Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
At defined 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 deposit bonding material before the subunit coating cures. The materials can intermix across their interface and 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.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Fiber Draw Tower Fiber Secondary Coating Line
Understanding What An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon Is
An intermittent bonded fiber ribbon groups optical fibers into small subunits. The subunits stay organized for splicing while remaining able to change shape to sit inside a cable.
The Arrangement Of Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds
Each adjacent 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 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 fold between bonds while retaining fiber alignment for mass-fusion splicing. Bending and folding are supported by the discrete bonding points used in Prysmian’s FlexRibbon.
How Flexible Ribbons Enable 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 arranged 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 spaced points with a second material, leaving flexible sections between bonds.
Organize Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
Fibers are placed beside one another according to the planned ribbon layout. Each selected group becomes a subunit when the first coating material encases and holds its fibers together.
Deposit Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
Fiber ribbon coating creates the subunits. A discrete coating applicator deposits bonding material between neighboring subunits at intervals rather than along their entire length.
Create Diffusion Zones Through Wet-On-Wet Application
During wet-on-wet bonding, the subunit coating remains uncured when bonding material is applied. The materials diffuse across their shared interface to form a diffusion zone.
Set The Subunit Coating And Bonds In One Cure
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 Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber arrangement | Arrange fibers next to one another | Establish the ribbon layout |
| Subunit formation | Apply the first coating material around fiber groups | Hold two or more fibers as subunits |
| Intermittent bonding | Apply the second material between adjacent subunits | Join subunits at spaced points |
| Wet-on-wet bonding interface | Deposit bonds while the subunit coating remains uncured | Allow materials to form a diffusion zone |
| Combined cure | Cure coating and bonds in one step | Set the assembled ribbon structure |
Main Production Line Stages And Process Controls
The fiber ribbon production stages follow a defined order. The sequence involves organizing fibers into subunits, applying a subunit coating, placing intermittent bonds between adjacent subunits, and curing the coating and bonds together. Optical fiber coating application and bond placement must match the ribbon design.
Example designs specify gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits. Example intermittent bond spacing ranges from 10 to 1,000 millimeters. Some bond deposits take a diamond-like shape, narrowing at the ends and widening in the 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. Because the source material provides no line speeds, curing temperatures, or inspection intervals, avoid assuming any values for them.
Ribbon Flexibility, Bond Design, And Materials
Material selection and bond layout determine how the ribbon behaves during cable making and splicing. Coatings shield each fiber while permitting the subunits to flex as intended.
Choose Compatible Coating And Bonding Materials
Subunit coatings and ribbon bonding materials have different functions, so their formulas need not be identical. A gradual interface can be formed by resins that intermix or remain at least partly soluble. Lower coating viscosity may also encourage intermixing.
A diffusion zone forms at this interface, with properties that vary gradually. Differences in colour, stiffness, surface friction, tear strength, or stretch may occur within this zone. The disclosed thickness range is 2 to 50 micrometers, while 5 to 15 micrometers is identified as a narrower range.
Manage Bond Placement, Spacing, And Geometry
Bond spacing determines where fiber subunits stay connected and where they can move freely. An intermittent bond layout creates unconnected spans separating the bond points. Intersecting convex and concave curves form the saddle shape used on some bond surfaces.
Balance Ribbon Flexibility With Fiber Organization
Between bonds, unbonded spans let a flat ribbon transform into a rolled, curled, or folded form. A flexible fiber ribbon design bends during cable installation while keeping fibers organized for splicing.
Quality Checks For Consistent Ribbon Production
Instead of using assumed pass limits, dependable fiber ribbon quality checks focus on defined features. The patent identifies design factors such as bond spacing, subunit gaps, diffusion-zone thickness, and bond shape. However, it does not establish inspection methods or acceptance limits.
Check Bond Continuity And Subunit Alignment
Check that intermittent bonds join adjacent subunits at planned locations and leave unbonded lengths between connections. Subunit alignment and gaps require review because shifts may change ribbon shape and bond geometry.
Assess Ribbon Flexibility And Rollability
Assess ribbon rollability by examining how the ribbon bends and gathers without changing fiber order. Throughout the ribbon design, evaluate bond spacing and flexibility. Treat these comparisons as design checks rather than universal production tolerances.
Confirm Fiber Identification And Ribbon Configuration
Confirm each fiber’s position using fiber color coding. A common 12-color sequence is blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, and aqua. For ribbons containing more than 12 fibers, this sequence may repeat.
Cable Applications, Integration, And Splicing Benefits
Intermittently bonded ribbons can fold inside a cable, enabling more fibers to fit into a compact design. Prysmian says FlexRibbon supports high-density ribbon cable designs, smaller diameters, and better fiber duct utilization.
Enable High-Density Cable Designs And Better Duct Utilization
For indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor applications, Prysmian provides FusionLink and MassLink with FlexRibbon. FusionLink uses dry water blocking and is available with 250 μm or 200 μm ribbon. Under NESC Heavy loading conditions, EcoSpan aerial cable can support spans of up to 300 feet. As a small-diameter outdoor option, FlexDrop can support up to two 12-fiber ribbons.
Support Mass-Fusion Splicing And Quicker Deployment
Multiple ribbon fibers, often 12 at a time, are spliced in one operation through mass-fusion splicing. This approach may reduce splice time where ribbon routes are compatible. 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. Selecting indoor and outdoor fiber cable for each route helps align cable construction with the needs of buildings, aerial runs, and underground installations.
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. Before they cure together, the materials develop a diffusion zone. Careful control throughout the process supports reliable fiber cable manufacturing.
Flexible ribbons also support mass-fusion ribbon splicing, allowing crews to join multiple fibers at once. FlexRibbon is described by Prysmian as suitable for various cable designs, including compact configurations with up to 6,912 fibers.
Manufacturers and network planners need to manage fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. This balance may make cable packaging simpler while ensuring ribbons remain prepared for efficient installation and splicing.
