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Oct 2014…OMC, the pioneer in optoelectronics, has announced that its fibre optic links are an ideal solution for industrial automation systems designers who are widely adopting Smart Factory/Industry 4.0 working practices which rely on the collection and feedback of large amounts of equipment performance data which is then used to fine-tune production processes and increase efficiency.

Comments OMC’s Commercial Director, William Heath: “Industrial machinery and smart factory environments are often noisy and challenging environments for electrical signals, so optical transmission is often more appropriate. If high voltage, magnetic fields or noisy motors are present, optical systems are definitely preferred. However achieving consistency of performance in such applications can frustrate many would-be users of fibre-based systems in industrial applications.”

OMC produces glass and polymer fibre optic cable assemblies for many demanding industrial applications, and has developed its own proprietary ACA™ (Active Component Alignment) technology to ensure that its fibre-optic data links perform consistently and reliably from link to link. The company also designs complete optical links, including the transmitter, receiver and cable assembly, which are performance-matched during manufacture to ensure that the system’s optical budget is sound regardless of how the components are matched up in production.

Continues Heath: “Most manufacturers of optical fibre cables do not manufacture the transmitter/receiver part of the link – similarly, few Tx/Rx providers produce fibre cable assemblies. In our experience, customers, especially if they are installing multiple links within industrial machinery or site infrastructure, simply want to provide an electrical signal at point A and have that same electrical signal delivered consistently and reliably to point B. We specialise in the manufacture of both Tx/Rx devices as well as the fibre optic cable assemblies to provide an optical link between the two. Our complete data link design and manufacturing service means that systems engineers can avoid “mixing and matching” off-the-shelf components, which can result in unreliable systems. And because we are technology-agnostic, we are able to advise on the correct choice of technology to suit the application. By tailoring one of our existing processes we are now able to supply production quantities of fully-characterised fibre optic links with 100% link consistency to those involved in Smart Factory applications in a huge range of industries.”