WCA January 2014

Industry news

Laser systems specialists big in China

Spectrum its customers in China large Western aerospace manufacturers who now have in-country facilities, as well as the majority of China’s domestic aircraft manufacturers, such as Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, Changhe Aircraft Industries, Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation and Xi’an Aircraft Company. Last year it moved to new premises in Pudong, Shanghai, under a new trading status, and from September it became a Foreign Invested Commercial Enterprise (FICE). Spectrum’s new China operation will provide a full service one-stop shop for customers, able to place and receive orders, import and export goods including spare parts that will be stocked locally for fast turnaround to local customers, and deal in local currency. Spectrum Technologies – UK Website : www.spectrumtech.com counts amongst

During this time the company has established itself as a major supplier of wire marking equipment to the aerospace industry in China, as well as to the rest of the world. It has won a number of significant contracts in China, including most recently the contract to supply Shanghai SAIFEI Aviation EWIS Manufacturing Co Ltd (SAIFEI) with a top-of-the-range NovaT laser wire marking system. SAIFEI is a joint venture between Labinal, the French electrical wiring and interconnect systems (EWIS) giant and division of the Safran Group; and Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co Ltd (SAMC), a subsidiary of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). SAIFEI will be the primary supplier of electrical wire harnesses for the COMAC C919 jet. This system will bring the number of Spectrum UV laser wire markers installed in China to 25, in addition to over 140 laser wire stripping products.

SPECTRUM Technologies, a UK-based specialist in the design and development of laser wire processing equipment for the aerospace industry, has had a busy few years in the Chinese market following a number of major contract awards from key aerospace manufacturers in the country. As a result the company is changing its company status to become a FICE and is moving to new larger offices in Shanghai. It has had a presence in China since 2006 when the company opened its first Asia-Pacific office in Hong Kong with one technical sales engineer. In 2009, Spectrum replaced the Hong Kong office with a representative office in Shanghai. The China office now employs a total of four people including a technical sales engineer and sales and marketing assistant in Shanghai, and a technical sales engineer based in Shenzhen, in addition to the Beijing-based service engineer.

Ground-breaking ceremony for Ekiti state cable deployment As part of Ekiti’s digital transformation programme, the Nigerian state’s government has begun laying fibre optic cables in designated areas. Governor Fayemi recently performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the first phase of the project for Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, noting that the project is the outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the government and IPNX Nigeria Ltd in June. He said the exercise, in line with the administration’s initiative of transforming Ekiti into a digital state, is expected to enhance effective Internet connectivity. Due to its capacity for almost limitless data speed, a broadband infrastructure in Ekiti state, based on fibre optics, is expected to transform the way Ekiti residents live and work. The first phase will cover about 8km from the government data centre. Essential services to be provided through the fibre cable will include high speed Internet access to home and offices at an affordable price; wi-fi hotspots; telephone services; video conferencing; cable TV on demand; city security cameras; and e-Education and e-Health services. Ekiti State – Nigeria Website : www.ekiti.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2014