Equipment technology
SOMOS IWT is a manufacturer of industry-leading equipment & technologies for critical surface preparation and material slicing to high technology industries. Our equipment technologies include:
- Double-side lapping, fine grinding and polishing
- Single-side lapping, fine grinding and polishing
- Single and multi-wire diamond wire slicing
Locations
SOMOS IWT Headquarters
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
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Operations include - Manufacturing, R&D, process & product development; technical support, sales, administration
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Site – 3,000 m2 (34,000 sqft)
SOMOS SAS, Headquarters for European Market
Poitiers, France
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Operations Include - Manufacturing, R&D, process & product development; technical support; sales, administration
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Site – 4,500 m2 (44,000 sqft)
SOMOS SAS
Chambéry, France
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Operations Include - Technical support; sales, administration
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Site – 200 m2 (2,200 sqft)
SOMOS Nanotec CH and SOMTEC CH
La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland
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Operations Include – Manufacturing; R&D, Process Development technical support; sales, administration
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Site – 3,000m2 (33,000 sqft)
Nanotec Dalian
Dalian, China
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Operations Include – Manufacturing of machine mechanicals; China - technical support; sales, administration
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Site – 3,000m2 (33,000 sqft)
Applications and Materials
SOMOS IWT turnkey solutions support our customer's most demanding and advancing requirements in high-precision surfacing and slicing applications.
Applications:
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Data Storage
- Medical Horology
- Military and Definse
- Precision Optics
- Semiconductor
- Telecom
Materials:
- Alumina
- BBO
- Ceramics
- CdTe
- CZT
- Ferrite
- GaAs
- GaN
- Germanium
- Gold
- InP
- LBO
- LYSO
- Magnets
- Metals
- Platinum
- Quartz
- Sapphire
- SiC
- Sintered Materials and Carbides
- Silicon
- Stainless Steel
- Steel
- YAG
Company history
SOMOS IWT's "Born in Optics" history began in Paris, France. Our optics lineage started in 1901 as a precision optics machine manufacturer called the Machines Charlot company.
In 1958, the Silvestre family acquired Machines Charlot and the company began designing, developing and manufacturing machines to precision optics and high-tech customers. The SOMOS-Group was formed and evolved in other high-tech markets to produce equipment technologies that are market-leading in each segment for both surface processing and diamond wire saw.
Aside from U.S. Headquarters, European activities are grouped in three sites: 1) A factory in Chambery (Savoie), 2) a factory near Futuroscope, and 3) the process branch in La Chaux de Fonds (Switzerland). The U.S. SOMOS-Group operates globally on an area of 12,500m² and brings together more than 150 people.
1901
Founded
Machines Charlot founded in Paris as Precision Optics over-arm, flat & spherical machine manufacturer.
1901
1958
Expansion
Joseph Silvestre (family of current ownership) purchased the company which becomes Silvestre & Co.
1968
IWT Founded
IWT founding company to design and develop core core technology for diamond wire saw process.
1968
1971
René Silvestre becomes CEO
René Silvestre (founder son) become CEO, company. Revised company name to become - SOMOS (Silvestre Machines and Tools for Optics).
1972
First double-sided machine
Introduction of MDF400 and MDF600. Design and production of first double-side polishing machine. Double side machines at this time are a minor part of the business.
1972
1984
Introduced large size machines
Introduction of MDF1000 and MDF1200.
Design and production of first “large” machine in SOMOS series. 1000mm (40”) and 1200mm (42”). Starting an evolution of machines that are robust, powerful and electronically driven with load cell, temperature-controlled plates and all parts in contact with the process are rustproof. Thus, creating SOMOS Double-side architecture to become the major part of our business activity.
1995
Introduced fully automated machines
Design and Production. Two fully automated cells - Single-side & double-side lap & polish, cleaning and control system MDF1000 and MDF1200. Application - Production of fuel injector parts at 140,000 units / day.
1995
2001
Introduced the MDF 1600
Design and production MDF 1600 (63”) plate diameter for lapping, polishing of precision optics components.
2006
Introduced the TPM 2300 & TPM 2500
Design and production of worlds largest double side machines. 2300mm (90”) and 2500 (100”) plate diameter. Application is for industry leading precision optics.
2006
2021
Purchased Innov Wire Tech (IWT)
SOMOS Group acquires Colorado Springs, Colorado based Innov Wire Tech (IWT) to become SOMOS IWT, Inc.
2021 - Present
U.S. Headquarters
SOMOS IWT, Inc. establishes US Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
2021 - Present
Our products are designed and manufactured in North America.