Professor Charles Norman MacLeod
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Personal statement
Charles MacLeod is a Professor in the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering.
He is the Babcock International Group / Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Sensor-Driven Automated Welding.
He is director of the Sensor Enabled Automation & Robotics Control Hub (SEARCH), a £24M research innovation and technology transfer laboratory. Aligned to this, he is Course Director of the Autonomous Robotic Intelligent Systems (ARIS) MSc.
His research is primarily associated with the inspection and manufacturing enhancement of high-value assets and components, where he leads a number of high-profile inter-disciplinary in-process welding and metal additive research projects.
He has driven and co-developed core robotic and ultrasonic technology from fundamental EPSRC research, which is now being licensed by a leading industrial organisation and co-developed an innovative inspection robot for a critical life-extension inspection at Sellafield Reprocessing Facility.
He is the PI and designer of the Engaging Robotic Interactive Cell (ERIC) STEM Outreach cell.
His research interests include:
Non-Destructive Evaluation
In-Process Inspection of Fusion Welding & Metal Additive Components
Sensors including Ultrasonic, Electromagnetic, Tactile and Visual
Automation & Robotics
Automated Manufacturing & Welding
Teaching Activities.
Course Director: Autonomous Robotic Intelligent Systems (ARIS) MSc.
Module Registrar: EE987 Sensors & Instrumentation
Lecturer: EE312 Instrumentation and Microcontrollers
Prize And Awards
- Innovation of the Year
- Recipient
- 19/3/2026
- The Engineer - Collaborate to Innovate Finalist AWESIM
- Recipient
- 1/3/2022
- Babcock International Group / Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Sensor Driven Automated High-Integrity Welding
- Recipient
- 1/3/2022
- The BINDT Annual Conference Award
- Recipient
- 5/9/2019
- University of Strathclyde Faculty of Engineering Knowledge Exchange Award (2016)
- Recipient
- 1/8/2016
- Knowledge Exchange Award
- Recipient
- 2016
Publications
- Recently deposited weld layer-targeted parametric optimization for ultrasonic in-process inspection of narrow gap welds
- Chandramouli Sashank, Nicolson Ewan, Lines David, MacLeod Charles N, Tant Katherine M
- NDT and E International Vol 163 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2026.103802
- Ultrasonic phased array measurement & compression for in-process weld bevel estimation
- Dimakos Angelos, Sweeney Nina E, Loukas Charalampos, Nicolson Ewan, MacLeod Charles N, Mohseni Ehsan, Lines David, Sibson James
- Ultrasonics Vol 164 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultras.2026.108025
- Autonomous in-process inspection of plasma cutting for nuclear decommissioning using air-coupled ultrasonic A0 Lamb wave
- Anderson James Christian, Galbraith Walter, MacLeod Charles, Loukas Charalampous, Agnew Keiran, Mohamed Aasim, Price Joshua
- Nuclear Engineering and Design Vol 457 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2026.115085
- Ultrasonic-driven adaptive robotic plasma cutting system for hole cutting applications
- Mohamed Aasim, Loukas Charalampos, Vasilev Momchil, Sweeney Nina, Dobie Gordon, MacLeod Charles
- The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Vol 145, pp. 2553-2576 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-026-18463-1
- Compensating couplant effects in phased-array ultrasonic ToF sensing for residual stress
- Mills Brandon, Javadi Yashar, MacLeod Charles N
- Sensors Vol 26 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.3390/s26133975
- Towards a calibration methodology for an in-series phased array ultrasonic inspection of weld cladding at elevated temperatures
- Leach Thomas, Nicolson Ewan, Watson Robert, Loukas Charalampos, Lines David, Pierce S Gareth, Macleod Charles N
- NDT and E International Vol 161 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2026.103699
Professional Activities
- BWXT and Rolls Royce
- Host
- 6/8/2026
- The 79th Annual Assembly of International Institute of Welding (IIW) and International Conference on Welding and Joining
- Chair
- 12/7/2026
- The Impact of Peening on Residual Stress in Wire-Arc Additive Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Using Contour Method and Phased Array Ultrasonics
- Contributor
- 22/10/2025
- John Healey (UK Secretary of State for Defence)
- Host
- 1/10/2025
- Ultrasonic Guided Wave Sensor Network Data Inversion for Resin Front Prediction in Carbon Fibre Composite Plastics Infusion Processes
- Contributor
- 15/9/2025
- Predictive Models for Estimating Front Position in Resin Infusion Processes Using Ultrasonic Guided Wave Sensors
- Contributor
- 10/9/2025
Projects
- UKRI2005: DA EPSRC IDLA - University of Strathclyde 2025 / S251622-108
- Loukas, Charalampos (Co-investigator) MacLeod, Charles Norman (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2030
- Frontiers in Electromagnetic Non-Destructive Evaluation Research (FENDER)
- Mohseni, Ehsan (Principal Investigator) MacLeod, Charles Norman (Co-investigator) Pierce, Gareth (Co-investigator) Wathavana Vithanage, Randika Kosala (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2029
- Sustainable Manufacturing of High-Integrity Aeroengine Components with Excellent Mechanical Properties (Samurai)
- Mohseni, Ehsan (Principal Investigator) MacLeod, Charles Norman (Co-investigator) Pierce, Gareth (Co-investigator) Wathavana Vithanage, Randika Kosala (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2028
- Robotic laser ultrasonic inspection system (Photonics & Quantum Accelerator (PQA) )
- Stratoudaki, Theodosia (Principal Investigator) MacLeod, Charles Norman (Co-investigator) Pierce, Gareth (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 28-Jan-2026
- BIG IA TB2
- MacLeod, Charles Norman (Principal Investigator)
- Linked to RKES 221449
- 22-Jan-2025 - 21-Jan-2028
- Comparative Analysis of Residual Stresses in Aluminum Components Produced by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and AdditiveFriction Stir Deposition (AFSD)
- Javadi, Yashar (Principal Investigator) MacLeod, Charles Norman (Co-investigator) Buffa, Gianluca (Co-investigator) Tamimi, Saeed (Co-investigator) Rahimi, Salaheddin (Co-investigator) Paradowska, Anna (Co-investigator) Alipooramirabad, Houman (Co-investigator)
- This collaborative study between ANSTO, University of Palermo, University of Strathclyde, and AFRC investigates residual stresses in aluminum components produced via WAAM and AFSD (including MELD). Using neutron diffraction and ultrasonic techniques, the project aims to characterize and compare stress profiles across processes. The findings will inform process optimization and contribute to a doctoral thesis on in-situ stress measurement in metal additive manufacturing.
- 10-Jan-2025 - 09-Jan-2026
Contact
Professor
Charles Norman
MacLeod
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Email: charles.macleod@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted