What troubles arise during stripping or splicing if the coating is eccentric?
Eccentricity in fiber coating can lead to several challenges during the stripping and splicing processes:
- Stripping Difficulties: An uneven coating thickness can cause the stripping tool to apply inconsistent pressure, making it harder to remove the coating cleanly and precisely. This can result in:
- Incomplete Stripping: Residual coating material on the fiber cladding.
- Fiber Damage: Nicks, scratches, or even breaks in the delicate optical fiber if excessive force is applied or if the stripper blade contacts the fiber unevenly. Such damage significantly weakens the fiber and can cause immediate or future failure.
- Splicing Problems: For fusion splicing, precise alignment of the fiber cores is critical.
- Misalignment: If the coating is eccentric, the automatic alignment systems of fusion splicers (which often rely on the outer diameter of the coating or cladding for initial positioning) may struggle to accurately align the fiber cores. This can lead to lateral offset and angular misalignment.
- Increased Splice Loss: Misalignment directly translates to higher optical power loss at the splice point, degrading the overall system performance.
- Reduced Mechanical Strength: An improperly aligned or poorly executed splice due to eccentricity can also have reduced mechanical strength, making the splice joint more vulnerable to external stresses.
At DCYS (OFSCN), we offer high-quality bare Fiber Bragg Gratings and various special optical fibers, where precision in manufacturing, including coating concentricity, is crucial for reliable stripping, splicing, and long-term performance in sensing applications.
An example of a bare FBG is shown here:
You can find more details about our bare Fiber Bragg Gratings here: OFSCN® Polyacrylate Fiber Bragg Gratings / Fiber Bragg Grating Strings (bare).
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