FLOIM · Project

Automated Optical Assembly Line That Cuts Optoelectronic Device Production Costs

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Imagine you're building a tiny device that uses light — like a sensor or a data link — and right now you have to carefully glue lenses and optical parts together by hand, one at a time. FLOIM figured out how to mold precision optical surfaces directly onto electronic components using injection moulding, the same mass-production technique used to make plastic bottles. They built a pilot production line with built-in quality checks that catches defects automatically, and proved it works on three real products: a data communications transceiver, an optical encoder, and a display.

By the numbers

Real-world demonstrator products validated (transceiver, encoder, display)

Consortium partners

Countries represented in consortium

54%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Assembling optoelectronic devices today requires painstaking manual alignment of tiny optical components — lenses, waveguides, light pipes — onto electronic parts. This is slow, expensive, and error-prone, making it one of the biggest bottlenecks in scaling up production of optical sensors, transceivers, and displays. Manufacturers need a way to mass-produce these assemblies with consistent quality and without the labor-intensive handwork.

The solution

What was built

A pilot automated assembly line that uses injection overmoulding to form precision optical surfaces directly onto electronic components, eliminating manual optical alignment. The line includes instrumented moulds for in-process monitoring, in-line optical inspection for functional quality assessment, and data-driven predictive quality control. A functional optical characterization methodology was also developed and documented.

Audience

Who needs this

Optoelectronic component manufacturers producing transceivers, sensors, or LED modulesAutomotive sensor companies making LiDAR optics, optical encoders, or camera modulesDisplay manufacturers integrating optical films or light management layersInjection moulding companies looking to move into high-precision optical partsContract electronics manufacturers seeking to add optical assembly capabilities

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Optoelectronics Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Companies producing optical transceivers, sensors, or LED modules

If you are an optoelectronics manufacturer dealing with slow, expensive manual assembly of optical components — this project developed an automated injection overmoulding process that forms precision optical surfaces directly onto your electronic parts. They validated it with 3 demonstrators including a datacom transceiver, and built a pilot line with in-line quality inspection and full part traceability.

Automotive & Industrial Sensors

mid-size

Target: Companies making optical encoders, LiDAR components, or machine vision systems

If you are a sensor manufacturer struggling with alignment precision and yield rates in optical assembly — this project created a process where freeform and microstructured optics are replicated directly during moulding, eliminating manual alignment steps. Their pilot line includes process monitoring and cognitive control for predictive quality assurance, demonstrated on an optical encoder.

Display Technology

enterprise

Target: Companies producing OLED/OLCD displays or lighting panels

If you are a display manufacturer looking to reduce assembly steps for optically integrated panels — this project demonstrated injection overmoulding for an OLCD display, one of their 3 case studies. The process incorporates microstructured mould inserts and in-line optical inspection, enabling high-volume production with complete traceability of each produced part.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much could this reduce our production costs?

The project objective explicitly targets drastic cost reduction through simplified assembly routes — replacing multi-step manual optical alignment with a single injection overmoulding step. Specific cost figures are not available in the project data, but economic indicators were evaluated during extended pilot test runs.

Can this work at industrial production volumes?

Yes. A pilot optical assembly line was built and put through extended test runs to evaluate robustness and productivity. The process is based on injection moulding, which is inherently a high-volume manufacturing technique. The pilot incorporated in-line quality inspection with complete traceability of each produced part.

What is the IP situation and can we license this technology?

The project was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with 13 partners across 7 countries, so IP is likely shared among consortium members. Contact the coordinator (AIMEN in Spain) to discuss licensing. With 7 industry partners and 4 SMEs in the consortium, commercial exploitation routes were clearly planned.

What types of optical surfaces can be produced?

The process generates freeform and microstructured optical surfaces directly on components through thermoplastic microreplication using microstructured inserts. Based on available project data, this was validated for datacom transceivers, optical encoders, and OLCD displays — showing flexibility across different optical geometries.

How is quality controlled in the process?

Two control strategies were developed: process monitoring with instrumented mould cavities that verify material quality and component alignment during injection, and in-line functional optical inspection of finished assemblies. The system also incorporates data-based predictive quality assurance with cognitive control for automatic process adjustment.

Is this ready for our factory floor?

The technology was validated on a pilot assembly line with extended test runs, putting it at a late demonstration stage. Robustness, quality, and productivity were quantified during these runs. Integration into an existing production environment would require adaptation to your specific product geometry and volume requirements.

Consortium

Who built it

The FLOIM consortium of 13 partners across 7 countries (AT, DE, ES, FR, IE, NL, UK) is heavily industry-oriented — 7 out of 13 partners are industrial, giving a 54% industry ratio that signals strong commercial intent. With 4 SMEs alongside 5 research organizations and 1 university, the mix balances manufacturing know-how with scientific depth. The coordinator AIMEN (Spain) is a well-known metalworking research association. The geographic spread across major European manufacturing hubs (Germany, France, Netherlands, Austria) means the technology was developed with diverse industrial supply chains in mind.

ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTECoordinator · ES
PROMOLDING BVparticipant · NL
MONDRAGON ASSEMBLY SAparticipant · FR
ADAMA INNOVATIONS LIMITEDparticipant · IE
FAGOR AUTOMATION S COOPparticipant · ES
FAGOR AOTEK S. COOPthirdparty · ES
FLEXENABLE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
RESEARCH CENTER FOR NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING GMBHparticipant · AT
SIMULACIONS OPTIQUES SLparticipant · ES
ASOCIACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO CEITparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

AIMEN (Asociacion de Investigacion Metalurgica del Noroeste) in Spain coordinated the project. Contact them through the project website or CORDIS contact form for licensing and collaboration inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to find out if FLOIM's optical injection moulding technology fits your production line? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific application.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0