Manufacturing Metrology Team end of year message
Another superb year for MMT, although I hope our phenomenal growth rate has now stabilised somewhat! The core fellowship project is nearly three of five years in and we are making significant progress in establishing the principles of information-rich metrology. Other existing projects are proving fruitful and we have several industry-funded projects underway or in the pipeline. Just to give you some highlights; more details of all these points can be found on our website and/or our Facebook page.
- We published 35 journal papers – up by 13 from 2016, 34 conference papers and delivered at least 23 oral presentations, including 6 keynotes/invited talks. We have also published a new textbook entitled “Industrial X-ray Computed Tomography”. But, already for 2018 we have submitted 10 journal papers, 8 conference abstracts and a senior undergrad textbook “Basics of Precision Engineering” will be released in February.
- We attended 22 conferences in Belgium, China, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
- We won 1 new European project on advanced X-ray computed tomography, 1 EPSRC project on in-process measurement for additive manufacturing, an internal Hermes pre-commercial project on scattering for rough surfaces, an EPSRC-Catapult in-process roadmapping project and have delivered several industrial research projects, including new instrument development.
- We are about to spin-out a company to market our new photogrammetry technology and other resulting technology.
- Peter de Groot from Zygo was awarded an honorary professorship with University of Nottingham.
- We have submitted (or prepared for submission in early 2018) 5 EPSRC proposals (including 1 fellowship), 3 European proposals and an impact accelerator (pre-commercialisation) proposal. We have a large range of bids planned for 2018.
- We had 9 new PhD students start and several undergrads.
- We had 13 guest researchers from China, Italy, Sweden, Spain and France.
- We co-chaired and organised the first Quality Control for Additive Manufacturing conference at the MTC.
- Luke Todhunter attended two ISO 213 meetings in USA and Japan and MMT contributed to CMM, texture and additive manufacturing standards.
- We hosted an open day with Shared Labs and Mitaka to showcase our point autofocus technology.
- We held several colloquiums and lectures, including from Peter de Groot (Zygo), Peter Ekberg (KTH) and Graham Machin (NPL).
- Xiaobing Feng and Simon Lawes's research on cleaning of micro-CMM probes featured on the front cover of Measurement Science and Technology.
- Adam Thompson won the best presentation prize at the Dimensional X-ray Computed Tomography conference, UK.
- Rong Su won the Best Paper Award at ISMTII 2017, Xi’an, China.
- We moved into our state-of-the-art lab facilities in the new Advanced Manufacturing Building – all are welcome to visit.
- I finally gave my inaugural lecture.
Once again, as head of the group, I am delighted every day to go to work and mess around with such a talented bunch of researchers, and look forward to an exciting 2018.
The MMT wish you all a Merry Metrology Christmas and a Happy New Year!
