How long is the Earth, the planet we all live on? The answer is over 40,075 kilometers!

In 2023, Guizhou Tianhong Zhiyuan Wire and Cable Co., Ltd. produced over 54,000 kilometers of various types of wire and cable, more than enough to circle the Earth.

 

Cable products

 

Cables, as crucial industrial materials, are often described as the "blood vessels" and "nerves" of the national economy. In the Huishui County Economic Development Zone, Guizhou Tianhong Cable has diligently cultivated its internal strength, focusing on market demand and conducting technological breakthroughs. With each cable produced, it has carved out a niche in the market and grown into a nationally recognized "Little Giant" enterprise specializing in specialized, innovative, and innovative products.

"Hardcore" Cables Burn for Three Hours Without Interrupting Power

As the "channels" for transmitting electrical energy, wires and cables may seem ordinary, but they are truly complex. Inside the conductors, powerful currents surge in real time; on the outside, thick insulation protects them.

Guizhou Tianhong Cable, a key investment attraction project for Guizhou Province, settled in Huishui County in 2012. Its factory covers nearly 300 mu (approximately 1,000 acres) and is equipped with over 110 pieces of various production equipment. The company currently produces 19 types of environmentally friendly wires and cables, including those 35 kV and below, and specialized cables. The full current they deliver illuminates countless homes.

Fire-resistant cables are the lifeline of fire rescue efforts. Effective fire prevention in crowded places like schools, hospitals, and supermarkets has garnered widespread attention. In response to the current situation that ordinary cables are flammable and not resistant to high temperatures, Guizhou Tianhong Cable wraps the conductors with special materials based on traditional cable production technology, and vigorously develops safer and more durable products.

 

Workers operating equipment

 

"This is a mineral fire-resistant cable. Its long-term operating temperature is 90°C, and its short-term operating temperature can be below 250°C. A flame burning at 950°C-1000°C can provide continuous power for over three hours, and its short-term or very short-term operating temperature can reach 1083°C," technician Wu Zhengsen proudly stated while introducing the product recently.

In the production workshop, machinery churns at high speed, with over 80 production lines operating at full capacity. Amidst the roaring sound, workers toil tirelessly through the wire drawing, twisting, insulation, and cabling processes, aiming for a strong start in the first quarter.

Reels of copper coils, each containing over 99% copper, are stretched and tapered by automated wire drawing equipment, from an initial diameter of 8 mm to 1.17 mm. The thinnest reaches 0.12 mm, comparable to a human hair.

The conductor, formed by twisting and intertwining multiple fine copper wires, is encased in mica tape and ceramic silicone rubber tape. During the cabling process, the gaps between the conductors are evenly filled with fiberglass rope or low-smoke, halogen-free tape. Finally, mechanical equipment coats the cables, now covered in layers of protective armor, with aluminum alloy or copper armor.

After undergoing these multiple steps, the cables transform from thin filaments into a substantial structure with excellent flame retardancy. "In the event of a fire, the cables will neither produce toxic gases nor immediately shut off the power. They will continue to conduct electricity until the copper conductor melts, buying valuable time for escape," said Technical Director Xiao Eryong.

 

Production workshop

 

Insulation eccentricity is a key parameter for measuring cable quality, directly impacting its service life and safety. "Generally speaking, the conductor should be located at the center of the insulation layer. Due to process control and material quality, the insulation layer may shift, leading to leakage and wear over extended periods of operation, impacting transmission quality." Wu Zhengsen explained that, through research and development, the eccentricity of medium- and high-voltage products has been reduced to 3%-8%, exceeding the national standard of 15%.

In recent years, Guizhou Tianhong Cable has achieved industrial application in specialty cables and derivatives, including its independently developed low-smoke, halogen-free, fire-resistant irradiated wires and cables. These three fire-resistant cables have secured numerous orders, becoming a growth driver. In the first quarter of 2024, orders for fire-resistant cables alone exceeded 12 million yuan.

Replacing Copper with Aluminum: Improving Aluminum Alloy Cable Processing

China is rich in aluminum but short on copper, relying heavily on imports for copper ore and materials. Aluminum is relatively cheap compared to copper. Guizhou Province, with its abundant bauxite resources, offers significant advantages for developing aluminum and its deep processing industries.

In 2017, based on the distribution of mineral resources in Guizhou, Guizhou Tianhong Cable decided to replace copper with aluminum, introduced production lines, and focused on the development of aluminum alloy cables, becoming the first company in the province to produce aluminum alloy cables.

 

Production workshop

 

In the early stages of its transformation, Guizhou Tianhong Cable encountered technical bottlenecks in its production. In response, in 2019, the company recruited Xiao Eryong, a key technical expert from Anhui Province, the first domestic aluminum alloy cable manufacturer, and entrusted him with important tasks.

"The North American market for aluminum alloy cables is vast and very mature. The company leadership hired me at a high salary not only to overcome the technical challenges of aluminum alloy cables, but also to prepare for export," said Xiao Eryong.

