Thumbnail of Custom Fiber Bundles - Optran® Multi-Fiber Optical Assemblies photo 1
Thumbnail of Custom Fiber Bundles - Optran® Multi-Fiber Optical Assemblies photo 2
Thumbnail of Custom Fiber Bundles - Optran® Multi-Fiber Optical Assemblies photo 3

Description

Custom fiber bundles based on Optran® optical fibers are designed for applications requiring the transmission, collection or distribution of light across multiple optical channels. Bundles consist of multiple optical fibers arranged within a common structure and are configured according to application-specific optical, mechanical and geometrical requirements.

Fiber bundles can be manufactured using all Optran® fiber types, including UV, VIS-NIR and broadband fibers with different OH levels and numerical apertures. The achievable spectral range and transmission characteristics depend on the selected fiber type.

Detailed specifications, including attenuation behavior and material properties, are available in the corresponding Optran® fiber listings (e.g. UV, UVNS, UVNSS, WF, WFNS, HUV, HWF, PUV, PWF, WFGe).

Bundle configurations can be adapted to different system architectures, including compact bundle geometries for light transmission, spatially resolved light collection or distribution into multiple individual fiber channels. Depending on system requirements, assemblies can be realized as structured bundles, multi-leg configurations or with individual fiber breakout for separate routing of individual fibers.

A wide range of customization options is available, including number of fibers, fiber arrangement, bundle geometry, cable length and connectorization. Protective tubing and jacketing materials such as stainless steel, PTFE or polymer coatings can be selected based on environmental and mechanical requirements.

Fiber end preparation can be adapted to the application, including polishing and application-specific end-face geometries for optimized optical coupling and system integration.

Optran® fiber bundles are developed and manufactured with control over the complete process chain, from preform manufacturing and fiber drawing to final assembly. This enables alignment of fiber design and assembly parameters with application requirements, ensuring consistent optical performance and reproducibility.

Fiber bundles can be configured for applications involving elevated optical intensities. Design parameters such as fiber type, core diameter and bundle configuration are selected based on system-specific optical conditions.

Typical applications include spectroscopy systems, analytical instrumentation, medical and life science devices, semiconductor processing and industrial sensing systems.

Custom Fiber Bundles - Optran® Multi-Fiber Optical Assemblies

Visit the Ceramoptec Store

Specifications

Wavelength Range: 0.19 – 2.4 um

Got questions about specs? Use the inquiry form to ask.

Document icon Download Data Sheet Download icon

Features

  • Custom multi-fiber bundle assemblies based on Optran® optical fibers

  • Compatible with all Optran® fiber types (UV, VIS-NIR, broadband, high-NA)

  • Spectral performance defined by selected fiber type (typ. ~190–2400 nm)

  • Configurable number of fibers and bundle geometries

  • Bundle configurations for transmission, collection or light distributionOptions for individual fiber breakout or multi-leg assemblies

  • Core diameters and numerical apertures selectable per fiber type

  • Connectorization options (SMA, FC, ST or application-specific interfaces)

  • Custom protective tubing (e.g. stainless steel, PTFE, polymer coatings)

