|
There has been
scientific activity at Caswell since 1940 when laboratories were set up in rural
Northamptonshire to understand the properties of (then) new electronic materials as the
source of success in their applications. The company has been trading from Caswell since
that time and significant expansion occurred during the mid 1980s when a five thousand
square metre facility was established at Caswell for advanced microelectronics and
materials research. During 1946 manufacturing facilities were set-up in Towcester for
microwave materials; these have been developed and are now associated with a laboratory
located at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire.
The strong materials technology research theme has been maintained by these three
laboratories, which are now Technology Centres within GEC-Marconi business group entitled
GEC-Marconi Engineering and Technology (GMET).
Products and Services:
The business of the GEC-Marconi Technology Centres includes Electronic Materials,
Technologies and Components. These technologies and components are employed widely in both
civil and military applications. The function of the Technology Centres is to develop key
material technologies, which include semiconductor materials for microwave and
optoelectronic systems, electroceramics for acoustic components and radar absorptive
materials for antenna enhancement and radar cross-section applications.
Materials are investigated and developed for both components and sub-systems. This work
involves the understanding and modelling of the basic materials and component structures,
the evolution of the specific means of preparation and packaging of components to
demonstrate practical applications, and the qualification of specific manufacturing
processes and components for system requirements. Thus knowledge is evolved to create
technical expertise so as to transform scientific theories into commercial realities.
Ownership of advanced intellectual property provides competitive advantage in the
technology and component industry.
The company offers contract research and development expertise, including modelling and
analytic services, the design and delivery of demonstration hardware, and the manufacture
of components to both GEC companies and as merchant products to third parties. The
activities at Caswell, Towcester and Borehamwood are fully accredited to BS EN ISO 9001.
GMMT is also an Investor in People.
The Caswell Technology Centre won The Prince Of Wales Award for Technical Innovation
during 1993 for the research and development of un-cooled ceramic thermal imaging arrays.
Subsequently the work was extended to establish a number of products prior to the transfer
during 1997 of responsibility for this technology to GEC-Marconi Infra Red Limited; a
notable example of the fine track record of carrying research on materials and technology
through to commercial exploitation.
|
