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Contamination Within the Ferrule Bore Is Preventing the Ferrule From Sliding Freely Within the Bore

Published: June 28, 2018
, Last updated: September 17, 2025

Contamination within the ferrule bore is preventing the ferrule from sliding freely within the bore:  This mainly applies to connector polishing (as opposed to ferrule-only polishing) where the connector’s spring force is relied on to present equal downward pressure to the ferrules during polishing.

The ferrules in a connector fiber optic polishing fixture must be able to piston up-and-down freely in the fixture.  If contamination of the ferrule bore holds the ferrule too tightly, this may “lock up” the ferrules or prevent them from pistoning consistently / smoothly within the bore during polishing.  This, in turn, will result in different pressures being applied to the end-faces during polishing—–which creates variation in Radius values, FH values, and fiber end-face polish quality (scratches).
 
READ THE BLOG: Fiber Optic Polishing Fixture Maintenance: Fiber Optic Polishing Fixture Contamination and Ultrasonic Cleaning

 

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FOC Tips Fiber Optic Center has a team of technical experts and marketing strategists with decades of years in the field. This team contributes to the fiber, cable and specialty industries coverage through news, alerts, reports and general media information.
About Fiber Optic Center, Inc.
Fiber Optic Center, Inc., (FOC), is an international leader in distributing fiber optic components, equipment, materials, and supplies known for helping customers make the best cable assemblies in the world for over three decades. Material property consultation is provided by technical experts for lapping film, epoxy, adhesives, optical coatings, and optical plastics during application specific material selection. Technical process expertise is offered in several key technology areas. Specialized expertise includes cable assembly line mastery, fiber broadband field installation best practices, and technical advancements in telecom, datacom, data centers, and hyperscale. Optical cable specification development includes design and quality testing. FOC's impact reaches the network physical capabilities through fiber manufacturing process expertise from preform fabrication and shaping, fiber drawing, and coating requirements for double clad fibers used for high power fiber laser applications to solution doping, vapor phase doping, rare earth chelates and halide recipe consultation. Fiber Optic Center is the preferred choice for the world’s fiber professionals as the industry connection to the most innovative optical products, technologies and technical experts who integrate their manufacturing knowledge and vast experience into customers' worldwide operations. @FiberOpticCntr

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Kathleen Skelton, Director of Strategic Marketing, C: 617-803-3014 . E: kskelton@focenter.com