4/5/2021: South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LC&S) announced that it will be the sole supplier of magnet wire for the drive motors (enamel wire) of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 electric vehicles.
A press release said that LC&S is the first South Korean company to mass-produce magnet wires that can be used at 800 V. Sales are estimated to reach more than KRW200 billion within 6 years. It noted that the company succeeded in using a high-performance insulation material to develop a high-voltage magnet wire with improved efficiency.
As the charging speed competition is intensifying in the electric vehicle industry, development of high-voltage parts supporting this is becoming more important. “We expect that this supply will provide us with an opportunity to preempt the high-voltage electric vehicle wire market, which is still in its early stage,” the release said.
LC&S projects that global demand for environmentally friendly automotive magnet wire market will grow more than six-fold by 2025. It is responding by reinforcing its marketing efforts and increasing investments with regard to global automakers. “The drive motor and the battery are important enough to be called the two hearts of an electric vehicle,” said LC&S President & CEO Myung Roe-Hyun. “We are certain that the wires and parts business, which serves as the blood vessels of the heart, will also grow rapidly, so we are fostering them as new growth engines.”
Since 2016, LC&S has been supplying GM with the magnet wire (400V) for the drive motors of the Chevrolet Bolt EV. It is also discussing development of HV magnet wires that will be used by all EVs produced by GM.
Industry News
4/5/2021: Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), a global designer and manufacturer of wireless and broadcast infrastructure, announced that it has made “a seven-figure investment” at its manufacturing facility in Meriden, Connecticut.
A press release said that the investment was made to support growing demand for its HYBRIFLEX riser and jumper cables for 4G, 5G products, and beyond. RFS invested in the latest state-of-the-art cable manufacturing equipment that will enable the company “to significantly increase production capability, flexibility, and capacity to meet customer demand.” A company spokesperson said that the new equipment is not replacing existing production.
The investment will help RFS react even more swiftly to requests for new designs and prototypes. “This has reduced new product development lead time by an average of 25%, while doubling production capacity for bulk cables.”
“The recent pandemic has emphasized just how reliant the U.S., and the rest of the world is on telecommunication,” said Matt Gauvin, global product line manager optical fiber and power solutions for RFS. “As a result of this realization, combined with the development of next generation mobile services, we anticipate a huge surge in demand.”
4/5/2021: Champlain Cable announces that it has acquired Umbilicals International (UI), which designs and manufactures complex cable and umbilical products for dynamic and harsh environments at its two U.S. plants in Texas.
A press release said that UI, a business of Scotland’s Seanamic Group, will continue to operate out of their facilities in Stafford, its headquarters, and Channelview, Texas. UI will continue with its present name, managed as a standalone business under General Manager Colin Zak.
The deal expands the scope of Champlain Cable, which is based in Vermont, with operations in El Paso, Texas, and Benton Harbor, Michigan. “The addition of Umbilicals International to the Champlain Cable Group will strengthen our commitment to custom designed cables for harsh and demanding environments,” Champlain Cable President Bill Reichert said. “The entire Champlain Cable Group will now have extensive cable design and manufacturing capability for a broad coverage of markets and applications.”
Reichert commented that all the proper and necessary due diligence was conducted, even though, given the challenging times, it was done under very different circumstances. “We did visit UI’s two plants (Stafford and Channelview) in Texas. We had our El Paso Operations manager handle that part of the process.”
Reichert cited Marty Kenner, Commission Brokers, for alerting him to this opportunity. “Marty knew we were looking for certain acquisitions, and he and I talked about UI.” That led to good discussions with The Seanamic Group, and the process was largely seamless and expedited, he said. “It worked out quite well due to a great team approach.”
Prysmian Group, announced plans to expand its U.S. manufacturing facility in Pettis County, Missouri, which has seen substantial capital investment.
A press release said that the Prysmian Group plans a two-phase expansion of the facility, which manufactures aluminum building wire products for the commercial and institutional construction markets. Phase one, which was just completed, was a $3.5 million investment for new equipment purchases, existing building renovations and additional jobs. That includes a new machine that increases the plant’s capacity for producing aluminum building wire, which is in high demand. The addition includes an expansion of distribution operations in Sedalia and the addition of more jobs to fully exploit this exciting business opportunity.
