IdMRC Impact Report

8/17/2019 IdMRC Impact Report

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Engineering Research at the University of Bath

and its Impact in Industry

Design and Manufacturing Excellence:

Tools & Technologies for the Future


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34 Impact Report


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Overview

The University of Bath Innovative Design andManufacturing Research Centre (Id MRC) wasestablished in 2001 and is unique in the UK in

its emphasis on research in both design andmanufacture. The Centre is primarily funded bythe Engineering and Physical Sciences Research

Council (EPSRC) as part of its InnovativeManufacturing Research Programme which

supports a number of centres of excellence in theUK.

Since 2001 the Centre has received two major

funding awards from EPSRC totalling more than£10 million. This core funding has been enhancedthrough further awards from DEFRA, JISC and

other research funders giving a total grant portfolioof about £17 million.

The Centre is housed in a recently constructedpurpose-built facility which combines the latestin computing with state-of-the-art laboratories.

Facilities include a video-conferencing access grid

node, advanced machining systems, a dedicatedmetrology laboratory, and a range of equipment to

support the analysis and investigation of products,machines and manufacturing systems.

Centre Description

In modern manufacturing the definition,manufacture and verification of a product ormachine are intimately interlinked, and any one

aspect must be undertaken in full recognitionof the importance of the other two. The Id MRC’sresearch programme reflects this importance, with

four research themes: Constraint-Based Designand Optimisation (CBDO); Design Information

and Knowledge (DIAK); Advanced MachiningProcesses and Systems (AMPS); and Metrologyand Assembly Systems and Technologies (MAST).Across the themes the research emphasis in the

Centre is on high-quality investigative researchleading to the development of supporting tools andmethods.

The research work is undertaken within the fourresearch themes by twelve academic leads

working with twenty full-time research staff andthirty-three PhD students. The research engagesstrongly with industry, the Centre’s research results

being applied by multinational companies and

SMEs alike, in the form of new machine designs,software systems, workshops, methods and

procedures. The staff also undertake a range ofconsultancy and commercial activities with boththe private and public sectors. Approaching 250

companies and organisations from the UK andoverseas have collaborated with the Centre since2001: a conservative estimate of the value of thiscollaboration exceeds £6 million.

Introduction to the Id MRC 1

A 2008 international review panelconsidered the Centre as a whole and itsindividual research themes, all of whichwere rated highly. The reviewers wereparticularly complimentary about the

Centre’s overall performance, makingremarks such as “an outstanding overallperformance”, “very good overallperformance and it is certainly fulfillingthe planned goals”, “well on its way toachieve international competitiveness andleadership position”, “close to a generallyoutstanding status due to [the Centre’s] goodreputation in academia and its intensivelinking with industry” and “a very goodIMRC with excellent management andattention to quality”.


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Expertise and Capability

Industry Sectors Advanced Engineering, Aerospace,Automotive, Defence, Electronics, Fluid Power,Manufacturing, Marine, Medical, Mining,

Packaging Machinery, Power Generation,Pharmaceutical, Rail, Renewable Energy andSports

Areas of Expertise Metrology, Manufacturing and MachingProcesses, Rapid Prototyping, ReverseEngineering and Assembly Systems

Design Methodologies, Design Management,Machine and Manufacturing Systems and

Design, Modelling and Optimisation ofProducts and Machines

Information Management, KnowledgeManagement, Personal Information, Technology

Management and Creativity, Through-LifeCosting

Tools & MethodsLean Methodologies, Quality Systems, DfX,

FEA, CAE, PDM, PLM, Machine-MaterialInteraction, Machine Investigation, Ergonomics,Creativity and Eco-Design, Rapid Prototyping,

Process Planning and Machine Control,Through-Life Costing

Current ResearchThrough-life Information Management, CostModelling, Personal Information Management(email and logbooks); Modelling and

Optimisation of Packaging Systems, CryogenicMachining, Interoperability, Self-ReplicatingMachines, Large-Volume Metrology and

Assembly, Creativity, DfX methods (eco-design,change-over, manufacture)

2 Introduction

Staff and Output - since inception

Academic staff 18 Journal papers 319

Research staff 55 Conference papers 367

Research students 58 Keynotes & invited papers 30

Eng Docs 5 Books 6

Research grants £17 million

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

Completed projects 17

KTP funding £1.6 million

KTP Associates 26

Company turn-over enhancement £13 million

Company profit enhancement £15 million

Company savings £2.75 million

Employee growth 330 plus

Current projects 7


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History

Although the Centre was formed in 2001, itsroots can be traced back to the mid-1990s in the

Engineering Design Centre (EDC) funded by theEngineering and Physical Sciences ResearchCouncil (EPSRC). The EDC aimed to consolidate

the Department of Mechanical Engineering’swork in the areas of high-speed machinery andmanufacturing systems design, and focused on

four complementary work programmes:

1. Design and Testing Technology

2. Design Engineering3. Manufacturing Machinery and Plant4. Mechanical and Fluid Power Transmissions

Following the success of the EDC, the Departmentwas invited to bid to the EPSRC under the 2001

Innovative Manufacturing Programme which aimedto create a limited number of Centres of Excellencefor UK manufacturing research. The Department

was awarded £3 million to support a five-yearprogramme of research in the design, manufactureand management of processes, machines and

systems. Following the significant contribution

of the Centre to both UK industry and the

international scientific community, the Departmentwas awarded a follow-on grant of £7.3 million tofund further development of the Centre’s research

portfolio for five years from October 2006. Inparallel with securing this funding, and as partof succession planning, a number of strategic

appointments were made to consolidate and

extend the Centre’s research capability. Theappointments included Professor Chris McMahon

from Bristol, Professor Steve Newman fromLoughborough and Professor Paul Maropoulosfrom Durham. These appointments not only

strengthened the existing research activities butalso enabled further refinement and integrationacross the existing research portfolio. As a

consequence, and given the needs of UK industry,the Centre’s overall research focus was furtherevolved to provide an integrated research portfolio

in Design and Manufacturing across the definition,manufacture and verification of the product. It isthis integrated perspective that is unique to the

Id MRC in the current UK research capability.

International Collaborators

Beihang University, Beijing, China

University of California, Berkeley, USA

University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Technical University of Delft, Netherlands

Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, FranceGeorgia Tech, USA

Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Indian University of Science, Bangalore, India

Kyoto University, Japan

Lulea University, Sweden

University of Maryland, USA

MIT, USA

Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Canada

Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France

Politecnico di Torino, ItalyStanford University, USA

University of Sydney, Australia

Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), France

University of Zagreb, Croatia

“UK manufacturing needs

to understand any source

of commercial advantage,

whether it is in requirements

capture, design, material

processing, assembly

processes, metrology in

process control/verification

or product maintenance and

service. The Id MRC is an

excellent means to assist in

achieving a combined value

chain approach and this can

be seen by the impressive list

of industrial collaborators.

“In my opinion the quality of

the research and its industrial

relevance provide excellent

value for money.”

Geoff McFarland, Group

Engineering Director,

Renishaw plc

“The Centre has done an

excellent job in transferring

knowledge and technology in

the applied front.”

2008 International

Review Panel

“The applied targets for

the Centre are very well

developed based on industry

input. Clearly this Centre has

made a mark internationally

in developing research

for applications in the

manufacturing industry. The

theoretical underpinnings arebased on applications”.

2008 International

Review Panel

Impact Report 3


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4

Research Areas

The Id MRC represents the coming together ofworld-leading expertise in a great diversity ofengineering subjects and disciplines, developed

and integrated during research carried out overthe last three decades. This expertise can be,and is, deployed in research across the entire

life-cycle of the engineering process – from designto end-of-life – and across a wide spectrum ofindustry sectors from aerospace and automotive

engineering, to packaging and pharmaceuticals,to medical engineering and mining.

The level of expertise embodied in the Id MRCis reflected in the fact that members of the

research team are involved in the governance ofresearch through their election to industry-basedand governmental advisory boards, panels andcommittees. In addition the Centre’s staff serve as

editors and members of editorial boards of leadingjournals and are on the organising and scientificcommittees of the main international conference

series in design and manufacturing.

Research work is carried out by the application ofspecial expertise associated with four research

themes. Thus, the four themes provide theorganisational structure for the Id MRC.

