One of the most important considerations when installing fibre optic cable is maintaining the minimum bend radius. Bending a fibre cable excessively may cause the optical signal to refract and escape through the cladding. It could also cause permanent damage by creating micro cracks on the delicate glass fibres. And when overbending interferes with light transmission, the resulting increased attenuation compromises the integrity of your valuable data.
The minimum bend radius for fiber optic cable should be specified both for long-term installation, and for when the cable is subject to tensile load. A typical value for a cable under no load conditions, or “unloaded,” is 10 times the cable’s outside diameter. When a cable is under tensile load or “loaded,” the minimum bend radius is usually 15 times the cable’s outside diameter.
