The project is essentially divided into three parts, each of which contribute to the provision of traceability for Arden Photonics Fibre Geometry instrumentation leading to increased sales through greater market confidence in the products. 1) Investigate the existing NPL primary measuring instrument for characterizing fibre cladding mean diameter in order to extend the operating range to 400 micron cladding diameter and improve NPL's measurement service capability in response to developments within the fibre communications and photonics industry. Assess different camera performances using alterations to the optical system to determine magnification and scaling factors. Initialise the process to determine the best measurement uncertainty. 2) Build and supply a traceable calibrated 400 micron cladding diameter reference artefact within a protective retractable holder to Arden Photonics. This includes liaison with Arden regarding the cleaving process and the NPL dimensional group for traceable contact metrology. 3) Carry out measurements on the Arden FGC instrument with 400 micron cladding diameter artefacts using traceable artefacts and produce a report on the FGC performance at this range. This report will help Arden to better understand the uncertainties of its instrument at larger diameters.

Measuring and managing quality in grain milling while processing has to date not been achieved due to the available technologies and their cost. The project seeks to develop Near Infra-Red and UV Fluoresence sensors that will be accurate and cost effective, which will enable in-process control of protein, moisture and contaminants such as mycotoxins and other key parameters to be measured in real time. The proposed project will utilise photonic technology to develop an innovative solution to replace conventional technologies. This approach also opens opportunities for integration into process control systems making the milling process more efficient, improving yields and more cost effective. Near Infra-Red (NIR) spectroscopy is the principle technology used to determine the physical properties and quality of foodstuffs such as flour, and can also be applied to industrial sectors handling powdered products, such as polymers. UV Fluorescence Spectroscopy is being used to detect the presence of potentially harmful mycotoxins.