WCA September 2014

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10 Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2014
Industrynews
Construction has begun on a
factory in China to produce
cold heading wire. Nippon
Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp
has announced that the facility
will have an annual capacity of
42,000 tons when it becomes
operational in June 2015.
The plant will be equipped with
pickling, wire drawing and heat
treatment facilities.
The plant, located in the
Suzhou Wuzhong economic
and technological develop-
ment zone, will be run by
Nippon Steel Bar & CH Wire
Co (NBC China), a company
established by Nippon Steel &
Sumitomo Metal and its
partners, Matsubishi Metal
Industry Co, Miyazaki Seiko
Co, Sanyu Co, Toyota Tsusho
Corp, Metal One Corp, and
Nippon Steel & Sumikin
Bussan Corp.
The original NBC China was
set up in 2006, and its current
fully operational plant has a
capacity of 7,000 tons per
year. The new NBC China was
formed to increase production
and sales of cold heading wire,
used primarily in the
manufacture of bolts and
bearings for the automotive
industry.
Nippon Steel & Sumitomo
Metal Corp – Japan
Website:
Nippon Steel’s wire production boost
❍ A model of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp’s new plant.
Photograph courtesy of Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp
Price
increase
Korean
steelmaker
POSCO Specialty
Steel has
increased its
domestic sales
prices for
austenitic grades
of wire rod and
bar in order to
offset higher
nickel prices. The
increase for May
orders represents
the second
consecutive
month of price
increases. Prices
for ferritic grade
wire rods and
bars remain
unchanged.
Zambia
cable deal
LS Cable has
supplied $5
million worth of
gap conductor
cable to the
state-run power
generator Zambia
Electricity Supply
Corporation
(Zesco). The
cables will be
used to replace
old wires near
Lusaka, and are
said to deliver
twice the power
of standard
power lines
without needing
changes to
transmission
towers or
generators.
Five companies in
the world have
developed a
similar conductor,
but LS Cable is
the only domestic
producer.
METALUBE Pvt Ltd, the
company’s Indian operations,
has recently completed its
first full year of trading and
reported excellent progress.
During this period the
company has developed sales
with many key accounts
within the cable, enamelled
wire and conductor industries
in India.
Not a company to stand still,
the business is launching
several new products into the
Indian market during 2014
including a range of corrosion
preventatives and industrial
maintenance lubricants.
Amit Gupte, general manager
in India, is predicting further
strong growth and said: “We
have very challenging targets
and ambitions for 2014/15,
and are confident that we can
achieve these.
“The range, quality of
products and after sales
support provided by Metalube
is being experienced and
appreciated by our customers,
making us a brand you can
trust.”
Metalube specialises in wire
and tube drawing lubricants,
working with wire, cabling and
tubing manufacturers across
the world.
The headquarters are in
Manchester, UK, where the
site incorporates offices with
warehousing, laboratories and
manufacturing facilities.
The company has also moved
into new, larger offices in
Shanghai, China. A leading
exporter, it now has four offices
in the Asia Pacific region –
Shanghai and Dongguan, in
China, Hong Kong and Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
Metalube Ltd – UK
Website:
First year India success and new Shanghai office
❍ Some of the China team members in the new office, from left, Gavin
Gu, business unit manager, wire drawing; Sharon Xu, operations
manager; Li Shen, accountant; and Maurice Ngai, general manager,
Asia Pacific