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Press Release Detail: Thorlabs Acquires Video Measurement Company, OPTEK Newton, NJ and Blairstown, NJ – October 14, 2019 – Thorlabs announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Blairstown-based Operations Technology Inc. (OPTEK). Founded in 1978 by Richard Amon, OPTEK is an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of large-format, granite-based video (VideoMic®) and x-ray (InnerVision®) dimensional measurement systems. These systems are used by machine shops for inspecting precision-machined dimensional components for accuracy as well as for performing metrology and quality assurance in high-tech industries such as electronics, semiconductor, automotive, and medical. The VideoMic coordinate measurement systems combine the high magnification characteristics of a microscope with the precise measuring capabilities of a micrometer to provide rapid, non-contact measurements with industry-leading accuracy. The closed-loop systems are constructed by bonding high-end translation stages directly to the granite slab, thereby leading to a metrology solution that is highly accurate, stable, and repeatable. Depending on the exact model chosen, the VideoMic family is comprised of products capable of measuring envelopes ranging from 12" x 12" to 50" x 36", all with 8" of Z-axis travel and one-tenth micron precision. OPTEK also offers the world's first x-ray-based coordinate measurement systems for real-time internal imaging of multilayer circuit boards and other complex electronics. The InnerVision systems can quantify distortions within obstructed internal components so that further fabrication processes may be adjusted and optimized. As with the VideoMic series, these large-format machines offer fast XY positioning at speeds of up to 30 inches per second and precise x-ray-based metrology capabilities. The OPTEK team will remain in Blairstown, New Jersey and form a new Thorlabs entity called Thorlabs Measurement Systems. "We are excited to add the OPTEK metrology solutions to our portfolio," said Ike Jariel, the general manager of the newly formed Thorlabs entity. "Their video imagers have been employed by our internal quality assurance teams for many years, and hence, we look forward to making these advanced metrology solutions and components available to our customer base." About OPTEK: Operations Technology Inc. (OPTEK) was founded in 1978 to provide optical inspection and measurement machines for the printed circuit board fabrication industry. For the past 40 years, the company has continued to develop additional metrology solutions, including x-ray- and video-based measurement systems, advanced lamination technology, LED illumination, and precision stage options for OEM applications. OPTEK is now an industry leader in large-format metrology equipment with over 1,000 machines installed across six continents. About Thorlabs: Thorlabs, a vertically integrated photonics products manufacturer, was founded in 1989 to serve the laser and electro-optics research market. As that market has spawned a multitude of technical innovations, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to play an ever-increasing role serving the Photonics Industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments. The organization's highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of Fabry-Perot, DFB, and VCSEL lasers; fiber towers for drawing both silica and fluoride glass optical fibers; MBE/MOCVD epitaxial wafer growth reactors; extensive glass and metal fabrication facilities; advanced thin film deposition capabilities; and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.