Have you got a cleaning program in place for your data center? Are you unsure why cleaning is important for your critical infrastructure? As data centers strive to support an increasingly connected world, the need to achieve optimal performance through best cleaning practices becomes more essential. In an industry where every minute of downtime can cost you money and/or business, it is vitally important to pay close attention to fiber connector end faces. AFL Hyperscale’s industry-leading cleaning solutions ensure your data center operates at optimal performance levels with minimal service disruptions.
What Difference Does Cleaning Make to Data Center Operations?
Cleaning is important to your critical infrastructure for a few reasons. The equipment in data centers continually generates a lot of heat and needs to be kept cool. Cooling equipment can become clogged over time with dust and debris, which will contribute to loss of functionality and potentially overheating. Even in circumstances where the equipment does not overheat, the dirt can be blown into the data center area and thus into the machinery, causing a whole host of other issues.
Microscopic pollutants can cause issues in hardware over time, from pollen and spores to dirt, dust, and bacteria. Pollutants may already exist within the data center, can be the byproducts of other machinery, or brought in by staff. Improper cleaning and poor techniques can also lead to contamination. Essentially, without using the right equipment or taking necessary precautions, you can do more harm than good. When it comes to infrastructure components and optical fiber equipment, caution and precision are paramount.
What we Recommend for Cleaning your Critical Infrastructure:
One-Click Cleaners
The One-Click® Cleaner is an easy-to-use option for cleaning fiber optic connectors on jumpers and in adapters. The One-Click Cleaner uses a mechanical push action to advance an optical grade cleaning tape while the cleaning tip is rotated to ensure the fiber end-face is effectively, but gently, cleaned.
The AFL Hyperscale range of One-Click Cleaners is suitable for SC/ST/FC, MU/LC, Duplex LC, and MPO.
Cassette Cleaners
CLETOP cleaners are a safe cleaning option that negates the need for isopropyl alcohol, which is highly flammable. CLETOP cleaners have refillable cleaning tapes with 400 cleans per tape, making them ideal for lab and field use. The simple push-button shutter operation makes cleaning connectors quick and easy. These come in CLETOP-SB and CLETOP-MPO for cleaning MPO and MTP® fiber optic connector end faces with or without pins.
Micro Sticks
Microfiber sticks are ideal for cleaning 1.25mm bulkheads after installation. They can be used to clean the end faces of installed connectors from inside the enclosure. Cleaning is achieved by inserting the microfiber tip inside the adapter’s aperture and twisting once. The microfiber material allows the user to clean installed connector end faces without scratching the surface and ensures a perfect clean first time.
FCC2 Fiber Connector Cleaner Fluid
Easily and safely clean contaminants from fiber connector end-faces and optical fibers before field terminating or fusion splicing. The FCC2 Enhanced Formula Fiber Optic Cleaning and Preparation Fluid is a non-flammable, environmentally safe, residue–free solvent engineered to easily remove contaminants. It outperforms alcohol IPA based cleaners without the health and safety risks. FCC2 is not hazardous but is not regulated for all modes of transportation and shipping, including air cargo.
Clean Tissue
When polishing the ferrule of the connector it is essential that the process is kept clean, this ensures accurate and repeatable polishing. The recommended products to be used in the polishing process include low-lint tissues and de-ionized water. These low-lint tissues are mainly used to clean bare fibers as part of the termination or splicing process.
Fiber Cleaning Kits
AFL Hyperscale offers a range of comprehensive cleaning kits for SC, ST, FC, LC, and MPO with products for field cleaning of connector end faces in a convenient duffle bag style carry case.
The AFL Hyperscale range of fiber optic cleaning equipment is perfect for maintaining an optimally functioning critical infrastructure. Ensure best practice for best performance and minimize your downtime with easy-to-use equipment that takes the hard work out of cleaning small and precise components.
