Cranfield University

The strength of Manufacturing Technology in the Cranfield IMRC resides in three broad areas, precision technologies, metal processing and composite processing. These areas contain the following main activities:

Precision Technologies – Precision machining including high efficiency machining, ion beam and plasma processes, machine tool design, microengineering and metrology.

Metal Processing – Welding, laser processing, additive manufacture, stress engineering, and process modelling

Composite Processing - Low cost manufacture, high performance lightweight materials, powder processing, nano-composites and hybridised structures

In Phase 2 the IMRC activity is seen as being cross-sectoral with fundamental research generating a greater number of generic outputs that find wide application across a number of sectors. A greater level of integration between the technology areas has been a desirable outcome from the roadmapping exercises and this integration is now enabling radical research proposals to be developed which are attracting considerable industrial interest. A further outcome from the roadmapping has been the linkage that is now developing between the two major research themes. Although there is a clear and independent research focus within the Manufacturing Technology theme there is clearly the opportunity to establish how technology impacts on PSS and understand how the move towards PSS should influence aspects of technology. The IMRC is therefore developing cross-cutting research programmes that provide an important link between the research themes and currently five such projects have been funded under Phase 2.

Key research centres

Contributing research centres