wiredInUSA March 2019

New joint venture in Jena

Keep track of drum assets

Bruno Fankhauser

Leoni AG and Hengtong Optic-Electric Co Ltd are planning the joint production of single-mode fibers for telecommunications anddatanetworks for theEuropeanmarket. The companies have signed a framework investment agreement to establish a joint venture in Jena, Germany. “The transmission of signals via single-mode fibers is a forward-looking technology. It enhances our strategic positioning as a technology partner for intelligent data transmission solutions. By expanding our manufacturing competence we expect to strengthen our fiber optics business to serve the increasing European demand for single- mode fibers,” explained Bruno Fankhauser, member of the Leoni board of directors. Through its subsidiary j-fiber GmbH in Jena, Leoni is an established producer of multi- mode fibers in Europe. j-fiber will provide the joint venture with the necessary infrastructure to commence its operations. Hengtong Optic-Electric is among the world’s biggest suppliers of single-mode fibers, with a strong presence in the Asian region. The joint venture will operate under the name of j-fiber Hengtong GmbH.

Building on its success in France and Belgium, Nexans has expanded its Connected Drums initiative to include the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Chile. The solution, first introduced in 2016 and developed with industrial Internet of things specialists, allows customers to accurately track the location of cable drums. DSOs (distribution service operators) can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, due to the lack of visibility of drums scattered across construction sites. Complex supply chain processes can involve multiple teams, construction sites and subcontractors, so expensive cable drums and cables are frequently lost, stolen or left idle on sites. It is also challenging for DSOs to monitor their stocks across multiple remote storage sites. To help its customers address this issue, Nexans designed an integrated, battery- powered sensor that connects the drum to a cloud-based management platform (available on desktop or mobile app). Customers can see, in real-time, the location of each drum, andmonitor an alert system for on-site events such as deliveries or pickup. Nexans’ Connect Drums – helping to track the location of cable drums

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wiredInUSA - March 2019