Metal (Production and Processing)

A UK based engineering company specialising in non-destructive testing for additive manufacturing and other safety-critical applications. Its core value proposition is to provide rapid, reliable defect detection in complex components so that customers can improve quality, reduce scrap and rework, and increase confidence in critical parts. Conventional inspection approaches such as visual inspection, dye penetrant testing and standard ultrasonic methods can struggle with internal features, complex geometries and some advanced materials. Computed tomography (CT) scanning and similar high-cost imaging methods can provide size and location detail, but they are more expensive to acquire and operate and can be difficult to scale for industrial throughput. The resolution of such systems also limits them to small components. This nonlinear resonance system is positioned as a cost-effective and faster alternative or complement for screening and qualification workflows in additive manufacturing and other safety-critical applications The core innovation is a patented nonlinear resonance NDT modality embodied in an industrial inspection system. The technology enables rapid and repeatable detection of internal and surface-breaking defects in complex components that are difficult or impossible to assess effectively using conventional methods alone. The system has been successfully applied to conventionally machined metal parts, additively manufactured metal parts, composites, thermoplastics and ceramics. The first product, commercially available and deployed with early customers, provides both go/no-go outputs for production workflows and richer diagnostic data for research, process qualification and failure analysis. A second product is in development with an expected 12 to 18 month horizon and is intended to provide an automated NDT of small, lightweight, high precision components. Target customers include businesses in aerospace, defence, power generation, automotive and any sector using high-precision, safety-critical parts, especially metallic additive manufacturing components. The business model combines capital equipment sales in low to moderate volumes with technical assistance, application development, software updates and service contracts. The company is already active internationally, with market reach across six countries and current engagement with customers and collaborators in North America and Europe, and it plans to establish a US presence when funding allows. The company also contributes to standards development for additive manufacturing through engagement with ASTM and BSI activities. Suitable partner activities include design, production and qualification of safety-critical parts, quality assurance for metallic additive manufacturing, non-destructive testing, inspection method development, defect characterisation and standards development. Under a commercial agreement with technical assistance, partners would acquire the technology and work with the company on installation, method optimisation, staff training and deployment in production or R&D settings. Under a research cooperation agreement, partners would pool R&D capabilities to explore new applications, additional materials, more complex geometries and future standards-related work for additive manufacturing quality assurance. Advantages and innovations: The innovation lies in the use of patented nonlinear resonance techniques for the non-destructive testing of complex parts and advanced materials, creating an inspection modality that can reveal defects which conventional techniques may miss such as large contact cracks. The technology is already commercialised in a first product and has been assessed internally as late-stage TRL 8 to 9, indicating a system proven in operational environments. -Detects subtle defects and flaws in complex geometries and advanced materials, including metallic additive manufacturing components. - Supports both simple go/no-go screening for production and richer data outputs for research, process qualification and failure analysis. - Offers lower acquisition and operating costs and shorter inspection times than CT scanning and other high-cost imaging approaches. - Offers a technology that can be applied to large format parts and those of dense materials not feasible with CT scanning and other imaging methods. - Has already been applied across metals, composites, thermoplastics and ceramics, supporting broader applicability across multiple sectors - Is supported by technical assistance, application development and software updates, helping partners adapt the technology to their specific components and workflows. - Aligns with emerging standards activity in additive manufacturing testing, supported by the company’s involvement with ASTM and BSI. Expected role of a partner: The company seeks partners with established capabilities in the design, production and qualification of high-precision, safety-critical components, ideally involving metallic additive manufacturing and advanced materials. Partners should have access to representative components, established inspection workflows and the capacity to trial and integrate a new NDT modality into production or R&D processes. For research cooperation, useful expertise would include additive manufacturing process qualification, defect characterisation, structural integrity assessment, method validation and standards development Industrial companies such as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tier-1 suppliers that design and manufacture high-precision, safety-critical components, particularly those adopting metallic additive manufacturing and advanced materials. Research organisations, test laboratories and standards bodies active in additive manufacturing, non-destructive testing and structural integrity assessment are also relevant partner types. Relevant sectors include aerospace, defence, power generation, automotive and wider advanced manufacturing fields where safety-critical parts, advanced materials and additive manufacturing are strategically important. Partners are expected to integrate the nonlinear resonance non-destructive testing system into their inspection and qualification workflows using representative components and production or research and development scenarios. They would co-design and validate application-specific procedures, compare performance against current inspection methods and contribute evidence demonstrating defect detection capability and robustness in operational environments.