Equipment

WIREE JOU JOURNAL JUNE 2016

®

INTERNATIONAL www.wirenet.org

EQUIPMENT OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

WIRE JOURNAL

Volume 49 | Number 6 | June 2016

®

INTERNATIONAL

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

FEATURES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Industry News. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Industry Profile. . . . . . . . . . . 18 Patent Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Asian Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fiber Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Fastener Update . . . . . . . . . . 32 WAI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

EQUIPMENT

Wire Link Scholar report . . . . . 40 Wire Link Scholar Andrew Bettin shares his experiences as WAI’s 2016 representative. Here, he reports about his two-week adventure, which includes attending wire Düsseldorf, wire and cable plants in the U.K., and more.

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

Chapter Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Technical Papers . . . . . . 60-75 Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Career Opportunities . . . . . . 87 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . 87

Next issue: July 2016

• Industry Innovation

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Once again, the halls at wire Düsseldorf were full of machinery and attendees. This feature presents a sampling of some of the technology that was either on display or being talked about.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

Development of innovative aluminium alloys for production of overhead conductors Mirosław Ożóg, Łukasz Wodziński and Piotr Uliasz . . . 60 Management and control strategies for hot rolling emulsions in copper concast lines Bruce Calvert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 IWCS Paper: Long Span Aerial Cable Installation Technology Katsuhisa Kawaguchi, Ryosuke Yasui, Kunihiro Shimokubo and Kazutoshi Takamizawa . . . . . 73

Cover: Attendees inspecting sheathing technology at the SAMP booth at wire Düsseldorf. With 1,337 exhibitors from 53 countries, there was much to look at in the halls. Photo courtesy of Messe Düsseldorf.

JUNE 2016 | 3

CONTENTS

JUNE 2016

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Ye olde scholarship trail . . . . . . 40

The wire and cable industry has a worldwide presence, but if there is one country where next to nothing is known, it is North Korea. So it is more than a touch ironic that 128 journalists that got to tour a leading wire and cable manufacturing site left utterly disappointed. Considering their reason for being there, you can’t blame them.

Wire Link Scholar Andrew Bettin explored more than just wire during his trip to the U.K. Above, he is at Fountains Abbey, one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian monastery ruins in England. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for more than 400 years, until 1539, when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

CONTENTS CONTENTS

Wire tour not a revelation. . . . . 10

pub3_172x116_Mise en page 1 15/01/2016 13:29 Page 1

4 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

Technology drivers cross all manufacturing lanes In October, the Association will be holding its third Technical Conference in Monterrey. The Planning Committee has exciting plans for the event, and while not confirmed, there is a chance the attendees will visit the new KIA Motors Nuevo Leon plant. The initial projections are that the $1 billion plant, to be filled with the latest in equipment, will annually produce 300,000 beautiful shiny new cars. That would have to be quite a sight to see in operation.

So often, the focus of any new plant is directed at the end product, and for good reason, as that is the objective of manufacturing. This is true of manufacturing across the board, including wire and cable.

Flawless finished products are not only the goal, but the requirement.

Along the way, we also demand quick change-over, system integration, higher capacity, less waste and lower energy requirements as well as reduced operator involvement. This is the conversation that interconnects equipment makers and the industries they serve. The search for a better way is never-ending and consuming, but it is a necessity as both the customers and the competition are watching.

The feature in this issue focuses on equipment. As you read the article, consider that behind each capital expenditure—whether it is a drawing machine or extruder—there is a team of dedicated individuals chasing perfection who need it. A team seeking that equipment purchase that knows that this is one of the most important decisions a company can make. There is nothing easy about the demands of manufacturing and frankly, that is why smart people are attracted to the field. The chance to chase continuous improvement and introduce innovation is not for everyone. Fortunately, the wire and cable industry is filled with talented professionals who push the industry forward.

With some notable industry sector exceptions, the fiscal reality is that this is not the easiest of times to commit to major investments.

Yet it’s also difficult to stand pat for too long. Beyond your customers and competition, how you approach your future matters a lot to your workforce, because employees want to be part of a company going forward. They want the best technology so they can be the best at what they do. The tricky part is finding the balance of what needs to be done with what is feasible to do. Nobody ever said this was an easy business.

Steve Fetteroll WAI Executive Director

6 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

WIRE JOURNAL

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

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Quality in its repeatable form.

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– continuous measurement and control of the conductor temperature – optimum adhesion of the insulation material on the conductor – repeatable processes

www.sikora.net/preheater6000 We are at Polymers in Cables Conference, Philadelphia, PA, June 21-22, 2016.

CALENDAR

CALENDAR Sept. 26-29, 2016: wire China 2016 Shanghai, China. The 7th All China International Wire & Cable Industry Trade Fair will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).

Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This WAI event, which will to be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 87th Annual Convention, www.wirenet.org.

Oct. 2-5, 2016: 65th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity SymposiumM Providence, Rhode Island, USA. To be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

Oct. 3-5, 2017: Wire South America, São Paulo, Brazil. To be held at the Imigrantes Exhibition & Convention Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Oct. 5-7, 2016: Spring World 2016 Rosemont, Illinois, USA. To be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Contact: CASMI Office, tel. 630-359-4273, info@casmi-springworld.org.

Oct. 5-7, 2016: Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India. This event will be held at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

Oct. 8-11, 2017: 66th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium Orlando, Florida, USA. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This WAI event, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, includes its trade show, technical programs and 88th Annual Convention.

WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS June 17, 2016: Midwest Chapter 14th Annual Golf Tournament West Chicago, Illinois, USA. To be held at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club. Contact: Steve Fetteroll, tel. 203-453-2777, ext.

115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Sept. 29, 2016: Southeast Chapter 15th Annual Golf Tournament Conover, North Carolina, USA. To be held at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa, Conover, North Carolina.

Contact Art Deming, tel. 252-9559451, art.deming@nexans.com.

Oct. 18-20, 2016: ITC Monterrey Monterrey, Mexico. To be held at the Crowne Plaza Monterrey, this event will include technical presentations, a tabletop display and more. Contact: Steve Fetteroll, fetteroll@wirenet.org.

Sept. 13, 2016: New England Chapter 22nd Annual Golf Tournament Avon, Connecticut, USA. To be held at Golf Club of Avon.

Contact: Anna Bzowski, tel. 4537530, abzowski@wirenet.org.

Oct. 6, 2016: Ohio Valley 13th Annual Golf Tournament Solon, Ohio, USA. To be held at the Grantwood Golf Course. Contact: Mark MacKimm, markmackimm@ gmail.com or Steve Fetteroll, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

May 9-11, 2017: Interwire 2017 Atlanta, Georgia. See above.

8 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

May 15-16, 2018: WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2018 See above and p. 36.

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS South Korea’s POSCO plans to open wire rod plant in Indiana by 2018 South Korea’s POSCO announced that it plans to build a wire rod processing center in Jefferson, Indiana, that will create up to 60 jobs by 2018, expanding the company’s presence in the U.S. A press release said that the $19 million project includes a 136,000-sq-ft facility to be built on some 10 acres at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville. The Jeffersonville plant will process steel wire for fasteners, nuts and bolts used in the automotive industry and serve as a distribution center for other POSCO products, it said.

Construction is expected to start soon on what will be company’s second steel processing line and its fourth production line in the U.S. POSCO America, incorporated in 1984, maintains its U.S. headquarters in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with additional facilities in Houston, Texas; Troy, Michigan; and McCalla, Alabama. POSCO operates two integrated steel mills in South Korea and a joint venture facility with U.S. Steel, USS-POSCO Industries, located in California. As a whole, POSCO notes that it is South Korea’s fourth largest company, operating 312 facilities in 43 countries.

“We are very excited about (this) opportunity,” said POSCO AAPC Finance Director Kyu Tae Kim. “It is critical for our business to receive cargo by water and to

Commerating the deal with local officials to locate a wire rod processing center at the Port of IndianaJeffersonville are (l-r) POSCO Sales Director Woon Hyun Yeo, Finance Director Kyu Tae Kim and (sitting) POSCO-AAPC President Kenny Hwang. be centrally located in the U.S. market. The Jeffersonville’s port location will allow us to connect with global markets and supply our U.S. automotive customers with ‘just-in-time’ deliveries. We want to thank the state of Indiana, the city of Jeffersonville, the ports of Indiana and One Southern Indiana for helping us to make this project a reality.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered POSCO up to $550,000 in conditional tax credits

Journalists, hoping to cover North Korean political event, instead tour wire company The experience undoubtedly was wasted on the 128 foreign journalists from 12 countries who were in Pyongyang, North Korea, invited by the North Korean government, which was to convene its first ruling-party congress in 36 years.

On Friday, May 6, the reporters, instead of being present at the Seventh

Workers’ Party Congress, were instead taken to the Pyongyang 326 Electric Cable Factory, a manufacturer of copper and aluminum wire described as having a thousand employees. Following is edited commentary from reports by the Los Angeles Times and Reuters, followed by a prior story of some interest.

The reporters were understandably

Journalists touring the factory. Photo by Julie Makinen/ Los Angeles Times.

10 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

disappointed to be taken to the wire company as they had traveled to North Korea from all over the world to cover the congress, and instead were given a tour of a “model” copper and aluminum wire factory. Officials at the Pyongyang 326 Electric Cable Factory boasted of record production. A guide said that they were being taken there

The Pyongyang factory does not appear to follow OSHA guidelines. Photo by Damir Sagoli/Reuters.

INDUSTRY NEWS

and up to $50,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. (IEDC) offered POSCO up to $550,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

J&L Wire to open South Carolina plant J&L Wire, a supplier of galvanized wire decking and shelving, announced that it plans to open a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in first South Carolina operations.

A published report said that the company plans to locate in a five-acre site with a 31,000-sq-ft building in Colleton County. The project, which calls for a $2.5 million investment, is expected to create 50 new jobs.

J&L Wire, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, was described as a leading manufacturer of galvanized wire decking and shelving used in warehouse storage, material handling and logistics. The established product line includes GalvaDeck® wire decking and Boss Hog™ woven wire flooring for agricultural confinement panels.

“We are excited about the market opportunities in the Southeast and believe the South Carolina site will position us to profitably expand our core business,” said J&L Wire General Manager Gary Hyde.

J&L Wire was founded in 1980 as a producer of woven wire confinement panels. The company diversified in 1990 adding galvanized wire decking and accessories to production. J&L Wire is a privately held company headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“to showcase our high technology.”

The plant was spotless, but much of the technology appeared quite old, and while the machines were said to be North Korean-made, at least some were made by Nokia.

Two murals at the plant showed North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and his son and successor, Kim Jong Il, visiting the factory. The factory got its name because the two Kims visited the factory together on March 26, 1968. The site includes a soccer field in front of the factory, and a recreation center with a spa, barbershop, ping-pong hall, restaurants and mini-mart...and political posters.

Editor’s note: footage of the same plant that a few months earlier had hosted a workers’ “rally” was quite different in tone and presentation. Per a March 26 online report in the U.K.’s Mirror, the plant served as a political forum.

South Korean President Park Guen Hye was declared a “traitor” and a “whore” for collaborating with the U.S.

J&L Wire is expanding its operations with the opening of a new plant in South Carolina.

The news was welcomed by local officials. “We are pleased to welcome J&L Wire to South Carolina. We are confident that their investment in Colleton County will prove beneficial not only to their customers, but also to the citizens of Colleton County. J&L Wire has a proven record of success and we are delighted to have the opportunity to help carry that forward in the years to come,” said Colleton County Council Chairman Steven Murdaugh.

The Prysmian Group agrees to buy a Corning cable operation in Germany The Prysmian Group reports that it has an agreement to buy the copper data cable operation in Coburg, Germany, from Corning Optical Communications GmbH & Co. KG.

“We must show them the taste of real Whether the translated words of the fire.” angry workers are real sentiments or The clip ends with workers clenchwere “requested,” is unknown, but you ing their fists and chanting, “Let’s kill can judge for yourself by viewing the them!” following link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/ For colorful footage of a North news/world-news/north-korean-factoKorean rally related to the Congress, ry-workers-chant-7637053 go to: http://www.liveleak.com/ Below are the translated rally comview?i=e41_1462878273. ments.

“They must be demolished forever. This gang of dogs have given up on being a human being.”

“It makes me shudder and disgusted to think of them [the U.S.].”

“We the Labour group The shop floor tone was somewhat different at a prior will bust them event. Photo/LiveLeak. with our fists.”

JUNE 2016 | 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

A press release said that the acquired plant produces Cat. 5, 6 and 7 cables, with reported sales of some 22 million euros in 2015. “The investment will allow the Group to further expand its presence and speed up growth strategy in the MultiMedia Solutions business segment,” it said. “In particular the acquired business will enhance the Group’s product offering for high-capacity and flexible cable for data transmission and data centre solutions.”

Based in Berlin, Corning Optical Communications GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Corning Incorporated, is a leading manufacturer of fiber optic communication system solutions.

Gerard Daniel Worldwide reports acquisition of Langley Wire Cloth General Gerard Daniel Worldwide (GDW), a global manufacturer and importer of wire cloth, reports that it has acquired Langley Wire Cloth Products, Inc., a Tennesseebased manufacturer of wire cloth components and strainers made primarily from wire cloth and perforated metal.

A press release said that Langley, which has two plants, one in Collierville and another 100 miles away in Adamsville, have been consolidated to Adamsville to improve efficiency and internal communications.

General Manager Jason Groft oversees the 55 employees now on staff in Adamsville.

The purchase “gives Gerard Daniel Worldwide, already a leading force in the wire cloth industry, an even larger range of corporate capabilities and screening products,” the release said.

GDW Chairman and CEO Gary Shultis said that the Langley acquiA range of wire cloth products made sition of Langley

by Langle Wire. was a “natural fit” that will benefit both organizations. “GDW has been a major wire cloth supplier to Langley since Langley’s founding. When Harold and Nita Langley, Langley’s founders, were looking for an exit strategy that would allow their many loyal employees to continue working with another family-oriented company, they believed selling their business to GDW was the ideal solution. Both companies have shared customers in O.E.M. filtration, automotive, aerospace and consumer products. We look forward to learning more about the Langley customer base and how we can work closely with them to increase the value that the combined Langley/ Gerard Daniel capabilities can bring.”

12 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Cable design flaw identified as cause of delayed Russian space launch The good news is that the design flaw that forced the April 13 postpone of the inaugural launch of a rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East proved to be minor, and that it was discovered and repaired, allowing the unmanned rocket launch to take place the next day.

The bad news, at least for Leonid Shalimov, the director general of Russia’s NPO Automatics, was that those in attendance for the event included Russia President Vladimir V. Putin Per a report in the New York Times, Russia’s space agency had to shut down the launch because of what later was found to be a cable design problem. Below is an edited report into the investigation that had been ordered

by Russian Deputy Prime Minister A day (and one subsequent career) Dmitry Rogozin.

“We found what late, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome the control panel itself showed: there spaceport. was a design defect in the cable that regulates the opening of a third-stage valve,” Rogozin told reporters. The defect was the result of the digitalization of paper documentation, which failed to stipulate the need to connect two contacts and the need for to solder between them, he said.

“Nevertheless, one of the company’s staff responsible for the automatics spotted the defect, reported it to her superiors, and they reported it to their higher-ups. The design defect was dealt with, but oddly enough, all of the cables, except the one where it had been found, and that cable—a mystical situation—was sent to the rocket for which everyone was held responsible, and it was noted that the tests were carried out,” the deputy prime minister said.

“Why was it not possible to spot this defect already on the rocket itself? Because it is from the category of those that only come out during liftoff, when the valve-opening cartridge goes off,” Rogozin said. The maker was to rely fully on the documentation, including the reports issued by military quality-control checkers, whose job it is to see to the manufacturing of this small part, he said.

General Cable reports 2 further sales as part of its company reorganization

optical fiber cables to be installed from 2016 through 2018. The orders includes underground, flame retardant and ribbon types utilizing G652D and G657 fibers, it said.

“These important awards cement our leading position as a valued partner for the telecom sector in the region”, said Toni Bosch, vice president telecom solutions at Prysmian Group. “Most of the broadband network in Singapore supports connection speeds up to 100 Mbps, and Singtel, NLT Network understand the importance of installing a comprehensive optical network with reliable technology as the foundation for a Next Generation

General Cable Corporation reports that it has agreed to sell its North American automotive ignition wire business for approximately $71 million to Standard Motor Products, Inc. The deal reportedly also includes a subsidiary in Mexico.

“We are executing our new strategic roadmap, and a key component of the roadmap is focusing and optimizing our A Brand of NDC Technologies portfolio of businesses,” said company President and CEO Mike McDonnell. The proceeds will be used to reduce company Need the Most Precise Diameter & Ovality debt, he said. The ignition wire unit was doing well, but “we determined through Measurements to Meet the our strategic review that it is not aligned Tightest Cable Design Specs? with our strategic and financial criteria going forward. ... we are focused on growing our businesses in the electric utility, communications and industrial markets where we have leading positions, scale and sustainable profitability.”

Compared to 3-Axis gauges: A press release said that General Cable had also agreed to sell its Gepco® brand ► Offers the most of high-end broadcast cabling solutions comprehensive to ACS Solutions. Per company literature, General Cable acquired Gepco measurement International, Inc., and Isotec, Inc. (comcoverage bined “Gepco”) in 2009 for an undisclosed amount. For 2008, Gepco reported reve► Reaches 100% nues of approximately $46 million. ovality accuracy In a press release, General Cable’s VP and GM for North America Communications ► Provides 25% Products John Weiler said that the company improvement was “pleased to know that the Gepco Brand name will continue to live on...under ACS’s in flaw detection leadership. We recognized that an acquisi► Delivers highest tion of this business by a manufacturer like AccuScan 6012 (12 mm) and AccuScan 6050 (50 mm) shown ACS who is focused on this market could product quality yield maximize the brand’s value.” for significant

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Prysmian Group reports 2 Singapore contracts The Prysmian Group reports that it has been awarded contracts from two separate companies in Singapore, Singtel and NetLink Trust, worth nearly €23 million to supply optical fiber cable.

A press release said that the two contracts collectively call for up to 25,000 km of

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Shalimov later resigned over the launch delay. The first manned space flight from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, currently under construction in the Russian far east, has been pushed back seven years to 2025, the Russia’s space agency reported.

INDUSTRY NEWS

National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN). This will allow connections to perform 100 times faster than the speeds the country currently experiences and, with the use of optical fiber, a higher broadband speed will be delivered more efficiently and at a lower cost.”

The Singtel Group, a leading Asia communications organization, notes that it serves over 595 million mobile customers around the world. It has offices throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the U.S., with more than 23,000 employees worldwide.

NetLink Trust (NLT) owns the fiber network that is the foundation of Singapore’s Next Gen NBN, Singapore’s all-fiber ultra-high-speed broadband network, a project under the Intelligent National 2015 (iN2015) master plan by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), that is capable of delivering speeds of 1 Gbps and above to all homes, offices and schools across Singapore.

“The SRG-1 project is our ambition to restore the significance of the traditional silk route by establishing a digital gateway to the most budding telecom markets of the Asian subcontinent,” said Rashid Shafi, SEVP & Chief Strategy Officer, Multinet Pakistan. He added that it will fuel “the massively growing demands of the Pakistani market ... .”

Narragansett Indian tribe loses request to stop cable laying due to artifact find A federal court judge has denied a request from the Narragansett Indian Tribe to suspend construction on Block Island for a transmission cable being installed as part of the first offshore wind farm in the nation.

Per a report in the Providence Journal, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled against the tribe, which wanted a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. The tribe claimed that it had not been

Xtera Communications to supply Silk Route Gateway subsea cable system Multinet Pakistan and Omantel have awarded a turnkey supply contract to Xtera Communications for the deployment of a new subsea cable system, dubbed Silk Route Gateway (SRG-1).

A press release said that the cable will stretch from Muscat in Oman to Karachi in Pakistan, with a planned future extension to Gwadar (Pakistan). The system will have two fiber pairs with a design capacity of 10Tbps each. Xtera will supply its turnkey 100G/100G+ optimized submarine system solution, including Nu-Wave Optima Submarine Line Terminal Equipment, undersea optical repeaters, undersea branching units, cable, all marine services, project management, installation and commissioning.

Per a report in web.pk, the SRG-1 system will have a 900-km long subsea cable with two fiber pairs system each having 10 Tbps capacity. According to the news section of Multinet, SRG1 will be operational in the next 18 months. The overall cost will be $24 million. After the installation completion, Pakistan will get 200 Gps of additional bandwidth with the “upgradation” to 20 Tbps subject to market demand.

14 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

With the five jacket foundations completed, the goal is to erect the offshore wind turbines this summer. properly notified after artifacts were found while a trench was being dug for the cable and that those artifacts were improperly removed. The developers, National Grid, countered that it had followed all requirements.

National Grid is building portions of the transmission system for the five-turbine wind farm that Deepwater Wind, a Providence-based developer, is installing off Block Island.

The system will run from the wind farm to a substation on Block Island and then on to the mainland power grid.

On April 5, National Grid notified the tribe that construc-

Visit our stand #1806 at Interwire 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

tion crews had inadvertently dug up cultural artifacts while making excavations for the cable. Michael De Luca, an attorney for the tribe, claimed that the disturbances happened before that day and that the artifacts involved included vessels and tools.

Planned submarine cable, APX-West, would connect Perth and Singapore Three companies have entered into an agreement to build a new international submarine cable called APX-West, which will connect Perth and Singapore.

A report in Singapore Business Review said that the three companies—Singtel, SubPartners and Telstra—have a memorandum of understanding (MOU), to build the new international submarine cable, to be called APX-West, which will connect Perth and Singapore. Another report said that it will also connect in Jakarta.

The report said that the new cable will incorporate two fiber pairs providing two-way data transmission. Each pair will have a minimum design capacity of 10 Terabits per second. The cable will terminate in facilities operated by the MOU signatories in Singapore and Australia, significantly slashing costs and permitting times, it said.

