A Brief introduction of MTP One-Push Cleaner

As fiber optics is now widely used in telecommunication and networking, more attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the interfaces since it can directly influence the quality of transmission. The newly published MTP one-push cleaner is designed to solve this problem thus to make it ever easier to clean the MPO/MTP connectors.

The Introduction of MTP One-Push Cleaner

This one-push cleaner is a high-performance and user friendly device aimed to clean the ferrule end-faces of MPO&MTP connectors. And it can be implemented to clean both connectors and adapters with the innovative one-push action. Unlike the traditional cleaning methods, it uses the latest cleaning technologies and free from any alcohol or other harsh chemicals. Moreover, it is supposed to clean all 12 fibers at once, meanwhile, to clean both exposed jumper ends and connectors in adapters, which are proved to be cost effective and time saving.

The Importance to Use MTP One-Push Cleaner

It is claimed that more than 85% of the fiber optic network failures in optical communication facilities is resulted from contaminated optical connector end face. However, to clean the connectors regularly may help prevent things like performance degradation, network failure and transmission error from happening. So, in order to enable connectors to operate in the best condition, it is essential to make sure that all optical fibers are clean and free of dust and dirt. And the maintenance of fiber optic systems attaches great importance to the cleaning of fiber optic facilities.

The Features of MTP One-Push Cleaner

The NEOCLEAN-M MTP/MPO one-push cleaner, a newly published product that is specific to the cleaning of MPO/MTP connectors. It is designed to achieve efficient and quick cleanliness of the connector end faces by removing dust, oil and other debris alike. Without nicking or scratching the end face, it serves as an ideal instrument for all MPO/MTP connectors. The one-push cleaner obtains several features:

  • Easy one-hand operation
  • 600+cleanings per unit
  • Clean ferrules with or without guide pins
  • Narrow design reaches tightly spaced MPO adapters
  • Intermateability with FOCIS-5 (MPO)

The Application of MTP One-Push Cleaner

The one-push cleaner can be commonly used in various working environments,such as:

  • Fiber network patch panels
  • Cable assembly manufacturing
  • Suitable for field or laboratory use
  • Outside Plant and Fiber To The Home
  • Data Centers

As one of the most popular fiber cleaner which is generally accepted in the field of networking, the one-push cleaner offers much convenience and flexibility for users with outstanding performance. In the following, I would like to illustrate how to use this one-push cleaner efficiently.

The picture below shows the whole details of an one-push cleaner, a guide cup is placed on the cleaning tip of the cleaner, and on the top of which exists a cover used for protection.

MTP One-Push Cleaner

If you want to clean a connector, insert the cleaning tip into the connector with the guide cup as the following picture, then press the cleaner until you hear a click. The whole process of cleaning is then finished.

MTP MPO cleaner

If you want to clean an adapter, firstly remove the entire protective cap, then insert the cleaning tip into the adapter. Pressing the cleaner, after you hear a click, a cleaning for a fiber optic adapter is done. It is especially useful during the test since the equipment for testing usually have an interface of the adapter.

MTP MPO adapter cleaning

This NEOCLEAN-M MTP/MPO one-push cleaner mentioned above only account a very small part of the cleaning products offered by FS. For more detailed information and other fiber optic cleaning choices, please visit www.fs.com.

Why Is Fiber Cleaning Necessary?

At a BICSI Conference in 2008, JDSU stated, “Contamination is the number-one reason for troubleshooting optical networks.” For the long-term reliability of any network, fiber cleaning is critical and it is at the heart of the profitability of successful fiber deployment. This paper will introduce the necessity of fiber cleaning and then give two tips on fiber protection against dust contamination.

Four reasons for fiber cleaning are listed below:

Signal Failure

As you know, fiber optic networks work by carrying pulses of light between transmitters and receivers. Contamination and dirt will block the signal and lead to light loss, reducing power and efficiency. The amount of light loss shrinks correspondingly as links carry higher data rates, which makes cleaning even more essential. Dirty equipment can give rise to network failure or paralysis.

Equipment Failure

Dirt can cause permanent damage to the end-face, digging into the surface and creating pits that increase back reflection. Failures in the network caused by dirt can increase costs and install time because damaged equipment may need to be tracked down and replaced, which means more time on-site and greater expenditure. Both of the two will impact the overall budget for a deployment.

Angry Occupants

It is naturally going to enrage consumers and building owners by leaving a mess in a subscriber’s home or the common areas of an apartment building. They’d like to have the benefits of fiber broadband rather than the dirt or damage to their property when it is installed.

Adopting Proper Cleanliness Procedures

While it is easy to focus on more visible debris, dirt is most dangerous at a microscopic level, particularly when it comes to the end-faces of connectors. For example, simply touching the ferrules of a connector will deposit significant amounts of body oil onto the end face. Best practice for this issue is to use high-grade, completely lint-free wipes (aiming for clean room quality) and pure Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).

On top of this, here are two areas to keep an especially close eye on:

Mating and Unmating

The actual process of mating and unmating connectors can also cause damage to the ceramic. Therefore, aim to minimize this plugging and unplugging as much as possible and ensure you inspect the two end-faces for dirt or debris that could be crushed between them. This can cause permanent damage, such as scratches, cracks or pits that will require re-termination, not just cleaning. Moreover, make sure you inspect any other equipment ports that the connector is being plugged into, as they can also harbour contamination.

Don’t Rely on Dust Caps

Many people may think that if you don’t take the dust cap off your factory terminated connector until you plug it in, it’ll keep dirt free. After all, it was packaged in a sterile factory environment. In fact, dust caps are preventing damage to the end-face, rather than stopping all contamination reaching the connector.

FS Fiber Cleaning Solution

As a professional supplier in the optical industry, FS has various high-quality and low-price fiber optic cleaning tools, such as fiber connector cleaner, optical connector cleaning cards, one push fiber optic cleaner for 1.25mm connectors, etc. These tools can help to ease or remove all kinds of dirty particles, such as dust, dripping and moist. Choosing any kind of fiber optic cleaning tools in FS will give you a surprise!