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Kabelwerk Eupen's history can be traced back to 1747. At that time, the
Bourseaux family had a modest workshop making all kinds of jute ropes
and hawsers.
Their wide knowledge and experience,
acquired over many decades, led the brothers Carl and August Bourseaux
to begin manufacturing cables towards the end of the 19th century.
 This
innovative decision had a significant impact on the Eupen based
company's future as it was producing cables some 25 years before the
widespread use of electricity as a major source of energy. New
buildings were acquired, new production processes and techniques
introduced, and insulation processes improved. A wire drawing mill and
a rubber mixing plant were installed which together with the company's
expertise led to its products becoming immensely successful. Years
before the outbreak of the Second World War, the company had a fully
integrated cable factory with several other side lines, e.g. rubber
shoe soles and bicycle tyres.
Plastics appeared in the 50s and quickly
became an integral part of the cable manufacturing process. The company
soon realized the importance of this new material and installed two new
production lines: one for plastic tube extrusion and the other for the
very first production of synthetic foam in Europe.
The 60s saw the vast expansion of telecommunications. After the
introduction of television, a pilot project was set up in 1962 where
two Belgian towns had cable television transmission systems installed
which used coaxial cable manufactured by Kabelwerk Eupen. Since then,
Belgium has been at the forefront of this area of technology.
 The
70s were marked by an increasing awareness of safety. Alongside the
research and extensive investments made by the energy generating
companies, Kabelwerk Eupen began work on safety cables for nuclear
power plants.
By the early 80s the expensive
registration procedures had been successfully completed and the company
was supplying safety cables to nuclear power plants. This type of cable
fully complies with the IEEE quality control; thus, long before the
introduction of the ISO quality standards, Kabelwerk Eupen was already
committed to promoting the concept of quality. Environmental concerns
were also high on the company's agenda and in 1981 it developed and
introduced a CFC-free foam technique. The development of a protective
tube system for optical fibre cables towards the end of the 80s
exemplifies a perfect synergy between tube and cable technology.
 The
90s are increasingly marked by intensive Research and Development, the
company has constantly improved its extensive manufacturing processes
in its pursuit of improved quality.
Thus, the technology and expertise
gained in the fields of cables, pipes and foam can be seen to
complement each other, providing the company with a sound structural
framework to move into the next century. |
