FBG dispersion compensation demands drive Proximion capacity expansion

Kista, Sweden--Having already completed a 50% capacity increase in Q4 2010, Proximion Fiber Systems AB will complete another 50% capacity increase expected during the first half of 2011 to meet increasing demands for its fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based optical dispersion compensation modules (DCMs). Proximion says the new facilities enable them to reduce production costs and more efficiently use labor resources. Proximion can now schedule delivery times more precisely, thereby decreasing lead times by nearly 75%.

The new facilities were added to support the record demand for its DCM products as evidenced by five years of doubling sales year-over-year. "Last year brought tremendous growth for Proximion as we served a customer list that included eight of the top 10 telecom system vendors in the world, compared with four the previous year," said Stefan Ekman, CEO of Proximion.

Instead of running at full capacity, which taxes the machines, Proximion plans to operate at 80% capacity by Q2, 2011. "When the new machines are fully installed we will deliver products with decreased lead times and increased efficiency," said Tobias Persson, VP marketing & sales for Proximion. "We are already seeing the effects of the first production lines."

Since 2003, Proximion has shipped dispersion compensation products that are based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology. These DCMs offer low loss, reduced latency, and no non-linear effects as compared with alternate technology, while simultaneously reducing cost. The company is the only manufacturer of FBG-based continuous band (CB) devices, which provide full undisrupted compensation throughout the C band, thus providing total channel plan and modulation format independence. Proximion also develops and sells channelized DCMs, patch-cord DCMs, high dispersion products, Residual Dispersion Slope Compensators, and optical layer monitoring products.

SOURCE: Proximion