For over 25 years, RADOX has been the epitome of high-quality electrical, solar, industrial and rail cables with satisfied customers across the world. Previously impossible to produce, revolutionary RADOX technology fiber optic cables are now available.

The RADOX brand applies to HUBER+SUHNER’s specially developed insulation materials, which are highly resistant to thermal, chemical, electrical and mechanical loads. These particular material properties are achieved through electron-beam crosslinking, which connects the plastic molecules in a three-dimensional structure. RADOX materials resist high temperature peaks and are resilient to bending when cold. They are resistant to liquids, abrasion, ozone and UV radiation. In addition, they are dimensionally stable, flexible, fire-resistant and have very low shrinkage. They are characterised by their long service life, making them highly suited to harsh environmental conditions.

NEW CROSSLINKING PROCESS

These and other stringent requirements are increasingly being placed on fiber optic cables; for example, for applications in railways, on oil and gas platforms, on board ships, in tunnels and underground railway stations or in production and processing plants. Although there has been a clear customer need for fiber optics cables with RADOX properties for many years, it was previously impossible to cross-link fiber optics cables without metal shields sufficiently because the required intensity of irradiation impaired the optical transmission characteristics of the fiber. The massively increased fiber attenuation coefficient made the fiber virtually unusable. Attempts to limit this effect by reducing the intensity of irradiation resulted in the plastic being insufficiently cross-linked. However, specialists from HUBER+SUHNER have now developed a new production process for crosslinked fiber optic cables that prevents primary electrons reaching and impairing the fiber. This preserves the mechanical properties and service life of the fibers, and allows RADOX fiber optic cables with optical transmission properties as per ISO/IEC 11801 and IEC 60794-3-12 to become a reality.

FOR HARSH ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

HUBER+SUHNER has developed and tested various fiber optic cable types that incorporate RADOX technology. They combine all the strengths of traditional cables and surpass them in many properties - the perfect solution for demanding industrial and safety applications. The shield material is halogen-free RADOX EM104, which is well-known in the rail market and meets the most stringent requirements of the EN 50264-1 standard, especially in terms of its high resistance to low temperatures, oils and liquids.

 RADOX fiber optic cables are very flexible and easy to install, even in narrow cable ducts with small bending radii. Standard and heavy-duty industrial connectors can be mounted at the cable ends. For example, the ODC industrial connector protects the optical end-faces while ensuring maximum installation safety and transmitting data reliably, even in harsh environmental conditions.

FOR THE MOST DEMANDING APPLICATIONS

The range includes various cable types, such as simplex cables, distribution cables with two to four fibers, and 12-fiber glass reinforced loose tube cables, which are manufactured and processed to create assemblies and cable systems. Even when exposed to high levels of stress, RADOX cables and breakout cables ensure extremely stable data transmission. The MASTERLINE mobileHT with RADOX breakout cables can, for example, be deployed in temperatures ranging from -60 to +85 °C. The two-fiber distribution cable has been developed for interior rail applications; the four-fiber cable for inter-car links. Both meet the strict fire safety requirements of prEN 45545-2. The 4-fiber RADOX cable for continuously moving applications has been tested for dynamic strength at high loads. RADOX loose tube cable is an excellent choice for distances of over 50 metres, whether as a pre-assembled system or as a bulk cable. In the event of a fire, it continues to transmit data for at least 180 minutes, as per IEC 60331-25. RADOX fiber optic cables meet the highest thermal, mechanical and chemical requirements while providing excellent optical transmission characteristics and are unique on the market. They enable the implementation of new, previously impractical cabling solutions, which can be installed in a short time and without the need for additional aids such as protective tubes - a fiber optics revolution.