wiredinUSA September 2012

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September 2012 issue - No 15

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$2 BN LINE FROM KANSAS TO INDIANA p9

Pictures: www.cleanlineenergy.com

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#15 EDITOR

Indiana wants me…it’s a classic line from the 1970 US and UK top ten hit by Canadian singer-songwriter R Dean Taylor. It’s also fitting in this issue of wiredInUSA with Houston-based Clean Line Energy Partners building a $2bn, 700-mile transmission line from Kansas to Sullivan County, Indiana, which connects the eastern states. The exact path of the ‘Grain Belt Express’ has yet to be confirmed, but you can catch up with all the news on page 9. Elgin Fastener Group has a new chief operating officer in the form of Michael A Wilson. You can read all about this new appointment on page 16. It was open house in August for Alcan Cable – part of Rio Tinto Alcan – when it opened its new distribution center in Mexico City (page 18), and it was also celebration time south of the border when Gibbs Wire and Steel Company celebrated the first anniversary of its service center in Queretaro, Mexico

(page 11). David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA - September 2012

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Picture : www.sxc.hu Photographer: Mike Gieson

CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT

06 Show Diary From the USA

26 Europe News The latest news from Europe 09 Making the News Industry news from the USA

32 Industry Trade Association Spotlight on awards, education and events 34 Asia & Africa News The latest news from Asia & Africa 40 Products, Machines and Technology The latest news from machine industries

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News Editor David Bell

Advertisement Coordinator Liz Hughes

USA: Danbury Corporate Center, 107 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 06811, USA Tel: +1 203 794 0444 Email: doug@intras.co.uk

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david@wiredinusa.com Features Editor (USA) Dorothy Fabian Features Editor (Europe) Gill Watson Editorial assistant Christian Bradley

Accounts Manager Richard Babbedge Publisher Caroline Sullens - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INTRAS OFFICES Europe:

September2012 issue -No 15

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wiredIn USA

$2 BN LINE FROM KANSAS TO INDIANA p9

Design/Production/ Free Subscription Hélène Phillips

46 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 4HY, UK

#15

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

helene@wiredinusa.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sales & Marketing (International ) Jason Smith jason@wiredinusa.com +44 1926 834 684

Email: read@wiredinusa.com Website: www.wiredinusa.com

PRODUCTS - MACHINES & TECHNOLOGY

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wiredInUSA - September 2012

DIARY SHOW EVENTS

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2012 SEPTEMBER 10-12 Sept: International Manufacturing Technology Show McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA Exhibition www.imts.com

2013 APRIL 23-25 April: Interwire 2013 Atlanta, Georgia, USA Exhibition www.wirenet.org JUNE 25-28 June: wire Russia 2013 Moscow, Russia Exhibition www.wire-russia.com SEPTEMBER 17-19 Sept: wire SE Asia 2013 Bangkok, Thailand Exhibition www.wire-southeastasia.com OCTOBER 8-10 Oct: wire South America São Paulo, Brazil Exhibition www.tubotech-online.de

OCTOBER 3-5 Oct : Spring World 2012 Chicago, Illinois, USA Exhibition www.wireworld.com/events/ NOVEMBER 11-14 Nov: IWCS Providence, Rhode Island, USA Conference www.iwcs.org

wiredInUSA - September 2012

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MAKING THENEWS

Indiana wants power! Houston-based Clean Line Energy Partners plans to build a $2 billion, 700-mile transmission line stretching from Kansas to an existing transmission line in Sullivan County, southwest Indiana, which connects to the eastern states.

manager. Kansas regulators have already granted the company public utility status. The company planned a public meeting in Sullivan County during August , where it was to make a presentation to the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce’s energy management conference in downtown Indianapolis. Clean Line said the transmission line project could facilitate investment of up to $7 billion in new wind farm installations in the plains states. Wind power generation there is restricted because transmission line connections to the east are lacking, Coggin explained. The privately funded project would not allocate construction costs to Indiana ratepayers, and Clean Line would sell the resulting electricity to the utilities.

The precise path of the “Grain Belt Express” trans- mission line is not yet confirmed, but is likely to pass into southwestern Indiana from Illinois. Property negotiations and regulatory approvals are being sought in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. Picture: www.cleanlineenergy.com

Clean Line Energy plans to file with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, before the end of the year, to become recognized as a regulated public utility, said Diana Coggin, project development

wiredInUSA - September 2012

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One year in Mexico

US wire rod price increases Fueled by increasing scrap prices, American-based Nucor and Gerdau Long Steel North America have increased wire rod prices for September by $80 per short ton. Keystone boosted its price by $70 per short ton. Nucor has also increased its rebar H-beam prices by $30–$50 per short ton.

Gibbs Wire & Steel Company has celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of its service center in Queretaro, Mexico. Under the guidance of its general manager, Carlos Navarro, Gibbs has been very successful in the region, and witnessed tremendous growth. In June 2012, Navarro hired a new salesperson to increase the company’s market share inwireand todevelopnew customers in strip within the territory.

