FET's experience from our client interactions is that there is a market need for new and better hollow filament forms. made from a range of polymer formulations, for use in specialised filtration. They are seeking small scale / pilot equipment for making high performance hollow filaments for use in filter membranes and cartridge systems within the medical, healthcare and other technical sectors. They are looking for bespoke solutions enabling them to satisfy demanding niche markets where the capability of present equipment falls below required levels of performance. We now see an opportunity to address their concerns and to potentially deliver mutual benefits to Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET), its customers and users of specialised filtration systems. We wish to carry out Industrial Research to create the data and know-how to break through the technological barrier to progress in a Project at a cost of £156,000 and have in-house the necessary expertise to succeed in such a project, but need financial assistance to avoid cash flow limitations and complete the work within a 18-month time frame. The developed know-how will allow us to demonstrate our capability to achieve performance leaps to users to help them differentiate their product ranges and for FET to achieve sales by providing technology and custom-built equipment.

Users of meltblown processes tell us that they are seeking improvements in the capability of such processes when dealing with advanced polymers with high melt viscosity. We now see an opportunity to address their concerns and to potentially deliver mutual benefits to both Fibre Extrusion Technology FET and its customers. We wish to carry out Industrial Research to create the data and know how to break through the technological barrier to progress in a Project at a cost of 100,000 and have in house the necessary expertise to succeed in such a project, but need financial assistance to avoid cash flow limitations and complete the work within a 12 month time frame. The developed know how will allow us to demonstrate our capability to achieve performance leaps to users to help them to differentiate their product ranges and for FET to achieve sales by providing technology and custom built equipment.

International customers using FET equipment tell us that they are seeking improvements in product and process for synthetic absorbable sutures. We now see an opportunity to address their concerns and to potentially deliver mutual benefits to both FET and its customers. The traditional textile processes used in the production of surgical sutures are slow, labour and energy intensive and have other disadvantages which are compounded when the suture is made from absorbable polymers, which are notoriously expensive and difficult to handle . A recent POC project carried out by FET explored ideas for a novel method of manufacture of new synthetic absorbable sutures made from multifilament precursor yarns designed to simplify the manufacturing process, reducing costs and the risks of in-process degradation. The outcome of the POC allows us to establish a basis for further development work towards commercialization. We now have the necessary data to design this project, with the aim of defining, specifying and building a pre-production prototype of a technologically innovative process. The developed know-how and the prototype will allow us to demonstrate our capability to achieve performance leaps to our customers to help them to differentiate their product ranges and for FET to achieve sales by providing technology and custom built equipment. We see additional potential benefits from spin off uses for the technology in non - medical areas and as an experimental tool for small scale evaluation of difficult-to-process / expensive raw materials.

International customers using FET equipment tell us that they are seeking improvements in product and process for synthetic absorbable sutures. FET is working separately on improved product properties and now sees an opportunity to address process improvements to potentially deliver mutual benefits to both FET and its customers. The traditional textile braiding and dip coating processes used to produce sutures are slow, labour and energy intensive and have other disadvantages which are compounded when the suture is made from absorbable polymers, which are notoriously expensive and difficult to handle. We have ideas for a novel method of manufacture of a new synthetic absorbable suture made from multifilament precursor yarns involving a new construction which replaces conventional braiding and dip coating processes. The proposed method is designed to simplify the manufacturing process, reducing costs and the risks of in-process degradation. We wish to test the concept of such a new manufacturing method in a Proof of Concept Project at a cost of £167,163 and have in-house, or can obtain, access to the necessary expertise to succeed in such a project, but need financial assistance to avoid cash flow limitations and complete the work within an 18 month time frame. A proven concept will allow us to further develop and show customers the potential for a more efficient method of manufacture, with an improved carbon footprint. A successful project outcome will deliver IP, which, pursued by further development work to commercialise for suture applications, could realise some £4m income to FET in the period 2019/21 in the form of customised equipment sales, process licensing or know how. There are potential benefits from spin off uses for the technology in non - medical areas and as an experimental tool for small scale evaluation of difficult-to process / expensive raw materials.

International Healthcare customers using FET equipment have made us aware of a clear business opportunity to open up the fast growing world market for absorbable surgical sutures. They tell us that the market wants products that increase quality of life for an ageing population and speak of their need for yarns with much higher tenacity, to make sutures which offer higher holding strength and are less invasive to the body in use, giving opportunities to replace other conventional closure materials and / or use the higher performance in finer, low diameter sutures for new applications. The outcome of a recent Feasibility Study has shown that we can make absorbable suture materials with physical properties 30 - 50 % over present levels and allows us to establish a basis for further development work towards commercialisation We now have the necessary data to design a further programme of work at a cost of £440,000 with the aim of defining, specifying and building a pre-production prototype of a technologically innovative process. We have in-house, or can obtain, access to the necessary expertise to succeed in such a project, but need financial assistance to avoid cash flow limitations and complete the work within a 2 year timeframe. The developed know-how and the prototype will allow us to demonstrate our capability to achieve performance leaps to our customers to help them to differentiate their product ranges and for FET to achieve sales by providing technology and custom built equipment. A successful project outcome, pursued by further development work to commercialise for suture applications, could realise some £5.1mn new income to FET in the period 2015 to 2018 in the form of equipment sales and process licensing. We see additional potential benefits from spin off uses for the technology in non - medical areas and as an experimental tool for small scale evaluation of difficult-to-process / expensive raw materials.

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