Is the common end is important?
Even though manufacturers place extra attention on fibers and illuminators the common end is a very important piece for the correct operation of an optical fiber system.
An appropriately engineered common end should pack the fibers tightly without adhesives and be appropriate for fine polishing. Many failures on fiber optics are because of a bad common end design and construction. The utilization of potting adhesives is the single cause most commonly determined in harness failure, both in PMMA and glass systems and should be avoided at all costs because it only reduces the overall life expectancy of the system.