Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line Guide
An intermittent bonded ribbon production line connects fiber subunits at set intervals. This keeps fibers in an organized arrangement for mass-fusion splicing while letting the ribbon roll or fold into a compact cable shape. Flexible ribbon cable production is supported by this design while maintaining efficient fiber handling.
In some processes, bonding material is applied while the subunit coating is still uncured. Diffusion can occur through 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 SZ Stranding Line Compact Fiber Unit
Understanding What An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon Is
Optical fibers are grouped 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.
The Arrangement Of Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds
A coating secures each adjacent fiber pair or group together. Instead of joining along their entire length, these optical fiber subunits are linked to neighboring subunits at spaced bond points. 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
In a conventional flat ribbon, the fibers remain 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.
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 maintaining an organized fiber layout.
Process And Equipment For An Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
The intermittent bonded ribbon production process aligns optical fibers 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
The planned ribbon layout determines how fibers are arranged next to one another. 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. Bonding material is deposited by a discrete coating applicator between neighboring subunits at spaced intervals, not continuously along their full 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 intermix 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 Operation | Intended Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber arrangement | Place fibers side by side | Establish the ribbon layout |
| Formation of subunits | 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 | 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 | Set the coating and bonds together in one step | Cure the assembled ribbon structure |
Key Production Line Stages And Process Controls
Fiber ribbon production stages take place in a specific 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.
Gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits are given in example designs. A range of 10 to 1,000 millimeters is described for intermittent bond spacing in example designs. Bond deposits may have a diamond-like outline with narrow ends and a broader center. These are disclosed examples, not fixed settings 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 inferred.
Ribbon Flexibility, Bond Design, And Materials
Material selection and bond layout determine how the ribbon behaves during cable making and splicing. Each fiber is covered by coatings that still allow the subunits to flex as designed.
Choose Compatible Coating And Bonding Materials
Because subunit coatings and ribbon bonding materials serve separate roles, they do not have to share the same formula. Resins that mix or remain at least partly soluble can form a gradual interface. Intermixing may also be increased by lower coating viscosity.
This interface creates 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 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
Unbonded spans allow the ribbon to shift from a flat layout into a rolled, curled, or folded shape. During cable installation, a flexible fiber ribbon can flex without disrupting the fiber organization needed for splicing.
Quality Checks To Maintain Consistent Ribbon Production
Reliable fiber ribbon quality checks evaluate 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. However, it does not specify inspection methods or acceptance limits.
Inspect 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
Assess ribbon rollability by examining how the ribbon bends and gathers without changing fiber 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
Use fiber color coding to confirm 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.
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 improved fiber duct utilization.
Enable High-Density Cable Designs And Better Duct Utilization
Prysmian offers FusionLink and MassLink with FlexRibbon in indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor designs. FusionLink features dry water blocking and is available with 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 hold up to two 12-fiber ribbons.
Enable Mass-Fusion Splicing And Faster Deployment
Mass-fusion splicing connects several ribbon fibers in a single operation, often 12 at once. This approach may shorten splice time where ribbon routes are compatible. For loose-tube cable connections, technicians separate the ribbon fibers and splice them one by one using a single-fiber splicer.
Review Indoor, Outdoor, Access, And Broadband Applications
Applications for ribbon cable include point-to-point network links, 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.
Final Conclusions
Fiber layout, bond placement, curing, and inspection are addressed 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.
The process involves depositing bonds while the subunit coating is still uncured. 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 enabled 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.
