July 22, 2013
Beta LaserMike, a leading global provider of precision measurement and control solutions, announces the next-generation Excess Fiber Length (EFL) measurement system for loose tube fiber and fiber ribbon cable manufacturing.
The ability to precisely monitor excess fiber length is important in a loose tube and fiber ribbon cable production and is essential to the cable’s optical and mechanical performance. Leading optical fiber manufacturers have learned that excess fiber length can change dramatically during the production process. And this change directly affects product quality, plant productivity and production costs. Currently, many manufacturers still use time-consuming and costly techniques such as cutting cable and exposing, cleaning cable fibers to measure product and calculate the excess fiber length-to-jacket ratio. Beta LaserMike’s latest EFL measurement system enables manufacturers to efficiently, accurately and reliably control the excess fiber length to make sure the fiber-to-jacket ratio of product meets exact production specifications. As a result, manufacturers are realising a number of process, product quality and bottom-line benefits.
The latest EFL measurement system integrates Beta LaserMike’s LaserSpeed® length and speed gauges and the EFLTrak™ software. Here’s how it works: One LaserSpeed gauge is installed upstream in the process in between the fiber guide and the jacket extruder. The other LaserSpeed gauge is installed downstream in between the final cooling trough and the capstan. This system setup enables you to compare the fiber bundle-to-jacket ratio during the jacketing phase with an EFL ratio of 0.01% (0.1 per mil). Operation is made simple through the use of an easy-to-use software interface. Using the EFLTrak software, users can quickly create and store an unlimited number of product recipes for efficient production run setup, document product quality via data logging, conveniently configure input/outputs to monitor external devices and use real-time statistical process control to improve product quality and reduce unwanted process variation to minimise waste, scrap and rework.
Beta LaserMike’s EFL measurement system can be specified with either LaserSpeed 8000 or 9000 gauges. (The LaserSpeed 9000 gauge measures forward and reverse directions and at true zero speed.) The EFL measurement system can be interfaced with a PLC to monitor the differential speed and ultimate EFL ratio and can be connected to a light stack or alarm to notify operators when the EFL ratio exceeds tolerances. The EFL measurement system can also be used on fiber optic ribbon lines.
