After the first end is heated the parts are repositioned to heat the opposite end. The glass preforms melt and create a hermetic seal. Material: Stainless steel rods 1/2” to 3” (12.7mm to 76.2mm) diameters, glass preforms.Ī two-turn elongated helical coil is used to heat 5 to 7 stainless steel rods simultaneously for 60 seconds. A coil specifically designed for this application.Ambrell EASYHEATTM 2.0 kW induction heating system, equipped with a remote workhead containing two 0.66μF capacitors for a total of 1.32μF.Objective: To heat seal both ends of a stainless steel heater assembly to 300-500 ✯ (149-260 ✬) and melt glass preforms. After drawing, optical fibers are tested to verify that all their other properties meet their specifications and customer requirements.Hermetic Sealing of Stainless Steel Rods with Glass Preforms Typically, the final diameter for both fibers is 250 µm. Globally, we can differentiate the fiber into two categories: single-mode fiber (long distance usage) and multi-mode fiber (for shorter distances). Then, smaller reels are used to sort and classify the optical fibers according to their future applications. A number of mechanical tests are done on it to avoid any future risk of breakage. The finished optical fiber is wound onto spools with a capacity of several kilometers until the preform is used up. Several measuring devices located all along the drawing tower provide many data items to monitor final dimensions and the overall quality of the fiber. The drawing force applied on the fiber during drawing must be accurately controlled in order to optimize light propagation in the fiber. Optical fiber dimensions are directly dependent on this factor. The draw speed is carefully monitored to control the finished fiber diameter.Īll of the equipment involved must be concentric ally aligned in order to produce a perfectly round filament of glass. It may be a few meters per minute up to 4,000 meters per minute for cutting-edge telecommunication fiber production. The speed of the fiber draw depends on the preform, fiber type and available equipment. Made from fused silica, low expansion glass, compression seal, and Kovar matched. The temperature of the fiber needs to be reduced for proper coating application.Ī capstan at the bottom of the draw tower continuously pulls and winds up the glass fiber. Custom manufacturer of glass sealing preforms. In fact, the preform is a large, solid version of a fiber.įrom the preform to the finished optical fiberĭuring the process, the bare fiber is first cooled down to apply two layers of a coating material such as acrylate or polyimide that provide protection and bending properties. The resulting optical fiber has this same core/clad ratio. The core/clad ratio of the preform is maintained during the draw process. High-purity, oxygen-free Argon gas is cycled through the furnace to protect the graphite components at such high temperatures. The preform is then mounted atop a tower and its base is heated in a furnace (ay more than 2,000☌) to produce a fine droplet that will fall by gravity and will be drawn down to obtain a narrow, uniform diameter of around 100 microns. The objective is the same: to provide the finished drawn fiber with the best performance properties possible. Several different horizontal processes (IVD, OVD, VAD) are used to manufacture the preform. It is comprised of two perfectly concentric tubes, each with a different light refraction index. Highly purified materials are then combined to manufacture a glass cylinder, called a Preform: a multi-layered pure glass cylinder of around 20 centimeters in circumference. A glass preform for manufacturing optical fiberĮverything starts with silica sand.
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