Will “Optical Fabrication Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

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Job Description

Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 17-3029.08

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Photonics Technicians”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Optical Fabrication Technician”

Assemble devices or equipment to be used in green technology applications, including solar energy, high efficiency solid state lighting, energy management, smart buildings, or green processes.
Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
Assemble components of energy-efficient optical communications systems involving photonic switches, optical backplanes, or optoelectronic interfaces.
Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.
Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
Develop solar power sources for lasers used in fiber optics.
Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.
Lay out cutting lines for machining, using drafting tools.
Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
Perform laser seam welding, heat treatment, or hard facing operations.
Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.
Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
Build photonics tools to be applied to electrical grids to detect hot spots, such as failing insulators or conductors.
Fabricate sensors to be used to control wind turbines.
Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
Set up or operate assembly or processing equipment, such as lasers, cameras, die bonders, wire bonders, dispensers, reflow ovens, soldering irons, die shears, wire pull testers, temperature or humidity chambers, or optical spectrum analyzers.
Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
Compute or record photonic test data.
Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.
Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.
Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
Monitor mechanical factors, such as turbine load or strain information.

Related Technology & Tools

Optical spectrum analyzers
Multifunction digital multimeters
Ion lasers
Fiber cleavers
Digital logic probes
Humidity chambers
Bench refractometers
Vacuum deposition systems
Dataloggers
Protective gloves
Fiber polishers
Lab jacks
Autocollimators
Michelson interferometers
Computerized numerical control CNC band saws
Oscilloscopes
Abrasive grinding machines
Biosafety cabinets
Spectrophotometers
Phase-shifting interferometers
Common path interferometers
Diode lasers
Laser heat treatment equipment
Coordinate measuring machines CMM
Reflow ovens
Monochromators
Safety glasses
Contact profilometers
Fiber optic fault locators
Twyman-Green interferometers
Laser welders
Electron cyclotron resonance ECR reactive ion etchers RIE
Optical alignment scopes
Binocular light compound microscopes
Laser cutting machines
Wafer bonding systems
Hand calculators
Signal generators
Ellipsometers
Liquid dye lasers
Sputter deposition systems
Chemical vapor deposition CVD systems
Personal computers
Diffractometers
Solid state lasers
Computerized numerical control CNC drill presses
Positioning stages
Mach-Zehnder interferometers
Die saws
Wavelength meters
Laser marking machines
Depth gauges
Mechanical steppers
Cutoff saws
Calipers
Spectrometers
Photoelectric power meters
Plasma strippers
Protective gowns
Micrometers
Digital logic analyzers
Die bonders
Soldering irons
Shearing interferometers
Excimer lasers
Atomic force microscopes AFM
Wire saws
Non contact profilometers
Semiconductor detectors
Wire pull testers
Laser drills
Chemical protective face shields
Rapid thermal annealers RTA
Computerized numerical control CNC lathes
Collimators
Fire extinguishers
Optical comparators
Wire bonders
Optical rails
Loupes
Spherometers
Fabry-Perot interferometers
Die shears
Vernier micrometers
Bit error rate testers BERT
Gas lasers
Semiconductor parameter analyzers
Isolators
Analog oscilloscopes
Hardness testers
Fusion splicers
Scanning electron microscopes SEM
Micropositioners
Computerized numerical control CNC machining centers
Temperature chambers
Optical power meters
Electron beam evaporators
Logic pulsers
Laboratory forceps
Digital oscilloscopes
Magnifiers
Optical mounts

Word processing software
Statistical analysis software
Microsoft Excel
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Presentation software
Computer aided design CAD software
Image processing software
Database software
Web browser software
Data acquisition software
The MathWorks MATLAB
SAP
ZEMAX Optical Design Program
Microsoft Office