Photonics Cluster (UK) & Xmark Media Collaborate to Enhance Photonex03 Package
Photonics Cluster (UK) are delighted to announce a collaboration to bring their technical and business expertise to the UK's premier optoelectronics and photonics exhibition, Photonex03.

Photonex03 Technical & Business Seminar Programme
The Photonics Cluster Seminar Programme helps visitors to justify their visit to Photonex, not only can they see the products and services from the 150 exhibitors, but they can attend one or many of the high level speakers and gain some in-depth knowledge in their chosen subject

Cluster Alliance with Medilink West Midlands
Photonics Cluster (UK) are proud to announce their latest collaboration with Medilink West Midlands (WM) which acts to further enhance the overall capabilities of the cluster membership.

Laser 2003 - Cluster Exhibits Success
LASER 2003 World of Photonics has further expanded its leading world position. 846 exhibitors presented their organisations products and system solutions. The number of exhibitors with their own stands rose by 8% compared to the last LASER exhibition held two years ago.

Photonics Europe, Strasbourg April 2004
The cluster are delighted to announce their support to SPIE in the promotion of the forthcoming exhibition in Strasburg next year. The cluster was represented at the inaugural Exhibit Advisory Committee meeting held during Laser 03 on 25th June 2003 by Glenn Barrowman and Mike Phillips.

The Right Funds for Your Company
In association with Grant Thornton.  The focus of the workshop is to provide an insight to the different types of funding options available, to technology companies seeking funding from early stage right through to flotation.

Photonics Cluster (UK) collaboration with the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE)
The Photonics Cluster (UK) has pleasure in announcing their latest collaboration with the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) to jointly promote activities which are of interest to the Photonics Cluster (UK) network and IEE membership. This collaboration ensures that cluster events will receive even further exposure and generate a wider audience at events.

CVI Technical Optics Ltd
Since its formation as Technical Optics Ltd (TecOptics) in 1973, CVI Technical Optics Ltd. has been at the forefront of manufacture and development of high performance optics and coatings.

Cooknell Optronics Ltd
Founded in 1993, Cooknell Optronics Ltd manufactures a range of industry standard (FC, SC etc) patchcords and pigtails as well as specialised products including PM (panda and Eliptical Core) fibre items

Laser SOS
LASER SOS Ltd was founded in 1991 to provide Laser users with high quality retrofit spares and accessories at an affordable price and on time delivery.

Knight Optical
At Knight Optical (UK) Limited we pride ourselves as a recognised supplier to the commercial and scientific industry producing "specialised optical components" to customer specific requirement.

Please contact the team on 0044 (0) 121 260 6020 to note your interest in this item or to participate within any of the Photonics Cluster activities. Alternatively please visit www.photonicscluster-uk.org and record your details on the contact sheet.

The following is one of a series of articles kindly provided by Laurin Publications in partnership with the Cluster

Creating Effective Adverts

The Forsyth Group has studied ads in Photonics Spectra for over ten years now and the research has proven useful in helping advertisers develop better advertisements … advertisements that actually drive readers to take action leading to purchase of advertised products.

Optical Manufacturing Partner Sought
Photonics Cluster (UK) have been contacted by a business associate from Enterprise Ireland regarding a client who is seeking to identify a manufacturing partner.

IVO/Heptagon Seminar - Micro-Optics, The Technology of the 21st Century
We invite you to the Micro-optics Workshop to discuss with us the potential of micro-optics, the technology of the 21st century [PDF]

Alrad - Laserex Laser Diode Modules
Alrad Instruments Ltd have been appointed a distributor for Laserex Technologies Pty Ltd, Australia for covering their range of laser diode modules.

Insensys Announces the Acquisition of Optical Fibre Sensing Expertise
Fareham, England, 30th July 2003: Insensys Ltd, a leading provider of optical fibre sensing solutions, today announced the acquisition of Indigo Photonics Ltd. Indigo Photonics, based in Birmingham, England, is a specialist in optical fibre sensor systems and optical components based on fibre Bragg grating technology.

Pro-Lite Teams with Three New Laser Suppliers
Pro-Lite Technology LLP (Milton Keynes, UK) - the specialist photonics distributor - signed agreements at Laser 2003 (Munich, June 23 - 26) to represent three manufacturers of advanced lasers in the United Kingdom and Ireland: Radiant Dyes; Litron Lasers; and Laser Quantum.

Coherent Share Acquisition
Coherent, Inc. (NASDAQ:COHR) today announced that through its subsidiary Coherent Holding GmbH, it will make a tender offer to the shareholders of Lambda Physik AG (Lambda) for the 39.62% (5,250,000 shares) of the outstanding Lambda shares that Coherent does not already own.

