Armored Fiber Optic Cables

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Fiber
optic cables are a first-rate option for transmitting data, being much faster
than traditional copper Ethernet lines. Fiber cable can also run for much
greater distances, giving it another leg up on copper cables. However, a
potential weakness of fiber is fragility. Compared to copper cables, fiber is
easier to break since it contains glass. That is where armored fiber optic
cables come in.

 

Armored
fiber optic cable can do everything standard fiber can do while
also carrying additional protection. Underneath the jacket, there is a metal
tube protecting the delicate fibers at the core of the cable. This metal tube
does not hamper performance and provides protection from heavy objects, curious
rodents, and other hazards. At the same time, the metal remains flexible enough
to allow the cable to bend normally.

 

ADVANTAGES
OF ARMORED FIBER

 

All
the options available to normal fiber (number of fibers, PVC or plenum jackets,
single-mode or multimode, etc.) are also available with armored fiber. The
armor allows the cable to withstand 7x the force of conventional fiber,
providing a substantially larger safety margin if a heavy object is set on the
cable or falls on top of it. The protection offered by armor also increases
pull tension, making fiber installations easier to manage.

 

The
extra protection provided by armored fiber means it most commonly sees use in
industrial environments. Areas with heavy equipment, moving machinery, chemical
or moisture exposure, and other potential hazards have a tendency to break
standard fiber fairly easily. As industries start to shift towards the faster
data speeds provided by fiber, cables built for any environment will transition
from convenient to necessary as fiber continues to become more widespread.

 

TYPES
OF ARMORED FIBER

 

There
are two main types of armored fiber: interlocking and corrugated. Interlocking
armored fiber uses an aluminum sheath wrapped around the fiber strands in a
helix shape. This type of armor offers the best crushing resistance and is most
commonly used on indoor/outdoor fiber. Typically, interlocking armor sees use
in areas where the fiber cable could find itself underneath large machinery or
other sources of extreme weight.

 

Corrugated
armor is made using coated steel tape and folded around the inner portions of
the cable during fabrication. This type of armor offers the best protection
against rodents that like to chew on cables. As a result, it is most commonly
seen on fiber cables that will be left outdoors, in-between walls, or in other
rodent-prone areas like basements.

 

While
both interlocking and corrugated fiber have their specialties, that is simply
the area of protection each type of armor excels in. Interlocking can be used
in areas with rodents and corrugated can be used in areas with heavy machinery.
And both types of armor are equally impressive at blocking damage from dust,
moisture, oil, gas, and other hazards from outdoor and/or industrial
environments. If users expect crushing weight or rodents to be a major problem,
then using interlocking vs. corrugated can make a difference. Otherwise, the
two are fairly similar.