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SME Profiles



Epigem Ltd UK

Company profile

Epigem, a SME with 12 employees is a management buy-out from ICI materials. The management has more than 15 years experience at the leading edge of polymer product development. Patented sheet and film microfabrication processes provide optic, fluidic and electronic components for control and communication instrumentation, displays and sensors. Feasibility studies lead to prototype, product development contracts and manufactured product supply using cost effective reel to reel and moulding processes.

Specialised Customised Optical Products: Single and multimode polymer waveguide components for telecoms, datacoms, displays and other illumination applications. Microlens arrays with rectangular, hexagonal, linear packing, 100% fill factor, speed up to F/1.5 in air, optional field stop masks. Replica diffraction, gratings, diffractive lenses, diffractive optical elements (spot arrays, target marks) and computer generated holograms.

Specialist Technology Development Services: Polymer handling skills combined with micromachining, precision multilayer coating, lamination, replication (micromoulding), on rigid or flexible substrates. Channels and wells, can be filled with a range of materials and multilayered. Polymer composition is tailored for designed bulk or surface properties, such as refractive index and surface energy. Design, build and operation of batch and reel-to-reel manufacturing processes that can provide prototype to million of parts depending on the substrate and complexity. Quality approval: BE EN ISO 9002 (1996) accredited processes operated under Class 100 clean room conditions.

Plant and Facilities: Manufacturing unit and R&D centre (1.500 sq m, including 350 sq m cleanroom) located in the North of England.

Epigem's exploitation potential

Epigem's markets are all requiring optic components, displays, sensors, datacoms, consumer electronic, retail systems, laboratory instrumentation, and Lab on a Chip, all of which are potential applications of Flexnolead.

GTS Flexible Materials Ltd UK

Company profile

GTS was established in 1967 and was formed to supply electrical laminates and heat activated tapes to the flexible circuit industry. GTS has since become one of Europe's leading and most progressive designers and manufacturers of flexible laminates and adhesive coatings with a reputation for quality, reliability and durability. GTS materials, supplied worldwide, have unlimited applications including flexible printed circuitry for use in the electronics and automated industry. Other uses are within aviation, aerospace, data and communications, insulation and the sports and leisure industry. GTS, having once manufactured its own flexible printed circuits understands the practical aspects involved. They are able to advise their customers on both choices of materials and processing. Their technical expertise coupled with a broad range of production capabilities enable them to develop custom materials with all the properties (laminating and adhesive technology) the applications require. GTS has a long history of exporting. In addition to the Head Office and manufacturing facility in the UK and their subsidiaries in France, Germany and America, they have established a network of representatives worldwide.

GTS is continuing to emphasise the advantages of using flexible circuits as a replacement for car wiring systems. The use of suitable adhesives system and choice of films make flexible circuits able to be used even in areas of high humidity such as doors. The advantages for the OEMs lie in the weight and space saving of flexible circuitry compared to the round wire bundles, and is a good example of future environmental benefits.

European legislation means that companies involved with soldering of components are looking at the removal of lead from the process. This will in general lead to higher process temperatures as the alternative alloys have a higher melting point. While the increased temperature has to be considered carefully for components, general materials such as rigid boards will not be affected. For flexible substrates the increased temperatures may be critical.

GTS exploitation potential

GTS supply electrical laminates and heat activated tapes to the flexible printed circuit industry and have applications in the electronics and automotive industries. The project results will increase sales and expertise in these markets as well as within the aviation and aerospace, data and communications industries. GTS will be in a position at the end of the project to advise on those materials, which are most suitable for the process conditions.

KOMED Ltd Hungary

Company profile

KOMED is an SME with 45 employees. It is a manufacturing and Trading company and has been established since 1992. The products manufactured at KOMED include Infant Care: Clinical and Intensive Incubators, Open Incubators and Resuscitation units, tables, Respirators and Heaters. Spirometers; ECG units; Haematological analysers, coagulometers, particle-counters, and diluters. Operating tables and accessories and Anaesthetic apparatus. In addition to the above business activities the company manufactures EEG Units; Myograph; Laboratory devices and instruments; X-Ray equipment. Marketing and selling is done by the companies' own network of dealers.

The Quality Management systems of the company have been assessed and registered as meeting the requirements of ISO 9002:1994. The assessment has been carried out by SGS Yarsley International Certification Services Ltd, based in the UK.

KOMED Ltd exploitation potential

Since its establishment the company has been prominent in the domestic and international markets. In Hungary it holds 90% of the market share of Incubators and resuscitation tables. Their aim is to expand this market to other European Markets with improved technology this project can provide.

