Never-ending technological development

We replicate the fusion splicing field in our lab to develop technologies for overcoming challenges in the field.

Developing Technologies to Enhance Fusion Splicers

Sumitomo Electric’s original AI fusion splicing technology NanoTune™ automatically analyses the condition of the end faces of optical fibres and performs optimal adjustments to achieve high-quality fusion splicing. NanoTune™ enables low-loss fusion splicing and significantly reduces operation times, regardless of the operator’s skills or the extreme conditions at the work site. Through this technology, we have successfully reduced fusion splice failures caused by cleaving defects on fibre end faces, while improving the fusion splice success rate from 75% to 90%. In terms of NanoTune™’s development, I am responsible for replicating various fibre end-face conditions in the laboratory as they are known to occur in the field globally. Here, we identify optimal operational processes for each condition and incorporate them into the fusion splicing technology of our fusion splicers. We analyse various situations that can be expected in the field by reproducing them in the laboratory, and from these we identify issues to be addressed, formulate hypotheses on how to improve them, and conduct daily evaluation experiments while minutely changing the fusion splicing conditions.

Fusion splicers, as the name suggests, are devices for fusing optical fibres. As such, I believe that 'fusion splice performance' is the most critical aspect for our customers. No matter how user-friendly the screen or configuration is, if the fusion splicing function is insufficient, the product as a whole loses its meaning. I am proud to be involved in the development of NanoTune™, which plays a crucial role in improving fusion splicing performance, this early in my career.

NanoTune™ is a technology born from feedback from splicing fields worldwide. In response to our customers’ needs, we hope to continue evolving our fusion splicers!

Innovating Fusion Splicing Operations through the Development of NanoTune™ Technology

NanoTune™ is truly a technology born from the feedback of our customers. At Sumitomo Electric, we collaborate with sales companies worldwide to regularly receive input from clients. Our development team has the opportunity to present upcoming products to sales companies a few times a year. During these presentations, we hear real-life feedback from the field, with sales representatives sharing insights like “Customers have been saying this or that.” We then engage in discussions and incorporate this feedback into our development process. For example, certain end-face conditions may be common in the United States but not as prevalent in China, showing the unique characteristics of each country. Even similar challenges can have different root causes in different regions. Additionally, needs like “what is the most critical end-face issue to address” can vary from country to country. Since this information can only be obtained through direct feedback from the field, we value listening carefully and empathizing with the experiences of the on-site operators when developing solutions.

While we have already achieved an increase in our fusion splice success rate from 75% to 90% with NanoTune™, we are still not satisfied with these results, and there are still many issues we want to resolve. At the same time as we are aiming to enhance NanoTune™ technology and bring our fusion splice success rate closer to 100%, we are also addressing a broader range of needs that cover regional characteristics, cultures, and even the personalities of the device operators. Increasing the number of options in fusion splicing is an important theme to us, and it is why we want to evolve our fusion splicers into even more customer-centric devices.

Researchers of various types, both young and seasoned, unite as ONE TEAM to tackle new challenges.

Pursuing High-Quality Fusion Splicing through Technical Developments

During experiments, various challenges and issues arise. I believe that by analyzing them as a team and clarifying what the issues are, we can find solutions to overcome them. We hold a weekly development meeting with members of the development team during which we discuss the current challenges we are facing. At these meetings, we receive various feedback on possible causes behind a given problem as well as ideas for new experiments from everyone involved. This contributes to us finding solutions and moving forward in our work. There are times when we make gradual progress by persistently carrying out our operations and adjusting for small changes in conditions, and times where we get stuck and a small comment from someone becomes a significant turning point, leading to rapid developments. A single remark from someone doing the actual task can sometimes be the catalyst for progress. Therefore, we believe that collaboration is crucial, not only within the development team but also with colleagues from the research department, sales department, external vendors, and various other fields. Working together as one team is essential for addressing and solving challenges.

In addition to our regular meetings, we also hold daily 15-minute progress report sessions that consist of casual discussions. During these sessions, everyone shares their opinions, and since everyone loves discussing NanoTune™, the 15 minutes are never enough. It's a great environment where everyone, regardless of whether they are new to the company or an experienced employee, we all actively engage in discussions. It’s my second year with the company, and being a newcomer sometimes allows me to come up with ideas that more experienced staff might not think of. Senior employees show interest in these ideas, saying things like 'That’s an interesting thought!' or 'Maybe we could prove this concept?' This sparks discussions and helps broaden our perspectives. In addition, there are team members who faithfully analyse each aspect of their work, and others who effortlessly throw out ideas from completely different perspectives. Various types of engineers come together here, leveraging each individual's strengths, and the combination of everyone's ideas has resulted in the crystallization of the NanoTune™ technology.

Through technological development, we aspire to continually bring new innovations to the fusion splicer industry.

The development team shares a sense of mission to evolve Sumitomo Electric's fusion splicer technology and relentlessly pursue high-quality fusion splicing. Despite facing challenging situations, there is always an atmosphere of giving our best and working to move forward. I feel that this positive attitude, as well as our responses to feedback from the field, contributes to the continuous evolution of our fusion splicer development. We take pride in the fact that, especially in the field of 'connection,' Sumitomo Electric has yet to be surpassed. However, we believe there is still room for improvement, and we are committed to further updating our fusion splicers.

We at the development team recognise that Sumitomo Electric's proprietary technology, NanoTune™, is a revolutionary technology that plays a crucial role in fusion splicing operations globally. Accordingly, I hope that our fusion splicers will be used by numerous customers to enhance communication environments worldwide. With the commitment to support and solve challenges for professionals in the field through technology, I aim to continue bringing new innovations to the fusion splicer industry. I aspire to contribute to the advancement of global communication environments through my involvement in the ongoing development of NanoTune™ technology and the advancement of Sumitomo Electric fusion splicers.