The Process Modelling Group provides facilities for component design and for the modelling and simulation of various metal manufacturing processes.
Use of the facilities allows designers and production engineers not only to design for manufacture but also to compare the processes and then select the most appropriate for a particular component.
Providing the opportunity for simultaneous engineering to be undertaken in a cost-effective manner, the Group uses state-of-the-art hardware and software operated by people with extensive practical experience of the techniques.
The Group also acts as an important link between original equipment manufacturers ( OEMs) and their small and medium enterprise ( SME) suppliers in metal forming industries, working closely with both the producers and users of cast or forged components. In addition, the Group provides a route for the transfer into these industries of the latest research and technology developed by the IRC Net Shape Manufacturing Laboratory.
The following groups apply computer simulation modelling and therefore work closely with the Process Modelling Group:
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Castings Centre - for the study of liquid metal processes and its commercial application to industry.
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Metal Forming Group - for the study of mechanical forging processes with applications to industry.