Building Connections with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Centre
Dr Simon Fletcher, a senior researcher in the CPT, has recently started a four-year RCUK Catapult Researcher in Residence (RiR) project in collaboration with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre. The project aims to improve the quality and production of large and very large components used in the civil nuclear supply chain.
This project will develop new embedded sensors and probing strategies which will be incorporated on to a large CNC machine at the Nuclear AMRC. As a result, new traceable measurement capabilities will be developed and validated, enabling in-process measurement of large and very large components on machine tools. According to Dr Fletcher: ‘On-machine tool measurement using probing for verification for rework and inspection will increase quality and productivity significantly’.
There are significant challenges facing the machinery and metrology systems employed within the civil nuclear supply chain. These include very heavy workpieces, heavy machining and uncontrolled environments resulting in the physical distortion of the structure which often dictate the machine type and configurations employed. Understanding the structural behaviour of large machine tools and modelling these behaviours are key to helping UK manufacturers develop their processes and enhance the quality of the manufacturing.
Dr Fletcher’s research group at the University has a strong track record in machine tool performance improvement through error compensation combined with structural monitoring. Whilst the research is being carried out on machines and components relating to the nuclear industry, the development of incorporated machine monitoring systems and new probing strategies will be applicable and relevant to other industries which use large components and machines where inspection is difficult.
Dr Fletcher is the fourth CPT academic to be successfully awarded a Catapult Fellowship award (currently the RiR and formally the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Fellowship). The fellowships aim to improve knowledge sharing between research universities and the Catapults, to develop new collaborations and expand the capabilities and knowledge of the Catapults.
- Dr Shan Lou is working with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to develop surface measurement methods for the manufacturing, functioning and metrology of additively manufactured products.
- Professor Andrew Longstaff worked with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to embed novel, advanced machine tool measurement strategies.
- Dr Feng Gao worked with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) to implement wavelength scanning interferometry and white light spectral interferometry for on-line surface inspection of roll-to-roll film processing.