Business briefs

25 Nov 2005

Including news from S-LCD, FLIR Systems, Thales Laser Diode and more. Corning plans to invest an extra $75 million into Samsung Corning Precision Glass (SCP), its Korean LCD glass substrate business...

General company news:

•  S-LCD, the flat-panel display joint venture between Samsung and Sony, is investing ¥10 billion to expand its 7th generation amorphous thin-film transistor (TFT) production facility. Production capacity will be increased by 15,000 panels per month to 75,000 panels per month from July 2006. S-LCD decided to expand its production facility due to increasing market demand for LCD televisions.

•  DRS Technologies, a US provider of infrared sensors and focal plane arrays, has received a $38 million contract to supply electro-optical sensors and space electronics for improved weather forecasting. The infrared imaging systems will be used onboard future geostationary operational environmental satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US, under the direction of NASA. Delivery of the sensors is expected to begin in 2007.

•  US-based Archer OpTx has secured $4.7 million of private funding to expand its production capacity. Based in Texas, the company manufactures high-precision custom and catalog lenses including enhanced optical performance replacements for Kodak and LightPath aspheres.

Acquisitions:

•  Nuvonyx of the US has acquired Thales Laser Diode (TLD) of France for an undisclosed sum. Nuvonyx says it will now change TLD's name to Nuvonyx Europe SA. "This acquisition will allow us to expand our product line and offer both actively and passively cooled CW and QCW laser diode devices," said Nuvonyx's CEO mark Zediker. "It also gives us an immediate strategic presence in Europe."

•  FLIR Systems has acquired fellow US firm Scientific Materials for $13 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close within the next 30 days. Scientific Materials was founded in 1989 to produce speciality crystals for use in high-end laser manufacturing but has since expanded into military-grade laser assemblies and components.

Distribution:

•  Bristol Instruments of the US, a maker of laser wavelength meters, has named BFi OPTiLAS as its exclusive distributor in Europe.

•  BFi OPTiLAS has also signed a pan-European distribution agreement with spectrometer expert Ocean Optics this week.