Award

849316 - Computer Controlled Optical Surfacing Machine

DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

05 Aug 2025 at 12:37

Award

23 Jul 2025 at 14:09

Tender

02 Jun 2025 at 11:35

Summary of the contracting process

Diamond Light Source Limited, a central government public authority located at Diamond House, Didcot, UK, awarded a contract for the supply, delivery, installation, and commissioning of a Computer Controlled Optical Surfacing Machine. The procurement process, initiated as a tender, followed an open procedure and reached the award stage on 1st August 2025. This procurement falls within the Laboratory, Optical and Precision Equipments category for the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. The title of the contract is "Computer Controlled Optical Surfacing Machine" and was awarded to Changsha AFiSy Technologies Co., Ltd. from China for a contractual period starting 1st August 2025 and ending 2nd February 2026, with a gross contract value of GBP 285,600.

This contract presents substantial opportunities for SMEs specialising in precision engineering and optical equipment, particularly those with capabilities in developing advanced surfacing technology compatible with diverse material specifications. The awarded contract included input and potential modifications from the supplier, indicating a collaborative approach beneficial for companies bringing innovative solutions. Businesses proficient in operating within open procurement frameworks, such as the open procedure used in this process, will find similar opportunities rewarding. SMEs can leverage this experience to refine their offerings and expand into related scientific and engineering sectors.

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Notice Title

849316 - Computer Controlled Optical Surfacing Machine

Notice Description

Located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, Diamond Light Source (DLS) is a leading-edge facility for science, engineering and innovation. Diamond allows researchers from academia and industry to investigate the structure and behaviour of the world around us at the atomic and molecular level. To continue delivering the world changing science that Diamond enables, the facility is being upgraded to Diamond-II, a coordinated programme of development that combines a major machine upgrade with new instruments and complementary improvements to optics,detectors, sample environment and delivery capabilities, and computing, as well as integrated and correlative methods. This will be transformative in speed and spatial resolution and will offer users streamlined access to enhanced instruments for life and physical sciences. The Optics and Metrology Group at Diamond Light Source wish to procure and develop a computer-controlled optical surfacing (CCOS) machine. The CCOS machine will be used to complement the ion beam figuring (IBF) project at Diamond. It will be used to polish a variety of materials, including single crystal silicon (Si), used for X-ray mirrors, grating substrates, and multilayer mirrors substrates. It should be compatible with a range of sample sizes, up to 1000 mm (length) x 100 mm (width) x 100 mm (height). The machine should allow for polishing of various surface geometries. Using appropriate slurries and polishing heads, the machine should be capable of "super-polishing" silicon to obtain micro-roughness Sq below 0.5 nm rms, and ideally below 0.3 nm rms (as measured over a field of view of < 1mm). The machine should also be capable of deterministically polishing and correcting optical surface errors with a spatial period from 5 mm to the full length of the mirror. It should be capable of polishing strongly-curved, concave surface geometries. It is expected that the CCOS machine will be based on: a motorised stage for the workpiece (which may have one or more axes of motion, such as rotation); a motorized tool holder with at least five axes of motion (X, Y, Z, and two pivot axes A and B); a rotating polishing tool head; and a slurry feed to controllably provide polishing slurry to the tool head when it is in motion against the workpiece. An interchangeable polishing tool head that can be quickly and easily replaced, to provide suitable polishing for different sizes, shapes or materials of various optical surfaces. A simple method is also required to change the type of polishing slurry. The scope of this contract is to supply, deliver, install and commission a computer-controlled optical surfacing machine based on an interchangeable rotating tool head, motorized tool holder, mounting stage for the workpiece, and polishing slurry feed. The supplier is encouraged to comment on any aspect of the specifications and to identify possible modifications that could lead to either improved performance or reduced cost (without compromising the performance specification)

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-052a92
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046119-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)


CPV Codes

38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£238,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£238,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Aug 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
2 Jul 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 Jul 20257 months ago
Contract Period
31 Jul 2025 - 2 Feb 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE LIMITED
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@diamond.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
DIDCOT
Postcode
OX11 0DE
Post Town
Oxford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC

Local Authority
Vale of White Horse
Electoral Ward
Blewbury & Harwell
Westminster Constituency
Didcot and Wantage

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CHANGSHA AFISY TECHNOLOGIES

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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