The economics of using automated manufacturing systems for high-volume packaging of fiberoptic components

The coaxial laser diode module has been chosen as an application example for analyzing the consequences of using automation strategies and systems for achieving lower cost per part in a high volume fiberoptic component production setting. The same cost model and analysis can be expanded to cover a variety of devices for many different applications. In automating the production process of any optoelectronic product, repeatability of the process is of key importance. Based on this consideration, the packaging machine used for assembly of these coaxial laser diode modules is a laser welding based platform in which high power Nd:YAG laser beams are used to weld the various module components