The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2015 12-14 Inside 3M Innovation Center UNKNOWN �� - �, ` ��`.�I�+. I�MI�1 r �°`�� r; .��■ � , . , r �,:� . �t�. ��.. dM_- y'.:.-:�,,."� �, . ... �'� , ��.�� r1.�� t ..r - � #.+�. . �' �� .t:� . � ,��.. �,3.�" ..I y�Y <. ' �� .t s ,gqx. ,� , � a� . . r rz.y 3,. . � . . . ,°3: t t�`.X -v^,.. � . . .� 2 fi, �4, � � REC � Di)a:I�side 3M I�u�o atio�Ce�ter DEC 1 �r �Oi'� BVJOEVJACKSON ON DECEMBER 14,2015 CELLT��I1�tE1��fE�I�F��,7tOWERS SHARE. �' f g+ n In t � Telecommunications is not the first thing that comes to most people's minds when they think of 3M. The Maplewood Minnesota-based manufacturing company made its name in the adhesive business, but in recent years it has become increasingly involved in the telecom industry. Over the past several years,3M has been investing in developing telecom infrastructure products such as the Slim Lock enclosure,which is designed to quickly and effettively weather proof cables on cell towers. 3M's telecommunications branch has become a leading supplier of copper and fiber optic connectivity, management and diagnostic solutions. As further evidence of 3M's emphasis on telecom,the company announced in June of this year it will invest $2.5 billion in the tower safety industry with the acquisition of fall-protection equipment maker Capital Safety from global investment firm KKR.Capital Safety's products include harnesses,lanyards and self- retracting lifelines that protect climbers from falls. In this episode of"Digs;'RCRtv got an exclusive tour of 3M's 1.25 million square foot Innovation Center in Austin,Texas to check out the company's telecommunications products and see how the company tests its products to ensure they meet wstomer demands. "3M has a history of leveraging its materials knowledge and other core areas into new products and so we leverage a lot of the materials,sealing and innovative ideas 3M has in our telecommunication products to ensure connectivity,"3M Product Development Specialist,Zach Thompson explained. 3M Quick Facts: DEC 14 201� • 3M has been in Austin since 1984.The 3M Austin Center bMl��n��e��i!��i�i��cently the headquarters of the 3M Electronics and Energy Business Group,the only one of 3M's five business groups headquartered outside of St.Paul,Minn. • 3M employs about 1,000 people in Austin and nearly 90,000 worldwide • In Q1 of this year,the 3M Electronics&Energy Business Group(headquartered in Austin)posted sales of$13 billion • Key products-The Communication Markets Division makes and tests hundreds of products that serve the telecommunications industry that all aim to do one big thing-ensure the best connectivity for the information age.Products include aerial and underground enclosures,fiber and copper connectors,weatherproofing solutions and FTTH deployment solutions. • Size of facility:1.25 million square feet of space across 11 buildings � Annual sales of$32 billion(2014) As part of the tour,Thompson demoed the Slim Lock,which is a two-part concept with a reusable foam backed gel surface inside and a water proof UV resistant casing on the outside.It is designed to be installed with just one hand because often times tower technicians often only have one hand free. Advanced Technologist,Laura"Dreamcrusher"Hurley took the demo a step further,showing us how 3M rigorously tests the Slim Lock at-18 degree Celsius to make sure it can withstand the most extreme conditions. "We also call this the popsicle test,so I have to put on a thin layer of water to create 6 milliliters of ice on each one of these samples and it does take a while,all day usually,"Hurley explained of the testing process. The test is one of many product tests done by Hurley and her colleagues at the 3M testing facility."Here at 3M Austin Center,we have 33 environmental chambers that do temperature,humidity,a variety of extreme weather conditions,"she said.We mostly test to telcordia specifications,but what makes 3M unique is that we do our in-house testing.We do all our testing ourselves.This year alone we've done 100 test requests and at any given time,we can have 20 to 40 test requests in progress" Hurley lived up to her"Dreamcrusher"nickname during the fiber optic splice enclosure test. The 100 foot pound impact tests consists of dropping a 20 pound weight five feet onto the closure,which has been stored at-30 degree Celsius. The splice enclosure got the best of Hurley in the first several rounds of testing,standing up to the impact without much trouble until Hurley finally punctured the enclosure after putting it back in the temperature chamber for a bit more cooling. This process ensures that defective products don't reach the hands of 3M customers.