The latest news from WCA Magazine en-gb 40 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The World's leading Trade Fairs for Wire, Cable and Tubes report excellent Business: More Exhibitors than ever before! The trade visitors of wire and Tube again assessed the two top events overall as excellent. During the five trade fair days, a total of 73,500 trade visitors from 111 countries came to Düsseldorf. In comparison with the previous events, the evaluation of the products and services on offer has again improved. German and international trade fair visitors to the two trade fairs gave excellent marks for the offer range of the fairs. In addition, there were more first-time visitors to wire as well as Tube. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Taipei City government has signed a 25-year contract with a consortium of 15 local and foreign companies led by Tai Tung Communication, a Taiwan-based maker of fibre optic cable, for construction and operation of a city-wide fibre optic network to provide 100Mbps access to the internet for 80 per cent of the city's households. The city government requires that the fibre optic service be charged at a rate 10 per cent lower than services offered by other operators. The project calls for an estimated investment of US$1.28 billion over the 25 year contract period. The network will consist of fibre optic cable systems, deployed mainly along sewage pipelines with a total length of about 3,000km; two master facilities; ten area facilities; and 50 access facilities. The consortium will set up a company specifically for the project and apply for a license with the National Communications Commission in April 2012, Tai Tung indicated. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A 4,600km four-fibre pair optic fibre submarine cable system linking Perth with Singapore is expected to have a capacity of 6.4 terabits per second when completed during 2013. Capacity will be delivered through 40 gigabits per second technology, with the possibility of an upgrade to 100 gigabits per second in the future. Construction will begin during the first quarter of 2012. Developed by ASSC-1 Communications Group, the submarine cable will comprise three express fibre pairs between Perth and Singapore, and one omnibus fibre pair between Perth, Jakarta and Singapore. Telstra, the first international carrier to commit to the new cable, has agreed to purchase one of the four-fibre pairs and provide landing party services in Perth. Huawei Marine Networks will supply and install the ASSC-1 system. Matrix Cable Systems plans to supply the Jakarta landing through its own cable landing station and will work with ASSC-1 to manage the Indonesian permit process. ASSC-1 chief executive, James Chen, said in a statement that the cable is a low latency system which will provide the fastest transfer speeds between Australia, Asia and Europe. "We expect it to take up excess demand from the only existing cable on this route, which is the ageing SEAMEWE-3 system," he said. "In addition, we expect to provide increased diversity for traffic from Asia to the US via Australia," he said. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Middle East's first privately owned submarine cable operator, has landed the first subsea cable in Iraq. With broadband penetration in Iraq currently less than 3 per cent, GBI expects the connection to mark a significant milestone for the nation's telecom sector. GBI's high-capacity system, which lands with The Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company (ITPC), has the potential to significantly increase broadband penetration across Iraq while boosting speed and reliability. "This is a historic milestone for GBI and the people of Iraq," remarked Rashid Al Noaimi, GBI chairman. "GBI's vision is to facilitate social and economic growth across the region, and as a result of this new connectivity, Iraq will once more be on an even footing with their neighbors in the Gulf," he noted. Amir Al Bayati, the deputy of ITPC, said: "The GBI cable is a crucial strategic initiative in the industry of subsea cables today using its impressive infrastructure to directly facilitate the development of all the countries connected to it." Ahmed Mekky, board member and CEO said: "GBI is the first subsea cable company owned in the Gulf. We care about the region and are backed by investors who care about the region." "From a business standpoint, we are excited to connect to a market with such tremendous potential for growth. But beyond this, we are truly pleased to provide industry-leading infrastructure that can contribute to Iraq's recovery," he added. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Pan Pacific Copper, Japan's biggest copper smelter, has suspended operations at its 200,000 tonnes per year Saganoseki smelter after a fire damaged an electric power substation on the site. The company is checking when it can resume operations at the plant in Oita, southeast Japan, and whether its other smelter and refining plants in Japan can make up for lost production, a spokesman said. The Saganoseki plant produces anode, an intermediate state of refined copper, for refining at its Hitachi plant. "We can't say for now when we can start operations at the Saganoseki plant. It all depends on when we can secure parts for damaged electronics machines," said a company spokesman. "But we have ample inventories of anode for the time being," he added. Asia's premiums for spot refined copper could rise if there is a prolonged suspension at Pan Pacific, an exporter to China, Taiwan and South Korea, prompting its term buyers to turn to the spot market. An industry official said he did not expect a large impact on the domestic market from the shutdown, given the relatively high level of inventories of refined copper. Sluggish demand for refined copper had helped push up domestic inventories from the 68,000 tonnes level in 2010. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Bezeq International and Alcatel-Lucent have launched a new high-speed subsea cable link between Israel and Italy. Spanning 2,300km across the Mediterranean, the cable system (named Jonah) is believed to be the first high-speed submarine cable network fully owned by an Israeli operator. The submarine link is intended to address the growing demands of the Israeli telecom market, which shows one of the highest household broadband and mobile penetration rates in the world. Based on Alcatel-Lucent's submarine communications networking technology, the cable system can operate at 100Gbps transmission rates to enable total data capacity of 7.6Tbps between Tel Aviv, Israel, and Bari in Italy. The system integrates Alcatel-Lucent OALC-5 cable, optimized with coherent submarine fibre, repeaters, and the 1620 Light Manager submarine line terminal, which is designed to accommodate 10G/40G/100G wavelengths in the same platform. Alcatel-Lucent says the new hardware, which features optical coherent technology, offers a guaranteed pathway to multi-terabit capacity using 100G channels. This protects investment in new wet plant from the risk of obsolescence or capacity limitations due to changes of transmission technology in the transition from 40G to 100G. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Lanco Infratech's 1,200MW plant will soon be supplying power to Uttar Pradesh, after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati dedicated the 1,200MW Anpara C thermal power plant to the state. Lanco Anpara Power Ltd synchronized the first and second units of the plant in March and September 2011, and now the group's total generating capacity stands at 3,892MW. Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam awarded the coal-based Anpara C project to Lanco in September 2006. Lanco Infratech executive chairman L Madhusudhan Rao said, "It is worthwhile to note that, during the last three years, the company has grown from the total installed capacity of 500MW to 3,892MW, which is the current capacity. In addition, projects under various stages of construction will contribute about 6,000MW of additional capacity over the next three years." Anpara C is closely located to the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam operating plants of Anpara A and Anpara B. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT New Zealand network operator Chorus has completed work to upgrade broadband networks in Hamilton. The company deployed 65km of fiber optic cable and installed 137 new fiber-fed cabinets to enable broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps to homes and businesses in the area. This three-year investment programme has built upon the 440km of fiber already in the Hamilton network and is part of Telecom New Zealand's commitment to enable the delivery of high speed broadband to 80 percent of New Zealanders by the end of this year. Chorus has only 100 fiber-fed broadband cabinets left to deploy to complete the national rollout of 3,600, building on Telecom's existing 27,700km national fiber optic cable network. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Mongolia has its first wind farm. Mongolia's Salkhit wind project is located 78km south of the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. Funding for the scheme, which cost $80 million, was provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Newcom Group, a Mongolian telecoms company. Newcom has signed a power purchase agreement with the Mongolian government for the wind farm. The deal comes after September's announcement that GE had formed a joint venture with China's Harbin Electric Corporation, a state-owned company, to build and supply wind turbines for the Chinese market. GE was unable to reveal the cost of the turbines. Speaking about the deal, GE vice chairman John Rice said: "This is a milestone in the development of GE's relationship with Mongolia and our teaming with Newcom." Despite having coal resources, Mongolia's government has decreed that 20 percent of the country's electricity should come from renewable sources by 2020. It is possible that Mongolia could supply all of China's electricity through wind power. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The price of copper has fallen by 25 percent since its peak in February. With copper accounting for 80 to 85 percent of its copper cable production costs Elsewedy Electric, believed the Arab world's biggest cable maker, is boosting productivity. "Working investment savings for the copper cable business could amount to as much as $33 per tonne, for every $100 fall in copper prices," said Ahmed Hafez, an analyst at AlembicHC in Dubai. "This should ease balance pressure, which has been a primary concern for the past year." Elsewedy has four main business segments: wires and cables, electrical products, turnkey projects and wind energy, with the low-margin wires and cables sector the primary revenue source (more than 75 percent of revenue and 60 percent of value of gross profit during 2010). Elsewedy has also pursued a geographic expansion strategy, establishing cable plants across the Middle East in poor and underdeveloped infrastructure markets that could potentially serve as export hubs for neighboring markets, such as Sudan and Ethiopia to the rest of Africa, and Yemen and Syria to Iraq. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Fund manager Perpetual has suggested that almost a third of the world's aluminum is being produced at a loss, as a result of metal prices depressed by high inventories and weak growth prospects. At the same time, the high cost of shutting down over-producing aluminum smelters keeps markets supplied with new production, claims Andrew Corbett, a metals analyst for the Australian fund. Aluminum prices have fallen around 20 percent in recent months, to around $2,165 a tonne, while London Metal Exchange stocks stand at around 4.53 million tonnes, or a tenth of total projected global production this year. "Thirty percent of the world's aluminum industry is underwater at these current prices," Corbett told a media briefing. Corbett went on to say that aluminum producers stand to gain over the longer term from a drive among consumers to use more of the light metal, seen as more environmentally friendly than some other metals, and a lack of investment in new smelters while so many existing ones run at a loss. In the meantime, weak fundamentals and stagnant consumption will weigh on the sector's prospects. However, Corbett said the outlook for copper, the most actively traded contract at the LME, holds more promise because of the high demand from China and an inability among the world's producers to keep pace with consumption. Copper miners have struggled to produce 16 million tonnes of copper in 2011, against a global demand closer to 18 million tonnes. In contrast to aluminum, according to Corbett, LME copper stocks of around 407,000 tonnes could meet world demand for fewer than 14 days. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Chinese cash will help finance an $8.5 million Maori-owned fibre optic network connecting Auckland and Whangarei. A backer of the project has suggested that the 165km Northern Network broadband link could be the first of many instances where Chinese finance and expertise is used to help develop fiber optic broadband in New Zealand. The company behind the venture - Taitokerau Networks - is backed by three Northland tribes (known as iwi), Te Rarawa, Ngati Whatua and Whaingaroa. Wellington's Datalight has partnered with the iwi and will manage the network. Internet service providers will buy capacity on the link, which will compete with TelstraClear and Telecom's own cables connecting Auckland and Whangarei. Datalight director Roger MacDonald said roughly half the funding for the network had come from China through Axin NZ, which had been contracted to oversee the network's construction. He said Maori were eager to invest in telecommunications infrastructure to "preserve the unique identity of Maori as a people in New Zealand" and that their Chinese backers had strong empathy with their aims. "[Maori] are not just investing for investing's sake but for a social outcome." http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Yasunobu Suzuki, executive officer at Mitsubishi Materials sales department, said the company expects to boost output to 24,000 metric tonnes to 25,000 tonnes per month from October to March 2012. "We expect some good demand from the auto sector from October and for the construction sector we may see demand to rebuild at the earliest from January," Suzuki said. The company will give a six-month output plan in early October. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT For the first half of 2011, Japan fastener exports to China decreased due to the impact of Japan's earthquake. Export value was down 6.87 percent to 29.1 billion yen, with export volume down 6.32 percent to 37,089 tons. The average export price jumped 7.68 percent over the same period of 2010 to 1.54 million yen/ton. Exports to China accounted for 24.6 percent of the total export volume for Japan. Other bolts(iron or steel) remained the largest export volume and value - 13.9 billion yen and 23,382 tons among all the categories exported to China, but down 10.95 percent and 9.45 percent over the same period of 2010 respectively. Stainless Steel nuts achieved the largest export increase at 15.85 percent in value while screws were the largest category in volume at 21.40 percent. Self-tapping screws recorded the largest decrease in value of 22.19 percent, while the largest decline in volume was other screws of 42.09 percent followed by self-tapping screws with the decrease of 20.77 percent. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Japan's trade ministry has said that the country is planning a ¥10-20 billion ($130-260 million) project to develop floating turbines in the deep waters off the northern coast, as part of a post-Fukushima shift to renewables.Japan hopes to develop a 1GW floating offshore project off its northern coast by 2020. The announcement follows the passing of a renewable-energy bill in the upper house of Japan's parliament. Speaking about the move, a Trade Ministry official said: "In order to take [a] lead in offshore wind power, we want domestic studies and developments to take place and manufacturers to boost capabilities. "From the standpoint of supporting reconstruction and promoting wind power, we believe it is good to pursue research and development for offshore wind farms." When the tsunami struck, the Kamisu near-shore wind farm on Japan's east coast withstood the magnitude-nine earthquake and contributed vital electricity in the aftermath of the disaster. Kamisu is located 40 meters off Ibaraki prefecture and is comprised of seven 2MW Fuji Heavy Industries wind turbines. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT China Wind Power International Corp has begun construction work on its 198MW Phase III wind energy development project, planned for the Du Mon County in the Heilongjiang province of China. The project will include four wind farms, each with a capacity of 49.5MW, to generate about 400 million kilowatts of electricity every year. The company has begun the foundation work to prepare for the installation of 132 turbines planned for this Phase III project. The construction at Phase III is expected to be complete by the end of the second quarter of 2012. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Energy Bureau (NEB) said it is to remove the authority for approving wind farms smaller than 50MW from provincial governments. So far, about 93% of wind farms in the country are approved by local governments. This will markedly reduce the number of approved wind farms and slow down the approval rate in the country, reducing market demands for wind turbines and components. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT At an awards ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai National Cables Industry (NCI) received four product license certificates from the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) and the Emirates Quality Mark from the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA). Dubai National Cables Industry – UAE / Fax: +971 653 115 77 / Email: n_c_i@emirates.net.ae / Website: www.nce.ae http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Korea's leading specialty rod and wire producer, Hankuk Steel Wire, is to sell its China subsidiary, Qingdao Hansun Steel, to Bekaert Group. The Belgium-based wire producer will pay RMB100m ($15.42m)to buy all shares of Qingdao Hansun to "strengthen our position in the Asian market," Bekaert VP Henri-Jean Velge announced. NV Nekaert SA – Belgium / Fax: +32 270 684 60 / Email: info@bekaert.com / Website: www.bekaert.com http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The issue of renewable energy and its transmission through cable and wire will be the key theme of the Bahrain-based Arab Cable Manufacturers Association's seventh annual ArabCab conference. For the first time the association, which represents 70 countries across the region, will be hosting the event outside the Arab world. The event, from 25th to 28th September, will be hosted in Granada, Spain. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cords Cable Industries has announced the successful commissioning of a cable manufacturing facility at Kaharani, Rajasthan. The company had earlier planned the facility for Pathredi, Rajasthan but, following local opposition, changed the project site to a larger and a more suitable project site at Kaharani, Rajasthan. This new facility covers an area of 68,360m2. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT On 16th July Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co shut down a reactor due to technical problems, and further worsened a tight power supply already stifling manufacturers. The No 1 reactor at Kansai's Ohi plant, located 350 km (220 miles) west of Tokyo, was manually closed for checks after pressure fell in a tank "for unknown reasons" a company spokesman said. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT Pacific Fibre has signed a deal with a US-based cable company to build New Zealand's second international internet link. TE SubCom, who developed the world's first transatlantic fibre optic cable in 1988, will design, construct and lay Pacific Fibre's 12,750km internet pipe between Auckland, Sydney and Los Angeles. SubCom is a subsidiary of TE Connectivity, an electronics company worth US$12.1 billion. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT Qatar has announced a $550m plan to accelerate the country's fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network to reach at least 95 per cent of households and businesses over the next five years. As part of the national ICT plan, ictQATAR has entered into a joint venture with Europe-based Eutelsat Communications to build and operate a high-powered communications satellite, to be launched in 2013. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT Qatar has announced a $550m plan to accelerate the country's fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network to reach at least 95 per cent of households and businesses over the next five years. As part of the national ICT plan, ictQATAR has entered into a joint venture with Europe-based Eutelsat Communications to build and operate a high-powered communications satellite, to be launched in 2013. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Thu, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT Borealis has announced the appointment of Wim Roels to lead Borouge Pte, the marketing company of Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and ADNOC. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Volex Group plc has been selected by telecoms solutions provider Huawei as a local cable assemblies supplier for both Huawei India and Huawei Indonesia. These contracts see Volex provide cable assemblies to the Indian telecoms market via its Chennai manufacturing facility, and also delivering products through its two Indonesian factories for Huawei's telecoms customers in its South Pacific region. With its burgeoning telecoms market serving a population of over 1.1 billion across a large land mass, India presents a significant opportunity to both Volex and Huawei. The import regulations in place in India made it vital for Huawei to partner with a supplier which has local manufacturing expertise coupled with regional knowledge. With a successful working relationship already in place, Volex presented the ideal opportunity through its facility in Chennai to help Huawei meet the needs of its Indian customers. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, also resulting in a significant market opportunity for Volex. Huawei required a supplier that adhered to its stringent quality requirements, and with factories in Batam and Jakarta, Volex was well placed to provide Huawei with a flexible and timely supply of high-quality cable assemblies. Huawei's Indonesia centre also covers 30 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Volex will supply Huawei Indonesia and Huawei India with subscriber, trunk, and power cable assemblies from its regional factories, and high speed fibre optic cable assemblies will also be supplied from the factory in India. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Mitel, a provider of unified communications (UC) software solutions, has expanded its global presence to include support for sales and operations in Russia and surrounding areas including Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Baltic States, Georgia, and Turkmenistan. Alex Volynsky has been appointed Country Manager and Head of a newly established representative office in Moscow, which will sell and service under license, Mitel's portfolio of solutions based on the Mitel Freedom architecture, along with solutions from Wesley Clover International Corporation. Volynsky has more than 30 years' experience in business development, sales, and research and development, and has worked extensively in Russia and Canada, holding a variety of senior positions. He has a Master's Degree in Maths from Moscow State University. The representative office is located at Smolensky Passage, Smolenskaya Square 3, Moscow, 121099, Russia and staff can be reached at +7 495 937 8207. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Multimedia and broadcast upgrading at Qatar soccer stadiums was completed in time for this year's Asian Cup. Draka Communications upgraded from SD to HD at Al Gharafa, Al Rayyan, Al Sadd Sports Club and Qatar Sport Clubs, with total capacity of some 137,000 seats. Draka enlisted the help of UK-headquartered Gearhouse Broadcast is a major systems integrator in the broadcast services industry, specialising in the delivery of broadcast facilities for prestigious international televised sporting events. With an exceptional track record of prestigious installations spanning 16 years, the company delivers technical solutions to some of the biggest names in broadcasting. "We were pleased to partner with Draka to meet the urgent requirements of the Qatar National Olympic Committee for the stadiums," said Eamonn Dowdall, Gearhouse Broadcast's managing director. " "Draka responded to our cabling requirements with speed and efficiency, and we knew we could rely on the quality of their broadcast cables to meet our high standards for this project." Draka studio broadcast solutions for the Qatar project