Tecan is a privately owned company, established in 1970 to serve growing demand for fine-featured precision metal parts. Using Photo Chemical Machining (PCM) - a photolithography-based process conceived during the 1950s, as an off-shoot from the manufacture of printed circuit boards - Tecan quickly attracted a wide range of work from companies who recognised the advantages of PCM manufacturing.

By the mid-seventies, Tecan had expanded through two takeovers and had moved to Dorset, on England’s South Coast. A purpose-built facility was opened in 1980 - this is now Europe’s largest plant entirely devoted to PCM and PEF manufacturing.

A commitment to technical innovation resulted in the introduction of Photo Electro Forming (PEF) in 1985. PEF - an extremely accurate process where metal is 'grown' electrolytically molecule by molecule within a photolithographically defined resist mould - complemented existing PCM capabilities and enabled a previously unseen level of precision.

Other niche operations subsequently developed to service industry-specific needs include SMT stencils, RFI shielding and high quality metal finishing.

In 2002, Tecan further expanded its technology capability with the introduction of a Micro-PEF class 1,000 cleanroom facility, opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. Micro-PEF enables Tecan to manufacture micro-parts with feature sizes measured in microns with sub-micron accuracy possible. More recently, Tecan has established a technical sales and support facility in California, in response to growing demand from the USA.

Tecan employs over 120 skilled personnel. The company is led by founder Paul Cane, who, since 1970, has steered Tecan to become a key global player in precision part manufacturing.