Investing in Excellence: Product training for our staff

HEC staff in product training

HEC-Holland has been adding extra value to the chain for over 15 years. Our cutting-edge slitting facility in Tilburg, the Netherlands, is dedicated to providing converting solutions tailored for the cable and wire industry. In order to keep high quality standards in our production facility, Kurt fulfilled a product training.

Make-To-Order

In our cutting-edge slitting facility, precision meets efficiency. Specializing in tailored solutions, we employ a make-to-order strategy to meet your unique requirements. Our adept team excels at slitting, cutting and winding cable tapes and foils. From polyester-based tapes, with or without swelling properties, we deliver customized dimensions, guaranteeing each product aligns with your exact specifications. Our slitting facility is capable of slitting a broad range of cable tapes and foils, including: PE, PET, PP-Foamed, Mica and different kinds of metals (copper, aluminium and steel). With a commitment to quality and modern technology, our facility stands at the forefront of the industry. We promise to deliver excellence in every slit, cut, and wind.

Product Training for HEC staff

Kurt, our production manager, oversees all processes within the slitting facility. Together with his colleagues, he is passionate to coordinate tailor-made solutions for our customers. In order to uphold the quality standards of our production facility, it is important our staff stays updated with the latest knowledge and experience keeping our facility in an optimal state.

Therefore, our production manager travelled to our suppliers in China together with our product manager, immersing themselves in an extensive training on slitting various materials used for cable tapes and foils. The training sessions, spanning multiple days and multiple suppliers, covered every production step, from setting up machines, installing knives, slitting material to handling and troubleshooting. This comprehensive training equips our team to navigate through the process of transforming raw materials into personalized end-user products.

Building partnerships: Special thanks to our Suppliers

In extending our gratitude to our suppliers, we acknowledge their commitment to the growth and proficiency of our staff. The training not only deepened our technical expertise but also fostered discussions about material quality and production challenges. These dialogues contribute to mutual improvement, enhancing the value we provide to our customers.

Together we connect the world of tomorrow!

HEC-Holland attends Wire Düsseldorf 2024

HEC-Holland attends Wire Düsseldorf 2024

HEC-Holland attends Wire Düsseldorf

In the realm of the cable and wire industry, one event stands out as an important hub for innovation, collaboration and networking – the Wire Düsseldorf trade fair.  We as HEC-Holland, a leading supplier of materials for this dynamic sector, are eager to participate this event after our successful participation in the previous edition. The Wire is open from 15 till 19 April 2024.

During our previous presence at Wire, we showcased cutting-edge materials that cater the continuous changing cable and wire sector. Our booth was a buzz with activity as industry professionals came to our booth and witnessed our innovative products and solutions and engaged in meaningful conversations. The positive feedbacks we received made us eager to be present at the next Wire.

Meet us at Hall 11, stand H39

Our anticipation is growing as the calendar turns to April 15-19, 2024. HEC-Holland is preparing for an impactful presence at the world’s leading fair for the cable industry. We would love to engage with you to discuss the latest innovations, have a chat or explore exciting new projects. HEC-Holland is eager to connect with industry leaders, forge new partnerships, and make valuable contributions to the cable and wire sector.

During the Wire we also have a meeting room available, where we could arrange a meeting with you, if you would prefer this. Please contact one of our Account Managers or email us on our email address. More information about the Wire show and our stand can be found here!

Visit HEC-Holland at WIRE Düsseldorf 2024, Hall 11, Stand H39, from 15-19 April 2024.

Your slitting partner

Our slitting service sets us apart, allowing us to tailor-cut cable tapes to meet the specific needs of our customers. This approach ensures that our clients receive materials that perfectly align with their requirements, promoting efficiency and performance.

Moreover, we are proud of our solution-oriented and personalized approach. Our dedicated team goes beyond product supply, offering excellent technical and logistical support. Clients benefit from our industry expertise, allowing them to navigate challenges seamlessly and make informed decisions.

As we look forward to Wire Düsseldorf 2024, we invite industry professionals to experience firsthand the advantages that make us a leader in the field – tailored solutions, solution-oriented approach, and excellent support.

We hope to see you at Wire on our stand!