comprised multicore Audio cables, HD Video cables, SMPTE311M camera cables as well as Triax cables, that have earned the trust of camera crews. Draka broadcast cables meet the HDTV broadcast standards of global events, together with data communications cables for broadband data transmission, telephone and IP network infrastructure. They meet the highest quality standards for the latest broadcast technology (HD TV, Dolby Digital 5.1) and are compatible with recognised international standards ( HD, SMPTE) as well as complying to international specifications ( IEC 60332-3-24). http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Siemens has received an order from the Qatar Steel Company for an SVC Plus static Var compensator for its new electric steel plant in Mesaieed. Siemens had already received an order to supply major parts of the steel works in the summer of 2010. The task of the compensation plant is to maintain the grid power quality, and so ensure compliance with the powersupplier's specifications. The value of the order lies in the single-digit million Euro range. The electric steel plant is scheduled to come into production in the middle of 2012. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Creat Resources Holdings Limited (CRHL) has said that a lithium resource upgrade at the Mount Cattlin Mine in Western Australia further highlights the potential of its shareholding in mine-owner Galaxy Resources, alongside its own continuing expansion plans. Mount Cattlin is wholly-owned by ASX-listed Galaxy, in which CRHL holds a 17.78% stake. Galaxy announced that it has lifted the total contained lithium oxide resource at Mt Cattlin mine by 14% to 197,000 tonnes, extending the mine life by 18 years. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Middle East's newly established, privately owned submarine cable operator, has landed, in cooperation with Vodafone, its new submarine cable at Vodafone international cable landing station north of Doha, Qatar. A statement by GBI said its submarine cable system which will be commissioned later this year will utilise the latest subsea fibre cable technology. It will connect all the countries of the Gulf region to each other and provide onward connectivity to Europe and Asia. The launch of GBI's cable system will provide telecom operators and other communications companies, both in the region and globally, with greater choice, value, diversity and resilience. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Two high-performance vinyl jacketing compounds from Teknor Apex Company withstand the harsh cold, exposure to lubricants, and other challenging conditions encountered by control and power cables within the nacelles high atop wind turbine towers. Drawing on its expertise in compounding elastomeric materials, Teknor Apex has taken two different approaches to meeting the rigorous requirements of wind turbine applications: • Flexalloy® 9609-80 is an 80 Shore A PVC-based elastomer that provides superior long-term UV resistance. It exhibits a brittle point of -60 ºC. • Apex® N-56001 is a 76 Shore A blend of PVC and nitrile rubber that provides superior long-term low-temperature flexibility and oil resistance. It exhibits a brittle point of -54 ºC. Besides exceeding application standards for impact resistance at temperatures down to -40 ºC, both compounds pass required tests for UV resistance, 60-day oil aging at 75 ºC, and flammability performance as specified in UL 1685-F4. The two compounds are rated at 105 ºC for maximum continuous operating temperature. "Teknor Apex has developed Flexalloy 9609-80 and Apex N-56001 to provide cable manufacturers with different options for meeting application requirements," said industry manager Mike Patel. "Both products are high-performance alternatives to the standard flexible vinyl compounds used in cable jacketing and are particularly valuable for their cold-impact and oil-resistance properties." http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Elcometer Limited, leading suppliers of inspection equipment to the coatings, concrete and metal detection industries, has bought Dakota Ultrasonics Inc of Santa Cruz, California. "Dakota's commitment to high quality products and service to the non destructive testing community is second to none," said Michael Sellars, managing director of Elcometer Limited. "The similar ideals and beliefs of our two organisations will allow us to work together to further enhance our commitment to the global inspection community. We look forward to going from strength to strength." http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Seminole Wire and Cable, a family owned and operated wire and cable manufacturer, has signed a 31,600ft2 lease for warehouse/assembly space at 7861 Airport Highway in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Seminole will be relocating from a smaller building in Blackwood, New Jersey. Marc Isdaner, senior vice president and principal of Colliers International's Southern New Jersey industrial division, represented the owner, First Industrial Realty Trust, in this transaction. The property, located in Airport Industrial Park , features 28,000ft2 of warehouse space and more than 3,000ft2 of office space. The building has a 1,200 amp electric service, is fully air conditioned, and has tailgate and drive in loading doors. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html This month's issue of EuroWire and the March edition of Wire and Cable ASIA has the QR code displayed on the front cover and this will soon be rolled out across the rest of the group's wire and tube titles. The QR (short for 'quick response') code is a special matrix barcode that can be read quickly by a camera phone, displaying text, contact information, and web pages. "It's really exciting news for our readers and advertisers," said editor David Bell. "It opens up a whole range of new possibilities, using the very latest technology to give our readers instant access to information within our magazines, further promoting our advertisers' products and technology, all direct from the page." The QR codes are more useful than barcodes in that they can store (and digitally present) much more data, including URL (uniform resource identification) and text – and don't require a chunky hand-held scanner, just a camera phone. The QR code is made up of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background, not much bigger than a large postage stamp. "It takes less than a minute for someone with an i-Phone or Android phone to find and install a QR code reader," added David. "Once they've done that, they can have instant access to text, product information, contact details, news of events and exhibitions, competitions, coupons, links with social networks and so on. "They will be of great interest to our advertisers and will be extremely useful for our readers." http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Sommer Cable's new CAT.7 PUR XL 10 Gbit cable ensures optimal transmission properties of distances over 100m. The cable has a large wire cross-section (AWG23/7) and high-quality foam/skin PE wire insulation, along with 100% shielding provided by a CU mesh screen and AL/PT foil-screen wire pairs.
