Is the integration of end users the secret?
What constitutes a cluster can be discussed and debated long and hard - what constitutes an effective membership network is in a sense easier to evaluate. Look no further than its membership - is the membership in decline, stagnant or growing?
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Lord Sainsbury the Minister for Science and Technology being introduced to the Photonics Cluster (UK) team.
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Earlier this year the cluster smashed through the 100 membership and has maintained a steady and impressive increase of 10 members per month.
For a network to be sustainable it must address the challenge of maintaining its effectiveness and yet continue to grow. The maintenance of activity levels is necessary to keep existing members, being open to new ideas and willing to experiment to attract new ones.
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Photonics Cluster (UK) welcomes Photonics Focus
We are delighted to announce that the Photonics Cluster UK) Summer electronic newsletter is the inaugural cluster enews to bring you contributions from the DTI produced Photonics Focus. I trust you will take the opportunity to follow the link to the Photonics Focus web site to view the full web based document at http://www.photonics.org.uk
Cluster secures latest P-OE Interferometer at Photonics Application Centre
Precision-Optical Engineering (P-OE) was delighted to make one of the latest INTERFIRE II 3-5 infrared interferometers available for use in the prestigious Photonics Application Centre in Birmingham which forms part of the growing Photonics Cluster (UK) on site facilities.
1st and 2nd July 2004 - LED Technology and its industry applications
The Photonics Cluster (UK) successfully launched it first annual two-day seminar programme and exhibition dedicated to high brightness, inorganic Light Emitting Diode (LED) technologies and industrial applications.
This 2 day event brought together leading manufacturers, component and equipment suppliers, lighting designers and major end-users to discuss the latest opportunities and advances in LED technology.
Meet the Editors - Laser Focus World and Industrial Laser Solutions
The day kicked of with a lively introduction by Glenn Barrowman of Photonics Cluster (UK) who outlined for the attendees the momentous rise in membership and operational activities undertaken by Photonics Cluster (UK) as well as an insight into the expansion plans for this dynamic network.
Laser Vibrometry Users explore existing and novel applications
PAC show cases industry forum
A tremendous industry response was achieved earlier this year with the 2 day event run by the Photonics Cluster (UK) in partnership with member company Lambda Photometrics. This event held at Aston Science Park, Birmingham, UK, attracted over 100 industrialists who all either used a laser vibrometer or were intrigued in finding out how they could improve their companies' industrial performance from the use of this non contact measurement technique.
Thursday 24 June 2004 - Laser Micromachining and it's Applications
The cluster was delighted to support the Association of Laser Users in the promotion and delivery of their end user focussed seminar on micro processing. The seminar was considered of excellent value by the attendees with expert speakers from the UK, Europe and the US.
OptoMed - Supporting Medical Devices
HBIC's symposium at the Fielder Conference Centre in Hatfield was a complete success. The symposium bring representatives from the medical and photonics fields together enabled local, regional and national companies the opportunity to find out about current developments within the Photonics and medical devices sectors and to cover the issues which surround bringing a product concept to market.
Photonics Cluster (UK) online
As regular recipients of the Photonics Cluster (UK) electronic newsletter you will be aware of our events and activities. Please visit our web site to keep up to date with the up to minute information.
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Centre points to the future 
A last-minute dash for places meant that it was literally standing room only at the Photonics Focus Conference 2004. The event, sponsored by the DTI, was a showcase for projects supported by the LINK programmes Optical Systems for a Digital Age (OSDA) and Information Storage and Displays (ISD). With more than 130 delegates, this year's Photonics Focus Conference provided plenty of opportunities for networking, an activity that was high on the agenda for several delegates.
The rocky hollow show
The amount of fluid - for example, oil - that can squeeze its way into a porous medium, such as a piece of rock, depends upon the pore structure of the material. The pore structure (that is, the distribution of pores and holes) is so important to oil companies that they resort to drastic and expensive techniques to measure it.
Thanks to the LINK Optical Systems for a Digital Age (OSDA) POROPTIC project, the oil industry could soon have a portable optical instrument to measure pore structure, offering oil companies an alternative to the traditional technique which uses liquid mercury under very high pressures.
Holey fibres hit hot spot
Photonic bandgap fibres, known colloquially as 'holey fibres' because they can have hollow cores, are making the transition from research tool to commercial product.
A LINK Optical Systems for the Digital Age (OSDA) project is using holey fibres as 'light guides' to deliver high-power laser beams. The project, Photonic fibre for industrial laser beam delivery (PFIDEL), hopes to overcome some of the obstacles to enable wider use of high-power lasers in industries such as machining and materials processing.
Light connections in store
As computing becomes ever faster, traditional copper connections between components and devices become a bottleneck. Copper connections are just not fast enough. This is why Xyratex, which makes networked data storage systems, is keen to investigate the potential for optical links in its products.
