5/4/2021:  The next staging of wire Southeast Asia—and its sister show, Tube Southeast Asia—will now be held Feb. 9-11, 2022 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

A press release from organizers Messe Düsseldorf said that the event, which was to be held Sept. 22-24, is being moved to the new dates to “allow for optimum international participation.” It noted that in the past, over 90% of the exhibitors came from overseas countries such as Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan and Korea. 

“It is anticipated that by next year with further easing of (Covid-19) travel restrictions and ongoing successful vaccine deployments worldwide, there will be a more optimistic environment for companies to do business safely and effectively at these trade fairs,” the release said.
The two trade fairs were first held in 1997. At the last staging in 2019, international exhibitors from 29 countries participated at the trade fairs, while 45% of trade visitors came from outside Thailand.

Champlain Cable is now approved by New York City Transit (NYCT) for thin-wall irradiation cross-linked TX-TW rail car wiring. This significant industry approval demonstrates our continued commitment to our Vision of innovative, value-added products for demanding environments. With our material science and processing technology, this product line further enhances our ability to offer a broad range of products over a wide variety of applications and markets.

“Champlain is excited to expand our market presence into the rail transit market with our EXAR-Rail line of products.” stated Bruce Sinnott, Champlain’s Vice-President of Business Development. “This qualification involved a united team effort across multiple departments at Champlain Cable. We are all very proud of this tremendous accomplishment.”

This thin-wall cable is typically used on rolling stock where weight and space utilization is a primary focus. These thin-wall wires can be up to 1/3 smaller than standard 600V rail wiring, which allows more circuits in limited spaces. Advanced polymer formulation and irradiation crosslinking allow for these thin-wall designs.

Champlain Cable Corporation is a premier manufacturer of Irradiation Cross-linked wire and cable serving the Rail, Automotive, Commercial Vehicle, UL / CSA, Military Shipboard and specialty Data Communication markets. Champlain’s products provide cost-effective solutions to wire and cable performance and processing problems. Champlain is headquartered in Colchester, VT and has two additional manufacturing facilities in El Paso, TX.

For more information about Champlain Cable Corporation, please visit www.champcable.com

4/8/2021: WEBINAR ALERT

April 28, 10-10:45 AM CDT: Processing Techniques for Moisture Cure Cross-Linkable Polyethylene (XLPE) Used in Manufacturing Wires & Cables | PEXIDAN^®
SACO AEI’s PEXIDAN^® Cross Linkable Wire & Cable Compounds have led the industry in performance and efficiency for more than two decades. This webinar will discuss best practices and processing techniques for extruding moisture cure XLPE. This webinar is a must see for technical processing staff and key production managers. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Differences between XLPE and Thermoplastic Extrusion
2. Proper set-up of XLPE Wire Extrusion Line
3. Do’s and Don’ts of XLPE Processing
4. Meet the SACO AEI Technical Services Team
5. 10 Minute Q&A Session

Presenters
Dale Zevotek, Application Development Leader. With over 25 years in plastics processing (W&C, extrusion, injection molding, compounding, and blow molding). Dale Zevotek brings an experienced and determined approach to any processing challenge. Having started in Fiber Optics Operations/Engineering and worked his way through Copper Data, Compounding, Power Cable Production and Molding there is an encyclopedia of applications and processes background to draw from. Mr. Zevotek received his Engineering Degree from the United States Naval Academy and furthered his education with a Master’s of Business Administration from Pfeiffer University in Charlotte, NC.

Emily Vrbensky, Application Development Leader. Emily graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Polymer Science and Engineering. She has worked in the Wire & Cable industry since graduating, starting out as a Materials Engineer at a wire and cable manufacturer. She joined the SACO AEI team in 2019 as an Application Development Leader, bringing with her a unique view of customer needs and processing issues common to wire and cable extrusion.

For questions and more information, contact Ayushi Gangwal, Technical Sales Engineer, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

4/8/2021:  It may still be seven months away, but the staging of Interwire 2021 this October seems more officially real with the map on the next page, and a show floor pledge that the Atlanta show will offer something the wire and cable industry has never before seen: a full-fledged display of Industry 4.0.

As explained in WJI's March issue, attendees will be able to see first-hand how the essence of the technology works and interact with experts who will be at the Industry 4.0 Pavilion on the exhibit floor at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. There will be lots more information to come in future issues as this Interwire will offer a comprehensive program on Industry 4.0 that is unlike anything that the Wire Association International has done before.

Yet the logistics matter, and that means reserving a place to stay. WAI has secured special rates for Interwire, to be held Oct. 26-27. To get that rate, reservations must go through the official housing administrator. EventSphere, LLC.

To review the options, go to either https://book.passkey.com/go/Interwire2021 or access the site at www.interwire21.com. The reservation deadline is Oct. 4. EventSphere LLC can also be contacted at tel. 877-419-8753 or (international) 864-208-2945, interwire@eventspher

4/8/2021: The ongoing seven-week virtual staging of the Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing Course (Fundamentals) continues to reflect the demand that exists in the industry for basic information.

Of note, the program will be repeated in a hybrid form at Interwire 2021. The current program—seven consecutive sessions (two presentations each) started on consecutive Wednesdays that began March 17 and concludes April 28—presents a comprehensive education. Topics covered include: mechanics of wiredrawing/drawing dies and lubricants; wire breaks and surface damage; stranding cable; cleaning and coating of rod and wire; ferrous heat treatment and metallurgy; extrusion; testing; marking/printing; and manufacturing problem solving. Each course is presented by industry veterans, and provides 30 more minutes than the traditional in-person program.

Attendance during the Covid-19 period has been quite good. Registration for a three-part WAI webinar program by Dr. Horace Pops—also a Fundamentals presenter—closed out at 500 before the first one (annealing) was held on Jan. 27, followed by fines on Feb. 3 and wire breaks on Feb. 10.
In terms of the ongoing Fundamentals series, registration reflects a continuing trend of more companies signing up multiple staffers. Mexico’s Viakable had 31 participants: 11 from Colombia, four from Brazil, three from the U.S. and 13 from Mexico.

“I believe this is a great opportunity for expanding the benefit of this course to a much broader base considering the value proposition in terms of money and time invested for this high-quality content,” said Raúl Garcia, Viakable’s director of technology and development.