A world leader in form and roughness measurement and metrology has become the latest member of the pioneering Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.
Alicona, with offices around the globe, is a specialist in high resolution optical measurement in research and production. The company is headquartered in Austria but also has facilities in Germany, North America, France and South Korea. Its UK base is in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Alicona is a global supplier of optical 3D surface measurement for quality assurance in the laboratory and in production. The company’s key competence is the measurement of form and roughness, often used for complex shapes.
Alicona’s measurement capabilities will now be supporting the MTC’s ground-breaking advanced manufacturing and engineering research.
MTC chief executive Dr Clive Hickman said he was delighted to welcome Alicona to the MTC community.
“Alicona has an international reputation and will add to the MTC’s resources in the field of detailed metrology and will also allow Alicona access to the expertise and capabilities of our MTC engineers and technicians.”
Brian Kyte of Alicona said, “We are very pleased to become part of the MTC and to be able to play such a role in the advancement of micro-geometry measurement. We are particularly excited about the use in additive manufacturing which is a key market for us. Generally we see that the involvement in the Catapult centres is a major asset to our business and we look forward to working with the engineers at the MTC.”
The MTC opened in 2011 and was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.
The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by the Technology Strategy Board.
The growth of the Manufacturing Technology Centre has far exceeded expectations, achieving many of its targets five years ahead of schedule.