Fiber Optics Specialists at Cables Plus USA Enlist TriMech Design Solutions to Create a Smart New Product for Secure Telecommunications

The best product development stories begin with a strong desire to meet a need or fill a gap in the marketplace – to invent something that changes how people live and work.

That’s what happened at Cables Plus USA, a Virginia-based, proudly American business providing custom integrated fiber optic and networking solutions to clients working in government, military, education, and commercial enterprises such as data centers.

When a client requested a unique product to meet their needs during an office build, the Cables Plus team didn’t hesitate. Their commitment to innovation and on-demand client-focused solutions drove them to start working on a plan, and that plan included product development and mechanical engineering support from TriMech Design Solutions.

Bringing Fiber Optics Securely to the Desktop

Cables for telecommunications services (think high-speed transmission of audio, video, and data) are typically inside or near the walls of a building. In this case, the Cables Plus client wanted more flexibility and asked for an enclosure that would safely and securely bring cables directly to the desktop.

The result is a new product called a High-Density Fiber to the Desktop (FTTD) Enclosure.

The High-Density Fiber to the Desktop Enclosure

About the size of a tissue box, it’s a high-strength optical fiber termination box designed to bring fiber connectivity to user workstations. The enclosure enables secure, organized termination of optical cable and pigtails. It can be mounted on a vertical surface, beneath a desk, or integrated into a surface-mounted raceway.

Chris LeBlanc is the Southeast Sales Manager at Cables Plus. He said that no product with the desired characteristics existed on the market.

“The FTTD was created for a particular client, but we immediately saw the potential to offer it to any client who has a need for a high-security fiber network. The final design has interchangeable parts so it suits different cables and connectors, and therefore different applications.”

Seeking Skills and Support

Cables Plus could effectively deliver 90% of what the client needed overall; for this one element – the enclosure design – they preferred to outsource.

LeBlanc explained, “We understood the technical requirements and wanted to control the product development process, but we knew our internal resources wouldn’t have allowed us to move as quickly as we needed to. TriMech has been a valuable asset in the past. We felt confident bringing them in.”

TriMech Design Solutions collaborating on a project

TriMech Design Solutions is a product development and engineering services partner. From concept to completion, the team uses its deep expertise in industrial design, mechanical and electrical engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing to support businesses through planning and execution. Clients use TriMech when they don’t have the people, processes, software, hardware, or time to complete a project.

“Had we tried to accomplish this in-house, we would have taken valuable resources away from other projects,” LeBlanc said. “We got to 100% completion because TriMech has skilled people combined with advanced manufacturing prototyping capabilities. Their team focused on our project and moved quickly, meeting and exceeding expectations.”

The Development Process

TriMech developed the initial concept using 2D drawings. A quick move to SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software set the stage for 3D-printed prototypes.

TriMech chose an industrial-grade 3D-printing system that it sells and supports to make functional prototypes. That printer is the Stratasys F170, a popular workhorse in the Stratasys lineup known for a generous build volume and dependable results.

With true-to-life samples in hand, always turned around in short order, the Cables Plus team was able to ideate and iterate quickly.

An early 3D printed prototype

“Being able to hold a prototype, hold it up against a wall or see it under a desk – this was so valuable for us and our client,” LeBlanc said. “We could easily see how delicate cables would run through the device, or how an installer would handle it. We also had the freedom to generate new ideas for improvement as we went along.”

Of course, the manufacturing process comes with its own needs and constraints. Cables Plus relied on TriMech to consider the cost-effectiveness of design choices, as well as manufacturability, and to work with the mold maker on the final requirements.

The back of the enclosure with fiber optic connections

The final prototype before mold production included an assembly of the three components plus a sample of the fiber optic components actually required by the client.

“That version was approved as a great success,” LeBlanc noted. “Collaboration among all the parties had led to an excellent achievement.”

Growing With the Support of a Trusted Partner

Using talented internal and external resources, Cables Plus has a history of innovating and bringing new ideas to market.

“Product development is part of our solutions-focused, problem-solving mentality and is definitely a growth area for us,” LeBlanc said. “Ideas can come from any source at any time, and we need to be ready to move on them. At the same time, we don’t have an ongoing need for a full mechanical engineering team. Using a trusted partner like TriMech is cost-effective and allows us to remain dynamic and nimble.”

Chris Lebanc, Southeast Sales Manager at Cables Plus USA

LeBlanc also noted that his team appreciated how TriMech engineers listened and responded quickly.

“We had a lot of ideas and a lot of specific demands for TriMech. The structure had to ensure that cables are angled and separated properly, and it had to be resistant to mechanical stress or environmental damage. TriMech was in tune with what we needed to accomplish and was sensitive to our schedule. They were right in the weeds with us.”

Cables Plus is online at store.cablesplususa.com.

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