At the Cutting Edge of Rolls-Royce Aero-Engines

For the past 40 years, compressor blade tip abrasion testing for aero-engines has been expensive and lacks insight into dynamic wear. Matt Marshall’s team created a high speed in situ test platform, including stroboscopic imaging to capture blade wear at various incursion rates.

This has provided new insights into engine blade wear mechanics, and the full range of Rolls-Royce’s fleet (c 13,000 engines) has benefitted from greater safety and efficiency, leading to a multi-million pound saving in maintenance and service costs.