EoW January 2009

The International Magazine for the Wire and Cable Industries

Happy New Economy?

As we embark on a new year, I wonder how we’ll be viewing the events of the latter half of 2008 – the global financial crisis? One thing is certain. In Autumn 2008 many governments found they had surprisingly long arms; long enough to reach deep into pockets to find billions of pounds, euros and dollars that the taxpayer had never suspected was up for grabs. Let’s hope that this money hasn’t ultimately been thrown into a lost cause, when it could have done so much to, say, provide aid for developing countries, support research into sustainable energy sources, or provide investment in infrastructure and education. For at the same time as the UK government was pumping money into the banking system the vacuum innovator, James Dyson, lost the comparatively paltry government funding he’d been promised to establish the Dyson School of Design Innovation. This project, jointly-funded by the government and the James Dyson Foundation, was to be a school of design and engineering, providing students with the opportunity to work on engineering projects with industry experts. Most engineers and manufacturers won’t have been surprised by the discovery that lending money to make money isn’t a sound basis for national growth. I know that, because over the years I’ve heard so many of them say it. So now is the opportunity to try something new; time to support manufacturing which, incidentally, has been quietly working through its own crisis in recent years without attracting much in the way of national headlines. Innovation, design and trade should be the way forward, with banks and the financial sector relegated to doing what they were always intended to do – providing the finance and backing to fund the growth of the manufacturing sectors. We’ve been bombarded with economic concepts over recent months – sub-prime investment, tier-one capital, subordinated debt, collateralised debt obligation. Here’s another we should be considering – opportunity cost: what could have been

* US$33 purchase only Front cover: Zumbach Electronic AG See page 84 for further details E ditor :....................................... Gill Watson F eatures E ditor (USA) : ........Dorothy Fabian E ditorial assistant : ...............Christian Bradley D esign /P roduction : ..............Julie Tomlin P roduction : .............................Lisa Benjamin S ales M anager : ......................Paul Browne S ales & M arketing : ...............Giuliana Benedetto ( I nternational )

Italian speaking sales Hendrike Morriss German speaking sales Linda Li Chinese speaking sales Jeroo Vandrevala Indian sales

A dvertisement C oordinator : ...........................Liz Hughes A ccounts M anager : ..............Richard Babbedge S ubscriptions : .........................Liz Hughes P ublisher : .................................Caroline Sullens F ounder : ...................................John C Hogg

INTRAS OFFICES

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Tel : +44 1926 334137 Fax : +44 1926 314755

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272 First Avenue, Apt 12G New York, NY 10009, USA Tel : +1 212 614 9266 Fax : +1 212 614 9266 Email : dfabian@rcn.com Jintras Ltd , Jeroo Vandrevala Subarna (Ground Floor) P21/N, Block A, New Alipore Kolkata 700 053, India Tel : +91 33 2407 07 01 Fax : +91 33 2407 07 00 Email : jeroov@vsnl.com Website : www.jintras.com

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achieved if not for the chosen course of action.

US copies only : EuroWire (ISSN No: 1463-2438) is published bi-monthly by INTRAS Ltd and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. Postmaster : send address changes to EuroWire, PO Box 437, Emigsville PA 17318-0437 www.read-eurowire.com © 2009 Intras Ltd, UK ISSN 1463-2438

Gill Watson

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contents

Technical Articles

Advances in High Speed Optical Fibre Colouring

51

By Dr Harri Turunen, Timo Hietaranta, Jukka Mönkkönen, Dr Tim Dougherty, Nextrom (USA) Inc, Conover, North Carolina, USA; and Nextrom OY, Vantaa, Finland

Fortschritte beim Färben von Hochgeschwindigkeits- Lichtwellenleitern

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33

Von Dr Harri Turunen, Timo Hietaranta, Jukka Mönkkönen, Dr Tim Dougherty, Nextrom (USA) Inc, Conover, North Carolina, USA; und Nextrom OY, Vantaa, Finnland Совершенствование технологии высокоскоростной окраски оптического волокна Д-р Харри Турунен, Тимо Хиетаранта, Юкка Мёнккёнен, д-р Тим Догерти, «Некстром (Ю-Эс-Эй) инк», г. Коновер (шт. Северная Каролина, США); и «Некстром ой», г. Вантаа (Финляндия) Progrès dans la coloration des fibres optiques haute vitesse Par Dr Harri Turunen, Timo Hietaranta, Jukka Mönkkönen, Dr Tim Dougherty, Nextrom (États-Unis) Inc, Conover, North Carolina, États-Unis; et Nextrom OY, Vantaa, Finlande Progressi nella colorazione delle fibre ottiche ad alta velocità A cura di Dr Harri Turunen, Timo Hietaranta, Jukka Mönkkönen, Dr Tim Dougherty, Nextrom (USA) Inc,

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68

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Conover, North Carolina, Stati Uniti; e Nextrom OY, Vantaa, Finlandia

Adelantos en la coloración de fibra óptica a alta velocidad Por Dr Harri Turunen, Timo Hietaranta, Jukka Mönkkönen, Dr Tim Dougherty, Nextrom (EE.UU.) Inc, Conover, Carolina del Norte, EE.UU. y Nextrom OY, Vantaa, Finlandia

Содержание на русском языке 60 Ηοвости рьінка 84 Перечень рекламодателей

Deutsch Inhalt 54 Neuigkeiten 84

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Inserentenverzeichnis

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EuroWire – January 2009

Subscribe Now! See our subscription advert on pages 43-44 Show issue wire Russia 2009 Interwire 2009 In The Next Issue GettingTechnical PVC improvement: a new range of eco-compounds Feature On Power cable manufacturing, materials & machinery

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8 Diary of events

10 Corporate News

24 Transatlantic Cable

29 Technology N ews

40 Feature 1:

Wire working (bending forming & welding)

45 Feature 2 :

Wire drawing machines for ferrous & non-ferrous

83 Editorial Index

84 Advertisers’ Index

Français Sommaire 66

Italiano Indice 72

Español Indice 78

Nouvelles du Marché Index des Annonceurs

Notizie del Mercato

Noticias de Mercado Indice de Anunciadores

84

84

84

Indice degli Inserzionisti

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EuroWire – January 2009

dates for your diary . . .