Gibbs Wire and Steel has a network of metal service centers, strategically located throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Picture: http://www.sxc.hu Photographer: Laura Leavell

wiredInUSA - September 2012

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Motorized reeler and winder

Fine magnet and enamel wire stripper

Eraser’s model DE600M motorized reeler and winder reels wire or cable withoutoperator fatigueandquickly de-reels large amounts of wires or cables without pulling. The 1/6 HP motor turns the shaft at a constant speed and can handle reels of material up to 75lb. The unit features a handle for manual reeling and de-reeling if required. Reels areeasily loaded and unloaded. Eraser also offers collapsible reelers and de-reelers for producing neat coils of wire and de-reeling hanks or coils of material by reversing the reeling operation.

Eraser’s RT2S fine magne t w i r e stripper will strip film type insulations including Formvar,

ML, enamel, varnish, isonel, and more from 28AWG to 48AWG. The conical wheels rotate at high speed to generate frictional heat, which softens the insulation on the wire. The machine features a strip length stop for consistent strip lengths, a dust take-off port for environmental safety and close-up, multiple-wire stripping capability. The unit alsocleans andpolishes leads of small electronic components and removes oxidation and other contaminants from leads as small as 0.0012'' diameter.

JV to improve distribution reliability

UtilX ® Corporation and Dow Corning Corporation have announced a new business collaboration to help power companiesandcableownerstoimprovethe reliability of power distribution systems. The collaboration is intended to bring together UtilX’s expertise in technologies that extend the life of power cables, with DowCorning’s expertise in material science and silicone manufacturing. As part of the relationship, UtilX will use the Powered by Dow Corning TM brand on packaging, commercial and technical information for all UtilX rejuvenation fluids. Dow Corning will continue to provide UtilX with exclusive use of its cable rejuvenation fluids and act as sole manufacturer of all rejuvenation fluids developed by UtilX. This includes DMDB, the latest CableCURE ® injection fluid.

The extended relationship will help make it more convenient for power utility companies to take advantage of silicone injection technology to assist in extending the life of their power cables and reducing the problem of unscheduled outages. “Our relationship with UtilX has been cultivated over many years – I’m delighted that we can extend this through our new association,” said Patrick McLeod, vice president for Dow Corning Specialty Chemicals. Jack Stel, president & CEO of UtilX, commented: “Todate,UtilXhas rejuvenated more than 100 million feet of unreliable power cable with the CableCURE injection technology and process.”

Wire straightener Eraser’s model WS1 wire straightener is a versatile wire-straightening device for pre-straightening wire before cutting operations. Two or more units may be

joined using the optional kit to providemore effective straightening on problem wires. The maximum wire size is around 3/8'' but is dependent on flexibility and degree of straightness. Bench mount and floor mount stands are available.

wiredInUSA - September 2012

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Cable deal for offshore power

Parker Hannifin Corporation has been awarded a contract by Northwind NV (a joint venture of the Colruyt Group and Aspiravi NV of Belgium) to supply infield array cables, cable accessories and offshore services for the Northwind Offshore Wind Farm, currently under construction on the Bank Zonder Naam off the coast of Zeebrugge. The order includes the design, production and delivery of 51km of 36kV subsea power cables with built-in fiber optic communication lines. The cables, from Parker’s energy products division, will be used to construct the inner array electrical grid for the wind farm, and will connect all 72 of the 3MW wind turbines to an offshore base station. Parker’s energy products division has deep water quayside manufacturing facilities strategically located in both Tønsberg, Norway and in Freeport, Texas, to handle large vessels and load-out operations (direct spooling to vessels) for large scale power cable, umibilicals and mooring projects. Each cable array for the Northwind farm will be spooled onto reels and shipped from Tønsberg during the spring of 2013.

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New COO at Elgin

Elgin Fastener Group has appointed Michael A Wilson to the position of chief operating officer. Wilson brings over 20 years of experience in various aspects of manufacturing and management to EFG. He holds a BS/Mechanical Engineering Technology (Design) degree and MBA/Finance-General Management degree from the University of Cincinnati, as well as membership of the American Society for Quality with Certified Manager of Quality status. EFG CEO Jeff Liter said: “We welcome Mike Wilson to the Elgin Fastener Group, and eagerly anticipate his contributions to our manufacturing and engineering efforts. His knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodology will be extremely beneficial to us as we continue to implement theseprograms inour variousmanufacturing operations.” Elgin Fastener Group is comprised of seven specialist fastener manufacturers (Ohio Rod Products, Leland Powell Fasteners, Chandler Products, Quality Bolt and Screw, Silo Fasteners, Landreth Fastener and Northern Wire); a metal finishing company (Best Metal Finishing); and an international sourcing and engineering division (Elgin Fasteners International).

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FTTH appointment

New distribution center in Mexico City

Alcan Cable, part of Rio Tinto Alcan, hosted an open house in August to celebrate the opening of its new distribution center in Mexico City. The facility will serve as the main sales and distribution center for Alcan Cable de México, manufacturer of Stabiloy ® aluminum alloy cables. “Alcan Cable de México’s new larger distribution center in Mexico City will allow us to more quickly respond to our customers’ increasing cable requirements with better on-time delivery and enhanced customer service and technical support,” said Pete Mir, general manager, Alcan Cable de México. At the open house, guests were able to tour the distribution center and meet Alcan Cable de México personnel and members of Alcan Cable’s US management team. The facility includes additional inventory capacity, redesigned cutting and packaging equipment, and a training center to host customer educational programs about Stabiloy cables. Alcan Cable entered the Mexican market in 1995 and was the first company to introduce 8000 series aluminum alloy type MC (metal clad) cable, and low smoke single-conductor aluminum alloy feeder cable, XHHW-2 LS.

