For Telenco, the Smoovite is not just another TED® product... Designed by Gilles BOONE - an electrician and telecoms technician in FO and Copper networks - the Smoovite is the result of collaboration between an expert in the field and Telenco's product experts.
Go behind the scenes of the creation of the SMOOVITE by TED® with an interview with the field engineer behind it.
Gilles BOONE, an electrician for over twenty years, talks us through the process of creating Smoovite by TED®.
• How did the idea for Smoovite by TED® come about?
As an electrician who works mainly on copper networks, I decided to improve my skills in the field of fibre optics, which is becoming an increasingly important part of my daily work. That's why I undertook TRCC training, during which I realised the tedious task of inserting the optical fibre into the smoove during soldering. An idea then occurred to me: make a smoove reservoir to easily guide the optical fibre into the smoove. After a day's training, I decided to put the idea into 3D software and print it out. The next day, I presented this project to my training colleagues and my trainer. When they showed an interest in the product, I took steps to market it.
• What changes will Smoovite by TED® bring to the daily lives of telecom field engineers?
Field engineers are pushed to make 200 to 300 welds a day, repeating the same gesture! Time can quickly be wasted due to a lack of precision linked to sight problems, the surrounding cold or other difficulties. The Smoovite by TED® allows you to insert up to 15 smooves into a cone-shaped reservoir. The smooves are available one by one at the bottom of the tank. This makes it easier to align them opposite the fibre optic strands requiring soldering. Smoovite also eliminates a safety hazard for technicians. During handling, a piece of optical fibre can get stuck in your finger! With Smootive TED®, this is no longer a risk!
• How did the collaboration between you and Telenco come about?
To introduce my product, I produced a video presenting Smoovite to companies working in the telecommunications sector. The training course I took part in used Telenco equipment. What's more, I already knew Telenco and appreciated the company for its reliability. So it was quite natural for me to send you my Smoovite presentation video. Interested in this innovation, you replied quickly and supported me throughout the project.
