Publications Details

Automated glass fiber drawing

Smith, W.L.

The formation of pristine silica fiber sections in an ultra high vacuum environment requires the critical control of production parameters. Glass temperature and fiber draw force must be precisely controlled to produce favorable results. Process control is achieved by automating the operation of a high power CO{sub 2} laser and the acquisition of data with a dedicated microprocessor. This combination, with the integration of ocular control through the application of digital image processing techniques, has subsequently led to a consistent and reproducible means of forming high quality pristine glass fiber test sections on the order of 25 {mu}m to 50{mu}m in diameter. Fibers formed in this manner are tested to failure (in situ) by applying loads at various rates in controlled environments. This report presents the techniques and devices used to develop this automated fabrication and testing system. 2 refs., 5 figs.