Optical fiber fabrication

The basic steps are

a) Preform fabrication
b) Fiber drawing
Different methods for preform fabrication are
1)outside vapor phase oxidation(OVPO)
2)vapor axial deposition(VAD)
3)modified chemical vapor deposition(MCVD)
4)plasma activated chemical vapor
deposition(PCVD)
1)outside vapor phase
oxidation(OVPO)
2)vapor axial deposition(VAD)
2)vapor axial deposition(VAD)
SiO2 particles are formed in same as OVPO
As these particles emerges from silica
torches, they are deposited to the end
surface of silica glass rod which acts as seed.
Perform is fabricated continuously
When preform is long enough it ,goes directly
to drawing tower
Advantages
1. Perform has no central hole as in OVPO.
2.Prefom can be fabricated in continuous
lengths that can effect process costs
3.Deposition chamber and zone melting ring are
connected tightly to each other produces a
clean environment.
3)Modified chemical vapor deposition(MCVD)
3)Modified chemical vapor
deposition(MCVD)
4)plasma activated chemical vapor
deposition(PCVD)

Fiber drawing
Fiber drawing
process begins by feeding the glass preform into
the drawing furnace.
The drawing furnace softens the end of the
preform to the melting point.
Manufacturers then pull the softened preform
into a thin glass filament (glass fiber).
To protect the bare fiber from contaminants,
manufacturers add an acrylate coating in the
draw process. The coating protects the bare fiber
from contaminants such as atmospheric dust and
water vapor.
Double crucible method
Double crucible method
The double-crucible method is the most
common direct-melt process.
The double-crucible method combines the
molten rods into a single preform using two
concentric crucibles.
Optical fibers are drawn from this molten glass
using a similar fiber drawing process as in
vapor phase oxidation.
Rod-in-tube method
Rod-in-tube method
Glass rod with higher refractive index is placed
in glass tube with a lower refractive index of
thermally compatible material and unit is fed
in to furnace.
Glass tube fuses and softens with rod and
tapers to thin fine fiber fabricated.