Operating an MCVD is a hands-on activity. This is particularly true for the initial deposition and final tube straightening processes. Over the years, I’ve developed very specific techniques to control the process – and the outcome. Here are some quick tips:
- During the initial deposition tube straightening step, it’s important to take time to properly form joints to prevent lost fabrication runs. If you have a thickened joint area, unfused oxides can condense, potentially plugging the exhaust tube and/or forming cracks.
- In the final tube straightening process, there is one final step, which I call stress relief. Some stresses may have developed during the straightening process. When your burner initially heats up at the process start point the tube could sag. To prevent this possibility I heat the headstock end very warm and look for tube sagging. If sagging occurs, the exhaust end is lightly heated while supporting the headstock end to eliminate runout.
- Read more tips on tube straightening: “Preparing to manufacture an optical fiber preform.”
Additional resources from the FOC team include:
- Category Resource FOC Fiber Design and Manufacturing 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.
Additional articles from our preform fabrication consultant include:
- MCVD Tips: 14 ideas to enhance preform strength, yield, and reproducibility
- MCVD Options: These add-on features can enhance your optical fiber preform strength, yield, and reproducibility
- Controlling the optical fiber preform deposition process
- Preparing to Manufacture an Optical Fiber Preform
- Critical Design Goals to Manufacture Optical Fiber Preforms
- Comparing the 2 types of MCVD gas delivery systems to manufacture optical preforms: Stainless steel and Teflon/glass
- Attention specialty fiber manufacturers: Take advantage of FOC’s preform fabrication consulting to troubleshoot your system and achieve reproducibility and high yields
This article is an original publication of Fiber Optic Center, Inc. It is shared publicly for educational and reference purposes to support learning and professional development within the fiber optics industry.
You are welcome to read, cite, or reference this material for non-commercial and educational purposes, as long as full credit is given to Fiber Optic Center, Inc. and the author.
Reuse, reproduction, or adaptation of this content — including rewriting, republishing, or incorporating it into new materials (such as websites, blogs, marketing text, technical guides, or AI-generated content) — is not permitted without prior written consent from Fiber Optic Center, Inc.
This material is protected by copyright law upon publication, even if not formally registered.
Use of this content for AI training, automated data extraction, or derivative content generation is prohibited.
Fiber Optic Center monitors and enforces the integrity of its intellectual property through digital identifiers and content tracking.
For more details, please refer to the Fiber Optic Center Content Use and Copyright policy.
