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NEWS
New Leoni plant in China - December 2011
Leoni AG has opened another production facility in China. Around €23 million have been invested in the Jining plant, which will produce wiring systems for the Chinese car market. The new facility has over 25,000m2 of production area and is expected to employ about 1,600 people when series production commences.
"With this expansion of capacity we will have made sure of being able to fulfill all existing contracts. In addition, we are prepared for ongoing growth," said Uwe H Lamann, a member of Leoni AG's management board in charge of the Wiring Systems Division. Including joint-venture plants, Leoni now has 11 facilities in China.
To satisfy heavy demand for cable harnesses and wiring systems from the automotive industry, Leoni is also setting up new production lines and expanding existing plants in other regions. The Wiring Systems Division alone currently has 12 capital investment projects, including plans for two
new facilities in Egypt and one each in the Ukraine and Russia and additional production centres in Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia and Serbia.
Leoni AG – Germany
Fax: +49 911 202 3455
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.leoni.com
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Global market analysis - December 2011
Research and Markets has announced the addition of "Insulated Cable and Wire" reports to its portfolio. The analyses aim to provide market information for decision makers, including the overall market value for insulated cable and wire by country (2004-2010); overall market volume for insulated cable and wire by country (2004-2010); market value and volume for insulated cable and wire by type (such as co-axial cable, electric conductors, insulated winding wire, optical fibers and cables); forecasts and future outlook of the market until 2016; and a country overview.
A Global package contains 62 insulated cable and wire market analyses from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, United States, Australia, Morocco, Ghana and Nigeria.
Other packages available are "Insulated Cable and Wire - Australia", "Insulated Cable and Wire - Top 5 American markets" and "Insulated Cable and Wire - Asia".
These market research reports promise an in-depth perspective on the actual market situation, trends and future outlook for insulated cable and wire in each country.
Research and Markets – Ireland
Fax: +353 148 117 16
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.researchandmarkets.com
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Portoscuso wind farm progress - December 2011
Enel Green Power has completed the first 40MW of the overall 90MW installed capacity at the Portoscuso wind facility in the Sulcis Iglesiente area, Italy. The project comprises 39 turbines, each with a capacity of 2.3MW. The company currently has three wind farms in operation in Sardinia delivering over 240 million kWh per year.
When operational, the 90MW Portoscuso facility will produce an annual 185 million kWh, equivalent to the consumption of 70 thousand households,
and will avoid the atmospheric emission of over 130 thousand tonnes of CO2.
Enel Green Power – Italy
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.enelgreenpower.com
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RichardsApex in Poland - December 2011
RichardsApex Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of RichardsApex Inc, has appointed Diatech SC, of Warsaw, Poland, as the national agent for the RichardsApex range of lubricants and compounds for the metal forming industry.
According to RA Europe managing director Don Neville, "Diatech is well established and known throughout the wire and cable industry in Poland as the agent for technology suppliers such as Fort Wayne Wire Die, Eurotungstene Metal Powders, Eramet Group and William Beckett Plastics Ltd. Diatech offers extensive access to all manufacturers and a wide range of customer support capabilities, enabling RichardsApex to adopt a solid and comprehensive local presence for our Polish customers to turn to and rely on."
Richards Apex – USA
Fax: +1 215 487 3090
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.richardsapex.com
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FTTH re-starts in Basel - December 2011
Responding to criticism from the Swiss Competition Commission (ComCo), Swisscom has renegotiated its agreement with energy company IWB and will restart its deployment of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure in Basel. Swisscom halted the work after ComCo ruled that its agreements with local energy providers gave Swisscom too much influence in determining how competing service providers might share the resulting networks.
Swisscom says that after what it termed "intensive negotiations" with IWB, "certain clauses have been removed and/or amended," to address ComCo's concerns. Specifically, clauses related to "investment protection" and Layer 1 exclusivity have been deleted. ComCo has been informed of the amended agreement, and now Swisscom says it is free to begin FTTH deployment again. The method for compensation payments has also been "clarified." If one partner makes considerably more use of the infrastructure than its share of the investment warrants, the other party will receive compensation. This mechanism will not apply until after completion of the basic expansion in Basel, expected in 2018.
