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Centre

Advanced Design and Manufacturing Engineering Centre (ADMEC)

Unit(s) of assessment: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Research theme: Sustainable Futures

School: School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Overview

The Advanced Design and Manufacturing Engineering Centre (ADMEC) conducts research in product innovation and development supported by design, manufacture and multi-disciplinary engineering technologies. Our major research areas are detailed below.

Product design including design methods, integrated design and manufacture, design optimisation, industrial design, consumer product design, engineering product design, and product design pedagogy.

Technology for sustainability including circular economy, sustainable design, sustainable lighting products, sustainable consumption and production, waste recycling system, measurement of consumer ecological footprints, industrial ecology, renewable energy, social and environmental lifecycle assessment, design for generation of clean power from tidal/ ocean/ solar energy, and eco-buildings.

Advanced manufacturing technology including condition monitoring, condition based maintenance, embedded systems, control, image processing, sensor fusion, industrial engineering and operations management.

Web and internet technologies including web-enabled collaboration in intelligent design and manufacture, mobile environment for collaborative product design, upperware for collaborative work environment, grid, web services, mobile technology and wireless computing.

Multi-disciplinary engineering technologies including computer aided design / manufacturing / engineering, materials, mechanics, artificial neural networks, knowledge based systems, genetic algorithms and evolutionary computing, rapid prototyping, mechanical transmission, gears and cam mechanisms, analogue and digital electronics, radio frequency identification and near field communication technologies.

The activities of the centre have been supported by grants from a variety of funding organisations including:

  • EU
  • Research Councils UK
  • TSB
  • EPSRC
  • AHRC
  • Royal Society
  • HEFCE
  • East Midlands Development Agency
  • Sustainable Construction iNET
  • Creating enterprise in universities programme and industry
  • Ministry of Science and Technology, China.

ADMEC has a strong national and international reputation. Our staff have acted as panel members and assessors for research grant applications for funding organisations. They are also actively involved with many national and international professional organisations including IEE, IMechE, BSI, IFToMM, IIA, CMES and JEA.

We have been involved in many international activities including a number of collaborative research projects, visiting professorships, conference keynote speeches, invited lectures, and invited international research visits.

We also work closely with industry on different research and consultancy schemes. Our activities support research for the degrees of MPhil and PhD and input to postgraduate and undergraduate taught programmes as well as professional development training. We have access to a Goniophotometer (supplied by Pro-Lite).

For academic enquiries and further information about the research group, please contact the Research Group Leader, Professor Daizhong Su, by email or telephone +44 (0) 115 848 2306.

Collaboration

The centre has been collaborating with a number of external academic and industrial partners to conduct research and joint research proposals including:

