Attendees of the BICSI Winter Conference and Exhibition will have the opportunity to learn how the new Crimplok+ Connector from 3M can save them time and money on enterprise and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network installations without sacrificing signal performance or reliability. The 3M Communication Markets Division plans to demonstrate the connector in booth number 737 at the conference, taking place Feb. 12-16 in Orlando, Fla. Conference goers will also have the chance to try out the connector for themselves.

The Crimplok+ Connector is the first-known commercially available FTTx field-mounted connector for 900 µm singlemode fiber that meets indoor and outdoor performance requirements without a splice, gel or adhesive. The SC-compatible Crimplok+ Connectors combine the speed and ease-of-installation of mechanical splice connectors with the performance of fusion splice-on connectors.

Using Crimplok+ Connectors can reduce equipment costs as much as 75 percent and save as much as 50 percent on labor compared to the common field-installation method of fusion splicing. Installing the connector does not require expensive equipment, such as fusion spicing machines. In addition, the installation process for the connector is faster and less craft-sensitive than fusion splicing. Technicians can quickly and easily install Crimplok+ Connectors using simple hand tools.

The connector is designed without a splice, eliminating a potential optical loss point. The absence of gel or adhesive alleviates performance concerns historically associated with mechanical connectivity. The Crimplok+ Connector is thermally balanced and is tested for indoor and outdoor FTTx and premises application conditions from -40° F to 167° F. The APC version of the connector maintains optical reflections of less than -60 dB. The connectors are RoHS compliant.*

More information on the Crimplok+ Connector, including a product selector, videos and case studies, is available online at 3M.com/Connectivity.

Take the Crimplok+ Connector Challenge

3M invites BICSI conference attendees to stop by the 3M booth and experience for themselves how simple it is to install a 3M Crimplok+ Connector. As part of the conference’s I Can Do That Challenge, the connector will be available for hands-on experimentation by conference goers. Attendees are reminded to bring their challenge card to the 3M booth and have it stamped to earn a chance to win a prize from BICSI.

Score a Free 3M Crimplok+ Connector Kit

3M is offering a promotion for a free Crimplok+ Connector Kit. A purchase of 300 or more Crimplok+ Connectors by June 30, 2012 qualifies the buyer for a free kit, worth approximately $1,700. Visit the 3M booth during the BICSI conference for more details and redemption forms, or visit 3M.com/Connectivity.

About 3M Communication Markets Division

For more than 50 years, products from 3M have formed the backbone of the telecommunications industry. Global customers have come to rely on 3M quality to connect and protect their infrastructure. As a network of networks, the 3M Communication Markets Division connects smart grids to smart phones, wind farms to server farms, greenfield to brownfield and wireline to wireless. Today, 3M is taking fiber further, moving mobility forward and maximizing networks – from xDSL and FTTN to the enterprise. Find out more.

A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. More information about 3M Company is available online.

*"RoHS compliant 2002/95/EC" means that the product or part ("Product") does not contain any of the substances in excess of the maximum concentration values in EU Directive 2002/95/EC, as amended by Commission Decision 2005/618/EC, unless the substance is in an application that is exempt under EU RoHS. This information represents 3M's knowledge and belief, which may be based in whole or in part on information provided by third party suppliers to 3M.

3M and Crimplok are trademarks of 3M Company.

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3MJane Kovacs, 512-984-6747jkovacs@mmm.comFor all other inquiries:http://www.3m.com/MediaContact