The report, citing a press release from the three companies, said that construction of the cable “is poised to begin construction by the end of July this year, and is expected

16 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

to be completed in 2018. Once completed, APX-West will span more than 4,500 km carrying traffic between Australia and Singapore.”

General Cable plans to pare its workforce at New Zealand plant General Cable New Zealand, a business of U.S.-based General Cable company, plans to cut 62 of its 256 positions at its workforce in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Per online reports in The Sydney Morning Herald and businessday.com, the union was contacted about the planned cuts to the Sockburn factory, which produces power and phone cable for New Zealand and Australian customers, including the mining industry. David Peterson, managing director of General Cable Oceania, said that demand for the company’s medium-voltage cable fell 50% after Australian mining prices crashed. Other factors included cuts to Australian import tariffs, competition from China and Malaysia and the rising value of the New Zealand dollar.

“It’s a really big shock but everybody is aware that the company has been struggling,” Peterson said. Six years ago the plant employed 350. “The New Zealand business is still very strong,” he said. “There would be a refocused presence in regional markets affected by a decline in the mining sector, and a re-organisation in support functions,” said Oceania managing director David Peterson.

LS Cable & System to supply wire harnesses to Chinese auto industry LS Cable & System announced earlier this year that it has been awarded a contract from Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd. (BAIC) to supply wire harnesses for electric vehicles.

A press release said that the wire harnesses will be installed in a new EV200 model to be made by Beijing Automotive Industry.

A NEW It noted that the Chinese electric vehicle market is expected to grow rapidly from about 220,000 vehicles in 2015 to 2 million by 2020 due to the Chinese government’s electric vehicle promotion policy. Electric vehicles typically handle voltages of 600V or higher so the harnesses are necessarily more robust than the 12V harnesses used in ordinary cars, it added. “LS Cable & System is planning to raise its share of the Chinese harness market from 6% ... to 10% or so by 2020.”

CTC Global files patent complaint with USITC U.S.-based CTC Global Corporation has filed, and amended, a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) over imports that it claims violate its patents.

Per news reports, CTC claims that “certain electrical conductor composite cores and components” being imported into the U.S. violate section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The company has requested that the USITC issue a general exclusion order, or in the alternative, a limited exclusion order, and cease and desist orders against Mercury Cable & Energy, Inc., of San Juan Capistrano, California, and Shenzhen Zm Hesheng Power Development Co., Ltd., of Futian Shenzhen, China.

Ferrous consulting company founded by industry veteran Anthony (Tony) Sestrich announced the formation of Innovative Wire Solutions (IWS), a new consulting company based in Pennsylvania, that will serve the ferrous industry.

A press release said that IWS will offer

INDUSTRY NEWS

technical support in the design of new processes and assistance in making existing ones perform up to today’s standards. The initial focus will be operator training, trouble shooting, and assisting in the startup of new equipment.

The company’s areas of expertise are in ferrous wire drawing, cleaning house operation, drawing applications, die finishing, die set-up and plating. Sestrich recently retired from Johnstown Wire Technologies (JWT), where he was manager of the wiredrawing department and die shop as well as the cleaning lines.

Sestrich can he contacted at tel. 814-244-7993, ams@ atlanticbb.net.

Per the reports, the Sockburn plant will stop making medium-voltage cable in Christchurch and instead source and distribute it from other General Cable factories. The plant will still make low-voltage cable.

KIND OF PACKAGING… FROM DeWAL

DeWAL Industries, Inc. DeWAL Industries, Inc.

NO MORE BREAKAGE. NO MORE TANGLES.

PAY Packaging OUT NARROW PTFE FILM WITH SOLID PACK DeWAL DeWAL Packaging DeWAL offers®standard and custom flat pad, traverse and pyramid style packages.

DeWAL offerstangles standardand and breakage custom flat pad, traverseunsintered and pyramid and style low packages.

Solid Pack greatly reduces in skived, Traverse and pyramid packaging allow for longer runs per package on narrow widths. density PTFE films.

Traverse and pyramid packaging allow for longer runs per package on narrow widths. ®

DeWAL’s state-of-the-art equipment allows us to create custom ®packages with precision DeWAL’s state-of-the-art equipment allows us to create packages with precision A new and exclusive packaging method, Solid Pack allows filmcustom to unwind tension control. This gives our customers reduced downtime and increased productivity. ® not traversely buttension unidirectionally columns.

Solid Pack isdowntime a stableand put-up, control. Thisingives our customers reduced increased productivity.

This tensionincontrol becomes a critical component when using today’sat lowthe density films in resulting a spool becoming narrower without softening Because This tension control becomes a critical component whensides. using today’s low density films in high performance coaxial cables, even where unsintered a slight amount of stretching cause problems tension does not fluctuate, PTFE resistswill stretching.

DeWAL Packaging high performance coaxial cables, where a slight amount of stretching will cause problems ® 5 with signal loss.

Solid Pack is for with PTFE filmloss. from ⁄32”traverse to 3⁄4”, and in 1⁄32 ” increments.

DeWAL PTFE DeWAL offers standard andsignal custom flat pad, pyramid style packages.

DeWAL Industries, Inc.

filmPad canPackaging be as thin as 0.001”.

Flat Traverse and pyramid Flat packaging allow for longer runs per package on narrow widths.

Pad Packaging Customstate-of-the-art packages are manufactured DeWAL’s Narragansett, facilities in DeWAL’s equipment allows us at to create custom packages with RI, precision Appropriate for allalso DeWAL slit12”. film and laminatedcan products. widths up to 12” and diameters up to Packages beand withlaminated or without Appropriate for all DeWAL slit film products. tension control. This gives our customers reduced downtime and increased productivity.

Custom packages frommuch 3/8" (9.525mm) 8" (203.2mm) wide sideboards. Film lengths can be as 20,000tofrom ft.

Customas packages 3/8" (9.525mm) to 8" (203.2mm) wide with diameters, width,using up totoday’s 14" (355.6mm).

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Besides new Solid Packs, DeWAL offers traditional flat pad, high performance coaxial cables, where a slight amount of stretching will cause problems mid packages in standard and custom configurations. with signal loss.

For all your options, call DeWAL today.

Traverse Packaging Flat Pad Packaging Traverse Packaging

For skived, unsintered and low density PTFE film in widths from For(19.05mm) skived, unsintered and low density PTFE film in widths from 5/32" (4.123mm) 3/4" in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Appropriate for alltoDeWAL slit film and laminated products.

5/32" (4.123mm) to 3/4" (19.05mm) in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Film can be as thin as 0.0005" (0.013mm).

Custom packages from 3/8" (9.525mm) (203.2mm) wide be as thintoas8"and 0.0005" Custom packages up Film to 6" can (152.4mm) up to(0.013mm).

6" (152.4mm) with diameters, depending on width, upwide to 14" (355.6mm).

Custom packages up to 6" (152.4mm) wide and up to 6" (152.4mm) in diameter, with or without sideboards. in diameter, with or without sideboards.

Traverse Packaging

Flat Pad Packaging Pyramid Packaging Quality of Product...First Traverse Packaging Pyramid For skivedPackaging PTFE from 0.0005" (0.013mm) to 0.010" (0.26mm)

Pyramid Packaging

Pyramid Packaging

For5/32" skived(3.060mm) PTFE fromto0.0005" (0.013mm) to 0.010" (0.26mm) thick, and inunsintered widths from 3/4" (19.05mm) For skived, and low density PTFE film in widths from to 3/4" (19.05mm) 15 Ray Trainor Drive thick, and in widths from 5/32" (3.060mm) in 1/32"(4.123mm) (0.794mm)toincrements.

5/32" 3/4" (19.05mm) in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Narragansett, RI 02882 in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Narrow traverse or pyramid wound.

Film canfilm be isasusually thin asNarrow 0.0005" (0.013mm). www.dewal.com | usa1@dewal.com film is usually traverse or pyramid wound.

Custom to wide and up to Custom packages packages up up Custom to 6" 6" (152.4mm) (152.4mm) wide and to 6" 6" (152.4mm) (152.4mm) packages up to 6" up (152.4mm) wide and up to 6" (152.4mm) 800-366-8356 in diameter, with or without sideboards. in diameter, with or without sideboards. in diameter, with or without sideboards.

(International: 001-401-789-9736) Solid Pack®

For skived PTFE from 0.0005" (0.013mm) to 0.010" (0.26mm) thick, and in widths from 5/32" (3.060mm) to 3/4" (19.05mm) JUNE 2016 | 17 in 1/32" (0.794mm) increments.

Narrow film is usually traverse or pyramid wound.

Custom packages up to 6"Inc. (152.4mm) wide and up to 6" (152.4mm) DeWAL Industries,

COMPANY PROFILE PROFILE

An ‘out of this world’ business VALENCIA CALIFORNIA COMPANY

CICOIL President Howard Lind FOCUS Founded in 1956, Cicoil came of age when its innovative flat ribbon cable was used by IBM to replace bulky, stiff round cables. Its proprietary Flexx-Sil™ technology allowed the molding of a flat cable containing multiple conductors of the same size.

Named ribbon cables, variations of these flat cables are still used today in most computers, printers, and many electronic devices. Its flat cables have been used on every U.S. fighter jet, most commercial airlines and many other demanding applications.

OF NOTE Cicoil literally attained unmatched industry heights when the company’s Iightweight cables were used for the first space walk in 1965, and the Lunar landing in 1969. www.cicoil.com.

Howard Lind President & CEO Cicoil Corporation

WJI: Your company’s flat cable technology was used for Apollo Space missions: how important was that achievement for Cicoil?

Lind: Inventing the flat ribbon cable was an incredible accomplishment, and it was the singular reason for Cicoil’s founding. Since 1956, flat cables have been used in countless ways, helping to support the space program, and the computer/electronics revolution. As a result, Cicoil is literally part of history, as flat ribbon cables have been integral to electronic miniaturization and advancement for the past 60 years. The fact that Cicoil cables were key to the Apollo Space missions is something that everyone at Cicoil is extremely proud of.

WJI: How has your technology most changed since then?

Lind: Cicoil’s original flat ribbon cables were made much differently than they are today. The first ones were made by stretching wires in a mold, kind of like guitar strings, and then pouring a form of silicone rubber over the wires multiple times, until the finished cables were able to be cut out of the molds. This was time-consuming, and the cables in each batch of cables would be somewhat different, based on the time, temperature, etc., of the molding process.

The length was also limited, as you could only stretch the wires out a few feet. Today, our patented, proprietary process uses a computer-controlled, automated extrusion method that can precisely control the wire spacing, jacket insulation thickness and the profile of the cable. We can now economically make continuous lengths of flat cables, even thousands of feet long. We can make cable using wire gauges as large as 2 AWG

18 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

and as small as 44 AWG. We can make flat cables with tubing for liquid or air, with shielded conductors, with coax, and with fiber optics, with all these elements able to be mixed and matched in any way in a flat cable, quickly and easily. You can make an immediate drawing at our website and get an immediate quote, with flat cable delivery in less than two weeks!

The performance of our flat cables far exceed the limited capabilities of the earlier cables. Our flat cables are rated for tens of millions of flexing cycles, in the most demanding applications, far exceeding the relatively limited lifespan of the original flat cables manufactured by Cicoil. You could literally say that we are a world beyond from what we could do in 1956.

WJI: Could your company’s patented technology edge disappear someday?

Lind: Our patented technology is our “secret sauce,” a huge advantage, as we are the only company in the world that can do what we do in the world of flat cables.

But you never rest on your laurels, so we continually and obsessively, innovate and improve our technology.

WJI: Are there future advances in the works, and if so, can you comment on those?

Lind: We have a very promising new invention in the works that we will hopefully introduce next year. We are currently applying for patent protection, as it will be a real game-changer in the world of cables and cable tracks.

PATENTS

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

Composite cable and method of manufacturing composite cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,336,930 Patent date: May 10, 2016 Filed: Dec. 10, 2012 Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Japan.

Inventor: Hiroyuki Motohara A composite cable that includes plural cables connectable to respective connection portions arranged on a substrate, and an outer coat that covers the cables, the composite cable including: a position fixation portion, in which the cables are fixed in positions so as to be parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction of the cables; and a twist portion, in which the cables extending from an end portion of the position fixation portion are twisted together, wherein in the position fixation portion, an arrangement pattern of the cables on a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cables is mirror symmetric to an arrangement pattern of the connection portions

rials costs. The conductor (12) extends along a longitudinal axis and an insulation (14, 14<1>) surrounds the conductor (12). At least on channel (16, 16<1>) in the insulation (14, 14<1>) extends generally along the longitudinal axis to form an insulated conductor. Apparatuses and methods of manufacturing the improved insulated conductors are also disclosed

Halogen-free, flame retardant composition for wire and cable applications U.S. Patent No.: 9,336,927 Patent date: May 10, 2016 Filed: Dec. 17, 2010 Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC , U.S. Inventors: Yabin Sun, Journey Zhu, David Guo, Tai Hong, Yourong Cao, Xiangyang He, Leon Bin Li A halogen-free, flame retardant composition comprises: A. A polymer blend comprising: 1. Polypropylene, and 2.

Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) other than the polypropylene of (A)(1), and B. An intumescent flame retardant comprising at least one of: 1. A compound of Formula 1 where M is at least one of melamine, morpholine, piperazine, piperidine, alkyl hydroxyl and a triazine polymer of Formula 2 where D is a heterocyclic or polyamine moiety, and m and n are independently integers the sum (m+n) of which is less than 1000, and 2. A piperazine phosphate. ##STR00001##.

Fiber optic cable Communication wire U.S. Patent No.: 9,336,928 Patent date: May 10, 2016 Filed: Feb. 11, 2014 Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC, U.S. Inventors: David Wiekhorst, Spring Stutzman, Jeff Stutzman, Scott Juengst, Frederick Johnston, Jim Dickman, Robert Kenny The present invention relates to an improved insulated conductor with a low dielectric constant and reduced mate-

20 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

9,333,503 May 10, 2016 Filed: Dec. 1, 2014 CommScope Technologies LLC, U.S. Wayne Kachmar A fiber optic cable includes an optical fiber, a strength layer surrounding the optical fiber, and an outer jacket surrounding the strength layer. The strength layer includes a matrix material in which is integrated a plurality of reinforcing fibers. A fiber optic cable includes an optical fiber, a strength layer, a first electrical conductor affixed to an outer surface of the strength layer, a second electrical U.S. Patent No.: Patent date: Assignee: Inventor:

Fiber optic cable arrangement U.S. Patent No.: 9,335,502 Patent date: May 10, 2016 Filed: Dec. 19, 2014 Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated, U.S. Inventors: Paul Wysocki, Juan Franco, Christopher Lambert, Carl Stoesz, Brooks Childers A fiber optic cable arrangement includes a core, a sheath surrounding the core and being strain locked to the core, and at least one optical fiber positioned within the sheath being strain locked to the core. The following was added to explain the application for said cable: In downhole structures, large geological forces can deform completions and lead to well failures with significant economic impact.

Monitoring strains and deformations of a completion can provide reservoir engineers timely information to plan interventions. While strain alone is useful, the shape of a well structure, for example, a casing, is also useful to determine if a work string providing a necessary intervention can be deployed in the deformed wellbore. Whether a sensing cable is being bent or only stretched or compressed axially can indicate the types of forces acting on the well and the type of intervention that is most appropriate. Hence, the embodiments of cable arrangements disclosed herein have an optical fiber that is helically wrapped to provide shape information as well as strain. It should be recognized however that the principles disclosed also apply to embodiments of cable arrangements with straight optical fibers or combinations of straight and helically oriented fibers.

Connectored cable and method for manufacturing connectored cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,335,491 Patent date: May 10, 2016 Filed: April 17, 2014 Assignee: Fujikura Ltd., Japan

Patent Facts Raise the flag and salute this patent On March 28, 2006, a U.S. patent (#7,017,510) was issued to Baskaran Nair of Spring, Texas, for an artificial wind-producing flag pole assembly. The pole provides airflow via an air blower coupled to the flagpole base that produces airflow through the hollow interior which keeps the flag flying.

PATENTS

conductor affixed to the outer surface of the strength layer, and an outer jacket. The strength layer includes a polymeric material in which is embedded a plurality of reinforcing fibers. A method of manufacturing a fiber optic cable includes mixing a base material in an extruder. A strength layer is formed about an optical fiber. The strength layer includes a polymeric film with embedded reinforcing fibers disposed in the film. The base material is extruded through an extrusion die to form an outer jacket.

Heads-up patent #1 (for a woman) On May 5, 1809, Mary Kies became the first woman to get a patent for a process for “weaving straw with silk or thread,” which was used to make straw hats. The technique was useful in making cost-effective work bonnets, and boosted the nation’s hat industry. The patent was signed by President James Madison. The first lady, Dolly Madison, praised her accomplishment. Of note: even though women at the time could not legally “hold “ property, the Patent Act of 1790 allowed them to apply for a patent. While she was the first woman to actually file for a patent, her original application was destroyed in an 1836 fire at the United States Patent Office.

Heads-up patent #2 (for birdbrains) Who needs binoculars? Hard though it may be to believe, U.S. patent #5996127, was issued on Dec. 7, 1999, to David Leslie, for a “Wearable bird feeder.” This invention for bird-lovers included: a helmet; telescoping, helmet-mounted poles; and three bird feeders. The idea was that birds would willingly come to you to dine at one of the birdfeeders dangling from the device. There was no related patent for bird poop control.

Inventors: Masao Mori, Koji Azegami, Shinya Abe

A connectored cable including a cable having an optical fiber for transmitting an optical signal; and a connector that accommodates a substrate on which a photoelectric conversion portion that is optically coupled to an end face of the optical fiber is installed, and in which the optical fiber is wired so that at least three bent portions are formed, the orientation of the optical fiber in a front-rear direction being changed, the optical fiber being bent into a U shape at each

JUNE 2016 | 21

PATENTS

of the bent portions, and so that one of two bent portions on a front side is located on a down side of the substrate and the other bent portion on the front side is located on an up side of the substrate.

Electric-wire protecting pipe and wire harness U.S. Patent No.: 9,331,461 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: Dec. 12, 2012 Assignees: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Autonetworks Techologies, Ltd., all Japan It is an object of the exemplary embodiments to obtain a long electric-wire protection pipe having a flat outer shape, using a simple press working process, while reducing or even preventing warping problems. An electric-wire protection pipe is a metal pipe that surrounds an electric wire, and has a reinforced section (11) and a flat pipe section.

The reinforced section is a section that is located at a part in the circumferential direction of the electric-wire protection pipe while extending along the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the electric-wire protection pipe, and that is thicker than other sections. The flat pipe section is a section that constitutes at least a part in the longitu-

dinal direction of the electric-wire protection pipe, and is flattened by press working.

Exterior protection tube for electric wire U.S. Patent No.: 9,331,460 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: April 15, 2015 Assignee: Yazaki Corporation, Japan Inventors: Masahisa Sugimoto

An electric wire sheathing protection tube is formed from an insulation resin into a tubular shape, accommodates an electric wire in an interior thereof and is fixed to a predetermined position by a fixing member. Bendable portions which constitute bendable sections and non-bendable straight tube portions which constitute sections which are held into a straight tube shape are provided continuously and alternately along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire sheathing protection tube. A fixed attaching portion to which the fixing member is fixedly attached is provided integrally on at least one section in the non-bendable straight tube portions. A slidable attaching portion to which the fixing member is attached so as to slide in the longitudinal direction is provided integrally on at least one section in the non-bendable straight tube portions. (section cont’d. on p. 82)

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ASIAN FOCUS

ASIAN FOCUS YOFC reports its expansion mode; Africa a key focus for optical fiber China’s Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC) disclosed that it is expanding its global market to better serve telecom regions that have been historically underdeveloped, with South Africa a key focus.

In published reports, YOFC updated its activity since the company carried out an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong in December 2014. It has already set up joint ventures in Myanmar, Indonesia, and South Africa.

“All of these governments want to close the digital divide between themselves and the rest of the world,” it said.

Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited has ambitious plans for the company.

YOFC—which notes that it is the largest R&D, fiber, cable and equipment manufacture in the optical communications industry worldwide—has invested in an optical fiber manufacturing plant in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

That plant, expected to eventually create 150 jobs, will be operated under the South African subsidiary Yangtze Optics Africa Cable (YOA). It is being built near the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone, and is expected to be operational in January next year.

Bolstering the potential for Africa is the “Trans Africa Information Superhighway.” That “blueprint” was set last year at the Forum on Africa-China Cooperation in South Africa. The ambitious plans call for laying 150,000 km of optical fiber cable network to cover African cities.

In January 2015, YOFC signed a cooperation agreement with Indonesia PT Monas Permata Persada to establish a $10 million joint-venture optical fiber cable factory in Indonesia. YOFC has a 70% stake in the JV, which was described the first of its kind in Indonesia, and YOFC’s first JV overseas. The Chinese company will be working with the Indonesian government to make its recent national broadband plan a reality.

In March 2015, YOFC set up a joint venture in Myanmar with a local optical fiber cable producer, the goal being to annually produce one million km of cable.

Established in 1988, YOFC is itself a JV, with three partners: the China Huaxin Post and Telecommunication Economy Development Center, Wuhan Yangtze 24 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Communications Industry Group Company Ltd and Draka Comteq, which is owned by Prysmian. Its product portfolio covers three types of fiber: fiber preform, optical fiber, and cable fiber.

The Africa JV is based in Johannesburg with initial planned production capacity of 1 million kilometers per year.

India commerce body: country could save billions if it controls logistics A study has found that India has lots of incentive to improve logistics in the country, with the returns as much as $50 billion.

A press release said that the study, “Cargo and logistics industry in India,” was conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), working with Resurgent India, a “knowledge firm.” It found that the potential exists to reduce logistics costs down from 14% to 9% of country’s gross domestic product (GDP), which would make domestic goods more competitive in global markets, according to “With expected inflow of new investments owing to government’s thrust on promoting domestic manufacturing sector, India’s cargo and logistics industry is likely to clock a compounded annual growth rate of about 16% during the course of next few years,” the study found.

