Mechanical splice

A mechanical splice is a junction of two or more optical fibers that are aligned and held in place by a self-contained assembly (usually the size of a large carpenter's nail).

[1] The fibers are not permanently joined, just precisely held together so that light can pass from one to another.

[2] There are several designs in use for mechanical splicing, varying based on the method of fiber alignment; four common methods, according to the Fiber Optic Association, are the capillary tube, V-groove, elastometric, and rotary splice.

[3] Other than the method of alignment, all forms of optical fiber splicing, including non-mechanical fusion splicing, involve an essentially identical process of cleaving and testing.

Good cleaving, by creating a flat surface for fibers to be aligned and connected on, reduces splice loss in all forms of optical fiber splicing.