Current Research Projects
X-AT has an established track record of writing and winning bids for research project funding, with a current project portfolio worth in excess of £3.5m. If you would like X-AT to join or set up a consortium for a research proposal please contact us.
KNOWLEDGE BASED PROCESS PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR ADDITIVE LAYER MANUFACTURING (KARMA)
Partners: Econlyst Limited (UK), AIMME (Spain), MIUN (Sweden), MOLDKAR (Spain), RTCZ (Slovenia), PET-EKO (Croatia), VELYEN (Spain), CITIM (Germany), FEMEVAL (Spain), ASERM (Spain), AFPR (France), RAPIMAN (Slovenia)
Funded By: EU Framework 7 – FP7- SME- 2008-2
Duration: 3 years
Description: The aim of KARMA project is to design a KBE system for Additive Manufacturing (AM) that can efficiently guide the end users towards optimised fabrication scenario selection and process planning for AM. The KARMA system will enable a wide range of users to access and assess the strengths and weaknesses of different AM processes for manufacturing products. The end goal is to make AM users "intelligent ", who understand the capabilities and limitations of different AM technologies.
For further details contact Dr Baljinder Singh - b...@exeter.ac.uk
Publications:
2011 - Singh, B. & Sewell, N. Knowledge Based Process planning and Design for Additive Layer Manufacturing (KARMA). International Conference on Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping, Leiria (Protugal), to be held on Septembar 28 to October 1, 2011. (Submitted)
OPTIJECT - SPECTROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTATION FOR INJECTION MOULDING
Partners: Optim Test Center (Beligium), Micro Systems (UK) Ltd., FOS Messtechnik (Germany), Cronoplast (Spain), LNL Technology (Turkey), Fundació Privada Ascamm (Spain), Innovació i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible (Spain)
Funded By: European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme under ‘Research for SME – Associations’
Duration: 2 Years
Description: The optiject project will build on the results of past research that has demonstrated the feasibility of using near infrared spectroscopy as a quality control tool in an injection-moulding machine. This technology will allow injection moulders to monitor and control injection moulding processes in real time. This will bring them significant benefits in terms of increased productivity, cost reductions and improves quality control.
For more details contact Dr Oana Ghita - O.Gh...@ex.ac.uk
ECOBRAKE
Partners: EFI, Aptec Products Ltd, Hemcore Ltd
Funded By: Technology Strategy Board
Duration: 30 months
Project Poster: ecobrake.pdf (1.7MB)
Description: This Industrially focused project, funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), is developing high value brake pads for trains used on commuter rail networks. The new friction formulations incorporate naturally sustainable materials, occupying up to half of the total formulation. The environmentally friendly materials combined with novel manufacturing methods, that are both faster and less energy intensive, will produce high value friction materials developed by UK industry and exported worldwide.
The project consortium includes a natural fibre supplier, fibre processing experts and a friction manufacturer. Exeter Advanced Technologies provide the material analysis solutions when developing the new brake pads by employing a wide range of the analytical techniques available in the centre.
2010 - Newby, W., Sloan, M., Evans, K.E.E, Tribological performance of environmentally sustainable friction materials, 2010, JEF 6th European conference on braking, Lille, France 2010.
2010 - “Tribological performance of environmentally sustainable friction materials” accepted for presentation at the “JEF2010” 6th European conference on braking, to be held in Lille on 24-25 November 2010.
2009 - Newby, W., Sloan, M., Evans, K.E.E, Hemp - A novel material for use in the friction industry, Natural fibres 2009, Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, London 2009.
2009 - “Hemp: A novel material for use in the friction industry?” presented at the IOM3 conference “Natural Fibres ‘09” in London on 14-16 December 2009.
For more details please contact Dr Michael Sloan - M.R....@ex.ac.uk
Auxetic Textiles for Blast Mitigation
Partners: Auxetix Ltd, Home Office Scientific Development Branch, Monofil Trading Company Ltd, Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure
Funded By: EPSRC
Duration: 3 years
Project Poster: blastcurtains.pdf (319KB)
Description: X-AT has recently acquired an industrial prototyping weaving loom to make auxetic fabrics for a research project seeking to create a 'smart' material that could minimise the injuries inflicted by a terrorist attack. The team aims to create blast curtains that will catch glass fragments and debris blown through windows by an explosion. The curtains will be put into a test chamber behind glass panels and subjected to an explosive blast to test their ability to minimise the penetration of glass into the chamber and to absorb the shock wave.
2010 - J.R.Wright, M.R.Sloan, K.E.Evans, M.K.Burns - "The Helical Auxetic Yarn: Performance and Novel Applications" - Polymer Fibres 2010, 7-10 July, Edinburgh.
