Fri, 07 October, 2022
TWI has invested £22 million into improving our facilities across the UK and upgrading the equipment that is available for use in Industrial Member projects.
As a not-for-profit enterprise, TWI has reinvested income into our facilities, improving and expanding the working environment at our sites in Port Talbot, Middlesbrough and Great Abington near Cambridge.
This includes an investment in new equipment to allow us to remain on the cutting-edge of technology and provide a world-beating service to our customers working in industries including nuclear, electrification, new energy, construction and infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defence, and more.
The investment into new technology and infrastructure has been made achievable by advances made over the last four years that have seen TWI’s net worth grow from £57 million in 2018 to £206 million in 2021.
We have expanded our capabilities for structural integrity, characterisation and non-destructive testing of welds and additive manufactured parts as well as the assessment of materials in harsh environments. This includes a new permeation rig that can help assess the lifetime of materials, including polymers, while also monitoring their potential environmental impact.
Our modelling and simulation facilities have also been developed further, allowing for virtual testing to be undertaken for purposes such as structural integrity ahead of any physical testing, thereby reducing costs for our customers.
TWI testing has also been advanced for aggressive environments, including the assessment of pipelines with our bespoke full-scale testing system for materials in sour environments. In addition we provide corrosion testing services, drawing upon our knowledge and expertise alongside practical problem-solving skills. These testing services are proving particularly important for new and emerging technologies in energy, such as hydrogen.
We can also deliver manufacturing and in-service inspection using robotic systems capable of offering continuous and highly repeatable inspection at a reduced cost, while our new generation of cobots are able to work safely alongside humans in-situ.
TWI is, of course, well known for welding and joining processes such as electron beam, laser joining and a range of different friction processes and additive manufacture. These services have also seen investments, including the installation of a new electron beam machine.