Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line Guide
At defined intervals, an intermittent bonded ribbon production line joins fiber subunits. Fibers remain organized for mass-fusion splicing, while the ribbon can fold into a compact cable shape. Flexible ribbon cable production is supported by this design while preserving 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. Together, these methods demonstrate the relationship between optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding.
Fiber Secondary Coating Line Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Compact Fiber Unit
What Is An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon?
An intermittent bonded fiber ribbon organizes optical fibers into small subunits. The subunits stay organized for splicing while remaining able to change shape to fit inside a cable.
How Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds Are Arranged
Each neighboring 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 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
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 fold between bonds while retaining fiber alignment for mass-fusion splicing. Prysmian’s FlexRibbon uses compact bonding points to permit bending and folding.
Why Flexible Ribbons Support Compact, High-Density Cables
Inside a high-density fiber cable, a flexible ribbon can take up less space. 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. A first material coats groups of two or more fibers to create subunits. A second material links neighboring subunits at spaced points and leaves flexible sections between the bonds.
Organize 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.
Deposit Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
The subunits are created by fiber ribbon coating. 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
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 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 remain unspecified.
| Process Stage | Material Or Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber arrangement | Arrange fibers next to one another | 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 |
| Bonding at intervals | Deposit the second material between neighboring subunits | Connect subunits at separated bond 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 | Cure the assembled ribbon structure |
Main Production Line Stages And Process Controls
Fiber ribbon production stages take place in a set sequence. 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 positioning of the bonds.
Gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits are described in example designs. 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 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.
Ribbon Flexibility, Bond Design, And Materials
Ribbon behavior during cable making and splicing depends on material choice and bond layout. Each fiber is covered by coatings that still allow the subunits to flex as designed.
Select 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 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. The zone may differ in color, stiffness, surface friction, tear strength, or stretch. Disclosed thicknesses range from 2 to 50 micrometers, with 5 to 15 micrometers representing a narrower range.
Control 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 form the saddle shape used on some bond surfaces.
Balance Ribbon Flexibility With Fiber Organization
Between bonds, unbonded spans let a flat ribbon move into a rolled, curled, or folded form. During cable installation, a flexible fiber ribbon can flex without disrupting the fiber organization needed for splicing.
Quality Checks For 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. 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. Subunit alignment and gaps require review 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. 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. For ribbons containing more than 12 fibers, this sequence may repeat.
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 more effective 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. Under NESC Heavy loading conditions, EcoSpan aerial cable can support spans of up to 300 feet. FlexDrop is a small-diameter outdoor option that accommodates 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 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 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
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.
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 supported by flexible ribbons, helping crews splice many fibers in one operation. FlexRibbon is described by Prysmian as suitable for multiple cable designs, including compact configurations with up to 6,912 fibers.
Manufacturers and network planners need to manage fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. This balance may make cable packaging simpler while ensuring ribbons remain prepared for efficient installation and splicing.