In response to the rapid growth in Fiber to the Home (FTTH) applications in Brazil, AFL, a provider of fiber optic solutions, is expanding its presence in the country. Tony Medeiros has been appointed as new technology consultant and Brazil representative for the company. He will be based in São Paulo, from where he will represent AFL throughout the country. Medeiros has over 25 years of fiber optics experience, including testing, installation and design of optical networks. He has also served as a consultant to the US Department of Defense and US Army 571 st Signal Brigade for KOTNET operations in South Korea. Medeiros holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro with postgraduate studies at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. “In South America, Brazil is truly setting the pace in FTTH deployment. AFL is pleased to be a part of this growth and bring our expertise to new customers in the region,” commented Steve Althoff, EVP and general manager. “Tony has a proven record of using his technical acumen to make a difference in complex projects.”

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Ecuador’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy is looking for an engineering, procurement and construction company to take on a hybrid systemproject on Isabela island, in the Galapagos Archipelago. The project, with financial backing from Germany-based KfW Bankengruppe, will comprise a 1.1MW PV system, a 1.2MW thermal power plant and a 1MW energy storage system. It will supply energy to Isabela island, the largest among the Galapagos islands. South America has been identified as an important emerging market for the solar industry, but with one of the more developed feed-in-tariffs in the area, Ecuador may become a center for solar investment in the coming years. It has already seen an increase in development in the solar sector and in April, Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente announced that it would develop a 25MW PV project in the region. PV firm sought for Galapagos project

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Aircraft wiring scrutiny

President Barack Obama has ordered an expedited permitting and review process for five large solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) projects on public lands, totaling 1.5GW. The projects include NextEra Energy Resource’s McCoy solar energy project, which at 750MW is not only the largest of these projects, but also the largest PV project planned to date for a single site in the United States. The other PVprojects are First Solar Inc’s 350MW Silver State South project, RES Americas Inc’s 200MW Moapa Solar Energy Center and enXco Corporation’s 150MW Desert Harvest solar energy project. Over thepast threeyears, theUSDepartment of the Interior has approved 31 utility-scale renewable energy projects on public lands. “As part of President Obama’s all-of- the-above strategy to expand domestic energy production and strengthen the economy, we are working to advance smart development of renewable energy on our public lands,” said interior secretary Ken Salazar. Solar Reserve’s 100MW Quartzsite CSP project is also included in the expedited permitting process, as are two wind projects totaling 3.42GW. The Obama Administration has set a target datetocompletefederalpermitsandreview decisions for the Quartzsite, Desert Harvest and McCoy plants by December 2012. For the Moapa project the administration has set a date of December 2013, and March 2013 for the Silver State South.

The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) plans to adopt a new airworthiness directive for the Hawker Beechcraft King Air C90GTi. The directive has been prompted by reports of incorrect gauge wires used in certain wiring bundles for the cockpit electrical power for backlighting and instrument panel components. The AD would require replacing incorrect gauge wires in certain electrical power wiring bundles, inspecting associated wiring bundles and components for heat damage, and taking the necessary corrective actions.

President orders expedited review

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September will see the American Wire Producers Association’s Government Affairs Conference in Washington DC. The two-day program (12 th to 14 th ) is designed to provide insight into the government legislation and policy that impacts directly onto trade in general, and the wire trade in particular, as well as offering networking opportunities and committee, board and active member meetings. On Thursday, 13 th September the AWPA will host the third US House Have your say on Capitol Hill

IWCS registration

of Representatives Wire and Wire Products Caucus Briefing and Lunch, on Capitol Hill. AWPA members, legislators who have become Caucus members, and their staff, will attend a Congressional Briefing on important trade issues, including the impact of Chinese trade policies on wire markets. Full details of the conference program, booking, accommodation and transport information can be found on the AWPA website, www.awpa.org

According to John Barteld, IWCS- CEO/Director, the 2012 conference will offer considerably more content than in recent years. Approximately 125 papers will be presented, showcasing the latest technologies in cable design, application, materials and connectivity, and approximately 120 exhibitors will be offering informa- tion on their latest products. The IWCS professional development courses are again set to provide expert instruction on key technologies. The preliminary program is available on the IWCS website. Featured speaker at the 2012 plenary session is Michael T Jones, chief technology advocate for Google.

