Fulmer Research Institute facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fulmer Research Institute

Type	Private Limited Company
Industry	Technical and scientific services in materials technology and related fields
Successors	Parts acquired in 1990 by BNF Metals Technology Centre Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. Sintek
Founded	Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire (1945)
Founder	Col W C (Dev) Devereux
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Key people	E A G (Ted) Liddiard, Director of Research 1945 - May 1969 W Eric Duckworth, Director of Research June 1969 - 1990
Products	Research & Development Testing Consultancy Certification

Fulmer Research Institute was a special company in the UK. It started in 1945. Its main job was to do research and development (R&D) for other companies and the government. They focused on new materials and how they work. Think of them as problem-solvers for science and engineering.

Fulmer was like American companies such as the Battelle Memorial Institute. These places did research for hire. In 1965, a group called The Institute of Physics and the Physical Society bought Fulmer. This was unusual for a scientific group. Over the years, Fulmer became very good at testing materials, giving expert advice, and checking quality. They made many important discoveries. In 1990, the company was divided and sold to other research and testing groups.

Here are some cool things Fulmer achieved:

• They found a new way to get aluminium from other materials.
• They created special aluminium alloys for engine parts.
• They used a method called Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD). This made strong coatings for metals and ceramics.
• They did deep research on aluminium-copper alloys. This led to very strong materials for aircraft.
• They started a company called YQAF. This company helped other businesses meet quality standards.

How Fulmer Research Institute Started (1945-1946)

The Fulmer Research Institute was founded in 1945. It was officially set up as a company in 1946. The founder was Colonel W C (Dev) Devereux. He was a leader in using light metal alloys, like those in airplane engines. During World War II, he helped organize aircraft repairs in the UK.

After the war, in 1945, Devereux started a company called Almin Ltd. This group included companies that worked with aluminium and magnesium. He wanted Almin to have its own research labs. But he knew that Almin's needs alone were not enough. They couldn't pay for all the staff and equipment needed for a big lab.

So, he decided to create a research company that could work for many different clients. This was like the Battelle Memorial Institute in the USA. Fulmer Research Institute became one of the first companies in Britain to do this. At first, it was in a temporary place. But soon, Devereux bought a large country house in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire. It had ten acres of land. The name 'Fulmer' came from the local telephone exchange and a nearby village.

Building the Expert Team

Devereux hired E A G Liddiard to be Fulmer's Director of Research. Liddiard came from another research group.

Many other skilled people joined the team:

• Philipp Gross: An expert in chemical thermodynamics. He became a Principal Scientist.
• Ted Calnan: Appointed Principal Physicist.
• Arthur Sully: An expert on how jet engine parts wear out. He helped Fulmer become known for its work with metals.
• Harold Hardy: Another metal expert who developed new aluminium alloys.
• Gordon Metcalfe: Led the section that studied how materials rust and wear down.
• Tom Heal: A physicist who became head of physics.
• Eric Brandes: A process metallurgist.
• Leon Levi: A physical chemist.

By the end of 1946, Fulmer had about 40 staff members.

Fulmer's Business Plan

From the very beginning, Fulmer was a business. It aimed to make money to invest in its own growth. It did not get grants or membership fees. All its money came from projects. Each project had clear goals and a set time and cost. These were agreed upon with the client, whether it was the government or a company. Usually, the client owned all the results and any new inventions from the project.

Early Years of Growth (1946-1960)

The World Around Them

Fulmer grew in a good time for science and technology. After World War II, the UK government spent a lot on research. This was true even though Britain was in debt. New technologies from the war, like radar and the jet engine, showed how important R&D was. The Cold War also pushed for more military research. People were excited about using atomic energy for peaceful things too.

Who Were Fulmer's Clients?

In the years up to 1960, Fulmer's work was divided like this:

• About 25% was for UK government defense groups.
• Another 25% was for the Atomic Energy Authority.
• 10% was for other government groups.
• About 10% was for US government groups.
• 30% was for British companies.

How Fulmer Grew

Fulmer steadily grew. By 1960, it had about 100 staff. They often hired researchers for specific projects. Each new person was also expected to suggest new work ideas. This helped Fulmer's skills grow and change over time. This was a strength. If a client had a materials problem, Fulmer could usually offer new ways to solve it.

Important Projects (1946-1960)

Fulmer worked on many interesting projects.

• They studied how aluminium and copper alloys harden. This led to new, very strong alloys for aircraft.
• They developed a new way to produce pure aluminium. This method used a special gas process.
• They measured heat very accurately. This helped assess rocket fuels.
• They created special aluminium-tin alloys for engine bearings. These bearings are still used today in many diesel engines.
• They used X-rays to study the structure of metals.
• They studied how liquid sodium behaves.
• They found a way to put glass-like coatings on aluminium.
• They studied how light alloys crack under stress or corrosion.
• They looked at how difficult metals like beryllium and chromium deform.

