Specialized equipment and materials make their mark

Three products earned awards in our Specialized Equipment and Materials category—one at each level of Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each of these products brings unique characteristics and demonstrates a new approach to solving an industry challenge.

The Miller MB-07 Cable Slitter from Ripley Tools is designed specifically for Corning’s RocketRibbon Extreme Density Cable, which has a fiber count of 1728. “Corning required a reliable tool to access fiber in midspan applications with higher repeatability than using a field knife, which has the potential to damage cable and fiber,” Ripley explains. The MB07-7000 midspan access tool has been certified by Corning for use with the RocketRibbon 1728. The slitter is constructed with an aluminum body; it enables end or midspan cable preparation to access subunits and ripcords without damaging the fiber. The design includes a safety shielded factory-set tool steel blade with a unique finger “comfort grip” and brass guide wheel to reduce drag while performing longitudinal cuts.

Brady’s A5500 Flag Printer Applicator tackles difficult flagging issues including consistent application, connectivity, and reduced waste. Brady says the A5500 is an efficient, labor-saving device that boosts production. Using software-driven automation, the BradyPrinter A5500 prints and flags wires and cables in 5 seconds. Other features include a 300-dpi printhead that prints barcodes, logos and text and applies cable flags that can communicate large amounts of information; the ability to identify cables from 0.06 inches to 0.6 inches in diameter; a 7-inch intuitive touchscreen; and Print Smart technology that allows the printer communicate with label and ribbon for faster setup and changeover.

Tripp Lite’s NRFP Robotic Fiber Panel System provides “simple, effective fiber network management through automation,” the company says. “To help data centers add, move and change fiber connections with agility, Tripp Lite offers new Robotic Fiber Panel Systems. These rack-mounted crossconnects make physical fiber connections using robotic latching and remote management. They offer IT professionals unprecedented opportunities to manage their Layer 1 connections on reliable and efficient schedules, with less of the time and expense of strictly hands-on management.” The Robotic Fiber Panel Systems are available in singlemode LC or multimode LC fiber configurations. Each version comes in 2 sizes: a 512-port option and a 204-port mini option. By interconnecting multiple units, users can scale up to a total of 500,000 ports. The units can be configured for all optical signals and all network protocols, Tripp Lite adds. “Using a specially designed mechanical latch, Robotic Fiber Panel Systems typically reconfigure a connection in 20 seconds, as opposed to the hours or days it might take for network engineering to arrive on-site,” Tripp Lite explains. “RFPSs include custom software that controls a 1U logical control unit, installed above the main chassis. They give IT professionals the flexibility to plan network management tasks based on business demands, rather than what fits on-site engineering schedules.”