Dr Connie Qian
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Senior Lecturer in Composites
Full contact details
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
D18
Royal Exchange Building
64 Garden Street
Sheffield
S1 4BJ
- Profile
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I study the deformation of composite materials using computer modelling and simulation.
Dr Connie Qian
Senior Lecturer in Composites
I grew up in China and came to study in the UK in 2005. I graduated with a 1st class BEng in Mechanical Engineering in 2009 and then a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2014, both from the University of Nottingham. My PhD was on RVE modelling and structural optimisation for discontinuous carbon fibre composites.
After completing my PhD, I stayed at the University of Nottingham as a Research Fellow from 2014-2018, during which I developed process simulation models for composites sheet forming, injection moulding, and thermoplastic overmoulding.
In 2018, I joined WMG at the University of Warwick as a Research Fellow and was later appointed as Assistant Professor in 2021, where I developed process simulation models for high-pressure RTM, double-diaphragm forming and compression moulding. My research vision started to shape during my time at WMG, as I became strongly interested in integrated process-property-performance simulation for compression moulded discontinuous fibre composites and hybrid architecture composites.
I joined the University of Sheffield as a Senior Lecturer in Composites in 2024 and in my spare time, I play the piano and the violin, and foster cats for the Blue Cross.
- Research interests
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My research focuses on process-structure-property-performance modelling for fibre reinforced composites. I am particularly renowned for my research in high-volume manufacturing of discontinuous fibre composites, and have led several funded research projects in this area, notably an Innovation Fellowship funded by the EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Hub. I also have strong experience in applied research and have delivered large CR&D projects with industrial partners across the whole composites supply chain. I'm most active in the automotive domain, and have worked with some of the world's most-respected OEMs such as Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Aston Martin.
My research interests are:
- Composites manufacturing process simulation
- Multi-scale modelling for composites
- Structural simulation and structural optimisation
- High-volume composites manufacturing processes
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Repeatability and reproducibility of the measurement of prepreg tack following ASTM D8336: Results of a round-robin study. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 188, 108561-108561.
- Experimental process characterisation for high-volume compression moulding of hybrid-architecture composites. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 181, 108137-108137.
- Experimental and numerical investigation of the intra-ply shear behaviour of unidirectional prepreg forming through picture-frame test. Composites Part B: Engineering, 266, 111036-111036.
- Effective X-ray micro computed tomography imaging of carbon fibre composites. Composites Part B: Engineering, 258, 110707-110707.
- Experimental and numerical characterisation of fibre orientation distributions in compression moulded carbon fibre SMC. Plastics, Rubber and Composites, 51(8), 436-444.
- Finite element study of the microdroplet test for interfacial shear strength: Effects of geometric parameters for a carbon fibre/epoxy system. Journal of Composite Materials, 52(16), 2163-2177.
- Quality Analysis of Weld-Line Defects in Carbon Fibre Reinforced Sheet Moulding Compounds by Automated Eddy Current Scanning. Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 6(6), 151-151.
Conference proceedings papers
- Experimental characterisation for compression moulding of hybrid architecture composites using reclaimed prepreg manufacturing waste. Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 41 (pp 631-640)
- 3D FIBRE ARCHITECTURE CHARACTERISATION FOR DISCONTINUOUS CARBON FIBRE COMPOSITE STRUCTURES USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
- DISCONTINUOUS CARBON FIBRE COMPOSITES MANUFACTURED FROM RECLAIMED WOVEN PREPREG WASTE. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
- PRESSING-AND-FOLDING OF DISCONTINUOUS LONG FIBRE THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DIRECT COMPACTION. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
- Pressing & Folding of Discontinuous Long Fibre Thermoplastic Composites as an Alternative to Direct Compaction. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
- PROCESS CHARACTERISATION FOR COMPRESSION MOULDING OF HYBRID-ARCHITECTURE COMPOSITES. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
- STRESS TRANSFER IN DISCONTINUOUS ALIGNED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE TAPES - AN EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
- SQUEEZE FLOW OF CARBON FIBRE SHEET MOULDING COMPOUND IN COMPRESSION MOULDING. ECCM 2022 - Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Composite Materials: Composites Meet Sustainability, Vol. 2 (pp 256-263)
- MANUFACTURING PROCESS SIMULATION FOR COMPRESSION MOULDING OF SHEET MOULDING COMPOUND - AN AUTOMOTIVE CASE STUDY. ECCM 2022 - Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Composite Materials: Composites Meet Sustainability, Vol. 5 (pp 469-476)
- INVESTIGATION AND SIMULATION OF THE INTRA-PLY SHEAR PROPERTY FOR THE UNIDIRECTIONAL PREPREG FORMING. ECCM 2022 - Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Composite Materials: Composites Meet Sustainability, Vol. 3 (pp 273-280)
- A Comprehensive Assessment of Commercial Process Simulation Software for Compression Moulding of Sheet Moulding Compound. ESAFORM 2021
- Numerical and Experimental Studies of Multi-ply Woven Carbon Fibre Prepreg Forming Process. Procedia Manufacturing, Vol. 47 (pp 93-99)
- Flow Behaviour of Carbon Fibre Sheet Moulding Compound. Key Engineering Materials, Vol. 926 (pp 1350-1357)
- Teaching activities
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MEC313 Finite Element Techniques