A technology company has received an award for developing a piece equipment that can be used to analyse the properties of materials.
Oxford Instruments was awarded the King's Award for Enterprise: Innovation for its symmetry detector, developed and manufactured in the UK and exported worldwide.
The detector was created to provide an analysis of various materials, operating at the nanoscale, far smaller than the eye can see.
It has been used to improve the performance of electric vehicles batteries, resolve solar panel cells' defects, monitor materials used in extreme enviroments, and aid in mobile phone semiconductor production.
It uses a method called electron backscatter diffraction to detect tiny flaws in the structure of materials, providing a better understanding of how these faults form and how they can be rectified.
Richard Tyson, CEO, said: “To receive a King's Award for Enterprise is fantastic recognition for our brilliant materials analysis team who have developed this remarkable step-change in technology.
"Symmetry is now allowing quicker, sharper analysis by even more researchers across the world, paving the way for our customers to discover and bring to market further exciting advances that drive human progress.”
This is the 15th time since 1967 that an Oxford Instruments company has secured an award through The King’s Awards for Enterprise, which are recognised as one of the most prestigious awards for UK businesses.
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