The Innovative Design & Manufacturing Research Centre structured around four

distinct research themes

Constraint-Based

Design and

Optimisation

(CBDO)

Advanced Machining

Processes and

Systems

(AMPS)

Design Information

& Knowledge

(DIAK)

Metrology and

Assembly Systems

& Technology

(MAST)


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CONSTRAINT-BASED DESIGN ANDOPTIMISATION (CBDO)The CBDO theme builds on the Centre’s long-standing expertise in machine,process and systems modelling. The research agenda – reflecting the interests of

key collaborators in the packaging, aerospace and other industries – is based onrecognition of the significance of dealing directly with the constraints that arise in thedesign process. This has led to the creation of constraint modelling techniques for the

design and optimisation of engineering systems. In particular, the approach has beenapplied successfully to packaging machinery and its interaction with material andproduct.

Research Areas

• Machinery design: this includes the design of the next generation of machinery

and processes through an understanding of the interactions between machines,products and materials.

• New application areas: other areas in which constraint modelling techniques can

be applied including, for example, electronics, systems modelling, and human

interactions with machines.

• More complex systems: the research questions here include how to decompose

design tasks, and how to use approximate methods to represent sub-systemperformance.

• Conceptual design: application of constraint modelling techniques at the more

conceptual levels of design is being investigated.

DESIGN INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE

(DIAK)The DIAK research theme focuses on developing an understanding of the knowledgeand information needs of engineers. Such research leads to a diversity of novelapproaches to knowledge and information capture, organisation and management.There is a particular emphasis on through-life information management for complex

products, an area in which the team has led a large national ‘Grand Challenge’project (KIM). The research work is supported by the study of designers’ informationneeds, and of approaches to information use covering personal, group and company

information. There is increasing focus on people, costing, environmental andoperational issues within the context of design information and knowledge. This workis being supported by the development of a design-observation laboratory which will

allow new developments in empirical research.

Research Areas

• Whole-life design information and knowledge management (the KIM Project).

• Representing, organising and using design information.

• Costing information.

• Information for eco-design and approaches to eco-innovation.

• Information for creativity.

• Handling personal information.

• The observation and analysis of design activity.

Impact Report 5


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6 Research Areas

METROLOGY AND ASSEMBLY SYSTEMSAND TECHNOLOGY (MAST)The MAST research theme covers metrology and assembly systems and technologiesand deals with their theoretical analysis, integration and optimisation within digital

environments. The research is strongly focused on the experimental evaluation ofnew metrology and assembly methods and systems, both in the laboratory and withinlarge-scale technology demonstrators. MAST is especially focused on complex and

large-volume and high-value manufacturing applications, typical of the aerospace, powergeneration, automotive, defence and marine industries. The theme is underpinned bythe Large Volume Metrology and Assembly (LVMA) major grant that provides its unique

selling-point. LVMA researches the evolution of design and assembly methods as a resultof making large-volume metrology part of the assembly and fabrication process. The

overarching strategic objective is to develop the scope and impact of the MAST theme tobecome a sustainable research area in the longer term.

Research Areas

• Large-volume metrology and assembly integration.

• Design and process evolution (including design-for-verication).

• Metrology process models.

• Measurement capability characterisation and uncertainly minimisation.

• New assembly technologies, including metrology-enabled assembly.

• Creation of the Laboratory for Integrated Metrology Applications (LIMA).

ADVANCED MACHINING PROCESSES ANDSYSTEMS (AMPS) The AMPS research theme covers processes and systems research with particularreference to responsive and customised manufacturing processes and systems integration

– specifically interoperability and manufacturing information support systems. The theme’sresearch supports a range of industrial sectors from aerospace to automotive to medicalapplications, and aims to develop new manufacturing processes and innovations in system

design that enable new products to be developed more rapidly, existing products to beproduced with reduced lead time and mass customisation to be introduced effectively.

Research Areas

• Information and knowledge platforms to support the CAx manufacturing chain

(interlinking with the DIAK, CBDO and MAST themes of the Id MRC).

• Interoperable CNC machining and in-process measurement.

• Process control of CNC machine tools.

• Application of standards in machining processes and systems.

• Cryogenic CNC machining for personalised products.

• Self-replicating machines based upon layered manufacturing technologies.

• Dematerialisation of manufacturing resources.

• Hybrid machining systems.


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Impact Report 7

THE Id MRC’S VISION

The design and manufacturing space is characterised by its breadth of activity. This multi-dimensional space canbe defined in terms of the activity domain and the time domain. Thus engineering activity goes from design throughmanufacture, assembly and verification to use and extended use. In the time domain there are short-time deadlines

and long through-life horizons.

The Bath Id MRC, because of its unique combination in one centre of high-quality engineering design and

manufacturing research, can and does encompass these two domains.

There are discrete elements within the activity domain that occur and reoccur variously within the time domain. The

critical factor is to ensure that these elements are understood properly and can be linked together and a virtuouscircle of improvement can be created.

The ten-year vision of the Id MRC is to research and generate integrated self-improving design and manufacturing

systems and activities.

Research will therefore be undertaken with self-improvement and integration as a benchmark. This will enableradical new product development approaches to be generated and innovations and experiences to be fed in togive positive and beneficial feed back. In particular a number of next-generation and linked research areas will be

considered such as multi-channel auto-updating knowledge systems and self-aware autonomous manufacturingresources, in short, support for the Intuitive Learning Factory.


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Industry Impact Case StudiesThe benefits that can be derived by a company from working closely withacademia are very diverse. Sometimes the benefit is felt in the explicit andtangible solution to a clearly defined problem, often it comes from seeingactivities and processes in a new light, which provides the basis for achange to better and more efficient practice. The case studies which followdemonstrate many of these diverse benefits.


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Impact Report 9

Over £1 million of savings every year“The methodology for understanding machine-material interaction forms a

fundamental component of our operational excellence programme. This hasresulted in a 16 per cent improvement and corresponds to an annual saving ofover £1 million.” Ross Wilson, Manufacturing Engineer, AstraZeneca

Industry-wide gains”Bath has delivered ground-breaking understanding of a number offundamental issues. Their clear demonstrations of the application of theirwork to the solution of real problems benefits the entire industry. Some ofthis understanding has been incorporated into new test equipment and teststandards.” David Shires, Chief Consultant, Pira International

Creating the next generation of machines”Bath has supported members of the Processing Packaging and MachineryAssociation in improving existing machinery and creating the next generation ofmachines, which is essential for maintaining UK competitiveness.” Martin Keay, Technical Consultant, PPMA

The Research PartnersRank Hovis McDougall, MerckSharpe & Dome, AstraZeneca,

Pira International, Processing andPackaging Machinery Association,Bradman Lake, HayssenSandiacre,Marden Edwards and Endoline

To succeed in today’s global market, companiesneed to be one-step ahead of the competition.

The best way to achieve this is throughcontinuous improvement. Many productionimprovement strategies fail because people take

action without first understanding fundamentalinteractions between machines and materials.This is particularly challenging in the packaging,

processing and pharmaceutical industries, whereknowledge, materials and equipment from multiple

supply chains must be integrated.

Bath’s ContributionA new method developed by engineers in the

Id MRC is providing crucial understanding andhelping companies to save millions throughimprovements in quality and efficiency. The

machine-material interaction methodology usesa continuous-improvement practitioner-basedapproach and builds on the Centre’s expertise

in design methods, manufacturing systemsimprovement and system modelling.

The Impact

Working with more than twenty companies over thelast seven years, Id MRC research engineers have

created new approaches to machine investigationand materials testing and have developedcomputer-based models to represent the complex

interaction between machines and materials duringprocessing.

These techniques have helped firms to createnew machine and tooling designs, as well asimprove production practices, thereby increasing

profitability and long-term competitiveness.

The findings have also been published as a

book that presents a general methodology forunderstanding machine-material interaction andrealising targeted and sustainable benefits – no

matter whether they are practice-, process- or

design-led. The book includes detailed industrialcase studies, worksheets and templates.

The FutureThe methodology is now part of a broad range of

University of Bath training courses for industry, aswell as being used in consultancy and KnowledgeTransfer Partnerships (KTPs); in addition AstraZeneca are planning to roll out the Bath method

worldwide.

