The Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC)

Cardiff UniversityUnique PhD & MPhil research opportunities at the Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC), Cardiff University

– a leader in innovative, intelligent manufacturing and cutting edge research

Why Cardiff University?

Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain's leading teaching and research universities. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, the University today combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research with its proud heritage of service and achievement.

The University's breadth of expertise in research and research-led teaching encompasses: the humanities; the natural, physical, health, life and social sciences; engineering and technology; preparation for a wide range of professions; and a longstanding commitment to lifelong learning.

From its outstanding central location amidst the parks, Portland-stone buildings and tree-lined avenues that form the city's elegant civic centre, the University's students and staff are drawn from throughout the world, attracted by its international reputation and commitment to innovation and excellence in all areas of activity.  Cardiff is a member of the Russell Group of Britain's leading research universities.

Having gained national and international standing, Cardiff University's vision is to be recognised as a world-class university and to achieve the associated benefits for its students, staff and all other stakeholders. 

The student population is drawn from a variety of backgrounds, with students attracted from throughout Wales, the rest of the United Kingdom and world-wide. International students comprise some 17 per cent of the total student population.

For more information on Cardiff University visit: www.cardiff.ac.uk

Why Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC)?

The award-winning Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) is a research centre within Cardiff University. 

The MEC is designated a Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing Engineering under the Centre of Excellence for Industrial Collaboration Programme managed by the Welsh Development Agency.  The 90-strong ISO 9001:2000 accredited Centre has an international reputation for its leading-edge research in advanced manufacturing and information technology spanning a broad spectrum of subjects.  The Centre is one of the largest and most successful operations in any United Kingdom university. 

The Centre enjoys unrivalled world-class facilities which include the very best in rapid prototyping and tooling hardware, computer-aided design and manufacturing, virtual reality and IT systems, enterprise information management systems, industrial process control equipment, metrological instruments, and robotic and computer-integrated machine tools and manufacturing systems. These facilities are housed in modern laboratories including two that are industrially sponsored, the Mitutoyo Metrology Centre and the Siemens Automation & Drives Centre.

The MEC's research work has received the overwhelming endorsement of sponsors and supporters in the private and public sectors.  Over 100 industrial partners including multinationals like Hewlett-Packard, IBS, Mitutoyo, Parametric Technology, SAP, Silicon Graphics, Siemens and Tecnomatix support research projects at the Centre.  The MEC also has collaborative projects with more than 22 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. 

Within the past ten years, the Centre has secured over £30M in grants and contracts and has attracted hundreds of industrial partners/clients.  Contracts won recently by the MEC include a £3.80M award by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Welsh Assembly Government in the field of micromachining and manufacturing, a £3.25M grant by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) on Sustainable Manufacturing research (in collaboration with the Cardiff Business School) and two EC 6th Framework Networks of Excellence contracts totalling 15M Euros in value.  The two Networks of Excellence led by the MEC involve some 50 centres of excellence in advanced manufacturing across the EU.

 
The MEC has a highly respected tradition of research and the excellent resources we provide for our research students. These include high quality research facilities and an extensive in-house training programme of supporting studies. In addition, the Centre’s research community is cosmopolitan yet close-knit, an atmosphere fostered by both staff and student efforts, providing a supportive research environment. As a research student, you will find a friendly and committed body of staff who have extensive experience in supervising people from many different academic and ethnic backgrounds. We hope, therefore, that you have both a productive and enjoyable time whilst pursuing your research studies.

Staff and Students

The MEC has 60 staff and more than 30 PhD students. 

Director of Centre

Professor Duc-Truong Pham, OBE, FREng, FSME, BE, PhD, DEng, CEng, FIEE.

MEC Research Areas

Research students are supervised by one or two members of academic staff, who work in one or more of the Centre's three Research Programmes. These are:

• Manufacturing Engineering

  • Rapid manufacturing

  • Rapid prototyping

  • Rapid tooling

  • Reverse engineering

  • Micro manufacturing (Process characterisation, Modelling and simulation, Hybrid micro/nano manufacturing methods, Manufacture of multi-material hybrid micro systems, Interfacing/packaging solutions, Design for manufacture and assembly, etc.)

• Industrial Engineering

  • Concurrent engineering

  • Workflow management

  • Innovative design

  • Data mining and machine learning

  • Fit manufacturing

  • Sustainable manufacturing

• Systems Engineering

  • Intelligent process modelling and control systems

  • Intelligent information systems

  • Mobile robots and mechatronics

  • Data mining and machine learning

  • Intelligent manufacturing

  • Intelligent systems techniques (Neural networks, Genetic algorithms, Fuzzy logic, Tabu search, Ant algorithms, etc.)

MEC Location

The Centre is housed in the Queen’s Buildings, along with the Schools of Engineering, Computer Science and Physics and Astronomy. The complex houses outstanding self-contained facilities including our research and teaching laboratories, administrative offices, library and café.

The MEC is located close to the centre of Cardiff, convenient for road and rail links. The main line railway station is a few minutes by bus or taxi. The M4 motorway is some 5 miles away. Cardiff Wales Airport lies some 12 miles to the West.

To view a printable map and key (280Kb) click here. The Manufacturing Engineering Centre is circled in red. The blue line shows the turning into The Parade for the Trevithick Porters' Lodge, where visitors should report on arrival.

Programmes of Study

The MEC offers MPhil and PhD degrees at postgraduate level.

Scholarships

We have a number of scholarships for researchers of exceptional promise.

Application Forms

Application forms can be downloaded from:
http://www.cf.ac.uk /for/prospective/postgrad/apply/index.htm

Notes:

1. Please specify Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) as the ‘School’ in part 1.1 of the application form.

2. Please send the completed form and other related documents to:

The Postgraduate Admissions Office,
The Registry,
Cardiff University,
PO Box 927,
CARDIFF CF24 0DE

Wales, United Kingdom

Further Information:

For further information, please contact: Dr Michael S Packianather, Director of Postgraduate Research Studies.
Phone: +44 (0)29 20875911
Fax: +44 (0)29 20874695
E-mail: PackianatherMS@cf.ac.uk

Postal address:

Manufacturing Engineering Centre
Cardiff University
Queen's Buildings
The Parade
Newport Road
CARDIFF CF24 3AA
Wales, United Kingdom