NeoSensors, a Farfield company, has recently completed a joint project to refine its newly opened manufacturing plant to ensure excellence throughout the production process
The project was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Physics at the University of Durham.
NeoSensors recently acquired the IAsys resonant mirror cuvette business from Thermo Electron and has been refining and improving its cuvette manufacturing process.
The objective of the project was to analyse the manufacturing process and develop inspection and test instrumentation to improve manufacturing yields.
Expertise in laser-based measurement and positioning systems at the University of Durham was combined with clean room handling and surface coating techniques at NeoSensors.
The resulting development of an improved manufacturing system has had a dramatic impact upon the yields being obtained.
Sarfraz Mian, NeoSensors's managing director, commented: "We are delighted with the work that has been undertaken with University of Durham".
"We are now able to position components to within one micron, which is 1/100th the thickness of a human hair".
"The precision to which we can accurately assemble has resulted in a dramatic improvement in our manufacturing yields, which are now well over 90%, and also allows us to provide a fully certified service to our customers worldwide." Graham Cross, from the department of physics at the University of Durham, who lead the academic collaboration, added: "The work with NeoSensors has required the creation of innovative optical measurement techniques to improve high precision assembly processes".
"It's a good example of how academia can help solve real world industrial problems and highlights the benefits of close collaboration between academia and industry".