Product Samples

Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) Unique Application

Custom Rubber Corp.'s partnership with a leading Smart Grid innovator and BPL provider continues with BPL products working as the point of origin for Smart Grid data transmission and collection off power lines. (Continued below.)

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In a joint effort between Custom Rubber Corp. and our customer, two versions of a node were designed: one for installation when the power is off and one for installation with a hot stick. Together, Custom Rubber Corp. and our customer engineered these products to incorporate three primary components: 1) a ferrite core to create the magnetic field, a heat-resistant coaxial cable, 2) a heat-resistant coaxial cable, and 3) a durable, functional rubber cover to encompass the high-voltage power line and secure the entire unit. This single rubber unit serves as a protection both for the ferrite cores and for the connection between the ferrite and the coaxial cable.

In addition to protecting the unit, the rubber cover had to serve as a conductor so the Advance Metering data could be transmitted from the power line to the Smart Grid electronics. By specifically designing and molding the rubber material to possess certain conductivity capabilities, Custom Rubber Corp. was able to guarantee that this data could be transmitted from one end of the cable to the other.

Thanks to this design endeavor, Custom Rubber Corp. has perfected the skill of using a fully formed and molded rubber part to totally encapsulate and protect the terminal end of a wire. In the foreground of the picture is a brown cable which is connected to a thin black wire that, in the final product, is wrapped around the ferrite core. Custom Rubber Corp.'s unique rubber mold secures this wire around one of the ferrite cores during the molding process, creating a water-tight seal around the cable entry point and ensuring a continuous loop.

The rubber parts pictured are not in stock or for sale. These are examples of custom-manufactured products that illustrate Custom Rubber Corp.'s rubber engineering capabilities. Contact us for more information about our rubber design and rubber engineering abilities.

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