Smart and Tough

Nexans’ Smart Cable is helping to transform some of the world’s toughest industries

Mining and construction require huge amounts of energy. In many cases, diesel oil for machines and vehicles is the primary energy input. But times are changing. Mining and construction companies want to boost their environmental performance – and they are switching to electricity to achieve this.

All-electric operations

Electricity is the perfect power source because it produces no carbon emissions at the point of use and there are no particulates (a key consideration in tunnels and confined spaces). On top of this, energy costs are much lower with electricity.

A key point is that electricity can be used to replace diesel power in any type of machine or vehicle. Examples include dragline excavators (for strip mining and civil engineering), cutting, drilling and shovelling equipment, trucks, and load-haul-dump (LHD) machines. All can be powered by electricity.

Cable considerations

One of the most cost effective and flexible ways to supply electricity to machines and vehicles is by using dynamic cables. These are extra-tough electrical umbilical cables that are designed to connect moving machines to fixed electricity supply points.

Dynamic cables are highly reliable. But managing them on a busy worksite presents a number of challenges. One of these is identification: cables are often stored outside and piled up like spaghetti, so it can be difficult for field operators to find the one they need. This problem is amplified by the fact that cable markings quickly wear away.

Another challenge is getting reliable data about cable condition. Field operators and asset managers need to know about the age and number of repairs done on each cable. But linking this information with individual cables is difficult because, as noted above, identification marks soon wear off.

Smart Cable to the rescue

Our tough, trackable Smart Cable is designed to solve all of your dynamic cable dilemmas. The solution combines our Smart Inventory Management (SIM) platform with RFID-enabled cables (tags are embedded in the cable itself). Benefits include:

• Instant cable identification: including length, specification and number of repairs.
• Easy and intuitive: field operators access cable data using a handheld scanner.
• Total traceability: all cable details are stored and managed using our SIM platform, so it’s easy to monitor inventory and choose the right replacement strategy.
• New insights: if cables are getting damaged, where and when is it happening? Analysis of SIM data will show you. Insights like these help operators to fine tune operations and make the shift to preventive maintenance.

Nexans’ Smart Cable solution is designed to save you money and boost performance. And just as important, it provides a stepping stone on the path to greener, all-electric operations.