A fully funded PhD opportunity to participate in the world-leading research undertaken by the EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award at the University of Sheffield.
Large scale forged components are typically subjected to stringent quality assurance checks to ensure the supplied component will perform in service as intended. High value products such as nuclear island components and mill rolls are inherently used in high load and in challenging high temperature environments, as a result these components demand a high resolution trustworthy assurance processes. Typical incumbent manufacturing processes allow for periodic non destructive assessments to take place however by their very nature they can often only provide momentary snap shots of the material condition and rarely offer complete coverage. Through advancements in process monitoring technologies inferred and direct measurements can provide manufacturers intermediary data streams that can offer insight into how the component and manufacturing process is performing. Within both of the fields of forging and machining there are numerous industry-ready low-intrusive high TRL systems that monitor process health. These are commonly used to establish baseline process signatures which, if a deviation from an average is observed, can prompt an operator that defects might arise and as such mitigating actions could be taken. These systems often employ power based approaches capturing data from the machine centre or process based systems that capture characteristic interaction behaviours such as bending moments, acoustic emissions, accelerations and force all of which are highly sensitive to changes at the material interface.
Recent advances in process monitoring have yielded promising results in characterising near surface behaviours and when captured in a continuous manner and correlated to a machine's axis can provide an effective map or an entire machined surface.
This project, in collaboration with Sheffield Forgemasters, will aim to develop a cyber-physical system using data obtained at primary upstream stages (forging) with final downstream finishing process (Machining) alongside incumbent non destructive testing data with advanced novel surface non destructive systems (Chemical and XRD) to produce a holistic verification system.
Its objectives/ research questions include
1.Creating a connected digital framework that can encompass datastreams from disparate sources (building on AMRC knowhow and aligned with Forgemasters future digital environment)
2.What sensor technologies (including peripheral devices like portable 3D scanners) are best suited for in-process monitoring, and how can they be integrated into existing forging and machining systems?
3.Establishing what the minimum flaw size*/ location can be observed following the identification of sources of error and noise
(*Linked to Forgemaster problem statements)
4.Perform demonstration cutting trials on representative workpiece material/ components
5.How can hybrid predictive modelling approaches be integrated into a cohesive framework for distortion control in both process planning and in-process environments, and what are the best software/hardware platforms for implementation?
6.What level of accuracy and precision can be achieved through this multi-stream characterisation approach, and how does it compare to traditional inspection and validation methods with respect to cost and time savings? (Note. current methods are discrete and distinct from each other, this project is proposing effectively making these layers of information concurrent on a single map of the component therefore making it possible to quickly relate an issue with one characteristic to the others)
7.How can real-time compensation strategies be effectively implemented without slowing down the overall manufacturing process?
The University of Sheffield is one of the leading Russell Group universities in the UK. We carry out cutting-edge research with strong links to industry. When you enrol to do a PhD with us, you will be working with world-leading academics and have access to top of the range facilities. As a PhD student you will have the opportunity to gain skills not only to conduct research, but also to take your career to the next level, whether you want to stay in academia, go into industry or the public sector, or set up your own company. You will have access to a range of training and support services to help you excel in your studies and beyond.
How to apply
Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to contact the project supervisors to discuss your interest in and suitability for the project prior to submitting your application.
Please refer to the EPSRC DLA webpage for detailed information about the EPSRC DLA and how to apply.