WCA September 2014

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70 Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2014
From the Americas
of 2015 has helped promote the construction of wind
farms. Since the law was passed in 2008, utilities have
invested more than $2.2 billion in renewable technology,
including building hundreds of wind turbines.
The Public Service Commission said on 27 th June
that there are now more than 20 wind farms, either
operational or in development, in Michigan.
 The last major obstacle to General Electric’s $13.5
billion acquisition of the energy assets of Alstom fell on
22nd June, when the French government said it would
take a 20 per cent stake in the remaining portion of the
French industrial conglomerate.
When the state holding company, the Agence des
Participations de l’État, made its surprise move,
Alstom’s board accepted GE’s offer for the energy
business.
The deal that Alstom and GE tentatively reached in
late April had been stopped by opposition from the
government, which regards Alstom as a French national
asset. Some concern was expressed about critical
nuclear technology coming under foreign control.
Now Paris has won at least a symbolic victory by
keeping a large portion of Alstom as a French company.
And General Electric (Fairfield, Connecticut), having
made a few concessions, obtained what it was
seeking: a unit which makes power generation
equipment and the electrical grid to deliver energy to
customers.
Metals
 Drawing inspiration from the structure of bones and
bamboo, researchers at North Carolina State University
have found that by gradually changing the internal
structure of metals they can produce stronger, tougher
materials that can be customised for a wide variety of
applications including automobile parts.
Yuntian Zhu, a professor of materials science and
engineering at the college and co-author of two papers
on the new work, explained that the small grains at the
surface of metals make it harder but less ductile.
Professor Zhu told R&D Magazine (2nd July) that by
gradually increasing the size of the grains further down
in the material the research team was able to enhance
both ductility and strength.
“We call this a ‘gradient structure,’ and you can use
this technique to customise a metal’s characteristics,”
said Xiaolei Wu, a professor of materials science at
the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, and co-author.
Professors Wu and Zhu tested the gradient structure
concept in a variety of metals, including copper, iron,
nickel, and stainless and interstitial-free (IF) steel. They
said that the technique improved the metal’s properties
in all of them.
 A survey of executives in Canadian and US metals
and mining companies found that investment in digital
technology by their firms has increased and will continue
to rise.
Nine out of ten of the executives surveyed in February
by the global management consultancy Accenture said
the way they do business will be markedly influenced by
a strategy incorporating digital technology. Companies
that do not embrace digital will lose their competitive
position and may face extinction, according to 88 per
cent of respondents.
One-quarter of the North American mining executives
surveyed said their digital investment in the previous
three years had doubled or more.
Over the next three years 33 per cent will significantly
increase their digital investment, 63 per cent will
increase that spending modestly, and 5 per cent will stay
at current spending levels. No companies surveyed are
planning to cut back on digital investment to 2017.
Looking ahead five years, the mining executives expect
digital to improve company productivity (73 per cent),
reorganise operations (65 per cent), and optimise the
supply chain (58 per cent). Accenture (Dublin, Ireland)
conducted the online survey of executives at 40
medium-to-large metals and mining companies.
Automotive
Fiat Chrysler, late to the party in India,
will try to establish itself there by
selling Jeeps
“Gaining a foothold in India is important for Jeep because
[India] is an emerging market and Jeep is trying to be a
global brand. Meanwhile Ford, Hyundai, Honda, Maruti
Suzuki and Toyota are far ahead there.”
After supplying this context for the declared intention of
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to begin selling Jeeps in
India before the end of 2015, Detroit Free Press business
writer Brent Snavely noted that India can be a difficult
place for new competitors. On the previous day, 25th
June, reports had surfaced that Germany’s Volkswagen
may restructure operations in India for its Skoda brand,
which accounted for less than one per cent of India’s auto
sales.
Fiat Chrysler’s approach to India has been tentative as
well as tardy. Mike Manley, who heads the auto maker’s
international operations as well as the Jeep unit, shared
FCA’s reasons for its mid-2013 decision to postpone
an Indian launch of Jeep: currency fluctuations, and
unreadiness.
But, he told Mr Snavely at Chrysler’s proving grounds in
Chelsea, Michigan, the company has put uncertainty behind
it and is now intent on introducing the Jeep to Indian car
buyers. (“Jeep to Compete in India’s Emerging Market in
2015,” 26th June)