Xyratex is the leading member of the LINK Information Storage Displays (ISD) STORLITE project. STORLITE is investigating the new architectures that may well be needed for the next generation of storage networks. In particular, it is looking at which optical technologies might be involved.
All these articles feature in the latest issue of Photonics Focus
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Electro Optical Industries Ltd
EOI was first established in 1990 by Mike Horgan, after selling his share in Wentworth Laboratories Ltd., a manufacturer of semiconductor test and measurement equipment, which he founded and ran successfully for over twelve years.
De Montfort University - Imaging and Displays Research Group (IDRG)
De Montfort University is a dynamic organisation, formed from a diverse range of specialist institutions. Its long history of excellent teaching, learning and research is founded in the technical and trade education of the late 19th Century.
Farfield Sensors - illuminating the molecular world…
Farfield Sensors provides innovative molecular analysis instrumentation for the life sciences market. The company has recently entered into collaboration with Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) to look at the underlying molecular basis of the ageing process.
HT Consultants Ltd
HT Consultants Ltd is the first scientific consultancy firm specifically dedicated to offering independent advice in the newly emerging field of terahertz (1 THz = 1 x10e12 HZ Hz) technology.
McGeoch Technology Ltd
McGeoch is a Birmingham based engineering business employing 60 people and Ł5m p.a sales.
Ocean Optics BV - First in Photonics
As a leading manufacturer of miniature fiber optic spectrometers we supply a full range of spectrometers including related products such as light sources, thin films, sampling accessories, LIBS systems, optical fibers and probes.
Trident Exhibitions Ltd - the focussed exhibition organiser
Trident Exhibitions have traded successfully for over 30 years and have developed the skills and experience (several of the staff have worked for the company in excess of 20 years) to organise and promote focussed, technical exhibitions for a wide variety of industries.
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Buyers Turn First to Photonics Print Magazines
In this month's newsletter, we have elected to forgo the standard lead article so that we can bring you important results from a recent study conducted by Readex, an independent research company.
Readex polled 500 US-based Photonics Spectra subscribers. Twenty-two percent responded.
Photonics Spectra's more comprehensive Reader Profile Study is currently under way. The Reader Profile Study was sent to 1000 Photonics Spectra subscribers, including both US-based and internationally.
In the meantime, the data here are timely and instructive as photonics marketers wrestle with the questions of budget allocation.
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DTI launches Ł150 million UK Support Package
"Innovation, the exploitation of new ideas, is absolutely essential to safeguard and deliver high-quality jobs, successful businesses, better products and services". - Prime Minister Tony Blair
Global Optoelectronics Exhibitions supported by Photonics Cluster (UK)
In conjunction with Trade Fair Support Photonics Cluster (UK) is promoting a series of industry focussed exhibitions for which UK eligible companies can apply for support to permit them to exhibit at these exhibitions. The cluster and Trade Fair Support have developed a fruitful mutually beneficial relationship which is attractive to the client organisations.
Discount secured for Photonics Cluster (UK) members to exhibit for the first time at IPOT and Machine Vision
In addition to a 20% discount for Photonics Cluster (UK) members who have not exhibited at IPOT within the previous 3 years and there will be a Business and Technical Programme delivered by Photonics Cluster (UK).
Photonex 04 on 6-7 October 2004
In addition to a 20% discount for Photonics Cluster (UK) members who have not exhibited at Photonex 04 within the previous 3 years and there will be a Business and Technical Programme delivered by Photonics Cluster (UK).
Fast, accurate, low cost, thin film measurement systems.
These systems, available in the UK from Electro Optical Industries Ltd., are capable of optically determining coating thicknesses over a range of 10nm to 70 microns, across a spectral range of 250 to 1100nm. A typical measurement and analysis cycle takes around 100 milliseconds, full spectrum, making the system near real time and perfect for use in online measurement applications.
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| Date | Venue | Event |
| 14/07/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | Automated Visual Inspection systems. |
| 28/07/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | DMAC/Photonics Cluster Members meeting. |
| 01-02/07/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | Two day LED symposium and table top exhibition |
| 11-12/08/04 | Aston Science Park, Birmingham | Investment Funding for Technology Businesses |
| 07/09/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | Micro Optics Workshop |
| 6-8/09/04 | ECOC Stockholm, Sweden | ECOC Exhibition |
| 17/09/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | Business Speed Dating - Meet the Membership |
| 28/09/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | Intelligent Imaging Seminar |
| 6-7/10/04 | Stoneleigh, Coventry, West Midlands | Photonex04 - Exhibition and seminar programme |
| 19-21/10/04 | Opto, Paris | Opto exhibition |
| 28/10/04 | EPPIC facilities within TWI
Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge | OptoMed seminar |
| 09/11/04 | Photonics Application Centre, Birmingham | Interactive exhibition and end user open day |
| 16-17/02/05 | NEC, Birmingham | Image Processing and Optical Technologies (IPOT) |
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Click here for a full events calendar
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Protecting your Business Assets
When you think about your company assets do you include your intangible assets along with your plant and office equipment? Such intangible assets may well be your business's most valuable.
