Company Profile
Company History
Redlake’s decades-long evolution has been anything but simple. Now a known giant in the high-speed digital imaging industry, the company first opened its doors from its modest Palo Alto-based lab in California in the early 1960s. Spanning more than forty years as a major supplier of high-tech imaging systems, Redlake has undergone multiple transformations: from its nascent days as a high-speed film camera developer to its current digital imaging designs, the company’s long history has been the cornerstone of its success.
Then known as Redlake Laboratories, the company sold as many as 10,000 high-speed film systems within its first decade of operation. Its highlight products included:
- HYCAM rotary prism cameras with frame rates up to 44,000 frames-per-second
- LOCAM Streak Camera
- FASTAX rotary prism camera (20,000 frames-per-second)
As a public company listed on the Over-the-Counter-Exchange (OTC), Redlake Laboratories changed its name to Redlake Camera Corp. in 1970. It would again change its name to Redlake Camera in 1991 after merging with ATEK Systems.
In 1994, Redlake Camera introduced the world’s first high-speed video camera, which it sold to Visual Instrumentation Corp. a year later. Then, in 1997, the company underwent yet another merger with Transact.exe Corp., officially changing its name to Redlake Imaging.
Spin Physics, the company which would later join Redlake under Roper Industries, began its evolution from its San Diego-based lab in the 1960s, where it refurbished quad heads for the broadcast industry.
In the early 1980s, after SpinPhysics became a subsidiary of Eastman Kodak, it split off from refurbishing quad heads to systems divisions and later evolved into a tape-based film system designer. The company’s revolutionary new magnetic tape design permitted optimum storage on its film by laying magnetic particles onto the tape vertically rather than horizontally, as was the traditional method.
The company’s SP 2000 tape-based system, which would eventually lead to the development of the first digital imaging system, moved tape across magnetic heads 250 inches-per-second and allowed users to play back the footage at a slower speed for slow motion analysis.
SpinPhysics changed its name to Kodak Motion Analysis Systems Division (MASD) by 1990. One of its highlight products during this time was the first electronic memory (EM) video machine for crash testing, at both 1,000 frames-per-second (EM 1000) and with split frames of up to 12,000 (EM 1012).
In 1999, Redlake Imaging was purchased by Roper Industries, marking one of the most significant turning-points in its extensive history. As a result of the marriage between the two companies, Redlake currently stands as one of the top designers of high-speed motion analysis cameras in the industry.
High-Speed Digital Imaging with Motion Cameras
Redlake’s high-speed cameras are designed to tackle difficult industrial and application problems. They also save time and expenses for users by providing imaging at very high frame rates. Redlake’s high-speed cameras can capture and play back rapid movements and allow users to slow down the motion to analyze image details. Redlake’s designs are used in a variety of industries, including:
- Research, Design and Testing: Superb light sensitivity, robust features and long recording times make Redlake motion cameras versatile analytical solutions for these markets. The availability of specialized motion analysis software helps users get more information from their recordings.
- Range, Aerospace and Ballistics: Using the combination of high frame rates and onboard memory for ballistic tests, missile intercepts and projectile impacts are captured from start to finish. Redlake cameras work seamlessly with IRIG timing systems to precisely control and synchronize multiple systems, even when located miles apart.
- Manufacturing and Production Line Diagnostics: Redlake cameras pay for themselves by recording high-speed problems on the production line for motion analysis, diagnosis, and repair.
- Automotive: Vehicle impact testing, on-board and off-board airbag deployment, and safety component testing. Rugged Redlake systems handle impacts of up to 100+ Gs.