EngD - Disruptive Machining Methods for Large Aerospace Wing Structures

Over the next 10 years, major aerospace OEMs are expected to dramatically increase production rates for current short range aircraft, and develop new airframes including a mid-range platform and at least two new short range aircraft. Current production methods for large metal wing structures do not offer the cost, production rate and quality performance that will be required from future platforms.

The UK Aerospace industry is the second largest in the world, second only to the US. GKN is a FTSE 100 business and one of the most important contributors to manufacturing in the UK, and thus economy. As the most comprehensive aerostructures Tier 1 supplier (worldwide), GKN has a diverse range of technical capability across the globe. The EngD candidate will become part of this community and contribute to GKN's vision to grow and maintain world-beating manufacturing processes for future aircraft.

The candidate will become part of the GKN Technology Centre in Bristol, conducting research locally, at the AMRC, and will also have the opportunity to visit other global sites as required to support technical and personal development. In addition to the small experimental budget afforded by the EngD programme, the candidate will be aligned to much larger collaborative research programmes with GKN customers, giving them the opportunity to utilise greater budget and lead tasks that are complementary to their EngD theme.

The main thrust of the work will be around large machined wing structures. Initially the candidate will work with GKN colleagues and customers to understand requirements of the future aircraft in terms of component geometry, tolerance requirements, cost targets, etc. The candidate will then define experimental studies that will explore the most effective way to process these new components (clean sheet, not constrained by existing equipment). The candidate will lead processing trials from small scale up to full scale wing components. Development work will be progressed and evaluated in accordance with GKN's Technology Readiness Level (TRL) process, and the candidate will have the opportunity to present their work across the business to colleagues and senior management.
The candidate has the enviable opportunity to consider how to manufacture a part without any existing constraints on equipment. This will give the candidate the greatest opportunity and flexibility to address the two major research focus:
A major focus of the scientific development will be in understanding the origin of part distortion in the target product(s) and how this could be minimised/mitigated.
A second major focus will be in understanding how a step change in material removal rates can be achieved through development of advanced material removal methods for the target product(s).

In support of the major research focus:
The candidate will consider whether conventional 5-axis 'machining in a box' processes are the most effective, or whether other more radical machine architectures are the future. This will involve the candidate understanding processing dynamics and other considerations such as the influence of fixturing/part handling methods.
The candidate will need to understand a range of material-in conditions from conventional billets to additively manufactured net-shapes. This will involve developing knowledge of material properties and microstructure for the respective material stocks, and their interaction with the chosen material removal methods.
The candidate will develop understanding in the art of process control, with potential to consider adaptive processes.




What are the potential benefits of the collaboration for the company and for the academic partners? Are there wider benefits that may result

Novel, high-speed machining processes are central to the UK's economic vision with respect to manufacturing, and in particular high value manufacturing.

The Centre for Doctoral Training in Machining Science will provide trained individuals with skills and expertise at the forefront of knowledge in machining science to the labour market. In doing so, it will address a key skills gap in the High Value Manufacturing supply chain. In supporting the manufacturing sector in the UK the centre will deliver societal impact through job and wealth creation. Meanwhile, the outreach activities will aim to attract more widely skilled individuals into manufacturing.

Industrial impact is central to the training programme. All research engineers undertake doctoral training in conjunction with a sponsoring industrial company, which also provides the context for their research work. In some cases this context will reflect current manufacturing problems, and in other cases will consider future machining processes with respect to a company's technology roadmap and capability acquisition. Collaborating industrial companies will therefore receive machining science solutions to industrial problems investigated through the centre. Research engineers undertake their projects in close partnership with their sponsor, and ultimately they implement their research in an industrial context. In order to maximise this impact, training is provided in communication, dissemination and implementation, alongside research skills.

Our industrial partners consider the doctoral training programme as a mechanism through which to develop technical leaders within their organisations. As they move beyond their doctoral research into employment in industry, research engineers will have the opportunity to apply their machining science and industrial project co-ordination skills to solve manufacturing problems beyond the scope of their initial training project. As they embark on their professional careers, the Centre's graduates will have the skills and expertise to underpin manufacturing initiatives such as the re-emergence of the nuclear energy supply chain, where machining of single, long lead-time, high-cost castings is critical.

Longer term and on a broader level, as our alumni develop into leaders, they will also have organisational, cultural, and technical impacts on industry through the teams they create and mentor. This will have a wider industry impact wider industry as these individuals move around the labour market, stimulating the uptake of advanced machining science.

The centre will be based in the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), itself a showcase for the resurgence in UK manufacturing capability. Through the Doctoral Centre's location, research engineers will contribute to outreach and engagement activities in the AMRC, with the aim of further attracting skilled individuals at all levels into the UK manufacturing sector.