Non destructive testing and evaluation is a key area of research at Swansea Metropolitan University. The university is the lead academic partner in the NDT Validation Centre at ECM2 Port Talbot operated by TWI. Funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and from the EPSRC has facilitated the acquisition of state of the art equipment, including ultrasonics, infrared thermography, computerised photoelastic stress measurement and scanning laser Doppler vibrometry. In addition to these resources, the university is well equipped with conventional optical microscopy and high speed digital video facilities.

Infrared Thermography
Infrared thermography is widely used as an inspection technique in condition monitoring and has a rapidly growing range of applications in non destructive testing, particularly applied to composite materials. The university has both pulse active and passive thermography facilities, the latter being equipped with a lock-in capability, enabling the camera to follow specified points on a moving object.

Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer
Multiple Beam Laser Doppler Vibrometer (MB-LDV) is an easy-to-use, non-contact instrument capable of simultaneously measuring vibrations at Multiple locations on a target, with extremely high sensitivity.

Photoelasticity
The Grey-field Polariscope System Components analyse photoelastic fringes which appears within a stressed specimen. A circular polarised light is passed through the object and the computer software DeltaVision measurers the amount of ellipticity to calculate the stress. The instrument can be used in transmission and in reflective mode.

Additional Facilities
In addition to the NDT facilities listed above, we also have a range of other test equipment, including a vibration rig, an accelerated weathering test rig and a ballistics test cell, with a temperature controlled target chamber, enabling impacts to be created at temperatures ranging from -10 ˚C to 50 ˚C.

Contact details: Richard Thomas, Head of the School of Logistics & Manufacturing Engineering Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone/fax: 01792 481168

Dr Tyra Oseng, Senior Research Associate Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Telephone: 01792 481205