The roots go back much further than 2001. Swedish expertise in optical fiber had been built up since the 1970s, and the Institute of Optical Research and Ericsson had collaborated for several years in Sundbyberg on the development of specialty fibers. Around the turn of the millennium, several major fiber initiatives were launched in Hudiksvall, spanning both commercial telecom-fiber production and research, development, and manufacturing of specialty fibers. It was in this environment that Fiberlab was established, with new investments and a local build-up of expertise in advanced optical glass materials and specialty fiber. Acreo inaugurated the laboratory in September 2001 and became part of RISE in 2016.

As specialty fiber found its way into more industrial applications, the requirements also changed – in terms of quality, reproducibility, materials, processes, and the ability to move from development to stable manufacturing. Fiberlab has evolved with these needs and today serves both as an R&D environment and as a production-oriented partner for industry.

“Perhaps the biggest change over these 25 years is how specialty fiber is used. What was once a technology for a small number of advanced niches is now integrated into industrial systems on a completely different scale. That also places new demands on both the fiber itself and on how we develop and manufacture it,” says Åsa Claesson, Senior Researcher at RISE, who has been part of Fiberlab since it was established in Hudiksvall.

Investment in extrusion and further processing

A major milestone came in 2016, when Fiberlab moved into new premises and its two draw towers were rebuilt to a height of 17 meters. A few years later, the in-house MCVD capability was phased out and replaced by investments in extrusion, polymer expertise, and fiber post-processing. In 2023, Fiberlab took the next step and built a third draw tower for R&D. The tower was developed in-house, customized, and built to provide even greater flexibility in the development of new fibers and fiber processes.

Collaboration with industry and academia has been central to developing new areas of application. Over the years, optical fiber from RISE has enabled fiber-optic measurement systems for applications such as smelters, mines, and transformer stations, in collaboration with Swedish industry.

“We have also carried out long-term research on functional fibers and optofluidics together with KTH and Karolinska Institutet. There, we use specially designed fibers with microstructures and fluidic channels to open up new opportunities in areas such as microfluidics, analysis, and medical technology,” says Åsa Claesson.

After 25 years, the field continues to evolve rapidly. Distributed fiber-optic sensing systems, advanced signal analysis, and AI are creating new opportunities to measure and interpret what is happening along long stretches of infrastructure. Rapidly growing data volumes and the development of data centers are placing demands on higher capacity and lower latency. Defense and security are increasing the need for robust and specialized fiber technology for harsh environments.

“Our core mission is essentially the same as it was 25 years ago: to stay close to research and the needs of industry, and to develop and manufacture the specialty fiber required by the systems of the future,” says Åsa Claesson.

Ludvika has over 120 years of experience in power transmission innovation. They are experts in the art of moving energy from the source to the point of use. Transformers weighing up to 500 tonnes and shunt reactors the size of truck cabins roll out of the Hitachi Energy factory. The production environment is high-tech - and the digitalisation journey continues.

"Discussions with RISE have opened our eyes to fibre optics as a technology for measuring critical parameters. Fibre optics can provide us with much more information than traditional sensors, and in real time. This is crucial for optimising our processes and taking the next step in digitalisation," says Christos Athanasopoulos, Principal Engineer at Hitachi Energy's Transit R&D department.

Francisco Penayo, R&D specialist at Hitachi Energy:

"To become more data-driven in manufacturing, you need this kind of data. We can't use AI or other machine learning tools without models, and the models are based on data from the manufacturing process."

Fibre optics paves the way for smarter manufacturing

In the manufacture of transformers and high-voltage components, the use of thermocouples for temperature measurement has long been the standard, but fibre optics offers more possibilities. The technology is based on passing light through thin glass fibres, allowing very accurate measurements even in hard-to-reach environments.

As fibre optic sensors are insensitive to electromagnetic radiation, they work well in high voltage applications. In addition to temperature, fibre optic sensors can also measure moisture and vibration. This gives Hitachi Energy a nuanced picture of what is happening in different parts of the production line.

"We use this information to improve our simulation models. This leads to better designs, better test results and ultimately more durable products. If things go well, there are plans to integrate fibre optics directly into our products, for example in transformers and bushings. In this way, we can not only optimise production, but also help our customers to optimise use and operation," says Francisco Penayo.

"RISE has deep knowledge"

Maximilian Patzauer is a researcher and project manager and part of the fibre optics team at RISE. He points out that fibre optic sensors have been around for a long time, but for high voltage products they are still relatively new. According to Patzauer, RISE's role in the collaboration has been very much to open doors and show what is possible - then it is up to Hitachi Energy to choose which solutions to go ahead with.

"Hitachi Energy is a world leader in its products and its manufacturing is very advanced, but with large and expensive processes comes the pressure to make sure nothing breaks. You don't want to put in sensors that could have a negative impact. The customer has to make sure that the digitalisation steps are big enough to make a difference, but at the same time proceed with caution," says Maximilian Patzauer.

Together with RISE, Hitachi Energy has conducted two feasibility studies in which the parties have tested fibre-optic sensors, for example for moisture measurement. Today, the company is working directly with RISE to develop the next generation of fibre optic measurement technology. The RISE team has carried out tests and measurements both on-site at Hitachi Energy in Ludvika and in its own laboratory. RISE has also delivered tailored lectures and workshops on fibre optics for Hitachi.

"RISE has in-depth academic knowledge, is focused on projects and is used to delivering. "We are in direct contact with the experts at RISE and have ongoing discussions. This makes the collaboration both faster and better," says Francisco Penayo of Hitachi Energy.

Fibre optics is an important key

Hitachi Energy in Sweden is currently experiencing strong growth with 7,000 employees, of which almost 5,000 are based in Ludvika. The goal is to have a total of 8,000 employees by 2030. To cope with this growth, we need not only more production capacity, but also more efficient and smarter manufacturing.

"We are investing billions in Ludvika over the coming years. If we are to achieve sustainable growth, we need to make better use of our resources, which means increasing the use of data. Fibre is an important key to this," says Francisco Penayo.