Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
An intermittent bonded ribbon production line joins fiber subunits at set intervals. This maintains fibers in an organized arrangement for mass-fusion splicing while letting the ribbon roll or fold into a compact cable shape. The design enables flexible ribbon cable production without compromising efficient fiber handling.
In some processes, bonding material is added while the subunit coating is still uncured. Diffusion can occur across the shared interface before the materials cure together. Prysmian’s FlexRibbon technology provides one commercial example, and the company dates its original design to 2018. Together, these methods demonstrate the relationship between optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding.
Fiber Secondary Coating Line Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Fiber Draw Tower
What Is An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon?
An intermittent bonded fiber ribbon groups optical fibers into small subunits. Although they remain organized for splicing, the subunits can adjust their shape to fit within a cable.
The Arrangement Of Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds
Each neighboring pair or group of fibers is held together by a coating. These optical fiber subunits connect to neighboring subunits at separated bond points rather than along their full length. Six two-fiber subunits may form a 12-fiber design. The configurations range from 4 to 36 fibers, and bond spacing ranges from 10 to 1,000 millimeters.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
How Rollable Ribbons Differ From Conventional Flat Ribbons
In a conventional flat ribbon, the fibers remain in one fixed plane. Between bonds, a rollable fiber ribbon can curl without losing the fiber alignment needed for mass-fusion splicing. Bending and folding are supported by the small bonding points used in Prysmian’s FlexRibbon.
Why Flexible Ribbons Support Compact, High-Density Cables
Ribbon flexibility limits the space it occupies inside a high-density fiber cable. Cable designers can therefore fit more fibers in a compact structure without sacrificing an organized fiber layout.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line: Process And Equipment
The intermittent bonded ribbon production process places optical fibers side by side along the ribbon’s length. A first material coats groups of two or more fibers to create subunits. Neighboring subunits are joined at separate points with a second material, leaving flexible sections between bonds.
Organize Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
The planned ribbon layout determines how fibers are arranged next to one another. The first coating material surrounds each selected group and holds its fibers together as a subunit.
Apply Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
The subunits are formed by fiber ribbon coating. A discrete coating applicator places bonding material between neighboring subunits at intervals rather than along their entire length.
Create Diffusion Zones Through Wet-On-Wet Application
Wet-on-wet bonding involves applying the bonding material before the subunit coating has cured. A diffusion zone develops as the materials diffuse through their shared interface.
Cure The Subunit Coating And Bonds Together
Both the subunit coating and the intermittent bonds are set in one curing step. Optical fiber ribbon equipment performs these operations, although a complete equipment list, line speed, and production capacity are not specified.
| Production Stage | Material Or Operation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber arrangement | Place fibers side by side | Set the ribbon layout |
| Subunit formation | Coat fiber groups with the first coating material | Keep groups of two or more fibers together as subunits |
| Intermittent bonding | Deposit the second material between neighboring subunits | Join subunits at spaced points |
| Wet-on-wet interface | Deposit bonds while the subunit coating remains uncured | Enable formation of a diffusion zone between the materials |
| Joint curing step | Set the coating and bonds together in one step | Cure the assembled ribbon structure |
Main Production Line Stages And Process Controls
The fiber ribbon production stages proceed in a defined order. Workers arrange fibers into subunits, apply a subunit coating, add intermittent bonds between adjacent subunits, and then cure both together. The ribbon design must guide both optical fiber coating application and positioning of the bonds.
Gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits are given in example designs. A range of 10 to 1,000 millimeters is specified for intermittent bond spacing in example designs. Bond deposits may have a diamond-like outline with narrow ends and a wider center. These are disclosed examples, not fixed parameters for every production line.
Ribbon manufacturing process control depends on the chosen materials, bond layout, and curing method. The source material does not specify line speeds, curing temperatures, or inspection intervals, so these values must not be assumed.
Ribbon Flexibility, Bond Design, And Materials
Ribbon behavior during cable making and splicing depends on the chosen materials and bond layout. Coatings protect each fiber while permitting the subunits to flex as intended.
