The Fastest, Smallest and Lightest 24-Fiber Ribbon Mass Fusion Splicer Developed by Furukawa Electric

March 18, 2004

The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. announces the launch of the world's fastest, smallest and lightest 24-fiber Mass Fusion Splicer (FITEL S199M24). Primarily targeted for the North American market, FITEL's S199M24 is capable of fusing up to 24-fibers simultaneously.

· Background

The main markets for cables equipped with multi-fiber ribbons are Japan, North America and China. The Japan market primarily uses 2-, 4- and 8-ribbon fibers, while 12-ribbon fibers are used in North America and China. In order to increase transmission capacity in long haul routes in the North American market, 24-ribbon optical fiber cables are now being deployed.

Twenty-four fiber ribbons are a key element for maximizing space efficiency in optical cables. The difficulty of splicing 24-fiber ribbons has been a big obstacle in effectively deploying this type of cable in the field. Typically, during operation, the user is required to split the 24-fiber ribbon into two 12-fiber sub-sets because the existing splicing equipment could only accommodate a maximum of 12-fibers. Although the splitting process is relatively simple, it can result in damaged fibers along the edge of the sub-sets. At the very least, it is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process.

By utilizing a 24-fiber mass fusion splicer, the need to split ribbons is eliminated, which greatly reduces the total time required to connect two cables. As a result, the splicer can greatly decrease the overall labor cost by cutting splicing time 50% without sacrificing the quality of the connection.

· Main Features and Specification

The FITEL S199M24 Mass Fusion Splicer is the smallest and lightest machine in its product category. The S199M24 weighs only 3.4kg and has the same body size (150W x 150H x 150D[mm]) as the FITEL S199M12. In addition, the splice time for SM fiber is only 40 seconds, which makes it the fastest in its product category.

All these features are realized by using a compact optical observation unit (newly developed lens system) and a compact power supply which can provide a greater arc discharge power for 24-fiber ribbon splicing.

The machine can handle not only single mode 24-fiber ribbon but also non-zero dispersion shifted (NZDS) 24-fiber ribbon among others (such as MM fiber, etc.). By replacing the proper parts called the Fiber Holders, the S199M24 covers single fiber up to 24-fiber ribbon (including 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- 12-fiber ribbon).
The FITEL S199M series consists of four machine types: the S199M4, the S199M8, the S199M12 and the S199M24. The S199M24 is the latest model in the series.