A fiber fusion splicer that is suitable for your own use is the best work partner at work. Faced with many brands of fusion splicers on the market, how to choose is often a headache. So how do we choose a fusion splicer that suits us best?
Parameters of fiber fusion splicer
1. Applicable fiber core number: generally single core, most fiber fusion splicers on the market are single core fusion splicers, that is, they can only fusion splice one fiber; the other is a ribbon fiber fusion splicer, which can fusion splice multiple fibers at the same time. The ribbon fiber fusion splicer can fusion splice up to 12 cores at a time.
2. Fusion time: Fusion time refers to the time it takes to put the fiber into the fiber fusion splicer, and the fiber fusion splicer pushes it into alignment and discharges it. The shorter the fusion time, the better.
3. Heating time: After the fiber fusion is completed, it needs to be protected with a heat shrink tube. After the heat shrink tube covers the fusion point, the heat shrink tube needs to be heated. The shorter the time, the better; the current fusion splicer is about 20 seconds. In cold weather, the heating time is long, and the number of cores that can be spliced by the splicer is small. This is not surprising in winter.
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4. Splicing loss: As we all know, optical fiber is used for optical signal transmission. After the splicing point is fused, the signal will be lost. The quality of the optical fiber splicer mainly depends on the loss value after splicing. The smaller the better. At present, the splicing loss of splicers on the market is about 0.02dB.
5. Battery power supply: The larger the battery capacity, the longer the time it can be used after a charge, just like the battery capacity of a mobile phone.
6. Operating environment: such as altitude, temperature, etc.; how to be in special areas such as very cold places, because the optical fiber splicer needs to discharge, so the temperature and altitude must be considered; the larger the supported range, the better the machine.
7. Machine life: If it is the life of the fusion splicer, under normal fusion conditions, domestic fusion splicers can be used for 3 years, and imported ones can be used for 5 years. The average number of fusion splices per day is about 150, and the average number of working days per year is 200. A fusion splicer is estimated to be able to melt 80,000-120,000 cores. Pay attention to some maintenance every six months.
8. Fiber magnification: This parameter can be used as a reference for the function of a fiber fusion splicer. The larger the magnification, the more accurate the fiber fusion splicer may be, and the lower the loss will be.
Buying Guide for Fiber Fusion Splicers
1. Type of fusion fiber
For fiber fusion splicing, the first thing to consider is the type of fiber. Single core, skin line or pigtail, different optical fibers correspond to different types of clamps, and the clamps of some fiber fusion splicers can only support single-core optical fibers. It is recommended to buy a machine with a three-in-one clamp, which can be applied to all types of optical fibers. Of course, ribbon optical fiber is a special type of optical fiber, and a special machine needs to be purchased.
2. Fiber alignment method
There are two ways to align the light, cladding alignment and core alignment, which is also the difference between the four-motor trunk machine and the six-motor sheath machine. The four-motor machine can achieve cladding alignment. The lens of the machine can clearly see the cladding of the optical fiber and completely connect the cladding, but the optical fiber wrapped inside cannot be seen, which may be deviated and the loss is large. Compared with cladding alignment, core alignment is that there are two more focusing motors on the lens, which can see the optical fiber in the cladding, so that the optical fiber can be more accurately welded together.
For short-distance or fiber-to-the-home FTTx projects, the four-motor machine is fully competent. However, for long-distance projects with higher welding quality, the four-motor machine is not enough, and the six-motor machine must be used to achieve the project expectations.
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3. The cost of using the optical fiber fusion splicer
As an expensive and high-precision instrument, the optical fiber fusion splicer is very expensive to repair once it is knocked or dropped or fails due to human operation. The fiber fusion splicer should be used in a dust-free state as much as possible. When idle, it should be placed in a box to avoid bumps, keep it clean, and perform regular maintenance. The warranty period of the manufacturer who purchased the machine is also a point that needs to be considered.
During the use of the fiber fusion splicer, electrodes and blades are consumables that are frequently replaced. Although the price is not high compared to the machine, the cost of frequent replacement is also not negligible. High-quality machines can reduce the frequency of replacement of electrodes and blades. Of course, skilled operators can also increase the service life of these consumables.
4. Battery capacity of fiber fusion splicer
The battery capacity often directly determines the use time of the fiber fusion splicer. The fiber fusion splicer is generally used outdoors. Once the battery is exhausted, it will fall into a very embarrassing situation, and even delay the construction period and cause greater losses. Therefore, the size of the battery capacity is crucial. Of course, a portable mobile power bank for engineering can prevent this from happening. It is recommended to prepare one yourself.