Solving Real Problems in Metrology, Inspection, and Qualification
In an industry where time is money and precision is non-negotiable, UK-based AddQual is quietly reshaping how manufacturers approach metrology, inspection, and component qualification. As global competition intensifies and quality demands rise, the firm is addressing one of the sector’s most persistent problems: how to inspect and qualify complex parts faster—without compromising on accuracy or compliance.
For Managing Director Ben Anderson, the message is simple. “Customers don’t come to us just for measurement data—they come to us to help them make confident decisions under pressure,” he says. “Whether it’s qualifying a part for flight, investigating a production fault, or tracking down the root cause of a dimensional issue, our job is to give them answers, fast.”
That demand for speed is more than anecdotal. In traditional workflows, component qualification can take days or even weeks, particularly in aerospace and other safety-critical industries where documentation and traceability are essential. AddQual’s solution is to fuse cutting-edge 3D structured light scanning with accredited, automated workflows to deliver results within hours rather than days. In some cases, Anderson says, the company has turned around qualification reports for aerospace components in under 24 hours.
“We’ve qualified aerospace-critical components in 24 hours where customers would typically expect a week,” he notes. “That time saving doesn’t just help the inspection team—it frees up production, engineering, and quality resources across the board.”
The firm's value proposition lies not just in speed but in the combination of speed, accuracy, and clarity. Their NADCAP-accredited and AS9100-compliant systems provide robust, traceable data that enables production and quality teams to take decisive action. In contrast to traditional manual inspection—often reliant on subjective judgment and limited documentation—AddQual’s digital-first approach creates a clear audit trail and reduces ambiguity across the board.
It’s in the high-pressure world of production inspection where the company’s offering arguably makes the biggest impact. “If you’re waiting on metrology to tell you what’s going wrong, you’re already losing money,” says Anderson. “Our systems give customers the visibility to act before defects turn into scrap or missed deadlines.”
For many manufacturers, quality control remains a reactive function—an area that flags problems only after they’ve reached a critical point. AddQual aims to flip that model on its head, providing real-time insight that can keep production lines moving, improve yield, and avoid costly rework.
Beyond front-line inspection, AddQual is increasingly being brought in for deeper root-cause investigations. When manufacturing problems persist or remain unresolved despite internal checks, the firm provides forensic-level analysis to guide continuous improvement. It’s a service that goes far beyond measurement alone. “We’re often brought in when internal teams have hit a wall,” Anderson explains. “We we work alongside engineers and quality teams to get to the heart of the issue, whether it’s a tooling deviation, machine drift, or CAD mismatch.”
It’s a pragmatic approach designed for industries that can’t afford to make mistakes. Clients include aerospace suppliers, automotive component manufacturers, and other precision-focused sectors where downtime and uncertainty carry heavy costs.
AddQual’s model also reflects a broader shift in how advanced manufacturing services are being delivered. Rather than investing heavily in in-house metrology infrastructure, companies are increasingly looking to outsource specialist services to agile providers who can scale quickly and deliver on-demand insight. For Anderson, this represents a clear opportunity. “Most manufacturers don’t want to become metrology experts—they want answers they can trust,” he says. “We exist to give them that trust, that speed, and that confidence—so they can keep building, innovating, and delivering.”