The Importance of Cleaning and Maintaining Fiber Optic Cables
Simple Mistakes, Big Consequences
Even just a little oil from your finger or a speck of dust can cause a failure of the entire system. While fiber optic cables produce a great amount of speed and power, they also require care and precision. A dust particle that isn’t even visible could block the light that travels through the cables. If it doesn’t cause the entire system to break down, this kind of interruption will, at the very least, lower the productivity of the connection.
Cleaning Process
There are several ways to clean fiber optic cables, from dry cleaning to wet cleaning, and each has its benefits and specific uses. Each cleaning process follows the same general outline of steps; clean, inspect, clean, inspect, and repeat. There are a few things to remember, though. For instance, wet cleaning should not be conducted on bulkheads and receptacles. Dry cleaning should be your first plan of action. The connectors of the cables are just as important as the rest of the cables, in terms of transmission. If your fiber optic network is running slowly, and you’re not sure why you might want to clean each component thoroughly until you find where the problem is.
General Tips
Turn off all systems when you’re cleaning. The laser radiation is dangerous, and you should never look into these beams. Even if you can’t see any kind of light, the emissions are still there. Do not scrub vigorously at the cables; rather, use a lint-free swab and gently wipe. Your swabs should stay clean. Ideally, use a new one after each use. Never touch the connectors with your bare fingers, or else you’ll have to clean all over again!
Do you need a custom fiber optic cable design? DMSI can help!
DMSI is ready to work with you to customize your fiber optic network!
We focus on custom product manufacturing for fiber optic connectivity. We will engineer solutions to any customer’s specs and needs, and we create end-to-end solutions so you won’t be left in the dark. DMSI strives to provide our customers with the highest quality product above industry standards at a competitive cost.
Do you need a custom fiber optic connectivity solution? DMSI specializes in custom design solutions. We work all over the world to provide solutions from our headquarters in Venice, Florida. Our goal is to provide you with the perfect solutions, designs, and cabling.
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