ONR Develops First Fully Automated Manufacturing Platform For Fiber Optic Cable Assembly
Lawrence, MA - As part of a manufacturing technology program initiated by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to support the U.S. Navy's ongoing migration to fiber optic technology, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer has developed a way to completely automate the production of military-grade fiber optic cables. The new automated manufacturing technology – developed by kSARIA Corporation of Lawrence, Massachusetts – enables the production of fiber optic cables that demonstrates the consistently high quality and performance characteristics demanded in aeronautical, shipboard and weapon systems applications. This program was funded by ONR through a cooperative agreement with Pennsylvania State University's Electro-Optics Center, the Navy's Center of Excellence for electro-optics manufacturing technology.
The performance of a fiber optic communication link in the fleet is highly dependent on the quality and reliability of the cable assembly process. The prevalent assembly method relies on a highly manual process consisting of up to 35 tedious yet critical steps. This manpower-intensive approach is prone to human error and makes quality dependent upon the skill levels of individual technicians. As a result, many Navy acquisition programs have experienced a problem obtaining repeatable fiber optic connector terminations.
Richard Henson from the Navy's Manufacturing Technology Office, here at ONR, launched the Tri- Syscom manufacturing technology program to address this problem by funding the development of automated fiber optic interconnect technology (FOIT). "Fiber optic cabling is a compelling solution for Navy applications because of its light weight, high bandwidth, and low interference characteristics," Henson said. "It's a technology we want. But the variability in cable quality and performance could potentially jeopardize a mission-critical system and impact the overall readiness of the Navy. The ONR program was a proactive initiative set up to solve this problem before our ships and planes are proliferated with fiber optics."
Working as a sub-contractor to Lockheed Martin on the ONR program, kSARIA successfully implemented its automated manufacturing platform utilizing precision robotics and a cassette drive implementation. kSARIA's platform fully automates each step in the production process – from initial cable preparation and terminus attachment, to epoxy cure and end-face polishing, to final inspection of all critical elements affecting cable performance. "By eliminating all human influence in the assembly process, kSARIA's automated technology can ensure far greater repeatability in meeting the Navy's performance standards while also improving safety, increasing cable longevity, and reducing costs," said Drew Glista, former technology manager at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and current president of Liteboard Technology.
"When you're putting fiber optic cables into a fail-safe Navy application, they need to consistently perform to the Navy's exacting specifications over the life of the platform," said Mark Beranek, an electronics engineer and F/A-18 fiber optics engineering lead at NAVAIR. "The high degree of process control that can only be achieved from an automated manufacturing platform like kSARIA's will eliminate the wide disparity we see in quality from many military/aerospace fiber cable providers. I welcome the day that automated technology is used to manufacture fiber optic cables for Naval aviation."
Fiber optic networks are becoming increasingly important in this era of network-centric warfare. The ONR program has advanced the state-of-the-art in fiber optic cable production – leveraging the precision, speed, repeatability and cost advantages of automated manufacturing technology to produce militarygrade fiber optic cables for manned and unmanned fleet platforms and provide reliable, cost effective information distribution to the warfighter.
SOURCE: The Office of Naval Research (ONR)