FITEL® S123 Fusion Splicer Series Now Commercially Available to Global Market From Furukawa and OFS

NORCROSS, Ga., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (FEC), and the U.S.-based OFS, Telecommunications Division, are pleased to announce the commercial release of the latest clad alignment hand-held fusion splicer FITEL® S123 fusion splicer series to the global market.

"The FITEL S123 fusion splicer brings both speed and durability for last mile applications," said Linda Dembowski, General Manager, Optical Connectivity Solutions. "With its rugged, compact design and improved heating time, the S123 fusion splicer is a front runner in low-cost field splicing equipment."

Furukawa Electric and OFS offer a full range of rugged hand-held fusion splicers offering speed, durability, and low loss in a smaller, lighter hand-held designs including the highly precise, FITEL S178 Hand Held Core Align fusion splicer, the mid-tier FITEL S153 Active Clad Align fusion splicer, both announced earlier in 2010, and complemented by today's introduction of the FITEL S123 Clad Alignment fusion splicer for last mile applications.

This new set of fusion machines is designed to endure harsh operating conditions by improving both shock and impact resistance with rubber pads embedded on four corners of the splicer body.  The FITEL fusion splicers also achieve water resistance compliant to IPX2 and dust resistance compliant to IP5X, enabling use in demanding environments without compromising splicer performance. Along with its rugged durability, the S123 offers the added user convenience of an innovative, mirror-free alignment system which allows for simplified maintenance.

S123 Fusion Splicer Product Features:

• Canopy design, durable metal body frame and rubber protection corners provide robust protection for demanding environmental conditions.
• Fast splicing (about 13 seconds) with low loss and fast heating (about 25 seconds) for a single fiber.
• 70 cycles (splicing and heating) with single FITEL series battery.
• Available for ALL METRO/ LAN/ FTTx fibers including ultra bend-insensitive fibers (e.g. EZ-Bend® fiber).
• Splicer is compatible with the Seikoh Giken and Diamond splice-on-connector (SOC).
• Easy maintenance – Toolless electrode replacement along with a mirror free alignment system.
• Easy software upgrade via the Internet.
• RoHS compliant.

About Furukawa Electric Company, Ltd.

Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. (www.furukawa.co.jp/english) is an $11 billion global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of fiber optic products, network products, electronics components, power cables, nonferrous metals, and other advanced technology products. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Furukawa operates production facilities on five continents around the globe, including OFS and the OFS Specialty Photonics Division in the USA.

About OFS

OFS is a world-leading designer, manufacturer and provider of optical fiber, optical fiber cable, FTTX, optical connectivity and specialty photonics products.  Our manufacturing and research divisions work together to provide innovative products and solutions that traverse many different applications as they link people and machines worldwide. Between continents, between cities, around neighborhoods, and into homes and businesses of digital consumers we provide the right optical fiber, optical cable and components for efficient, cost-effective transmission.

OFS' corporate lineage dates back to 1876 and includes technology powerhouses such as AT&T and Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent). Today, OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric, a multi-billion dollar global leader in optical communications.

Headquartered in Norcross (near Atlanta) Georgia, U.S., OFS is a global provider with facilities in Avon, Connecticut; Carrollton, Georgia; Somerset, New Jersey; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, as well as in Denmark, Germany and Russia.

For more information, please visit www.ofsoptics.com.

SOURCE OFS