Corning to increase optical cable manufacturing capacity

Corning Cable Systems (Hickory, N.C.) intends to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hickory — adjacent to its existing Telecommunications Cable Plant. This expansion is necessary for the company to produce flame retardant optical fiber cable. The new 250,000 square foot facility, expected to be complete in mid-2001, will initially employ approximately 300 people.

According to Thomas J. McMahon, vice president, manufacturing, cable operations, the new facility is essential for Corning Cable Systems' global presence and to meet customer requirements.

"This new facility will be instrumental in Corning Cable Systems' ability to meet increasing demand for flame retardant cables used in public and private networks, as well as OEM applications," McMahon said.

Flame retardant cables are required to meet building life safety codes limiting flame propagation and smoke production in case of a fire. Flame retardant cables include single fiber interconnect and multiple fiber distribution cables used for optical fiber based systems within a building, as well as for high fiber indoor/outdoor cables that connect long-haul outside plant cables to the switching gear within a building.

Single fiber flame retardant cables are used extensively within cable assemblies for the booming market of photonics components like optical amplifiers and wave division multiplexing. The rapid proliferation of high-speed optical fiber networks is growing the demand for flame retardant cables by more than 40% a year. As optical fiber reaches closer to the home, closer to the business, and closer to the desk, this growth will increase to even higher rates in the future.

Edited by: Jerry R. Borland, P.E.