The aim is to jointly offer customized solutions for optical data transmission in automation. The range of services includes cabling and connection technology as well as active network components such as Ethernet switches and fieldbus converters. Depending on customer requirements, the three partners will develop optimally matched variants of standard products or new systems that are available from a quantity of 1 and in series production. They also offer a comprehensive service ranging from planning, installation and maintenance to training. The sales activities, which are particularly geared towards medium-sized companies, are closely coordinated and the projects are then managed by one of the partners.

The starting point for the cooperation was a Diamond project for the networking and remote power supply of IP cameras in harsh environments. "The signals were to be transmitted at gigabit speed via fiber optic cables and the cameras were to be supplied with power via the data cable over a distance of 200 m," explained Managing Director Andreas Kohl. Although the company has an optical IP65/67 cabling system with FlexMile, the media converter did not support Gigabit or PoE+. It also lacked a high-performance hybrid cable. "That's why we brought eks Engel and Muckenhaupt & Nusselt on board."

Together, the three companies have extensive expertise in optical data transmission. "But that's only one side of the coin, so to speak," said Managing Director Christian Muckenhaupt. "It is at least as important that we can develop special cables, connectors and network devices that optimally meet customer requirements in a comparatively short time thanks to platform concepts." And Managing Director Ralph Engel added: "For the major manufacturers in the automation industry, it normally only starts with several hundred or even a thousand devices, but for us it starts with just one."

The solutions from Diamond, eks Engel and Muckenhaupt & Nusselt are not restricted to specific industrial sectors or automation scenarios. "Basically, they can be used in almost all applications where large amounts of data need to be transmitted quickly with low latency," explained Andreas Kohl. "Due to the physical properties of fiber optic cables, bandwidths, distances and electromagnetic interference fields play virtually no role." With high-performance network components, 40 Gbit/s and several 100 km are easily possible, depending on the relationship between maximum data rate and transmission distance.

The three partners can currently implement optical infrastructures for Ethernet, Profinet and all common fieldbus systems and serial interfaces such as RS-232 and RS-485. "However, we are also able to implement solutions for other communication technologies, such as OPC UA or TSN," said Ralph Engel. The three companies want to concentrate on their core competencies in the projects, i.e. not develop drive controllers, for example. However, the door is open to other partners.