Miniflex appoints new US representative
Miniflex, the leading vendor of optical fibre protection, management and installation solutions, has strengthened its presence in the military and defence industries of West coast USA with the appointment of new sales representative, MilComm. A highly technical manufacturer’s representative firm, MilComm will support activities in California, Oregon and Washington. The firm has a well established history of success in its core expertise in fibre-optic and copper communications and control systems.MilComm's main remit will be for representing Miniflex’s product offering throughout the military and defence industries throughout the states of California, Oregon and Washington.
Optical Fibre Protection Tube (OFPT), Miniflex’s core product, is a hard plastic tubing which is made flexible through the unique and patented Miniflex process. It is available pre-slit to assist retro-fitting or alternatively with fibre pre-installed to suit customers’ specific needs. Applications for OFPT include Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP), automotive, industrial automation, defence and aerospace. Miniflex‘s products are successfully deployed in projects such as the joint European aerospace project, the Eurofighter, where the product is fitted as a solution to protect the data communication infrastructure such as cockpit displays and pilot information services. Key features include:
- OFPT offers a very hard protective covering for fibre optic cables, providing superior crush resistance that is nevertheless flexible and easy to install.
- Its protective capacity is far stronger than other market alternatives of flexible plastic conduit which has lower crush resistance, an irregular internal surface and no specific bending protection.
- OFPT has a smooth bore which is crucial in avoiding damage to the fibre. Core to the technology is the product’s bend limiting protection characteristic.
TuffNut™ Cable is an optical fibre cable made using the same technology as Miniflex’s OFPT product. The cable comprises of fibre and the 3mm OFPT as a cable designed to deliver higher mechanical performance than existing cables. It also facilitates fast installation by pushing due to its rigid flexibility and low friction construction. This product has recently been developed for the FTTP market but has application in other markets including the automotive, industrial automation, defence and aerospace.
Another Miniflex product, Corner Card, is being used by the Royal Navy for use in their latest Type 45 destroyers. Offering the flexibility to manage fibre around corners of up to 90 degrees, Corner Card’s perfect bend radius is maintained by using Miniflex OFPT to carry the fibre through the pre-cut routing track within the Corner Card.
The OFPT also provides protection against kinking and crushing when the Corner Card is closed around a corner. Utilising the integral hinge within the Corner Card, fibre is safely guided around an internal/external angle whilst maintaining minimum bend radius. Corner Card is suitable for managing fibre in buildings as part of FTTH installation, as well as difficult environments where the fibre routing and control must be pre-determined prior to the fibre being installed, including maritime, defence and industrial automation.
Paul Ekpenyong, sales and marketing director for Miniflex, summed up this appointment by saying:
“I am delighted to welcome MilComm as a representative. The company has a great deal of industry knowledge and respect amongst its peers and I feel that they will be able to benefit from the technical advantage our products are able to offer our customers.”
Steve Richardson, president of MilComm added:
“Almost all of our customers install our manufacturers’ products in harsh environments so the products we offer need to be rugged. I feel Miniflex’s product portfolio adds another dimension to our existing line card offering. By enabling our customers’ standard cables to be hardened we are able to ensure they meet the harsh environmental standards required. We are excited about our new partnership with Miniflex and look forward to long and prosperous working relationship”.
