Greenwoods were selected to configure, test and deliver 110 control cabinets for the project. The purpose-built cabinets house sensitive electronic control and monitoring units for ultra-high vacuum pumps, gauges and other specialised equipment used on the Diamond project.

On average, the company builds up to 100 such cabinets per month for telecoms customers. There is also a dedicated cabinet building facility located at its base in Birmingham, which enables it to build; test, service and commission cabinets onsite.

The Diamond control cabinets contain a wide array of specialist units that were delivered to Greenwoods from Germany and the United States. The cabinets were configured in-house at Greenwoods with a three-week build and a three-week testing process for each of the 110 cabinets. The testing process was driven by the necessity for the sophisticated control modules to have a zero failure rate when delivered. For Greenwoods, the project reinforces its position as a leading provider of bespoke solutions and not just to telecommunications and datacoms companies but elsewhere too.

“With a project of this magnitude, quality was everything”, commented Greenwoods Project Director, Martin Townsend. “We are extremely proud and excited to have played such an integral role in one of the most important scientific projects in recent years”.

Diamond Light Source represents a huge opportunity for scientific development in the UK and elsewhere. Ensuring that the quality of the materials and solutions that contribute to Diamond was of paramount importance to the success of the project. Greenwoods’ combination of technical expertise and strict adherence to quality standards meant it was among a small number of firms capable of providing what was needed for the project.

The Diamond synchrotron is the largest scientific facility to be built in the United Kingdom in nearly thirty years, with construction costs estimated at around £250 million. The facility can be compared to a series of ‘super microscopes’, which allows scientists to view matter and materials they could not otherwise view. These super microscopes will enable investigation into areas such as the human genome, new medicines, pollutants and complex electronic materials.