THORLABS Vytran FFS2001 Series User Manual page 67

FFS2001 Series
7. Watch the injection port for signs of recoat material. Make sure to collect the recoat material as it comes
out of the mold injection port. Do not allow recoat material to run down the face of the mold and under
the mold plate.
8. The above steps of filling and injecting the syringe must be repeated several times to fully displace air
from the system. Recoat material should run freely from the mold without bubbles. If bubbles are still
present, run additional fill-inject sequences. It may help to turn the recoat plunger back and forth several
times during the inject sequence in order to remove air trapped at the O-ring seal. It is also sometimes
helpful to fill the syringe and then lift the left side of the unit such as to angle the syringe approximately
30 degrees. Leave the unit angled in this position for approximately 15 minutes. This will allow any air
trapped in the syringe to rise up towards the distribution valve such that it can then be injected out.
9. Once the system runs free of air bubbles, clean the mold plates of any excess recoat material.
Fiber Recoating Procedures
7.4.1 Positioning the Fiber
Make sure both quartz plates are clean and that the injection port has enough UV material for the recoat. Raise
the splice head top and the top of the recoat block.
It is important that the fiber be kept taut between the FHBs in the transfer jig to prevent the fiber from bowing at
the recoat. For this reason, the system puts a slight tension on the fiber when exiting out of the splice program
back to the Menu Screen.
It is also important to avoid touching the exposed glass surface, as this could significantly lower the strength of
the fiber. Care should be taken to avoid rubbing the exposed section of fiber against the mold assembly. If proper
caution is taken when positioning the fiber, the recoat process will not degrade the strength of the fiber.
Hold the four corners of the transfer jig and lift straight up, clearing the filament in the splice head. Move the
transfer jig to the recoat station and slowly set the pins under the jig into the bushings on the plate. Be careful not
to rub the fiber on the recoat top. Make sure the fiber is in line with the mold cavity. Lower the recoat top to
capture the fiber in the recoat channel.
7.4.2 Injecting the Acrylate
Once the fiber has been captured in the recoat mold assembly, the injection plunger should be turned clockwise
to inject the UV acrylate material into the mold cavity. The material will flow from the injection port, down a
shallow channel, into the recoat cavity. The plunger should be turned slowly to give the material time to flow
smoothly along the injection path.
Use the viewport in the recoat top to watch the material flow into the mold. Continue turning the plunger until
the acrylate material reaches both coating interfaces of the exposed section of fiber. A slight migration of the
acrylate material outside of the injection path between the two mold plates can be expected. The bottom mold
plate has a dielectric coating that prevents this material from curing and forming a characteristic mold flashing.
Excessive flashing flow indicates that the plates did not mate flush together. This is generally caused by dirt
particles on the mold plates and/or by trying to recoat a fiber that has a larger coating diameter than the recoat
mold.
Rev. A, August 14, 2024
Make sure that soak/clean station is tightly capped before angling the unit.
Chapter 7: Recoat
Page 61