This Publisher report presents the findings of our extensive
study of the use of selected fiber optic cleavers and strippers for the purpose
of optical fiber preparation processing.
This report provides our market forecast of the consumption (use) of
selected fiber optic cleavers and strippers, segmented by several different
devices and tools and by geographic region.
During the course of this project, Publisher studied over
30-companies involved in producing and/or selling fiber optic cleavers or
strippers. We also investigated over
40-US Patents directly related to fiber optic cleavers or strippers used in
optical fiber preparation processing. This report provides a thorough
presentation of the different types and techniques currently used in fiber
optic cleaving and stripping and market drivers looking forward to the year
2026.
A cleave in an optical fiber is a deliberate, controlled
break, intended to create a perfectly flat/smooth end-face, perpendicular or
angle to the longitudinal axis of the fiber. The process of cleaving an optical
fiber forms one of the steps in the preparation for a fiber splice operation
regardless of the subsequent splice being a fusion splice or a mechanical
splice; the other steps in the preparation being those of stripping and fiber
alignment. A good cleave is required for a successful low loss splice of an
optical fiber, often it is the case that fibers spliced by identical methods
tend to have different losses, this difference can often be attributed to the
quality of their initial cleaves.
In a fiber optic cable, a buffer coating is one type of
component used to encapsulate one or more optical fibers for the purpose of
providing such functions as mechanical isolation, protection from physical
damage and fiber identification. The buffer may take the form of a miniature
conduit, contained within the cable and called a "loose buffer", or
"loose buffer tube". A loose buffer may contain more than one fiber,
and sometimes contains a lubricating gel. A "tight buffer" consists
of a polymer coating in intimate contact with the primary coating applied to
the fiber during manufacture.
Fiber optic stripping removes the protective polymer coating
around optical fiber in preparation for fusion splicing. The splicing process
begins by preparing both fiber ends for fusion, which requires that all
protective coating is removed or stripped from the ends of each fiber. Fiber
optical stripping can be done using a special stripping and preparation unit
that uses thermal, chemicals, plasma or blades to remove the coating. There are
also mechanical tools used for stripping fiber, which are similar to wire
copper strippers.
There are two classes of devices, which fall under the
boundaries of this Publisher study: instrument/machines (stripper, cleaver, and
combination); and tools. The
instrument/machine categories are segment further by the weight of the
device. The average selling price
differences between instrument/machines and tools is substantial. Fiber optic cleaver and stripper product categories
are segmented as shown in Table 1.
Table 1
- Fiber Optic Cleaver and Stripper Market Forecast
- Product Category List
- Strippers (Instrument/Machine)
- Bench Top / Portable (weight: 0.5 kg, but less than 8 kg)
- Handheld or Lightweight (weight: less than 0.5 kg)
- Cleavers (Instrument/Machine)
- Bench Top / Portable (weight: 0.5 kg, but less than 8 kg)
- Handheld or Lightweight (weight: less than 0.5 kg)
Combination (Cleaver/Stripper – Instrument/Machine)
- Stripper / Cleaver Tools
- Tools (shears, nippers and scissors)
- Tools ("Pen" Scribes)
This Publisher report provides the review of last year
(2016) and a 10-year market forecast (2017-2026) of the use of fiber optic
cleavers and strippers, segmented into the following geographic regions:
- America
- Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA)
- Asia Pacific Region (APAC)
This report presents the Publisher market forecast of the
use of fiber optic cleavers and strippers.
This report provides the consumption by the following
functions:
- Value (US$, million)
- Quantity (number/units in thousands)
- Average Selling Prices (ASP $, each)
The value is determined by multiplying the number of units
by the average selling price. The average selling prices are based on the price
of the connector at the initial factory level. Also, the consumption values
presented in the market forecast are based on the geographic location/region of
the initial use of the fiber optic cleaver or stripper.
The primary uses of fiber cleavers and strippers are in the
optical fiber preparation process in original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
components and devices, as well as in mechanical splice- and fusion
splice-based field-installable optical fiber connectors, mechanical splices and
fusion splices.
The most critical aspects of optical fiber implementation
are the joining of fibers with minimal signal loss and reflections as well as
providing mechanically stable connections.
The conventional methods include using mechanical connectors, mechanical
splice and fusion. Historically, for
multimode systems with adequate Power Budget and few connections, mechanical
connectors and splices are the preferred methods. Fusion splicing, although results in higher
labor and capital costs, especially when relatively few splices are needed, is
chosen to provide ultra low loss joints (on the order of 0.05 dB average),
particularly in single-mode applications.
Competition – Company profiles of competitors and market
share estimates of the major competition are provided.
