Cleaving is the process by which an optical fiber is “cut” or precisely broken for termination or splicing. Just like cutting glass plate, fiber is cut by scoring or scratching the surface and applying stress so the glass breaks in a smooth manner along the stress lines created by the scratch. Properly done, the fiber will cleave with a clean surface perpendicular to the length of the fiber, with no protruding glass on either end (called a lip).

A fiber cleaver is a tool that holds the fiber under low tension, scores the surface at the proper location, then applies greater tension until the fiber breaks. Good cleavers are automatic and produce consistent results, irrespective of the operator. With good fiber cleavers, the user need only to clamp the fiber into the cleaver and operate its controls, then fiberglass is cleaved automatically. The good cleavers are called as precision cleavers. While some cleavers are less automated and require operators to exert force manually to cut the fiber cable, which makes it difficult to predict and control the force.

The advantage of the precision cleavers is that they can produce repeatable results through thousands of cleaves by simply just rotating the wheel/blade accordingly. Although they are more costly than scribe cleavers, precision cleavers can cut multiple fibers with increasing speed, efficiency, and accuracy. As the fusion splicers became popular, precision cleavers were developed to support various splicing works. Precision cleavers are deal for fusion splicing standard 125/250um & 125/900um fibers and preparing fiber for various pre-polished connectors.

Why is proper cleaving so important? Joining two fibers requires mating two fiber ends. If the fiber ends are not precisely cleaved, the ends will not mate properly. If the cleaved ends are at an angle, there will be a gap between the fibers that will cause loss in a mechanical splice or uneven fusion splicing. If there is a protrusion, or lip, on one of the fibers, the two fibers will not butt up against each other. If there are surface defects, called hackle or mist, the ends will reflect or diffuse light, causing loss.

If you plan on doing a good deal of cleaving, it is worthwhile to pay for a cleaver that does the job correctly the first time. Saving money on an inadequate cleaver only presents a problem later on by producing unacceptable IL (Insertion Loss) or ORL (optical return loss) levels in the fiber link. A quality cleaver will help avoid this loss time and time again.

ITS BEEN SAID A GOOD TOOL GETS THE JOB DONE CORRECTLY AND EFFICIENTLY.

How to Use Shinho X-55B One Step Fiber Cleaver?

A fiber cleaver utilizes an automatic anvil drop for fewer required steps and better cleaving consistency.. To perfectly cleave optical fibers, perform the following steps:

Step 1: Open the lock, open body cover

Step 2: Push the tray in.

Step 3: Put the stripped fiber on the holder, making sure the fiber’s end into the waste tray.

Step 4: Close the holder cover.

Step 5: Close the cover. Cleaving finished.

Step 4: Open the cover and check the cleaved fiber.

Step 5: Open the holder cover and take out the cleaved fiber.