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METHOD FOR DETECTING PINHOLES IN HERMETRIC COATINGS OF OPTICAL FIBERS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 15998
Amount: $499,684.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1992
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
12021 S Memorial Pkwy Suite P-4
Huntsville, AL 35803
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Loy W Shreve Ii
 Principal Investigator
 (205) 881-4999
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

DEMONSTRATE A FOURIER (LASER DIFFRACTION) INSPECTION METHOD FOR DETECTING PINHOLES IN HERMETIC COATINGS OF OPTICAL FIBERS. FOURIER METHODS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DETECTION AND COUNTING OBJECTS IN THE SIZE RANGE (0.01 TO 20 MICRONS) OF ANTICIPATED PINHOLE DEFECTS. THIS METHOD IS NON-CONTACTING, NON-DESTRUCTIVE, AND WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPTICAL FIBER DRAWING PROCESS. FORMULATE A DRAFT SET OF STANDARDS TO EVALUATE EFFECTIVELY OF PINHOLE DETECTION METHODS. COMPARE THIS NEW METHOD TO PRESENT METHODS. WORK UNDERTAKEN SHALL INCLUDE: (I) RESEARCH STATE-OF-THE-ART METHODS. (II) FORMULATE DRAFT EVALUATION STANDARDS. (III) PERFORM EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION (PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE) OF FOURIER (LASER DIFFRACTION) INSPECTION FOR PINHOLES IN HERMETIC COATINGS VIA AN EXISTING INSTRUMENT DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED BY THE PROPOSER, TAI, INC. (IV) CREATE A PLAN TO DEVELOP AND TEST A FULLY FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTION INSPECTION SYSTEM BASED UPON TAI'S INSTRUMENT FOR INSTALLATION AT A MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR PHASE II. DESCRIBE PLAN TO COMMERCIALIZE THIS SYSTEM ACROSS A BROAD SEGMENT OF OPTICAL FIBER MANUFACTURING. THE TYPE OF SYSTEM WE PROPOSE WILL DETECT PROBLEMS IN-PROCESS ALLOWING NOT ONLY INSPECTION BUT TIMELY CORRECTION OF PROBLEMS. IF HERMETIC COATING APPLICATION, NOW DESIRABLE, BECOMES UNIVERSAL BY BECOMING READILY AND THOROUGHLY VERIFIABLE, THE VALUE OF SYSTEMS MAKING THIS POSSIBLE BECOMES VERY HIGH.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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