Impalco Takes Over (1960-1964)

In 1960, a company called Impalco bought Almin. Impalco was a joint company between Aluminium Company of America (Alcoa) and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Impalco mainly wanted one of Almin's other companies. So, Fulmer was bought by chance. It didn't quite fit with Impalco. Impalco had its own huge research labs. They didn't need Fulmer's help. Also, Impalco's rivals didn't want to hire Fulmer because of this new ownership.

Changing Times for Science

During this time, the world of science and technology was changing. People were losing some faith in big scientific solutions. There had been some big failures. For example, the de Havilland Comet planes had crashed. The drug thalidomide caused serious birth defects.

Government projects were also costing too much. The BAC TSR-2 plane project was cancelled after huge overspending. The Blue Streak missile was also stopped in 1960. With less government money, it became harder for Fulmer to get contracts. Most of Fulmer's markets were becoming tough. People wondered if Fulmer could survive long-term.

Notable Projects (1960-1964)

Even with challenges, Fulmer continued its work:

• They measured how gases give off heat at high temperatures. This helped with their aluminium production method.
• They used X-rays to study the structure of liquid metals. This was important for coolants in nuclear reactors.
• They made very pure stainless steel. This was considered for use in nuclear fuel.
• They improved the strength of chromium. Chromium is usually brittle, but Fulmer made it more flexible.
• They studied the strength of ceramics. Ceramics are brittle, so Fulmer helped engineers design with them safely.

The Institute of Physics Era (1965-1990)

In 1964, Impalco decided to sell Fulmer. Dr. James Taylor, who led Imperial Metal Industries (IMI), suggested that the Institute of Physics and the Physical Society (IOP) buy Fulmer. This would make IOP the first scientific society to own a commercial research company. The IOP hoped to use money from Fulmer to support its science and education work. ICI gave a grant to help with the purchase. So, in 1965, IOP became Fulmer's owner.

Growth and Changes (1965-1970)

With its future secure, Fulmer opened new labs in 1966. They also hired more experts in 1966. In 1969, Mr. Liddiard retired. Dr. W E Duckworth took his place as Director of Research. In 1970, Fulmer created Fulmer Technical Services (FTS). This unit focused on testing and advice for businesses. During this time, Fulmer's income slowly grew, and staff numbers stayed around 120.

The Changing Research World

By the early 1970s, the research world was changing again. Government research budgets were shrinking. In 1955, 70% of Fulmer's contracts were from the UK government. By 1970, it was 45%. By 1985, it was less than 5%.

More and more, companies in the UK were using contract research. Many other contract research companies had started, like Huntingdon Life Sciences (1957) and Cambridge Consultants (1960). This meant more competition for Fulmer. Fulmer helped promote contract R&D by publishing a guide for companies.

In 1971, a report said that government research should work like a customer-contractor relationship. The customer says what they want, and the contractor does it. But the government was slow to change. Fulmer and six other research companies formed a group called AICRO. They wanted a stronger voice to get more government contracts.

There were two big changes that made competition even tougher:

• Government-funded labs, like Harwell, started looking for contracts from companies. They needed to make up for less government money.
• Many new universities were built. Existing colleges became full universities. This meant a huge increase in research facilities at universities. They also wanted to get contracts from companies.

New Directions for Fulmer

Because of these changes, Eric Duckworth started new policies. Fulmer aimed to offer more services. These included R&D, testing, and even small-scale manufacturing. They wanted to work with more types of materials. They also looked for new markets. They tried to work with or buy other companies that had skills they needed. The goal was to offer a full range of services in materials technology.

Fulmer also changed its policy on inventions. Before, any inventions belonged to the client. Starting in 1970, Fulmer began to patent its own ideas. This way, Fulmer could keep the rights and benefit from future use. Another new idea was to have several clients pay for one project together.

The way Fulmer was managed also changed. Eric Duckworth brought in an open management style. This included a company council with staff representatives. There were regular meetings to update staff. Pay scales were clear, and staff were reviewed yearly. This system helped people grow in their careers, whether they were managers or technical experts.

Growing by Buying Other Companies (1973-1977)

Fulmer grew by joining with other companies. The first and most important was Yarsley. Yarsley was very good with plastics and polymers. Dr. Victor Yarsley, a plastics expert, founded it. Fulmer and Yarsley started working together in 1970. In 1973, Fulmer bought Yarsley. Most of Yarsley's work moved to Fulmer's main site.

Also in 1973, Fulmer bought the engineering part of Aeon Laboratories. Aeon made equipment for electron microscopes and computers. In 1975, Fulmer bought IPEC to improve its plastics work. These groups formed a new company called Yarsley Polymer Engineering Centre (YPEC). In 1977, a new site was bought in Redhill, Surrey. All the Yarsley and YPEC activities moved there. A new company, Yarsley Technical Centre Limited (YTEC), was set up.

In 1982, Fulmer started a joint company in Singapore. It offered services for metals and polymers. In 1985, another company was set up in South Africa, but it closed after a few years.

