Furukawa America Inc. announced today it now offers a hand-held core alignment fusion splicer designed for fiber-to-the-home and local area network installations as well as trunk line installations.
Developed by The Furukawa Electric Co., the FITEL S177A is designed to be a compact, lightweight core alignment splicer.
At half the size of a conventional unit, the FITEL S177A delivers the automated functionality and accuracy necessary for conventional backbone or long-haul installations along with the portability and speed needed for challenging field installations such as fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fiber to the business (FTTX) and local area network (LAN).
The FITEL S177A incorporates an improved heating design that cuts splice-to-heat time by 40%, achieving a nine-second splice time and 37-second heat time. The unit's T-shaped body design is also 40% lighter, weighing only 4.85 pounds including battery. Ideal for fast-field use, the S177A reduces the fiber length required for splicing by 30%. In addition, fiber magnification power is 608X, marking the industry's most powerful rating for a core alignment splicer.
"Core alignment splicers have long been the preferred method for CATV installations, backbone networks, specialty fiber applications, and optical components manufacturing largely because of their high accuracy and reliability," says Jason Greene, manager of fusion splicer products for Furukawa America. "The portability of the S177A brings the benefits of core alignment to the growing construction of fiber-to-the-home and other space-constrained fiber optic cable installations."
The FITEL S177A is designed to be easy to operate with its improved graphical user interface and includes a transflective LCD screen for a clear view of splicing operations in all conditions, from complete darkness to bright sunlight. Along with AC and DC input power options, the splicer's built-in lithium-ion battery automatically recharges during operation.
Furukawa America Inc. supplies FITEL optical fiber products to the telecommunications, data, and CATV industries. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan. For more information visit www.FurukawaAmerica.com.