EuroWire January 2007

corporate news

Rothe Erde orders a further ring rolling machine

Innovative – that’s FIB At the heart of award-winning FIB’s business lies the production of heat treatment lines for the steel wire industry, where the company is one of the world’s leading suppliers. Having just collected the Brussels Export Award for 2006, FIB’s range of products in this field includes continuous or batch heat treatment installations, galvanising lines with wiping systems and oil tempering lines. Wires processed on its installations go on to become, among others, tyre cord, springs, lift and crane cables, dry clean hangers, nails and piano wire. The company’s policy of continually researching new and innovative technologies has led to the development of dynamic wiping which allows fine and accurate control of the quantity of zinc on the wire. Continuous galvanising lines have to run at higher and higher speeds and the control of the zinc coating was becoming a critical challenge parameter to master. FIB – Belgium Fax : +32 2 376 37 11 Email : info@fib.be Website : www.fib.be Leoni’s strong sales Leoni AG, Germany, has reported a rise in sales of 35 per cent in the first nine months of 2006, compared with the same period last year. The jump is partly due to new large- scale orders for the company’s wiring systems division from customers in the automotive and commercial vehicle industries. At their peak, these orders amount to more than €400 million. The company’s wire and cable division also made strong gains with sales growing by some 67 per cent, to €815 million. Studer Draht-und Kabelwerk AG, the Switzerland-based special cables company acquired at the end of July 2006, also contributed to the success. With Studer, Leoni AG will expand its position in the market for industrial and transport engineering cables. The company also acquired NBG Fiber-Optic GmbH, Austria, in October 2006.

Rothe Erde manufactures large-sized anti-friction bearings ▲

SMS Eumuco GmbH, Germany, has received an order from Rothe Erde GmbH, part of ThyssenKrupp Technologies, Germany, for the supply of a further ring rolling machine for its manufacturing works in Dortmund. Rothe Erde is a major producer of large- sized anti-friction bearings, such as ball joints and roller-bearing slewing rings, wire-race bearings and seamless-rolled rings of steel and non-ferrous metals. The company will use the new radial-axial ring rolling machine (type RAW 63(80)/63(80)-1250/450) to expand its existing production capacities, to incorporate a planned product range of rings weighing up to around 250 kg. The maximum dimensions of rings produced by the machine are 1,250mm ring outside diameter and 450mm ring height. The new ring rolling machine will form an integral part of a completely new production line, which will be the fourth production facility for rings in Dortmund, Germany. At its Dortmund works and at the Rotek subsidiary works in the USA, the company operates a total of three ring blank presses and four ring rolling machines from SMS Eumuco. A further ring rolling machine of size RAW 200(250)/200(250)-5500/630 is currently being built, for ring production in the

Chinese manufacturing works of XREM, belonging to Rothe Erde, in Xuzhou, China. SMS Eumuco GmbH – Germany Fax : +49 214 734 1000 Email : info@sms-eumuco.de Website : www.sms-eumuco.de Rothe Erde GmbH – Germany Fax : +49 231 186 2500 Email : rotheerde@thyssenkrupp.com Website : www.rotheerde.com 6,000km network Alcatel is to install a new 6,000km optical transport network in Kazakhstan after Kazakhtelecom JSC, the leading service provider in the country, selected the French company to supply the solution to triple play service delivery, including enhanced high-speed Internet access and evolution to IPTV (Internet protocol television). The network will increase the capacity and extend the reach of Kazakhtelecom’s existing infrastructure. The €5m project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2007. The new network will be the longest backbone network to be rolled-out in Central Asia, covering around 133 districts, 10 regional and 14 local departments.

Leoni AG – Germany Fax : +49 911 2023 231 Email : info@leoni.com Website : www.leoni.com

Alcatel – France Email : pressnews@alcatel.com Website : www.alcatel.com

26

EuroWire – January 2007