| Alba Ultrasound Limited is delighted to
announce that it has received a prestigious
Queens Award for Innovation. The
Company, which is based in the West of
Scotland Science Park, has received the
award for its outstanding innovations in
the field of ultrasonic array transducers.
These are multiple sensor devices which
generate and detect ultrasonic energy -
which is sound energy with a pitch
beyond the audible range of the human ear.
Each array contains many individual
transducers which can be manipulated
under electronic control to steer the
ultrasonic beam in different directions,
thereby forming an accurate image or
pictorial representation of the target space.
Alba array products are at the heart of many
ultrasonic imaging systems and can provide
clearer image pictures in for example,
testing of materials, underwater surveying
and biomedical diagnosis.
The Company was formed in 2000 and
commenced manufacture with 2 employees
in the Port Dundas Business Park. Under the
leadership of its two Directors, Vic Murray
(MD) and Gordon Hayward (Chairman) the
business has grown to over 40 people,
housed within a specialist manufacturing
unit containing state of the art equipment
with customised R&D and specialist testing
facilities. Throughout this period Alba has
maintained a very close working
relationship with the University of
Strathclyde, where much of the early
research was performed. The Company also
obtains active support from the Scottish
Government through Scottish Enterprise
and other agencies, all of which has served
to facilitate the growth of Alba through
provision of financial, training and business
advisory assistance.
Scottish Enterprise account manager
Graeme Clark said: My sincere
congratulations to Alba Ultrasound on
winning this prestigious award. Fighting off
stiff competition from companies right across
the UK is a tremendous achievement and
one which the company should be extremely
proud of. Over the last seven years weve
worked closely with Alba Ultrasound through
our account management approach, helping
deliver its ambitious growth plans. Alba
Ultrasound is an extremely forward thinking
and innovative company and I look forward to
continuing to work closely with its leadership
team to support their long term ambitions.
The main market area for the Company is in
underwater sonar and since its inception,
Alba has created a diverse range of
transducer products for underwater
applications, spanning mine counter
measures, underwater surveying and sea
bed mapping, intruder detection security
systems and guidance of underwater
vehicles. Alba also designed and
manufactured the sonar array suite for the
UK mine hunting fleet. The arrays not only
had to meet an extremely demanding
acoustic design specification but also have
to function for several years within the
harshest of environments. It is testimony to
the Company and its manufacturing
technology that, after sever years of
exposure, the arrays are still performing to
the highest level.
Albas products directly benefit the
environment by enabling underwater tasks
to be carried out more safely and with
minimal damage to the affected areas. This
is achieved through the provision of much
more detailed images in sub sea surveying;
for more accurate classification of
structures such as shipwrecks, harbour
installations and pipelines; rapid detection
of gas and oil leakages and more accurate
mapping of the ocean floor topology. Alba
wideband arrays are used also in a diverse
range of security applications including
protection of harbours, cruise liners, yachts
and offshore oil and gas installations. The
Company has a worldwide market for its
products and the current growth is
anticipated to continue apace.
In many instances Albas products have
been inspired by the natural world, where
creatures such as bats and dolphins possess
unsurpassed sonar capabilities in air and
water respectively. The resultant linkages
between mathematics, physics, biology and
engineering have been exploited by Alba
staff to promote awareness of engineering
as a career within schools. This is part of the
Scottish Governments Science and
Engineering Action Plan and the Company
has been involved actively in a series of
vodcasts to be distributed to every primary
school in the country.
Alba Ultrasound
Unit 1, Block 3, Todd Campus,
West of Scotland Science Park, Glasgow G20 0XA
| Tel: 0141 946 5000 | Fax: 0141 946 5111
Email: info@albaultrasound.co.uk | 
