Fiber Stripper Tools for Precision Fiber Prep

Did You Know?

Mechanical fiber strippers are typically precision-ground to remove just the 250 µm acrylate coating from a 125 µm cladding fiber, leaving a radial clearance on the order of only a few microns—enough to avoid nicking the glass while still ensuring clean coating separation. Using generic wire strippers or worn blades can introduce micro-cracks in the cladding that may not be visible under a basic microscope but can reduce tensile strength by more than 50% and significantly lower fatigue life in spliced or connectorized assemblies. For tight-buffered fibers (e.g., 900 µm), multi-stage stripping tools are used to avoid excessive axial stress on the bare glass during removal of thicker polymer layers.
Read more in our Blog

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

A fiber stripper is a precision hand tool or benchtop device used to remove the protective polymer coatings from optical fibers without damaging the glass cladding. It uses accurately machined blades or heated stripping elements sized to the fiber’s coating and cladding diameters to cut and pull off the coating in a controlled manner. Proper stripping is critical to achieve clean glass surfaces for splicing, connectorization, or termination.

Industrial Fiber Stripper Tools on FindLight

A Fiber Stripper is a precision hand or benchtop tool designed to remove polymer coatings, buffers, and jackets from optical fibers without damaging the glass cladding. On FindLight you can evaluate and source Fiber Stripper options suitable for single-mode, multimode, and specialty fibers used in telecom, sensing, and laser delivery systems.

Key Specifications and Configurations

When selecting a Fiber Stripper, engineers typically compare mechanical geometry, supported fiber types, and process control features. Common parameters include:

  • Coating type and diameter: Primary and secondary coatings (e.g., 250 µm, 500 µm, 900 µm), acrylate or polyimide, and tight-buffer jackets.
  • Core/cladding compatibility: Standard 125 µm cladding, large-mode-area fibers, polarization-maintaining fibers, and specialty glass.
  • Strip length control: Fixed or adjustable strip lengths to support repeatable termination, splicing, or connectorization.
  • Actuation method: Manual Fiber Stripper tools, thermal strippers for high-temperature coatings, and semi-automatic benchtop units.
  • Blade design and life: Replaceable blades, precision-ground apertures, and specified strip cycle lifetime.
  • Temperature capability: For thermal Fiber Stripper models, heater setpoints, warm-up time, and compatible coating materials.

Typical use cases include preparing fibers for fusion splicing, ferrule termination, FBG inscription setups, fiber laser assemblies, and laboratory test rigs where consistent stripping quality is critical.

Buyer Guidance for Fiber Stripper Selection

To choose an appropriate Fiber Stripper, match the tool’s aperture and coating range to the fiber dimensions in your assembly drawings. Confirm that the stripper supports your coating material (standard acrylate vs. high-temperature polyimide) and verify strip length tolerances against your splice or connector process requirements.

For production environments, assess ergonomics, repeatability, and throughput, and consider whether a thermal or mechanical Fiber Stripper better protects sensitive specialty fibers. Review datasheets on FindLight, compare relevant specifications across available Fiber Stripper models, and then request quotes directly from suppliers. No registration is required to initiate RFQs, enabling fast technical clarification and purchasing decisions.