“The ‘Make in India’ campaign will see investments connect India to global production networks that would generate new business for logistics in the country thereby making it an attractive location to do business as compared to other regions in the world.”

The joint study found that logistics must be improved.

The Assocham-Resurgent India joint study cited a list of improvements that are needed for gains to be realized.

“Appropriate policy changes and opening up capacity together with increase in speed for transportation of goods and services through various modes, viz., rail, road, water and others is imperative for the growth of cargo and logistics industry in India. Transportation of bulk commodities through waterways can free up capacity for fast moving goods, besides, setting benchmarks and standards for

China: rise in steel prices earlier this year not related to our capacity cuts A spokesman for China’s Ministry of Commerce has stated that the country’s efforts to reduce steel capacity has shown results, although the increase in global steel prices in March and April were not related to those efforts.

Per an article by Zhong Nan in China Daily, Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said in May that recent increases in global steel prices of about 20% to $365 a metric ton were related to high costs for iron ore in global markets.

Some media reports has cited the price increases to Chinese efforts to cut between 150 million tons and 200 million tons of steel and iron production capacity to tackle the issue of overcapacity.

In the article, Danyang said that increased activity in the infrastructure sector has also boosted both domestic and global demands for steel products. It said that China has adopted a series of measures to cut steel production by 100 million tons by the end of this year and 200 million tons by 2020. “It is a global issue for all countries to cope with the overcapacity of steel and iron products,” Danyang said. “If

other countries could take similar moves to reduce capacity as China has done, it is possible for the global steel sector to cast off from this cumbersome situation.”

Sun Jin, director of communications at Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Co, one of the country’s biggest iron producers by capacity, said the company’s trains are no longer busy carrying piles of steel. Many production lines have closed. “Even though the company announced two months ago that it would cut up to 50,000 jobs, there have been no layoffs or pay cuts yet. The company just wants to optimize labor resources, reduce human resource costs and enhance labor productivity. We still give workers a basic salary and social security. They just work somewhere else,” he said.

The government said 500,000 workers in the steel sector are expected to lose their jobs as part of the efforts to cut the overcapacity. It will provide 100 billion yuan ($15.37 billion) for retraining and helping them find new jobs.

“China is a large exporter of steel and a big importer for special steel used in shipbuilding, weapons, auto and machinery manufacturing. However, the import prices of steel are three times as much as export prices on average,” said Zhao Ying, a researcher at the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

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ASIAN FOCUS

industry will drive uniformity of warehouses, storage and transport equipment.”

PEOPLE

PEOPLE Paul Sullivan has been named senior vice president, North American sales, for IEWC. He has more than 40 years of progressive sales experience, most recently with Anixter, where he began as a sales assistant and worked his way up through the sales organization. He has held a range of commercial positions that included general sales manager, vice president of purchasing & marketing, vice president of the U.S. wire & cable division and vice president of OEM sales. He holds a B.A. degree in social science from Cal State University Hayward. He will be located in the company’s California office near San Francisco. Based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, IEWC is a global provider of total connectivity solutions for sub-assemblers, OEMs and the broadcast and communications industries Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc., recently promoted Ian Wilke to managing director of Brand-Rex Ltd. He has been with Brand-Rex for more than 15 years, holding several senior management positions including his most recent role as commercial director. He has served as a board member since 2008. Prior to Brand-Rex, he held several divisional and corporate leadership roles at BICC, including export sales director. Martin Hanchard, who is stepping down as CEO of Brand-Rex, will serve in an advisory capacity until June 30. He Wilke joined the company in 2012 after a

long career that included more than 20 years with Pirelli/ Prysmian, where he was chairman and CEO of the company’s North American business. Based in the U.K., BrandRex, Ltd., which last December became part of Leviton’s Network Solutions group, produces data network cable as well as high-performance specialty cables for military, underground and extreme environmental applications.

FENN has hired Fran Nicklous as a senior control system engineer. He has more than a decade of experience in electronic and systems control engineering. He previously held positions at Thomas Faria Corporation, Triumph Group Inc., and most recently at Parker Hannifin, where he served as an engineering supervisor. He has led a cross-functional team with dayto-day management of mechanical, Nicklous rapid prototyping, electronics and firmware team members, designed and developed communication protocol standard for products and developed algorithms to operate new products in the safest and most efficient way possible. He holds a B.S. and an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Western New England University and Temple University, respectively.

Based in East Berlin, Connecticut, USA, FENN is a global supplier of metal-forming machinery that includes rolling mills, wire flattening and shaping lines, Turks heads, spring coilers, and more.

OBITUARIES Frank S. Lombardo, who worked for nearly four decades for James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp., died March 14, 2016, at age 95, at Leominster Hospital in Leominster, Massachusetts.

Lombardo, a graduate of both Brooklyn College and New York University, held a B.S. degree chemical engineering. His career began in 1948 when he was hired Lombardo as an assistant production manager at the William Brand Co., Inc. He was promoted several times, including to vice president in 1956. The company, along with Rex Corp, was bought by American Enka Corp in 1959, and he was responsible for merging the two businesses into Brand-Rex, a 430,000-sq-ft facility in Willimantic, Connecticut. In 1973, he became director of manufacturing for the Surprenant Inc. in New Hampshire.

In 1976, he became general manager of Madison Cable

26 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Corp in Massachusetts, which was later sold and restarted

by Martin Fisher. Over a two-year period, Fisher, while overseeing the purchasing, sales and finance functions, also bought the plant and production equipment for the new venture. Lombardo managed the engineering, manufacturing and administrative side of the new company that is now James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp. In 1988, Lombardo retired as general manager but continued to work on a part-time basis working on special projects for the company, including up to the last week of his life.

During his tenure as Vice President of Brand Rex, Lombardo hired many employees who went on and made careers as wire and cable professionals. Those included many recipients of the Charles D. Scott award that he himself was awarded in 1999.

He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret V. Lombardo, after 62 years of marriage. He is survived by a brother, Peter Lombardo; daughters Laura Raponey and Carol Schmidt; a son, Frank J. Lombardo; and 7 grandchildren.

William R. Anixter, a key figure in the eventual founding of Anixter International, a major distributor of wire and cable, died May 8, at age 92 in Arizona.

Per an obit in the Chicago Tribune, Anixter, who was born in Chicago, served in the Army during World War II and attended Northwestern University before going to work as a William R. Anixter, sales representative at Thor Corp. He and his brother, Alan, started Anixter Bros. in 1957 with a $10,000 loan from their mother, Zelda. The firm went public in 1967 and by 1982, sales exceeded $500 million for the business. William Anixter was executive vice president and Alan, who died in 2005, was president.

“They had a vision where they created (an industry) called wire and cable specialists,” said Jim Anixter, his nephew. “A lot of people were stocking building cable, but they were the B, C and D products, and founded a whole new industry. They were like the godfathers of the wire and cable distribution specialists (industry).” “They were Amazon before Amazon existed, the first real-time inventory hub-and-spoke distribution network in the country,” said his daughter Julie.

In 1986, the brothers sold the company to Itel Corp., which later changed its name to Anixter Inc. and then to Anixter International. Several years later, William Anixter left the firm and joined his nephew’s Northbrook-based firm, AZ Wire and Cable, where he served as its board chairman. He never retired.

Anixter’s first wife, Barbara, died in 1967. He is survived by his second wife, Nancy; two sons; Greg and Jason; three other daughters; Carol, Amy Anixter Scott and Mari; and seven grandchildren.

Klaus F. S. Sauerbier, a German native who moved to the U.S. and later founded First International Corp., died at age 81, at his home in Milford, Connecticut Sauerbier was the son the late Siegfried and Anneliese Sauerbier, and the grandson of the late Franz and Clara Sauerbier, who founded Sauerbier Spiralfedern Company Sauerbier in Berlin, a German spring company that is still in business. He earned a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering in Berlin, Germany, at the Private Technische Fachschule in Germany, and in 1959 he came to the U.S.

www.witels-albert-usa.com

JUNE 2016 | 27

PEOPLE

OBITUARIES

Klaus was an innovative entrepreneur and active for decades with various companies in the spring and wire industry. In 1986, he founded First International Corporation, a sales representative for wire machinery.

He was a long time member of the Wire Association International, and was a frequent visitor to its events and its office in Connecticut. He was also active with the Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers in Illinois.

He traveled extensively and established numerous wire producing plants around the world. He was also a sales ambassador. He worked closely with Connecticut Governor William O’Neil, traveling with him to Germany to exchange ideas and successfully brought industry to Connecticut.

He is survived by his wife, Irene Borer Sauerbier, A total of 22 presentations were made in Philip; two tracks. stepdaughter, Lisa; stepsons, Geoffrey and and sixthe step-grandchildren; as well as many extended family company’s success. members and cherished friends.

Probst reported thatlifelong electrical systems for vehicles have evolved to support new features demanded by Pralhad P Chhabria, co-founder customers.

Today, thethe wiring system of forthe theFinolex average Group, diedincludes at the age of 86 at hiswith residence Pune,cables vehicle 3,000 meters, 1,500 in single India, a briefThose illness. andfollowing 3,000 contacts. products, he said, represent a Inlabor-intensive partnership with his brother Kishan assembly business, and in as 1958, result,Pralhad they now set have up Finolex which todayworldwide. is the largest 70,000 Industries, employees in 82 plants The ferrous track was a collection of outstanding, com-

name in the country in the cable business. With little formal education, he relied entirely on observations, experience and human relationships in business. One of 11 children, after his father died in 1942, Chhabria dropped out of school at age of 12 and worked as a cleaning boy in a small clothes shop in Karachi. In 1945, he Chhabria moved with his younger brother, Kishen, to Pune. “These early working years held many lessons that were invaluable to the boy,” Chhabria wrote in his autobiography, “There’s No Such Thing as a Self-Made Man.” Chhabria and his younger brother became door-to-door peddlers of electrical supplies, setting up their first shop selling electrical cables in 1946. From their humble beginnings, the brothers eventually started a small-scale industrial unit in 1956 and named it Finolex Cables. He also set up Finolex Plasson Ltd, the first joint venture by an Indian company with Israel. The 1990s saw Finolex diversify into optic fiber cables and copper rods. He is survived by his son CabWire a combination of education Prakash and offered daughter Aruna and their families. and marketing opportunities in a congenial setting.

28 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2015 | 41

EVENT WRAPUP

PEOPLE

OBITUARIES

FIBER WATCH

FIBER WATCH Virgin Media plans to provide FTTP to 1 million homes & businesses by 2020 Virgin Media has pledged that it will roll out Fiberto-the-premises (FTTP) to one million U.K. homes and businesses by 2020.

A press release said that as part of its ongoing £3 billion Project Lightning network expansion plans, it “will connect FTTP to at least a quarter of the four million additional homes and businesses being added to the Virgin Media network.”

The investment, explained Virgin Media CEO Tom Mockridge, is to bring ultrafast connectivity to more parts of the U.K., not just to offer better broadband service, but to future-proof the country’s network infrastructure. “While some companies talk a good game, Virgin Media is putting its money where its mouth is and laying fiber to the premise alongside our superior HFC network, delivering the fastest widely available broadband speeds.”

With the support of its parent company, Liberty Global, Virgin Media seeks to connect 17 million prem-

30 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

ises to its network by 2019, which it pointed out would represent the largest investment in the U.K.’s broadband infrastructure in more than a decade.

To date, the Project Lightning network has seen the FTTP rollout started in Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire, with West Yorkshire, Devon and East Sussex identified for its next phase.

Project Lightning, which was first announced in February 2015, was then expected to provide coverage for approximately 45% of all homes and businesses. That figure now is expected to be from 60-65%.

In the original announcement, the FTTP technology would employ gigabit capable pure fiber optic lines (no copper coax) and then be converted into DOCSIS signals for end-users (the in-home environment) via an approach known as Radio Frequency over Glass (RFoG).

The announcement marks the latest stage of its transformation as “an alternative to the aging copper telephony-based network offered by incumbent BT,” a Virgin Media press release said. “The plans are a significant boost to the U.K.’s ambitions to become a ‘fiber nation’.”

FASTENER UPDATE

FASTENER UPDATE BSEE report focuses on 2012 failure of connector bolts, recommendations made A report issued earlier this year by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) examines the causes for a rig failure in the Gulf of Mexico and issues recommendations to prevent a similar occurrence.

Per the BSEE report, H4 connector bolts made by GE Oil & Gas were responsible for a rig’s lower marine riser package (LMRP) when it separated from the blowout preventer stack, releasing hundreds of barrels of synthetic-based drilling fluids on Dec. 18, 2012.

Chevron, the designated operator, reported to the BSEE that the cause was the failure of the bolts, primarily caused by hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) that stemmed from hydrogen embrittlement. Subsequently, more than 10,000 bolts were replaced. The BSEE issued the following key findings.

• BSEE should encourage industry to develop a consistent set of standards for connections and connection fasteners used in all offshore subsea systems, including a requirement that allows tracking connection components during their service life. This should include clear and con-

32 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

sistent guidance on material hardness, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength requirements.

• ASTM should further revise its relevant standards to provide additional clarity related to the design and use of coatings for marine service.

• The industry needs to develop an improved quality management standard that addresses the use of subcontractors by manufacturers through multiple tiers in the manufacturing chain.

• BSEE should facilitate, support, and encourage specific studies that compare and contrast the connection and connection fastener design, material, maintenance, and quality specifications to identify potential requirement gaps and inconsistencies across the industry.

• BSEE should encourage industry to adopt a failure reporting system that allows data on failures and potential failures involving critical equipment to be collected, analyzed, and reported to the industry and BSEE. • If necessary, BSEE should develop proposed regulations and/or notices to lessees to implement improved standards for connections and connection fasteners and cathodic protection systems.

WAI NEWS

Brian Gordon

WAI June 2016

MEMBERSHIP

SPOTLIGHT This section introduces a new WAIâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;member each issue.

President Micro-Tek Corp.

U.S.

Q: What does your company do?

A: Micro-Tek is a manufacturer of fluoropolymer insulated wire and cable as well as ferrous and nonferrous flat wire products. We have drawing, stranding, insulating, cabling, jacketing, shielding, flattening and value added services such as forming, bobbin winding and cut/strip/tinning in-house.

Q: What is your role there?

A: Working at our family owned business, I play some role in almost every aspect of the operations, from engineering to sales to purchasing to manufacturing. However, I did start out taking care of the dogs that we have and cleaning bobbins.

Q: What do you like best about your position?

A: I like the variation in what needs to be addressed on a day to day basis, whether it be sourcing an exotic material, designing a product to meet new design requirements or working with manufacturing to improve quality and efficiency. As an engineer by education and training, I really enjoy designing and testing new products and processes.

Q: How does your company remain competitive?

A: Micro-Tek is a small company but we have very diverse manufacturing capabilities. This allows us to have shorter lead times and lower minimum order sizes as we can keep an entire order in house. It also lets us try many one-off and custom products for our customers. We specialize in close tolerances and custom products.

Q: Why did you recently join WAI? A: My grandfather, George Rogers, who founded Micro-Tek, was a life member. Several of his contacts still keep in touch even though he has since passed and they have retired. I hope that I am able to build strong business relationships with the next generation in the industry.

34 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The following individuals either recently joined WAI or became Platinum Members through their companies.

Harry C Barber Operations Manager MLP Steel LLC

Brian Gordon President Micro-Tek Corp

Greg Lehnhoff Research Metallurgist EVRAZ NA

Dominik Endler Vice President Bekaert Corp

Patrick Harper Sales Engineer Hueson Wire

Clay Li CEO CalemEAM Inc

Kevin Doyle Regulatory Coord Encore Wire Corp

Andrew Hull Research Engineer Encore Wire Corp

Kamal MA Mian Director Fast Cables Limited

Ferrin Gomez Qual Contrl Supervisor Encore Wire Corp

Justin Hrbacek Engineer Encore Wire Corp

Amol Avinash Mokhadkar Senior Manager QA Rajratan Global Wire Ltd

Innovation meets Tradition

THE buttwelding company since 1933!

www.strecker-limburg.de www.streckerusa.com

JUNE 2016 | 35

WAI NEWS

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

WAI NEWS

Interwire 2017 update: more than 78% of booth space under contract With Interwire about 11 months away, the biennial event—North America’s largest such trade show for the wire and cable industry, to be held May 9-11, 2017— looks to have a very firm base.

As of press time, 86,700 sq ft of the available floor space, 110,500 sq ft, has been contracted for. WAI Sales Manager Anna Bzowski said that all the largest booths have been taken. At this time, the largest available booths are two 600 sq ft units. The contracted space represents more than 78% of the allocated floor space.

Look for more details in future issues.

WAI to head to Nashville in 2018 By the time you read this, the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2016 will have just been held, but the date and location have already been set for 2018: May 15-16, 2018, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. In a way, it will be a return visit as Wire Expo 2000 was held in Nashville, but it was at the downtown convention center, not the Gaylord. Located in Nashville—and conveniently next door to the Grand Ole Opry—it is set on 40 acres complete with streams, waterfalls, bridges and greenhouses.

“The selection of the city for the Operations Summit & Wire Expo began with the Exhibition Planning Committee, and their enthusiasm for Nashville was genuine,” said WAI Director Steve Fetteroll. “Some on

The WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in 2018. the committee remember fondly the 2000 show and others have been to this very popular destination more recently.

Everyone likes the central location with strong drive-in traffic and the music connection will give the show a beat.”

Fetteroll said that the Board of Directors, which ultimately approves the location, unanimously agreed on the choice, and that the location was good as the 2016 event was held in New England.

The 2018 event will continue the format where the Operations Summit focuses on practical industry topics designed by industry volunteers for their peers, social events, the Wire Expo trade show and more.

... From the WAI webinar archives Each month, WAI will present a webinar from its archives. The webinars, presented by a diverse group of industry experts, cover a wide range of wire and cable manufacturing topics as well as operational subjects. They can be accessed for free at wirenet.org by WAI members.

TITLE: Innovation in Wire BY: Michael Zelin, Adan Inc., USA SUMMARY: This innovative webinar on macro- and micro-innovation in wire is designed for seasoned professionals and beginners alike.

Topics include: Macro-innovation, covering fundamental principles of technical evolution, invention methods, and other general principles that work in different technical applications in any industry, as well as non-technical applications such as art.

What will the focus be on?

Systematic thinking (Theory of Solution of Invention Problems, morphological analysis), creative thinking (forced associations, metaphoric thinking, sympathy methods), and “winning” and “losing” inventions.

This information, and more, can be found in the WAI webinar archives at www.wirenet.org.

Willing to share your expertise with the industry?

If so, consider doing a webinar with WAI. It’s easy to do from your office, and Association staff can guide you through the process. Contact WAI Dir. of Education & Member Services Marc Murray at tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 121, mmurray@wirenet.org, and let him know the topic you’d like to discuss.

36 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

EDUCATI

CHAPTER CORNER

CHAPTER CORNER New England Chapter Committee awards 5 scholarships for 2016 The New England Chapter Scholarship Committee voted to award five scholarships, each in the amount of $2,000.

The scholarship committee met on April 22 and selected the following five individuals: Amanda Accorsi is a senior, daughter of John Accorsi, director of sales at T&T Marketing, Harvard, Massachusetts. She will attend Duquesne University, where she is seeking a physician assistant major in the five-year BS/MS Program.

Accorsi Mary Di Buono is the daughter of James Russo, an electrical engineer at MGS/Hall Industries, Branford, Connecticut. She will be attending Mount Holyoke College where she plans to study biochemistry.

Di Buono Jackie Stephens, daughter of Elaine Stephens, supply chain quality manager at Times Microwave Systems, Wallingford, Connecticut. She will be attending University of Connecticut where she plans to study biology.

Stephens Nicholas Trahan is the son of David Trahan, national sales manager at EIS Wire & Cable, Lisbon, New Hampshire. He will be attending Plymouth State University where he plans to study biology.

Trahan

Wing

Maegan Wing is the daughter of Susan Wing, sales engineer at Q-S Technologies, Meriden, Connecticut. She will be attending the University of New Hampshire where she plans to study dietetics and nutrition.

38 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

There is no specific criteria that each committee member must use to rate each applicant, so each person determines what weight they will give to academic performance, community service and the all-important essay.

Each applicant had many things going for him/her rather it be outstanding academic work, community service, and/or contributions to their school.

After lengthy review of each application by the seven committee members and a conference call, the ratings were tabulated via an anonymous process and the five highest rated applicants were awarded scholarships for their first year of college. This year, the chapter increased the number of awards from four to five and the amount of the awards from $1500 to $2000 each.

That was possible because of the participation and generous contributions of raffle prizes by its members at the Annual Dinner and Golf Outing.

Observed one member of the chapter committee that chose the winners, it was an especially difficult task.

“The caliber of the applicants has always been outstanding and this year was no different. It is impossible to compare from year to year, but some committee members thought this year’s group was among the best ever.”

Tee time nears for Midwest Chapter It’s just about show time for the Midwest Chapter, which will tee up on Friday, June 17, at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, Illinois, USA, where it will hold its 14th Annual Golf Tournament.

If you have lost track of the event and are just reading about it here, there may still be time to sign up. Contact: Steve Fetteroll, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org.

Following the Midwest Chapter, will be the New England Chapter, which will hold its 22nd Annual Golf tournament on Tuesday, September 13, at a new location: the Golf Club of Avon.

Contact WAI’s Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext.

126, abzowski@wirenet.org.

The Southeast Chapter will follow a few week later with its 15th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held on Thursday, September 29, at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa, Conover, North Carolina. Contact Art Deming, tel. 252955-9451, art.deming@nexans.com.

