Industrial Doctorate Centre in Composites Manufacture
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Aerospace Engineering
Abstract
The theme area is manufacturing of engineering composites structures, specifically those which comprise continuous high
performance fibres held together with a polymeric matrix. The relevant industry areas include aerospace, automotive,
marine, wind energy and construction.
The proposal demonstrates urgent and growing need in the UK polymer composites manufacturing sector for suitably
technically qualified individuals, able to make positive and rapid impact on its international manufacturing competitiveness.
The new IDC fills an existing gap in provision of industrially focussed higher level education in the UK, in the specialist
discipline of polymer composites manufacturing. It will have its centre of gravity in Bristol, with the new National
Composites Centre (NCC) the natural home-base for the cohort of composites manufacturing Research Engineers,
embedded in the composites manufacturing industry. This new applied research activity focussed at TRL 3-5 will be
different from but highly complementary to the outputs of EPSRC Centre's composites manufacturing PhD students and
those in the Bristol ACCIS DTC working on more fundamental research topics in composites at TRL 1-3. Achieving a
clearer definition of the industrial composites manufacturing challenges and of new knowledge base requirements will
provide direction for the industrially relevant accompanying fundamental research.
The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites will establish and maintain a close synergistic connection
between the new IDC, the Systems IDC at the University of Bristol and the Manufacturing Engineering EngD Centre lead
from the University of Nottingham. This will establish a critical mass of industrially focussed composites manufacturing
research activity in the UK, raising the national and international status of the EngD brand in the composites industry, in academia and in professional institutions by targeted dissemination through the EPSRC Centre, in conjunction with the NCC.
performance fibres held together with a polymeric matrix. The relevant industry areas include aerospace, automotive,
marine, wind energy and construction.
The proposal demonstrates urgent and growing need in the UK polymer composites manufacturing sector for suitably
technically qualified individuals, able to make positive and rapid impact on its international manufacturing competitiveness.
The new IDC fills an existing gap in provision of industrially focussed higher level education in the UK, in the specialist
discipline of polymer composites manufacturing. It will have its centre of gravity in Bristol, with the new National
Composites Centre (NCC) the natural home-base for the cohort of composites manufacturing Research Engineers,
embedded in the composites manufacturing industry. This new applied research activity focussed at TRL 3-5 will be
different from but highly complementary to the outputs of EPSRC Centre's composites manufacturing PhD students and
those in the Bristol ACCIS DTC working on more fundamental research topics in composites at TRL 1-3. Achieving a
clearer definition of the industrial composites manufacturing challenges and of new knowledge base requirements will
provide direction for the industrially relevant accompanying fundamental research.
The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites will establish and maintain a close synergistic connection
between the new IDC, the Systems IDC at the University of Bristol and the Manufacturing Engineering EngD Centre lead
from the University of Nottingham. This will establish a critical mass of industrially focussed composites manufacturing
research activity in the UK, raising the national and international status of the EngD brand in the composites industry, in academia and in professional institutions by targeted dissemination through the EPSRC Centre, in conjunction with the NCC.
Planned Impact
The new IDC will deliver future leaders for the composites manufacturing industry in the UK. Its major output will be a
significant number of engineering innovation leaders with a high quality research doctorate (EngD), ready to qualify for
Chartered status with an appropriate learned institution.
Bespoke taught modules in composites, specifically tailored to the needs of the manufacturing engineer, will need to be
developed for the IDC REs. No such taught provision exists currently and will represent a valuable new educational
resource that can be shared more widely.
The IDC's combined research portfolio will create a new knowledge resource on composite manufacturing, covering direct
manufacturing technology - processes and operations, modelling and simulation, design for manufacture and design for
recycling. Sharing of the new knowledge base will rapidly inform the areas where further fundamental level research is
most needed, thus narrowing the all too common time gap between basic research and application.
The IDC will help both the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites and the National Composites Centre
to discharge their common task of acting as 'national centres'. The NCC and the EPSRC Centre will act as enablers for
targeted high quality dissemination by organising and hosting a range of events designed to showcase the best in UK
composites manufacturing. To achieve this we will combine our resources to draw in relevant UK university teams, enable
regular industry participation, interact with learned institutions and with our relevant European neighbours. Our
manufacturing REs, trained in public engagement, will strive to become the best advertisement for the EngD brand.
Together with our PhD cohort, they will become the network of ambassadors for the national centre and for UK composites
manufacturing.
The most immediate industrial beneficiaries of the creation of the IDC will be those UK composites manufacturers who
elect to support the REs, either as new researchers or as existing employees. The extension of this provision to companies
currently not engaged with the NCC, especially to SMEs or groupings of smaller companies, is seen as particularly
important, narrowing the knowledge gap and enhancing competitiveness.
significant number of engineering innovation leaders with a high quality research doctorate (EngD), ready to qualify for
Chartered status with an appropriate learned institution.
Bespoke taught modules in composites, specifically tailored to the needs of the manufacturing engineer, will need to be
developed for the IDC REs. No such taught provision exists currently and will represent a valuable new educational
resource that can be shared more widely.
The IDC's combined research portfolio will create a new knowledge resource on composite manufacturing, covering direct
manufacturing technology - processes and operations, modelling and simulation, design for manufacture and design for
recycling. Sharing of the new knowledge base will rapidly inform the areas where further fundamental level research is
most needed, thus narrowing the all too common time gap between basic research and application.
The IDC will help both the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites and the National Composites Centre
to discharge their common task of acting as 'national centres'. The NCC and the EPSRC Centre will act as enablers for
targeted high quality dissemination by organising and hosting a range of events designed to showcase the best in UK
composites manufacturing. To achieve this we will combine our resources to draw in relevant UK university teams, enable
regular industry participation, interact with learned institutions and with our relevant European neighbours. Our
manufacturing REs, trained in public engagement, will strive to become the best advertisement for the EngD brand.
Together with our PhD cohort, they will become the network of ambassadors for the national centre and for UK composites
manufacturing.
The most immediate industrial beneficiaries of the creation of the IDC will be those UK composites manufacturers who
elect to support the REs, either as new researchers or as existing employees. The extension of this provision to companies
currently not engaged with the NCC, especially to SMEs or groupings of smaller companies, is seen as particularly
important, narrowing the knowledge gap and enhancing competitiveness.