Making Photons Count with Lean Manufacturing
Introduction What manufacturing strategies can help improve yield and consistency in the production of advanced photonic devices? One approach is the application of lean manufacturing principles to the critical photocathode deposition stage at ET Enterprises, a designer and manufacturer of photomultipliers - highly sensitive detectors capable of measuring extremely low levels of light. These devices are used in medical imaging, radiation detection, scientific research and industrial measurements. Because the signals involved are so small, even minor variations during the manufacturing process can significantly impact performance. To meet demanding customer requirements and improve manufacturing yield, we applied Lean manufacturing principles to one of the most critical stages…