The OpTIC Technology Centre, St Asaph (part of Wrexham Glyndŵr University) has unveiled a state-of-art vacuum thin film coatings research and development facility, which is the first of its kind in Wales.
Work is now complete on the new vacuum film coating facility which is equipped with the latest Bühler Leybold Syrus Pro 1350 vacuum coating machine, full spectrophotometry test capability and environmental testing capability. This production scale facility has been established through the WEFO/ERDF funded Centre for Photonics expertise project and will provide capacity and expertise for companies to establish new processes and products suitable for full scale production.
A Bühler Leybold Syrus Pro 1350 vacuum coating machine
OpTIC director Professor Caroline Gray said:
“The new vacuum coating research facility was funded through the ERDF /WEFO funded CPE program and based at The OpTIC technology centre and provides a unique to the UK state of the art, production scale dedicated research facility to allow Welsh businesses to develop the next generation of thin film coatings to provide new products and processes to market.
“The CPE program is designed to support Welsh businesses from all sectors with their manufacturing challenges and together with our academic project partners, applying their photonics expertise to resolve business challenges directly.”
The facility is fully operational and accessible through the CPE program which is a fully collaborative program designed to support Welsh businesses with Photonics based business solutions together with its academic partner network of Aberystwyth, Bangor and south Wales Universities who between them provide a wide range of photonics expertise.
Typical supported technologies produced at the plant, include precision optics, sensors and filters, laser and mirror coatings, camera lenses and systems, night vision and distance control, as well as microscopes and telescopes.
The OpTIC Technology Centre is managed by Glyndwr Innovations Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of Wrexham Glyndwr University, the centre provides incubation facilities, business and conferencing and is a hub for high-level opto-electronics technology and scientific innovation, including Glyndwr’s own spin out optical systems manufacturing facility The Precision Optical Systems Group the UK’s only large (2m) optical systems manufacturing facility.
For more information on how to gain access to the new facility, email [email protected] or get in touch with Carole Eccles (Business Development CPE) direct at [email protected]
To learn more about the services and facilities offered at OpTIC, visit http://www.glyndwrinnovations.co.uk/
