MT ferrules require different polishing procedures In Part 1 of this series, we covered the use of films with pressure-sensitive adhesives. In Part 2, we covered films for polishing zirconia ferrules. In this article, we focus on the special products needed to polish...
Part 3: Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Recognizing that there are quite a few connectors on the market that are actively being used in fiber optic installations, there are also some older types and discontinued connectors, not being...
Part 4: Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing The fiber optic assemblies - patch cords, pigtails, and terminated truck cables - have a series of standards to comply with today’s installations into high-speed networks and telco applications....
Part 2: Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Key components of Fiber Optic Connectors and Key Specifications of Connectors This article series introduces engineers and technicians to various aspects of the production process to manufacture...
In September 2019, FOC posted an article explaining the difference between mechanical and fusion splices. Fiber Optic Cable Splicing Explained. Fusion splicing is joining two fibers together by melting the two fibers together. Result is a near-seamless / lossless...
FOC has posted several articles on cleaning and inspection in recent years. Two recent ones were Ensuring Clean Fiber Connections, and The Art of Cleaning. The first article cites IEC standard 61300-3-35, which covers visual inspection techniques and requirements for...
Part 1: Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Introduction Is your company entering the fiber optic cable assembly market? Here at Fiber Optic Center, we believe it’s important to introduce engineers and technicians to various aspects of the...
As you probably know, the polishing process is an extremely important step in the manufacture of fiber optic cable assemblies. Your polishing process ensures your fiber optic connectors meet certain geometric parameters, industry specifications, and/or customer...
I’ve been watching the development of Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) since the 1980s, when this polishing process was first used in the semiconductor industry. Of course, my interest in CMP became more personal when this process was introduced to the fiber...
How many times have you asked yourself: Why did this connector fail? I’ve been in the fiber optic industry since the 1980’s and – despite amazing technological advances – this issue continues to plague our industry. Did you know there are 4 diagnostic methods...
Turn the calendar way back to 1981 – the early days of fiber optics. I was working for a connector manufacturer, and one of my customers asked, “What is the Return Loss of your connector?” I didn’t know the answer! I was stumped and, frankly, I was...
Cross Sectioning of Fiber Optic Connectors questions answered here… how many methods and what are the options? There are currently three methods of looking inside a fiber optic connector: Non- Destructive X Ray Non- Destructive Sonar...
Primarily, the indicator of over-polished connectors is poor repeatability in measurements of the return loss and insertion loss. For the majority of “spring-loaded ferrule connectors” e.g.; LC, SC, MU, FC. Determining over-polishing of the connector is difficult to...
This issue has been asked of me many times by numerous experienced and new start-up assembly operations of fiber optic connector assemblies. The questions of: “How much is enough”? and “How do I know that I have the right amount of epoxy in the connector”? The answer...
