New research aims to detect hidden defects in aircraft, nuclear plants and 3D printed metals
03/07/2026
A new £5 million UK research programme is aiming to help engineers detect hidden defects in critical infrastructure, from aircraft components to nuclear power systems.As part of the Frontiers in Electromagnetic Non-Destructive Evaluation Research (FENDER) programme, scientists from the University of Strathclyde, alongside colleagues from the Universities of Manchester, Warwick, Bristol and Newcastle, will develop advanced electromagnetic inspection technologies capable of operating in extreme environments and analysing complex materials.
The project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), aims to build on existing inspection methods with faster, safer and more automated solutions, including robotic systems that can inspect components during manufacturing.
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| The FENDER programme aims to develop advanced electromagnetic inspection technologies |
By enabling real-time quality control in areas such as metal additive manufacturing and high-temperature industrial processes, the programme could significantly reduce costs, improve safety and accelerate innovation across multiple sectors.
The University of Strathclyde will lead research on integrating electromagnetic (EM) non-destructive evaluation (NDE) with robotic systems to enable fully automated inspection, delivered through the Sensor Enabled Automation Robotics and Control Hub (SEARCH) in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.
The work, supported by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, will also explore extended reality (XR) tools, encompassing augmented and mixed reality, to present quantified inspection results to industry. The team will demonstrate a robot arm autonomously inspecting a previously unseen, complex component, with inspection data viewable remotely in real time using XR.
Dr Ehsan Mohseni, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering (CUE) at the University of Strathclyde, said: “By combining sensing, modelling and robotics we can move towards faster, more reliable and more flexible systems that work in environments where existing techniques struggle.
“Our aspiration is to pave the way in deploying these advances with our industry partners across the engineering sector.”
In addition to its research programme, FENDER will work closely with industry partners to develop real-world applications and train the next generation of engineers through a cohort of PhD studentships with strong industrial collaboration.
The project is holding a launch event in Manchester from 9-10 July 2026, where industry representatives will share their views and find out more about how they can get involved.
www.strath.ac.uk
