MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the composite nondestructive testing (NDT) equipment market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Material-Wave Interactions Laboratories, LLC (MWI Lab) with the 2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award. The increased use of composites and advanced materials in the automotive and aerospace industries is creating a host of challenges with respect to material inspection and testing. In this scenario, MWI Lab is emerging as a game changer with its cradle-to-grave approach to testing of composites. The MWI NDT technology can test materials across the manufacturing process, right from raw materials (raw resins, adhesives, webs, mats) to semi-finished (honeycomb/foam blocks, laminates) and, finally, the finished structures (radomes, canopies, wing structures).
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MWI Lab's unique and patented technology employs Gaussian beam polyrod antennas and electromagnetic linearly polarized resonant loop sensors (E-pods) across a broad microwave (MW) spectrum. These sensors are incorporated into NDT solutions for in-process quality control (QC) or quality assurance (QA) during manufacturing. The company's solutions include reel-to-reel scanners, defect detection systems, insertion loss devices, reflection loss devices, in-process uniformity scanners and handheld scanners.
"MWI Lab's technology and solutions are likely to become the standard of advanced composites testing for in-process QC during manufacturing and QA for the continual improvement of existing and new composites," said Frost & Sullivan Principal Lead Nikhil Jain. "No other composite NDT technology currently matches MWI Lab's broad application base or ability to provide real-time testing without damaging the material."
MWI Lab's peer companies tend to use traditional NDT methods for testing of composites and do not possess MW NDT technology for in-process testing of advanced composite materials. They also lack the ability to measure absolute MW composite material properties such as permittivity, permeability, complex impedance and conductance.
In addition, MWI Lab's composite NDT testing antennas weigh only a few pounds, can be mounted within inches of the test material with spot sizes smaller than 3 inches square, and provide continuous data feeds at in-process manufacturing line speeds.
"Significantly, the price of MWI Lab's technology is comparable to traditional NDT technologies, and the company offers additional options of rentals or outsourced test services," noted Nikhil. "Besides, it presents outstanding cost savings to end users that opt for in-process testing of advanced composite materials. Research shows that the production efficiencies of midstream or upstream composite manufacturers that have implemented this solution have more than doubled from 46 percent to 98 percent."
Furthermore, MWI Lab's provision of real-time, in-process testing enhances customer value by drastically lowering inspection time for composite testing and scrap. Compared to competitive solutions such as X-ray and ultrasonic NDT, MWI Lab's technology decreases scrap by as much as 80 percent and cost by 310 percent. These savings are derived by shrinking sample preparation time from hours to seconds, and sample sizes from square yard to square inches.
For delivering a clearly superior technology in the composite NDT equipment market, MWI Lab richly deserves Frost & Sullivan's 2015 Global Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in devising a strong growth strategy and robustly implementing it. The recipient has shown strength in terms of innovation in products and technologies, leadership in customer value as well as speed in response to market needs. In short, the award looks at the emerging market players in the industry and recognizes their best practices that are positioned for future growth excellence.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
About Material-Wave Interactions Laboratories, LLC (MWI Lab)
Material-Wave Interactions Laboratories, LLC (MWI Lab) is an award-winning leader in the innovation, design, and commercialization of electromagnetic antennas for the nondestructive testing (NDT) of composites. MWI Lab is becoming the standard of advanced composites testing for in-process QC during manufacturing and QA for the continual improvement of existing and new composites. Composite engineers today struggle to perform NDT on these critical materials "cradle-to-grave", from raw materials, to semi-finished goods, and finally to finished parts. MWI's breakthrough intellectual property & technology produces unequaled NDT antennas, test systems, & test services for advanced composite industries.
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Contact:
Mireya Espinoza
P: 210. 247.3870
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Matthew Witte
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E: info@mwilab.com
W: mwilab.com
