Fiber Protection Withstands the Big Truck Test

Fiber has to survive and operate in the toughest conditions. Whether it is during installation or ongoing operation it is vital it continues to function reliably when dropped, hit with a hammer, crushed or generally maltreated.

We’ve carried out extensive crush resistance and impact testing of our fiber, and calculated that our Miniflex cable and protective duct can withstand a force of 4000 Newtons over 100 mm without any damage to the fiber itself. And because of its advanced polymer engineering it springs back and regains its shape over a relatively quick time, ensuring the fiber inside is not pinched or squashed.

But you can only learn so much in the lab. So we took our TuffDuct and parked a 32,000 lb Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle on it. Used by the US army and other forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Cougar is heavily armoured and is as tough as our cable.