Zhongguang Technology has realized the industrialization of the world originate double-way positioned dry powder and dry pressing forming zirconia ceramic ferrule with new material, new equipment, new technology and new process

The core and the basic compontent of the optical fiber connector used for transmitting optical signals, is ceramic ferrule. It is used for intermediation of connecting, conversion and data transmitting , and is the most fundamental and the most important passive component of a series of optical communication products.

The raw material for manufacturing ferrule is required for non-metallic high-performance functional ceramics. The accuracy requirement of the ferrule is very high, and the manufacturing process is very complex and extremely difficult. To meet the requirement of complexity of the operating conditions and the repeatability of the plug-in connection, and to ensure the quality of technical requirements, non-metallic high-performance functional ceramics, ziconia is preferred for the manufacturing material of ferrule. It must have the high-temperature thermal stability as to ensure the ferrule blanks can not deformed or cracked during the process of high sintering, the thermal expansion must be similar to that of metal, and have high toughness, high hardness (15Gpa), high anti-corrosion, anti-abrasion performance and high thermal insulation. It must have insulativity, acid and alkali resistance etc. excellent physicochemical properties.

Zirconia ceramic ferrule highly demands the accuracy, there is a hole with the diameter of only 0.1mm (equal to the thickness of a hair) on the only 1cm length, 1.25-2.5 mm diameter ceramic cylinder, and the hole must be the same concentricity at both ends, so that we can insert the single optical fiber, so the manufacturing technology and the process is very complicated. Zirconia materials of ferrule must have the similar linear expansion coefficient (/ ℃) to that of optical fiber, to ensure that when the ambient temperature changes, the expansion and contraction of the ferrule can be essentially the same with that of the optical fiber, to ensure the intimate contact of the optical fiber end faces and to prevent the optical signal loss. In order to realize the good matching of fiber-optic materials and ferrule, the surface roughness of the ferrule (Ra)must below 0.1μm, and the linear expansion coefficient is / ℃.

To manufacturing the above-mentioned requirements Zirconia ceramic ferrule of high-precision, and high-quality. Currently Japan and the world are all based on Japan's injection molding producing zirconia ceramic ferrule. The core technology is one-way positioned and hot-melt injection molding to produce ferrule blank.

However, the production of traditional Japanese zirconia ceramic ferrule has a large number of defects , the main problem are as follows:

1. Low utilization of raw material zirconia

The raw material have to be heated to colloidal during the injection molding producing process. After feeding injection Road ,they were enclosed into the mold to form blank. The blanks formed in this way has the residue in the injection road,which takes up one third of the whole blanks. No doubt, This has greatly increased the cost of the raw materials zirconia, whose import price is more than 400,000 yuan per tonne. This is a waste on both supplies and energy.

2. Low blank eligibility

The additive of the raw material in the injection production is over 12%. The formed blanks need a second cut to remove the excess debris. The hardness is not high enough, so the second cut easily break or distort the blank. It is one-way positioned in the injection molding production, so it is easy to make the inner bore plugged and unpositioned way eccentric, which led to the low passing rate of the blanks.

3. low output and productivity of labour

The 12% additive in the raw material makes the sinteringed blanks density nonhomogeneous and ductile. Formed blanks has the residue in the injection road and this has increased the working allowance in appearances and ID accuracy of the sinteringed ones. This makes the finish machining more difficult and of high loss and the processes speed much slowlier. The complexity of the process and the slow speed, directly bring about the low output

4.High production cost

At present, domestic and foreign enterprises have been using Japan’s one-way positioned injection molding production to produce zirconia ceramic ferrule. The raw materials, molds and molding equipments all depend on foreign imports. It is expensive and wastes foreign exchange cost. Furthermore, the high cost of spare parts, inconvenient maintenance and fragile modes and equipments during the process of production makes the maintenance costs much higher, thus has greatly increased the cost of production and social costs.

Japan’s injection molding processes producing ceramic ferrule, has been used for more than 20 years and has monopolized the international technology, processes, raw materials zirconia, moulds and molding equipments. Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as well as several major domestic manufacturers of ceramic ferrule import Japan's blanks to make finish machining, or imports Japan's raw materials, molds and injection molding equipment to produce ceramic ferrule, Some companies are still at the research and development stage of the injection production.

