I'm interested in display technology companies because present display technologies are unsatisafctory to use and expensive to manufacture. This small company might be something to put on your watch list.
Wed.to, wedx.q westaim.com
They claim their iFire technology will be cheap to make and run.
iFire Technology Inc. has developed a
flat panel display technology for a new
generation of affordable
hang-on-the-wall television sets. Its
proprietary iFiretm are flat panel
displays only a few millimeters thin,
with bright, crisp, full color images,
unrestricted viewing angles and
video-rate performance over an
extended operating temperature range.
Its relatively simple, high-yield
manufacturing process gives it a cost
advantage over other flat panel display
technologies. Inherently digital, iFiretm
flat panel displays are ideal for a wide
range of applications: from small
graphic displays for transportation
instrumentation, industrial and medical
monitors to large-format HDTV-capable
flat television screens.
View the iFire Technology Inc. web
site. ifire.com
The technology lends itself to large screen applications (+ 30") which is a high mark up area right now.
The costly aspect of scaling up display technology is maintaining adequate yield. A simpler manufacturing process helps in controlling defects.
I have no idea how the company will make out in the end but the display technology industry is huge market, and a superior, low cost technology should be attractive. So far they have developed and demonstrated a 17" prototype, which for brand new display tech is good progress.
Westaim describes itself as a technology development company and it has had success, as such, with their first developmental product Acticoat, which is a medical dressing for burns and wounds which uses nanocystalline silver as the medically active ingredient. This is not a huge market compared to the display market but they have done what they said they'd do. See nucryst.com
The company has generated income operating staid businesses such as coin blank manufacturing and industrial coatings. It is closing or selling the less profitable of these businesses to concentrate more closely on the iFire and Nucryst development and keeping only the most profitable of the coating business. See PR westaim.com |
