Cleaning Tools for Optics

Product Portfolio 
AMS Technologies’ broad portfolio of fiber optic cleaning tools helps to reliably remove even the smallest contamination on an optical fiber connector’s end face that would otherwise significantly reduce the overall quality of the connection.

NEOCLEAN^TM, OPTIPOP^TM and CLETOP^TM Series of cost-effective cleaning tools remove dust, skin oils and fiber residues from optical fiber connectors with a special microfiber tissue. Its excellent anti-static properties prevent reattachment of dust after cleaning. Featuring compact design with workability in mind, products include cleaning tools for the end-faces and ferrules of fiber optic connectors, as well as for the end faces of plugged connectors through an adapter.

The connector cleaners of the NEOCLEAN^TM, OPTIPOP^TM, and CLETOP^TM Series are available from stock in various types:

• Pen Cleaners: for cleaning of both optical connector plugs and adaptors with one push. They are ideal for the narrow spaces of optical connector ports.
• Reel Cleaners: for cleaning different types of optical connectors. The replaceable cleaning tape can be used for over 400 wipes.
• Stick Cleaners: for cleaning adaptor ferrule end face with 1,25 or 2,5mm diameter.
• Card Cleaners: for cleaning of single core connectors. They fit in every pocket thanks to their very compact design.

Consumables like replacement tapes, reels and cartridges are available for all three series, and lint-free KimWipe light-duty wipers are specifically designed for delicate manual cleaning tasks.

Utilizing a different approach, the OZ-MS OZ-PEN CO₂ Fiber Optic Cleaning Units cleans end faces with a high-flow-rate jet across the fiber’s surface. This solvent-free fiber optics cleaning unit is a versatile, precision, small-surface-area cleaning system based on a CO₂ spray cleaning pen, especially suitable for effective cleaning of various high-power fiber optic connectors and other optical components.

Related Products
After cleaning, users can verify the cleaning result – the optical connector’s end face quality – with our wide range of testing tools like microscopes, power meters and optical sources. Hand-held or benchtop microscopes offer the possibility to visually assess the cleanliness of the end face in detail, and a combination of optical power meter and optical light source provides quantitative data for the quality of the optical transmission.

AMS Technologies carries a broad portfolio of fiber connector kits and fiber connector parts available from stock, suitable for single mode (SM), multi mode (MM) and polarization maintaining (PM) optical fibers – all of these optical fibers can also be found here on the AMS Technologies Portal.

A dedicated range of tools and materials available from AMS Technologies covers the whole process of fiber connector assembly – from preparation of the optical fiber (stripping, cleaving, splicing, recoating, tapering) and gluing the fiber into the connector with optical adhesives to .

Definition
With rapidly growing transmission rates of state-of-the-art fiber optic technology, the requirements on cleaning end faces and ferrules of connectors become more stringent. Even the smallest contamination on the connector’s end face reduces the overall quality of the connection.

Cleaning tools for optics remove any contaminations from an optical connector’s end face with a dedicated microfiber tissue or non-contact air stream blasts.

Microfiber Tissue Cleaners
Microfiber material takes away all contaminations you can’t even see and secures them – without scratching the surface. The antistatic concept prevents static load which could bring new contamination after the cleaning. Unlike traditional cleaning concepts, this method does not degrade optical return loss.

Microfiber tissue cleaning equipment can be distinguished by the way in which the microfiber tissue surface is provided:

• Light-duty wipes are lint-free pieces of cloth that are used to manually clean any debris from a broad range of optical surfaces.
• Stick and pen types allow concentrated spot cleaning of both optical connector plugs and adaptors with one push, ideal even for the narrow spaces of optical connector ports within hard-to-reach housings. Stick types are intended for single use, while pens usually contain cartridges that ensure a continuous supply of unused microfiber tissue.
• Card-shaped devices for cleaning of single-core connectors fit in every pocket thanks to their very compact design and provide a large, flat microfiber tissue surface along which fiber ends are moved for cleaning.
• The same applies to tape-based systems, which allow particularly fast and long-term renewal of used microfiber tissue surfaces. Microfiber tissue consumables for this type of reusable cleaners are available in reel and cartridge systems, each allowing for hundreds of wipes.

Air Stream Cleaning Systems
Instead of wiping the surface with microfiber, air stream cleaning systems utilize a different approach: This non-contact technology provides a high-flow-rate jet applied across the fiber’s end surface, clearing it from debris. Air stream cleaning systems mostly feature varying phases with either plain, purified air blasts or some added substance, e.g. solvents or particles like solid CO2 that increase the cleaning effectivity.

Alternative Terms: Optics Cleaning Kits; Optics Cleaning Equipment; Optical Cleaning Tools; Optical Cleaning Kits; Optical Cleaning Equipment; Fiber Optic Cleaning Tools; Fiber Optic Connector Cleaning Tools; Optical Connector Cleaning; Optical Connector Cleaners