Solutions for Tomorrow: Innovations in Cable Design and Manufacturing

Cable design and manufacturing remains vital to human progress. That might sound a little dramatic but much of the innovation today that is focused on finding solutions for tomorrow requires effective cabling to do it. Without cables – and the resources that go into evolving cable solutions – industries such as telecoms, robotics, transport and satellite, as well as defence and aerospace, would come to a stall. Now that we have the pandemic (hopefully) behind us, what changes are happening in the cable design and manufacturing space?

Caution around covid

With cases rising again and new strains in the news there will still need to be some caution around covid as we go into the winter months. Innovation in cable design and manufacturing requires effective factory processes – being able to adapt and create new ways of working that allow production to continue no matter what are going to be essential.

The adoption of Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is essentially a revolution in the way that businesses manufacture, improve and distribute products like cables. It is having a big impact on cable design and manufacturing and has been driving the industry for some years now. One of the most obvious ways in which this is having an impact is via the adoption of innovative software solutions, such as Cable MES. Smart factories are increasingly becoming the norm – and will be critical to supporting increased demand.

Capitalising on the shift to digital living

As a society we were already moving more in the direction of an increasingly digital lifestyle. However, the pandemic accelerated this and today there are now many more businesses looking to do more online. This has triggered a significant increase in the demand for cables and wires to support that shift. Whether it relates to connectivity and communication or local energy generation, cable design and manufacturing is critical as this new digital world continues to expand.

Reducing costs becomes the top priority

Much of the innovation that is taking place in cable design and manufacturing is now focused on the need to streamline costs in the industry. When you consider that 80% of cable costs come from the raw materials it’s easy to see why cable production needs to be lean, agile and cost effective. And this is where solutions for tomorrow that really focus on innovation have a great deal to offer. Smart factories and software-driven solutions enable processes and systems to be consolidated to save on time and resources, for example. Smart solutions also provide opportunities to make significant improvements, including when it comes to more accurate costing, reducing waste and introducing a wider range of automation that can be used to make labour-intensive tasks less onerous. Real time monitoring and cost control also provide ways to help reduce the production costs that come with cables.

Innovations in cable design and manufacturing aren’t just about the cables themselves but also the way that they are being produced. New opportunities are appearing all the time for reducing costs and increasing effectiveness. At GEM Cable we are AS9100D & BS EN ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001-2015 certified UK manufacturers of bespoke cable assemblies, control boxes, harnesses, wiring looms, panels, fibre optic products and total network solutions.