In the wire and cable world, dies have largely been seen as just another commodity. But thanks to US Patent #12,048,957 from Paramount Die, that may well change. Below is a report created from a Q&A with Paramount Director of Research and Product Development Joao Norona, who shares what's been achieved by pairing focused R&D with AI know-how. 

About seven years ago, Joao Norona, director of research and product development at Paramount Die Co., saw a hard truth: wire manufacturers lacked the critical data to identify optimal operating speeds. As a result, they ran their lines well below capacity to avoid costly breaks. The blind spot was clear: no one had visibility inside the die system itself, the core of wire drawing.

“You could be standing at the machine, the wire’s running, everything looks fine,” Norona says. “But you’re completely in the dark about what’s happening inside the die—temperature, force, lubrication effectiveness—none of that was being measured in real time.” Yet customers had to make decisions from that incomplete picture. New dies, lubricants, coolants, or machine settings were tested and judged largely on subjective impressions. “The operator might say, ‘The wire feels better today,’ or ‘It looks shinier.’ That’s what we had to go on.”

What Norona envisioned was a system that would replace guess- work with hard numbers: a way to convert wire drawing from an art into a science. He pitched the idea to company President Rich Sarver, and he ultimately agreed to make the investment. Some six years and more than $1 million in research later, that vision became a reality: The company’s patented Smart Die System was developed entirely in-house by Paramount. In early development, select customers participated in confidential trial installations to vali- date the system under real production conditions. “Those initial secret tests have been invaluable,” Norona says. “They’ve confirmed the data’s accuracy and convinced cautious operators that this isn’t just theory. It’s a game-changer in everyday use.”

This was never going to be a sensor taped onto the side of a machine. From the start, Norona knew that the only way to truly measure the process was to get inside it—and that AI would have a big role in making this work.

Norona acknowledges that some OEMs do offer draw-ing lines equipped with gauges that provide warnings. “But they’re equipment suppliers,” he said. “They certainly design wonderful machines, but they are at an unfortunate disadvantage: they don’t actually make wire themselves.

They are not in the front lines drawing wire hand-in-hand with their customers every day. There’s a difference. We live in this process. Our people were practically born in a wire drawing plant. They know the full manufacturing environment, and that’s what shaped this system. It was effectively designed by wire-drawers for wire-drawers.”

The Smart Die System doesn’t just observe the wire drawing process: it becomes part of it. The system centers on a redesigned die box fitted with sensors and electronics that measure key parameters directly at the wire-die interface. Inside this assembly, individual components work together to provide a real-time, synchronized view of what’s actually happening as the wire is shaped at each stage of the process.

The core of the Smart Die System is the die box integrated with Paramount’s innovative, direct water-cooled smart pressure system cassettes, which is an evolution of the company’s patented cassette Paraloc Pressure System™ design from decades prior. The die box isn’t just holding the die, it’s a nerve center packed with finely tuned sensors that measure exactly how much pulling power is required to draw the wire through each die. “That’s the best indicator of efficiency we’ve got,” Norona explains. “It tells you how well—or poorly—your system is functioning at block level, in real time.”

The temperature sensors are embedded as close as possible to the wire-die interface, capturing the actual heat generated during drawing, information that directly correlates with lubricant performance, friction, and wear. “Understanding how pressure and temperature interact tells you a lot about how your die is behaving under load.”

Water flow and cooling control units, installed beneath the machine, allow automatic adjustment of coolant delivery. Variations in flow can have a profound impact on die performance, especially as temperature ramps up. Each of these cassettes—housing sensors, dies, and cooling channels—feeds information via direct connections to a local electronics control unit, installed right on the machine. This processing unit consolidates and cleans the signal feeds before passing data through Ethernet cables to a central communications hub—a compact but powerful edge computer that operators and engineers can visualize on a tablet or monitor in real time.

Add optional upstream signals—motor power, speed, diameter and lubricant parameters—and the system stitches together a nuanced, multi-dimensional view of what’s happening. All of this is done on site, with no reliance on cloud transfer. Once this ecosystem is running, it no longer operates like a traditional wire drawing line. The Smart Die System starts showing connections and patterns previously invisible.

