Fiber Optic Cable Sheathing Lines: From Common Process Issues to Key Equipment Selection Points
The sheath is the cable’s “armor.” After the loose tubes are stranded into a core, an outer sheath must be applied to protect the optical fibers from moisture, compression, and tensile stress. The sheathing extrusion line is the final process in cable manufacturing – no matter how well the preceding stranding was done, if the sheathing fails, the entire reel is scrap.
But in actual production, sheathing processes often present more problems than one might expect. This article reviews the most common process issues on sheathing lines and the key points to watch when selecting equipment.
