Method for pregobbing an optical fiber preform and system producing optical fiber therefrom

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber preform, comprising the steps of:

• a) heating a consolidated optical fiber preform within a chamber of a heating furnace having a first temperature profile of a hot zone of the heating furnace to wherein a gob drops under the influence of heat and gravity,
• b) removing additional glass from the preform in the heating furnace until a draw tip having a pre-optimized tip shape is formed wherein the pre-optimized tip shape includes a tip taper having a ratio, defined as tip length divided by radius change over the tip length, of between about 5 to about 12, and
• c) transferring the preform to a draw furnace of a draw apparatus wherein a second temperature profile of a hot zone within the draw furnace is substantially identical to the first temperature profile.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber preform, comprising the steps of:

• a) heating a consolidated optical fiber preform within a chamber of a heating furnace having a first temperature profile of a hot zone of the heating furnace wherein a gob drops under the influence of heat and gravity,
• b) removing additional glass from the preform in the heating furnace until a draw tip having a pre-optimized tip shape is formed wherein the pre-optimized tip shape includes a tip taper having a ratio, defined as tip length divided by radius change over the tip length, of between about 6 to about 9, and
• c) transferring the preform to a draw furnace of a draw apparatus wherein a second temperature profile of a hot zone within the draw furnace is substantially identical to the first temperature profile.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber, comprising the steps of:

• heating a consolidated optical fiber preform within a pregobbing apparatus including an induction furnace having a first temperature profile of a hot zone of the pregobbing apparatus thereby forming a pre-optimized shape preform tip, and
• transferring the preform to a draw apparatus including an induction furnace and drawing optical fiber therefrom, the draw apparatus having a second temperature profile of a hot zone of the draw apparatus substantially equal to the first temperature profile.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber, comprising the steps of:

• heating a plurality of consolidated optical fiber preforms within a plurality of pregobbing apparatus, each apparatus including an induction furnace having a first temperature profile in a hot zone thereof thereby forming a pre-optimized shape preform tip on each of the plurality of preforms, and
• transferring the plurality of preforms to a plurality of draw apparatus, each including an induction furnace and drawing optical fiber therefrom, the plurality of draw furnaces each having a second temperature profile in a hot zone thereof substantially equal to the first temperature profile.