Melles Griot, a manufacturer of automated manufacturing solutions for the fiber-optic telecommunications industry, announces that it has signed a $500,000+ contract to provide an automated, ribbon-fiber, pigtailing workstation to a leading photonics component manufacturer. The Melles Griot workstation was chosen for it's versatility, complex alignment capability, and ability to optimize multiple single-mode waveguides. This initial order is expected to lead to additional orders over the next 12 to 18 months.This custom system is designed around multiple units of the award-winning NanoMax™ six-axis nanopositioning stage - an extremely versatile, production-proven product. The system uses Melles Griot Invaritar™ telecentric machine-vision optics in combination with optical distance-measuring software to quickly and accurately prealign components; then a high-speed NanoTrak™ autoalignment system optimizes optical coupling in real time. All vision, motion control and characterization processes are controlled by an industrial PC running the Melles Griot ActiveX® Automation server, an open platform server designed for efficient process development and optimization. The workstation is fully furnished with services to support ancillary equipment with electrical, air, and mechanical connections."Melles Griot systems are designed for demanding 24/7 applications," says Dr. Stephen Kidd, director of the Melles Griot capital equipment business unit. "We offer our customers reliable workstations that increase yield, throughput, and product quality. Our combination of fiber-optic knowledge, nanopositioning expertise, and world-wide support, which are unique in the industry, enable us to provide the optimum automated solutions for our customers."