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National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
About us
The National Physical Laboratory is the UK’s National Metrology Institute, providing the measurement capability that underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life. Our experts offer accredited traceable measurement capabilities for magnetic materials used in high performance electrical machines. We have developed bespoke reliability tests for electronic materials, devices and interconnects, as well as novel inspection metrology for semiconductor materials.
Products & services
High-quality calibration services
NPL offers a comprehensive range of services, all of which are directly traceable to the internationally recognised primary measurement standards. Our highly‑accurate measurement instruments, sensors and artefacts are designed to enhance your business.
Electronic reliability services
We provide characterisation and testing for electronic components in harsh and safety critical environments, such as electric vehicles, defence applications and medical devices.
Magnetic materials characterisation
We provide a unique range of facilities and capabilities for the characterisation of hard and soft magnetic materials and the evaluation of advanced magnetic sensors. The demand for traceable electrical and magnetic measurements is growing as new materials and techniques are adopted across industry to realise our ambitions for a net-zero economy. NPL is the only UKAS accredited laboratory in the UK offering calibrations that cover these parameters in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025.
Specialist training courses
Learners will quickly make a difference within their workplaces and generate a return on training investment by improving their organisation’s measurement capability. We have new modules on composites materials.
Semiconductor materials characterisation
We can provide physical measurements with traceability to SI units, providing the highest standards in terms of points of reference. We are developing a set of standard test and characterisation methods for emerging semiconductor materials, and have developed a set of uniquely capable NPL developed instrumentation and techniques to accelerate innovation in new materials and applications.
Ensuring safety and reliability through non-destructive testing and condition monitoring Identifying damage and irregularities to avoid failures in safety-critical components and large structures
Evaluate materials in the lab and out in the field Lab-based non-destructive testing (NDT) can provide in-depth knowledge of the behaviour of a material or component, helping to highlight variations in processes or product quality. NDT is complemented by condition monitoring, which allows potential defects in large structures – such as railway tunnels – to be identified at the earliest opportunity, enabling corrective action before a problem progresses. The Advanced Engineering Materials (AEM) group at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) offers both lab-based NDT – to identify potential defects in the internal structure of materials – and on-site condition monitoring services to determine the health and integrity of structures, helping to extend the lifetime of critical components and infrastructure in even the harshest environments.
Advanced tribology testing: precision measurement for surface performance
Accurate testing methods are crucial for laboratory experiments to predict material failure, whether you’re developing wind turbine blades, aerospace components, or coatings and composites in many other sectors. But how do you select the most appropriate tests for your application?