Quantification of damage in heavy metals as investigated through X-ray CT.

With the increased sophistication in component design in order to achieve improved mechanical properties, the process of testing for flawed components has become increasingly difficult. This is particularly evident in the 3D printing of metallic components that contain inaccessible internal geometries while the matrix material may harbour pores that can be detrimental to the components performance.
AWE aims to optimise component metrology through the reduction of the number of different techniques whilst simultaneously reducing component handling and analysis time. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is an industry standard tool currently adopted for the qualitative assessment of inaccessible component surfaces and internal features. However XCT currently does not have either a best practice guide or standardised measurement technique, and there is an industry wide aspiration to develop XCT for dimensional assessment comparable in accuracy to CMM.
This project aims to advance the design of X-ray Computer Tomography (XCT) metrology techniques in collaboration with AWE in order to better understand the analysis of internal defects within metallic components and how these and influence future designs. To increase component performance manufactures have developed novel techniques in order to produce complex designs that improve mechanical properties and reduce manufacturing time and waste. With the increased sophistication in component design the process of testing for flawed components has become increasingly difficult. This is particularly evident in 3D printing of metallic components that contain inaccessible internal geometries while the matrix material may harbour pores that can be detrimental to the components performance.
XCT is a non-destructive technique that can be used to measure hidden component surfaces and internal defects such as pores which is critical for high value components in industry. However the validation of high value component requires a level of measurement confidence that is currently lacking in XCT. This project will build upon metrology techniques developed at the university of Manchester for validating XCT voxel size and spatial resolution and apply these to developing methods to measure how defects evolve in intermetallic components over time. The study will apply XCT metrology techniques to better understand the interpretation of XCT measurements in deformation studies of AM parts.

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Metallic Systems was established to address the metallurgical skills
gap, highlighted in several reports [1-3] as a threat to the competitiveness of UK industry, by training non-materials
graduates from chemistry, physics and engineering in a multidisciplinary environment. Although we will have supplied ~140
highly capable metallurgical scientists and engineers into industry and academia by the end of our existing programme,
there remains a demonstrable need for doctoral-level training to continue and evolve to meet future industry needs. We
therefore propose to train a further 14 UK based PhD and EngD students per cohort as well as 5 Irish students per
cohort through I-Form.

Manufacturing contributes over 10% of UK GVA with the metals sector contributing 12% of this (£10.7BN [4,5]) and
employing ~230,000 people directly and 750,000 indirectly. It is estimated that ~2300 graduates are required annually to
meet present and future growth [5]. A sizeable portion of these graduates will require metallurgical expertise and current
numbers fall far short. From UK-wide HESA data, we estimate there are ~330 home UG/PGT qualifiers in materials and
~35 home doctoral graduates in metallurgy annually, including existing AMSCDT graduates, so it is unsurprising that
industry continues to report difficulties in recruiting staff with the required specialist metallurgical knowledge and
professional competencies.

As well as addressing this shortfall, the CDT will also impact directly on the companies with which it collaborates, on the
wider high value manufacturing sector and on the UK economy as a whole, as follows:

1. Collaborating companies, across a wide range of businesses in the supply chain including SMEs and research
organisations will benefit directly from the CDT through:

- Targeted projects in direct support of their business and its future development and competitiveness.
- Access to the expertise and facilities of the host institutions.
- Involvement in the training of the next generation of potential employees with advanced technical and leadership skills
who can add value to their organisations.

2. The UK High-Value Manufacturing Community will benefit as the CDT will:

- Develop the underpinning science and advanced-level knowledge base required by future high technology areas, where
there is high expectation of gross added value.
- Provide an enhanced route to exploitation, by covering the full spectrum of technology readiness levels.
- Ensure dissemination of knowledge to the sector, through student-led SME consultancy projects, the National Student
Conference in Metallic Materials and industry events.

3. The wider UK economy will benefit as the CDT will:

- Promote materials science and engineering and encourage future generations to enter the field, through outreach
activities developed by the students that will increase public awareness of the discipline and its contribution to modern
life, and highlight its importance to future innovation and technologies.
- Develop and exploit new technologies and products which will help to maintain a competitive UK advanced
manufacturing sector, ensure an internationally competitive and balanced UK economy for future generations and
contribute to technical challenges in key societal issues such as energy and sustainability.

References:
1. Materials UK Structural Materials Report 2009
2. EPSRC Materials International Review 2008
3. EPSRC Materially Better Call 2013
4. The state of engineering, Engineering UK 2017
5. Vision 2030: The UK Metals Industry's New Strategic Approach, Metals Forum