STRAIN SOLUTIONS LIMITED

Their core work

Strain Solutions Limited is a UK-based technology SME specialising in non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring, with a specific focus on thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) using infrared thermography to detect and characterise cracks in structural components. Their distinguishing capability is deploying these inspection techniques directly within active production environments — a technically demanding context where most NDT methods require halting the line. Through their Clean Sky 2 work, they have applied and advanced these methods in aerospace manufacturing, where detecting micro-cracks in flight-critical structures is a safety imperative. They also develop integrated measurement systems that combine multiple sensing modalities to support structural integrity assessment across the transport sector.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first project (INSTRUCTIVE, 2016–2018), SSL led a tightly scoped effort around one specific technique — infrared thermoelastic crack monitoring — applied in production settings, suggesting a company built around a proprietary or deeply mastered method. By their second project (DIMES, 2019–2021), they stepped back from the coordinator role and contributed to a broader effort on integrated measurement systems, pointing toward an expansion from their core TSA specialism toward multi-modal measurement architectures. The trajectory suggests a deliberate move from being a single-technique specialist toward becoming a more complete measurement systems provider, while keeping aerospace NDT as the commercial anchor.

SSL appears to be broadening from a single-technique NDT specialist into a more versatile measurement systems contributor, which positions them well for larger consortium roles in future aerospace and advanced manufacturing programmes.

How they like to work

SSL has operated in very small consortia — just three unique partners across both projects — which is typical for high-specialisation SMEs whose value lies in a specific technical capability rather than organisational scale. They have experience in both the coordinator seat (INSTRUCTIVE) and as a contributing partner (DIMES), showing flexibility in project role. Their Clean Sky 2 focus means they consistently work alongside aerospace primes and research institutes, and are accustomed to the quality and safety standards that come with that ecosystem.

SSL has worked with three unique partners across three countries, an intentionally tight network consistent with a niche technical SME that selects collaborators based on precise technical fit rather than breadth. Their network is concentrated within the Clean Sky 2 aerospace JTI ecosystem.

What sets them apart

Very few organisations at SME scale can coordinate an EU project centred on in-production thermoelastic crack detection — this indicates SSL holds genuine technical depth in a narrow but commercially critical niche within aerospace NDT. For a consortium builder, they offer a specialist capability that large research institutes rarely develop in-house, and their track record in Clean Sky 2 means they meet the documentation and safety standards demanded by aerospace primes. A business or project coordinator in aircraft manufacturing, MRO, or structural testing would find in SSL a partner who can deploy advanced measurement methods where others would only offer lab-grade solutions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INSTRUCTIVE
  SSL coordinated this project, which centred on a technically specific and commercially valuable capability — using infrared thermoelastic analysis to detect cracks in structural components without stopping production — making it the clearest signal of their core proprietary expertise.
• DIMES
  As a participant in this integrated measurement systems project, SSL demonstrated the ability to contribute within a broader technical consortium, signalling a deliberate expansion beyond their core TSA method toward full measurement system integration in aerospace contexts.