What is fusion splicing in fiber optics?

Fusion splicing is the process of fusing or welding two fibers together usually by an electric arc. Fusion splicing is the most widely used method of splicing as it provides for the lowest loss and least reflectance, as well as providing the strongest and most reliable joint between two fibers.

What are the basic steps of fusion splicing?

There are five basic steps to fusion splicing with a splicing machine.

• Put on the fusion splice protection sleeve.
• Strip the fiber.
• Cleave the fiber.
• Put the fibers into the fiber holders in the fusion splicer.
• Heat shrink the protection sleeve to protect the splicing joint.

How does a fiber fusion splicer work?

What is a fiber optic fusion splicer? A fiber optic fusion splicer is a device that uses an electric arc to melt two optical fibers together at their end faces, to form a single long fiber.

Can you fusion splice multimode fiber?

Fusion Splicing Most modern fusion splicers recognize the fiber type and will splice single-mode to multimode fiber automatically (without any adjustments to the machine).

How is fusion splicing better than mechanical splicing?

With mechanical splice, the typical insertion loss (IL) is higher—between 0.2 dB and 0.75 dB. This is because the two fibers are simply aligned and not physically joined. Fusion splice offers lower insertion loss and better performance, because fusion splice provides a continuous connection between two fibers.

What is the difference between fusion splicing and mechanical splicing?

Fusion splicing can be performed as a single fusion (fusing just one fiber at a time) or as a mass fusion (fusing 12 fibers in a single operation). Mechanical splicing doesn’t permanently join two fibers together; instead, it precisely “holds” them together, enabling light to pass from one fiber to the other.

How are fiber ends aligned during a fusion splice?

The tips of two fibers are butted together and heated so they melt together. This is normally done with a fusion splicer, which mechanically aligns the two fiber ends, then applies a spark across the fiber tips to fuse them together.

What does a fiber splicer do?

Fiber optic splicers install, maintain, and repair fiber optic cabling, such as for phones, internet, or television, or other telecommunications cabling.

Which method of splicing is better?

Fiber Optic Splicing: Fusion Splicing Method Because it provides the lowest loss, less reflectance, strongest and most reliable joint between two fibers. When you adopt this method, fusion splicing machines are often used.

How are fiber ends fused in a fusion splicer?

This process is called fusion splicing. The fiber ends are prepared, cleaved, and placed in alignment fixtures on the fusion splicer. At the press of a button, the fiber ends are heated with electrodes, brought together, and fused.

What do you need to know about fiber splicing?

Fiber splicing is the process of permanently joining two fibers together. Unlike fiber connectors, which are designed for easy reconfiguration on cross-connect or patch panels.

Which is better mechanical splice or fusion splice?

Mechanical splices usually exhibit greater loss and reflection than fusion splices. In fusion splicing, the two fibers are literally welded, or fused together. This makes for a strong joint that exhibits very low loss and virtually no reflection.

What causes the lowest splice loss in MFD 9.3um?

Splice loss of fiber with MFD 9.3um is lowest when spliced with any other fiber of range 8.8~9.6um. Core-clad concentricity error, or the amount that the core is off-center from the cladding, can also contribute significantly to splice loss in single mode fiber.