Press Release

MICROCARE® CORPORATION INTRODUCES THE PRODUCT LAUNCH OF OPTIXX™ PRECISION LENS & INSTRUMENT SCREEN CLEANER
The Most Advanced High-Precision Optical Cleaning Solution Developed for Optical Lens, Solar Cells, Laser Hardware, Scientific Instruments, Metals, Plastic, Glass and Coatings

April 14, 2012 – New Britain, CT – MicroCare® Corporation, the leader in progressive precision and fiber optic cleaning announces today the launch of the industry's most advanced optical cleaning solution that is fast-drying, nonflammable, nonhazardous, and plastic-safe. It is completely effective in getting rid of soils such as dust, oil, grime, and moisture from optical lens, metals, plastic, glass and coatings.

OPTIXX™, from the makers of STICKLERS®, is used to obtain spot-free, perfectly clean every time optical assemblies and lenses. It is also engineered to clean solar cells, laser hardware, scientific instruments and high-precision optics. "We developed a new cleaning wipe and dispensing package specifically for this application. The wipes are pivotal to high performance cleaning and have been engineered for unmatched performance in removing all types of contamination. The new wipes actually will make a surface shed dust and particles without any topical coatings. That's unheard of with a disposable wipe", said Jay Tourigny, Vice President of MicroCare® Corporation. OPTIXX™ Optical-Grade High Purity Lint-Free Wipes make "Wet-Dry" cleaning fast, efficient and convenient.

Visit MicroCare® Corporation at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, booth C9237 to see a demo on why this specialty cleaning solution has emerged as the best choice for distributors and end-users alike.

Only MicroCare® products have pioneered new cleaning choices for over 20 years. MicroCare® products have consistently led the way with new chemistries and application tools. These innovations mean that users obtain the latest technology in the most cost-effective package.

New Product Developed for Military Fiber Applications

Sticklers® Fiber Optic Cleaners Approved by the
Largest Fighter Plane Builder in the U.S

MicroCare Corp. announced today that the Sticklers® fiber optic cleaning products have been approved by one of largest U.S. builders of fighter planes. The  Sticklers® CleanStixx™ connector cleaners now are being used to clean fiber optic systems on the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter plane.

Sticklers™ Cleanstixx™ sticks, when used together with Sticklers™ Fiber Optic Splice and Connector Cleaner fluid, provides unrivalled cleaning of any size or configuration of fibre optic connector. Used throughout a multitude of industries including military and aerospace, the products offer complete connector cleaning care, which is fast and simple to use.

The key innovation for the F-35 was a modified CleanStixx™ S16 connector cleaning stick specifically designed for military use. With an extended tip that fits into all military adapters (see photo, right to compare the original S16 CleanStixx to the new extended tip), including the MIL-C-38999 connectors used in the F-35 fighter plane, it offers fast and efficient cleaning of the entire end-face without the need to disassemble the connector or adapter. There are more than 300 fiber optic connectors on each F-35.

In the past, each test of a MIL-DTL-38999 connector on the F-35 was time consuming because the connector had to be disassembled for inspection and cleaning. In addition, there are many different configurations (pin counts) of MIL-DTL-38999 connectors, so technicians had to have different test harnesses for each configuration, significantly adding to the maintenance expense. Worse yet, a failure of just one of the fiber optic connectors inside the test harness would require the entire harness to be scrapped or repaired. This presented a logistical and financial challenge.

One leading fiber optic connector company produced a new adapter which makes it possible to test MIL-DTL-38999 connectors quickly and easily, significantly reducing both labor and material costs. The new adapters enable quick and easy optical test and measurement, without the need for multiple test harnesses.

The connectors, adapters and CleanStxx™ also are used in other military applications, plus in oil field, mining and extraction commercial applications where the reliability of the -38999 design and the affordability of the Sticklers® tools are appreciated. There are literally millions of -38999 connectors in the field today, and every one of them can be cleaned with new adapter and the new Sticklers® S16 CleanStixx™ swab.

Color-coded and moulded exactly to suit the exact shape and size connector, Sticklers™ Cleanstixx™ swabs clean the entire end-face, not just the central core, ensuring that any contaminants, including dust, is removed completely.

