At this week's Fiber Connect 2022 exhibition, OFS introduced a pair of new product lines featuring the company's advancements in all-dielectric self-supporting (ADSS) fiber-optic cable technology. At the show, OFS introduced an expansion of its AccuTube RR product family, featuring the company's Rollable Ribbon technology, to include an ADSS cable product; and concurrently, unveiled its Sherpa CMS ADSS cable management system.
PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR ADSS Cable
At its Fiber Connect 2022 booth #205, OFS announced the expansion of its established Rollable Ribbon product line with the release of its new PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR ADSS Cable solution.
Per the manufacturer, the well-established OFS Rollable Ribbon cables feature a unique ribbon structure featuring 12 individual 250 micron fibers, which are partially bonded at predetermined intervals to form a very flexible ribbon, allowing the ribbons to be rolled into very tight bundles, doubling the fiber density of a cable. When accessed in the cable, these fibers behave much like a traditional flat ribbon that allows highly efficient mass fusion splicing using existing flat ribbon splice equipment and procedures. Individual fibers may also be accessed easily for single fiber splicing efforts.
With product availability up to 864 fibers, the new PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR ADSS cable is billed by the manufacturer as "a totally dry, ribbon in loose tube cable construction offering twice the fiber density of comparable, standard flat ribbon cable designs."
As further stated by OFS:
The PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR is a totally gel-free double jacket ADSS design optimized for high density distribution networks and FTTH deployments utilizing self-support aerial cables or aerial to underground transition installations.
With one of the highest fiber counts of any ADSS cable per cable area, the PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR delivers increased carrying capacity and easy mass fusion splicing to meet the demands of today's high-growth, high-bandwidth networks.
Additionally, OFS contends that its totally gel-free PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR ribbon in loose tube construction offers the following benefits as an effect of removing gels from traditional ribbon ADSS designs:
- Enables savings on installation time and labor costs. Field technicians can experience up to 80% time reduction for cable end prep when compared to gel-filled flat ribbon constructions.
- Allows faster splicing with higher first pass yields due to cleaner work environment and mass fusion splicing ability.
- Significantly lowers overall cable weight and diameter for easier handling and lower operation tensions on poles.
"In response to customer demand for expansion of the rollable ribbon technology in ADSS solutions, OFS is excited to include this product into our PowerGuide solutions portfolio," commented Brian Maxwell, Outside Plant Cable Product Manager.
Sherpa CMS ADSS Cable Management System
Concurrently at Fiber Connect 2022, OFS announced the development of its Sherpa CMS ADSS cable management system. Sherpa is a patent-pending dielectric system enabling the attachment of drop cables to ADSS trunk cables or ADSS trunk cables to electrical neutrals. OFS contends the platform will offer a significant reduction in fiber network installation times and costs for municipalities and electric coops.
The manufacturer notes that as fiber network builders expand in rural areas and in municipalities around the country, many have selected ADSS cable as the main deployment method, due to its reliability and speed of installation. However, until this point, ADSS cables have not been used to also manage drop cables, contends OFS.
"The Sherpa CMS system enables drop cables to use the same pole attachment as the trunk cable, potentially reducing make-ready and pole attachment costs, reducing visual footprint, while preserving the reliability and fast installation of ADSS cables," explained Mark Boxer, technical manager, solutions and applications engineering, for OFS.
The Sherpa CMS system will also be available in configurations that can be used to attach ADSS cables to electrical neutrals in those areas where maintaining ground clearance can be a challenge.
The OFS PowerGuide AccuTube+ RR products and Sherpa CMS Cable Management System are being featured at Fiber Connect 2022 at the Gaylord Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee from July 12-15.