When industry and higher education establishments work together, the outcomes can be highly beneficial – and the Exeter Technologies Group, which is comprised of 3 divisions, and based at the University of Exeter, has a track record of successful collaborations.

Thanks to the wide ranging materials and manufacturing expertise within the group, it has had a positive impact on manufacturing and technology businesses and product developers locally, nationally and internationally.

Based within the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CEMPS), the group comprises three centres, which can deliver a wide variety of collaborative materials research and development solutions for businesses. These are:

• Exeter Advanced Technologies (X-AT), which focusses on materials research
• The Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (CALM), which is extending our understanding of this technology and has helped bring the advantages of Additive Layer Manufacturing (often referred to as 3D printing) to businesses
• The Centre for Alternative Materials and Remanufacturing Technologies (CALMARE), which assists companies with materials development and sustainability issues.

The three divisions interact closely to offer a unique opportunity for research and development. Bringing together material research, process equipment and knowledge and a focus on sustainability leads to an effective combination of skillsets that is delivering advancements in a wide range of projects. These range from increasing the use of recycled material in ALM to the development of new bio-derived composites and new applications and techniques for using carbon nano-tubes.

Exeter Advanced Technologies (X-AT)

The founding centre within the group, X-AT was established in 1998. Its experts carry out both grant funded and commercial contract research, focussing on two main areas:

• Manufacturing (conventional technologies- injection moulding, compounding, extrusion, co-extrusion, composite manufacture, grinding,  milling and separation facilities)
• Novel materials and structures (development and characterisation)

Oana Ghita, Deputy Director of X-AT, said: “X-AT is an excellent example of how academia and industry can work well together. Over the years, we have worked on a vast number of different research projects and collaborated successfully with a number of different businesses, from small to large companies looking to develop new materials, structures and process options.”

She added: “Many of the initial projects have led to further research and the continued success of X-AT. The realisation that there is demand from industry for our research encouraged us to set up the other two business technology centres within the group – the Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing and the Centre for Alternative Materials and Remanufacturing Technologies.”

X-AT has carried out more than 150 contract research projects and partnerships with industry, and its current grant portfolio is approximately £4 million. For details of its previous projects, visit http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/engineering/research/xat/past-projects/

Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (CALM)

One of only a few organisations in the world that makes high performing polymeric structures, CALM also boasts the only commercially available high temperature laser sintering platform EOSINT P800. Furthermore, the centre publishes data that is independent from powder suppliers and machine manufacturers.

CALM was established in 2010, as part of £2.6million project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Exeter and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS / Airbus Group Innovations). It has carried out more than 200 projects for businesses in the South West, and is estimated to have had an impact on the region by helping to grow the GVA (Gross Value Added) by over £6.3 million.

Having completed its ERDF funding requirements, the centre is now operating as a research entity of Exeter Technologies Group and is actively engaging on both grant funded research, while still supporting all sizes of companies with contract research.

James Bradbury, a Business Engagement Specialist for CALM, said: “Since the centre was set up just over three years ago, we are delighted with how the division has grown into a Centre of Excellence and is helping to highlight the potential of this technology to a wider audience.”

He added: “We aim to expand the understanding and use of ALM and, as part of Exeter Technologies Group, we’re researching the microstructure of the materials. This is at the heart of further developments and enables materials and processes to be improved, providing better quality products and also lowering costs through the use of new grades of materials and higher recycling rates.”

For details of past projects, visit http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/engineering/research/calm/case-studies/

Centre for Alternative Materials and Remanufacturing Technologies (CALMARE)

The newest addition to the group, CALMARE supports material development and sustainability projects for SMEs in the South West of the UK. The £1.8million project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); the University of Exeter and industry partners until mid-2015, aims to support the economic growth of the region and develop collaborative relationships focussed on addressing recycling and remanufacture of in-house and end of life manufacturing waste.

CALMARE supports industry with a wide range of projects – or business assists – across areas, including material research and testing and in-house waste management. Business assists can take a number of forms, including individual consultative projects or knowledge exchange workshops, all of which are fully funded for the companies through EU state aid funding.