31 July 2003	--	Summer Edition (July 2003)
11 September 2003	--	Regular Cluster Meeting Aston Science Park, Birmingham
21 September 2003	--	ECOC Rimini, Italy ECOC is the largest European optical communications event
08 October 2003	--	Photonex Exhibition at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire Member recruitment
15 October 2003	--	Autumn Edition Electronic newsletter No 5
Opto 2003, Paris, October 21st - 23rd	--	Cluster exploring collaboration with Club Optique and Optics Valley
T.B.C.	--	Photonics Application Centre (PAC) Launch w/c 27th October 2003

Click here to view Cluster Diary August 2003 - January 2004

Welcome to the new products section. This section has been heavily over subscribed so please inform the Photonics Cluster team as early as possible on new product releases to avoid disappointment.

Alrad - New Low Cost X-ray Imaging System & Time of Flight Detector
Alrad Imaging the leading UK distributor of Vision products has announced the introduction of a new low cost X-RAY imaging camera system. The XCAM range employ high sensitivity CCD camera technology efficiently coupled to a columnar CsI scintillators to provide good sensitivity without needing to resort to expensive image intensification technology

Coherent - Paladin 355 - 4000 & Latest Addition to Compass Laser Family
In combination with its excellent beam quality and its hands-free operation, the Paladin 355-4000 is the ideal tool for commercial imaging applications in the PC board and graphic arts industries.

Fibre Optic Solutions - Fibre Optic Connector Cleaning
ewport Corporation's new Refractive Beam Shaper converts Gaussian laser beam input to produce a collimated, flat-top beam that can propagate without change in power and intensity, or loss of uniformity over large distances.

Newport - New Laser Beam Shaper with 100% Efficiency
Newport Corporation's new Refractive Beam Shaper converts Gaussian laser beam input to produce a collimated, flat-top beam that can propagate without change in power and intensity, or loss of uniformity over large distances.

Pro-Lite - Widely Tunable Dye Laser
Pro-Lite Technology LLP (Milton Keynes, UK) has released the NarrowSCAN dye laser from Radiant Dyes Laser & Accessories GmbH (Wermelskirchen, Germany), a family of state-of-the-art pulsed dye lasers used in advanced photochemical and spectroscopic research.

Other Product News ...

OPTEK - Sub-Wavelength Laser Processing Commercialised
For over 100 years (at least since the days of Ernst Abbé, 1840-1905) it has been known that the wavelength of light is the fundamental limitation to the resolution possible in optical processing and metrology. For higher resolution it is necessary to move to shorter wavelengths, or to, in some way, "beat" this fundamental "diffraction limit".

Cambridge Optical Services - Fibre Optic Ice Sensor
A new type of ice sensor specifically for use on light aircraft and helicopters has been evolved by Cambridge Optical Sciences working within the EC Framework 5 "ACIDS" project. Based on changes in surface reflectance, the sensor uses an array of optical fibres to scan the surface of the sensor, with other fibres returning light to a sensitive photodiode array. It is a variant on a fibre - optic head the company originally designed for surface topography measurement.

One of the many member benefits is access to the fully equipped cluster labs, these include specialist areas of:

ModelMaker - The Fastest, Smallest and Lightest Hand-held Laser Scanner
The ModelMaker from 3D Scanners (UK) Ltd. of Coventry is an extremely versatile tool for rapid collection of 3D data in real time and usually in a single co-ordinate system.

Optical Fibre Test & Measurement Equipment
The cluster laboratories contain a comprehensive selection of specialist Test & Measurement instruments as well as much ancillary equipment.

ProMetric™ CCD Light and Colour Measurement System
The photometric laboratory enables its members to access the latest computer controlled photometric testing equipment.

High Speed Photographic Imaging Labs
The imaging lab is the joint venture between Oxford Lasers and Photonics Cluster (UK). The Oxford Lasers VisiLase V227 includes the highest data-rate digital camera in the world.

The "Micro-measure" 3 axis
3-D surface mapping system features the passive "optical pen" measurement head and high resolution translation stages giving better than 0.1 µm resolution is X, Y and Z.

Laser Ablation System
The UP-266 is a second-generation, high-performance Class 1, Nd:YAG laser micro-electronics trimming and repair system. It is a compact, table top, self-contained laser machining system that includes laser, stages, video system and control software to allow trimming and repair of a variety of micro devices.

Non-Contact Vibration Test & Measurement Equipment
The cluster laboratories contain a comprehensive selection of specialist Test & Measurement instruments as well as much ancillary equipment.

Cluster News

Photonics Cluster (UK) Members Meeting - 11/09/2003

The next cluster meeting will feature presentations from First Stage Capital, “Angels and Venturers – “Funding High Growth Technology Enterprises”, Scientific Generics, “Developing new Photonics business after the telecom crash” and Optima Research, “Evolving Capabilities in Software for Optical Design.

Due to limited places, non members with an interest in attending this meeting should contact the team to reserve their place info@photonicscluster-uk.org