AFL adds Flex-Span configuration option to ADSS cable family

June 3, 2019
AFL has added a new Flex-Scan option to its single-jacket All-Dielectric Self-Supporting (ADSS) portfolio. As Flex-Span designs are optimized for a wider combination of fiber counts and span lengths, ADSS system designers now have more flexibility.

AFL has added a new Flex-Scan option to its single-jacket All-Dielectric Self-Supporting (ADSS) portfolio. As Flex-Span designs are optimized for a wider combination of fiber counts and span lengths, ADSS system designers now have more flexibility, the company asserts.

The new Flex-Span option’s core configuration supports five buffer tubes of 24 fibers each for a total of 120 fibers. The configuration enables higher fiber counts in a diameter of less than 0.475 inches without compromising span length, AFL says. Use of smaller diameter fiber-optic cable can lessen pole loads without affecting hardware size.

Flex-Span ADSS cables, including those based on the new configuration option, don not need support or messenger wire, which AFL says enables installation in a single pass. The company says the fiber cable is suitable for distribution lines and necessitates the use of formed wire dead ends. Flex-Span also uses dry core technology, which obviates the need for flooding compounds.

Overall, Flex-Span ADSS cables come in fiber counts from 12 to 144, in any type or combination of single-mode or multimode fibers, AFL says. Operating temperatures run from 40˚C to +70˚C and pole-to-pole span lengths can range from 50 feet (15 meters) to more than 1,000 feet (305 m).

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