40
process is the result of extensive testing with established European rechargeable battery cells
manufacturers.
• Halcor Tube Heat Transfer laboratory: is located within Halcor’s Oinofyta plant, where TALOS
Ⓡ Inner-Groove Tubes (IGT) and TALOSⓇ ACR tubes are manufactured according to international
standards and customer specifications. IGT seamless copper tubes feature internal grooves which
significantly enhance the amount of heat transfer. Typical applications of IGT copper tubes include fin-
and-tube condensers and evaporator coils for air-conditioning, refrigeration, chiller, and heat-pump
applications. Halcor’s production technology for TALOSⓇ IGT copper tubes enables the manufacture
of advanced inner-groove designs in a complete range of sizes, from a 16mm outside diameter down
to the latest microgroove™ tubes with an outside diameter of 5mm or less. The laboratory is one of the
few manufacturers in the world able to do this. The Tube Heat Transfer Laboratory offers Halcor’s
clients the opportunity to establish a mutually beneficial relationship within an integrated support and
product development framework.
• Sofia Med Technology Department: increases surface quality by adding two surface inspection
systems in production lines. It uses state-of-the-art equipment, controlling all tinned material produced
on the HDT line for automotive use, while the department also supports sales by widening the range of
products in extrusion with more products in the coil shape.
• Hellenic Cables Companies: a team of highly skilled R&D engineers utilizing advanced software
tools and modern testing facilities, pursue core product development research, innovation, the
redesign/optimization of existing products and technical support across three business units, two in
Greece and one in Romania. These efforts support the companies’ wider strategy towards the
production of more green products with lower environmental impact.
During 2020, the R&D team delivered several new products related to awarded commercial projects of
ca. EUR 280 million gross revenues, including framework contracts. The successful completion of the
qualification plan for the longest ca.136 km subsea 150kV High Voltage Alternative Current (HVAC)
cable, designed for the Crete – Peloponnese subsea interconnection in Greece and depths of around
1,100m was a great achievement. At the same time designs proposed for several projects were
accepted and the respective projects awarded to Hellenic Cables.
Hellenic Cables is advancing fast in the development of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology
as it remains one of the core strategic choices of further growth. The qualification plan is on track, while
the new facility for in-house manufacturing and testing of AC and DC accessories completed in 2019 is
now fully operational. At the same time, the R&D compounding department accelerated its efforts
towards a “greener” economy by increasing the usage ratio of recycled materials. The process of
collecting and processing business units’ waste into raw materials was challenging, but allowed Hellenic
Cables to demonstrate its commitment to the “circular economy” and CO
2
emissions control. As several
compounds were invented in house, the technological knowhow of Hellenic Cables increased, making
products competitive in cost and quality.
• Etem Centre: develops, simulates and homologates heat treatable aluminium alloys and
relative customized extrusion and heat treatment processes, press lines and tooling to be applied to
automotive end use parts. Together with Global Automotive OEM and Tier1 it co-develops and
homologates tailored product solutions for specific performance requirements (namely crash
behaviour, weight reduction, formability, corrosion resistance, post joining process requirements). The
Centre also designs, develops, simulates and homologates product-specific processes, customized
machinery, tooling and quality controls both in process and in the laboratories, to meet specific quality,
safety, volumes and cost requirements. Through R&D efforts and collaborations, Etem has become a
Tier 2 and Tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry, certified to produce aluminium profiles and parts
for crash relevant systems.
• Sidenor Steel Industry Centre: in addition to the development of Synthesis™, a unique system
for the industrial-scale prefabrication of reinforcing steel, Sidenor supports innovation and research
through considerable investment in hi-tech machinery and, as a result, has developed and implemented