HARMAN TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT ONGOING INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM

HARMAN technology Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of analogue photographic films, darkroom papers, and photo chemicals, has further reaffirmed their commitment to the future of analogue photography with multi-million-pound investments in pioneering tech, cementing its place as a world-leader in manufacturing film.

Following the hugely successful launch of HARMAN Phoenix 200, the first ever colour film made entirely from emulsion-to-cassette at its Mobberley factory, the company is building on this success through significant investment in its operational and Research & Development capabilities creating one of, if not the, largest and most active R&D departments in the industry.

Modernisation

Alongside this, HARMAN is undertaking one of the most significant film modernisation projects of the 21st century, designing and building two new state-of-the-art converting machines – the first to be produced since before the millennium.

Greg Summers, managing director at HARMAN Technology, said: “Film photography is a passion, not just a hobby, for millions of people across the world. Analogue cameras and skills have been passed down through generations, and we’re seeing new people fall in love with film photography every day. However, users have limited choice and manufacturers are battling old machinery and processes, and replacement parts that just don’t exist anymore. We’re taking a huge leap to address that with this investment.

“Our hub in Mobberley is going to become a centre of photographic excellence, as we aim to pioneer new ways to manufacture, produce and develop film – both black and white and colour. It’s now a better time than ever to push resources into our team and build on the market’s momentum. We’re making sure that we have a wealth of young talent that is ready to take the reins from industry veterans, combining their experience with innovative processes to produce and protect the future of film photography.”

The new kit

The new kit, which will more than double the number of film cassettes Harman can produce every year, has been designed from scratch and custom-built for the business. The equipment manufactures the metal cassettes that house the film, before ‘spooling’ the 35mm photographic film into the cassettes and boxing them ready to be shipped around the world.  Further similar investments are planned that will also complement existing operations, improving capacity, and productivity over the next few years. The investment will also serve to support businesses in the wider film industry, who rely on HARMAN to help with manufacturing and distributing their own products.

David Jenkinson, HARMAN’s operations director said: “This type of equipment has not been commissioned by film manufacturers since the 1990s. So, the team has had to start from scratch, designing the equipment from the ground up, introducing modern standards of throughput and automation.”

To find out more about HARMAN Technology and our commitment to the future of photographic film, please contact us.

ABOUT US

HARMAN Technology Ltd, trading as both HARMAN Photo and ILFORD Photo, is a pioneering imaging specialist based in Mobberley, Cheshire. The company - which has evolved from the original ILFORD company formed by Alfred Harman in 1879 – manufactures the HARMAN Photo, ILFORD Photo, and KENTMERE ranges of analogue photographic products.

For more information on the HARMAN Technology brands visit:
www.harmanphoto.co.uk // www.ilfordphoto.com // www.harmanlab.com // www.harmantechnology.com //