Fiber laser has been widely used in all walks of life, but if the fiber connector of laser is dirty, it will easily affect the stability of laser and even reduce the service life of laser.
Therefore, before using the laser fiber connector, the cleaning state and damage degree of the protective lens shall be checked. If there is any stain, professional tools shall be used and cleaned according to strict procedures to ensure that the fiber connector is clean and undamaged.
Next, we will teach you how to clean the optical fiber connector:
1、 Cleaning tools:
To clean the optical fiber connector, you need the following equipment:
(1) Powder free rubber gloves or finger covers;
(2) Lint free fiber cleaning cloth and cotton swab;
(3) Anhydrous ethanol, i.e. alcohol (optical grade, purity > 99.5%);
(4) Compressed air (oil-free, water-free), or a wooden stick rolled with the inner layer of double-sided adhesive tape;
(5) Microscope.
2、 Cleaning procedure:
Please clean and maintain the optical fiber connector in strict accordance with the following procedures:
(1) Turn off the laser switch and set the key switch to the “off” position;
(2) Remove the protective sleeve (black) of the connector, remove the window piece (also known as protective lens), and wipe the surface around the connector with an optical cleaning cloth dipped in alcohol;
(3) Put the optical fiber connector under the microscope (the magnification is 20 times), so that the quartz column of the connector can be clearly imaged under the microscope. Observe carefully, and clean the dust or small particles on the surface of the quartz column with cotton swab dipped in alcohol. After cleaning, it must be wrapped with non-woven cloth and placed on the table, and then continue other work to avoid the dust polluting the surface of the quartz column again.
(Note: clean the quartz column in a dust-free environment)
(4) Place the window piece under the microscope so that it can be clearly imaged under the microscope. Carefully observe the lens, clean the dust and small particles inside and outside the lens with cotton swab dipped in alcohol, and install it back into the connector. Finally, observe again under the microscope to confirm whether it is clean.
(5) Glue off the dust on the inner cover with double-sided adhesive stick, and then clean it with cotton swab and alcohol, and put it back on the connector.
3、 Precautions
●Please do not reuse lint free cotton or cotton swabs;
●Do not touch the protective lens of the optical fiber connector with your fingers;
●Do not blow directly with your mouth to protect the surface of the lens from dirt, which may cause new dirt;
●Do not touch the tip of the cleaning swab with your fingers;
●Please clean the protective cover and sleeve before installing them on the optical fiber connector;
●When using compressed air, do not blow dirt directly from the front, but from the side to prevent dirt from sneaking into the surface;
● If the optical fiber connector cannot be installed on the optical components immediately, please cover the tail with the protective cover cleaned by compressed air.