Centre for Advanced Photonics & Process Analysis Gateway – CAPPA

CAPPA applies photonics solutions to industry across a wide range of sectors including: Food and Beverage, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Agri-Tech, Environmental and Telecommunications. Photonics is the science of generating, controlling and detecting light, and is a key enabling technology underpinning many different application areas.

Examples addressed by CAPPA include advanced imaging, microscopy & spectroscopy, where a suite of powerful spectroscopy and microscopy techniques covering a wide wavelength range (including FTIR, Raman, UV/Vis) provide detailed information on process flows, product assessment and development, chemical composition, ingredient distribution, device dynamics and general material analysis.

Photonics can be used to detect counterfeit products, aid root cause analysis, and investigate novel methods of imaging, among a variety of other applications 

Non-invasive sensing and detection  

Optical sensors can provide compact and non or minimally-invasive solutions for a wide range of sensing and imaging requirements. Using ‘fingerprint’ absorption wavelengths, specific gases or liquids etc can be targeted. Optical sensors have applications in medical devices, process monitoring and environmental sensing  

Optical design and modelling   

We use advanced simulation software such as Zemax to design efficient, compact and cost-effective optical systems, with 3D printing capabilities available for fast prototyping.  

Process monitoring 

We measure critical quality and performance attributes of raw and processed materials.  

Data analytics   

Analytic methods are used in routine spectroscopic analysis, which generates thousands of data pointes per sample. CAPPA can carry out a range of materials analysis that can reveal something new about your materials and processes.