Polishers for the Series Production of Fiber Optic Connectors: Polishing Units for Small and Large Series Production.
Data transmission with optical fibers is fast and results in much lower losses than other technologies. To easily couple light into and out of fibers and thereby fulfill the requirements of transmission technology, the fibers are first equipped with connectors and then the end faces polished.
Polishing units are available that process several connectors simultaneously; these units are responsible for the automatic polishing of connectors during series production. Both Seikoh Giken and Ultra Tec manufacture polishers for small series production and series production.
The SFP550, SFP560, OFL, and FIBERTEC models are all polishers developed for series production. Depending on the unit, up to 48 connectors can be polished simultaneously. Mounts are available for different connector types and ferrule diameters, such as for 2.5 mm and 1.25 mm ferrules in PC and APC connectors. Some units even allow fiber arrays and MTP connectors to be processed.
Various programs employing different rotational speeds can be stored, making repetitious operation easy.
Smaller polishing units are sufficient for small series production. Such units are available for the simultaneous polishing of 2 or 6 connectors. Depending on the model, these units can also be plugged into the cigarette lighter of an automobile or battery operated (12 V), which makes them ideally suited for field applications! Seikoh Giken manufactures the models SFP-70D and SFP-70D2, and Ultra Tec manufactures the CTC polisher.
This system makes it easier to manufacture passive optical components such as ferrules and connectors. The polished end surfaces are automatically checked for compliance with IEC standards while still in the polishing holder.
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