Transcript The University of Manchester

NCCEF Overview
Niall Macfadyen
Summary
• Introduction to Aerospace in
the Northwest
• Overview of NCCEF
capabilities
• Overview of Materials test
and evaluation unit
• Questions
Aerospace in the Northwest
• Major Companies operate in the
area
– BAE
– Airbus
– Rolls Royce
• Aerospace Revenue for the
region is approximately $10Bn
• The Aerospace supply chain in
the region employs over 20,000
people – 25% of UK total
University of Manchester
• One of the largest
single Campus
Universities in
Europe
• 35,000 students, of
whom 25% are Post
Graduate
• 11,700 employees,
50% academic.
UoM School of Materials
• Largest single materials
grouping of any European
University
• 750 students and 60 academic
staff
• Three focus areas
– Materials Science
– Textiles and Paper
– Corrosion and Protection
NCCEF
•
Opens January 2010
– NADCAP Accredited testing laboratory
– Full range of mechanical and physical
testing equipment and non-destructive
evaluation facilities
•
Remit: to work with companies in the
supply chain to help them:– Understand in service performance,
including failures
– Make the transition from metals to
composites
– Understand composite behaviour
– Qualify parts for aerospace and other
duties
– Assess new composite materials and
processes
– Understand and evaluate 3D composite
structures
Part of a National Network
The NCCEF is a fully independent
centre, free to work with all major
primes and Tier 1, 2 suppliers.
NCCEF is a division of the Northwest
composites centre, which is a
consortium of the Universities of
Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton and
Lancaster
We are members of the Northwest Aerospace Alliance
NCCEF Highlights
• European Centre for Quickstep
research (advanced out of
autoclave processing)
• Largest and best equipped
composites textile research unit
in Europe (with manufacturing
capabilities)
• Most comprehensive suite of
damage evaluation facilities (
including £2.8 million X-ray CT)
ROLE of NCCEF
• To Support the local supply chain in developing their businesses in
the area of composites
– Consultancy
– Tech Transfer (with NCN)
– Qualification of materials and parts
• To develop new technology that can diffuse out into the supply
chain
– R and D
– KTP’s
• To provide a bridge between the pure academic research
undertaken in the northwest and industry and between industry
and the science base.
– Technology programme, EU programmes
• To train the next generation of technically competent engineers for
the Composites industry
– MSc’s and PhDs
Processing – What is the NCCEF doing to
help the supply chain?
• Focus of NCCEF – out
of autoclave
processing
– Microwave curing
– Quickstep
– Vacuum
infusion/RTM
Textiles – What is the NCCEF doing to help
the supply chain?
• The University of Manchester hosts
the largest textile research Centre in
Europe
• A major initiative is now to develop
textiles for aerospace (and other)
composite applications:
–
–
–
–
–
Braiding
2D and now 3D weaving of flat fabrics
Weaving of 3D shapes
Fibre placement
Mechanics of dry fibre assemblies
Design Database – to help the supply chain
reduce development time
NCCEF - Full suite of Mechanical Testing
Machines/Fixtures
• 300kN quasi-static test
frames
• 100kn fatigue frames
• Instrumented impact
• Ballistic impact
All with environmental chambers,
associated conditioning, test fixtures
for ASTM/ISO etc
All calibrated and to be accredited to
ISO/ NADCAMP
Backed up with physical characterisation:
DSC, DTA, TGA, electron microscopy
NCCEF - NDT capacity
• Immersion C-Scan
(large and small)
• UT- phased C-scan
• Eddy Current
• Digital radiography
– (£2.5 million x-ray
tomography facility)
• Ultrasonic bond tester
• Laser Shearography
• Thermoscope
Courtesy X-tech
Materials Testing and Analysis Unit
• Main activity –
providing XRD residual
stress services
• ISO accredited
laboratory
Measuring Residual Stress using XRD
• High spatial resolution – 1mm or so by a few
microns depth
• Used on polycrystalline (reasonably finegrained) materials, metallic or ceramic
• Gauge volume depth is very shallow – we
assume a free surface with only 2-D stresses
Residual stress depth profile from peening
Proto XRD – focussing on sample
XRD of awkward locations
On-site XRD of large samples
Thank You!
Questions?