Swissom – Switzerland
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.swissom.ch
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Hook-up with EcoWire™ Plus - September 2011
Alpha Wire has launched an extension of its EcoWire line. Offering the environmental benefits and abrasion resistance characteristics of the original EcoWire, EcoWire Plus also resists oils, fuels, solvents, and other hazardous liquids. EcoWire Plus meets the fluid resistance requirements
of ISO 6722 for thin-wall and ultra-thin wall wire, making it an eco-friendly and cost-effective replacement for XLPE-insulated wire.
As with original EcoWire, EcoWire Plus derives its advantage from a modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) thermoplastic that is inherently lighter and smaller with equal robustness when compared to XLPE. In addition, EcoWire Plus is non-halogenated and contains no heavy metal pigments, meeting RoHS and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) requirements for the elimination of hazardous substances and recyclability.
"EcoWire Plus is a great advancement on our EcoWire line," says Tim Howlett, senior product manager at Alpha Wire. "Not only does it continue to offer space-saving design and weight reduction, its fluid and chemical resistance is ideal for demanding factory and industrial applications.
Plus, it enables significant cost savings when replacing XLPE wire." The initial EcoWire Plus is built to ISO 6722 standards for thin and ultra-thin wall requirements and is RoHS and REACH compliant. It is available in sizes from 28 AWG (0.09mm2) to 10 AWG (4.92mm2) with stranded bare copper conductors and an operating temperature range of –40°C to +110°C.
AlphaWire – USA
Fax: +1 908 925 5411
Website: www.alphawire.com
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Italian austerity hits wind power - September 2011
Under measures approved by the government, Italian renewable energy companies with an annual turnover of more than
€10 million will have to pay 10.5 percent additional company tax over the next three years.
Wind-sector operators were previously exempt from the tax, which was set at 6.5% and only applied to companies with an annual turnover of over €25 million. Enel Green Power has estimated the new tax will cost it €25 million a year to 2013.
Simone Togni, chairman of the Italian wind industry association, Anev, said the tax would jeopardise €10 billion worth of investment over the next five years, and will hit a sector that is crucial for Italy's development and competitiveness.
Italy's energy watchdog said the measures would probably have a negative impact on consumers through reduced investments
and higher bills.
Anev – Italy
Website: www.anev.org
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Rod mill revamp - September 2011
ArcelorMittal Hamburg GmbH, Germany, has placed an order with SMS Meer for the modernisation of a two-strand wire rod mill. ArcelorMittal aims to improve product quality with a view to further consolidating its position on the quality-steels market. New cantilever stands from SMS Meer will enable higher rolling forces in the future. This is the fifth modernisation order that ArcelorMittal has placed with SMS Meer for the wire rod mill, supplied in 1969. With the present modernisation, ArcelorMittal is continuing the abolition of the mill stands designed for two-strand operation.
The company will be replacing the last two mill stands of the intermediate Train 1. Currently, a two-strand rolling operation is taking place in these mill stands. SMS Meer will be converting this section into two single-strand rolling lines. For this purpose, the existing looper tables will be moved and two new mill stands of type CL 200 will be positioned in V-H arrangement for each strand. These cantilever mill stands represent a new generation and are able to absorb even higher rolling forces and rolling torques. Project manager Hans-Gerd Limper of SMS Meer, said: "Even older rolling mills are able to be brought up to the state-of-the-art and to a competitive level through optimum tailor-made solutions. Investment costs are thus kept low and the amortisation period of the investment is short."
ArcelorMittal Hamburg GmbH – Germany
Website: www.arcelormittal.com
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Fiber optic cabling with maximum transmission rates - September 2011
Datwyler has extended its portfolio of copper and fiber optic integrated solutions with two new cabling systems. Both systems are designed
to enable customer specific Plug-and-Play fibre optic installations with maximum transmission rates and packing densities.
The newly developed MTP®-on-LCQ modular solution is compatible with all applications with duplex signals, as well as parallel optics applications such as 40/100G ethernet and120G InfiniBand®. Packing densities of up to 288-fibers (144 LC Duplex ports) can be achieved in one OV-BG (3 HU).
