AMCASH

We are able to offer a minimum of two days work for qualifying SMEs. In order to qualify, the SME must be based within one of the four target LEP areas, and meet the financial definitions of an SME organisation, namely having less than 250 employees, and less than €50M turnover.
AMCASH offers a wide range of support to SMEs, including:

1. Access to research and development facilities at the University
2. Analytical services
3. Contract research
4. Consultancy
5. Collaborative projects

In order to best address and support the needs and project requirements of the regional SMEs, the project has access to a number of useful equipment for use on AMCASH assist projects, in the following key themed areas:

Microscopy & Characterisation:

• Numerous Jeol and FEI Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM)
• Numerous FEI and Jeol Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM)
• Dimension 3100 Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
• UES Robomet3D tomography
• Nikon H225 X-ray tomography (XRT / CT)
• FEI Quanta 3D FEG Focused Ion Beam (FIB) SEM
• FEI Talos 200X Scanning / Transmission microscope (S/T EM)
• Bruker S2 Ranger X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)

Polymer Science:

• Hot Press
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) - Mettler DSC1 and FLASH DSC fast scanning chip-calorimeter
• Laser FLASH - Netzsch 427 Laser Flash Apparatus
• Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) – ThermoNicolet 8700
• Hot-stage microscopy – polarised optical microscope with a Linkam hot-stage.
• Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) - Polymer Labs/ Netzsch DMTA.
• Dielectric thermal analysis – Polymer labs DETA and Solartron impedance analyser.
• Thermal mechanical analysers (TMA) – dilatometer.
• Rheology – Malvern Kinexus Pro Rheometer, TA Instruments Ares Rheometer.
• Mechanical Testing – Instron 5566.
• Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA).

Computational Modelling:

• Numerous academic-licenced CFD and FE commercial software packages.
• The University of Birmingham super-computer, BlueBEAR
• Data-storage backed-up network drives
• Micro-epsilon TIM160 Thermal Imaging camera
• Photron Fastcam Mini UX100 High Speed camera
• Thermocouple data-logger
• Micro-Epsilon optoNCDT laser triangulation sensors
• Infra-red Thermometer

Mechanical Testing:

• Tensile & Compressive testing load-frame
• Micro-Hardness testing machine
• 3- and 4- point bending tests for fracture toughness measurement
• Charpy Impact testing for notched specimens fracture toughness. 

Ceramic Engineering:

• Powder characterisation facility (particle size, molecular mass, surface area)
• Slurry and suspension characterisation (rheology, viscosity)
• Sintering conditions optimisation & experimentation
• High resolution chemical analysis; interfaces, grains, grain-boundaries
• Thermal conductivity, thermal expansion analysis
• Mechanical property (flexural strength, fracture toughness, hardness) analysis
• Porosity analysis 
• Applicable to ceramic powders, Green-bodies, sintered bodies, coatings, Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs)

The AMCASH team consists of 8 full-time Research Fellows, a project manager and two staff responsible for business engagement activities, working for the technical-lead academic staff. The research staff have different areas of expertise covering the three technology areas of the AMCASH project. 

SME Business Engagement:
Julian Moore (Business Engagements Mgr)
Michael Small (Business Engagements Mgr)
Simon Preston (Business Engagements Officer)

Project Management:
Laura Jackson

Microscopy and Materials Characterisation:
Dr Feng Wang
Dr Hao Wu
Dr Manmath Dash
Dr Zhaohe Gao
Dr Gokul Obulan Subramanian

Enrique Frutos-Myro

Polymer Science:
Christos Softas
Marc Bruggeman

Computational Modelling:
Dr Richard Turner

Ceramic Engineering: 
Dr Vinu Venkatachalam

Mechanical Testing & Characterisation:
Dr Chris Cooper

No upcoming events at present, we will post any events here when arranged. Please check back here soon. 

Project Extension

The AMCASH project was successfully extended for a further 3 years, currently for the Coventry & Warwickshire, and The Black Country local enterprise partnership regions (LEPs). To find out your regional LEP area, please see the LEP network website.

COVID-19

The AMCASH project intends to continue our R&D support for regional SMEs as best possible during the COVID-19 outbreak, to establish their needs and identify opportunities to support. Whilst we shall engage in support projects, current restrictions on University operations will limit our scope of work to exclude laboratory-based activities.

Please contact us to discuss your business support needs and we shall work with you to define support projects.  We are able to offer a minimum of two days’ of fully funded consultancy for qualifying SMEs in our target LEP areas.

 A guide to the SME support we can offer.

Materials Characterisation & Microscopy

Polymer Science

Computer Modelling

Donaa Case Study

Reducing defects in Forgings

AMCASH was contacted by a drop-forging company based in the Black Country, specialising in complex geometries and difficult to forge material.  The company wished to know how “fissure-features“ formed, and how they could be eliminated. The fissures were investigated using the University’s Centre for high resolution microscopy for a detailed material characterisation study. A number of positive outcomes ensued:

•  A greater understanding of forging, throughout the supply chain

•  Cost savings and environmental benefits by reducing scrappage

•  Faster process development, taking pressure off R&D activities

David Lunn

WH Tildesley Drop Forgings

“From our work with AMCASH we have increased our knowledge of fault diagnosis related to aluminium processing. This hopefully will lead to the company increasing our process capability for all specifications of aluminium grades.”