Step Five of Single-Fiber PC Ferrules, Developing a Polishing Process

Published: March 1, 2019

, Last updated: September 11, 2025

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Single-fiber PC ferrules, developing a polishing process:

Step 5. Conduct a visual inspection.

Your customers will require some type of visual inspection. (Clearly, you cannot ship a connector with a shattered fiber.) After achieving desired geometry values, measure the visual appearance of the end-face, looking for 2 types of defects: pits and scratches. Typically, pitting can be resolved by increasing time during the intermediate (diamond) polishing steps. Consistent appearance of a large quantity of fine scratches (the “skating rink” appearance) is likely due to insufficient time and/or pressure on the final polishing step. Sporadic appearance of a few scratches is likely caused by contamination, due to insufficient cleaning.

READ ALL THE STEPS and THE FULL BLOG ARTICLE HERE: How to Develop a Fiber Optic Polishing Process that Produces Consistent Results

Additional resources from the FOC team include:

Category Resource:
- FOC Polish Page
View the Glossary, Acronyms, Military Specifications for Connectors
Q&A Resource: email technical questions to AskFOC@focenter.com

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.

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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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