Contact: Dr Ben Hicks or

Professor Glen Mullineux

Interacting with Machines and Materials


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10 Industry Impact Case Studies

The design, construction and operation of complexengineering products uses and generates

enormous amounts of knowledge and information.When these products have long life spans

keeping track of and maintaining the usefulness

of the information and knowledge, and making itavailable to operators, maintainers, designers andusers is a real challenge.

Research led by the Id MRC at the University of

Bath has led to a better understanding of whatthese challenges are, and how they might beovercome. The Director of the Id MRC, ChrisMcMahon, who also led the KIM Project, explains

that the wide range of issues demanded a studypulling together engineering and managementspecialists: “The implications of providing

customer service for a complex product for 30years or more are very profound, in terms of thepeople involved in firms, decision strategies,

organisations, processes and informationtechnologies. Bath is very proud to have leda very competent team investigating all these

issues”.

Bath’s Contribution

As the project team lead, the Id MRC providedthe planning, orchestration and integration of theresearch work being carried out by the KIM team,a group which included a diverse mix of seventy

academics and researchers in eleven universitiesworking with over eighty industry collaborators.These included such sector leaders as ABB,

Airbus, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Converteam,EuroStep, LSC, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and theUKCeB.

In addition, the DIAK group in the Id MRC took amajor rôle in investigation of the approaches thatfirms should take in the future to document their

design processes so that design decisions andprocesses may be revisited over many years, ofapproaches to curating and valuing informationand to closing the loop by the feeding back

of learning from use to the next generation ofdesigns.

The ImpactWorking with a number of the industrial and

academic partners of the KIM project team the

Bath researchers:• Led the development of new means of

documenting design processes based on

multimedia information capture and lightweightrepresentations.

• Developed ‘faceted classication’ computer

systems for management of in-service data, theprinciples of which have been adopted by thecollaborating companies.

• Developed approaches to information

value that have been used in a project with

Rolls-Royce for the management of commercialinformation.

• Led the development of a set of Principles

of Engineering Information Management that

may be adopted throughout engineeringindustry to ensure best practice in informationmanagement.

In addition Bath ran three conferences, threeseminars and a number of industry workshops toensure the transfer of knowledge from the project

to industrial partners.

The Future

The KIM research team is currently preparingpublications aimed at practitioners to record theunderstanding gained in the project. Researchers

at Bath are also participating in projects to explorehow the lessons learned in the project can beapplied in research data management.

Contact: Professor Chris McMahon

Today’s Information & Knowledge for Tomorrow

“The underlying principle of the KIM Project – providing the rightinformation in the right context at the right time – is at the heart of ourbusiness proposition. In addition to the enormously useful insightsgained into the information management problems that we faceevery day, engagement in the KIM Project and its knowledge transferactivities has proved very useful in developing our Group KnowledgeManagement Strategy.” Simon Flint, Business Development Manager, Balfour Beatty

“The KIM project hit exactly the right spot for companies such asABB engaged in the delivery and through-life support of high-valueengineering solutions. Under the leadership of the Bath team, the

research team and industrial partners worked together to clarify issuesand develop concepts to address this complex topic. We have benefitedfrom very valuable insights into the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ factors in ourKnowledge Management Strategy.” Nigel Chapman, Organisation & Systems Development, ABB Ltd

The Research Partners

Over 80 Research partners were involvedin the KIM research, including such sectorleaders as ABB, Airbus, BAE Systems,Balfour Beatty, Converteam, EuroStep,LSC, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and the UKCeB


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Impact Report 11

The iGPS (see page14) is just one of a numberof measurement systems set to replace existingtechnologies for measuring large structures and

which are being explored by Id MRC researchers.

To provide a method of integrating these new

systems so that they can be adopted early andeffectively by industry, a new laboratory – theLaboratory for Integrated Metrology Applications

(LIMA) – has been initiated and is led by the

Id MRC at Bath.

LIMA’s primary research aim is to develop withindustry novel applications and knowledge transferof technologies arising from R&D in metrology

and assembly, motion control, non-destructiveevaluation and imaging. LIMA has contributedalready to the transnational Advanced Low Cost

Aircraft Structures (ALCAS) project and to thenational Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW)

Programme.


Bath’s unique contribution through LIMA – based

on the expertise to be found within MAST in theId MRC – has been to provide the overall scientificleadership of the partners and of the engineeringinput related to metrology and the interface of

metrology with digital manufacturing and assemblyprocesses.

The Impact

The main outcome of the ALCAS project has beenthe practical improvement of metrology practiceon the ALCAS jig. For the NGCW project Bath

handled the overall specification, co-ordination,technical management and evaluation of the

multiple contributions received by the collaboratorswhich resulted in state-of-the-art reports for Airbus.These reports cover the complete spectrum

of industrial metrology and metrology-assistedassembly and fabrication required by the NationalNext Generation Composite Wing. The implications

of LIMA – financial and strategic – for the UK

aerospace industry are significant.

The Future

In concert with other industry and academicpartners, LIMA work has resulted in the formationof the Measurement-Assisted Assembly (MAA)

research hub of Airbus that is managed by Bathto cover relevant R&D requirements of Airbus inthis scientific field. The University partners have

signed letters of intent, signifying their willingness

to participate in the MAA research hub. Additionalresearch projects are being defined for LIMA and

the MAA research hub.

Contact: Professor Paul Maropoulos

Laboratory for Integrated Metrology

Essential for high value industry“Effective manufacturing needs integrated closed-loop process controls to verify the

final product. Flexible automation and a broad spectrum of metrology capabilitieswill encourage design and manufacture to remain side by side for high value-addedindustry. LIMA seeks to achieve this through a combination of applied research, leadingequipment and facilities.” Professor Geoff McFarland, Group Engineering Director, Renishaw plc

Effective process improvementWe believe that the LIMA model of universities, industry and the national measurementinstitutes working together in partnership is a very effective way of leveraging technologyresources to produce step changes in process improvement.Nick Orchard, Man Eng Capability Acquisition Manager – Measurement, Rolls-Royce plc

Major benefits for future strategy“For Airbus the LIMA proposal is an opportunity to have a centre where we could driveour measurement assisted assembly (MAA) work through a common hub. Overall, themajor benefit for Airbus would be to utilise this knowledge base when defining futurestrategy and demand requirements related to aircraft and wing manufacturing.” Amir Kayani, Manufacturing Engineer – Research & Technology, Airbus UK

The Research PartnersAirbus, Renishaw,Rolls-Royce, Vestas,EADS Astrium and EADSInnovation Works areamong the partnersincluding seven blue-chipcompanies, eight Metrologyand Software Vendors, sixUniversities, the NationalPhysical Laboratory (NPL)and the West of England

Aerospace Forum (WEAF)


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The cost of aircraft tooling can run into millions,indeed billions, of pounds. One of the major

challenges the industry has is predicting theexpected costs of such tooling during the earlydesign stages, particularly when the design and

manufacturing concepts are novel and the ensuingcomponents have not been manufactured before.It is during these early stages that up to 80 per

cent of the costs are built in, yet up to now initialinformation available about tooling requirements

has often been minimal.

Bath’s contributionThe challenge has been to find approaches that

assist in predicting the costs of tooling with minimaleffort. The research question is ‘what is the minimalinformation required to predict the costs of future

tooling at the early design stages?’. To answerthis question it was necessary to determine whatthe interdependencies were between the tooling

design, manufacture, material and complexity.

The project – supported by Airbus UK – built on the

Id MRC’s expertise in knowledge and information

management and cost modelling. During theproject a new approach to classifying the tools and

identifying cost structures for different tool familieswas identified. The approach has been validatedby members of the tooling team within Airbus and

assessed against two product families to ascertainthe capability of cost structures.

The Impact

The new method has provided a step changein the estimating approach used by the

manufacturing team, as well as a useful tool forassessing supplier bids.

The Airbus tooling group is now able to estimatethe tooling costs with minimal information. Inpractice this means that if they have information

on the material required they are now able to

predict both design and manufacturing costs,sub-categorised into areas such as material and

machining.

The Future

The next stage of the research is to undertakefurther testing within Airbus, expand the range oftooling the model can be used for and provide acosting package that the tooling team can use.

