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The provision of professional analysis and advice has created an economic impact of $0.6M with AVX Ltd, a leading supplier of electronic components within the Kyocera Group. This information was pivotal to AVX Ltd retaining a major contract, for multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC's) supply through to the automotive manufacturer Volkswagen Group. Our intervention addressed a reliability issue in the MLCCs and allowed them to improve processes and revise manufacture protocols. The impact drew on previous collaborative research with AVX Ltd and innovative methodologies for preparation of micro and nanoscale samples of materials in capacitors in academic research.
Diffusion bonding (DB) is well-known for producing structured materials with fine scale features and is a critical technology for high efficiency reactors, e.g. heat exchangers and fuel cells, but currently equipment is slow and expensive (and there are size limitations to the `assemblies' that can be built). The University has researched and developed, with industry partners, a rapid affordable diffusion bonding (ADB) process involving direct heating to provide appropriate temperature and stress states and utilising flexible ultra-insulation (vacuum) for pressing titanium (and now aluminium) sheets together. The process operates at low stresses thus avoiding `channel' collapse. Investment is taking place in the partner companies to exploit the technology. A breakthrough has been achieved in the chemical machining of three dimensional structures for laminar flow technology assemblies in aluminium and titanium, that can be built by ADB.
The vulnerability of both military and civilian infrastructure to the threat of terrorist activity has highlighted the need to improve its survivability, and this poses a significant design challenge to engineers. Research work at Imperial has led to the development of novel constitutive relationships for polymeric materials coupled to novel analysis procedures; software algorithms for effective simulations of blast and impact events; and enhanced experimental testing methods allowing a fundamental understanding of the structures. According to Dstl, this body of research has `unquestionably improved the security and effectiveness of the UK armed forces operating in hostile environments abroad as well as the safety of citizens using metropolitan infrastructure within the UK'. The techniques have been applied to vehicles and UK infrastructure, including for high profile events, such as the 2012 Olympics.
Brassica production contributed £245.7m to the UK economy in 2012 and is growing year on year.i Research described below has led to the development of simple to use hand-held devices which enable brassica growers to identify the presence of a specific plant disease in the air or soil. With this knowledge, the grower can make an informed decision about when to plant a new crop or to spray an existing crop. This benefits the grower economically through a decrease in losses to disease and lower pesticide costs. Beyond the benefits for the grower, the reduction in pesticide use is consistent with UK and European policy on the environment.
Impact on industry, academia and government institutions from engineering materials research in the Mechanical Engineering department has been delivered through it directly leading to UK, USA and International Standards and Codes relating to three themes:
The results of the research of staff in this unit have led directly to UK, US and International Standards and Codes: ASTM Standards E1457-07 (2012) and E2760-10 (2012); R5 EDF Energy Code of Practice (2012); BS 7910 (2013); ISO 25217 (2009); ISO CD 15114 (2011) and ISO 13477 (2008). These documents all cite peer-reviewed publications by staff from this unit. These Standards and Codes are now the basis of fracture-mechanics methodologies used by leading engineering companies like Airbus, EDF, E.ON, GKN, Rolls-Royce and Vestas, whose commercial success depends upon technological leadership. In this way our research has led to savings by UK industry of many millions of pounds, as detailed in Section 4.
The Computational Mechanics and Reliability Group at the University of Greenwich has been developing computational methods for predicting material behaviour and component reliability since the late 1990s. This case study details economic and environmental impacts and impacts on practitioners. In particular it shows how our expertise has:
Clench's research on Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation - Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) technologies has impacted directly on pharmaceutical industry practice regarding studies of drug distribution studies in biological tissues, providing increased information, more rapidly. Companies have benefitted from long-term relationships with Clench's Bioanalysis Research Group and seek its expertise for consultancy purposes. Former members of Clench's group hold key positions in industry, implementing and further developing these technologies. Francese has had significant success in applying MALDI-MSI to analysis of latent fingermarks for forensic applications benefiting Home Office scientists and crime scene investigation units. Research advances in MALDI-MSI by Clench and Francese are patented and exploited via licensing.
The Computational Mechanics and Reliability Group at the University of Greenwich has been developing design and materials modelling expertise and tools for electronic manufacturing and reliability since the late 1990s. This case study details economic and environmental impacts and impacts on practitioners. In particular it shows how our expertise has:
A range of small specimen creep testing methods have been developed through research carried out at the University of Nottingham (UoN). These tests are being used in the following ways: RWE npower has used the impression creep test on approximately 180 samples taken from its power plants in the UK, France and Holland; AMEC has installed two impression creep test rigs for testing nuclear power plant materials for a range of EDF Energy power plants; Laborelec is using the small ring techniques for evaluating nickel based super alloys in turbine blades for clients in Belgium and Holland and the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) has used the small specimen techniques, with the assistance of UoN, on power plant structures in the USA.
Building Information Management (BIM) involves the creation and use of digital information about built assets. Mandated by UK and other governments because of its potential to reduce waste and optimise efficiency, its successful exploitation requires changes in construction technology and process. This research has had a transformational impact on both. Our technical research forms the basis of the National Library of BIM objects, as well as technological solutions and product developments for many organisations. Our work with UK and overseas governments has shaped industry's uptake of BIM. We have founded a centre of excellence to introduce BIM to practitioners and organisations, and created a commercial joint-venture consultancy company.