Why not clean a fiber optic end face on your T-Shirt?

Why not clean a fiber optic end face on your T-Shirt?

ISN’T IT ALL THE SAME?

Someone recently told me that under the inside of a collar was really the best place! Seems like there are many “secret places” that have been used to clean an end face. Please post: “where is your secret place to clean a fiber optic connection”. Most innovative gets a free kit…and training^J

 In reality, understanding the “sciences of cleaning” is essential to understand how to clean a fiber optic connection. This “science” is actually easy to understand: a.) would wash your sandy car with a dry towel? b.) would put your soiled clothes in a washing machine without water? c.) even the very best “blow-dryer” may not leave your hair completely dry!

The point is that cleaning a fiber optic connection is “applications specific” to a specific end face surface and contamination type. If you don’t use the right precision cleaner you may not remove the debris or create a static field that attracts more contaminant. If you use too much cleaner the excess can embed itself in the connection geometry only to appear after test and inspection.

With speeds of transmission regularly surpassing many gigabits and bandwidth requirements seemingly open-ended, this is the time to standardize on one cleaning procedure that removes the widest range of contaminants and does it the First Time! This process is called “Combination Cleaning Process™”.

 HOW DOES IT WORK?

	The end face to the left has dry particulate that appears to be dust. Cleaning this debris “dry” (reel cleaner, paper wiper, or, probe tool) can move the contaminant or create a static field that attracts additional debris. Think of cleaning an end face like you would wash a newly purchased car…you know…that BMW!
	The image to the left is far more contaminated. Dry cleaning won’t work here either: a solvent must be used. However, not all fiber optic cleaners remove a wide range of contamination. There really is more than “a little science” to this! Be certain you select the right process: it is your reputation!
	The second cleaning technique is often called “wet-to-dry” cleaning. However, excess solvent can “flood” the connection. Drying a connection isn’t as easy as saying: “dry it”. The image to the left shows excess solvent as it moves from the vertical’ ferrule to the ‘horizontal’ ferrule end face

A video scope is the most important tool you can have to determine the type and extent of debris.

A light source and power meter will not determine a “clean” or “contaminated” end face.

If you do not have access to a video inspection scope, the most important tool you can have is actually a process that removes all contaminant types. We call this CombinationCleaning™.

The 3rd Method to precision clean a fiber optic connection uses a small amount of non-IPA cleaner and automatically dries the end face as part of the cleaning process. It is a high percentage first time cleaning process of the widest range of contaminants imaginable! The technique is used by major networks and is perfect for your installation too! Do you have an end face you can’t clean? Please send it to us!

Two of the three cleaning techniques: 1.) “Dry Methods” and 2.)“Wet/Wet-to-Dry Method” can work on some contaminants. Only one procedure, The CombinationCleaningProcess™ removes the widest range of debris from the complete end face…most typically The First Time!  What no standard outlines is “height” of a contaminant: CombinationCleaning™ cleans “diameter and height”.