Did you know that countries were communicating worldwide by cable as early as 1858?

Cables have been interconnecting our society for over a hundred years now and have become the bedrock of our communication infrastructure. To do this, they must be durable and weather-proof, or else our networks would collapse. Thanks to armored fiber optic cable, this is now a reality.

There are a lot of competitors on the market. One of the most well-known is the aluminum interlock armor or AIA fiber optic cable. 

We’re here to tell you that there’s a new armored fiber optic cable that beats it at every metric. Keep reading for more.

What Is the Aluminum Interlock Armor Cable?

The problem with fiber optic cables is that they’re fragile. They’re so fragile, in fact, that professionals rate them with a bend radius. Bend a fiber optic cable any further than this, and the weak pure glass fibers inside will crack or snap. 

To mitigate this, fiber cable manufacture led to the eventual creation of the armored fiber optic cable. The aluminum interlock armor cable has been one of its most popular iterations. It uses a thick steel sheath to protect its fragile contents.

This was far better than burying or bending the cables without any protection. But this variant of armored fiber cable was not without its flaws. Let’s look at just a small list of why the AIA fiber optic cable is so problematic:

• It weighs a lot, requiring heavier-duty infrastructure to support it
• It’s thick, limiting where contractors can install it
• It’s unwieldy, making it challenging to run it through your typical site
• It requires a lot of materials during the manufacturing process
• It’s not crush-proof, resistant to rodent bites, or weather-proof
• Installation costs tend to be high as a result of its weight and thickness
• Despite all this protection, it does not last very long

Suffice it to say, the AIA cable was better than nothing. But it came at a significant cost. That was until Tinifiber arrived on the market.

The Rise of the Tinifiber Stainless Steel Micro Armor Fiber Optic Cable

Tinifiber set out to change this state of affairs with their invention of the micro armor fiber optic cable. They wanted to solve all the issues that the AIA cable had: big, weighty, hard to install, and not all that protective anyway. Their stainless steel armored fiber optic cable did all of that and more.

Let’s discuss how the stainless steel fiber optic cable by Tinifiber is overtaking and beating the competition.

Smaller and Lighter

Tinifiber’s cable is 75% smaller and 65% lighter than the AIA cables. That in and of itself is an impressive feat alone. That means it uses fewer materials in the manufacturing processes, saving the buyer and seller money.

Smaller size and weight means the cable is more versatile. It can fit in more places without hogging cable runs. Contractors can feed it into trickier spaces without the same amount of trouble.

This also means that a spool of Tinifiber stainless steel fiber cable is much, much smaller than a comparative AIA cable. That’s a smaller delivery charge.

Installation is cheaper, too. You need fewer hands on deck since the cable is nowhere near as heavy.

In short, the savings go down the line and affect every part of the typical job.

Superior Strength, Durability, and Proofing Against All Conditions

One might think that a micro armor fiber cable would be weaker, not stronger. After all, thicker armor should give better protection, right?

The key word here is efficiency. Stainless steel micro armor gives the maximum protection possible in the smallest package. The AIA makes poor use of this extra material and the false assumption that more is better.

Tinifiber’s micro armor cable not only has superior strength when compared with the AIA but is also proofed against practically any situation. It can withstand crushing pressure, rodent and pest nibbling, chemical exposure, and water damage. 

Long-Lasting

It’s long-lasting, too. Not only do you save money purchasing and installing it, but you won’t have to replace it as often. Fewer replacements drastically reduce the overall cost of a site’s maintenance.

This is a big deal since cable installation is not cheap. Cable replacement is a big project that often leads to site-wide upheaval. The longer you can avoid this, the better.

Finally, identifying an issue with the cables requires an extensive examination of the area. Finding the one break in the line often proves impossible by observation alone, forcing contractors to replace an entire section.

The Final Word on Cable Options: AIA or Micro Armor?

If you’re on the fence, then it’s time to go with the micro armor cable by Tinifiber. This cable beats the AIA and has none of its downsides. It’s more affordable, less wasteful in cable manufacturing, and far more efficient in its key factors.

The Tinifiber cable comes in varieties that serve every possible use case:

• Aerial cables
• Indoor/outdoor cables
• Duct cables
• Direct burial cables

Choose Tinifiber for Your Next Installation

The aluminum interlock armor cable has been a popular cable option for many years but was the only major option for armored cables. This cable has suffered from being too heavy, too difficult to install, and lacking basic forms of proofing. Tinifiber’s micro armor cable has none of these issues and comes in a much smaller package.

At Tinifiber, we stand by the high manufacturing standards that our micro armor cable meets. Request a sample and see with your own eyes how this cable can make a difference in your projects.