A journey of change – Micrometric’s 40 years of laser processing
In its 40th anniversary year component manufacturer and laser processing specialist Micrometric is reflecting on the changes the company has faced and the evolution of services it provides in the medical sector.
Founded by Maurice Gates and Neil Main, Lincoln-based Micrometric began by cutting sheet metal using CO2 lasers in January 1983. In its first month, Micrometric had a small turnover of around £50, but that soon started growing.
Several requests for laser cutting other materials led Micrometric to consider new ways of cutting silicon, alumina, and more exotic metals. It was also asked to make difficult plastic parts and achieved precision and highly complex computer control. As demand for specialist work grew, so did the business.
Neil Main, managing director of Micrometric, remembers contracts that changed the services provided by Micrometric: “We were asked by the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell if we could make radiation sensors for detecting alpha radiation. They had produced a new plastic that reacted to radiation and a way of using electro etching to create lines that could be counted with a microscope.
“They needed small rectangles cutting and each to have a letter and number and error code that was different on each. At that time our competitors were not able to do this, so we rose to the challenge. I programmed the large CO2 laser (DE), and a local computer expert programmed the new BBC Micro which successfully drilled the identity and output the required parts.
“After some time, we needed to speed things up and we purchased the HK Fiber Laser cutting machine. It changed the way we worked! We approached potential jobs with flexibility and open-mindedness which allowed us to offer new and innovative services. In fact, we still do this job!”
Continuous development was a key strategy for the company and in 1985 Micrometric was contacted about cutting silicon. Its customer had a contract to make a particular semiconductor, but it needed special silicon and a particular set of discs. After the CO2 laser did not perform to the standard required Micrometric purchased the Nd:Yag laser from Switzerland, which produced around 1.5 million semiconductors over about 18 months.
The volume of the silicon meant Micrometric needed to invest in another laser; a JK Laser which was made in Rugby. The company was also cutting silicon for other companies in Europe including Finland, Germany, and Italy.
By 1990, Micrometric Techniques was a precision laser processor, and several industries were asking the team to make parts. Most of the medical items were for instrumentation but Micrometric was asked to make one part for a prostate cancer remover. It was a long, thin, laser-cut stainless tube with laser-welded parts on it. This meant the team could improve their laser welding techniques and enabled the process to become more controlled.
In 1994 the company moved into a new purpose-built factory in Lincoln, allowing further expansion. With more space the company invested in new lasers including its first Bystronic.
Neil Main recalls when Gates tried to sell the business: “I still have potential contracts from some of the companies that failed to buy Micrometric Techniques. Most were interested in just one of our wide ranges of production and all did not want ‘the rest of it’.
“I then purchased the company from Maurice in 2004 and at that time we had a good turnover and large number of employees. I changed the company name from Micrometric Techniques to Micrometric, since this was the name the company was known as by customers.”
After purchasing Micrometric Neil faced a great challenge: the biggest customer which accounted for around 25% of turnover in Micrometric’s portfolio bought its own laser. The company’s revenue declined, and it resulted in redundancies.
Recovery took a while before the company was able to invest in new equipment but technological advances meant the new lasers when purchased were state-of-the-art, resulting in better quality components more quickly with a higher-skilled workforce.
The last five years has seen strong growth and further investments to meet the demand for precision components, including the Coherent Starcut tube cutting machine for exclusive medical instruments with high precision, and a new Lasercube machine for quality, precision, speed, and efficiency. The company feels these developments will allow the team to continue producing high-quality precision components for the medical sector.
When looking into the future Main is positive: “Most things develop out of a need, and we have seen so much change in just the last three years, but customers are still asking for new parts and processes.
“A customer has recently asked us to laser cut and weld components for insertion into human bodies, which we can produce, but they also need medical deep cleaning, disinfection and medical packaging solutions which is not our area of expertise. We are always looking for new ways of expanding our services so there is huge potential for growth into the medical industry.”