PhD Studentship - Embedding structural health monitoring (SHM) capabilities into additive manufactured (AM) metallic parts for military applications (ENG1234)

PhD studentship Sponsored by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)

Based at the Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM)

This 3 year PhD studentship, is part of the Enabling Next Generation Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) project in the University of Nottingham. Initially focussing on novel electronic and pharmaceutical/healthcare applications, the research team aims to move beyond single material AM by exploiting the potential to deposit multiple materials contemporaneously for the delivery of spatially resolved function and structure in three dimensions (3D). For further information, please visit https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/cfam/.

Project description: 

As AM components increase in complexity, ensuring their through-life performance through external inspection using traditional non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques will become increasingly difficult. However, AM affords the opportunity to integrate advanced damage/degradation detection technologies directly into structures as they are being manufactured; enabling intelligent self-monitoring structures to be developed.

This project will initially review and identify promising structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies that could be embedded into metallic AM parts for damage/degradation detection, prior to designing and developing a suitable SHM system for an AM part, initially of simple geometry. SHM embedded AM metallic parts will be manufactured and the capability to detect, locate and quantify damage/degradation assessed. It is also expected that the project will identify and understand the impact that the embedded SHM system has on the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of the AM part, in addition to assessing the relationship between damage detected and the reduction in mechanical properties / performance.

It is likely that this work will contribute to an International Collaboration involving the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada; this will be through Dstl as the sponsoring organisation.   

The successful candidate will:

Receive the training needed for a professional career in Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing 

Receive full Dstl studentship (fees and stipend) for 3 years 

Work directly with leading academics and industrialists

Receive Travel and consumable allowance

Eligibility

Applicants should possess a minimum 2:1 in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Biological Sciences or a related discipline. Due to Dstl’s security restrictions, this studentship is available for UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand nationals only. The successful candidate will be required to obtain Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and Security Clearance (SC).

How to apply

Please send your covering letter, CV and academic transcripts to cfam@nottingham.ac.uk referring to the project title. Please note applications without academic transcripts will not be considered.

The successful candidate will be available to start on 1st February 2019. 

Closing date: 1st January 2019.

Closing Date: 01 Jan 2019
Category: Studentships