Our Advanced and Development Department

The RA Innovation centre located at Stephenson Close is a 4500 sq. ft secure testing and development facility which is home to the following five highly skilled individuals:

  • Engineering Director with PhD in Engine Tribology both predicting and measuring IC engine piston ring friction and film thickness and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
  • Advanced Research Engineer with PhD in Nano-Material Fabrication in Superfluid Helium and master’s degree in Physics
  • Advanced Research Engineer with PhD in Brain-Computer Interfaces, master’s in Nano Composites and Degree in Mechanical Engineering
  • Advanced Manufacturing Engineer with over 30 years’ experience in manufacturing within the ceramics industry
  • Development Technician with degree in Motorsports Engineering

The Innovation Centre is set up as a configurable workspace to suit the ever-evolving development and testing requirements, it features a full vehicle workshop with MIG and TIG facilities, areas to work on multiple vehicles simultaneously as well a test laboratory and open configurable test area.

Vehicle Testing

The Red Arch Innovation Centre workshop provides vehicle lifting capability for two vehicles simultaneously:
  • BendPak XPR-9T 4082 kg 2-post vehicle lift suitable for cars and light trucks
  • BendPak HD9 4082 kg 4-post vehicle lift suitable for cars and light trucks

Both vehicle lifts are positioned to allow full point and laser FARO arm access around and underneath vehicles for reverse engineering as well as detailed measurement fit checks.

Environmental Testing

Red Arch provides a range of environmental testing facilities, including heat/cold/thermal shock, humidity and weathering, including:

Fisons Climatic Chamber

In support of both design-development, and Product validation, RA is able to offer short or long term climatic testing, with programmable complex test profiles and full data logging capabilities. Wi-Fi connectivity allows remote monitoring of test progress and component failure alarms.

Specification:

  • Temperature range: -20 °C to +80 °C
  • Humidity range: 0 – 100 % RH
  • Internal capacity: 400 (W) x 450 (H) x 350 (D) mm

Control System:

Wi-Fi connected Arduino with multiple programmable channels and automatic in-test activation and measurement.

Applications Include:

  • Climatic testing small automotive components such as trim parts
  • Climatic testing of internally or externally mounted electronic and electrical vehicle components – with in test automated actuation and test
  • Characterisation of paints and finishes typically for automotive trim components
  • Testing of conformal coatings on electrical components
  • Testing of electrical enclosures for condensation resistance
  • Freeze thaw testing of composite materials
  • Freeze thaw testing of automotive assemblies

QUV Accelerated Weathering Tester

In support of both design-development, and Product validation, RA is able to offer short or long term accelerated weathering testing, combining the effects of ultraviolet light, condensation and temperature. Suitable for new material development, composite testing and characterisation as well as paint/lacquer/coating degradation.

Specification:

  • Single Panel Capacity: 1150 (L) x 330 (H) mm
  • Number of Panels: 2
  • Control System: Cyclic; time-controlled temperature, condensation and UV exposure
  • Compatible Test Standards: SAE J2020, GM 9125P, ASTM F1164, ASTM D904, ASTM D6577, ASTM D4587, ASTM D4329 etc.

Applications Include:

  • Characterisation of paints and finishes typically for automotive trim components
  • Characterisation of composite components and comparison of resin systems for UV resistance
  • UV ageing of plastic components for colour fastness over time

Design Environmental Ltd Cold Chamber

In support of both design-development, and Product validation, RA is able to offer short or long term cold chamber testing.

Specification:

  • Minimum temperature: -45 °C (without liquid nitrogen)
  • Minimum temperature: -80 °C (with liquid nitrogen)
  • Internal capacity: 370 (W) x 370 (D) x 370 (H) mm
  • Control System: Multi channel Eurotherm control with separate liquid nitrogen channel
  • Port for feedthrough wiring to allow in-chamber testing
  • Test compatibility: HALT and HASS testing, as well as accelerated freeze/thaw. This equipment is used for a vast variety of tests ranging from electronics functionality to plastic brittleness to composite freeze testing.

Applications Include:

  • HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) testing for electronic components
  • HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Test) testing for electronic components
  • Verification of electronic functionality at low temperatures with in chamber measurement and electronic activation
  • Freeze thaw testing of composite materials
  • Freeze thaw testing of automotive assemblies
  • Characterisation of plastic brittleness at low temperatures

Thermal Testing

In support of both design-development, and Product validation, RA is able to offer short or long term hot environment testing both in medium and high temperature furnaces, depending on application. RA facilities are suitable for thermal testing, salt corrosion, thermal shock and heat ageing.