A few weeks later, the Ohio Valley Chapter will hold its 13th Annual Golf Tournament when it returns Oct. 6 to the Grantwood Golf Course in Solon, Ohio. Contact: Mark MacKimm, tel. 610-685-2800 or by e-mail at markmackimm@gmail.com, or Steve Fetteroll, tel. 203453-2777, ext. 115, sfetteroll@wirenet.org. n

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The Wire Association International, Inc. | Telephone: (001) 203-453-2777 | www.wirenet.org

WIRE LINK REPORT

2016 Wire Link Scholar Report

By Andrew Bettin

The Wire Link Traveling Scholarship trip was the experience of a lifetime! This two-week experience in Germany and England provided many great opportunities for professional and personal growth. I got to learn some of the ins-and-outs of the wire industry and meet with experienced engineers, managers, and other professionals who were willing to share their wealth of information and knowledge. I saw first-hand how both large and small companies operate on a day-to-day basis, and hear how they adapt and survive in an ever-changing global market. I learned about the vast diversity of products produced by the wire industry, and the equipment and

The Wire Link Scholar, here with WAI President Andy Talbot, learns the joys of the standing-room only train ride to the show.

At the time of the 2016 Wire Link Traveling Scholar trip, Andrew Bettin was a QA management associate at Gerdau Long Steel North America in Beaumont, Texas. He joined the company in 2014. He holds a B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Wire Link

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

processes used to create them. And, I got to see Europe for the first time.

My trip began with a flight from Houston to Frankfurt, Germany, where my first host, John Drummond, Scotia Group, Inc., a WAI Past President (1997-98) met me at the airport. On John’s recommendation, we traveled to Rothenberg Ob Der Tober, an 11th century walled city with stunning architecture. As the perfect cure for the inevitable jet lag of traveling east, we did plenty of walking as we explored the historic city, including stops at the famous Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas store and for a traditional German meal of schnitzel and pomme frites (french fries). The next day we drove up the Rhine River to Düsseldorf, stopping along the way at the Burg Rheinfels ruins, the Remagen Bridge and the Cologne Cathedral. It was a great day-and-a-half of sightseeing.

The first night at in Düsseldorf, I attended the WCISA dinner for suppliers of the wire industry. There I met up with WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll and WAI President Andy Talbot. I met a lot of people there, including some past Wire Link Scholars. It was good to see that several of the past winners were still active in the industry, which is a personal goal of mine. I also met some of the Messe Düsseldorf team members who were responsible for putting on the Tube and wire show. Believe it or not, one of them turned out to be a friend of my dad! It truly is a small world. We had a great conversation and time flew by until eventually the waiter very politely nudged us out the door by asking, “Do you need one taxi or two?”

The next day, I got my first Düsseldorf show experience. I walked through two and a half vast halls packed with people and equipment before I reached the WAI booth in Hall 11. It was obvious that this was going to be an impressive show, and it was. It’s hard to know where to start. After meeting up with the rest of the

Award, offered in alternate years to a U.K. and American professional in the wire and cable industry, provides a two-week, all-expenses-paid opportunity to visit and learn about the industry on the other side of the Atlantic. The scholarship was created by the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers in

the U.K. and the Wire Association International in America. In even years, the WAI’s chosen scholar tours companies in the U.K. and attends the wire Düsseldorf trade show in Germany. In odd years, the U.K. representative attends Interwire and tours companies in the U.S.

WIRE LINK REPORT

WAI staff, I started to wander through the show. Over the next three days, I walked miles and miles each day, exploring dozens of booths. I asked a lot of questions about what was on display, including equipment, products, measuring devices, and so much more. I was surprised by how many booths had fully functioning equipment running throughout the day. At first I was a bit hesitant to ask questions because I wasn’t a potential customer, but I soon realized that everyone there was willing to impart some knowledge to me about what their company offers to the industry or what their equipment is capable of. It seemed as if most of the people walking the floor were there with friends or colleagues.

I began to understand why this event is an industry experience. I also could see how WAI fits in, both as an organizer of trade shows itself as well as an invaluable resource for networking and sharing knowledge. By the end of the show I felt I had a much better understanding of both ferrous and nonferrous wire drawing, lubrication, extrusion and coatings, and the remarkable amount of highly technical equipment that is constantly being produced and upgraded for the production of wire products. Special thanks to John Drummond for a lesson in “Wire Drawing 101.”

I spent most of the evenings in Düsseldorf with WAI staff getting dinner at various German restaurants and enjoying the Altstadt. They treated me like part of the group and we all enjoyed the food, drink and culture of Düsseldorf.

Andrew Bettin outside of Gripple.

On Thursday, I flew to Nottinghamshire, England, where I was met by Bev Page, a member of the Court of Assistants for The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers, and stayed at the historical Saracens Head Hotel & Restaurant, which opened in 1396.

On Friday, we visited Tata Steel Scunthorpe, where last year’s scholarship winner, Gareth Penn, gave me a detailed

JUNE 2016 | 41

WIRE LINK REPORT Andrew Bettin at the Bridon Technology Centre and wire mill with, l-r, Bev Page, Andrew Wilson and Steve Smith.

A group shot at the WAI booth, where the focus was Interwire 2017.

Andrew Bettin at BetaFence with Quality Manager Mike Southwark.

42 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

tour of the rod mill. It was interesting to see the many similarities and differences between this rod mill and the Gerdau mill in Beaumont, Texas, where I work. I left the mill thoroughly impressed with their coil handling, packaging and coil storage operations, and their focus on high quality product for the tire bead and tire cord markets.

We also visited the control room for the melt shop, which was my first time getting to see an integrated melting operation.

That weekend, Peter Rigby—who is one of three generations of clockwinders, including his father, that annually come to WAI headquarters to wind the grandfather clock presented to the Association in 1948—and his wife, Sue, who were kind enough to put me up at their house in the English countryside of Wharfedale. The view from my room was absolutely stunning!

Peter gave me a tour of the Dales on Saturday and we visited some famous sites including Bolton Abbey and Fountains Abbey. Sue cooked a delicious leg of lamb for dinner, something I had never had before. On Sunday, I explored the busy, touristy city of York.

I spent Monday and Tuesday with John Swain, who worked in sales for several companies in the Sheffield area. On Monday morning we visited Gripple, a company famous for its wire joining technologies as well as many innovative products. I was impressed with their entrepreneurial mindset and employee engagement. Their offices and workspace looked more like the Google campus than a manufacturing space! That afternoon, we visited the Arcelor Mittals Vulcan works. Here, CEO Tony Hinchliffe showed me how they manufacture fence, barbed wire and steel fibers for concrete. I was astounded at how fast the equipment worked, and they were able to slow it down to better demonstrate for me exactly what was happening. On Tuesday, John and I visited Siddall and Hilton, which produces many varieties of welded mesh fence.

I was particularly fascinated by Managing Director Neil Stewardson’s explanation of how they have experts test the various designs of security fencing to determine how fast someone can break through or climb over with the best possible tools. The simplest fence designs only take seven seconds and the more complex designs about a minute to beat.

On Wednesday, I again enjoyed the company of Bev Page. We were given a tour of the Sheffield plant of Wintwire, a manufacturer of specialty wire. It was unique from the other companies I had seen on the trip because its focus is on niche markets, such as model railway track and various-sized needles, among many other products. The company doesn’t produce

WIRE LINK REPORT

huge volumes of product, but it is successful due to its ability to produce unique products that nobody else is making.

We had a thought-provoking conversation with Marc Turner and Ben Turner, the managing director and sales director respectively, about the difficulties of properly pricing such products with so few market comparisons. That afternoon, we toured the Chatsworth House. The estate is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and the property has a huge, beautiful garden, and the house is full of very old, expensive art, furniture and other collections.

On Thursday I toured Betafence with Dil Scrivens, who had retired as managing director of the facility nearly 20

years ago, when it was Tinsley Wire. I was introduced to HR Manager Jonathan Young, and Quality Manager Mike Southwark, who gave us a thorough tour of the facility.

Betafence produces some of the same products I had seen earlier in the trip, such as welded fence, chain link fence, and barbed wire. I was particularly interested in their galvanizing and powder-coating processes as I had never seen this before. It was fascinating to hear how the company had evolved in the years since Dil had left.

My last tour of the trip was to the Bridon Technology Centre and wire mill with Bev Page. Group Metallurgy and Testing Manager Steve Smith and Technical Manager Andrew Wilson showed us the high-tech rope testing equipment used to certify ropes and we discussed some of the design goals and uses in ™ rope development. I’d love to learn more about this complex science. I was impressed by the cleanliness of the shop, especially in the lead patenting and acid-pickling areas. They also had a new large-section drawing machine with many advanced automation capabilities.

I hopped on the train to London with so much new knowledge in my head! I spent the next day and a half touring London. I saw Big Try any competitor first, and measure Ben, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the air usage, noise, and drying effectivity.

Tower of London, and the changing of the Then try ours for 30 days; if you’re not guard at Buckingham Palace. My favorite experience, though, was the Churchill War convinced it’s the best air wipe you have Room museum, which was the actual bunker ever used, return it for a full refund! where Winston Churchill and his staff worked during World War II. It was the perfect end to Huestis a memorable experience.

Air Miser™ I’d like share my gratitude to all those who helped make this trip a reality, and I realize Air Wipes that a lot of planning went into these two weeks. Thank you to Gerdau, for allowing me time from work to take the trip. Specifically, thank you to colleagues Bhaskar Yalamanchili, Leonardo Radicchi, Rick Gordon and Thad Boudreaux for encouraging me to apply and helping me with my application. Thank you to the Wire Association International and the For more details or to Worshipful Company of Tin Platers alias Wire place an order, call us at Workers for their continuing support for the 800-972-9222, or email scholarship. Thank you to Steve Fetteroll, John Drummond, and Bev Page for helping to plan us at sales@huestis.com ISO9001 the trip. Lastly, thank you to WAI President REGISTERED Andy Talbot and staff members Anna Bzowski, Jennie Franks, David LaValley, Mark Marselli and Bob Xeller for their support in Düsseldorf, and Livery Company members Peter Rigby, Dil Scrivens and John Swayne for touring me around England.

The Wire Link Travelling Scholarship trip www.huestisindustrial.com opened my eyes to all that the wire industry Air Wipes, Pay-offs, Take-ups, Buncher Pay-offs, Accumulators, has to offer. It was an unforgettable experience Spoolers, Cable Jacket Strippers, Custom Machinery and I learned many things that I plan to take back and apply to my career. 

Huestis Air Miser Air Wipes are so good we can make this challenge:

44 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

2C_HUESTIS_AW_RefundChallenge_WJI_halfISLAND_v9_05132016_press.indd 1

5/13/16 4:59:55 PM

FEATURE

Equipment at wire Düsseldorf With more than a thousand exhibitors, wire Düsseldorf is the ultimate industry showcase.

Below are write-ups from some of those companies about the technology that they either displayed or discussed there. A related story generated from the event, Industry 4.0, aka the “Smart Factory,” will be presented in July.

AIM, Inc.

Continuus-Properzi

At wire Düsseldorf, U.S.-based AIM expanded its scope with the introduction of the company’s new WC6 inline wire cleaning system.

The company notes that it developed the system to alleviate problems that occur when scale, dust, soap, oil,

One of the more-talked about advances at wire ® Düsseldorf was the Microrolling Mill from Italy’s Continuus-Properzi SpA. What makes this system so special is that it has been engineered to produce soft 2 mm copper wire from 8 mm copper wire rod without an annealing step.

“This is a stunning advance,” said Michelangelo Nidasio, a Continuus Properzi senior process engineer and sales advisor. “By eliminating the need for an annealing stage, the customer saves considerable energy, as well as reducing the creation of dust.” Nidasio and colleague Dimitri Cordublas, who handles finance and business development special projects for the company, revealed how the patent-pending process accomplishes this.

The key, they explained, is that in the drawing machine, the wire must be cooled capstan by capstan before each die, and then heated in order to obtain soft wire. In the microlling mill, the wire rod was rolled during a series of shaped forms as this method allows

AIM, Inc.’s Constantine Grapsas by the WC6 inline cleaning system. and other drawing lubricants can make it hard to keep wire forms clean. A sophisticated but yet simple wire cleaning system, the WC6 features in-line wiping, rotary brushes, and specialized detergents removing visible dust, excessive scale and drawing lubricants from the wire. A pneumatic drying system, along with a second set of wipes, dry the wire before it exits the system.

The cleaning solution is filtered, recycled and reused within the WC6, making it a true standalone system.

The temperature of the cleaning solution is controlled by a small PLC included in the system. The WC6 is suitable for continuous feed or start-stop operation: it detects the wire movement and stops it when the material stops, conserving energy and supplies. Rust Inhibitor can be added post cleaning.

The WC6’s standalone configuration allows relatively easy movement within the factory so it can be placed before any wire forming, wire drawing, or wire straightening system. The system requires 110 VAC and a compressed air connection. Customized cleaning solutions are also available. www.aimmachines.com.

46 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Continuus Properzi’s Michelangelo Nidasio, senior process engineer and sales advisor, and Dimitri Cordublas, finance & business development.

The ability to address market demand in terms of performance and cost efficiency is just one aspect of DavisStandard’s Global Advantage™ in wire and cable.

A Davis-Standard take-up.

Another is DavisStandard’s unmatched experience in supplying extruders and associated wire and cable equipment for more than 70 years. Applications include aerial cable, building wire, coaxial and composite cable, video pair cable, tray cable, CATV, THHM and THWN wire among others. www. davis-standard.com.

Davis-Standard

Eurobend GmbH

At wire Düsseldorf, Davis-Standard, best known for its extrusion company, also focused on related technology.

Davis-Standard discussed its new line of traversing and collapsible take-ups and payoffs that address industry demand for multiple wire and cable applications.

Advantages include a smaller overall footprint, enhanced operator ergonomics, simplified engineering and cost efficiency. The company notes that the response has been positive with more than 25 of these machines selling this year.

Machine sizes range from 1,250 mm to 5,000 mm (48 to 195 inches) with the greatest concentration within the 1,800 mm to 2,500 mm (70 to 98 inches) size range.

Each is available with a standard controls platform, which includes a Yaskawa A-1000 AC drive and AllenBradley/Rockwell components encompassing servo drive, PLC (programmable logic controller) and HMI (human machine interface). For international projects, machines are equipped with a Siemens AC drive, PLC and HMI with a Mitsubishi servo drive. Technology is available as “stand-alone” (running in torque control) with a dancer or with an accumulator.

Davis-Standard’s caterpillar capstan options and HPE extruder are also in demand. Davis-Standard supplies multi-pass, linear and belt wrap capstans for the full range of wire and cable applications. The HPE offers a compact design and is one of the industry’s most widely used extruders. It is known for a fast delivery and rugged design that is energy efficient and easy to maintain. Advantages for wire and cable applications include increased torque capacity for high viscosity resins and custom options.

At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Eurobend GmbH reports that it attracted a lot of attention for its newest concept in mesh production: the AKK Series of mesh welding lines, which it said challenges all conventional mesh production methods.

Already in operation in the U.S., the new AKK welding line has set new standards in mesh production, as it eliminates all idle times and at least doubles productivity in comparison to conventional lines. It is capable of producing large and small batches/orders consecutively without any downtime, allowing changes in automatic mesh spacing and dimensions. Using a single coil— which replaces all line wire de-coiling stations or double

A Eurobend AKK Series mesh welder.

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the rod to be reduced to 2 mm without friction. By controlling the cooling during the reduction, the wire exits at a temperature which is above the recrystallization temperature. The company notes in its literature that one customer, Anglia Metal Limited (U.K.), was able to draw that wire rod down to 2 mm at rates of 28 m/sec.

There are multiple advantages with this system, they said. A customer can save about 50% on energy costs for their production of annealed copper wire; the system can ramp up to top speed in five seconds and stop in case of wire break in just three seconds; it can produce OXY-Free and FRHC copper rod without requiring any extra energy compared to ETP; it takes less than 10 seconds to process the wire into the machine before threading the wire into the take-up before start-up; a smaller power transformer can be used; the system has a small footprint, just five meters, which allows for more space downstream; installation costs are less; there is no need for pipe works as the emulsion tank is located inside the system.

In summary, the microrolling mill for copper rod is the first step at meeting the demands of the new era of the technology of copper wire manufacturing: environment friendly and cost-effective. www.properzi.com.

FEATURE

line and cross wire de-coiling stations—ensures continuous operation.

The system is the only flexible high production coil-fed mesh welding line with compact system layout and minimum floor requirements. Equipped with the company’s patented Automatic Wire Orientation System (AWOS), it allows the use of a high-speed roller straightening module for line wire feeding.

The AWOS is fully programmable and capable of processing all types of material (smooth or ribbed) and absorbs all wire straightening imperfections from the roller straightener, ensuring perfectly flat mesh panels regardless of wire and straightening quality. It can produce all types of mesh instantly, with no downtime when changing wire coils, wire diameters, wire spacing and mesh dimensions.

The AKK series allows a company to keep a minimal stock of wire spools and coils, to make multiple diameter changes during a single day, to do just-in-time production, and to store less stock of ready mesh due to flexibility and multi-diameter line and cross wire feeding available. The AKK series uses either independent heavy duty hydraulic or pneumatically operated welding heads. Due to programmable cross wire placement, different cross wire spacing is possible within the same mesh. Mesh advancing either through a servo-driven carrier offering exceptional accuracy, or through a compact layout servo-driven roller feeder. The in-line mesh turning and collection table is equipped with adjustable mesh aligning flaps for perfect mesh batches. Roller or laterally discharging chain conveyors with height adjustment and in-line mesh bundling stations are available. Remote access via Internet connection for troubleshooting and routine maintenance. www.eurobend.com.

Eurolls

At wire Düsseldorf, Italy’s Eurolls showcased its Quick Rolling Concept (QRC), which it notes is an innovative product developed to perform multiple tasks via its sleek compact design/dimensions that allows the perfect union between different wire processing sequences.

Eurolls has supplied this QRC concept in both multiple and single in-line wire rolling configurations. In both cases, its usage permits the combination of different/ distinct processes that result in improved production efficiency by having a single line able to complete the process from entry material to final product. An example of the multiple in-line wire rolling solution was its insertion in a lattice girder manufacturing system with five individual QRC units, three for the longitudinal wires and two for the stirrups wire.

The same philosophy was present in the case of the single in-line solution that combined both a QRC unit and a straightening and cutting line to produce the finished twisted square wire in straight lengths. In both solutions, the first section is always the QRC unit. Its function is to pull the entry material from the payoff area through both

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Eurolls’ flexible QRC system. mechanical descaler and cold rolling cassettes, by means of dual V-grooved pulling rings that guarantee the traction required to perform the single or double wire draft.

These drafts can be done using either traditional cold rolling cassettes or a combination of traditional/special cassettes in accordance to the profile required for the finished product.

For producing twisted square wire, the first cassette performs the standard rolling process to form the correct intermediate wire dimension suitable for the second draft that uses a rotating cassette to produce the final twisted square profile. From the QRC unit, the produced twisted square wire moves directly into a modified Vitari NR300 straightening and cutting unit that uses two straightening roll panels, instead of the traditional rotating spinner. The final twisted square bar is then used for the production of antiskid grating panels. With the same simplicity and efficiency, one can change the components present in order to produce different final wire products to satisfy the different requirements of the

Eurolls Machinery Division Managing Director Fabio Firmani by the company’s Vitari NR300 straightening and cutting unit.

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wire sector e.g. traditional reinforcement bars, electrowelded mesh panels etc.

This approach confirms that Eurolls continues its philosophy of developing leading edge solutions that are applicable directly to different areas of the wire sector. www.eurolls.com.

Mario Frigerio/MFL Group

At wire Düsseldorf, Italy’s MFL Group presented a range of machinery that included its Precision Layer Winder, Model SW and its redesigned EXB160 extruder.

The SW precision layer winder is designed to process CO2 welding wire, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, copper alloy and flux cored wire. During the development of this innovative machine, the company’s engineers placed particular emphasis on the maintainability and up-time of this machine. The objective was to minimize the amount of stoppage time and the associated maintenance costs. This machine can handle final packages of 15-25 kg with precision layer winding or random winding on final wire package on plastic spools SD300, plastic spools D200 (optional), and metal basket K300 and BS300 (optional) at a maximum speed of 35 m/s with wire diameter of 0.8-1.6 mm where the average cycle time is about 150 seconds. The drive and AC motor are servo-ventilated and the spool is removed and replaced manually. The payoff can handle an 800 mm reel with a maximum width of 600 mm and a one ton capacity.

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The MFL Group’s Model SW precision level winder.

The EXB160 extruder was redesigned, with key points being the feeding zone, the extruder barrel and stock crew, which are tailored for the material being processed, and the thermoregulation/electronic control system. The company incorporated more accurate temperature control system for the extrusion process.

The equipment enables the user to control real melt temperature and due to the tighter control on melt temperature, manufacturers are able to increase output without degrading the material. In some cases, where increased output is not required, the option exists to go down one size of extruder, decreasing your capital

The EXB160 extruder from the MFL Group. cost as well as the amount of energy required by the process. All the above mentioned innovations allowed us to increase the output of many materials. This includes halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) cable materials, where the main problem in the process is a precise temperature detection (to avoid degradation) and disposal of the great quantity of heat generated by friction. MFL produces machines ranging from 35 mm to 200 mm diameter extruders. Shown is the 160 mm 25:1 L/D extruder, designed to process HDPE, XLPE, PVC, nylon and silane (liquid and two step). www.mariofrigerio.com.

At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Ideal-werk showcased several systems, including a new series of mesh welders.

The company’s new “GAM 400” Series for versatile mesh welding produces all types of mesh, but it is particularly suitable for the manufacture of display articles, white goods and all articles where wire and frames are joined. The revised, integrated Siemens control with touch screen is a space saver as a separate PC unit is not required. The optimized user interface enables remote control via a web portal.

