The 48th General Meeting of the
International Association “Intercable”
The 48th General Meeting
of the International Association “Intercable” was held in Bremen (Germany) on
December 1 - 4, 2014. The IA “Intercable,” which consists of 86 member companies
from across 22 different countries, has addressed several important issues that
are relevant to today’s cable industry.
First, the President of the association, I.B. Peshkov,
delivered a report on the state and future prospects of the cable industry across
the former Soviet Union, which has been stagnating and is now heading for a
recession. The report noted that in Western Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania,
on the other hand, the industry has begun to show signs of recovery after a
noticeable slowdown over the recent years. The situation is best in China,
although even there, the cable manufacturing industry has contracted by 0.3% in
2013 as compared to 2012.
The next part of
the General Meeting was dedicated to a Scientific & Technical Symposium,
comprised of two sessions. Session 1: “Unconventional research and test methods
in cable engineering.” Four presentations were delivered during this session:
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“Past, present,
future: Innovations in measuring technology for the wire and cable industry” (SIKORA
AG, Germany)
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“Special methods
of analysis and testing of MV and HV extruded cable insulations” (VNIIKP OJSC,
Russia)
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“Cleanliness of
power cable insulation compounds as a critical quality factor” (Borealis AG,
Austria)
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“Alternative test
methods for assessment of methane content in XLPE insulation of HV/EHV cables”
(DOW Europe GmbH, Switzerland)
All of the presenters have emphasized the need to
maintain high quality and reliability standards for cable products being
produced, including using pure insulation materials that contain none of the
elements that can compromise the service life of a product.
Session 2, titled “On-line processing technology in
cable and wire manufacturing,” consisted of the following three presentations:
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“On-line
calculation for curing vulcanization process on CV lines” (Maillefer SA, Switzerland)
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“TROESTER -
Process Technology for Wire and Cable” (Troester GmbH & Co. KG, Germany)
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“Some aspects of
running different technological processes on one single line” (SAMP S.p.A. Sampsistemi Division, Italy)
These presentations described latest innovations in
cable manufacturing equipment, especially extrusion and CV-lines, which have
focused on combining several manufacturing processes into one. The
presentations delivered during the Scientific & Technical Symposium in
Bremen will be compiled into a printed summary and published by IA “Intercable”
in the first quarter of 2015.
The IA “Intercable” has welcomed a new member, AXALTA Coating
Systems (Germany), which is a well-known manufacturer of a number of polymer
materials, including polymers used for electrical insulation or, more
specifically, enamels for winding wires.
Based on a written request received from Tele-Fonika Kable S.A. (Poland), it
was formally discharged from the association. Moreover, due to a delinquency in
payment of annual dues and in accordance with the bylaws, “Katel
Elektromekhanika” NPP CJSC (Russia) and “RusSpezKomplekt-M” Ltd. (Russia) have been removed from the association’s
membership.
The President of the IA “Intercable” delivered a
report at the General Meeting on the implementation of decisions from the
previous General Meeting and the 2015 budget was approved. The association advised
all of its members involved in cable manufacturing to take an active part in
Wire Russia trade fare, taking place on May 12th – 15th
of 2015 in Moscow.
The next, 49th, General Meeting of the IA
“Intercable” and the Scientific & Technical Symposium within its framework
will be held on June 15th – 19th of 2015 in Vienna (Austria).
The topics for the Scientific & Technical
Symposium are going to be as follows:
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“Cable industry overview
across the CIS, Europe and China in 2014 – 2015”
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“New innovative
materials in cable manufacturing and their processing technologies”