by Wayne Kachmar | Oct 16, 2018 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
Today, fiber optic communications have been firmly established. We install networks both in the switched telephone and CATV networks with industry-standard methods, cables, and sometimes architecture. We have fiber to the home in large-scale implementations (FIOS,...
by Wayne Kachmar | Oct 1, 2018 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
As more colleagues from my generation move toward retirement, I am concerned that the collected knowledge we gained empirically is not fully being preserved for the next generation of fiber optic engineering professionals. Why do I say this? If...
by Wayne Kachmar | May 26, 2017 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
One of the questions I often get from fiber optic cable manufacturers is: “Which specifications do I have to qualify to?” Additionally, I often hear: “Why is it that this particular specification is not good enough? Why can’t one spec...
by Wayne Kachmar | May 16, 2017 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
One of the questions I get asked about regarding optical cable measurements is: “Why don’t my OTDR and jacket length markings agree?” The answer depends on the type of cable being made. In the old days (when...
by Wayne Kachmar | Feb 8, 2017 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
When I was a process engineer at a large cabler, we could reconfigure our fiber optic process lines in about 20 minutes. In a 3-shift day, we could produce 8 different products. Unfortunately, most cablers don’t enjoy this level of...
by Wayne Kachmar | Jan 25, 2017 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
A growing trend in the fiber optic industry is the increasing use of specialty fibers. Clearly, telecommunications and data communications applications are the high-volume users of fiber optics, yet other areas are burgeoning. In fact, many specialty fiber optic...
by Wayne Kachmar | Jan 17, 2017 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
In the “dog-eat-dog” world of raw materials, competition is stiff. Margins are tight. Opportunities are rare. Is your company eying fiber optics as a new market? If you’re a raw material supplier looking to sell to the optical cable industry,...
by Wayne Kachmar | Dec 8, 2016 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
I’m seeing a trend in the fiber optic industry: Cable manufacturers around the world are looking to develop and qualify cable designs in order to enter the US fiber optic market. Unfortunately, I’m witnessing another trend: Many cable manufacturers don’t...
by Wayne Kachmar | Nov 17, 2016 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
Many times I have had the conversation about how to get started in cable manufacture or get a new extrusion line up quickly. Invariably two questions come up: How quick can I be in production and what equipment do I...
by Wayne Kachmar | Oct 20, 2016 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
At the 65th IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium held in Providence, RI on October 2-5, 2016, Technical Horsepower Consulting, LLC. (THC) presented a short talk on Starting a Cable Company and/or Adding a Cable Making Division. The talk, originally...
by Wayne Kachmar | Aug 5, 2016 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
As I was going over thoughts of what is appropriate for a summer blog I noticed that some of my hobbies and my vocation cross in very different ways. For example, I have spent the bulk of my professional career...
by Wayne Kachmar | May 18, 2016 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
As I look at both the tradeshow booths and the poster papers from OFC and reflect back on what I’ve seen this year versus the past few years, I believe that we are ready for disruptive change. Every year there...
by Kathleen Skelton | Oct 26, 2015 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
Published 10.6.15 in the IWCS Proceedings from the 64th International Cable & Connectivity Symposium (2015) by Wayne Kachmar, President Technical Horsepower Consulting LLC. with Fiber Optic Center, Inc. Abstract As the optical fiber and cable industry unfolded,...
by Kathleen Skelton | Aug 26, 2015 | Optical Cable Expert Blog
Are all cable lines alike? I’ve heard this many times before and typically it’s from operations type folks who have seen both copper and fiber cable operations recognize the similarity of the process but do not understand the subtle differences...
