Fujikura Group 's Clean Tech
Fujikura Group has responded to social issues such as the development of social infrastructure, and has contributed to the development of not only Japan, but also countries and regions around the world. In addition, we believe that solving global issues through the achievement of the SDGs is a great opportunity for Fujikura Group 's sustainable growth, and we are promoting CSV (Creating Shared Value) to improve social value and obtain economic value through our core business. In this article, we will introduce our Clean Tech initiatives, which have been attracting attention in recent years.
*Clean Tech refers to processes, products, or services that reduce negative environmental impacts through significant improvements in energy efficiency, sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities.
Fujikura Group 's Optcal Fiber cables support the 5G society
Demand for Optcal Fiber cables is expanding worldwide with the spread of various information and communication services such as 5G and IoT. Fujikura has commercialized the world's top-level thin-diameter, high-density Optcal Fiber cables, "Spider Web Ribbon®/Wrapping Tube Cable®" (SWR®/WTC®), as a technology for constructing Optcal Fiber networks economically by making effective use of existing facilities.
In fiscal 2020, we responded to the growing global demand for data center by developing an ultra-high-core count optical cable using thin Optcal Fiber and an optical cable for indoor wiring with high flame retardancy that conformity with the European Construction Materials Regulation (CPR). Furthermore, we put into practical use a 3,000-core Optcal Fiber cable, the largest in Japan, which is 1.5 times denser than conventional cables and is conformity to the domestic communications environment. We will continue to develop innovative Optcal Fiber cables based on SWR®/WTC® technology and contribute to the development of communications networks in countries around the world.
Reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing and transportation
SWR®/WTC® also contributes to reducing the environmental impact through smaller cable outer diameter, lighter weight, fewer manufacturing processes, and the application small-diameter drums.
Helps reduce your total cost of ownership (TCO*)
Our optical fiber distribution solutions business, centered on SWR®/SWR®/WTC®, also contributes to reducing customers' TCO*. Conventional telecommunications construction work required ducts and hand holes to accommodate increased fiber capacity, and civil engineering costs accounted for a large proportion of the cost. However, because SWR®/WTC® is thin and lightweight, existing facilities can be utilized and additional civil engineering work is unnecessary, allowing customers to significantly reduce construction costs.
*Total Cost of Ownership
Specific examples of TOC reduction
1 Duct Handhole
Increasing fiber capacity requires infrastructure to accommodate it, which incurs additional construction costs. SWR®/WTC® allows existing ducts to be reused without the cost of installing additional ducts.
2 Handling advantages
SWR®/WTC® is a small, lightweight cable, so installation work can be done with fewer workers than before.
3. Transportation Advantages
SWR®/WTC® is small and light, so it also contributes to reducing Butsuryu costs.
4. Reduction of work burden during installation
SWR®/WTC® can be made long, which reduces the number of times cables need to be connected when laying them, helping to reduce the workload.
Synergistic effects with peripheral devices
Our optical wiring solutions, centered on SWR®/WTC®, meet customer needs and reduce the environmental impact through synergistic effects with not only cables but also peripheral products.
Concentrating management resources on optical wiring solutions business
business, an optical wiring solution centered on SWR®/WTC® mainly in Europe and the United States, has been identified as an area where management resources should be concentrated, and the business is considered to be the core area of Fujikura. We continue to get a positive feel from many customer, and we will continue to expand our business by creating more differentiated products.
Focus Markets
Regional trends in SWR®/WTC and WTC launches
Relocation and expansion of overseas manufacturing bases and establishment of new production lines
AFL Telecommunications Europe Ltd., group companies in the UK, has relocated and expanded its optical cable factory and established a new production line, which has now begun operation. The new line will produce Air Blown Wrapping Tube Cable™ (AB-WTC™), a thin-diameter, high-density Optcal Fiber ribbon cable that is air-blown*, and will contribute to the construction and development of FTTx and 5G networks in the UK and Europe. With the start of local production, Fujikura Group will be able to provide more comprehensive customer services to its European customers, and will further improve its stable supply capacity to customers by strengthening its supply chain. The start of local production also contributes to revitalizing the local economy and creating new jobs.
