Splicing fibers requires the right equipment and a good amount of skill.
Simply put, fusion splicing is the process of joining two ends of a fiber cable. There are many reasons to splice a cable. Perhaps a cable was damaged and needs to be repaired. Or maybe a cable needs to be extended. Whatever the reason, fusion splicing is a technique that any reputable cabling company will be able to do.
How Does Fusion Splicing Work?
Fusing two ends of fiber is an involved process that includes doing a few things by hand and a few things by machine. There are four main steps to fusion splicing:
- Stripping. The first step involves preparing by hand the fibers to be fused. The fiber optic technician will strip back the external sheathing of the fibers using a rotary stripping tool. Next, the aramid strength member is cut using ceramic or kevlar scissors. The next thing to be stripped away is the primary buffer, which is stripped using special fiber strippers. Finally, the exposed fiber is cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.
- Cleaving. A cleaver is used to cut the ends of the fibers so that they are each at an exact 90 degree angle, making them perfectly perpendicular to each other and ready to be melted together, or fused.
- Fusion. In order to fuse the two ends of fiber, a fusion splicer machine must be used. This machine uses an electric arc to melt the ends of the cables together. The accuracy required for this process is extremely high, which is why a machine must be utilized rather than doing the job by hand. The machine first aligns the cores of the cables until they are perfectly matched. Then, the machine applies the exact correct amount of heat to melt the ends of the cables and fuse them together. The fusion splicer will text for dB loss and tensile strength before signaling that the fusion is complete and releasing the now single fiber.
- Protection. To protect the newly fused fiber, a protective tube is slid onto the fiber. Using a heat shrink oven,the tube is shrunk to fit onto the fiber, which protects it from future damage. Your fused fiber is now ready to use!
Get in Touch with FiberPlus
FiberPlus has been providing data communication services for a number of different markets through fiber optics since 1992. What began as a cable installation company for Local Area Networks has grown into a top telecommunications business that can provide the Richmond, VA, Columbus, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Baltimore, MD, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia areas with a number of different services. These services now include:
- Structured Cabling
- Electronic Security Systems
- Distributed Antenna Systems
- Audio/Visual Services
- Support Services
- Specialty Systems
- Design/Build Services
FiberPlus promises the communities in which we serve that we will continue to expand and evolve as new technology is introduced within the telecommunications industry.
Have any questions? Interested in one of our services? Call FiberPlus today 800-394-3301, email us at info@fiberplusinc.com, or visit our contact page.
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