The RJ45 connector is entirely metal, and is also available with a tread-resistant protective sleeve in an XLR design. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Dow Wire and Cable has appointed Brad Miller as Global Marketing Director. In this role, Brad will drive strategic growth initiatives utilising Dow Wire and Cable's portfolio of products, technologies and power industry expertise. This will include executing global product launches for solutions in the traditional power and alternative energy industries as well as market segments like personal electronics, building and construction and transportation wires, cables and accessories. "As we continue to grow in the global power industry and its ancillary markets, it is more important than ever to complement our product and technology offering with strategic marketing and branding programmes," said Tim Laughlin, general manager, Dow Wire and Cable. "We look forward to having Brad on our team to continue and enhance the excellent progress we've made in this important facet of our business." Miller has been with Dow for over 20 years and previously served as Global Business Director for Dow Fiber Solutions. He also has held a number of commercial roles in Dow's chemical and plastics businesses. He holds a BA from Michigan State University and an MBA from Indiana University. He will be located at Dow Wire and Cable headquarters in Houston, TX, USA. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Electro Cables president Peter Davis is to be recognised for his services by receiving an honorary lifetime membership to the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce. Davis will receive the award at the chamber's annual President's Dinner on 18th February. "Mr Davis has made a huge impact to the business community of Quinte West through his numerous contributions to local and national charities and through the growth of his own company and the development of a key industry in the city,'' said chamber manager Suzanne Andrews. Electro Cables was founded in Trenton in 1985 by a group of professionals including a doctor, lawyers and engineers. Davis, an engineer and an original partner, assumed control of the company in 1990. The company now delivers more than 200 different wire and cable products around the globe. Electro Cables is now a family company. Davis' son and daughter — Gordon Davis and Chandy Davis — have been with the company for 15 years, and after 25 years in business now has a total workforce of 140 people operating from three different sites. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Nippon Steel Corporation and Sumitomo Metal Industries are joining forces to create a global giant.The integration of the two businesses – due to be completed by October 2012 – will mean the formation of a global, world-leading steel manufacturer, ideally placed to respond to customer needs both in Japan and overseas. The companies will be able to accelerate their global strategies and realise a level of competitiveness which is outstanding in terms of technology, quality and cost. Employing over 52,000, Nippon Steel Corporation has capital of JPY 419.5billion, while Sumitomo has over 23,500 staff and capital of JPY 262 billion. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Following the political unrest in Egypt, Leoni has been able to restore its production capacities at its wire harnessing manufacturing site to near normal levels.The site in Cairo has seen attendance levels rise from 2nd February to 80 and 90 per cent as workers returned to help normalise production. The plant itself has remained safe but Leoni are remaining vigilant in the wake of the unrest, which continues to sweep the troubled nation. The situation in the four Tunisian facilities has been largely stabilised already for more than a week. Occasionally there are delays in transport and in the ferry services but there are currently no back orders. In Egypt there are about 4,000 employees and in Tunisia about 12,000. At all the facilities wiring harnesses and wiring systems are manufactured for European automotive customers or international suppliers. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Nexans North America celebrated its centenary on Friday, 11th February. The company, founded as Canada Wire and Cable, began operations by supplying power cables to the burgeoning hydropower market in Ontario, Canada. Today, with 11 facilities and more than 1,500 employees throughout North America, Nexans continues its tradition of innovation and excellence as the world's leading cable company. The construction of the first hydro-generating plant in Niagara Falls 100 years ago presented the challenge of developing an economical means of bringing this energy to Southern Ontario. Five bold entrepreneurs recognised the opportunity to develop the cable technology required, and Canada Wire and Cable was created. Products offered by the company continually expanded and by 1920 came to include building wire, weatherproof wires and bare rectangular copper wire. To ensure an uninterrupted supply of materials, the company acquired several rubber mills and, by 1931, a copper rod mill, still operating today in Montreal East, QC. Today, Nexans North America continues to design and manufacture a wide range of power cables and also provides products in markets as diverse as building, industrial, LAN, oil and gas, military, aerospace, renewable energy, power networks, and more. Steve Hall, president, Nexans North America said: "Not many companies make it to 100 years, and those that do all have the same characteristics: the ability to innovate and provide relevant products, a focus on customer service, operational excellence, and most importantly, exceptional people. We are proud of our 100 year history, but we are already focused on our next 100 years." In recognition of its 100th anniversary, Nexans has created the Nexans CONNECTS programme for community outreach and support. Carlos Sanchez, vice president, EWD and Human Resources, said: "Nexans has always valued community partnerships and under Nexans CONNECTS we are expanding our capabilities for outreach. Partnering with respected organisations such as Habitat for Humanity, our employees can participate in organised service programmes." To support higher education, the Nexans CONNECTS programme also establishes several scholarship opportunities for the families of Nexans' North America employees. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Teijin Aramid has appointed Peter Horst as CFO, with effect from 1st January 2011. He continues to be part of the management team of Teijin Aramid. He succeeds Jan Föllings, who has been appointed director of human resources and organisation. Jan Föllings will also be responsible for corporate social responsibility, quality, health, safety and energy, and corporate communication. In 2006, Mr Horst was appointed group controller at Teijin Aramid, after which he also became strategy officer, in 2008. He previously worked in various financial positions at Wellman and AkzoNobel, among others. Teijin Aramid is a division of the Japanese Teijin Group, manufacturing high-quality fibres, including the aramid fibre Twaron, at its production sites in Emmen and Delfzijl in the Netherlands. Twaron is a fibre that is five times stronger than steel at the same weight. It is heat-resistant and durable, and offers innovative applications for a variety of industrial sectors such as defence, automotive, composites, oil and gas and telecoms. One of the latest innovations is the construction of the span and façade of the Stedelijk Museum, in which the super-strong aramid fibre Twaron will be used. http://www.read-wca.com/news.html Quaker Chemical Corporation has bought Summit Lubricants Inc, a leading specialty grease manufacturer, for $30m. Summit Lubricants is a North American manufacturer and distributor of specialty greases and lubricants whose proprietary formulations encompass a broad spectrum of specialty greases which are sold through major grease distributors and utilised in military applications. Summit also performs grease toll manufacturing for third parties and will operate as a stand-alone subsidiary of Quaker. Included in the transaction are Summit Lubricants' commercial operations and two manufacturing operations located in Batavia, New York. Michael F. Barry, chairman, CEO and president, said: "Summit Lubricants is an excellent strategic fit for Quaker as it is complementary to our existing business. "Since its founding 20 years ago, Summit Lubricants has earned a reputation as a premier quality lubricant and grease manufacturer. Summit is currently in the process of increasing its manufacturing capacity more than twofold. "In addition to Summit's ability to grow its business through its current customer base, we are excited at the prospect of offering Summit's complementary product line to our existing customers both in the U.S. and globally." http://www.read-wca.com/news.html The Make-a-Wish Foundation was chosen as the top charity to receive cash from Allied Wire and Cable's fourth annual charity week in December, which raised a superb $12,808.64 for charities. The company asked customers to nominate a charity to receive a large donation, while other selected charities received smaller contributions – and the Make-a-Wish Foundation recevived $11,808.64 when Dennis Heron, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia and the Susquehanna Valley, and Karen Traten, director of development, visited Allied Wire and Cable's Collegeville headquarters at the start of the year. The charity week tradition began four years ago and is now held during the holiday season every year, when one percent of all sales is donatedto charitable organisations. Because the amount of the donations is up tothe customers and their orders, they are asked to play an active role in the charity selection, voting for the organisation of their choice in an online poll. The money benefitted a diverse selection of local and national charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as the ASPCA, the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and theMeals on Wheels Association of America, which each received a check for $250.00. This year's big donation will help Make-A-Wish grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. These wishes can cost upward of $7,000 each and range from asking for a new laptop to wishing for a family vacation to Disney World. http://www.awcwire.com Technology Research Corp said it received an unsolicited indication of interest from Coleman Cable Inc to acquire the company in a deal valued at $38 million. Technology Research shares were up 32% at $5.16 in recent trading, while Coleman shares fell 2 cents to $6.70. Coleman, a maker of wire and cable products, is offering $5.50 a share, a 41% premium to the closing price on Friday, January 14th. From April to August, Coleman acquired 323,710 shares of Technology Research's stock in a series of open market transactions. Technology Research has about 6.9 million shares outstanding. Technology Research's board adopted a two-year shareholder rights plan, or poison pill, an effort typically used to ward off unwanted takeovers. The pill would go into effect if a person or group acquires a stake of at least 15% in the electrical-safety products company. The board also is reviewing the proposal, according to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Later Tuesday, Coleman President and Chief Executive Gary Yetman said his company had engaged Technology Research's board "on a number of occasions." He said Coleman was disappointed the board adopteda poison pill "to block a transaction that is clearly friendly to its shareholders." Coleman first proposed an offer price of $5 to $5.50 a share last month, but earlier this month received word from Technology Research that it wasn't interested in discussing the