Corning To Invest Millions In Its Liquid Crystal Devices

Deborah Austin Corning Inc. will invest more than $20 million to boost manufacturing capabilities for two products. The expansion will increase by sixfold current capacity for Corning's PurePath Dynamic Spectral Equalizer and Wavelength Selective Switch liquid crystal devices. Both provide high channel-count bandwidth management, extending the reach of long-haul and metro Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) networks. The move should enhance Corning's ability to meet demand for product samples while supporting early adopters of the technology, says Doug Eccleston, business manager for Corning's Wavelength Management Products group. The first expansion phase will triple capacity by first-quarter 2001 at Corning's existing Orange County, Calif., plant. Second phase: long-term capacity in a new facility, location as yet undisclosed. In June, Corning announced telecommunications supplier Marconi Communications would incorporate the Dynamic Spectral Equalizer into its latest WDM portfolio, SmartPhotoniX. Corning, headquartered in Corning, N.Y., is a $4.7 billion manufacturer of products for the telecommunications and communications industries. It has 41 plants, 25 in the U.S.