TLC International, with world headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona USA, is home of the TLC Phoenix-600^® and TLC Summit Gen-5 High-accuracy Mechanical Rectilinear/SHAPES Glass Cutters for flat panel display and specialty thin flat glass industries.  TLC also provides process development consulting in various FPD, photonics-related and specialty glass product industries, as well as training, service, spare parts, consumable tooling, and Toyo tungsten carbide cutting wheels. 

In 1998, TLC founder/president, Ernest K. Linden, formed a partnership alliance with Dennis K. Miller, president of Summit Precision, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona USA.  A unique Engineering Development Team with over 75 years of collective experience in close-tolerance glass cutting technology and machine design/build experience was established to develop a new concept high-accuracy mechanical glass cutting machine.

Prototype production of the first generation TLC Phoenix-600^® began early 1999, and was introduced to the Flat Panel Display industry at the May 2000 Society for Information Display (SID) International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition in Long Beach, California USA.  Its overwhelming industry acceptance has been confirmed by duplicate to multi-unit orders.  Precision Glass & Optics, Santa Ana, California, placed the first purchase order in May 2000 and the machine was installed in February 2001.

TLC introduced the second-generation TLC Phoenix-600^® at Microdisplay 2001 in Westminster, Colorado USA.  Innovative software changes and hardware upgrades allowed the new model to provide maximum utilization of substrate real estate by "nesting" or "clustering" AutoCAD^® .dxf files, to greatly reduce manufacturing waste of expensive substrates.  Improved alignment/inspection without the need of other measuring equipment provide higher accuracy in positioning and inspecting of targeted rectilinear parts, as well as targeted circular parts, particularly in laminate form. 

In April 2001, Carol L. Foggia joined TLC's Team as Financial Manager, adding a new dimension to all accounting matters, including  more in-depth inventory control and accounting management.

In April 2002, TLC International solidified an alliance with Toyo Industrial Co, Ltd. of Osaka, Japan, to distribute Toyo's electric-discharge-ground, long-life, 4.0 mm and 2.5 mm tungsten carbide wheels to high-tech industrial manufacturers throughout the world. The combination of a Toyo TAP (vibrating) wheel and TLC's calibrated wheel-placement accuracy produced even closer tolerance, pristine afterbreak edge quality.

At SID 2002 Boston, TLC introduced the brand new Toyo tungsten carbide wheel (Deep Cut) that drives scribe energy 20% deeper into a substrate with no additional pressure.  Used in conjunction with a TLC Phoenix-600^®, this innovative wheel has revolutionized high tolerance thin glass cutting, particularly laminated substrates, as efforts required for breakout are minimized. 

In January 2004, Larry S. Linden, joined the TLC Team to steer the Global Engineering, Installation and Service Department.  His vast travel experience and international business relations have made him a key asset and vital part of TLC International.

The third generation TLC Phoenix-600^® was introduced at SID 2004 Seattle.  The Gen-3 TLC Phoenix-600^® adds key features of precision linear encoder feedback for greater accuracy in cutting irregularly shaped parts, highly repeatable close-tolerance cutting of circular, curvilinear and X-Y, and maximum substrate space utilization due to layout no longer being limited to rows and columns.  Even shapes of different configurations can be cut on the same substrate in one program.

At SID 2005 in Boston, the TLC Summit Gen-5^® High-Accuracy Glass Cutter was showcased and the flat panel display industry greeted it with overwhelming acceptance.  With key features similar to the TLC Phoenix-600, but larger [46" x 58" / 1160mm x 1460mm] cutting stage, and small footprint (68" x 94"/ 1727 mm x 2388 mm), this machine is designed to meet the high demand production of Gen 5 and 5.5 substrates. Naugatuck Glass placed an order for the first machine at that show., sight-unseen.  

In May 2005, TLC received CE Certification for equipment shipping to the European Union.

In June 2005, TLC International moved to its new World Headquarters in the Linden Corporate Center, marking a milestone in growth and creating more expansion possiblities vital in keeping up with the skyrocketing FPD, photonics, and specialty technical glass industries.

In August 2005, David E. Bryant joined the TLC Team as IT/Security Manager, expanding TLC's Internet Technology presence, maintaining broadband telephone and computer systems, and ensuring secure confidentiality of all telecommunications and on-site and off-site data. 

In October 2005, TLC International Asia, Ltd. was established, with K.K. (Neal) Ang as Managing Director.  With sales/support offices in Singapore and Hong Kong.   

A new alliance with SooYun Tech. Company, Ltd., headed by Keith Kwang Hoon Park, for sales/support in Korea is also established in October 2005.

In December 2005, TLC International Asia, Ltd. opened an office in Shenzhen, China.  Future expansion plans include an office in Shanghai, China in 2007.

Since 1998, Maribeth V. Linden, Vice President of Global Sales/Marketing, has propelled TLC sales into nine countries on three continents: North America, Europe, and  Asia.  Vast experience in international high-tech marketing and sales gives Maribeth a strong command of current global trends and forecasts.  She has been closely involved in the high-tech glass cutting industry since 1986.

TLC is a Sustaining Member of Society for International Display (SID), a Corporate Member of The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) , a Corporate Member of the Arizona Optics Industry Association (AOIA), and is active in several other technical societies including SAIAA, and OSA.  Participation in numerous trade shows in Hong Kong, Japan, Europe and the USA has given TLC worldwide presence and recognition.  Industry giants such as 3M, Corning, DuPont, and Lockheed Martin are among many satisfied TLC customers worldwide.

Once only a dream, TLC International now stands as a globally recognized leader in FPD, photonics, optics and specialty thin flat glass/substrate cutting industries.  Striving always to maintain a close tie with technology advancements, TLC continues to track the latest trends in glass cutting technology to remain a viable part of the escalating, exciting microelectronics business of the 21^st Century.