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Gooch & Housego-led Development of Next-Generation Fiber-Optical Components Selected for Funding by Technology Strategy Board

Date Announced: 09 Jun 2011

UK firm to work with Fibercore and Fianium on £0.92 million project.

Gooch & Housego the global optical components and systems manufacturer is pleased to announce that a project in which it’s the lead partner has been selected for funding by the UK government-backed Technology Strategy Board in the recent call for proposals on “Technology Inspired Collaborative Research and Development”.

The £920,000 project, called MUDPAC (Maintaining UK Dominance in Polarisation mAintaining Components) was conceived by Dr Andrew Robertson, G&H Senior Vice President of Business and Technology Development and was aimed squarely at the “High Value Manufacturing” area of the Technology Strategy Board call. The two other partners involved are optical fibre manufacturer, Fibercore and fibre laser manufacturer, Fianium, both located in Southampton.

Dr Robertson explained, “This project brings together three UK companies recognized as being world leaders in their respective fields – we fit together perfectly. During this project, we will be developing two areas of production technology; optical fibre and polarization maintaining (PM) optical fibre components. Each of these areas will yield a family of high value advanced products with entirely novel features and both areas will require the development of novel production processes and process control.”

Gooch & Housego has been manufacturing fibre optic components at its site in Torquay (formerly known as SIFAM Fibre Optics) since 1985 and were at the forefront of the development of high specification fibre optical products for the telecommunications market. Since the downturn in that market at the end of the 90s, G&H Torquay has emerged as a supplier of high specification fibre optical components and sub-systems for diverse markets including fibre lasers, sensing, aviation & space as well as biomedical.

The manufacture of polarization maintaining (PM) optical fibre components poses unique manufacturing problems and in general, their performance, both optically and environmentally is poorer than more standard single mode non-PM components. A key factor to the success of the project will be the holistic approach of G&H Torquay, as the fibre optic component manufacturer, working closely with Fibercore, the fibre manufacturer, to design a fibre with optimum characteristics for enhanced component performance.

Gooch & Housego will be exhibiting at the Paris Air Show, 20th-26th June, Hall 4 Stand E50.

Contact

Niki Phelps
Marketing & Communications Manager
nphelps@goochandhousego.com
T: 01460 256457

E-mail: sales@goochandhousego.com

Web Site: www.goochandhousego.com

 
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