Reliability & Durability (R&D)

This group, part of the department of Design Engineering, has both education and research tasks. In addition, a well-equipped laboratory to test materials and products is maintained to carry out these tasks.

Education activities are faculty-wide. The group is involved in educating students in both the Bachelors programme and the Masters programme. The group’s contribution to education is in the disciplines of: Engineering Design, Materials Science & Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, Designing for Assembly (DFA), Methodology of Predicting Reliability of Products, Research Methodology and Advanced Products, as well as Graduation Activity & Design Exercises.

The research activities are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of Embodiment Design by facilitating improved technology selection methodologies as well as by developing design rules for products in order to improve reliability and durability during service. Both the choice of new materials and technologies during design and understanding the mechanical behaviour of products manufactured using new materials are essential in order to meet the requirements of the users of consumer products in modern society from a functional, economic and ecological point of view.

The laboratory facilities include devices for mechanical testing of equipment (hydraulic and mechanical consoles) for strength and fatigue measurements and analysis, furnaces to test at specific conditions, a three-dimensional camera to measure product deformations and strains under stress, a range of measuring equipment and a complete injection moulding machine. These facilities are used for both education and research.

More information on the website of the Reliability and Durability Group