New company provides imaging and visualisation

Some of the most advanced imaging and visualisation technologies in the world are now available for the first time to small and medium sized engineering businesses.

Some of the most advanced imaging and visualisation technologies in the world are being made available for the first time to small and medium sized engineering businesses through a new initiative launched by the University of Birmingham.

VIN Technology Services has been designed as a business face for the wide range of technology and expertise that the university can offer as one of the UK's leading centres of industrial technology research.

The services have all been developed to help engineering businesses tackle a wide range of issues relating to product and process design.

They include technologies that can visualise and interact with 2D and 3D data in life-size active stereo, or accurately capture data in 2D and 3D from the microscopic to a landscape scale.

Extensive software tools and expertise are available to model manufacturing problems, and the analytical expertise is provided to interpret results and advise on potential solutions.

With funding support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Advantage West Midlands, these services can be made available to eligible small and medium sized (SME) manufacturers in the West Midlands region.

Head of VIN Gino Bellavia said: "The idea behind VIN Technology Services is to take advantage of the wide range of technology and research expertise at University of Birmingham and create a way for businesses to access many of these for the first time".

"Many of the truly cutting edge technologies we are able to provide through VIN are not even available to the world's largest businesses".

"These can provide engineering SMEs in the West Midlands with a real competitive advantage in many different ways".

Visualisation and imaging technologies are used by modern manufacturers in a wide variety of circumstances, from design, component manufacturing and prototyping to product and materials testing and quality control applications.

A range of advanced imaging facilities is available to help with quality improvement of materials and processes through the characterisation of materials and analysis of fracture, fatigue and corrosion properties of metals as well many other complex materials.

VIN's advanced 3D laser based data capture and modelling techniques can also be used for reverse engineering of components and rapid prototyping as well as training simulations.

Bellavia added: "The range of applications for today's visualisation and imaging technologies is almost endless, whether you are developing new products or processes, testing or improving existing ones, or simply carrying out feasibility studies on new ideas".

"The key is being able to harness this technology in the right ways to make your business better".

"We hope that by making these services easily and freely available to smaller businesses in the West Midlands they will be encouraged to get involved and discover how this enormous power can be unleashed to their benefit".

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