Design, validation and additive manufacture of multiscale structures

This is an industrial collaboration project with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to explore biosciences and biotechnology.

Design and manufacture are intrinsically interlinked, to design for manufacture the designer needs an inherent understanding of the capabilities and restrictions of the manufacturing platform and compatible materials. Unlike traditional manufacturing techniques, additive manufacture (AM) creates the materials in parallel with creating the macro geometry of the part. Hence design for AM (DfAM) has broadened the framework of the process to incorporate multiscale design for materials, manufacturing parameters and geometric parts through to validation of their application to a range of industrial requirements.

To date the analysis of fatigue through additively manufactured parts has been largely overlooked; however, it is of critical importance when considering of longevity of structures undergoing cyclic loads, particularly those that have been manufactured by fusion of material. This project aims to integrate fatigue considerations into the design framework. The project will conduct fatigue analysis on components manufactured using a composite polymer and metal selective laser melting (SLM) printer. Parameters shall be varied within the manufacture to systematically investigate the multiscale variables of the components: using the internal design of the composite polymer and the processing parameters of the SLM material. The project shall validate this experimental work in a computational analysis using multiscale simulations, allowing an extensive modal analysis with parametric variation of the components multiscale parameters. The end goal of the project is to investigate the integration of fatigue considerations into the topology optimisation framework using multiscale modal analysis.

The ability to design for AM is in huge demand by industry. The successful applicant can expect to publish internationally leading research and increase their employability in industry and academia by gaining a wealth of knowledge and skills in a fast-paced, exciting arena. The student would be supervised jointly by design and modelling experts at UoB and the MTC, combining the manufacturing capabilities of the MTC with the characterisation facilities at UoB. The student would be based between the Biomedical Engineering Group in the School of Engineering at UoB and the MTC. The project shall have a dual focus on biomedical and aerospace applications, where the ability to withstand cyclic loading is crucial to the design objective.

Informal enquires about the project can be directed to Dr Thomas-Seale ([Email Address Removed])

How to apply:
• Apply directly via the University of Birmingham Postgraduate application system, the Postgraduate portal. (Apply button)
• Please detail the advertised supervisor and project title under the ’Research Information’ section of the application form.