Composites Manufacture

Our laboratories are equipped with a range of manufacturing and test equipment:

• Aeroform autoclave (400°C, 14 bar).
• Aeroform Hot Bonder composite repair control system.
• Bipel/Bytec 40 tonne hydraulic press with hot platens up to 400°C.
• Plastech RTM injection machine and mould heater power supply.
• Vacuum and conventional ovens.
• Equipment for off-site data logging.
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and rheology.
• Infra-red thermal imaging equipment.

Rapid Prototyping

The Faculty of Technology has two rapid prototyping machines:

• Z Corporation ZPrinter^® 310 Plus monochrome 3D printer
• Objet Geometries Limited Eden250™ 3-Dimensional Printing System

and a 100 watt laser cutter/engraver with a 1 metre square bed.

The NextEngine laser 3D desktop scanner has these technical specifications while the INNOVATE Centre for Creative Industries has a Rapid Prototyping facility and a mobile non-contact 3D digital laser scanner.

Mechanical Testing

We can test materials and components on a range of accredited laboratory machines.  Test programmes can be either quick stand-alone evaluations, composites 'forensic' work, or form part of a wider programme of work involving design or optimisation.  Our Structural Integrity Laboratory has a range of machines for tension/compression, torsion, fatigue and creep including:

• Instron 8501 servohydraulic 100 kN dynamic
• Instron MDS 666C high temperature chamber
• Instron high temperature 4-point bend rig
• Instron 5582 screw-driven 100 kN universal test machine
• Instron 4301 screw-driven 50 kN universal test machine
• Instron 3345 screw-driven 500 N universal test machine

All our machines are calibrated and accredited by UKAS.

Microscopy and Non-Destructive Testing

The School of Marine Science and Engineering has a suite of optical microscopy and non-destructive testing equipment including:

• SkyScan1174 x-ray micro-computer-tomography
• Olympus LEXT OLS3000 confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) with Table Stable TS-150 anti-vibration mounting
• Olympus BX60M and BX61 optical microscope with ColorView Soft Imaging System

The Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre also has a unique range of electron microscopes, shared by biologists, geologists and materials engineers.  The suite of instruments comprises three scanning microscopes and one transmission microscope:

• JEM 1200 EXII high-resolution 120kV TEM
• JSM 6100 high-resolution SEM with Inca X-ray microanalysis
• JSM 5600 low-vacuum SEM for observation of non-conducting, uncoated specimens
• JSM 5200 general purpose SEM