The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre has received international accreditation for three laboratory testing and calibration techniques, marking a significant endorsement for the centre’s materials testing and research capabilities.
The AFRC becomes one of only a few organisations in the UK to gain ISO 17025:2005 for measuring the geometry and dimensions of parts with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM).
Similarly, it is one of only a small number of places in the UK to be accredited to ISO17025 standard for measuring residual stress in engineering materials and components using both X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and incremental central hole-drilling (ICHD) methods.
ISO 17025:2005 is the AFRC’s third accreditation, adding to its ISO 9001 and BS18001 certificates. The former recognises the centre’s ability to meet customer and regulatory requirements, while the latter assures a high level of health and safety.
Dr Salah Rahimi, principal materials fellow at the AFRC, said: “By achieving this international standard, our expertise in materials research has been recognised at the highest level.
It underlines our commitment to advancing our research in this area and further develops the trust our customers put in us to work on their projects.
“For a number of years now we have been investing heavily in our materials research capabilities – particularly in the area of residual stress. These capabilities are the back-bone of many of the centre’s research projects. This standard acknowledges all of this hard work and gives further credit to our research findings.”
The UK’s biggest digital manufacturing show!
Liverpool and the North West’s advanced manufacturing is in the spotlight as the region plays host to 4000 manufacturers from across the country at Smart Factory Expo – the biggest digital manufacturing show in the country.
The UK’s largest standalone 4IR expo coincides with the government’s much anticipated Industrial Strategy, and this year features:
- More than 100 Exhibitors – including: Autodesk, Cisco, Dell EMC, IBM, Innovate UK, Oracle Netsuite, Rockwell Automation, and Siemens.
- Free Factory Tours – including tours to: Jaguar Land Rover, Sensor City, Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC). Find out more.
- Dedicated Exhibition Zones – Industrial Automation, Digital Transformation, Smart Factories, and Industrial Internet.
- Free Conference Content – 90 presentations over both days from world-class manufacturers and technology experts.
- Practical Workshops – curated by the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, with case studies from BAE Systems, Caterpillar, Rolls-Royce and more.
- Innovation Alley – lifting the lid on the UK’s manufacturing high-tech start-up scene.
- Hack and Pitch – a competition that offers an opportunity for larger manufacturing companies to engage directly with exciting new enterprises developing cutting-edge solutions around smart factories. Find out more.
