Yelco Blog

Cable Slack Management: Meet the Fiber Optic Clamp that is Revolutionizing Aerial Infrastructures

Written by Williams Cunha | May 10, 2022 10:45:55 AM

With fiber networks growing, challenges arise, especially regarding the installation and maintenance of these networks. In the case of aerial fiber networks, one of the challenges that operators face is cable slack management.

To help with this, Yelco Technologies developed a fiber optic clamp for securing excess cable slack, a new product that offers flexibility to operators when managing cable slacks in aerial infrastructures, in a way that no other product does.

The Aerial Telecom Infrastructures’ Limitations

When an operator deploys an aerial fiber network, usually, for every 500 meters of network deployed, there are 40 meters of cable slacks. These cable slacks are left in case there’s a fiber cable cut, so the operator can simply release cable slacks without having to install more cable. These cable slacks are usually held and fixed on poles with cable ties.

If cable slacks are installed in underground infrastructures, the cable ties being used to hold the cable slacks in place are not exposed to weather conditions, so they will last and won’t have any big problems. But if they are left on a pole, the case is not the same, as cable ties usually lack the necessary resistance to UV rays and weather conditions, and break, getting the cable slacks loosen and letting them fall to the ground.

Fallen cable slacks aren’t any good. Besides leaving an unaesthetic environment, they can cause dangerous situations like road accidents and hurt people. Also, the bends and kinks caused by being fallen and loosen compromise the cable, causing possible disruption in the communication.

Unfortunately, maintenance teams can take some time to fix these situations, which makes for an increased chance of a road accident.

What is the Fiber Optic Clamp for Securing Excess Slack?

Acknowledging the existing problems in aerial fiber optic infrastructures, this new product was developed to hold, secure, and manage cable slacks in poles, avoiding the loosening and falling of these, which prevents the danger of such situations.

To serve its purpose, it comes in a resistant plastic with UV protection material, and in an adaptable design that makes it possible to hold cable slacks from different roll lengths, types of cables and with different installation modes.

What makes the Clamp for Securing Excess Slack different?

Comparing it to other products for holding cable slacks, the Clamp for Securing Excess Slack offers a lot of solutions to the present limitations:

  • Product Resistance: the clamp is made in highly resistant plastic with UV protection, which can withstand weather conditions without deterioration, namely exposure to rain, wind, UV rays, ice, snow, etc. Besides the material that composes the product, it is designed in a way that guarantees the securement of cable slacks, as the weight of the cable roll does not compromise the structural integrity of the clamp.

  • Adaptability: this product is adaptable to the size of the cable slack roll you need to hold. Either it is a large amount of thick cable or a small amount of thin cable, you can adjust and fix it tight. This contributes for the overall securement of the cable slacks, as the size of the roll doesn’t change the efficiency of the product.

  • Reusability: it can be installed and uninstalled as you wish. Unlike cable ties, which have to be cut and scrapped in every single use, the clamp can be installed and removed every time you need to, without compromising its integrity or capacity.

Overall, the Clamp for Securing Excess Slack comes with different and new characteristics that solve the problems that cable ties don’t, making the network deployment process easier and reducing the need for maintenance in the operating networks.

Is it compatible with other products available on the market?

This product is a standalone product, without the need of any complementary product. Nevertheless, the Clamp for Securing Excess Slack can be used with any of Yelco Technologies’ outdoor products in aerial networks.

Learn more about the Clamp for Securing Excess Slack.

Want to know how to customize or create a tailor-made product for your network? Know more about Yelco.