Collimator Market Seen to Grow

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- According to a new study by ElectroniCast, the global market consumption of fiber optic collimator lens assemblies was $279 million in 2000. North America led global consumption of fiber optic collimator assemblies in 2000 (Table 1), with a relative market share of 44 percent or $334.4 million. The Japan/Pacific Rim region will lead in 2010, with 36.5 percent of the global consumption value. The new report presents ElectroniCast’s 2000-2010 forecast of fiber optic collimator Lens Assemblies and separately the collimator lens. The research project covered Gradient Index (GRIN) plus aspheric, C-Lens and other types of lenses used for collimating in optical communication applications. The optical collimator lens may be packaged with an optical fiber to form an Assembly; or the lens can be used without a pigtail fiber assembly. The global consumption of fiber optic collimator assemblies will expand rapidly, from $763 million in 2000 to $2.29 billion by 2010. The primary use (consumption) of fiber optic collimator assemblies is in optical signal processing passive components. According to Cheyenne Valenzuela, a research analyst at ElectroniCast, “Collimators take the divergent output of a fiber or waveguide and convert it into a beam of parallel light. They consist of a lens and a pigtailed fiber. Lenses used in collimators include GRIN, C-lenses, aspheric, achromatic, plano-convex, ball and biconvex lenses.” ElectroniCast Corp.