Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres (IMRCs) were established in 2001 to provide a focus for EPSRC investment in innovative manufacturing. The portfolio comprised 15 separate centres, each addressing a series of manufacturing challenges. focused on high power planar solid state lasers, high power diode laser optics and laser fabrication of micro-optics. This work, part of a general industrial orientation involving partnership in many industry/university collaborative research projects, continues to produce commercial laser products and industrial laser-based applications and systems.
Sharp-end science The planar waveguide laser technology co-developed by Professor Denis Hall, his research colleagues and Rofin-Sinar UK uses a revolutionary business-card shape rather than the classic cylinder shape of traditional lasers. The lasers are used to cut, drill, join and mark different materials in a range of industrial sectors, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, food & drink and consumer products. Global sales of these products now exceed $1 billion, while future markets potentially include the micromachining of new engineering materials. Jim Ritchie with Caledonian Alloys Ltd, through which the PhD student involved was instrumental in the development of a new optimised logistics process for the metal recycling industry. The commercial benefit to Caledonian Alloys was substantive, with net operating profit increasing by £6 million per year. The IMRC, through Professor Marc Desmulliez, has also been at the heart of a ground-breaking ‘3D-Mintegration Grand Challenge’, working with the likes of Zeiss and the National Physical Laboratory on revolutionary ways to manufacture small, complex laser products and components. Professor Hall’s research team is currently
PIONEER 08 Autumn 2012
Fruitful partnership As for the partnership between the HeriotWatt team and Rofin-Sinar UK, there’s clearly serious global demand for just about everything the partnership produces. Rofin-Sinar UK commands a staggering 35 per cent of its sector of the worldwide industrial laser market, with more than 99 per cent of its output exported to over 50 countries, bucking the uncertainty clouding the global economy over the last five years. Since 2007, the company has doubled its workforce and achieved 80 per cent growth in sales, more than double the industry average. Queen’s Awards for both Technological Innovation and Sustained Export Performance have provided a strong endorsement of the firm’s achievements. But let’s leave the last word with Denis Hall. He says: “The partnership between HeriotWatt IMRC and Rofin-Sinar UK provides hard evidence that, with the right support in place, the UK does have the capability to grow its manufacturing sector – a positive legacy that’s being forged by an EPSRC initiative which really does deserve to see its name in lights. “The IMRC model as a whole has enabled a more strategic research focus, promoted multidisciplinary working and helped us respond quickly and flexibly to industry needs. It has also helped us build and retain industrial partnerships, and to further develop the extremely strong industrial relationships for which Heriot-Watt University is renowned.”
A total EPSRC investment of £192 million was supplemented by £207 million in industrial support from over 700 collaborators. The programme has created over 1,300 doctoral level manufacturing engineers. It also created 160 new jobs; safeguarded a further 230 jobs and brought 20 new technologies to market.
Heriot-Watt IMRC Heriot-Watt IMRC comprises three multidisciplinary groups, in microsystems, digital tools and photonics. The centre’s primary focus is the development of laser, laser processing and optical sensor technology. To date, the centre has undertaken more than 60 projects with 55 companies, filed 22 patents (12 of which have been licenced) and spawned five successful spin-out companies.
Changing lives “Finding a rewarding job in these tough economic times is very challenging, so it’s brilliant that I’ve been able to find a demanding and exciting position at a hi-tech manufacturing company that’s continuing to expand.” Dr Jason Lee, Laser and Optics Group Manager at Rofin-Sinar UK and a PhD graduate of the Heriot-Watt Laser Group
Market ready “Working on innovative projects you know are going to feed straight into cutting-edge laser products with a genuinely global market adds extra motivation for any research student.” Ben Fulford, doctoral student at Heriot-Watt IMRC
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