As optoelectronic assembly processes mature, increasing levels of automation will be developed.
Prior to the downturn in the telecommunications industry, numerous barriers to automating optoelectronic device assembly existed. Such barriers include unusual form factors, visual and physical barriers within packages, lack of references for machine vision, low volumes, short product life cycles and nonrepeatable labor-intensive processes. And during this period, full automation will still
be less viable. So package volumes will continue to favor manual or semiautomated assembly methods.