proposal. Technology Research in November reported its fiscal second-quarter earnings slumped 74% amid sharply lower margins and a 30% increase in overhead costs. Revenue fell 4.7%, mostly on lower revenue at its military segment amid order and program delays and prior-year heavy deliveries to its largest military customer. Meanwhile, Coleman reported in November its third-quarter earnings nearly quadrupled amid stronger margins and its net sales jumped 40%, though it issued cautious fourth-quarter guidance amid rising copper prices. http://www.trci.net South Korea's top wire and cable maker, LS Cable Ltd has clinched a deal worth more than US$20 million to build and maintain a communication network in Doha, the largest city in Qatar. In an $18 million project from Vodafone Qatar, LS Cable will establish broadband networks using optical cables to provide fast Internet service in the city, the Korean company said in a statement. The order also includes a project worth $2.5 million for network maintenance. Vodafone Qatar is a unit of Vodafone Group Plc., the world's biggest mobile phone company. LS Cable plans to make inroads into the South and North American markets with its communications network technology. http://www.lscable.com International multi-media group INTRAS has welcomed back David Bell as editor of two of its flagship trade journals. David, who has a 25-year career in the UK's weekly newspaper industry, will edit INTRAS's Eurowire magazine and Wire and Cable ASIA magazine. Returning after a two-year sabbatical in newspapers at what he describes as an "exciting time" for the magazines, David said: "The success of our publications is in always reporting the latest international wire and cable industry news, technological innovations, in-depth technical articles and trade show reports. We provide all that industry professionals need to know and that is why we continue to be the market leaders."However, the industry is constantly evolving and we've got even more fresh ideas for both magazines which we will be implementing during 2011. "I'm looking forward to getting out and meeting our valued clients around the world, with Atlanta and Bangkok visits already planned." British-based INTRAS is a leading multi-media service organisation within the wire and cable and tube and pipe industries, with four international flagship trade journals. First launched 18 years ago, the wire magazines are produced in a range of languages with readers in 89 counties worldwide. Managing director Caroline Sullens said: "We're delighted that David is heading our Eurowire and Wire and Cable ASIA magazines. His grounding in journalism enables him to get right to the very heart of what is new and exciting about the industry and he has a proven record of providing essential trade information for our global market. " INTRAS provides its clients with unrivalled support in terms of corporate and promotional marketing, enhancing sales and promoting brand awareness through all the magazines - and at trade exhibitions across the world. "A great advantage for our advertisers is the strong links we have - and the unique supporting role we play - with many international trade fair organisers and exhibition owners. Our 26 years experience in developing and marketing niche wire and tube industry events, together with our leading industry trade publications means we are able to offer a unique and unrivalled service." http://www.intras.co.uk Componenta Group has seen its 2010 net sales rise 152 million Euros up from 300 million Euros in 2009. In the previous interim report the net sales were expected to increase remarkably and the result after financial items to improve clearly from the previous year. In the fourth quarter the net sales of the Group was EUR 131 million (EUR 76 million). In the previous interim report the result after financial items was expected to be positive. Componenta Group's order book in the beginning of 2011 was EUR 95 million (EUR 59 million) which was 61% higher than in the corresponding time in the previous year due to increased market demand. The demand outlook in all of the Group's customer industries has remained good. www.componenta.com South Korea's top wire and cable maker, LS Cable Ltd has clinched a deal worth more than US$20 million to build and maintain a communication network in Doha, the largest city in Qatar. In an $18 million project from Vodafone Qatar, LS Cable will establish broadband networks using optical cables to provide fast Internet service in the city, the Korean company said in a statement. The order also includes a project worth $2.5 million for network maintenance. Vodafone Qatar is a unit of Vodafone Group Plc., the world's biggest mobile phone company. LS Cable plans to make inroads into the South and North American markets with its communications network technology. http://www.lscable.com POLICE arrested six alleged thieves after wire and cable, iron and other metals – including 481 steel plates from the Mauricio Báez bridge on the Eastern Motorway in the Dominican – were stolen. Police said that the suspects had become a dangerous ring whose numerous burglaries led to losses by companies, the government and private citizens. Lihua has received copper anode supply orders and volume demand indications from one of China's leading metals conglomerates. The company began shipping product to this customer in the fourth quarter of 2010, and expects to supply 1,000-2,000 tons of copper anode per month in 2011, with specific quantities determined based upon available capacity. In 2010 Lihua shipped 11,000 tons of copper anode, and expects full-year copper anode shipments to total approximately 12,500 tons. Including demand from this customer, Lihua now has 2011 copper anode supply contracts and volume demand indications totalling 122,000-134,000 metric tons. Upon completion of the two new smelters in the second half of 2011, Lihua expects annual copper anode production capacity to be 75,000 metric tons. www.lihuaintl.com Following a 20-year career with fibre optic network specialists Sumitomo Electric, Les Chesson retired at the end of December last year. Previously with Western Electric/ATandT for 32 years, Les called it a day on a career which also included three years in the US Navy. He is intending to spend his retirement with his wife, six children and 11 grandchildren. www.sumitomoelectric.com/