Log in
Led by Professor Andrews, a computational method for real time mission planning, based on Binary Decision Diagrams (BDD), was developed in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Loughborough University (LU) from 1993-2003. This is fast and accurate and can be used to support decision-making on system utilisation in real-time operation, which has led to the ability to diagnose in flight faults for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications.
The research has changed the understanding and awareness of the advantages of BDD, resulting in integration into major industrial trials and proprietary software products, including at BAE Systems, one of the world's largest companies in an area of vital importance to UK security and economic development. The methodology has attracted significant research funding in collaborative programmes with industry.
Key findings from Dr Zhang's research at Birmingham Business School into global engineering networks (GEN) have been adopted by some of the largest manufacturing firms in the UK, leading to measureable improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of their engineering functions. The programme of research combines engineering, technology and process management and wider insights from organisation studies to develop decision-making tools for firms. One important route for disseminating GEN research findings to industrial audiences has been the High Performance Engineering Forum; member companies of the Forum have achieved tangible benefits from application of the approach including reduced engineering expenses, improved communication, support for novel working approaches and the introduction of innovative business initiatives. Users cite the benefits of these tools in support of the formation and implementation of global engineering strategies and improved communication between operations at different stages of the engineering value chain. There is also evidence of wider impact in terms of the increased awareness of the need to combine engineering and technology-related expertise with innovation management capabilities and knowledge of the changing international landscape. The research focuses on emerging competitors, growing markets and potential collaborations, particularly in, from, or with China. These have significant implications for current manufacturing business models in the UK. The GEN framework has also been adopted as an essential input for the Excellence Engineering Education System in China co-developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Cambridge University and Tsinghua University, and intended to provide a novel framework for Chinese engineering education.
From strains within a single carbon fibre to deflections in a bridge, dam or railway line, accurate measurement is vital to industry and public infrastructure. In many engineering contexts, traditional approaches to measurement are inadequate or involve unacceptable costs and delays. These shortcomings have been addressed by the University of Bristol's research into high-precision, video-based metrology and its application through Imetrum, a spin-out company. Imetrum was founded in 2003 and launched its first product - the Video Gauge - in 2007. In the area of mechanical testing, the company has brought the first video-based extensometry system that can be supplied calibrated to international standards to market. For structural monitoring and safety inspections, deformation measurements are usually required. The Imetrum system is being used to precisely measure such deformations in rail bridges and other vital parts of the infrastructure without costly and inconvenient interruptions to their operation. Imetrum has approximately doubled its turnover each year since 2007. [text removed for publication].
Many utility services are distributed using buried infrastructure beneath roads; inaccurate location leads to wasteful excavations and additional costs for service providers, businesses and the public. The Mapping the Underworld (MTU) project developed a proof-of-concept device to locate buried assets which can overcome problems of inaccurate mapping. This programme has acted as a crucial catalyst for the sector, leading to a series of significant actions by the industry informed by the MTU project. For instance, JK Guest, a major private sector contractor, invested £2m to establish the first vocational training centre for underground utility mapping in the UK to a specification developed by the Birmingham researchers; this centre opened in 2012 and more than 600 people had been trained there by July 2013. MTU and the industry promoted the development of an industry-standard for underground utility surveying, leading to the agreement of the British Standards Institute to develop a new standard which is being developed with sponsorship by the Institute of Civil Engineers. These, and the other impacts described in the case study, demonstrate the impact made to date on practitioners and professionals in the sector; these are the building blocks for the realisation of extensive economic impact from reduced disruption and the pro-active condition management of buried utilities.
New business models, technological innovations and global markets, demand that engineering firms better manage how they grow and achieve reliability during product development. A reliability growth modelling framework, developed from research at the University of Strathclyde, is being used by and influencing UK industry practice in the aerospace & defence sector. Our model underpins the modern approach to reliability growth management in Aero-Engine Controls (a Rolls-Royce company), Selex ES, and contributes to the Reliability Case required by the Ministry of Defence. The Strathclyde model is included in the international reliability growth standard (IEC 61164) which is adopted globally by manufacturing firms and procurement agencies.
Building Information Modelling and Management (BIM(M)) research at the University of Salford has contributed to the concept and development of an integrated approach to improved efficiency in the construction sector:
UCL research has been instrumental in creating critically needed new biocatalysts and bioprocess technologies for industrial biocatalytic process development. These have impact across the UK chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. BiCE enzyme technologies have been exploited through the formation of a spin-out company, Synthace, generating investment of £1.8m and creation of 7 new jobs. Commercial utilisation of BiCE enzymes by company partners has led to environmental benefits through sustainable syntheses and reduced waste generation. BiCE high-throughput bioprocess technologies have also been adopted to speed biocatalytic process development. UCL established a parallel miniature stirred bioreactor system as a new product line for HEL Ltd. [text removed for publication]. Related knowledge transfer activities have also benefited some 157 industrial employees from over 50 companies since 2008.
UCL's research and development programme in space science and engineering enabled it to complete four major contracts with European and Canadian space companies between 2009 and 2011. These contracts were for the supply of equipment that will fly on European and Indian space missions, and for support of the ground testing of those space missions. The fact that these contracts were won by UCL in a competitive environment against low-cost industrial providers demonstrates that customers value the capability that UCL possesses. By acting as a specialist provider within the UK space sector supply chain, UCL enabled the prime contractors European Astrium Aerospace and Canadian Routes AstroEngineering Ltd. to deliver substantial commercial contracts with space agencies. Its provision of specialist input into these major contracts enabled UCL to also directly support the growth of the commercial space sector.
Research led by Professor Chapman at the Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE) lab has resulted in a thriving partnership with the aerospace division of Rolls-Royce. KBE research captures domain-based knowledge and integrates it into refined computational models with automated tools to enhance design processes for engineering complex systems. This research has contributed to important improvements in the design processes used by Rolls-Royce to achieve substantial benefits in terms of accuracy, efficiency and ease of design and innovation in the development of jet engines. The techniques have also been exploited to enhance decision support processes for sustainable energy.
Research at Newcastle University on formal methods for the design of computing systems has had a major impact on the delivery of new high-dependability products by industry. The methods (VDM and Event-B), to which we have made significant contributions, have been embodied in tools (VDMTools, Overture, Rodin) and applied in industry. The reach of the work extends to industries in Europe (e.g. in the rail sector by Siemens, 2011) and Japan (e.g. in firmware design by Sony, 2008). Significance is seen in reported improvements in defect detection rates of up to a factor of 5 over previous processes and the cost-effectiveness of design processes. The "Mobile FeliCa" chip developed using VDMTools is now incorporated into over 200 million mobile phones worldwide. Our approach to disseminating research has engendered lively international and online end-user communities further developing and using the tools today.