Ribbon Thermal Strip - Interaction between Tool and Ribbon Designs

摘要

Ribbon thermal strip is a common technique used to remove ribbon matrix and fiber coatings prior to mass-fusion splicing or use of multi-fiber connectors. It provides a means of rapidly cleaning the glass fibers of the fiber coating and ribbon coating. It is essential that there is minimal debris remaining on the fibers, and the fiber and ribbon coatings are removed as a complete, cohesive piece of coating structure. The glass cleanliness and tube-off are influenced not only by the design and materials of the ribbon, but also by the design, condition and settings of the thermal stripper. A comparison of several different commercial strip tools shows that the blade gap, the stripper temperature, the temperature profile along the length, and the axial distance between blade and heated area have a significant impact. The techniques and practices of the user, such as the intended length of strip and the clamping force, as well as the strip speed, influence the results too. When evaluating ribbon constructions and materials, it is vital to understand the effect of the tools and techniques chosen for the evaluation