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Securing a new medical quality standard is set to open up a £1m opportunity for one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of round, flat and profile wire.

Alloy Wire International (AWI), which offers a 60-strong range of Exotic alloys, has taken just nine months to refine its systems to achieve ISO 13485 - the quality standard for supplying medical devices. This accreditation is recognised throughout the world and means new and existing customers can purchase material from the firm’s two sites in the West Midlands and Yorkshire.

“Companies in the medical sector demand exacting quality, full traceability and superior performance, after all they are often producing devices that improve or save lives,” commented Paul Chatterley, Sales Executive at AWI. “We had been aware for some time that our wire has been purchased to undergo further processing for use in this industry, but Covid-19 really brought it into focus how critical a supplier we could be to clients in this field. He continued: “From supplying 5km of wire in unbelievably strict timescales for use in the Nightingale Hospital to meeting the needs of a spring maker working with the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium, our team has really stepped up to the challenge over the last nine months. 

 “This got us thinking…are there more opportunities out there than we actually realise? Are we missing out by not holding the necessary quality accreditation? The answer to both questions was yes!” AWI, which holds more than 200 tonnes of EU/DFARS compliant stock at any one time, immediately assigned its quality and technical team to work towards ISO 13485, starting with integrating the clauses into the firm’s QUENSH (Quality, Environmental, Safety & Health) Management System. Care was taken to ensure that the medical clauses didn’t contradict ones used in aerospace and, once this was completed, the business was ready for its two-stage audit by URS, an audit the company passed with no non-conformances raised.

Paul added: “ISO 13845 gives our clients peace of mind that we operate to the highest standards and we believe could deliver an additional £1m of sales in this sector. “We’re already seeing clients in China purchasing Phynox and other alloys for medical applications, whilst European customers are investing in Alloy MP35N, stainless steel 316LVM and 304V (vacuum melted grades).”

Whilst 2020 has definitely thrown up a number of challenges, Alloy Wire International has remained true to its annual investment plans, spending over £1m on material to ensure it can meet demand from sectors including medical, power generation and commercial air transport. There has also been the redevelopment of its offices in the West Midlands and the introduction of the latest wet drawing machine for producing wire from 0.063” (1.6mm) to 0.028” (0.7mm) diameter, plus a take-up spooler that can handle and store larger weight rolled wire profiles. 

For further information, please visit www.alloywire.com or follow Alloy Wire International on LinkedIn

Last modified on January 5, 2021

Central Wire Industries (CWI) is pleased to announce that select CWI Generation4 welding products manufactured in their Lancaster facility are now certified as meeting the requirements of the Canadian Welding Bureau standard for Arc Welding Electrodes.

The list of certified Gen4 welding products include the following:
GEN 308/308L (ER308L)
GEN 309/309L (ER309L)
GEN 316/316L (ER316L)
GEN 308LSi (ER308LSi)
GEN 309LSi (ER309LSi)
GEN 316LSi (ER316LSi)
GEN 409Nb (ER409Nb)
GEN 430 (ER430)
GEN 430LNb (ER430LNb)

The standard met for all above products is CSA W48-18 (GMAW/GTAW Stainless Steel) in sizes between 0.020” (0.5mm) and 0.157” (4.0mm). The certification is effective through November 16, 2022. A Certification of Welding Consumable has now been issued for each of the qualified products, and a copy is available by request. Driven by North American customer demand, CWI Lancaster joins the CWI Perth, ON location, having previously been certified.

This is the culmination of months of work by the dedicated and expert staff within CWI along with the CWI Lancaster manufacturing plant. The process of certification involved, among other things, passing rigorous testing requirements as witnessed by authorized CWB auditors. A sincere congratulation to all members of the CWI Lancaster team.

About Central Wire Industries
Central Wire Industries (CWI) is an international leader in wire drawing, value added services, and downstream products. With 14 locations in 3 countries, 750+ employees and over 60 years of
excellence, CWI offers the widest range of high-performance specialty alloys in nickel, stainless and red.


Anne Nichols
860-630-4224
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
metal. CWI manufactures round and shaped wire, strand, cable and wire rope, cable hardware,
assemblies, and more. Learn more by visiting www.centralwire.com

Last modified on January 5, 2021

On Monday October 12, 2020 Central Wire Industries (CWI) Lancaster received the International Industry of the Year Award from the Lancaster County Department of Economic Development. This award was presented during a very well attended Lancaster County Council meeting. CWI Lancaster is proud to accept the acknowledgement of its continued growth, its investment in modernizing manufacturing facilities, and above all the dedication of its employees, who are the backbone of its continued success. The International Industry of the Year Award is based on several criteria, including:

  1. CWI Lancaster is a division of a business that is based outside of the United States.
  2. Our wire facility has been located in Lancaster County for at least 3 years.
  3. The facility has created at least 10 new jobs or $2 million in investment in the last 5 years.
  4. CWI Lancaster has a history of community giving, impact or engagement.

Scottie Simpson, 1st Shift Annealing Furnace Operator and Greg Spalding, General Manager accepted the award on behalf of all the great employees of CWI Lancaster. “It was an honor to not only receive this award, but to also take it back to the plant and show it to the team,” according to Mr. Spalding. “They’ve earned this with their dedication and hard work. I couldn’t be prouder of all the men and women who contributed to winning this award.”

The beautiful award will be proudly displayed for all to see in the CWI Lancaster lobby trophy case, as a reminder of their commitment to further growth.

Central Wire Industries (CWI) Lancaster is located in Lancaster, SC (USA), and employs 40 people in rod breakdown, drawing, annealing, straightening, finishing, packaging, and labeling operations.  Specializing in the manufacture of welding wire, spring wire, and bar stock, the facility boasts some of the company’s most advanced investments in drawing and processing equipment.

 

 

Last modified on December 9, 2020

Bremen based SIKORA AG ranks once again among Germany’s 100 fastest growing medium-sized companies and even improved from place 61 to 18. This is the result of the study “TOP 100 ranking of the medium-sized companies 2020”, which was carried out by the management consultancy Munich Strategy Group. This year again, SIKORA is the only company from Bremen that has made it into the “TOP 100“.

Dr. Christian Frank, CEO of SIKORA, says: “I am delighted that we are among the “TOP 100” again this year. The award once again shows that we belong to the elite of the German medium-sized companies. We set significant trends and play a leading role in the field of innovative measuring, control, inspection and sorting technologies. I am particularly proud that we worked our way up from rank 61 to rank 18. My special thanks goes to our colleagues in Bremen as well as in our subsidiaries around the world. Their achievement made this result possible. By focusing on technical innovations as well as expanding our global sales and service network and the simultaneous concentration of research, development and production at our location in Bremen, we create the conditions for future, constant growth.”

More than 4,000 companies from all industries with an annual turnover between 10 million and 1 billion Euro have been evaluated by the Munich Strategy Group. The “TOP 100” companies were determined on the basis of their long-term growth and profitability. The basis for the selection is the performance of the companies during the last five years.

SIKORA was founded in 1973 by Harald Sikora and is today a leading manufacturer and supplier of measuring and control technology for the wire and cable, hose and tube, sheets as well as optical fiber, metals and plastics industries. With around 300 employees worldwide, 14 international offices and more than 30 regional representatives, the medium-sized company provides customers with innovative product solutions and expert service. The measuring and control systems are exclusively made at the headquarters in Bremen/Germany. Innovation, product quality and customer satisfaction define the daily activities at SIKORA AG.

Last modified on December 16, 2020

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Madison, CT 06443-2662

P: (203) 453-2777