R-TECH Services
R-TECH Services has been in existence since 2002, and has been providing testing services since 2003. Our technical staff have extensive experience of testing in R&D laboratories as well as production test houses.
R-TECH Services is managed by two professional metallurgists, Tony Franks and Russell Chiplen. Between them they have over 50 years combined experience in the manufacture and testing of reinforcing steels.
Dr Tony Franks
Tony graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1979 with a degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science. He worked in R&D for British Steel, before completing a PhD at the University of Sheffield.In 1985 Tony joined Allied Steel and Wire, the main UK manufacturer of reinforcing and pre-stressing steels. From 1990 Tony was the Technical Manager at ASW, covering all technical and quality aspects of the business, including quality assurance, quality control, product and process development, intellectual property issues and certification. Tony is the Chairman of the BSI committee ISE/104/1 and a member of ISE/104, responsible for reinforcing and pre-stressing steel standards.
Tony has been a professional member of the Institute of of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and a Chartered Engineer, since 1987. He is also a professional member of the Welding Institute.
Tony is the Director of R-TECH Services Ltd.
Russell Chiplen
Russell Chiplen has spent his whole professional life in the steel industry. He has held a number of technical and quality posts, initially in British Steel, and then at Allied Steel and Wire. Russell has a wealth of knowledge of the testing and examination of metals, particularly steels. Russell has been a professional member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and a Chartered Engineer, since 1986.
Russell is the Laboratory Manager at R-TECH Services Ltd.
Michael Moore
Michael Moore has joined the R-TECH Services team as part of a callaboration with Swansea University. Michael is enrolled on the Engineering Doctorate scheme at the university and will be developing our testing expertise in non-standard mechanical coupler testing and investigation. Michael has an MEng degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Bristol and has spent several years in the structural engineering industry.
Ben Franks
Ben has joined the R-TECH Services team after completing his BSc degree in Physics at the University of Southampton. Ben will be developing expertise in new areas of materials testing which we hope to add to our services in the future.