Contact: Dr Linda Newnes

Tooling up for Cost-cutting

Exciting and useful“This research has provided the tooling team with a robustmethod for analysing the tooling costs during the earlydesign stages. What is exciting is that we now have thecapability to predict the costs of a tool with a single piece ofinformation. This enables us to undertake rapid estimateswith minimum effort. We believe the findings can be used

across the design stages, but in particular at the earlyconcept stages to assist us in comparing alternatives interms of cost.”Alan McMurray, Manufacturing Engineering Manager,Airbus UK

The Research PartnerAirbus UK


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Impact Report 13

Based on work first done by Toyota, Id MRCengineers have designed agile packaging systems

flexible enough to deal with small-batch niche foodpackaging – something which, surprisingly, is stilloften done by hand.

Bath’s ContributionBath’s proprietary constraint modelling software

was used to identify the key motion requirementsfor driving and guiding cartons during folding.

From this information, systems and machines weredesigned capable of being reconfigured to handledifferent designs of packaging and small batchsizes.

The ImpactThe research has demonstrated the benefits of

automating the process, these being principallythe reduced process time and improved quality.In addition, eliminating manual folding can reduce

costs through a reduction in training for personnel,minor injuries and material waste.

Project lead at Bath, Dr Ben Hicks said: “The food

packaging industry faces two major challenges:innovation and the environment. Retailers want

new forms of packaging to attract consumers,but there is both a financial and environmentalcost due to higher levels of material waste during

production and at the end of the life cycle whenpackaging ends up in landfill.

“The new production methods, show that reducingcosts and saving the planet can go hand in hand.”The research was funded by the Engineering and

Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)and the Department for the Environment Food andRural Affairs (DEFRA).

The FutureBath engineers are also working on environ-

mentally friendly packaging processes for ‘form-

fill-and-seal’ type packaging used for foods suchas rice, pasta and crisps. The research has led

to better tooling thus reducing the need for largematerial tolerances resulting in less packagingmaterial and a more efficient process.

New methods developed by Bath could mean over10 per cent savings in material costs and 40,000tonnes less landfill in the UK each year. Bath

researchers are also investigating new sealingprocesses for biodegradable materials, which willlead to further environmental benefits.

Contact: Dr Ben Hicks or

Professor Glen Mullineux

Packaging the Future

New markets“The technology demonstrator developed as part of the project has provided important newcommercial opportunities and new market sectors in which we can now compete.”Mike Webb, Quin Systems

Fundamental research “Projects such as this are fundamental to the consumer goods industry if it is to meet the challengeof sustainability and rising costs. In the area of consumer packaging, ever-tightening consumerpressure and legislation is forcing manufacturers to reduce material consumption and reduce theenvironmental impact of their finished product. To meet such targets there is a need to maximise theefficiency of existing equipment, minimise material consumption and use thinner, lighter-weight,recyclable and recycled materials.” Barry Pamplin, European Packaging Controller, United Biscuits

Higher revenues“The incorporation of improved sealing and forming set designs that benefit the end-user across just3 per cent of our European machine base of over 3,000 machines would provide incremental revenueof over £1M.” Jim Goodwin, Engineering Director, HayssenSandiacre

The Research PartnersMarks & Spencer, Kings College London, Bendicks of Mayfair,Marden Edwards, Quin Systems, HayssenSandiacre Europe,

Amcor Flexibles Ltd, United Biscuits and Campden BRI


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Indoor GPS (iGPS) is a new type of large-volumemeasuring system developed in the past fewyears, as an alternative to using laser trackers

and other systems. iGPS is particularly suitedto the measurement, inspection and assemblyof very large parts such as aircraft wings, aero

engines, large gearboxes and wind turbine blades.However, until Bath undertook research in the area,

a limited industry track record and no international

standards meant take-up of iGPS had been

slow due to the lack of reliable and independentcapability and deployment guidelines.

Bath’s ContributionThe purpose of this project was to establish the

measurement capability of iGPS and to establishbest practice for its use, relying on the expertiseavailable within the Id MRC and LIMA (see p.11).

The project was carried out using the metrologylaboratory at Bath and was co-ordinated by theNational Physical Laboratory (NPL). Large-scale

testing was carried out at the Broughton Airbusfacility. Bath is the first UK university to install andresearch the capability of an iGPS system.

Professor Paul Maropoulos at Bath said:“Our research has shown that iGPS can offer

a highly flexible and scaleable system forlarge-volume measurement that advances currenttechnology. It has certain operational advantages

in terms of volumetric coverage and flexibility overmore conventional methods such as laser trackersor photogrammetry.”

The Impact

The research has produced the first independentlyprovided capability statement for the iGPSinternationally that is validated by a national

measurement institute (NPL) and has beenaccepted by Nikon Metrology Ltd (previouslyMetris), the manufacturer of iGPS.

A generic mathematical model has beendeveloped to describe the operation of the

multi-sensor iGPS and how it is affected bythe arrangement of transmitters and receivers.Calibration procedures, environmental limitationsand measurement practices were also considered.

Airbus has used the project results to decidewhether to adopt iGPS across its manufacturing

programmes, reducing the risk associated with theadoption of leading-edge technologies.

The Future

The research will be developed further and appliedto other areas of metrological system performance

evaluation affecting the aerospace, automotive,marine and power generation industries plusrelated research organisations. In addition the

Id MRC work will lead to a metrology systemsselection methodology. The research has also ledto a memorandum of understanding between Bath

and NPL regarding future research activities.


Measuring Up for Success

Instrumental research“The research team of the IdMRC at the University ofBath has made an excellent contribution to the capabilityevaluation study of iGPS. The results of the project havebeen received well by both the instrument manufacturer,Nikon Metrology, and the industrial sponsor of the project,Airbus. The work has influenced both the academic field andindustrial practice.” Ben Hughes, Principal Scientist, NPL

Greater flexibilityiGPS offers greater flexibility, expansion capability andusability than any current large-volume measurementsystem at a comparable level of accuracy.

The Research PartnersThe National Physical Laboratory (NPL),Airbus Europe, Nikon Metrology Ltd and

University College, London


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Impact Report 15

The larger the manufactured object the harder it isto get measurements exactly right. Nowhere is this

issue more important than in the aircraft industry.Composite structural elements of aircraft – such aswing ribs and spars – are difficult to manufacture

within tight dimensional tolerances and, becausethey are so large, accurate dimensional informationis difficult to get. This creates considerable

problems during assembly resulting in interferencefits or gaps. Gaps have to be filled by the use of

liquid and solid materials, a process known asshimming. Shimming adds cost and time andwastes material; in an ideal world it would beunnecessary.

The challenge for Bath has been to eliminate theneed for shimming by eradicating all assembly

gaps in excess of 0.7mm.


Bath Id MRC has assisted in the developmentof a highly accurate production process calledmetrology-assisted robotic machining (fettling) to

improve the fit of the wing ribs.

The University of Bath contribution has centred

around metrological planning including thecalculation of the associated measurementuncertainties, and the integration of the metrology

with the robotics.

The ImpactThe project has been a great success. Fit

accuracy has been increased substantially withgaps more than 0.7mm eliminated across thecomplete technology demonstrator section of

the composite wing, once assembled. This willeliminate the need for solid shimming duringproduction, resulting in major cost and time

benefits.

Airbus currently makes up to 600 pairs of wings ayear. Forecasts indicate that the world will require24,097 new passenger aircraft of more than 100seats during the next twenty years – that’s 1,205

aircraft a year, worth US$2.9 trillion. Airbus hasmore than 40 per cent of the market.

The research team has produced three formalreports for Airbus, codifying the process anddetailing the experimental results obtained. The

reports were fully endorsed by Airbus.

The FutureThe generic principles of this research will be

developed further and applied to other areas ofaircraft manufacture, assembly and verification.

The techniques being developed can easilybe transferred to other large-componentmanufacturing and assembly processes where

very high accuracy is necessary.


Closing the Gap

Serious financial benefit“Ensuring consistency in the assembly interfaces and increasing the

process capability of composite wing integration are major considerations.The project undertaken in collaboration with the University of Bath hasbeen extremely valuable. The projected financial and operational benefitswill be substantial.” Mark Summers and Amir Kayani, Airbus UK

Project successFit accuracy has been substantially increased, resulting in the eliminationof solid shimming, with gaps now achievable at less than 0.7mm acrossthe complete composite wing once assembled.

