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Fusion splicing is a method for extending or repairing cables where a fiber optic cable specialist fuses two cables together using an electric arc.
Fusion splicing is the most widely used method of splicing because it provides the lowest loss, as well as providing the strongest and most reliable connection between two fiber optic cables. The goal of fusion splicing is to create a connection with minimum insertion loss, and mechanical strength and longevity that matches the fiber itself. Fusion splices play a crucial role in today’s optical cable networks.
The main alternative to fusion splicing is mechanical splicing. This is where the fiber cables are not permanently joined together, but instead are held together precisely enough to allow the light to travel from one cable to the next. This method of splicing typically results in more insertion loss, depending on the precision of the cable alignment. In addition, though there is a lower start-up cost and simpler materials involved in mechanical splicing, it will come at a higher cost per splice compared to fusion splicing. Choosing to add an interconnect can introduce up to .75db of loss. Fusion splicing, on the other hand, typically causes a loss of less than 0.02db.