“You might increase the line speed and see that your force drops,” Norona says. “That’s a signal your lubricant is now in its optimal working range—it’s counterintuitive, but that happens a lot.” Or, just as easily, it might show that a speed increase causes die temperature to spike and the draw force to rise rapidly—warning signs of pushed limits.

In conventional setups, draw force gets approximated based on motor load or inferred from machine behavior. But that view is so diluted by drivetrain losses, coupling inefficiencies, and system lag that it’s virtually meaningless in fine-tuning performance or precision monitoring. “This changes that,” Norona says. “You get direct, isolated force read-ings—by block—with real-time feedback. You don’t wait until you’ve broken wire, overheated dies, or lost product. You see it coming.” Another critical benefit?

Seeing which block in a multi-die setup is dragging performance down. For many wire lines, that weak link sets the speed limit. “Wire drawing is like a chain, and your speed is only as good as your weakest block,” Norona says. “If block four is the one with bad cooling or poor reduction design, it’s going to fail before the others. We can now see that down to the force delta.”

With synchronized draw force, temperature, cooling data, and production trends from each block, manufacturers can now zoom in and see which one is holding the line back. Fix that block—opti-mize its reduction, its die geome-try, its lubrication—and then the next one becomes the bottleneck. Step by step, the entire system improves. “We’ve seen increases of 5% to 10% in line speed within the first week,” Norona says. “That’s massive. That’s not incre-mental. That’s gained capac-ity, without buying a single new machine.”

This isn’t just a monitoring tool. With the smart system in place, certain adjustments can also be made automatically as the line runs. If the temperature starts to drift outside range at Block six, for example, the control unit can adjust coolant flow dynamically to bring it back under control—without operator input. That’s part of what signals the early stages of “smart factory” functionality.

Operators can get alerts when conditions trend toward failure, rather than reacting post-incident. It’s shift-proof, experience-proof. “You don’t have to wait for your best operator to say ‘this feels wrong.’ The system tells you, in numbers,” Norona adds. All this creates the ability to start pushing limits with safety nets deployed. Manufacturers often build excessive margin into their processes for fear of failure. Now, they can reduce that buffer—and increase speed—while knowing a real-time system is watching every step.

The Smart Die System was always intended to support an AI-based process control, but Paramount knew one major obstacle had to be addressed first: data sensitivity. Manufacturers in the wire industry tend to guard plant level data closely, and cloud-based systems often raise red flags, so Paramount took a contrarian approach: all data collection and analysis happens locally, within the plant. “That gave us buy-in where we would’ve lost it otherwise,” Norona says. “Customers have full control of their data, and we built that in from the start.”

With enough data from live installations, new algorithms continue to emerge—ones that can suggest parameter changes based on conditions, forecast when certain prod-ucts will start drawing outside spec, or suggest a die change before it’s overdue. It’s a foundation built not just to support AI, but to grow smarter along-side customer processes. Initial adopters are already feeding operational outcomes—speed gains, uptime increases, lower defect rates—into the system, giving Paramount and its partners a continuous loop of learning. Perhaps the most surprising transformation isn’t technical- it's cultural. 

“We’ve had operators refuse to go back to machines without it,” Norona says. “They call the retro-fitted lines the ‘walk-away machines’ because they run smoothly and let them step away confidently. There’s no guessing anymore.” Engineers, too, now have tools not just to make changes, but to prove them. “You’re not arguing opinion versus opinion anymore,” he adds. “You can say, ‘We changed the die configuration and saw a 7% drop in draw force. Here’s the chart. Here’s the data.’ ”

That turns a cost-driven procurement discussion—“Why does this die cost more?”—into a value discussion: “Your old die pulled 1,100N. This one pulls 950N. You just saved power, increased speed and reduced wear, increasing prof-itability by a factor of 10 to 20 compared to the increase in die cost.” Some installations have reported measurable paybacks within two to seven months—especially where mid-range or high-spec wire products are involved.

Paramount doesn’t view this as a product—it views it as a platform. More features are coming. More integrations. More layers of intelligence. But the core remains the same: deliver verified, real-time data from where the decisions matter most—from inside the die system.