Interwire 2009

May 2009 12–15: wire Russia 2009 – trade exhibition – Moscow, Russia Organisers : Email : info@wire-russia.com Website : www.wire-russia.com June 17–19: Wires & Fasteners Ukraine TDS – trade exhibition – Kiev, Ukraine Organisers : TDS – Expo Email : olga@welding.kiev.ua Website : www.weldexpo.com.ua www.wire-ukraine.com September 18–21: Wire Turkey – trade exhibition – Istanbul, Turkey Organisers : Media Force Fax : +90 212 465 7417 Email : info@mediaforceonline.com Website : www.mediaforceonline.com October 6–8: Metaltech/Tubotech – trade exhibition – Sao Paulo, Brazil Organisers : Grupo Cipa Email : international@cipanet.com.br Website : www.cipanet.com.br 13–15: wire/Tube SE Asia – trade exhibition – Bangkok, Thailand Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf Asia Pte Ltd Email : wire@mda.com.sg Website : www.wire-southeastasia.com November 9–11: 58 th IWCS – technical conference – Charlotte, NC, USA Organisers : IWCS Inc Fax : +1 732 389 0991 Email : admin@iwcs.org Website : www.iwcs.org April 2010 12–16: wire/Tube Düsseldorf – trade exhibition – Düsseldorf, Germany Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf Fax : +49 211 45 6087 7793 Email : wire@messe-duesseldorf.de Website : www.wire.de September TBA: wire China 2010 – trade exhibition – Shanghai, China Organisers : Messe Düsseldorf China Fax : +86 21 5027 8138 Email : wire@mdc.com.cn Website : www.wirechina.net Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Fax : +49 211 4560 7740

April 27-30: Interwire – trade exhibition – Cleveland, USA Organisers : Wire Association International Fax : +1 203 453 8384 Email : info@wirenet.org Website : www.wirenet.org

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

Speaking: Mr Renato Railz, president of Eurolls Group. Sitting, left to right : Mr Giampaolo Bozzetto, president of Cortinovis Machinery and head of the ‘Bergamo’ industrial ▲ ▲ pole of Eurolls Group; Mr Federico Bussola, sales manager of Cortinovis Machinery; Mr Anthony DeRosa, president of Cortinovis America; Mr Raul Pascoareli, president of Cortinovis do Brasil

Eurolls Group’s big day 10 th October 2008 was a big day for the Eurolls Group – a celebration in the town of Valbrembo (Lombardy, Italy) to mark the grand opening of the new headquarters of Cortinovis Machinery and the inauguration of a new industrial pole. Now, three companies of the group, Cortinovis Machinery, Team Meccanica and Vitari,… are working in the same industrial area, improving synergy in production and commercial management. associated firm Cortinovis Machinery is definitely a leading company as for the cable industry, especially referring to rotating machines. “So it seems there is no need for celebrations. But I think that celebrations are always important if they can enhance and improve enthusiasm towards new challenges. into opportunities of new business.“ Eurolls, headed by its president, Mr Renato Railz, began in 1987 in the village of Attimis, near Udine, Italy and twenty years later has grown into an influential worldwide group. By 2008, the group employed around 400 people across several Eurolls firms in the Friuli Venetia Julia region, as well as associated firms all over the world working as production centres and sales offices.

“Today, technology, product innovation and after-sales service are undoubtedly the key words for success, but in twenty-one early years of activity I realised that no project and goals can be achieved without a solid group of people around you, which does not only mean reliable and skilled professionals, but also positive thinking, enthusiastic people. “The results prove that I am right: the three companies of the industrial pole are going to double the sales proceeds of 2007. That is why I wanted this celebration day: to show that a period of general recession can be overcome by hard work and confidence in the future, turning worldwide and fast changes of the market

The parent company is divided into two divisions: one dedicated to the wire sector (for which construction wire is the main product) and the other dedicated to tube. On a worldwide scale, the organisation of the group is divided into seven subsidiaries – Eurolls USA, Eurolls de Mexico, Eurolls do Brasil, Ibereurolls, Cortinovis America, Cortinovis do Brasil and Team Meccanica China – and a large number of sales representatives. Eurolls – Italy

The programme included a conference: “Strategies for addressing global markets and the recession.” Eurolls group president, Mr Renato Railz, welcomed over 200 people (authorities, specialist press, representatives of trade associations and customers) to focus on what he called the ‘ E factor ’ – the enthusiasm that comes from a policy of friendly incorporation, enhancing the specific know-how and identity of each firm while optimising productive and commercial activities with a group strategy. “Eurolls Group has today a sound position on an international scale in the wire, cable and tube sectors; in particular the

