A fiber optic cleaver is a tool used to cut single-core or multi-core bare silica optical fibers with a diameter of 100-250μm. The cut surface must be flat to meet the requirements of device packaging, cold splicing, and electrical discharge splicing. The blade is made of ultra-fine WC-Co powder using a low-pressure sintering process, resulting in high hardness, wear resistance, and a mirror-finish cutting edge. Each side can perform 1000-2000 cuts. During operation, the coating should be removed with fiber strippers, and the blade should be cleaned with alcohol before placing it in the fiber carrier groove for cutting, avoiding contact between the cut surface and foreign objects. If abnormal cutting occurs, the blade height can be adjusted or the blade face can be replaced.
The manufacturing process includes cemented carbide powder preparation, mixing and pressing, vacuum low-pressure sintering, and precision blade grinding. After sintering, ultrasonic flaw detection and microscopic inspection are required. Daiwa Tools offers products including the FC-20 handheld type and FC-30 high-precision fiber optic cleaver series, which are used in communications, broadcasting, railway, and power industries. The blades need to be cleaned regularly with an ultrasonic cleaner to maintain the mirror-like finish of the cross-section.