Norona is pleased with the results. “This gives wire draw-ing teams what they’ve never had—visibility in the place that counts. Not bits. Not estimates. Not opinions. Facts. And once you have that, everything else gets better.

Further, the story of the company’s AI deployment is not complete. “As we’ve gone through this process, we’ve discovered the potential for even more ways to advance what we do,” Norona says. “This has been an amazing experience, and I don’t see any finish line.”

Eric Laubach was named director of strategic accounts for Kalas Manufacturing, Inc. He most recently was CRO for TyreFlow Environmental, Inc., for four years. Prior to that, he had worked for 20 years at Direct Wire and Cable, where he was president. He holds a B.S. degree in political science and English from West Virginia University. Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Kalas Manufacturing, Inc., makes copper wire, cable and value-add assemblies.

Bill Stang has been promoted to chief sales officer for Windy City Wire. He joined the company directly after graduating from North Central College in 2002. He has played a vital role in the company’s development and was cited for his “proven leadership and commitment.” He has a B.A. degree in marketing and sociology from North Central College. Based in Bolingbrook, Illinois, Windy City Wire specializes in low-voltage wire and cable distribution.

Tom Hart has been promoted from vacuum sales/applications engineer to director of sales for North America at the SECO/WARWICK Group. He joined the company in 2011 and has more than two decades of experience in precision manufacturing and heat treatment technology sectors. He has been active in multiple industry groups. Based in Meadville, Pennsylvania, the SECO/WARWICK Group provides vacuum furnace treatment equipment for multiple industry sectors.

 Christina Trainor has rejoined Prysmian as head of HR for North America. She previously held leadership roles at Prysmian from 2010 to 2022, including V.P. of Human Resources, before positions with The SEFA Group and Heidelberg Materials. Her return follows the promotion of John Andrews to a global HR role. Based in Highland Heights, Kentucky, Prysmian is a global leader in cable solutions.


Obituary

Rolf Dieter Wurmbach, a well-respected retired general manager of Niehoff Endex North America Inc., a man known for his warmth, intelligence, humor, and spirit of adventure, died June 30, 2025, at age 70.

A resident of Woodstown, New Jersey, Wurmbach was born in Kreuztal, Germany. He graduated from the University of Siegen with a degree in electrical engineering. His career in wire and cable began in 1983, when he was hired by Maschinenfabrik Henrich, where he worked until 1996, becoming a senior process engineer. He and his family moved to the U.S., and in 1997, he became a senior process engineer at Superior Essex, where he worked for three years. He became service manager of Knill USA for nearly two years, then joined Niehoff Endex North America in 2002. Two years later he was promoted to general manager. Dealing with health issues, he officially retired in 2020.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marianne (Querl) Wurmbach; a son, Felix Wurmbach, a daughter, Nora Gregan; brothers Thomas Wurmbach and Stefan Wurmbach; sisters Anette Wurmbach and Beatte Wurmbach; and a granddaughter, Hallie.

The family asked that anyone wishing to make a memorial donation on behalf of his name should make that out to the Wire Foundation, 71 Bradley Rd., Ste. 9, Madison, CT, 06443. 

The WAI New England Chapter has rescheduled its previously planned Aug. 7 educational meeting at FENN’s plant in East Berlin, Connecticut, to October 9. The annual educational meeting will include a plant tour and a networking dinner, featuring food and drink trucks for the celebration.

The cost is $105, or $85 for WAI members. All proceeds support the WAI New England Chapter Scholarship Fund, helping invest in the next generation of industry professionals.

The Ohio Valley Chapter (OVC) will hold its golf tournament and target shooting event on Thursday, Aug. 21. As with its prior event, the OVC will offer a unique split activity format. Golfers will play at the Kensington Country Club (www.kensingtongolf.com), while the OVC shooting event will again be held at the Training Range (www.thetrainingrange.com) in nearby Austintown. Following both events, the Ohio Valley Chapter will hold an educational program.

Meanwhile, the New England Chapter returns to the Tunxis Country Club (www.tunxisgolf.com) on Monday, Sept. 8, for its highly anticipated 31st annual Golf Tournament, with 140 golfers expected to participate. The event will feature a DJ, raffle prizes, awards, and ample time to reconnect with colleagues and make new industry connections in a relaxed setting. If you’re not interested in golf, you can register for just the afternoon portion.