Supplier of semi-conductive compounds

TSC - supplier of semi-conductive compounds

Supplier of semi-conductive compounds

TSC is HEC-Holland’s supplier for semi-conductive compounds for the European cable and wire market. They are a proven supplier in the market of thermoplastic and thermoset insulation semiconductive compounds. TSC (Total Solution for Compounding) is established in 1968 and can rely on over 50 years of experience in compounding. They are developing and manufacturing their products in the Korean Peninsula.

Quality assurance and product selection

At HEC-Holland quality is of great importance. All our suppliers must therefore meet a number of quality tests before we collaborate. Therefore, we have done several laboratory scale and industrialization tests to ensure the quality of the products and processes of TSC.

During the past year we have tested multiple measurements such as, IEC standard and Cenelec HD 620 2 Y 50 Hz test, including VDE level. Also the accelerated test of 3.000 hrs/ 500 Hz has been part of our testing programme. All our thermoplast en thermoset semi-conductive insulation compounds passed the strict tests.

We are pleased to announce that we have commercialized the products listed below for several of our customers and they are already used in their cable design. And, we keep on building up the customer base in the European market for the products and materials provided by TSC Korea.

TSC products

  • HEC-SC-230 – MV semicon – adhesive insulation compound
  • HEC-SC-250 – MV semicon – bonded insulation compound
  • HEC-SC-330 – MV semicon – strippable insulation compound
  • HEC-SC-600 – SC sheathing jacketing compound

More information

Sample material for lab testing and/or industrial homologation trails are available upon your request. For more technical information you can contact us in order to receive detailed Product Data Sheets.

Are you interested in our supplier and what their products can do for your project(s)? Our account managers are eager to give an online presentation and tell you about the possibilities.

Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and stay informed about our latest news.

Is there hope for better price-settings in the cable industry?

As everyone in the cable industry might know, the C2 price has been showing an upward trend for about 1,5 years. This trend has continued during the first months of 2022. However, we see some stabilization but aren’t sure this will stay. The summertime is ahead but due to global market situation on crude oil and gas it would be a rough guess what the price of C2 will do. It is likely that it will increase within this or next month. This shows the price settings in the cable industry are hard to predict at the moment.

Material pricing

Polyolefins

The C2 price has, of course, a direct impact on our polyolefin prices. These prices have been rising every month in the last 1,5 year as well. Partly due to the C2 feedstock developments but also other key factors on logistics and availability versus the increasing market demand have an effect on the development of the price settings.

Raw materials

We as HEC-Holland have a wide range of raw materials. We have different types of tapes, wires, yarns, FRP rods and so on. In 2021, the price of these materials increased the most, but this year they continued to increase every month. It is hard to predict how long this will continue to rise. Or will the stabilizing C2 price directly affect these materials?

Logistical pricing

In addition to the product price increase, the logistical/transport prices have also been rising for the last few years. Before COVID-19, at the beginning of 2020, the price for a 40 feet sea container from Shanghai to Rotterdam was about $2,000. At the peak, at the beginning of 2022, this price went over the $15,000. Hereafter, the prices went down a bit, and now it’s stabilizing for months. The sea freight price for a 40 feet container is now about $11,000.

In contrast to the stabilizing sea freight prices, road transport has increased a lot lately. The main reason is the war between Russia and Ukraine. This war resulted in high fuel prices and a shortage of available drivers. Lastly, the workload has also increased since international traffic is constantly increasing.

Conclusion

To conclude the price settings in the cable industry, the prices of our products and the transport prices are still rising, but there is some hope for improvement. But, no one can predict the future. We recommend that you contact your account manager to discuss what possibilities HEC-Holland is able to offer you, in order to secure your (future) production requirements. Furthermore, he or she is able to update you about the latest market developments and trends. This could be helpful to keep on track and think strategically ahead.

Wire Düsseldorf 2022

HEC-Holland Wire

Wire in Düsseldorf

From 20 to 24 June 2022, the world’s leading trade fair in the cable industry “Wire Düsseldorf” (International Trade Fair for Wire and Cable) will be held. After a couple of years of due to Covid-19, the fair will open their doors again at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. Here manufacturers gather to showcase their products and services as well as innovative technologies, new machinery and equipment from different global sectors. Each year this fair has been a networking hotspot for the whole wire and cable market. Innovators, investors, suppliers, manufacturors and more gather for the latest innovations for the market. The last 10 years we have been a visitor to this trade fair to lay valuable connections, but this year our approach will be different.

