ANNUAL REPORT 2010 - Loughborough University

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IMCRC Current
RESEARCh ThEMES
Next generation Technologies
Project 198 - Intelligent Control of high
Performance Production Machines is
establishing a control architecture that
is appropriate for advanced machinery
operation based on the integration of
complex sensing, decision-making and
actuation. This will enable the adaptive
operation and realisation of optimal
solutions of the machine process and
provide information on the ‘health’ of the
machine.
Project 201 - Intelligent User Centric
Components for harsh Distributed
Environments is investigating the use of
advance automation and ICT to provide
a step-change in athletic performance
monitoring capability in harsh environments
e.g. underwater. This project is developing
novel integrated sensor arrays that
can provide real time information on
performance and on physiological,
mechanical and environmental parameters.
The IMPREST technology transfer project 247
builds on a previous IMCRC project which
developed a decision support tool aimed at
supporting the implementation of Off-Site
Manufacturing within the construction
industry by facilitating cost and value
comparisons, instilling best practice
and enhancing learning. This project is
transferring the findings of the previous
project into the construction industry.
Further research on Project 270 - Embedded
Total Life Components for Product and
Process Control is evaluating new
techniques for product and process quality
control and visualisation to deliver an
embedded observability and traceability
system based on a network of integrated,
distributed components, each supporting a
unique genetic code.
Project 204 - global Automation
Infrastructure to enable Service-Based
Engineering (gAIN) is assessing the
potential for new, more efficient service
relationships, roles and responsibilities, in
the automation supply chain. These new
systems will need to be fully interoperable.
The project has demonstrated to industry
the methods in which Web services can be
applied practically to industrial automation,
AnnuAl RepoRt 2010
and how a component-based engineering
approach can be applied to Web servicesbased
systems.
Project 253 - Interoperable Manufacturing
knowledge Systems is making a leading
contribution to radical, new methods for
interoperable manufacturing knowledge
to be shared to support dynamic multidisciplinary
engineering design and
manufacture.
Sustainable materials and manufacturing
processes are now a high priority for all
manufacturing sectors. The Project, 260
- Minimisation of End-of-Life Waste in the
Footwear Industry, is generating eco-design
guidelines and bespoke recycling processes
that will underpin the realisation of a
sustainable product recycling chain for the
footwear sector.
Further research on Project 277 - Reduction
of the Environmental Footprint of Plastic
Packaging based on Renewable Polymer
Materials will reduce the carbon and
ecological footprint of packaging, by
investigating the environmental benefits of
reducing the consumption of non-renewable
resources and their disposal to landfill.
New technologies are being investigated
for the production of printable metallic
inks for decorative packaging and related
functional applications. Project 202 -
Surface Preservation Coatings to Enable
Versatile Metal Particle Deposition and
Sintering, is studying the use of selfassembled
monolayer (SAM) coatings to act
as oxidation-preventing sintering aids for
metallic particles - with sizes ranging from
micro to nano scale.
The related Project 256 - Nano Particle
Preservation and Stabilisation for Large
Volume Production, aims to functionalise
the surfaces of nano particles derived from
a high volume manufacturing process.
In addition, methods of applying organic
coatings to the surfaces will be determined
and their properties investigated.
Project 235 - Rapid Manufacturing IMRC
knowledge Transfer has been focussed on
the expansion of the Rapid Manufacturing
(RM) Consortium, which acts as a
dissemination point for the world-class
research being undertaken in the field of
RM at Loughborough. The expansion of the
consortium, with a membership base of
internationally recognised market leaders
in manufacturing, has provided a platform
to augment the world-leading position of
the Rapid Manufacturing Research Group
(RMRG) and significantly contribute to
EPSRC’s metrics.
Project 250 – Rapid Manufacturing
Materials Alliance: knowledge Transfer
is providing Knowledge Transfer (KT) of
the materials properties data generated
through past research activities and new
data generated through the newly formed
‘Rapid Manufacturing Materials Alliance’.
This has specifically focussed on long-term
ageing data for laser-sintering materials,
which was provided for the project partner,
enabling it to facilitate improved delivery
to its clients and the development of new,
improved products.
Project 285 - Development of a Novel
Integrated Large Area Pressure Pad for harsh
Environments aims to research, design,
implement and evaluate a novel pressure
recording system suitable for analysing the
starting and turning performance of elite
swimmers. This work has predominantly
been focussed on the integration of the
pressure system into a complete swimming
performance monitoring system, which
has already provided initial performance
evaluation information on the turns of elite
swimmers.
The aim of Project 304 - Adaptab(ling):
Extending the Life of our Built Environment,
is to gain insights into buildings as a whole
- not just whole in space, but as whole in
time. This pilot project will take advantage
of a range of expertise to provide a holistic
understanding of how buildings perform,
with the overall intent of increasing their
capacity to accommodate change.
Construction provides an especially
challenging sector to identify and foster
innovative practice. Project 307 - The Role
of objects in Building Design is investigating
the ways in which innovation occurs within
the building design process, specifically
the increasing use of pre-configured and
modularized, building components.