Together with the unique military Fibre Optic Cleaning Kit, which contains everything a technician requires to ensure cleaning of fibre optic connectors and splices is quick and effective, Sticklers® Fibre Optic Cleaning Products offer the military and defence industries a range of products that provide complete reassurance when cleaning fibre optics.

MicroCare Grows Again

Tomassetti Joins MicroCare;
Will Expand Services and Support in Asian Markets 
Fifteen Years of Precision Cleaning & Chemical Expertise "Deepens the Bench" on the MicroCare Team

(New Britain, CT) MicroCare is pleased to announce that Mr. Jonathan Tomassetti has joined the MicroCare team effective May 1st. He will be responsible for sales growth and customer development in the Asian marketplace.

Mr. Tomassetti has deep roots in the world of precision cleaning. He has spent the past 15 years selling precision cleaning processes in Asia into the electronics, aerospace, optics, medical manufacturing, automotive and precision metals industries. He has a deep understanding of vapor degreasing, and years of hands-on experience in the techniques required to deliver the best possible cleaning at the lowest possible cost.

Prior to working in the chemical industry, he lived and worked in Japan and the Philippines for 10 years. Mr. Tomassetti is a graduate of Furman University (South Carolina) with a major in Business Administration. He will be based out of his home in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

New Product Introduction at BICSI Winter Conference 2011

MicroCare Introduces 4th Sticklers^® CleanWipes™ Package
Handy, Convenient Tool Engineered for Field Techs

(New Britain, CT) At the BICSI Winter Conference in Orlando, FL in January 2011, MicroCare  introduced the next generation of fiber optic cleaning tools specifically engineered for high-volume production of fiber optic patch cords and jumpers. The newest version of the Sticklers^® CleanWipe™ 400 system is a transportable design, easily carried in trucks and tool kits. It will enable field technicians to clean end-faces more quickly, more gently, more consistently and at the lowest possible cost.

At the heart of the CleanWipe™ 400 tool  is a high-modulus wiping material that outperforms traditional cellulose, paper or fabric wipes. The material is soft, highly absorbent and inherently static-dissipative, which minimizes three very common cleaning problems. Most importantly, the exceptionally strong material is highly resistant to linting and shredding, eliminating the single most source of contamination, especially on LC end-faces. As with all of the CleanWipe™ products, the new tool is compatible with the Sticklers^® Connector Cleaning Fluid, which makes "wet-dry" cleaning fast and convenient, even out in the field.

The packaging of the transportable CleanWipe™ device is unique and enhances cleaning in the field. Proprietary, static-dissipative packaging dissipates static charges so end-faces stay cleaner longer. There are four four color-coded CleanSlots™ tracks for the technicians to use when cleaning. (By restricting end-face cleaning to these four slots, the risk of cleaning an end-face on an already-contaminated wipe is completely eliminated, and process control is enhanced.) Unlike competitive cleaning tools, the CleanWipe™ system minimizes touching the wipe with fingers, which protects the wipe and end-faces from fingerprints and skin oils which can be deposited during handling.

While the jumbo, economy size CleanWipe™ 3200 system contains more than 3,000 cleanings in each box, the transportable version is much smaller, easier to carry and contains 400 cleanings. Field research by MicroCare has documented that 400 cleanings per tool is the optimal size for field techs, and enables them to produce perfectly clean connectors for just pennies per cleaning.

With the addition of the transportable CleanWipe™ product, the Sticklers^® product line now offers four different tools for cleaning jumpers and patch cords, a range of offerings unmatched in the industry. All of the new Sticklers^® CleanWipe™ tools are available from Sticklers distributors world-wide.  The new part number is #MCC-WCS100.

The Sticklers^® cleaners are manufactured by MicroCare Corp., a world leader in critical cleaning, helping clients in electronics, aerospace, medical devices and other industries to lower their cost-per-part-cleaned.

New Distributor Announcement

AFC Joins the Sticklers^® Network from Australia

(New Britain, CT)   MicroCare Corp. announced today that AFC Group, based in Melbourne, Australia, has agreed to market the Sticklers^® fiber optic cleaning products to customers in Australia and across the Pacific region. 

AFC Group started in 1992 and has, since day one, concentrated all their efforts on to the fibre optic industry. AFC has earned an extensive customer base throughout Australia with clients including telecommunication carriers, distributors, defence, power utilities, corporate customers, installers and systems integrators. With large warehouses in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Dubai, AFC has the resources customers need to keep their networks running brilliantly.

