Mr. Ma Jianqiang, Deputy General Manager of Hengtong Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.

A crystal glass-shaped stick is displayed in the Hengtong Group's museum, which is an optical fiber preform (light bar). Today's well-known optical fiber is the optical fiber preform drawn through a drawing tower at a high temperature of 2000 degrees, and the process is like eating a pull-yam yam to pull out the sugar. After that, the optical fiber is processed into a fiber optic cable through a packaging process and can be used as a communication line to carry network signals.

Therefore, the light stick has always been regarded as the topmost industry of the optical fiber pyramid. Optical sticks have the same 40-year history as optical communications, but it was not until June 2010 that Huantong Optoelectronics first engraved the Chinese imprint. This is also quite a piece of history.

“The earliest domestic cable industry was almost the only one. As long as there are optical cables, manufacturers at the time could realize substantial profits.” Ma Jianqiang, deputy general manager of Hengtong Optoelectronics, re-presented Hengtong Light Bar's R&D process as saying, “But with the expansion of market size, manufacturers To improve our strength, we must produce our own optical fiber and light rod."

A multi-pronged approach In fact, in 1976, the optical rod used by Academician Zhao Yusen, the “father of China's optical fiber” to produce China's first optical fiber, was independently developed. At that time, all the links such as the light bar and the drawing tower were independently developed. However, due to the lack of follow-up R&D investment, the light rods have remained in the laboratory stage. The low yield, poor stability, low qualification rate, and high production cost have caused them to fail to meet the needs of manufacturers to produce fiber. Therefore, although manufacturers are aware of the production theory of light sticks, comprehensive considerations still choose to import light rods.

“In 2005, Hengtong started the pre-research project for light bars. At that time, there were also individual companies in China that started light stick research but they were unsuccessful. They were completely uncompetitive in terms of scale costs.” Ma Jianqiang said, “At that time, the demand for optical fibers and light bars began. As we go up, we are very much interested in the light stick project."

Initially, Hengtong hopes to achieve self-producing light sticks through joint ventures with foreign companies. However, Hengtong has not only hoped for this road. At that time, according to the existing technology, Hengtong purchased some light bar production equipment and groped for light bar production technology. At the end of 2006, the independent research and development of light rods made a breakthrough, and Hengtong began to devote all its energy to independent research and development.

“The next step is to witness the achievements. We need to quickly increase production efficiency and expand the scale.” Ma Jianqiang could not hide the excitement of the time. “In 2007, Hengtong established a light-rod base and successively formed equipment production lines. The hardest part during this period was Our R&D team has the greatest contribution to the light sticks.” This is the first time Hengtong has announced the detailed development process of its light bar to the industry.

By March 2009, Hengtong produced the first batch of qualified light rods and began to expand production in July of that year. In June 2010, Hengtong Light Bar passed the expert evaluation conducted by experts of the operator and several academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. “This symbolizes that our independent research and development road has been truly successful. At that time we have reached an annual output of 100 tons.”

To achieve full self-sufficiency In March 2011, Hengtong Light Bar had an annual production capacity of 200 tons. At this time, Hengtong light bar production capacity was the second largest in the country. In the first half of 2011, Hengtong hoped to finance the expansion of the light stick project but the financing failed. In the second half of the year, Hengtong continued to raise funds and successfully carried out the second expansion of 150 tons of light rod production line. At the end of the year, it achieved a capacity of 3.5 million tons.

According to statistics, about 300 tons of light rods are required for each 10 million core kilometers of optical fiber. In 2011, China’s optical fiber production was close to 120 million, and theoretical requirements for light bars were 3,600 tons. However, in 2011, China's total output of light rods was 1,000 tons, and Hengtong contributed 350 tons. The overall production capacity is still less than 40% of domestic demand, and still 60% need to be imported.

