Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
An intermittent bonded ribbon production line joins fiber subunits at set intervals. This maintains 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.
Some processes apply bonding material before the subunit coating cures. The materials can diffuse 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.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Fiber Secondary Coating Line
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
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
In a conventional flat ribbon, the fibers remain in a single fixed plane. Between bonds, a rollable fiber ribbon can fold without losing the fiber alignment needed 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
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 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 laid 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 links neighboring subunits at spaced points and leaves flexible sections between the bonds.
Arrange Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
Fibers are placed 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 created by fiber ribbon coating. Bonding material is applied 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
During wet-on-wet bonding, the subunit coating remains uncured 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 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 Action | Intended Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Optical fiber arrangement | Place fibers side by side | Establish the ribbon layout |
| Subunit formation | Coat fiber groups with the first coating material | Hold two or more fibers 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 | Allow materials to form a diffusion zone |
| Joint curing step | Cure coating and bonds in one step | Set 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.
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. These are disclosed examples, not fixed parameters 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 assumed.
Materials, Bond Design, And Ribbon Flexibility
Material selection and bond layout determine how the ribbon behaves during cable making and splicing. Coatings protect each fiber while permitting the subunits to flex as intended.
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 form a gradual interface. Lower coating viscosity may also encourage intermixing.
A diffusion zone forms at this interface, with properties that vary gradually. Differences in color, 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 identified as 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 unbonded spans separating the bond points. Intersecting convex and concave curves create the saddle shape used on some bond surfaces.
Balance Ribbon Flexibility With Fiber Organization
Unbonded spans allow the ribbon to change from a flat layout into a rolled, curled, or folded shape. During cable installation, a flexible fiber ribbon can bend without disrupting the fiber organization needed for splicing.
Quality Checks For Consistent Ribbon Production
Reliable fiber ribbon quality checks measure defined features rather than relying on assumed pass limits. Design factors named in the patent include the spacing of bonds, subunit gaps, diffusion-zone thickness, and bond shape. The patent does not, however, provide 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 movement 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 overall ribbon design. Treat these comparisons as design checks rather than universal production tolerances.
Verify 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. The color sequence may start again when a ribbon has more than 12 fibers.
Applications, Cable Integration, And Splicing Benefits
Intermittently bonded ribbons can roll 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
For indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor applications, Prysmian offers FusionLink and MassLink with FlexRibbon. Dry water blocking is used in FusionLink, which comes with either 250 μm or 200 μm ribbon. EcoSpan aerial cable supports spans of up to 300 feet under NESC Heavy loading conditions. 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. On compatible ribbon routes, this method can reduce 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 matches its construction with building, aerial, and underground requirements.
Final Conclusions
An intermittent bonded ribbon line guide covers 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.
In this process, bonds are placed before the subunit coating cures. The materials create 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.