R-Tech gains NADCAP accreditation for aerospace composites testing

The scope of accreditation covers a range of mechanical tests on composite materials, and opens the way for R-Tech to offer its testing services to the aerospace sector.

Nadcap, previously known as the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Programme, is a global industry-led effort to improve quality and efficiency in the aerospace and defence industries. Nadcap brings together prime contractors, suppliers and government representatives to achieve a standardised and streamlined approach to quality assurance, auditing and accreditation throughout the supply chain.

Nadcap accreditation is a requirement for entry into the safety-critical aerospace materials testing market. Nadcap assessors are industry specialists, applying the highest level of professional scrutiny to the test procedures and methods of approved laboratories. At the time of their assessment of R-Tech Materials, they commented on the quality of our test procedures, which were some of the best they had seen.

R-Tech has been accredited by UKAS for testing of polymer and composite materials for many years, and has one of the widest scopes of accreditation for these materials of any test laboratory in the UK. The laboratory is already recognised as a global testing partner in the marine industry. This accreditation now enables R-Tech to offer its highly regarded testing services into the aerospace sector.

Supporting its testing services, R-Tech is also able to offer laboratory-based materials investigation services, including reverse engineering, failure analysis, product characterisation and problem solving. R-Tech also has extensive experience of partnering in publicly and privately funded research and development contracts.

R-Tech Materials Managing Director, Dr Tony Franks acknowledges the achievement which the new Nadcap accreditation rewards: “As a business we have invested in the latest testing equipment and software, and our well-qualified and experienced staff have worked hard to develop our testing capabilities to achieve this accreditation. We are delighted that this confirms our position as a significant player in the market for testing composite materials”.

R-Tech Materials Composites Manager, Dr Geraint Havard is enthusiastic about the opportunities that the Nadcap accreditation brings: “The aerospace sector represents some 70% of the composites testing market. We already have a great reputation with our clients, for customer service and short turnaround times, and we know that we have the technical and commercial base to be a very competitive player. We are already speaking to aerospace clients about their requirements, and expect to see significant growth in the next couple of years.”

R-Tech Materials is a group of materials testing, analysis and consultancy businesses based in Port Talbot, South Wales, consisting of R-TECH Services Ltd, a UKAS and Nadcap accredited materials testing and analysis business, and R-Tech Consultants Ltd, specialists in laboratory-based and plant-based materials investigations.

R-Tech will be at Advanced Engineering 2018, being held 31st October to 1st November at Birmingham's NEC.