HEC-Holland as exhibitor

For the first time since our establishment in 2010, we are proud to announce we will host our own stand. We always wanted to exhibit here. Due to our continuing growth we were finally able to accomplish this. We would like to invite you to our stand H39 in Hall 11 and meet up. And please make sure you don’t miss out on: seeing our products on display, competing in our contest and tasting some Dutch delights.

Besides the stand we have a meeting room for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This means that we could arrange a meeting with you, if you would prefer this. Please contact one of our Account Managers or email us on our email address. More information about the Wire show and our stand can be found here!

We hope to see you there on stand H39 in Hall 11!

Our new office at Velperweg

new office arnhem velperweg

Moving to our new office at Velperweg

After eight years working in our old office at the Eusebiusbuitensingel 3 in Arnhem, we have moved to a new location in Arnhem, at the Velperweg 82. HEC-Holland has grown rapidly in these past eight years. At the previous location there was no more space for all of us to work, which is why this is the perfect moment for us to move to a brand new and modern office. After a lot of (re)building activities and preparations the last few weeks, we have moved on the 29th of April and started working in our new “home” on the 2nd of May.

 

Our new office

Our new office is designed by an interior designer and will have a modern look and feel. The office has two state of the art meeting rooms, with the highest standard in Technology. Furthermore, HEC-Holland has invested in every way possible to improve the working environment of its employees and to stimulate their health. For example, we use new high quality office chairs and electronic desks who are adjustable in height. this way our employees are able to stand during work, which will benefit and stimulate their health.

This new office is especially perfect for inviting clients, suppliers, partners and other relations to come to Arnhem for a meeting. It is without saying that you are always welcome to visit us and have a formal or informal chat with a great cup of coffee.

Please contact us and make an appointment.  

new office arnhem velperweg2
new office arnhem velperweg3
new office arnhem velperweg4

Xiao Bao collaboration with HEC-Holland

Xiao Bao collaboration HEC-Holland

New partnership for Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP)

HEC-Holland is thrilled to announce its new partnership with the renowned company Xiao Bao, a leading manufacturer specializing in a wide array of Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP). The collaboration brings about a transformative change in the FRP industry, with a focus on innovation and diversification.

Expanding Horizons: Special FRP Solutions

In addition to the standard and upjacket FRP versions, Xiao Bao also produce special solutions specifically for anti-rodent protection and armor-plating. One of their expertises is producing FRP that can effectively replace galvanized steel wires, particularly in subsea power cable applications. This advancement paves the way for subsea power cable producers to venture into uncharted territories. It makes it possible to lay cables at greater depths, revolutionizing the industry.

Xiao Bao’s specialties

Apart from the standard line of FRP products, Xiao Bao offers a range of specialties unique in the market. One such specialty is the production of Carbon Fiber Composite Cores, which serve as a vital supporting element for overhead cables. These cores have great strength and durability, making them a preferred choice for critical applications. In addition, Xiao Bao manufactures high voltage insulation rods, further showcasing their commitment to innovation and high-quality FRP solutions.

The partnership between HEC-Holland and Xiao Bao is a milestone for both companies. With Xiao Bao’s expertise in specialized FRP solutions and innovative products, HEC-Holland can look forward to a new era of possibilities, ensuring enhanced performance, durability, and versatility in various applications for the cable industry. This collaboration is a testament to both companies’ commitment to advancing the FRP industry and pushing the boundaries of what is achievable.

More information?

If you interested in more information about this article and how we can help your company? Please contact us. Our team is more than happy to give you more details on our services and possibilities we provide.

If you are interested in our supplier and what their products can do for your project(s)? Our account managers are eager to give an online presentation and tell you about the possibilities.

Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and stay informed about our latest news.

Tape Workshop 2022

Tape workshop 2022 HEC-Holland

Visit the Tape workshop

We want to welcome you to join our Cable Tape workshop in June 2022 in our home country, the Netherlands. During the last years much expertise has been lost, due to natural reasons such as, reorganisations, retirement of experts or shift to other strategic expertise fields.

We see this as an opportunity to show you why HEC-Holland is your partner in the cable industry. We want to connect the professionals in the world of cables and invite them all to interact with each other. And as an organization with extensive knowledge in the cable industry we want to teach and inspire you. By creating a tape workshop we hope we can get engineers in the field of cables to come together in one place and help each other and inform on relevant topics in order to make your cable projects a success now and in the future.