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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.
PLC
Optical Fiber Alignment and Attachment Station
This system is designed to align the optical axis of optical waveguide
with the input - and - output fibre arrays for optimization, and
then fix them by UV curing.
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Investment Funding for Technology Businesses
On 11th and 12th August the photonics and wider community can take part in a 2-day conference at Aston Science Park designed for technology companies and innovators at the early pre-incorporation stage looking for seed or start-up funding. The seminar will be delivered through the Connect Midlands InvoRed Programme.
Investment Readiness (PDF Document)
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Micro Optics - a 21st Century technology
On 7th September the cluster are pleased to facilitate the latest in the Heptagon workshops in the adoption of Micro Optics into industry. Heptagon will validate enquiries to maximise the effectiveness of the workshop prior to registration. Moreover priority will be given to existing and prospective members of Photonics Cluster (UK). There is no charge for the day. To register please supply full details to info@photonicscluster-uk.org
Micro Optics Workshop Invitation (MS Powerpoint)
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ECOC - 6-8th September 2004
Over 3 days the cluster are supporting Trade Fair Support as part of the UK pavilion in Stockholm, Sweden. If you are exhibiting or attending as a visitor please contact us on info@photonicscluster-uk.org or visit the companies on the UK pavilion. The link to the ECOC exhibition is attached.
www.ecocexhibition2004.com
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"Speed Date" and meet the Membership
On 17th September the cluster are pleased to launch business speed dating on its growing membership. A maximum of 100 companies will participate - non members will be vetted for suitability and charged an administration fee. Moreover priority will be given to existing and prospective members of Photonics Cluster (UK). For members there is no charge for the day. To register please supply full details to info@photonicscluster-uk.org
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Intelligent Imaging Seminar
On 28th September 2004 leading Vision companies will be holding a seminar at the Photonics Cluster (UK) facilities at Aston Science Park on the use of vision in industrial inspection applications and how intelligent camera systems are being used in both industrial and security markets. All areas will be covered including cameras, lighting, integration, Imaging software and how real applications can be solved. Companies involved include Alrad Imaging, VisionBase and National Instruments. Please contact info@photonicscluster-uk.org for further information.
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Photonex 04 - Business and Technology Seminar Programme
Over two days on 6-7th October the cluster are holding a series of application orientated seminars at Photonex 04, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. Requests to participate within the programme have been hugely oversubscribed and so apologies for those organisations not forming part of this activity. To register as an attendee please complete the registration form and return to info@photonicscluster-uk.org. We will be happy to register you for the Photonex 04 event.
Photonex04 Programme (PDF document)
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EPPIC Faraday Partnership
On 28th October the cluster will be supporting the EPPIC Faraday Partnership in the delivery of an OptoMed seminar to be held at the EPPIC facilities within TWI at Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB1 6AL. Enquiries to info@photonicscluster-uk.org
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Interactive exhibition and Open Day
On 9th November the cluster are holding an end user focussed interactive exhibition and open day. The facilities at Aston Science Park will be open to end user clients to meet our suppliers and to view demonstrations on the cluster facilities. A series of Power point presentations delivered by the membership to demonstrate the extensive cluster capabilities will be undertaken throughout the day. To register as a presenter or end user attendee please supply full contact details to info@photonicscluster-uk.org
Aston Science Park - open day (PDF Document)
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Image Processing and Optical Technologies (IPOT) – NEC, Birmingham
On 16-17 February the cluster are pleased to deliver a two day Business and Technology seminar programme in association with the organisers of IPOT. These seminars have proven popular in the past so please contact us well in advance of the exhibition.
To express an interest please supply full details to info@photonicscluster-uk.org. Remember if you are looking to exhibit and have not exhibited before to ask Marlene for your Photonics Cluster (UK) discount!
IPOT_05.pdf (PDF Document)
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Easy access to approachable expertise
Electro Optics published article on accessing facilities at the Photonics Application Centre.
Making light work in industry (PDF Document)
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Funded Research, DETECT-IT
Photonics is one of the FP6 areas - this attachment can be used as an introduction into what is available – the purpose being to assist potential partners to collaborate to develop FP6 submissions – replies to info@photonicscluster-uk.org or as indicated.
Detect-IT.doc (MS Word)
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PRIVACY POLICY:
We guarantee that we won't give the names or email addresses of subscribers
to any non Cluster members unless required to do so by law (and even then
we'd probably argue the case).
ABOUT US:
Photonics Cluster (UK) produce a quarterly newsletter for the photonics industry. It is published
by IST Media organiser of the Cluster Newsletter.
EDITORIAL:
The Cluster Newsletter is produced and edited by IST Media Productions for Photonics Cluster (UK).
Press releases and other information can be sent to the Cluster team at info@photonicscluster-uk.org
This project is supported by Advantage West Midlands.
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