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Wire + Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (W+DED-AM), a form of 3d printing, is transforming the production of high-value, large-scale metallic components across the energy, aerospace, nuclear, maritime, and defence sectors. W+DED-AM enables near-net-shape to manufacture with significantly reduced material waste, shorter production lead times, and greater design flexibility compared with conventional manufacturing approaches.

Despite its growing industrial relevance, widespread adoption of W+DED-AM remains limited by challenges related to process stability, defect detection, qualification, and repeatable quality assurance. Achieving reliable and certifiable production for safety-critical applications requires robust in-process inspection methods capable of identifying defects and process anomalies during manufacture.

This PhD project will investigate in-process ultrasonic inspection strategies for large format W+DED-AM systems, focusing on ultrasonic data acquisition, signal processing, calibration methodologies, and automated deployment of inspection systems within real industrial manufacturing environments alongside live deposition processes. Additionally, this project will enable the detection with a strong emphasis on how these inspection strategies can be practically integrated with and responsive to the W+DED-AM process. The successful candidate will not only develop practical approaches for real-time ultrasonic defect detection and structural evaluation but also actively inform and enable in-process defect repair and process correction during additive manufacturing production. By embedding inspection within the deposition workflow, the project aims to improve process control, manufacturing reliability, and component certification readiness, bridging the gap between NDT methodology and the operational demands of industrial W+DED-AM.

The project is a collaborative initiative between the University of Â鶹ŮÓÅ, (co-supervised by Dr Jian Qin), and industrial partner , a leading developer of robotic W+DED-AM systems and digital manufacturing technologies. At Â鶹ŮÓÅ, the research will be hosted by the Sensor Enabled Automation & Robotics Control Hub (SEARCH), a £24M research, innovation, and technology transfer laboratory within the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, providing expertise in ultrasonic testing systems, signal and waveform processing, calibration techniques, and automated inspection deployment for advanced manufacturing applications.

The research will combine experimental W+DED-AM processing with advanced ultrasonic inspection development, focusing on robust in-process measurement, automated system integration, and calibration strategies suitable for industrial deployment in high-value and safety-critical sectors. The successful candidate will benefit from an interdisciplinary research environment spanning mechanical engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.