Workshop programme

In this Tape workshop we will talk about the different aspects of several types of tapes. The themes include, for instance, norms and standards of tapes as cable materials. We also provide you with advices on how to process, use and optimize the choice of one or a combination of tapes in order to reduce costs and to increase effectiveness of the tape (combinations). 

The HEC-Holland Tape workshop will be primarily for process, design and strategic technical procurement engineers.

The workshop will be a 2-day course and besides our own technical engineers, there will also be other experts in the field of cables who will attend as speakers.

Find detailed information on this event in this special Tape workshop June 2022 flyer.

Register for the tape workshop

Are you interested in in attending our workshop, then click on the link below and tell us who will visit the workshop and we will book your place. 

Important! We have limited availability so book early to guarantee your place, preferably before 1st Februar 2022.

Book now

Looking forward seeing you at our workshop.

Kind regards,

TEAM HEC-Holland

Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and stay informed about the latest information in the cable industry.

Suez Canal – Global supply chain impact

Suez Canal Evergreen

Global supply chain impact

The supply chain consequences of the Suez Canal blockade in March will be clearly felt in the coming months. In our operations this will mostly affect the operational activities and pricing for the coming period. Where there were hopes for more stability, prices in container shipping are still sky-high. Also the tariff levels may reach new record heights as of May 1. We continue to be confronted with limitations and delays due to blank sailings, equipment shortages and congested ports worldwide.

Partly because of the aforementioned congestion in the Suez Canal, we are also seeing extra pressure in the availability of containers and the spot market. The shortage of ship space and containers will largely persist this year, resulting in high transport rates and operational restrictions. This is predicted by a maritime research firm Drewry in its latest report about developments in the container market. The prospects also note that there will be considerably more orders for the construction of new ships. There are 1.77 million TEU across 166 ships ordered in Q1 only. However, whether this capacity expansion will eventually lead to the extremely low rates of few years ago seems unlikely, according to Drewry.

Our advice

We would like to advise you to pay attention to matters listed below in order to limit any nuisance and to anticipate the aforementioned market situation:

  • We recommend booking your shipments well in advance. This enables us to provide you with the best possible arrangements.
  • Prioritize the most critical shipments as capacity is scarce and we face constraints and delays.
  • Include longer lead times in your supply chain calculations. Keep in mind that the average delay is currently almost 7 days.

The aforementioned challenging and volatile market situation puts a lot of pressure on our operation. Therefore, we must continue to emphasize that the options are limited and ask you to continue to take into account possible delays in the coming period.

We are here for you

We at HEC-Holland do everything we can to continue to serve you optimally and to keep any inconvenience to a minimum. Please feel free to consult your account manager and ask for our possibilities and solutions. We will also keep you updated related to this theme and future developments.

If any questions arise, please also get in contact with our team!

HEC-Holland LinkedIn

Covid-19 and the effect on feedstock prices and sea freight rates

feedstock prices and sea freight rates

Covid-19 and the effect on feedstock prices and sea freight rates

 

We are not only facing unusual times due to Covid-19, but also see that it starts to influence our business. In some feedstock indicators, such as non-ferrous metals or polymer, there is a strong increase due to market demand versus availability. One of the key factors is the strong rebound effect of the business in Asia exceeding 2019 figures by average 6-7%. We clearly see that covid-19 has a strong effect on feedstock prices and sea freight rates.

The last couple of months we see strong developments on (sea) freight notations due to a shortage on ship space and imbalance on equipment (containers). This lead to a strong increase at record breaking heights which hasn’t been seen for more than a decade.

In December, we expected the sea freight rates to ease by the end January. Because Asia would prepare for the celebration of the Chinese New Year. However, there still is an imbalance on equipment, failing synchronizing container demand versus availability. Supply chain system problems with ocean and/or feeder vessels are to be well connected. This results in delays in the delivery.

HEC-Holland is doing the very best to make sure the market demands cover your production requirements. Nevertheless, at this stage we cannot predict how prices and rates will develop in the future. It will certainly be a dynamic half year. We will stay in contact with you on how we can assist you in any way. At this moment we are unfortunately forced, due to the unstable market conditions, to call for a “Freight Adjustment Surcharge”. All depending on the type of product. We will do our best to minimize costs and prices for you.

More information?

For more information, please contact your account manager. They can tell you how we can secure our joint business and how it might effect the commercial conditions. Of course, we try to minimize costs. We do have to be realistic under the present circumstances which count for all parties.