Prof Derek Ford

Prof Ford is an emeritus professor of the university working within the Centre for Precision Technologies. His activities include research student supervision, engaging in research, drafting research proposals and external liason with industrial partners. Prof Ford still actively publishes affiliated to the University. This Position Commenced in Jan 2005. Professor Ford is a national/international expert in his field – 40 years experience of academia industry.

Career History

• British Nylon Spinners Ltd (1956 -1957) – Technical Assistant – Physics Laboratories
• RAF 1957 -1960 National Service increased to 3 years. Undertook installation and maintenance of transmitters and receivers for Ground Wireless Systems.
• North Gloucestershire Technical College (1960-1961) – Senior Technician, Physics Department
• British Aerospace Ltd(1964 – 1968)– Design Engineer/ Senior Design Engineer – Guided Weapons and Gunnery Control Systems
• Rediffusion/Link Miles Ltd (1968 – 1972)– Development Project Manager- Aircraft Simulators
• British Aerospace Ltd (1972 – 1978) – NewProjects Senior Designer, Reliability Manager, Product Assurance Manager. Guided Weapons.
• Hepworth Engineering Ltd (1978 – 1988) – Technical Director/ General Manager – CNC machine Tools responsible for technical, manufacture, sales and service and general management.
• Electronic Accuracy Systems Ltd led a management buyout of Hepworth Engineering Ltd (1988 – 1990) – Managing Director - CNC machine tools, electronic error compensation systems,
• Butler Machine Tools Ltd (1990- 1992). Electronic Accuracy Systems Ltd purchased and integrated into a larger Company.  -  Research Director – Responsible for research and development.  - Large CNC machine tools.
• University of Huddersfield (1992 – 2004) –Senior Research Fellow/Reader/ Professor.  - Director of School Research, Founder Director of Precision Engineering Centre, Director of Centre for Precision Technologies.
• Awarded Emeritus Professor on retirement (December 2004). Still acting as a visiting Professor in support of the Centre of Precision Technologies and associated school research activities. Also a consultant to Industry in Precision Engineering and Control engineering activities.
• National/ International Expert in his field – 40 years experience
  

Particular areas of Research include

• Ultra Precision Engineering –
• Control engineering
• Dimension metrology, and
• Machine design.

Esteem Factors         

Awards/Patents/academic and industrial achievement

• Won “Best Metal Cutting Machine, British Build, Existing Installation, CNC Profile Grinder” Machine Tool Industry Award sponsored by Metalworking Production at the NEC Machine Tool Exhibition (MACH 1990)
• Highly commended “Quality Control Equipment, New Introduction, Adaptive Error Compensation System for Machine Tools” Machine Tool Industry International Award sponsored by Metalworking Production at the NEC machine Tool Exhibition (MACH 1990)
• Highly Commended in the Prince of Wales Awards for a pre-calibrated error compensation system applied to CNC machine tools (1990)
• Held a world-wide patent for pre-calibrated error compensation systems applied to CNC machine tools (1990)
• Assisted and prepared many patents held by various companies on research and design work that I have been involved with aerospace and machine tool engineering.
• Won the Thatcher Bros Award (1998) for a publication in the ImechE journal for thermal measurement, identification, and correction of errors in CNC machine tools.
• Selected by MTTA/DTI two years running as a keynote speaker (1997/1998) to represent the UK in joint Seminars  with our Japanese/German counterparts at 6 venues (DTI offices, Cambridge University,  Warwick University, UMIST, 600 group offices, and Loughborough University).
• Three Citations for Innovation in Trade Journals in 1998/1999/2005.
• Keynote speaker for IEE Yorkshire region (1998 and 2004)
• National/ International recognition in the control of manufacturing errors with collaboration in Austria, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, Spain, Sweden, USA and Italy. (With industry and Academia).
• Invited speaker as an authority on metrology and machine tool calibration Seminars.
• Achieved top grades on EPSRC assessments of major grants (excellent or outstanding)
• Achieved top grade for TCS assessment for a major grant (excellent)
• Innovator of the VCS system for Error Compensation which is utilised by Rolls Royce, BAe, GKN (UK/Canada), Micrometalsmiths, Osai (Italy/UK) and DST(Germany). Siemens (Germany), Boeings (USA), Delcam, and Northrop(USA) are currently having trial installations.
• Circa £20M worth of EPSRC/DTI/ Industrial research projects successfully concluded as Principal investigator/Manager over a 12 year period 2002-2004.  Employing 13 research fellows, 2 Associates, 1 research technician. The projects produced 11 successful PhD’s, 1MPhil, 1 MSc, and numerous projects for BSc/MSc students.
• Lecturer on BSc/MSc/Short courses on the following topics: Precision engineering; metrology; manufacturing process; control systems and simulation; CNC/CMM design and machine performance.
• Formed the Engineering and Control Engineering Performance Research Group (1992). Group leader (1992 – 2003)
• Applied for Internal funding and formulated the business plan for the Precision Engineering Centre(academic/commercial) (1993-1997) amalgamating two research groups,  later to become the Ultra Precision Engineering Centre (academic) amalgamating three research groups (1997- 2004), and the Centre for Precision Technologies(commercial activities) (1997- 2004). Operated as Operational Director for the respective Centres.
• Internal/ExternalPhD student Examiner
• EPSRCcollege review member-10 years also reviewer for EPSRC proposals and final reports
• Organiser/Chairmanfor two International LAMDAMAP Conference and Edited Proceedings 1997 and 2003.
• Reviewer for ImechE/ Computational Mechanics journals and Conf. Proceedings (14 yrs).
• Consultancy work with UNIDO, PERA, AMTRI, Renishaw, Reliance, Allen Bradley, Micro metalsmiths and AWE.
• Expert witness in Industrial legal disputes

Committees/Delegation Boards

• Yorkshire & Humberside consultant for  visiting Overseas Trade Delegations (5 years)
• LINK (EPSRC/DTI) steering committee member for CNC machine tools (7 years)
• IERE committee member [Yorkshire region]  - (6 years)
• Adviser to BS and ISO CNC machine tool calibration committees (6 years)
• Judge for National/International machine tool industry awards NEC Birmingham (2 years) – [Note: Run every 4 years]
• Chairman and committee member IEE Computing and Control – Yorkshire  (6 years)
• IEE Centre Committee member – Yorkshire (2 years)
•  ISO 9000 Accreditation Board - Health and safety – Machinery – AMTRI
• International Conference ICMR Committee Member (5 years)
• University committee member ofSenate/School management/University Research/School Board
• Founder and Committee member for the LAMDAMAP International Conference (14 years).

Available projects

• Please contact this member of staff to discuss possible opportunities.