Last month I wrote about our experience at the 2025 UK Space Conference and discussed how organisations in the Space sector are increasingly looking for added value from their supply chain partners. At the event we were often asked what kind of additional support we could offer and in response, we were able to reference specific case studies to illustrate our approach. I thought it would be useful to share an example here to highlight one area where our work is helping to make a real difference for clients.

This particular assignment involved torquer rods, iron-cobalt rods that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field to control the altitude of a satellite and are mission-critical to successful operations. The magnetic properties of these rods can be modified during the manufacturing process to optimise performance and we were recently approached by a leading manufacturer in the satellite industry to help them get more out of their materials.

For this project, we partnered with Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre (PEMC) to provide some critical insights. PEMC is based at the University of Plymouth and home to scientific expertise and state-of-the-art equipment, including one of the few commercially available Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopes in the UK. We investigated the impact of different thermal treatments on the torquer rods to identify variations between manufacturing processes and select the approach that delivered the best results.

Samples from the different rods were mounted, ground and polished so they could be properly examined. Scanning Electron Microscopy gave us Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy data that showed the inclusion of Mn-Si-O-Al particles and a smaller number of angular Al-O particles. At the same time, the Electron Backscatter Diffraction detector also revealed the variation in grain size and texture between the different treatments.

The investigation highlighted significant differences in the densities of the grain boundaries, and with these insights we have been able to successfully adapt torquer rod heat treatment to optimise product performance for our client.

Collaborating with partners like PEMC to provide cutting-edge scientific input is just one example of how we’re helping our customers get more from their materials to boost operational performance. During September and October this year, we’ll be looking more closely at our portfolio of added-value capabilities, providing some examples of where and how we’re helping our customers achieve more – from workshop pre-machining and quality control, to technical know-how and best practice. So keep an eye on your inbox over the coming months to discover what we can do for you!

In the meantime, as always, please get in touch with me directly with any questions about our materials and support services, special requirements or order enquiries and I’ll do my best to help!