The Lubricant Developed for Blowing Conventional Fiber Optic Cable • Increases Blowing Distance • Lowers Friction • Easy to Apply • Proven, Effective Formula • Low Overall Cost • Compatible with Cable • "Winter Grade" Available • Special Microcable Formula Polywater® Prelube 2000™ reduces frictional drag during the blowing of outside plant cable into duct. It increases the length of cable that can be blown in a single shot. Prelube 2000™ can also be used to blow in the hollow microtubes intended to hold future microcables (use Prelube 5000™ for blowing the microcables themselves). Over the last decade, Prelube 2000™ has been proven in the blowing of tens of thousands of kilometers of cable in over 20 countries on a variety of cable blowing machines. Performance: Prelube 2000™ performance data is shown in Figure 1. In these studies, the forces on a threaded cable were measured at various air flows and pressures with the mechanical pushing unit deactivated. A positive force indicates the cable was trying to advance (had to be held back). Conversely, a negative force means the cable had to be pushed with that force to move. The data show that the cable was trying to advance with a much higher force into the duct with the Prelube 2000™ versus paraffin and versus unlubricated duct. This means there was much lower friction offsetting the pushing force from the moving air. The data indicate a friction coefficient in the 0.09 range for Prelube 2000™, a 0.27 for the paraffin oil, and a 0.7 for unlubricated HDPE. Maximum blowing distance occurs when the frictional force resisting movement equals the blowing force producing movement. The maximum blowing distance varies linearly with friction coefficient in straight conduit sections. The friction reduction shown for Prelube 2000™ can increase installation distance by a factor of 5 or more versus unlubricated duct. More information on these studies is published in our TeleTopics Newsletter Volume #11. Application: A properly installed duct system with pressure-tight duct splices is an absolute necessity for efficient cable blowing. Follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions. The duct must be clean, dry, and mandral tested. Clean the duct by blowing a tight-fitting foam sponge through the duct with high pressure. If excess water or dirt comes from the duct, repeat the process. Prelube 2000™ is effective at a coating thickness of 0.5 mg/cm². See our article reprint for additional information on conduit preparation. For smoothwall duct and high air speed machines (no missile), squeeze the recommended amount of Prelube 2000™ Lubricant from the table below into the duct. Spread the lubricant by blowing a foam carrier through the duct. The quart squeeze bottle (cat# P-35) is a good package for this type of application.