Wenger Furnace

Specification:

  • Maximum temperature: 850 °C
  • Internal capacity: 260 (W) x 340 (H) x 340 (D) mm

Control system:

  • Eurotherm temperature controller

Atmosphere: Air, standard pressure

Applications Include:

  • Halt salt corrosion and salt spray of automotive trim components
  • Heat ageing of automotive trim components
  • Heat ageing of composites and assessing deformation at temperature
  • Verification of electronic functionality at high temperatures with in chamber measurement and electronic activation
  • New material development and characterisation

Carbolite Gero CWF-1300 Furnace

Specification:

  • Maximum temperature furnace: 1300 °C
  • Maximum temperature furnace with inert gas retort: 1100 °C
  • Atmosphere: Air, external argon or nitrogen gas supply
  • Internal retort capacity: 150 (W) x 140 (H) x 250 (D) mm
  • Retort exhaust system with gas cooler and external exhaust (to outside)

Control system:

  • Programmable heating profile with ramp up, hold and ramp down stages

Applications Include:

  • New material development

Mechanical Testing

Instron Model IOII

In support of both design, development, and Product Validation, RA offers light tensile testing, 4-point bend testing and pull-off testing using an Instron Model IOII Test Instrument

Specification:

  • Available load cells: 500 N and 5000 N
  • Maximum load: 5000 N
  • Control System: In-built Instron control panel (speed, tension/compression, etc.)
  • Data Acquisition: Load (N) and Travel (mm) collected through Dewesoft® interface

Applications Include:

  • Trim pull off testing
  • Snap fit pull off testing
  • Fastener pull out testing
  • Weld strength measurement
  • Composite characterisation
  • Flexural testing of new materials

Flow Testing

Superflow SF-110E

In support of both design, development, and Product validation, RA is able to offer flow testing using a Superflow SF-110E flow bench.

Specification:

  • Flow range: 0-185cfm (100hp / cylinder)
  • Flow change Measurement: <1%

Applications include:

  • Cylinder head intake and exhaust port
  • Engine breather
  • Intake system
  • Mass air flow meter check (MAF/ HFM)

Rapid Prototyping

Ultimaker 3 Extended

Red Arch offers rapid prototyping facilities with an in house Ultimaker 3 Extended 3D printer, producing quality control tools and jigs, bespoke tools and design models.

Specification:

  • Build volume (dual extrusion): 197 (W) x 215 (D) x 300 (H) mm
  • Build plate temperature: +20 °C to +100 °C
  • Printing Technology: Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
  • Build speed: < 24 mm3/s
  • Materials available: PLA, ABS, Nylon, CPE, CPE+, Polycarbonate, TPU95, PP, etc.
  • Hydroscopic materials stored in a humidity controlled enclosure and fed directly to the printer head.

Applications Include:

  • Assembly fixtures
  • GO/NOGO fixtures
  • Measurement jigs
  • Fit and form prototyping
  • Prototype tooling

Measurement and Data Logging

Dewesoft® DEWE-43A

Specification:

Number of digital inputs: 8

Number of analogue inputs: 8

Number of thermocouple inputs: 8 (via CPAD in addition to digital and analogue above)

Number of CAN inputs: 2 (with additional support for CCP, OBDII, J1939)

CAN sample rate: 1 Mbit/sec data throughput

Sample rate: < 200 kS/s

Available adapters: CPAD-CBL-2.0-DE; MSI-BR-TH-K (x2) ; MSI-D9m-4-20 (x2) ; MSI-BR-V200 (x2) ; MSI-BR-ACC (x2)

Additional adaptors: Ability to lease further adaptors if required

Electronic Test and Development

Red Arch has full electronics development and testing facilities suitable for electronic component testing, validation and prototyping, these include but are not limited to:

TTi 50 MHz function / arbitrary pulse generator GT5011LXI

Tektronix TBS-1032B digital oscilloscope. 30 MHz; 500 MS/s

Multiple Raspberry Pi microcomputers with CAN interface boards

Acoustic Test and Development

Red Arch has substantial acoustic development facilities, including UKAS-certified calibration devices, a selection of microphones and data acquisition tools compatible with road, track or dynamometer/rolling road recording.

Mounting locations: Vehicle rear/exhaust, internal cabin, engine bay

Rapid Prototyping 3d printer

Microphones available:

Zoom H4n

Audio-Technica ATR3350

Audio-Technica MB-2k

MiniDSP UMIK-1

PCB Piezotronics 130F20 (x2) compatible with Dewesoft DAQ instrument

Calibrated Sound Pressure Level meters

Customisable muffler test and development rigs

Miscellaneous

Kemper Profimaster IFA Extraction and Filtration system (1100 m3/hour)

Ling Dynamic Systems (LDS) V726 air-cooled vibration system, powered by a dedicated LDS DPA-4 switching power amplifier.

Large 6ft x 4ft optical table

Rhonmac-CNC 2-axis lathe (AMA210V-G) with 180 mm (D) x 400 mm (L) capacity

Sealey 20 Tonne floor-type hydraulic press YK20F.v3

BriskHeat heater band controller with several heating elements (heater bands and cartridge heaters)

Vacuum chamber with 2-stage vacuum pump

Specification:

Internal capacity: 300 (ID) mm x 300 (H) mm

Power: 0.5 HP

Ultimate vacuum: 15 microns

The Innovation Centre has all the equipment and facilities expected from a full-service Tier 1 automotive exhaust, intake and associated system supplier.

RA works with numerous test houses to enable full homologation and testing facilities not found in-house, such as semi-anechoic vehicle dynamometer testing, noise testing on ISO surfaces, hot vibration exhaust system testing etc.