Proof that scientists and engineers are highly creative people! The nC² team got together at the weekend for a linocut printmaking workshop – a really enjoyable team exercise that helped us unleash our artistic side.
With thanks to Jo Morley for guiding us through the process.
Time for a refresh! With a new team member and new capabilities to show you, we’ve brought our photographer in.
We’re looking forward to adding the results to the website and starting the new year with an updated look.
With thanks to Jon Banfield for making it painless even for our most camera-shy members of staff!
Congratulations to Senior Consultant Dr Benjamin Cunningham, who received a Top Viewed Article award for his paper on fatigue cracks in turbine blades, published in Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures.
Ben is one of nC2’s mechanical testing and analysis specialists, and this paper reflects his expertise in identifying the mechanisms behind materials failure – an invaluable service for our industry clients. Well done Ben!
It was a delight to welcome so many colleagues to our special celebration marking nC2′s 10th anniversary. Our guests included the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark E Smith, Professor Michael Butler, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Associate Deans for KEE Professor Nicci Campbell and Professor Ben Clark. We’re grateful for all the warm words of appreciation.
We’re so proud to be part of the University of Southampton family, and to contribute to its impact and enterprise agenda as a bridge between industry and the University’s incredible capabilities.
Here you can read more about what we’ve achieved in our first decade. Here’s to the next 10 years!
It was great to meet rail experts at the UKRRIN Inspire railway infrastructure conference at the University of Southampton this week – we look forward to engaging further on innovations and solutions for rail-related projects.
nC2’s experienced consultants can unlock a wealth of specialist engineering and scientific expertise, testing and analysis for your rail project, from rolling stock to infrastructure. Get in touch and let’s discuss your requirements.
On this day in 1805 HMS Victory played a leading role in the Battle of Trafalgar. Today a major programme of conservation work is underway to keep her pristine for future generations of historians and visitors, and the nC2 team is proud to be involved.
We’re helping the team at The National Museum of the Royal Navy select the best-performing paints, sealants and other materials to ensure they stand the test of time – you can read more in our case studies section.
This video shows an example of our mechanical testing of sealants for the ship’s timbers. We ran a suite of bespoke tests using hundreds of oak samples to simulate different combinations of forces and environmental conditions. In this case it’s a soaked sample subjected to a tensile test.
We’re celebrating 10 years of delivering insights for industry! This week marks a decade since nC2 was formed, opening up the University’s science and engineering capabilities to help companies solve problems, innovate and grow.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved since then:
A huge thank you to all the companies who have entrusted their research projects to us – and who have returned to us again and again – and to our colleagues and partners within the University of Southampton who enable us to offer unrivalled expertise.
Calling all railway specialists! The UKRRIN Inspire railway infrastructure conference is on 27 October, and the nC2 team will be there. Come and say hello and find out about our rail-related capabilities.
This free one-day event, organised by our colleagues at the School of Engineering, brings industry and academia together to explore ways to reduce the cost of railway infrastructure through innovation.
The event will be introduced by journalist Paul Clifton, and you’ll hear from researchers about the latest developments, plus speakers from government and industry. Find out more and reserve your place.
We chose the brilliant Hawk Conservancy Trust as the venue for our recent nC2 team day. The focus was on stress management, so getting into nature and meeting some of the Trust’s magnificent birds was a perfect reminder of the importance of work-life balance.
We spent the day working through our plans for a new workload model to help us maintain our first-class customer service and continue to deliver our clients’ projects with maximum efficiency as our portfolio grows.
Meet our new Professor of Forensic Engineering. Our Director Nicola Symonds has a new professorial title which better reflects her internationally-recognised expertise in failure analysis and accident investigation.
She says: “I find accident investigation the most rewarding part of all the work we do, because my contribution means that in future people won’t have to go through what others have gone through. We are saving lives – that’s not something many engineers can say.”
This video gives a glimpse of mechanical testing in action.
We ran tests on hundreds of oak samples like these to support the conservation of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory. The tests were designed to simulate the effects of weather and time, helping the team at the National Museum of the Royal Navy select the best performing sealant for the ship’s newly replaced timbers.
For this particular test, we kept samples in a freezer at minus 20 degrees, then conducted tensile testing in a cooled chamber to measure the force needed to pull them apart.
Find out more about our mechanical testing capabilities, and how we’ve been helping to keep HMS Victory shipshape.
Please join us in welcoming Dr Isha Gupta to our network of specialist materials scientists.
Isha specialises in materials failure, with a particular focus on the effects of high temperatures on coatings. Read more about Isha’s expertise and experience.
If you’re looking for insights into how coatings perform – or why they fail – under extreme heat or thermomechanical loads, get in touch for a free consultation.
Our forensic materials science expertise helps to make sense of, and learn from, tragedy.
We analysed components from a fatal gyroplane crash, and conducted a lab-based simulation of the complex loads on the aircraft’s rotor head, to understand the cause of the accident.
Our work informed the Air Accidents Investigation Branch’s recommendations for regulatory, design and training changes that will help save lives in future.
Read more about this project here.
Meet the latest member of our network of experts – Dr Marcus Newton. Marcus specialises in X-ray characterisation of nanomaterials, in particular synchrotron based X-ray phase contrast imaging.
Marcus uses specialist instrumentation at the University’s X-ray diffraction imaging facility, which is uniquely configured to enable a wide range of measurements on single crystals, thin films and powdered materials.
Would your project benefit from Marcus’ expert input? If so, get in touch for a free initial consultation.
Not all samples are flat, so we’ve expanded our UV testing capabilities to accommodate 3D specimens.
Rachel and Spencer took out their toolkits and installed new components to modify our UV chamber. This opens up our accelerated weathering tests to a wider range of sample shapes, giving you the performance insights you need.
Learn more about our specialist paint and coatings testing and analysis capabilities, or get in touch to talk to our expert team.
What’s the best thing about being ISO 9001 certified? It means we build quality management into everything we do – it has become an integrated part of our business, not just an add-on.
Getting the accreditation was a real achievement, but we’re not resting on our laurels. With regular quality management meetings we continue to come together as a team to enhance and develop our systems, ensuring our clients get an exceptional service.
The nC2 team was lucky enough to be invited on a special tour of the Mary Rose Museum to see its vast store of Tudor objects, as well as the historic ship itself.
From hand-chiselled stone shot for the ship’s guns to preserved leather shoes, the artefacts gave us a glimpse through time to the people who served on Henry VIII’s favourite ship. We also got an insight into the challenges of preserving this important collection for future visitors and researchers.
As well as a fascinating experience for us, the visit was a chance to explore ways our organisations can support each other – we look forward to building a fruitful working relationship into the future. A big thank you to Eleanor Schofield, Deputy CEO of the Mary Rose Trust, for inviting us and showing us the museum’s many treasures.
Visit our LinkedIn page for more images of the artefacts – and we highly recommend a visit to see the Mary Rose for yourself!
Congratulations to Dr Benjamin Cunningham, our highly skilled mechanical testing expert, on his recent promotion to Senior Consultant.
We’re delighted for Ben, an invaluable member of the team who has been instrumental in the expansion of our mechanical testing portfolio, applying his specialist knowledge to complex projects and delivering the insights our clients need.
Read Ben’s profile, and explore our mechanical testing services.
