Design and analysis of proof testing setup for high strength optical fiber

The increasing demand of the thick fiber proof testing has been problematic for Rosendahl Nextrom for whom this research has been carried out. The standing machine OFC 35 is designed for telecom fiber with approx. 250micron diameter and ~30N of proof stress. However, it is not sufficient for many of the high strength fiber solutions that would need greater proof stress. The study concentrations on post draw process which is proof testing of high strength 2mm optical fiber in which specified tensile load is applied to the continuous fiber and checking the quality of the produced fiber. The existing machine from the company served as a reference point against which new designs are made. The aim of this thesis is to develop a testing setup of first capstan with the belt which has weight carrying capacity of 50kg attached to the thick fiber. The setup stress for 2mm fiber is set at 500N whereas initial reel tension is considered as 10N. In summary, new proof testing setup is designed with iterative CAD principles and capstan equation as the central focus. Three different tests were performed with the quick prototype to understand the belt material, contact angle and driving element behavior. The findings were presented as an individual test result which can be used as a base point for the entire machine design. The factors prioritized in this testing were mainly belt tension and its material along with the fiber contact angle. Nitrile based vulcanized rubber belt was found to be appropriate for targeted weight capacity whereas it is concluded that angle of contact have negligible effect on the fiber tension. The proposed design demonstrates promising results and can be a good starting point for the company to get the research deeper into the entire machine design