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.
In some processes, bonding material is added while the subunit coating is still uncured. The materials can intermix across their interface and cure together. One commercial example is Prysmian’s FlexRibbon technology, whose original design the company says dates to 2018. These methods illustrate how optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding operate together.
Fiber Coloring Machine SZ Stranding Line Fiber Ribbone Line
Understanding What An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon Is
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 sit inside a cable.
How Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds Are Arranged
Each adjacent pair or group of fibers is held together by a coating. Instead of joining along their entire length, these optical fiber subunits are connected to neighboring subunits at spaced bond points. A 12-fiber design may include six two-fiber subunits. The configurations range from 4 to 36 fibers, and bond spacing ranges from 10 to 1,000 millimeters.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
Differences Between Rollable Ribbons And Conventional Flat Ribbons
In a conventional flat ribbon, the fibers remain in a single fixed plane. A rollable fiber ribbon can curl 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
Inside a high-density fiber cable, a flexible ribbon can take up less space. Cable designers can therefore accommodate more fibers in a compact structure without sacrificing an organized fiber layout.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line: Process And Equipment
Throughout an intermittent bonded ribbon production process, optical fibers are arranged side by side along the ribbon’s length. Subunits are formed when a first material coats groups containing two or more fibers. A second material joins neighboring subunits at spaced points and leaves flexible sections between the bonds.
Arrange Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
Fibers are positioned beside one another according to the planned ribbon layout. Each selected group becomes a subunit when the first coating material surrounds and holds its fibers together.
Apply Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
Fiber ribbon coating forms the subunits. Bonding material is deposited by a discrete coating applicator between neighboring subunits at spaced intervals, not continuously along their full length.
Create Diffusion Zones Through Wet-On-Wet Application
Wet-on-wet bonding involves applying the bonding material before the subunit coating has cured. The materials intermix across their shared interface to form a diffusion zone.
Cure The Subunit Coating And Bonds Together
A single curing step sets both the subunit coating and the intermittent bonds. Although optical fiber ribbon equipment is used for these operations, the complete equipment list, line speed, and production capacity are not provided.
| Production Stage | Material Or Operation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber arrangement | Place fibers side by side | Establish the ribbon layout |
| Subunit formation | Coat fiber groups with the first coating material | Keep groups of two or more fibers together as subunits |
| Bonding at intervals | Apply the second material between adjacent subunits | Join subunits at spaced points |
| Wet-on-wet bonding interface | Apply bonds before the subunit coating cures | Enable formation of a diffusion zone between the materials |
| Joint curing step | Cure coating and bonds 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. The sequence involves arranging fibers into subunits, applying a subunit coating, placing intermittent bonds between adjacent subunits, and curing the coating and bonds together. The ribbon design must guide both optical fiber coating application and placement of the bonds.
Example designs specify gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits. A range of 10 to 1,000 millimeters is specified for intermittent bond spacing in example designs. Some bond deposits take a diamond-like shape, tapering at the ends and widening in the center. These are disclosed examples, not fixed parameters for every production 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, avoid assuming any values for them.
Ribbon Flexibility, Bond Design, And Materials
Material selection and bond layout govern how the ribbon behaves during cable making and splicing. Each fiber is protected by coatings that still allow the subunits to flex as designed.
Choose Compatible Coating And Bonding Materials
Subunit coatings and ribbon bonding materials have distinct functions, so their formulas need not be identical. 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.
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. 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 controls where fiber subunits stay connected and where they can move freely. Intermittent bond geometry provides unbonded spans between bond points. Some bond surfaces have a saddle shape made by intersecting convex and concave curves.
Maintain Fiber Organization While Balancing Ribbon Flexibility
Unbonded spans allow the ribbon to change from a flat layout into a rolled, curled, or folded shape. 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 specify inspection methods or acceptance limits.
Inspect 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.
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. Treat these comparisons as design checks rather than universal production tolerances.
Confirm Fiber Identification And Ribbon Configuration
Confirm each fiber’s position through 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.
Support High-Density Cable Designs And Duct Utilization
Prysmian offers FusionLink and MassLink with FlexRibbon in indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor designs. Dry water blocking is used in FusionLink, which comes with either 250 μm or 200 μm ribbon. Under NESC Heavy loading conditions, EcoSpan aerial cable can accommodate spans of up to 300 feet. As a small-diameter outdoor option, FlexDrop can support 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. On compatible ribbon routes, this method can shorten splice time. For loose-tube cable connections, technicians separate the ribbon fibers and splice them one by one using 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
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 create a diffusion zone before curing together. Careful control throughout the process helps maintain reliable fiber cable manufacturing.
Flexible ribbons also support mass-fusion ribbon splicing, allowing crews to join multiple fibers at once. Prysmian describes FlexRibbon in various cable designs, including compact configurations containing up to 6,912 fibers.
For manufacturers and network planners, the priority is to balance fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. Achieving that balance can simplify cable packaging while keeping ribbons ready for efficient installation and splicing.