Final Report 2016 www.ultraprecision.org Contents National Strategy Programme 2 Outreach 7 Educational Outreach 13 International Collaborations 18 Research Platforms Laser FIB 20 Meso 22 Reel to Reel 24 The Research Portfolio 27 Case Studies 52 Centre for Doctoral Training 56 Awards and Prizes 58 Quality and Metrics 61 Esteem 62 Appendices 73 This report was prepared at Cranfield University by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Ultra Precision, led by Cranfield and Cambridge Universities. Any views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of these Universities or collaborating partners. We would like to thank the following for assistance with images: Cranfield University, University of Cambridge, National Physical Laboratory, University of Nottingham, euspen Ltd, Vandyke School and Bedford School. Executive Summary This final report provides an overview of the achievements field. Professor O’Neill’s passion, style and enthusiasm has of the 5 year duration of the EPSRC Centre for Innovative shown through and made this Centre for Doctoral Training Manufacturing in Ultra Precision. Overviews of each aspect internationally recognised for academic rigour, technical of the Centre are provided covering: national strategy and excellence and innovation. Student sponsors provide evidence educational outreach, core research, research platforms and of the broad industrial demand for ultra precision technologies. achieved business translation. The CDT-UP delivery team at the Institute for Manufacturing at Cambridge supported by Cranfield University precision Our goal has been to better position UK companies in engineering staff and measurement experts at the National securing wealth creation from ultra precision manufacturing Physical Laboratory have formed a unique ultra precision of emergent products and those demanding high accuracy educational partnership that is able to deliver highly skilled for their own product performance, but also achieving high ultra precision engineers and scientists. accuracy during arduous rapid production conditions. Much of our research has been targeted towards realisation of major Our National Strategy Programme led by Martin O’Hara research platforms. This research has been closely coupled and Enza Giaracuni has been delivered throughout the UK. to UK companies within the manufacturing supply chain who Activities included road mappings, industrial workshops, have significantly contributed with regards to expertise and industrial short courses, international secondment, prestige the sub-systems for the Centre’s research platforms and lectures and many school interactions. We have also been demonstrators which today represent truly world leading delighted with the success of our educational outreach highly bespoke ultra precision research systems. programme Watch It Made®. With the financial support of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Vauxhall Motors, the National Recognising UK manufacturing supply chains for production Physical Laboratory and numerous other UK engineering systems and machine tools have been “hollowed out”. The companies, the Centre provided an opportunity to practice Centre endeavoured to create (seed) new UK manufacturing precision engineering by manufacturing a personally designed supply chains for next generation production systems. Our watch to over 600 school children aged between 10-13 years research efforts have helped create new products and new old. We are very hopeful that this “learn by proudly engineering spin out companies from the Centre’s research; these are your own quality product” is a new mechanism for enthusing testament to our success. the next generation of engineers. Whilst much of the research was of a low TRL nature, the And rightly so, we will be assessed against our original KPIs Centre spanned the TRL levels with higher TRL level activity including those of quality publications, invited keynotes, in the design and build of the three significant research partnerships and collaborations and perhaps most important platforms. At the end of the Centre’s 5 year term our of all, the career development of our staff. We record these research platforms now demonstrate medium to high TRL achievements in a clear and simple tabulated manner. characteristics. Of the three research platforms, one is being sold as a product of a Cranfield spin out; Loxham Precision I’d like to thank all those who contributed to the EPSRC Centre Limited. The second forms a unique laser processing facility for Innovative Manufacturing in Ultra Precision and thank at Cambridge, whilst the third is a unique roll to roll research the EPSRC Manufacturing the Future staff for their support facility that provides Cranfield a basis for industrial scale roll throughout the duration of the Centre. I’d be pleased to receive to roll film processing research. This roll to roll platform, in thoughts and comments on any aspects of the work described combination with a roll fabrication capability established