“The Sedalia plant is an important area of our business serving a growing market,” said Prysmian Group North America COO Giacomo Sofia. “The investment in the expansion is an important step in continuing to support our customers. Phase one will not only increase opportunities in Sedalia, but it also reduces our operating costs and allows us to be more efficient and cost competitive. The plant has a deep history in the area, and we are thrilled that we continue to grow our footprint.”
LS Cable & System (LSC&S) announced that the company has completed building its first plant in Africa, located in an industrial city in Egypt.
A press release said that LSC&S established a joint venture with a local cable installation company, MAN, Tenth of Ramadan City, near Cairo, in January 2020. The company wants to expand its market presence to East African and Middle Eastern countries, which have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Egypt.
“Export barriers are rising due to the forming of regional economic blocks around the world,” said Myung Roe-Hyun, President & CEO of LS Cable & System. “We will reinforce our competitiveness by directly investing in key hub countries.” With the Egyptian subsidiary, LSC&S now has 11 overseas production subsidiaries, including those in the U.S., China, Vietnam and Poland.
The release noted that the Egyptian cable market is annually growing by more than 5% due to facts such as population growth and the need to replace and upgrade old power grids. “There is a high demand for power cables in Africa, including Egypt, but export barriers are high due to the high tariffs (about 20%) and logistics costs,” said a LSC&S official. “We are planning to secure price competitiveness through local production and use the customer networks of our partners to get the business on the right track as soon as possible.”
Southwire announced that it would soon begin construction of a 100,000-sq-ft copper-rod manufacturing plant in Carrollton, Georgia, an initiative that supports its long-term modernization strategy and building on its goal to remain generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond.
A press release said that construction of the new plant is expected to begin in the first quarter, and that production should begin in the new facility by the end of 2022. When the construction project is completed, the current system will be decommissioned. Of note, the new plant will feature an SCR-9000S Copper Rod System that will have the capability to produce more copper rod (60 mt/hr) than any other SCR system in the world.
“Southwire is investing in a multimillion-dollar modernization initiative that will allow us to best serve our customers, increase our efficiency and introduce newer and better equipment, systems and technology,” said Southwire’s President and CEO Rich Stinson. “In doing so, we’re reaffirming our commitment to providing a work environment that supports the well-being of our employees, our communities and the environment – for today and for the future. Installing a new SCR system is an important part of this effort, as copper rod is the start of the manufacturing process for many of the products that make Southwire an industry leader.”
Southwire started operation of its current copper rod system in Carrollton in 1980, and four decades later, copper continues to be the primary source of metal for the company’s wire and cable operations. The new facility will be located on the same property as the existing manufacturing plant and will utilize the company’s patented Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR®) technology, which transformed the wire and cable industry in the early 1960s and is still the preferred system around the world.
“To put the technology itself into perspective, fifty percent of all copper rod made in the world passes through one of our SCR systems at some point in its lifetime. That’s significant,” said Charlie Murrah, executive vice president of metals. “Our copper rod manufacturing plant in Carrollton is more than 40 years old, and it is the right time to upgrade to a new, state-of-the-art SCR system for continuity and efficiency of our processes. Having a new SCR system in place for Southwire’s copper rod production will help keep us strong and sustainable for decades to come.”
The company also plans to continue pursuing its commitment to Growing Green as it plans for the replacement system. In support of Southwire’s Carbon Zero initiative to achieve 100% carbon free energy for its operations by 2025, Southwire is partnering with Carroll EMC to use all renewable electricity for the facility.
“We’re excited about the future of our Carrollton copper rod manufacturing facility, and we are proud to partner with Carroll EMC as we pursue our Carbon Zero initiative,” said Stinson. “Through this effort, we are not only supporting our modernization strategy and strategic efforts, but also strengthening our commitment toward remaining generationally sustainable.”