* The air-blown type is a method of laying optical cables in which compressed air is blown into the conduit to pressurize the optical cable. This method has been widely adopted, mainly in Europe and the United States.
Promoting CSV
Fujikura Group is promoting CSV (Creating Shared Value) as a strategy to solve social issues and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs as well as the growth of its own profits. CSV is defined as activities in which a company improves social value (solving social issues) and earns economic value (profits) through its core business. Fujikura Group has been engaged in business activities to solve social issues, but 2017 is the first year of Fujikura Group CSV, and it is the year to start thinking about CSV in earnest. and Corporate Officer.
Local government initiatives to solve social issues
Partnership agreement concluded with Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture
Fujikura signed a partnership agreement with Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, in October 2018, aiming to launch new services that utilize ICT and IoT to improve public services, and has begun efforts to realize social implementation while confirming technical and administrative issues through demonstration experiments. Through open innovation, we are working to create new business by selling services.
Conducting IoT demonstration experiment to improve snowplow management operations
As one of the demonstration experiments, in January 2019, we collaborated with IoTBASE Co., Ltd. to conduct an initiative to solve the issue of fair evaluation of snow removal work costs using GPS*1 devices.
Omachi City is located in a snowy area where the average snow depth in February exceeds 50cm, which places a heavy burden on snow removal work in the winter. This time, we worked on automatically calculating the operation time by grasping the location information of snowplows in real time, and conducted a demonstration experiment with the aim of utilizing the system for purposes such as optimizing operation lines by grasping the work area and responding quickly to inquiries from residents.
The results of the demonstration experiment confirmed that it is possible to inexpensively systematize snow removal operations, improve the cost-estimation work of government offices and contractors, and potentially improve services for residents.
Based on the results of this demonstration experiment, Fujikura and IoTBASE aim to commercialize a location information solution for local governments that can be used for snow removal business and other purposes.
The flow of business creation in Ono City, Nagano Prefecture
Contributing to a low-carbon society through lightweight aluminum harnesses for electric vehicles
Fujikura has begun mass production of aluminum harnesses for electric vehicles in order to contribute to a low-carbon society through the development and manufacturing of products related to electric vehicles.
Just as with gasoline-powered vehicles, there is strong market demand for lighter harnesses and lower circuit resistance in electric vehicles in order to improve fuel efficiency (electricity cost). Furthermore, as the number of devices increases with electrification, the space available for wiring harnesses inside the vehicle is continuing to decrease, so there are growing expectations for harnesses that are easier to bend.
This harness meets these needs, and while it has made the cable conductor lighter by changing it from conventional copper to aluminum, it also solves two problems that arise when using aluminum - "reduced flexibility due to an increase in the cable outer diameter" and "increased connection resistance due to the oxide film on the aluminum surface" - by using a newly developed highly flexible thermoplastic elastomer insulator and ultrasonic bonding technology between the copper terminals and aluminum conductors. Compared to conventional soft copper wire, this harness is easier to bend and has reduced connection resistance.
Contributing to the spread of compact, next-generation MRI devices that do not use natural resources (liquid helium) in the medical field
Fujikura has succeeded in developing mass production technology for rare-earth-based high-temperature superconducting wires with the world's highest performance, exceeding 400 A/mm2, which is about 1.5 times the critical current density in a low-temperature magnetic field (compared to conventional Fujikura), and has started sales. Superconductivity technology is used in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) equipment in the medical field and silicon crystal furnace lifting equipment in the semiconductor field.
In 2016~18, Fujikura received a development business from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, and has been developing rare-earth-based high-temperature superconducting wires with the aim of application MRI equipment.
The high-temperature superconducting MRI system has already succeeded in acquiring images with a small device, and this time, it has reached a critical current density of 400 A/mm2 in a magnetic field, making it a compact next-generation MRI system that does not use natural resources (liquid helium)
has reached a level where it is feasible.
Fujikura will continue to expand its high-temperature superconductivity business by providing rare earth-based high-temperature superconducting wires and coil products in response to further growth in demand.
