FiberNewProducts

Furukawa America Inc. has announced  "industry’s first" hand-held core alignment fusion splicer designed for Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTh/FTTx) and LAN installations as well as trunk line installations. Developed by The Furukawa Electric Co., the FITEL® S177A is the most compact, lightweight core alignment splicer available today.

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 FTTh, FTTx and LAN.

The new hand-held FITEL S177A incorporates an improved heating design that cuts splice-to-heat time by 40 percent, achieving a 9-second splice time and 37-second heat time. The unit’s T-shaped body design is also 40 percent lighter, weighing only 4.85 pounds including battery. Ideal for fast field use, the S177A reduces the fiber length required for splicing by 30 percent. 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,” said 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 easy to operate with its improved graphical user interface (GUI) 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.