Turkey’s Cokyasar Holding reports that it has started to manufacture steel wire at its new operation, Cokyasar Wire Industries (CWI) in Albania.
A press release from the company said that the plant can annually produce 45,000 metric tons of steel products. CWI will manufacture zinc-aluminum coated steel wire and standard galvanized steel wire from 1 mm to 5.50 mm to international standards. It has some 60 employees, and as the facility was designed to be expandable, that number could increase.
CWI will supply sectors such as energy, automotive, construction, agriculture, gabion manufacturers and security. Cokyasar Holding’s experience will enable CWI Albania to develop its quality and production capacity.
Cokyasar Holding was founded by Ahmet Cokyasar in 1973. Despite the pandemic in 2020, it manufactured 180,000 metric tons of steel wire products at its three modern plants, and had revenues of US$150 million. Cokyasar Holding is one of the top 500 exporters in Turkey, with 70% of its production sent to more than 80 countries. The company has also been recognized as one of the larger employers, having more than a thousand staffers.
“We are going on our investments despite the global pandemic problem,” said Erman Korkusuz, CEO of Cokyasar Holding. He described CWI as “an investment needed for European and Balkan countries.” He said he was proud that his Turkish company could meet the obvious needs. The interest from customers so far has verified that it was a good decision to invest in Albania. “We will accelerate our other abroad investments with the success of CWI. I want to thank my team who contributed ... (to our new investment) in Albania.”
Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai (Messe) and its longstanding regional partner SECRI (Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd.) announced that they are expanding their cooperate efforts by working together to organize the 12th staging of WireShow – China International Wire & Cable Industry Exhibition (WireShow).
A press release said that the Messe will work with SECRI to stage the event Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The Messe has not previously been part of the event, but it does put on wire China, which SECRI supports. “With this addition, Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai and SECRI will offer trade fairs for the global wire and cable industry every year in Shanghai.”
In addition to the live exhibits at the fairgrounds, WireShow 2021 will feature interactive online showrooms for companies not able to travel to Shanghai. At the last staging of the WireShow in 2019, 419 Chinese and foreign exhibitors showcased their products on 25,000 sq m of exhibit space to 14,360 visitors from 41 countries.
For further information on visiting or exhibiting at WireShow 2021, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; telephone 312-781-5180; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.wireshow.com and www.mdna.com.
Nexans has reinforced its long-lasting relationship with Airbus with a new contract to supply specialized aerospace cables and wires that form the electrical backbone of civilian and military aircraft and helicopters.
A press release said that the new contract establishes Nexans as a major supplier to Airbus for high-performance, lightweight cables that play a major role in aircraft efficiency, passenger comfort and safety. Over the contract duration, Nexans will focus on new solutions for the future generation of electric and hybrid aircraft.
Nexans will provide most of the cables required for Airbus aircrafts in the coming years, covering applications such as cockpit, engine, cabin, in-flight entertainment and wings. The cable types include hook-up, wire, power, data, avionics and fire-resistant cables. Between 100 km and 350 km of cable are installed on a single aircraft, depending on the model.
Nexans solutions for future Airbus electric and hybrid aircraft will build on the success of the high-voltage (HV) cable prototypes, rated from 500 V to 3 kV, developed for the E-Fan X project. The regional hybrid-electric Aircraft demonstrator was a major milestone on Airbus’ decarbonization journey and a giant leap toward zero-emission flight.
The cables currently delivered by Nexans to Airbus are manufactured at Nexans plants in Draveil and Paillart, France and Mohammedia in Morocco.
2/16/21 -- At the end of 2020, Mayer Braidtech GmbH merged with Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG, its former parent company.
A press release explained the details as follows. Braiding machine production and sales will be a separate division of the former parent company. With this move, the circular knitting machine manufacturer has formally completed the integration of Mayer Braidtech GmbH at the company’s Albstadt headquarters. It began in January 2019 when the production of braiding machines got under way in Albstadt. Mayer & Cie.’s sister company Mayer Industries had previously manufactured in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the braiding machines that make reinforcements for high-pressure hoses.