24,000 big passenger aircraft needed by 2030More than 24,000 planes are likely to be made in the next 20 years; ifAirbus has up to 50 per cent of the market – this means their producingover 600 wings a year.

The Research PartnersAirbus, Nikon Metrology Ltd,

FARO, KUKA and New RiverKinematics


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Open-source 3-dimensional printing technologydeveloped by engineers at Bath is helping to

make a dream come true: they are buildingmachines that can manufacture their own parts,paving the way to machines that can replicate

themselves entirely. And because the technology isopen-source, it means that now anyone can have ago at designing and making things out of plastics.

Mention printing and you will probably think

of paper, but today it is possible to print3-dimensional objects. The Bath Id MRC-developedlow-cost 3-D RepRap (Replicating Rapid-prototyper) machine has the potential to start aworldwide manufacturing revolution from people’s

desktops. Already over 2000 people around theworld are using them to make things as diverse asshoes, tools, toys and door handles.

Three-dimensional printing is not new. The firstmachines were developed in the 1980s, but the

cost has until now remained very high at around£15,000 for the cheapest and up to £0.4M forthe most expensive. Three-D printers differ from

normal printers by spraying out thin layers ofmolten plastic rather than ink; as the layers ofplastic solidify they build up to make objects.

Bath’s ContributionAimed at individuals in the developed world and

small communities in developing countries, theRepRap machine costs as little as £300 to makebecause it can reprint over half of all the parts

needed to make another version of itself. Andall the non-printed parts are the sort that can bebought at hardware shops or from online stores.

In line with open-source software, all RepRap

designs are shared and free to download. They aredistributed under the terms of the GNU GeneralPublic Licence, so anyone with a RepRap machine

can use it to make another one and need pay noroyalties whatsoever.

The RepRap movement is based at the BathId MRC, where it began in 2005, but it relies on ateam of volunteers distributed across the world for

its rapid development.

The Impact

As well as over 2500 machines in circulation, atthe time of writing six RepRap spin-out companieshave been started: two in the UK, two in the USA,

one in Germany, and one in New Zealand.

RepRap has spawned a design-sharing website

called thingiverse.com where anyone can uploaddesigns for others to copy for free. The site nowhas many hundreds of designs from all over the

world for items from replacement table-footballplayers through desk-vices for holding fly-fishing

flies to shower curtain hooks. Many of theuploaded designs are for improved parts for theRepRap machine itself. Any RepRap owners candownload such improvements and add them totheir machines – that is how RepRap evolves.

Creator Dr Adrian Bowyer from the Id MRC says thepotential of RepRap is still unfolding. “It’s an ideal

prototyping platform for companies to researchhow additive manufacturing might be used withthe materials they want, rather than being limited

to what the rapid prototyping industry is preparedto supply.

“RepRap machines are suited to firms who wantto trial new manufacturing systems. Because themachine is so low in cost, there are no problems

with putting experimental materials through it. With

a commercial machine this would almost certainlyvoid the warranty or service agreement. With

RepRap the worst that can happen is that the printhead of the machine gets wrecked, in which caseit is simple to print another. And for individuals

RepRap is a desktop factory capable of producingthings now usually bought in the shops.”

The Future

Bath Id MRC would be very interested to hear ofany open source RepRap developments and is

happy to work jointly on such projects.

Contact: Dr Adrian Bowyer

China on Your Desktop

You are the factory“Think of RepRap as a China on your desktop.”Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager, Google Inc.

Remarkable and far reaching“The promise of advanced fabrication technology that can copyitself is a truly remarkable concept with far reaching implications.”Sir James Dyson

Second industrial revolution“[RepRap] has been called the invention that will bring down

global capitalism, start a second industrial revolution and save theenvironment...”‘The Guardian’ newspaper


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Impact Report 17

In modern organisations, the effective use ofinformation and knowledge is a prerequisitefor sustaining competitive advantage. This is

particularly challenging for engineering companieswhere product development takes many years andinvolves individuals and teams distributed aroundthe world. While there exists a range of formal

software systems to support design work manyengineers rely heavily on their personal informationstores including their logbooks, laptops and email

systems.

The importance of these resources in supporting

the individual and their potential to supportthe engineering team cannot be overstated.These resources contain significant amounts of

information which is not recorded elsewhere, suchas design rationale, records of alternatives andinformation on customers and suppliers.

Bath Id MRC Researcher Hamish McAlpine arguesthat valuable information should be more easily

accessible to organisations.

“Much of what we know about the work ofhistorically important engineers and scientistssuch as Leonardo da Vinci has come from theircollections of personal notes. Despite this,

logbooks are rarely formally managed.”


Id MRC researchers are investigating from firstprinciples new tools and methods to support theimproved management of personal electronic

information. The work is focused on organisingand sharing personal information and integrating itwith existing records of product development. The

programmes of work build on the expertise of theteam in design methods, information science andknowledge engineering.

The ImpactWorking with a number of major organisations

such as Airbus and Converteam, and academicsfrom the University of Sydney and the Universityof California, Berkeley the research team have

created a number of demonstrator systemsincluding:

• Electronic logbooks to support engineers over

the product life cycle.

• Integrating email within engineering informationmanagement systems and design records.

• Improved monitoring and control of engineering

projects through the analysis of the emailcontent being exchanged.

These systems are being refined and integratedwithin the collaborating organisations by virtue

of Knowledge Transfer Programmes and theEngineering Doctorate programmes. To datebenefits include significant time-savings and

methods for the early identification of issues inengineering projects.

The FutureThe research team are exploring mechanisms forexploiting the technologies further and developing

fully functional systems. In response to requestsfrom industry collaborators the team are in theprocess of developing best-practice guidelines

and training courses. Additional work is focusing on the addition of video

and audio as well as collaborative platforms suchas Wikipedia. It is thought that this approach could

radically change the nature of how engineers

currently work and store their design records.

Contact: Dr Ben Hicks

Sharing for Success

Emails are evidence“Email now has a important central rôle in contractual situations and is requiredevidence in any litigation where its content may be very important to establish designintention however unwittingly it was recorded in the email.” Dr Laurie Burrow, Converteam UK Ltd

The Research PartnersAirbus UK and ConverteamUK Limited


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Imagine a day when you can ordermade-to-measure shoes at off-the-shelf prices,delivered to your home or office the next day.

That’s the promise of a new technique developedby engineers at Bath that allows machiningof rubber and other soft materials at very low

temperatures. As well as improving customerchoice it has major implications for people withdiabetes and circulation problems.

Bath’s ContributionEngineers at Bath’s Id MRC have developed a new

form of super-cooled machining for rubber andother flexible plastics materials.

Building on the Centre’s expertise in advancedmachining processes and systems, the CRYMANsystem works by cooling soft materials to very low

temperatures – using liquid nitrogen – to achievetemporary solidity allowing milling and drilling,processes conventionally limited to solid materials

like metal and wood.

The Impact

Professor Steve Newman, the project lead,said: “Modern consumers expect increasinglypersonalised consumer products manufactured

from soft material such as rubber. Formanufacturers this represents a challengebecause, conventionally, such materials demand

the use of individual bespoke moulds, dies andother tools, which are highly resource and timeintensive.

“The CRYMAN system provides a new process

for high-variety component production for softelastomer materials, enabling efficient andcost-effective manufacture”

Bath has developed and trialled the new processin conjunction with Delcam plc, specialists in 3-D

design, manufacture and inspection of complexshapes, and Soletec Systems Ltd, leaders in theautomated manufacture of bespoke footwear and

insoles for health, sports and retail markets.

Soletec is using the new system to make a new

range of orthotic insoles, particularly aimed atthe sports and diabetic/vascular disease market– specialist insoles can improve performance on

the one hand and help with circulation issues andinjury healing on the other.

The Future

The process has significant potential in industriesother than shoe manufacturing. Personalised tyresfor cars and motorbikes or bespoke shin pads

for footballers are just some of the ideas so far.

Less obvious perhaps but nonetheless vital inmanufacturing, the process could also be used to

make customised rubber seals such as those forthe process industries and those used as enginegaskets.

