OpTIC addresses optical-mechanical design resource shortage

OpTIC, the centre of excellence for the research and development of cutting-edge opto-electronics technology, is helping to address the UK’s current shortage of optical mechanical design resources. The cutting edge establishment has established a dedicated Precision Optical Engineering (POE) Group which is continuing to enjoy success and growth.

Operating out of OpTIC’s state-of-the-art facility in St. Asaph, Wales, the POE Group provides customers in the optical, opto-mechanical and associated electronic sectors with a highly specialised design service. This includes a full range of services from original concept design and feasibility studies to product verification, prototyping and testing.

In particular, the group specialises in the design of refractive and reflective optical systems, including the support of large optics such as mirrors or lenses destined for use in satellites, aircraft or telescopes. This advanced technology has also been transferred to smaller scale optical systems for other sectors including medical scanners and testing equipment as well as imaging and illumination systems.

Available to any organisation at any stage of development or production, the group works closely with customers to achieve the specific needs of individual projects, applying advanced knowledge and scientific techniques to help businesses to cut costs.

As Dr Phil Harris, Managing Director at OpTIC, explains: “The POE Group is proving an invaluable resource for manufacturing companies across the UK, many of whom do not retain a permanent in-house design team. As a business, we’re committed to building on this success still further and to truly pushing the boundaries of opto-mechanical engineering.”

“In addition, OpTIC is fully equipped to take this design service through to manufacture. This ability to carry out both services under one roof greatly reduces the margin for error and allows us to produce consistently high quality, advanced optical solutions.”

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Images & captions:   OpTIC POE.jpg; Manufacturing excellence. OpTIC is reporting ongoing success for its Precision Optical Engineering design group. 

For more information on this story, contact Emma Macey at PRECISION on 0161 638 8718 or e-mail: emma@precision-online.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

Established by Glyndŵr University, OpTIC brings together academics conducting research into highly specialised areas of opto-electronics technology and businesses looking to develop that technology for commercial purposes. It has an exceptional reputation for designing, developing and manufacturing precision optical and opto-mechanical components thanks to expertise and capabilities covering:

• Precision polishing of complex or large substrates such as lenses and mirrors
• The development of micro-structured patterned drums using a unique drum diamond turning machine to replicate patterns/shapes/structures to tolerances and designs unparalleled in the world
• Photovoltaics using applied research, testing and manufacture through the exploitation of advanced thin film photovoltaic materials.
• Solar energy research thanks to its Centre for Solar Energy Research (CSER) which has a world-class reputation for researching novel photovoltaic materials and devices and which is also home to the Welsh Solar Car team.

Recent successes for OpTIC include:

• Securing a €5m contract to provide 1.4m prototype hexagonal segments for the planned E-ELT – the European Extremely Large Telescope which, once constructed, will be the largest telescope in the world.
• Becoming the location for an £8m project to establish a Centre of Excellence for ultra-precision and structured surfaces
• The development, in conjunction with Balfour Beatty and Yorkshire Water, of advanced micro-camera/sensors for detecting leaks in mains water pipes

OpTIC also includes an incubation centre providing accommodation for start-up businesses emerging from either industry or academia.

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