German subsidiary Qioptiq Photonics GmbH & Co. KG expands capacity for cleanroom assembly of complex optics
Excelitas Technologies® Corp., a leading industrial technology manufacturer focused on delivering innovative, market-driven photonic solutions, has opened a new plant for its German subsidiary, Qioptiq Photonics GmbH & Co. KG, in Göttingen, Germany. The new facility expands the company’s capacity for assembly of highly sophisticated optomechanical systems and components for the semiconductor industry.
Excelitas’ investment amounted to approximately 25 million euros for facilities and an additional 5 million euros for capital equipment, including a photovoltaic system, a state-of-the-art automated material warehouse and an ultrasonic cleaning system that meets the highest cleanliness standards for optical components in the semiconductor industry.
The new Excelitas site in Göttingen’s Science Park occupies an initial area of 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares), with plenty of room for future expansion. The newly constructed, tailor-made production facility offers 72,000 square feet of space, including 16,000 sf of dedicated Class 5 cleanrooms to meet very high cleanliness requirements.
Excelitas had already made substantial investments in new cleanrooms at its Qioptiq facility in Königsallee, Göttingen, in 2012, 2015 and 2017. Together, both state-of-the-art sites now provide around 28,000 sf of cleanroom production space for the assembly of optical and optomechanical systems, as well as for coating and other optical production processes.
About 90 guests including members of the German Bundestag attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 21, 2021. The mayor of Göttingen, Rolf-Georg Köhler, congratulated the company. Excelitas representatives affirmed their commitment to the Göttingen location and commended the rapid completion of the construction project under challenging conditions.
“Our decision to invest in a new production building underscores the strategic importance of the Göttingen site within the Excelitas business. The new building offers optimal conditions for commissioning additional cleanroom capacities, which are essential for our further growth as a high-tech company,” said Dr. Robert Vollmers, VP Operations, Commercial Optics.
Joel M. Falcone, Excelitas EVP & COO, added: “Despite the significant complexity of this project requiring highly qualified external and internal resources in the midst of a global pandemic, all parties, including strong local government support, have worked together to complete the construction of our new facility on time and on budget. On behalf of Excelitas Technologies, I would like to thank our leadership team in Germany, all of our Göttingen-based employees, and our external partners for their commitment, dedication, hard work and a job well done.”
Excelitas maintains several production facilities in Germany: in Feldkirchen, Göttingen, Asslar, Wiesbaden and Regen. On September 3, 2021, Excelitas acquired PCO AG in Kelheim, further expanding its operational footprint in Germany, as well as extending its product portfolio to include high-performance scientific CMOS camera technology for biomedical and industrial imaging applications.