The IWCS has opened advance registration for the 2012 International Cable • Connectivity Symposium. This year’s event takes place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence,from11 th to14 th November. The link for registration is available on the IWCS website, www.iwcs.org where attendees will also find registration links for the conference hotels. Registering in advance of the conference offers substantial cost savings compared to onsite registration.

wiredInUSA - September 2012

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Setback to Guernsey Electricity cable repair

Picture : www.bigstockphoto.com ‘Spring’ Photographer - ‘ Rafal Steciuk’

will continue to generate the island’s electricity supply locally.” Guernsey Electricity, the sole provider of electrical energy in the island, is wholly owned by the States of Guernsey. Gavin St Pier, treasury and resources minister, said the island would continue to need to generate its own electricity even after the cable was repaired. He said: “Our imports from France through Jersey will be restricted because of the failure of one of the cables between France and Jersey. Our maximum importation will be about 16 megawatts and our peak demand can be up to sort of 80 megawatts. There will be a shortfall that will have to be met by on-island generation, which is more expensive.”

There has been a delay to repairs to the undersea electricity cable link between Guernsey and Jersey. The cable was repaired and relaid on the seabed by a specialist cable ship in early August, but tests of the link found a fault at the Barker’s Quarry substation, where the cable connects to the electricity grid. Bob Beebe, Guernsey Electricity’s operations director, said: “Obviously we are very disappointed that we haven’t been able to reconnect the link. We are moving forward with the work and the next step will be to consult cable specialists ABB about the cause of the failure and how to remedy it. This will cause further delay in bringing the link back on-line and means that we

wiredInUSA - September 2012 EUROPE NEWS

EUROPE NEWS

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Call for cost cuts

A subsidiary of General Cable Corporation, Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke GmbH (NSW), has won the contract to supply 82km of medium-voltage submarine array cables to E.ON’s Humber Gateway offshore wind farm. Delivery of the cables is scheduled for 2013. Thorsten Schwarz, NSW’s MD, commented: “We’re proud of having been chosen by E.ON as the cable supplier for this project. In the last months we’ve continued to expand our subsea cable production facilities based on the expectations that offshore wind will take on the expected importance in the future European electricity generation mix. It is good to see that investors like E.ON continue to prove their commitment to offshore wind by investing in projects here in UK, as well as Sweden and Germany.” The 73 turbine Humber Gateway offshore wind farm, located 8km off the East Yorkshire coast, is expected to generate up to 219MW– enough electricity to power up to 170,000 homes. Cables to the Gateway

Tipperary wind farm

Komax acquisition

Belgian steel wire manufacturer Bekaert plans to make widespread cost reductions after seeing its operating profit plummet by around 65% in the first half of 2012. The collapse in earnings is believed to be due, in part, to a collapse in the solar panel market last year, when profitability for sawing wire products was wiped out by overcapacity. Bekaert, whose wire is also used to reinforce a quarter of the world’s tires, said that the automotive sector also faced slower demand, particularly in Europe. The company, which announced job cuts in February, said it was seeking additional annual savings of $123 million. Bekaert shares have lost three-quarters of their value since an early 2011 peak.

Komax has confirmed an agreement with Hamburg-based investor BPE regarding the acquisition of all interests in TSK Prüfsysteme GmbH of Porta Westfalica, Germany. TSK is a supplier of products and services for electrical and electronic assemblies and components, particularly wire harnesses, with a workforce of around 350. The acquisition will strengthen Komax’s wire business sector. TSK Prüfsysteme GmbH was established in 1983, and wire harness testing systems comprising test modules, measurement systems, test benches and software are its biggest business unit. TSK currently has six production sites worldwide and generates annual sales of around $31 million.

Element Power, owned by Hudson Clean Energy Partners of the US, is planning to build a 36MW wind farm at Monaincha in Tipperary, Ireland. The Irish Times reported that the project will utilize 15 turbines, generating 2.4MW each, and is estimated to cost over €70m. Turbines forma largepart of the investment involved and they are expected to cost at least €30m. Element Power has reportedly chosen Nordex as the preferred turbine supplier. Element Power Ireland chief development officer, Kevin O’Donovan said the turbines selected for Monaincha are designed to operate at lower wind speeds than those generally in use in the country. He added that the company hopes to have the turbines on-site in Tipperary in about 12 months’ time. The Monaincha wind farm will supply electricity to the Irish national grid.

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Cable-laying ship damaged by fire

Zurich chooses homegrown cabling

Export cable lands at Gwynt y Môr

Dominican Republic’s first PV power plant

Zurich is using fiber-optic and copper cabling systems from Datwyler in the conversion and construction of its data centers. Contractor TurnKey Commu- nications AG is deploying the “largely pre-assembled” cables in two data centers, with an estimated total of links of around 10,000. As part of a standardization and consoli- dation initiative, the city’s Zurich Organisa- tion and Informatics (OIZ) group has built a second data center in the metropolitan area, in the industrial area of Hagenholz, to create redundant resources in parallel with those for the existing data center in Albisrieden. TurnKey collaborated with Datwyler in selecting the cables. The 10G-capable copper cabling installed in parallel consists of category 7 type CU 7702 4P data cables and IEC standard- compliant cat. 6a RJ-45 modules, pre- assembled to one end. The other end was terminated on-site. For the termination of the copper cables Datwyler supplied 135 3U sub-racks with 1160 modular six-port front panels and 285 1U panels with 24 ports. Datwyler also supplied 13,300 fiber-optic duplex and 9,100 copper patch cables for the connection of active devices.

