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América Móvil and Telxius announced that they will deploy a new subsea cable linking Guatemala and the United States that will be supplied by ASN.

An announcement said that the cable, named “AMX3” by América Móvil and “Tikal” by Telxius, will be a high-capacity undersea cable that connects Puerto Barrios in Guatemala with Boca Raton in the U.S., with an additional possible landing in Cancun, Mexico. The line will feature an initial estimated capacity of 190Tbps and will serve a key route in the Caribbean with reliability and security, the companies said in a release. It should be operational in 2025.

The supply contract is already in force with ASN and will offer options to increase capacity and to incorporate additional branching units to serve other destinations.

For América Móvil, the project is a new step to build a substantial subsea network in the Americas, delivering a capacity through more than 197,000 km, including the AMX-1 submarine cable that extends 18,300 km and connects the U.S. to Central and South America with 13 landing points.

Last modified on February 6, 2023

South Korea’s Taihan recently announced that it has completed the development of a 500kV LCC (Line Commutated Converter) XLPE HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) land cable system and obtained internationally accredited certification.

A press release said that 500 kV is the highest voltage for deployed LCC XLPE HVDC cable systems. Taihan is the first South Korean company to accomplish KEMA international certification and the second in the world after Japan to complete KEMA internationally accredited certification for 500 kV LCC XLPE HVDC cable.

By obtaining the certification, Taihan is officially recognized for its technology and stability while at the same time securing an opportunity to participate in large-scale projects. This certification has high significance in that the test was conducted by applying technical specifications higher than international standards, so the cable can be immediately used in large-scale HVDC projects scheduled to be conducted in Korea.

Further, Taihan also succeeded in the KEMA international certification test for the VSC (Voltage Source Converter) 500 kV HVDC cable. As a result, Taihan is equipped with technical capabilities for all conversion methods, such as XLPE LCC and VSC, including the 500 kV MI-PPLP HVDC developed in 2017, which allows Taihan to be able to respond to the market actively.

“It is very encouraging that Taihan has been recognised for its HVDC technology through international certification at a time when the global demand for long-distance transmission and the spread of new and renewable energy sources are becoming active,” said Taihan President
Na Hyeong-gyun. “We will actively seek business
opportunities in projects that are in full swing in Europe and the United States, etc., as well as participating in large-scale HVDC projects scheduled to be carried out
in Korea.”

Last modified on February 6, 2023

WAI is returning to its technical mission, this year offering two international technical conferences (ITC): one in Italy and the other in Mexico. For each event, WAI has issued a Call for Papers.

Wire & Cable Milan 2023 will be held Oct. 16, 2023, at the Palazzo Giureconsulti in Milan, Italy. The event is being put on with ACIMAF, the Italian wire machinery association, led by President Ferruccio Bellina, a long-time supporter of such efforts. WAI last held an event in Italy in Verona in 2019, with other events there in Milan (2013), Bologna (2007) and Stresa (2003).

WAI’s Mexico ITC will be held Nov. 13-15, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Monterrey, Mexico. It was last held at the same location in 2016, at which time it drew 190 participants. The WAI had held two prior ITCs in Monterrey (2008 and 2010), and one in Querétaro (2004). At all those events, WAI Past President Antonio Ayala served as a key volunteer and organizer.

For both events, the Association is seeking presentations on technical subjects, but also on topics such as sustainability, workforce issues, operating best practices or general business influences in the wire and cable industry.

For Milan, the abstract deadline is Feb. 28. If that date is a concern, authors can contact WAI staff for a possible extension. Acceptance notifications will be sent March 31, and the manuscript deadline is July 31.

For Monterey, the abstract deadline is April 17. Notification will be made by May 22, and the manuscript deadline is Oct. 1. The program will include a presentation about market conditions in Mexico, Central America and South America.

Last modified on February 6, 2023

WAI to hold annual meeting at Interwire

At Interwire 2023, the Wire Association International will hold its annual meeting, a requirement of the Association’s bylaws.

WAI President Kurt Breischaft will preside over the meeting in the morning session on Tuesday, May 9. It will follow the Keynote presentation by Srinivas Siripurapu, the Chief Innovation Officer and R&D Officer for Prysmian.

The concise meeting will include a review of past and current activities, including the development of additional training education resources for the industry. The session will also include presentation of awards.

Following the annual meeting, at 10 am there will be a session on Industry 4.0, followed by a workforce session. Of note, the exhibit floor will also open at 10 am, and remain so through 5 pm, and again on Wednesday.

