Global Focus on Quality

Scientist doing research in a lab
Scientist doing testing in a lab
Manufacturing facility
Dow Wire & Cable operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing complex in Central Germany to support cable manufacturers and end users primarily throughout Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

Backed by the resources of The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Wire & Cable offers the industry a broad portfolio of insulation, semiconductive and jacketing materials for power, insulation and jacketing for copper, co-ax and fiber optic telecommunications cables, insulation and jacketing for FR and specialty wire and cable applications. However, our primary focus is to provide innovative, high quality solutions for a broad spectrum of uses.

Dow Wire & Cable anticipates and responds to industry trends by constantly researching and developing new product solutions. From these new ideas, lab batches are created and put through rigorous, in-house and third-party analysis, including computer modeling, physical testing, burn tests, as well as material and wire, electrical testing and analytical evaluations.

Throughout this process, Dow Wire & Cable employs the latest research, technology and tools to ensure the most comprehensive, usable results. For example:
  • Electron and infrared microscopes aid in exploring chemical and physical characteristics of additives and compounds and in identifying contaminants
  • Various rheology machines test the elastic properties of new polymers
  • A vertical tray cable burn room tests full-scale flame performance on new and future products
  • A dedicated electrical test lab explores the dielectric, water tree growth and breakdown properties of base resins, compounds and wires

Once this lab-batch testing is complete, new product solutions are moved into our pilot plant. Here, a small-scale, fully formulated pilot-wire line helps us validate laboratory research while a full-size, high-speed commercial telecom line helps us analyze real-world applications. These are just a few of the many validation tools that make our Global Technology Center one of the largest, most comprehensive test facilities in the industry.

Our aggressive, innovative focus on testing and validation has earned Dow Wire & Cable a reputation among end users for providing outstanding products that meet or exceed customer expectations for cleanliness and quality.

Manufacturing Guidelines

Attention to quality is never more evident than in our manufacturing complexes around the world. For example, in Central Germany, three facilities comprise one of our larger global manufacturing platforms for wire and cable compounds. To ensure product quality and cleanliness, ethylene feedstock is transferred in a fully enclosed delivery system to our polyethylene resin production facilities. Special stainless bulk trucks then deliver the resin to our compounding operation.

To ensure consistent quality in our compounding and vulcanizable (crosslinkables) processes, we begin by mandating a stringent Raw Materials Quality Assurance Program, working closely with suppliers to ensure that their raw materials and additives are clean and consistent. Internally, we continually run audits, random sampling and technical reviews to ensure that all materials meet our specifications.

Metal detection techniques are also employed to further ensure that our customers receive clean, quality products. In fact, our entire state-of-the-art compounding operation was specifically designed to include processing, packaging and storage facilities and practices that minimize any chance for product contamination.

Clean room packaging and storage

At the point of packaging, we have a finished goods area where our compounds can be bulk loaded in a clean room environment. Packaging of products into big bags or octabins also is done in a clean room. The containers are then moved to our temperature-controlled warehouse on a fully enclosed conveyor system. These modern packaging and storage techniques ensure that our products are clean, free of contaminants and are stored with the temperature regulation that was developed specifically for wire and cable compounds.

New videos that show further detail of our cleanliness and quality process and procedures are available in multiple languages. Find them at www.dow.com/wire/news/wiretv.htm. Ask your Dow Wire & Cable representative how we can help achieve your cleanliness requirements.