Dartcom upgrades existing fibre assembly lab with the latest high-tech equipment

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3 July 2002 News

Dartcom recently invested more than R1,5m on some of the latest fibre patch lead assembly and test equipment to establish the norm in the local single mode fibre connector technology market.

Chris Basson, manager of the RF and fibre-optic manufacturing facilities at Dartcom

Being the sole fibre connector distributor in South Africa for Huber + Suhner, extensive training was given by Huber + Suhner at the Dartcom offices in Centurion in November last year. All the company's lab staff were trained and tested to Huber + Suhner standards and are qualified to assemble, polish and measure various connector types of which some being the latest technology connectors, namely, the SFF (small form factor) connectors.

The glueing machine

Dartcom is setting the pace with local connector termination and is able to terminate SMA, SC, ST, FC, E2000, MU, LC as well as the latest LX.5 connectors in PC as well as APC format. Dartcom is currently one of few companies in the world to be able to terminate the LX.5 connector. With the international trend growing rapidly in the use of single mode fibre compared to the more commonly used multimode fibre, Dartcom has positioned itself as one of the leaders in the local single mode connector termination market. With the continuous technology support from principal Huber + Suhner in Switzerland, Dartcom is set to remain a key player within this growing market and as such, is recognised as the most advanced Huber + Suhner assembly lab outside Switzerland.

Testing on the EXFO system

This investment has already begun to pay dividends in that Dartcom has entered into some long-term supply contracts with several customers locally and overseas. This has already necessitated the need to invest in more polishing equipment and Dartcom will continue to do so as the market grows. On final completion of the assembly lab later this year it will be a recognised ISO 9000 facility, with the majority of the processes in the manufacture and documentation cycle being automatic. In order to achieve this, Dartcom spent time listening to clients' requirements and as such adapting processes to suit local conditions. Ensuring that these processes are adhered to and that a good practice is in place Chris Basson, who has extensive ISO 9000 and manufacturing experience in the local industry, was appointed as the manager of the RF and fibre-optic manufacturing facilities at Dartcom. His wealth of experience in the precision engineering arena has been felt in the processes and methods applied in the labs as such.

Dartcom’s assembly lab

Dartcom has also had staff trained as instructors in fibre-optic technologies and offer courses in fibre theory, OTDR measurements and fusion splicing. This has proved to be a popular course and several organisations make use of Dartcom for the training of their staff that work in this environment. It is run over a three day period. This course is not only a theory course but also involves hands-on work for the students.

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Dartcom upgrades existing fibre assembly lab with the latest high-tech equipment

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