Mechanical Engineering PhD/MPhil – (Ph.D.)

Contents

Biomedical and Microengineering

This centre brings together our expertise in two growth areas with the aim of exploring how they benefit each other. Facilities include a dual beam focused ion beam (FIB) system with a field emission scanning microscope. This instrument is capable of ion machining and deposition of a wide range of materials (both metals and insulators) down to the nanometre scale. It is, therefore, a very useful tool for nano-fabrication and analysis.
There are seven members of academic staff in the centre and the facilities are housed in purpose-built, modern accommodation. Collaboration with the School of Chemical Engineering provides cell culture facilities for tissue engineering.
Current research concentrates on:

* Development of implants and associated surgical instrumentation
* Mechanical properties of natural tissues related to risk of failure and the effects of surgical technique
* Scaffolds for tissue engineering
* Micro-fluidic systems for 'lab on a chip' applications
* Resonant pressure micro-sensors
* MEMS for radio-frequency communications
* Microengines

We are very interested in applications from students who would like to work at the interface between biomedical and microengineering.

Manufacturing Processes, Technology, and Modelling

This centre combines expertise in:

* Machining
* Metal forming
* Casting
* Modelling, including geometric modelling of surfaces
* Continuous improvement/quality systems
* Manufacturing systems and assembly

There are eight members of academic staff in the Centre, which has excellent facilities for experimental work and a wide range of software for computer modelling of machining, casting, and metal forming. On the modelling front, use of the Gleeble mechanical property simulator enables appropriate stress-strain data to be incorporated with subsequent validation on industrial scale machine tools, whether involving cutting or forming. Collaboration with the School of Metallurgy and Materials and major funding by Rolls Royce, ESI, IBM and TSB, has enabled access to leading-edge software (DEFORM, PROCAST and SYSWELD).
The Centre houses one of the UK's main laboratories for machining research with the latest equipment for high-speed milling (HSM), creep feed grinding and electrical discharge (ED) machining encompassing die sink/milling, EDWM, EDG and EDT configurations. The facilities are able to accommodate conventional and microscale operations involving a wide range of workpiece materials and interaction with leading edge machine tool and tooling suppliers such as Matsuura, Hardinge Bridgeport, Agie-Charmilles, Element Six, Iscar, Saint Gobain etc.. Underpinning this research are extensive residual stress, fatigue evaluation, sample preparation/metallography, and metrology resources.
Other centre activities include geometric modelling of surfaces following 5-axis machining with different cutter path routines, continuous improvement evaluation via control charting, quality standards issues, quality costs and experimental design techniques and the analysis of manufacturing systems, including simulation of modular assembly.
Metal-forming research uses industrial scale equipment, and our casting capability is the best in any UK university – full facilities exist for investment (including single crystal), precision sand, low pressure sand and die, tilt and counter gravity casting processes.
Current research involves:

* Machining of advanced aerospace alloys and composites (nickel-based superalloys, titanium alloys and carbon fibre reinforced composites
* Micro-scale machining using HSM, micro-ED wire, ED-die sink and ultrasonic techniques
* New/novel advanced processes development/evaluation for the production of aeroengine components
* Use of CFD, FEA and other computational techniques for simulating manufacturing processes
* Data analysis, reduction and segmentation for describing irregular topologies and for reverse engineering
* Forging of miniature/micro components
* Hot stamping with cold die quenching
* Quality costing as an improvement tool
* Multi-criteria optimisation in reliability
* Industrial experimental design techniques
* Integrated business management systems
* Reliability modelling of manufacturing processes
* Knowledge management

Vehicle Technology

There are six members of academic staff in the centre with an additional seven emeritus and honorary staff. Its research involves:

* Future power systems
* Vehicle dynamics
* Power transmission
* Automotive safety

In addition, one member of the centre works with the inter-disciplinary Railway Research Centre on control of rail traffic.
Future power systems research specialises in power plant, especially for automobiles, covering:

* Fuel reforming for on-board generation of hydrogen
* Homogeneous charge compression ignition
* Alternative fuels, particularly biofuels and their properties
* Diesel and biodiesel fuel pre-treatment, combustion and exhaust after-treatment
* Emission and process gas analysis for environmental considerations
* Advanced and miniature Wankel engines

Facilities include: single-cylinder thermal and optical engines, advanced gasoline and diesel engines, and laser and mass-spectroscopy diagnostics.
Vehicle dynamics research covers:

* Tyre dynamics
* Vehicle ride and handling
* Vehicle structural dynamics
* Internal noise

Facilities include a four-post vehicle dynamics rig.
Power transmission research concentrates on non-metallic transmission drives.