Further improvements to the market leading mass-production optical connector polisher

In addition to providing a service of technology transfer for the manufacture of optical connectors developed in NTT Laboratories, such as the SC type optical connector^*2, which has become a worldwide standard, NTT-AT develops, produces and sells various items of equipment and tools for the manufacture of optical fiber connectors. Within this business of optical connector assembly and related products, the company is placing an emphasis on the development and sales of optical connector polishers^*3 as well as measuring and ferrule processing tools. The polishers are already used widely by domestic vendors in the business of optical connector assembly.

NTT-AT will commence sale of the new mass-produced optical connector polisher APT-2200. While retaining the new "polishing path control" feature of its predecessor, the ATP-2100, which has become known as the best-selling polisher on account of its high reliability and low running cost^*4, the APT-2200 has enhanced usability, such as the ability to preset the polisher action for each polishing process^*5.

Background

Recently, the competition in optical connector-terminated cables has been intensifying and their market prices have been dropping sharply. Consequently, it is essential to achieve a rapid reduction in the polishing cost, which is one of the major elements in the optical connector assembly cost. To meet this need, the ATP-2100 has been used by many optical connector vendors on account of its ability to dramatically reduce polishing time and cost. It has been highly rated as a product developed by reviewing the polishing mechanism from scratch. Now, in response to many comments and requests received from customers for improved usability by reducing the functions, we have developed the ATP-2200. While it retains such highly rated functions as the "new polishing path control" , which fully utilizes every part of the consumable polishing film surface, and single-action engagement and disengagement of the polishing jigs, the new product has the added feature of programmable polishing, which allows the presetting of the actions for each polishing process. Usability is further dramatically enhanced by simplifying process management, and by eliminating a brake ring (an O-shaped anti-rotation ring), which has required periodic replacement.

Expected customers

Optical connector assembly vendors, cable vendors, etc.

Volume of planned annual sales

250 units (including sales overseas)

Sales area

Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.

Sales price

From 1,365,000 yen (tax included)

Notes
(KF Glossary is only used for definitions of words. Most of these are definitions, but I suggest that the more general term, Notes, is better.)

*1

Industry's No. 1 share
From "2004 Optical Industry Forecast Handbook" by Fuji Chimera Research Institute, Inc., August 2004 (in Japanese)

*2

SC type optical connector
Optical connector developed by NTT Laboratories in 1986, which features the world's first adoption of a zirconia ferrule and push-pull engagement type of plastic housing. It has become widely used on account of its high performance, reliability, user-friendliness and low cost, and is said to have a 70% share of the world's optical connector market.

*3

Optical connector polisher
Polisher for optical connectors that allows simple and correct handling of optical fibers. An optical fiber is attached to the tip of an optical connector. To ensure a good optical connection, the connector endface needs to be extremely smooth. Since it can polish a connector endface to a smoothness of nanometers, an optical connector polisher is an essential tool in connector assembly.

*4

Running cost
Various polishing materials, such as diamond polishing films, are used for optical connector polishing. Since they are not reusable, these materials are a major contributor to the polishing cost. The running cost of an optical connector polisher is usually expressed in terms of polishing material cost per optical connecter.

*5

Process
Since an optical connector cannot be polished to a smoothness of nanometers in a single process, it is necessary to start with coarse polishing and to gradually advance to finer polishing until ultimately very fine polishing particles are used. Each stage of applying a specific polishing material is called a process.