Global Marine Systems Energy Ltd (GME) has landed the first export cable at the Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm, situated in Liverpool Bay, off the coast of North Wales. The cable was landed by GME’s recently launched vessel, Cable Enterprise , and is the first of four export cables to be installed at the project site. Each of the export cables are between 18km and 22km in length. Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm is one of the largest currently in construction in Europe and is being built by RWE npower renewables. Once operational, Gwynt y Môr will have an installed capacity of 576MW. The wind farm is due for completion in 2014 with 160 turbines producing enough electricity to supply 400,000 homes. Unlike traditional vessels, the Enterprise is designed to ground on the beach, allowing operations to be carried out to the high water mark, seamlessly continuing the installation where shore- based vehicles finish.

In mid-August a ship built to provide subsea cable laying, the Chamarel , caught fire off Namibia’s Atlantic coast. The fire started as the ship was returning from repairing a Sat3-Safe cable network that stretches between Portugal and Spain to West Africa, and then to India and Malaysia. The Chamarel is owned by France- Telecom Orange and has laid over 100,000km of fiber-optic cables since 1975, including AT&T’s TAT 6 cables between Rhode Island and France and TAT 7 cables between New Jersey and England. The ship has been responsible for repairing any cable breaks in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Cable breakages, often caused by ship anchors and fishing trawlers, tend to occur in shallower waters. Though the Chamarel has been damaged by the fire, the 56 crew members were evacuated without injury. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Isofoton SA and the government of the Dominican Republic have signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Isofoton will now begin construction of one of Latin America’s largest photovoltaic plants – the Dominican Republic’s first such installation. The plant will have a nominal power output of 44MW and a peak power output of 50.6MW. Construction of the plant at La Victoria, 15km from Santo Domingo, is anticipated to begin in September at a cost of $150 million. The environmental benefits are expected to be substantial, since the plant will generate 74,532.61MW/hours of solar power per year, equaling the estimated supply used by 58,411 families. CO 2 emissions will be reduced by 44,014.16 tons per year. Ángel Luis Serrano, Isofoton’s president, commented: “This will be a model plant in the Latin American continent, where the potential for growth in the photovoltaic sector is enormous. Latin America is one of the photovoltaic markets that will drive the use of renewable energy and Isofoton’s plant in the Dominican Republic, together with the one we will be starting up in Ecuador, will be one of the leaders driving this progress.”

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“Orchid” enhanced exhibitor package for wire Southeast Asia 2013

The IWMA has released details of its “Orchid” exhibitor package for the wire Southeast Asia 2013 exhibition which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, 17 th –19 th September 2013. This 12m² enhanced shell scheme package will cost just US$7,000.00 and provides an excellent opportunity for companies to achieve a great stand location within the IWMA block of member companies. Returning to Thailand for the 10 th edition, wire Southeast Asia is the region’s most significant trade exhibition for the wire and cable industries. IWMA “Orchid” exhibitor package features: • Fully carpeted booth

IWMA

Industry partner of wire Southeast Asia 2013 The International Wire and Machinery Association is delighted to be an industry partner of the wire Southeast Asia 2013 exhibition which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand 17 th –19 th September 2013. Returning to Thailand for the 10 th edition, wire Southeast Asia is the region’s most significant trade exhibition for the wire and cable industries. ASEAN represents 600 million people across 10 countries and is strategically located between China and India and has free-trade agreements with both, thus offering international business to an incredible growing market. The steel industry in ASEAN registered a growth rate of 16.8% in 2010 and Southeast Asia is expected to be one of the fastest growing regions in the world with a projected average annual growth rate of 7.6% for the next ten years. For over 15 years, wire Southeast Asia has established a track record of delivering thousands of manufacturers, processors and engineers from some of the world’s leading companies, enabling access to the most senior decision makers from the wire and cable industries.

• Fascia board with name in black • Square table with 3 leather chairs

• 1 power socket 5 Amp/220V plus 3 spotlights • 1 information desk and wastepaper basket Plus.....

• Thai/English interpreter • Daily booth cleaning

• Overnight security for items left on IWMA stand • Free hospitality and beverages on IWMA stand • Free internet service on IWMA stand • IWMA stand with additional interpreter service • Help/local advice/practical experience from IWMA office • No management charge for IWMA members OPTIONAL EXTRAS • Preferential hotel rates at conveniently situated Sheraton Grand Sukhumvit Hotel, Bangkok (subject to availability) • Meet & greet service at airport • Additional fittings/furniture Alternative booth sizes are available as follows: 9m² = US$5,320 15m² = US$8650 16m² = US$9,200 18m² = US$10,310 20m² = US$11,420 24m² = US$13,640 A management fee of £175 (plus UK VAT) will be made for non-members which includes one year’s free IWMA membership. If you wish to book this exclusive package or require more information then please visit www.iwma.org or contact the office on Tel: +44 (0)1926 834680 or Email: info@iwma.org

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Sorry NO INTERNETToday

Picture : Alessandro Paiva

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

Asia’s fastest data cable

Farhat, CEO of private Internet provider Terranet. He says Lebanon is in dire need of a backup cable. Lebanon’s entrepreneurs are known to persevere, even during the depths of war, but its slow and costly Internet service has been embarrassing. Ookla, a company that tests Internet speeds around the world, has often ranked Lebanon last on its global Net Index, and the country has generally been lower down than many less developed nations such as Afghanistan and Burkina Faso. Many blame Internet problems on a policy which allocates 80 percent of the market to the state-owned landline provider Ogero, pushing out private companies. The state monopoly is a significant financier for the treasury, critics say.

