LDS 2.5 Large Diameter Splicing System

Multipurpose Fiber Splicing & Processing System; Fiber Diameter 125-2,500 µm; “Ring of Fire” Heat Source for Even Heating; Alignment of up to 10 Axes; Pitch & Yaw Axes Alignment to 0.01°

The LDS 2.5 Large Diameter Splicing System is the latest version of 3SAE Technologies’ multipurpose fiber splicing and processing system for fiber diameters ranging from 125 to 2,500 µm.

The LDS 2.5 is utilizing 3SAE Technologies’ 30 years of fiber splicing and processing experience and it is specifically designed with flexibility in mind. The LDS 2.5 is a modular system which can be adapted and customized for production of different fused optical components such as high-power fiber combiners, mode field adapters, fiber probes, end cap splicing and splicing dissimilar sized standard or exotic fiber combinations.

Various System Upgrade Packages are available: Tapering Package, Bundling Convenience Package (Tapering Package Required), Polarization Maintaining (PM) Splicing Package, and Integrated Piezo LDF Cleaving System Package. The LDS 2.5 provides capabilities that overcome the hurdles of current fiber component fabrication processes to meet the most demanding requirements.

Designed for reproducibility, precision, and user-friendly operation, the LDS 2.5 provides the user a manufacturing approach to optical component product development. Its extreme flexibility enables customers to realize current and future glass processing and fusion splicing possibilities.

Precision mechanical design, high-contrast optics and absolute control of positional and angular fiber alignment sets the LDS 2.5 apart from competing technologies.

A sophisticated image processing software package allows the user to view, in real time, the progress of a splice or taper. The system handles fiber diameters from 125 µm to 2.5 mm, as well as optics such as prisms, end caps, and lenses, with alignment and fusion of unsurpassed quality.

3SAE Technologies has the ability to offer customized LDS 2.5 systems to meet very specific customer requirements. Please get in touch with the AMS Technologies fiber processing equipment experts to discuss your specific application.

Key Features:

• Powerful, Positionable “Ring of Fire®” Heat Source Provides Even Heating for Fiber Splicing, Fiber End-capping, Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) Splicing and Many Other Applications Including Tapering, Collapsing and Fusing
• Splicing of 125 μm to 2.5 mm Diameter Fibers Using One Machine
• System Capable of Splicing Materials With High Melting Temperatures
• Ability to Splice Dissimilar Fiber Diameters or Materials
• Unique Capability to Fuse Pre-made End Caps With Vastly Dissimilar Diameters Than the Input Fibers
• Pitch and Yaw Axes Provide +/- 5° Range of Motion With Automatic 0.01° Alignment
• Up to 10 Axes of Alignment
• Easy to Use GUI Features Configurable Operator Levels for Production Environments
• Scanning Software Scans Fiber Diameters Before or After Splice or Taper
• Real-time Data and High-quality Process Images Can Be Captured and Automatically Saved
• “Hot” Imaging With Two Independent, Orthogonally Mounted Cameras Enables Users to View Fiber Processes in Real Time
• Many Photonic Crystal Fibers (PCF) Can be Spliced With Little or No Air Hole Collapse
• Capability of Uniformly Collapsing Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF)
• “Ionic Ablation” Fiber Cleaning Provides a Secondary Cleaning of Optical Fibers
• Extremely High Splice Strengths Achievable Without Repetitive Passes of the Plasma Field
• Piezo-driven Flexure Stage and Software Package Providing 130 μm of Vibration-free Z-axis Motion With 0.25 μm Theoretical Resolution
• Vacuum Holding System for Stable, Precise Control of Hard-to-handle Optical Components
• Mechanical Platform Easily Interchangeable With Optional 16 mm Standard Fiber Holder Platform

Applications: Splicing of Fiber End Caps; Splicing Dissimilar Sized Standard or Exotic Fiber Combinations; Tapering; Fabrication of High-power Fiber Laser Components Such as Mode Field Adapters, Pump Combiners and Pump/Signal Combiners