The fibres after being cleaved are fed into the splicer. The two fibres to be joined are held against each other and the alignment is checked after which the fusion is done. The heating is done by means of an electric arc or a laser. The heating is done in about 15 seconds and the fusion is then carried out. The device is battery operated.
Splicers can be programmed for different types of fibre optic cables. Most Splicers are portable and have a rugged construction. The life of the heating electrodes is specified after which the electrode may have to be replaced.