Nottingham Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Research and Graduate Services
Abstract
NIMRC's research portfolio is at the heart of the national manufacturing agenda and is active in the generation of patents and the construction of full scale demonstrators to enhance technology transfer. The Centre has strong links with industry in a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, instrumentation, power engineering, steel, textiles and clothing, and consumer product sectors. With the exception of a small number of blue-skies projects, all projects are driven by industrial need. During the past 3 years, the Nottingham Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (NIMRC) has continued to succeed in its stated objectives. By exploiting synergies between themes and research strands within the Centre and with other academic groups and industry outside the Centre, NIMRC has continued to expand its world-leading research portfolio and develop new directions. From a start of 8 principal investigators in the IMRC, this year we have an additional 15 investigators participating in current projects within the portfolio, complemented by 22 researchers and 29 research students. In the past 3 years, 9 students have been been awarded a PhD and another 7 are currently submitting their dissertations.The quality, timeliness and novelty of NIMRC's research is highlighted by its publication record. Since the Centre began, staff have published widely in peer review journals and presented at prestigious international conferences.The IMRC status has attracted a wider research community both in the University and without. The NIMRC continues to develop strategic partnerships with research groups outside the University and include many internationally recognised centre's of manufacturing excellence. The Centre also has strong links with other IMRCs. Already, NIMRC has collaborative research projects with Warwick, Bath, Cranfield and Loughborough IMRCs. NIMRC is also participating in the Grand Challenge 3D Mintigration related to the economic Manufacture of 3D Miniaturised Devices . NIMRC has made excellent progress during the last 3 years towards its stated objectives. It believes that the future research strategy it has developed will continue to address both the immediate and longer term needs of the manufacturing industry and it looks forward to providing the enabling research needed to improve the competitiveness of UK plc. The importance of NIMRC's world-class research is demonstrated in the composition of the Industrial Advisory Board which includes 20 senior industrialists from well established UK manufacturing sectors. The Board is impressed with the work of the Centre and the rapport with the Board of PIs. Board members have their own examples of how their company has benefited from the work of the NIMRC. In summary, Rolls-Royce and the Industrial Advisory Board fully support the activities of the NIMRC and will continue to do so. Chair of NIMRC Industrial Advisory Board, Mr Stephen Burgess, Manufacturing Process and Technology Director, Rolls-Royce Plc.
Organisations
- University of Nottingham, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- Airbus, France (Project Partner)
- Carl Zeiss Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Iscar Tools Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- MBDA UK Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- A T A (Engineering Processes), United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Limited, Camberley, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- DOWTY PROPELLERS, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Ford Research Centre, Germany (Project Partner)
- Motor Industry Research Assoc. (MIRA), United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- ESI Software, France (Project Partner)
- Aida Bliss (Europe) Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Sandvik Coromant UK Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Plant Fibre Technology, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Technical Fibre Products Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Garton Engineering, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Arup Group Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Meads Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Bombardier Aerospace, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- BAE Systems, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- np Nemaura Pharma, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- National Instruments Corp (UK) Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Advanced Composites Group Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Rainford Precision Machines, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- GE Druck plc, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- MCubed Metrology, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Ellis Developments Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS (Project Partner)
- 3D Scanners (UK) Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- NetComposites Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Security Composites Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Euro Projects, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Ranier Technology Limited, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Rolls-Royce plc, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Midlands Aerospace Alliance, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Ford Motor Company, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Slack & Parr Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Scott Bader Co Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Battenfeld U K Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Carr Reinforcements Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- CG Tech, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- The Welding Institute (Project Partner)
- EXA Technology and Development Co Ltd, Hong Kong (Project Partner)
- Kistler Instruments Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Virtual Prototyping Solutions Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Diameter Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Comau U K Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- DePuy Orthopaedics Inc, United States (Project Partner)
- Formax UK Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
Publications

Ahmed I
(2010)
Cytocompatibility and effect of increasing MgO content in a range of quaternary invert phosphate-based glasses.
in Journal of biomaterials applications

Ahmed I
(2011)
Composites for bone repair: phosphate glass fibre reinforced PLA with varying fibre architecture.
in Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine

Coupland J. M.
(2010)
Measurement of Steep Surfaces Using White Light Interferometry
in STRAIN

Sun W
(2014)
Process modelling and optimization of keyhole plasma arc welding of thin Ti-6Al-4V
in The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design

Xu L
(2015)
Residual stress distribution in a Ti-6Al-4V T-joint weld measured using synchrotron X-ray diffraction
in The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design