Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
At defined intervals, an intermittent bonded ribbon production line joins fiber subunits. Fibers remain organized for mass-fusion splicing, while the ribbon can roll into a compact cable shape. The design enables flexible ribbon cable production without compromising effective fiber handling.
In some processes, bonding material is applied while the subunit coating is still uncured. 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. Together, these methods demonstrate the connection between optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding.
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What Is An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon?
An intermittent bonded fiber ribbon groups optical fibers into small subunits. Although they remain organized for splicing, the subunits can change their shape to fit within a cable.
The Arrangement Of Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds
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. A 12-fiber design may use 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
How Rollable Ribbons Differ From 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. Prysmian’s FlexRibbon uses compact bonding points to permit bending and folding.
How Flexible Ribbons Enable Compact, High-Density Cables
Inside a high-density fiber cable, a flexible ribbon can occupy less space. Cable designers can therefore fit more fibers in a compact structure without sacrificing an organized fiber layout.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line: Process And Equipment
The intermittent bonded ribbon production process aligns optical fibers side by side along the ribbon’s length. A first material coats groups of two or more fibers to create subunits. A second material joins neighboring subunits at spaced points and leaves flexible sections between the bonds.
Organize Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
The planned ribbon layout determines how fibers are arranged next to one another. Each selected group becomes a subunit when the first coating material surrounds 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.
Use Wet-On-Wet Application To Form Diffusion Zones
Wet-on-wet bonding involves depositing the bonding material before the subunit coating has cured. The materials diffuse 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 | Intended Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber arrangement | Arrange fibers next to one another | Set the ribbon layout |
| Formation of subunits | Coat fiber groups with the first coating material | Hold two or more fibers as subunits |
| Intermittent bonding | Apply the second material between adjacent subunits | Join subunits at spaced points |
| Wet-on-wet interface | Apply bonds before the subunit coating cures | Enable formation of a diffusion zone between the materials |
| Joint curing step | Set the coating and bonds together 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 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 correspond to 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. Bond deposits may have a diamond-like outline with narrow ends and a wider center. The disclosed examples should not be interpreted as fixed settings that apply to every line.
The selected materials, bond layout, and curing method influence ribbon manufacturing process control. Because the source material provides no line speeds, curing temperatures, or inspection intervals, do not presume any values for them.
Materials, Bond Design, And Ribbon Flexibility
Ribbon behavior during cable making and splicing depends on material choice and bond layout. 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 different functions, so their formulas need not be identical. Resins that mix or remain at least partly soluble can produce a gradual interface. Intermixing may also be increased by lower coating viscosity.
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 given as a narrower range.
Control Bond Placement, Spacing, And Geometry
Bond spacing determines where fiber subunits stay connected and where they can move freely. 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 bends during cable installation while keeping fibers organized for splicing.
Quality Checks To Maintain Consistent Ribbon Production
Reliable fiber ribbon quality checks evaluate defined features rather than relying on assumed pass limits. 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.
Inspect Bond Continuity And Subunit Alignment
Verify that intermittent bonds join adjacent subunits at the intended positions, with unbonded lengths between them. Subunit alignment and gaps require checking because shifts may change ribbon shape and bond geometry.
Evaluate Ribbon Flexibility And Rollability
To evaluate ribbon rollability, watch whether it bends and gathers while keeping fibers in their original order. Throughout the ribbon design, evaluate bond spacing and flexibility. 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. 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. According to Prysmian, FlexRibbon enables high-density ribbon cable designs with 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 support 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
Multiple ribbon fibers, often 12 at a time, are joined 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
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 organized during handling yet can roll or fold into compact cable designs.
In this process, bonds are applied before the subunit coating cures. Before they cure together, the materials develop a diffusion zone. 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. FlexRibbon is described by Prysmian as suitable for multiple cable designs, including compact configurations with up to 6,912 fibers.
For manufacturers and network planners, the priority is to balance fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. This balance may make cable packaging simpler while ensuring ribbons remain prepared for efficient installation and splicing.