  • Application-specific fiber end preparation and polishing

  • Design adaptable to mechanical and environmental requirements

  • Configurable for elevated optical intensity applications

  • Step-index fiber designs with defined transmission characteristics

Applications

  • Laser Power Delivery in Industrial Manufacturing – High-power fiber optic cables for cutting, welding, drilling, ablation, surface treatment, cladding, and additive manufacturing in automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, microelectronics, and metal fabrication industries.
  • UV Curing and Photolithography – UV-transmitting fibers (e.g. Optran® UV, UVNS, UVNSS, UVWFS) for broadband UV and DUV delivery in photoresist exposure, PCB manufacturing, semiconductor lithography, 3D printing, and precision adhesive curing.
  • Spectroscopy and Metrology – Low-OH and high-OH silica fibers for transmission, reflection, and fluorescence spectroscopy in the UV–VIS–NIR range, including process spectroscopy, chemical analysis, color measurement, Raman spectroscopy, and metrology systems.
  • Medical Diagnostics and Therapeutics – Customized medical fibers, probes, and bundles for endoscopy, laparoscopy, dentistry, dermatology, photodynamic therapy (PDT), laser surgery, lithotripsy, tissue ablation, and minimally invasive imaging.
  • Biomedical Imaging and Microscopy – High-NA, low-attenuation fibers and fiber bundles for confocal microscopy, fluorescence imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), endomicroscopy, and in vivo diagnostics.
  • Process Monitoring and Industrial Sensing – Robust silica fibers and cables for temperature, strain, pressure, and position sensing in harsh industrial environments, supporting distributed temperature sensing (DTS), Bragg grating sensors, and real-time process control.
  • Harsh Environment and High-Temperature Applications – Metal coated silica fibers and specialized jackets for high-temperature measurements, vacuum environments, furnaces, turbines, reactors, and other chemically or mechanically aggressive settings.
  • Machine Vision and Illumination – Fiber bundles and fused-end bundles for bright, uniform illumination in inspection systems, quality control, line-scan cameras, robotics vision, and automated optical inspection (AOI) in production lines.
  • Laser Delivery for Research Laboratories – All-silica and GeO₂-doped fibers (e.g. Optran® WF, WFGE) for flexible beam delivery from UV to NIR in physics, chemistry, and life science labs for spectroscopy, pump–probe experiments, laser cooling, trapping, and nonlinear optics.
  • Telecommunications and Data Transmission (Short-Haul) – Specialty multi-core and non-circular core fibers for short-distance, high-bandwidth data links, signal routing, and research in mode-division or space-division multiplexing.
  • Laser Pumping and Fiber Laser Systems – High-NA, large-core fibers for diode laser pumping, delivery of pump light to solid-state or fiber lasers, and integration into OEM laser modules and amplifier systems.
  • Sensor Probes and Fiber-Optic Instruments – Fiber probes for pH, oxygen, chemical concentration, and fluorescence-based sensors in biotech, environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical processing, and food & beverage industries.
  • Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Structural Health Monitoring – Fiber-based sensing and illumination in ultrasonic testing, crack detection, composite inspection, and long-term structural monitoring of bridges, tunnels, pipelines, and wind turbines.
  • Safety and Security Systems – Safety Fiber and specialty cables for perimeter security, intrusion detection, fire and flame monitoring, hot-spot detection in tunnels and conveyor systems, and secure signal transmission immune to electromagnetic interference.
  • Aerospace and Defense – Radiation-tolerant and robust fibers for avionics, guidance systems, directed energy beam delivery, IR countermeasures, target designation, and fiber-based gyroscopes in aircraft, satellites, and defense platforms.
  • Robotics and Automation – Flexible, rugged fiber cables and bundles for laser processing heads, robot-mounted sensors, vision systems, and precise illumination in automated assembly and material handling systems.
  • Scientific & Analytical Instrumentation – Fiber assemblies integrated into spectrometers, fluorimeters, monochromators, and OEM analytical devices for environmental analysis, material characterization, and quality control.
  • Solar, Lighting, and Illumination Systems – Light guides and fiber bundles for daylighting, decorative and architectural lighting, medical light sources, and coupling high-intensity lamps or LEDs to remote illumination points.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of Optran® industrial optical fibers are available and how do they differ?