Contact:

Dr Vimal Dhokia or Professor Steve Newman

Stepping into the Future

Enormous potential for sporting and medical applications“The research at Bath on cryogenic machining has

provided a new manufacturing process which enables fullypersonalised soft elastomer products to be manufacturedrapidly and economically. It has enormous potential acrossmedical and sporting applications.” Richard D. Allen, Technical Director, Soletec Systems

250 million potential customersAs many as 250 million people have been diagnosed withdiabetes. This is expected to rise to 450 million by 2020.Many would benefit from bespoke footwear to help improvecirculation.

Wide range of impactThe CRYMAN cryogenic machining technique can be usedto make everything from personalised car tyres and footballshin pads to high-performance components for the motorindustry.

The Research PartnersDelcam plc and Soletec Systems Ltd


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Impact Report 19

During the highly creative process of developingnew packaging concepts – think of the crown-corkbottle and the self-chilling and the easy-open

ring-pull cans – many sound and potentially usefulideas are discarded undeveloped. Yet many ofthese ideas – out of mind and out of sight – will

have potential either as embryonic solutions tolater problems or as a stimulus to creativity.


The goal of this research was to find a way tostimulate and manage ideas. The research was

carried out within Crown Packaging’s innovationdepartment and thus – unusually for research intocreative processes in industry – was based on

observations made in an authentic work settingwhere real design solutions are being developedusing typical design practice.

Following the attendance by the Bath researcher atfifteen separate ‘brainstorms’ and review meetings

– activities captured on over forty hours of videofootage – it was discovered that of those ideasthat were finally selected as being of greatest use

up to ninety per cent were those that had beenconceived in the first twenty minutes of a groupbrainstorming session.

This insight means that for the first time thebrainstorming process – which is so widely used

in enterprise activities of all sorts – can be mademuch more effective.

The research demonstrated that the provisionof existing ideas as a stimulus to new ones wasvaluable. This resulted in the development of a

tool for finding appropriate ideas from earlier

design episodes and presenting them as creative

stimuli for concept design in new projects.

The tool, known as ‘Sweeper’, searches for stored

ideas from a database of earlier design episodes.It then finds and presents appropriate solutions tothe problem in hand by matching key information

from the project briefs. Sweeper can also be askedto retrieve random stimuli.

The Impact

Sweeper has been successfully implemented bythe research partners, Crown Packaging, where it

supports a team of eight highly creative membersof the Innovation Department who are tasked withproposing new concepts for innovation projects.By the automatic intelligent retrieval of ideas from

the information repository, Sweeper has beenshown to provide effective stimulation in teambrainstorming sessions, especially at the critical

moment when idea generation flags, improvingnot only the quantity of the new ideas but also thequality.

The FutureAs part of a drive toward fostering creativity

throughout the entire company, Crown is nowinterested in adopting a similar tool for theirengineering and technology developmentdepartments. Work is currently being conducted

by Id MRC researchers to assess the, probablyquite different, creativity support needs of the

engineers associated with these highly technicaland highly constrained departments.

Contact:

Professor Steve Culley or Dr Elies Dekoninck

Pump Priming New Ideas with Old

“The finding of the research carried out by the IdMRC at Bath is both unexpected andremarkable; and it can be used directly to improve the brainstorming process. Asoutlined in the Cox Report, business creativity is an invaluable tool for UK companiesto use in the face of increasing competition from overseas. This work can improve thecreative process and therefore help UK companies gain competitive advantage.” Gareth Jones, Industrial Design Consultant and Visiting Professor in Engineering

“Bath has worked closely with us to develop a creativity tool that produces new ideasfrom old. This was not an easy task as innovators usually find analysis tools systematic

and boring. However we find the Sweeper software is simple and fun to use in ourbrainstorming sessions. I particularly like the use of images to trigger ideas. I hope thetechnique and software can be used more widely in industry.” Chris Ramsey, Innovation manager, Crown Packaging

The Research PartnersCrown Packaging


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Expertise20

Professor Chris McMahon BSc, CEng, FIMechE Professor of Engineering DesignId MRC Director

Areas of Expertise Design theory, design methodologies, design

management, information management, knowledge management, productlife-cycle management, computer-aided design and manufacture, informationorganisation, risk and uncertainty, annotation

Tools & Methods CADCAM, DfX, FEA, CAE, PDM, PLM, faceted classification,text retrieval, risk assessment

Current Research Company knowledge management strategies andtechniques, expertise finding systems, annotation systems for costing, record

management (especially emails), methodologies for parametric associative CAD

Industry Sectors Aerospace, automotive, rail, electrical systems, construction

Ben Hicks BEng PhD, CEng, FRSA, MIMechE Id MRC Deputy Director

Areas of Expertise Design methodologies, design management, information

management, personal information, simulation, machine and manufacturingsystems design, and technology management

Tools & Methods Lean methdologies, quality systems, DfX, FEA, CAE, PDM,

PLM, machine-material interaction, and machine investigation

Current Research Improving personal information management (emailand logbooks), innovation and entrepreneurship within micro-manufacturers,modelling user-product interaction, methods to improve the performance ofmanufacturing/production systems

Industry Sectors Aerospace, advanced engineering, packaging, processingand pharmaceutical


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Impact Report 21

Professor Steve Culley BSc(Eng), CEng, FIMechE Professor of Engineering DesignTheme Leader: Design Information & Knowledge (DIAK)

Areas of Expertise Handling engineering design information, designmanagement, knowledge management, personal information, information value

and quality, design flexibility, information for creativity

Tools & Methods Design-for-X, facetted classification, mark-up methods,

design observation techniques, Bayesian inference methods

Current Research Information and creativity, improving personal information

user influencing design, barriers to technology transfer, valuing approaches

Industry Sectors Aerospace, advanced engineering, SMEs

Professor Stephen T. Newman BSc PhD, MIETProfessor of Innovative Manufacturing TechnologyTheme leader: Advanced Machining Processes & Systems (AMPS)

Professor Glen Mullineux BA MSc DPhil, CMath, FIMAProfessor of Design TechnologyTheme Leader: Constraint-Based Design & Optimisation (CBDO)

Areas of Expertise CAD/CAM/CNC manufacturing, manufacturing data

managment, machine tool systems integration, personalised productmanufacture, STEP-NC

Tools & Methods CAD/CAM, process planning, CNC, manufacturing

information modelling

Current Research Cryogenic machining of soft elastomer materials;interoperable CNC manufacturing, energy modelling in factories, hybridmulti-process machine tools

Industry Sectors Aerospace, general engineering, medical and sports

Areas of Expertise Mathematical modelling, constraint modelling,

optimisation, geometric modelling, CAD systems, geometric algebra, designmethodologies, simulation, mechanism and machine design and analysis

Tools & Methods CAD, CAE, DfX, FEA, machine-material interaction, andmachine investigation

Current Research Constraint modelling and applications, mechanism

systems, geometric algebra, methods to model and improve the performance of

machine systems

Industry Sectors Packaging, processing and pharmaceutical


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22 Expertise

Professor Paul G. MaropoulosDipl Eng PhD, Eur Ing CEng, FHEA FCIRP FIMechE Head of the Department of Mechanical EngineeringTheme Leader: Metrology and Assembly Systems & Technologies (MAST)

Areas of Expertise Dimensional metrology – large volume, process modellingand planning, integration of manufacturing with design and verification, digital

enterprise technologies, technology management

Tools & Methods Process modelling (UML, IDEF), CAD and digital

manufacture (CATIA and DELMIA), uncertainty modelling and evaluation (SA,Monte Carlo), metrology process planning (DELMIA, Quest)

Current Research Measurement-enabled aircraft assembly, large volumemetrology, digital factory and digital verification and testing, high speedmachining, new production concepts

Industry Sectors Aerospace, advanced/precision engineering, defence,power generation, renewables (wind turbines) and marine

Linda Newnes PhD Head of Costing Research, Design Information & Knowledge (DIAK)

Areas of Expertise Through-Life costing, costing for availability and capability

Tools & Methods Parametric costing, cost modelling tools in general,

Uncertainty modelling (e.g. pdf, p-box), design for cost, product servicesystems, in-service cost modelling

Current Research Cost estimating for long-life low-volume electronic defence

products; using manufacturing quality techniques to estimate cost andspecification trade-offs at the concept design stage; modelling non- recurringcosts for aircraft tooling at the concept design stage; modelling in-service costs

and uncertainty; using game theory to model uncertainty in cost models at theearly design stages.

