News: Optoelectronics
3 September 2020
Sheaumann Laser expands to new HQ
Sheaumann Laser Inc, which designs and manufactures laser diodes and modules for sensing, imaging, telecom, navigation and illumination applications in the industrial, defense and medical sectors, moved its headquarters in August from a leased facility in Marlborough, MA, USA to a 57,800ft2 facility at 5 Federal Street, Billerica, MA, purchased in October 2019 and since renovated.
As one of the few vertically integrated laser manufacturers in the USA, Sheaumann says that the relocation allows it to significantly expand its workforce and production capabilities to meet the growing demand for laser-based technologies across a variety of industries.
The move is supported by a $2.34m grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2). This award, paired with Sheaumann’s matching funds, enabled the purchase of laser manufacturing equipment to expand production and streamline existing processes. The firm will broaden its wafer growth capabilities, expanding its existing near-infrared gallium arsenide (GaAs) wavelength range (780-1080nm) offerings to include indium phosphide (InP) wavelengths (1120-1875nm).
Sheaumann says that the building purchase signifies its commitment to keep its production in the USA, and the expansion will necessitate training and hiring additional skilled personnel from the region as the firm grows its workforce by 40%.
“The M2I2 capital grant helps immensely in supporting Sheaumann’s passion for innovative technology by helping broaden our capabilities in laser growth to include InP wavelengths (1120-1875nm),” says president Gary Sousa. “The expansion of new technology and personnel will help Sheaumann nearly double its current product line, allowing us to continue to compete with overseas foundries while maintaining all production activities in Massachusetts,” he adds.
The Billerica facility has triple the space of Sheaumann’s original location in Marlborough and includes 15,000ft2 of cleanroom space for its manufacturing and R&D activities, along with dedicated space that meets quality and security regulations specific to the defense and spacecom sectors. Sheaumann says that vertical integration of R&D, epitaxial wafer growth and packaging gives it the control and flexibility to create custom solutions for OEMs with unique requirements. In addition, the firm has plans to develop an incubator space for photonics-based startups with complementary process needs. Qualified candidates will be able to lease cleanroom and office space.
