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CLEANING OBIS™ AND SAPPHIRE™
F
IBER TIPS
To avoid optical degradation and optical or mechanical damage, the
fiber connector needs to be clean. Also, the connector has to be
installed in a dust-free and contamination-free environment when
running the laser in your application; therefore, it is important that
fiber connectors are inspected and cleaned prior to mating. The
information in this document explains how to do that.
Importance of
Inspection and
Cleaning
A clean fiber tip is required for quality connections between fiber
optic equipment. One of the most basic and important maintenance
procedures of a fiber optic system is to clean the equipment.
Any contamination in the fiber connection can cause failure of either
the component or the whole system. Even microscopic dust particles
can cause a variety of problems for optical connections. A particle
that partially or completely blocks the core can generate strong back
reflections, which, in turn, can cause instability in the laser system.
In addition to dust, other types of contamination must also be
cleaned off the fiber tip. Such materials include:
• Oils (for example, from human hands)
• Film residues (condensed from vapors in the air)
• Powdery coatings (left after water or other solvents evaporate)
These contaminants can be more difficult to remove than dust parti-
cles and, if not removed, may also damage the equipment.
OBIS and Sapphire Fiber Tips (shown without fiber shutter caps)
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