Digital Manufacturing of Advanced Materials MSc

The fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, is transforming chemical and process research laboratories as well as manufacturing sites, where smart technologies and digitisation are radically changing the way new chemicals and materials are developed and produced. Automated processes and robotic systems allow for operator-free experimentation and material development and optimisation empowered by computational tools such as machine learning. In this new paradigm-shifting scenario, R&D must go far beyond the traditional, and labour-intensive, manual experimentation and analysis. The new industrial demands require the materials engineers of the future to take a holistic digital approach, combining up-to-date synthetic and analytic procedures, automation, data science, and a variety of computational tools. The MSc in Digital Manufacturing of Advanced Materials (DMAM) was co-developed with our industrial partners to meet these requirements and to equip the next generation of engineers and scientists with the interdisciplinary skills needed.

Experiential learning is at the heart of the DMAM MSc programme, and you will learn through case studies and open-ended research questions developed with industry. Learning by doing will be an essential part in all experimental and computational module tasks, including materials synthesis and characterisation, automation and data acquisition, and analysis and system optimisation; for example, using digital twins and machine learning in practical lab set-ups.

The 12-month-long DMAM programme is structured in three terms. Term 1 will provide an overview of the crucial aspects of materials and data science and showcase digital manufacturing in a way that is suitable for students with different educational backgrounds. In Term 2, advanced concepts of data science (with a focus on machine learning) and their relevance for automated materials manufacturing will be covered. An integrated module will enable you to apply the concepts and methodologies of digital manufacturing in a practical context. Term 3 will be devoted to the MSc research project, covering elements of data-driven materials manufacturing, with an emphasis on experimental and/or computational work. Each project will be supervised directly by UCL academics and will be based upon input from our industrial partners.

This DMAM programme will be based at UCL East, the home of the new Manufacturing Futures Lab. These unique facilities provide laboratories for materials production at all scales (including double floor labs), high-end materials characterisation techniques, state-of-the art robotics combined with reactor and process analytical technology, a well-equipped workshop with multiple 3D printing technologies, and large computational and wet labs for teaching, all to give you a unique hands-on experience. The MSc sits within the UCL Department of Chemical Engineering, which is one of the top-rated departments in the world, being internationally renowned for its outstanding research and education. The DMAM programme has been developed by world leading and industry-experienced academics with backgrounds in chemical engineering but also other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, materials science, and electrical engineering, and will strive to invite industrial guest speakers.