The University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering is one of the premier engineering faculties in the UK. It has an international reputation for research, and was ranked joint 4^th in Unit 28 in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham was rated 6^th in the Guardian and 11^th in The Times in recent university league tables. 

Applications are invited for a fully funded industrial CASE PhD studentship (3.5 years) to work on an industrially led project on laser drilling. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a leading UK research university in close collaboration with an industrial partner.

The overall aim of the project is to develop understanding of how laser parameters and material type effect rear ejection during laser drilling. For the type of laser drilling considered in this project material is mainly removed in the molten state. Absorption of the laser on the surface generates a melt pool, the molten material is then ejected due to the action of vapour pressure and any assist gas. This excavates a hole and allows the melt front to progress through the material. When the melt front reaches the rear face of the material breakthrough occurs, forming a through hole. This is accompanied by the rear ejection of molten material, the project is focussed on characterising and understanding this rear ejection process.

The project will be largely experimental, with some scope for modelling work. Numerous techniques will be employed to characterise the material expelled through the rear of the drill hole during laser drilling of a variety of metallic and polymeric materials. These will include the use of specialised imaging systems from the CAMERA centre at the University of Nottingham. The CAMERA systems will generate large data files, analysis of which is done via matlab routines. The project will include some development of these data analysis routines.

Students should have an undergraduate degree in engineering, physics or a related discipline, with a degree classification of 2.1 or above. An aptitude for experimental work combined with experience of matlab, or similar, are desirable characteristics for candidates.

The studentship will cover PhD tuition fees and an enhanced tax free stipend of £15,000 for 3.5 years, due to funding restrictions this studentship is only available to UK nationals. The studentship is expected to start in April 2014, and must start by October 2014.

If you are interested in making an application, please contact Dr Katy Voisey (katy.voisey@nottingham.ac.uk) via the APPLY button below, directly with a covering letter stating clearly how you fulfil the requirements of the studentship, and include a CV and the names and addresses of two academic referees. Interviews will take place at the University of Nottingham.

Please quote ref:- ENG/750
Closing date: 20 January 2014