PLuS Engineering students visit the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Manufacturing Technology at the University of Nottingham
The UNSW students in London for the PLuS Engineering summer school made their way to the Midlands this week to visit the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Manufacturing Technology at the University of Nottingham.
The multi-disciplinary research team there explore all aspects of aerospace manufacturing, with particular interests in the areas of fixturing and on-wing inspection and repair robotic systems.
One of the key attractions of the visit was the new Rolls Royce aircraft engine for a Boeing 787, which takes pride of place at the Centre.
Dr Ang Liu, Senior Lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UNSW, accompanies the students on their trip. He said:
“I have visited a number of research labs in advanced manufacturing. This is definitely one of the best, and possibly the only one with a new RR aircraft engine for Boeing 787. It was such a great experience to see something as impressive as that up close. We are most grateful to Professor Dragos Axinte and Dr. Zhirong Liao, who walked us through a number of cutting-edge research projects in advanced manufacturing and completely blew us away!”
UNSW student Laurence added:
"Being a student of electrical engineering, the realm of advanced manufacturing is not one I have had much opportunity to explore. However, this visit gave me a new-found appreciation for manufacturing and the astounding effort that is being put into achieving a level of manufacturing capability and precision I wasn’t aware was possible.”
“My favourite experience was learning about the snake robots that are being developed at this facility. These robots consisted of a mechanical snake-like limb that could be articulated with very precise accuracy, which has various uses in manufacturing and engine repair in cases where human access would be difficult and costly. It was inspiring to see how knowledge and passion can be applied to create such innovative, clever, and honestly just really cool solutions to problems in the world.”
And finally Hamza said this about the trip:
“We were really grateful to have the opportunity to visit and tour the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Manufacturing Technology at the University of Nottingham. Having the opportunity to learn about ground-breaking technology within the mechanical and robotics space through aircraft engine technology was truly unmatched. Through speaking to experts in the field including Professor Dragos Axinte, we were able to grasp a holistic view on innovation within the space and advancements of technology through Rolls Royce.
“It was also great to see different parts of the UK through visiting Nottingham and seeing how different it is compared to London. Overall an amazing trip and looking forward to visiting more innovative facilities!”
