Tecan reports increase in micro structures interest

The recently launched Micro Structures Division of Tecan has reported that ultra-fine electroformed metal parts are the focus of unprecedented interest by electronics and micro-engineering designers.Recently opened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, the company’s dedicated new £2 million, 8,000 sq/ft division, houses a state-of-the-art Class 1000 clean room facility, within which are a number of Class 100 areas.The division has seen its whole-year sales forecast satisfied in the first quarter of 2003, effectively quadrupling its sales potential for the new technology in its first year of operation. Micro structure specialists at the division’s ultra-modern new facility have breached traditional manufacturing obstacles to deliver low-cost micro metal parts, and larger parts with ultra-fine features, for a vast new applications arena, typically covering electronics, optical, medical and aerospace. The inherent advantages of the technology are expected to be exploited by a wide range of industries, for the demanding next-generation micro applications, where products will be repeatedly made significantly smaller and finer, at lower cost and with fewer production processes. Typical micro-applications include sensors, actuators, hearing aids, medical devices, optical instruments, micro-lenses, meshes, masks, displays and micro-fluidic devices. Source: PCBnewsline