Fiber Optic Connector Cleaning Magic Show – Who Wish To Join?

Fiber optic connectors are completely different than every other electronic or electrical connectors. They need to be perfectly clean to be able to work. Many people do not know this fact and may easily overlook its importance. Something else is the fact that fiber optic connections are not as easy to bother shoot in situation of service outage. Because of this, please learn carefully regarding how to clean a fiber optic connector as below.

Cleaning Method Choices

Fiber connector cleaning sometimes could possibly get confusing since a lot of methods can be found and each single vendor states those are the best. Now let us examine it one at a time.

:: Compressed Gas

Compressed air is also called “canned air”. It’s accustomed to blow dust from fiber connector finish face.

Advantages: Minimal costly and efficient for big dry particles. Non-abrasive approach which will not scratch the connector.

Disadvantages: Has little if any impact on particles below 3 microns across. And demonstrated to become ineffective when the contamination includes oil, fingerprints, dried solvent residue, etc.

:: Lint-free wipe and solvent

It was the very first developed method for cleaning fiber connectors. The earliest one used some kind of lens paper, cloth and often solvent to wash. The most typical solvent is IPA which has a tendency to leave a residue because it dries gradually and dissolved/suspended solid remain behind.

Advantages: Cheap, work nicely if trained correctly. New kinds of solvents which leave very little residue are gaining popularity.

Disadvantages: Hard to rely on. Largely depends upon technician’s skill.

To correctly clean fiber connectors using the wipe and solvent method, stick to the procedure below:

Step One Utilizing a Kim Wipe and cleaning solvent, moisten the wipe by putting on the top from the solvent and push lower 3 occasions, this can saturate the wipe.

Step Two When the wipe is saturated, put on a piece surface having a second (dry) wipe.

Step Three Wipe the connector, finish face lower on moist wipe (this can remove the majority of the large contaminates). Follow by repeating process around the dry wipe, having a minimum of 3 strokes per connector (more might be necessary)

Step Four Once complete, insert connector right into a optical microscope to ensure connector cleanliness. If connector doesn’t pass visual inspection, repeat process from [Step Two – Step Four]

:: Swab and solvent

There’s two kinds of popular swabs within the fiber optic industry: general purpose and special built.

The overall purpose swabs are cheap but very hard to rely on. The special built swabs tend to be better however this continues to be a very iterative approach. To correctly clean fiber connectors, receptacles, adapters, along with other fiber connection points using the swab and solvent cleaning method, stick to the procedure below:

Step One Utilizing a cleaning swab and cleaning solutioin, moisten the swab by putting it on the top from the solvent dispenser, put your finger within the swab tip and push lower one time, this can saturate the swab.

Step Two Recessed connection points: Once saturated, insert the moistened swab in to the receptacle, adapter, or any other connection point and rotate the end backwards and forwards 1/4 turn 10 occasions while applying various pressure.

Step Three Uncovered connection points: Once saturated, rotate the end 10 revolutions round the connector while applying various pressure.

Step Four Once complete, insert connector right into a optical microscope to ensure connector cleanliness. If connector doesn’t pass visual inspection, repeat process from [Step Two

:: Connector Reel cleaner

Two primary brands exist available on the market for reel connector cleaners: Cletop and Optipop. There are more brands available although not as common as both of these.

The reel cleaner includes a ratcheting mechanism, sliding dust cover, resilient pad, and replace tape reel. To correctly clean fiber connectors using the Cletop cleaning system, stick to the procedure below:

Step One While using single fiber or MT ferrule Cletop cleaning system, advance the cleaning tape by pressing and holding the eco-friendly button on the bottom from the cartridge.

Step Two Holding lower the eco-friendly button, wipe the connector, finish face lower, within the direction indicated around the cartridge.

Step Three Insert the connector into an optical microscope to ensure connector cleanliness.

Step Four If connector doesn’t pass visual inspection, repeat process from [Step One – Step Three