Fusion splicing requires the use of a high-tech tool called a fusion splicer. This device fuses the ends of the cable together by melting them. This ensures a precision-cleaved splice that is less likely to break during normal handling and processing.
1. Clean the Cable
One of the best ways to get a smooth optical transmission is to make sure your cables, connectors and optics are clean. Contamination on these items can decrease signal attenuation, increase return loss and damage the system.
To avoid this, integrators must ensure that all fibers are clean and well-maintained before splicing them together. This also applies to the connectors and mating adaptors that are used with these cables.
Cleaning a fiber optic multimeter cable is important because many particles can disrupt performance even when they are not visible. These can be small enough to affect the signal that is transmitted on the fiber, and a simple mistake can cause significant loss of data.
The best way to ensure your fiber cables are clean is to use a cleaning process that will remove all contaminants and leave your cable in good condition. There are many different cleaning processes available that will do this.
For instance, a wet to dry cleaning process can be used to ensure that all contaminants are removed from the fiber cable connectors and mating adaptors. This involves using a lint free fiber optic cleaning cloth that is dipped in reagent grade alcohol.
Another cleaning method involves using a cotton swab that has been dipped in alcohol to remove any large particles. This will help keep your fusion splicer clean and prevent any problems from occurring during the process.
2. Strip the Buffer Coatings
Fiber optic cable is made up of glass or plastic strands that are separated by a protective polymer coating. This outer layer is called the jacket. It protects the individual strands from damage and extends the life of the cable.
Once the jacket is removed, each individual fiber is exposed. This can be done with a manual stripper or a thermal stripper.
Next, you need to remove the buffer coatings. For loose tube fibers, strip about 2 meters of the fiber using a buffer tube stripper.
If the cable is tight buffered, strip about 5cm of the 900um tight buffer with a buffer stripper.
After removing the coatings, clean the bare fiber with a lint-free wipe soaked in optical fiber cleaning fluid. Then, carefully cleave each end of the fiber with a precision fiber cleaver.
The cleaving process is important to get the right results in fiber fusion splicing. The break must be precise, smooth and perpendicular to the axis of the fiber.
This will ensure that the splicer melts the ends of the fiber properly, resulting in low loss and high reflection. A poorly cleaved break can cause problems, so be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for maintaining and operating your cleaver.
Lastly, place each of the stripped ends in the splice device. Be sure to position them in a way that is centered in between the heating electrodes of the Fusion Splicer.
3. Cleave the Ends
A fusion splice is an optical connection that forms a continuous bond between two fiber cables. It offers superior performance, lower insertion loss and less back reflection. It also is the preferred splicing method for single-mode high-speed fiber and CATV networks.
The splice process is done by aligning the ends of the fibers and melting them together with an electric arc produced by the fusion splicer. This technique requires minimal fiber loss to provide a quality optical connection that meets tensile strength requirements for network connections.
First, remove the protective coatings from one end of the fiber cable being spliced. This usually involves removing the outer jacket, polymer coatings and strength members on the cable.
Next, clean the bare fiber using lint-free wipes that are soaked in isopropyl alcohol. This will remove most dust and particles from the fiber strands.
Once the bare fiber has been cleaned and stripped of all coatings, it should be ready to be cleaved with a high precision splicer. This is the most critical step and requires the most precision from the technician.
The technician must ensure that the cleave is properly aligned, meaning that the ends of the fiber are perpendicular to each other and the axis of the fiber. The technician can use a splicer that has automatic alignment or manual alignment features to help them achieve this.
4. Place the Ends in the Splice Protective Sleeve
A fusion splicer uses heat and an electrical arc to fuse the ends of two fiber optic cables. This produces a reliable joint with a low insertion loss and nearly zero back reflection when done properly.
To ensure a proper splice, always visually inspect the splice. Look for any black spots, lines, bubbles, bulges or shadows that may interfere with optical transmission.
If you notice any of these, it is best to redo the splice process. This can be accomplished by repeating the ARC step or simply starting over with fresh fiber.
Once the splice is completed, you should cover the fusion point in the splice protective sleeve to prevent damage from being caused by heat or tensile force. To do this, remove the fibers from their guides and slide the sleeve over each end.
The sleeve is then placed in the fusion oven built into the splicer and the machine is turned on to initiate the heating process. When the sleeve reaches a specific temperature, the heat shrink plastic will shrink and encapsulate the fiber, protecting it from damage.
While splicing, it is important to wear personal protective equipment like aprons and gloves. This will prevent small glass fragments from attaching to your clothes and skin, which can be damaging. In addition, it is best to keep food away from your work area to avoid fiber particles from clogging up your throat and digestive system.
5. Place the Ends in the Splice Device
Before splicing a fiber optic cable, it is important to make sure that the ends are clean and free of dirt or debris. The cleaning process can help prevent splice loss and strength issues.
First, the cable must be stripped of all coatings, jackets, tubes, strength members, and other external protective materials. Once this is done, the ends are clean and ready for splicing.
The next step is to cleave the ends of the fibers using a fiber cleaver. This step is critical to a successful fusion splice. The cleave should be a clean, mirror-smooth cut that is perpendicular to the fiber axis.
This cleave must be smooth and flat on the fiber ends so that they will be able to be positioned closely together during the Splicing Machine process. A cleave that has any lips or other protrusions will not produce the desired result and will affect the resulting splice quality.
Finally, the cleaved ends should be placed in the splice device. Once they are in the splicer, the end faces should be aligned and the machine’s electric arc cycle should be activated to melt and fuse the two fibers.
The splice device will then estimate the losses of the spliced fibers and report them to the operator. The operator can then test the splices using an OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer) or power meter in both directions to ensure that the splice meets all splicing and loss requirements.
6. Start the Fusion Splicing Process
The fusion splicing process requires the use of special equipment and tools to achieve accurate and efficient results. The fiber splicing machine has a small, precise motor that makes minute adjustments to the fiber ends until they are properly aligned. This ensures that the end splice is as seamless as possible and will not cause any attenuation or signal degradation.
To start the splicing process, the technician will place both ends of the cable into the device. The device then automatically adjusts the settings to align the ends of the fiber, heat them and fuse them together with an electric arc.
Once the splicing process is complete, it is time to protect the splice from external damage and breakage. This is done using a shrink tubing, silicone gel or mechanical crimp protector.
After the splice is protected from external elements, it is then ready for inspection. This is done by transmitting an optical ray through the splice to determine its loss. The results of the splice are then reported in dB and can be used for troubleshooting purposes.
Fusion splicing is an advanced and complex process that can only be performed by qualified technicians. If the technician does not know how to perform the splicing properly, the fiber optic signals could be damaged or degraded. It is therefore necessary to train and develop the technicians in order to obtain high-quality low-loss splices.
