1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Year
Since the beginning of optical fiber production, there has
been a steady growth in the size of preforms being manu-
factured by Heraeus' customers. As single mode preform
sizes have increased, so has the amount of fiber being
drawn from these preforms. With the Rod-in-Tube (RIT)
technology, our largest overclad tubes facilitated preform
sizes up to 900 km. In keeping with our commitment
to “The Evolution of Size,” our Rod-in-Cylinder (RIC
®
)
technology can result in preforms equivalent to fiber
lengths of 6,000 km. These large preforms can increase
our customers' profitability and significantly improve their
manufacturing costs and efficiencies without compromising
product quality.
RIC
®
– The Advanced Preform Technology
7000
6500
6000
5500
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
180mm
50mm
70mm
90mm
150mm
60mm
40mm
RIC
®
RIT
Fiber per preform
[km]
HCV_3.0/E/07.2019
Technical benefits
Using Heraeus' high purity F300 jacketing material ensures
the production of world class optical fiber. Since the F300
cladding material is essentially free of OH, low and zero
water peak fibers can be readily made using the RIC
®
process. In production, break rates below 10 breaks per
1,000 km of fiber can be achieved thanks to the purity
of our material, leading to superior product performance.
RIC
®
cylinders are fabricated using CNC-controlled lathes
resulting in outstanding geometrical performance. The
ground outer surface of the cylinders is suitable for direct
fiber draw and results in superior fiber geometries.
Germany
Heraeus Quarzglas GmbH & Co.KG
Heraeus Comvance
Quarzstraße 8
63450 Hanau
Phone +49 (0) 6181.35-6324
comvance.eu@heraeus.com
www.heraeus-comvance.com
USA
Heraeus Quartz North America LLC
Heraeus Comvance
100 Heraeus Blvd.
Buford, GA 30518
Phone +1 678.804-1021
comvance.us@heraeus.com
Large F300
cylinder
Core rod
Jacket tube drawing
Tube jacketing
Preform drawing
800 km fiber
Cylinder jacketing during fiber draw
6,000 km fiber
Large F300
cylinder
Core rod
Offline RIT Online RIC
®
Core Rod Design and Cylinder Dimensions
20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Cylinder outer diameter
[mm]
200
190
180
170
160
150
140
130
120
How to get started
Heraeus possesses extensive RIC
®
process experience.
Therefore, we can support fiber manufacturers in the
implementation of the RIC
®
technology and can tailor it
to your company's fiber manufacturing processes. As a
preliminary step, the feasibility of the RIC
®
technology
can be demonstrated by overcladding your core rods at
our Offline RIC
®
facility. These RIC
®
preforms can then
be drawn into fiber and qualified at your facility.
About us
Heraeus is the key global supplier of high purity
synthetic fused silica products for optical fiber manu -
facturing. We have been a reliable partner in the world
telecommuni cations industry since 1976.
We are certified for ISO 9001:2000 and our Total
Quality Management system is based on the Business
Excellence Model of the European Foundation for
Quality Management (EFQM).
OD 150 … 200 mm
OD max – OD min
⬉
0.6 mm
ID tol +/- 0.5 mm
Length 1,500 mm & 3,000 mm
Ovality
⬉
0.1 mm
Siding
⬉
1 mm
Bow
⬉
0.5 mm/m
Typical Cylinder Dimensions
The Online RIC
®
technology for production of single mode
fibers helps our customers to become significantly more
cost competitive. The cost benefits compared to Offline
RIT are substantial:
Economy of scale
No offline jacketing process necessary
Reduction of b/a ratio, and therefore improved efficiency
of our customers' core rod deposition equipment
Improved utilization of fiber draw equipment.
Financial and operational benefits
Core rod dia.
Core dia.
b/a = = 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
5.0
Typical RIC
®
working range
Core rod diameter
[mm]
The data given here is correct for July 2019 and is subjct to change.