Aerospace materials technology and advanced processing at the University of Birmingham

Citation

(2001), "Aerospace materials technology and advanced processing at the University of Birmingham", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2001.12773bab.003

Aerospace materials technology and advanced processing at the University of Birmingham

Aerospace materials technology and advanced processing at the University of Birmingham

Keywords Association of Aerospace Universities, Aerospace industry, Education

Activities relevant to the aerospace industry take place principally within engineering at The University of Birmingham.

The teaching is mainly in:

• •

  metallurgy and materials; and

• •

  manufacturing and mechanical engineering.

Research is associated with the above teaching disciplines and also within the Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC) in Materials for High Performance Applications (which includes the IRC Net Shape Manufacturing Laboratory).

Teaching

The three year BEng and the four year MEng courses in Metallurgy and Materials Science have a third year module on "High performance alloys". This module covers the selection of suitable materials for a variety of aerospace service requirements (considering safety, cost and availability), the implications of different processing routes, and performance enhancement by secondary processes. Both airframe and aeroengine components are considered. A one year M Res course contains a major taught module on "core materials" which includes advanced materials processing, which is chiefly concerned with aerospace materials and components. Materials processing (for example, machining and forging) is also covered within Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering.

Research

Research is carried out at two levels:

1. 1.

   via postgraduate research leading to a master or doctorate degree;

2. 2.

   via research associates and post-doctoral research fellows working on research contracts.

Funding of contract research projects is gained from a number of possible sources; for example from the UK research council (EPSRC), from industry and from the EU. Such projects are frequently carried out under defined contractual terms and conditions, and important issues such as confidentiality and rights to intellectual property are formerly agreed up-front.

In general, research relevant to the aerospace industry falls into one of the following categories:

• •

  alloy and process development;

• •

  optimised component manufacture;

• •

  evaluation and lifing studies.

Specific areas of research and development activity are:

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  alloy development and characterisation;

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  mechanical properties (fracture and fatigue) of alloys;

• •

  plasma melting of alloys;

• •

  vacuum arc remelting of aerospace alloys;

• •

  induction melting, atomisation and spray forming of metals;

• •

  investment casting;

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  hot isostatic pressing (HIPping) and HIP diffusion bonding of metallic, intermetallic and ceramic materials;

• •

  superplastic forming of intermetallics and other materials;

• •

  hot and cold net shape forging of alloys and composites, including the development of novel incremental room-temperature forging machines and techniques;

• •

  machining by conventional and non-conventional methods of alloys and composites;

• •

  surface engineering;

• •

  powder metallurgy;

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  electronic materials and high-temperature superconductors;

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  characterisation and processing of magnetic materials;

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  characterisation and processing of structural and functional ceramics, including ceramic matrix composites and oxide-oxide ceramic composites;

• •

  refractories for the investment casting industry;

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  surface and dimensional metrology, including surface texture and roundness measurements;

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  rapid prototyping, including laser sintering of sand for moulds and cores;

• •

  direct laser fabrication of components and of bespoke surfaces;

• •

  process modelling and simulation of casting, forging and forming.

Existing contacts with the aerospace industry

The IRC in Materials at Birmingham, together with the IRC in Computer-aided Engineering at Swansea, jointly house a Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC), specialising in research and development work on titanium alloys and titanium based materials. See Plates 3-6 for some examples of the IRC's activities.

Plate 3 The IRC Plasma Furnace ­ used for pilot scale processing of new and high quality alloys for aerospace materials research

Plate 4 150mm diameter, 100kg ingots of a new alloy produced by plasma arc melting in the IRC, the University of Birmingham, for a European research programme

Plate 5 IRC induction melting, atomisation and spray forming facility

Plate 6 Experimental engine rings for gas turbine applications: centre ring was as-sprayformed in the IRC centrifugal spray deposition facility; other two rings were hot ring-rolled after sprayforming

In the subject areas of materials and manufacturing there are many contacts at Birmingham with the UK aerospace industry.

The University of Birmingham was a founder member of the Association of Aerospace Universities (AAU), and for more information about the AAU and about aerospace related activities at The University of Birmingham, UK, please contact Dr Mike Jacobs, Deputy Director, IRC in Materials for High Performance Applications, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. Direct line and Voicemail: +44 (0)121 414 5207; Fax: +44 (0)121 414 3441; e-mail: m.h.jacobs@bham.ac.uk