Closing out the schedule will be the WAI Southeast Chapter’s Annual Golf Outing on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Rock Barn Country Club and Spa (www.rockbarn.com) in Conover, North Carolina. See more in the next issue.

Registration for all these events can be made through the individual chapter pages at www.wirenet.org. These events, a perfect blend of camaraderie and competition, are an excellent way to meet peers, support good causes (such as college scholarship programs), and enjoy a day on the links.

The WAI Midwest Chapter established this scholarship program, administered by The Wire Foundation, to improve educational opportunities for academically qualified high school seniors or college students who are children, grandchildren, or dependents of WAI Midwest Chapter members in good standing.

The Chapter made this commitment to reinforce the value of higher education in today’s society and to provide members with an opportunity to benefit from their membership in WAI and the Chapter. Below are the winners.

Mia Robillard is the daughter of Brad Robillard, owner, Elk Technologies. She is attending The Ohio State University, where she is seeking a degree in mechanical engineering.

Hailey Walker is the daughter of Robert Sears (Retired), BS Wire. She is attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is seeking a degree in English.

Amy Skolozynski is the daughter of Stephen Skolozynski, general manager, Master Spring & Wire Form Co. She is attending the University of Iowa, where she is seeking a degree in English and creative writing.

The WAI will partner with Hyperion Materials & Technologies to host a two-part technical webinar series via zoom in September focused on wire die quality designed for wire die tool makers and wire producers.

Part 1: Differentiating High-Quality PCD Wire Dies will be presented at 11 am EST on Sept. 17. Presenters Hector Ferrer Ribas and Andrew Gledhill will cover the fundamentals of carbide and PCD, explaining how to separate high-quality wire dies from substandard ones. An interactive segment will include “red flags” such as EDM cutting problems and cracks. Also covered will be the causes/impact of material defects on Total Cost of Ownership (TOC). It will provide a checklist to assess product quality based on manufacturing processes, material consistency, traceability and supplier expertise as well as cover innovations in PCD materials, testing methods, certifications and quality assurance.

Part 2: Key Differentiators in Carbide Wire Dies will be presented at 11 am EST on Sept. 24. It will focus on identifying quality indicators in carbide wire dies. The presenters will outline common defects such as casing issues, breakage, cavities, pores, and scratches. Attendees will learn about the causes of these problems and how they affect TCO. A practical checklist will help evaluate wire dies based on consistency, process control, and supplier standards. The session will also address testing methods, material traceability, and recent innovations in carbide materials.

Each webinar requires separate registration. You may register for one or both using the register now buttons above. The cost is free for WAI members and $75 per session for non-members. Non-members planning to attend should consider joining WAI for $150 per year during checkout to access the webinars for free.

For more information or for assistance with registering, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The WAI Education Center has publicly released the introductory videos from its four completed courses. These videos, shared on LinkedIn, YouTube, and via email, showcase the high-quality content and end with a call to action to enroll.

Interest has grown since Interwire this past May. Notably, Prysmian enrolled 18 extrusion operators from its Colombia plant in all three available extrusion courses, with more expected to follow.

Multiple new courses are in development, such as Extrusion – Special Process Considerations and Introduction to Wire Dies. WAI is working with instructional designers to add interactive activities and expanded quizzes to selected courses.

For more details, go to wirenet.org or contact WAI at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Wire Association International will co-locate Wire Expo next year with the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE) on May 6-7, 2026, at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Bringing the Expos together under one roof creates meaningful opportunities for industry professionals to explore the entire value chain. The co-location enables manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and end-users to see and experience novel technologies, forge strategic partnerships and advance the industry.

The two events previously colocated in 2010 at the venue now known as the Baird Center. The reunion comes at a time of industry growth and technological advancement, positioning the combined event as a catalyst for discovery and collaboration.

 WAI First Vice President David Fisher said that he looks forward to the co-location. “It’s a great chance for both groups to co-mingle and truly get a feel for each side of the wire and cable industry—from manufacturing to downstream end use, and all the products and equipment that go into it. The people who make this happen are key to the success of both groups.”

