Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/681966
76 • june 2016 • world fence news Shapes Unlimited names Gruver as president YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Shapes Unlimited, Inc. has announced the appointment of Steve Gruver as presi- dent, effective May 1, 2016. Prior to joining Shapes, Gruver spent 27 years at Orchid Internation- al. As the founder and co-CEO of Orchid, he established and brought to fruition a world-class supply company of engineered metal products, auto- motive assemblies, and electric motor technology, serving the automotive industry. Previously, Gruver excelled as a manufacturing engineer for Grum- man Allied, specializing in the de- ployment of aluminum-bodied deliv- ery vehicles. He holds a mechanical engineer- ing degree from the Rochester Insti- tute of Technology and an Executive MBA from Vanderbilt University. "We are delighted to welcome Steve to Shapes," said Shapes chair- man Bill Sullivan. "We believe his experience in production and man- agement will significantly contribute to our product offerings, fabrication efficiencies, assembly processes and continued growth. Steve's outstanding history in engineering, manufactur- ing and the auto industry's OEM sup- ply-chain is an exciting value-add for Shapes and our partners." Shapes Unlimited, Inc. was founded in 1996 and remains 100% family owned. As an original stocking distributor of custom aluminum extru- sions for the vinyl window industry, Shapes serves multiple markets, in- cluding a focus on ornamental fences. "Shapes Unlimited remains poised to grow market leadership, continue its best in-class quality and superior customer service," comment- ed Sullivan. Shapes manufactures all prod- ucts according to AAMA and BOCA specifications, he noted. For more information, call 330- 726-0844 or visit www.shapesunlim- itedinc.com. Keep Up With The Misadventures Of Pete, Jake & Luckey Each Month in World Fence News! There is a pervasive myth in our industry that wire gauge does not af- fect loop performance (aside from tensile strength). This theory's origin is likely the result of an informal test that was run years ago that compared two 6'x6' loops wrapped with different gauge wires. The loops in the test had little to no lead-in (the test does not specify), and the results showed that there were slight differences in performance, but they were negligible. In our opinion, the test had some obvious issues, such as using a small loop size, not includ- ing a lead-in run in the test, and not documenting how the readings were obtained – which call the results of the test into question. What is most bizarre about this myth is its power to cause people to overlook basic, obvious electronic principles. It is understandable why anyone would want to believe that wire gauge doesn't matter – you can save money by wrapping your loops out of higher gauge (thinner) wire! Unfortunately, size does matter. The most basic explanation on why wire gauge matters is because the thin- ner (higher gauge) a wire is, the more resistance there will be to the flow of current. More resistance means more energy loss, which means weaker/less reliable detections. In fact, many Department of Transportation (DOT) manuals in- struct to never use wire gauges higher (thinner) than 16AWG when wrapping loops. But now that we have loosely cov- ered why wire gauge matters, let's get into a more in-depth explanation as to how wire gauge affects loop systems. To accomplish this we will compare popular wire gauge sizes for loops in this industry. AWG stands for American Wire Gauge – the thicker a conductor is, the lower its gauge number will be. The amount of copper in wire rough- ly doubles when comparing wires 3 gauges apart. So, for example, 17AWG wire has about double the amount of copper per foot as 20AWG. This means when comparing the gauges in the chart above, 16AWG has more than double the amount of copper as 20AWG wire. Dispelling loop myths: Can loop performance be affected by the wire gauge/size? by brian dickson, general manager, bd loops continued on page 78 Wire Gauge Comparing Resistance & Breaking Force BUY DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER West Branch Wood Treating Non-Tapered Round Wood Post Farm, Ranch, D.O.T., Board Fence • Red Pine • Treated to .40 CCA • Meets D.O.T. Specs • Mixed Truck Loads • Sizes Range: 3½", 4", 5", 6" • Lengths: 7' to 22' • All Loads Shipped From Michigan Call Us Today For Pricing West Branch Wood Treating 989-343-0066 • 989-343-0166 Fax info@wbwoodtreating.com www.hutchison-inc.com 800-525-0121 Continuously interwoven vertical wires with horizontal cable form perfect hinge joints for flexibility. Available in 2 styles: M-5, I-2. 165 foot rolls. Gives maximum protection. High carbon, steel wire construction bounces back. 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