Important Milestones In History of Wire And Cable Manufacturing

Due to technological advances, the medical wire and cable manufacturing industry has experienced tremendous change over the years both in its operations and systems as well as the needs of its customers. The modern wire and cable industry emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century during a time when American industrialization created a need for medical wire and cable products and made available a means for their production.

When the US became industrialized, wire became a fundamental product underpinning the nation's growth both industrially and commercially. For years, copper had been the preferred metal for a majority of the wire and military cable manufacturing industry's products; its high conductivity made it the metal of choice for a majority of manufacturers.

Aluminum, which would similarly gain widespread acceptance, was introduced as a cable conductor during the thirties, but did not represent an significant portion of the market until the fifties, when a reduced supply of copper forced manufacturers to search for an alternative metal for civilian, military, and medical cables.

Manufacturers selecting aluminum to augment their copper shortage came at an opportune time in the country's development: the population was rapidly rising creating a boom in the housing industry; televisions and radios were being manufactured at unprecedented levels; a community antennae television (CATV) market was burgeoning; more automobiles were being manufactured; and electric power generation in the country was about to begin two decades of exponential growth. Wire and cable manufacturers served each of these markets, experiencing enviable growth as the nation enjoyed an age of prosperity. By the beginning of the 1970s, the industry had evolved into a $3 billion entity, primarily due to the growth of the national economy over the last two decades.

By the late eighties, manufacturers bought more primary aluminum than any other nonferrous metal to produce wire and cable products. As the wire drawing and insulating industry entered the mid-nineties, manufacturing activity resumed its prerecession levels.

From 1989 to 1993, American shipments of fiber optic equipment increased 13 percent every year, with industry observers calling for still greater growth through the end of the decade. In the mid-1990s, experts estimated the world market for fiber optic equipment to be $5 billion, a market in which United States manufacturers maintained a lead over European and Japanese producers, although the gap separating the from other manufacturers was shrinking. It was expected that this market to double in value by the end of the decade, promising lucrative profit potential for manufacturers of fiber optic cable. As the conventional markets supporting cable and wire manufacturers' core business once again fueled the industry's growth, those manufacturers able to afford the costly nature of exploring "next-generation" technology began turning to the production of fiber optic cable in increasing numbers. For more information about the wire and cable industry, please contact www.calmont.com.