 When it comes to cars, it’s all about constant improvement: going just a bit faster and a bit farther by using energy more efficiently than before. It’s an idea that has governed the automotive industry since the first combustion engines were invented.
But that was over a hundred years ago. Combustion engines – that is, engines fueled by gasoline, diesel, propane, etc – are now starting to gain a reputation as heavy on pollution, a drain on finite resources, and incompatible with a true long-term plan for global transportation. But what is the alternative? Up until recently, no one option was able to fill every need of modern consumers. But current research into the science of electronics, wireless charging, efficiency, and infrastructure have combined to create an exciting new world of electric vehicles – and they are so well-built that they even have their own racing championship: the Formula E. Inaugurated in China in 2014, the race used a new class of electric vehicles – able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds, maxing out at 225 km/h, and easily able to keep up with most traditional cars. However, the big drawback is the range – once their batteries are depleted (around 200 km), charging is necessary to get moving again. If you had one of these cars on a trip, and this happened far from a charging station – uh oh, you’re out of luck! But modern technology is starting to change that. Innovations in the Formula E have given rise to a special kind of electric engine that is able to charge itself – wirelessly. Just get the car onto the charging pad, and it works on its own. And how does 3-Ci fit in? As you can imagine, these engines are incredibly complex to build and maintain, and house hundreds of separate components. Everything must be shaped and fitted to exact specifications in order for the wireless capability to work. And, well…that’s what we do best! We make the full molded assemblies used in situations like these, and design connectors, like the customizable Souriau military-grade spec connector, that are meant to withstand extreme conditions such as those found on the racetrack. When a vehicle is constantly stopping and starting, getting turned around and pushed to its limits, and all the while heading through dust, rain, or harsh sun….at 3-Ci, we build our components to function perfectly, we base them directly on your needs, and we fully invest in their potential, both in the workshop and the field. As this technology becomes more ubiquitous, more people will turn to us to help smooth the transition into 21st-century transportation. Even now, as places like London introduce buses that charge wirelessly on-the-go, innovations highlight the need for solutions that use energy more responsibly. And at 3-Ci, just like the Formula E, we are committed to improvement, problem solving, real-world applications, and being a leader for everyone who may follow. Contact Us today to find out more about our products, and how we are looking ahead to the future!
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 Trucking can be a tough business – whether you’re dealing with thousands of miles of highways, extreme temperatures, dirt and dust, or just the wear and tear of years of service, it’s important to make sure all the parts of your tractor and trailer are working properly. And if those parts aren’t built to suit the job, they’re not going to last very long at all.
At 3-Ci, we realized this very quickly, and wondered what we could do to help. After all, some of the most important – and sensitive – parts of the entire system are the electronic cables that connect the tractor to the trailer. Besides powering the lights, they also control the brakes and signals…so it’s imperative that they work just as well at the end of the trip as they did at the beginning! So here’s what we did, because it’s what we do best: We built a better cable. The 3-Ci Tractor Cable is a heavy-duty solution to the standard tractor cable hook-up found on most tractor-trailers. Rather than making it in pieces and assembling it after, we designed the entire piece as a single molded unit – which means there are no exterior strain release joints or weak spots to wear out or get dirty. It’s made out of polyurethane, and tested to ensure it works in all kinds of weather, from the bitterest cold (-50°C) to the most blazing heat (85°C). The cable conforms to industry standards for pins and connections, so compatibility won’t be an issue either. So what does this all mean? It means less maintenance time checking your cables for faulty parts. It means more confidence that you’ll be safe on the road as you haul your cargo to its destination. And it means more reliability in the places where you need it most. Contact Us to find out how we can suit your trucking needs and get you equipped with the next step in advanced cable technology. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!  Molded, Non-Molded, And Strain Relief Assemblies Cables are something so ubiquitous that we hardly even stop to think about how they’re made – or how they’re designed to last. It may seem as simple as tossing a bunch of wires together and attaching them to a Connector, but there’s much more to it than that! There are all kinds of techniques we use at 3-CI to prevent breakage, to ensure safety, and to enhance reliability of the transferred signals within.
One of the most prominent types of Cable Assemblies available today are those known as Molded Assemblies. These, as the name suggests, are cables that are covered with a protective layer of material that can bend and flex, yet still maintain its tough exterior. The protective material can vary, from Polyurethane to PVC to rubber and more; they are so named because the material is injected into a mold, where it completely covers the target cable. This material can also house further components that will reduce interference and signal degradation or disruption. If you look around your house, you can see many examples of these designs on your electronics – but they are also used in both military and medical fields for their reliability and excellent abrasion resistance. All of these are in contrast to Non-Molded Assemblies, which are the opposite. They can be covered with other materials that are not injection-molded, but this limits their flexibility. Now, that sounds like it’s a drawback, but it actually makes these assemblies stronger and more rigid, lending an extra layer of protection around highly sensitive parts. Without these, it would be difficult to protect certain parts of your electronics, like very thin filaments or circuits. All of these safeguards would be useless without the help of Strain Relief Assemblies. These are our shaped, tireless friends that cover the joint where a Cable meets a Connector, and without them, we’d all have to replace our cables far more often. 3-CI makes use of these Assemblies to reduce wear and tear on Connectors, provide additional strength to the ends of the Cables, and at times we even make specialized forms that form right angles, splits, or other necessary functions. It may be easy to forget all the work that goes into customizing and creating all of the many Cables you use – directly and indirectly – every day. But here at 3-CI in Calgary, Alberta, and Houston, Texas, we’re always improving, innovating, and ensuring that everything you need is ready to perform when you need it. So give us a call today to find out how we can streamline your business! |
Author3-Ci Manufacturing is your custom solutions provider for Aerospace, Agriculture, Automation, Automotive, Entertainment, Communications, Industrial, Marine, Military, Mining, Oil & Gas, and Transport. Archives
December 2016
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