2/16/2017, Lowell, MA and Spartanburg, SC – Several AFL associates were recognized for receiving patent awards for developing new products and technologies within the optical connectivity, fusion splicing and test and inspection divisions.
AFL’s Test & Inspection team received a patent for the Health Meter interface on the WDM900 Lightwave Test Set product line. Through this innovative user experience, the traditional complexity of an optical spectrum analyzer is simplified by combining multiple parameters into a single diagnosis of healthy or unhealthy for all channels in a C/DWDM transmission system. This enables the general user to quickly and easily collect expert-level test results in the field.
The Optical Connectivity Team received two patents for subsea hardware. The first patent is for a highly reliable, full ocean pressure “tube seal” consisting of a swage and a Morrison seal. The second patent, “cylindrical housing with locking ring” describes a one atmosphere pressuring housing designed to interconnect small subsea cables. Both inventions complement AFL’s subsea cable product portfolio.
Finally, AFL’s harsh environment team received a patent for new cable technology which enables optical fiber to be deployed as a temperature sensor in extremely high temperature environments in hydrocarbon processing and geothermal applications.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless, and outside plant applications.
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

- FOC Tips: Return Loss (RL) is a measure of power reflected - February 14, 2019
- Fiber Optic Center AskFOC: What is the recommended minimum bond line thickness? - February 13, 2019
- FOC Tips: developing a polishing process, evaluate visual defects - February 12, 2019
- Fiber Optic Center AskFOC: how do we get information about allergic issues on some of the specific epoxy products you sell? - February 11, 2019
- FOC Tips: Minus Coplanarity, the distance between the lowest fiber and the “best-fit plane” through the array of fibers - February 7, 2019
- Fiber Optic Center AskFOC: what if you continually have problems with epoxy mixing? - February 6, 2019
- FOC Tips: passive component testers and wavelength - February 5, 2019
- Fiber Optic Center AskFOC: can objects contact the bottom or sidewalls of the ultrasonic bath when cleaning polishing fixtures? - February 4, 2019
- FOC Tips: Step four of single-fiber PC ferrules, developing a polishing process - February 1, 2019
- Fiber Optic Center AskFOC: What’s the easiest way to load a syringe with a mixed package of epoxy? - January 31, 2019