Industry Sectors Aerospace, defence, electronics and medical

Adrian Bowyer BSc(Eng) PhD, CEng CMath CSci, ACGIMBCS FIMA FRSASenior Lecturer, Advanced Machining Processes & Systems (AMPS)

Areas of Expertise Tribology, spatial data analysis, software engineering,computational geometry, microelectronics, manufacturing processes, additive

manufacturing, biomimetics, smart gel technology

Tools & Methods Open-source and free systems

Current Research The RepRap project: a project to make an open-sourceself-copying rapid prototyping machine; reactive gel technologies: the

chemical equivalent of a transistor.

Industry Sectors Manufacturing, CAD/CAM and smart materials


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Impact Report 23

Geraint Owen PhDDesign and Manufacturing Senior Lecturer, Metrology and Assembly Systems &Technologies (MAST)

Areas of Expertise Manufacturing system design and modelling, rapidchangeover, flexible assembly systems, metrology and reverse engineering

Tools & Methods Simulation of manufacturing systems

Current Research Multi-process machine tool environment, reverse

engineering, walking worker assembly systems, sustainable motorsport

Industry Sectors Consumer products, industrial products, automotive and

aerospace

Elies Dekoninck BSc PhDDesign Lecturer, Design Information & Knowledge (DIAK)

Areas of Expertise Stimulating creativity, eco-design, eco-innovation,user-centred design, industrial design, design tools and design processes

Tools & Methods TRIZ tools for eco-innovation, idea-recording and creativity-stimulating tools, user-centred design tools, design research methods

Current Research Creativity in detail design, user-centred eco-design,creative design environments, creative stimuli in engineering design,eco-innovation for corporate sustainability, creative responses to legislation

Industry Sectors Consumer products, electronics, medical products, industrialproducts and packaging

Richard McIntosh BSc BEng PhDResearch Fellow, Design Information & Knowledge (DIAK)

Areas of Expertise Design consultant support, design for changeover,stimulating design creativity, design tools and design processes

Tools & Methods Tools for design innovation, change-over improvementmethodologies

Current Research Mass customisation, lean, responsive manufacturing,design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA), Design for change-over (DFC),

design innovation

Industry Sectors Consumer products, electronics, medical, industrial

products, surface coatings, mining, civil engineering, leather goods, aerospaceand fluid power


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24 Expertise

Aydin Nassehi BSc MSc PhDResearch Fellow and Theme Representative, Advanced Machine Processes &Systems (AMPS)

Mansur Darlington BSc PhD Centre Manager

Gillian ElsworthId MRC Administrator

Areas of expertise Manufacturing systems modelling and analysis, enterpriseintegration, computer-integrated manufacturing, production planning, plantlayout design

Tools & Methods CAD, CAM, CNC, STEP-NC, UML, system dynamics,discrete event simulation, JIT, MRPII, ERP, PDM

Current Research Realisation of a universal manufacturing platform forenabling interoperability in the CAD/CAM/CNC chain; multi-perspectivemodelling of manufacturing enterprises; dematerialisation of manufacturing

resources

Industry sectors Aerospace and general engineering

Since 1997 Mansur Darlington has been involved in research and researchproject management associated with the capture and codification ofengineers’ design knowledge and the development of methods forsupporting engineers’ information needs. He is a member of the Design

Information & Knowledge group of the Id MRC at the University of Bath,and was Project Manager for the 3-year £5.5m Knowledge and Information

Management Grand Challenge Project (KIM) which concluded in 2009.

Gillian Elsworth is the Id MRC Administrator. She brings to her rôle at Bath

a wealth of experience and knowledge gained in administrative supportboth in a commercial environment (including a seven-year stint at Coopers& Lybrand) and in academia, most recently at Lancaster University

Management School. She is responsible for supporting staff in all aspectsof their work and research and for the professional running of the Centre.


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25

Ways to Work with Us

Collaborative Research

Business benefts

• Access to award-winning expertise and

facilities• Financial support available from regional,

national and international funding bodies• Build collaborations across your supply chains

Key features

• From fundamental blue-skies to applied

problem-solving research

• Build multidisciplinary teams involving other

Departments• Results normally owned by the University

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships(KTPs)

Business benefts

• Injection of knowledge and expertise

covering any important aspect of the

business, including products, processesand manufacturing improvement andinnovation

• Financial support available for UK-based

projects

Key features

• A partnership between the Company

and the University working on a strategic

development project• One or more graduates work in the

Company• Project length is typically two years,

starting at any time of year

The Id MRC has a strong track record of working with local, national and international companiesin a variety of sectors. These include, amongst others, the Aerospace, Automotive, AdvancedEngineering, Medical, Defence, Packaging, Processing and Pharmaceutical industries.

Our expertise covers practical testing and troubleshooting, theoretical modelling and simulation,and the development and implementation of best practice, processes, tools and methods – helping

businesses to innovate, grow and improve their performance.

There are a number of different ways in which we can collaborate in focused research – engaging

in short-term feasibility studies to long-term fundamental research – any one of which can bematched to your problem-solving needs. These are itemized below and illustrated in the IndustryImpact Case Studies and in the following pages.


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26 Ways to Work with Us

Consultancy

Business benefts

• Rapid access to award-winning 5-star expertise

and facilities• Payment based on results

• Results normally owned by the Company

Key features• Focus on applied problem solving and strategic

advice• Normally short to medium term projects• Enables relationship building with high prole

experts

Student Placements

Business benefts

• Input from high-calibre student or team of

students• Opportunity to bring fresh ideas into the

Company• Possible continuation of completed placements

for one day a week on a project basis

Key features

• Placements usually start in the summer

• Cost to company of one year placement

typically £16k

Student Projects

Business benefts

• Opportunity to meet enthusiastic potential

recruits• Opportunity to bring fresh ideas into the

Company• Final report and presentation of

recommendations

Key features• Projects normally start in January for 3-5 months

• In-kind contributions from company

• Can solve real industry problems

Engineering Doctorate (EngD) inSystems

Business benefts

• Develop systems thinking in your organisation

through collaborative research• Research engineers are based in industry

working on innovative research projects• Stay ahead of the competition and collaboratewith leading academics

Key features• An alternative to the traditional PhD for people

with an industrial focus• A 4-year research programme and taught

courses at the Universities of Bristol and Bath• Typical costs of around £9k per year for a

full-time research engineer

“An important reason for choosing Bath was the ability…tohave experts working in the right direction from the start.”

Elliot Ross, Technical Support Engineer, Steve VickInternational

Consultancy

Applied

Feasability

Strategic

Fundamental

Short Long

Timescale

N a t u r e o f P r o j e c t

StudentProjects

StudentPlacements

KnowledgeTransfer Partnerships Collaborative

Research


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27

Long-term commitment,Long-term gain

Aligning the timescales of academic research

and industrial R&D has always been achallenge. In order to meet this challenge andto build long-term mutually beneficial relations,

the Id MRC employs a number of types ofcollaboration. Careful selection of the type ofcollaboration allows appropriately co-ordinated

resources and expertise to be applied to meetboth industrial needs and timescales and theneeds of longer-term scientific programmes.

This multi-facetted approach has been the keyto sustaining long-term relations and ultimatelymaximizing industrial progress and impact

amongst both SMEs and large enterprises alike.


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28 Impact Report

Runningringsround the

problemOur long term relationship withengineers at Bath is seen as a valuableasset to the firm. To maintain our successin today’s highly competitive globalmarket place we need to ensure we haveaccess to cutting edge research and the

best of the future engineering talent thatis available. Time and time again Bathhas proved that it can provide both.

Andy Slayne, SG PP Rencol Technical Director

Preventing damage

Rencol® Tolerance Rings are precision spring fasteners that are a press fitbetween two mating components. They hold two parts in place but are designedto allow controlled slippage when the pressure becomes too great. This meansmachinery is not damaged. Other advantages of use are making assembly easierand allowing relaxed tolerances and angular misalignment of components. Thisleads, amongst other things, to a reduction in noise and vibration.

£200k increased salesThe SG PP Rencol project is predicted to lead to five new types of rings with salesof £200,000 over the next five years; and, due to the improved method, each newRENCOL® Tolerance Rings design will now cost £40,000 less to develop.

