Gooch & Housego have been named as one of the four companies to receive Innovation Awards from the Institute of Physics (IOP) on 8 July 2014, in recognition of success that they have built through the commercial application of physics.
G&H was recognised for its Fibre-Q product line which provides its clients with greater versatility of applications. The acousto-optical solution means a beam of laser light can be deflected, amplitude modulated, frequency shifted or the wavelength filtered with precise electronic control.
Although fibre lasers have been rapidly adopted in manufacturing processes, the lasers’ tiny diameter has made modification for improvements in production processes problematic.
The IOP said that the innovation has already generated millions in profit and created 23 jobs since the product was introduced five years ago.
The other winner projects are: Glasgow’s Gas Sensing Solutions for it’s low-powered, fast and wireless CO2 gas sensor; Magnox, Oldbury Naite, UK, for the use of low irradiation fuel from a shutdown nuclear reactor to extend the life of another by; and MBDA Missile Systems’ development of a highly precise missile.
All awarded applications have created jobs and provided millions in profit for the respective organisations. The winning companies will attend an awards ceremony later in the year.
Dr Frances Saunders, President of the Institute of Physics, said: ‘The successful application of physics creates businesses and industries that meet the widest range of needs – from precision manufacturing and energy generation, to devices designed to help us better understand our environment, and those which aid our defence.
‘We have another remarkable selection of winners this year and I wish them all continuing success.’