In addition, Datwyler offers a revised version of the modular high density (MHD) solution, which stands out due to the further improvement in the performance values of its fibre optic adapters. Outstanding performance values are said to have been achieved by optimising the termination and polishing processes, and by using MTP® connectors supplied by US Conec.
Datwyler – Switzerland
Website: www.daetwyler-cables.com
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DuPont wins $919.9 million damages - September 2011
Reuters reports that a US federal jury has awarded damages of $919.9 million to DuPont, ruling that a South Korean company stole trade secrets
for a fibre used in fibre-optic cables.
DuPont said the Richmond, Virginia, jury ordered Kolon Industries Inc to pay the damages after finding the textile company stole trade secrets and confidential information regarding its Kevlar para-aramid fibre.
Shares of Kolon fell 15 percent in early trading on Thursday. In a statement, the company said it has "solid legal and factual grounds" for its planned appeal, and that many of the alleged secrets were publicly known.
Kolon also plans to pursue a separate antitrust case against DuPont, scheduled for trial next March.
DuPont called the award one of the largest in a trade secrets case, and is to ask US District Judge Robert Payne, who presided over the seven-week trial, to require Kolon to stop selling products based on the trade secrets.
DuPont – USA
Website: www.dupont.com
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China Wire and Cable Industry Summit 2011 - August 2011
A number of customers have contacted us asking about the China Wire and Cable Industry Summit taking place in China, 25th-26th November at the Crowne Plaza Century Park Hotel, Shanghai.
We have been asked about the validity of the summit after a pdf brochure was circulated, clearly showing both EuroWire and Wire & Cable ASIA as
media partners.
We would like to make it clear that we do not endorse this event and are not media partners. We have demanded that our logos are removed from
literature surrounding it and have been told that the promotion has now been 'postponed for the moment'.
A number of speakers at the event, organised by Copex Global, are even unaware of its existence.
One customer, contacted by a Randal Chan from Copex Global, had even contacted the Crowne Plaza Century Park Hotel in Shanghai who knew
nothing of the event.
The pdf attachment clearly asks for credit card details and even passport numbers.
The summit is not to be confused with the China International Wire and Cable Industry Exhibition, taking place between 26th-28th October at the
Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Centre, organised by the Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute and the Electrical Cable and Wire branch of China Electrical Equipment Industry Association.
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New mills for CIS equipped by Siemens VAI - July 2011
Russian miner and steelmaker Evraz has ordered two rolling mills from Austrian plant maker Siemens VAI to equip new bar and section mill projects
in southern Russia and northern Kazakhstan.
SBB advises that the investment was approved at the end of 2010, with Evraz anticipating strong demand for construction steel. The mills, known
as Yuzhniy near the river port of Ust-Donetsk in Russia's Rostov region and Kostanay in Kazakhstan's Kostanay region, are scheduled to be
operational in 2013.
The Yuzhniy plant will produce up to 135,000 tonnes/year of sections - angles and channels - and up to 315,000 t/y of 10-40mm diameter rebar
and 10-16mm coiled bars. Smaller diameters will be produced via a multi-slitting process to maximize productivity. The Kostanay mill is planned
to produce up to 450,000 tonnes per year of rebar with diameters of 10-40mm in single, two- or three-slit rolling mode.
Billet for re-rolling will come from Evraz's plants: Nizhniy Tagil steelworks (NTMK) in the Urals will feed the Kostanay mill, whilst Yuzhniy will receive material for rerolling from Petrovsky Iron & Steel Works in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, the company informed SBB.
Evraz – Luxembourg
Website: www.evraz.com
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Cabling vessel fully booked for next five years - July 2011
ABB has contracted the cable-laying vessel Team Oman for five years from the ship's owner Topaz Energy and Marine, as part of the power engineering group's efforts to secure the equipment it needs to deliver a growing backlog of offshore wind-related orders.
The contract is a continuation of ABB's existing two-year charter of Team Oman, but the length of the new contract will allow significant upgrades
to be made to the vessel, says Dubai-based Topaz. The new contract goes live in early 2012.
Concerns continue to mount over the availability of installation vessels and other supply chain elements as the next generation of offshore wind
projects moves into the water. Those fears have deepened since Germany's increased emphasis on offshore wind power following its nuclear
phase-out policy.