International Consulting Bureau (ICR) Germany

Company profile

ICR is a private enterprise with 10 employees, involved in reliability in Electronics and for Materials, Packaging and Statistics. ICR is engaged in the fields of material sciences, in industrial research activities and in the development of specialised systems for industrial applications. A special emphasis is given to the prognosis of the long term behaviour of single components as well as complete systems, based on the combination of physical failure analysis, accelerated material testing and mathematical methods for the statistical treatment of particular measured properties. The results are used for the development of innovative constructions in microelectronics, sensors and professional appliances. Using experimental procedures and physical modelling of recorded physical properties, the behaviour under chemical, mechanical and thermal load is determined and weak parts of the construction are identified. Key developments are new substrates for electronics based on textile wiring technology, sensor applications. Other business areas include the development of component measuring systems, calibration of gas-sensitive oxide sensors and the quantitative olfactometry for a variety of substances.

ICR exploitation potential

Current projects are new development of material combinations of lead free solder material and sensor applications, especially for the online control of process parameters during production. The results of this project will increase knowledge in industrial research activities and for future products.

Flex-Ability Ltd UK

Company profile

Flex-Ability is an independent company with over fifteen years experience dedicated to the design, manufacture and assembly of flexible printed circuits.

Their principal products range from single layer flexibles to fully tested, populated, complex flexible rigid assemblies including a full range of flexible, flex-rigid and multilayer constructions utilising a diverse range of materials. They are committed to providing a high quality product delivered on time at a competitive price. They are a customer orientated company offering a complete service across all the key market sectors. This policy has led to our rapid expansion worldwide especially in Europe, North America and Australia.

Their service is built on imagination, innovation and professionalism from the applications engineering concept stage through to the quality of the end product.

Flexible circuits are offering solutions to interconnection problems, which cannot be solved by more traditional methods. Neatly integrating electronic and electrical functions. They provide substantial weight and space savings. These advantages together with the increased reliability and dynamic performance deliver crucial cost saving over conventional PCB cabling systems.

Flexibility Ltd exploitation potential

Flexible circuits are being increasingly utilised across a broad spectrum of market sectors. From early developments in aerospace and defence they are now extensively used in computing, telecommunications, automotive, medical, instrumentation and consumer electronics markets. The range and variety of applications for flexible circuits is vast; from hearing aids to jumbo jets, pocket calculators to satellites, cameras to weapon systems. The increase of expertise in the area of lead free flexible circuits will certainly enable Flex-Ability to benefit in our own current markets, but also in other new markets that this project will assist in tackling.

ELDOS Ltd Poland

Company profile

ELDOS is an SME with 102 employees. The company is situated in Wroclaw, Poland, where the present factory is located. ELDOS has a good position among PCB manufacturers in Poland and has captured a large share in the electronics manufacturer market, and in particular telecommunication equipment. The company is strengthening and widening their position in the Polish and European circuit boards markets. The basic equipment installed at the factory is continuously replaced with new lines and devices in order to adjust our production capabilities to the growing innovations and expectations in the market. Their factory produces 1000 m2 of single sided boards, 1800 m2 of double sided boards, and 200 m2 multilayers per month. Their contact with their suppliers indicate to them the current trends in technology and inspire them to implement new processes and production organisation.

The printed circuit boards manufactured by ELDOS Ltd result from customer requirements in the sectors of advanced electronic assembly operating in telecommunication, industrial automation, automotive, scientific satellite equipment and medical equipment.

ELDOS exploitation potential

In view of the growing demand for flexible PCBs in the Polish and European market, Eldos expect that after successful completion of the project they will be able to respond to that demand and widen their commercial offer to their customers.

At present, they are in contact with several potential purchasers planning to introduce flex and rigid-flex PCBs in their electronics production.

Flexible Technology Ltd UK

Company profile

Established in 1980 with venture capital, and acquired by Graseby plc in 1986. The company was 'bought out' by the management, in 1992. Flexible Technology Ltd now has 80 employees. The company manufacturers high volume and high technology flexible printed circuits in a custom designed plant, using the latest technology. All types of circuit, from simple single sided flex, through to complex flexi rigid multi-layers are made for commercial use. The management team's experience is over 50 years. Flexible Technology Ltd have supplied and manufactured flexible printed circuits to a world-wide customer base, for over 20 years. Flexible Technology Ltd has partnered, small, medium, and multi-national companies across the world, our experience, and extensive accreditation, allowing us to participate throughout the whole electronic spectrum, from medical applications to throw away consumer goods. Applications include Satellites technology, Guidance, Aeronautics, Space - instrumentation, and probes. telecoms, medical, computers, automotive, cameras, remote submersibles.

Flexible Technology Ltd exploitation potential

Flexible Technology Ltd circuits are installed in a huge variety of applications from SPACELAB to personal computers, mining instrumentation, advanced avionics and hearing aids. The results from this project will enable the company to increase their supply of flexible circuits and will enable them to continue to offer environmentally safe products which their customers are demanding.
Project funded by the
European Commission
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