Pirelli Touts Air Bag Cable

MILAN, Italy -- Pirelli Telecom Cables and Systems announcesworldwide production of a revolutionary new range of dielectric fibre optic cables offering greatly improved resistance to crush and impact, due to a unique integrated protection system developed by Pirelli’s R&D team.The Air Bag™ cable, is based on a composite structure of extruded polymeric materials, each with its own specially-selected mechanical properties. Designed to replace heavy, rigid metal-armoured cables in situations where damage protection is a major concern, Air Bag™ cable is not only lighter, more flexible and easier to install than armoured alternatives, but offers much better resistance to compression and shocks, which can damage or even permanently disable cable performance.Developed by optical specialists at Pirelli Labs, Air Bag™ cable is set togo into full-scale production at all of Pirelli’s optical cable plantsaround the world, following successful trials at the company’s LivornoFerraris plant, near Milan.According to Agusti Valls, Vice-President, Pirelli Telecom Cables andSystems R&D, the unique structure of these Air Bag™ cable designs, which incorporate an optical fibre core, specially-developed filling compounds with high mechanical resistance, dielectric rodent protection and flame-retardant inner and outer layers, effectively acts as a shock absorber, allowing the cable to resist damage and recover its shape after crushing or impact without permanent deformation.Pirelli SpA