In-tower optical fiber bending

An optical fiber draw tower (100) configured to melt a preform (104) into an optical fiber (106), the optical fiber draw tower (100) comprising:

• a top end zone (108) and a bottom end zone (110), wherein the preform (104) is inserted at the top end zone (108) and is melted into the optical fiber (106) that exits from the bottom end zone (110), wherein a fluid is inserted into the optical fiber draw tower (100) from the top end zone (108);
• and a plurality of air knives (112) that distorts an optical fiber path such that partially uncooled optical fiber deviates from a vertical path and follows a bended path,
• wherein the vertical path is defined by an axis parallel to the optical fiber draw tower (100),
• wherein the plurality of air knives (112) is a plurality of openings arranged to cause distortion on the vertical path of the optical fiber (106) in the optical fiber draw tower (100),
• wherein the plurality of openings is a combination of one or more of a suction and pumping of the fluid,
• wherein a length of the bended path is greater than a length of the vertical path, wherein the length of the bended path is defined by laminar flow for at least 70% of the length of the bended path.