English Electric Valve Company

English Electric Valve Company, currently known as E2V, is an English electronics company.

The company was founded in Chelmsford, Essex in 1947 under Serge Eisenstein. [http://www.firedirect.net/Profiles/0802_e2v/0802_001.htm Fire Direct company profile] , accessed 2 July 2008] Its initial name was the Phoenix Dynamo Co Ltd, though it immediately changed its name to English Electric Valve Company Ltd. It was soon noted for supplying 3" orthicons for the worldwide television transmission of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. Eisenstein was replaced in 1953 by Jim Young. In 1959 Bob Coulson established Traveling-wave tube and Microwave tube sections and they were producing ceramic hydrogen thyratrons as well. By this time EEV was the largest hi-tech manufacturing company in the UK. [ [http://www.refrigeration-uk.com/english-electric.asp Hawkes Refrigeration website] , accessed 2 July 2008] A year later they won an EMMY award for outstanding contribution to Electronics Technology in developing the 4 1/2"orthicon tube. [ [http://www.emmyonline.org/tech/applications/engineering_award_winners_rev6.pdf Emmy online] accessed 2 july 2008] Then in 1961 they acquired Associated Electrical Industries Valve business based in Lincoln. Sir Charles Oatley was a director of the company from 1966 to 1985. [ [http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FOATL The Papers of Sir Charles Oatley] accessed 2 July 2008] In the 1970s EEV collaborated with QinetiQ in the development of the pyroelectric vidicon, the first thermal imaging detector. ["Engineering Technology", volume 5, No 9; November 2002] EEV received a Queen's Awards for Technology for thyratrons in 1973 and once again in 1984. Hugh Menown, responsible for developing double-cathode and hollow anode thyratrons, was awarded the MBE in 1982. [ [http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/28251 Cern Courier] May 31, 2000, accessed 2 July 2008]

Current activities

e2v produce sensor technology for use in the following fields:
* Medical and science: imaging sensors for intra-oral and panoramic dental X-ray, mammography, life science applications and X-ray microscopy.
* Aerospace and defence: military surveillance, targeting and guidance, space-based imaging and astronomy, radar and electronic warfare, and broadband data converters and microprocessors for aerospace applications.
* Commercial & Industrial: marine radars, industrial safety sensors, automotive radars and alarms, thermal imaging cameras used by fire fighters, CCD and CMOS high-resolution area-scan cameras for industrial inspection.

Keith Attwood, the current chief executive, has stated that the company is particularly proud that their imaging sensors are currently orbiting Mars, Venus and Earth. [ [http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/2007121231114/q10-talking-heads/e2v-chief-executive-keith-attwood/Page-2.html "Business Weekly"] 12 December 2007, accessed 2 July 2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.e2v.com/home.cfm E2V website]