The Materials Integrity Technology Transfer (MITT) programme is a FREE business support scheme geared to help companies in the Tees Valley region (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees) overcome technology challenges and barriers to growth and success.
The programme, which runs until June 2023, allows you to take advantage of practical and impartial independent advice from TWI’s network of engineers and technology experts.
Support
The support on offer includes, but is not limited to, welding, plastics joining, surface engineering and coatings technology, additive manufacture, non-destructive testing applications, inspection and numerical modelling, covering all engineering materials such as metals, composites, plastics, and many more.
Here are some of the most popular examples of how we support companies:
- Review of welding procedures and welder qualifications, writing welding procedure specifications
- Support progress with quality and certification, such as preliminary assessment/gap analysis for ISO 3834 and ISO 1090 certification, and advice to address non-conformances
- Health and safety assessments: welding fume control, EMF surveys
- Knowledge transfer sessions – best practice of welding techniques (metals and plastics fabrication), stainless steel and carbon steel fabrication
- Troubleshooting production problems
- Failure investigations
- Exploring more effective technologies and processes, new materials and improving designs
- Distortion prediction via numerical modelling
- Exploration of appropriate NDT methods and procedures
- Design and proof of concept via numerical modelling and prototyping
- Identification of suitable paint systems for unique environments
- Investigating tribology - looking into the interaction of surfaces in motion e.g. wear, friction, lubrication
- 3D printing and prototyping’
This free support is designed to help your business exploit best practice and innovation to improve product design and fabrication methods, and introduce new products, processes and services for companies who employ 250 people or less in the Tees Valley area.
TWI’s technology transfer work in the North East has already supported over 100 projects and led to the creation and safeguarding of over 750 jobs, with expertise covering a range of industries.
Eligible companies will be able to receive up to 7 days technical support that is individually tailored to meet their needs.
Benefits
The benefits of the MITT programme include:
- Accelerated development of bring products, processes and services
- Improved efficiencies, quality, capability, profitability
- Reduced costs, risk, environmental impact
- Strengthened workforce capability
- Improved supply chain effectiveness
The MITT project is delivered from the Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park (TeesAMP), home of TWI Middlesbrough, where the expansion of TWI’s facilities is part of the regional aim to become a national and international centre for innovation in products and services through engineering, manufacturing and medical technology research.
The Materials Integrity Technology Transfer (MITT) programme is a component of the Tees Valley Centre for Materials Integrity Programme, which is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020) and Tees Valley Combined Authority.