June 4, 2021 

Interwire returns in October as 1st-ever Industry 4.0 pavilion gathers momentum
The show goes on for the Interwire Trade Exposition—the longest running and largest wire and cable industry trade show in the Americas—October 26-27, 2021 at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia. Following the event postponement from May to October, positive signs have emerged for the WAI’s biennial event.

The news is that the event, which will remain an in-person event, will showcase the potential of Industry 4.0. That theme will be supported by a full-fledged presentation of how this transformation in manufacturing has arrived and—more importantly—how it works. It will be represented by 12 companies, including four that have never exhibited at Interwire.

Industry 4.0 can be described as a collection of technologies and procedures that combine to support the smart factory concept. The inaugural Industry 4.0 Pavilion at Interwire—a collaboration between the WAI and Messe Düsseldorf North America—will feature displays and educational briefings from ADVARIS, Cimteq, Davis-Standard, 40Factory Srl, InnoVites, MFL Group, MindSphere World Italia, Oden Technologies, Parsable, Rockwell Automation, SIKORA and TROESTER. See following pages for company descriptions.
A key to assembling the exhibitors that will collectively present Industry 4.0 in a unique and comprehensive forum was Willem Sundblad, a WAI board member and the CEO of Oden Technologies.
Interwire will illustrate how machine learning, automation, artificial intelligence, big data, analytics, IoT, predictive maintenance, and other factory and machine enhancements can positively affect the way wire is made and how well manufacturers compete on the world stage.

“This year we are going to have an Industry 4.0 Pavilion and lots of technical presentations that will showcase the latest technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution at Interwire,” said WAI Board member Richard Baker, vice president of engineering, Prysmian Group North America. “Companies will demonstrate how Industry 4.0 technologies are applicable to wire and cable manufacturing and how the efficiency of equipment and processes can be significantly enhanced through their use.”
Used to best advantage, this innovative technology can transform data collected from machine sensors into information that can ultimately help improve processes and product quality; reduce scrap; increase productivity; and introduce more flexibility and profitability into the manufacturing plant.
In such an environment the combination of software platforms, time-tested wire making methods, and digital communication allows manufacturers to streamline processes and to conserve resources. Equipment is monitored; machine performance is tracked. The flow of material is followed. Causes of downtime are identified and examined. Changes are detected and adjustments made in real-time. As more data is collected and analyzed, machine learning can take place to improve production.

Below are descriptions from the pavilion participants.
ADVARIS. The company offers a comprehensive ERP and MES industry solution for the wire and cable industry. As a worldwide supplier, ADVARIS Cable takes the “all-in-one” approach instead of “best-of-breed.” Its comprehensive software platform ensures a complete, seamlessly integrated solution from a single source. The ERP system is designed to help in metal billing, shipping, rewinding and cutting orders, drum and tool management and cable design.

Cimteq. The company’s CableBuilder Enterprise and CableBuilder Go software solutions were designed to provide the flexibility needed to meet specific industry and company requirements. CableMES integrates seamlessly into CableBuilder Enterprise and a company’s ERP system, with real-time data transfers in both directions, keeping the business in sync with the shop floor at all times.
Davis-Standard. The company will show both a VR experience into a fiber optic cable factory, and a secondary coating extrusion line that will feature SMART BUFFERING—its AI augmented line control package—designed to find and predict process problems before they lead to out of specification production and present the operator with recommended course corrections.
40Factory Srl. The company specializes in the end-to-end development and delivery of Industrial AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) solutions that range from edge computing applications (data acquisition, pre-processing, on-the-edge storage and data visualization) to cloud web applications for machine efficiency analysis, production traceability, process telemetry, energy consumption and predictive analytics (maintenance and quality). 

InnoVites. The company’s display will feature CableERP, which is based on the innovative and cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics 365 business software. CableERP has been created to solve the unique problems wire and cable manufacturers face, but which are not addressed by standard ERP packages. In addition to CableERP, InnoVites resells and implements CableBuilder Enterprise and CableMES across the wire and cable industry.
MFL Group. The company will demonstrate its proprietary, fully responsive MFL X Industrial IoT App running on MindSphere®, the cloud-based open IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) operating system from Siemens. Now available for steel drawing lines, copper and aluminum rod breakdown lines, multiwire drawing lines and extrusion lines, the MFL X AI Cable Analyzer captures cable images during production and analyzes cable surface roughness and color in real time. The data analyzed by its proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent completely eliminate the subjective evaluation of the operator.

MindSphere World Italia. The company helps accelerate the adoption of Industrial IoT and drive digital transformation of manufacturing. Its mission is to create an environment in which thought leaders, developers, research institutes and manufacturers can network, develop standards and explore best practices.

Oden Technologies. The company helps manufacturers make different, better and faster decisions through Machine Learning and Applied Analytics. The company’s technology platform is pioneering the use of real-time predictive and prescriptive analytic tools that uncover untapped value to make more, waste less and innovate faster. The company is working to transform the manufacturing industry by digitizing, analyzing and perfecting peak factory performance through automated insights, interactive dashboards and real-time alerts.

Parsable. The company offers Connected Worker®, which consists of modern digital tools that empower frontline workers and improve productivity, safety, and quality. Manufacturers are digitizing SOPs, checklists, and workflows with its Connected Worker solution. The results include reduced unplanned stoppages, waste and paper; increased OEE, throughput and compliance with digital traceability; and faster operator onboarding and certification.
Rockwell Automation. The company offers The Connected Enterprise®, which makes it possible to converge plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connect people, processes and technologies.

SIKORA. The company will show a laser gauge head which generates measured values of a cable and provides this data via an interface. The data processing will be visualized schematically as a number matrix. Additionally, the company will show an animated cable production line with its measuring technology and a control center where, besides general production data, the measured value of its LASER gauge is displayed.

TROESTER. The company will showcase its Industry 4.0 solutions with an emphasis on their proven Maintenance Advisor with Augmented Reality features. Attendees will see first-hand the value of the product relative to data acquisition and analysis as well as preventive maintenance and machine control. The main benefits are generated in reduced downtimes, production transparence, increased flexibility and quality control. TROESTER is well known for its cable production technology that includes CV-, silane-, jacketing- and insulation lines.

Details are available at www.interwire21.com.