| The
University of Manchester's Process Manufacture Group (PMG) is a member of the consortium. The group conducts research on polymeric materials and processes, and NEPPCO members have access to its facilities.
NEPPCO Ltd is actively involved in programmes for recycling
of polymeric products, and with programmes on energy minimisation in manufacture with plastics.
Our track record includes several projects supported from European Regional Development Funding, (totalling £4 million) and, more recently, a successful bid to the DTI from two member companies and The University of Manchester for a project on Energy Savings in Rotational Moulding (£460k). NEPPCO has compiled a list of Technical Support and Funding Availability for its members.
A common theme in all of the research programmes is the economics of manufacturing.
Generic Themes
Underpinning each generic theme are two basic beliefs:-
• Useful technology can only exist in industry: it is
the combination of laboratory-based science with industrial
and market knowledge which makes for economic success or failure.
• Most, if not all, targeted research projects which
fail to achieve commercialisation, fail because of factors
discernible at the concept stage if the right analysis is
done.
The new field of economic engineering, with techno-economic
analysis as a key part, has been developed in the last eight
years to sort out those project ideas most likely to succeed
both technically and economically. Most of these projects
fall under one or more of the following themes:-
Process Design and Operation
Smart Composite Materials and Processes
New programmable integrated circuit (pic) systems for the
control of small scale manufacturing processes.
Self Assembling Fibre Reinforcement (SAFIRE)
Interfaces
Product Design
New packaging and distribution products
Microwave, Induction and Radio Frequency Assisted Processes
(MIRAP)
Kinetics and Thermodynamics
Economics of Manufacture & Environment
Enterprise & Innovations
Forecasting & Marketing
Mixing & Rheology
|
