How component innovation is enabling digital infrastructure transformation

Every day, new 5G towers go online, data centres expand their server capacity, and millions of IoT devices connect to different networks. Yet behind this digital infrastructure boom lies another transformation that's largely invisible to the end user: the evolution of the components that make it all possible.

While headlines focus on 5G speeds and cloud computing capabilities, real enablers of digital infrastructure transformation are also happening at the component level. From push-through fasteners that slash assembly times to specialised materials that withstand extreme environments, component innovation is an unsung hero driving our connected world forward.

Digital Infrastructure Driving Component Demand

According to a report by the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications), the number of 5G connections is projected to reach 1.8 billion by 2026, covering 40% of the global population. To achieve this, an estimated 1.5 million new cell phone towers will need to be installed worldwide by 2026, with many more expected in the following decades.
5G deployment alone requires a fundamental shift in network architecture, with cell towers needing to be spaced much closer together than their 4G predecessors. This isn't just about upgrading existing infrastructure – it's about building entirely new networks at scale and speed. Additionally, 5G hasn’t completely replaced 4G just yet, with the latter still able to cover larger distances. Therefore, the combined number of towers required to serve both networks has grown exponentially and manufacturers are feeling it. 

Essentra product manager Janne Sorjonen, Essentra Product Manager, says this uptick has a range of flow-on effects throughout the supply chain. 

"5G network requires more towers to be placed, and through that the overall number of equipment increases. As assembly quantities increase for our customers, they need solutions that dramatically reduce installation time," he says. "For example, we've strategically replaced traditional metal screws with push-through plastic fasteners that can be installed with or without tools, cutting assembly time significantly."

This speed requirement is driving component manufacturers to rethink fundamental approaches to fastening and connection systems. Assembly efficiency is critical, particularly when installation teams are working at height on tower equipment or in cramped data centre environments where every minute counts. Sometimes relatively simple tweaks to component design can solve important assembly challenges. 

“We had a telecommunications customer who needed to install 56 individual rivets onto each piece of equipment, requiring four different fastener sizes across various hole configurations,” he explains. “While the innovation wasn’t revolutionary, our solution was elegantly simple: we colour-coded the fasteners to match the holes. This allowed assembly workers to instantly identify the correct component placement, eliminating sorting time and reducing assembly errors. The customer saw immediate productivity gains.”

Data centre expansion presents another set of challenges where component innovation directly impacts operational efficiency. As cloud computing demands surge, data centre operators are racing to deploy server racks and infrastructure at rates that would have been unimaginable just five years ago. Each rack contains hundreds of components, and installation efficiency directly determines project timelines and costs.
 

Advanced Materials Meet Infrastructure Demands

Part of the response to these demanding applications is PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), a thermoplastic engineered for high-performance applications with exceptional mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. This material has become central to the Essentra’s strategy for serving multiple industries facing similar performance challenges.
"New PEEK screw configurations that weren't previously available in the market are providing customers with enhanced fastening options that meet the demanding requirements of renewable energy applications," Janne says. 

PEEK's versatility extends far beyond basic fastening applications. The material's unique properties have enabled Essentra to develop specialised grades for industries with stringent safety requirements. 

"We've chosen distinct PEEK formulations for different industry needs," Janne explains. "Our testing of blue metal-detectable grade has shown benefits for food production environments, while bio-compatible green formulation is designed for medical applications.

PEEK's inherent biocompatibility makes it ideal for medical 

Manufacturing location has proven to be a significant competitive advantage for Essentra's PEEK production. 

"The majority of PEEK manufacturers operate from Asia, which gives our European facilities a distinct advantage in serving local markets with reduced lead times," Janne notes. " European manufacturing can compete effectively in global markets when properly positioned.”

Material Innovation Meets Sustainability Demands

The electronics industry faces a fundamental challenge: producing high-performing components while meeting increasingly stringent sustainability requirements. This tension is particularly acute in infrastructure applications where component failure can have serious consequences, yet environmental considerations are driving demand for more sustainable solutions.

Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) materials represent one pathway forward, though integrating recycled content while maintaining performance specifications requires sophisticated materials engineering. The challenge becomes even more complex when considering the automotive industry's sustainability timeline. 