AFC offers a wide selection of products including cable, pre-terminated cable assemblies, connectors, couplers, consumables, and a variety of enclosures. In addition, they carry industry-leading test and termination equipment. AFC also is a manufacturer, producing a range of specialty cable assemblies including angle polish, expanded beam, and small form factor connectors.

You can contact AFC at:

                                            93-97 Merrindale Drive, Croydon, Victoria, Australia  3136

                                            Tel: +61 (3) 973 742 00

                                            On the web at: www.afcgroup.com.au

From the Sticklers^® perspective, we think AFC deserves their strong reputation throughout the industry for providing high levels of service, training, technical knowledge and fibre expertise. Welcome to the team!

For more information please contact MicroCare.


updated 6/14/2010

Press Release

MicroCare Welcomes FiberShow As a Sticklers^® Distributor

(New Britain, CT) Micro Care Corp. announced today that Tente FiberShow, the largest fiber optic distributor in the People's Republic of China, has agreed to market the Sticklers fiber optic cleaning products to customers in China and across the Pacific region. 

Tente is both a distributor, with a broad line of tools, equipment and test systems, as well as one of the largest manufacturers of passive components (patch cords and attenuators) in the world. Tente is famous as the first OEM to specify lint-free paper for the packaging of fiber patch cord. They offer super large-scale production ability featuring many kinds of innovative designs.They serve customers in telcom, mobile, netcom, broadcasting, unicom and rail.
 
For more details, contact Mrs. Judy Liu, T: 86-0755-33953696, fax: 86-0755-26609129. FiberShow is located in modern offices in Nanshan Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Sticklers^® products are made by privately-held MicroCare Corp. of New Britain, CT. Founded in 1983, MicroCare is the world-leader in precision benchtop cleaning, providing modern, environmentally-safe answers to critical cleaning applications in electronics, medical devices, photonics, aerospace and mass transportation.

For more information please contact MicroCare.

updated 3/25/2010

Press Release 1/15/2010

MicroCare Will Feature Sticklers^® Fiber Optic Cleaners at OFC/NFOEC

(New Britain, CT) Micro Care Corp. announced today that it will showcase the new Sticklers^® fiber optic cleaners at the OFC/NFOEC Exposition in San Diego. The Sticklers^® products are the industry's most innovative line of fiber optic cleaning tools. Uniquely, the four components to the Sticklers^® family work together as a system, so only Sticklers^® can clean any connector, any configuration, any size, in any environment. Since more than 50% of all fiber network failures are due to dirt on a splice or connector, the introduction of Sticklers^® products means field technicians finally will be able to perfectly clean components in seconds , for just pennies per cleaning.

"The industry's number one problem with fiber has been dirt, dust and moisture on connectors and splices," explained MicroCare president, Christopher A. Jones. "The number one rule in fiber optics today is that techs must clean and inspect every connector, every time. Twenty-year old cleaning techniques do not work on today's FTTx projects and tomorrow's gigahertz networks."

Sticklers^® products are designed to provide fast, simple and convenient cleaning for field installers. There are four main Sticklers^® products:

• The Sticklers^® Fiber Optic Splice and Connector Cleaner is a nonflammable pump spray that out-performs any cleaner on the market today. Because the cleaning fluid is nonhazardous - and unlike any competing product - it can be shipped even by air without hazmat fees, or carried in a tool kit on commercial aircraft. The Sticklers^® cleaning fluid replaces alcohol, acetone, swabs, and other old technologies that leave residue on the end-face.
• For cleaning inside connector alignment sleeves, the new Sticklers^® CleanStixx™ are the only fiber cleaning swab that cleans the entire end-face, not just the contact area, eliminating an important source of contamination.
• Sticklers^® Benchtop CleanWipes™ are packaged for indoor applications, while Sticklers^® Outdoor CleanWipes™ are engineered for harsh environments. Importantly, Sticklers^® products feature a sleek design and clever packaging, so the products can fit into any tool kit.

Sticklers^® products are made by privately-held MicroCare Corp. of New Britain, CT. Founded in 1983, MicroCare is the world-leader in precision benchtop cleaning, providing modern, environmentally-safe answers to critical cleaning applications in electronics, medical devices, photonics, aerospace and mass transportation.

For more information please contact MicroCare.

updated 1/15/2010