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Cross Sectioning and Detailed Failure Analysis

Published: June 8, 2018
, Last updated: September 17, 2025

Fiber Optic Center offers the service of Cross Sectioning and detailed failure analysis and also provides the equipment and training to companies that need internal capability for cross-sectioning.

FOC offers this unique cross-sectioning service to identify and isolate problems related to fiber optic terminations that would otherwise be invisible. This process starts by performing a metallographic analysis of a fiber optic connector requiring several hours of vacuum desiccation followed by vacuum mounting of the samples with a slow cure, low expansion mounting epoxy.

These encapsulated samples are then manually polished, maintaining precise flatness, depth and co-planarity with the ceramic hole to result in the best possible vantage point for final inspection. FOC then provides a failure mode interpretation and suggests cause or source of the failure. Photographic documentation with various magnifications, illumination techniques and microscopes are included to illustrate this analysis.

READ THE BLOG: Cross Sectioning of Fiber Optic Connectors: the three methods, advantages and disadvantages

 

Additional resources from the FOC team include:

 

Have questions about this FOC Tip?

Contact FOC with questions at: (800) 473-4237 / 508-992-6464 or email: FiberOpticCenter@focenter.com and we will respond ASAP.

About the Author
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

For further information contact:
Fiber Optic Center, Inc., 23 Centre Street, New Bedford, MA 02740-6322
Toll Free in US: 800-IS-FIBER or 800-473-4237 . Direct 508-992-6464. Email: sales@focenter.com or fiberopticcenter@focenter.com

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