Stripping and splicing of 216-core optical cable

Stripping and splicing a 216-core optical cable requires careful preparation, precise fiber handling, and systematic fusion or mechanical splicing to ensure minimal signal loss.

Preparation and Tools

For a 216-core cable, you will need specialized tools and materials:

• Cable stripper for removing the outer jacket and inner layers
• Fiber optic strippers for individual fibers
• Fiber cleaver for precise end-face cutting
• Fusion splicer or mechanical splice kits
• Fiber protection sleeves for bare fibers
• Alcohol and dust-free cloths for cleaning
• Loose tube tools for accessing fibers in high-count cables

Stripping Procedure

1. Outer Jacket Removal: Use a cable stripper to peel off the outer sheath carefully, exposing the loose tubes without damaging the fibers inside. For high-count cables, strip a length of 50–100 cm to allow organized handling .
2. Loose Tube Access: Open the loose tubes using a loose tube tool and remove the aramid yarn or strength members.
3. Fiber Coating Stripping: Strip the coating from individual fibers using a fiber optic stripper. Maintain a stripping length of 3–5 cm and ensure the fiber is held perpendicular and gently pushed along its axis .
4. Cleaning: Wipe the bare fiber with alcohol and a dust-free cloth to remove any residue. Avoid touching the fiber end-face to prevent contamination .

Cleaving

• Use a fiber cleaver to cut the stripped fiber ends at a precise 90° angle. Proper cleaving is critical for low-loss splicing and prevents cracks or burrs .

Splicing Methods

Fusion Splicing

• Alignment: Insert the cleaved fibers into the fusion splicer. The machine aligns the fibers automatically.
• Fusion: The splicer generates an electric arc to weld the fiber cores together, producing a permanent joint with minimal attenuation (~0.1 dB) and nearly zero back reflection .
• Protection: Slide a fiber protection sleeve over the splice and heat-shrink it to secure the joint.

Mechanical Splicing

• Alignment: Fibers are held in a mechanical fixture with index-matching gel between the ends.
• Connection: This method is faster and allows temporary connections, with typical losses around 0.3–0.5 dB .
• Use Case: Often used for multimode fibers or temporary restoration.

Handling High-Count Cables

• Organize Fibers: For 216 cores, group fibers into manageable bundles (e.g., 12 or 24 fibers per bundle) to simplify splicing.
• Splice Trays: Use splice trays or cassettes to accommodate excess fiber length and maintain proper bend radii.
• Testing: After splicing, test each fiber with an OTDR or insertion loss meter to ensure quality and low attenuation .

Best Practices

• Perform stripping, cleaving, and splicing consecutively to avoid contamination.
• Always wear safety glasses and handle fibers carefully to prevent injury.
• Keep the work area clean and organized, especially when dealing with hundreds of fibers.
• Label each fiber or bundle to maintain proper network mapping. By following these steps, a 216-core optical cable can be stripped and spliced efficiently while maintaining high transmission quality and minimizing signal loss.