Page 35 - EngineerIt July 2021

ADVERTORIAL

The vision of ICL has always been to supply top equipment and dirt are some of the causes of bad splices. Bad splices
brands via the correct channels so that the purchaser are often only detected once the project is complete and testing has
will enjoy the full manufacturer’s warranty, as well as started. The technician then has to go out to site again to redo the
offering their clients local, fast and excellent aftersales splice. The testing team then has to come out again and check. This
service. ICL offer in-house service, calibration and time wasting effort continues over all the splices, which could be several
repairs at their lab in Ferndale, South Africa. The hundreds, until all the splices ‘pass’ and a signoff is accomplished.
lab is fully accredited by the manufacturer for the Typical splice loss over a splice should not exceed 0.03 db. (Measured
FUJIKURA, AFL and SOFTING brands and the with an OTDR).
ICL technical staff are factory trained abroad and
specialise in their respective fields. The lab carries
a vast number of spare parts for all models and Both the core alignment 90S+ and active cladding alignment 41S+
even serious repairs are usually completed within a fusion splicers feature these excellent improvements and features.
maximum 3-day turnaround time.
1. FUJIKURA brand is the world leader in fusion splicing since the
The new core alignment 90S+ and active cladding inception of splicing in 1975.
alignment 41S+ fusion splicers are true marvels of 2. FUJIKURA’s Smart Management Technology.
modern technology development. Fujikura did their 3. Automated Field Diagnostics built in.
homework as usual and investigated in their massive 4. Training videos built in.
world market regarding what causes the most delays 5. Absolute Robustness – wind, dust and water resistant.
when splicing. They found the answer to be bad 6. Core Sense measurement of loss across the completed
cleaves and bad splices which results in redo’s. splice System.
7. Award winner for innovative technology and design.
The fibre strand is precision ‘cut’ in order to splice
properly. Keep in mind that the fibre is 250 microns
in diameter, roughly the same as a human hair. The As mentioned, FUJIKURA developed arc fusion splicing and has been
equipment doing this precision cut is called a fibre the world leaders ever since.
cleaver and is designed and built to be very accurate
and is very specialized. It uses a cleaver blade to Fujikura’s Smart Management Technology include ‘Active Blade
score the fibre and then breaks it at that point with an Management Technology’ (ABMT) and ‘Active Fusion Control
anvil. Bad cleaves are an irritation and cause delays Technology’ (AFCT). ABMT utilises Bluetooth communication with the
in the field when the technician is splicing as his team CT50 cleaver to manage intelligent cleaver blade rotation when the
has to re-prepare the fibre ends constantly until it blade is worn. AFCT features ‘True Core Alignment’ via ‘Advanced Image
is within the specification conducive to successful Processing Technology’ (AIPT) which is a type of A.I. technology to
splicing. The cleave angle should typically be close to enhance splice quality under all conditions. This feature is also used on
90 degrees with a maximum variance of 1 degree. the 41S+ with cladding alignment. The combination of both technologies
provides stable low loss splicing.
The most common causes of bad cleaves are dirt
on the blade and also a worn blade. A FUJIKURA The technician can do diagnostics via the on board Auto Diagnostics
cleaver blade has 16 positions as well as 3 height program on the unit if an issue arises, using the on board videos for
adjustments. A Fujikura cleaver blade can do roughly assistance. The Unique Core Sense system gives a very accurate
1400 cleaves per position, per height adjustment, this reading of the loss when splicing is done and a technician can
means 64 000 cleaves per blade if the unit is looked immediately redo the splice if need be. This dramatically reduces delays
after. The issue here is that when the blade is worn, in completing jobs.
the technician often doesn’t know how to adjust it or
he doesn’t know when to adjust it. Fujikura splice kits feature user friendly operation, ultimate robustness,
Smart Management Technology, new concept electrodes, universal tube
Splicing is the action of fusing the two fibres together heater, carry case, removable work tray, easy maintenance and fully
using an 8000 Volt DC arc across a set of electrodes. automated 4-step splicing with dual heater oven-element on the 90S.
This is done via an arc fusion fibre splicing machine.
The arc is controlled by a complicated (and secret) For more information regarding our excellent products,
algorithm. Alignment has to be absolutely precise. please contact us at +2711 521 2370/05 or email us at
Cheap equipment, bad cleaves, non-calibrated iclsales@icl.co.za. www.icl.co.za

EngineerIT | July 2021 | 33