EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology

The vision of the proposed EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing (CIM) is to break new ground by creating the concept of the factory on the machine to deliver to UK industry disruptive solutions in advanced manufacturing for the next generation of high added-value products. Embracing and developing the factory on the machine concept will be a critical step in enabling a sustainable manufacturing sector for the next generation of engineered products dependent on precision and micro/nano scale geometrical accuracy and functionally optimised surfaces.Key challenges to achieving the concept of the factory on the machine are: Challenge I: Elevation of machine tool accuracies beyond the present formidable barriers to those currently only achievable by advanced metrology equipment in stable operating environments, through embodiment of our leading research in machine error modelling and reduction. Challenge II: Building sound foundations for the factory on the machine by developing new metrology instrumentation, used within the machine environment and a novel toolkit, for geometrical characterisation (size, geometry and texture) for the next generation of engineering products.In order to answer the challenges and vision of the CIM, the overall research programme is divided into key research themes and platform type activities. The two major thematic areas of research within the CIM are:Theme I - factory on the machine : to create a configurable and scalable platform for implementing advanced manufacturing and measurement technologies on machines ranging from nano, micro to large volume capability. Analogous with the lab on a chip concept, the delivered system will fuse production capability with high-precision metrology to provide an automatic quality control feedback loop for both product quality and machining process sustainability. Theme II - underlying techniques for factory on the machine : The aim here is to create new measurement and specification methodologies and products (smart software and hardware systems) and to deliver an underpinning new technology in measurement science for micro/nano scale surfaces on macro/meso dimensioned objects with Euclidean or non-Euclidean (non-rotational and non-translational symmetry) geometry and deterministic texture all to be applied within the factory on the machine environment. Platform activities will encompass: (i) Retention and recruitment of key identified research and technique staff; (ii) Generation of new knowledge and instrumentation derived from fundamental EPSRC, EU and TSB funded research projects (iii) Support blue sky research and feasibility studies in machine tool/surface technology and (iv) Knowledge exchange to key partners through specific projects, collaboration agreements, licensing, workshops, training, national networks, sand pits and open days. Platform activities will be targeted towards key partners firstly, their supply chains/end users, then secondly wider sectors of UK industry, as well as national and international standardisation bodies. Overall, this CIM research will link measurement and production in a unique way to minimise cost whilst at the same time enabling the manufacturing base to meet the challenge of ever increasing complexity and quality in manufacture. It will provide coherent research solutions to the manufacturing sector to ensure that advanced UK manufacture is at the forefront of emerging technologies. Partnership with UK industry will provide a research focal point, a national network to disseminate the outcomes and a link with other networks, CIMs and IKCs to ensure that the research provides the required outputs to drive industry forward. This would boost the capabilities of the project proposers to an unrivalled and unique position within the field of machine tool accuracy and surface metrology, allowing the research team to command a global leading role in the foreseeable future.

Overall, the CIM research will link measurement and production in a unique way to minimise cost whilst at the same time enabling the manufacturing base to meet the challenge of ever increasing complexity and quality in manufacture. Key beneficiaries of this CIM research will include: the CIM research team, the CIM co-creators, the wider machine tool industry and their supply chain, machine tool users, metrology companies, users of advanced geometrical surfaces (e.g. structured surfaces), users of other mechanical systems (e.g. robotics), etc. Through coherent research solutions for the manufacturing sector to ensure advanced UK manufacture the CIM will be at the forefront of emerging technologies (e.g. production of spherical fuel pellets for inertial confinement fusion for the HiPER project). Short term (2-5 yrs) Companies collaborating will be able to quickly assimilate novel techniques/processes, strengthened by industry based research carried out by the industrially funded PhDs. In addition these PhDs will acquire specific skills relevant to the industry in which they are based. High level training courses will be offered through platform activities and taken up by employees of co-creators their supply chain and other industries, evidenced via course materials and numbers of course attendees. There will also be effective public engagement as evidenced by hosting public events, seminars, visits etc to increase public awareness and understanding of the science produced with the CIM. Medium Term (5-10 yrs) Partnership with UK industry will provide a research focal point, a national network to disseminate the outcomes and a link with other networks and CIMs, IKCs and KTNs to ensure that the research provides the required outputs to drive industry forward. The wider economic benefits from these work packages can considered as a contribution toward the furthering of UK involvement in high precision added value manufacture and design in areas where the UK is playing catch up. The IP created will be available for collaborating companies (through through numbers of patents, licensing agreements, NDAs and possible spin out companies) to move to real product and the market. Commercialisation and exploitation of these new technologies and manufacturing capability will have knock on benefits for UK companies involved with precision manufacture allowing sustainable manufacturing capability in the UK to grow and providing new high technology employment. Public engagement of the CIM research outputs will be used to contribute towards evidence based policy-making and influencing public policies and legislation at a local, regional, national and international level (e.g. national and International standardisation). Long Term (10-25 yrs) The mass technologies enabled, through reduced manufacturing costs/time, due to integrated metrology and automation and are likely to impact on the general public. The specifics of life, health and creative output improvements cannot be predicted, but cheaper technologies have a positive impact once absorbed by society as a whole. Foreseeable benefits can be energy efficiency improvement in engineering applications, chemical pollution reduction in cleaning applications etc. A growing manufacturing capability in the UK will secure high technology employment. Very Long Term (25 yrs +) The metrology for high power laser target fabrication has the potential for huge impact through successful inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and sustainable nuclear fusion. Mass fuel target metrology and manufacture is one of critical challenges requiring solution if ICF is to become a viable route for sustained energy production. This research work will make a valuable contribution to this challenge through links with the STFC and the HiPER project.