PhD scholarship in Process Chains and Production Methods for Precision Manufacturing of Moulds for Small Batch Production of Eco-Friendly Polymer Components

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (DTU Mekanik) of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has an open PhD position in the field of “Process chains and production methods for precision manufacturing of moulds for small batch production of eco-friendly polymer components”.  The PhD will be working in the framework of the national project MADE FAST funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark. The MADE FAST project is a major national initiative comprising a network of 50 companies, 5 universities and 3 research institutes in Denmark. The PhD scholarship is placed in the context of the Work Stream 4 “Digitalization of Manufacturing Processes” which includes 11 PhD students working on related projects and offers unique opportunities with respect to high level training in a multinational and multicultural environment. The PhD project will be carried out in an exciting combination of academic and industrial environments.

Responsibilities and tasks
The PhD project will focus on establishing methods and process chains for the fast manufacturing of high precision moulds for small batch production of polymer components in environmentally friendly polymers. The focus will be on process chains and production methods that enable considerable reduction of the lead-time for mould elements production and validation while containing all the relevant characteristics of full-scale production moulds. In addition to single material mould inserts, multimaterial combinations will be investigated to achieve desired material properties distribution. To reach the required increased mould accuracy, the work will focus on the development of solutions for offline optimization and automation of individual process steps (e.g. precision freeform machining and polishing of mould surfaces) and implementation of monitoring and real time modulation of processing conditions to achieve fast first-time-right mould manufacturing for batch production.

The developed methodologies will be validated though relevant demonstration in realistic industrial production cases at the industrial partners.

The position encompasses both theoretical work related to model development and implementation and experimental work, setup development and construction, process implementation, models validation through tests, process monitoring and dimensional, geometrical and surface characterization of surfaces. Sensors selection and implementation, data acquisition and signal conditioning will be part of the experimental activities of the PhD project.

The position has both project and academic responsibilities. The scientific development work conducted must be positioned relative to current literature and published in conference and journal articles.

Qualifications
Candidates should have a two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master’s degree. Good knowledge of production engineering technologies and machine tools is a fundamental requirement. Knowledge of process monitoring, manufacturing metrology, CAD/CAM and programming tools such as Matlab will be desirable. The candidate should have good mathematical/analytical skills as well as good communication skills.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see the DTU PhD Guide.

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Giuliano Bissacco according to the qualification requirements stated above.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

The position is funded on the Danish national project MADE FAST funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Giuliano Bissacco, gibi@mek.dtu.dk.

You can read more about Department of Mechanical Engineering on www.mek.dtu.dk/english.

Application
Please submit your online application no later than 12 June 2020 (23:59 local time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply online”, fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include: 

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
• Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and Excel spreadsheet here)