Machines for making optical fibers and preforms thereof
Machines for assembling electric or electronic lamps, tubes or flashbulbs, in glass envelopes; machines for manufacturing or hot working glass or glassware; parts thereof: > Machines for manufacturing or hot working glass or glassware: > Machines for making optical fibers and preforms thereof
Duty Rate (from China)
Except for products described in headings 9903.03.02–9903.03.11, articles the product of any country, as provided for in subdivision (aa) of U.S. note 2 to this subchapter
Except as provided in headings 9903.88.05, 9903.88.06, 9903.88.07, 9903.88.08, 9903.88.10, 9903.88.11, 9903.88.14, 9903.88.19, 9903.88.50, 9903.88.52, 9903.88.58, 9903.88.60, 9903.88.62, 9903.88.66, 9903.88.67, 9903.88.68, or 9903.88.69, articles the product of China, as provided for in U.S. note 20(a) to this subchapter and as provided for in the subheadings enumerated in U.S. note 20(b) [to this subchapter]
Products classified under HTS 8475.21.00.00
Preform Etching Station
Automated hydrofluoric acid etching station removes surface defects from optical fiber preforms, improving fiber strength. Precise chemical dosing and rinsing. HTS 8475.21.00.00 for preform processing machinery.
Optical Preform Grinder
Precision grinder shapes ends of optical fiber preforms to exact geometry for fiber drawing process, with diamond tooling for silica glass. Maintains flatness critical for draw quality. Classified HTS 8475.21.00.00.
Integrated Preform Manufacturing Line
Complete turnkey line combining VAD deposition, sintering, dehydration, and collapsing for high-volume optical fiber preform production. PLC controlled with recipe management. HTS 8475.21.00.00 for complete optical fiber making systems.
Fluorine-Doped Preform Plasma Processor
Plasma processor dopes optical fiber preforms with fluorine using downstream microwave plasma for depressed cladding index profiles in dispersion-shifted fibers. Critical for DWDM systems. Under HTS 8475.21.00.00.
Fiber Preform Dehydration Oven
Oven removes hydroxyl impurities from soot preforms using chlorine gas at elevated temperatures, essential for low-loss optical fibers. Controlled humidity environment. Specialized under HTS 8475.21.00.00.
Czochralski Crystal Puller for Optical Fiber Preforms
This machine uses the Czochralski method to grow high-purity silica monocrystalline boules from which optical fiber preforms are sliced. It melts silica in a crucible and slowly pulls a seed crystal to form the boule under precise temperature control. Classified under HTS 8475.21.00.00 as it is specifically designed for producing preforms used in optical fiber manufacturing.
Float Zone Optical Fiber Preform Grower
A float zone machine employs zone melting to produce ultra-pure silica rods or boules for optical fiber preforms by floating a molten zone along a polycrystalline rod. It achieves higher purity than Czochralski for low-loss fibers. Falls under HTS 8475.21.00.00 for specialized optical fiber preform production.
VAD Chemical Vapor Deposition Preform Lathe
This lathe-based system deposits silica soot layers via Vapor Axial Deposition (VAD) to build cylindrical optical fiber preforms, followed by sintering. It rotates the target mandrel during deposition for uniform growth. HTS 8475.21.00.00 covers such machines essential for modern optical fiber manufacturing.
OVD Outside Vapor Deposition Preform Machine
Outside Vapor Deposition (OVD) machine that flames hydrolyzes silicon tetrachloride to deposit soot on a ceramic target, building preforms for optical fibers. Multiple passes create graded index profiles. Specifically classified in HTS 8475.21.00.00 for optical fiber preform production.
MCVD Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition Preform Tube Rotator
Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD) machine rotates fused silica tubes while injecting gaseous precursors inside, depositing layers that collapse into preforms for single-mode optical fibers. Essential for low-attenuation fiber production. HTS 8475.21.00.00 designation for optical fiber making equipment.
Plasma CVD Preform Deposition Tower
Plasma-enhanced CVD tower uses microwave plasma to deposit high-purity silica inside rotating tubes for advanced optical fiber preforms with fluorine doping capability. Produces fibers for long-haul telecom. Under HTS 8475.21.00.00 as specialized optical fiber manufacturing machine.
Silica Soot Sintering Kiln for Fiber Preforms
Specialized sintering kiln consolidates porous silica soot preforms into dense glass rods suitable for optical fiber drawing, with precise temperature ramping to minimize defects. Critical post-deposition step. Classified HTS 8475.21.00.00 for optical fiber preform processing.
Preform Collapsing Furnace
High-temperature furnace that heats MCVD-deposited tubes to collapse internal layers into solid optical fiber preforms under controlled atmosphere. Produces symmetrical core-cladding structure. HTS 8475.21.00.00 for this hot working glass machinery.
Rod-in-Tube Optical Preform Assembler
Automated machine that inserts core rods into overclad tubes and collapses the assembly into monolithic optical fiber preforms using heat and pressure. Used for specialty fibers. Falls under HTS 8475.21.00.00 as preform manufacturing equipment.
High-Purity Silica Crucible Puller
Machine pulls optical quality silica boules from high-purity quartz crucibles using precise rotation and translation for preform slicing. Electric heating elements maintain stable melt. HTS 8475.21.00.00 classification for optical fiber production equipment.