MacDAC was a proof of concept project to investigate the commercial viability of making and selling Diamond Anvil Cells (DACs) for high pressure research.
DACs are devices for generating exceptionally high pressure to study materials using spectroscopy of X-ray scattering. They comprise two counterposed diamonds which are pressed together, with the sample held between in a hole in a metallic gasket. They exploit the fact that pressure = force/area: by applying a modest force on a very small area, they can generate very large pressures. Diamond is the essential material because it it both strong enough to generate the pressure, and transparent to allow the experimental probe, e.g. a visible light laser, to pass through. DACs can fail catastrophically - and expensively - when a diamond fractures. Very precise engineering of the DAC is required to avoid this happening, or at least to postpone it to the very highest pressure around 500GPa. Therefore, DACs are handmade from bespoke steels. Our research team together with our mechanical workshop in Edinburgh has developed the skills. and tooling to do this as part of the ERC Advanced Grant Hecate, awarded to Prof. Ackland.
We identified the target market as being high pressure research groups around the world, with a particular focus on China where research in this area has been expanding rapidly and new groups are entering the field with more interest in the Science than in the development of apparatus. We planned a major marketing drive around China and elsewhere, associated with various scientific conferences. Our own successful science was expected to be a useful marketing tool, and we prepared some demonstration DACs for exhibition. We investigated the option of working internally within our department, and of spinning off a company from the University of Edinburgh, via Edinburgh Research and Innovation. The financial structure of the university makes it impossible to carry forward money from one year to the next within departmental funds, so the spin-off became the preferred option because it would give us the possibility to manage a budget.
In early 2020, the COVID pandemic broke out and international travel became impractical. China was essentially closed to.us international conferences went online and the initial plan fell apart. We no-cost extended the grant, but at the time of writing things are only now getting back to normal.
Nevertheless, we refocussed onto online marketing, and some good progress was made. The demonstration cells still were made and from mid 2021 we were able to use personal contacts in Europe, and inline contacts in China to scope possible buyers. Indeed, by March 2022, when the proof of concept grant ended, we had obtained two orders and were preparing to make the DACs for sale. The fact that this was done in the teeth of covid difficulties is very encouraging.
Overall: "ab esse ad posse valet consequentia", we have achieved orders for our DACs which stands as proof that it is possible to achieve orders for DACs.
As the world reverts to normal, our next step is to put in place a sensible framework for the financials of a small business operation.
