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TACOMA: An Inspection Solution for CFRPs

Tue, 08 June, 2021

TWI has joined the TACOMA Project to develop next generation non-destructive evaluation (NDE) solutions for carbon reinforced polymers (CFRPs) in the automotive industry.

We are working alongside Direct Conversion, a leader in NDE X-ray detectors across a range of industry sectors, to reduce inspection times and facilitate the wider use of CFRPs in the automotive supply chain.

CFRP parts offer environmental benefits due to their high strength coupled with a light weight and the subsequent reduction in CO2 that this affords. Being able to inspect these parts cost-effectively should help the uptake of their use in the automotive sector, with the resulting positive environmental impacts aligning with the UK Government’s Net Zero emissions target for 2050.

Not only does the project aim to help create jobs through the supply chain but it will also help promote the UK as world leaders in the development, manufacture and use of systems for lightweighting and low carbon-enabling technologies.

Increasing the range of electric vehicles through lightweighting, the TACOMA Project will also establish regulations to allow for the uniform use of CFRP inspection standards, making the benefits of the project easy to access.

The project will use advanced patented X-ray tomography technology that will be adapted to meet the needs of the automotive industry.  However, it is not just the automotive sector that looks set to benefit, as there are potential applications in other industries ranging from aerospace to rail and sports to wind energy.

You can also get involved in this exciting new project as we are now looking for industrial partners from the quality services or manufacturing industries interested in improvement in speed, image quality and detection capabilities in the inspection of CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced polymer) materials.

The TACOMA Project team are welcoming your input to help steer product requirements and you can get in touch with them and find out more about the project on the TACOMA Project website.

 

For more information please email:


contactus@twi.co.uk