The GAM 400 offers other design advantages. These include: a patented, laser-supported handling devices for an expedited, monitored setup; tool-less quick adjustment and conversion of the welding presses; parallel combination of different wire diameters and combination of different wire diameters and further components, such as strips and profiles by an “open” portal solution with different welding circuits; manual loading for an efficient production of small and medium-sized batches; automated loading devices for a high volume production; feeding of additional wires, strips and profiles; easy handling of frames by usage of jigs; simultaneous welding of two products in one operation; and online monitoring via web portal. ® IDEAL also had a CSR Versaweld Jig Welding Machine on display with a turning and pivoting table for wire and combined wire/sheet metal products in jigs.

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IDEAL Werk Ideal Welding Systems LP

CALENDAR FEATURE

CALENDAR pretreatment of the wire. This constellation enables a drawApril 28-30, 2015:50 Interwire 2015 ing speed of around m/s. These are & topWAI’s results 85th that make Annual Convention highly economical production possible.

Atlanta, USA. WAI to the Georgia DrawingGeorgia, a lot of attention wasreturns a display at the booth by KochCongress and Qass—a specialist company for cognitive World Center to stage its biennial trade measuring systems—presenting ndings from Convention. a mutushow, technical programs and fi 85th Annual alContact: researchWAI, project.

High-frequency impulse measuring USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001Oct. 28-30, 2014: Wire & Cable India (HFIM) makes itwww.wirenet.org. possible to continuously monitor the 203-453-8384; Mumbai, India. To be held at the Bombay Convention entire wire production process and to document the April 4-8, 2016:100%. wire Düsseldorf & Exhibition Centre. Contact: Messe Düsseldorf product’s quality HFIM permits the possibility to Düsseldorf, Germany.

This biennial event willthe same North America, tel. 312-781-5180, increase the production speed while maintaining be held at the Messe fairgrounds.

Contact: Messe info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com. level of quality. It also provides a warning signal if the Düsseldorf North America, tel.

312-781-5180, lubricating fi lm breaks down, die wear or material defects.

Nov. 9-12, 2014: 63rd IWCS ConferenceTM info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

How this works in day-to-day operations was demonProvidence, Rhode Island, USA. To be held at the Rhode strated with2016: two Qass measuring systems at the Koch June 8-9, WAI Operations Summit Island Convention Center. Contact: Pat Hudak, IWCS, A close-up view of the GAM 400 mesh welder from Ideal booth.

TheExpo method is based on the analysis of the acoustic & Wire tel. 717-993-9500, phudak@iwcs.org, www.iwcs.org.

Werk joining wire to a tube frame. emissions’ during the wire drawing process.

It Uncasville,strength Connecticut, USA. This WAI event, which Nov. 26-28, 2014: MFSH 2014 checks the frequencies and creates aResort three-dimensional picwill be held at the Mohegan Sun Center, will A special feature theChina automatic systemInternational for changing Shanghai, China. isThe (Shanghai) ture of the process depending on time, signal and strength and include its trade show, technical programs WAI’s tools thus offering easy handling of different product frequency.

Should Exhibition on Platemetal, Bar, Wire, Steel Rope, Metal 86th Annual Convention. WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453designs. This flexible machine solution is especially something change Processing and Setting Equipment 2014. Contact: 2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. made for working with various electrode forms, geomin the process, the Shanghai Aoya Exhibition Co., at 86-21-3351 8138, etries as well as tooling, with the goal to finalize the picture will change ayexpo@vip.163.com. welding job in one run without any production interruptoo. The system tions. The machine is also equipped with an X-welding detect these W IRE and ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS can gripper a rotation device which enable the handling changes immediof demanding, three dimensional For more information, contact the products.

WAI, USA. Tel. 001-203-453-2777; fax 001-203-453-8384; www.wirenet.org. ately and initiate www.ideal-werk.com. further control and Sept. 8, 2014: New England Chapter 20th Annual Oct. 20, 2014. Western Chapter’s 14th Annual Golf regulation meaGolf Tournament Tournament Ernst Koch GmbH/Qass GmbH sures. The goal Ellington, Connecticut, USA. The New England Chapter Fontana,isCalifornia, USA. The Western Chapter will therefore not At return wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s KochClub.

GmbH will to the Ellington RidgeErnst Country Contact: return to the Sierra Lakes Golf Course. Contact: John only monitoring displayed a drawing line in a modular construction and WAI’s Anna Bzowski, tel. 203-453-2777, ext. 126, Stevens, tel.

905-851-5633, jstevens@emc-wire.com. but also optimizing demonstrated an innovative defect-measuring system with abzowski@wirenet.org. the process, proa partner.

April excellence 28-30, 2015: Interwire 2015 & WAI’s 85th viding The displayed line included a multiple-drawing system Oct. 2, 2014. The Vannais Southeast Chapter’s 13th Annual Convention in production and from the KGT series as well as a wire payoff and a spooler Annual Golf Tournament Atlanta, Georgia, USA. See main listing. assurance for prodfor the collection of the wire. The system produces various Conover, North Carolina, USA. The Southeast Chapter uct integrity. “The grades of steel wire displayed as a five-draft machine. In will return to the Rock Barn Golf and Spa. Contact: Art June 8-9,system 2016: WAI Operations Summit measuring Managing Partner Jochen Koch by actual operation, the total system will be complemented by Deming, tel.

252-955-9451, art.deming@nexans.com. & Wire Expo detects even minor the Koch-Qass display. nine additional drawing-blocks and include high-quality Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. See main listing.

Sept. 24-27, 2014: wire China 2014 Shanghai, China. To be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Contact: Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, info@mdna.com, www.mdna.com.

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abnormalities and thereby contributes to the improvement of the wire quality,” said Koch Managing Partner Jochen Koch. “A potential increase of production speed is a further benefit of this technology, which we will be promoting in the area of wire production together with Qass.” www. koch-ihmert.de, www.qass.net.

Maillefer At wire Düsseldorf, Finland’s Maillefer presented equipment, but for this feature it chose to focus on what its technology was capable of achieving for customers. Below is its report.

Today the demand for safe and environmentally friendly products is of top priority. Simultaneously cost effectiveness is a must for many segments within the wire and cable industry which leads to a need to make more from less.

With these value drivers in mind we have developed many solutions for the cable industry. By using our stateof-the-art extrusion technology it is possible to save substantial amounts of material. Material saving is a crucial, if not the most important driver leading to success in the material intensive industry which we are part of.

Markus Boström, director of technology for Maillefer, stands next to a chart that depicts the potential savings that can exist.

We could describe our advanced extrusion technology with hundreds of superlatives but let’s take another approach − what several of our customers have already been able to achieve with our support and know-how.

Customer case: our example is from a highly commoditized segment in cable manufacturing, namely PVC insulated building wire cable. Technically, it is not a complex product to make, but it is within a product range that is challenging to produce profitably. Typically, in building wire, manufacturing material costs comprise 80-85% of the total production costs. Therefore, if something can be done about material consumption, it will surely be a winning concept. In short, material consumption can be drastically reduced with our modern extrusion technology.

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The customer’s manufacturing line using a PVC jacketing compound was upgraded with our extruders and crosshead. Thanks to the upgrade, material consumption was reduced by 8–12% on average. The graph illustrates the change in average jacket wall thickness measured offline with a KSM measuring device from ACM Askenfors Cable Machinery AB. The logic is simple. When the insulation or jacket wall thickness stability improves, the need for a safety margin above the minimum wall thickness requirement can be reduced for a decrease in material consumption and significant savings in material costs.

Maillefer extruders and crossheads are available in many different output ranges and for numerous cable constructions and materials. Besides, they can easily be retrofitted into most existing cable manufacturing lines. The potential in material saving is not limited to building wire production only but it is possible in most applications in the low voltage segment as well as in all major jacketing applications in the telecom and energy segments. www.maillefer.net.

They offers infinitely variable electronic control of the braiding speed and pitch and an automatic central lubrication system. The Niehoff series of BMV type rotary braiding machines are available for 12, 16 or 24 bobbins..

A quality assurance system controls all process steps in the machine, from the payoff of the cable to be braided via the individual wires and bundles of wires up to the final take-up of the braided cable. An empty bobbin detection system, available as an option, stops the machine automatically before a braiding bobbin is completely empty. In this way, this system minimizes waste and the amount of residual wire left on the bobbin. Cable manufacturers have experienced that due to its performance one BMV machine can replace two to three braiding machines of older design.

Also shown were a rod breakdown machine, type MSM 86; an inductive in-line annealer, type RI 120; a data cable stranding line, type ARD630 D/ALB600/ DSI631; and a bunching line, type D562/ARP630. www.niehoff.de, www.niehoff-usa.com.

Niehoff Group

At wire Düsseldorf, Italy’s OMA Srl displayed a 16/1-190 M/ EC braiding machine complete with the newly designed 190 BF carrier, featuring a clutch braking system.

The clutch brake more accurately controls wire payoff tension from full to empty bobbin, eliminating wire breaks and crossovers on the braid. The 190 series is ideal for aluminum, copper, and soft and high tensile OMA USA Inc. Sales Manager David steel wires, and is Tietze with the company’s 6/1-190 M/ suitable for the rein- EC braider. forcement of medium and high pressure rubber hose, thermoplastic hose, PTFE hose, flexible metal tubes, and for the shielding of cables.

The 190 series is available in configurations from 12 to 48 carriers on a vertical axis, and 12 to 96 carriers on a horizontal axis. www.omabraid.com.

At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Maschinenfabrik Niehoff and its U.S. subsidiary, Niehoff Endex North America, Inc. (NENA), demonstrated the newest addition to its BMV family of rotary braiders.

The BMV16.Z can now be equipped with an integrated central taping device, type BZ380, for production of braided products with tapes that must be applied before and after braiding in an S or Z direction. This makes the BMV braider ideal for producing data, control and coaxial cables or automobile hybrid cables into which a film must be inserted before and after braiding. Integrating the braiding and taping operations results in space savings, elimination of rewinding processes and better product quality.

Like all of the machine series, the BMV16. Z is designed for processing bare or coated round or flat wire made of copper, aluminum or stainless steel with single-wire diameters of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm as well as yarns and fibers made of plastic. Using its smart control systems, BMV machines can work unattended NENA President & CEO Robert Wild for a long time. by the new BMV16.Z braider.

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OMA Srl

Queins Machines GmbH At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s Queins Machines Systems highlighted a chain-type capstan for outside use that is both powerful and flexible.

The capstan is designed for outside use, so no roof or building is required due to its stainless steel parts, chains

At Interwire, Proton Products International showcased the company’s InteliSENS SL series speed and length gauges, which it noted are saving cable manufacturers serious money every day around the world.

As cable manufacturers purchase raw materials by the ton and then sell by length, it’s extremely important to make sure that when you sell a reel of cable at 1000 ft, its is not 1003 ft or 1005 ft, essentially giving away 0.3% or 0.5% for free, which can be typical in many production facilities. The InteliSENS SL Series gauges are calibrated to 0.03%, and with no moving parts to Commercial Director Manfred Hoffmann at the Queins wear and non-contact operation eliminating slippage, Machines GmbH booth. we are extremely proud to work with our customers and provide a gauge that truly helps save money and with plastic shoes, bi-directional use and bi-directional profimaximum tability. opening width is 240 mm, and loadimprove cells. The The DGK of gauges have50 nomm moving parts the capstan canSeries process cable from to 180 mmand at the to diameter an amazing 10,000 timesemploys per seclinemeasure speeds up 25 m/min.

The capstan, which per axis.

Available as eitherforce a dualtwoond, endless chains, has a haul-off of or 20 triple-axis kN (2 gauge, Fast Processing Technology2050 analyzes tons), and the the Super contact length is approximately mm. up totracks 30,000 per are second to display Both ofmeasurements the drive system driven

by AC and motors and have diameter, a holdingovality, brake. The unit, has communicate lumps andwhich neckdowns. entryThe andcompany exit roller crosses, able to also showedis abi-directional, full range of products operate forward and backward.

Pneumatically actuated including spark testers, capacitance gauges, lump and cylinders are used to clamp the product to be processed neck detectors, pre heaters, speed & length gauges and as well as for belt tensioning. The caterpillar front door

56 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

is mechanically and electrically theDetecunit the hugely popular combined interlocked, Diameter andand Flaw is user-friendly, with the noise level rated at < 45dBA tion Gage DGK SuperFast Series. ”We’d like to say aat fullbig load measured at all onewho meter. www.queins.com. ‘thank you’ to visited (us) at Interwire 2015.

SAMPSISTEMI

At wire Düsseldorf, Italy’s SAMPSISTEMI highlighted the company’s wide range of products for the manufacturing of high-voltage cables that it notes have been installed in a variety of configurations all around the world and represent a perfect example of tailor-made products.

The SAMPSISTEMI sheathing lines for HV cables are engineered for cables with a diameter of up to 200 mm

Grant Latimer, Proton Products.

It was without doubt our busiest exhibition and our full team of agents and employees were on hand to take care of our customers.” Grant Latimer, managing director, g.latimer@protonproducts.com.

A close-up of SAMPSISTEMI’s sheathing technology.

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Proton Products International/U.K.

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(70 kg/m), insulated and sheathed with thermoplastics or thermosetting materials. Due to the weight and high value of these cables, their properties must not be damaged during the working process, so SAMPSISTEMI paid particular attention to the ergonomics and easy setting up of the lines. Attention to detail is evident in every machine feature: for example, thanks to this solution, the cable cutting process can be carried out by only one operator in completely safe conditions and without stopping the production line. These products also use a number of protective solutions below the sheathing. Therefore,these lines have been engineered to work in tandem with tape applicators (corrugated or smooth type), lead extruders and bitumen applicators. Another innovative characteristic is the cable marking process (brand name and length meter counter), which can be carried out on more sides of the same cable simultaneously and applied to different sheathing materials.

The new SAMPSISTEMI solutions allow manufacturers to produce HV cables with an excellent cable surface quality and an ever-growing energy efficiency, while at the same time saving material costs. The solution has been developed with CJ-TEK, SAMPSISTEMI’s technology partner for extrusion crossheads. www.sampinc.com.

Fro ext m sin rud ers gle scr rea to co ew d ext y-for- mplete rusi on use line s

August Strecker GmbH & Co. KG At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s August Strecker presented a further development of their successful FullParameter-Control (FPC) for two welding machines: he FPC EVO2 bzw and the FPC EVO2 Zero Gap. The system was valued for its ability: to store easily and safely customer specific or material specific welding recipes; to have menu-guidance optionally in many different languages; for improved quality by fix programs with automatic selection (no manual setting of pressures, capacities, times); for complete functionality identical to the well-proven Strecker V20- weld/anneal control; for primary voltage compensation for unstable mains supply systems; for secondary voltage calibration to harmonize operation of several welding machines in the same facility; and for monitoring of relevant welding parameters for quality recognition and documentation.

SIEBE COLOR MATCH

Attendees inspect Strecker’s updated welding system.

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At wire 2016, the company introduced the next generation of FPC machines. These now offer: constant current control (KSR/50Hz or 60Hz) to reduce the influences on the weld quality due to temperature, contact, material or cutting quality, which is especially important for high-output welding. zero gap, an innovative adjustment of the clamping tools to each other so there is no need for regular review of the air gap to optimize the deburring result, a method that also provides longer lifetime of the knives; additional hydraulic function for state-by-step optimized motion control/positioning of the FPC Evo2 model, so positioning points are reached more accurately so there is no need for readjustment, even after many welds or temperature fluctuations. Starting with the second half of 2016, it will also be possible to offer retrofit/upgrade options for already delivered units. www.strecker-linmburg.de.

The strander has a position point fixing design to guarantee the accurate match for the cage and the bobbin loading and unloading system, which can be motorized or hydraulic. Energy generation during braking will be fed back to the power system, which achieves energy savings. The electric system can be operated by a remote mode. A wire break can be displayed on the touch screen, showing the bobbin position on the cage.

The system has an intelligent controller system that includes energy meters, DP communication, on-site checking PLC system and on-line monitoring. Data can be uploaded to the host by a PLC, and via the internet, one can achieve on-site production data reading and ladder diagram analysis, remote diagnosis, program upgrades, remote maintenance, commissioning guidance, and so on. www.hosnglobe.com.

Shanghai HOSN Machinery Technology Co., Ltd.

WAFIOS AG

At wire Düsseldorf, Shanghai HOSN displayed its newly designed rigid-frame stranding machine, which it notes was designed and developed together with clients based on their operations. During the R&D process, the chief engineers of a well-respected cable company provided valuable ideas for the further improvement, which were incorporated into what was shown at wire 2016.

Shanghai HOSN Department Manager Frank Hai by the company’s new rigid frame strander.

The design, which is suitable for stranding or compact round conductors, shaped conductors or segmental conductors, includes a number of improved features that collectively achieve simple operation, lower costs, a low failure rate and easy maintenance. Each cage and capstan is driven by separate motor, which allows the pitch to be freely adjusted. The strander can operate with a rotating speed that can reach to 300 rpm. The cages are controlled by a reducer from the motor instead of by a timing belt, with cage loading/unloading driven by a cage motor in a low-speed mode. The pintle on the cage is open by pneumatics and clamped by a spring device with a mechanical safety lock system, and the cage rotation speed can be increased without the air package system.

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At wire Düsseldorf, Germany’s WAFIOS AG, represented in the U.S. by WAFIOS Machinery Corp., again presented so much equipment it was hard to single out one as the most impressive. However, one noteworthy element was not a single model but an advance in technology for wire straightening machines—called iQmagna—that can apply to multiple systems.

First, the company explained the need for iQmagna.

During the wire straightening process, varying process parameters require a regular and manual assessment of the workpiece’s straightness. Short test intervals mean considerably more work for the operator while long test intervals increase the risk of producing less straight rods.

There is much value if one can simply manufacture, confident that the products are meeting quality requirements, and that one will be warned if the results are crossing into non-compliance. That’s where iQmagna comes in. iQmagna enables continuous in-process monitoring of straightness. The operator defines one rod in accordance with the required straightness and calibrates this rod as the “go rod.” During the production process, intrinsic tension changes in the wire are measured by means of a contactless eddy-current measuring technique. If the straightness is not within the tolerance range, the machine is stopped and the status display goes to red. Other bene-

WAFIOS now offers iQmagna on some wire-straighteners.

WTM Srl

At wire Düsseldorf, Italy’s WTM Srl showcased its new precise horizontal line that is suitable for wrapping coaxial cables with silver-plated copper wire as well as for processing twinax cables. It also displayed the company’s taping module, which is also suitable for PTFE. This equipment, all triple-motorized, attracted attention from attendees producing in these specific fields because the high technology level sets a necessary standard for these manufacturing sectors.

Thinking about the continuous research of performance increase, especially in the communication sector, cables are particularly important. Producers want to develop cable compositions and structures that are better, more reliable, lighter and with higher performances than ever. Obviously the logical consequence is the need of

DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS ISO9001 OF PAYOFF & TENSION CONTROL REGISTERED EQUIPMENT FOR WIRE & CABLE

equipment that can support the designers with the product realization: machines must be extremely precise and flexible at the same time, allowing even more solutions to the complex production problems.

WTM Srl’s high-precision taping line, With the recent specifically designed for the production development in of twin axial cables. the taping and screening lines for twinax, in its various compositions, and for co-axial cables for high frequencies, beyond reaching high speed in data transmission (even double compared to the current ones) and frequencies rarely reached, WTM has obtained an excellent and repeatable process stability.

Further, WTM succeeded in perfecting a taping and sealing process to obtain a 34 AWG twinax cable, a cable that is not mentioned in the regulations yet. This cable maintains and improves the transmission quality and, being thin and light, grants a considerable saving in terms of space and weight. www.wtmachinery.com.

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FEATURE CHAPTER CORNER

fits include status display signals for convenient multiple machine operation, readjustment and recalibration possible during production and integration of user interface in existing control panel.

In conjunction with the CNC servo-driven adjustable rotor, the R 36 wire straightening and cutting machine at the show was fitted with iQmagna. The further development of these two technologies would allow for active closed-loop process control, whereby the straightening process would be automatically controlled. www.wafios.com, www.wafios.us.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER new technical solutions which will be better adapted to the specific operating conditions, e.g. mountains, desert, coasts, etc.

This paper presents the work currently conducted by the company of Boryszew S.A., Modern Aluminium Products Skawina in cooperation with the AGH Kraków University of Technology . The article concentrates on the innovative aluminium alloys intended for wires used in power lines. Research on new alloys is carried out under industrial conditions in the ThisContinuous paper presentsProperzi results from ongoing on development of new types ofinaluminum and aluminum alloy of aluminium CCR line,research and they have already resulted a new type wire rod for use in high-temperature conductors and overhead conductors. wire rod intended for the international market. This article also addresses the aspect of adaptingOżóg, old designs to existing industry requirements, and applying new materials to

By Mirosław Łukasz Wodziński and power Piotr Uliasz them. The concept of new materials includes both steel wires and aluminium alloy wires.

Phase conductors for area overhead power the linesPolish have been progress in the power industry.

In 1909, ACSR were Research in this includes and thether European market, where mainly ACSR have known for over 130 years. Since then, the originally deused to build 33-kV lines, and four years later, 150-kV been used for years now. veloped construction has undergone many changes. Their ones. The fourth milestone relates to the introduction of all

Development of innovative aluminium alloys for production of overhead conductors

modernization was aimed at design of conductors as well aluminum alloy conductors (AAAC) so called as Aldrey, as the materials used in their manufacturing.

The analysis Almelec in 19303. The fifth milestone was the invention of 2. Current requirements of the power sector of the designs and the materials show the following milehigh temperature low sag conductors (HTLS), which stems The requirements for the power industry withstarted reducing the amount pollution stones which define the development of power lines. are associated from research in the 1960s in Japan.of These types of The first milestone was uniform conductors from the conductors allowed for significantisincrease in the current document the Directive of and losses generated by the sector. made In Europe, basic binding copper and copper alloys. These conductors were first used carrying capacity of the line, in comparison to conventional the European Parliament and of the Council ofconductors 5th April 2006 (2006/32/ EC). It concerns in the power industry. In 1882 in Germany they were used (ACSR, AAC, or AAAC). The HTLS group of 1,2. energy end-use efficiency and energy services.

