Armstrong/Sydor win Orion contract

23 Feb 2009

Northampton, UK, February 20th, 2009 -- Armstrong Optical Ltd and Sydor Optics Inc (Rochester, NY), have been awarded a major contract to supply optical debris shields for the Atomic Weapons Establishment's replacement high-energy laser facility, Project Orion.

Project Orion is a world-class laser facility for the creation and study of hot dense matter and is the successor to the HELEN (High Energy Laser Embodying Neodymium) laser, which is now well over 25 years old and reaching the end of its technically useful life.

"Armstrong Optical and Sydor Optics have been chosen from a number of suppliers as one of the only partnerships that could provide precision flat optics with the highest specification cleaning in an economic manner, whilst still meeting all AWE's stringent conditions" said Rob Roach, the Sales manager for Armstrong Optical. "Sydor's special capacities and links with other USA facilities including the high power laser system at the University of Rochester, US,enable us to provide world class solutions."

Sydor Optics was founded over 40 years ago and specializes in the manufacture of precision, flat-surfaced, parallel and wedged optics. They are especially dedicated to double-sided processing of optics such as colored filter glasses, glass wafers, mirrors, plate beamsplitters and windows. The company recently invested expenditures of over 1 million USD in 2008 to add laser cutting of fused silica and fused quartz, increase capacity in double-sided grinding and polishing and the purchase of a new automated ultrasonic cleaning line.

Armstrong Optical Ltd was founded in 1997 with the remit of introducing the FISBA OPTIK phase shifting interferometry systems to the UK with complementary optical metrology products and interferometry accessories. Over the years Armstrong Optical has grown and now provides a wide range of optical metrology and imaging products & systems to a diverse array of industries with an even broader variety of application requirements, as well as supplying access to international optical component manufacture and electro-optical sub assembly capacity.