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 effective fiber handling.
Some processes deposit bonding material before the subunit coating cures. Diffusion can occur through the shared interface before the materials cure together. One commercial example is Prysmian’s FlexRibbon technology, whose original design the company says dates to 2018. Together, these methods demonstrate the connection between optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding.
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Understanding What An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon Is
Optical fibers are grouped into small subunits in an intermittent bonded fiber ribbon. Although they remain organized for splicing, the subunits can adjust their shape to fit within a cable.
How Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds Are Arranged
A coating holds each adjacent fiber pair or group together. These optical fiber subunits connect to neighboring subunits at spaced bond points rather than along their full length. Six two-fiber subunits may form 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
In a conventional flat ribbon, the fibers remain in one fixed plane. A rollable fiber ribbon can fold between bonds while retaining fiber alignment for mass-fusion splicing. Prysmian’s FlexRibbon uses small bonding points to permit bending and folding.
How Flexible Ribbons Enable Compact, High-Density Cables
Ribbon flexibility limits 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. Subunits are created 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. 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 formed by fiber ribbon coating. 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 unset when bonding material is applied. The materials diffuse across their shared interface to form a diffusion zone.
Cure The Subunit Coating And Bonds Together
A single curing step cures 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Optical fiber arrangement | Arrange fibers next to one another | Set 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 | Connect subunits at separated bond points |
| Wet-on-wet 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 | Set 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.
Example designs specify gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits. A range of 10 to 1,000 millimeters is described for intermittent bond spacing in example designs. Some bond deposits take a diamond-like shape, narrowing at the ends and widening in the center. These are disclosed examples, not fixed settings 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, do not presume any values for them.
Materials, Bond Design, And Ribbon Flexibility
Ribbon behavior during cable making and splicing depends on the chosen materials and bond layout. Each fiber is covered by coatings that still allow the subunits to flex as designed.
Select 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 encouraged by lower coating viscosity.
This interface creates a diffusion zone in which properties change gradually. The zone may differ in color, stiffness, surface friction, tear strength, or stretch. 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 unconnected spans separating the bond points. Some bond surfaces have a saddle shape made by intersecting convex and concave curves.
Balance Ribbon Flexibility With Fiber Organization
Unbonded spans allow the ribbon to shift from a flat layout into a rolled, curled, or folded shape. A flexible fiber ribbon design flexes 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 focus on defined features. 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.
Check 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, compare bond spacing and flexibility. Treat these comparisons as design checks rather than universal production tolerances.
Verify Fiber Identification And Ribbon Configuration
Use fiber color coding to confirm the position of each fiber. Blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, and aqua make up a common 12-color sequence. The color sequence may repeat when a ribbon has more than 12 fibers.
Cable Applications, Integration, And Splicing Benefits
By folding within a cable, intermittently bonded ribbons allow more fibers in a compact design. According to Prysmian, FlexRibbon enables high-density ribbon cable designs with smaller diameters and better 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 uses 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.
Support Mass-Fusion Splicing And Quicker 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. When connecting to loose-tube cable, technicians separate ribbon fibers and individually splice them with a single-fiber splicer.
Review Indoor, Outdoor, Access, And Broadband Applications
Applications for ribbon cable include 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.
Final Conclusions
Fiber layout, bond placement, curing, and inspection are combined in an intermittent bonded ribbon line guide. The process produces a flexible optical fiber ribbon that stays organized for handling while rolling or folding into compact cable designs.
In this process, bonds are applied before the subunit coating cures. Before they cure together, the materials form a diffusion zone. Reliable fiber cable manufacturing is supported by careful control at every stage.
Mass-fusion ribbon splicing is also enabled by flexible ribbons, helping crews splice many fibers in one operation. FlexRibbon is described by Prysmian as suitable for various 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. Achieving that balance can ease cable packaging while keeping ribbons ready for efficient installation and splicing.
