Prysmian Rolls Out Smart Cable Drums

Prysmian in collaboration with its innovation hub Corporate Hangar, is poised to launch Alesea, an IoT solution that provides virtual assistance for cable drum management.

Alesea is the first start-up to enter the runway phase at Corporate Hangar, the innovation hub co-founded by Prysmian Group in 2017 to support and develop high value projects of strong interest.

The solution comprises a smart device installed on the cable drum, a cloud infrastructure where the data is stored and processed, and an intuitive Web platform. Alesea is equipped with a GPS locator, environmental and movement sensors and multi-network mobile communications providing worldwide coverage. The system offers near real-time access to information regarding cable drum location, potential cases of theft and tampering, drum use and the amount of cable available.

Alesea is the result of the unique partnership between Prysmian and Corporate Hangar. The data, which is automatically stored in the cloud, can be retrieved at any time and viewed on desktops and customisable mobile platforms. Alesea is thus able to provide full inventory management service, while also contributing to reducing the total cost of cable management, through better asset use and greater operating efficiency. In addition, the device is installed during the cable manufacturing phase, so that no intervention is required in the field, while also lessening the impact on the environment through optimised logistics and keeping cable waste and scrap to a minimum.

“Alesea transforms cable drums from mere packaging into smart assets,” commented Francesco Fanciulli, executive vice president Energy Business at Prysmian Group. “This tool will enable us to support our partners by helping them improve their performance in terms of operational efficiency and sustainability. This digital solution for the cable industry further confirms that the Group is at the forefront in terms of innovation. We have an ambitious development roadmap and we aim to reach global scale as early as 2020.”

After a thorough research and development process carried out in recent months together with Prysmian’s Digital Innovation Lab, over 1,000 Alesea devices have been tested in seven countries and the solution is now ready for large-scale distribution. Alesea will continue to evolve through collaboration with clients and industry partners, with the aim of meeting emerging market demand and keeping pace with the newest applications, Prysmian said-