How to use a pigtail protective sleeve

Slide the protective sleeve over the spliced fiber, center it on the joint, and heat it to create a rigid, waterproof shield that protects the splice.

Step-by-

Step Guide1. Prepare the Fiber Pigtail Before splicing, strip the protective layers from the fiber carefully to expose about 30mm of bare glass. Use the correct notch on your fiber stripper to avoid nicking the glass, which can cause fractures and signal loss.

Clean the exposed fiber with alcohol wipes to remove dust and oils, as even tiny particles can degrade the splice. 2. Slide the Protective Sleeve Onto the Pigtail Take the heat-shrink splice protection sleeve and slide it onto the pigtail before performing the fusion splice.

Ensure it is positioned far enough from the splice area so it does not interfere with the fusion process. 3. Perform the Fusion Splice Align and fuse the bare end of the pigtail with the incoming fiber using a fusion splicer.

Handle the fibers carefully to maintain proper alignment and prevent contamination. 4. Position the Sleeve Over the Splice After the splice is complete, slide the protective sleeve so that the fused joint is centered over the stainless steel reinforcement rod inside the sleeve.

This ensures the splice is fully supported and protected. 5. Heat the Sleeve Place the fiber with the sleeve into the fusion splicer's built-in heating oven.

Activate the heat cycle to shrink the outer tubing and melt the inner adhesive, bonding the sleeve to the steel rod. Allow the sleeve to cool for a few seconds before handling. 6.

Install the Fiber in a Splice Tray Finally, carefully loop the protected fiber into a splice tray, respecting the minimum bend radius to avoid macro-bends, which can cause signal leakage and degradation. Secure the fiber neatly to maintain long-term reliability. By following these steps, the protective sleeve will create a rigid, weather-resistant shield that safeguards the delicate fiber splice, ensuring low signal loss and long-term network performance.