Guide To The Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
At set 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. The design enables flexible ribbon cable production without compromising efficient 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. These methods illustrate how optical fiber ribbon manufacturing and fiber optic bonding work in combination.
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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.
The Arrangement Of Fiber Subunits And Intermittent Bonds
A coating secures 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. Configurations can contain 4 to 36 fibers, with bonds spaced from 10 to 1,000 millimeters apart.
Intermittent Bonded Ribbon Production Line
How Rollable Ribbons Differ From Conventional Flat Ribbons
A conventional flat ribbon holds its fibers in a single fixed plane. A rollable fiber ribbon can fold between bonds while retaining fiber alignment 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
Inside a high-density fiber cable, a flexible ribbon can take up less space. Cable designers can therefore accommodate more fibers in a compact structure without sacrificing 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. Subunits are created when a first material coats groups containing two or more fibers. Neighboring subunits are joined at separate points with a second material, leaving flexible sections between bonds.
Organize Adjacent Optical Fibers Into Subunits
The planned ribbon layout determines how fibers are positioned next to one another. Each selected group becomes a subunit when the first coating material surrounds and holds its fibers together.
Apply Subunit Coating And Intermittent Bonding Material
Fiber ribbon coating creates the subunits. Bonding material is deposited 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. A diffusion zone develops as the materials intermix through their shared interface.
Set The Subunit Coating And Bonds In One Cure
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Optical fiber arrangement | Place fibers side by side | Set 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 | 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 |
| Combined cure | Set the coating and bonds together in one step | Set the assembled ribbon structure |
Key Production Line Stages And Process Controls
Fiber ribbon production stages take place in a set 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 placement of the bonds.
Example designs specify gaps of 5 to 100 micrometers between subunits. Example intermittent bond spacing ranges 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 settings for every production line.
Ribbon manufacturing process control depends on the chosen material selection, bond layout, and curing method. 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. Coatings protect each fiber while permitting the subunits to flex as intended.
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 formed by resins that intermix or remain at least partly soluble. Lower coating viscosity may also encourage intermixing.
This interface forms a diffusion zone in which properties change 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. Intermittent bond geometry leaves unbonded spans between 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. A flexible fiber ribbon design bends 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. 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 planned 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. Compare bond spacing and flexibility across the entire ribbon design. Treat these comparisons as design checks rather than universal production tolerances.
Confirm 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 widely used 12-color sequence. For ribbons containing more than 12 fibers, this sequence may repeat.
Cable Applications, Integration, And Splicing Benefits
Intermittently bonded ribbons can roll 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.
Enable High-Density Cable Designs And Better Duct Utilization
For indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor applications, Prysmian offers FusionLink and MassLink with FlexRibbon. FusionLink uses dry water blocking and is available with 250 μm or 200 μm ribbon. EcoSpan aerial cable supports spans of up to 300 feet under NESC Heavy loading conditions. FlexDrop is a small-diameter outdoor option that accommodates 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.
Consider Indoor, Outdoor, Access, And Broadband Uses
Ribbon cable is used in 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 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 placed before the subunit coating cures. The materials create a diffusion zone before curing together. Careful control throughout the process helps maintain reliable fiber cable manufacturing.
Flexible ribbons also facilitate mass-fusion ribbon splicing, allowing crews to join multiple fibers at once. Prysmian describes FlexRibbon in various cable designs, including compact configurations containing up to 6,912 fibers.
For manufacturers and network planners, the priority is to coordinate fiber alignment, bond strength, and rollability. Achieving that balance can ease cable packaging while keeping ribbons ready for efficient installation and splicing.