Looking toward the Future with our New Detector Facility
In December 2020, Raj Chakraborty and the LASER COMPONENTS Detector Group team moved to their new building in the boomtown of Chandler, Arizona. Following the latest concepts of workflow efficiency, employee collaboration, and comfort, the facility is set up with growth in mind. We asked Raj to give us his first-hand impression of what it is like to work in these brand-new surroundings.
As the name LASER COMPONENTS Detector Group would suggest, our company focuses on the development and manufacture of detectors. As with all companies in the LASER COMPONENTS Group, we pride ourselves on our diverse portfolio, which consists of four distinct product lines, each with its own target markets and requirements. Avalanche photodiodes are a key technology in time of flight-based distance measurement applications – from rangefinders to complex LiDAR systems in self-driving cars. InGaAs PIN photodiodes are commonly used in spectroscopy, while PbS/PbSe detectors are mostly delivered to the medical industry for use in respiratory analysis. Pyroelectric detectors – commonly known as pyros – are the latest addition to our portfolio. They are used for flame detection in the oil and gas industry.
The LASER COMPONENTS Group restructured its organization. Every product line now has its own dedicated product manager (PM) to meet the unique challenges presented by the different markets. Each of them has a roadmap and strategy that encompasses meeting and exceeding the KPIs, R&D activities, quality improvement, and business growth. Four of the PMs are employed by the detector group, covering each of the aforementioned business units.
Detailed Planning for Growth and Efficiency
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This is a rather long introduction; however, as we go on, you will find that it is essential for understanding the way our new facility was planned and built. From the very first stage three aspects were considered in designing a sound building. Starting with our four business units, we took care that their distinctive requirements were taken into account in order to develop and produce the highest possible quality with each product line. The overall design of both the production and office areas ensures that we are able to benefit from the synergies each area provides for the others. The third aspect was growth: You do not plan a new facility without considering the future. So we took care to plan ahead and create enough space for future staff. This will allow us to grow productivity by 4×. As a positive side effect, these plans encourage us to work on achieving this growth and fill the empty spaces. Last but not least, the overall design was meant to encourage social exchange between staff members, make them feel at home, and create a sense of pride in being part of the LASER COMPONENTS family. You will see that it all fits together nicely.
Saving Time with Spaghetti
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Let me start with our new production area: Almost half the space is filled with a modern and sophisticated cleanroom area. It was built to the highest ISO standards and meets 10K class requirements to ensure stringent particulate and contamination control. It also meets all semiconductor industry ESD control standards required in electronics manufacturing. One major advantage of the acoustic ceiling tiles and the soundproof walls of the cleanroom is keeping outside noise to a minimum. They allow for a quiet working environment and better concentration on the job. Stringent temperature and humidity controls are set to balance the need for product preservation and worker comfort.
The cleanroom area is divided into four distinct sections according to our main product lines. During the planning stage, we took care to place the workstations in a way that provides optimal workflow efficiency. We set up so-called spaghetti diagrams for each manufacturing process to visualize the way goods and production kits moved from one workstation to the next. In the end, there was a tangled collection of lines that look like a spaghetti dish. We untangled the pasta strings and streamlined the product circulation in our new facility. As a result we reduced manufacturing time by about 30 percent. A production process that would have cost us ten workdays in the old facility can now be finished in seven days.
Communication Creates Synergies
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The office space features an open cubicle concept that is different from the usual U.S. office designs. Workspaces are only separated by glass walls of about 3 ft. At first we had to get used to the new design, but this concept turned out a major boost in employee collaboration and seamless information sharing. PMs are now able to create overlaps and synergies between their business units and benefit from each other’s ideas and solutions.
We had already decreased e-mail traffic on a global basis by setting up a digital workplace. Internal e-mails have also significantly decreased as colleagues are now sitting next to each other and able to communicate openly. Everyone knows what their colleagues are working on at any given time, which allows us to eliminate double work. There are clearly-marked, sectionally-divided office areas that are separated by job responsibility, which encourages better collaboration within each job function.
Our three conference rooms now allow for multiple meetings to happen simultaneously. This has become even more important with the frequent use of virtual meetings. Conference rooms can be booked online, which is only one example of the advantages we experience from the group-wide rollout of a unified digital communications platform.
Both the production and office areas were built with future growth in mind. If we double our staff to 80 employees, there would still be enough room to make them all feel comfortable. We could even extend our workforce to 200 by introducing a three-shift rotation.
Boomtown Chandler
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All this takes place in the buzzing atmosphere of one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.: Chandler is the technology hub of not only the Phoenix area but the entire state of Arizona. It is already home to the largest employers in the state. There are high-tech companies galore and more on their way with leading companies relocating from California. The state of Arizona and the municipal government of Chandler are encouraging this development with a favorable tax system, a high concentration of skilled workforce, good schools, lots of residential development, and a strong industrial infrastructure. From the very first moment, city executives have been eager to make us feel welcome and fulfill all our needs. All things considered, this seems to be exactly the right time and place to turn a new page in the history of the LASER COMPONENTS Detector Group. We are looking forward to the challenges that come with new customer requirements. They give us a chance to grow and be part of an exciting future.
Meet our Experts
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Product Information
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Avalanche Photodiodes
LASER COMPONENTS Germany - Your competent partner for optical and optoelectronic components in Germany.
Welcome to LASER COMPONENTS Germany GmbH, your expert for photonics components. Each product in our wide range of detectors, laser diodes, laser modules, optics, fiber optics, and more is worth every Euro (€/EUR). Our customized solutions cover all conceivable areas of application: from sensor technology to medical technology. You can reach us here:
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 15
82140 Olching
Deutschland
Phone: +49 8142 2864-0
Email: info(at)
