Products
Optical Fibre Cable
High Voltage Optical Fibre Terminations
Cable Assemblies
Accessories
Optical Fibre Cable
What do you need? This is always our starting point, we don't just present the customer with a standard range of products.
There are several generic design types shown on this page but the permutations of the different components are almost limitless. We will provide the best design for your application. Let us know your requirements by clicking on the Cable Design page. We will then contact you with a product design tailored to meet your needs.
If you need help with any of the technical terms, please download our Technical Help page in PDF format.
Please ring us on +44 (0)1793 612222 at any stage if you need to discuss your requirement personally with our team.
Hybrid
Hybrid cables contain a mixture of conventional conductors, (normally for power supply), and fibres. This often negates the need for two cables as high bandwidth communications can be achieved integrally with the power supply, without fear of interference.
Main Advantages
Reduced cable weight and size.
Typical Applications
Umbilical cables, video camera links.Loose Tube
Loose tube, as the name suggests, protects the fibres with a plastic tube which fits loosely around them. In this case the fibres normally have a single coating of acrylate material which is used to protect the glass surface when the fibre is made. The tubes are normally filled with a water-resistant gel, and stranded into the cable.
Main Advantage
Small size for high fibre counts, strain free fibres.
Typical Applications
Duct/directly buried cable, internal/external usage, trunk connections, LAN and WAN environment, locations where cables will be operational under constant strain.Tight Buffer
Tight buffer cables contain fibres, each with a reasonably substantial thermoplastic coating up to a typical diameter of 0.9mm. This enables the fibre to be stranded directly into a cable and fibres can be terminated by single way, (normally in breakout form, see Type 4 Cables), or multi-way connectors.
Main Advantage
Ease of splicing and termination.
Typical Applications
Re-deployable cables, low fibre counts (12 typical) Internal/External.Breakout
Breakout cable further protects tight buffer fibre with a layer of strength member, (normally aramid), and a thermoplastic sheath, typically 2-3mm in diameter. These small cables, (called simplex or single fibre cables), are suitable for direct termination with single way connectors, and are stranded together to form a breakout cable.
Main Advantage
Direct termination with connectors.
Typical Applications
Pre-terminated cable assemblies, on site termination projects.
High Voltage Optical Fibre Terminations
Optical fibre is naturally insulating and therefore ideal for high voltage communications. It does not however remain insulating or in one piece for any length of time without proper protection from the effects of the high voltage and the surrounding environment. For this reason approx. 20 years ago our high voltage polymeric links were developed to ensure the long-term performance of optical fibres and safeguard the high voltage system from flashovers.
This page shows the main generic termination designs of which there are several hundred variations designed to fit particular applications.
Fibreactive is unique in its ability to combine these high voltage links with our specially constructed optical fibre cables. This provides a complete point to point fibre link often without the need of any splice joints.
Let us know your requirements by clicking on the Termination Design page. We will then contact you with a product design tailored to meet your needs. Alternatively e-mail your specification to us through the Contact us page.
If you need help with any of the technical terms please download our Technical Help page in PDF format.
Please ring us on +44 (0)1793 612222 at any stage if you need to discuss your requirement personally with our team.
Signal Column
Construction
A relatively stiff fibreglass core containing typically up to 32 optical fibres. End fittings can be supplied to include, corona rings, and a highly flexible metallic conduit to insure full protection of the fibres at each end. The unit is designed for straight installation suspended from a fixed point.
Mechanical
Tensile Strength >10kN, Weight with corona rings 50kg (typical).
Voltage
Units have been supplied for applications up to 800kVAC.
Typical Applications
Series Capacitor Platforms, Current Measurement.
Service Experience
First units installed 1986.
2. Sensor Links
Construction
Lightweight flexible proprietary polymeric core and optical cables typically containing up to 12 fibres, although greater numbers of unterminated fibres can be achieved. Flexibility and extremely good resistance to bending allows these products to be installed in a curved or even inverted orientation. Corona protection is provided by the end fittings, a small corona ring, or by using the small end fitting size to take advantage of shielding from adjacent equipment. This product is available with our new seamless shed creepage protection. A wide variety of end fitting designs have been used to meet many varied applications.
Mechanical
Tensile strength 2000N (typical). Weight 5-10kg (typical).
Voltage
Units have been supplied up to 450kV DC.
Typical Applications
High voltage capacitors, HVDC Convertors, lower voltage applications (<230kV typical), termination of cable wrapped on high voltage power lines.
Service Experience
First units installed 1982.
Cable Assemblies
It is often convenient to install a cable without the need for fusion jointing or connector installation on site. In this case Fibreactive can provide optical fibre cables pre-terminated, with fully protected pigtail ends. Pre-installed pulling connections made directly to the cable strength member speeds up the overall installation program. The Cable Design page includes a section where cable assembly requirements can be detailed.
Accessories
Fibreactive understands that on many occasions customers will require a complete fibre link from connector to connector and not just one or two components. Therefore we provide items such as joint boxes and patch leads which may be required to complete a turnkey fibre link. These products may be brought in from a third party, where a suitable product exists, or designed and built inhouse to meet a more specific customer requirement.
Cable Design page and Termination Design page include sections where accessories can be detailed.
