Lea Laboratory for Materials and Structural Integrity
The Lea Lab is where heavy duty testing on large size components is conducted.
The Lea Lab (part of the Leonardo Laboratories) is a high-impact facility within the Faculty of Engineering and is specifically designed for "heavy-duty" engineering research and testing. While many labs focus on small-scale materials, the Lea Lab is where engineers go to test large-scale components under extreme conditions using powerful hydraulic systems.
The lab is primarily used for Tribology research (the study of friction, wear and lubrication) and specialises in simulating real-world mechanical stresses on a massive scale.
Key features of the lab
- Wheel/rail simulator: A full-size rig used to study how train wheels interact with tracks to improve safety and reduce wear
- Wind turbine gearbox testing: Research into the endurance of bearings in massive wind turbines to make renewable energy more reliable
- Metal rolling simulator : Equipment that mimics industrial manufacturing processes to study how metals behave when being shaped
It is primarily a research-led facility used by: PhD researchers & academics working on industrial partnerships; postgraduate students focusing on mechanical engineering or materials science and industrial consultants solving high-stakes mechanical failure problems.
Contact the team.