A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000° C.

A method of producing an optical fiber preform includes a silica glass body forming step of forming a silica glass body to be at least a portion of a core portion. The method includes an alkali-metal-doped silica glass body forming step of forming an alkali-metal-doped silica glass body doped with an alkali metal around the silica glass body such that the alkali-metal-doped silica glass body contacts the silica glass body. The method further includes a diffusing step of diffusing the alkali metal from the alkali-metal-doped silica glass body to the silica glass body by a heat treatment.

A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000° C.

The invention relates to a device, system, and method for forming a core-rod for optical fibers by collapsing a tube comprising deposited layers of silica to form the core-rod. The device comprises an elongate cavity, an elongate cylindrical carbon liner bounding the cavity, the liner connecting to a frame of the device at opposing end portions, a heating element in a heating element space, surrounding the liner, the liner separating the heating element space from the cavity, a ring of a refractory material, fixated to the frame, surrounding a part of a length of the cavity, the liner being provided such that an inner surface portion at a first end portion of the liner mates with a cylindrical outer surface portion of the ring such that the liner can axially move with the first end portion thereof along the outer surface portion of the ring.

Known heating burners for producing a welded joint between components of quartz glass include a burner head in which at least one burner nozzle is formed, a burner-head cooling system for the temperature control of the burner head and a supply line connected to the burner nozzle for a fuel gas. Starting from this, to modify a heating burner in such a way that impurities in the weld seam between quartz-glass components to be connected are largely avoided, it is suggested that the burner head should include a base body of silver or of a silver-based alloy.

Known heating burners for producing a welded joint between components of quartz glass include a burner head in which at least one burner nozzle is formed, a burner-head cooling system for the temperature control of the burner head and a supply line connected to the burner nozzle for a fuel gas. Starting from this, to modify a heating burner in such a way that impurities in the weld seam between quartz-glass components to be connected are largely avoided, it is suggested that the burner head should include a base body of silver or of a silver-based alloy.

The present disclosure provides a method for sintering of an optical fiber preform. The method includes preheating of the optical fiber preform in a sintering chamber. In addition, the method includes first downfeeding of the optical fiber preform into a sintering furnace in the presence of helium gas and chlorine gas. The first downfeeding of the optical fiber preform facilitates sintering of an outer layer of the optical fiber preform. Further, the method includes pulling out the optical fiber preform from the sintering furnace in presence of chlorine gas and at least one of nitrogen gas and helium gas. Further, the method includes second down feeding of the optical fiber preform in the sintering furnace in the presence of nitrogen gas and chlorine gas. The second downfeeding of the optical fiber preform facilitates sintering of the optical fiber preform.

A method for manufacturing a multicore optical fiber includes a step of forming ring-shaped closed-end holes to axially extend from a first end toward a second end of a glass rod; a step of heating bottom parts of the ring-shaped closed-end holes and softening center rods surrounded by the ring-shaped closed-end holes; a step of pulling out the center rods toward a side of the first end, forming columnar closed-end holes from the ring-shaped closed-end holes, and treating the glass rod as a cladding material; a connecting step of connecting a supporting pipe to the first end; an inserting step of inserting core rods into the columnar closed-end holes after the connecting step; and a drawing step of drawing the cladding material and the core rods while heating a portion near the second end and integrating the cladding material and the core rods after the inserting step.

A method may include (1) coating a segment of fiber optic cable with an adhesive substance, (2) forming a coil of the segment of fiber optic cable, (3) deforming the coil into a noncircular shape defining a slot external to the coil while obeying a minimum bend radius requirement for the segment of fiber optic cable, and (4) activating the adhesive substance to stabilize the noncircular shape of the coil. Various other methods and apparatuses, such as those for performing the deforming operation, are also disclosed.

A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000 C.