Copper and aluminum are both primary raw materials for wire and cable production, but aluminum is less conductive. Xiao Eryong's key strategy is to increase the cross-section of the aluminum alloy. After repeated refinements and testing, he determined that while maintaining comparable conductivity, the aluminum alloy conductor cross-section should be appropriately increased, with the overall cable outer diameter increase not exceeding 20%.

In recent years, evolving end-use applications have driven market demands for smaller and lighter cables, driving the trend toward lightweight and compact cable products. This is also the goal of Guizhou Tianhong Cable's research.

In response to current market demand, Guizhou Tianhong Cable has used advanced pressing technology to increase the filling factor of aluminum alloy cables to 93%, continuously reducing the gaps between single wires and reducing the outer diameter width of aluminum alloy cables.

 

Workers operating equipment

 

In the production workshop, each drawn conductor is heated in a high-temperature furnace and then cooled in water. "Annealing is a critical step in the production of aluminum alloy cables. After physical stretching, the conductor may harden and become brittle, reducing its toughness and increasing its resistance. The annealing process realigns the grains within the cable, improving its hardness, strength, toughness, and conductivity, thus providing better conditions for subsequent processing and use," said Wu Zhengsen.

"Aluminum alloy cables, with their excellent bending properties, flexural strength, and corrosion resistance, ensure stable performance even under prolonged overloads and overheating. Replacing copper cables with aluminum alloy cables also reduces weight, lowers installation costs, reduces wear on equipment and cables, and makes installation easier," said Xiao Eryong.

Products are the best "spokespersons." As aluminum alloy cable technology matures, sales of similar products at Guizhou Tianhong Cable have continued to rise, gradually becoming its flagship product and currently accounting for over 30% of total production.

Technology empowers cables to generate over 340 million yuan in revenue.

Currently, Guizhou Tianhong Cable produces nearly 180 kilometers of product daily. In the warehouse, giant spools of wire with I-shaped spools stand out against the cardboard boxes of household electrical wiring. These cables will soon be shipped to customers in Guizhou, Yunnan, Gansu, Hunan, Chongqing, and other regions, becoming part of people's daily lives.

In 2023, Guizhou Tianhong Cable's revenue reached 345 million yuan. "Our low-voltage and medium-voltage cables are all customized and produced on demand, with orders exceeding 80 million yuan since 2024," said technician Wu Zhengsen.

 

Production workshop

 

Technological innovation is a core factor driving corporate development. Guizhou Tianhong Cable boasts two national-level R&D teams, employing over ten top domestic cable R&D experts. The company has established two internationally standardized R&D centers, an international high-tech laboratory, and a wire and cable testing center. The company has been awarded 17 utility model patents and three invention patents.

Xiao Eryong stated that Guizhou Tianhong Cable prioritizes R&D. Besides leveraging its own team, the company also collaborates with universities on industry-university-research collaborations. These include R&D for new energy vehicle cables with Harbin University of Science and Technology, research on Category V aluminum alloy conductors with Guizhou University, and project collaborations with Guizhou Normal University and Guizhou Institute of Technology.

Currently, Guizhou Tianhong Cable has established stable partnerships with companies such as China Railway Construction, China Huadian, China Railway Group, and China Huaneng, and has become a Tier-1 supplier for State Grid and China Southern Power Grid. Guizhou Tianhong Cable's products are used in projects such as the Three Gorges Dam, Guiyang North Station, the Guiyang-Huangshan Expressway, Guiyang Longdongbao Airport, and the Guizhou Financial City.

How can one identify the right direction for innovation? Guizhou Tianhong Cable's answer is market demand. In the province, the company was one of the first to enter the sub-sectors of aluminum alloy cables, rail transit cables, new energy cables, and has produced mature products.

 

Cable products

 

In recent years, Guizhou Tianhong Cable has continuously improved its technology, vigorously promoted structural energy conservation, technical energy conservation, and management energy conservation, and accelerated its transition to a green and low-carbon economy. In particular, it has launched environmentally friendly products such as low-smoke and halogen-free power cables, photovoltaic cables, and cables for new energy vehicles, pioneering a new market for "green cables."

Facing the rapidly developing new energy vehicle industry, Guizhou Tianhong Cable began planning its development as early as 2019. "This industry has high requirements for cable flame retardancy, flexibility, and wire diameter. To address this, we have improved our process and replaced rubber with thermoplastic elastomer as a filler, making it more environmentally friendly and safer," said Xiao Eryong.

To date, Guizhou Tianhong Cable has been recognized as a "National High-tech Enterprise" for nine consecutive years and has been awarded the titles of provincial "Green Factory" (2021), Guizhou Provincial Technology Innovation Demonstration Enterprise (2023), and national "Little Giant" Enterprise for Specialized and Innovative Products (2023). Its aluminum alloy photovoltaic cables have also received TUV Rheinland certification.

Xiao Eryong stated that in the future, Guizhou Tianhong Cable will continue to strengthen technological innovation, produce cables with genuine cores, maintain product quality while increasing added value, establish itself through excellence and empower itself through expertise, accelerate transformation and upgrading, and move towards innovation, specialization, and green development, contributing to the development of a new type of industrialization.

Guizhou Daily Tianyan News Reporter Pan Xiaofei

Editor He Dengcheng

Second Review Wang Yu

Third Review Yue Zhen