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With the advent of electric vehicles, self-driving cars, hydrogen technology and the continued world-wide interest in motorsports, the automotive industry is constantly evolving. These changes are driving innovation across the industry with an increasing need for accurate and reliable materials testing and characterisation.

R-TECH Materials has a fully accredited independent testing laboratory for testing of polymer, composite and metallic materials for the automotive industry. We have experience of running and participating in R&D projects, and delivering bespoke testing programs for industry and also have analysis and characterisation facilities for a complete service.

Of particular relevance for the automotive sector is our expertise in testing of composite materials, for which we have an extensive and increasing UKAS accredited scope. Having recently upgraded this facility, we can now perform static testing to 250kN, with biaxial extensometry and in environmental test chambers from -70°C to +250°C. We can also conduct fatigue testing in tension or flexure up to 100kN load. We have experience of running and participating in R&D projects, and can help shorten your time to market for new and emerging materials. With highly qualified and experienced staff, we can significantly complement our clients’ in-house development teams.

We aim to produce fast and reliable testing data that can help our clients shorten their time to market for new and emerging materials or products and alongside our testing laboratories, our consultancy team provides materials support and advice for a wide range of clients in the automotive sector. This can include consulting on material selection or manufacturing processes. We also specialise in the failure analysis of automotive components and materials.

We have worked with clients on many different applications including:

  • Suspension and steering
  • Battery technology including Hydrogen Fuel Cells
  • Body work corrosion
  • Interiors such as composite mouldings
  • Safety Systems
  • Chassis
  • Engines and fuel systems
Key Services
  • Component Testing Find out more about our product and component testing services.
  • Material Approval Our polymer, composite and metallics laboratories are accredited by UKAS for testing and analysis for a wide range of applications.
  • Batch Testing Where bespoke or complex requirements demand outsourced batch testing, R-TECH can help meet your needs.
  • Material Selection Our consultancy team are experienced in providing advice on material selection and behaviour.
  • Failure Analysis When components fail, an investigation by our consultancy team can provide invaluable data for product development.
  • Research & Development Our consultancy team have provided input into several reasearch programmes related to the automotive sector. Click the link to read more.