During the last seven years, Zhongguang Technology successfully researched and developed the world originate double-way positioned zirconia dry powder and dry pressing forming method to produce zirconia ceramic ferrule blank, which will be the finished product after sintering and finish machining, based on new material—unique zirconia formula, new equipment—automatic intelligent control system,and new technology—double-way positioned , new process—dry powder and dry pressing. Its four innovative technologies have filled the domestic and international gaps, obtaibed many domestic invention patent, and applied for international invention patents. The new materials, new equipment, new technologies and new processes has completely achieved the domestic production, broken Japan’s monopoly of raw materials, processes, technology and equipments, created a new era of the revolution innovation in zirconia ceramic ferrules for manufacturing optical fiber connectors, and realized the qualitative leap between “ made in China ” and “ the creation of China “ & “ made in China”. From imports to exports, it has realized the leap between expending and obtaining foreign exchange, which is of great significance, and high economic and social benefits.

The double-way positioned dry powder and dry pressing forming zirconia ceramic ferrule of the company, has realized the industrial production, with the maturity and reliability of its technology, processes, advanced equipment , and technical and quality advantages has made the products came into the market obtained recognition and acclaim by the relevant professional optical communications businesses.

Double-way positioned dry powder and dry pressing formed zirconia ceramic ferrules has passed the the assertions of high-tech products in Jiangsu Province, and entered the industrial production as one of the torch plans in Jiangsu Province. The monthly output has reached 3,000,000 at present.

The advantages of double-way positioned dry powder and dry pressing formed zirconia ceramic ferrule blanks are as follow:

1.High utilization of raw materials

Dry powder and dry pressing forming is to directly press the zirconia dry powder in the moulds to form the blanks. Because of the unique new zirconia powder materials, the formed blanks reached a certain hardness, it won’t be deformed and the precision is close to that of finished products. There is no extra discard , so the utilization of raw materials can up to 99%.

2.High precision of products

The formed blanks reached a certain hardness, it won’t be deformed ,the inner bore won’t be plugged and eccentric. This is because the double-way positioned technology ensured the same precision at both ends of the inner bore of the blanks. The pass rate of the blanks or the finished ferrules has been improved to 98%, while the pass rate of Japan’s injection forming is 70%.

3.High production speed, high unit of production and productivity of labour.

Dry powder and dry pressing can produce many blanks in 5 seconds. High blank production speed, high production of unit time , simplified finishing process of the sinteringed blanks,has greatly enhanced the production.

4.Low production cost

Dry powder and dry pressing forming, including new zirconia powder material formulas, moulds and dry pressing equipments are all independent innovations of the company. The raw materials for dry pressing, molds and blanks formed equipments are all localized producing, the maintenance is convenient and all the parts and components can be self-sufficient. The processes of finish machining are simple, the speed of production and the precision are high, and the rate of the finished products can be up to above 98%.

Zirconia ceramic ferrule blank whether injection formed or dry-pressed, are all have to be sinteringed over high temperature, to meet the requirements of the hardness and stability. The purpose of sintering is to densify, the ferrule blanks willl become dense ceramic body with certain hardness and strength after high-temperature sintering for a certain period of time. The sinteringed blanks will become the finished ceramic ferrules after many finish machining processes to make the length, inner bore, concentricity, sphere etc.can meet the high-precision technical requirements and performance index.

The double-way positioned dry powder and dry pressing formed ferrule blanks of our company compared to Japan’s injection formed ones, the finish machining processes are much simplier. The inner and outer diameter allowance has reduced by 50%, this has greatly saved the accessories consumption . The injection molding equipment investment was about as 1 / 3 as that of injection molding and the labor saved 1 / 3, so it can greatly improve the processing efficiency and reduce production costs.

The dry pressing formed zirconia ceramic ferrule of the company has passed the test of optical communication products NCTC of Minstry of Information Industry, one of the national powerful testing agencies,and has met the industry standards.

Optical fiber connector, the matching product of the core component, ceramic ferrule made in Zhongguang Technology Company, has passed the test of the official chief Certification Authority of Ministry of Information Industry, and has met the industry standard.

Dry powder and dry pressed zirconia ceramic ferrules has passed the assertions of high-tech products in Jiangsu Province and the Gentile Certification of Ministry of Information Industry.

The four inventions of Zhongguang Technology—new material, new equipment, new technology, new process can be widely applicable for using new type ceramic materials as zirconia, zirconium dioxide, aluminum oxide etc. to produce multi-field products, and replace the relevant products made of metallic material or the products that are hard to be made of metal. They are applied in aerospace, aviation, military, communication, eletric power, oil interests, traffic, mine, automobile, machinery, electro mechanic, medical treatment etc., and develops the industrial chain of ceramic industry and brings huge economic benefit and social benefit to the enterprise. Meanwhile, it has made important contributions for the high end product of ceramic industry in our country to enter the first rank of the world.

The molding equipments belongs to the standard equipments, so it can be widely used in many fields.

Along with the large scale industrialized production development of this company, Zhongguang Company will become the largest manufacturer and supplier of ceramic series products and optical communication products in the world in three years.