Coating failure in the pull-out of a multiply-coated optical fiber

For fiber optic ribbon cables, stripping of the multiple coatings from the optical fiber glass is an important step in installation. During this process, failures that lead to excess residue on the fiber create extra work that is costly. In this paper, we describe a systematic experimental approach to understanding the failure mechanism observed during fiber optic ribbon stripping. The blades in the ribbon-stripping tool create compressive stresses during the fiber pull-out process. These compressive stresses, in turn, may lead to coating instability. The coating instability creates potential for stress risers and excessive wear of the innermost coating. Reducing the length of the stripping sample has been found to significantly reduce the occurrence of this failure mode.