SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- AFL Telecommunications -- inpartnership with NEXT Fiber Systems and Fujikura Ltd. -- will introduce theAffinity™ AFS-1000 Automated Fusion Splicing System at the Optical FiberCommunication (OFC) Conference to be held March 19 – 21 in Anaheim, Calif.Designed to meet the needs of optical manufacturers, the AFS-1000 system isthe fastest automated fusion splicer on the market today, and is the firstin the Affinity line of automated products. The system strips, cleans,cleaves, splices, and proof-tests optical fibers, producing a completedsplice every 40 seconds. Through the combination of proven Fujikurasplicing components and technology, and automation expertise from partnerNEXT Fiber Systems, the AFS-1000 provides a cost-effective solution foroptical manufacturers looking to boost productivity, improve quality, reducerework, and increase production flexibility.“The AFS-1000 is the perfect automated splicer for today’s businessenvironment,” said Greg Pickeral, Fusion Splicing Product Manager for AFLTelecommunications. “It allows optical manufacturers to splice fibers fivetimes faster than conventional splicers and provides the flexibility tohandle multiple types of fibers at the same time, all at a price to matchtoday’s reduced capital budgets.”The Affinity AFS-1000 will be showcased in Booth #3232 at OFC.AFL TelecommunicationsFor more information on OFC 2002, please visit: www.nottheofc.com