Scaling a custom fiber optic cable design from early prototype to mass production is a journey that takes years, discipline, and a manufacturing partner who can stay with you through every iteration. At Coastal Connections, a subsidiary of Impact ES, we have completed that journey with multiple customers — including one program that now ships over 10,000 custom fiber optic cables per month.
Most engineering teams understand that a working prototype is not a production ready design. But the gap between the two is often underestimated in fiber optic manufacturing. A prototype assembly built by a single technician under ideal conditions may perform beautifully. The same design, reproduced by a team of assemblers across hundreds or thousands of units per month, may reveal material variability, process sensitivity, and quality control challenges that were invisible at prototype scale.
Closing this gap is what the NPI process is designed to do.
In our most successful mass production program, our engineering team worked with the customer for over three years before a single cable shipped in production volume. That is not a failure — it is exactly what rigorous NPI looks like for a demanding advanced-technology application.
During EVT, we focused on validating the core fiber architecture: which fiber type, what coating, what connector design, what optical path length tolerance. Early prototypes revealed that the customer's initial design assumptions about coating performance in their operating environment needed revision. We iterated through multiple prototype builds.
DVT was where the design was stress-tested under real-world operating conditions. We optimized inspection methods, developed assembly jigs and fixtures to ensure consistency, and established the test protocols that would define acceptance criteria for every cable shipped.
By PVT, we were confirming that the manufacturing process could produce the cable consistently across a team of assemblers, not just one expert technician. Process documentation was finalized. Supply chain readiness was verified.
When the program entered Mass Production, the ramp was smooth — because three years of development had eliminated the surprises.
Stable, documented manufacturing processes that produce consistent results across assemblers and shifts
A supply chain that can deliver materials on time, at volume, without quality variation
In-process inspection at every critical step — not just final test
Traceability from raw materials through finished assemblies
A quality system capable of identifying and containing any process deviations before they affect shipped product
The 10,000 cables per month milestone was not the result of a single engineering breakthrough— it was the result of three years of disciplined NPI, deep technical partnership, and manufacturing excellence.
If you are developing a custom fiber optic assembly for a demanding application — whether in space, medical, quantum, or industrial — the time to engage a manufacturing partner is early.
The design decisions made in EVT have lasting consequences through DVT, PVT, and production.
Impact ES–Ventura, formerly Coastal Connections, has the engineering depth, manufacturing capability, and NPI discipline to take your program from concept to high-volume production. We would welcome a conversation about your application.
Your program deserves the same discipline. Let's talk about where you are in development and what it takes to get to production volume. Reach out to the Impact ES–Ventura team at sales@coastalcon.com or start a conversation at Request a Quote.