28


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Impact Report 29

Building on a seven-year relationship between Bath Id MRCand Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Ltd (SGPP Rencol) of Bristol, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership

(KTP) between these two partners now promises toproduce £200,000 in extra revenue over the next five yearsplus savings of up to £40,000 on each future product

development.

SG PP Rencol, with over 30 years of product design

and manufacturing experience, has supplied the globaltolerance ring market with more than 250 million itemsannually. Bath Id MRC engineers have worked with SG PP

Rencol in a number of different ways, including studentresearch projects, student placements, consultancy andmore recently a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).

The aim of the recently completed KTP project has been todevelop a theoretical means for more accurately predictingthe performance of tolerance rings with the long-term aim

of using simulation as the primary design tool.

Rencol® Tolerance Rings, used to hold bearings onto

a shaft or into a housing, solve many of the engineeringproblems associated with temperature, vibration andtorque control. They are used in a wide variety of

applications from fixing bearings to plastic housings inelectric motors to attaching mechanical drive systems incars. They are also used to mount bearings in computer

hard drives.

Through the KTP, the company has established a

non-linear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) design capabilityto predict the performance of Rencol® Tolerance

Rings, thereby enabling much of the initial design anddevelopment to be undertaken more rapidly and more costeffectively through simulation.

This has led to higher levels of staff training, design and

product development savings, process and tooling designimprovements and product optimisation. Together these

operational developments should ensure that SG PPRencol maintains its market position for many more yearsto come.

Blessing Fatola, the Bath Id MRC associate on the KTPproject, said the experience was an invaluable start to his

career as an engineer:

“I think the KTP is one of the best graduate schemes

available to aspiring engineers. The project managementexperience combined with exposure to matters of suchstrategic and academic importance went far beyond my

initial expectations. I felt valued and part of the team.”

Andy Slayne, SG PP Rencol Technical Director, said: “The

capability now exists to interface models of tolerancering performance within the customer organisation.

This will increase confidence in the product so futurebusiness implications could be significant. Both Bath’s andBlessing’s contributions were excellent” .

Blessing, now employed full time by SG PP Rencol, isworking on a project to improve the performance of thecompany’s tolerance rings for electric motors.

In addition to taking advantage of having a full-time KTPassociate, for the past four years SG PP Rencol has

hosted two third-year undergraduates each year and iscommitted to doing so again in the future.

Following on from the success of the KTP project the firm

is planning to host an ongoing engineering doctoratecourse. The students will be based at SG PP Rencol andwill be supervised through the Industrial Doctorate Centre

located in Bristol by academics from the universities ofboth Bath and Bristol.

Significant and excellent“The capability has been developed to model the performance of ourproducts, and their applications, enabling a higher level of technical interfacewith our customers’ design teams than was previously possible. As a result,improved design solutions can be proposed, building greater confidence inour products and generating opportunity for further technical collaborationwith our customers. Throughout the project Bath University’s modelling andcontact mechanics expertise was helpful in overcoming technical challenges”.

Andy Slayne, SG PP Rencol Technical Director

250m produced annuallySG PP Rencol supplies the global tolerance ring market with design and

manufacturing based in Bristol in the UK, local manufacture In Malaysia,Japan and China and offices in Bristol, Germany and the US.

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Converting

the powerof emails

Cutting edge designConverteam designed and supplied the electric propulsion system for the nextgeneration of UK warships. A Type 45 destroyer weighs in at 7,500 tonnes but,with its 20 MW (26,800 shaft horsepower) induction motors, the ship can reach29 knots in 70 seconds.

Saving time and moneyBy analysing the volume, content and type of emails being sent about a projectBath Id MRC researchers have shown that delays and problems can be flagged-upand dealt with at an early stage, thereby saving companies time and money

Significant implications for other industriesBath’s email research could have significant implications for other industriesinvolving large collaborative projects.

Bath has helped us to understand the wider picture,

some of the strategic issues that we may haveotherwise neglected. I certainly see long-term benefitsin terms of knowledge management and it has alsogiven us some useful ideas about new markets.

Dr Laurie Burrow , Process Innovation, Converteam UK

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Impact Report 31

Converteam UK, based in Rugby, is aworld leader in the design, construction

and in-use support of large powerconversion systems, exemplified bytheir integrated power and propulsion

systems used in many hundreds ofnaval, research and commercial ships.

With over 100 years of experience inpropulsion systems, Converteam’s latestoffering has been designed to power

a new generation of UK warships to animpressive 0-29 knots in 70 seconds.

For companies like Converteam anincreasingly important part of theiroperations is the in-service support of

a product over its entire lifetime. Thismeans that information – about design,manufacture, servicing and so on –needs to be stored in a way that will

make it not only retrievable but useableover 30 years and more into the future.

Some of this information is that containedwithin emails, a form of communicationwhich has become dominant in

engineering projects. Embedded inthese emails is much useful and reusableinformation; yet how we best store and

retrieve it in a meaningful and useful wayis still largely unclear. Gaining a betterunderstanding provides the current focus

for a long-term research relationshipbetween Converteam and the Id MRC

that started over a decade ago.

The early collaborative research involvedPhD project research; this was followed

by work with Converteam as a leadingresearch partner in the KIM GrandChallenge Project. This project – which

completed after three years in 2009– concerned developing methods forsupporting through-life information and

knowledge management for long-lifecomplex capital projects – projects ofjust the sort in which Converteam is

characteristically involved.

Amongst other things, KIM research

looked at systems which could beemployed to ensure informationand knowledge is safely stored and

accessible so it can be used in the futureand recreated many times over.Professor Chris McMahon, Directorof the Id MRC, says the Converteam

relationship is a good example of howinvolvement with research at Bathcan help medium-sized specialist

engineering firms.

“Often it’s about capturing the lesstangible things, the insights that come

about through the research process.Essentially it’s about people – a commoninterest in engineering excellence

and trust. It’s not about one personor one project. It’s about an ongoinginterface between teams where there is a

convergence of academic research andthe real world of engineering.”

Dr Laurie Burrow of process innovation atConverteam, agrees:“Our work with Bath Id MRC has helped

us to understand the wider picture, someof the strategic issues we may haveotherwise neglected. I certainly see

long-term benefits in terms of knowledgemanagement. We are already starting to

use some of the research gained from

projects the Id MRC has been involved

in. It has also given us some ideas aboutnew markets.”

For a company like Converteam it iscrucial that information flows effectivelyacross different departments in order

to maximize potential gains across therange of the business.

Professor Steve Culley, head of theDesign Information and Knowledgetheme in the Id MRC, argues that such

gains are best achieved through along-term relationship.

“Working with Converteam has three

critical elements – understandingthe ongoing needs of the business,

developing new applied research areasand implementation through practice.This is really the kind of process that

can only take place effectively withcommitment over time.” The benefits of along-term relationship are well illustrated

by current doctoral research which isexamining how email content can betracked and analysed to help project

managers highlight delays and problemsat key stages of a project, thereby savingtime and money.

Craig Loftus, the Bath Id MRC PhDstudent who is doing the research into

email use, says without the trust built upover years his research would simplynot have been possible. “Engineers at

Converteam have been very positiveabout my research and very easy to workwith. Crucially they have been happy to

share a large body of confidential projectemails as a data set for my work.”

Although engineering-based, Craigsays that Bath’s email research could

have significant implications for projectmanagers in other industries where largecollaborative projects are undertaken

and long product life-span is a factor.

Another example of how the

Bath-Converteam relationship iscontinuing is a joint Knowledge TransferPartnership (KTP) with Lancaster

University.

Research Engineer and KTP Associate

Alexeis Garcia-Perez is one year into aproject designed to embed knowledgemanagement systems into Converteam

on a multi-department, world-wide basis– ideas first developed as part of the KIMProject.

Alexeis says that establishedcommitment plus the KTP framework has

given him a great start to his engineeringcareer.

“There are not many jobs where one hasthe exposure to the challenges of doingserious knowledge management work

within an engineering company. The KTPproject at Converteam offers a greatresearch experience and an excellentpersonal development program.“

As well as formal projects informal but

frequent exchanges between Bath andConverteam staff take place whereother current and emergent thinkingaround engineering information and

knowledge management is discussedand contributed to.

It is clear then that a long-term researchrelationship b

Documents

IdMRC Impact Report