INDUSTRY TRADE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 9

INDUSTRY TRADE

In Canterbury growth of electricity consumption has been steady and continuous for over 30 years, hampered from time to time by shortages but still through depressions, wars and shortages always on the increase. Since the last of the shortages in 1957 the growth and usage in home, office, shop, farm and factory has been phenomenal.

The increase was achieved in spite of an increase in cost of 34 per cent. Christchurch claims to be the electrical centre of New Zealand. It bases the claim on the origin and subsequent virile development of the electrical manufacturing industry in it, and the spur an abundance of hydro-power has given; the

One of the major factors in the advancement of Christchurch’s position to pre-emin-ence in electrical manufacturing is the association it has with plastics. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that Canterbury is the home of the largest manufacturers of electrical wiring devices and plastic electrical cables.

A 37 - bobbin planetary strander lays np heavy copper wire for overhead transmission in • Christchurch plant. This machine is capable of producing stranded cables of up to 127 wins, each win only .103 in in diameter. The complete strand is 1.339ta in diameter. Stranded win runs off the machine at the rate of half a mile an hour.