Information Base for the Market Forecast
Primary Research
This study is based on analysis of information obtained
continually since January 2015 through the beginning of February 2017. During this period, Publisher analysts
performed interviews with authoritative and representative individuals in the
fiber optics industry plus telecommunications, datacom, military/aerospace and
other communication industries, instrumentation/laboratory – R&D and
factory/manufacturing, from the standpoint of both suppliers and users of fiber
optic connectors, mechanical splices, fusion splice, cleavers and
strippers. The interviews were conducted
principally with:
Engineers, marketing personnel and management at
manufacturers of fiber optic termination devices – strippers/cleavers, fusion
splice equipment, mechanical splice, connectors, transceivers, as well as laser
diodes and photodiodes, application-specific ICs, packages, ferrules and
cables, substrate materials, optical waveguide and other components used in the
fabrication of optoelectronic transceivers, cable assemblies and installation
apparatus
Design group leaders, engineers, marketing personnel and
market planners at major users and potential users of cable, cable assemblies,
connectors, installation apparatus, passive devices and transceivers, such as
telecommunication transmission, switching and distribution equipment producers,
data communications equipment producers (switches, hubs, routers), computer and
workstation producers, weapon system, aircraft and spacecraft electronic
equipment producers, optical instrumentation system producers and others
Other industry experts, including those focused on standards
activities, trade associations, and investments.
The interviews covered issues of technology, R&D
support, pricing, contract size, reliability, documentation,
installation/maintenance crafts, standards, supplier competition and other
topics. Customers also were interviewed,
to obtain their estimates of quantities received and average prices paid, as a
crosscheck of vendor estimates. Customer estimates of historical and expected
near term future growth of their application are obtained. Their views of use
of new technology products were obtained.
The analyst then considered customer expectations of near
term growth in their application, plus forecasted economic payback of
investment, technology trends and changes in government regulations in each
geographical region, to derive estimated growth rates of quantity and price of
each product subset in each application. These forecasted growth rates are
combined with the estimated baseline data to obtain the long-range forecasts at
the lowest detailed level of each product and application.
Secondary Research
A full review of published information was also performed to
supplement information obtained through interviews. The following sources were
reviewed:
- Professional technical journals and papers
- Trade press articles
- Technical conference proceedings
- Product literature
- Company profile and financial information
- Additional information based on previous Publisher market
studies
- Personal knowledge of the research team
In analyzing and forecasting the complexities of the world
region markets for fiber optic test and measurement products, it is essential
that the market research team have a good and a deep understanding of the
technology and of the industry. Publisher members who participated in this
report were qualified.
Bottom-up Methodology
Publisher forecasts are developed initially at the lowest detail level,
then summed to successively higher levels. The background market research
focuses on the amount of each type of product used in each application in the
base year (2015), and the prices paid at the first transaction from the
manufacturer. This forms the base year data. Publisher analysts then forecast
the growth rates in component quantity use in each application, along with
price trends, based on competitive, economic and technology forecast trends,
and apply these to derive long term forecasts at the lowest application levels.
The usage growth rate forecasts depend heavily on analysis of overall end user
trends toward optical communication equipment usage and economic payback.
Cross-Correlation Increases Accuracy The quantities of fiber optic cleavers,
strippers, fusion splice devices/equipment, fiber cable, connectors,
transceivers, transport terminals, optical add/drop MUX, photonic switches and
other products used in a particular application are interrelated. Since
Publisher conducts annual analysis and forecast updates in each fiber optic
related product field, accurate current quantity estimates in each application
are part of this corporate database. These quantities are cross-correlated as a
“sanity check.”
Publisher, each year since 1985, has conducted extensive
research and updated our multiple-client forecasts of each fiber optic
component category. As technology and applications have advanced, the number of
component subsets covered by the forecasts has expanded impressively.
As an independent consultancy we offer multi-client and
custom market research studies to the world's leading companies based on
comprehensive, in- depth analysis of quantitative and qualitative factors. This
includes technology forecasting, markets and applications forecasting,
strategic planning, competitive analysis, customer-satisfaction surveys and
marketing/sales consultation. Publisher, founded as a technology-based
independent consulting firm, meets the information needs of the investment
community, industry planners and related suppliers.
Director of Study
Stephen Montgomery, MBA in Technology Management, President
at Publisher Consultants. He joined
Publisher in 1990 and has specialized in photonics and fiber optic components
market & technology forecasting at Publisher for over 25-years. He has given numerous presentations and
published a number of articles on optical communication markets, technology,
applications and installations. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board
of LIGHTWAVE magazine (PennWell Publishing) and writes a monthly article
covering the optical communication industry for OPTCOM Magazine in Japan (Kogyo
Tsushin Co., Ltd.).
Proprietary Statement
All data and other information contained in this data base
are proprietary to Publisher and may not be distributed or provided in either
original or reproduced form to anyone outside the client's internal employee
organization, without prior written permission of Publisher.
Publisher, in addition to multiple-client programs, conducts
proprietary custom studies for single clients in all areas of management
planning and interest. Other independent
consultants, therefore, are considered directly competitive. Publisher proprietary information may not be
provided to such consultants without written permission from Publisher
Consultants.
Spanning over 568 pages “Fiber Optic Cleaver
and Stripper - Global Market Forecast & Analysis 2016 - 2026” report covers Executive
Summary, Fiber Optic Cleaver & Stripper Market Forecast, Selected U.S.
Patent Summaries, Competitive Environment, Optical Communication Trends, Market
Research Methodology, Definitions: Acronyms, Abbreviations, and General Terms,
Market Forecast Data Base.
