FOC BLOGS
FOC BLOGS
Fiber Optic Cable Splicing Explained
We tend to receive the same basic questions on the topic of splicing on types, benefits and applications. To begin, the standard definition of splicing in optical fiber is the joining two fiber optic cables together. The other, more common, method of joining fibers is...
Installation and Cleanliness: It Counts
In any mated pair of fiber optic connectors, the cleanliness of both fiber endfaces plays a major role in the performance of the mated pair. Obviously and intuitively, anything that prevents light from passing freely from one fiber into the other (such as...
Factory Fiber Processing: challenging the industry to provide solutions for low and high-volume mix applications
Fibers that have been designed to meet specific optical properties are used in a variety of applications such as Medical, Spectroscopy, Science, Mil/Aero, Industrial and Telecommunications. The construction of these specialty fibers varies in types and dimensions of...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Bonding Optical Fiber to the Ceramic Ferrule Part 2: Best practices to characterize oven ports used to thermally cure epoxy
By Kelly Barker, Business Development, Epoxies, Technical Sales; and Dan Rocheleau, Business Development, Technical Sales Introduction When fiber optic cable assembly manufacturers ask us to help troubleshoot their epoxy curing issues, we find that some...
Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Part 2: Key components of Fiber Optic Connectors and Key Specifications of Connectors
Key components of Fiber Optic Connectors and Key Specifications of Connectors This article series introduces engineers and technicians to various aspects of the production process to manufacture world-class fiber optic cable assemblies (also known as fiber optic patch...
Good stripping techniques for your fiber optic cable assembly process
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. Without...
Bonding Optical Fiber to the Ceramic Ferrule Part 1: Best practices for epoxy preparation and dispensing
By Kelly Barker, Business Development, Epoxies, Technical Sales; and Dan Rocheleau, Business Development, Technical Sales Introduction Too often, the process of bonding optical fiber to a...
Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Part 1: Components of the fiber optic patch cord and optic fiber geometry
Introduction Is your company entering the fiber optic cable assembly market? Here at Fiber Optic Center, we believe it’s important to introduce engineers and technicians to various aspects of the production process to manufacture high-performance, world-class fiber...
Polishing FAQs: What to do (and what NOT to do) in your fiber optic cable assembly polishing process
As you probably know, the polishing process is an extremely important step in the manufacture of fiber optic cable assemblies. Your polishing process ensures your fiber optic connectors meet certain geometric parameters, industry specifications, and/or customer...
Proper Care of Polishing Fixtures for Optical Fiber Polishing Machines
In fiber optic cable assembly, the polishing process is perhaps the most critical step to assure high-quality assemblies that meet specifications. That’s why it’s important to select the right optical fiber polishing machine – and polishing fixtures – that meet your...
The Glass Transition in Epoxies
The glass transition, Tg, is the temperature at which cured epoxies go from being rigid and glassy to being rubbery and more flexible. Most of us think of cured epoxies as being pretty hard (Shore D) materials; and they are, due to the crosslinked nature of their...
Why Do Scratches Appear After Using the Final Film?
Two of the most frequently asked questions from fiber optic cable assembly operations are: “How do scratches appear?” “How can we keep scratches to a minimum?” When we receive these questions from a customer, we usually request a visual image of one or more scratches...
Insertion Loss Troubleshooting Tip: Singlemode 1310 vs. 1550
In standard Singlemode cable assembly, the two wavelengths used for Insertion Loss testing are 1310nm and 1550nm. All Singlemode fibers work very similarly in either wavelength---that is, you don’t need to buy fiber based on wavelength, one fiber fits...
Fiber optic cable specifications: With so many specs, which ones should you qualify to?
One of the questions I often get from fiber optic cable manufacturers is: “Which specifications do I have to qualify to?” Additionally, I often hear: “Why is it that this particular specification is not good enough? Why can’t one spec fit all?” Unfortunately, a...
Optical cable measurements: Why don’t OTDR and jacket length markings agree?
One of the questions I get asked about regarding optical cable measurements is: “Why don’t my OTDR and jacket length markings agree?” The answer depends on the type of cable being made. In the old days (when you and I were a lot younger) the normal procedure was for a...
Why isn’t there one standard polishing procedure?
This blog is authored by the FOC TEAM including: Marcel Buijs, EMEA Business Development, Technical Sales; Erwin Gelderblom, EMEA Business Development, Technical Sales; and Dan Rocheleau, Business Development, Technical Sales In a perfect world, there would be...
Why use ÅngströmLap lapping film over other manufacturers?
This blog is authored by the FOC TEAM including Donna Brodie, Business Development, Films, Technical Sales; Dan Rocheleau, Business Development, Technical Sales; and Mario Goduco, Business Development, Technical Sales When fiber optic cable assembly process...
Test cables don’t last forever: How to assess quality, condition, usage limit, and replacement schedule
I frequently hear customers complain that although nothing has changed in their fiber optic cable assembly production process, the measured Insertion Loss (IL) and Return Loss (RL) values of their product aren’t as good as they once were. Is something wrong with the...
APC Polishing Advice to Improve Apex Offset and Angle Measurements
Of the two common ferrule shapes involved in APC polishing – conical and step – the step ferrule is by far the easiest in terms of controlling geometries. Step ferrules are more expensive than conical ferrules. However, from a purely process-control point of view,...
Using Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) to polish MT ferrules and get repeatable, predictable results
I’ve been watching the development of Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) since the 1980s, when this polishing process was first used in the semiconductor industry. Of course, my interest in CMP became more personal when this process was introduced to the fiber...
Patch cord gain: Shedding light on this perplexing issue
Here is a question several customers have asked me. Have you experienced this issue? “When measured on my properly calibrated IL/RL meter, some of my patch cords show ‘gain.’ How can this be possible? Since a patch cord cannot have gain, is there something wrong with...
Looking at our industry from a systems perspective: The future of cable is inextricably tied to connectivity.
For years, connectivity in the cable industry was considered a “throw it over the wall” issue with a focus on leaving the problem to others who then became responsible for the convenience of connecting the cables designed to the outside world. It wasn’t considered...
Looking at key benefits of the FastMT fiberscope and a discussion on automated vs. manual optical inspection
In your fiber optic cable assembly facility, when an operator visually inspects one of your connectors – and sees a defect on a fiber – will the operator define it as a defect or call it a scratch? It’s a bit of a judgment call as it depends on the aspect ratio. If...
Cablers: Advice to efficiently reconfigure fiber optic process lines for add-on products – without resulting in suboptimized products
When I was a process engineer at a large cabler, we could reconfigure our fiber optic process lines in about 20 minutes. In a 3-shift day, we could produce 8 different products. Unfortunately, most cablers don’t enjoy this level of efficiency. Cablers large and small...
Cablers: Are you looking to work with specialty cables or furcation tubes? If so, here are key points to consider.
A growing trend in the fiber optic industry is the increasing use of specialty fibers. Clearly, telecommunications and data communications applications are the high-volume users of fiber optics, yet other areas are burgeoning. In fact, many specialty fiber optic...
Helpful Epoxy Tips (and a Few Tricks)
In the fiber optic cable assembly process, working with epoxy generates a lot of questions. When I visit fabrication facilities, we discuss the finer points of mixing the material, loading syringes, minimizing waste, heat-treating crystallized epoxy, and more. For...
Advice for raw material suppliers planning to sell to the optical cable industry: 4 points to consider – and pitfalls to avoid
In the “dog-eat-dog” world of raw materials, competition is stiff. Margins are tight. Opportunities are rare. Is your company eying fiber optics as a new market? If you’re a raw material supplier looking to sell to the optical cable industry, keep reading. ...
MT Ferrule Geometry Specifications: Minus-Side Coplanarity in IEC 61755-3-31:2015
In regards to MT ferrule geometry measurements, Minus Coplanarity (or Minus-Side Coplanarity) is one way to describe how “flat” or “co-planar” an array of fibers is. To ensure minimum optical performance requirements of the telecom world, it is important to ensure...
Which passive component tester to purchase? Start by answering 7 basic questions to get correctly configured fiber optic test equipment
Is your company entering the fiber optic cable assembly business, and you’re “setting up shop”? In your research, you may be discovering that most equipment is not offered as a one-size-fits-all, universal solution. In fact, a key piece of fiber optic test equipment –...
Ideas to adjust your epoxy process: Recommendations to reduce waste (and save money) in your fiber optic cable assembly process
For fiber optic cable assembly manufacturers, bi-packs of 2.5-gram and 4-gram are typical package sizes for epoxy. While these packages contain a very small amount of material, they support the fabrication of quite a few cable connectors and assemblies. (Note that...
Are polymer waveguides in the future for the fiber optic industry?
Since the early 1970s, the demand for higher communication and information traffic has caused the optical fiber network to burgeon. In fact, the modern fiber optic network comprises a large part of the Internet backbone. This includes long-distance communication...
Why do fiber optic connectors fail? Cross-sectioning offers a view inside connectors – and insight into why they fail
How many times have you asked yourself: Why did this connector fail? I’ve been in the fiber optic industry since the 1980's and – despite amazing technological advances – this issue continues to plague our industry. Did you know there are 4 diagnostic methods that can...
Advice for Cable Manufacturers Looking to Enter the US Fiber Optic Market
I’m seeing a trend in the fiber optic industry: Cable manufacturers around the world are looking to develop and qualify cable designs in order to enter the US fiber optic market. Unfortunately, I’m witnessing another trend: Many cable manufacturers don’t do enough...
Bond Line Thickness & More: Answers to Common Epoxy Questions
When I meet with customers, I field a variety of questions regarding epoxy processes in many applications, including fiber optic cable assemblies. This article addresses commonly asked questions: Why is bond line thickness important? What is the recommended minimum...
Buying used vs. new equipment: challenges in optical cable manufacture and new extrusion line business
Many times I have had the conversation about how to get started in cable manufacture or get a new extrusion line up quickly. Invariably two questions come up: How quick can I be in production and what equipment do I need? That quickly is followed by How much will it...
How to Build Your Own “Modally Transparent” Multimode Test Leads
I believe every fiber optic manufacturing company should build its own test leads. Of course, these test leads must provide accurate, repeatable Insertion Loss (IL) test results. This article offers guidance to confidently build and use your own EF-Compliant “modally...
How to Develop a Fiber Optic Polishing Process that Produces Consistent Results
Frequently, my customers ask for guidance to develop a fiber optic polishing process. While there are many details to consider, the process comes down to 5 basic steps. Note that this article focuses on single-fiber (and not MT) PC ferrules. While much of my advice...
Sanding 3D Printed Objects: How to Get a Mirror-Polish Finish
Since attending the RAPID 3D event this summer, I’ve been fielding questions related to sanding 3D printed objects. Thanks to our expertise in abrasive films, several engineers and technicians at 3D printer manufacturers and 3D printing production houses – as well as...
So You Want To Start a Cable Company or Add a Cable Making Division?
At the 65th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium held in Providence, RI on October 2-5, 2016, Technical Horsepower Consulting, LLC. (THC) presented a short talk on Starting a Cable Company and/or Adding a Cable Making Division. The talk,...
What is the Ideal Fiber Height for a Fiber Optic Connector?
Turn the calendar way back to 1981 – the early days of fiber optics. I was working for a connector manufacturer, and one of my customers asked, “What is the Return Loss of your connector?” I didn’t know the answer! I was stumped and, frankly, I was embarrassed. Since...
Epoxy Bi-Pack News – and Usage Tips for Best Results
Fiber Optic Center has made a change to our epoxy packaging, and I want to inform you of this beneficial change. Plus, as I reflected on this topic, I thought about the fact that I field a lot of “how-to” questions from my customers about using epoxy bi-packs. In this...
How to Accurately Measure IL/RL
Why is it important to measure Insertion Loss and Return Loss? It’s quite simple: Your customers demand it. Your customers need to know that you’ve tested every fiber optic jumper and cable and have acquired accurate IL/RL measurements that meet their specs. Why is...
Crystallization in Epoxies: Steps for You to Spot it – and Fix It.
During a recent visit to a customer’s production facility, I was shown two containers of crystallized epoxy: one looked milky, one was nearly solid. My customer was understandably concerned and feared the epoxy had “gone bad.” It may sound strange, but I was glad this...
Braiders, optical cables and the common ground of restorations
As I was going over thoughts of what is appropriate for a summer blog I noticed that some of my hobbies and my vocation cross in very different ways. For example, I have spent the bulk of my professional career developing and building optical cables and the means to...
What Causes Poor IL/RL?
Authors: Chris Rollinson and Dan Rocheleau Most likely, your testing specifications present minimum requirements for a Low IL and High RL. If your production facility is challenged with meeting the desired IL/RL specs, there are common causes you can investigate and...
Steps to Overcome Common APC Polishing Issues
How can you adjust your APC polishing process to modify characteristics of the geometry and achieve consistent accuracy? APC polishing issues could derive from problems with mechanics (materials or equipment) or the polishing process itself. When developing a...
What is an SMA connector and why do we care?
The first connector to be accepted as a widely used standard in the early days of the fiber optic industry, in the late 1970s, was designed by Amphenol in CT as a variation of their coaxial electrical connect known as subminiature assembly, or SMA. In those days,...
It’s a lot like Teflon
Where can I get a little bit of Teflon? ÅngströmLink AL-2233 is basically that. A Teflon-like polymer dissolved in an evaporative solvent. To get a thin layer of ‘almost -Teflon’, make a thin layer of AL-2233 and let the solvent evaporate. What will be left behind...
Wayne Kachmar’s Are we ready for change?
As published on Technical Horsepower Consulting's website As I look at both the trade show booths and the poster papers from OFC and reflect back on what I’ve seen this year versus the past few years, I believe that we are ready for disruptive change. Every year there...
Fiber optic network in giant scale
Published in the December 2014 FREMCO FIBER NEWS NEWSLETTER Two million meters of fiber cable ensures communication paths at the New University Hospital in Aarhus. About 400,000 square meter under roof will house ”The New University Hospital in Aarhus” when it is...
Navigating IEC standards for MT/MPO measurements using interferometry
There are two types of IEC standards for MT/MPO measurements using interferometry. The first is the “Measurement Standard” and its primary purpose is to try and ensure that different instruments yield the same measurement results. This standard includes...
Laser vs Mechanical Cleaving MT/Single Fiber Roadshow
With the introduction of mechanical MT cleaving by Phenix FO at OFC 2015 along with the existing laser cleaving options already on the market from Sagitta and Domaille we thought it might a good idea to line them up next one another and compare the differences. ...
Avoid Fiber Blowing Challenges Hidden in the Ground
Published in the June 2015 FREMCO FIBER NEWS NEWSLETTER It is common knowledge that fiber blowing requires fairly straight ducts with close to full passage. Luckily, many blowing jobs work fine, but technicians often face problems with the buried or relined ducts....
Polished Connector Geometries, APC
Understanding and controlling end-face geometry characteristics of PC ferrules is fairly simple and intuitive. A radius is……a radius. And if you want to increase the radius of a ferrule, you simply need to polish with less pressure, or use a harder backing pad...
Blowing Fiber in Existing Infrastructure
Published in the June 2015 FREMCO FIBER NEWS NEWSLETTER North America has gained more appetite for fiber networks. After tentative efforts, one of the three largest tele companies in Canada has succeeded in offering fiber to the home - especially in new developments....
High-performance fiber inspection, analysis, and certification
Let’s get down to why we spend a lot of time working with benchtop microscopes. Simply put, faulty optical connections are the primary cause of network failures and to rectify that, high-performance fiber inspection is critical. Cleanliness can describe both...
Ensuring Clean Fiber Connections
When it comes to fiber installations, cleanliness is the key to success. Whether the work is in buildings, on construction sites or outdoors in trenches for fiber ducts, there is at a minimum, dust. Dirty connectors cause the highest percentage of fiber optic...
Polishers: Discussion on Expense and Top Technology
Almost all polishers have MT fixtures but there is a substantial difference on capability and performance. It’s like with cars; you will notice the difference when driving it. As you might notice on our website, in addition to Domaille, we are also a distributor for...
Why are epoxy bi-packs 2.5 grams?
If we had a nickel for every time we are asked "Why are epoxy bi-packs 2.5 grams?'... Fiber Optic Center provides epoxy in two-part bi-packs that are typically 2.5 grams. While 2.5 grams might seem small, some modern day applications are very small, and relatively...
Technical Article: Loose Tight Buffer, Time to Define What We Mean
Published 10.6.15 in the IWCS Proceedings from the 64th International Cable & Connectivity Symposium (2015) by Wayne Kachmar, President Technical Horsepower Consulting LLC. with Fiber Optic Center, Inc. Abstract As the optical fiber and cable industry unfolded,...
Single & Multifiber Interferometer: from ‘complication’ to contamination to automation
When it comes to testing we need three things: speed, accuracy and simplicity. Building on DORC’s 21 year of experience, the new single fiber ZX-1 micro PMS and multifiber ZX-1 micro Array successfully tackle these issues. These systems are super compact,...
Dispensing Machine Solutions…. a constant challenge
When asked for solutions for dispensing machines that would allow for up to 10 programs to be saved and 5 different dispensing modes to be used, the search was on. In addition to those challenges we uncovered that many of our customers using digital dispensing...
Polishers on the cable assembly line: the need to simplify
On the cable assembly line, the request for a polisher that allows you to program your processes through an easy-to-use PC-based Windows touch screen is constant. The need is to simplify and once programmed, have displays of your settings for speed, time, pressure,...
Termination process, connectors and cleaving
During the termination process, connectors must be cleaved before they can be polished and laser cleaving increases production yield and connector performance. Laser Cleaving (integrated denubbing and epoxy removal) has been considered a solution by several to...
Multiple Application Platform
Still known by most as the JDSU MAP, the Viavi (formerly JDSU) Multiple Application Platform (also known by its nickname MAP-200) is an optical test and measurement platform optimized for cost-effective development and manufacturing of optical transmission...
Noticing a large epoxy ring with visual inspection
Through the new website feature at Fiber Optic Center, AskFOC, where customers can ask technical questions as another option of support, there are several questions that come in on a consistent basis. One such question centers around noticing a large epoxy ring...
Wafer Level Optics – an example of micro imprinting
What is an example of micro imprinting? One of the best examples of wafer level optics is the camera module on your mobile phone. The basic idea is to fabricate layers of microlenses that are stacked up to make the complete optical element, which is then bonded...
Wayne Kachmar answers, “Are all cable lines alike?”
Are all cable lines alike? I've heard this many times before and typically it's from operations type folks who have seen both copper and fiber cable operations recognize the similarity of the process but do not understand the subtle differences between processing a...
Why is high refractive index important?
Optical polymers are very specialized materials. Not only are they lightweight, easy to process, strong, inexpensive and transparent; some of them (like the OKP polyesters) have high refractive index. High refractive index?? Refractive index is a measure of how light...
Cross Sectioning of Fiber Optic Connectors: the three methods, advantages and disadvantages
Cross Sectioning of Fiber Optic Connectors questions answered here... how many methods and what are the options? There are currently three methods of looking inside a fiber optic connector: Non- Destructive X Ray Non- Destructive Sonar Destructive Cross Sectioning...
Insertion Loss Measurement, Not a Trivial Task – Part 1.
Here at Fiber Optic Center, we are asked questions daily about insertion loss measurement. It might seem like a trivial task to make an insertion loss measurement on a fiber optic connector but it's not – it is impossible. Only the loss of a connection can be...
Fiber Optic Polishing Fixture Maintenance: Fiber Optic Polishing Fixture Contamination and Ultrasonic Cleaning
To help ensure consistent polishing results, maintenance of all fiber optic polishing equipment is essential. The Preventive Maintenance program for polishing fixtures should include periodic ultrasonic cleaning. This is true for any fiber...
Automation in Fiber Optic Cable Assembly
At Fiber Optic Center, we pride ourselves in knowing fiber optic cable assembly production inside and out. We often encounter people outside the industry trying to get in and asking, ‘why don’t we just automate the entire process?’. Great question and quite a...
Does your Lapping Film supplier do all it can to protect the environment?
Fiber Optic Center is committed to choosing suppliers that value the environment. Almost all manufacturing processes produce waste. With thoughtful engineering, the toxicity of this waste can be diminished. Making lapping film is no different. When Fiber Optic...
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