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Innovate Northamptonshire, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, aims to promote research and innovation within the small and medium sized enterprises across Northamptonshire.
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Diamond Hard Surfaces Ltd, based at Caswell Science and Technology Park near Towcester, is a materials technology company and solution provider to high endurance applications of a patented amorphous diamond material: ‘Adamant – Adm tm’ which gives extended life in high temperature, chemically aggressive and other harsh environments. The company serves customers in high performance sectors such as oil and gas, motorsport, aerospace and electronics.
DHS joined the Innovate Northamptonshire project in March 2017 and has been working with the Growth Hub’s Innovate Adviser, Aurel Nastase, to develop an action plan exploring growth opportunities through research and innovation.
Due to the rapid growth of business, DHS are investigating ways to make improvement efficiencies in their manufacturing process to meet customer demands. They have been approved an Innovate Northamptonshire grant of £4,000 which will enable them to undertake research into the provision of robust IT infrastructure which will link to a laser or waterjet cutting machine in house to produce their fixturing components.
They will be investigating whether they can link their CAD Solidworks program directly to a machine via an integrated IT system to produce these components thus accelerating their production, increasing productivity and freeing up skilled resources to focus on more complex development work.
Chris Walker, CEO of Diamond Hard Surfaces, said:
“The grant funding will enable us to undertake a vital piece of research which will drive the company towards a more automated and efficient manufacturing route and subsequently support the scalability of the business.”
Aurel Nastase, the Growth Hub’s Innovation Adviser, added:
“Innovation is a vital tool for today’s businesses if they want to become sustainable and grow in this rapidly changing world.
“Our Innovate Northamptonshire project is all about encouraging businesses to explore different ways of working, generating new ideas and ultimately developing new products.”
In addition to adviser and funding support, the project also offers a combination of demonstrator visits and workshops – please see our events section for more information.
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