HUBER+SUHNER has opened its new advanced manufacturing site in Pisary, Poland, dedicated to the large-scale production of POLATIS optical circuit switches (OCS) for AI and hyperscale data centres. Production capacity is planned to increase at least fivefold over the next two years.
Reflecting the huge surge in demand for OCS solutions, the new manufacturing site will enable HUBER+SUHNER to capitalise on the growing opportunities and volume potential presented by the thriving AI data centre market. Increasing the speed of manufacturing of the POLATIS OCS portfolio will ensure hyperscale operators have the leading-edge technology required to enhance performance and energy efficiency of data centre architectures and AI compute clusters.
“The opening of our new Pisary facility is a major milestone that aligns with our commitment to innovation and operational excellence in optical networking,” says Jürgen Walter, chief operating officer communication segment at HUBER+SUHNER. “Our POLATIS OCS solutions deliver transparent, software-defined dynamic optical connectivity within energy-efficient hyperscale data centres to meet the low loss and latency demands of high-performance AI workloads.”
Rising demand for OCS solutions stems from the rapid growth of hyperscale data centre infrastructure across the globe, driven by cloud computing and the increased use of AI.
AI workloads are hosted on clusters of thousands of graphical processor units (GPUs) interconnected by optical fibres carrying data at hundreds of gigabits per second. An OCS enables on-demand reconfiguration of optical-layer connectivity and can route large volumes of high-speed traffic with minimal latency – essential for AI hyperscale operations.
By maintaining data in the optical domain and eliminating the need for optical-electrical-optical conversions, POLATIS OCS solutions are said to “significantly reduce power consumption and operating expenditure for hyperscale data centres”, according to the company. This enables new data centre architectures and allows AI workloads to run more efficiently and at lower cost.
With approximately 3’000 m2, the Pisary site will complement the existing Krzeszowice facility nearby, which is currently being operated at its full capacity.
“The Pisary site will enhance our supply of OCS solutions while reflecting our mission for sustainable operations,” says Robert Smith, managing director, POLATIS at HUBER+SUHNER. “The facilities include a photovoltaic installation with a capacity of 150 kilowatt peak (kWp), a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and a biological waste treatment plant. A new building management system has also been implemented to support a low carbon footprint.”
More information on the new Pisary production site and about POLATIS® optical circuit switching is available on the HUBER+SUHNER website.
