Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS)
ACCIS Centre Extension
Building work has commenced on new laboratory and office facilities to cope with the expansion in the activities of ACCIS. The extension is at the side of the current ACCIS labs in Queen’s Building and when completed will be fully integrated with the current facilities. At the laboratory level the extension consists of a large new open area, plus a significant area of refurbished space within the current building. Overall the laboratory area devoted to composites will be tripled as a result of these developments, including a much larger clean room, a laboratory devoted to resin and nanotechnology developments and an equipment hall suitable for larger scale manufacturing development activity. Above the labs, with direct access to them, there will be a mix of open plan and individual offices and meeting rooms that will be able to accommodate up to 100 academic and research staff and students. The developments are entirely funded (>£5M) by the University of Bristol and represent a major contribution to the continuing growth and success of ACCIS.
National Composites Centre Award (26 Nov 2009)
Bristol has been selected to lead the National Composites Centre, announced today by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. The Centre is a key element of the Government’s new Composites Strategy, and will be formed by the University and the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) in partnership with industry, with funding of £12m from central Government, and £4m from SWRDA. It will be an independent, open-access Centre to deliver world-class innovation in the design and rapid manufacture of composites that will enable widespread industrial exploitation. The Centre will form an internationally leading hub, linking activities across all sectors of the UK in research, education and training, technology transfer and incubation of new enterprises.
Further information:
Event overview | NCC Poster | UoB Press Release
Ed Trewin Prize Winner (24 Nov 2009)
Congratulations to Yusuf Mahadik for winning the Ed Trewin Prize at the recent SAMPE/IOM3 Annual Student Seminar 2009. Yusuf presented 'Characterisation and finite element modelling of 3D woven composite architecture' at the IOM3 HQ in London on 24 November 2009. He was selected from ten students to win one of two available places in the European Student Seminar, which will take place in Paris in April 2010.
New Laboratory Wiki (Jan 2010)
A new Wiki has been launched (accessible by Engineering lab users only). Please contact Julie Etches or Katie Drury to be added to the user list.
ABBSTRACT2 Research Award (Jan 2010)
ACCIS and the University of Bath have won a £1.4M four-year research award from EPSRC, with Airbus and GKN support, to create new capability to improve the structural efficiency of laminated carbon fibre composites. It will reduce weight and production cost by at least 10% compared with existing stiffened panels made from pre-impregnated material. The key innovation of the project will be to exploit state-of-the-art manufacturing, Variable Angle Tow (VAT) placement (where stiff carbon fibres are steered along curves to maximize structural performance). Ongoing studies suggest that such savings are achievable for standard test specimens (coupons) but new understanding is required to fully characterise structural and material behaviour from the full component level down to individual lamina and their interfaces. The entire structural system including material, geometrical and manufacturing parameters will be optimised. The extra design freedoms, created by curved fibre trajectories, provide scope for pushing back the envelope of structural efficiency. The team's preliminary VAT results indicate the prospect of developing buckle-free structures, reducing the need for stiffeners, with associated substantial cost and weight savings. Moreover, the specific manufacturing capability to produce variable angle fibres is unique to the UK, having been modified from an embroidery machine, using dry fibres rather than pre-impregnated material.
For further details on the Airbus/Bristol/Bath STrategic Research Alliance in Composites Technology (ABBSTRACT2) see the press release or contact Prof. Paul Weaver and Dr Richard Butler.
ACCIS DTC
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded £7.1M to fund the ACCIS Doctoral Training Centre (DTC). The programme will fund 50 PhD students (intake 10 per year) to work at the interface of engineering and science. The vision is twofold. Firstly to train highly technical researchers to satisfy industry needs, reflected in the industrial support for 50% of the projects, and also to develop next generation multifunctional composite materials. The DTC is different from conventional PhDs in that it is a 4 year programme involving a taught element to the first year comprising advanced technical units and transferable skills training.
Our aim is to recruit chemists, physicists and biologists with appropriate skills, to work closely with and alongside engineers and mathematicians. The resulting eclectic mix of talented students will be given maximum opportunity to create and innovate. The day-to-day management of ACCIS DTC is led by its Director, Paul Weaver with support from Ian Bond (research) and Ian Farrow (teaching). We are currently recruiting students for an October 2010 start.
Further information and application details
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