Last modified on February 6, 2023
  • The Ohio Valley Chapter President, Tom Maxwell, has drafted their scholarship program. The draft was reviewed internally by Association staff. The Chapter’s Board will soon meet to review and vote on this important piece, putting them one step closer to assisting college students. It is unlikely that the Chapter’s new scholarship program will be finalized in time to follow the 2023 timeline. Likely, this program will make its debut in January 2024, now less than a year away. 
  • The New England Chapter Annual Dinner took place Jan. 26th at Mohegan Sun. Registration increased from last year (up from 100 to 130). The event is sold out at maximum capacity for the space. Sponsorships increased from last year (up from 22 to 26). The hotel room block was maxed out. The wrap-up will be in the March issue, including the announcement of new board members.
Last modified on February 6, 2023

Starting this year, the Association will work closely with each chapter to develop a regional education program.

Currently, only the New England Chapter and Ohio Valley Chapter offer an education program. The plan is to have the other chapters (starting with Midwest and Southeast) establish an education component, in keeping with the Association’s educational mission. This will provide another attractive member benefit on the Chapter level. More details will follow as the Chapter Boards and Association work together on this.

“We’ve seen a lot of success from educational programs, and once members have a chance to go to them, it proves to be very worthwhile,” said WAI’s John Markowski, manager, membership & social media. He explained that while it does take work, the volunteers seem quite pleased with the results.

Last modified on February 6, 2023

Kevin Dancy was promoted to executive vice president-operations at Roteq Machinery, Inc. He joined the company as a sales engineer in 2014, and was promoted to sales manager in 2018. Prior to that he worked for 10 years at Southwire Company, including five years as a plant manager. He also worked in engineering and managerial positions at Rexan Circuits, Tyco Thermal Controls, General Cable and Nortel. He holds a BASc degree in mechanical engineering from Queen’s University and is a licensed professional engineer. Kevin has served as an instructor for WAI’s Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing course for several years. Based in Ontario, Canada, Roteq manufacturers rotating equipment for sectors that include the wire and cable industry. 

Shawn Mahle is director of sales-energy at Marmon Industrial Energy & Infrastructure. He most recently was director of sales-oil rig and industrial products for RSCC Wire & Cable LLC, where over seven years he was also national sales manager and sales & marketing manager. He worked in managerial positions prior to that for 11 years for companies that included Spike Electric Controls, Crawford Electric Supply, Oakwell Inc. and Amphenol ECOSystem. A division of Marmon Electrical, Marmon Industrial Energy & Infrastructure produces wire and cable for industrial, energy and infrastructure markets. 

National Standard has promoted Tom Wehner to vice president of sales and marketing. He joined the company in 2012 as a regional sales manager and was promoted to director of sales in 2020. He previously worked in sales and managing positions going back to 1999 for Pelican Products, LPS Laboratories, Praxair Distribution and ESAB. Based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and part of the Heico Wire Group, National Standard manufacturers welding wire, tire bead wire, industrial wire and ACSR wire.

The American Wire Group appointed Scott Moore as vice president renewables, Eastern Region. He most recently was director of energy at Cameron Connect. Prior to that, he worked for six years for Prysmian, including one year as market manager, North American Renewable Energy, five years as a technical sales engineer/manager; and before that, 10 years for Draka USA. Based in Miami, Florida, American Wire Group offers a range of wire, cable and accessories for utility and renewable energy applications. 

Rob Caillet has been named vice president, corporate EHS & sustainability director, for Encore Wire. He leads both the EHS and training teams at Encore, where he has more than 25 years of experience building and sustaining successful EHS programs. He also serves as an advisor to the Lone Star Manufacturing Workforce Commission and the Collin County Local Emergency Planning Committee. Based in McKinney, Texas, Encore Wire is a leading manufacturer of copper and aluminum for residential, commercial and industrial wire.

Tom Artinian has been named president of Proterial Cable America, Inc. (formerly known as Hitachi Cable America Inc.). He will oversee the strategic direction of all North American facilities (performance cable systems and materials, high-performance medical solutions and automotive products). He has three decades of experience with both privately held and publicly traded companies. He joined HCA in 2020, and quickly progressed from executive vice president to COO of the Performance Cable Systems and Materials (PCSM) Division, a role he will continue to serve. He succeeds Lynne Humenik, who previously announced her departure from HCA. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, Proterial Cable America, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of copper and fiber optic communication cables for the telecom industry.

