Dr Pavel Penchev

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 2016
• BEng in Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 2012

Before joining the Sustainable Manufacturing group in 2023, Pavel served as a Senior Research Fellow in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies on the ERDF-funded AMTECAA project at the University of Birmingham. In this role, he led and executed contract research projects with SMEs in the West Midlands, addressing critical challenges in product fabrication to improve sustainability and cost-effectiveness in their manufacturing processes.

From 2016 to 2021, he was a Research Fellow at the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC) within the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham. During this time, Pavel managed both industry-funded research projects and major national and international initiatives funded by H2020, InnovateUK, and EPSRC.

In particular, Pavel has made significant contributions to two major EU-funded projects:

• MAESTRO: design and implementation of system-level tools for integrating laser-based powder bed fusion into hybrid production lines, focusing on the pre- and post-processing of hybrid Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) components for the automotive and aerospace industries.
• HIMALAIA: development of injection-moulding tooling inserts with advanced surface functionalities, such as anti-bacterial and self-cleaning properties.

During his six-year tenure as a Research Fellow, Pavel also managed the laser-micro machining facilities lab, overseeing equipment valued at over £3 million. This included two state-of-the-art laser systems (femtosecond and nanosecond setups), a Focus Variation 3D optical microscope, a SEM system, and other advanced engineering instrumentation.

Pavel Penchev has led the lab sessions for the Laser-based manufacturing MSc module and has delivered the Additive Manufacturing technology lecture for the same models.

In addition, he supervises undergraduate and postgraduate final year students in their final year project.

Current PhD projects

Co-supervised with MTC: Polygon Scanner Based USP Laser Processing of Brittle Materials. Pavel is also interested in supervising students with interests in:

• Sustainable Manufacturing
• Laser surface processing
• Laser process monitor and control

Research Interests

• Advanced Laser processing for functional surfaces: developing laser-based technologies (nano- and femtosecond) to tailor surface properties for applications in replication tooling, biomedical and electronics.
• Multi-Sensor process monitoring and control: Integrating acoustic, optical, visual and other sensors with AI/ML for real-time monitoring and closed-loop control laser material processing
• Laser-enabled Manufacturing of Energy storage Materials: exploring scalable laser structuring methods to enhance performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness of electrodes for batteries, fuel cells, and electrolysers
• Hybrid Manufacturing and surface Engineering for tooling applications: Combining laser texturing, coatings (e.g. PVD type coatings such as DLC) and additive/subtractive processes to improve wear resistance, efficiency, and sustainability in replication tooling
• Sustainable and Circular Manufacturing: Investigating laser processing strategies that enable re-use, recycling, or life- extension of high-value components, reducing material waste and environmental footprint

Current research projects

• EPSRC IAA (2024-2025)- Innovative laser processing technology for Stamping Die manufacturing in the Mint Industry
• EPSRC IAA (2024-2025)- Cost-effective nanosecond laser drilling technology for energy storage applications such as fuel cells and batteries    

Pavel is also actively looking for industrial collaborations on adopting sustainable manufacturing, specifically focusing on photonics-based processes.