Tricks of The Trade: How Technicians Use Cable Pulling Grips For Easy Fiber Optic Installation
When it comes to installation equipment required for fiber-optic cables, an indispensable tool in a technician’s arsenal comes from speciality equipment known as a cable pulling grip.
The challenges faced around fiber-optic installation varies in a number of ways, from friction to tensile loading.
It would be impractical to have a unique tool for all of these situations, that’s why cable pulling tools have been designed to adapt to the environments technicians most commonly encounter for cable installations.
Today, we’ll be casting a spotlight on how exactly the elements of a cable pulling grip have been designed for convenience in mind for all things cable installation:
The Pulling Eye
Cordoned off spaces rear their head in a number of ways, the most common of which being when a technician is tasked to pass a cable through a conduit and/or wall.
An ingenious workaround for this issue comes thanks to the pulling eye found on the end of a cable pulling grip. Simply put, the pulling eye is tasked with latching onto a cable’s strength member at one end while remaining attached to the pulling grip on the other.
We would like to stress the importance of attaching to a fiber-optic cable’s strength member, which is housed in the middle of the cable, between the fiber and connectors. Unlike the strength member that is composed from fiberglass or Kevlar aramid yarn, the fiber is delicate and prone to being damaged.
Now that we understand the basic premise, let’s deconstruct how a technician might go on to handle pulling a cable through an isolated space:
- The pulling grip is passed though the space where the cable is to be located.
- With the cable secured to the eye, the pulling grip is then withdrawn through the space, often in conjunction with a pull box to ease tensile loading.
The route a fiber optic cable takes can be abrasive and damage the fiber ends. To counteract this, many pulling eyes make use of a sheath that enfolds around the fiber ends to mitigate potential damage.
Methods of best practice for cable installation impacts us all. We’ve seen the detriments associated with poor cable installation equipment since being established in 1963 – which is why we’ve stood true to supplying premium-grade cable installation equipment, including cable pulling grips.
You’re sure to find the right Condux fiber optic grip for the task at hand at AMAC Equipment; available in a range of diameters, breaking strengths, and eye styles, their reusable design will have you reliant on them for years to come.
Don’t hesitate to reach out, if you need a closer look at our products we can have an AMAC Demo Truck come over to your site to demonstrate its usage!
