The members of the Product Realisation Technologies Research Group have wide-ranging interests, including Information Modelling of both products and manufacturing capability; Manufacturing Processes (e.g. feature-based process planning, and assembly planning); Design of Manufacturing Enterprises; Product Design (e.g. geometrically complex products and support for concurrent engineering teams) and consideration of sustainability issues in life cycle engineering

Human Aspects of products and manufacturing systems are of interest to the group including human modelling and ergonomic design of products and processes. Industrial Research Collaborations include both SMEs and Multi-National, globally distributed enterprises.

Current Research

Professor Keith Case Computer aided design. CAD/CAM integration. Ergonomics. Virtual manufacturing. Knowledge-based design for manufacture. FMEA. Human modelling using CAD surface/solid modellers. Inclusive Design (Design for All). Evolutionary Form Design. Customised Assembly (CECA).

Dr John Edwards Support for evolutionary software systems. Internet based, wide area distributed networked control systems. Web based 'data mining' and information based real time website reconfiguration. Control of kinetic sculpture. Research linking science, engineering, arts and humanities.

Dr Jenny Harding Knowledge management and reuse, tools to support knowledge sharing within collaborative teams, knowledge discovery and data mining applications in manufacturing. Information and Knowledge modelling, simulation and performance measurement and ‘Best Practice’ information and knowledge. Applications of artificial intelligence in product and manufacturing systems design and improvement.

Shahin Rahimifard Sustainability issues in Life Cycle Engineering, including projects on sustainable product design, environmentally conscious manufacturing, sustainable business and consumption models, product service systems, and product end-of-life management, recovery, reuse and recycling technologies.

Dr Bob Wood Psycho-physiology to support measurement and modelling of human intentions and behaviour in the workplace and in response to products and services. Augmented reality for human performance assessment and improvement. Agent- and social psychology based modelling. Design and prototype management systems for SMEs.

Dr Bob Young Product Lifecycle Management. Manufacturing integration and systems inter-operability, Information and knowledge Modelling. Global manufacture. Information sharing. Knowledge re-use. Mould tool design systems. Concurrent engineering. Multi-viewpoint design for manufacture.

Major Collaborative Research Activities

CECA - Centre of Excellence in Customised Assembly

IMCRC - Innovative Manufacturing and Construction Research Centre

IMKS - Interoperable Manufacturing Knowledge Systems

KIM - Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Grand Challenge

SAMMIE - Computer Aided Ergonomics

SMART - Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Reuse/Recycling Technologies

SUE - Sustainable Urban Environments

SYNERGY - European Commission FP7 Project