During July, Lebanon suffered three days with only patchy Internet connectivity after acrucial fiber opticcablewas severed, 30 miles off the coast of Egypt. Telecoms Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui posted on his Twitter account that nearby Cyprus had agreed to reroute traffic until the cable was repaired. “This will increase the speed back to normal all over Lebanon,” he said. However, Internet in the capital Beirut remained slow, or not working at all, hampering businesses that are already suffering in some places because of the threat of a spillover from the conflict in Syria. “It is like running an engine at less than full power. A three-day outage for Lebanon is like losing 10 percent of the country’s monthly productivity, especially for a service-based economy,” said Khaldoun

ASIA / AFRICA NEWS

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Cable contracts

China steel price fall

POSCO cuts prices

Cable expansion

One of China’s largest wire and cable manufacturing companies, Hu An Cable Holdings Ltd, has secured contracts worth S$20.8 million (around $16.6 million) from China Power Investment Corporation. The group won 25 out of 29 projects put up for tender by the producer, said to be one of China’s top five power generation companies. The contracts, secured by a wholly owned subsidiary, Wuxi Hu An Wire And Cable Co Ltd, are for the delivery of power cables to 25 wind, solar and hydroelectric power plants across China, including the 20MWp grid-connected photovoltaic power plant in Shanshan, Xinjiang and the 30 th wind farm project in Changling, Jilin. The group expects to deliver over 80 percent of the contract value during 2012 and the balance in 2013.

Due to current capacity constraints, Kelani Cables PLC is to extend its existing facility at Kelaniya. “We have identified a 277 perch land which is adjacent to our factory at Kelaniya for expansion,” Mahinda Saranapala, CEO Kelani Cables told the Business Times. He added that the company has already identified the machinery required for the new facility, once the expansion is complete. The company saw its net profit increase by 123 percent last year. “During the year we faced volatility in copper prices in international markets and operational challenges in thedomesticmarket that had an overall adverse impact of our bottom line, such as the escalation of fuel prices, foreign exchange fluctuations, increase in electricity prices and also increased competition,” said Mr Saranapala. Export orders continue to show growth. “In addition to our existing export markets in the Maldives, Bangladesh, India and Japanduring the2011/12 financial year, we initiated negotiations to enter the lucrative Australian household wire market,” Mr Saranapala said, adding that Kelani Cables had also sent trial orders to South Africa during the year.

POSCO Specialty Steel is reported to have cut the domestic prices of austenitic stainless wire rod and bar for August 2012 deliveries in response to a decline in nickel prices, which have decreased below $16,000 per tonne since the middle of July 2012. Meanwhile, data released by the Korea Iron and Steel Association revels that South Korea’s production of bars has fallen by two percent (month-on-month) to 222,400 tons.

Industry analysts view recent announcements of ex-factory price reductions by several Chinese steel producers as possible evidence of an upward turn in the fortunes of the domestic steel industry. Shagang, the largest privately owned steel mill in China, has lowered its prices for wire rodby $18.87 per ton. As a result, Shagang’s price for 6.5mm HRB 235 wire rod has fallen to $572 per ton. Baoshan Iron and Steel Co, China’s third largest steel mill by production capacity, has reduced its ex-factory prices for September orders - the third consecutive month that the company has reduced the price of both hot- and cold-rolled products. Baosteel reduced its flat rolled products prices by between 300 yuan and 500 yuan per ton in its July and August price adjustments, compared to its September cut of between 80 yuan and 180 yuan. According to figures from SteelHome, Chinesemarket prices of rebar andwire rod declined by about 50 yuan per ton since the beginning of August, considerably less than the average monthly decrease of over 300 yuan per ton seen in July.

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CSC to consider price cut

Low take–up of fiber facility

Solar projects for Japan

Iran confirms its power capacity

Iranian minister of energy, Majid Namjou, has stressed that the country has no shortfall in supplying its domestic power needs, and added that Iran generates sufficient electricity to meet the power demands of its neighboring states. He said that export of electricity indicates that the country has satiated its domestic needs and is exporting the surplus. The minister further underlined Iran’s domestic repair and maintenance capabilities, and said all the necessary repair and maintenance operations in its power plants have been carried out by domestic experts. The Iranian energy ministry announced that the country exported 3,949GW/h of electricity in the first four months of the current Iranian year (beginning 20 th March), a 46 percent increase over the same period last year. Iran has power agreements withArmenia, Pakistan,Turkmenistan,Turkey,Azerbaijan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the autonomous region of Nakhichevan.

