In today’s high-speed networks fibre optics is increasing becoming a major player in new and upgraded networking infrastructures.   In addition to this we are also seeing the adoption of fibre into electronics. This week I am going to cover the main termination types, from tradition to the latest technologies.

Cold Cure

As the name suggests the cold cure method uses a combination of chemical Anaerobic Adhesives. This method if the oldest and still very common however, the termination process is slow and takes the installer some time to learn.

Some people find this method extremely hard to do meaning only highly skilled installers can use this method of termination.

Hot Cure

The same as above however, the process is slightly simplified by using connectors pre-loaded with Hotmelt Adhesive.  There is still the skilled polishing process that needs to be performed making this also a high skilled termination method.

Fusion Splicer

Using the Fusion Splice method is the easiest and most effective way of terminating fibre; however, the initial investment is very high as the equipment required is expensive.

The Fusion Splicer works by taking a pre-terminated fibre pigtail and fusing it to the fibre using heat.  Because this method melts the cores together there is no polishing required.   Other than the initial use of equipment training most people can easily use the Fusion Splicer to terminate fibre making the installation process quick and easy therefore on sites with many terminations a more cost-effective solution. Click here if you need a fiber optic splice box.

I hope this has been informative and hopefully you now know a little more about the process of terminating fibre optics.  For more info and advice contact us NOW!

Splicing: How To Properly Join Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber optic splicing refers to the procedure of connecting multiple fibers. If you’re setting up a brand the first fiber optic connection or expanding your existing one it is essential to ensure that your fibers are spliced properly to prevent network interruptions.

Splicing fibers is a common method to join fiber optic cables that are accidental breaks occur or to connect two fibers to make an optical fiber sufficient in length to allow the cable run.

There are two methods for splicing fibers

• Splicing mechanically
• Fusion splicing

One of the two options is the mechanical splice is completed much more quickly than one that uses a fuse or splice. A mechanical splice can be described as a connection of several fibers which are aligned before being connected by connectors.

Although it is simpler to accomplish mechanical splicing can result in the increase in the loss of insertion. Therefore, mechanical splicing can only be used for short-term or temporary restoration, not for long-term splices.

The most popular method of connecting fibers is through Fusion splicing that permanently joins fibers through an electric arch. This technique is more well-known than mechanical splicing due to the fact that it offers the lowest loss, lower reflectance and also the strongest bond between fibers. Read more.