“The co-location of the Wire Expo and the EWPTE will create a unique opportunity for attendees to collaborate, establish valuable new contacts, and learn from industry leaders and experts,” said David Bergman, VP, international relations, Global Electronics Association, and executive director, WHMA.

The EWPTE trade show attracts nearly 200 exhibitors and over 3,000 attendees from more than 40 states and 25 countries for the electrical wire harness, wire, and cable processing industries. The WHMA, established in 1993, is the only trade association exclusively representing the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry.

Brazil has become the latest—and one of the most prominent—countries to launch an anti-dumping (AD) investigation into steel wire rod from China. Also, it is believed to be the only country to include Russia in its action.

A report—Initiation of Anti-dumping Investigation: Carbon Steel Wire Rod from China and Russia—from Chambers and Partners cited the publication of SECEX Ordinance No. 44/2025, which on June 17, 2025, initiated an anti-dumping investigation on Brazilian imports of certain carbon and alloy steel wire rod originating from China and Russia.

The case stems from a petition by major domestic steelmakers—ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A., Gerdau Aço Longos, Gerdau Açominas, and Gerdau S.A.—who allege that dumped imports have caused material injury to Brazil’s steel sector. The dumping investigation covers imports from July 2023 to June 2024, with injury assessed over a five-year period. Initial findings cite dumping margins of $534.22/ton for China and $600.70/ton for Russia, with relative dumping margins of 88.7% and 106.5%, respectively. The injury period is from July 2019 to June 2024.

According to Steel Orbis, in November 2024, Russia exported 1,000 metric tons (mt) of wire rod to Brazil at an average price of $571. This made Russia the third-largest source of Brazil’s wire rod imports for that month, behind China (6,900 mt) and Egypt (5,000 mt). Brazil’s total wire rod imports in November 2024 were 13,400 mt, so Russian shipments were roughly 7.5% of the monthly total.

The following information is compiled from Fastmarkets, Global Compliance News, Nasser Advogados and SteelRadar. In 2014, Thailand placed anti-dumping penalties against Chinese exporters ranging from 12.26% to 36.79%. These duties were continued by a sunset review in 2020 and are now undergoing a further five-year review for wire rod with a carbon content of 0.76–0.92% and diameter below 14 mm to determine if the penalty should be extended, adjusted, or terminated. The review process is expected to last up to a year, with existing duties maintained as cash deposits in the interim.

Of note, at least 11 other countries and the EU bloc have recently launched or extended AD investigations or duties on Chinese steel. However, some (including India, Australia, Egypt, South Africa, Colombia, South Korea, and Vietnam) targeted products other than wire or wire rod. Countries that have specifically listed wire rod include Malaysia, which initiated an anti-dumping probe on wire rod from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam in October 2024; Peru, which launched an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese wire rod in January 2025; Canada, which started an investigation on April 22, 2025, into carbon and alloy steel wire from China and nine other countries; the European Union, which imposed duties on Chinese steel products in early 2025; and Turkey, which has implemented anti-dumping and safeguard measures on Chinese wire rod and other steel products since 2024.

In terms of updates, Brazil’s investigation into Chinese and Russian steel wire rod must conclude by April 2026, with a possible extension to December 2026. Thailand’s sunset review is scheduled for conclusion by May 2026, with duties maintained in the meantime. Canada’s CBSA investigation—launched April 22, 2025—will continue, with preliminary findings expected later this year. Peru’s investigation—launched in January 2025—is ongoing, with potential for duties to be imposed by late 2025.

Guill Tool announced that the company has expanded its laboratory capabilities with the launch of Guill Labs, an initiative that will bolster its ability to better serve the extrusion needs of industries including wire and cable manufacturing.

A press release said that the new facilities include a state-of-the-art rheology lab and a dedicated extrusion process center. The lab is equipped to measure the flow characteristics of plastics and rubber to analyze how these materials behave during extrusion, allowing Guill to optimize tooling geometry before production begins.

The lab features advanced equipment such as a rotational rheometer, scanning calorimeter, and a thermal conductivity meter, allowing precise simulation of the extrusion process. Guill’s new test extrusion facility is outfitted with a range of industry-standard equipment, including extruders, vacuum tanks and laser gauges.