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Frequently
Asked Questions |
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1. What is the UJC and
who are the UJC? |
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UJC is the short name of for
the Universal Jointing Consortium made up of four
members: ·
Alcatel-Lucent
Submarine Networks (ASN) ·
Global
Marine Systems Ltd (GMSL) ·
Kokusai
Cable Ship Co Ltd (KCS) ·
Tyco
Telecommunications (US) Inc (TTI) The UJC members share a common
aim to cooperate on the development and maintenance of a standardised cable
jointing technology for underwater cables known as Universal Jointing (UJ),
Universal Coupling (UC) and Universal Quick Joint (UQJ). The origin of universal
jointing for fibre optic cables goes back to the late 1980s, when AT&T,
BT (Marine) Ltd and Les Cables de Lyon, formed a consortium to supply an
universal jointing and coupling solution for installation and maintenance
purposes. The aim was to supply a standard jointing technology platform that
offers common tools and piece parts for assembly of joints in different cable
types. By the early 1990s, the four members listed above were actively
involved in the development of the universal jointing technology. The first
consortium agreement was signed in 2000 to develop and improve the universal
jointing technologies. The members have recently renewed the agreement to
continuing their commitment and collaboration in this field. Today, the majority of
maintenance authorities for undersea telecommunications cables deploy UJ
technology and standards on their cable systems worldwide. |
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2. How can we contact the
UJC? |
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Go to our website - http://www.ujconsortium.com main page,
where you will find a request form for communicating with the consortium
("contact us" link in the left-hand menus). Our Co-ordinator will
follow up your request/comments. You will also find the
contact details of each Consortium Member, who can also forward your request
to the consortium members. |
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3. Where can I buy UJ
products? |
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You may purchase UJ
products from any Consortium Member. Contact details of each Consortium
Member can be found on our website: http://www.ujconsortium.com. |
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The Universal Joint (UJ)
is a solution for connecting different types of submarine optical
telecommunication cables, regardless of design or manufacture, using common
construction equipment and standard piece-parts in the joint. Building on the UJ
principles, the UQJ (Universal Quick Joint) has been developed to connect
smaller diameter un-repeatered submarine cables
taking account of the simpler cable construction and the requirement for a
faster and simpler process. The UC (Universal
Coupler) is a solution for coupling types of submarine optical
telecommunication cables to submerged housing (repeater, equalizer, branching
unit), regardless of design or manufacture, using common construction
equipment and standard piece-parts in the joint. UJ, UQJ and UC products
are therefore jointing piece parts or jointing tools produced and sold by
each Consortium Member. |
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5. What’s
the difference between a UJ, a UC and a UQJ? |
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The UJ (Universal Joint)
and UC (Universal Coupling) are used in medium and long-haul submarine
networks where repeaters or optical amplifiers are deployed. The UJ provides a
connection between cables and the UC provides a connection between a cable
and submerged plant optical housing such as a repeater or branching unit. The UQJ (Universal Quick
Joint) is a cable-to-cable joint for use unpowered short-haul cable systems. |
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6. What
is a construction manual? |
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A construction manual is
a written procedure issued by a consortium member that details a specific UJ,
UC or UQJ activity. An up-to-date list of available construction manuals can
be found on our website: http://www.ujconsortium.com The UJCMs and other
product information are compiled, on a quarterly basis, and published on a
CD-ROM in the form of the ‘UJ EXPLORER’ disc. This is available by
subscription using the form on the website. |
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7. Does
UJC provide marine services? |
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No. The UJC’s role is to
collaborate on development of common jointing technology. Marine services are
not part of the scope of the consortium. |
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8. I have 2 cables that
are UJ qualified, why do I have to have a UJ qualified interconnection? |
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Because the qualification
of a given cable variant ensures that the corresponding end specific kit has
been developed and qualified, but not that jointing said cable variant to any
other UJ qualified cable variant can be safely made. In particular it must be
demonstrated, either through mechanical testing or an analytical approach,
that the mechanical mismatch between the two cable variants has no
detrimental impact on the UJ. |
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9. How
can I find the correct kits to joint my cables? |
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Check the Kit Lists on
our website: http://www.ujconsortium.com.
If you cannot find the information you need, send a request to the UJ
Co-ordinator or contact a Consortium Member. |
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10. I
have already paid for a UJ qualification, why do I have to pay for fibre
splice qualification? |
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Cable UJ qualification
means that mechanical aspects of the jointing have been addressed but not
optical fibres splicing as these can vary according to the specific system
requirements. Optical fibre splicing is a separate topic that has to be
verified through a dedicated process. |
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11. Where
can I get training for UJ? |
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Each Consortium Member
runs a Training School that offers
training and mentoring on every aspect of the construction of UJ/UC/UQJ
joints on UJC qualified cables. The courses range from a basic course for
jointers with no previous experience, to more advanced courses for senior
personnel. |
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12. What
is UJ Training certification? |
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UJ training certification
is the process by which jointers are trained to the UJ/UQJ/UC techniques applicable
to specific cable types/families. When jointers have successfully completed
the appropriate training course, they receive a certificate from the training
school attesting that they are qualified on the relevant UJ/UQJ/UC
techniques. |
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13. Does
the UJC provide consultancy services? |
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The UJC does not offer
consultancy services but the individual consortium members may provide such
service. Customers should contact directly individual consortium members for
more information on such services. |
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14. Where can I get a price
list for UJ products and services? |
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Each consortium member
defines and, is responsible, for the commercial strategy for the sale and
delivery of its associated UJ products and services. Contact the relevant
consortium member for advice and latest information on prices and delivery of
UJ products and services. |
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15. If I
have a problem with my jointing kit, where can get help? |
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In the first instance,
refer back to the supplier of the kit. If it was purchased from a Consortium Member,
you can find up-to date contact details on our website: http://www.ujconsortium.com. For
general assistance or feedback on product, send your request to the UJ
Co-ordinator. |
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16. How can I get updates
on UJ products and services? |
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UJ customers will
automatically receive by email all UJ Bulletins as soon as they are issued. We
are also planning to publish a twice-yearly newsletter on our website that
will give updates on latest activities and developments by the UJ Consortium
Members. The UJ Consortium also
gives regular presentation of its development ROADMAP. |
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A UJ bulletin is an
official communication about any universal jointing topic, which has been
agreed by all Consortium Members. All UJ bulletins can be found on our
website: http://www.ujconsortium.com.
