According to different laying conditions of fiber optic cables, different fiber optic cable sheathing are added to the cable core to meet the mechanical protection of optical fibers under different conditions. What are they exactly and what need to pay attention when choosing a fiber cable supplier?

HOC (Hone Optical Communications) as a fiber optic cable manufacturer, has 19+ years experience on optical communications. Let’s find out!

Fiber Cable Sheathing Requirements

As the protective layer of fiber cable against various special and complex environments, optical cable sheath must have excellent mechanical properties, environmental resistance and chemical corrosion resistance.

Mechanical Properties

During the laying and use of fiber optic cable, there are various mechanical external forces which will affect its transmission. And fiber cable sheath must be able to withstand the effects of these external forces.

• Tensile
• Lateral pressure
• Impact
• Torsion
• Repeated bending
• Bending effects …
  

Environmental Resistance

Other than mechanical external forces, the external radiation, temperature change and moisture erosion during its service life are also important for choosing a fiber optic cable.

Chemical Corrosion Resistance

Normally, fiber optic cables are designed for 20 years or more service life. And the cable sheath must withstand the outside corrosion of acid, alkali, oil stain, etc. in special environment.

For flame retardant and other special properties, special plastic sheath must be used to ensure its performance.

Sheath Process Standard

To meet all the mechanical, environmental and chemical resistance requirements, following are some details need to pay attention for a fiber optic cable manufacturer. The process indexes should be controlled during sheath process include:

• Reasonable clearance between steel or aluminum tape and cable core
• Standard overlapping width of steel and aluminum tape
• Enough thickness of PE protective layer
• Clear and complete printing with accurate meter mark
• Neat and flat cable winding and arrangement

Production Line Equipment

The equipment used in the sheath process is the fiber optic cable sheath extruder. And the whole fiber cable sheath line is composed of following equipment

• Cable core setting out device
• Steel wire setting out device
• Steel (aluminum) longitudinal wrapping tape rolling forming device
• Fiber cable compound filling device
• Feeding and drying device
• 90 extrusion host
• Cooling water tank
• Belt traction
• Gantry take-up device
• Electrical control system