|
History
The University of Bristol has been involved in the
measurement, management and application of residual stress
technology for over 15 years. As well as various other measurement
methods such as incremental centre hole drilling and neutron
diffraction, one technique called the
Deep-Hole Drilling (DHD) technique has been developed
extensively at the University of Bristol for the past 12 years with
substantial funding and support from the Nuclear Industry. To that
end, the Nuclear Industry has been using extensive DHD stress
measurements to demonstrate plant compliance within the Regulator’s
Safety Audit requirements.
In recent years the DHD stress measurement technique has also
performed as an integral part in many collaborative UK, EU and
Industry funded research projects (e.g. ELIXIR, ENPOWER, INTEGRITY,
NET). The DHD stress measurement facilities at the University of
Bristol have also been utilised by other well-known and respected
academic and research Institutes to corroborate/validate their own
collaborative projects.
So far more than 100 stress distributions have been measured on
real component applications using the DHD technique, all of which
have been supported by an extensive range of validation measurements
on test components subjected to predictable applied loads.
This varied demand has lead to significant advances in the DHD
technique and its use as a practicable and uniquely applicable
stress measurement technique:
- 1999 – range of applicability extended to include steel
components with a thickness from 20mm to 100mm, August 2000 – first
thick section titanium component measured,
- June 2001 – range of applicability further extended to include
components with a thickness from 10mm to 150mm,
- February 2002 – first thick section aluminium component measured,
- March 2003 – first time achieved residual stress measurements to
a depth of 450mm,
- June 2003 – first “on-site” DHD stress measurements carried
out. This was done on a European submarine section,
- January 2008 – first time achieved residual stress measurements
to depths in excess of 700mm
With the DHD technique reaching maturity, and with growing and
widespread demand, a route to commercialisation was realised,
planned and entered into the University of Bristol’s “Business Plan
Competition 2003”. Using the prize money, VEQTER Ltd was formed in
May 2004 by Dr. Ed Kingston and Prof. David Smith as a University
spin-out with commercially exclusive DHD intellectual property
rights.
Therefore:
- May 2004 - VEQTER Ltd formed, and first measurement contract
secured
- August 2004 – First overseas measurement contract secured and
development of major measurement programme with Japan
In June 2007, Dr Chris Truman joined the VEQTER board as a
non-executive director responsible for analysis and training.
|
