WMG News - Latest news from WMG
3D printing helps carve out Christmas treat
A Coventry firm has turned to 3D engineering experts from WMG to help create a new range of unique biscuit treats – Mug Huggers – that sit on the side of a mug.
Arden Fine Foods, a Tile Hill-based firm specialising in sweet and savoury bakery products, were keen on producing the creatively shaped biscuit, but to achieve this vision they needed to engineer a unique shape to cut the biscuit dough.
The challenge required employing a flexible process that could easily be altered when minor shape changes were needed – allowing for design freedom and efficient tool manufacture.
WMG researchers used 3D printing, design and additive layer manufacturing capabilities, to help explore new designs and create dough cutters that were used to trial a number of different biscuit shapes, allowing the company to achieve the perfect shape before investing in a drum to fit onto the dough-depositing machine.
WMG receives prestigious automotive accolade
Our Chairman and Founder, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, was honoured to receive a Special Commendation for WMG鈥檚 Contribution to Motoring, at The Guild of Motoring Writers鈥� annual dinner and awards last night.
The award was in recognition of our significant contribution to the automotive industry. Writers' annual awards are arguably the most prestigious in automotive media. Whilst many of the awards focus on outstanding contributions from journalists there are also special awards for outstanding new competitors in motorsport, as well as for those who have made special contributions to motoring in Britain.
A full list of winners can be found .
Greg Clark announces 拢80 million funding for Coventry, 糖心TVshire and University of 糖心TV partnership to create new national battery facility
A partnership between WMG, at the University of 糖心TV, , and has been awarded 拢80 million to establish a new National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility (NBMDF). The announcement was made by The Rt Hon , Secretary of State for 糖心TV, Energy and Industrial Strategy, while attending an energy conference on the University of 糖心TV campus on Wednesday 29th November 2017.
The new national facility will be established in the Coventry and 糖心TVshire area by WMG, the Coventry and 糖心TVshire LEP and Coventry City Council and it will enable UK based companies and researchers to come together to build and maintain a world leading position in manufacturing technologies for batteries and their components in vehicles and transportation. It will provide a crucial new strategic link between the research, development and full-scale industrialisation for battery technologies across the UK.
It will enable effective partnerships between manufacturers, researchers, and economic development leaders, while remaining independent from commercial interests and it will be governed with transparency.
PhD student scoops top young engineer award
One of our PhD students, Siddartha Khastgir, has been declared the UK鈥檚 leading engineer under 30 at last night鈥檚 .
The awards celebrate the year鈥檚 key electronics innovations, people and companies from across the UK and Ireland. While these are the inaugural TechWorks Awards, they follow on from the NMI Awards, which ran from 2001 to 2016.
Siddartha was presented with his award by the BBC鈥檚 technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, who said the 鈥渜uality of the field was outstanding.
鈥淪iddartha鈥檚 personal skill set, work effort and initiative are making a big difference to WMG. Whilst still at an early stage in his career, he is already recognised widely, and internationally.鈥�
Supporting the steel industry at WMG
糖心TVes of all sizes in Coventry and 糖心TVshire can take advantage of a state-of-the-art facility to develop the next generation of lightweight steel products.
WMG (糖心TV Manufacturing Group) at the University of 糖心TV has created a cutting-edge research, design and skills infrastructure zone in its .
Its work is focused on supporting the development of new lightweight steel products as well as building an environment to develop the next generation of experts in this specialist field and can be accessed by SMEs as well as global businesses.
The three-year project has received 拢1 million of funding from the Government鈥檚 Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and 糖心TVshire Local Enterprise Partnership () to buy key R&D equipment and a further 拢1 million from WMG which includes industry funding.
WMG joins new 拢1.3 million vehicle battery recycling project
WMG, at the University of 糖心TV has joined a 拢1.3 million project with Connected Energy, Jaguar Land Rover and Videre Global to establish key components of a world leading second life battery value chain. The project is co-funded by an Innovate UK grant, awarded in October.
