Pictured above: Richard Freeman, co-founder of Zeeko, with
the Optic Fabrication Centre that was the basis for the company
winning the Queens Award for Innovation 2011
A privately owned manufacturer of computer-controlled polishing
machines for producing astronomical telescope mirror segments,
compact camera lenses, medical implants, plastic injection moulds,
semiconductor wafers - indeed any product that requires an
ultra-precision polished finish - is one of this year's winners in
the Innovation category of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise.
Based in Coalville, Leicestershire, Zeeko is a world leader in
designing and building machines for the polishing of
high-precision, freeform surfaces. These are surfaces with
complex axes of symmetry, or no symmetry at all and are required in
an increasing number of applications in a wide range of materials.
They vary in size between 1 millimetre to several metres
across.
Managing director Richard Freeman, who co-founded the company in
late 2000, commented, "All members of the Zeeko team can feel
justly proud to receive this coveted award. The criteria for entry
are ever more challenging and the passion to win ever more
fervent.
"The product must not only represent a significant technological
advance but must also have achieved commercial success. Clearly in
the view of the Queen's Awards judging panel, we scored well on
both counts."
Optic Fabrication Centre
Zeeko's winning entry was its Optic Fabrication Centre, a
corrective polisher with integrated measuring capability. For
the first time, it allows the user to progress a precision
component from start to finish without removing it from the machine
for any reason.
The innovation has led to a significant reduction in end-to-end
optic fabrication time with a commensurate reduction in
manufacturing cost.
The new machining and polishing centre can be supplied as a
bespoke solution with the most appropriate accessories fitted in
the way you might specify the requirements for your next PC.
Amongst the accessories available are many different measurement
technologies, a temperature controlled enclosure, component support
solutions and several different polishing technologies. A truly
one-stop solution that is based on a core Zeeko polishing machine
platform employing the renowned and industry-leading Zeeko
Precessions software suite.
Original drivers included E-ELT
Two specific projects were behind the original development of
the Optic Fabrication Centre. One was a need to polish X-ray
telescope mandrels, which at the time were one of the most
challenging polishing applications that Zeeko could identify due to
the low slope errors permitted (0.5 arc seconds) coupled with the
need for extremely high surface texture in the 1 to 2 Angstrom
level.
The other project was the production of optics suitable for
segmented, extremely large terrestrial telescopes, requiring tight
control of very large radii of curvature. Other prerequisites were
excellent surface texture and form control over large surface areas
of approximately 2.5 sq m for each segment.
In this connection it is noteworthy that, together with Richard
Freeman, the other co-founder of Zeeko was Professor David Walker,
researcher professor for Glyndŵr University and UCL. He leads
the prototype project for the world's largest optical telescope,
the 42 metre diameter European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT).
When it becomes operational in Cerro Armazones, Chile,
currently scheduled for 2018, the €1 billion instrument will
be 30 times more sensitive than current optical telescopes.
Researchers at the Welsh Government-financed building known as
The OpTIC Technium in St Asaph, North Wales, where Zeeko Research
is also located, are currently using an Optic Fabrication Centre to
produce seven prototype hexagonal mirror segments under a €5m
contract from the European Organisation for Astronomical Research
in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO). There will eventually be 984 such
mirror segments forming the E-ELT mirror, which will be mounted on
an active support structure.
About Zeeko
In 10 years, Zeeko has grown from three to more than 40
employees, including those at US sister company ZeekoTechnologies
LLC, Indiana, and seven new recruits in Japan where Zeeko KK has
recently been formed. Sales of £6.6 million were
secured in 2010, all in export markets, double the previous year.
Some 23 per cent of turnover is invested annually in continuous
research and development.
The headquarters is currently in Coalville, Leicestershire,
although the company plans to move in 2012 to a purpose-built,
20,000 sq ft, freehold premises on the Leicester Science Park, next
to the National Space Centre in Leicester, representing an
investment of £2 million.