The Optran® industrial fiber portfolio from CeramOptec covers a wide range of all‑silica and silica‑clad fibers tailored for different spectral ranges and environments. Main product groups include: (1) Optran® WF / WFNS: all‑silica, low‑OH fibers optimized for VIS–NIR transmission and low attenuation in the near‑infrared; (2) Optran® UV / UVNS: all‑silica, high‑OH fibers with excellent deep UV and UV–VIS transmission characteristics; (3) Optran® UVNSS: all‑silica, high‑OH UV fiber stabilized for higher resistance to UV‑induced degradation (solarization); (4) Optran® UVWFS: broadband, low‑OH all‑silica fiber without Cl₂ for applications that demand continuous coverage from UV through NIR with minimal contamination; (5) Optran® HUV / HWF: silica core fibers with F‑acrylate cladding, offering higher numerical aperture and robust mechanical performance; (6) Optran® PUV / PWF: silica core fibers with silicone cladding for high flexibility and improved handling; and (7) Optran® WFGE: all‑silica fibers with GeO₂‑doped cores for adapted refractive index profiles and higher NA. In addition, there are special geometries (non‑circular cores), multi‑core fibers, tapers, metal‑coated fibers, and safety fibers, enabling precise optimization for specific industrial, medical, and research applications.
How do I choose between low‑OH and high‑OH all‑silica Optran® fibers for my wavelength range?
The choice between low‑OH and high‑OH all‑silica fibers is primarily driven by your operating wavelength range and long‑term transmission stability. High‑OH fibers (e.g., Optran® UV, Optran® UVNS, Optran® UVNSS) are optimized for UV and UV‑visible use, as the higher hydroxyl content shifts absorption features away from the deep UV and improves transmission at wavelengths typically down to ~200–220 nm (exact cut‑off depends on design). These are ideal for spectroscopy, fluorescence, UV curing, and excimer‑related tasks. Low‑OH fibers (e.g., Optran® WF, Optran® WFNS, Optran® UVWFS) are preferred for visible–NIR and IR use, since the reduced OH content lowers attenuation bands around 950–1400 nm and beyond, which is important for laser delivery, sensing, and power transmission in the NIR. If your system requires broadband coverage from UV through VIS and NIR, a broadband design such as Optran® UVWFS (low‑OH, Cl₂‑free) is typically chosen. When in doubt, define your key wavelengths, power levels, and expected fiber length, then select the OH type and specific Optran® series that minimizes attenuation in that window.
What application advantages do Optran® fibers offer compared to standard multimode silica fibers?
Optran® industrial fibers are engineered for demanding OEM, industrial, medical, and research use, and differ from commodity multimode silica fibers in several ways: (1) Tailored spectral performance: dedicated UV, VIS‑NIR, broadband, and Ge‑doped variants minimize attenuation in specific bands and mitigate solarization and UV damage; (2) Flexible geometries: in addition to standard circular cores, Optran® UVNCC and WFNCC fibers offer non‑circular cores (square, rectangular, polygonal, and custom shapes), which can homogenize beam profiles and improve coupling efficiency in illumination and imaging; (3) High NA and power handling: specialized dopants and claddings (e.g., F‑acrylate, silicone, metal) allow large numerical apertures, robust bending performance, and improved thermal and mechanical stability under higher power or harsh conditions; (4) Complete assemblies: CeramOptec supplies single‑fiber cables, fused and unfused bundles, taper assemblies, and customized probes including AR‑coated fiber ends and sterilizable medical designs; and (5) Traceable quality: fibers and assemblies are produced from in‑house POVD/PCVD preforms in ISO 9001/14001 and ISO 13485 certified facilities, providing consistent, application‑grade quality as required for medical and high‑reliability industrial use. These factors make Optran® fibers suitable where long lifetime, stable transmission, and custom geometries are critical.
What jacket and coating options are available for Optran® silica fibers, and how do I select the right one?