2010 - M.R.Sloan, J.R. Wright, K.E.Evans, The helical auxetic yarn; a novel textile for blast mitigation, IMechE Engineering structures survival: Blast and impact protection, Nottingham, UK 2010.
For more details contact Mr Julian Wright - J.R....@ex.ac.uk
CAPSCRAP II
Partners: Colormatrix Europe Ltd, Boots Group Plc, Algram Group Ltd, Becton Dickinson and Company, Data Plastics Ltd, Robinson Plc, Esterform Packaging Ltd, LB Plastics Ltd, Anglo American Vulcanized Fibre Ltd, British Plastics Federation
Funded By: Technology Strategy Board
Duration: 3 years
Description: An in-line monitoring tool for scrap reduction and re-use in the plastics industry. This project seeks to address waste minimisation issues within the UK'plastics processing industry. The three major processing methods of injection moulding, extrusion and blow moulding are used to produce the vast majority of plastic products present today on the market. In each of these three processing techniques the issues surrounding the production of scrap and its reuse are essentially the same (though there are differences in scale) therefore the solutions proposed will be applicable across all three sectors. The objectives of the project are three fold:1) To reduce the reject rate during production by directly monitoring the status of raw materials in-line. 2) To encourage the reprocessing of a far greater percentage of scrap in the factory 3) To investigate the use and efficacy of purging agents in response to industry concerns.
For more details contact Dr Oana Ghita - O.Gh...@ex.ac.uk
MOULDABLE AUTO PARTS FROM SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES – (MAP-SR)
Partners: Mitras Automotive Ltd UK, Hemcore Limited, Ford Motor Company Ltd, JC Bamford Excavators Ltd and Menzolit Ltd UK
Funded By: TSB
Duration: 3 years
Description: The MAP-SR project will develop advanced lightweight sheet & dough moulding compounds -a special class of thermoset composite used extensively in the high-end automotive sector. The new materials will be fabricated as far as possible from bio-derived organic precursors, including the use of bio-resin matrix system, organic fillers and natural fibre reinforcement. This will have three major impacts: 1) Provide the car market with the sustainable alternative materials it has been seeking 2) remove the barriers to further and wider exploitation of SMC/DMC -an important material that is lightweight, with high tensile strength and stiffness, and can provide a class “A” surface finish, and offers the only viable alternative to metals for car exterior parts 3) Through the use of naturally derived precursors, provide a route to environmental disposal that will satisfy the requirements of impending ELV legislation.
For more details contact Dr Luke Savage - L.Sa...@exeter.ac.uk
Eurecomp
Partners: Plastic Omnium Auto Exterieur, Volvo Technology Corporation, Xietong Automobile Accessories, SACMO, ECRC (European Composites Recycling Services Company, BPF (British Plastic Federation), URIARTE Safybox, ICAM Nantes, GAIKER, University of Limerick University of Bristol, COMPOSITEC
Funded By: EU Framework 7 – FP7-SST-2007-RTD-1
Duration: 3 years
Project Poster: eurecomp.pdf (75KB)
Description: The EURECOMP project aims at developing a novel recycling route for thermoset composites through the solvolysis process. EURECOMP gathers together partners from various fields of activity (industrial companies and universities; from material producers through to end users) and will explore both the fundamental processes and practical facility development. In addition, the project will collate the necessary information on upstream and downstream markets, economic efficiency and life cycle assessment.
2011 - C. C. Kao, O. Ghita, K. E. Evans, G. Oliveux, “Mechanical characterisation of glass fibres recycled from thermosetting composites using water-based solvolysis process”, 18th International Conference on Composites Materials (ICCM 18) proceedings, Accepted
For more details contact Dr Oana Ghita - O.Gh...@ex.ac.uk
Auxetic Functionally Graded Support
Funded By: National Institute for Health Research
Duration: 1 year
Description: The helical auxetic yarn is a novel fibre structure comprised of two components, one component being the core around which is helically wound the second (wrap) fibre. Under tension the wrap tends to straighten, thereby causing the core to displace laterally in a helical manner. If the wrap fibre is much stiffer and of a lower diameter than the core this behaviour can result in a nett increase in the effective diameter of the yarn – a negative Poisson’s Ratio, or auxetic behaviour.
This project aims to research the behaviour of a helical auxetic yarn with a continuously varying wrap angle, giving rise to a functionally graded structure. Collaborating with clinical partners we will produce a working prototype medical device with varying stiffness along one or more dimensions.
For more details please contact: J.R....@exeter.ac.uk