sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Fiber Question

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know the answer to this: When fusion-splicing fiber optic cable, does the entire fiber weld (core and cladding) or does the core mechanically interface (via the cleave) and only the cladding weld?
Bill

Its taken down to bare fiber, cleaned and cleaved.

The cladding is just plastic. The fusion splicer is welding the glass. You've got to strip back the cladding so it doesn't contaminate the weld, or the splicer. And don't forget to put the sleeves on first Come to think of it, you'd have to strip back the cladding anyway to get it cleaved.

I'm sorry ILE, but I think your are incorrect. You cannot strip the cladding off of the fiber. There is no way to separate it from the core. The cladding is what helps keep the signal (light) inside of the core. What gets removed, is the 250 micron coating. That leaves the 125 micron cladding and the core (either MM or SM) to be spliced together.

Quite right sir, I stand corrected. I hope I didn't add too much confusion.

The core and cladding are both made of silica, and under the intense heat of the arc, I would assume that both are fused. But, I've been wrong before...

I'm going to make an educated assumption. I have seen several fusion splices with a big screen, big explosion/ flash and then the two fiber ends with a band around them. I think just the cladding is fused, much like an alignment sleeve on a mechanical splice other wise it would create some what of a block creating more loss.

Thanks, all!

GeeRay, that's what we were thinking, that fusing the core would alter the signal propagation.

Check out some Youtube videos of splicing like this one: Trust me, with an electric arc as the heat source (hotter than the sun)the core is definitely fused.