IEC 60793-1-32:2018 is intended primarily for testing either fibres as produced by a fibre manufacturer or subsequently overcoated (tight buffered) using various polymers. The test can be performed either on fibres as produced, or after exposure to various environments. This test applies to A1, A2, A3, B and C fibres with a nominal glass dimension of 125m. The object of this document is to establish uniform requirements for the mechanical characteristic coating strippability. This test quantifies the force required to mechanically remove the protective coating from optical fibres along their longitudinal axis. This test is not intended as a means to maximize fibre strength after the coating is removed nor is it intended to specify the best conditions for field stripping of optical fibres. This test is designed for optical fibres having polymeric coatings with nominal outer diameters in the range of 200m to 900m. This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2010. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical change with respect to the previous edition: expansion of the range of coating dimensions applicable to the procedure detailed in this document to accommodate optical fibres with a 200m coating dimension.

Keywords: coating strippability, protective coating of optical fibres