by a in this final report. second spin out from Cranfield, UPS2 Limited, has established an internationally recognised roll to roll manufacturing research and development capacity for the UK, with a strong UK based manufacturing supply chain. The aligned Centre for Doctoral Training in Ultra Precision Professor Paul Shore FREng Engineering (CDT-UP), led by Professor Bill O’Neill at the Principal Investigator University of Cambridge, has become a world leading and highly vibrant research community in the ultra precision National Strategy Programme The National Strategy Programme commenced in 2013, when a separate EPSRC funding programme was initiated to enable the research and technologies being developed by the Centre to be disseminated better to industry. This also enabled closer interaction with industrialists to help direct the ongoing and future research activities. Web Services Some of the activities that have been covered under the Our web service provision breaks down into 2 areas; National Strategy Programme started prior to the formal the website and social media. programme launch. The Centre’s National Strategy Programme is based Website around 4 elements: We have used the website www.ultraprecision.org for • Web Services transmitting all of the research activities, annual reports, the latest news on students and other activities, and used as • Ultra Precision Network a portal for the Centre’s outreach event registrations, hence • Educational Programme the website became the Centre’s primary “go to” location for • Translation to Wealth information. The website has seen a great uptake of visitors These 4 elements each have a series of activities, services and daily hits, achieving over 1 million hits per annum for the and outreach programmes around them or integrated into past 2 years and expected to again achieve over 1 million hits the other research as support activities. in 2016 (Figure 1). 7000 140000 Bars = vistors 2014 2015 2016 Lines = hits 6000 120000 5000 100000 4000 80000 3000 60000 Normal hits National StrategyNational Programme Normal visitors 2000 40000 1000 20000 0 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month (2014-2016) Figure 1: Website statistics: hits and visitors 2014-2016 Note: excludes robot searches, static data 2 The distinct number of visitors (different 90 visits per day), has risen steadily over the 80 3 years the site has been active, while the 70 number of hits remains relatively stable over 60 the past 2 years. This increase in visitors, while hits remain stable, suggests visitors 50 are finding the site easier to navigate after 40 30 their first connection, i.e. they come back of equipment listed Pieces straight to where they know they can find 20 the information. 10 0 The Centre added to the utility of the site JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP by including a UK facilities database of ultra 2013 2014 2015 2016 precision technologies in UK academic and Figure 2: UK facilities listed on the database industrial laboratories. This lists equipment 45 that is available for use at commercial rates 40 and is a free-to-list database (Figure 2). 35 The website also has a UK ultra precision community page, where businesses in the 30 ultra precision technology sector can list for 25 free. This has been a useful tool to some of 20 Listed businesses Listed the industrial supporters, but hasn’t gained 15 the traction we would have liked compared to 10 our off-line database (covered later), despite 5 being a free-to-list service (Figure 3). 0 JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP 2014 2015 2016 Figure 3: Ultra precision community listings 5% 4% 2% 6% 8% 9% 7% 45% 4% 48% 6% 53% 7% 10% 11% 23% 26% 26% 2014 2015 2016 Figure 4: Geographic origin of wesbite hits per year 2014-2016 Key: Eastern Europe South East Asia Rest of World The website is an easy to access portal for overseas parties Overall the site has proven a very useful tool to both the interested in ultra precision technologies in the UK. While Centre and the ultra precision community, both in the UK we have made some direct overseas contacts, the site is and overseas. undoubtedly the most cost effective means of communication Note: we discount all robot searches and static data from outside of the UK. The engagement of overseas visitors has our web site statistics. grown over the period of the Centre from just over 40% of site visitors in 2013 to just over 50% today. The site is in English language only, but shows a good spread in countries where English is not the first language (Figure 4). Social Media It is possibly not the best media for engaging in a research programme and it is possible many of the students do not The Centre’s social media is broken down into 3 distinct use Facebook today preferring other social media channels. platforms with specific target audiences in mind; Facebook The Centre also has a YubeTube channel CranCamUP, where for student engagement, LinkedIn for industrial and student project videos can be viewed.