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

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
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metal. CWI manufactures round and shaped wire, strand, cable and wire rope, cable hardware,
assemblies, and more. Learn more by visiting www.centralwire.com

Michael Homa, who had a long career with Tamaqua Cable Products/Draka Cableteq, died Nov. 11, 2020, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Homa’s 35-year career saw him work for Draka Cableteq in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, formerly Tamaqua Cable Products, which was owned by two generations of the Combs family prior to its sale. He was vice president of manufacturing at Tamaqua Cable when the company was acquired by Draka in 1997. He retired in 2005.

Homa, a 1998 recipient of the WCMA Distinguished Career Award, retired in 2005. He was a member of the Columbia Hose Company for 60 years, a member of the Six County Firemen’s Association for 50 years, a lifetime member of the Schuylkill County Historical Fire Society, a member of the Saint Clair Fish and Game Association and a former president of the Schuylkill County Society for Crippled Children. He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann; daughter Heather; and son Michael.

IEWC has promoted Pat Rislov to chief supply chain officer, with the company’s quality, business intelligence and marketing teams now also part of his oversight, joining sourcing, materials management, and logistics. He joined IEWC in 2018 as vice president of supply chain. He has more than 25 years of experience in the retail space with organizations including Kohl’s Department Stores and Steinhafels Furniture, where he earned progressive leadership roles specializing in inventory management, e-commerce operations, logistics and supply chain management. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He will continue to report directly to company CEO Mike Veum. Based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, USA, IEWC supplies comprehensive wire, cable and wire management solutions.

Genuine Cable Group (GCG) recently named Marc Abbagnaro as chief commercial officer. He will lead the commercial efforts across all GCG targeted business segments, including the telecom/broadband, factory automation, marine, building automation, assembly and infrastructure segments. He most recently worked for Anixter International, where he was senior vice president of sales for Anixter’s Electrical and Electronic Solutions division. Over 10 years, he held sales leadership roles in the U.S. as well as global sales positions covering the Americas and China. Owned by Auda Group, a private equity firm, Genuine Cable Group is a value-added distributor of wire, cable and related products to a variety of niche markets.