Fax : +39 0432 79650 1821 Email : info@eurolls.com Website : www.eurolls.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

www – Welding and Wire Website bedra’s new website offers the market a modern and clearly designed navigation tool to access detailed information about its product portfolio. A new content management system allows for continuous updating of the four product fields of bedra EDM, bedra Welding, bedra Specialities and bedra Electronics. In addition, a wide-range of downloadable product data is available, providing a more robust presentation of solutions and advisory services. A news and service information area covers the latest press releases, product updates and brochures, which can be quickly and easily accessed. Explains Jürgen Ehrentraut, marketing manager of Berkenhoff GmbH, “The new website makes finding relevant information easier and quicker. Anybody who is searching for information on technically complex products does not want to spend much time

Process upgrade for Thyssen Thyssen Krupp Acciai Speciali Terni SpA, has asked Tenova Strip Processing to transfer its stainless steel annealing and pickling line no. 4 from Turin to Terni. In addition to the revamping of the plant as a whole and the process section in particular, the project involves a full furnace upgrade to be handled by Tenova LOI Italimpianti. A third line will provide a top hourly capacity of 50 tons and process coils weighing up to 27 tons, with thicknesses from 2–7mm for hot strip and 2–5mm for cold strip. Work on the project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2009. This project is the third order that Thyssen Krupp has awarded to Tenova Strip Processing over the last two years.

dealing with marketing campaigns and slogans, they simply need quick answers to their questions.“ End user applications and recom- mendations including assistance in using the wire in the fields of bedra Welding and bedra EDM, a detailed company presentation as well as interesting facts about research and development are also available on the website.
 The website provides email links to the responsible individuals in each respective product group or sales area.

Scan this new site Scantron Ltd, specialist in non-contact measuring solutions across industry, has launched a new, easy to navigate website. Searchable by industry or application, the site includes full details of the µSpeed, Wire Line, Quadraline, Extruline, Wire Scan and Wire Lab measurement systems for the wire and cable industry. Scantron Industrial Products Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1823 333684 Website : www.scantronltd.co.uk

Tenova Group – Italy Fax : +39 02 4693026

Email : tenova@tenovagroup.com Website : www.tenovagroup.com

bedra – Germany Website : www.bedra.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

Lefttoright:JonathanButler,LeoButler,JoanButler, ▲ ▲ Thomas Butler, John Burke, and Joanne Butler International recognition for Irish wire forming innovator

advertorial on behalf of T Butler Engineering

Winner of Wire Forming Technology International’s Technical Achievement Award 2008, for his technological innovations in wire forming equipment, Thomas Butler, managing director of T Butler Engineering, developed his first wire forming machine in his parents’ garage in 1988. His design found an immediate market. Prior to designing and developing his own equipment, Thomas worked for a German wire forming machinery manufacturer doing business in Ireland, and later for a UK-based company, before he and his wife, Joan launched T Butler Engineering Ltd (TBE) in County Kilkenny in 1988. The company rapidly gained recognition for its effective use of hydraulics for wire forming, and in 1993 TBE developed software using a standard PLC for open-loop proportional control of servo hydraulic valves. The TBE Multiform machine’s ability to achieve improved process capability was quickly recognised. Research and development is ongoing at TBE. Since the introduction of touch screen programming in 1998, the company has developed its machines with the addition of digital AC servo drives, high-speed feed systems, coiling heads and rotating wire. Today, there are six Multiform models all with CNC feeding, multiple axes, servo winding, servo forming, press attachments, rotating wire, integrated welding, a roll thread attachment, chamfer heads, dual feeds and multi- part capability, operating worldwide to produce complicated wire forms, springs and assemblies in the automotive, appliance, agricultural, construction and medical industries. All of the machine ranges manufactured by TBE provide the capability of manufacturing components in wire sizes ranging from 1.5mm to 10mm. Alcan Cable, part of Alcan Engineered Products – a business unit of Rio Tinto Alcan – has made Stabiloy™ brand wire the first aluminium alloy building wire available in China. Stabiloy is designed for residential, commercial, power utility, industrial and institutional market applications. “We are excited to offer Stabiloy building wire to the Chinese market,” said Ian Hewett, president of Alcan Cable. “Stabiloy is a proven and reliable alternative to copper feeder conductors and [we believe] delivers significant cost savings.” Stabiloy aluminium alloy building wire is lightweight and flexible, translating directly into ease of installation. Stabiloy’s alloy is formulated specifically for electrical feeder conductor applications in residential and commercial buildings.

Thomas Butler, managing director of award-winning TBE ▲ ▲

Thomas Butler designs, engineers and writes the wire forming software as well as managing the shop floor. His dedication to performance and quality has brought the company a long way since its inception and, although TBE has grown, Thomas and Joan Butler have ensured that this same dedication has been maintained among all members of the TBE organisation.

T Butler Engineering Ltd Fiddown, Piltown, Co Kilkenny Republic of Ireland Fax : +353 51 643721 Email : info@tbe.ie Website : www.tbe.ie

Alcan Cable launches Stabiloy™ aluminium alloy cable in China

Alcan Cable’s newest manufacturing plant is currently under construction in the Tianjin Airport Industrial Park, with operations dedicated to Stabiloy aluminium alloy building wire scheduled to begin in early 2009. Stabiloy aluminium alloy building wire has been installed in thousands of projects throughout North America for many years. Alcan Cable also operates six manufacturing facilities in the US and Canada, and has been manufacturing aluminium cable in North America for over 100 years.

