Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
At set intervals, an intermittent bonded ribbon production line joins fiber subunits. 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.
Some processes apply bonding material before the subunit coating cures. 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. These methods illustrate how optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding operate together.
Fiber Draw Tower FTTH Cable Production Line Fiber Coloring Machine
What Is An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon?
Optical fibers are arranged into small subunits in an intermittent bonded fiber ribbon. The subunits stay organized for splicing while remaining able to change shape to fit inside a cable.
How Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds Are Arranged
A coating holds each adjacent fiber pair or group together. These optical fiber subunits connect to neighboring subunits at separated bond points rather than along their full length. Six two-fiber subunits may make up a 12-fiber design. Configurations can contain 4 to 36 fibers, with bonds spaced from 10 to 1,000 millimeters apart.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
Differences Between Rollable Ribbons And Conventional Flat Ribbons
A conventional flat ribbon keeps its fibers in a single fixed plane. A rollable fiber ribbon can curl between bonds while retaining fiber alignment for mass-fusion splicing. Prysmian’s FlexRibbon uses compact bonding points to permit bending and folding.
Why Flexible Ribbons Support Compact, High-Density Cables
Ribbon flexibility reduces the space it occupies inside a high-density fiber cable. This enables cable designers to fit more fibers into a compact structure while preserving an organized fiber layout.
Process And Equipment For An Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
Throughout an intermittent bonded ribbon production process, optical fibers are laid side by side along the ribbon’s length. A first material coats groups of two or more fibers to form subunits. A second material joins neighboring subunits at spaced points and leaves flexible sections between the bonds.
Organize Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
Fibers are positioned beside one another according to the planned ribbon layout. The first coating material encloses each selected group and holds its fibers together as a subunit.
Apply Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
The subunits are created by fiber ribbon coating. A discrete coating applicator places bonding material between neighboring subunits at intervals rather than along their entire length.
Use Wet-On-Wet Application To Form Diffusion Zones
During wet-on-wet bonding, the subunit coating remains uncured when bonding material is applied. A diffusion zone develops as the materials intermix through their shared interface.
Set The Subunit Coating And Bonds In One Cure
A single curing step sets both the subunit coating and the intermittent bonds. Optical fiber ribbon equipment supports these operations, although a complete equipment list, line speed, and production capacity are not specified.
| Process Stage | Material Or Action | Intended Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Optical fiber arrangement | Place fibers side by side | Set the ribbon layout |
| Formation of subunits | Apply the first coating material around fiber groups | Keep groups of two or more fibers together as subunits |
| Intermittent bonding | Deposit the second material between neighboring subunits | Connect subunits at separated bond points |
| Wet-on-wet bonding interface | Apply bonds before the subunit coating cures | Enable formation of a diffusion zone between the materials |
| Combined cure | Cure coating and bonds in one step | Cure the assembled ribbon structure |
Main Production Line Stages And Process Controls
Fiber ribbon production stages take place in a set sequence. 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.
Example designs specify gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits. Example intermittent bond spacing ranges from 10 to 1,000 millimeters. Bond deposits may have a diamond-like outline with narrow ends and a wider center. The disclosed examples should not be treated as fixed settings that apply to every line.
Ribbon manufacturing process control depends on the chosen material selection, 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
Material selection and bond layout govern how the ribbon behaves during cable making and splicing. Coatings shield each fiber while permitting the subunits to flex as intended.
Select Compatible Coating And Bonding Materials
Because subunit coatings and ribbon bonding materials serve different roles, they do not have to share the same formula. A gradual interface can be created by resins that intermix or remain at least partly soluble. Intermixing may also be increased by lower coating viscosity.
This interface forms a diffusion zone in which properties change gradually. Differences in colour, stiffness, surface friction, tear strength, or stretch may occur within this zone. Disclosed thicknesses range from 2 to 50 micrometers, with 5 to 15 micrometers representing a narrower range.
Manage Bond Placement, Spacing, And Geometry
Where subunits remain joined or move freely is governed by bond spacing. An intermittent bond layout creates unbonded spans separating the bond points. Some bond surfaces have a saddle shape made by intersecting convex and concave curves.
Maintain Fiber Organization While Balancing Ribbon Flexibility
Between bonds, unbonded spans let a flat ribbon move into a rolled, curled, or folded form. A flexible fiber ribbon design flexes during cable installation while keeping fibers organized for splicing.
Quality Checks For Consistent Ribbon Production
Reliable fiber ribbon quality checks measure defined features rather than relying on assumed pass limits. 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
Verify that intermittent bonds join adjacent subunits at the intended positions, with unbonded lengths between them. Review subunit alignment and gaps because shifts can affect ribbon shape and bond geometry.
Assess Ribbon Flexibility And Rollability
Assess ribbon rollability by observing how the ribbon bends and gathers without changing fiber order. Compare bond spacing and flexibility across the overall ribbon design. These comparisons are checks of the design, not universal production tolerances.
Verify Fiber Identification And Ribbon Configuration
Confirm each fiber’s position using fiber color coding. Blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, and aqua make up a common 12-color sequence. The color sequence may repeat when a ribbon has more than 12 fibers.
Applications, Cable Integration, And Splicing Benefits
By rolling within a cable, intermittently bonded ribbons allow more fibers in a compact design. Prysmian says FlexRibbon supports high-density ribbon cable designs, smaller diameters, and better fiber duct utilization.
Support High-Density Cable Designs And 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 hold 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 reduce splice time. When connecting to loose-tube cable, technicians separate ribbon fibers and individually splice them with a single-fiber splicer.
Review Indoor, Outdoor, Access, And Broadband Applications
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 matches its construction with building, aerial, and underground requirements.
Conclusion
An intermittent bonded ribbon line guide brings together fiber layout, bond placement, curing, and inspection. The process produces a flexible optical fiber ribbon that stays organized for handling while rolling or folding into compact cable designs.
The process involves applying bonds while the subunit coating is still uncured. The materials form a diffusion zone before curing together. Reliable fiber cable manufacturing is encouraged by careful control at every stage.
Mass-fusion ribbon splicing is also supported by flexible ribbons, helping crews splice many fibers in one operation. FlexRibbon is described by Prysmian as suitable for multiple cable designs, including compact configurations with up to 6,912 fibers.
Manufacturers and network planners need to balance fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. Achieving that balance can ease cable packaging while keeping ribbons ready for efficient installation and splicing.