Start dates: (1 February 2013) and 26 September 2013

Closing date for applications:  15 July 2013

Together with our industrial partners at Nikon Metrology and Professor Leach at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), we are developing advanced, calibrated imaging techniques to measure the shape and dimensions of complex industrial components used, for example, in advanced aerospace manufacturing, automotive industries and electronic assemblies. You will join a team of experts from Nikon, NPL and the University of Southampton’s state-of-the-art Volume Imaging Centre (µ-VIS, http://www.southampton.ac.uk/muvis/) to work on the development of calibrated x-ray computed tomography (CT) reconstruction.

Your research will link into several related national and international research projects coordinated by NPL, but will focus on the challenge of measuring the precise 3-D shape and dimension of complex objects, taking into account advanced x-ray transmission properties as well as x-ray source and imaging performance. This is particularly important because, quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft engines require increasingly sophisticated high tolerance components of unconventional shape or design. Increasingly the integrity of such components relies on their internal features. These parts cannot be inspected using measuring techniques involving contact or optical probes but they can be investigated non-destructively using CT based scanning.

You will spend a significant portion of your time working at the Nikon Metrology research centre at Tring near Aylesbury, will have the opportunity to work at NPL and will be enrolled on the University of Southampton’s 4 year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) training program (http://www.southampton.ac.uk/idtc/). In addition to your work at Nikon Metrology, the Doctorate requires a one year taught component and therefore offers a unique opportunity to acquire an advanced doctoral degree whilst gaining valuable industrial experience, providing the ideal foundation for a future career in industry or academia.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a very strong background in mathematics and computing and an excellent first degree in physics, engineering, computer science or applied mathematics (or a related discipline).

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Thomas Blumensath, ISVR Signal Processing and Control Group, Email: thomas.blumensath@soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 3224

This EngD project will be funded through the Industry Doctoral Training Centre (IDTC) http://www.southampton.ac.uk/idtc. The studentship comprises support from both EPRSC http://www.epsrc.ac.uk and an industrial sponsor.

To be eligible students need to have UK status or be a European Union (EU) national who has been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for three years prior to the commencement of studies.

Enquiries: engd@soton.ac.uk