EoW March 2009

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EuroWire – March 2009 52
english technology news
Draka Communications has attained a
99% success rate for its automated air jet
fibre delivery method for the final stage
of FTTH installations. The plug and play
solution involves air blasting pre-ferruled
cables (cables with pre-fabricated semi-
finished connectors) through microducts
using jets of air from a central point up to
a kilometre away. Up to fifty homes can
be completed in a session.
Draka has developed this approach
with Diamond, a Swiss-based precision-
manufacturing fibre optics specialist that
fabricates the connector base that slips
over the cable end before air jetting.
The technique has been tested
extensively in pilot projects in Delfzijl,
the Netherlands, and Aneby, Sweden,
where Draka has regularly achieved time
and labour cost savings of up to 90%.
Additional savings are incurred from
reduced cable splicing, storage space
and fewer home visits.
Draka’s technique uses fibre cables
with pre-mounted ferrules of 1.25mm
diameter blown through 4mm micro-
ducts. Although a simple jetting
technology process has been used for
several years, Draka’s novel approach is
reliant on micro-engineering precision
for large quantities of pre-mounted
ferrules to ensure a smooth, successful
passage of the cable through the ducts.
The fibre stops automatically on reaching
the home termination point; once the
fibre is inside the consumer’s home, the
final connector is easily snapped on.
Willem Giffioen, product manager
at Draka, commented: “Our jetting
technology has a significant impact on
project budgets, especially for large scale
FTTH contracts."
Draka Holdings NV – The Netherlands
Fax: +31 2056 89899
Email:
Website:
Time and cost savings
for FTTH delivery
Bridge cables
WireCo WorldGroup has been awarded
the contract for wire rope suspenders
and cables for the new San Francisco
Oakland Bay Bridge. The distinctive
structure, with a 525 foot single tower,
will be the world’s longest single span,
self-anchored suspension bridge.
The wire rope suspender and cables
that WireCo will engineer for this
project include 75mm and 90mm
wire rope suspension hangers, which
connect the floating bridge box girders
and the tower. As a result, it will be the
first suspension bridge engineered to
require no connection between the
tower and the deck. In addition, the
company will supply the hand rope
assemblies that allow access to the
2.56 foot diameter main cable.
The new structure will carry daily traffic
in excess of 280,000 vehicles, more
than 102 million vehicles every year.
The bridge will connect the 1.2 mile
elevated skyway viaduct from Oakland
to Treasure Island.
WireCoWorldGroup – USA
Website: