- CD players are complicated pieces of electronic audio equipment. In today's manufacturing environment, many of its pieces are made as subassemblies that are then brought together to assemble into the final product. The assembly line is run by computers that operate robotic equipment to compile the pieces.
- The optical pick-up contains the laser and photodiode, which are installed beneath the disc clamp. The laser reads data encoded as indentations, which are called lands and pits, on the disc. The photodiode is made of silicon or germanium with impurities added to create layers. Mirrors and lenses are cut into precise shapes and polished. They are inserted and aligned to focus the light as needed. The unit is mounted in its casing, and then gears and a belt are added.
-
CD player with a three-disc carousel.A motor is then connected to the belt and gears. The CD tray is added as is a spindle motor that rotates the CD in the tray. The optical pick-up is positioned next to the tray, and installed in the CD player shell. Another motor is mounted on a CD player shell that will move the tray in and out so CDs can be loaded. - The circuit board is added. The circuits are then connected to the operating controls and the power supply of the CD player. The optical pick-up up, disc drive and circuit board are all interconnected. Humans usually do this final assembly, as well as the quality check of the finished products.
