Articles by FOC Tips

Epoxy on the technician’s finger transfers to the outside of the ferrule during in-process product handling. This accidental contamination may result in a fiber that is not centered perfectly within the adapter sleeve and, therefore, not aligned. Such process ...

It takes a lot of work to generate gas streams that are uniform and reproducible, with no variation. But if your rotary seal leaks, this can introduce moisture and potential corrosion, and you may see a higher OH peak in measured fibers. Common rotary seal ...

Crystallization in epoxies is common, and it’s likely that you’ll discover a crystallized container. When you do, please don’t be alarmed. Simply follow the heat treatment procedures FOC has published. This is a fast and easy remedy. In fact, one of my...

Most likely, your testing specifications present minimum requirements for a Low IL and High RL. If your production facility is challenged with meeting the desired IL/RL specs, there are common causes you can investigate and address. However, before addressing common...

Apex Offset for APC connectors is really the combination of two factors: Polishing angle, and key error. When troubleshooting an APC process which is resulting in poor Apex Offset values, we must identify which component—Angle, Key Error, or both—is the ...

Ideally, the “transition point” will ultimately be located either just touching, or just behind (less than 1mm), the rear of the ceramic ferrule. It is an excellent practice to periodically take samples from the production line and cross-section them to look...

Fiber Optic Center, Inc. (FOC), has stock on the shelf of SMA connectors in over 40 hole sizes from 127 to 2645 um, in volumes of as little as 10 to over 20,000 pieces, depending on design and hole size. On any given day, these can include: 144, 150, 172, 201, 205,...

Start with the largest grit to remove all pits, bumps, and scratches. Most polymers are easy to sand, so don’t overdo it. However, it is important to sand until you can’t see any odd divots or bumps. Sand evenly across the surface in small circular movement ...

At Fiber Optic Center, we recommend the Viavi MAP-200 Passive Component Tester to measure IL/RL. Viavi (formerly JDSU) has been producing IL/RL meters for at least 20 years. In fact, they initially built this tester for their own internal use, because suitable ...

During my MCVD years, I actively sought out various add-on control devices to improve our process and fiber quality. In fact, some features were specifically designed for my needs. Here’s a brief overview of recommended options. Read more: “MCVD options: These ...