Palomar Makes 1st Fully Automated Assembly Line for Optoelectronic Components

VISTA, Calif., Nov. 2 -- Palomar Technologies, a manufacturer of high-precision assembly systems for broadband communications, has designed and integrated the first completely automated assembly line for the production of optoelectronic packages.

Optoelectronic components are increasingly used in advanced optical networks in the broadband communications and cable television industries.

"Seventy to eighty percent of the cost of an electro-optical device is in the package," said Palomar's director of marketing Bruce Hueners. "Automating the process drives costs down and improves quality and reliability."

The inline assembly system eliminates manual processes by fully integrating all of the equipment needed to precisely pick, place and attach microchips to their packaging. The "hands-free," recipe-driven process assembles the components in the package and performs the first-level interconnect that provides the component's electrical connection to the outside world.