FOC Blog
How small is too small…. the fiber optic cable industry over the decades
Wayne Kachmar, who has participated in many innovations and seen the maturing of the optical cable industry, brings us this perspective in his latest blog as Optical Cable Technical Expert, Fiber Optic Center, Inc. and owner of his consulting company, Technical...
Defeating Bubbles
Perhaps one of the most maddening things about a mixed material is entrained bubbles. Depending on how you mix, you may entrain none, or a ton of them. You want to stab them, push them and blow on them. Anything to break them. But in many photonics applications...
Insertion Loss: How Offsets Can Give Unexpected Results (Gains)
Measuring the insertion loss of a Single Mode jumper would seem to be a simple matter but there are a few complications to consider. Insertion Loss is a relative measure, it's the reduction in power when an additional passive element is added to an optical circuit....
What we do vs. what we wish to do – thoughts on the realistic integration of next-generation fiber optic technologies
Today, fiber optic communications have been firmly established. We install networks both in the switched telephone and CATV networks with industry-standard methods, cables, and sometimes architecture. We have fiber to the home in large-scale implementations (FIOS,...
Epoxy Removal Methods and Strategies
Epoxy is a permanent adhesive. When properly chosen for your application and substrates, and properly cured, it will form a strong, permanent bond. At times though, you may find that you need to recover bonded parts or clean parts to remove excess cured epoxy. So...
Are we doomed to repeat the past? Not letting our industry’s critical “tribal knowledge” become a lost art
As more colleagues from my generation move toward retirement, I am concerned that the collected knowledge we gained empirically is not fully being preserved for the next generation of fiber optic engineering professionals. Why do I say this? If you look at the...
The art of cleaning: Follow these specific cleaning techniques during fiber optic cable assembly manufacturing and installation
Marcel Buijs, EMEA Business Development, Technical Sales, Fiber Optic Center, Inc. with over twenty five years in the photonics industry, brings this latest information on making the ultimate fiber optic product and improving process yield. The cleaning activities...
Testing Tips: enhance your process, your results, and your fiber optic cable assemblies
At FOC, we are contacted daily as a resource for test and inspection support for fiber optic cable assemblies. Degraded IL/RL results is a common topic we offer technical expertise for establishing rigorous production controls. As we develop custom procedural...
The Conundrum of Epoxy Temperature Storage
When working with epoxies and adhesives, there are several consistent areas that beg for clarity. FOC knows because we generally field those questions and concerns. Among the top of that list are: Room temperature storage best practices Storage methods and...
Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Part 4: Establishing Internal Industry Product Standards for Fiber Optic Assemblies
The fiber optic assemblies - patch cords, pigtails, and terminated truck cables - have a series of standards to comply with today’s installations into high speed networks and telco applications. From an industry standpoint, there are a series of requirements and...
Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Part 3: The 101 on Connector Types
Recognizing that there are quite a few connectors on market that are actively being used in fiber optic installations, there are also some older types and discontinued connectors, not being used in the main stream of data and telco markets, but used in more...
Need to push extra-long fiber optic cables through tubing? Check out this innovative fiber-blowing solution
Editor’s note: Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it. Here’s how Dave Sylvia’s spark of inspiration turned out to be a new, useful discovery for fiber optic cable assembly production. By all indications, Dave’s innovation – a new application for an...
Polishing Tips and Best Practices for Single Fiber Connectors
When polishing a fiber optic connector, by polishing machine, there are procedures and setting parameters designed to leverage the machines best practices as well as previous developments and experience. Additionally, there are tips to consider applying during daily...
FOC’s step-by-step making a difference many places
Fiber Optic Center, Inc. (FOC), is known for being the industry experts on making the best cable assemblies in the world through our unique step-by-step process but through the FOC Corporate Citizen program of volunteerism and community support, the company takes many...
Mechanical cleaving removes the human variable, improves your process control: Investigating the Phenix fibersect
When I talk with FOC customers about MT ferrule cleaving in preparation for polishing, we discuss two basic options: “manual cleaving” and “automated cleaving”. Manual cleaving relies on a trained operator scoring the fiber with a fiber scribe, and then...
Adding color, pigment to UV curable coatings
From time to time, FOC has been asked to recommend a pigment that can be safely added to UV curable coatings as well as offer advice about what ratio of pigment to coating is acceptable without compromising the integrity of the coating. As communicated by our...
Does epoxy cause core cracking? Tips to identify and prevent this phenomenon
Kelly Barker, Business Development, Epoxies, Technical Sales and Dan Rocheleau, Business Development, Technical Sales Fabricating fiber optic cable assemblies is still in large part a manual process, requiring knowledge and skill. When something in the process...
A call to action: Automation in the connector assembly process is an essential next step for fiber optic connectivity
Throughout most of the telecommunication industry, manufacturing automation has flourished. Here’s just one example of successful automation: fusion splicing. The operator preps the fiber ends, puts them into the splicer, and presses a button. The equipment measures...
MCVD Tips: 14 ideas to enhance preform strength, yield, and reproducibility
“Trial and error.” These two words sum up my 24 years developing and manufacturing specialty preforms and fibers where I operated an MCVD gas delivery system. Our team was constantly testing new ideas to improve fiber strength and yield as well as the reproducibility...
MCVD Options: These add-on features can enhance your optical fiber preform strength, yield, and reproducibility
You can manufacture optical fiber preforms with a very basic system, essentially a gas delivery system in a room with an MCVD lathe. Or you can enhance your system by adding many accessories that will improve fiber strength and yield as well as the reproducibility of...
Controlling the optical fiber preform deposition process
The lathe, rotary seal, optical pyrometer, deposition burner, and diameter control system all must work together to successfully manufacture a preform. In the following paragraphs, I offer recommendations based on my years developing and manufacturing specialty...
Preparing to Manufacture an Optical Fiber Preform
Purchasing high-purity raw materials is critical to manufacturing quality preforms. How we handle our materials, tools, and equipment is equally important. For example, properly purging gas cylinder connections, properly filling reagent bubblers, and properly cleaning...
Critical Design Goals to Manufacture Optical Fiber Preforms
As we all know, high-purity raw materials are critical to achieve design goals. Low metallic impurities prevent reflective loses, and dry raw materials prevent absorptions. In addition, there are many design tactics to meet cutoff wavelength, mode field diameter...
Comparing the 2 types of MCVD gas delivery systems to manufacture optical preforms: Stainless steel and Teflon/glass
If your company manufactures optical preforms – or is considering doing so – then you know the gas delivery system is critically important, because it controls the precise delivery of high-purity gases and chemical vapors. Prior to joining Fiber Optic Center, much of...
Attention specialty fiber manufacturers: Take advantage of FOC’s preform fabrication consulting to troubleshoot your system and achieve reproducibility and high yields
Editor’s note: With the addition of Larry Donalds to the Fiber Optic Center team, we now offer preform fabrication consulting services to manufacturers of specialty optical preforms and fibers. You can look to Larry for guidance selecting the right MCVD fabrication...
Bonding Optical Fiber to the Ceramic Ferrule Part 3: Best practices to validate your epoxy curing schedule
By Kelly Barker, Business Development, Epoxies, Technical Sales and Dan Rocheleau, Business Development, Technical Sales “How do I know what curing schedule I should use?” This is a common...
Proper crimping techniques are critical when terminating fiber optic connectors
Marcel Buijs, EMEA Business Development, Technical Sales, Fiber Optic Center, Inc. with over twenty five years in the photonics industry, brings this latest information on making the ultimate fiber optic product and improving process yield. When manufacturing fiber...
FOC Marketing Tip 12: Social Media Navigation
Social Media Navigation When it comes to social media and the business marketer, it is a wide landscape to navigate. Just participating on everything because you are not sure which networks are the right fit is not strategic. Social networks have the benefit of both...
FOC Marketing Tip 11: Business Development: An Honest Conversation
Business Development: An Honest Conversation It is a known fact that very few B2B companies have effective alignment between their marketing and sales departments. The struggle is real. In spite of the fact that when the two departments work seamlessly together a...
FOC Marketing Tip 10: Product Inventory Management and a quick snapshot….
Product Inventory Management and a quick snapshot…. Product management, systems and best practices are topics that marketing managers discuss and compare notes on. Here is a quick snapshot on our plans and the specifics behind them. At the core of FOC’s...
FOC Marketing Tip 9: Trade Show Strategy Revisited
Trade Show Strategy Revisited Recently, I have had many conversations around trade show best practices and the challenges that many of my colleagues face. I had published a blog on that subject and how to improve processes earlier in the year, Trade show best...
FOC Marketing Tip 8: The Roles of a Marketing Team
The Roles of a Marketing Team The Roles of a Marketing Team have changed drastically from five to ten years ago. A shift has occurred from a time when branding was being achieved through messaging, advertisements, product offers, big trade show booths, parties,...
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