China Steel Corp (CSC), the largest steelmaker in Taiwan, is reported to have held a meeting with screw manufacturers on 14 th August to discuss its prices for steel wire and bar for October and November deliveries. CSC reduced its list prices of steel wire and bar for September but, apparently, the Taiwanese screw makers have urged CSC to further cut prices as received order volumes from overseas markets have continued to drop. CSC has said it will consider the difficulties that downstream buyers face, and the current market situation, when adjusting its prices.

The Kenyan government has expressed disappointment with the low utilization of a multi-million fiber optic connection in the country. Information Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo has said that a huge investment is “going to waste”, adding that it has not achieved its intended purpose of making Internet services cheaper and more accessible. Speaking in Murang’a town, during a visit to the Murang’a postal corporation of Kenya and county information offices, the PS said most of the established resource centers in the country are not operational. “I am disappointed that the investment that cost the government a lot of money is not benefiting the public as it is supposed to,” he said. Ndemo said the government spent over KSh7 billion to install the fiber optic Internet connection in most of the 47 counties. Hesaid it isawasteofgovernment resources if resource centers are not assisting the public to access information. He directed the government officers concerned to ensure that the resources are operational.

Orix Corp, a Japanese finance and leasing firm, is planning to invest around $680 million in solar power projects over the next three years. Tamaki Shibata, spokeswoman for Orix, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that the company will spend $378 million to build solar power stations with a total capacity of 100MW, and a further $302m will be spent to lease rooftop space from factories and warehouses for the installation of panels to produce another 100MW of capacity. The move follows Japan’s recently introduced incentive program for clean energy, including solar and wind. Bloomberg stated that Shibata also confirmed a report in the Tokyo Shimbun that theOrix Corpmay increase investment to build as much as 400MW of capacity. “We will closely monitor panel and land prices,” she said. Orix Corp is currently developing a 2MW solar plant inKagawaprefecture, expected to begin operations in January 2013.

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UL certification for ferrule

Wire-end conductors with plastic collars provide a gas-tight connection between the wire conductor and the ferrule. A twin wire-end ferrule is also available.

Weidmüller has received worldwide certification for a crimped wire-end ferrule for the North American and Canadian region: the connection as awhole has been certified – not the individual components. Underwriters Laboratories certified the system, which means the wire-end ferrules, together with the hand tools and automatic strippers and crimpers used for the crimping process. UL approval applies to all insulatedwire-end ferrules belonging to the cross-section range 0.25-50mm 2 (AWG 26-1) – excluding the 35mm 2 (AWG 2) cross-section version. The classic wire-end ferrule is a tinned copper sleeve, crimped onto the end of the wire. Wire-end ferrules are used to insert the conductor into a connection or terminal compartment without splitting. Tinning finely stranded wire-ends will not avoid splitting, because the tin solder or the tinned wire conductor will yield under the pressure of the clamping screw. Crimping provides a permanent electrical and mechanical connection between the wire conductor and the crimp contact. In comparison with non-insulated ferrules, wire-end ferrules with plastic collars offer an enhanced level of electrical safety as well as mechanical stability, and standardized color-coded plastic ensures wire conductor cross-sections are easily identifiable.

TPE alternatives

For the first time, Teknor Apex Europe can produce compounds spanning its entire range of TPE chemistries at its plants in Belgium and the UK, supporting European plastics processors serving industries as diverse as automotive, medical, and wire andcable. Following two years of expansion in Europe, and the reorganization of its operations in the region to integrate sales, service, and distribution, Teknor Apex now provides the “broadest selection of TPE alternatives available from a European compounder,” according to Barry Galpin, sales director for Europe. “Over more than six decades, Teknor Apex Company has acquired a wealth of experience serving key industries like automotive, consumer and industrial products, electrical and electronics, and medical devices, and now all of this expertise is available to manufacturers in Europe,” said Mr Galpin. “As a custom compounder drawing from the region’s broadest portfolio of TPE chemistries, Teknor Apex Europe is well positioned to supply each customer with precisely the right compound for an application.”

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Teknor Apex Europe manufactures compounds in four broad product families based on these widely differing TPE chemistries: styrenics – blends of styrene block copolymer rubber and thermoplastics; vulcanizates – compounds consisting of cross-linked elastomers within a thermoplastic matrix; olefinics – blends of polypropylene or polyethylene with thermoset rubber or with olefin block copolymer (OBC); and over-molding compounds – proprietary blends that can bond to a wide range of styrenic and engineering resins. RUSAL, one of the world’s largest aluminum producers has announced that its rare earth and transition metals aluminum alloys for wire rod for the cable industry have entered production. The technology to enable the production of cable alloys based on aluminum with an increased resistance to temperature and, as a result, with higher power transmission capacity, was developed jointly with scientists from Siberian Federal University, Ufa State Aviation Technical University and the Chemistry Faculty of Moscow State University. The initial trials were carried out at Tomsk cable plant. New alloys for rod

aluminum smelter. It will be capable of producing 2,200 tonnes of wire rod per month, from aluminum alloys with rare earth and transition metals. The product is already in demand by the cable industry.

