Design and Manufacturing

Several research groups and laboratories at McGill University focus on mechanical design, manufacturing and process management.

The mechanical design groups develop integrated design methods that encompass computational synthesis, multi-scale analysis and selection strategies, and they search for particular applications and industrial sectors. Research topics range from optimum design methodology to biomimetic design. The former involves multi-objective and multidisciplinary optimization. The latter is applied to structures and hybrid materials (i.e., cellular solids and composite materials) and biomedical devices (i.e., stents and heart valves, robotic mechanical systems and their mechanical components).

The manufacturing and process management researchers focus on various manufacturing processes that occur at the large and micro scale. These include comminution processes, high-speed grinding, laser assisted machining, metal coating, and micro-machining. Current research projects analyze the effects of wear, fretting and abrasion as well as other thermoelastic and dynamic phenomena. Research also includes the improvement of productivity and cycle time for manufacturing activities, with special emphasis on production planning, concurrent engineering, design with remote partners, and change management.

Back to top