“By integrating Mayer Braidtech into Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG, we have formally completed a process that for us has long been accomplished on a day-to-day work basis,” said Patrick Moser, business unit manager of Mayer Braidtech and future head of Mayer & Cie.’s braiding division. The production of braiding machines in Albstadt has been under way at full capacity since the beginning of 2019; sales of the machines had long been based in Albstadt. “That is why the braiding machines are old friends, as it were, at our main factory,” he said, adding that there had been, as hoped, synergy effects of circular knitting and braiding machine production. “We definitely benefit from one another, be it in manpower, logistics or simply in sharing news and views.”
2/8/2021 -- Germany’s EJP Maschinen GmbH announced that it has purchased a “significant portion” of Italmec, a manufacturer of wire drawing machines and peripheral equipment located in Poland that last year had joined it as a strategic partner.
A press release said that, with the drawing lines from Italmec and the cleaning systems from EJP (previously known as EJP WITEC GmbH), EJP’s structure now allows it to offer complete production lines for the entire process chain, from wire rod to finished coil. Founded in 2006, Italmec Sp. z o.o. has extensive industry knowledge and experience. In November 2018, Italmec acquired the WWM (Welding Wire Machinery) brand, which included the know-how of its employees as well as all projects and patents. At EJP’s website, it notes that it also offers combined drawing machines, drawbenches, peeling machines and straightening machines
Last September, EJP and Lothar Köppen co-founded EJP WIRE Technology, which supplies machines and related process technology for pretreatment of wire. “There were many changes in the international market in 2020,” said EJP Managing Director Jacques Paraskevas. “Through the participation in Italmec and WWM, we are filling a gap that was created last year.” He observed that the involvement in the two companies was another logical step towards complete solutions for the wire industry: EJP is now one of the few suppliers that produce complete plants for the entire “wire” process chain and at the same time have a global sales and service network. There are also synergies to other long products, such as “rods, tubes and profiles.”
The two other EJP companies include EJP-TOSCA, which supplies shot blasting equipment; and EJP Italia, which provides butt welding equipment for wire.
2/8/2021 -- The Ames Copper Group (ACG)—a joint venture between U.S.-based Prime Materials Recovery, Inc. (PMR), and Spain’s CuNext Group—to build a secondary copper smelter in North Carolina, USA.
Per the PMR website and reports in recyclingtoday.com and areadevelopment.com, the SMS Group will supply the smelter. It will have the capacity to annually process up to 50,000 tons of copper anodes. The plant, scheduled for startup this year, will be the first secondary copper recycling facility in the U.S. to produce copper anodes from copper scrap and copper fines.
“The manufacturing industry is critical to our success as a nation, and this will be the only smelter in the U.S. manufacturing custom copper anodes,” said PMR CEO Bernard Schilberg. He said that China’s restrictions on copper scrap imports and the oversupply they have created in the U.S. market prompted the venture, as did the demand for copper anodes in North America. “We will be able to compete globally with the new efficient technology we are implementing.”
Based in East Hartford, Connecticut, PMR operates processing facilities in Canastota, New York; Willimantic, Connecticut; Orangeburg, South Carolina; and Hickory, North Carolina. PMR processes and brokers in excess of 35 million pounds of nonferrous metals a month. Its affiliate, IMC Metals America in Shelby, North Carolina, manufactures copper for wiring and lightning rods, as well as applications in the defense industry.
Schilberg said that CuNext has experience in copper mining and refining while PMR has experience in direct melting of copper scrap. ACG will purchase birch/cliff, No. 2 copper chops with a minimum of 90 percent copper content and copper-bearing scrap, and copper alloys with a minimum of 85% copper content. The smelter will consume 54,000 tons of scrap annually to produce 50,000 tons of 99.7% copper custom anodes. U.S. wire and cable manufacturers are key customers.
SMS will supply a tilting refining furnace, anode casting wheel, gas cleaning system, and electric and automation systems. The plant will be prepared for a future upgrade with additional digitalization features.
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