Rio Tinto Alcan – Canada Fax : +1 514 848 8115 Email : alcancable@alcan.com Website : www.cable.alcan.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

Looking to the East

In a move designed to significantly benefit its Eastern European customers and prospects, Atkin Automation has enhanced its website to offer Russian, Polish, German and French language options. Atkin Automation, an international supplier of coil handling equipment and systems, is also offering a selection of pre-owned Atkin and BHP coil handling equipment that can be viewed and ordered through the website. The company believes that in the current world economic climate some companies will need to purchase pre-owned and refurbished equipment, priced to meet their reduced capital equipment budgets. “Interest in Atkin Automation products from Eastern Europe has grown significantly over the last year or so, meaning the development of a multi-lingual website was very important,” explained managing director, Chris Ward. He continued, “While many companies in other parts of the world are finding it nearly impossible to obtain budget for new capital equipment purchases, we felt it was appropriate to include pre-owned and refurbished equipment on the website.”

Atkin Automation coil handling equipment ▲ ▲

“These initiatives are designed to encourage the growth of interest from Eastern Europe, whilst giving companies operating on a limited budget a greater number of capital equipment purchase options.” Atkin Automation Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1842 763614

Email : sales@atkinautomation.com Website : www.atkinautomation.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

Eurodraw integrated with OM Lesmo

Eurodraw Energy SpA, a manufacturer of drawing machines for non-ferrous wires and believed to be the first company to produce rod breakdown machines with slip control system (where capstans are driven by electronically synchronised individual motors), was acquired by OM Lesmo in 2002. Eurodraw Energy and OM Lesmo are now fully integrated wire mill departments, from rod breakdown to bunching/stranding machines, supplying high quality machines and technical support for the high efficiency production of electrical conductors.

Wire drawing lines fromOM Lesmo ▲ ▲

The Eurodraw Energy brand includes: rod breakdown lines, single and twin wire, for Al, Cu and • alloy wires. DC or AC motor driven and electronically geared intermediate drawing lines for Cu and Al wires • fine wire drawing lines, single and multiwires for up to 40 Cu • wires and 24 Al wires very fine wire drawing lines, single and multiwire for up to • 24 Cu wires All RBD lines are supplied with wire slip control technology (all motor driven capstans) and a fast wire diameter changing system. Special models are available with different capstan

diameters and numbers, as well as with different lubrication systems for special Al and Cu alloy wires. They can be equipped with an annealer, single or dual rod/ wire coil pay-offs, basket coiler or static/dynamic spooler with automatic changeover and drawing emulsion treatment.

OM Lesmo SpA – Italy Fax : +39 039 6981148

Email : omlesmo@omlesmo.com Website : www.omlesmo.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

Contract for Brazil tyre cord facility

With six strands and a casting radius of 10.25m, the continuous caster produces square billets in the section sizes 130 x 130mm and 155 x 155mm. The caster is equipped with mould stirrers and a hydraulic compact oscillation system. The scope of the order comprises the supply of the complete mechanical and electrical equipment and auto- mation for Levels 1 and 2, as well as training, supervision of erection and commissioning. With this order, ArcelorMittal Brasil SA has already ordered the fourth succes- sive ladle furnace from Concast. The continuous caster will represent the latest state of the art in the group’s facilities for the production of wire for tyre carcasses.

ArcelorMittal Brasil SA, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has placed an order with Concast AG, Switzerland, a company of the SMS group, for the supply of a secondary- metallurgy centre and a continuous caster for the production of SBQ billets (special bar quality) for the manufacture of wire for tyres (tyre cord). Commissioning is scheduled for June 2010. The facilities to be supplied, a ladle furnace and a continuous caster, will be incorporated into the existing integrated iron and steel works at Monlevade, Brazil. This will serve to increase the present capacity of 1.2 million tons to 2.4 million tons of liquid steel per annum. A wire-rod rolling mill connected to the continuous caster has also been ordered, from SMS Meer. The ladle furnace, with a capacity of 130t and a 24 MVA transformer, allows a heating rate of around 4.5°C/min. service provider, to supply a seamless next generation network as part of its transformation to all-IP. Alcatel-Lucent’s end-to-end solution will enable eircom to offer innovative triple play services such as IPTV and converged communications services to both its residential and enterprise customers. eircom is expecting to improve its time to market while reducing its operational expenses through the simplification and optimisation of the new converged infrastructure. Phase One of the project, covering the major nodes in Dublin, is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2008. from eircom is being driven by innovative content offerings such as international sports broadcasts available from satellite operators. By transforming its network, eircom will have access to programming choices that are not available through traditional terrestrial broadcasting stations in Ireland. Demand for new services

Concast AG – Switzerland Fax : +41 44 202 81 22 Email : sales@concast.ch Website : www.concast.net

Alcatel – Lucent selected for eircom’s all-IP network Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by eircom, Ireland’s largest fixed-line

Alcatel-Lucent will deploy its Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA), enabling eircom to accelerate its IP transformation and to deliver a range of advanced, personalised multimedia services combining voice, data and video. responsible for the overall project management, maintenance and network integration, including OSS consulting and software integration services for eircom’s network. As part of its TPSDA, Alcatel-Lucent will provide eircom with an IP/MPLS core and edge multiservice network solution based on its 7750 Service Router, 7450 Ethernet Service Switch and 5750 Subscriber Service Controller. eircom has also selected Alcatel-Lucent’s broadband access solutions based on its 7302 ISAM and its 8950 Service Fulfilment (SF) for the end-to-end provisioning of triple play services. Alcatel-Lucent currently deploys its TPSDA with more than 50 operators. Alcatel-Lucent is also

