Vibrometry research centre to be established at University of Leicester

The university, together with its industrial partner Polytec, will use the funding to realise the UK's first commercial 3D laser vibration scanning measurement and modal analysis centre. The investment was awarded by the government as part of the second round of its £1.4billion Regional Growth Fund, which is aimed at boosting the UK economy. The £1.07m will go towards building the £5.6m Advanced Structural Dynamics Evaluation Centre (ASDEC), which is expected to create 250 engineering jobs. The facility will use a robot with laser technology to analyse and assess the design, parts and components of products from the automotive, aerospace and space industries. This, according to vice chancellor of the university Professor Bob Burgess, will save time and costs in the production processes by analysing in advance whether design and vibrating parts of a machine are optimised. Prof Burgess noted: "This project illustrates the impact world class university research can have on the success of industry, delivering the benefits of international quality work to the region and great partnerships working with support from many local, regional and national partners. "The establishment of the ASDEC facility will enable the us to work with, and enable companies to access, a highly specialised resource to support many more developments of new products and processes using technology and expertise currently unavailable in the UK."