Sustainable manufacturing through resource conservation

Supporting innovation in materials and processes

As we support government’s mission to ‘level up’ and encourage a green economic recovery, we need to accelerate innovation and exploitation, and increase energy and resource efficiency in all manufacturing sectors. New skills, processes and products are integral to a systems approach to move us towards a net zero economy.

Materials are key to how we live, from their use in transport and manufacturing to everyday items such as food packaging. The ways that we make, use and dispose of materials, both in industry and our own homes will be crucial to meeting the UK’s net zero targets for 2050. 

Ensuring that we design and make our products using the most energy and resources efficient way will help the UK reduce its carbon footprint andt also ensure that materials – either new or reused - are used with as little waste in energy or resource as possible. 

• NPL provides assurance for the supply chain for the development of materials. This can be new, potentially disruptive materials, such as graphene and 2D materials, or existing ones, through the development of new measurement methods and protocols. Our research often leads to new standards. It also enables the development of processes and architectures for new and existing materials and is crucial for ensuring sustainable materials and manufacturing.   
• We develop new measurement methods, protocols, test procedures and standards for materials which can reduce the need to renew or repair applications. This knowledge is key to supporting extended life of products, such as wind turbines for energy generation which operate in harsh environments. Our Mechanical Test Facility is one of the UKs most comprehensively equipped laboratories for advanced engineering testing and evaluation of novel materials.
• As new materials enter the market, we work with industry to develop the novel manufacturing processes which will replace existing methods for products with enhanced application and re-use. New measurements and standards will be needed to bring confidence in the use and reuse of 2nd life or recycled materials to ensure they meet the needs of their application and conserve our resources.
• NPL also supports the transfer of innovation to industry through the development of inline metrology for materials processing and manufacture which will help fast track the use of materials in priority areas for net zero transition.

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