Alcatel-Lucent – France Website : www.alcatel-lucent.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

clean wire after drawing

William L (Bill) Mathiasen

Bill started Mathiasen Machinery Inc, a supplier of used wire and cable equipment, in 1983 and grew the company from a home operation to its current 16,000 sq ft complex in East Haddam, Connecticut. He turned the company over to sons, Mark and Mike, in 1996, and enjoyed golf and travel during his retirement in Connecticut and Florida. Bill was a Charter Member of the New England Wire & Cable Club (now Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance) and received that organisation’sDistinguished Career Award in 1993. He was an active member of the Wire Association International, and the International Wire & Machinery Association. Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret Mathiasen, three sons and three daughters. Wire & Cable Manufacturers Alliance – USA Fax : +1 860 873 3281 Email : mrcdm@snet.net Website : www.wcmainc.org Pelican Wire ESOP After 40 years as a family owned business, Pelican Wire Company Inc has formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The initiative was one of the last actions of the company’s founder, Larry Bill, who passed away in April 2008 after an extended illness. “It was always Larry’s dream to give the company back to the employees that had made it successful,” said Theresa Bill, Larry’s widow and life long business partner. Theodore (Ted) Bill, company president, explained,“The company benefits directly with significant tax breaks, but the big winner in all of this is the employee. They actually earn shares in the company, at no cost, which are redeemable for cash on retirement.” According to a 2000 Rutgers study, sales in ESOP companies were 2.3% greater than similar non-ESOP companies, while aWashington State study in 1998 showed that employees in ESOP companies have 2.5 times the retirement assets as employees in non-ESOP companies.

With sadness, the Wire and Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance has announced the passing of William L (Bill) Mathiasen, founder of Mathiasen Machinery Inc, who died on 7 th October 2008 aged 77, from complications following open- heart surgery. In 1953, Bill joined Syncro Machine Co, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as a machine builder. Later he was promoted to field service engineer. In 1967 he left Syncro and went to work for Hudson Wire Co, Ossining, New York, where he worked as plant engineer. In 1969 he took a position with Anaconda Wire & Cable at the corporate headquarters in New York City. When Anaconda closed the corporate office in New York, Bill was transferred to Marion, Indiana as plant maintenance supervisor. After a short stay he was offered a position with Gavlick Machinery in Bristol, Connecticut in time becoming vice president with responsibility for the international wire and cable market covering South America, Mexico and Europe. During 2008, Esteves Group invested heavily in its China factory to increase its level of service and expand the product range. Esteves (Shanghai) is now able to provide diamond dies from 10 microns in diameter. The Esteves factory in China is dedicated to serve the Asian customers. The Esteves Group has recently enhanced the customer technical support area by adding new engineers, part of the service oriented philosophy of the company. With more than 100 years of experience, the Esteves Group produces a comprehensive range of products: diamond dies for drawing, stranding, compacting, shaving and tube calibrating, tungsten carbide (round and shaped) special tooling including extrusion tools and die reconditioning equipment. Esteves Group – Spain Email : sales@estevesgroup.com Website : www.estevesgroup.com Esteves Group in China

candor

can do wire equipment

Electrolytic plating ◆ Candojet hot water cleaning ◆ Electrolytic & Ultrasonic ◆ degreasing Welding wire cleaning and ◆ copper coating Pickling & phosphating ◆

CANDOR SwedenAB Tel: +46 11 21 75 00 Email: info@candorsweden.com Fax: +46 11 12 63 12 Website: www.candorsweden.com

PelicanWire Company – USA Fax : +1 239 597 9783 Email : sales@pelicanwire.com Website : www.pelicanwire.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

New Niehoff plant at Schwabach

Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co KG is building a completely new plant at the company’s headquarters in Schwabach near Nuremberg, Germany. The mid-September groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of the development. The company’s departments will be relocated in three stages. The first phase of construction will include the new locations for assembly, test stand, trials, shipping, paint shop and apprentices workshop. The first construction stage, which has been started, comprises a production area of 17,000m 2 and production-related offices of 1,500m 2 . The company is investing €25 million, not including the property purchase, in this first construction phase. Dependent upon future business conditions, the company is planning a second phase of construction consisting of a further 8,000m 2 production area. The forthcoming headquarters relocation in Schwabach is a further contribution to the company’s capacity expansion. Spacious shop floors with optimally designed workplaces will enable a more efficient organisation of

Left to right: Arnd Willmann (architecture office Reindl & Partner, Nuremberg), Heinz Rockenhäuser (president ▲ ▲ of Maschinenfabrik Niehoff), Matthias Thürauf (mayor of Schwabach), Hans-Hermann Kroher, delegate of the shareholder families Niehoff and Kroher, Dr. Michael Schwarzer (chairman of the supervisory board), Richard Schwager (finance director and economic counsellor of Schwabach)

for Niehoff in Germany. Niehoff group worldwide comprises five subsidiaries and four representative and service offices with about 250 employees. Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co KG – Germany

process flows and savings for material handling and order processing. The new plant will include a new state-of-the-art paint finishing system. This new investment aims at increasing the company’s competitiveness, which is no longer possible at its present site, and at reducing lead times, especially in high demand conditions. Over 400 employees, plus more than forty apprentices, work

Fax : +49 9122 977 155 Email : info@niehoff.de Website : www.niehoff.de

New Istanbul office Sikora AG opened a new sales office in Istanbul on 1 st January 2009, its ninth sales location, in reaction to the increasing demand for Sikora measuring systems. The Istanbul office will place Sikora in a position to react faster to customer requests and to further expand its business in Turkey. Sikora has been working with the International Trade Consultancy (ITC) since July 1997 and follows the extremely positive business development in the Turkish market with the setting up of its own office. “We are proud to announce the forthcoming opening of an additional office in Turkey,” commented Harry Prunk, chairman of Sikora AG. “What is crucial is the closeness to customers and the further expansion of our sales activities in and around Istanbul. We see strong growth potential, in particular in the East European and Asian regions, which we want to generate for our measuring and control devices solutions,” he explained. Head of the Sikora office in Istanbul is Ajda Sariguelle, after an intensive six months of training in Bremen. Mrs Sariguelle has great experience in the field of administration and sales. Sikora AG – Germany Fax : +49 421 48900 90 Email : sales@sikora.net Website : www.sikora.net

