This allows businesses to innovate with new material applications, support substitution of alternate materials due to supply chain issues or assess in-service products. The MTF will enable the early uptake of new materials and allow quicker product development, supporting industrial innovation that will align to the government’s green recovery programme, boosting jobs, generating economic impact, and developing new skills.
NPL has a wide range of materials expertise in the fields of advanced composites, metals, ceramics, additive manufacturing and coatings. In conjunction with these capabilities, the MTF serves as a UK centre of excellence for research and commercial services providing materials assurance to UK industry.
The MTF is furnished with state-of-the-art test equipment from NPL’s partner Instron, installed in such a way as to address the current, emerging and future requirements of research and industrial application.
The MTF is said to enable material suppliers, designers, end-users and process technology providers to evaluate, characterise and adopt advanced materials with confidence. Sectors benefiting include aerospace, renewables, oil and gas, marine, defence, construction, rail and automotive.
The MTF is already being used to conduct projects under NPL’s Measurement for Recovery (M4R) programme.
Mark Summers, NPL’s head of advanced manufacturing, said: “NPL’s mission is to provide the measurement capability that underpins the UK's prosperity and quality of life, and the opening of the Mechanical Test Facility is that mission in action. As businesses continue to face diverse challenges due to COVID-19, using this facility will help to support their recovery through innovation.