Accel Automation, Inc. - Fiber Optic Connectorization Machine

The Fiber Optic Connectorization Machine

With the staff of Accel Automation, comes past employment experience developing an automated machine which polishes, cleans, tunes, tests, and caps fiber optic connectors attached to a variety of single and multi-fiber cables. Our staff member provided Mechanical Design, Engineering Analysis, Control System Design, and Software Development services to help create this machine. Additionally, our staff member is the sole or primary contributor to five US patents pertaining to this machine, US Patents 6918816, 7068906, 7163440, 7209629, and 7352938.

Project Overview

The Fiber Optic Connectorization Machine consists of a two part product conveyance mechanism made up of a fixture conveyor and a cart conveyor, which transport connectorized fiber optic cables past five processing modules to polish, clean, tune, test, and cap fiber optic connectors.

Mechanical Design

Our staff member provided the Mechanical Design services required to create:

The Overall System Concept & Specifications.
The Fixture, a device which holds the fiber optic connectors attached to the end of the fiber optic cables to facilitate the transportation of the connectors through the system, and to facilitate the processing of the connectors by the various modules.
The Fixture Conveyor, a device which transports the fixtures through the various processing modules.
The polishing module prototype, a machine used to prove the polishing concept which this automated system is based on.

Our staff member also provided Mechanical Design oversight and guidance to create:

The Cart, a device which holds spools of fiber optic cable to facilitate the transportation of the spools along with the fixtures through the various processing modules.
The Cart Conveyor, a device which transports the carts along with the fixtures through the various processing modules.
The Polish Module, a device which polishes the end-face of each fiber optic connector.
The Clean Module, a device which cleans the end-face of each fiber optic connector.
The Tune Module, a device which aligns any existing fiber location eccentricity with the connector housing.
The Test Module, a device which measures the insertion loss and return loss of each connector and identifies those which do not conform to specifications.
The Cap Module, a device which places a dust cap on the connectors that conform to specifications.

Engineering Analysis

Our staff member provided the Engineering Analysis services required to:

Ensure that the fixture is sufficiently ridged.
Ensure that when grasped by the polisher mechanism, the fixture stays rigidly attached throughout the polishing cycle.
Ensure that screw drive of the fixture conveyor provides smooth motion of the fixtures.
Determine the torque and power requirements of the fixture conveyor drive.
Determine the torque and power requirements of the polisher module drives.
Ensure that the polisher module components and sub-assemblies are sufficiently rigid.
Ensure that the polishing motion provides a uniform polish to ensure connector end-face geometry.

Control System Design

Our staff member provided the Control System Design services required to control:

The overall system, controlled by a custom Windows Application.
The Fixture Conveyor, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller.
The Cart Conveyor, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller.
The polishing module prototype, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller and a custom Windows Application.

Our staff member provided the Control System Design oversight and guidance required to control:

The Polish Module, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller.
The Clean Module, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller.
The Tune Module, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller and custom Windows Application.
The Test Module, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller and custom Windows Application.
The Cap Module, controlled by a Compumotor 6K Controller.

Software Development

Our staff member provided the Software Development services required to create:

The System Control & Interface Application, a Windows application running on the System PC to provide top level control of the system. This application acquires information from the manufacturing database and directs the actions of the entire system accordingly. When processing is complete, this application collects processing data from each module and sends that information to the manufacturing database for storage.
The Tune Module Control & Interface Application, a Windows application running on the Tune PC to communicate with the System PC and control the Tune Module. This application acquires data from the System PC and uses that information in conjunction with data acquired from a light meter to direct the actions of the motion controller. This application also acquires information from the motion controller and light meter and presents it to the System PC.
The Test Module Control & Interface Application, a Windows application running on the Test PC to communicate with the System PC and control the Test Module. This application acquires data from the System PC and uses that information in conjunction with data acquired from a light meter to direct the actions of the motion controller. This application also acquires information from the motion controller and light meter and presents it to the System PC.
The polishing module prototype interface application, a Windows application running on a PC which communicates with the 6K controller running the machine.