FEBRUARY 14, 2007 � Emtelle (search for Emtelle) has extended its line of fibreflow Direct Bury Filled Metal-Free (DBFMF) tube bundles to sizes beyond the original 10 mm. These tube bundles, which use a polymer filling between the outer sheath and the microducts, offer numerous advantages, including superior compression strength, improved roundness particularly of the outer tubes, and the ability to prevent water from traveling down between the tubes, according to the company.
Filling the gaps between the outermost tubes and the sheath provides better compression strength, improved bending characteristics, and significantly improved impact resistance, Emtelle asserts. These features help to ensure that fiber can be smoothly blown in and out of the tubes and provide improved long-term protection for the fiber unit.
The polymer filling between the outermost tubes and the sheath is combined with other features to ensure that if the sheath is damaged the water penetration along the length of the tube bundle is prevented. This feature ensures that water migration into the tubes themselves is avoided and water is prevented from traveling along the gaps between the tubes and entering cabinets and other fiber splice enclosures, the company says. This level of water blocking is unique, according to Emtelle, and adds yet another level of efficiency and durability when compared to non-filled products.
Besides their sturdiness and water-blocking capabilities, the DBFMF tube bundles are designed to offer several other advantages. The outer sheath can be removed and the tubes retained by the polymer filling layer. This provides increased flexibility of the tube bundles at access points without the need to completely strip out individual tubes. This makes tube management and identification easier.
The DBFMF tube bundles have been used successfully in a range of projects, and are available in a range of sizes. According to Tibor van Melsem Kocsis, commercial director at Emtelle, "The fibreflow DBFMF 10-mm tube bundle variant was first used by the Croatian company JANAF for their network deployment, which started in 2003. The benefits of the product were quickly understood by the market, and demand has grown rapidly. As a result, Emtelle is now extending the range of its DBFMF products to include 3-, 5-, 10-, and 12-mm options."
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