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.
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.
For more details please contact Dr Michael Sloan - M.R....@ex.ac.uk
Damascus
Partners: Airbus, BAE Systems, CTI, TWI and a Formula 1 team
Funded By: Technology Strategy Board
Duration: 3 years
Project Poster: damascus.pdf (164KB)
Description: This project aims to take a head based deposition Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) system and scale it towards making larger safety critical structures. The chosen technology is Laser Consolidation (LC), a process which uses a pulsed laser and powder feed nozzle to fabricate thin walled high accuracy net parts.
For more details please contact Dr Neil Sewell - N.T....@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.
For more details contact Mr Julian Wright - J.R....@ex.ac.uk
SLAMFunc
Partners: MCP Group, Dynamic-Ceramic Ltd, FeONIC, J&S Marine, Simpleware
Funded By: DTI
Duration: 3 years
Project Poster: slamfunc.pdf (883KB)
Description: Selective Laser Melting for Functionally graded material (SLAMFunc) is a DTI funded project to research the creation of functionally graded parts using Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM). ALM, unlike traditional manufacturing processes, works by building up layers of material to form a net shape rather than starting with a solid block of material and removing what is not required. Manufacturing using ALM saves material and energy wastage but also offers the opportunity to make parts which blend from one material to another or which have different material properties throughout the same part.
For more details contact Mike Felstead - M.Fe...@ex.ac.uk
UTOPIUM
Partners: EADS Innovation Works
Funded By: EADS Innovation Works
Duration: 1 year
Description: Building upon a number of patents pending, the project proposes to investigate the development of unique high potential carbon nanotubes (CNT) polymer composite structures with a high potential for application in aerospace industry.
The research will include growing CNT forests (in the newly developed CNT lab at Exeter) and application of Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) principles and technology for manufacturing of the new CNT composites.
CNTs are of great interest for the next generation of composite materials due to their exceptional mechanical and physical properties.
ALM is highly novel, disruptive technology that will lead to major changes in the way a diverse range of engineering components are manufactured, using direct deposition of materials to create structures in an additive manner. Due to its versatility it is possible to process various polymer, metal and composite materials, constructing complex geometries such as cellular and hierarchical structures. ALM thus has potential for direct manufacture of high performance aerospace components.
The project aims to address: 1. An approach towards making fully aligned and dispersed bulk CNT/polymer composites, which is to date not yet possible. 2. An approach towards the application of an additive layer manufacturing philosophy; with the goal of eventual exploitation in ALM methods and equipment.
For more details contact Dr Mark Beard - M.A....@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
INTEGRATED WING
Partners: Airbus UK Ltd
Funded By: Airbus UK Ltd
Duration: 3 years
Description: A key initial step to system improvement is to greatly advance the understanding and control of the thermal profiles developed during operation. Thermal control systems are already present, and are indeed vital for successful operation, but these are very limited in nature and typically only concerned with the corresponding build stage. The project will carry out a detailed series of research and development stages to fully quantify the thermal activities present in specific ALM systems, and to deliver a mathematical modelling tool to greatly improve build setup and control system operation and subsequently, component quality.
For more details contact Dr Oana Ghita - O.Gh...@ex.ac.uk
KTP - Trackwise Designs Ltd - Specialist Manufacturer of PCB Antennas
The aim of the KTP was to develop a cost-effective recycling technology for waste and end of life PTFE laminate PCBs and to implement the technology into Trackwise’s business. The project developed a novel technology for recycling of PCBs and manufacture of new PCBs incorporating recyclate, which could be used also for manufacturing of virgin PTFE laminates.
For more details contact Dr Oana Ghita - O.Gh...@ex.ac.uk
Taunton Aerospace
Funded By: TSB
Duration: 2 years
Description: To review and redesign aerospace instrumentation.
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.
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
GMC Coachwork Ltd
Funded By: TSB Knowledge Transfer Partnership
Duration: 2 years
Description: GM Coachwork Ltd. has been producing specialist vehicles for disabled users since 1988. Products include new and used disabled vehicles & MPVs, Motability vehicles, conversion taxis & minibuses. Their clients include County Councils, schools, Health Authorities and private individuals.
Through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Exeter University, GM Coachwork are adopting specialised computer modelling technology to streamline and improve the vehicle conversion process. Physical safety testing of vehicle conversions is both time consuming and costly; GM Coachwork has a strong desire and incentive to reduce the frequency of such testing, the ultimate aim being to test each product once only with a high level of confidence that it will pass first time.
For more details please contact: J.R....@exeter.ac.uk