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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/R020531/1
Title: UCL-Brazil International Collaboration Workshop in Advanced Metrology and Large Structures Testing
Principal Investigator: Robson, Professor S
Other Investigators:
Stephenson, Dr VJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Civil Environmental and Geomatic Eng
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Overseas Travel Grants (OTGS)
Starts: 01 November 2017 Ends: 31 January 2018 Value (£): 5,686
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Design & Testing Technology Instrumentation Eng. & Dev.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Portable 3D metrology, which allows measurement tools to be brought to the measured objects and which can handle dynamic situations, is the essential technology of interest here. Due to their flexible nature, these tools offer considerable scope to expand the application of metrology which, in turn, further drives its development. The past 25 years have seen major developments such as dynamically tracking laser range finders and highly automated vision metrology systems. Another metrology driver is Industry 4.0, an industrial philosophy or new industrial revolution stemming from Germany. It describes the current trend for automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and the move towards smart factories. Metrology is a topic frequently missed by research funding programmes, despite its economic impact which has generated world-wide over 200 3D systems manufacturers, over 200 3D metrology service companies and a range of end users including Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, NASA, Ford, Audi, BMW, VW, GE, KUKA and CERN.

The building of an online network of industry and academic partners would greatly enhance the capacity for these opportunities to be more readily exploited through research funding. Cooperative knowledge transfer, e.g. via a public website, would be beneficial to all parties by increasing the capacity for applying and developing 3D metrology at these institutions. By promoting their facilities and focusing their collective expertise to an interested public, the groups can increase the scope for identifying problems specific to 3D metrology. This would add impact to their individual and collective research, which in turn encourages further links with commercial and industry partners.

A 10-day exploratory visit to Brazil is proposed for September 2017, hosted by the new ISI SIM and LGI institutes where areas of cooperation and information exchange would be evaluated. Provisionally the visit will overlap with the National Mobility Engineering Congress, Joinville, 19 - 22 Sept. The Congress attracts engineering students from across Brazil. The location is also the LGI base. UCL and the host institutes would therefore use this opportunity to present 3D metrology to a wide academic audience in Brazil. The host institutes would also help facilitate discussions with Brazilian industries in order to identify areas where metrology could be applied and developed. ISI SIM and LGI have connections to shipbuilding, aerospace, automotive and moulding industries and visits are proposed to Embraer, São Paulo and a NAVSHIP shipyard near Joinville. It is also proposed to hold a workshop at São Leopoldo, the ISI SIM base, to present 3D metrology to local Brazilian industry. The teams at ISI SIM and LGI are well placed to support these workshops and presentations with systems for demonstration and relevant project work.

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