METHOD FOR CURING COATING OF OPTICAL FIBER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for curing a coating of a wire material, by which the production cost can be reduced by reducing the consumption of an inert gas in an ultraviolet ray irradiation furnace, and at the same time, the miniaturization of an apparatus and the reduction of apparatus cost can be achieved by downsizing inert gas supply equipment. SOLUTION: The method for curing a coating of an optical fiber comprises curing an ultraviolet ray-curable resin 4 for coloring applied on the outer periphery of the optical fiber 3 by a plurality of stages of ultraviolet ray irradiation furnaces 11, 14, 16. The ultraviolet ray irradiation furnaces 11 is provided in the initial stage after the ultraviolet ray-curable resin 4 for coloring is applied on the optical fiber 3 and irradiates the ultraviolet ray-curable resin 4 applied on the fiber 3 with an ultraviolet ray under such a condition that the periphery of the optical fiber 3 is purged by an inert gas. The plurality of ultraviolet ray irradiation furnaces 14, 16 except the ultraviolet ray irradiation furnaces 11 provided in the initial stage after the ultraviolet ray-curable resin 4 for coloring is applied, irradiate the ultraviolet ray-curable resin 4 applied on the fiber 3 with an ultraviolet ray without purging the periphery of the optical fiber 3 with an inert gas. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT