Cable Preparation, Stripping and Cleaving
Cable Preparation, Stripping and Cleaving
This domain tests the sequence that decides splice quality: jacket removal, strength-member management, buffer-tube access, coating stripping and cleaving. The exam looks for controlled lengths and clean end faces.
Core rules and concepts
- Measure sheath removal against the closure or tray dimensions. Do not cut deeper than the jacket; a scored strength member or buffer tube can break later.
- Clean gel-filled tubes with lint-free wipes and approved cleaner. Keep fibers labelled and in order as soon as they are exposed.
- Strip 250 µm coating with the correct Miller stripper, typically 25–40 mm for fusion splicing, then clean the bare glass. Do not twist or pull against the fiber axis.
- Cleave to the splicer's specified length, commonly 10–16 mm for fusion. A good cleave has a flat end face and an angle under about 1°. Use the cleaver's waste bin.
- Work on a clean mat; bare fiber is fragile and invisible offcuts are a skin and eye hazard.
Worked example
A tray needs 12 splices. The splicer manual specifies a 16 mm cleave and a 40 mm coating strip. You strip 40 mm, clean, then cleave 16 mm. If the cleave is only 8 mm, the fiber may not reach the V-groove or may be held by the coating, so the arc misses the joint. If the strip is 20 mm, the coating may enter the V-groove and contaminate it.
Traps that cost marks
Do not strip more coating than needed, because bare fiber loses strength. Do not cleave before cleaning. Do not reuse a wipe or touch the end face. Do not ignore a damaged cleaver blade; it produces angled or chipped ends that raise splice loss.