The Fiber Optic Harness Explained
- The harness is the 'fiber' part of a fiber optic lighting kit. It is made up of many strands of optical fiber which are usually wrapped in a flexible black sheathing for protection.
- The harness is used to transport the light from the illuminator to the end fitting. One end of the harness has a 'common end' which is the connector used to plug it into the illuminator. The other end is either terminated with a number of metal 'ferrules' which are used to connect the end fitting, or the fibers are left bare for use in products such as the star ceiling kit.
- No electricity runs through the harness making it safe to route it through wet or humid areas. It is also safe to touch - our sensory kits actively encourage touching and playing with the fiber.
- If the harness is to be routed underground where is may come into contact with garden tools or other hazards we recommend that armoured conduit be used to protect it.
- Unlimited Light polish and properly terminate the harness which results in much greater light output. This is one of the reasons Unlimited Light kits are far superior to others on the market.
This type of harness is used in most of our kit ranges - you will see the ferrules fitted to the end of the individual tails. These are used to screw the end fittings which are supplied with our kits onto the harness. The ferrule ends are hightly polished to allow for maximum light output. At the other end of the harness is the connector which plugs into the illuminator - this is called a common end. The black sheathing material on these tails is not removable - it conceals tightly bound bundles of individual fibers which provide the light to each fitting.
This type of harness is supplied in our star ceiling kits. In this case the fiber tails are much thinner - in fact they are individual strands of fiber. The black sheathing material can be cut back to expose the tails and allow them to be spread out over a wide distance. When fitting the star ceiling kit you have the choice of either leaving the bare ends of the fiber or using small push-fit star lens end fittings.
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