DSM Desotech's line of Bufferlite™ UV-curable tight buffer materials has been named among the Top Products of 2004 by Wire & Cable Technology International magazine.   Winners were selected based on the total number of reader inquiries received throughout the year by the magazine.

DSM Desotech is the world's leading supplier of UV-curable materials for the production of optical fiber and cable.  In November 2003, it introduced Bufferlite 3000 Series flame-retardant tight buffer resins for use in riser applications.  In November 2004, it followed with the introduction of Bufferlite 3038 Series Easy Strip tight buffer resins for use in 500-900 micron applications.  Both series are available in 12 colors.

Bufferlite 3000 Series Low-Smoke, Zero-Halogen Tight Buffer Resins
Bufferlite 3000 Series flame-retardant tight buffer resins are designed to offer a desirable alternative to traditional thermoplastic buffer materials.  In addition to their high processing speeds, low scrap rates and an environmentally-friendly design (all Bufferlite materials are lead-free and halogen-free), these resins also pass UL 1685 smoke and UL 1666 flame-propagation requirements, making them suitable for riser applications.  

Bufferlite 3038 Series Easy-Strip Tight Buffer Resins
Bufferlite 3038 tight buffer resins offer manufacturers greater design flexibility than traditional thermoplastic buffers in their suitability for either 500 or 900 micron tight buffer applications.  True to their name, Bufferlite 3038 series resins can be easily stripped off inked fiber even after long-term aging, allowing for reduced termination times.  Like Bufferlite 3000 Series resins, they also provide the advantages of high-speed processing and reduced scrap rates.  

"Bufferlite tight buffer materials were extremely well-received by the industry this past year," says DSM Desotech Marketing Manager-Inks & Matrix David Chase.  "They're the first materials to deliver the advantages of UV-curable technology to the tight buffer process and the industry is just beginning to realize the full extent of the manufacturing and performance benefits that can be achieved."