Which figure shows the recommended polishing pattern for hand polishing a multimode connector?

Which figure shows the recommended polishing pattern for hand polishing a multimode connector?

• A. Figure 6
• B. Figure 7
• C. Figure 8
• D. Figure 9

Answer: (C)

Polishing surface quality comes from how the pad travels across the end-face. For hand polishing a multimode connector, you want even material removal across the entire surface so there are no grooves or ridges that could affect mating or cause scattering. The figure that shows a figure-eight motion across the ferrule surface best achieves this. The figure-eight path alternates directions and covers the whole area, distributing abrasion in both horizontal and vertical axes. This prevents wear concentrated in one direction, reduces the chance of directional scratches or edge rounding, and yields a smooth, flat end-face that mates cleanly with the receiving fiber. Multimode cores are relatively forgiving, but a uniform finish still minimizes insertion loss and ensures consistent performance. So the figure depicting the figure-eight polishing pattern is the recommended one.

Polishing surface quality comes from how the pad travels across the end-face. For hand polishing a multimode connector, you want even material removal across the entire surface so there are no grooves or ridges that could affect mating or cause scattering. The figure that shows a figure-eight motion across the ferrule surface best achieves this. The figure-eight path alternates directions and covers the whole area, distributing abrasion in both horizontal and vertical axes. This prevents wear concentrated in one direction, reduces the chance of directional scratches or edge rounding, and yields a smooth, flat end-face that mates cleanly with the receiving fiber. Multimode cores are relatively forgiving, but a uniform finish still minimizes insertion loss and ensures consistent performance. So the figure depicting the figure-eight polishing pattern is the recommended one.