5 April 2011

OIPT expansion boosts production capacity by 50%

UK-based etch, deposition and growth system maker Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology (OIPT) says that a major expansion and improvement program at the firm is delivering key benefits to its customers, with investment in a number of key areas of the business resulting in faster and more streamlined manufacturing, better research facilities and more comprehensive customer support.

Picture: (Left to right) General manager Dan Ayres and managing director Andy Matthews in the expanded production facility.

“Our workforce has grown by over 30% in the past 12 months, enabling us to react quickly to our significantly increased order book and to provide faster product and process development for our customers,” comments managing director Andy Matthews. “We have responded to the demands of our industry to ensure we are as competitive as possible, and to retain our reputation for producing world-class products and creating long-term relationships with our customers based on trust and respect,” he adds.

The firm has incorporated parallel build and test bays in Manufacturing for production of its etch, deposition and growth equipment, enabling it to respond to customer requirements more flexibly as well as reducing manufacturing lead times. It says that this has resulted in more efficient manufacturing processes for repeat products, for example in supplying equipment to the fast-growing high-brightness light-emitting diode (HB-LED) production market. OIPT reckons that these changes have increased its production capacity by about 50%.

In addition, new R&D and applications laboratories have been built with expanded capabilities, and the firm has appointed extra process engineers. The applications laboratories house the company’s range of etch, deposition and growth equipment, including PlasmaPro, FlexAL ALD and Nanofab nanoscale growth tools manufactured at the firm's facility in Bristol, UK, where customer samples are run and new processes developed.

Dedicated engineering and software development suites as well as a specialist training department have also been created in order to maximize the capacity to deliver tools and support to customers.

“This major investment in both staff and facilities supports our ability to meet the needs of our diverse customer base,” says general manager Dan Ayres. “Alongside our global team and supply base, we’re able to continually improve our quality and delivery performance whilst innovating our product and process offering,” he adds.

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OIPT's exceptional growth halts relocation plans

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