PhD Studentship in Engineering at the University of Nottingham

PhD Scholarship in Engineering is available for outstanding applicants from UK candidates at the University of Nottingham, UK. Still, EU or International applicants who can pay the difference between the Home and International Fees would also be welcome to apply. The scholarship is allocated on a competitive basis for the academic session 2021-2022.

Summary

Project Description

Supervised by: Dr Nicholas Watson, Professor Richard Leach

In this project, the student will develop the sensing technologies to realise the next generation of digital manufacturing: Industry 4.0. An essential part of manufacturing is quality control, which is achieved through measurement. One of the most essential measurands for quality control is the surface – In discrete manufacturing fine-scale topography is critical when considering tolerances, assembly and ultimately functionality whereas in process manufacturing the surface affects the quality and performance of products (e.g food and other FMCG). It is estimated that surface effects cause 10% of manufactured parts to fail and contribute significantly to the UK GDP.

Mostly in manufacturing, measurements are taken after manufacture or by slowing down the process – compromising the all-important throughput. The student will combine different sensor techniques with state of the are machine learning methods such as deep learning and transfer learning to produce enhanced measurement systems that are an integral, real-time and constantly learning part of the manufacturing process – not only fast enough but becoming faster over time. The project will be focused on sensor development and testing, but the balance of modelling and experimental methods can be chosen to suit the background of the student.

The project will be supervised by Dr Nicholas Watson and Professor Richard Leach, from the Manufacturing Metrology Team (MMT). MMT is an international and diverse team that thrives on openness and cooperation – students work in teams to achieve joint goals in a friendly but professional cohort.

The position is available for UK candidates, but EU or International applicants who can pay the difference between the Home and International Fees would also be welcome to apply.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is May 03 2021

Eligibility

Candidates must possess or expect to obtain, a high 2:1 or 1^st class degree in science, engineering or computer science, or other relevant disciplines.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this area of study as part of the Midlands Centre for Data-Driven Metrology Centre for Doctoral Training, please provide an expression of interest to Katie Blake (charlotte.blake1@nottingham.ac.uk) in the first instance. Competitive funding is available for high-quality candidates. Please include the title of the project you are interested in studying when contacting the team.

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