The main purpose of covers the document to to build the first 60-km-long 2-kW overhead power line conductors is very broad, and many types ofwas designs, Theimplement increase in voltage used in the power industry resulted such as: ACSS, ACCR, ACCC, TACSR, ZTACSR, and GZprojects to improve energy efficiency. By 2016 the amount of saved energy, in an increase in the height and the distance between the TACSR4. These designs differ by their construction, type of including electricity, shouldwires be to9% of the average consumption in a given country of the poles.

This in turn caused the copper be replaced reinforcing core, and aluminum wires. The above-presented by all aluminumCommunity. conductors (AAC), milestone. milestones overheadwhich conductors dominated the overhead European Onetheofsecond the areas in the power lineforindustry allows savings is the Using AAC dates back to year 1898, when California built power industry through a wide range of voltages and applireduction transmission The size of current transmission losses is showninintheTable 3. thecations. a line connectingofthe towns of Bluelosses.

Lakes and Stockton The present direction of development power The1. third milestone wasshows the use of (aluminum conindustry aims to reduce losses associated with the processing This example theACSR statistic data of the Polish National Power System. ductor steel reinforced), which again was triggered by furand transmission of electrical energy. At the same time, reYear 2006 2007 2008 2009 400 and 220 kV grid Ewp 79.866 85.694 87.929 89.915 93.906 92.207 94.651 91.063 ∆E 1.514 1.828 1.935 1.914 2.020 1.823 1.816 1.706 ∆E% 1.89 2.13 2.20 2.13 2.15 1.98 1.92 1.87 w11 1.00 1.13 1.16 1.13 1.14 1.05 1.02 0.99 110 kV grid Ewp 115.522 115.939 118.866 120.663 126.711 128.515 127.450 123.435 ∆E 4.865 2.602 2.624 3.121 3.492 2.354 1.872 1.967 ∆E% 4.21 2.24 2.21 2.59 2.75 1.83 1.47 1.59 w11 1.00 0.53 0.52 0.61 0.65 0.43 0.35 0.38 MV and LV grids Ewp 86.047 88.037 90.381 92.010 95.870 98.625 99.992 99.237 ∆E 9.957 9.900 9.699 9.161 8.621 9.031 8.140 8.434 ∆E% 11.57 11.25 10.73 9.96 8.99 9.16 8.14 8.50 w11 1.00 0.97 0.93 0.86 0.78 0.79 0.70 0.73 Symbols: Ewp – electric energy provided (input) into the grid at a given voltage in GWh. ∆E – losses and balance differences in the grid at a given voltage in GWh. ∆E% – balance losses indicator in % w11 – ratio between balances losses in a given year to balance losses in 2002.

Value

2002

2003

2004

2005

Table 1. Losses and balance differences of electricity in Poland5.

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2010

2011

2012

93.375 1.747 1.87 0.99

96.978 1.685 1.74 0.92

100.101 1.688 1.69 0.89

127.455 128.725 129.335 2.355 2.182 2.198 1.85 1.69 1.70 0.44 0.40 0.40 102.919 102.586 103.793 7.857 6.716 6.834 7.63 6.55 6.58 0.66 0.57 0.57

TECHNICAL PAPERS

What’s noteworthy in this paper WJI: What’s the most important news in your presentation?

Ożóg: The scope of development ASCR conductors includes design and construction, type of steel, aluminum and aluminum alloys wires.

The grade of used aluminum wires allows to control work parameters, which is crucial in the case of the linear resistance and maximum operating temperature. I presented the results of NPA research which were focused on obtaining new types of aluminum wires. These wires allow to reduce losses of energy in power lines.

WJI: What was the most challenging part of your research?

Wodziński: The NPA has over 60 years of experience in wire rods production. During this period, NPA is consistently expanding the range of offered aluminum alloys. Based on our experience the most challenging part of the research is always implementation of laboratory results to industrial practice and development

of the know-how. The implementation of new aluminum alloys always requires the necessary modifications of lines.

WJI: Can you quantify the potential gains in reducing power loss by the research?

Uliasz: The reduction of electrical losses is one of the key issues of the current European policy. For this reason, our research are focused on finding the optimal aluminum alloys selection. The potential gains of new conductors depend on many factors, between others: the possible range of the line modernization and line design and operating parameters of the phase conductors. Taking into account all the parameters, we can talk about the reduction of losses between 10 to 20%.

WJI: Do you see the need for further research?

Uliasz: Yes, of course. NPA research in the field of aluminum alloys for electrical application are

searchers are looking for new technical solutions which will be better adapted to the specific operating conditions, e.g. mountains, desert, coasts, etc.

This paper presents the work currently conducted in Poland by Boryszew S.A., Modern Aluminum Products Skawina, in cooperation with the AGH Kraków University of Technology. The article concentrates on the innovative aluminum alloys intended for wires used in power lines.

Research on new alloys is carried out under industrial conditions in the Continuous Properzi CCR line, and they have already resulted in a new type of aluminum wire rod intended for the international market. This article also addresses the aspect of adapting old designs to existing power industry requirements, and applying new materials to them.

The concept of new materials includes both steel wires and aluminum alloy wires. Research in this area includes the Polish and the European market, where mainly ACSR has been used for years now.

Current power sector requirements The requirements for the power industry are associated with reducing the amount of pollution and electrical losses generated by the sector. In Europe, the basic binding docu-

From l-r, authors Piotr Uliasz, Łukasz Wodziński and Mirosław Ożóg

carried out continuously. We are a very flexible manufacturer which adapts to the needs of our customers and to the market. At the same time NPA is working on the two R&D projects which have been highly valued and thus received EU co-financing. In near future NPA is planning and preparing new R&D projects in aluminum alloys field.

Questions for the author? Contact him at miroslaw.ozog@npa.pl

ment is the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5th April 2006 (2006/32/ EC). It concerns energy end-use efficiency and energy services. The main purpose of the document was to implement projects to improve energy efficiency. By 2016, the amount of saved energy, including electricity, should be 9% of the average consumption in a given country of the European Community. One of the areas in the power line industry which allows savings is the reduction of transmission losses. The size of the current transmission losses is shown in Table 1. This example shows the statistic data of the Polish National Power System.

The data published in the reports, Statistics for the Polish Power Sector, compiled by Agencja Rynku Energii S.A.5, indicate the scale of energy losses in the system and the ratio of these losses in relation to the total transmitted energy.

The loss rate for 400-kV and 220-kV systems amounted to 1.69% for 110-kV was estimated at 1.70% and systems below 110 kV reached 6.58%. Total electricity losses amounted to 10,000 GWh, which translated into an annual amount of about €400 million. As noted above, for power lines it is possible to introduce measures which will enable to reduce current losses. The solution is to use phase conductors with low resistance that reduce the losses resulting from Joule

JUNE 2016 | 61

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER Aluminum wires of the 1000 series (mainly 1350 and heating. The resulting energy savings is defined as the dif1370, marked in Fig. 1 with a circle) have high electrical ference between the energy consumed by the power line 110 kV reached 6.58%. Total electricity losses amounted to 10.000 GWh which translated conductivity, tensile strength of ca. 180 MPa (mean value) before and after the new conductors have been introduced. into anInannual amount about €400M. was mentioned and before, case ofofpower heat in resistance 80°C6lines, conclusion, it isof safe to assume oneAsofitthe directions . This it set of properties makes for the European power sector is which associated the reducmaterials valued in designing is possible to introduce measures willwith enable to reducethese current losses. The solution is to ACSR and AAC. in energy lost. Itwith is possible to achieve this reduction and ACCC conductors are another application for use tion phase conductors low resistances which reduce ACSS the losses resulting from Joule by using overhead wires with low resistance. In the case aluminum wires from the 1000 series. These construcheating.

The resulting energy saving is defined as the tions difference between the energy of ACSR conductors, this improvement can be achieved use annealed wires. By annealing, at the expense of consumed by the power line before and after the new conductors have been by developing a new material based on aluminum and reducing tensileintroduced. strength (60-90 MPa), the result is higher optimizing the structure of the In the the directions case electrical (35.9 MS/m) In conclusion, it is safe to constructions. assume one of for theconductivity European power sector and an increased heat 10. The requirements for power wires of ACCC conductors, such improvement can be achieved resistance (230°C) is associated with the reduction in energy lost. It is possible to achieve this reduction by using through the implementation of new high-strength alumicaused a development of the 6000 series aluminum alloys overhead wireswith withlow lowresistivity. resistance.

In the case will of ACSR improvement beindustry in the 1930s. num alloys These actions reduce conductors, dedicatedthis to the needs of the can power achieved by developing a newand material basedtransmission on aluminiumThe andU.S. optimizing the structure the resistance of the wire, thus reduce and European standards of have six types of alumilosses.

The new conductors will be characterized by low num alloys with varying levels of magnesium and silicon the constructions. In the case of ACCC conductors, such improvement can be achieved losses in transmission and will be perceived as the sixth content (marked in Fig. 1 with a diamond). These alloys through the implementation of new high-strength aluminium alloys with low resistivity. These stone milestone in the development of power lines. have tensile strength from 280 to 320 MPa and conducactions will reduce the resistance of the wire, and thus reduce transmission newMS/m. Heat resistance tivity in the rangelosses. of 32.7 The to 30.0 of these alloys, due to artificial aging, does not exceed conductors will be characterized by in lowpower losses lines in transmission and will be perceived as the Aluminum alloy types used 80°C. Another group of aluminum alloys, which has been sixth stone milestone in the development of power Aluminum and aluminum alloys are used in manylines. fields used to design power conductors are heat-resistant alloys of engineering. Due to their low density and mechanical (marked in Fig. 1 with a triangle).

The main advantage they are used inalloys the construction, automotive 3.properties, Types of aluminium used in power lines of these materials is the permitted long-term operation at and aviation industries. Additionally, due to their high 9. Thanks Aluminium and aluminium alloys are used in many fields of engineering.

Due to their low to this feature, these temperatures above 80°C electrical conductivity, they are highly valued in electrialloys are used for designing High Temperature Low density and mechanical properties, they are used in the construction, automotive and aviation cal and power engineering. Apart from these properties, Sag (HTLS) conductors.

The major difference between their long-term heat resistance the main for their industries.

Additionally, due to is their high reason electrical conductivity, they are highly valued in annealed aluminum wires used in ACSS and ACCC and presence in the power industry.

This means the permissielectrical and power engineering. Apart from these properties, their long-term heat resistance heat-resistant aluminum alloy wires (AT1 – AT4) is tenble operating temperature, for the entire period of usage sile strength, which amounts respectively to ca. 170 and is the main reason for their presence in the power industry.

This means the permissible (e.g., 50 years), does not cause a certain reduction in the to 240 MPa. Another important difference between anoperating temperature, entire(e.g., period of usage strength properties offor thethe material a drop of 10%(e.g. of 50 years), does not cause a certain nealed aluminum and heat-resistant alloys is electrical the initial tensile strength).

A summary of material standard propreduction in the strength properties of the (e.g. a drop of 10% which of theisinitial tensile conductivity, lower in the aluminum alloys by 3 6-9 erties of aluminum and aluminum alloy wires used for strength).

A summary of standard properties of aluminium and aluminium alloy wires [6-9] to 11%.

The last aluminum alloy shown in Fig. 1 is AL59 the construction of power lines is given in Fig. 1. (marked with a square)8. used for the construction of power lines is given in Fig. 1.

Wires made from this alloy have higher tensile strength in comparison to aluminum wires and higher electrical conductivity compared to 6000 series aluminum alloys.

This allows for designing homogeneous conductors with favorable mechanical and electrical parameters.

The list in Fig. 1 includes properties of aluminum and aluminum alloy wires that can be classified in terms of electrical and strength properties of aluminum wires (1350 or 1370).

Fig. 1 has horizontal and vertical lines that divide the diagram area into Fig.Fig. 1. The summary of standard properties of aluminium and aluminium alloy wires 1. The summary of standard properties of aluminium and aluminium alloy wires.

62 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Innovative aluminum alloy development of

pany designed the 8000 series rod for the production of wires for the electrical and the automotive industry. Manufacturing new products led to the rapid development of the plant and the erection of a modern production department of power conductors as well as laying the foundations for the cable production department for the automotive industry. The success achieved by NPA would not be possible without the cooperation with research from the Department of Non-ferrous Metals of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. The path of development of Boryszew S.A. Modern Aluminum Products Skawina fits in one of the two general schemes for functioning of enterprises producing aluminum rod. The first is the reduction in manufacturing costs and large-volume production of a single type of wire rod (primarily of the 1000 aluminum series). The second one is to specialize in the field of advanced aluminum alloys, and the manufacture products based on in-house wire rod.

NPA Skawina currently conducts research focused on the implementation of a heat-resistant aluminum alloys for the production of AT2 and AT4 wires9, optimizing its production technology for aluminum alloy wire rod and AL59 wires8. It also is implementing technology of wire rod production from the 1000 series of aluminum alloys, which have extraordinary electrical conductivity.

The main challenge for the engineers working on the implementation of this type of material is defining the final properties of the wire rod. This is due to the fact that most of the new materials are not defined by the properties of rolled metal, but by the properties of the prepared wire.

Therefore, one has to produce not only the wire rod, but one has to develop technology for the processing of wires of the required properties. AT2 and AT4 heat-resistant wires are designed to working at high operating temperatures, up to 150°C (AT2) and 230°C (AT4). As shown in Fig. 1. the tensile strength of AT2 wires allows using them for designing homogeneous wire or by using steel wires, the construction of conductors of extremely high strength.

In the case of AT4 wires, tensile strength is close to the corresponding aluminum wires (1370 H19). The property of AT2 and AT4 wires are given in Table 2. Detailed characteristics of wires are available in European standardization9. The materials used for such wires are aluminum alloys containing rare earth metals, such as Zr.

Boryszew S.A. Modern Aluminum Products (NPA) Skawina has more than 60 years of history dating back to the creation of its aluminum smelter in 1954. The company started producing 1350 and 1370 grade aluminum wire rod using two Continuus Properzi CCR lines. As a result of economic changes and the growth of environmental requirements in the 1980s, the smelting process in Skawina was closed. The existing CCR lines were incorporated into a new company, which now is known as NPA. In the absence of liquid metal from the electrorefining process, the company started production of aluminum rod based on external supplies of aluminum in the form of blocks and ingots. This situation, for financial reasons, forced the development of production technology of aluminum alloys.

Since 1990, the company has modified and upgraded the existing CCR lines, which allowed starting production of the 6000 series of aluminum alloy wire rods. In 2013, the company successively developed and implemented Material / Values the production of wire Parameter AT2 AT4 rod from AT1 and AT3 (IEC 62004) (IEC 62004) heat-resistant aluminum Tensile strength, [MPa] 225-248 159-169 alloys, 6000 series wire Resistivity at 20 oC, [nΩm] 31.347 29.726 alloys for AL2 to AL7 wires, as well as rod for Constant-mass temperature coefficient of 0.0036 0.0038 AL59 wires. At the same resistance, 10-6 [1/°C] time—together with the Allowable continuous operating temperature, 150 230 development of alloys for [°C] the production of power industry wires—the com- Table 2. The properties of the selected wires for producing HTLS conductors.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

four parts. The materials used for the construction of homogeneous wires are located in the upper left area of the graph. The materials used in the carrier core wires (bimetallic wires) are in the lower areas of the diagram. The list of properties also indicates directions for research on materials intended for the wires used in power lines. The first direction is for aluminum alloys for the production of homogeneous wires, i.e. ,the 6000 series alloys, which have higher tensile strength and lower electrical conductivity. This direction should also include AL59 and AT2 aluminum alloys. The second direction for development is heat-resistant alloys. These have properties similar to aluminum, but their permissible operating temperature (heat resistance) is two or three times higher. The third direction for the development of new materials is to increase their electrical conductivity. Annealed aluminum wires approach this objective, however, that is at the expense of reduced tensile strength. Therefore, it is vital to develop materials with higher electrical conductivity, compared to 1370 alloy wires, and the same or higher strength properties. Due to new regulations and requirements for reducing losses of the power system (in Poland about €400 million per year) the research on aluminum and aluminum alloys wires has currently a great potential for use in the overhead power sector.

[°C]

TECHNICAL PAPER TECHNICAL PAPERS

Parameter

Tensile strength, [MPa] Resistivity at 20 oC, [nΩm] Parameter coefficient of Constant-mass temperature resistance, 10-6 [1/°C] Tensile strength, [MPa] Allowable continuous operating temperature, Resistivity [°C] at 20 oC, [nΩm] Constant-mass temperature coefficient of resistance, 10-6 [1/°C] Allowable continuous operating temperature, [°C]

Material / Values AL7 AL59 (EN 50183) (SS 424 08 13) 255-300 230-250 Material / Values 30.0 29.05 AL7 AL59 0.0036 0.0036 (EN 50183) (SS 424 08 13) 255-300 230-250 80 80 30.0 29.05

Summary of properties for steel and aluminum wires are given in Table 5 and the calculated conductors parameters are presented in Table 6.

The analysis of the de0.0036 0.0036 veloped ACSR and AAAC designs (Tables 5 and 6) 80 80 indicates that using new materials, it is possible to increase the selected paTable 3. The properties of aluminium alloy wires intended for constructing homogerameters of a conductor. neous conductors.

When taking into account the mass of ACSR and AAAC conductors, the Material / Values use of new materials does Parameter AL1 AL1-HC not affect in any way the (EN 60889) (NPA) obtainable value in comTensile strength, [MPa] 160-200 160-200 parison to traditional conMaterial / Values Resistivity at 20 oC, [nΩm] 28.264 27.8 ductors. The behavior of Parameter coefficient of AL1 AL1-HC wires with the same mass Constant-mass temperature 0.004 (EN0.004 60889) (NPA) does not imply changes resistance, 10-6 [1/°C] Tensile strength, [MPa] 160-200 160-200 in construction projects Allowable continuous operating temperature, 80 80 Resistivity [°C] at 20 oC, [nΩm] 28.264 27.8 for power lines in terms of setting or strengthenConstant-mass temperature coefficient of 0.004 0.004 -6 resistance, [1/°C] Table 4. The properties of 10 1000 series aluminium wires with high electrical conductivity. ing of support structures.

Using steel wires with a Allowable continuous operating temperature, 80 80 higher tensile strength [°C] Another interesting material is the AL59 wire. Its propin ACSR conductors, alerties are defined in the SS 424 08 13 Swedish Standard8. lows increasing the breaking strength of a conductor by These wires are used for constructing homogeneous conducca. 8% (RTS of Curlew 162 kN). Replacing standard alutors. Sets of properties of AL59 wires are shown in Table 3. minum wires with AL1-HC reduces conductor resistance The basis for the development of the production techby about 1.6%. Using such conductors (typical phase connology for new aluminum wires (counterparts for stanductor), in the long term, allows for saving huge amounts dard AL1 wires) is to maximize the electrical conductivity of electricity in the power system. When using an AT4 of the material while maintaining the required mechanical conductor, the resistance value increases by about 5%. properties. Table 4 summarizes the properties of develThe advantage of this type of construction is the possibiloped wires, labelled as AL1 – HC (High Conductivity – ity of safe operation at a maximum temperature of 230°C. NPA specification).

The maximum current carrying capacity of an AT4-wired conductor is more than 50% higher than an AL-1 wired Case study for innovative aluminum alloys conductor. In case of a grid failure, such conductors are able to take the load of the damaged line, ensuring the The presentation of practical use of materials took the continuity of work for the power system. The analysed example of the Culrew-type conductor which consists of AAAC conductors have a lower breaking strength (max a wire with a diameter of 3.51 mm. Such construction in 11%), but when compared to the smaller mass of the conits ACSR and ACCC versions is widely used in Poland ductor, this value does not cause significant changes in and Europe in 220-kV and 400-kV lines. For comparithe design of lines using such constructors. The benefison, we have introduced ACSR conductors provided with cial parameter of the homogeneous wiring is its resistance a steel core from standard ST6A wires and an aluminum value, which in analyzed cases was lower by about 10%. braid from the following wires: AL1, AL1-HC (aluminum Using AT2 materials can also increase the load capacity wire) and AT4 (heat-resistant aluminum alloy). For the of the phase conductors by about 25%, but that comes comparison of ACCC conductors, NPA Skawina has used with an increase in the operating temperature of the conwires having high mechanical properties such as: AL7, ductor to 150°C. It is worth mentioning that the major AL59 (aluminum alloy wires) and AT2 (heat-resistant differences between ACSR and AAAC conductors are aluminum alloy). The calculations for the conductor were the elasticity modulus and thermal expansion coefficient. based on parameters used in the methodology included These values affect the distance of the conductor from 11 12 in the standardization of EN 50182 and IEC 61597 .

64 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Table 5.The materials properties used for conductors samples Table 5.The properties used for conductors samples Type materials of conductor ACSR ACSR ACSR Type of conductor construction (material) / construction (material) / parameter parameter

(ST1A / ACSR AL1)/ (ST1A AL1)

(ST1A / ACSR

AL1-HC) (ST1A / AL1-HC)

(ST1A / ACSR AT4)/ (ST1A AT4)

AAAC (AL7) AAAC (AL7)

Properties of ST6C steel wire Properties of ST6C steel wire

The tensile strength of steel 1700 1700 1700 ― The tensile strength wire, [MPa]of steel 1700 1700 1700 ― wire,of[MPa] The strength the steel wire at 1340 1340 1340 ― The strength of the steel wire at 1% elongation, [MPa] 1340 1340 1340 ― 1% elongation, [MPa] Diameter of the steel wire, 3.51 3.51 3.51 ― Diameter of[mm] the steel wire, 3.51 3.51 3.51 ― [mm] in core, [pcs.]

Number of wires 7 7 7 ― 2 Number of wires in core, [pcs.]

