OFS, a global leader in optical fibre products for long-distance telecommunications and high-speed data communications markets, is also a premier supplier of application-specific optical fibres, cables and systems for non-telecom systems.
Optical fibres and cables for industrial environments differ in significant ways from those associated with traditional enterprise networks. Temperature and humidity may fluctuate, vibration may be a factor and motor noise can interfere with data transmission, while industrial chemical and oil exposure may threaten the long-term reliability of cabling.
For wind tower mast applications, control cable systems used within the tower are often exposed to such harsh conditions, requiring cabling solutions designed to withstand them. Extremes in temperature, high vibration, exposure to industrial chemicals, potential lightning strikes - these are all familiar concerns to the wind tower designer.
Recognising this, OFS went back to basics and developed Graded-index HCS® (GiHCS) optical fibre, a new breed of industrial-grade data transmission fibre. In cabled form, and used with our crimp and cleave SC and SC-RJ connectivity, the GiHCS solution is designed for installation in such extremes. Combining the mechanical strength of industrialised hard-coat silica optical fibre technology with know-how in high bandwidth graded-index waveguide design, the GiHCS products provides a practical, solution for the transmission of data in environmentally demanding installations by technicians with little fibre optics experience.
GiHCS optical fibres (available in 50 and 62.5µm core diameters) are more easily handled by technicians due to their oversized cladding dimension of 200µm. Beyond easier handling, the enlarged silica cross-section, combined with OFS's proprietary hard-polymer, thin-coating system, more than doubles break-strength when compared to the enterprise grade optical fibres that are commonly used for telecom and datacom applications. The industrialised GiHCS fibers provide excellent optical performance over an expanded operating temperature range (-65 to +125°C) and include a buffering layer of ETFE for excellent resistance to chemicals commonly found in industrial environments.
Packaged specifically for industrial applications, these fibres are cabled in two-fibre zip cord, two-fibre breakout, and four-fibre low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) breakout formats and rated for operation from -20 to + 105°C. The GiHCS cables are ideal for point-to-point links connecting the controls in the nacelle to the control panel within wind towers.
In addition to these high-performing, industrialised cables, OFS announces availability of the crimp and cleave connector system featuring SC and SC-RJ connector styles. Designed for simplicity, these connectors field-assemble with minimal training, require no electricity, no messy epoxies or consumables, and eliminate the tedious polishing steps associated with traditional optical connector solutions. Designed for easy field use, expertise in fibre optics is unnecessary - simply crimp, cleave and leave.
When field-assembled, the GiHCS system, including optical fibre cable and either SC or SC-RJ connectors, support both Fast (100 MB/s) and Gigabit Ethernet (1,000 MB/s) data rates, and are plug-in compatible with commercially available GBIC and SC-RJ transceivers.
OFS is a world-leading designer, manufacturer and provider of optical fibre, optical fibre cable, connectivity, FTTX and specialty photonics solutions. Our marketing, sales, manufacturing and research teams provide forward-looking, innovative products and solutions in areas including:
We provide reliable, cost-effective optical solutions to enable our customers to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's digital and energy consumers and businesses.
OFS's corporate lineage dates back to 1876 and includes technology powerhouses such as AT&T and Lucent Technologies. Today, OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric, a multi-billion-dollar global leader in optical communications.
Headquartered in Norcross (near Atlanta) Georgia, US, OFS is a global provider with facilities in China, Denmark, Germany, Russia and the US.
