RESEARCH NEWS
Next generation of engineers
The University of Nottingham ’ s Faculty of Engineering in the UK has continued its commitment to aspiring engineers , following the major refurbishment of two modern workshop spaces . The Rapid Prototyping ( RP ) and Engineering Applications ( EA ) workshops , situated on University Park campus , have undergone major upgrades as part of the Faculty of Engineering ’ s long-term strategy to revolutionise its digital manufacturing offering .
Simon Lawes , associate professor and course director for mechanical engineering , said : “ While both facilities have existed for a long time , these upgrades will provide our mechanical and product design and manufacturing students and researchers with new facilities that will enable them to work in a faster , more sustainable way in an environment that mirrors those across the industry .”
As a centre for excellence in additive manufacturing , and home to one of the UK ’ s biggest research groups , these new technologies provide researchers and students with a springboard to create more precise and complex designs , resulting in higher quality outputs .
The refurbishment included improving the accessibility of both workshops , the installation of 50 new 3D printers and further investment in other new technologies , such as Fuse 1 SLS Machines ; Stratasys F170 Fused Deposition
The Faculty ’ s new SwiftCut Pro plasma cutter .
Modelling ( FDM ) printers ; a SwiftCut Pro plasma cutter and a range of Computer Numerical Control ( CNC ) machinery .
“ The recent upgrade and refurbishment , along with the introduction of industry-level automated machinery , offers our students the opportunity to enhance their design capabilities when producing physical components ,” commented Jason Young , a technician in the Faculty of Engineering .
“ Additionally , we now have a zonal workshop which allows our students to have greater flexibility when it comes to producing manufacturing plans for project work , and have introduced offline programming solutions , allowing our students to simulate their designs for manufacture regarding material , tooling and
New workshop upgrades .
labour costs . All this combined means that our students now have the opportunity to produce parts with greater design freedom , while maintaining maximum efficacy , and all to an industrial level of accuracy and precision .”
The new facilities were officially opened in October , ready to welcome the latest cohort of students beginning their studies at the university .
Simon Lawes added : “ We ’ re already looking at the next part of our strategy to revolutionise digital manufacturing at the university , with our attention now turning to the construction of a Virtual Reality ( VR ) lab . This is an incredibly exciting time for students and researchers in engineering and we ’ re looking forward to continuing to improve our facilities for future aspiring engineers .” n
DFG-funded Priority Programme SPP2013
The last consortium meeting for the SPP2013 programme took place at the Technical University of Darmstadt ( Germany ) on 12-13 October 2022 . The meeting was chaired by Prof . Dr . -Ing . Wolfram Volk from the Department of Forming Technology and Foundry Engineering at the Technical University of Munich . He has been responsible for the project coordination of SPP2013 from the beginning .
“ Targeted use of forming-induced residual stresses in metallic components ” is the title of the SPP2013 priority programme . The Senate of the German Research Foundation ( DFG ) approved this as a funding programme in March 2016 . The programme duration was for six years , divided into three twoyear funding periods . It involved 12 research projects in which 13 universities with a total of 24 institutes are involved across Germany .
Process-induced residual stresses offer significant potential for improving the properties of sheet-metal components . The targeted introduction and use of residual
stresses in thick-walled and thin-walled components is being investigated by 25 institutes as part of SPP2013 . Applications range from gear manufacturing and the production of torsion bar springs to the stamping of electrical sheets .
The consortium meeting recorded satisfaction with research results , against the objectives listed below , on the use of residual stresses before the projects are concluded next year .
■ Predictability of the property improvements of the components in operation with the aid of suitable prognosis models .
■ Design , layout and optimisation of the processes ( with regard to the specific application ).
■ Proof of residual stress stability under given service boundary conditions .
“ It would be desirable to transfer knowledge in 2023 / 2024 after the end of the project , with the aim of transferring the project results to industrial processes and
Prof . Dr . -Ing. Wolfram Volk . components ,” said the project teams .
A wide variety of discussions are underway with relevant industrial partners . Findings may also be used for teaching . The final report will be published in 2023 .
The 12 SPP2013 projects were presented at the EuroBLECH exhibition in Hanover , Germany ( 25-28 October 2022 ) on the EFB joint booth in hall 11 . The MUC ( Material Under Control ) test for the validation of material models was also presented . n
18 | ismr . net | ISMR November 2022