  • EU Horizon 2020 CIRC4Life project consortium members: CIRCE Foundation (Spain), Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (Poland), Swerea IVF AB (Sweden), Laurea University of Applied Science (Finland), Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (Greece), Enviro Data (Sweden), Scilly Organics (UK), Kosnic Lighting Ltd (UK), European EPC Competence Center GmbH (Germany), ONA Product S L (Spain), Indumetal Recycling S.A. (Spain), GS1 Germany GmbH (Germany), S.A.T ALIA (Spain), Make Mothers Matter (Belgium), Centre for European Policy Studies (Belgium) and Recyclia (Spain).
  • EU FP7 cycLED project consortium members: Fraunhofer IZM (Germany), Riva GMBH Lighting (Germany), ONA Product S L (Spain), ELPRO Elektronik Produkt Recycling GMBH (Germany), Braun Schaltgerate und Service EK BSS (Germany), UMICORE NV (Belgium), ETAP NV (Belgium), Philips Lighting B.V. (Netherlands), Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologue EV (Germany), University of Wales Institute Cardiff EDCW (UK), Sirris Het Colletief Centrum Van Tecnologische Industrie VZW (Belgium), Institut Telecom (France)
  • EU FP7 myEcoCost project consortium members: TriaGnoSys GmbH (Germany), Robert Mostyn (UK), Enviro Data (Sweden), Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI, Germany), Ecover Belgium N.V (Belgium), Climate Friendly Food (UK), Boots Ltd (UK)
  • EU CIP Ecolight project consortium members: Ona (Spain), aaxsus (Sweden) and Mosmedios (Spain)
  • Project partners of EU-Asia link project, EU-Asia IT&C project and FP7 Merie Curie IIP project: Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland), Labein Tecnalia (Spain), Harbin Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission (Chongqing University, China), Harbin Engineering University, Chemineer (UK)
  • Partners of international collaborative research projects supported by the state funding bodies of China (Ministry of Science and Technology, and Natural Science Foundation): Chongqing Academy of Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing University of Technology and Business, State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing Xanest Co. Ltd, Chongqing Polycomp International Co.
  • Sustainable Construction iNET project I and project II partners: Nottingham University (UK), CE Technologies Ltd (UK), European Thermodynamics Ltd (UK)
  • Industrial partners of SIS projects and Innovation Fellowship project: Chemineer (UK), Ocean Navitas (UK), ONA Production Ltd (Spain), Olberon Ltd (UK)
  • EPSRC / AHRC supported Snake Robotic Project partners: Merlin Robotics (UK), University of Leeds (UK)
  • Industrial partners (UK) of IT&C Carrier project and KTP project: Romax Technology, Institute of Spring Technology Ltd, Binns and Berry (Halifax) Ltd, Turton Tonks Spring Ltd, Hanson Springs Ltd.

For academic enquiries please contact the Research Group Leader, Professor Daizhong Su by email or telephone + (0)115 848 2306. For further information on business collaborations, please contact Chris Davison, College Business Development Manager by email or telephone +44 (0)115 848 8215.

Related staff

Publications

The members of ADMEC have a considerable number of research papers published in refereed journals and prestigious international conferences. Below is a list of selected publications, reflecting their major research interests.

Daizhong Su, Martin Higginson, Jose Casamayor and Wenjie Peng

  • Daizhong Su, 2020, ‘Sustainable Product Development: Tools, Methods and examples’. Publisher: Springer, Cham. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39149-2.
  • Wenjie Peng, Daizhong Su and Martin Higginson, 2019, ‘A Novel Remote Control System for Air Conditioning in Low Carbon Emission Buildings Using Sensor Fusion and Mobile Communication Technologies’, Building and Environment, Elsevier. Volume 148, pp 701-713
  • Xuejing Du, Daizhong Su and Zhanyu Wang, ‘Motion State Recognition of Debris Ejected in Vehicular Collision after Contact with the Ground’, International Journal of Materials and Product Technology. Volume 54, Issue 4, 2017 pp 332-346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJMPT.2017.082623
  • Jose Casamayor, Daizhong Su and Zhongming Ren, 'A comparative life cycle assessment of LED lighting products'. Lighting Research and Technology. May 12, 2017.https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153517708597.
  • Yimin Shao, Daizhong Su and Amin Al-Habaibeh, 2016, ‘A New Fault Diagnosis Algorithm for Helical Gears Rotating at Low Speed using an Optical encoder Article’, Measurement, Volume 93, November 2016, Pages 449–459
  • Ammar Irhoma, Daizhong Su and Martin Higginson, 2016, ‘Analysis and evaluation of the environmental impacts of upstream petroleum operations’, International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, Vol. 30, Nos. 1/2, pp 116-142
  • Wenjie Peng and Daizhong Su, 2016, ‘Internet-based Remote Monitoring System of Thermo-Electric-Generations with Mobile Communication Technology’, International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 53, No. 2, pp154-170,
  • Casamayor, J., Su, D. and Sarshar, M., 2015, 'Extending lifespan of LED Lighting Products', journal ‘Architectural Engineering and Design Management’, Talor & Francis, vol. 11, issue 2, March 2015, pp105-122.
  • Abdelsalam Saad, Daizhong Su, Phillipa Marsh and Zhongmin Wu, 2015, ‘National Environmental Factors for Implementing Total Quality Environmental Management in the Libyan Food Industry’, British Journal of Economics, Management & Trade, 11(4): 1-18, 2016 DOI: 10.9734/BJEMT/2016/23182
  • Irhoma, A., Su, D., and Higginson, M., 2014, Analysis of the Barriers to Environmental Management Systems Implementation in the Libyan Oil Industry, Journal 'Key Engineering Materials', Volume 572 (2014) ISSN 1013-9826, pp672-677
  • Casamayor, J.L. and Su, D., 2013, 'Integration of eco-design tools into the development of eco-lighting products', Journal of Cleaner Production, 47 (2013), pp. 32-42, Elsevier
  • Su, D. and Peng, W., 2011, 'Application of PDA and wireless technology in a server-client structure for remote machine condition monitoring', journal 'Key Engineering Materials'. vol 450 (2011), Trans Tech Publications, pp. 449-452.
  • Zhao, Y., Su, D. and Zhang, Z, 2010, 'Meshing analysis and technological parameters selection of dual tori double-enveloping toroidal worm drive', Mechanism and Machine Theory 45 (2010) pp 1269–1285
  • Al-Habaibeh, A., Su, D., McCague, J. and Knight, A., 2010, 'An innovative approach for energy generation from waves', Energy Conversion and Management (2010), (DOI:10.1016/j.enconman.2009.11.041)
  • Zhao, Y., Su, D., Wei, W. and Dong, X., 2009, A meshing principle for generating a cylindrical gear using an Archimedes hob with two degrees of freedom, Proc. IMechE Vol. 224 Part C: J. Mechanical Engineering Science, pp 169-181
  • Su, D., Xiong, Y, Zheng Y. and Ji, S., 2008, 'A framework for collaborative working environment', Volume 9, Number 49, International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Group, pp 2363-2381
  • Su, D., 2014, Keynote Speech, 'Sustainable product design and its application in mechanical transmission', International Symposium on 'Theory and Practice of Gearing', 21-23 January, 2014, Izhevsk, Russia

