WCA November 2010

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Testingand measuring
Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2010 66
Measuring technology
for fibre optics
Sikora offers sophisticated equipment for measurement in the fibre drawing tower.
The Fiber Laser 6003 is an advanced device for diameter measurement of bare and
coated fibres. The measuring principle is said to ensure an accuracy of ±0.05μm
at a repeatability of 0.02μm.
The 2,500 measurements per second, all with single value precision and a short
exposure time of 0.5μsec, ensure highest accuracy even at high draw speeds.
Both the diameter and the position of the fibre in the measuring field are
calculated.
The single values of the fibre position are graphically displayed at the processor
system of the Ecocontrol series, in the form of a cloud diagram, providing
information on the stability of the tension control.
All statistical analyses are directly taken in the gauge head. By using FFT-analysis
the tension, the spinning and the vibration frequency of the fibre in the measuring
field can accurately be defined. Non-conformities during the drawing process and
coating caused by variations of the line speed or by vibrating (oscillating) fibres are
discovered at an early stage.
The devices are factory-calibrated and maintain their accuracy for the life of
the gauge. The gauge head technology ensures the quality of the fibre, which
guarantees reliable data transfer over long distances without data loss. The
diameter sizing quality provided by the gauge guarantees a good connection of
optical fibres.
The measuring principle is based on Sikora’s patent-registered “Laser-shadow
projection-principle" which has no moving parts. The Fiber Laser 6003 is believed
to be the most advanced system for optical fibre measurement on the market.
Besides diameter measurement lump detectors are essential for continuous
quality control in drawing towers. The Fiber Lump 6003 offers reliable detection of
the smallest lumps and neck-downs down to a size of 5μm.
Non-conformities in the surface are detected even at production speeds of up
to 3,000m per minute. The faults are analysed for type, dimension, length and
position.
Sikora AG – Germany Fax: +49 421 48900 90
Email: Website:
New options for
measurement
software
LaserLinc has introduced two new soft-
ware options: Fast Fourier Transform
(FFT) and Structural Return Loss (SRL).
FFT allows users to analyse periodic
deviations in a measurement, such as
the diameter of a wire or cable.
By combining the FFT information
with specifications for line speed, the
software can identify likely causes of
the measurement deviation, such as a
faulty pulley.
SRL is an option of the FFT package
of particular interest to the wire and
cable industry.
Periodic fluctuations in wire and cable
dimensions can cause significant sig-
nal loss, especially in high-frequency
products such as network patch
cables.
By analysing periodic deviation, the
software can compute the signal loss
that will occur at various frequencies
throughout a length of cable.
Computing signal loss during a
production run gives producers the
opportunity to correct the problem
before needing to scrap material.
The SRL spectrograph shows a
graphical representation of the signal
loss that occurs at various transmission
frequencies over the length of a
product.
An operator can quickly assess whether
any portion of the cable is expected
to show significant signal loss at one
or more frequencies. The spectrograph
display is cumulative, so it provides
an excellent historical record of SRL
information acquired over the entire run
of a product.
LaserLinc manufactures non-contact,
laser and ultrasonic measurement
systems, which operate via a standard
Windows PC running Total Vu™
software, a proprietary system that
provides in-process tolerancechecking,
trending, SPC, feedback control, data
logging and other features.
FFT and SRL are options of the Total
Vu package.
LaserLinc Inc – USA
Fax: +1 937 318 2445
Email:
Website:
Fiber Laser 6003 measures the diameter of bare and coated fibres ❍ ❍