7 7 7 ― Cross section of core, [mm ] 67.73 67.73 67.73 ― 2 Cross section of core, [mm ] 67.73 67.73 67.73 ― RTS of core, [kN] 90.76 90.76 90.76 ― RTS of core, [kN] Properties90.76 90.76 90.76 ― of aluminium and aluminium alloy wires of aluminium and aluminium alloy wires The tensile strength Properties of 160 160 162 265 The tensile strength of aluminium wire, [MPa] 160 160 162 265 aluminium wire, The resistivity of [MPa] the wire, 28.264 27.8 29.726 30 The resistivity of [nΩm]the wire, 28.264 27.8 29.726 30 [nΩm] Aluminium wire diameter, 3.51 3.51 3.51 3.51 Aluminium [mm] wire diameter, 3.51 3.51 3.51 3.51 Number[mm] of wires, [pcs.]

54 54 54 61 Number of wires, [pcs.]

54 54 54 61 Cross section of aluminium 522.50 522.50 522.50 590.23 2 Cross section aluminium wires,of[mm ] 522.50 522.50 522.50 590.23 2 wires, [mm ]

AAAC (AL59) AAAC (AL59)

AAAC (AT4) AAAC (AT4)

― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―

― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―

240 240 29.05 29.05 3.51 3.51 61 61 590.23 590.23

241 241 31.347 31.347 3.51 3.51 61 61 590.23 590.23

AAAC (AL59) AAAC (AL59)

AAAC (AT4) AAAC (AT4)

TableTable 5. The 6. materials properties used conductors samples.

The parameters of theforconductors

Table Type 6. Theofparameters ACSR ACSR constructionof the conductors Type of construction (material) / parameter (material) / parameter Linear mass, [kg/km]

(ST1A / ACSR AL1)/ (ST1A AL1) 1975

Linear [kg/km] 1975 RTS ofmass, conductor, [kN] 174.36 RTS of conductor, [kN] 174.36 DC resistance at 20°C, [Ω/km] 0.0553 DC resistance at 20°C, [Ω/km] 0.0553 Operating temperature (Tmax), 80 Operating temperature (Tmax), [°C] 80 [°C] DC resistance at Tmax, [Ω / km] 0.06873 DC resistance at Tmax, [Ω / km] 0.06873

(ST1A / ACSR

AL1-HC) (ST1A / AL1-HC) 1975

1975 174.36 174.36 0.0544 0.0544 80 80 0.0676 0.0676

ACSR (ST1A / ACSR AT4)/ (ST1A AT4) 1975

AAAC (AL7) AAAC (AL7)

1633 1633 1633 1975 1633 1633 1633 175.4 156.4 141.7 142.2 175.4 156.4 141.7 142.2 0.0582 0.0520 0.0504 0.0544 0.0582 0.0520 0.0504 0.0544 230 80 80 150 230 80 80 150 0.10747 0.06461 0.06256 0.08284 0.10747 0.06461 0.06256 0.08284

Table 6. The parameters of the conductors.

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5. Case study for innovative aluminium alloys 5.

Case studyoffor innovative aluminium alloysthe example of the Culrew-type conductor The presentation practical use of materials took The presentation of apractical useaofdiameter materialsoftook example the Culrew-type conductor which consists of wire with 3.51the mm.

Such of construction in its ACSR and the ground in operating conditions and, from this point first course of materials testing and implementation works which consists of a wire with a diameter of 3.51 mm.

Such construction in its ACSR and ACCC versions widely used Poland Europe by in Boryszew 220-kV S.A. and NPA 400-kV lines.

For the of view, they are crucial is in the design of a in power line. andconducted Skawina reduces ACCC is widely in Poland Europe in 1000 220-kV and 400-kV lines.

For the comparison, wemodule have introduced ACSR provided with a steel core while from standard Typical valuesversions for the and theused coefficient forconductors theand resistivity of series aluminum maintaining comparison, we have introduced ACSR conductors provided with a steel core from standard construction Curlew conductor is braid ca. 67.1 GPa the standard mechanical properties.

The second direction of ST6A ofwires andACSR an aluminium from following wires: AL1, AL1-HC (aluminium -6· ۱/°C and for AAAC conductor is ٥۸٫۳ and 19.5 × 10 development for aluminum alloys is associated with the ST6A wires and an aluminium braid from the following wires: AL1, AL1-HC (aluminium wire) For the comparison of ACCC conductors, we and GPa and 23 ×and 10-6AT4 1/°C.(heat-resistant aluminium alloy). production of heat-resistant aluminum alloys – AT2 wire) and AT4 (heat-resistant aluminium alloy).

For the comparison of ACCC conductors, we AT4 acc. to IEC are in accordance have used wires having high mechanical properties such as: 62004.

AL7, These AL59materials (aluminium alloy with the requirements of the power industry, which rehave used wires having high mechanical properties such as: AL7, AL59 (aluminium alloy Summary wires) and AT2 (heat-resistant aluminium alloy). The calculations for the conductor were quires efficiency and safety from energy suppliers. wires) AT2 (heat-resistant aluminium The calculations for the conductor wereThese Design andand production of aluminum aluminum alloyalloy). based on parameters used inorthe methodology included in the standardization of EN 50182 actions are expected to reduce the current losses resulting wire based rods, which have a favorable set ofthe material proper- included in the standardization of EN 50182 on parameters used in methodology from the heating of the wires during their operation [11] and IEC 61597 [12].

Summary of properties for steel and aluminium wires are given in and ties, is aimed at manufacturing new types of wires. The to increase the security of energy supply.

The use of alu[11] and IEC 61597 [12].

Summary of properties for steel and aluminium wires are given in Table 5 and the calculated conductors parameters are presented in Table 6.

Table 5 and the calculated conductors parameters are presented in Table 6.

TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL PAPER minum alloys in conductors facilitates growth of various operating parameters of the power system. Due to a large number of wire types, each choice of the optimal design requires not only an analysis—which takes into account the working conditions of the line—but also a cost-effectiveness study for a given solution.

References 1. F. Kiessling, P. Hefzger, J.F. Nolasco, and U. Kaintzyk; Overhead Power Lines. Planning, Design, Construction, Springer, 2003.

2. T. Knych, Energetyczne przewody napowietrzne, Teoria, materiały, aplikacje, AGH, 2010.

3. K.R. Van Horn, Aluminum Vol. II, Design and Application, American Society For Metals, 1967.

4. R. Thrash, A. Murrah, M. Lancaster and K. Nuckles, Southwire Company Overhead conductor Manual, edition 2, 2007.

5. Statistics for the Polish Power Sector, Agencja Rynku Energii S.A., 2013.

6. EN 60889:2002, Hard-drawn aluminum wire for overhead line conductors, 2002.

7. EN 50183:2000, Conductors for overhead lines.

Aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy wires, 2000.

8. SS 424 08 13, Aluminum alloy wire for stranded conductors for overhead lines – Al 59 wire.

9. IEC 62004, ed1.0, Thermal-resistant aluminum alloy wire for overhead line conductor, 2007.

10. EN 50540:2010, Conductors for overhead lines, Aluminum conductors steel supported (ACSS), 2010.

11. EN 50182:2001, Conductors for overhead lines, Round wire concentric lay stranded conductors, 2001.

12. IEC 61597, ed1.0, Overhead electrical conductors-Calculation methods for stranded bare conductors, 1995.

66 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Ożóg

Wodziński

Uliasz

Mirosław Ożóg is a process engineer at Boryszew S.A., Modern Aluminium Products, Poland. He studied metallurgy with the Nonferrous Metals faculty of AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Poland. Łukasz Wodziński is the head of the Technology and Development Office at Boryszew S.A., Oddzial Nowoczesne Produkty Aluminiowe Skawina, Poland.

He is directly involved in manufacturing, quality and R&D projects. He studied metallurgy with the Nonferrous Metals faculty of AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Poland. Piotr Uliasz is an assistant professor in the Nonferrous Metals faculty of AGH University of Science and Technology. He holds a Ph.D. degree in metallurgy, with a specialty in metalworking from AGH. This paper was presented at the Global Continuous Casting Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2015.

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TECHNICAL PAPERS

TECHNICAL ECHNIC PAPER Management and control strategies for hot rolling emulsions in copper concast lines Producing good rod quality at low operating costs in continuous casting of copper rod requires controlling lubricant parameters such as concentration, conductivity and pH, which can vary at differences between mills in throughput, roll pass design, and roll surface treatment.

By Bruce Calvert

Achieving good rod quality and low operating costs in continuous casting of copper rod depends on many factors. From a lubricant standpoint, these include providing adequate cooling and controlling friction. The control parameters encompass: water quality; concentration; solution appearance; pH; microorganisms; copper content; conductivity; performance additives; and reducing agents.

The following discussion reflects the current thinking about control limits for these parameters and how they relate to performance.

First, a definition of terms in this paper. Emulsion is used herein to describe traditional oil/water dispersions made from emulsifiable oils. No distinction is made between soluble oils and semi-synthetics. Synthetic refers to a rolling oil comprised of water soluble ingredients, an oversimplification but sufficient for this discussion. The terms rolling oil and solution apply to any water-based lubricant used in this application.

Water quality Controlling water quality is the first step in managing lubricant-coolant since it affects many aspects of performance. Within this control parameter, water hardness is important. Cations such as Ca(II) and Mg(II) disrupt the electrostatic repulsion that stabilizes dispersions of oil droplets in water. This alters oil droplet size and destabilizes the emulsion. At some level of water hardness, typically 400-500 ppm, the emulsion splits. The upper control limit (UCL) for water hardness for emulsions is normally 400 ppm. It is recommended that RO (reverse osmosis) makeup water be used in order to minimize the increase in water hardness over time.

Controlling hardness provides more consistent perfor-

Emulsion

Analytical Method TFM

LCL, % 2

Synthetic

Brix, NVM

0.5

Table 1. Concentration control limits.

68 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

mance and extends the life of the lubricant. Synthetic lubricants are more hard water tolerant, a key advantage.

In the same way cations destabilize emulsions (liquid-liquid dispersions) they destabilize foam (air-liquid dispersions). There are significant differences in foam propensity in zero and 100 ppm hardness water. A lower control limit (LCL) for hardness of 50-100 ppm helps control foam, particularly with a fresh lubricant charge. This applies to synthetics as well as emulsions. To meet the LCL, systems are often charged with a mixture of city water and RO water.

The ratio depends on the hardness of the city water.

Microorganisms (microbes) in the water source(s) are another important variable. If appreciable amounts of microbes are present in the water supply, they can reinoculate the system every time water is added. Microbial contamination leads to a myriad of problems discussed below. Periodic checks for microbes and mitigation are recommended.

Consideration should be given to where to take water samples for biological testing. Water in a storage tank may have low levels of microbes, but the same water as it exits a transfer pipe may be contaminated because of biofilms or slime in the pipe. pH variations with water source are not important in most cases. The alkalinity of the lubricant determines the pH of the solution. Chlorides, which affect corrosion, should be less than 30 ppm.

Concentration Concentration is a critical lubricant control parameter because of its effect on friction. Friction regulates mass flow rate and rod profile at each stand, pressure distribution in the pass, and inter-stand tension and slip, all of which impact roll life and rod quality. Control limits for concentration are presented in Table 1. These are soft limits or starting points. Control limits vary between mills because friction UCL, % appetite varies. The optimum concentration, 3 which is determined empirically, depends on the surface of the rolls, throughput (tons/hr), 2.0 and roll pass design (forward slip and tension factors).

TFM (total fatty matter) is the standard

WJI: What is behind the shift from soluble oils to synthetic lubricants for copper rod rolling?

Calvert: In the lubricants world, there are few parallels with the rapid shift from soluble oils to synthetics in copper rod rolling. The shift has been driven by advantages in roll life, rod quality, and operating costs. The advantages result from better cooling efficiency among other things. In addition to cooling efficiency, true synthetic oils are not subject to changes in particle size that occur with soluble oils. When the particle size of an emulsion changes as a result of water hardness, for example, lubricity changes, which can upset the tension balance in the mill. It also shortens the life of the lubricant. In addition, synthetics

are less reactive and therefore run cleaner; they generally operate at lower concentration and make-up rates; they reject tramp oil better; and they are easier to filter. Nevertheless, there are still mills around the world that run best on emulsifiable oils.

WJI: What's the key to choosing the best lubricant solution?

Calvert:Various continuous casting millsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Southwire, SMS, and Properziâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;place different demands on the lubricant. When you factor in differences in throughput (tons/ hr); the layout of the plant; roll pass design; roll surface treatment; spray manifolds, pressures, and flow rates; filtration; and whether it is a central system or separate roughing mill and finishing mill circulating oil systems,

measure of concentration for emulsions while Brix (refractometer) and NVM (non-volatile matter) are the standard measures for synthetics. It can be challenging to accurately measure the concentration of synthetics at low concentrations, particularly in the presence of alcohol.

Dual systems, i.e., separate roughing mill and finish mill lubricant circulating systems, afford another level of control and ability to optimize performance. In the majority of cases, lubricant concentration is higher in the finish mill than in the roughing mill.

Ingredients in the lubricant deplete or degrade with time.

Understanding depletion rates of components in the lubricant enables engineering lubricants for more consistent performance and lower consumption. The concentration of individual ingredients can be determined using analytical methods such as LC, GC-MS, NMR and MALDI. Changes in physical properties, such as surface tension, as well as performance. are also useful in gauging depletion.

Differences in depletion rate of individual components point to the need for steady addition of fresh lubricant.

Continuous, metered addition is ideal.

Lubricant concentration also affects cooling rate. Increasing concentration decreases cooling rate, which impacts performance in several ways. In addition to the obvious effect on thermal stress on roll surfaces, cooling rate affects pressure in the rod-roll contact, elongation or spread, and oxide scale exfoliation from the bar.

Typical quench curves for emulsion and synthetic rolling oils are shown in Fig. 1. In this comparison, temperature is plotted versus time. The quench data were obtained using an IVF SmartQuench device shown in Fig. 2.

it is clear why no one lubricant or set of lubricant parameters is necessarily optimum Calvert for every mill. There are also differences in rod quality expectations or requirements. There is some truth then to the adage that every mill is different. With so many interactive process steps and dependent variables, it takes a lot of experience to operate a mill successfully: knowledge is at a premium.

Questions? Contact the author at brucecalvert@richardsapex.com.

One measure of cooling efficiency is the time it takes in the test to cool from 860oC to 600oC. Another measure of cooling efficiency is the maximum cooling rate, which is the first derivative of temperature/time.

In general, synthetics are better coolants than emulsions.

In the comparison in Fig. 1, it took twice as long for the emulsion to cool to 600oC as the synthetic. This is borne out in field observations. Bar temperatures are noticeably cooler when a synthetic lubricant is substituted for an emulsion. It is often necessary to adjust lubricant flow rates to the spray headers or increase bar entry temperature or both when switching to a synthetic to compensate for increased cooling efficiency.

Alcohol addition also affects cooling rate. Alcohols can

Fig 1. Example of quench curves for emulsion and synthetic rolling oils.

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noteworthy in this paper

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Fig 2. ivf SmartQuench test equipment.

Fig 3. Thermal cracking of roll surface.

increase or decrease the cooling rate depending on the intrinsic cooling properties of the solution.

An example of heat initiated cracking of a roughing mill roll is shown in Fig. 3. The damaging effects of thermal stress can be reduced by shot peening the rolls, which leaves a residual compressive stress on the roll surface.

working fluids. The contact is said to be starved when the rate of oil pooling is slower than the rate of rate of lubricant entrainment in the contact.

True synthetics, which are theoretically clear solutions, afford a new window of observation. For example, turbidity and sediment are evidence of various forms of contamination as well as suspended copper oxide particles. Microscopic examination of the size, morphology, and surface texture of copper oxide particles provides information about oxide formation, exfoliation, and filtration.

Lastly, a simple shake test provides an indication of foam propensity, including whether there has been a change. Foam occurs when defoamers are depleted or exhausted, or the system is contaminated. Proprietary tests have been developed to assess foaming under conditions of high air entrainment such as generated by high pressure de-scaling nozzles. The pressure drop across the nozzles releases dissolved gases in solution, the primary source of entrained air in this application.

Solution appearance The appearance of a rolling oil solution provides information about the condition of the lubricant, such as the particle size and stability of an emulsion. The larger the particle size and looser the emulsion, the creamier the appearance. Lubricant suppliers use different qualitative emulsion rating schemes to characterize particle size. In addition, particle size and size distribution can be quantified using dynamic light scattering (DLS).

Fig. 4 shows the particle size and size distribution of a generic rolling oil emulsion determined using DLS. The average particle size of the oil droplets in this example is approximately 20 microns (200 nm). There can be more than one average particle size and size distribution in a rolling oil solution.

Oil droplet size and stability are important since they affect oil pooling at the inlet to the rod-roll contact or bite.

This is fundamental to lubrication with water-based metal-

pH range

The target pH range of the solution is 8.5 to 9.5 depending on the lubricant and supplier. pH control limits are more relevant to emulsions since pH affects emulsion particle size and stability. Higher pH favors a tighter emulsion (smaller oil droplet size). Synthetics are more pH tolerant. Consistent performance has been achieved with synthetics over a range of pH from 7 to 10.

A significant drop in pH, which is concerning because of corrosion, if nothing else, is often an indication of microbial attack. Microbes release C1-C6 organic acids as metabolites. Triazine and other alkaline biocides often serve dual purposes: to buffer pH as well as kill bacteria.

In most cases, routine pH adjustment is not necessary unless Fig 4. Particle size of a rolling oil emulsion measured by DLS. 70 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Solution

Number of Culturable Species

A

6

Microorganisms

Specific Bacteria Bacillus, brevundimonas vesicularis, alcaligenes faecalis, geotrichum

B 4 Bacillus, burkholderia cepacia Microorganisms (microbes) C 3 Bacillus, pseudomonas stutzeri are a never ending problem with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, shewanella water-based metalworking fluD 7 putrefaciens, vrevundimonas vesicularis ids, and there is no ideal solution.

Bacteria are essential to every ecosystem and have survived Table 2. Culturable bacteria in four solution samples. for 3.6 billion years. Even the cleanest systems are susceptible to contamination. Compounding Ideal Incubation UCL the problem is a lack of underTemperature standing and a shrinking list of Bacteria 10^5 37C approved biocides.

Fungi 10^3 25C The temperature, pH, and nutrients in water-based metalworking fluids provide good growth Table 3. Control limits for bacteria and fungi. conditions for microorganisms.

It is not surprising that signifuble copper in emulsions affects performance and should icant numbers of microbes are found in used rolling oil be kept below 50 ppm. If necessary, soluble copper can be solutions. Normally more than one microbe species is prescontrolled using additives. ent in a solution. A survey of four fouled systems showed The amount of solid copper oxide particles in a volume as many as seven species of bacteria in a single sample. Reof solution is a measure of filtration efficiency, which sults are shown in Table 2. If uncontrolled, microorganisms is a function of the filter system and flow scheme in the can cause: loss of fluid function and reduced lubricant life, mill.

In particular, if oxide scale is sheared by circulating filtration problems, foam, corrosion, odor and dermatitis. pumps before reaching the filter, the scale may become The UCL for bacteria and fungi are shown in Table 3. colloidal in size, making it difficult to remove by filtraDip slides are the standard test for bacteria and fungi. tion and sedimentation.

Copper oxide particles can act as Dip slide tests should be done at the mill since microbes wear debris, reducing roll life. In systems with good filcan grow rapidly in samples sent off-site for analysis. Fast tration, the copper content in synthetics is <25 ppm. growing bacteria reproduce every 20 minutes under ideal conditions. Dip slide tests should be run for five days to alConductivity low for slower growing bacteria. 37°C is the recommendConductivity affects corrosion. It also affects emulsion ed incubation temperature for bacteria, 25°C for fungi. Be particle size and life expectancy. The UCL for conductivalert to corroborative indicators of microbial attack, such as ity for corrosion reasons is 7,000 to 10,000 μS/cm. Cona drop in pH and odor. ductivity is a function of the total dissolved solids (TDS), Microbes prefer to anchor to surfaces (sessile cells) rather primarily sodium salts from make-up water and lubricant. than be free-floating (planktonic cells). Once attached, they A conductivity of 800 μS/cm corresponds to approximately excrete an exopolymer that forms a protective matrix or 500 ppm TDS in a typical solution. For reference, the U.S. biofilm. Dip slide tests, which measure planktonic active EPA maximum contamination level for drinking water is cells, can be misleading.

500 ppm TDS. Biofilms are difficult to remove and often hidden from view. Most biocides are ineffective against biofilms. If not removed, biofilms can continuously reinoculate the sysPerformance additives tem. This has implications for cleanouts when recharging Rolling oils contain ferrous and nonferrous corrosion a system. Seek expert advice when developing a strategy inhibitors among other additives. Triazoles, which are to control microbes. commonly used, have a unique affinity for copper and

Copper content Most copper in synthetic rolling oils is present as solid copper oxide particles; there is very little soluble copper (<10 ppm). On the other hand, emulsion-type rolling oils contain substantial amounts of soluble (ionic) copper. Sol-

are multi-functional. They react with the copper surface to form protective, chemisorbed films and chelate soluble copper. The LCL for triazoles is 100 ppm; the UCL is 600 ppm. It may be necessary to add triazole separately to maintain concentration within the control limits.

JUNE 2016 | 71

TECHNICAL PAPERS

ethanol, which forms acetic acid in the redox reaction with copper oxide, is added to the rolling oil solution as a reducing agent.

TECHNICAL PAPER TECHNICAL PAPERS

Figure 6 - Copper Pickup on Rolls Caused by Too Much Alcohol

Conclusions

Fig. 6. Copper pickup on rolls caused by too much alcohol.

The success of good rod quality and low operating costs in continuous casting of copper rod requires controlling lubricant parameters such as concentration, conductivity, and pH. Control limits for these parameters vary because of differences between mills in throughput, roll pass design, and roll surface treatment. Control limits are optimized empirically.

