ficonTEC: Home



	ficonTEC is the partner for automation in photonics – world-wide. We understand your products and processes and support you with our systems, know-how and experience.

OFC/NFOEC
Los Angeles, CA, USA
06.03. - 08.03.2012
Booth # 2618

0PTATEC
Frankfurt/M., Germany
22.06. - 25.06.2012
Booth # 3.0 H13

ficonTEC supplies semi-automatic and fully automated production and testing systems, concentrating on the optical industry, laser diode manufacture, optoelectronics, medical technology, security and military engineering and telecommunications.

Learn more about the products, solutions and services of ficonTEC, a worldwide supplier, on these pages. We develop individual automation solutions in microsystems engineering that can increase the efficiency and precision of your production processes.

Pilot system for automatic production of high-performance diode lasers

DORTMUND - March 2011, Project successfully completed: With the completion of the pilot system the task has been solved and the goal of the PROPSYS research project has been achieved. The new technology now allows automatic production of high-performance diode lasers whereas micro optics formerly had to be adjusted and assembled by hand before the diode laser bars. After a little more than three years of project time the path towards serial production with constant quality and flexible quantities has thus been levelled.

The project name stands for "production technology for optical systems for high-performance diode lasers". This project was called into being by the "Optische Komponenten und Systeme für Volumenmärkte" (optical components and systems for volume markets) funding directive of the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) (federal German ministry for education and research). It thus promotes the "next generation of optical systems".

PROPSYS is only one of a whole series of BMBF research projects dedicated to the subject of optical technologies. This is another indication of the importance which the world of politics attributes to this sector with regard to making sure Germany is a strong industrial location.

The findings of the project are now waiting to be put into practice. "Automation of the production processes for manufacturing high-performance diode lasers will benefit the optical industry and Germany as a business centre", says project coordinator, Dr. Jens Meinschien, Manager of Research and Development at LIMO in Dortmund. "As a result, despite the automation, job numbers in Germany will be sustained".

The process which calls upon specially developed methods of digital image processing to position the collimating lens in front of the diode laser precisely to the micron is fundamentally new. Whilst the project dealt specifically with high-performance diode lasers and their components - diode laser bars, collimating and beam shaping optics and fibre coupling - the new technology also opens up completely new opportunities in other areas of microoptical production.

As well as LIMO the research partners included the companies ficonTEC in Aachim, Artifex Engineering in Emden and two Fraunhofer institutes (Fraunhofer ILT and Fraunhofer IZM). The main focus for LIMO was on the development of a diode laser design suitable for mass production. ficonTEC primarily dealt with the working points of the automation and Artifex Engineering contributed with opto-electronic components for controlling diode lasers and detecting their statuses. Fraunhofer ILT concentrated in adjustment algorithms and assembly techniques. At Fraunhofer IZM in Berlin a demonstrator system has been installed for photonic packaging process development, reliability testing and error analyses.

New Project Manager at ficonTEC

ACHIM, Germany - January 2011, ficonTEC Services GmbH welcomes their new colleague Arne Bentfeldt. As of the beginning of this year he took over the position of our new Project Manager. He is a studied engineer and has gained many years of experience as Production Manager in the field of opto-electronic packaging.

Mr. Bentfeldt will support ficonTEC with his experience & know-how and will enhance the quality of the consulting & advisory part within the customer relationship. Amongst others his main responsibility is to supervise all customer projects and to arrange a smooth project flow. Furthermore he is involved in all activities concerning the planning & supervision of resources and milestones including coordination of internal and external acceptance procedures.

We are looking forward to a fruitful teamwork.

Versatile machine delivered to Aifotec

MEININGEN, Germany - October 2010, ficonTEC Service GmbH delivered the first machine of its new automated micro assembly platform to AIFOTEC Fiberoptics GmbH. This versatile platform is unique to the market and allows the automatic assembly of micro optical systems such as FAC/SAC placement in miniature lasers or micro projectors.

AIFOTEC is a leading contract manufacturer and contract developer for “optical engines” based on Hybrid Integration Technology (HIT). “The new ficonTEC equipment opens new fields for our capabilities. To meet the customer’s needs the new platform is available for different levels of automation as well as for different levels of versatility”, stated Dr. Gunther Vollrath, CEO of AIFOTEC GmbH.

ficonTEC Service GmbH is the world leader in manufacturing of automated assembly, test and inspection equipment for micro systems and opto-electronics components, based on a flexible modular automated platform.