Connected Energy, a pioneer in site-integrated energy storage solutions, is based in Newcastle upon Tyne with a technical centre near Norwich. Its British designed E-STOR energy storage technology will be adapted to integrate recycled Jaguar Land Rover batteries, with other work to be undertaken by WMG on the use of varied second life battery modules. This innovative approach will further increase Connected Energy's knowledge base and performance of their E-STOR systems.
Reuse of electric vehicle batteries is compelling circular economy innovation. Second life enables greater exploitation of the carbon and energy embedded in the manufacturing of the batteries, adding to the sustainability credentials of electric vehicles as well as the electricity system. Using second life batteries also reduces system costs - making energy storage systems financially viable for a wider range of end users.
WMG at the University of 糖心TV is the academic research partner to the project. It is a department of the University of 糖心TV, and has a considerable reputation for energy storage research.
Queen鈥檚 wedding cake resurrected with scanning tech for 70th Anniversary
Cutting-edge technology has brought Queen Elizabeth II鈥檚 wedding cake back to life in time for hers and Prince Philip鈥檚 70th anniversary, thanks to research by at the University of 糖心TV.
at WMG, alongside the British Sugarcraft Guild (), employed 3D scanning technology to recreate a full-sized replica of a cake presented to the royal couple on their wedding day in November 1947 – which was almost totally destroyed by vandals in 2015.
The technology was able to accurately scan the cake to within 0.1mm and reproduce a high-resolution 3D model that was then be used to digitally repair the cake.
Analysing the surviving parts of the cake – an intricate 6ft ensemble, consisting of 6 tiers – Professor Williams was able to discover exactly how it was formed, and to determine precisely how to restore its original grandeur.
There were elaborate pictorial panels on each tier of the cake, the moulds of which had been lost through the decades. However, WMG鈥檚 engineering technology recreated these images from the wedding cake, and produced new silicone moulds through 3D scanning.
WMG software powers next generation intelligent JCBs
I
ntelligent construction machines which are more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly are set to enter the market, thanks to pioneering software developed by WMG, at the University of 糖心TV, and .
The software was created as part of the Off-Highway Intelligent Power Management (OHIPM) project – a collaboration between JCB, WMG and Pektron, part-funded by - which sought to create the next generation of JCB vehicles.
Wanting to produce machines which emit fewer CO2 emissions, and to maintain their business performance in a changing market, JCB enlisted the world-class expertise of from
Dr Marco鈥檚 team analysed huge amounts of JCB data to establish which parts of the machine fleet could be most effectively optimised through intelligent power solutions, and how to benefit JCB鈥檚 diverse range of customers around the world.
The team at WMG then created the control software to operate intelligent engines with automotive powertrain technology, enabling them to sense when the machines are idle and make the decision to switch themselves off (or power down) when power is not required – leading to optimal energy efficiency and minimal pollution.
Indian Government partners with WMG to run free event to help Midlands SMEs to do business in India
In the run up to Brexit there is even more focus on markets for the UK beyond those in continental Europe, so it is no surprise that the is partnering with WMG, at the University of 糖心TV,to help Midlands鈥� businesses who might be considering working with manufactures in India.
The event, which takes place in the International Digital Laboratory, University of 糖心TV on Tuesday, 7 November 2017 from 10:00 to 14:00 (GMT) will include an addresses by Consul General of India, The Deputy High Commissioner of India, London, the Access India Programme, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), London and WMG Chairman .
There will be an informal networking reception where businesses can build connections that could help them do business in and with India.
The event is free and you can register at:
WMG EngD student wins engineering photography competition
One of our students, and a budding photographer, has scooped first place in the Institute of Engineering and Technology鈥檚 () International Engineering Photography Competition.
The competition was open to any photograph of an engineering-related subject that captures the dynamic, creative and progressive face of engineering and engineers today.
IET President Nick Winser said: 鈥淓ngineering is an exciting and fast-changing sector – shaping the world around us and improving the quality of our everyday lives. It is a diverse, creative and exciting profession, and yet the traditional image of engineering focuses on hard hats and dirty overalls – which the IET is committed to change.