Tech Guides
Glass Fiber Harness
Why Glass?
Glass fiber is the most reliable transmitter of light. It can be used in all areas as plastic fiber, with these significant attributes:
• Smaller bend radius
• Not affected by illuminator heat
• Inherently filters out nearly all UV
• Will not discolor over time
• Low attenuation, i.e. light loss over length
• Uniformity in color and intensity
Factory Made Schott Glass
To achieve optimum performance, glass fiber harnesses are factory made and thus require exacting specification of cable size, quantity, termination and length. Glass harnesses arrive on site ALREADY constructed. Simply plug the harness in the illuminator port opening, and light emerges. The glass fiber presented by Lucifer Lighting is made by Schott, the world's largest manufacturer of glass fiber for lighting related applications. For budget purposes, glass fiber commands a premium of approximately: 7% over 1/8" (S-8) diameter plastic fiber, 70% over 3/16" (S-24) diameter plastic fiber, and 250% over 1/4" (S-36) plastic fiber. These higher costs, absorbed up front, must be viewed relative to increased labor costs and installation performance uncertainties with plastic fiber. Glass fiber is only offered, at present, in end emitting cable.
Harness Make-up
A glass harness consists of a common end -- positioned at the focal point of the illuminator light source -- and multi-tailed ends consisting of thousands of strands of glass through which light travels to provide illumination.
At the common end, the glass fibers of the single tails are fitted, epoxied, ground and polished into a black anodized ferrule. The glass fibers of the single tails are individually sheathed in self-extinguishing, protective black MEGOLON ® cladding, the ends of which are epoxied, ground, and polished into end ferrules. The ferrule tips are then used to secure the fiber in position in the accessory fitting selected.
