wiredinUSA September 2011

INDEX

Small cable recycling

Automotive cables lose weight

nkt cables has entered into a contract with 50Hertz Offshore GmbH for supply to the Baltic 2 offshore wind farm. The project will include armored high- voltage subsea cables, accessories and installation. The cables – approximately 60km of 150kV, AC, 3-core – will be manufactured at nkt’s Cologne production facility. Baltic 2 (formerly known as Kriegers Flak) will be situated in the Baltic Sea approximately 32km north of the island of Rügen. 80 windmills with a total capacity of 288MW will cover an area of 27km 2 . It is anticipated that 340,000 households will receive electricity from the wind farm when it becomes operational, sometime during 2013. “We are pleased to continue doing business with 50Hertz Offshore GmbH,” said Thomas Hofman-Bang, president and CEO of NKT Holding, adding: “Baltic 1 was nkt cables’ first subsea cable project out of the new factory in Cologne.” nkt cables lands Baltic 2 submarine project

PKC acquires AEES companies

Italian manufacturer Guidetti has expanded its range of machines for electric cable recycling by adding the WIRE 315. It is the smallest of this series of machinery, said to have been revised and improved over the larger models. The new low-weight (1,200kg) cable recycling plant is designed to be clean and silent in use. According to the manufacturer, its capacity range is between 200kg and 300kg of electric and electronic copper cables aims it at medium to large recyclers with a high industrial concept of its use. High soundproofing, and the collection and filtering of air used in the separation and transport process, means that recyclers can run the plant in any area without creating inconvenience or health hazard to staff or interfering with other manufacturing processes in the same working place. The granulator is equipped with three rotating blades, two stationary blades, and transport and separation of granulated copper from rigid cables. A vibrating dry separator sorts the insulation and copper content and the WIRE 315 is completed by a de-dusting and self-cleaning filtering system to transport and collect the generated dust.

PKC Group, designer and contract manufacturer of wiring harnesses and cabling, has signed an agreement for the purchase of AEES companies. AEES is among leading North American wiring harness manufacturers for heavy and medium duty trucks and it also has a significant position in light vehicle wiring harnesses. In addition, AEES provides components and wires to other contract manufacturers. AEES’ largest customer accounts within the truck industry are said to include Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar and PACCAR, with companies such as Continental, Ford, General Motors, Harley Davidson and Lear among its light industry clients. In 2010, AEES generated net sales of EUR 454 million from its operations in USA, Mexico, Brazil and Ireland and has around 13,800 employees. Harri Suutari, PKC president and CEO, said: “The acquisition hereby provides access to new customer segments and also offers PKC an opportunity to expand its product and service offering via manufacturing of components and wires.”

Cable manufacturer Leoni is offering an alternative solid aluminum conductor to the motor vehicle industry, replacing the common copper cable. The new cable can be shaped in three dimensions and weighs only about half as much as the conventional component connecting the battery to the engine. Of the roughly 3,000mof cable that today’s motor vehicles contain, the connection between the battery and the engine is one of the bulkiest single cables. The potential for saving weight on this component is all the greater when the battery is located in the rear of the vehicle. Leoni has therefore replaced the copper battery cable with a round aluminum busbar, which can be fitted directly on or underneath the vehicle chas- sis. It has a variable diameter depending on the application and is insulated with a halogen-free polyethylene jacket. Depending on the type of vehicle, it can have a length of over 4m and be de- ployed in either a single or twin track version. Leoni showed the new aluminum busbar at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt recently. It weighs just 40 to 60 per cent as much as traditional copper cable. The saving is made possible by the fact that aluminum has significantly less specific gravity than copper.

EUROPE NEWS

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wiredInUSA - September 2011

wiredInUSA - September 2011

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