We’d like to introduce the Engineering Design Manufacturing Centre here at the University of Southampton. Their expertise and state-of-the-art equipment ensure that our clients receive a top-notch service at every stage of their projects. Watch the video for highlights.

Whether it’s handling delicate samples with utmost precision or crafting bespoke parts to exact specifications, our technicians go above and beyond to deliver excellence. We take pride in our commitment to understanding and meeting our clients’ unique project and sample requirements, providing not just services, but true partnerships in success.

Makes a change from lab coats! The nC² team had a fabulous time at the University of Southampton Vice-Chancellor’s Awards event. We were proud to have been nominated in the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise category, which recognises activities that result in societal, economic and environmental impact. It was great to celebrate with colleagues from across the University and hear about the innovative, inspiring work that’s happening here.

Do you need some scientific expertise, but don’t have an in-house specialist? Our subject matter experts can bridge the knowledge gaps in your company in a cost-effective way. Visit our new page to find out how we can tailor a package to suit you, whether you need a helpline for ad hoc scientific queries, in-depth technical support throughout a project’s lifecycle, or something in between.

We are proud to have supported the International Maritime Pilots’ Association with an important piece of work to improve maritime safety. Through rigorous mechanical testing, we’ve provided an evidence base on the safe use of pilot ladders which we hope will influence practice and standards around the world and save lives. Read the case study to find out more.

As a university-based consultancy we are able to draw on a wealth of expertise to support our clients’ projects. A recent addition to our network is Dr Benjamin Cameron, who specialises in digital image correlation (DIC). This advanced technique gives in-depth insight into mechanical strain and deformation, to inform product development or generate rich datasets for machine learning. Find out more about Benjamin’s expertise.

We are thrilled to be among the finalists for a University of Southampton Vice-Chancellor’s Award in the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise category, which recognises activities that result in societal, economic and environmental impact. We look forward to celebrating our achievements with the other finalists at a special event in October, when the winners will be announced.

We’re delighted to report that two members of the nC² team have received well-deserved promotions. Rachel Triggs has been promoted to Senior Consultant, recognising her ever-growing expertise, experience and responsibility in corrosion and environmental testing and chemical analysis. Ilaria Corni is now Principal Consultant, reflecting the additional responsibilities and leadership she has taken on as she expertly manages the running of nC²’s operations.

Congratulations to them both!

We’re celebrating! We’ve secured the contract for a further 5 years on the HMS Victory conservation project and we’re looking forward to continuing our work with the team from The National Museum of the Royal Navy. So proud to play a role in preserving this icon of Britain’s maritime history – we’ll be testing paints, caulking and rigging to identify the best materials to keep Victory shipshape for years to come. Find out more about the project here.

Congratulations to Dr Ben Cunningham who has received an award for top downloaded article from publishing house Wiley, for his paper on fatigue crack initiation and growth in steam turbine blade material. His second paper on the topic has also recently been published.

The papers, which appeared in the journal Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures, are available here and here.

Our expertise is in demand! We were approached by a production company seeking input from experts in material fracture and corrosion for a potential documentary. Rachel Triggs and Professor Nicola Symonds shared their specialist knowledge – here they are being interviewed in our mechanical testing lab. 

Learn more about our corrosion and failure testing and analysis services.

We are thrilled to announce that our Director, Professor Nicola Symonds, has been named as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering (2023) in the UK.

Organised by the Women’s Engineering Society on International Women in Engineering Day (23 June), the awards this year are focused on engineers involved in safety and security.

Watch the video to hear Nicola talk about the award and why it’s so important, and read the full story here.

Professor Nicola Symonds and Rachel Triggs were among the STEM professionals at a speed-networking event at King Edward VI school in Southampton, where they chatted with fourth-year physics students about careers in engineering.

Dr Jelili Bello, Rachel Triggs, Professor Nicola Symonds and Spencer Court visted the marine tradeshow Seawork 2023, where they spent time meeting with potential new clients and explaining how our knowledge of materials engineering and corrosioncontrol can support product development in the marine industry.

Feedback from the team was that the sun was shining, the conversations were productive and that the ice creams were excellent!

Ever wondered how is friction measured? In this explainer our director, Professor Nicola Symonds, talks through the underpinning physics and the techniques we use, which can be tailored to simulate real-world load and temperature conditions.

Understanding and quantifying friction can be essential if you’re designing a new product or trying to solve an engineering problem – whether you’re looking for low friction to reduce energy loss, or high friction to create additional grip or torque. Find out more about our friction measurement services.

With our Taber Abrader we can test the abrasion resistance of a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, coatings and textiles, to standards including ASTM D4060-10 and BS EN ISO 5470-1:2016.

With advanced post-testing analysis techniques to characterise the effect of the abrasion, such as optical surface profilometry, we can help you find the best solution. Learn more about our abrasion testing services.

We had great fun at last weekend’s Science and Engineering Day, with lots of happy kids learning about friction and materials selection through hands-on play. We set up a race between two equally weighted lego figures and sledges, one on machined steel and the other on polypropylene. Who was the winner? Watch to find out…

Thanks to everyone who came along and got involved – see you next year!

We’re keen to help close the gender gap in our sector, and Professor Nicola Symonds and Rachel Triggs are ideally placed to act as role models for the next generation of women in STEM. They recently took part in a careers fair at St Anne’s, a secondary school for girls in Southampton, to talk about the exciting paths science and engineering can open up and to share their own career journeys.

A shout out on International Women’s Day to all the talented, inspiring women who are doing brilliant work in engineering – including our own Nicola, Ilaria, Sam and Rachel! Unfortunately it’s still the case that women are under-represented in this sector, so we’re proud that the nC² team bucks the trend. We’ll continue with our outreach work, with the aim of showing girls and young women that science and engineering can be ‘for them’.

Find out more about the expertise and career paths of Nicola, Ilaria, Sam, and Rachel.