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Each vehicle will be equipped with enormous 130kw/h batteries – giving them a 100-mile range and a capacity equivalent to around six Nissan Leafs. The buses will receive regular top-up charges throughout the day from the three wireless charging points installed along the routes. Charge pads on the underside of each bus will sync wirelessly with pads installed under the road, in a process known as induction charging. Drivers will park over the pads for their 10-minute break, replenishing two thirds of the electricity used to cover the 12.5-mile route without interrupting the timetable. The consortium of companies behind the scheme – which include bus manufacturer Wrightbus, wireless charging firm Arup, bus operator Arriva and Milton Keynes Council – believe that the switch from diesel to electric will cut tailpipe emissions by around 500 tonnes every year. Running costs will also be slashed, as annual fuel costs for a diesel bus are around £23,000 per year compared to an estimated £10,000 for an electric one. And maintenance costs will be lower, too.

So, who are the Top 10 Wire & Cable Producers? Below is a list of the Top 10 producers, for an understanding of how their positions have changed over 2012-2013, plus additional extracts from the Database, read our FREE preview chapter here >> Prysmian - see just how far ahead they are … Nexans - could they be No. 1 next year? … SEI – a solid performance compared to their disappointing 2010 revenues … General Cable - will a weak Europe hit sales next year? … Southwire - 11% growth in 2013 is impressive, but will growth continue … LS Cable & Systems - off the boil compared to a bouyant 2008 … Furukawa Electric - slightly down year on year, but not out of the running for 6th spot … Fujikura - fluctuating figures year on year make this one to watch closely … Hitachi - right on the heels of Fujikura and now part of a larger group … Leoni - just made it to the Top 10, but Xignux is very close by …

Foldable, high-performance copper cable saves space in the rack High-performance, low-cost passive copper cabling remains the preferred alternative for short-reach applications in the data center. However, standard round copper cables can be bulky and consume precious space. A recent innovation in manufacturing technology by 3M has resulted in the development of

High-performance, low-cost passive copper cabling remains the preferred alternative for short-reach applications in the data center. However, standard round copper cables can be bulky and consume precious space. A recent innovation in manufacturing technology by 3M has resulted in the development of a uniquely shielded, thin, ribbon-style copper cable. The cable has the ability to fold multiple times and maintain signal integrity, allowing for higher-density racks and space savings. A major barrier to decreasing the size and stiffness of a round cable is inherent in the construction of traditional cable. This is an issue because a round copper cable can extend up to nine inches when routed behind a cabinet. In conventional, twin axial constructions, the shield is applied by wrapping it spirally around the insulated wire pair. This layer is then overwrapped to provide support and retain the primary shield wrap, increasing the stiffness of the pair. Multiple pairs are then cabled and an overall foil and braided shield are typically applied, thus further increasing the cable bulk and stiffness.

As cable harnesses are already among the most complex and heaviest components used in vehicles, any possibility for weight savings is an attractive proposition. A model calculation of realistic weight-saving potential was analyzed in an average mid-size car with a cable harness weighing just under 30 kilograms. For the substitution of Al wire for Cu conductors, exclusively larger cross-sections (>0.75 mm²) were analyzed, excluding the fine-signal conductors. Al conductors with the next-highest cross-section replaced the affected Cu conductors. Under these conditions, a purely computational weight savings of around 7kg was initially achieved. However, for the last decade in Germany, the solid battery terminals were already made of Al, so the actual potential for savings in this particular case study is 2-3kg per cable harness.

Sony has developed a single wire interface technology. The new design will replace the 20 or so cables that are usually found inside mobile phones to provide power, control signals, audio, video etc, with one single copper wire that can handle data at 940Mbps.

The industry bodies point out that cables containing copper clad aluminium conductors instead of solid copper conductors violate several safety standards.

CommScope Inc., a provider of infrastructure solutions for communications networks, will supply two wind farm projects with its GroundSmart Copper Clad Steel solution, an alternative to solid and stranded copper. The first project is the 200 MW Breckenridge wind farm, located outside Breckenridge, Mich. The 30,000-acre wind farm will use stranded copper clad steel in the ground grid collector system. The project is estimated to produce 200 MW.

In ROW, our strategy of introducing a broader product range into developing markets helped to offset the impact of lower-than-expected volume across a number of countries. The uneven demand experienced during the second quarter is largely episodic, as the fundamental growth drivers remain solid, and GDP rates for many emerging markets continue to outpace those in the developed world. Sequentially, our second quarter results reflect the impact of stronger demand in Venezuela, Brazil and Zambia. In Venezuela, the company benefited from higher spending on electrical infrastructure as the country works to reinforce a weak power grid. In Brazil, our results reflect the aerial transmission shipments and the introduction of specialty products as the country continues to industrialize while at the same time preparing for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016. In Zambia, our results reflect the shipment of aerial transmission products as the government invests in expanding its power grid. In addition, we strengthened our market position and product range in Colombia, Peru, Australia, South Africa and Mexico. In Mexico, we recently qualified and supplied our first high-voltage cables. Our market penetration into Mexico continues ahead of expectation, and is supported by a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with high-voltage capabilities ranging up to 225 kilovolts and a comprehensive line of products for electric utilities and contractors. Overall, our results in ROW continue to demonstrate the non-linear nature of our business in the short-term, as construction, mining and utility products are moved between reporting periods, government appropriations are authorized and infrastructure investment plans are advanced.

Anglo American plc draws attention to the announcement made by Collahuasi, its 44% owned copper mine in Chile, relating to the approval of the prefeasibility study for the next expansion phase of this world class copper operation. The translated text of that announcement is copied below