7 November, 2011
The drawing of a 200 mm diameter preform
Nextrom, the worldwide leader for turn-key manufacturing solutions for optical preforms and fibers, and DSM Functional Materials, the global market leader for optical fiber coatings, recently completed trials demonstrating the latest generation of high speed draw process technology combined with state of the art optical fiber coatings. Using DSM’s DeSolite® Super-coatings, the trials at Nextrom’s test facility in Vantaa Finland demonstrated excellent draw performance and resulting fiber performance at all speeds tested, including at 2500 meters per minute – 50% faster than average production speeds used globally in the industry.
Process speeds of 2500 meters per minute were achieved in the Optical Fiber Drawing process at Nextrom’s laboratory using state-of-the-art OFC 20 production technology. Using Nextrom’s OFC 20 technology together with DSM’s latest-generation optical fiber coatings, the draw technology and material expertise can be seamlessly integrated into the Optical Fiber manufacturing solution.
Fibers drawn had excellent cure levels and consistent geometry, which are important parameters indicative of fiber draw quality. Testing of fibers manufactured in the high speed trials exhibited excellent microbending performance, dynamic fatigue and strip force results – all key properties inherent to DeSolite® Supercoatings.
“Optical fiber manufacturers are challenged with increasing capacity and efficiency to keep up with market demand while also balancing telecom carriers’ heightened attention on improving both quality and performance,” said Steve Schmid, Global Applications Develop-ment Manager for Fiber Optic Materials at DSM. “These trials confirm that advanced DeSolite® Supercoatings combined with leading fiber draw process technology from Nextrom
can deliver optimal value for industry demands.”