Synthetic rolling oils have largely replaced emulsifiable oils because of better overall performance. There are fundamental differences between the control parameters for synthetic lubricants and emulsions as well as some challenges. One of the challenges is compensating for the higher cooling efficiency of synthetic lubricants.

Conclusions

The success of good rod quality and low operating costs in continuous casting of

Reducing agents copper rod requires controlling lubricant parameters such as concentration, conductivity, ethanollimits is sometimes added to the andIPA pH.orControl for these parameters varyrolling becauseoil ofsoludifferences between mills in

Bruce Calvert joined RichardsApex as director of R&D in 2011. Previously, he was research director industrial specialties and business director for lubricants and oilfield chemicals for ICI-Croda. Prior to that, he was department manager, chemical assets, for Mobil. His career is compensating for the higher cooling efficiency of synthetic lubricants.

Calvert began at the Central Research Laboratory of Mobil Oil. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois. This paper was presented at the Global Continuous Casting Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2015. tion to reduce oxides in the finished rod. The concentrathroughput, roll pass design, and roll surface treatment. tion of alcohol in solution is typically 0.3% to 0.8%Control and limits are optimized is best measured by gas chromatography (GC). Depending empirically. on the geographic region and source, it is also important to Synthetic rolling have largely periodically verify theoils composition of replaced the neat emulsifiable alcohol by oils because of better GC. In addition to reducing oxides, alcohol affects overall performance. There are fundamental differences friction, between the control parameters increasing traction. Adding too much alcohol can result in for synthetic lubricants and emulsions as well as some challenges. One of the challenges copper pickup on the rolls as shown in Fig. 6.

12

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excellent labor-savings in the field, it also offers inventory management saving the contractor from having to procure and arrange delivery of all the individual components required to wire the space.

Contact: American Cable Systems, www.afcweb.com.

Copper-plated show’ blender used to celebrate 50,000 sales mark this year U.S.-based Maguire Products, Inc., copper-plated a version of the company’s MicroBlender™, the smallest model in its range of blenders, for display earlier this year at Chinaplas 2016.

A press release said that the special model was made to inaugurate the 50,000 sale of a Maguire® gravimetric blender. The celebratory blender will be on display at local events around the world as the company’s agents and their customers mark the milestone sale. The picture shows Steve Maguire, the company president and founder, who designed the first blender in 1989, with the copper-plated model.

The Maguire system holds batch accuracy to within +/- 0.1%, said Frank Kavanagh, the company’s vice president of sales, who noted that the it was the first gravimetric batch blender that was affordable and easy

U.K.-based Metalube Ltd.,’s Inoxol™ family of high-performance lubricants are specifically designed for the wet drawing of stainless steel wire.

Per the company, the Inoxol range allows manufacturers to produce consistently bright wire combined with extremely high die life. The range is designed to draw wire from 3.0 mm down to 0.1 mm. The lubricant provides:

to operate system for precisely controlling the composition of a raw material blend. “Throughout the industry it has generated substantial savings in material costs and increases in product quality. In combination with control systems and software developed by Maguire, the blender has also made advanced capabilities readily accessible to a wide range of processors, including lot-to-lot accountability and documentation, extrusion yield control, and factory automation.”

Contact: Maguire Products, Inc., www.maguire.com.

optimum boundary lubrication to provide outstanding surface finish on drawn wire; a high level of anti-wear additives to ensure maximum protection to wire dies and drawing cones; excellent resistance to thermal and oxidative degradation extends service life; and low viscosity aids separation of stainless steel fines and pumpability.

JUNE 2016 | 79

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

2 high-performance lubricants excel for drawing stainless steel wire

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

The Inoxol range includes Inoxol 1711, a premium grade drawing oil for fine steel wire (2.0 mm to 0.1 mm) with synthetic additives for improved lubricating film strength and outstanding extreme pressure and anti-wear properties. It excels at lower temperatures and includes extreme pressure/temperature additives that provide excellent drawing performance and can significantly extend die life. It also contains special additives to minimize thermal and oxidative degradation of the oil, extending the service life, reducing both the quantity of oil consumed and the cost of waste oil disposal. The improved lubricity benefits also produce an exceptionally bright surface finish.

Inoxol 9000 is a premium grade drawing oil for medium-fine steel wire (3.0 mm to 0.5 mm) with high viscosity for better lubrication at high temperatures. It can be used as supplied for medium-fine wire or in conjunction with Inoxol 1711 to act as a performance booster.

Contact: Metalube Ltd., tel. 44-161-7757771, post@ metalube.co., www.metalube.co.uk.

LSV sensors provide precision speed, flexibility and immediate results Swiss-based Zumbach Electronic AG, represented in the U.S. by Zumbach Electronics Corp., reports that its line of LSV 1000/2000 velocimeters provide essential data that can help companies reduce waste.

A press release said that precise knowledge of length and current speed is a key cost and process optimization factor in the production of cables. Wear and slip push material costs up, which is where Zumbachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LSV 1000/2000 velocimeters can help. They can support manufacturers when monitoring quality in wire and cable production. They exceed the performance of conventional contact-based measuring methods, at the same time offering maximum robustness with minimized maintenance requirements and costs.

The compact device provides length and velocity data quickly and reliably for both process control and cut-to-

80 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

length applications.

Precise detection of very small movements is possible.

The compact allin-one system can be easily integrated into production processes.

The visible lasers simplify alignment in the measuring field.

Recalibration is superfluous. Its low weight of just 4.3 kg and the supplied mobility kit allow rapid mobile deployment as well as the connection to a laptop. The sensors are immediately ready for use and feature a universal power supply and a LAN connection.

The LSV length and speed sensors can be used in a huge array of environments. They are robust enough to supply reliable results even in adverse conditions. They are certified for protection classes IP 66 and IP 67 (in accordance with EN 60529), the robust sensor technology ensures reliable operation even under harsh conditions. A rapid, state-of-the-art signal processor is equipped with a powerful command system for efficient system communication via serial or Ethernet interface.

Contact: Zumbach Electronics Corp., tel. 914-2417080, sales@zumbach.com, www.zumbach.com,

MEDIA New website makes is simpler than ever for cable compound customers U.S.-based Teknor Apex Company, one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading custom compounders, has launched a new

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

WAI OPERATIONS SUMMIT & WIRE EXPO 2014

PRODUCTS & MEDIA

location around the website that makes it world, including ISO easy for plastics prodcertifications. ucts manufacturers to N discover the company’s “We have designed quality facturing where a small scratch or nick can be an unacAir-cooled extruder provides N capabilitiesceptable for solving defect. The result is the Surface Inspector, which this new website to flow of insulation vulcanizing line O problems and creating comes in two models, the SI3100 and SI4100. providefor manufacturers new productThe opportuniAt wire Düsseldorf,with Maillefer presented Surface Inspector provides the operator with ready access to an air-cooled O extruder, model MXI that of provides 300 kg/h output ties. up-to-the-second digital image feedback of the current the150, wealth resourcO with a low melt temperature. jacket, bar es available from TeA press release saidor water soluble tape quality on any producO tion line. This continuous stream of real time informaknor Apex for helping that the new www.

O tion–especially the failure images–allows the operator them solve problems teknorapex.com puts to isolate causes of jacket imperfections and water solO or develop new oppordesigners and procesfolds. This result allows you to identify the tunities,” said Teknor sors arounduble thetape world O causes of surface defects and customer comApex President William J. Murray. “It exemplifies in touch with a company renowned for prevents technological O or rejects. our company’s intensively customer-centric way of depth and plaints customer service. Site visitors have access P the Surface Inspector, you can capture images of business and our commitment to providing doing to extensiveUsing information on the company’s flexible your printed cable, save the images to disk and print them P solutions through innovation and technical support.” and rigid PVC, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), nylon, out to include in your quality reporting both internally P and flame retardant compounds, as well as color Teknor Apex has created a database of thousands and to your customers. The Surface Inspector’s display concentrates.

P of compound formulations and developed market also makes it easy for engineering and production MFL Groupsuper . . . . . . . . .in . . industries . . . . . . . . . 529 Mossberg Associates Inc . . . . . . . . . 444 expertise for sectors that include wire The user-friendly website provides visitors with: P visors to examine the defect.

MGS Manufacturing IncIn . . addition . . . . . . . . 103 Mossberg Industries and cable. to its thermoplastic com- Inc . . . . . . . . . . 421 a direct lineDefect to technical experts, access to technilocations can also be recorded, this will allow P Co .and . . . .colorants, . . . . . . . . . 132 Nextrom (USA) Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 pounds Teknor Apex supplies calencal data sheets, downloadable for further analysis ofprocessing the defectsguides, later on.Micro TheProducts Surface P dered ester-based “white” papers, webinars, product selection tools,Mid-South a Inspector will catch defects on the wires before they reach Wire . . PVC . . . . . .film, . . . . .plasticizers, . . . . 110 Nextrom Oy .lubricants, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 P andCorp a leading consumer andEndex industrial “Pellets toyour Parts” blog with customers or the fail latest in the Teknor field. Apex Morgan-Koch . . . . . . .brand . . . . . .of . 127 Niehoff North America Inc . . . 317 P hoses. innovationsContact: and the Craig latest Girdwood, news and upcoming events.

The unit ensures good medium-voltage cable durability Taymer International, Inc., The site also informationext. on 232, everycraig.girdwood@taymer.com, Teknor Apex due to the homogenous melt, resulting in high insulation tel.has 905-479-2614, Contact: Teknor Apex, www.teknorapex.com. quality. The MXI 150, which is easy to operate and www.taymer.com.

Visit us at Wire Expo Visit us at Wire Exp has low maintenance needs, is booth # 531 part of the company’s medium voltage catenary continuous vulcanizing line, EPL 30/Enter.

EPL 30/Enter is a compact quality solution for more sustainable production. It offers affordable investment that is easy to start Quick, simple and cost effective to and maintain in different producoperate, our new ST40 cold welder tion environments. joins non ferrous material up to a The Maillefer medium-voltmaximum width of 45mm (1.772") age catenary vulcanizing line is and a maximum cross sectional area designed for continuous insulation of XLPE insulated cable of 33mm2 (0.0514"2). cores. The conductor is insulated Find out more at www.pwmltd.co.uk by proven XLPE extruders and triple crossheads. The combinaPressure Welding Machines Ltd tion of the advanced Autocure Tel: +44 (0) 1233 820847 line control system, triple crossEmail: pwm@btinternet.com head and X-ray dimensional North America inquiries: measurement provides the possiTel: 774-991-0504 Email: joe@jsnee.com bility to minimize start-up scrap and material over-consumption during your cable production run.

Contact: Jorma Leppänen, Maillefer, tel. 358-40-504 8308, jorma.leppanen@maillefer.net, www.maillefernet. n

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JUNE 2016 | 81 52 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

40 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Patent Update PATENTS

(Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d. from p. 22)

Bonding structure of bonding wire U.S. Patent No.: 9,331,049 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: July 10, 2009 Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumikin Materials Co., Ltd., Japan Inventors: Tomohiro Uno, Takashi Yamada, Atsuo Ikeda A wiring substrate includes a core, a first wiring layer formed on a first surface of the core, a second wiring layer formed on a second surface of the core, and an electronic component partially accommodated in the cavity and including a projected portion projected from the first opening of the core. A first insulating layer covers a side surface of the electronic component and the first surface of the core and fills a portion of the cavity. A second insulating layer covers the first insulating layer. A third insulating layer covers the second surface of the core.

The remainder of the cavity that is not filled with the first insulating layer is filled with the third insulating layer.

Electrical cable resistant to fire, water and mechanical stresses U.S. Patent No.: 9,330,818 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: July 3, 2013 Assignee: Prysmian SpA, Italy Inventors: Antonio Scaglione, Carlo Soccal, Alessandro Mazzucato, Ricardo Bucci An electrical cable includes at least one conductor and a barrier arranged externally to the at least one conductor.

The barrier includes two first layers including an inorganic material and a second layer including a polymer-metal composite material, the second layer being interposed between the two first layers. The electrical cable also includes, in an intermediate position between the at least one conductor and the barrier, solely discontinuous layers and/or layers of non-thermally-collapsible materials.

82 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

Enameled flat wire U.S. Patent No.: 9,330,817 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: March 24, 2014 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Masayoshi Goto An enameled flat wire includes a flat wire and an enamel coating. The difference in thickness of the enamel coating on flat surfaces between a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness is equal to or less than 25% of the predetermined thickness. The enamel coating prior to baking includes a maximum surface curvature on each of the rounded corners of the wire, and a depression on at least one of the flat surfaces of the wire, the depression has a maximum surface curvature. The maximum surface curvature of the depression is larger than the maximum surface curvature of the enamel coating prior to baking on at least one of the rounded corners thereof.

Insulated electric wire U.S. Patent No.: 9,330,814 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: July 16, 2013 Assignees: Denso Corporation, Unimac Ltd., Japan Inventors: Tomokazu Hisada, Yuki Amano, Kazuomi Hirai, Yumi Kawachi, Masatoshi Narita, Tatsumi Hirano, Futoshi Kanemitsu, Yasunari Ashida According to one embodiment, an insulated electric wire is disclosed. The insulated electric wire includes a conductor and an insulating film formed on the conductor, the insulating film including a first layer of a first polyamideimide containing an adhesion improver, a second layer of a second polyamideimide obtained by reacting an isocyanate component containing 10 to 70 mol % in total of 2,4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and dimer acid diisocyanate react with an acid component formed on the first layer, and a third layer of a polyimide formed on the second layer.

Method of producing substrate and superconducting wire U.S. Patent No.: 9,306,147 Patent date: April 5, 2016 Filed: June 15, 2010 Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Japan Inventors: Hajime Ota, Masaya Konishi, Takashi Yamaguchi The present invention relates to a method of producing

Drop cable 9,329,351 May 3, 2016 Filed: June 25, 2014 Corning Optical Communications, U.S. George Abernathy, Riley Freeland, Christopher Quinn, David Seddon, Kenneth Temple, Jr. A drop cable includes a jacket, first and second support members, and at least one optical fiber. The jacket has a oval-shaped cavity defined therein, where the minor dimension of the cavity is as small as about 0.25 mm and wherein the major dimension of the cavity is in a range of 0.25 mm to 10 mm. The first and second support members are arranged on opposing sides of the cavity and run generally longitudinally. The optical fiber is within the cavity and has a length greater than a length of the drop cable.

Further, the optical fiber is in a substantially serpentine configuration in the cavity, where the serpentine configuration is substantially along a plane defined by a major axis of the oval-shape of the cavity.

U.S. Patent No.: Patent date: Assignee: Inventors:

Device and process for continuously cleaning surface of molybdenum wire at high temperature U.S. Patent No.: 9,328,425 Patent date: May 3, 2016 Filed: August 10, 2011 Assignee: Chengdu Hongbo Industrial Co., Ltd., China Inventors: Qingchun He, Qi Zhou, Jian Li A device for cleaning the surface of a molybdenum wire

at high temperature, comprises a wire pay-off mechanism, a first wire guiding wheel, a cleaning mechanism, a second wire guiding wheel, and a wire take-up mechanism; wherein the two ends of a furnace body of the cleaning mechanism are provided with an inlet hole and an outlet hole for the molybdenum wire. Electrodes connected to a power supply are provided at the inlet hole and in a central part inside the furnace body. An upper part of the furnace body is provided with a gas outlet and a lower part thereof is provided with a wet hydrogen inlet; a heating section is formed between the electrode located at the inlet hole and the electrode located in the central part, and a cooling section is formed between the electrode located in the central part and the outlet hole.

Differential transmission cable and multipair differential transmission cable U.S. Patent No.: 9,324,479 Patent date: April 26, 2016 Filed: July 9, 2014 Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Japan Inventor: Takahiro Sugiyama A differential transmission cable includes a pair of inner conductors; an insulator that separately or integrally covers the pair of inner conductors; an outer conductor disposed around the insulator; a wrapping tape wound around the outer conductor; and a drain wire disposed outside of the wrapping tape, the drain wire being electrically connected to the outer conductor for grounding the outer conductor.

High-speed data cable with shield connection U.S. Patent No.: 9,324,478 Patent date: April 26, 2016 Filed: August 29, 2013 Assignee: Spectra7 Microsystems (Ireland) Limited, Ireland Inventors: John Horan, David McGowan, Padraig McDaid A high speed cable with terminating assemblies at the respective ends of the cable includes a ground wire, one

JUNE 2016 | 83

PATENTS

a substrate, including the steps of preparing a substrate having a nickel layer formed on a copper layer through plating, subjecting the nickel layer to thermal treatment at 800-1000.degree. C., and epitaxial-growing an intermediate layer on the nickel layer, after the step of subjecting the nickel layer to thermal treatment. According to the present invention, there can be provided a substrate that allows the orientation and flatness at the surface of a nickel layer to be improved, and a method of producing the substrate.

CHINA or more signal wires, and a conductive layer enclosing the ground wire and the country signal wires.

The ground as well “the growth of any is possible only if wire the number asofthe signal wires and the conductive layer extend into employed persons grows” is satisfied, India will bethe terminating assemblies, eachserve of which corresponding the next territory that weinmust intensively with our inductive are coupled between conductive equipmentelements and technology.

Of course, thethe basic infralayer and the wire. each terminating assembly, structures areground presently notInsuffi cient and not adequate to permit harmonious growth of conductive this giant. Carmelo the groundthe wire is shunted to the layer by Maria Brocato, Continuus-Properzi. inductive elements, thus providing added low frequency connectivity in the cable, while at the same time blocking China is and will remain thethat mostmay important BRICS high frequency noise energy be present in the member country, despite slowing growth.

Brazilinto, is lookground wire and preventing it from being coupled and ing more like India,the mired in corruption transmitted through, conductive layer. scandals, while India at this point under a new regime holds the most promise. Again, whether the reforms promised by the new government in India lead to rapid growth remains Insulated wirecontinue to have problems and it to be seen.winding Russia will willU.S. take several years to recover from Western-imposed Patent No.: 9,324,476 sanctions.

Not much has been heard from South Africa, Patent date: April 26, 2016 Filed: Feb. 5, 2014 though itAssignee: is now offi cially a member.

Essex Group, Inc., U.S. I think that the BRICS are going to continue to be relevant.

Inventors: Gregory Caudill, Baber Inayat, While the pace of GDP growth may slow for a few years Allan Knerr, Jason Stephens, due to political and socio-economic factors or sanctions, Koji Nishibuchi, Marvin DeTar, etc., these remain temporary roadblocks at best. As 40% Joonhee Lee,inWon of the world’s population resides theseLee, countries, it is Bogdan Gronowski inevitable that at some point in the future they will produce Insulated winding wiresof and associated methods and consume the majority the world’s output.

Rahul for Sachdev,winding Wire & wires Plasticare Machinery. forming described. A winding wire may include a conductor and insulation formed around faced The economic and political distresses in 2014 theRussia conductor. insulation may provide a partial disbut now the situation may be back to normal in a very

SOUTH AFRICA charge inception voltage greater than approximately 1,000 volts time. and a India dielectric short is a strength greater than approximately 10,000 volts.

Additionally, the insulation may be capable huge country, a place of withstanding a relicontinuous operating temperature of with a multitude of approximately and 220.degree.

C. without degradation. The gions/cultures, from insulation may include at least one base layer formed an industrial point of view it’sannot possible to of the conductor, and an extrudaround outer periphery generalize into a single ed thermoplastic layer formed around the base layer. The evaluation.

What is include cerextruded layer may at least one of polyetherethertain is that Indiaorispolyaryletherketone a land ketone (PEEK) (PAEK). that has thousands of opportunities, as does—to a lesser extent and all the Metal and metallized differences considered fiber hybrid wire —South Africa.No.: CompaU.S. Patent 9,324,472 Bellina nies in Patent South African are 26, 2016 Filed: Dec. 29, 2011 date: April focusing on quality and innovation andMaterials, our GroupInc., is layAssignee: Syscom Advanced U.S. ing the groundwork for a big market development there.

Inventor: Jar-Wha Lee Brazil, the world’s sixth largest economy—even though Conductive metal and metallized fiber hybrid wires it is very far from Italy and presents some customs clearare wherein issues—is such wiresa market have a increasingly central memancedisclosed, and trade policies ber and a peripheral member and comprise at least one important for our strategic framework. conductive metallized fiber.

The peripheral member comOne other thought: the BRICS acronym was originally prisesto(i) atne least one conductive metalbyfilament; and (ii) used defi countries characterized a developing optionally,situation, at least one conductive fiber.popThe economic a strong growth metallized in GDP, a large central member comprises at leastnatural one non-metallized ulation, a vast territory and (i) abundant resources.

In 2015, talk conductive of them anymetallized more as “developing fiber; (ii)we at can’t least one fiber; (iii) at countries” but as superpowers that, together with the G7 least one conductive metal filament; or (iv) combinations countries, thereof. dominate the worldwide market. Fabio Bellina, TKT Group.

84 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL MAY 2015 | 37

FEATURE

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ADVER DVERTISERS’ ISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER ............................ PAGE SAMP USA Inc....................................................23 Sanxin Wire Die Inc ...........................................15 Sheaves ..............................................................14 SIKORA AG ..........................................................7 Sjogren Industries Inc ................................. 50-51 Steel Cable Reels...............................................43 Stolberger Inc dba Wardwell Braiding Machine Co .......................................33 August Strecker GmbH & Co KG .....................35 WAFIOS Machinery Corp .................................29 Windak Group ....................................................45 Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp ..........................9 Witels Albert USA Ltd........................................27 Wyrepak Industries .....................................22, 59 Yuen Neng Co Ltd..............................................83

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WIRE ASSOCIATION INT’L ADS WAI Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Interwire 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 WAI Industry Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86-87

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ASIA/WAI

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EUROPE

U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark & Scandinavia Jennie Franks David Franks & Co. Tel/fax: 44-1223-360472 franksco@btopenworld.com Germany, Austria, & Switzerland Dagmar Melcher Media Service Int. Tel: 49-8801-914682 Fax: 49-8801-914683 dmelcher@t-online.de

88 | WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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