The charter of Team Oman will ensure ABB is able to start work on the offshore wind deals it has won in recent months. Last November the
Swiss-Swedish industrial group bagged a $125m order from Belgian developer C-Power to link the second phase of its Thornton Bank project with
the onshore grid. That deal followed a $700m contract with Germany's grid operator for a 800MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line in the North
Sea, marking the largest power transmission order in ABB's history.
ABB is among the few companies in the world supplying subsea HVDC lines, critical for reducing transmission losses from distant offshore wind farms.
ABB Ltd – Switzerland
Website: www.abb.com
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ESF Congress - July 2011
The 6th International European Spring Federation (ESF) Congress of Spring will be held on 23rd September 2011, at Hotel Concorde Lafayette, Paris.
The event has been organized by SNFR, the French Association for Spring Manufacturers, and is described as an excellent opportunity for spring makers from across the world to network, and hear authoritative presentations on the themes of spring material supply, developments in spring production and control, latest research in respect to highest numbers of cycles and optimization of spring design, plus other items of relevance.
Speakers in the program include Mark Hayes of the Institute of Spring Technology, and David Thureborn of Suzuki Garphyttan. Fulldetails can be
found on the ESF website: www.esf-springs.com
European Spring Federation – Germany
Website: www.esf-springs.com
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ABB expands its transformer business - July 2011
ABB has agreed to acquire the Trasfor Group to expand its portfolio of transformers.
Trasfor is a manufacturer of dry-type transformers and inductors for low-voltage and medium-voltage applications. It provides specialized products for drives, railway rolling stock, offshore wind power and other types of power generation based on renewable energy, and in addition supplies a range of industries such as marine, oil and gas.
The Trasfor Group generated revenues of about $130 million in 2010 with around 380 employees. The company has a manufacturing unit close to Lugano, Switzerland, where it is based, and two additional plants in Italy.
"This bolt-on acquisition is in line with ABB's strategy. It will strengthen our transformers business, broaden our customer offering and extend our market presence," said Bernhard Jucker, head of ABB's power products division.
"Trasfor's energy-efficient product range complements our transformer portfolio and offers scope for synergies and growth."
Dry-type transformers are a growing part of the transformer business, and use materials such as resin for insulation instead of oil, making them less flammable and reducing impact on the environment.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals, but ABB expects it to be completed during the second half of 2011.
ABB Ltd – Switzerland
Website: www.abb.com
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Explosion linked to copper cabling theft - July 2011
The theft of copper cabling is thought to have been responsible for a large gas explosion that ripped through a row of houses in Yorkshire, UK. Around 30 people were forced to leave their homes after the incident in which two fire officers suffered injuries.
The Yorkshire Post reported that West Yorkshire Fire Service arrived on the scene to respond to a series of small fires shortly before 1.30am. Residents were moved from their homes, and soon afterwards an explosion tore through a row of terraced homes. One property was largely demolished, and five others suffered fire and blast damage.
Station manager Mark Allen said the firefighters on the scene responded quickly to the threat of a gas explosion: "The firefighters did a fantastic job of rescuing residents so quickly, and it was their skill and training which told them they should withdraw. This clearly saved not only the lives of the residents, but their own lives."
The incident came just days after a boy died during a metal theft from a sub-station, also in Yorkshire.
CE Electric has issued a strong warning on the danger of metal thefts. It said: "Copper theft continues to blight our network and, despite the recent fatality in Leeds, these incidents continue to occur at an average of four every day. "We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to tamper with electrical equipment on the network. We are pleading with these thieves to think about the consequences of their actions and how much they are personally risking for such a small return."
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Order for rod mill in the pipeline- July 2011
Byelorussian Steel Works (BMZ) of Belarus has advised Steel Business Briefing that it is in final talks with plantmaker Danieli to supply a 700,000 tonnes per year wire rod and rebar rolling mill. If the contract is signed next month (August) the new mill could be on-stream by mid-2013.
When fully operational, the anticipated mill will increase BMZ's nameplate capacity for bar and rod products to 1.1mt per year. Crucially, it will also enable the plant to maximize its profit through processing its entire billet output, instead of selling its surplus of less profitable semi-finished product. BMZ currently sells 30,000–35,000t of billet monthly, including to Latvia's Liepajas.
