Andrew Mills

Background

After studying Materials Science at Nottingham University, Andrew has 28 years' experience developing advanced composite structures and enabling manufacturing technology. Initially joining British Aerospace, for the development of ailerons for the Airbus A320; the first UK designed commercial aircraft carbon fibre structures. At Courtaulds Structural Composites, he was responsible for new applications development for a resin transfer moulding manufacturing facility; including X ray machine components, radar equipment and aircraft interiors. He joined Cranfield in 1991 to lead the Airbus UK composite wing research project AMCAPS which developed novel materials and process technology for large carbon fibre wing manufacture; now certified and flying on the Airbus A380. Since then he has worked on applications research projects with many UK design and manufacturing companies.

Awards:

The Engineer 2011 Aerospace Innovation Award

BAE SYSTEMS 2011 Chairman's Silver Award

Current activities

Andrew Mills leads the Composites Manufacturing Research Group within the Enhanced Structures and Composites Centre. This is focused on the investigation and development of cost effective manufacturing technology for lightweight composite structures in partnership with industry. His current applications research projects are for unmanned aircraft structures with BAE SYSTEMS and sports car bodies with McLaren Automotive and with the launch of the EPSRC CIMComp Innovative Composites Manufacturing Centre he is leading the research on CFRP to metallic structures joining and software tools for materials and process selection and design for manufacture of CFRP applications. Within the new Composites Industry Cluster (CiC) supply chain initiative AMSCI programme, he is leading the development of software tools for design using carbon fibre composites, involving materials and process selection and component detailing to enable low cost manufacturing.

Clients

EPSRC, DTI, TSB, Energy Technologies Institute, Airbus UK, BAE SYSTEMS, Bombardier, GKN, MBDA, BAE SYSTEMS, Lotus Cars, Reynard Engineering, McLaren Automotive and Racing, Bentley Motors, FORD, Nissan, Caterham Cars, Cranfield Aerospace, Hexcel Composites and CYTEC.