"The automotive sector is aggressively pursuing recycled plastic integration, with targets for substantial recycled content in vehicles by 2030," Janne observes. "This creates both opportunities and technical challenges as we work to meet performance requirements with sustainable materials."

However, certain applications have inherent limitations for recycled materials. For instance, in data centres and telecommunications equipment, stringent flammability rating requirements often necessitate virgin materials. 

"Critical infrastructure applications require UL 94 flammability certifications, typically V2 ratings and sometimes V0," Janne explains. "At this time, recycled materials can’t consistently achieve high Flammability ratings without virgin additives.”

Despite these constraints, Essentra continues pushing toward more sustainable solutions.
"Obviously sustainability is becoming more important still, year by year. We are still moving towards having more sustainable materials in our selection and moving as quickly as we can to reduce virgin material usage," Janne says. "It's easier to do with our standard ranges because those are not tied to a specific customer. But if we can move a customer's custom product into a more sustainable material by agreeing on it with them, then that's something we want to do."

From Custom Solutions to Market Standards

Some of Essentra's most successful standard components began as custom solutions. This evolution from custom to standard holds a allows the identification of market trends before they become widely recognised.

"If a customer needs something for a special hole size or special length, usually we create a custom product for them. But we are now shifting towards the mindset that when a customer presents us with a custom idea, we can take a look at it outside of the custom team to see if it's something we believe the market needs," Janne says.

The process requires careful navigation of intellectual property considerations, which Janne emphasises as paramount. 

"Making a customer design into a standard product requires both approval from the customer, as well as market research to identify if there's demand for it," he says.
Janne sees particular potential in the evolving PCB and semiconductor markets. 
"With the electronic side of things, the PCB world and semiconductor business is evolving and growing at the moment, so there might be new demands for PCB holders that are steadier than before, if they go to places that are really windy, or underwater, or into freezing temperatures where they need to be stable and the material needs to be able to handle it."

The challenge often lies in helping customers recognise their component needs early in the design process.

"As the components we provide may come up only later in the customer design process, the standard options may not include the size required in the application. Our Custom Solutions team is dedicated to providing suitable solutions in such situations," he says.

Meeting Industry Challenges Head-On

In the electronics industry, today's cutting-edge products may be outdated within two years, requiring suppliers to develop adaptive strategies that can accommodate changing demands without disrupting established supply chains.

"For electronics manufacturers, the biggest challenge is that the industry evolves really quickly. So anything you think of this year might be obsolete in two years," Janne explains. "So they have to concurrently keep learning more, keep adapting, and keep developing their product. We have to do the same and introduce items that fit their needs; be it components that are smaller, more flexible, for higher temperatures or something else."
This rapid evolution requires component suppliers to balance multiple competing priorities: maintaining extensive standard ranges while investing in new product development, supporting legacy applications while preparing for future requirements, and meeting cost pressures while investing in advanced materials and manufacturing capabilities.

The sustainability imperative adds another layer of complexity to these existing challenges. Companies must balance environmental considerations with performance requirements, often in applications where component failure could have serious safety or operational consequences.

Competitive Positioning Through Manufacturing Expertise

Essentra's competitive advantage stems from its position as a true manufacturer rather than simply a distributor or reseller. This distinction becomes critical when customers need technical support, custom solutions, or rapid response to changing requirements.

"We're a manufacturer who actively discusses with our customers on how they plan on using the components in order to better understand their requirements and to suggest suitable solutions," Janne says. 

"Through this approach, we've gained expertise on what our customers need and use that to develop new standard & custom items for their needs. So our vast range of sales expertise helps, because we aim to be experts in all that we do."

Managing expertise across such a broad product range presents its own challenges. 
"With our product selection of over 60,000 SKUs, it can be difficult to know everything about everything that we have. So we also have our key account managers and industry experts, and we are continuing to grow and strengthen that team of experts," Janne explains.

The combination of manufacturing expertise, technical support, and genuine customer interest positions Essentra for continued growth as digital infrastructure demands continue evolving. 

"In short, it's our years of expertise and genuine interest in our customers and what they do. We like to learn, we like to know, and we like to develop."