Derby-based advanced manufacturing specialist AddQual is accelerating the commercial deployment of its proprietary MiDAS platform as aerospace manufacturers and repair organisations increasingly seek to digitise inspection, traceability and qualification workflows. Originally developed to support complex aerospace metrology and qualification programmes, MiDAS — the Measurement Intelligence Data and Analytics System — is positioned as a licensable software solution capable of reducing reporting bottlenecks, improving audit readiness and shortening qualification cycles across high-value manufacturing environments. The system sits at the centre of AddQual’s wider digital manufacturing strategy, integrating live inspection data, automated reporting and rules-based decision support into a single workflow platform. According to Managing Director Ben Anderson, many aerospace businesses remain heavily reliant on disconnected spreadsheets, manual data transcription and fragmented reporting systems despite increasing pressure from OEMs for full digital traceability.
“The industry still spends far too much engineering time moving data between systems instead of using it to make decisions,” said Anderson.“MiDAS was developed to remove that inefficiency. We’re helping customers automate qualification workflows, improve traceability and create a much clearer link between measurement activity and operational decision-making.”
The platform has evolved from AddQual’s long-standing involvement in Rolls-Royce qualification programmes and turbine component inspection projects. That operational background has allowed the company to build software around real aerospace production and repair challenges rather than adapting generic quality management tools. MiDAS supports automated data capture, audit trail management and First Article Inspection reporting, while higher-level modules introduce automated pass/fail sentencing, anomaly detection and trend analysis capabilities. AddQual believes the software’s strongest differentiator is its integration with live metrology workflows rather than passive document management.
"A lot of systems simply organise paperwork after the event,” Anderson explained. “What we’re doing is integrating directly into the measurement and qualification process itself. That changes the speed, consistency and reliability of reporting.”
The company says customers are increasingly focused on reducing qualification lead times without compromising compliance standards, particularly in aerospace repair and MRO environments where component traceability and process repeatability are becoming commercially critical. MiDAS has also become a central element of AddQual’s digital twin and repair technology programmes, including work linked to the REPLENISH initiative and previous Innovate UK-supported demonstrator projects. The business is now targeting broader deployment across aerospace supply chain manufacturers, repair specialists and quality-critical engineering operations seeking a more SME-deployable alternative to large-scale enterprise systems.
“Our focus is practical industrial deployment,” said Anderson.“Many SMEs know they need to digitise inspection and qualification workflows, but existing systems are often too expensive, too complex or designed for completely different operating models. MiDAS has been built around the realities of aerospace manufacturing and repair environments.”
As aerospace manufacturers continue investing in digital traceability and process automation, AddQual believes demand for integrated qualification intelligence systems will continue to grow — particularly among businesses seeking to improve efficiency while meeting increasingly stringent audit and reporting requirements. For AddQual, the objective is not simply software adoption, but positioning digital inspection intelligence as a competitive advantage within advanced manufacturing.
“The long-term opportunity is turning inspection data into operational intelligence,” Anderson added.“That’s where manufacturers will unlock real efficiency gains.”
