Materials Testing and Analysis Unit
The Materials Testing and Analysis Unit consists of a dedicated team of Project Officers, acting as a quick response unit able to undertake projects at short notice. Such projects can be commercial or research based, and can range from a couple of hours work through to several months. The Unit is the only XRD Residual Stress Measurement laboratory in the UK to be accredited to ISO 17025:2005, ensuring that it offers quality and control of work to the highest standard.
The Unit – which commenced operation in November 2002 - primarily uses the technique of X-Ray Diffraction to determine residual stresses within critical components for the aerospace industry. It has access to the knowledge and expertise of academia, and can facilitate access to a wide range of materials related analysis techniques in addition to those concerned with the measurement of residual stress. Ownership of the Unit resides with the University of Manchester.
Work is carried out on a commercial consultancy basis to confirm the integrity of existing manufacturing processes, to assess the likely performance of newly designed components, and to analyse component failures.
The Unit's workload is expanding beyond aerospace to other sectors of industry.
Techniques
We cover techniques from Stress and Damage Characterisation:
- Atomic force microscopy
- C Scan analysis
- 3D Coordinate measuring
- Electron speckle pattern interferometry
- Image correlation
- Laboratory X-ray diffraction
- Magnetic methods for stress measurement
- Nanoindentation
- Neutron strain measurement
- Portable X-ray stress measurement
- Raman spectroscopy
- Scanning acoustic microscopy
- Residual stress measurement using the slitting method
- X ray tomography
Customer Base
In our first six years of operation we have provided services for:
Aeroengine Bearings, Airbus, Alstom, Apeks, BAe, Blackburn Brothers, Bodycote, BP, CAPCIS, Castings Technology, Christian Salvesen, Cosworth Racing, Crown Packaging, DePuy, Degremont, Dunlop Aerospace, Eaton, ESR, Farrel, Feranti Technology, Goodrich, Kingspan Panels, M & I Materials, Messier-Dowty, MoD, NAMTEC, NCode, NPL, Rekri8, Renault F1, Rolls-Royce, Rosler, Serco, Siemens, SUMAC, Timet, TSC, TWI, University of Birmingham, University of Oxford, VSMPO Tirus, Weir-Warman
Key themes
Residual Stress Measurement for Industry
Members of Staff
Dr Andrew Winn – Senior Project Officer and Technical Manager
a.j.winn@manchester.ac.uk
Peter Worth – Project Officer and Quality Manager
peter.worth@manchester.ac.uk
Chris Pryor – Project Officer
chris.pryor@manchester.ac.uk