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

Tata Steel looks to buy wire firms Tata Steel is said to be looking to acquire wire manufacturing companies in Europe to boost the capacity of Corus. Anglo-Dutch steel-maker Corus, which was acquired by the Tata Group company, manufactures wire rods. A senior executive of Tata Steel said the move is in tandem with the group’s plan to become the third largest player in the wires segment. Tata Steel has been following a new strategy, where the primary product is manufactured closer to the rawmaterial site, while the finished product will be closer to the market. The wire division is a strategic business unit of Tata Steel and the company also operates a subsidiary in Sri Lanka. Tata Steel’s Tarapur and Jamshedpur plants together manufacture 300,000 tons of wire, which is being increased to 450,000 tons. “The capacity increase would be completed by the first quarter of the next financial year,”said the executive. Tata Steel’s global wire business is run by entities such as Tata Steel Wire Division, India, The Siam Industrial Wire, Thailand, Wuxi Jinyang Metal Products, China, Indian Steel and Wire Products, India, and Lanka Special Steel, Sri Lanka.

Decatur ETFE expansion

Sir technology Rautomead Ltd and a founder of the business in 1978, has appointed Brian Frame as the company’s new managing director. Rautomead’s field is the development of continuous casting equipment for the production of non-ferrous metals, with over 300 Rautomead continuous casting installations in service in 47 countries around the world. Speaking of the appointment, Sir Michael Nairn said: “I am delighted to welcome Brian Frame to Rautomead. He has a strong technical background with international experience and comes to Rautomead fromTexol Technical Solution plc, where he has been managing director for the past eight years.” specialists, Daikin America Inc has announced its newest plant expansion for ETFE polymer capacity will be located in Decatur, Alabama, doubling its current capacity and creating at least 25 new jobs in the Decatur area. ETFE (Ethylene TetraFluoroEthylene copolymer) is a strategic resin in wire and cable, in chemical and low vapour permeation, and in light, transparent protective film applications. ETFE’s cut-through and abrasion resistance makes it an ideal resin for wire insulation for airframe, military, and ‘ down hole ’ oil field applications. Its resistance to chemical attack and good barrier properties make ETFE an option for low gas permeation applications. Its high transparency to light and UV and its weatherability make ETFE useful in film applications such as Photovoltaic cell protection. ETFE use is increasing in mass transit cabling, and select automotive applications. Engineering for the new unit has begun and construction will be completed by first quarter of 2010. Daikin America – USA Website : www.daikin-america.com Michael Nairn, chairman of Scottish-based continuous casting

Tata Steel – India Website : www.tatasteel.com

NewMD for Scotland’s Rautomead

Brian Frame is Rautomead’s newMD ▲ ▲

Rautomead – UK Fax : +44 1382 622941

Email : sales@rautomead.com Website : www.rautomead.co.uk

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EuroWire – January 2009

english corporate news

AlliedWire relocation

Patent proves its worth

Rad–Con Inc, a manufacturer of industrial furnaces since 1966, has moved its corporate offices to Lake- wood, Ohio USA, from its previous location in nearby Bay Village. The space has been configured to accommodate Rad–Con’s growing staff of engineers and programmers, as well as to consolidate its warehouse activities. Rad-Con’s business also involves increasing efficiencies of annealing facilities through software models. Its CAPS™ software predicts furnace heating and cooling performance, and directs the batch scheduling accordingly. The result is said to be a significant improvement in throughput while reducing utility costs and improving quality. CAPS™ is regularly supplied as an add-on for a variety of OEM furnace brands. Rad–Con moves to Lakewood

A patent secured by a small Welsh company has proved its worth in a legal battle against steel giant Corus. The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that Corus infringed a valid patent owned by Qual-Chem; a move which forced the company to close. The company’s former managing director, Keith Harris, brought the case against Tata. The ruling has left Corus with a liability to pay compensation and a legal bill of over £1m. The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys commented that Keith Harris’s foresight in obtaining patent protection for his invention was the key to him winning the case against Corus. “This case shows that, with a strong patent and the right legal team, small companies can take on big multinationals and win.“ Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys – UK Website : www.cipa.org.uk

The distributor, Allied Wire & Cable, has relocated its Wisconsin office and warehouse from Elkhorn, WI to a larger 20,000 sq ft facility in Pewaukee, WI. The new space allows for the addition of machines and employees while leaving room for future expansion. “We are proud that we are moving to a larger facility. We will be adding additional equipment and stock to help better service our valued customers. It is very exciting that in less than two years, we have outgrown the Elkhorn plant,” said Hans Nelson, sales manager for the Wisconsin division. “This new building is our response to our customers’ biggest need: faster lead times. The company expects shipping to customers in the Midwest and Western states to be even faster than before.” AlliedWire & Cable – USA Fax : +1 800 615 9473 Email : info@awcwire.com Website : www.awcwire.com

