OFC cable jointing Tools and Equipments|Tools for Optical Fiber cable Jointing
Tools & Equipments Required for OFC Jointing and Termination
Sr.No. Tool’s Name
1. Branch Joint Closure
2. Termination Box
3. Rubber and Block
4. Sheath Clamp
5. Bushing
6. Strength Member holder
7. Heat Shrinkage tube
8. Arc fusion splicer machine
9. Power cord AC/DC
10. Walkie-Talkie 12V DC source
11. Tube heater
12. Precision cleaver
13. Cable sheath stripper
14. Fibre stripper/ Cable ties
15. Knife for HDPE cutting
16. Hacksaw for strength membrane
17. Isopropyl alcohol
18. Cotton Buds
19. Tweezers
20. Gun heater blower type
21. Protection Sleeves
22. OTDR
23. Stabilized optical power source and power meter
24. Optical Talk set
25. Stickers for numbering of splicers
26. Patch Cords - Two numbers
27. Generator set for charging the battery and lighting
Tools required for sheath Removal
S.No. Name of tool Function
1 Cable cutter To cut the cable in full
2 Jacket remover To remove outer jacket
3 Utility knife To cut narrow jacket circumferentially
4 Scissors To cut rip cord, Aramid yarn, & Binders
5 Diagonal cutting pliers To cut central members, fillers etc.
6 Sheath Ripper To cut the polythene binders
7 Vinyle insulation tape For proper marking of cable
8 Gel off paper To clean the jelly
9 Towel cloth To clean the cable
10 Number Book For cable and buffer tubes identifications
11 Measuring Tape For different length measurements
12 Buffer Stripper To strip the buffer tubes
13 Paint Marker To mark on cable
Tools required for fusion splicing
S.No Name of tool Function
1 Fibre Stripper To strip the plastic cover coating of fibre
2 Fibre Cleaver To cut the fibre end perpendicular to the
axis
3 Tissue Papers To clean the fibre after stripping
4 Cleaning liquid To clean the fibre and splicing machine’s
lens, V groove etc.
5 Jewellers Screw To adjust some potentiometer in fusion splicing machine
6 Cotton swab To clean the fibre and splicing machine’s lens, V groove etc.
7 NO-NIK Tool To remove white colour coating of tight
buffer tube
8 Flash Light To test the pig tails (tight buffer tube)
Tools required for preparation of splicing - closure
S.No Name of tool Function
1 Tensioning Tool To tight the clamping bends over the
ends caps, clamping bars etc.
2 Opening Hook To open the closure (used with
tensioning tool)
3 Screw Drivers To tight and loose the screw nuts etc.
4 Adjustable Wrench To tight nuts and bolts in supporting
bars.
5 Hammer To open and close the clamping bars.
6 Ty-raps To tie the buffer tubes into splice tray.
7 Ty-rap Fastner To tie the buffer tubes into splice tray.
8 RTV Sealant To tight the Ty-rap.
9 Tweezer To lift and hold the fibre.
10 Spatula To set the fibre splices into splice tray
organiser.
11 Cleaning Khadi Cloth To clean the cable outer jacket.
12 Crimping Pliers To fix the buffer tubes in splice tray.
Description of Instruments used for OFC jointing
Fusion Splicing Machine
It melts the two ends of fibre optic cables together to form a continuous
cable. To do this properly, machines must align the cable, touch the
ends together, and send heat or an electric arc through the joint to melt
the glass. This process requires a great deal of precision and accuracy.
Photograph of typical splicer is given below:
Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR)
An OTDR may be used for estimating the fibre's length and overall
attenuation, including splice and mated-connector losses. It may also be
used to locate faults, such as breaks, and to measure optical return loss.
Photograph of typical OTDRs are given below:
Cleaver
A perpendicular cut in a optical fibre cable is critical to the success of the
splice or joint. A cleaver breaks the glass cable with high precision.
Photograph of typical cleaver is given below:
Optical Source
An optical source is a major component of optical transmitters. Fiber
optic communication systems often use semiconductor optical sources
such as Light emitting diodes ( LEDs) and semiconductor lasers. Some
of the advantages are: Compact in size, High efficiency, Good
reliability, Right wavelength range, Small emissive area compatible
with fibre core dimensions, Possibility of direct emulation at relatively
high frequencies. A typical photograph is shown below.
Optical Power Meter
An optical power meter (OPM) is a device used to measure the power
in an optical signal. A typical optical power meter consists of
a calibrated sensor, measuring amplifier and display. The sensor
primarily consists of a photodiode selected for the appropriate range
of wavelengths and power levels. On the display unit, the measured
optical power and set wavelength is displayed. Power meters are
calibrated using a traceable calibration standard such as
a NIST standard.
Sometimes optical power meters are combined with a different test
function such as an Optical Light Source (OLS) or Visual Fault Locator
(VFL), or may be a sub-system in a much larger instrument. When
combined with a light source, the instrument is usually called an Optical
Loss Test Set.
An Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) can be used to measure
optical link loss if its markers are set at the terminus points for which
the fibre loss is desired.
Brief Description of Tools
i. Buffer Tube Cutter
This compact and light weight tool is used for stripping of loose tube
(buffer tube) from fibre. It is very simple tool with automatic return
spring for ease of use and speed
Above figure shows how tight buffer tube stripping removes the tight
buffer tube from optical fibre. This diagram shows that the tubing cutter
contains a knife edge that is pressed onto the buffer tube of the optical
cable. The tubing cutter is then rotated around the optical fibre several
times to create a cut in the buffer tube without cutting the optical fibre
strand. The tubing cutter is then gently pulled to apply pressure to the
buffer tube resulting in the sliding of the buffer tube off of the optical
fibre. This example also shows that the optical cable is looped and held
(loop not to exceed bend radius) to prevent the buffer tube from pulling
through the optical cable.
ii. Cutting Nippers
It is used for handling the delicate work while terminating, installing or
splicing of the optical fibre in the Termination Box or in the joint
Closure.
iii. Fibre Strippers
It is used for cutting and removing the primary coating of the optical
fibres during splicing the optical fibre cable.
iv. FRP Cutter
It is used for cutting of the optical fibre cable perpendicular to the axis
of the fibre reinforced plastic (FRP).
v. Cable Cutter
It is used for cutting of optical fibre cable perpendicular to cable axis.
vi. Nose Plier
It is used for handling the delicate work while terminating installing or
splicing of the optical fibre in the Joint Closures.
vii. Wire Stripper Cutter
It is used for Stripping the outer jacket (nominal jacket dia of 3 mm) of
single fibre cable i.e. Pigtails, Patch cord.
viii. Cable Sheet Cutters
It is used for cutting and removing the HDPE sheath and nylon jacket of
the optical fibre cable.
ix. Cleaner
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol can be used to clean wires to remove dirt, gel,
and grease.
x. Heat Shrink Sleeves
Whether fused or mechanically joined, a spliced optical fibre cable is
prone to breaking. It is best to use a plastic sleeve over a joint to
prevent breaking due to handling. These sleeves can be shrunk onto a
joint using heat.
xi. Scissors
xii. Measuring Tape: Used for measurement of cable during splicing
xiii. Numbering Ferrule: Used for numbering & counting of fibres.
xiv. Tissue Paper: Used for cleaning of Fibres.
xv. Cable Ties: Used for fitting fibres in trays
xvi. Hand Gloves : Used for safety during splicing
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