Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line Guide
At defined intervals, an intermittent bonded ribbon production line joins fiber subunits. This keeps 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.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Fiber Draw Tower SZ Stranding Line
Understanding What An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon Is
An intermittent bonded fiber ribbon organizes optical fibers into small subunits. 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
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. A 12-fiber design may use six two-fiber subunits. 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. Between bonds, a rollable fiber ribbon can curl without losing the fiber alignment needed 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 limits the space it occupies inside a high-density fiber cable. Cable designers can therefore accommodate more fibers in a compact structure without sacrificing an organized fiber layout.
Process And Equipment For An Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
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
Fibers are positioned beside one another according to the planned ribbon layout. The first coating material surrounds each selected group and holds its fibers together as a subunit.
Deposit Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
Fiber ribbon coating forms the subunits. 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
Wet-on-wet bonding involves depositing the bonding material before the subunit coating has cured. A diffusion zone develops as the materials diffuse through their shared interface.
Set The Subunit Coating And Bonds In One Cure
Both the subunit coating and the intermittent bonds are set in one curing step. Although optical fiber ribbon equipment is used for these operations, the complete equipment list, line speed, and production capacity are not provided.
| Process Stage | Material Or Action | Intended Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Optical fiber arrangement | Arrange fibers next to one another | Establish 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 | 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 | Enable formation of a diffusion zone between the materials |
| Joint curing step | Cure coating and bonds in one step | Cure the assembled ribbon structure |
Key Production Line Stages And Process Controls
The fiber ribbon production stages follow 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 placement of the bonds.
Gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits are given in example designs. Example intermittent bond spacing extends 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 interpreted as fixed settings that apply to every line.
The selected materials, bond layout, and curing method determine ribbon manufacturing process control. Because the source material provides no line speeds, curing temperatures, or inspection intervals, do not presume any values for them.
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 created by resins that intermix or remain at least partly soluble. Lower coating viscosity may also promote intermixing.
A diffusion zone forms at this interface, with properties that change gradually. Differences in colour, stiffness, surface friction, tear strength, or stretch may occur within this zone. Disclosed thicknesses extend from 2 to 50 micrometers, with 5 to 15 micrometers representing 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. 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 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 To Maintain Consistent Ribbon Production
Instead of using assumed pass limits, dependable fiber ribbon quality checks assess defined features. The patent identifies design factors such as 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 join adjacent subunits at planned locations and leave unbonded lengths between connections. Review subunit alignment and gaps because shifts can affect ribbon shape and bond geometry.
Assess 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 entire ribbon design. These comparisons are design checks, not universal production tolerances.
Confirm Fiber Identification And Ribbon Configuration
Confirm each fiber’s position through fiber color coding. Blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, and aqua make up a widely used 12-color sequence. For ribbons containing more than 12 fibers, this sequence may repeat.
Applications, Cable 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 offers 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. FlexDrop is a small-diameter outdoor option that accommodates up to two 12-fiber ribbons.
Enable Mass-Fusion Splicing And Faster 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 separate 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 match cable construction with the needs of buildings, aerial runs, and underground installations.
Final Conclusions
Fiber layout, bond placement, curing, and inspection are combined in an intermittent bonded ribbon line guide. The result is a flexible optical fiber ribbon that remains orderly during handling yet can roll or fold into compact cable designs.
In this process, bonds are placed before the subunit coating cures. The materials form a diffusion zone before curing together. Careful control throughout the process supports reliable fiber cable manufacturing.
Mass-fusion ribbon splicing is also supported by flexible ribbons, helping crews splice many fibers in one operation. Prysmian describes FlexRibbon in various cable designs, including compact configurations containing up to 6,912 fibers.
Manufacturers and network planners need to balance fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. This balance may make cable packaging easier while ensuring ribbons remain prepared for efficient installation and splicing.