State-of-the-art equipment installed at the National Composites Centre

Research carried out by University of Bristol academics together with composite manufacturing and training has been given a boost thanks to the installation at the National Composites Centre (NCC) of a new autoclave and CT scanner. The equipment has been funded as part of a £3 million grant awarded to the University from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Placing the CT scanner and autoclave, worth £1.1 million, at the NCC complements the extensive training facilities and facilitates the widest possible access for both academia and industry.

The Nikon XTH320 CT scanner uses x-rays to assess internal structures, and is capable of analysing large samples of up to 0.6m x 0.6m and 100kg, with a spot size of 10-40 microns. The ASC autoclave has been designed to be highly instrumented, integrated with a suite of sensing technologies, allowing NCC Members, customers and researchers to undertake detailed in-process monitoring. A better fundamental understanding of the manufacturing process will allow users to optimise both processes and products, leading to reduced cost and increased quality, ultimately increasing the take-up of composite materials.

Professor Kevin Potter, NCC Chair in Composites Manufacturing from the University of Bristol’s Advanced Centre for Composites Innovation and Science (ACCIS), said: “Placing this new equipment at the NCC’s state-of-the-art facilities will not only allow us to undertake world-class research in composites manufacture, but also facilitate the widest possible use of the equipment, by universities, NCC’s members and SMEs.”

The £28 million expansion of the NCC last year greatly enhanced the capabilities and capacity of the NCC, with the installation of the latest composites technology to enable a greater focus on supporting sectors such as automotive. The creation of the cutting-edge industrial learning facilities offers a unique opportunity for organisations to have staff trained in a realistic and safe workplace setting.  The NCC, a world-leading research and technology hub owned by the University of Bristol, offers a programme of training and workshops for a wide range of composites engineering and manufacturing disciplines.

Brian Thornton, Training Specialist at the National Composites Centre, added: “We are delighted this equipment has been placed here by the University of Bristol. This will enhance our extensive training facilities, allowing them to be better utilised by SMEs. This will give small and large businesses alike access to industrial learning facilities for composite manufacture.”

For more information on this equipment and the extensive training facilities available at the NCC, go to www.nccuk.com.