Furukawa debuts ultra-compact FITEL fusion splicer

January 19, 2005 Peachtree City, GA -- Furukawa America Inc. today announced the introduction of a new FITEL ultra-compact S121S splicer. Developed by Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., the unit features a more compact canopy that reduces the fiber length required for splicing by 50%, say company representatives.Furukawa Electric developed and introduced the first mini hand-held fusion splicer for single fiber (S121A) in March 2003 to meet the need for simple, cost-effective drop installations for FTTx and LAN premise applications. The company introduced the S121M for splicing up to four-ribbon fiber in October 2004. The compact size and lightweight body of the S121 series--just one-third the size of standard portable splicers--enables high-quality, automatic splicing in one hand. Splicing is also faster due to the built-in fiber holder, which eliminates the need for special preparation with 250-um and 900-um single fibers. Furukawa Electric's more compact canopy for the S121S shortens the required fiber length on one side from 70 mm to 35 mm. The result, says the company, is a more powerful splicing unit for FTTx and LAN installations where fiber length is often very short. Like the S121A and S121M, the S121S provides comprehensive data storage, including estimation loss, inspection data, and the date for up to 1,000 splices. This data can be transferred to a computer using a DC adapter.