For details of projects carried out so far, visit http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/engineering/research/calmare/casestudies/

In the long term, the centre plans to research some of the major recycling and remanufacturing issues facing industry, such as how to optimise and then commercialise the re-use/recycling of GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics), and work to improve the use of recycled materials in both traditional techniques, and more novel areas such as within additive layer manufacturing.

Plastics, which can be moulded into almost any shape or form, offer seemingly endless possibilities for manufacturers and product developers. This makes them a popular choice within the industry – and means much of the research undertaken by the Exeter Technologies Group, of which CALMARE is a part, focuses on these highly functional materials.

The widespread use of plastics inspired CALMARE’s first knowledge exchange workshop, entitled an Introduction to Plastics. Aimed at product developers from a range of backgrounds, who are not always materials specialists, the workshop was designed as an introduction to the topic, providing a basic grounding in plastics, from a materials and a processing standpoint. The event also showcased the cutting edge research being undertaken by the group as a whole, within major industries such as automotive and aerospace.

The first part of the workshop encompassed presentations from CALMARE experts about materials structure, the testing facilities and options utilised by the University and about different processing techniques, including injection and compression moulding. Tim Marsden from the British Plastics Federation, a supporting partner of CALMARE, gave a presentation about the UK plastics industry, including recycling statistics and how the country compares to the rest of Europe.  In the afternoon, delegates toured the group’s facilities, including the Additive Layer Manufacturing suite, and participated in hands on activities, to get a better understanding of how different materials behave and the processing options available.

CALMARE Business Engagement Specialist Stuart Monk, who is responsible for the delivery of the centre’s workshops, said:  “The workshop enabled us to educate businesses in the fundamentals that they may want a refresher in, or may not even know. We decided to start from scratch, saying these are the options available, this is why you would use this process over this processing route. It puts product developers in a better position for when they are talking to the manufacturers.”

Attendees at the first workshop included product development companies, plastics manufacturers, consultants, and manufacturing groups. For the qualifying SMEs, the workshop formed six hours of a 12 hour free business assist for each company, with the charges met through de minimis state aid funding, via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Stuart said: “The workshops are a great opportunity not only to generate discussions among the companies, but also to encourage a dialogue between industry and the other researchers within our wider research team (Exeter Technologies Group), and the rest of the University.”

Stuart said: “Our plan is to sit down with each of the companies who attended in turn and work out what further support we can provide them. For instance, they might decide that they want us to carry out some specific research into something they’re working on at the moment, in terms of materials development or sustainability.

“For instance, one of the product developers who attended wants us to help him select materials and processing routes that he can take to companies. It gives him some steer, rather than having to ask companies for their complete input. It allows him to go to his manufacturer in a more educated position. Another company wants us to test specific materials – either their physical properties, or characterising them to show what’s in them, so they can ensure their paperwork is up to date. It gives the businesses a chance to tap into the state of the art facilities that we have here.”

CALMARE has a further workshop, on waste management and recycling, planned for May and will invite external speakers to talk about how they manage their waste, whether through re-use or recycling. The centre also plans a series of evening workshops with the University’s Business School’s Innovation Research Group. Entitled Shattering the Myths of Innovation, the events are scheduled for April, May and June. Stuart said: “We are hosting the events in collaboration with the Business School, with Dr Allen Alexander chairing the event. He works in the University’s Centre for Innovation Studies, which is one of the leaders in this field of work, with the Centre liaising closely with local and national businesses of all sizes to help them understand how they can implement new ideas.

“While, within CALMARE, we’re using our technical expertise to help companies, the Business School can offer an insight into the theoretical side of things, for example, how companies can think in new ways regarding material development, sustainability and recycling. So, people should come out of the workshops with some new ideas on how they can implement their own technology products and services.”

For details of future workshops, follow us on Twitter @CALMARE_EXETER, or visit the events page on our website www.exeter.ac.uk/calmare