CeramOptec offers a wide portfolio of fiber jackets and coatings to match different environments and handling requirements. Standard options include polymer jackets with different hardness and temperature ratings, color‑coded buffers for easy channel identification, and various outer sheaths for cable assemblies. For demanding conditions, metal‑coated silica fibers are available, offering improved thermal stability, hermetic sealing, and resistance to radiation and aggressive chemicals. Silicone‑clad fibers (Optran® PUV/PWF) provide high flexibility and good mechanical protection for dynamic routing and repeated bending, while F‑acrylate cladding (Optran® HUV/HWF) offers a combination of high NA and robust performance. Safety fibers and special protective jackets can be specified where fiber break detection or enhanced user protection is required. Selection should be based on your installation environment (temperature, chemical exposure, vacuum, radiation), minimum bend radius, mechanical loads, sterilization method (for medical fibers), and any regulatory constraints. CeramOptec typically assists customers in specifying jacket materials, diameters, and markings to ensure both optical and mechanical performance over the product lifetime.
Can Optran® fibers be supplied as complete cables, bundles, or probes ready for integration?
Yes. CeramOptec supplies Optran® fibers not only as bare fibers but also as complete, ready‑to‑use assemblies. Options include: (1) Single‑fiber cables: jacketed, connectorized multimode or specialty fibers with customized lengths, terminations, and optional AR‑coated end faces for reduced Fresnel losses; (2) Fiber bundles: multi‑fiber assemblies configured for illumination, spectroscopy, or imaging, with round‑to‑line, round‑to‑rectangle, or custom entrance/exit geometries; (3) Fused‑end bundles: optically fused front ends for higher packing density, improved homogeneity, and better thermal and mechanical robustness at the illumination face; (4) Fiber tapers: diameter‑changing sections (e.g., Optran® UV, WF, WFGE tapers) that adapt NA and beam size between a source and application; and (5) Medical probes: customized sterile or sterilizable fiber probes, often under ISO 13485, designed for endoscopy, diagnostics, and laser therapy. These assemblies can include special jackets, strain‑relief elements, metal protection hoses, customized connectors, and labeling. This one‑stop approach simplifies integration for OEMs and researchers and ensures that fiber, jacketing, and terminations are all optimized as a system.
What manufacturing technologies are used for Optran® all‑silica preforms, and why is this important?
Optran® all‑silica fibers are manufactured from in‑house preforms produced using POVD (Plasma Outside Vapor Deposition) and PCVD (Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition) methods. These plasma‑based processes allow precise control over core and cladding composition, refractive index profiles, OH content, and dopant distribution (e.g., GeO₂, F). This precision directly influences numerical aperture, attenuation spectrum, solarization resistance, and mechanical robustness of the drawn fiber. By controlling the full manufacturing chain—from preform design to fiber draw, jacketing, and final assembly—CeramOptec can tailor fibers to specific customer requirements (e.g., non‑circular cores, multi‑core structures, special NAs) and maintain consistent quality across batches. For users, this means better reproducibility in system performance, reduced batch‑to‑batch variation, and the possibility to create application‑specific fibers that are not available as off‑the‑shelf telecom‑grade products.
In which industries and applications are Optran® industrial fibers and assemblies typically used?
Optran® fibers are used wherever robust, application‑optimized transmission of light is required. Common fields include: (1) Industrial: laser delivery for machining, marking, and welding; process monitoring; high‑intensity illumination; UV curing; and spectroscopy in production lines; (2) Medical and life sciences: flexible endoscopic illumination, photodynamic therapy, laser surgery and dermatology, fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, and diagnostic probes—supported by ISO 13485‑certified manufacturing and sterilizable designs; (3) Scientific research: beam delivery for high‑power or pulsed lasers, UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy, imaging and microscopy, and high‑NA collection fibers for low‑light experiments; and (4) Harsh environments: sensing and transmission in high‑temperature, vacuum, radiation, or chemically aggressive settings, often using metal‑coated fibers, safety fibers, or specialized jackets. The broad product range—over 500 fiber types with various core sizes, geometries, and jackets—allows users to choose or customize a solution that matches their wavelength, power, environment, and mechanical integration needs.

Got more questions? Use the inquiry form to ask the supplier directly.

Similar Products

Request Quote