THORLABS Vytran FFS2001 Series User Manual page 46

FFS2001 Series
Open the Cleave Lid of the Cleave Block. Place the right FHB with its locating posts in the right Stripping slot. Raise
the 'inside end' (the face of the FHB towards the Cleave Block) of the FHB slightly and push the FHB towards the
Stripping Stop. Drop the FHB to the surface of the machine; at this point the vacuum to the V-grooves of the FHB
and the bottom TMS blade will turn on. Ensure that the Cleave Lever still points towards the user; if it doesn't,
bring it forward now. Then smooth the fiber in place with a finger. At this point verify that the fiber is not too long,
or too short as shown in the inset of Figure 43. It is fine to remove the FHB at this point and place it at the Cleave
position and check the fiber length there if necessary (if you suspect it is too short). With practice it becomes second
nature to judge the correct fiber length quite accurately.
During this process, the bottom TMS blade warms up to the preset stripping temperature, which is indicated by
the blinking strip indicator/cleave button. If it is necessary to adjust the fiber length at this point open the FHB
coating clamp and insert the fiber with the left end slightly protruding the stripper V-groove, but not extending
past the stripping blade. Figure 43 shows the Fiber length being adjusted in this way and the maximum length the
fiber should extend. The fiber will be pulled into the TMS and FHB V-groove with the activated vacuum. Gently
close the FHB coating clamp to capture the fiber.
Note: Pushing the FHB towards the stripping stop will turn vacuum and TMS heating on. Pushing the FHB away
from the stripping stop will turn the vacuum and TMS heating off.
Coating Removal
The coating removal procedure removes the acrylate coating on the fiber without scratching or abrading the
underlying glass surface. During the removal process the coating is softened, captured by a matched set of
stripping blades, and then pulled free. The fiber strength does not degrade during the stripping process since the
coating is soft when it is stripped and the stripping blades never touch the glass surface. Clean the stripping station
with the soft toothbrush (provided) or the optional vacuum cleaning system. Remove any stripped coating or
other particles from the V-grooves and around the stripper blades.
The workstation provides a chemo-mechanical in addition to thermo-mechanical method of removing the acrylate
coating. These methods differ in the process used to soften the acrylate coating. In the chemo-mechanical
method, the fiber is soaked in a solvent to swell and soften the acrylate coating, whereas the thermo-mechanical
method uses heat to soften the acrylate coating before it is stripped. The coating removal is completed by pulling
the fiber through a matched set of stripper blades that separate the coating from the glass.
Note: Some fibers may require a combination of chemo- and thermo-mechanical softening prior to stripping as
shown in Table 5.1.
The following procedures are described for the right-hand FHB. It is recommended that one begin with the right-
hand FHB to prevent the left- and right-hand fibers from crossing over at the stations. Once the right-hand fiber
has been prepared for splicing (after it has been cleaned and cleaved), follow the same procedures for the left-
hand fiber using the left-hand FHB. With practice an operator should be able to handle left and right side
operations simultaneously, greatly reducing the overall splice procedure time.
5.2.1 Setting Up
The appropriate parameters are stored as part of the Splice File. If necessary, these may be adjusted from within
the Fiber Preparation menu:
Fiber Preparation Parameters
Soak Time (Chemo-Mechanical Only): Check the parameters of the 'Soak Time' and adjust as needed. The
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soak time will need to be set to prevent the chemical agent from 'wicking' too far up inside the Jacket of
the Fiber, and the appropriate settings can only be determined through experimentation depending upon
the type of chemical agent employed and the particular fiber. Contact Thorlabs for assistance if required.
Page 40
Chapter 5: Fiber Preparation
TTN286373-D02