Focus on Testing and Quality (Early 1980s)

Both Fulmer and Yarsley Testing Laboratories had always done many tests for clients. In 1982, they both received special accreditation for their testing labs. By the late 1970s, many countries were worried about competition from Japan. They started to use Japanese business ideas, like quality management. This was a big reason for Japan's economic success.

In the early 1980s, a quality standard called BS 5750 became popular in Britain. In 1985, Yarsley Technical Centre started Yarsley Quality Assured Firms (YQAF). YQAF was an independent group that checked if companies met the BS 5750 standard. YQAF grew quickly and opened offices across the UK. It became an official company in 1987.

Important Projects (1965-1989)

Fulmer continued to innovate:

• Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD): This was a big area for Fulmer. They made coatings for rocket nozzles and other parts. They even found a way to coat the inside of tiny passages in gas turbine blades.
• Fulmer Tension Meter: A device to measure the tightness of ropes and cables. Fulmer set up a company to make and sell it.
• Project Planning: Fulmer created a system to plan projects when things were uncertain. They taught this to many researchers.
• Fulmer Materials Optimiser (FMO): This was a huge information system. It helped compare materials for different uses. It was published in 1974 as large paper files, before the internet.
• Ion Engine: Fulmer helped develop ion thrusters for space travel.
• Metals Advisory Service: In 1975, Fulmer helped set up a metals advice center in Pakistan.
• Solar Water-Heating Trials: In 1976, Fulmer built a special lab to test solar hot-water systems. They studied how well different systems worked and what materials were best.
• GRP Ships: Fulmer helped develop ways to build ships from glass-reinforced plastic. This led to the world's first warship made of this material, HMS Wilton.
• Shape Memory Alloys: Fulmer found that many metals can "remember" their original shape. They developed uses like heat-shrinkable pipe couplings and parts for spacecraft.
• Organic Chemicals: Yarsley started making special organic chemicals, especially for medicine research.
• Superdart: A system to train marksmen. It used sound sensors to show where a bullet hit a target instantly.
• Soft Contact Lenses: YTEC created new polymers for soft contact lenses. They even helped set up a factory to make them.
• Body Armour: Fulmer worked on materials for body armor.
• Neutron Source Targets: They made special targets for a neutron source facility.
• Probabilistic Modelling: Fulmer developed ways to use math to model things when there's uncertainty.

The Final Years (1985-1989)

Fulmer was supposed to use its profits to invest in new facilities and give money to the IOP. But Fulmer had expanded a lot and borrowed more money from banks. There were also problems, like a fire at one of their sites. They needed new ways to get money. They thought about staff buying the company, but it didn't work out. They also planned to sell shares to the public. But in the late 1980s, Fulmer started losing a lot of money. So, the plans were put on hold.

Fulmer's work had changed. Academic research was a small part of it. Most of its money came from testing, advice, and small-scale manufacturing. The IOP worried that owning a business might not fit with its status as a charity. They were also concerned about Fulmer's losses and growing debt. So, the IOP decided to sell Fulmer.

The End (1990)

At first, the IOP tried to sell Fulmer as one whole company. When that didn't work, they decided to sell the different parts separately. The Fulmer sites in Stoke Poges and Slough, and the Yarsley operation in Redhill, were sold as individual businesses.

In 1989, there were talks about Yarsley joining an American testing company, but no deal was made. Then, a Swiss company called Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. (SGS) showed interest. They wanted to improve their quality assurance services. They quickly agreed to buy Yarsley. The sale happened on November 30, 1990. The Fulmer activities at Stoke Poges joined with the BNF Metals Technology Centre. The manufacturing unit in Slough was bought by a German company called Sintek.

Fulmer's Lasting Impact

Fulmer was a pioneer in contract research in the UK. For 45 years, it provided scientific solutions, research, testing, and advice to many companies and governments. They worked in materials technology, physics, and chemistry. Many scientific papers and books were published by Fulmer's experts. Many new inventions were patented.

Fulmer also helped its staff get more education. It guided many young scientists and engineers in their careers. In the 1970s and 80s, Fulmer even worked with schools. They helped introduce young people to engineering and problem-solving.

Many companies and organizations today started because of Fulmer. Some examples are:

• Applied Microengineering Limited: Makes machines for joining silicon wafers.
• Archer Technicoat Limited: Works with chemical vapor deposition.
• IPH Fulmer Rope Tension Meters: Makes the rope tension meters.
• JRD Fluorochemicals Limited: Makes special chemicals.
• USL Ultrasonic Sciences: A big supplier of ultrasonic testing systems.
• The Technical Service Centre of The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

People of Fulmer

Chairmen of the Board

Directors of Research

Key Senior Management Team Members

Grev Brook; Bill Bowyer; David Davies; Mike Dewey; Bill Flavell; Philipp Gross; Eddie Sugars; GI Williams

Technical Staff

About 500 people worked at Fulmer over the years. They were skilled and had to be able to learn new things. They also helped find funding for projects.

Other Famous Fulmer Alumni

• Marjorie Caserio
• John Coiley
• Ian Polmear
• David Trefgarne