Box 593, Riverside, CT 06878, tel. 203-6223000. www.wireresources.com.

WAI RESOURCES

FERROUS WIRE HANDBOOK.

This 1,168 page, hard-cover, indexed publication is a definitive industry resource for ferrous wire, a reference tool for those in the steel wire or manufacturing, engineering or operations sectors. It includes 36 chapters that cover many of the equipment types, processes, and specialty applications of steel wire manufacturing. The book begins with a history of the steel industry and its evolution,

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followed by details on: continuous casting; controlled rod cooling; rod defects; pickling and coating; mechanical descaling; deformation in cold drawing; wiredrawing theory, machinery and finishing equipment; lubrication; heat treatment; stress relief; annealing; oil tempering; patenting; corrosion; galvanizing; statistical process control; bridge rope and strand; nails, barbed wire, mechanical springs. The price is $235, $195 for WAI members. To buy, go to wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

WAI’S ELECTRICAL WIRE HANDBOOK, PART 3. The revised Electrical Wire Handbook has been divided into 3 handbooks: Part 1: Wire and Cable Production Materials, Part 2: Wire and Cable Production Processes, and Part 3: Types of Cables. The goal of the books is to provide basic but meaningful information to those people working in the wire and cable industry-especially those who are new to the field. The price is $45, $25 for WAI members. Buy at wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

WAI’S ELECTRICAL WIRE HANDBOOK, PART 2. The revised Electrical Wire Handbook has been divided into three separate handbooks: Part 1 - Wire and Cable Production Materials, Part 2 - Wire and Cable Production Processes, and Part 3 - Types of Cables. The intent of these handbooks is to provide basic but meaningful information to those people working in the wire and cable industry—especially those who are new to the field. Produced

www.wirenet.org

The Official Publication of WAI - Interwire and Wire Expo -

by the WAI’s Electrical Management Committee, these books are intended to serve as a valuable reference tool for members of the industry to help keep up with today’s rapidly changing technology. Topics in Part 2, 206 pages, include the history of extrusion; adjustable speed drives; estimating extruder output; improving screw design; screw and barrel wear; cleaning alternatives; microprocessor control systems; braiding; wire and cable marking; cabling; and measuring gauges. The price is $45, $25 for WAI members. To buy, go to wirenet. org and click on The WAI Store.

THE SMALL SHOP. This book, 327 pages, by Gary Conner, the author of Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop, describes Six Sigma and its use by smaller companies. Published by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, it shows the relationship between continuous improvement, lean, and quality, and focuses on implementation for operators, managers, and owners. It includes a supplementary CD-ROM. Price, $95, $75 for WAI members, plus shipping. Buy at wirenet.org and click on The WAI Store. n

NEXT AD DEADLINE

July 2023

Reservation: June 2

Materials: June 9

• Feature: Equipment at Interwire

• Additional: Wire Link Scholar Report

• Sector Update: Equipment Rebuild/Upgrade

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