Design, build and test
The Design, Build and Test (DBT) group project represents a major highlight of the taught component of the CDT programme.
The aim is to provide hands-on experience to allow the students to secure the ability to apply their attained understanding and analysis of composites to the design, build and test of a high performance structure. Working in teams, the students start with the consideration of their individual proposed designs and manufacturing methods which they then evolve into their chosen team design and manufacturing plan. The teams then perform materials tests, refined design checks, manufacturing trials and create build plans before manufacturing their structure and finally validating the performance by structural test.
The competing teams film their progress throughout the project and turn the footage into an informative video documenting their experiences from the initial stages of design all the way through to the final testing:
I am sure my colleagues would agree with me that the DBT project was fun, challenging and rewarding. Through this project, we were able to get first-hand experience of the product life cycle — from design, manufacture and test to post-test evaluation.