Keighley Laboratories Flying High with Aerospace Expansions

by | Oct 9, 2019 | Company News

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With the UK Aerospace Market continuously seeking to explore new technologies and pushing existing boundaries, competition to provide the highest quality services in aerospace is fiercer than it has ever been.  Keighley Laboratories Limited is once again proving its wealth of expertise as the company seeks to expand on its already vast service portfolio of Metallurgical Testing, Analysis and Heat Treatment.

The latest addition of a Leco ONH836 Gas Analyser to Keighley Labs Chemical Laboratory allows for the robust analysis of materials using Inert Gas Fusion, enabling Oxygen, Nitrogen and Hydrogen analysis.  Using this technique, Titanium based alloys are currently in the process of being added to the UKAS 17025 scope of laboratory accreditations.  Once fully accredited, Keighley Labs can offer analysis of Titanium, in addition to Iron and Nickel based alloys, to the Aerospace Industry.  The company believes that the UK Aerospace Market is not being fully serviced in this area.  The numerous quality and Aerospace approvals required to fully support the Aerospace Supply Chain are not held as extensively elsewhere in the UK as those held by Keighley Laboratories.

Keighley Labs has also invested in additional equipment in the machining department, including a new CNC Lathe, to facilitate the quicker turnaround of Tensile Testing to optimise supply chain lead times.  Furthermore, Keighley Labs has increased its Heat Treatment inspection capacity with the addition of a new Hardness Tester and a Non-Destructive Testing line to the Induction Department.  Inspection staff are qualified to PCN Level 2 Magnetic Particle Inspection.  As stresses are inherent in most materials, this allows any pre or post induction hardening (or softening) flaws to be readily identified and discussed with the customer prior to treatment.

Debbie Mellor, Manager Director of Keighley Laboratories Limited explained,
“We’ve also completed the investment programme of updating our furnace controls, allowing optimum process visibility and control of atmosphere.  This ensures Aerospace equivalent standards are applied to our commercial production, which in turn ensures high quality of product.  Along with further investments, we have also sought to increase our approval base, with recent Magellan Aerospace and Collins Aerospace approvals.”

Keighley Laboratories Limited has secured a foothold in the tightly-competitive aerospace market, not only externally investing but also internally focusing on staff development, processes and equipment to deliver consistent technical excellence.

Keighley Labs will be exhibiting at Advanced Engineering 2019.  Visit the team on stand L150 to find out more information and ensure that your metallurgical needs are in the safest hands possible.