NPL Engineering:

Here from the start

1902: The first Engineering Building.

1930s: Belt Driven Machine Tools

1930s: Wind Tunnel Modelling

1955: The Aerofoil Workshop especially equipped

for the manufacture of model aerofoils and wings

1960s: The Rolling Mill.

1960s: The East Group Design Office

1978: The Apprentice Training Workshop, Building 17

1986: Training an Engineering Apprentice in the

West Design Office

1991: The West Workshop

2016: The Engineering Workshop in Module 12

2016: A Computer Numerically Controlled 4-axis

Milling Machine.

2016: The Design Office equipped with

a 3 Dimensional Computer Aided Design System
called CATIA

2000-2016

1970-2000

1940-1970

1902-1940

1902: The NPL opening ceremony took place in the Engineering Building as it was the largest covered space on the site. From
the very first day that the NPL opened there have been Engineering Workshops and Design Offices on site. The size, number and
location of these engineering facilities may have changed over the years but the high quality of work and the unique design
innovations produced has always remained a constant.

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CAD: Computer Aided

Design Office
Technology Revolution

Present Day

Since the inception of NPL, in 1902, until the middle of the 1980s a scene similar to that
shown above would have greeted you if you visited the Design Office. Pencil, paper,
drawing boards and the slide rule were the equipment of choice for the Engineering
Designer

In 1986 things changed dramatically, Computer Aided Design (CAD) arrived at NPL.
Originally it was only used as a computerised 2D drawing board but very soon its ability
to model in 3 dimensions was exploited.

Now the latest versions of CAD allow us to produce an array of outputs which have uses in
areas that could never have been conceived of when it was first installed.

Through the Monitor

Designs can be reviewed in a 3 dimensional (3D) format, making the design much easier
to interpret than before. They can also be sectioned as shown above. Persons reviewing
the design are no longer required to have an knowledge of how to read technical
drawings to understand the proposal.

Portable 3D Images
The designs can be exported into an Adobe 3D format.
This powerful tool allows people to view the design in 3D on their own computer without
the need for any CAD software to be loaded onto it.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

By placing design models in real life locations and creating photo realistic images
confidence in the suitability and success of a design proposal can be greatly increased. It
also assists our internal customers in their efforts to sell projects to external partners.

Stress and Frequency Analysis

Within the CAD system the stress, frequency response and strength profiles of
components can be investigated under various loading scenarios.

Space Planning
The CAD system can be used to plan the installation and interaction of a new design with
its surroundings.

Ergonomics
Using the 3D CAD system NPL Designers were able to confirm that the proposed
mechanical manipulators had the required reach envelope.

Two Dimensional (2D) Drawings

2D drawings are still the accepted way for the NPL Designers to communicate their
manufacturing instructions to the NPL workshop and external contractors.

Computer Aided Machining (CAM)

Within the CAD system 3 dimensional machining cutting profiles can be created. These
can then be used by CAM equipped machines to create shapes which would otherwise be
very difficult or impossible to program directly on the manufacturing machine.

Sheet Metal Package

Items can be designed in 3D within the CAD system and then converted to 2D drawings
and CAM files for our external sheet metal contractor. This reduces the manufacturing cost
of the finished parts.

Manufacturing
Communication

Analysis

Customer
Interaction

The Way We Were

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NPL Engineering:
A Design Story
The initial communication between the Scientist and Designer is The Design Brief.
The Brief contains the customers project requirements. Aspects such as the scientific purpose, mode of operation,
tolerance of movements, etc will be specified within.
From the Brief an initial design is created.
The design is then reviewed by the customer.
This can happen several times as a design evolves.
Once finalised the design is approved and detailed dimensioned drawings are created.
These drawings are then passed to the workshop so that manufacture of the final product
can take place.
The Prototype.
For the project we describe below, the aim was to
create a piece of equipment which can produce
pressure waves at various frequencies to simulate
the arterial pressures measured in hospital patients.
These pressure waves will then be used to calibrate
the heart monitoring equipment found in Hospital
Intensive Care Units.
The customers design brief specified that the
design should include a piston to produce a
pressure wave. Mounted on to that piston were
optical components which when combined with
a laser, confirmed the movement profile of the
piston.
As the measurement technique had not been tried
before a commercially available piston was used to
minimise development time
and cost.

A screen image of the initial 3D design.

This was used to review the design with
the customer.

Sectional views are a very useful aid when

reviewing a design.

The piston assembly drawing

The manufactured assembly

Evolution of the Design.

The Prototype device was a success.
There were some alignment problems
which caused a sticking piston but it proved the
measurement technique and that the design
concept worked. Therefore it was decided that
the design should evolve into a second device.
The new design removed the alignment issues and
a bespoke piston design has removed the sticking
problem.

A screen image of the new 3D design.

The product assembly drawing.

The new manufactured assembly

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NPL Engineering:
The Big Picture

Acoustic Pressure Vessel

Defined Low Solid Angle Device

Small Guarded Hot Box

Degradation Chamber

Laser Tracker

Mammographic Carriage

Water Phantom Carriage

Alignment and Positioning System for Ultrasonics

Primary Standard

Manganese Bath Suite

LinAc Carriage

NIM Extrapolation Range

Six Degree of Freedom Microvibration Machine

High Stability Laser Cavity

Saturator Coil

CSAR Filter & Shutter

300kv Shutter and Filter Wheel

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NPL Engineering:
Manufacturing Processes
Milling
Milling is the process of moving of a work piece against a rotating cutter. The cutter is able to cut on both its
flanks and its tip. Milling machines may be manually operated or digitally automated via computer numerical
control (CNC)

Turning
Turning is the process of moving a static tool against a spinning block of material to produce objects that have
a symmetry about the axis of rotation. As with milling machines, lathes can be manually operated or digitally
automated via computer numerical control (CNC).

Grinding
Grinding is the process of removing material using a rotating abrasive wheel to wear away the surface of a work
piece. The main advantages of grinding are high accuracy, good surface finish and the ability to machine hard and
tough materials that are not suitable for milling or turning.

Electro Discharge Machining

EDM or spark erosion uses the destructive effect of pulsed electrical discharge in a positive way to vaporise
conductive materials. A similar effect can be seen with the erosion found on car spark plugs. Wire eroding uses
a CNC controlled thin brass wire to cut highly accurate forms.

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