Note: Hermetic Sealing a Ferrule & Fiber Optic Cable
Objective:
To heat a Kovar ferrule and fiber optic cable to 297°F within 10 seconds for a soldering application, to form a hermetic seal
End Product:
fiber optic cable
Equipment:
Ambrell 1kW power supply with a specially designed induction coil
Materials:
Gold-coated cable, Kovar ferrule, solder and flux
Temperature:
297 ºF
Frequency:
360 kHz
Testing:
A specially designed, 4-turn “C” shape coil was used to provide uniform heat to the assembly near the joint area. With this design, the coil can be lowered directly onto the joint; it s not necessary to feed the ferrule assembly through the coil. Flux was applied to the assembly where the ferrule and fiber optic cable were to be joined. RF power was applied for 10 seconds, which caused the solder to melt and flow.
Benefits:
Consistent and repeatable results were achieved with the Ameritherm 1 kW power supply and a 10-second heat cycle. The solder flowed evenly and bonded the fiber optic cable to the Kovar ferrule. With the induction coil’s compact design, a very small surface area was heated with pinpoint accuracy.
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