Alan Crisp and Leslie Arthur

  • Elmansori E. and Arthur L., 2014, Obstacles that hinder Innovation in SMEs in Libya, International Journal of Innovation and Knowledge Management in the Middle East and North Africa (IJIKMMENA), vol. 2, No 1, 2014
  • Hamad E. and Arthur L., 2013, Entrepreneurship in SMEs through Business Incubators in the Arab World (UAE Case Study), International Journal of Innovation and Knowledge Management in the Middle East and North Africa (IJIKMMENA), vole 2, No 1, 2013.

Dr Matthew Watkins

  • Watkins, M., Forthcoming, An Audio Visual approach to the teaching of the social aspects of Sustainable Product Design. Formakademisk.
  • Watkins, M., 2014, Defining the Social Dimension of Sustainability in Product Design, Key Engineering Materials, Special issue 'Advanced Design and Manufacture V', pp 24-27

Related Projects

EU H2020 Project: CIRC4Life - A Circular Economy Approach for Lifecycles of Products and Services

Theme: Sustainable Futures

Units of assessment: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

EU FP7 Project: myEcoCost - A Consumer Oriented Prototype – Forming the Nucleus of a Novel Ecological Accounting System

Theme: Sustainable Futures

Units of assessment: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

EU FP7 Project: cycLED (Cycling Resources Embedded in Systems Containing Light Emitting Diodes)

Theme: Sustainable Futures

Units of assessment: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Condition Based Maintenance of Agitators Using Advanced Condition Monitoring and Wireless Technologies

Theme: Medical Technologies and Advanced Materials

Units of assessment: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

EU CIP Eco-innovation Project: Ecolights - Development and Market Deployment of Eco-lighting Products

Theme: Sustainable Futures

Units of assessment: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Development of a Novel Control System of Solid Desiccant Dehumidifier for Air Conditioning in Low Carbon Emission Buildings

Units of assessment: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Development of an Innovative Remote Online Monitoring System of Thermo-Electric-Generations (TEGs) using the Wireless Technologies

Units of assessment: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Development of Sustainable Raised-Floor Products

Theme: Sustainable Futures

Units of assessment: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning