Fiber Optic Center will be at OFC  and   SPIE Photonics Europe - Schedule your meeting with a member of the FOC team now

The Four Major Components of the Fiber Optic Patch Cord

  • Jacket – The jacket is the external covering of the fiber optic cable. While it offers protection, its primary purpose is not to provide strength. Essentially, the jacket holds all components together: the aramid strength members and buffered fiber, which encompass the optic fiber.
  • Aramid strength members – Aramid yarns are strong, heat-resistant fibers. In the fiber optic cable assembly, the aramid strength members provide tensile strength from the connector and throughout the cable. For example, during the manufacturing process, as you pull the cable onto the connector, the aramid strength members help to assure the cable and the glass optic fiber won’t break. (Note that aramid strength members are often referred to as Kevlar®, which is a trademarked name for a particular brand of aramid yarn.)
  • Buffer coating on the fiber – The glass optic fiber is manufactured with a protective (buffer) coating against damage. Depending on the patch cord’s application, the buffer coating can be a variety of different materials that will offer, for example, resistance to high temperatures or fire resistance. The buffer also protects the acrylate-coated fiber as it is extruded into the jacket as well as acting as a “seal,” if you will, of that acrylate-coated fiber before splicing or connectorization.
  • Optic fiber – Manufactured from glass or plastic, the optic fiber is an optical waveguide comprised of a light-carrying core and cladding, which traps light in the core. Fiber optic communication systems use either single-mode or multimode types.

READ THE FULL BLOG ARTICLE HERE: Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing Part 1: Components of the fiber optic patch cord and optic fiber geometry

 

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 and supplies and has been helping customers make the best cable assemblies in the world for over two decades. Several areas of specialization and expertise, in which they are the industry leader, make them the preferred choice for many of the world’s fiber professionals. In these key technology areas, FOC is "at least as technical as the manufacturer" about the products they sell. Striving to "make the business part easy," they offer outstanding and personal customer service, low or no minimum purchase order values, and from-stock delivery on industry-leading products and technology. FOC is 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