Creating impact from science, providing assurance to industry and setting standards of excellence.

1. USING MEASUREMENT TO DRIVE INNOVATION
Steve Reynolds – Strategic Business Development Manager
15 July 2021
Welcome to the National Physical Laboratory

2. WHY IS MEASUREMENT IMPORTANT?

3. Measurement Matters
Every time you use your GPS, put petrol in your car, or receive a
medical diagnosis, you are putting your trust in measurements.
Measurement plays a vital role in responding to new challenges,
supporting UK innovation and helping the drive to increase UK productivity.
It underpins all scientific and economic activity.
Without it there is no science, inefficient innovation and inequitable trade.
q Measurement skills enable businesses to increase performance and boost productivity -
around 6 % of all employment in the UK involves taking measurements
q Extraordinary innovation can be realised when
the right measurement practices are applied
The UK government funds the National Measurement System (NMS),
which carries out programs of specialist measurement research
by govt. labs such as The National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

4. Role of measurement in
innovation
Measurement tools and techniques
support the whole innovation life cycle
Confidence

5. The need for good measurement strategy
q 75% of all errors are pre-determined in the earliest phases of production.
80% of these are only found during manufacture or after sales.
q The cost to rectify an error typically increases
10 fold at each phase of a production cycle.
q ~1% of GDP is spent on measurement - similar in scale to the UK’s
spending on R&D
q The benefit-to-cost ratio for investment in better measurement tools
and techniques is likely to be between 3:1 and 5:1
Plan it into design, engineering, manufacturing and
production.

6. National Physical Laboratory
q Established in 1900
q UK’s National Metrology Institute / Public Corporation
q ~850+ staff with ~200 visiting researchers/year
q 370 laboratories and engineering centres
q Partner with 200+ organisations and 80+ Universities
NPL provides the underpinning measurement capability for prosperity and quality of life
1. Creating and delivering the measurement science and technology to
enable business to innovate and compete.
2. Providing the confidence and trust in technology and data, helping
develop standards, so that people can make the best decisions.
3. Accelerating the innovation and adoption of technology.
4. Improving productivity and competitiveness.

7. Importance of Pre-Normative Research
Standardisation
5 yr 9 yr
UK Companies
Pre-Normative Research
Draft Standard
Best Practice Guide
Technical Procedure
International Standard
Technical Specification
PAS
OUTPUTS
Reference Materials

8. Example of graphene
q International standards development can take several years
q Pre-normative research accelerates standardisation and
provides UK industry with early access to best practice
(competitive advantage).

9. NPL AND
DRIVING THE ELECTRIC REVOLUTION

10. A Cross Sector Challenge with Cross Sector Support
Zero Carbon
Road Transport
2040
Electric or Hybrid
Aircraft
2040
Eliminate Diesel
Rolling Stock
2040
80% Reduction
in Carbon
Emissions 2050
Evidence: Support from >130 organisations across 7 sectors with
£600bn global revenues (includes Nissan, Siemens, Rolls Royce,
Auto Council, GKN, Network Rail, CRRC, IQE)
Prime
Tier 1+
SME / Micro
Eng Services /
Consultancy
Academia
RTO / Govn't /
Trade /
Regions
SUPPORT BY ORGANISATION
Aerospace
Automotive &
Off-highway
Cross-sector
Energy
Industrial
Maritime
Rail
SUPPORT BY SECTOR
Numbers of organisations

11. Power Technologies Ltd.
Aerospace HV
Industry Workshop
https://www.npl.co.uk/electronic-magnetic-materials/hybrid-propulsion

12. Example: Electrification of transport
introduces new challenges
Improved range
Higher power
densities
More extreme
temperatures
New materials
and topologies.
Wide bandgap
semiconductors.
New failure
mechanisms.
Validation,
qualification,
prognostics.
• Combined thermal and
mechanical stress
• Impact of variability and
quality of materials
• Upscale testing from strip →
assembly → machine
• Data availability &
provenance
Characterising
materials under
operating conditions
• Standardisation/ best
practice of test methods
• Develop harmonised test-
cycles for materials and
components
• Characterisation at end-of-
life → design for end-of-life
performance
Lifetime testing
• Quality, accuracy and
reliability of sensors
• Optimum use of data for
fault-prediction
• Data sharing and IP
Sensors and health
monitoring
Challenges raised at stakeholder workshop:
Addressing Specific Challenges:

13. Standards & Regulations
Organisation Seats
ISO 94
CIPM 53
CEN 36
EURAMET 24
IEC 19
CIE 11
ASTM 10
other >150
NPL positions on international
standards and measurement technical
committees by organisation.
Harmonisation and development of standards
will be a core function of
NPL’s interaction with DER.
NPL to provide leadership, coordination, and
liaison between regulators, standards
committees, research and industry.
Particular focus on supporting SMEs to
commercial advantage through early adoption
and reduced cost of compliance and
representation at international level.

14. Power Electronics Machines and Drives
– Standards Landscape
Benefits of Standards:
• Validation of emerging materials, components and technologies
• Acceleration of innovation
• Fast-fail and optimised investment
• Confidence for investors, end-users and regulators
• Protecting global interests of UK companies
Materials Components/Package materials Modules and systems
Pre-normative research Silicon SiC / GaN
Magnetic
Materials
Lubricants Wire bond Die-attach Substrate
Net shape
magnets
Automotive power
module
Inverters
Electric Motors
Measurement techniques
& Facilities
Test methods
Modelling and validation
International Standards
Benefits of pre-standards research
• Provides UK industry with early access to best practice
(competitive advantage)
• Confidence for early investment and innovation
• Accelerates standardisation

15. Enabling Capability for Critical Technologies
e.g. Power Electronics
Wafers and dies Package materials Power modules Power electronics
systems
• Silicon wafers
• SiC wafers
• GaN wafers
• Metallisation
• Dies
• Wire bonds / interconnects
• Die-attach materials
• Substrates
• Adhesives and fillers
• Heatsinks, baseplates and thermal interfaces
• Busbars / interconnects / cables
• Built-in sensors
• DC-link capacitors
• Cooling systems
• Parasitic inductance
• Gate drive and control interface
• Utility-scale inverters
• Domestic grid-tie inverters
• Solid-state transformers
• EV electric drive systems
• Charging stations
• On-board chargers
Enabling Capability - Standards
Requirements to Produce Standards
• Test methods including Accelerated Test Methods
• Measurement Techniques
• Measurement Facilities
• Modelling and Validation
Technology and Industrialisation Program
“80% of all electricity will go through power electronics by 2030
(from about 30% today)”

16. Enabling Capability for Critical Technologies
e.g. Electrical Machines
Materials Machine components Machine assemblies Electric motor systems
• Electrical steels
• Permanent magnetic materials
• Soft magnetic materials
• Insulators
• Composite magnetic materials
• Lubricants
• Core laminations and stacks
• Windings
• Net-shape magnets
• Structural components
• Frame
• Cooling system
• Bearings
• Electrical connections and integrated drives
• EV powertrain
• Electric / hydrogen locomotives
• Wind turbines
• Gas / steam turbines
• Aircraft electromechanical systems
• Industrial machines
Enabling Capability - Standards
Requirements to Produce Standards
• Test methods including Accelerated Test Methods
• Measurement Techniques
• Measurement Facilities
• Modelling and Validation
Technology and Industrialisation Program
>2m next generation drives needed by 2030 to replace existing
car engines (critical to skill and maintenance of UK jobs).

17. How to Engage with NPL
q Collaborative R&D
q Consultancy Services
q Commercial Services
q Training and Skills Development
q M4R Programme
Ø www.npl.co.uk/measurement-for-recovery
q www.npl.co.uk

18. Respecting our diverse workforce
q Project JUNO (WISE)
q NPL LGBT+ Network - http://www.intranet.npl.co.uk/lgbt/
q NPL Diversity Task Force -
http://www.intranet.npl.co.uk/diversity/
q Two Ticks – positive about disabled people, approved by Job
Centre Plus
We are committed to building a culture of inclusion
within our very diverse organisation,
enabling us to profit from the individual differences that people bring.
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

19. Thank you for you attention
The National Physical Laboratory is operated by NPL Management Ltd, a wholly-owned company
of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Steve Reynolds
Strategic Business Development
Manager
Steve.Reynolds@npl.co.uk
www.npl.co.uk