Block Engineering Wins $4.38M Government Contract

Marlborough, Massachusetts — Block Engineering announced today that it has been awarded a new $4,380,000 government contract to develop a fieldable, handheld infrared spectrometer that utilizes Block’s unique laser and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies. The spectrometer will be used for standoff detection of solid and liquid explosive materials or other substances that could be used for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Block’s technology could also be used for the detection of Chemical Warfare Agents, Non-Traditional Agents and Toxic Industrial Chemicals.

“Block’s unique laser and MEMS technologies will enable the detection and identification of these substances in the field and provide our warfighters with a powerful tool in order to protect them against the devastating effects of IEDs,” said Dr. Petros Kotidis, CEO of Block Engineering. “Block has a long history of delivering rugged, high performance instruments to government agencies and these new devices will be the next generation of substance identifying, mobile systems with unprecedented capabilities.”

About Block Engineering:

Block Engineering is a leading developer of high performance infrared spectrometers for chemical detection and analysis to military, government, commercial, and industrial customers. Its Mobile Chemical Agent Detector (MCAD) system, in partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation, and, PORTHOS™, a portable FT-IR spectrometer system, remotely detect chemical threats as far as 3 miles and protect against chemical warfare agents and weapons of mass destruction. Block’s systems are currently used to protect critical infrastructure in the Washington Capital region. Following this success, Block has applied its extensive knowledge of spectroscopy and chemical detection towards revolutionary MEMS and laser based, miniaturized spectrometers, such as the ChemPen™ – a low cost, FTIR chemical detector the size of a fountain pen – and the LaserScan™ – a handheld laser-based infrared spectrometer.

Block Engineering is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA. For more information, visit blockeng.com.

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