Ocean Optics Optical Fiber Assemblies - Manual (Page 2)

Optical Fiber Assemblies Installation and Operation Instructions
• Avoid exceeding the temperature thresholds for the fiber materials: For standard fibers, the
temperature threshold for the polyimide fiber is 300
°C, while the PVC cabling is rated to 100 °C.
For premium-grade fibers, Ocean Optics rates the entire assembly to 220
°C.
• Avoid bending the fiber in sharp angles. A bending radius of less than 200x can cause permanent
fiber damage.
• Cover the SMA 905 connectors with the supplied caps when the fiber is not in use.
• Clean the fiber ends periodically with lens paper and distilled water, alcohol, or acetone. Avoid
scratching the surface.
• Avoid immersing the fiber in caustic materials or other materials that can damage quartz, nickel,
steel, aluminum, or the epoxy.
Premium-grade Optical Fiber Assemblies
Ocean Optics premium-grade optical fiber assemblies are our best optical fibers available for
spectroscopy. The materials and specifications used to manufacture our premium-grade line result in a
rugged, high-performance fiber that can withstand environments our lab-grade fibers cannot.
See Table 3: Premium-grade Fiber Specifications in the Optical Fiber Assembly Specifications section
at the end of this document for specific technical information on our premium line of fibers.
Fiber Assembly Types
The following sections detail the various types of fiber assemblies, as well as usage tips and
manufacturing information.
General Fiber Assembly Information
The following list provides information on the composition and manufacturing of all optical fiber
assemblies:
• Buffer Materials – Glass fiber is fragile, and would be useless for most applications if a suitable
buffer material were not protecting it. Buffer materials consist of polymer or metallic coatings
that provide mechanical strength (either polyimide, acrylate, aluminum, gold or copper).
Premium-grade fibers feature a pure fused-silica fiber core and a fluorine-doped cladding,
surrounded by a polyimide buffer (except 1000um and single mode, which have acrylate).
• Cabling Materials – Cabling further protects the buffer-coated fiber. Our standard laboratory
cabling is blue PVC, but other cabling types (such as stainless steel monocoil) are available.
Premium-grade fibers feature silicone-coated steel monocoil with Nomex braiding.
Manufacturing Notes: The fiber ends are cleaved, epoxied onto the SMA 905 Connectors, and polished.
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