Corporate Profile
Stress Photonics uses Photoelastic, Thermoelastic and Thermal NDE methods to complete a full line of full-field stress and strain measurement instruments.

The Stress Photonics web site contains a wealth of information; application notes, theory, company information, and links to other valuable on-line resources pertaining to full-field stress and strain analysis and NDE (non-destructive evaluation).

For glass inspection products please visit www.glassphotonics.com.
Awards
In 1994, the DeltaTherm 1000 was selected by more than 75 leading scientists to receive the coveted R&D 100 Award. Sponsored by R&D Magazine, this international competition honored the DeltaTherm as one of the most important new technological advances of the year.

The scope of this award is far-reaching. During the past 40 years of R&D Magazine's competition, many products that are now commonplace have been winners, such as the electronic video recorder (1969), anti-lock brakes (1969), the automated teller machine (1973), the fax machine (1975), Kodak Photo CD (1991), and the digital compact cassette (1993).
Jon Lesniak, Co-founder, Board Director, President and CEO
Mr. Lesniak received his Masters Degree from University of Wisconsin in 1991. At the University of Wisconsin, Jon was awarded the Kurt F. Wendt Memorial Scholarship for outstanding performance as an engineering student. At Stress Photonics, he has been the lead product developer with eleven (11) patents to his credit in the areas of thermal and optical methods. He served as principal investigator for many contracts responsible for spawning commercial test instruments including the DeltaTherm Stress Measurement System (NASA 1991-94, US Air Force 1993-1997 ) and the Grey-Field Polariscope Strain Measurement System (NASA 1997-99). Jon has completed contracts with the US Federal Highway Administration to develop thermal methods for the inspection of bridges and has an ongoing work with NASA to inspect the windshields of the space shuttle fleet. Mr. Lesniak has presented many papers to technical societies in the areas of photoelasticity, thermoelasticity, and thermal methods.

Mr. Lesniak was part of the Stress Photonics team that received the R&D 100 award in 1994 for the DeltaTherm 1000. The RD 100 award is given by RD magazine acknowledging the top 100 innovative new products of the year. Jon was also awarded the Adronicos G. Kantsios Award for a paper presented at SPIE Thermosense XIX, April 1997. This award is in recognition of an outstanding paper of exceptional merit and content.
Brad Boyce, Board Director
Mr. Boyce attended the University of Wisconsin and completed a masters in Engineering Mechanics in 1978. His studies were concentrated on fatigue life prediction, experimental mechanics, and engineering instrumentation. After graduation he joined John Deere Horicon Works in Horicon, Wisconsin as a Test Engineer. His responsibilities there included the installation and implementation of new technologies to aid in product design and development. In the mid-1980’s he developed instrumentation and software for thermoelastic stress analysis that was later to become one of the building blocks of Stress Photonics. Mr. Boyce joined Stress Photonics in 1990. His primary responsibilities include many of the system and software aspects of the products.

Mr. Boyce has been active in the Society for Experimental Mechanics since 1973. He has served as local section chairman, chairman of the Thermal Methods division, twice as a conference chairman, and as a member of the board of directors of SEM. In 2000 SEM recognized Brad with the Brewer Award for outstanding practicing engineer. Over his engineering career Mr. Boyce has authored and co-authored a broad range of technical papers on topics in engineering measurement and instrumentation.
The Market
Stress Photonics full-field stress and strain analysis instruments have entered numerous markets from automotive & aerospace to biotechnology. Initially, Stress Photonics supplied instruments to fortune 500 product design test centers & academic researchers. Developments now concentrate on higher volume lower cost stress analysis equipment that may also be implemented as quality control instruments.

Stress Photonics is now developing and providing real-time, on-line inspection equipment for the broader manufacturing sector. The GFP 1200 and now the GFP 2000 are playing important roles in the quality control of glass and translucent products. From automotive glass to heart valve membranes, Stress Photonics is working to improve its customers productivity and product quality.

Stress Photonics has key patents in non-destructive evaluation of civil and aerospace structures using thermal methods. Work continues with the Federal Highway Administration to bring these concepts into practice.

Relationships have been established with major Universities to develop process control systems for the manufacture of silicon wafer as well as plastic film and paper.
Leadership
Jon Lesniak, President and Brad Boyce, Director, are two of today's most respected names in Thermoelastic and Photoelastic Stress Analysis.

Click here to read more about Mr. Lesniak

Click here to read more about Mr. Boyce
History
Stress Photonics was formed in 1988 as a spin off of the University of WI. By integrating innovative scientific concepts, military grade infrared technology, and high-speed image processing, Stress Photonics introduced a revolutionary new full-field stress analysis tool (the DeltaTherm 1000) into the burgeoning real-time quality control market.