To those in the optical fiber industry, what a fusion splicer is may be obvious, but for those that aren’t, we will attempt to answer this question for you.
Fusion Splicers Defined
In its simplest terms, a fusion splicer is a special piece of test equipment that is used to join the ends of two separate pieces of optical fiber, making one continuous fiber.
The process of joining the fiber ends together is called “fusion splicing” because the splicer unit actually uses an electrical arc or laser to heat the fiber material to the point that it melts and fuses together.
Fusion Splicer Process
Splicing fiber with a fusion splicer is a multi-stepped operation that requires care and precision throughout the process.
- The process starts with the operator preparing the individual fiber ends for splicing.
- The protective outer coatings must be carefully stripped from the optical fiber.
- The exposed fiber material must be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.
- The ends are cut squarely and cleanly with a special device call a fiber cleaver.
- The stripped, cleaned & cut ends are then placed into the splicer unit and clamped securely in place.
- This is where the fusion splicer takes over: inspecting & aligning the ends and then performing the actual splice.
These are essentially the steps for performing a successful splice of two ends of optical fiber cable using a fusion splicer.
Fusion Splicer Uses
Typical uses for fusion splicers and associated splicing hardware are seen everywhere in today’s highly technical environment, from voice & data communications to secure corporate network inter-connectivity and more.
Many of the users of optical fiber & fusion splicer equipment include telecommunications installers, cable company employees, military communications specialists, information technology professional – just to name a few!
The leading manufacturers of optical fiber fusion splicers are Exfo Engineering, Fujikura, Fitel & Sumitomo.
An Example of Popular Fujikura Fusion Splicer Models:
Ask about our Fusion Splicer Cleaning Service call 800-649-0722!