Rad-Con Inc – USA Fax : +1 440 871 2948

Email : sales@rad-con.com Website : www.rad-con.com

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EuroWire – January 2009

T ransat lant ic Cable

The Forbes.com writers noted that Asian countries, too, are ❈ ❈ bracing themselves for the presidential election’s impact on US trade policy, and there are prospects for friction here, as well. Mr Obama has suggested that he might push for a revision in the terms of an historic South Korea-US free trade agreement, signed in 2007 but not yet ratified. The pact would abolish most tariffs on goods moving between the two countries and would add tens of billions of dollars to bilateral trade. In his final campaign debate with Senator John McCain, Mr Obama declared that, every year, South Korea exports hundreds of thousands of cars to the US, which in turn sends only a few thousand cars in the other direction. “That is not free trade,” he said. “We’ve got to have a president who is going to be advocating on behalf of American businesses and American workers.” Data supplied by Forbes.com support the contention of unequal trade flow. In 2007, South Korea shipped some 700,000 automobiles to the US and imported 5,000 from there. The assertion of heavy job losses from trade worked to Mr Obama’s advantage in the prelude to the election, as the perception took hold in industrial swing states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Some Democrats have also called for relaxed South Korean restrictions on US steel exports. Introduced on YouTube as “Your Weekly Address from the President-Elect,” the video featuring Barack Obama went online on 15 th November. Mr Obama will be the first US president to utilise YouTube as well as the traditional radio format favoured by another president for hard times: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who employed his ‘fireside chats’ to reach a wide radio audience as he steered the nation through the Great Depression and World War II. On the same day that Mr Obama launched his YouTube series, policy experts, future Cabinet officials, and senior members of his transition team commenced holding video interviews and question-and-answer sessions at the president-elect’s website Change.gov. The comparison between all this accessibility and the guardedness of the George W Bush administration was very striking, and was met with general delight. In telecom circles, the response to the communications-minded incoming president is more measured. Writing in the Washington Post, Cecilia Kang noted that Mr Obama – who famously made the Web a pillar of his successful campaign for the presidency – has championed the idea of an open Internet, or net neutrality. (“TelecomWarily Waits on ‘Wired’ President,” 14 th November) Ms Kang wrote, “It is widely expected that [Mr Obama] will make net neutrality and access to broadband in rural and poor areas a key part of his agenda to close economic divides and help spur job creation.” Telecom What will the Obama ‘Technology and Innovation’ plan mean for the American telecommunications industry?

Trade

Will President Obama favour free trade, protectionism – or neither?

On the day after the election of Barack Obama as the 44 th president of the United States, a three-person team of Forbes.com reporters recalled one of the few gaffes made in the course of Mr Obama’s nearly mistake-free campaign for the office. It came in March 2008, when another senator, Hillary Clinton, was still very much in contention for the Democratic nomination. In a leaked memo, an Obama adviser was disclosed to have assured Canadian officials that his candidate’s protectionist speeches were “more reflective of political manoeuvring than policy.” Predictably, Mr Obama’s political rivals made capital of the forked-tongue memo, although it obviously did him no lasting damage. In speeches he had frequently knocked the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and had even suggested that the US should consider leaving the pact if it could not be renegotiated. The trilateral trade bloc, in effect since 1994, binds Canada, the US, and Mexico in ways that do not wholly satisfy all three signatories, on all points, at all times. Now, Tina Wang, Lionel Laurent, and Andrew Farrell were reviving the memo incident on Forbes.com. They wrote, “[It] highlights the uncertainty around what Obama’s trade policy will be as president. How much of what he has said is campaign rhetoric? How much is deeply held belief? Or is it all a bit of both? Although he frequently took protectionist stances on the campaign trail, there are indications his trade policies could be more centrist in practice.” (“Reading Obama’s Trade Tea Leaves,” 5 th November) The president-elect’s first appointment suggests as much. Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago-area congressman who is to be White House chief of staff, supports expanded trade and would not want the president to govern as a protectionist. And Marco Simoni, a research fellow at the London School of Economics’ European Institute, said that he would not expect an overall rise in protectionism from an Obama administration. But, Mr Simoni told Forbes.com, there could be “maybe some limit to international free trade, and also perhaps a more prudent approach to international movement of capital.” Eloi Laurent, senior economist at the Sciences-Po economic research centre in Paris, warned that Mr Obama’s push for American energy independence could create friction with Europe. “The desire to launch a new ‘green’ economy brings the risk of trade confrontations,” he said. “The automobile sector will be the first battleground.” Mr Laurent told Forbes.com that, with auto makers on both sides of the Atlantic appealing to government for green eco-investment loans, the sector could end up rife with the kind of rivalry seen between Boeing, of the US, and French-based Airbus. The US and Europe have accused each other of illegally aiding their own plane makers, and the acrimony can be expected to mount as the stakes rise in the creation of an ecology-grounded economy.

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EuroWire – January 2009

However, some lawmakers and technology regulators have opposed the idea of an open Internet, or net neutrality, calling it a ‘solution in search of a problem.’ The Federal Communications Commission does not oppose net neutrality, and has in fact attempted to provide broadband service in underserved areas by widening a $7 billion federal programme for phone lines to include broadband. Yet analysts acknowledge that reform has been difficult, even with impetus in both the FCC and Congress. The open Internet may be an elusive goal, even with a new, supportive administration in Washington and proponents in both leading political parties. Having put forth his Technology and Innovation plan during the run-up to Election Day, Mr Obama can be expected to tackle the net neutrality issue head-on. One of Ms Kang’s respondents, a partner in a tech public relations firm, asserted, “He understands that technology has a multiplier effect on the economy and that is something we’ve never needed more [than] right now.” Indeed, when the president-elect inaugurated his version of ❈ ❈ the fireside chat, his transition team had already announced a review of the FCC and appointed co-leaders with impressive credentials. Susan Crawford, a communications law and Internet law professor at the University of Michigan, was until recently on the board of directors of the private sector Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). And Ken Werbach, an assistant professor of legal studies and business ethics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, organises the annual Super- nova technology conference and has served as counsel for new technology policy at the FCC. So, in the matter of the open Internet, Mr Obama apparently means business – and the time is right. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States occupies an inglorious 15 th place in international ranking for broadband access. In a first, Samsung edges out Motorola as the top-selling handset manufacturer in the US Motorola (Schaumburg, Illinois) no longer commands the top spot in US market share for mobile phones, according to a report released 7 th November by Boston-based research firm Strategy Analytics. South Korea’s Samsung, with a market share of 22.4% in the third quarter, has wrested the lead away from the former leader of the pack. Motorola came in for a 21.1% market share in the same period. Writing in the Chicago Tribune , staff reporter Wailin Wong noted the acknowledgment by Motorola that it needs to produce more smartphones. These more sophisticated devices, like the BlackBerry, from Research In Motion (RIM), and Apple’s iPhone, now make up 30% of shipments in the US (“Samsung Topples Motorola From US Cell-Phone Leadership,” 7 th November). “One of the key challenges for Motorola is they don’t have a product in that segment,” Bonny Joy, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, told the Tribune . “They’re not part of the growth segment in North America and they’re paying the price.”

