Guide to Choose A Fiber Optic Connector Polisher

Fiber optic polishing machine has made a big progress since 1990s. Earliest connector termination job are done by manual and labor intensive process, fiber connector polishing was manually done by one single person. With the development of fiber optic network, it requires much more higher efficiency. The fiber optic patch cord manufacturers ever make up it by adding more operators but it still could not catch up with the demand. Until emerge of current automatic polishing machine, fiber connector polishing has meet the requirement of high volume, high quality and consistent.
Quality Fiber Connection Termination is very important for the fiber optic communication system. Fiber optic connector polishing is one of the most important steps for the whole process of terminating fiber connector since bad polished connectors will increase the insertion loss and back reflection which will make you malfunction.
Automatic fiber connector polishing machine are produced according to a set of industry standard and specifications. It can produce large volumes of connectors in a consistent way, and it considered to be cost effective as labor is significantly reduced. Article here is written to help you how to make wise decision when choosing a perfect fiber polishing machine for your specific requirement. Flow the standard mentioned below when purchasing an automatic connector polishing machine.
Polishing Machines with Adjustable Pressure are Preferred
The fiber connector’s finished end-face geometry is generated by the combination of the loading pressure and the hardness of the polishing surface. To optimize the connector end-face, the polishing pressure should be adjustable with clearly marked divisions of measurement.
The four corner hold-downs are also important. Hold-down fasteners in all four corners of the connector holder evenly distribute film pressure to minimize off-center polishing. If you use the center pressure from above, it will allow the possibility of wiggling or vibration the connector holder. By this method, you will increase the vertex offset and leads to inconsistent finishes.
Besides, you should also consider the polishing pad. The polishing pad is conjunction with the four corner hold-downs, is used to distribute the pressures evenly across the polishing area. Since the pads are resilient, they will help to control the radius of curvature as the ferrule is pressed into the pad during the polishing process. There are so many pads for different types of connectors, you should choose the proper one according to your need.
Make sure that you can easily change the holders for different types of connectors
To improve the production output and lower labor cost, you should make sure that you can easily and quickly change different types of connector holders. Typical connector polishing machine should be able to handle most types of fiber connectors such as FC/UPC, SC/UPC, ST/UPC, LC/UPC, MU/UPC, APC, MT-RJ, E2000, SMA905, FA and so on. Besides, the precision of the connector holders are also very critical. The connector holders should be machined to exacting tolerances so that ferrules can be precisely posited for the polishing work.
Removable polishing platens are necessary for the machine
Make sure that the polishing platens can be removable, so that it can not be easily contaminated and its working life will prolong. The polishing platens are the mechanical part that holds the polishing films and polish against the connector end-face.
The polishing motion pattern should be optimized for consistent result while conserving polishing films
As we know, the polishing motion is very critical factor in determining connector’s end-face quality. Polishing motion is the surface which performing the polishing job with the connector. The motion must perform a evenly balanced pressure across all sides, otherwise, the connector will surfer deformed end-face geometry.
Choose the manufacture who can fit for your custom requirement
A qualified manufacturer should have the ability to fit for your different specifications for the polishing film types, timer settings, lubrication and connector holders. Besides, an industry standard compliance test report from the manufacturer can be an important criterion to evaluate a good fiber polishing supplier. It is always a best idea to compare at least 3 different models from 3 vendors so you can choose the best one that meets your particular requirement.
FiberStore is specializes in supplying a full range of fiber optic testing, fiber optic splicing, fiber optic cleaning, fiber optic polishing and fiber optic inspection equipments and tools. Contact us for more detail information.

Terminating Fiber Optic Cables with Epoxy

When you have bulk fiber optic cables on hand and need to terminate it with the fiber optic connectors, there are several options for you to handle this job: Epoxy and polish, mechanical cleave and crimp, and the chemical permanent method, fusing splicing the pigtails. The aim of terminating the fiber optic cables is to provide protections for the stripped fiber end in the connector. Poor termination job will result in large optical loss, even cause damages to the connectors and adapters. Among all the method mentioned above, epoxy and polishing is the cheap, fast and easy and low optical loss, so it is welcomed by most cable installers. Follow the steps and see how to terminate your fiber optic cables with the Epoxy.
First, prepare you cable by stripping the cable down to the bare fibers with a fiber stripper which you can get from FiberStore. After that, mix the epoxy resin and hardener that you have prepared ahead, and load them into a syrine( Ignore this step,if you are using a pre-loaded epoxy syringes). Now, it’s time to injuct the expoxy directly from the syringe into the connector ferrule.
Once you have prepared your connector with the epox, you re read to insert the fiber cable so that the cable is seated inside of the connector wall and the bare fiber core sticks out about a half an inch from the front of the ferrule. If your cable is jacked, you will need to use the cable crimping tool to protect the connector to the jacket and strength members of the cables. Two crimps would be necessary to finish the job properly.
The next step is curing the epoxy in the connectors. You may need to place the connected end into a curing holder first to make sure that the end of fiber will not get damaged in the process of curing. Then place the cable and curing holder into a curing oven, situate the connector to make the end is facing down, by doing which, it will ensure the epoxy does not come out of the back side of the connector and compromise the strength member of the cable. As to the curing time and the temperature,follow the instruction book of your specific epoxy.
Once the epoxy are cured sufficiently, cleave the excess fiber core with a fiber cleaver tools as close to the ferrule tips as possible while avoiding any sort of twisting motion. After that, remember to dispose the fiber clipping, which could easily end up in your skin or even in you eye or respiratory system.
After the cleaving and disposing jobs done, you are ready to move on to the next step, polishing the fiber end to a smooth finish. Get a fiber polishing machine to effectively remove any excess epoxy from the ferrule tip and buff out the imperfections on the face of the fiber. A coarse surface would cause the optical loss when the light is passing through it.
When you are satisfied with your polishing job, you are now prepared to clean the ferrule and fiber tip. With a wiper dipped in 99% reagent-grade alcohol, gently wipe the surface area of the ferrule and fiber tips, then, use another wiper to dry them. Remember, the two wiper should all be lint-free.
Now, your fiber optic cable is terminated. To measure if your job is done well or not, you can use a proper fiber inspection microscope to inspect the tip and then use an optical fiber cables tester for the loss measurement