Michael Thompson

Linking Process Inputs to Machined Surface Integrity and Post-Processing Outputs in Critical Titanium Parts

Supervised by: Prof. Hassan Ghadbeigi, Dr. Matt Brown, Dr. Jamie McGourlay, Dr. Rachid M'Saoubi, Dr. Kyle Marshall 

Sponsored by: Rolls Royce and Seco Tools 

I am doing an EngD to further upskill myself so I am better positioned for a career in advanced manufacturing. Additionally, an EngD has allowed me to continue my passion for practical, hands on engineering in a way most jobs couldn't offer.

My research aims to link machining process inputs, such as feedrates, spindle speeds, and tooling, to the surface integrity of critical titanium components for use in the aerospace sector. Once this relationship is understood, it may be possible to predict and optimise the surface quality of machined components so as to reduce the reliance on time intensive and costly destructive testing and post processing techniques such as shot peening.

Being an EngD project, my work is directly addressing an industry challenge. Aerospace manufacturers such as Rolls Royce spend vast amounts of time and expense conducting destructive testing and post processing of machined components to ensure compliant surface integrity. If we were able to predict and optimise surface integrity on machine, it may be possible to negate these additional processes. This would lead to countless productivity and cost saving benefits. Additionally, I am lucky enough to have a second industrial sponsor, Seco Tools. Seco are constant innovators in the machine tooling industry and work closely with their manufacturing customers, such as Rolls Royce, to aid their production quality and productivity. Working with Seco is an exciting opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of materials, tribology and machining science.

The potential benefits of my research are far reaching. If Rolls Royce are able to predict and control surface integrity of critical titanium parts, they could eliminate or reduce the need for destructive testing and post processing. This could free up the time and capital needed to increase rate and improve production quality. It could also lead to more flight hours for these components. Additionally, reducing destructive testing would reduce the number of sacrificial components having to be scrapped. This has significant environmental benefits, as does reducing the transport of components to post processing facilities.