University of Strathclyde joins £5M electromagnetic inspection project
The University of Strathclyde, Scotland, UK, is participating in a £5 million collaborative research programme that aims to develop advanced electromagnetic inspection technologies for applications including metal Additive Manufacturing, with the aim of helping engineers detect hidden defects in critical infrastructure ranging from aircraft components to nuclear power systems.
The Frontiers in Electromagnetic Non-Destructive Evaluation Research (Fender) programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), brings together researchers from the Universities of Strathclyde, Manchester, Warwick, Bristol and Newcastle. The project aims to advance existing inspection methods through faster, safer and more automated solutions, including robotic systems capable of inspecting components during manufacture.
By enabling real-time quality control during metal Additive Manufacturing and other high-temperature industrial processes, the programme is expected to reduce costs, improve safety and accelerate innovation across a range of engineering sectors.
At the University of Strathclyde, researchers will lead work on integrating electromagnetic (EM) non-destructive evaluation (NDE) with robotic systems to enable fully automated inspection. The research will be carried out through the Sensor Enabled Automation Robotics and Control Hub (SEARCH) in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.
Supported by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the team will also investigate the use of extended reality (XR), including augmented and mixed reality, to present quantified inspection results to industrial users. As part of the programme, researchers aim to demonstrate a robotic arm autonomously inspecting a previously unseen complex component, with inspection data available remotely in real time through XR.
“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,” stated Dr Ehsan Mohseni, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering (CUE) at the University of Strathclyde. “Our aspiration is to pave the way in deploying these advances with our industry partners across the engineering sector.”
Alongside its research activities, the Fender programme will work with industrial partners to develop practical applications for the technology and support the next generation of engineers through a cohort of PhD studentships delivered in collaboration with industry.
The programme will officially launch at an event in Manchester, England, on July 9-10, 2026, where industry representatives will have the opportunity to learn more about the research and explore opportunities for collaboration.
