Telecommunication

Fiberglass pultrusions are inherently electromagnetically transparent- wherein they can be readily penetrated by radio waves to enhance communication for cellphones and WiFi. For the future of telecommunications, the use of FRPs is easily projected to be highly beneficial.

With a great rise in urbanization and the importance of connectivity in our day-to-day lives, it is undoubtedly true that a cost-effective yet durable material like FRP stands as a great option for an efficient and sustainable future.

For any telecommunications project requiring a material that meets stringent technical specifications and is cost-effective, durable, and easy to manufacture, FRPs are an excellent solution.

There are numerous benefits to using FRPs in telecommunications, ranging from their technical performance properties to the benefits inherent in using FRPs for any project.

Looking at the technical performance of FRPs, there are three major technical attributes that align with the future needs of the data and communication industry. These attributes are as follows:

Reduced Attenuation of High-Frequency Signals

Pultruded glass fiber has been found to reduce attenuation of high-frequency 5G signals. Due to the importance of reliable signal strength in mobile networks, WiFi, and broadcasting (among others), it’s vitally important that developers and engineers consider materials that support the functions required

Low Resistivity

Pultruded FRPs offer an extremely low resistivity. This intrinsic property allows for the easy movement of electrical charges due to lowered opposition to the flow of electrical current. This is vastly important in data and communications as it allows for higher line speeds, something that will be incredibly important with the implementation of 5G in particular.

Electromagnetic Transparency

Fiberglass pultrusions have inherent electromagnetic transparency, meaning they can be readily penetrated by radio waves for the support of communications such as two-way radios, cell phones and WiFi. This transparency makes pultruded FRPs an ideal material for electromagnetic windows/radomes.

Aside from the inherent technological benefits to using FRPs in improving lines of telecommunication, there are numerous manufacturing and deployment benefits that come with pultruded products. These benefits are as follows:

 

Easy to Design and Manufacture

Products manufactured by the pultrusion process are well known for allowing a degree of design flexibility not possible with traditional materials. Additionally, pultruded products are derived from an automated, energy-efficient process used to manufacture products that can be easily and accurately replicated.

Lower Production Costs

Manufacturing pultruded products cost far less than parts made using molded FRPs and traditional materials. Because of this, when using pultruded FRPs more products can be manufactured or project budgets can be shifted to accommodate other phases of telecom development.

Lower Infrastructure Deployment Costs

FRPs are considerably lighter than traditional materials. This makes pultruded products easy and relatively inexpensive to transport as well as being far easier to deploy. Because of this, infrastructure deployment costs are significantly lower when using FRP composites like those manufactured at Tencom.

Lower Maintenance Costs

As well as their lowered production and deployment costs, maintenance costs are also significantly lower when using pultruded products. FRP composites are comparable in strength to steel and far more durable. They have an extremely high heat tolerance and do not corrode or degrade in extreme conditions. Because of this durability, there is a far lower replacement rate associated with FRP products and they don’t require nearly as much maintenance as products made with traditional materials.