transit sealing system with the ability to bond and ground metal clad or armored cables. The new system provides protection against weather, explosion, and rodents and is fire-rated for bulkheads, walls, decks and floor entries. As with other Roxtec cable seals, Roxtec BG (bonding and grounding) can be used in many different industries. “Roxtec BG was an instant success within onshore oil and gas, for which it was originally developed. Then it was discovered by our telecom customers. We now experience a huge interest in this electrical safety solution also from customers working with offshore projects all over the world,” says Fredrik Timonen, global segment manager oil and gas offshore, Roxtec. Roxtec BG solutions are designed to increase the cable density capacity while decreasing the footprint. They are up to 70 percent more area efficient than traditional cable glands. A single ‘window’ cut-out in a cabinet can accommodate up to 32 cables, replacing 32 individual knock-outs and 32 cable glands. It allows installers to use smaller, lighter cabinets and reduce costs.

using a highly specialized steel wire. The range is designed to provide exceptional yield strength and a high degree of corro- sion resistance, while remaining non-mag- netic at sub-zero temperatures.

Special underwater tow cable with 38-ton breaking strain

The cable carries 2 x 50 ohm coaxials + 2 x 6mm 2 conductors + 4 pairs of 24AWG with aluminum foil screen, and 3 layers of torque-balanced, contra-helical, special steel wire armor with 38-ton breaking strain. This austenitic stainless steel has corrosion resistance greater than that provided by types 316, 316L, 317 and 317L, plus approximately twice the yield strength at room temperatures. In addition, the steel has excellent mechanical properties at both elevated and sub-zero temperatures. Unlike many austenitic stainless steels it does not become magnetic when cold worked, and it has a yield strength about three to four times that of type 316 stainless steel.

“Cables made from the new wire rod have much better characteristics. Their durability and resistance to temperature is about 50 percent higher than normal ones have. Re- garding the significant deterioration of the Russian power grids, new cables will benefit not only metals and cables producers, but also grid and power companies. RUSAL’s product is also significantly cheaper than its US or European counterparts. We ex- pect this product will be able to partially supersede the expensive copper cables and broaden aluminum application limits,” commented UC RUSAL’s technical director, Viktor Mann.

Optical monitoring

Tow cable

Lanode has released of a range of manufacturer independent optical monitoring equipment that expands the organization’s security products portfolio.

Cable entry seals

UK cable manufacturer Elmeridge Cables has announced the availability of its new Elmtronic range of tow cables, produced

A multifunctional casting, rolling and pressing facility is currently being installed at Irkutsk

RoxtecBG™solutions combine the simplicity and flexibility of the Roxtec multi-cable

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All fiber links have a margin for additional attenuation, but this can result in a weak spot when it comes to early fiber issues and detection. The Lanode range addresses this and other optical monitoring issues.

within a DWDM cable, and may generate network alarms depending on a number of wavelength related issues. The OM2 is used in combination with the OM3 optical tap coupler module. The passive coupler is inserted into the data path and extracts 1 percent of the light to its monitor port. The FM100 fiber monitor is a real-time optical fiber network monitoring and testing system, able to detect fiber damages, fiber cuts and fiber degradation over time. The system performs active (live) fiber monitoring by using a WDM coupler to separate measurement data from live data traffic. Finally, the LP1 line protection constantly monitors the optical power levels of two separate fiber optic cables. When the power levels drop below a user-defined threshold the internal optical switch re-routes the data to the alternative back- up fiber.

and in the future. The study features in-depth profiles of more than 25 key industry players and case studies of more than 30 notable high-voltage submarine cable projects. Market forecasts are provided for submarine cable projects up to 2021, segmented by world region and including three different growth scenarios.

jobs and further our program of investment into new products like Torus.”

Wire mesh cable support

Chatsworth Products Inc (CPI) has launched its OnTrac™ wire mesh cable tray system for supporting and distributing network cabling.

Full report and ordering details are available on the Reportlinker.com website.

Tornado jobs boost

A wire fencing manufacturer in the UK has invested £1 million in machinery and employed seven new members of staff as part of plans to launch its new fencing, Torus, a high-pressure bonded knot fencing with the strength to withstand the most extreme environments. Tornado Wire, which employs 75 people, develops fencing products for the agricultural, equestrian and industrial markets and was the first company to manufacture high tensile fencing in the UK. Kenny Campbell, managing director at Tornado Wire, said: “Tornado Wire is a progressive business that is always looking at ways to innovate. “It is a testament to the company that, even as the economy continues to flatline, we are in a strong position to create new

The OM1 optical power meter constantly monitors the optical power level in a live optical network. It is inserted between the link receiver, or the input of a WDM system, and the dark fiber.

By creating point-to-point pathways for network cables, CPI’s OnTrac system provides a pathway solution for large quantities of cables to equipment cabinets and racks in data centers, equipment rooms and office spaces. Highly flexible, OnTrac can be positioned above drop ceilings, under access floors, against walls or to the tops of racks and cabinets, and can be cut and formed to create smooth curved transitions around building structures and obstacles.

Submarine report

Reportlinker.com has added the “Submarine Electricity Transmission” report to its portfolio.

This Pike Research report provides a comprehensive analysis of the worldwide market opportunity for submarine HVDC and HVAC power cable projects, including an assessment of demand drivers and supply chain dynamics, both currently

The OM2 optical spectrum analyzer is used to measure and visualize the wavelength

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