Investigating the effects of cryogenic processing on the properties and performance of engineering coatings
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Engineering
Abstract
In manufacturing, automotive and aerospace applications, cryogenic treatments are used to improve strength, fatigue and wear resistance of structural and hard wearing engineering materials. However, for many applications these materials are also coated for tribological benefits or corrosion resistance. The proposed research will therefore explore the effects of cryogenic treatments on engineering coating systems through materials characterisation, mechanical and chemical testing techniques.
Planned Impact
Over the last thirty years various factors including globalisation have driven low value manufacturing production activities towards countries with the lowest labour costs and/or the largest markets. Whilst the UK has seen a growth in high technology areas, it remains vulnerable to further erosion of manufacturing capability. To help combat this, the UK needs to effectively train the next generation of research and technology leaders. The proposed Centre for Doctoral Training developed with 14 partners (including 8 major industrial partners) fully aligns with this strategic need in the field of Innovative Metal Processing.
UK manufacturing companies are expected to benefit significantly from the output of trained staff from our Centre in Innovative Metal Processing. We will train over 87 PhD researchers with the capacity to lead cutting edge research and create significant technological innovation in UK manufacturing industry. Those that recruit our graduates will have staff that are well rounded and capable of driving forward innovation with a clear understanding of industrial needs, priorities and goals. They will bring to businesses core competencies in design and production in the metal processing industry where underpinning modelling, analytical and experimental skills are crucial. Those employing our graduates will be better able to innovate and bring new products and processes to market, develop new opportunities and create wealth for the UK. Whilst our partners will be well placed to offer employment to our graduates, the high growth and high research and development intensity of SMEs means they can especially benefit from our PhDs. Our industrial partners will benefit directly from the findings of joint research projects and from the intellectual property generated from such work. Identifying pathways to impact, arising from research into improvements in processes or products, will be embedded in all of our research activities.
The people we recruit will derive great benefits from the education and training provided. Our training programme aims to recruit the best students from a range of disciplines and provide them with coherent a knowledge base, transferable & leadership skills, and a challenging and industrially relevant research project. We will provide training courses delivered by world-leading experts with high-quality, industrial- oriented research supported by world-class partners. We will provide access to a range of key skills, core competencies and academic expertise, as well as exposure to the challenges and opportunities in industry through industrially related projects, short term experience in industrial placements and international institutions. Over the life of the Centre our student cohorts will be challenged to make a difference to others in society by outreach work with schools and colleges and mentoring and project work with undergraduates at our universities. This will have affect how society perceives the role of manufacturing in society and positively influence the uptake of STEM subjects at university and the numbers of applicants for our CDT programme.
The wider international research community will gain from the knowledge outputs of our CDT. Metal processing is a broad technical (e.g. casting, welding, surface engineering, near net-shape forming etc.) but it is also very complex. Indeed, the design and optimisation of metal processing has been a challenging task since the Bronze Age. Our research aims to provide an enhanced understanding which will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed international journals under open access. Summer Schools, with invited expert speakers, will promote more informal knowledge exchange and sharing whilst news of our important research findings will be released on the Web through our well-established Press Offices
UK manufacturing companies are expected to benefit significantly from the output of trained staff from our Centre in Innovative Metal Processing. We will train over 87 PhD researchers with the capacity to lead cutting edge research and create significant technological innovation in UK manufacturing industry. Those that recruit our graduates will have staff that are well rounded and capable of driving forward innovation with a clear understanding of industrial needs, priorities and goals. They will bring to businesses core competencies in design and production in the metal processing industry where underpinning modelling, analytical and experimental skills are crucial. Those employing our graduates will be better able to innovate and bring new products and processes to market, develop new opportunities and create wealth for the UK. Whilst our partners will be well placed to offer employment to our graduates, the high growth and high research and development intensity of SMEs means they can especially benefit from our PhDs. Our industrial partners will benefit directly from the findings of joint research projects and from the intellectual property generated from such work. Identifying pathways to impact, arising from research into improvements in processes or products, will be embedded in all of our research activities.
The people we recruit will derive great benefits from the education and training provided. Our training programme aims to recruit the best students from a range of disciplines and provide them with coherent a knowledge base, transferable & leadership skills, and a challenging and industrially relevant research project. We will provide training courses delivered by world-leading experts with high-quality, industrial- oriented research supported by world-class partners. We will provide access to a range of key skills, core competencies and academic expertise, as well as exposure to the challenges and opportunities in industry through industrially related projects, short term experience in industrial placements and international institutions. Over the life of the Centre our student cohorts will be challenged to make a difference to others in society by outreach work with schools and colleges and mentoring and project work with undergraduates at our universities. This will have affect how society perceives the role of manufacturing in society and positively influence the uptake of STEM subjects at university and the numbers of applicants for our CDT programme.
The wider international research community will gain from the knowledge outputs of our CDT. Metal processing is a broad technical (e.g. casting, welding, surface engineering, near net-shape forming etc.) but it is also very complex. Indeed, the design and optimisation of metal processing has been a challenging task since the Bronze Age. Our research aims to provide an enhanced understanding which will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed international journals under open access. Summer Schools, with invited expert speakers, will promote more informal knowledge exchange and sharing whilst news of our important research findings will be released on the Web through our well-established Press Offices
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christian Chiadikobi (Student) |