MSc in Manufacturing and Welding Engineering Design
Master Thesis Proposal
Author: / George Georgiou / Supervisor: / Dr. AntoniosLontosE-mail: / / E-mail: /
Phone: / 99….. / Phone: / 99553653
Specialisation: / Manufacturing Engineering Desing / Defense Planned: / February 2017
Title: High Performance Plastic Forming Dies and Moulds: Design, New Materials, Coatings and surface engineering(Example)
Objectives and Achievements
The primary objective when designing plastic forming dies is to facilitate the flow of the polymer into, through, and out of the forming die, whilst at the same time ensuring that the final product meets the design requirements.
Many parameters have to be considered when producing plastic forming dies, namely the melt flow characteristics, temperature control, assembly and disassembly, and minimising maintenance costs. Each of these parameters will be studied during the PhD programme. In addition, during the design activity of the die, numerous metallic materials, surface coatings and surface treatments will be considered for construction. A CFD-simulation of extrusion flow and heat transfer will be utilised in order to develop a more effective die design. Experimental validation of the simulations will also be conducted.
The research work of the MSc candidate will focus in the achievement of the high performance plastic dies or mould steel by means of various tools and research procedures such as designing, simulation, application of hard coatings, investigation of die and moulds materials, surface engineering, application of nanosciences and nanotechnologies, new production technologies, product quality control, innovative production technologies. Finally the research results will be applied within the Cyprus plastic industries.
Bibliography Research – Literature review
The written review of literature (also called Background) presents a discussion that justifies yourchoice of topic and the way you have chosen to address it. Begin the review with the most generalaspects of your topic and gradually narrow it until it implies your research questions or hypotheses.Define any specialized terms as you introduce them. Provide the general context for the proposedstudy. This can be done in terms of a general overview of the field, with a description of a classicstudy.
Methodology
The methodology should correspond to the hypotheses and the available material specified above. You can briefly describe which theoretical and analytical concepts based on deduction or induction (i.e. on empirical or experimental approaches) you are going to employ.
Research Activity Summary
Research work is based on the design of new products or optimizing existing products and procedures. Some of the research areas are: Design and manufacturing, Integrated Design Methodology, Improvement of the working life of extrusion dies, Design and manufacturing of composite products, Design of high quality and complicated geometry dies and moulds.
Supporting Infrastructure
The infrastructural needs of Engineering Design and Optimization are based on computer software, modelling, simulating and on research and experimental equipment. Description of software packages: AutoCAD, SurfCAM, MS Visual Nastran MSC Superform, MSC Fatigue, MSC Patran, MasterCAM, Solidworks, SMARTDRAW, COSMOS, Deform 2D-3D, LS DYNA, MDESIGN, Microsoft Project, RapidForm, DeskProto, PC-Crash. Description of research and experimental equipment: 5-Axis CNC Vertical Milling Machine DMU 50, EMCO PC Mill, CNC Turning Machine, Rapid Prototyping Machine - Spectrum Z510 (coloured), Rockwell/Rockwell Superficial Hardness Testing Machine, Portable Hardness Tester, Electric furnace 1100°C, Professional trinocular metallurgical microscope, Compression and Bending tester, Fully automatic horizontal band saw Welding Machine MIG-MAG, TIG, MMA, Surface Measuring Instrument, Fully computerised Fatigue and Bending Testing Machine, Metrology Equipment.