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EuroWire – January 2009

T ransat lant ic Cable

As reported by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the Telstar 11N, built by Space Systems/Loral for Loral Skynet (NewYork), will provide services from 39 high-power Ku-band transponders spread across four different geographic beams in each of North and Central America, Europe, Africa, and the maritime Atlantic Ocean Region.

In October, Motorola’s co-chief executive Sanjay Jha, who took over as head of the mobile phone division only in August, announced an overhaul of the division. The company is scrapping several software platforms in favour of three main systems, including the Google-developed Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. According to Ms Wong, Mr Jha cancelled a number of product launches scheduled for the first half of 2009. As a result, she wrote, “Motorola will face a challenging couple of quarters before its planned release of a Windows Mobile-powered smartphone and an Android phone in the second half of the year.” Total mobile phone shipments in the US reached 47.4 million in the third quarter of 2008, up 6% from a year earlier. Ms Joy, of Strategy Analytics, attributed the bump to wireless service providers and other distributors stocking up on inventory ahead of the holidays. In her view, the pace of growth would likely decline in the fourth quarter as American consumers cut back spending in their tough economy. Elsewhere in telecom . . . Tighter household budgets and attractive options for wireless service are causing Americans in greater numbers to relinquish their traditional landline phones in favour of cell phones. According to a JD Power and Associates survey released in October, some 27% of cell phone customers say their cellular service has replaced landline, which averages about $40 a month per line, for daily calling. Three out of five of these customers have given up their landline service altogether, while the rest retain but do not actively use their wired connections, the study found. As noted by Cox News Service (3 rd October), the shift to wireless has broad implications for both consumers and providers including AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc. Both companies have been deploying new broadband networks and wireless services even as they compete with cable companies for a shrinking pool of landline customers. Chief technology officer John Donovan of AT&T shared that company’s view that, while mobile service is its top priority, old landline networks still have a lot of life left in them. “With technology generally, the later you can deploy, the cheaper and more capable it is,” Mr Donovan told Cox. “So every year we spend billions of dollars rehabbing and upgrading our network. And every day that goes by where we do that, our network gets more capable and more and more future-proof.” The Russian Space Agency said on 31 ❈ ❈ st October that preparations had begun for the launch of a rocket with a US Telstar satellite on board. A Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket equipped with a DM-SLB booster was scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan at the end of December. “A preliminary assessment of the launch facilities at Baikonur was carried out this week in preparation for the launch of the Telstar 11N satellite,” the space agency said in a statement. The Zenit-3SLB is an upgraded three-stage version of the rocket used at Sea Launch’s floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.

Steel

Even before the New Year, American steel makers had begun to cut back production in the economic downturn US Steel (Pittsburgh) announced it was laying off 500 workers ❈ ❈ in the US and 175 in Canada in response to lower demand for steel. The cuts went into effect in the Pittsburgh area and at company plants in the South and Midwest. Also in mid-November, Beta Steel (Portage, Indiana) ❈ ❈ imposed the first of two temporary layoffs, and the entire mini-mill would be shut down mid-December through early January. The producer of hot-rolled bands operates a 700,000 tons-per-year electric arc furnace melt shop and a rolling mill with capacity of 1.1 million tpy. The company was purchased for $350 million on 31 st October by Novolipetsk Steel, Russia’s fourth-largest steel maker by output. Boeing, with troubles of its own, may aid some good customers inconvenienced by the global credit crunch Boeing Co (Chicago) reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the union representing its white-collar engineers. The four-year contract agreement, which must be approved by a majority of the 21,000 members of the union, would avoid a second punishing strike at the plane maker’s plants in the Seattle area. A 58-day strike by its 27,000-member machinists’ union ended 2 nd November. Boeing also said it was pushing back the schedule on the cargo version of its 747 jumbo by up to nine months, a delay attributable at least in part to the diversion of engineering talent to the new 787 Dreamliner, itself about a year and a half behind schedule. The machinists’ work stoppage and supplier problems contributed to a 38% drop in Boeing’s third-quarter earnings to $695 million from the year-earlier $1.11 billion. Despite these difficulties, the company in October announced a handsome offer. As reported by the Chicago Tribune , Boeing CEO Jim McNerney told analysts that the global aviation leader was prepared to step in as banker for airline customers struggling to finance new aircraft in a period of frozen capital markets worldwide. (“Boeing Set to Lend a Hand – and Some Cash – to Strapped Customers,” 22 nd October) Aviation

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EuroWire – January 2006 9