Almost every department in the Faculty of Science and Engineering is involved in materials science,
which covers a broad spectrum of research including structural biology, surface and solid-state
chemistry, microelectronic fabrication, polymers and high-temperature materials. This newly created
Centre, located within Mechanical Engineering, promotes research in materials science and engineering
within the University, and more specifically to support a coherent Faculty-wide materials research
community.
The interests of the Surface Engineering team include the controlled modification of metallic surfaces,
e.g. steel rollers and sheet, by pulsed electro-chemical etching, adhesion of corrosion-resistant
coatings, surface metrology, and the study of mechanisms of cavitation erosion. There is a strong
focus on the mapping of plane and cylindrical surfaces using Zygo and Scantron surface measurement
and analysis systems. This work has been extended to bio-mechanical applications.
New engineering materials offering great strength for weight are constantly being developed. These new
materials may be extremely hard, and difficult or impossible to machine by conventional means -
alternative approaches are required. The group has many years. expertise in electro-chemical,
electro-discharge, and ultrasonic machining. Recent work has involved hybrid micro-machining and
machining of metal matrix materials as used in the aerospace industry.
The
Manufacturing Planning Group carries out research which aims at integrating industrial functions such
as design, estimating, costing, process planning, scheduling and inventory analysis. Recent work has
focussed on Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture, and on the use of Genetic Algorithms in design optimisation.
The Group. s work also involves the use of "agents" in concurrent engineering.
Collaborators have included GEC Avionics, Rolls Royce plc and British Aerospace.
Almost every department in the Faculty of Science and Engineering is involved in materials science,
which covers a broad spectrum of research including structural biology, surface and solid-state
chemistry, microelectronic fabrication, polymers and high-temperature materials. This newly created
Centre, located within Mechanical Engineering, promotes research in materials science and engineering
within the University, and more specifically to support a coherent Faculty-wide materials research
community.
The interests of the Surface Engineering team include the controlled modification of metallic surfaces,
e.g. steel rollers and sheet, by pulsed electro-chemical etching, adhesion of corrosion-resistant
coatings, surface metrology, and the study of mechanisms of cavitation erosion. There is a strong
focus on the mapping of plane and cylindrical surfaces using Zygo and Scantron surface measurement
and analysis systems. This work has been extended to bio-mechanical applications.
New engineering materials offering great strength for weight are constantly being developed. These new
materials may be extremely hard, and difficult or impossible to machine by conventional means -
alternative approaches are required. The group has many years. expertise in electro-chemical,
electro-discharge, and ultrasonic machining. Recent work has involved hybrid micro-machining and
machining of metal matrix materials as used in the aerospace industry.
The
Manufacturing Planning Group carries out research which aims at integrating industrial functions such
as design, estimating, costing, process planning, scheduling and inventory analysis. Recent work has
focussed on Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture, and on the use of Genetic Algorithms in design optimisation.
The Group. s work also involves the use of "agents" in concurrent engineering.
Collaborators have included GEC Avionics, Rolls Royce plc and British Aerospace.