PI Halves Lead Times for F-712.HAx Fiber Alignment Systems
We have great news from production regarding further process improvements. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the lead times for the fast multi-channel fiber alignment systems (FMPA) F-712.HA1 and F-712.HA2 were reduced by more than fifty percent. In comparison to conventional methods, these FMPA systems reduce the time required for the alignment of glass fibers / fiber arrays in quality assurance and the packaging of silicon photonic (SiPh) chips by the factor of 100 to around a second. This leads to considerable increases in throughput in SiPh manufacturing.
The F-712.HAx fiber alignment systems from PI enable simultaneous multi-channel couplings of optical fibers to the inputs and outputs of SiPh chips in six degrees of freedom. Efficient algorithms for area scan and gradient search are currently setting the global benchmark for increasing throughput and thus lowering the production costs of SiPh components.
The F-712.HAx systems are based on the proven E 712 controller technology of PI and are available in both single-sided and double-sided versions. Several hundred of these systems are already in use at OEM and direct customers.
The double-sided fiber alignment system F-712.HA2 features a H-811 hexapod and a P-616 NanoCube® nanopositioner as basis. The parallel-kinematic design provides high system stiffness. The motorized drives enable longer travel ranges. At the same time, the NanoCube® nanopositioner ensures fast scanning movements.
The shorter lead times are the result of taken measures such as a targeted expansion of resources, investments in the automation of production facilities, and continuous process improvements.
Read the full press release here.
Contact persons:
- Dr. Axel Widenhorn, Director Operations - DPG, Managing Director PI miCos GmbH & Managing Director IBS Ingenieurbüro GmbH
- Dr. Markus Blust, Head of Value Stream Industrial & Engineered Systems
With our "Driving Execution" initiative, we continuously inform our employees about developments in the delivery situation at PI