Projects

Typical consultancy projects include:

• Failure investigations
• Expert witness
• Materials consultant
• Product development
• Process development
• Alloy selection
• Heat Treatment
• Surface Treatment
• Quality improvement
• Productivity improvement

Materials

Extensive materials experience includes:

• Irons and steels, including microalloy steels
• Aluminium, magnesium, titanium and copper-based alloys
• Plastics and rubbers
• Polymeric composites
• Tribological materials, including bearings and friction materials
• Sealing materials, including gaskets
• Metal matrix composites
• Paints and Coatings

Processes

Comprehensive process knowledge includes:

• Casting, including continuous and squeeze
• Powder metallurgy, including aluminium and copper
• Rolling, including powder
• Forging
• Extrusion, including continuous
• Heat treatment
• Injection moulding

Facilities

Extensive laboratory facilities include:

• Reichert Polyvar Met research grade optical microscope
• Leitz Miniload 2 Microhardness Tester
• Leo 435VP variable pressure electron microscope
• Oxford Instruments Isis energy dispersive x-ray analyser
• Nicolet Impact 410 FTIR

Applications

Application experience includes:

• Automotive: eg powertrain, valvetrain, brakes and suspension
• Industrial: eg lifting equipment, hydraulics and tooling
• Aerospace
• Railway
• Marine
• Food Processing
• Pipework and plumbing
• Medical devices
• Electronic devices
• Paint analysis
• Dust analysis
• Contaminant and foreign body analysis