Manner Polymers recently named Tom Allen as national account manager. The retired electronic technician senior chief for the Navy most recently worked for more than 10 years at Southwire as a senior buyer/commodity manager. Prior to that, he worked for more than four years at Magna International, and another three years at Bradley Morris and OFS. He holds a B.A.Sc degree from Southern Illinois University, Carondale. Based in McKinney, Texas, Manner Plastics is one of the largest U.S. suppliers of PVC compounds

Obituary
Robert E. Delp, 85, of York, Pennsylvania, died Jan. 19, 2023, at York Hospital. Per WCMA and his posted obituary, Delp was the president and CEO of First Capitol Wire and Cable until the company was sold to Coleman Cable in 2011. His career began in 1956 and spanned six decades, during which he held executive level positions at Monroe Wire & Cable and Laribee Wire, as well as technical positions with Anaconda, BICC, Coleman Cable and Southwire. Most recently he continued working as the technical director for Frasier Campbell Wire & Cable, which is run by his son, Dan Delp. He was a WAI Life Member and a 2003 recipient of the Charles Scott Lifetime Achievement Award. Other survivors include his wife, Mildred, who runs York Wire & Cable along with his stepson, Robert Wilson; a second son, Robert Delp; and two sisters, Pat Godrey and Jean Orr.

Last modified on February 6, 2023

Messe Düsseldorf has extended its family of trade shows for the wire and cable industry with its newest addition being wire Middle East Africa and Tube Middle East Africa.

A press release from Germany’s Messe Düsseldorf—which is one of the world’s 10 largest such organizers—said that wire Egypt will be held Sept. 2-4 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo, joined by Tube Egypt, and two other metal events: GIFA Middle East Africa, METEC Middle East Africa.

The wire and Tube events will be held in a designated location within the overall event. METAL & STEEL has been organized by AGEX (Arabian German Exhibitions & Publishing Ltd), has presented a wide range of machinery, equipment and products from the steel and metal industries for the Near and Middle East since 2010.

AGEX, a leading Egyptian organizer, has staged trade fairs and conferences in the region since 2004, specializing in the industrial sector. “We are very much looking forward to the partnership with AGEX and are confident that our metal trade fair quartet offers profitable synergies for all parties involved,” said Daniel Ryfisch and Malte Seifert, directors of the wire, Tube, GIFA and METEC trade fairs at the Düsseldorf, Germany location.

Registration for the wire MEA and Tube MEA events contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.mdna.com.

Last modified on January 10, 2023

Microsoft has acquired Lumenisity® Limited, a start-up based in the U.K. that provides hollow-core fiber (HCF) with a proprietary design said to offer multiple advantages over traditional solid core fiber.

Per the company’s website, Lumenisity was formed in 2017 as a spinoff from the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton to commercialize breakthroughs in the development of hollow-core optical fiber. In 2021 and 2022, it won the Best Fibre Component Product for its NANF® CoreSmart® HCF cable in the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) Exhibition Industry Awards.

A press release said that Microsoft plans to use Lumenisity’s technology and experts to accelerate innovations in networking and infrastructure. It noted that light that propagates in an air core has significant advantages over traditional cable built with a solid core of glass, including increased overall speed and lower latency as light travels through HCF 47% faster than standard silica glass. For further details on Lumenisity’s technology, see the company’s presentations at www.lumenisity.com.

Last modified on January 10, 2023

Hellenic Cables is one of 13 parties from eight countries that are part of a coalition working to further the design and deployment of a 6 MW floating wind prototype in the French Mediterranean.

A press release said that the pan-European project, launched in Paris, seeks to accelerate the roll out of the next generation of floating wind technology for a competitive, more scalable and industrial deployment. Other participants include: X1Wind, Naturgy, 2B Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Hydro, Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Schwartz Hautmont, Ocas, Tersan Shipyard, Ocean Ecostructures and Cybernetix.

Backed by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program with public funding of €16 million, the project is anticipated to run until 2027. It will lead to the deployment of a 6 MW floating wind prototype to demonstrate at a relevant scale an innovative integrated downwind floating platform design, while advancing in parallel on the industrialization and scaling-up of the integrated solution up to 20MW+ scale, in preparation of commercial floating wind farms under development in Europe.

This project builds upon previous European Projects such as the PivotBuoy which recently led to the installation of a part-scale prototype in the Canary Islands to validate the technology. Design work for the initial 6MW system is currently underway and scheduled to be finalized in 2023. Construction is due in 2023 and 2024, ahead of installation in 2025.

Floating wind is considered one of the lowest carbon electricity generation systems to meet the energy demand in a sustainable way while inducing better competitiveness, less noise and visual pollution, and less interaction with the users of the maritime domain. The NextFloat Project represents a unique opportunity to test a novel and disruptive version of this technology at full scale, driving cost curve reductions in order to deliver industrial-scale projects at the earliest possible stage”.

“After the successful deployment and validation of our innovative low-cost solution in the Canary Islands (PivotBuoy project), the goal now is to scale-up and industrialize the technology in advance of large commercial floating wind projects which will come online at the end of the decade across European, Asian and U.S. waters,” said X1 Wind Founder and CEO Alex Raventos. “Wind will allow us time to drive substantial improvements in the competitiveness of floating wind as we prepare for long-term mass deployment.”

Last modified on January 10, 2023

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