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Research Offices and Laboratories
The growth and success of the WCPC has meant
that it has outgrown its previous laboratory and office facilities. At the
start of 2006 the centre moved to new custom built offices and laboratories
within the School of Engineering. The centre now boasts Four new laboratories;
a pressroom printing lab, a colour management lab a material
characterisation
lab and an analytical lab. This has included working closely with several of our
industrial partners. Click here for the companies who have
contributed to the new facilities.
The move has also seen
the installation of a number of major new pieces of equipment
including a 4 colour in line flexographic press (with allowance for
gravure printing). The Timsons T – Flex press which is housed in clean tent
facilities will provide an ideal environment for high
definition printing of coloured and functional inks. The
installation of the press is a major step forward for the centre and
will allow material testing and fundamental studies in a controlled
environment. The press provides a complimentary facility to the on
site industrial trials which the researchers at the centre will
continue to carry out.
In addition to the printing
presses, the grant has enabled the centre to add considerably to its
material characterisation laboratory. The new additions include a
Netzsch ink mixing and milling for pilot scale ink manufacture, a
mega pixel 3 chip camera, a high resolution 4 point probe systems for
micro electrical characterisation and a portable UV
spectroradiometer which can be used to measure the UV spectral
characteristics of UV curing and plate exposure bulbs.
The new colour management laboratory hosts software and hardware for colour profiling, contract soft proofing over the internet, digital ink jet printers, scanners, proofing devices, colour viewing booths and print training simulators. The centre director Dr Tim Claypole said “This expansion marks a major step in the development of the centre and further enhances its world leading role in developing understanding and new applications for printing processes. The addition of dedicated printing facilities allows us to provide a better service to industry while remaining focused on science of the printing processes.” Click here for a full list of the centres equipment
 
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