Drop-cable stripper pliers in practice
The three-port stripper is the everyday tool of FTTH. Each port has a different depth — using the wrong port is the number-one cause of nicked fiber.
- 1
Port 1 — jacket
Cuts the outer jacket of flat drop cable to ~1.6–2 mm fiber exposure. Grip, squeeze, slide — do not rotate flat drop cable in the tool.
- 2
Port 2 — strength member
Strips the steel/FRP rod or 3 mm buffer. The rod goes through the port and is pulled off in one motion.
- 3
Port 3 — 250 μm coating
The precision port. Strip in one slow pull; stops or jerks leave coating residue that ruins cleaves.
- 4
Inspect after stripping
The cladded fiber must be clean and unscratched. A helical scratch means the coating port needs cleaning or replacement.
- 5
Maintain the tool
Wipe ports after each job; a drop of oil on the pivot monthly. Replace the tool when ports stop cutting cleanly — a dull stripper costs more in re-cleaves than a new tool.
Field tips from TEKCN engineers
- Never use the 250 μm port on a 3 mm buffer "just this once" — that is how precision ports die.
- For ribbon and large-diameter coatings use a thermal stripper (ASP-80) instead; mechanical force on big coating leaves micro-cracks.