Select Compatible Coating And Bonding Materials
Because subunit coatings and ribbon bonding materials serve separate roles, they do not have to share the same formula. A gradual interface can be formed by resins that intermix or remain at least partly soluble. Intermixing may also be encouraged by lower coating viscosity.
A diffusion zone forms at this interface, with properties that change gradually. The zone may differ in color, stiffness, surface friction, tear strength, or stretch. The disclosed thickness range is 2 to 50 micrometers, while 5 to 15 micrometers is given as a narrower range.
Manage Bond Placement, Spacing, And Geometry
Where subunits remain linked or move freely is governed by bond spacing. Intermittent bond geometry provides unbonded spans between bond points. Intersecting convex and concave curves form the saddle shape used on some bond surfaces.
Maintain Fiber Organization While Balancing Ribbon Flexibility
Between bonds, unbonded spans let a flat ribbon transform into a rolled, curled, or folded form. During cable installation, a flexible fiber ribbon can bend without disrupting the fiber organization needed for splicing.
Quality Checks To Maintain Consistent Ribbon Production
Instead of using assumed pass limits, dependable fiber ribbon quality checks focus on defined features. Design factors named in the patent include bond spacing, subunit gaps, diffusion-zone thickness, and bond shape. The patent does not, however, define inspection methods or acceptance limits.
Check Bond Continuity And Subunit Alignment
Check that intermittent bonds connect adjacent subunits at planned locations and leave unbonded lengths between connections. Review subunit alignment and gaps because movement can affect ribbon shape and bond geometry.
Evaluate Ribbon Flexibility And Rollability
To evaluate ribbon rollability, observe whether it bends and gathers while keeping fibers in their original order. Compare bond spacing and flexibility across the overall ribbon design. These comparisons are checks of the design, not universal production tolerances.
Confirm Fiber Identification And Ribbon Configuration
Use fiber color coding to check the position of each fiber. A common 12-color sequence is blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, and aqua. The color sequence may start again when a ribbon has more than 12 fibers.
Applications, Cable Integration, And Splicing Benefits
By folding within a cable, intermittently bonded ribbons allow more fibers in a compact design. According to Prysmian, FlexRibbon enables high-density ribbon cable designs with smaller diameters and better fiber duct utilization.
Enable High-Density Cable Designs And Better Duct Utilization
For indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor applications, Prysmian offers FusionLink and MassLink with FlexRibbon. Dry water blocking is used in FusionLink, which comes with either 250 μm or 200 μm ribbon. EcoSpan aerial cable supports spans of up to 300 feet under NESC Heavy loading conditions. As a small-diameter outdoor option, FlexDrop can support up to two 12-fiber ribbons.
Enable Mass-Fusion Splicing And Faster Deployment
Mass-fusion splicing joins several ribbon fibers in a single operation, often 12 at once. On compatible ribbon routes, this method can shorten splice time. When connecting to loose-tube cable, technicians split ribbon fibers and individually splice them with a single-fiber splicer.
Consider Indoor, Outdoor, Access, And Broadband Uses
Ribbon cable is used in point-to-point networks, indoor FTTH systems, MTP wiring-box links, and urban trunk routes. Choosing indoor and outdoor fiber cable to suit the route aligns its construction with building, aerial, and underground requirements.
Conclusion
An intermittent bonded ribbon line guide covers fiber layout, bond placement, curing, and inspection. The result is a flexible optical fiber ribbon that remains organized during handling yet can roll or fold into compact cable designs.
The process involves depositing bonds while the subunit coating is still uncured. Before they cure together, the materials form a diffusion zone. Careful control throughout the process helps maintain reliable fiber cable manufacturing.
Flexible ribbons also facilitate mass-fusion ribbon splicing, allowing crews to join multiple fibers at once. FlexRibbon is described by Prysmian as suitable for multiple cable designs, including compact configurations with up to 6,912 fibers.
For manufacturers and network planners, the priority is to coordinate fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. Achieving that balance can simplify cable packaging while keeping ribbons ready for efficient installation and splicing.