METHOD FOR DETECTING PINHOLES IN HERMETRIC COATINGS OF OPTICAL FIBERS

DEMONSTRATE A FOURIER (LASER DIFFRACTION) INSPECTION METHOD FOR DETECTING PINHOLES IN HERMETIC COATINGS OF OPTICAL FIBERS. FOURIER METHODS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DETECTION AND COUNTING OBJECTS IN THE SIZE RANGE (0.01 TO 20 MICRONS) OF ANTICIPATED PINHOLE DEFECTS. THIS METHOD IS NON-CONTACTING, NON-DESTRUCTIVE, AND WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPTICAL FIBER DRAWING PROCESS. FORMULATE A DRAFT SET OF STANDARDS TO EVALUATE EFFECTIVELY OF PINHOLE DETECTION METHODS. COMPARE THIS NEW METHOD TO PRESENT METHODS. WORK UNDERTAKEN SHALL INCLUDE: (I) RESEARCH STATE-OF-THE-ART METHODS. (II) FORMULATE DRAFT EVALUATION STANDARDS. (III) PERFORM EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION (PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE) OF FOURIER (LASER DIFFRACTION) INSPECTION FOR PINHOLES IN HERMETIC COATINGS VIA AN EXISTING INSTRUMENT DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED BY THE PROPOSER, TAI, INC. (IV) CREATE A PLAN TO DEVELOP AND TEST A FULLY FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTION INSPECTION SYSTEM BASED UPON TAI'S INSTRUMENT FOR INSTALLATION AT A MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR PHASE II. DESCRIBE PLAN TO COMMERCIALIZE THIS SYSTEM ACROSS A BROAD SEGMENT OF OPTICAL FIBER MANUFACTURING. THE TYPE OF SYSTEM WE PROPOSE WILL DETECT PROBLEMS IN-PROCESS ALLOWING NOT ONLY INSPECTION BUT TIMELY CORRECTION OF PROBLEMS. IF HERMETIC COATING APPLICATION, NOW DESIRABLE, BECOMES UNIVERSAL BY BECOMING READILY AND THOROUGHLY VERIFIABLE, THE VALUE OF SYSTEMS MAKING THIS POSSIBLE BECOMES VERY HIGH.