Methods of and apparatus for curing optical fiber coatings.

摘要

Drawn optical fiber is provided with at least one layer of a coating material. The coating material typically is a UV curable material and provides the optical fiber with mechanical and environmental protection. It has been found that the temperature at which the optical fiber is cured has a pronounced effect on the modulus of the cured coating material. In order to provide a coated optical fiber of which the coating material has a desired modulus, the temperature of the coating material during cure is controlled by controlling the amount of energy of infrared wavelength which impinges on the coating material.