Fibre Optic Splicing Course

Lesson 1 • Light Transmission Principles

Covers total internal reflection, numerical aperture, and light propagation in fibre. Establishes the physics underlying all fusion splicing decisions.

Lesson 2 • Fibre Cable Constructions

Reviews loose-tube, tight-buffer, ribbon, and armoured cable designs. Prepares technicians to identify cable type before stripping and splicing.

Lesson 3 • Fibre Structure and Composition

Examines core, cladding, and coating layers and their material properties. Connects fibre anatomy to handling and preparation requirements.

Lesson 4 • Industry Standards and Safety Overview

Introduces fibre optic industry standards bodies and laser safety classifications. Sets compliance expectations carried throughout the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Fusion Splicer Types and Components

Surveys core-alignment and cladding-alignment splicers and their internal components. Establishes equipment literacy needed before operating any machine.

Lesson 2 • Test and Measurement Equipment

Introduces OTDRs, optical power meters, and light sources used to verify splices. Measurement tools validate every splice made throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Workspace Organisation and Safety Setup

Defines ergonomic layout, lighting requirements, and fibre waste disposal. A properly configured workspace reduces errors and prevents eye injuries.

Lesson 4 • Splice Protection Materials

Introduces heat-shrink sleeves, splice trays, and enclosure hardware. Connects protection selection to long-term splice reliability in the field.

Lesson 1 • Chemical and Thermal Stripping

Covers solvent-based and hot-air stripping for specialty and ribbon fibres. These methods reduce mechanical stress on fragile or coated fibre types.

Lesson 2 • Mechanical Stripping Methods

Demonstrates correct blade angle, pressure, and stroke for mechanical strippers. Consistent technique eliminates micro-cracks that cause splice failure.

Lesson 3 • Cleaning Bare Fibre Properly

Teaches lint-free wipe technique, solvent selection, and inspection after cleaning. Contamination on bare fibre is the leading cause of high splice loss.

Lesson 4 • Understanding Fibre Coating Layers

Reviews primary and secondary coatings, buffer tubes, and jacket materials. Knowing each layer prevents accidental fibre damage during stripping.

Lesson 1 • Standard Cleaving Procedure

Walks through fibre placement, clamping, and blade activation step by step. Procedural consistency produces repeatable cleave angles across all fibre types.

Lesson 2 • Cleaving Physics and End-Face Geometry

Explains crack propagation, stress fracture, and the geometry of an ideal end-face. Understanding the physics guides correct cleaver setup and use.

Lesson 3 • Cleaver Types and Setup

Compares scribe-and-break, automatic, and ribbon cleavers and their adjustment points. Correct setup is completed before any fibre is placed in the cleaver.

Lesson 4 • Cleaver Maintenance and Blade Life

Covers blade rotation, cleaning, and replacement schedules to sustain cleave quality. Neglected cleavers are a primary source of inconsistent splice results.

Lesson 1 • Splicer Setup and Parameter Configuration

Configures arc power, duration, prefusion, and overlap settings for target fibre. Correct parameters are selected before any splice attempt is made.

Lesson 2 • Estimated Loss and Splice Evaluation

Reads splicer-estimated loss values and interprets end-face images for defects. Estimated loss guides the decision to accept or re-splice immediately.

Lesson 3 • Arc Discharge and Fusion Process

Explains prefusion cleaning arc, main fusion arc, and fibre push sequence. Each arc phase is monitored on the splicer display during execution.

Lesson 4 • Splice Protection Application

Applies heat-shrink sleeves using the splicer oven and verifies sleeve integrity. Protection is applied immediately after every accepted splice.

Lesson 1 • Power Meter and Light Source Testing

Measures insertion loss using a stabilised light source and calibrated power meter. This method provides absolute loss values independent of OTDR estimation.

Lesson 2 • Diagnosing and Correcting Failed Splices

Traces high-loss events back to preparation, cleave, or arc parameter causes. Systematic diagnosis reduces re-splice time and prevents repeated failures.

Lesson 3 • OTDR Principles and Trace Interpretation

Explains backscatter, Fresnel reflection, and event markers on an OTDR trace. Trace reading is the primary skill for locating and quantifying splice loss.

Lesson 4 • OTDR Setup and Test Execution

Configures wavelength, range, pulse width, and averaging time for accurate results. Proper setup prevents measurement errors that mask real splice defects.

Lesson 1 • Dispersion-Shifted and Non-Zero Fibre

Addresses parameter adjustments for dispersion-shifted and non-zero dispersion-shifted fibre. Core profile differences require modified arc settings to minimise loss.

Lesson 2 • Polarisation-Maintaining Fibre Splicing

Covers stress-rod alignment, rotational positioning, and extinction ratio verification. PM fibre demands precise angular alignment unavailable in standard splicing.

Lesson 3 • Ribbon Fibre Mass Fusion Splicing

Operates mass fusion splicers to splice 4- to 24-fibre ribbons simultaneously. Ribbon splicing requires simultaneous preparation and uniform arc across all fibres.

Lesson 4 • Large-Diameter and High-NA Fibre

Adapts cleave length, arc power, and gap settings for large-core and high-NA fibre. Standard parameters cause excessive loss or fibre damage on these types.

Lesson 1 • Splice Enclosure Assembly

Assembles dome, inline, and wall-mount enclosures and loads splice trays correctly. Proper enclosure assembly protects splices from mechanical stress and moisture.

Lesson 2 • Cable Preparation in the Field

Covers mid-span access, cable end preparation, and fibre identification in field cables. Correct cable preparation prevents fibre damage before splicing begins.

Lesson 3 • Field Environment Challenges

Addresses wind, dust, humidity, and temperature effects on splicing quality. Field adaptations prevent contamination and equipment errors in outdoor environments.

Lesson 4 • Project Documentation and Handover

Compiles splice records, OTDR traces, and as-built drawings into a handover package. Complete documentation satisfies client acceptance and supports future maintenance.