Note official UJ Bulletin carry UJ consortium logo at the top of the
bulletin. For ease of reference, bulletins are classified under 5 main
categories: ·
Safety ·
New Product ·
Product Change ·
Information ·
Phase Out |
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18. How
quickly can I expect an answer to my enquiry? |
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We aim to acknowledge
receipt of your enquiry within 2 working days. Response time can vary
depending on the nature of your enquiry. As a general rule, we target to
provide an initial response within 10 working days from the date of receipt. |
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19. I
have only used part of my jointing kit. Can I replace these items to
replenish my kit? |
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Yes - under certain
conditions the contents of partially used kits may be used in conjunction
with replenishment "ferrule kits (FER)" – please refer to UJC
Bulletin 029 on the website. |
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20. I have several old UJ
kits. How can I make sure they can still be used? |
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UJ kits are designed and
manufactured so that they can be stored for long periods and still be usable
(provided they have not been opened and stored properly). However, some kit
components, e.g. adhesives, may have a defined shelf life, and, if expired,
these should be replaced before use. A list of the adhesives
products and their shelf life is published on the consortium website and the UJ
& UQJ Explorer Disc (ref FAQ#6) in section {UJ manual 01, GENERAL} |
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21. Is
there a system or procedure to keep good track of UJ kits and piece parts? |
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Traceability of
components is one of the fundamentals of the UJC product and as any effective
QA system, is assured in the supply and implementation of the technology. For
the supply of UJC products, each individual UJC member, as suppliers of the
KITs, maintains an effective traceability system for material, manufacturing
and inspection records, traceable from the KIT number and unique serial
number including on the KIT box labelling. In addition each separate part
included within the kit has traceability labelling which allow for the same
records to be retrieved. As such, users of the UJ technology can put in
place as well a system that records the sealed KIT’s serial number or details
of unkitted piece parts used, through their own QA
organisation. Establishing the traceability system in inventory is kits
owner’s responsibility. For any enquiry on a KIT’s traceability records the
provider of the kit should be contacted in the first instance giving the KIT
and serial number. Where the supplier is not known the coordinator should be
contacted. |
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22. Does the UJC grant
concessions? |
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The UJC does not grant
jointing concessions for deviations from the jointing specifications. Any deviations from the
jointing specifications are wholly the responsibility of the company
providing the jointing service which includes the individual UJC member
companies ASN, GMSL, KCS and Tyco Telecom. Care should be taken when granting
and issuing concessions to ensure that the safety, strength, service life,
integrity & function of the joint or coupling are unaffected for its
intended purpose. Deviations from the
specifications covered by concessions should be unique events granted for the
operational and the system requirements and limited to each joint
construction, on a case by case basis. The UJC welcomes feedback from such
concessions where deviations can be seen to be of a re-occurring nature so
that investigation and process improvements can be facilitated. |
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23. Does
the UJC provide guidelines on jointing activities management? UJC members provide the
training and qualification of UJ/UC/UQJ qualified jointers. Guidance / recommendation
on the size and degree of qualification of operational jointing teams as well
as jointing work organization, e.g. equipment sparing or QA organization is
outside the UJC remit. These activities are the responsibility of the
companies using or providing marine services. |
24. What
is an acceptable splice loss?
The acceptable splice loss is
dependent on the power budget of the transmission system and it is the
responsibility of the system owner to define acceptable splicing performance
for the marine service provider.
The UJC, through its fiber splice qualification process, specifies optimized
splicing parameters for the UJC recommended fusion splicing equipment which
minimize the splice loss and maintain fiber splice
reliability. Both are consistent with industry practice for the fibers being spliced and their relative MFD. e.g. SMF to
SMF, or DSF to NDSF
25. How long
does it take to build a joint?
There are many factors that
have a direct effect on the overall jointing time. Examples of factors include
the cable type, variant, the number of fibers, fiber type, work organization,
testing time… There are nearly one thousand qualified cable combinations.
Therefore, it is very difficult to make a statement regarding the number of
hours it takes to build a joint.
26. How
do I know if the fiber in my cable has been qualified?
Review the list of
qualified fiber combinations in UJCM 025 or 065. If the fiber is listed in the
various tables the fiber is qualified for the combinations listed. If it does
not appear on the lists it is either not qualified or it is listed under
another name. It is possible for a fiber type to be listed under another
name as the fiber may be marketed under different trade name by the fiber
manufacturer or cable supplier at the time of qualification.
©
UJ Consortium – May 13, 2010