Apr 3 2008
Brush Engineered Materials Inc. announced today that Thin Film Technology, Inc. (TFT), a unit of its Williams Advanced Materials Inc. (WAM) subsidiary, has been awarded $9.8 million in new contracts to provide Visi-Lid(TM) hermetic window assemblies and thin film hybrid circuits to DRS Technologies Sensors + Targeting Systems, Infrared Technologies Division. The contract is for a period of up to 16 months.
TFT, headquartered in Buellton, California, is a leader in the production of precision optical coatings, thin film hybrid circuits, and highly engineered thin film coatings and services.
A major supplier of advanced night vision systems, DRS Infrared Technologies, based in Dallas, Texas, provides products to the military that are used to enhance a soldier’s vision capability, survivability and mobility in low-light conditions and support our military units engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. DRS products include Thermal Weapon Sights (TWS) and the Driver Enhanced Vision (DEV) system used on armored vehicles such as the Humvee™, the Bradley and the U.S. Army’s new MRAP armored personnel carrier.
Commenting on the new contracts, Dr. Ian Tribick, Vice President and General Manager of TFT, said, “We are excited about our continued strong business partnership with DRS. We have been able to leverage our technology development capabilities to add value to DRS’ highly sophisticated product offering. Moreover, we’re honored to have our materials play a part in helping keep our troops from harm’s way.”
TFT and several other units within the WAM organization collaborated to create a custom-integrated solution with the Visi-Lid™ hermetic assembly for DRS. The Visi-Lid™ structural component is precision machined and plated at WAM’s Buffalo, New York facility. High performance optical materials supplied by WAM’s CERAC subsidiary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and thin film metallization materials supplied by WAM in Buffalo are applied to glass substrates at TFT in California through physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes. Assembly of these components into a single sub-assembly is performed at TFT using high purity solder preforms provided by WAM. “Each WAM material works together to ultimately protect and seal a DRS image sensor for superior end-product performance. This is a unique, enabling capability that WAM provides to benefit important customers like DRS,” Dr. Tribick added.
Over the past few years, the WAM organization has undergone expansions and completed several important acquisitions to strengthen its leadership position in global growth markets. In February 2008, WAM completed the acquisition of the assets of Techni-Met, Inc. of Windsor, Connecticut. Techni-Met produces precision precious metal coated flexible polymeric films used in a variety of high-end applications, including diabetes diagnostic test strips. In 2007, WAM opened a new precision cleaning and reconditioning services facility in the Czech Republic. In 2006, it acquired CERAC, a leading domestic provider of specialty inorganic materials. In 2005, following the acquisition of OMC Scientific Holdings Limited in Ireland, WAM purchased TFT.