Ma Jianqiang said: "Relying on imports will always be constrained by irresponsible factors, such as the 2011 earthquake in Japan." At that time, Tengcang, Furukawa Electric and other companies stopped production. Since most of the domestic light bars were imported into Japan, many manufacturers directly cut off. The supply of light bars has led to a sudden stagnation of fiber production. At that time, China Telecom and China Unicom were preparing to start fiber-optic clustering in 2011. Most companies were "lost orders" due to lack of production capacity. At the time, the main headlines of major communications media were "earthquake in Japan and pain in China."

For Hengtong, which already has 200 tons of capacity, this is undoubtedly an opportunity. “At that time, stable light bar production capacity was a guarantee for us and the operators. As a result, we have won many orders.” Ma Jianqiang believes that years of preparation have shown remarkable results in this unpredictable moment. With these orders, Hengtong's optical fiber production reached 20 million in 2011, ranking second from the third place and ranking fifth in the world.

At present, Hengtong still has nearly 40% of light bars needed to be purchased. In 2012, Hengtong put forward a target of 30 million core kilometers of optical fiber capacity by 2014. In this way, if the light bars do not continue to expand, their light bar gaps will increase. Reach 600 tons. “So our current goal is to protect our own supply.” Ma Jianqiang said, “In April 2012, Hengtong once again carried out light stick production expansion. According to the plan, we will achieve the goal of 950 tons of light stick production capacity in 2014 and will be fully satisfied by then. Its own needs, and can achieve some of the export."

Strong Confidence Judging from the present, Hengtong’s road to light sticks is undoubtedly a success. “For us, the success of Light Bar has identified the strength of our R&D team and also solidified our confidence in independent R&D. Second, we have broken the monopoly of international manufacturers for us, and we have a light stick foundation for our future capacity. The market is extremely strong." Ma Jianqiang concluded.

Similarly, for the industry chain, Hengtong's success has further confirmed the rise of ethnic enterprises. To a certain extent, the optical fiber industry chain has escaped the control of the international giants.

There are two reasons for calling it "a certain degree" to get rid of control. Mao Qian, former chief engineer of the Wuhan Academy of Posts and Telecommunications, said: “Even if the fiber preform is self-sufficient, people can still get stuck. Many of the manufacturing companies’ controlling stakes are also in the hands of foreign companies. The main raw materials and gases are still mainly dependent on imports. All of these make domestic companies have less power in making bars and drawing wires."

First of all, apart from Hengtong and Zhongtian, currently companies such as Changfei, Fiberhome, Fortis and Fasten that can produce light bars are all joint ventures with foreign companies and are controlled by foreign companies in core technology and pricing rights. Moreover, several major fiber companies are secretive about light and lack of technical communication. Many domestic companies once thought that the Hengtong Light Bar project was a joint venture with OFS, but Ma Jianqiang said with a smile: “When Hengtong succeeded in producing its light bar, the joint venture company with OFS has not yet put into production.” In the short term, companies still cannot get rid of light bar control. situation.

Second, raw materials for production are subject to human control. The composition of the light bar is silica, the same as sand. However, light rods are not produced directly from sand, and their raw materials are gas silicon tetrachloride (an accessory product for the production of solar silicon wafers), and no domestic enterprises can produce them. Of course, there is also a lack of domestic cooling rods in the light rod drawing: helium. In 2011, foreign companies once restricted the supply of helium to China, which to a certain extent led to the beginning of insufficient production capacity of optical fiber in the second half of 2011.

Of course, the production of silicon tetrachloride and helium gas belongs to the field of storage and chemical industry and has exceeded the field of fiber manufacturers. This reflects the gap between domestic chemical companies and the international community.

"The revolution has not yet succeeded," industry experts have called for: Currently, enterprises in China should strengthen cooperation and share interests, and on the basis of digesting imported optical fiber preform technology, improve the technological level and strive to achieve optical fiber at the end of the "Twelfth Five-year Plan". Preform self-sufficiency and equipment localization.