Fiber Water Stain Cleaning Procedure

Overview

Cleanliness is important throughout the construction process. Of particular concern are the hard water stains left on the fibers after straightening and bending. Additionally, oils from the technician's skin may diminish the fibers' ability to retain and transmit light.

Procedures

• Ensure that the table adjacent to the dark box is clean.
• Don a pair of gloves.
• To clean the fibers:
  • Use a damp lint-free cloth and start from the center of each fiber, wiping to the end.
    • Make certain to extend fully past the end of the fiber and not to drag the cloth back against the end of the fiber as this may cause the cloth to snag on the fiber and result in separation of cladding from the core.
  • Repeat the previous step as many times as necessary, while using different sections of the cloth to ensure that each fiber is clean.
• Set each clean fiber in its place in the dark box.

A spare fiber was touched with bare hands and illuminated from the inside with a green laser. The bright spots indicate escaping light due to the presence of oils.

Accumulated dust buildup post-end milling but pre-cleaning.

A Bundle of fibers before being cleaned showing hard water stains.

Laser shining through a fiber with hard water stains. Locations where light is escaping indicate presence of stains.

A bundle of fibers before being cleaned with a laser shining through showing where hard water stains let light escape.

Rust remaining on a fiber after coming out of the straightening rig.

Rust remaining on a fiber after coming out of the straightening rig.

A filter has been added to the input hose on the tank to soften the water, which should cut down on rust depositing on the fibers.