Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
An intermittent bonded ribbon production line connects fiber subunits at set intervals. Fibers remain organized for mass-fusion splicing, while the ribbon can fold into a compact cable shape. The design enables flexible ribbon cable production without compromising efficient fiber handling.
Some processes deposit bonding material before the subunit coating cures. Diffusion can occur across 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. These methods illustrate how optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding operate together.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon SZ Stranding Line Fiber Secondary Coating Line
What Is An Intermittent Bonded Fiber Ribbon?
Optical fibers are arranged into small subunits in an intermittent bonded fiber ribbon. Although they remain organized for splicing, the subunits can change 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. 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 include 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 curl 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
Inside a high-density fiber cable, a flexible ribbon can occupy 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
Throughout an intermittent bonded ribbon production process, optical fibers are arranged 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 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 surrounds each selected group and holds its fibers together as a subunit.
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.
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. Optical fiber ribbon equipment supports these operations, although a complete equipment list, line speed, and production capacity are not specified.
| Process Stage | Material Or Operation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Optical fiber arrangement | Arrange fibers next to one another | Set the ribbon layout |
| Subunit formation | Apply the first coating material around fiber groups | Hold two or more fibers as subunits |
| Bonding at intervals | Deposit the second material between neighboring subunits | Connect subunits at separated bond points |
| Wet-on-wet bonding interface | Deposit bonds while the subunit coating remains uncured | Enable formation of a diffusion zone between the materials |
| Combined cure | Cure coating and bonds in one step | Cure the assembled ribbon structure |
Key Production Line Stages And Process Controls
The fiber ribbon production stages proceed in a defined order. 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 placement 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. Some bond deposits take a diamond-like shape, tapering at the ends and widening in the center. The disclosed examples should not be interpreted as fixed settings that apply to every line.
Ribbon manufacturing process control depends on the chosen materials, bond layout, and curing method. Because the source material provides no line speeds, curing temperatures, or inspection intervals, avoid assuming 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
Because subunit coatings and ribbon bonding materials serve different roles, they do not have to share the same formula. A gradual interface can be created by resins that intermix or remain at least partly soluble. Lower coating viscosity may also promote intermixing.
A diffusion zone forms at this interface, with properties that change 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 identified as a narrower range.
Manage Bond Placement, Spacing, And Geometry
Bond spacing controls where fiber subunits stay connected and where they can move freely. Intermittent bond geometry leaves unbonded spans between bond points. Some bond surfaces have a saddle shape made by intersecting convex and concave curves.
Balance Ribbon Flexibility With Fiber Organization
Between bonds, unbonded spans let a flat ribbon move into a rolled, curled, or folded form. A flexible fiber ribbon design flexes during cable installation while keeping fibers organized for splicing.
Quality Checks To Maintain Consistent Ribbon Production
Reliable fiber ribbon quality checks measure 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
Verify that intermittent bonds join adjacent subunits at the planned positions, with unbonded lengths between them. Review subunit alignment and gaps because shifts can affect 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. These comparisons are design checks, not 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. For ribbons containing more than 12 fibers, this sequence may repeat.
Applications, Cable 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
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 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
Multiple ribbon fibers, often 12 at a time, are spliced in one operation through mass-fusion splicing. On compatible ribbon routes, this method can shorten splice time. When connecting to loose-tube cable, technicians split 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 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.
Conclusion
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.
The process involves applying bonds while the subunit coating is still uncured. The materials create a diffusion zone before curing together. Careful control throughout the process helps maintain reliable fiber cable manufacturing.
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.
For manufacturers and network planners, the priority is to coordinate fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. This balance may make cable packaging easier while ensuring ribbons remain prepared for efficient installation and splicing.