Nov 11 2009
Leading developer of Optical Components and LED Lighting Modules for Energy Efficient Lighting and Flat Panel Displays expands in-house optical film and optical lamination capabilities.
Fusion Optix announced today the installation and commissioning of a new optical film production line at its facility in Woburn, MA. The new line represents a significant increase in production capacity and advances in optical film processing technology, as well as the ability to bring on added capabilities in the future.
Capacity. The new line increases capacity by a factor of 20, resulting in faster lead times for large volume orders. Furthermore, a series of key, sophisticated customizations allow base materials to be ready for manufacture in half the time of the current system. The line is also twice as wide, bringing the maximum film width to 12”, and can produce film at least twice as thick as current in-house capabilities allow.
Quality. The line allows for tighter tolerances on film thickness, while the above-mentioned customizations allow for products with more uniform distribution.
Development. Because of the increased capacity and quality, development of new products and custom products will be much faster and less cost-prohibitive.
Future Capabilities. The new line was designed with the future in mind; it has the set-up and power to support future configurations that include profile extrusion and hot lamination processes, among other capabilities.
The Company has also installed optical film lamination equipment which enables rapid conversion of Fusion Optix optical films to the high quality lenses and diffusers demanded by its lighting OEM customers. The new lamination equipment is focused on roll-to-roll (R2R) and roll-to-sheet (R2S) conversion utilizing optical grade, high performance adhesives.
The new equipment has been used for manufacturing product since the end of August. Following extensive commissioning and production trials, Fusion Optix has begun sampling production ready products to OEM customers. “We have established these in-house capabilities at the request of our OEM customers. We strive to provide the highest quality products with the quickest turnaround, and we realized that we needed stronger in-house capabilities in order to do that,” says Michael Demas, Director of Operations at Fusion Optix. “The new capabilities, when combined with our already established in-house optical film production and laser processing capabilities, provide us with a full in-house capability for diffusers, lenses, light guides, and other optical components,” Demas added.
As solid state lighting becomes more viable in the mainstream lighting and display markets, Fusion Optix has experienced a marked increase in orders and interest. Dr Terry Yeo, CEO of Fusion Optix, comments, “It’s a very exciting time for Fusion Optix, and making this investment was an easy decision; we have a fast-growing customer list alongside intense product development efforts, and our manufacturing capability has to grow with us. We are already recognized as being one of the industry leaders, and we’ve incorporated some key improvements in the new equipment. We are looking forward to increasing our leadership position and servicing more of the lighting and display markets as a result.”
Source: http://www.fusionoptix.com/