Byelorussian Steel Works - Belarus
Website:www.belsteel.com
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Event box gets upgraded - July 2011
The event box at the Swiss paraplegic centre's sports field in Nottwil is being supplied with low radiation CFW PowerCable installation cables, supplied
by Brugg Cables. The event box is a terminal box for short-term concerns – television broadcast vehicles for news coverage or equipment for events.
The CFW PowerCable connects the main building to the event box.
Thanks to the innovative construction of the CFW PowerCable very narrow radii could be laid, and the electromagnetic radiation is also far lower than in other cables. Electromagnetic radiation is hazardous to man, the environment and sensitive technical equipment. Moreover the cables make less power dissipation possible, no induction currents, lower corrosion damage and other benefits. The patented CFW PowerCable solves practically all grid-related EMC problems at one stroke.
Brugg Cables – Switzerland
Website: www.bruggcables.com
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Tratos' solution to space problem - July 2011
The Tratos Microcable solution for the broadband market is ideal for installations where duct space is at a premium.
Tratos Microcable contains a high-fibre density yet is exceptionally compact and lightweight, maximising the fibre count available in a small cable
diameter.
It is produced in stranded loose tube design and is available in fibre counts from 144 up to 192, with outer diameters ranging between 4.0 and 7.5mm;
in fact, the 7.5mm Tratos Microcable incorporating 192 fibres is actually the smallest such cable in the world today.
Even with the maximum number of fibres incorporated, Tratos Microcable remains flexible (it has a minimum bending radius of 15 x outer diameter
without tension) and lightweight enough for air-blown installation in very small ducts or sub-ducts using Tratos Microduct. Furthermore, Tratos
Microcable requires fewer joints in installation, providing reduced resistance when being passed through the ducting.
Tratos Microcable can be used in operating temperatures of -30°C / +60ºC. It has been designed and manufactured to IEC 60794.
Tratos Cavi SpA – Italy
Website: www.tratos.eu
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New US plant for EHV cables - July 2011
Nexans is to build a plant for manufacturing underground Extra High Voltage (EHV) cables and the possible extension to submarine HV activities
in the United States. The company is investing approximately $80m in the new plant to capitalise on the significant investments expected in EHV cables
in North America in the coming years. The plant is expected to begin operation in the summer of 2013. "The ever increasing demand for electricity from consumers and industry is driving ambitious plans for the development of major power infrastructure projects in North America," said Frédéric Vincent, Nexans' chairman and CEO.
"For effective and efficient transmission of electrical power, with minimum losses, these new schemes need to operate at EHV levels.
So by establishing this new plant Nexans will be ideally positioned to support these projects with high quality EHV cables designed and manufactured
to meet specific local market conditions.
"This new investment also represents a significant step forward in increasing our footprint in North America and demonstrates our long-term
commitment
to this key market," he added.
In 2010, North America represented more than 10 per cent of the group's total sales with over 1,300 people employed in seven production facilities:
four in the US and three in Canada.
Nexans – France
Website: www.nexans.com
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New hardware from Belden - July 2011
To complement its state-of-the-art IBDN® networking system, Belden has introduced a new design of mounting hardware, with inserts that can hold
both keystone and MDVO modular jacks. Developed specifically for the enterprise environment, Belden's new 6c and Euromod faceplates ranges comprise modular work area components – including faceplates, inserts and adapters to complete IBDN® workstations quickly and efficiently with
the additional benefits of installation flexibility, uniform aesthetics and reduced inventory. The Belden 6c range offers a choice of three faceplates,
and three styles
of inserts. The Euromod range will consist of Belden's first ever Euromod style, with a choice of three faceplates, and four styles of inserts offering increased flexibility and modularity.
Both ranges help to reduce inventory by using innovative crossbar technology, so that inserts are capable of accepting both Keystone and MDVO
styles of modular jack. This is achieved by the insertion of a red crossbar for the keystone style modular jacks, and its removal for the MDVO style.
These new faceplates can be either wall-mounted on an appropriate wall back box or underfloor-mounted. Both faceplates and inserts are available
in three colours: white, black and cool grey.
Belden – USA
Website: www.belden.com
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