Aston University academics use complex design automation techniques and algorithms to create a more intelligent design process for Mecatherm International, to develop the design and specification of furnaces and ancillary equipment used in aluminium processing. 

The Company

MIL is a team of industrial engineering experts who specialise in the design, supply and commissioning of furnaces and other equipment for the global aluminium industry. They specialise in design and project management, providing bespoke solutions tailored to individual client’s requirements, international standards and regulations worldwide. 

The company carries out a full range of projects, from installation of existing equipment re-builds to multi-million-pound turnkey projects. MIL has an annual turnover of £13.5 million, of which 85-90% is from exports, with projects completed on every continent in all parts of the world. The company has won three Queen's Awards. 

The Problem

MIL needed to develop and implement a Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE) approach to the design and specification of furnaces and ancillary equipment for aluminium processing. However, the company does not possess the expertise to develop the new approach and the breadth of specialist knowledge required makes it impossible to be achieved via consultancy.

"Aston University's academics can embed the capabilities that Mechatherm International need to roll out to other design disciplines post-project which ties into our strategic ambition to move MIL forward in the market." Andrew Riley, Chairman of Mechatherm International Ltd
 

The Solution

The partnership will see Aston University academics using complex design automation techniques and algorithms to create a more intelligent design process, allowing MIL to reduce their manual activities and lower production costs, while increasing innovation activities to stay as leaders in the field.

“Expert knowledge is intricate and dispersed in a veteran firm like MIL who have built their prestige by providing bespoke solutions to the global customer base. Every product is essentially different, and hence optimisation and automation of designs require a robust approach. By the close of this KTP, we hope that we will have reduced the overall design engineering time by 70%.” Suyesh Bhattarai, KTP associate and project manager for the partnership

Further benefits of the KTP include:  

  • Introducing new design concepts such as Matrix Design to build MIL’s Mechanical Engineering Design capabilities
  • Increasing internal resource capability to allow MIL to focus on to future developments into electrical and pneumatic systems
  • Support from Aston Business School to create a service offer to the market
  • Introducing AI automatic design optimisation.  
     

Team Aston

Leading the project on the academic side is Dr Gareth Thomson, reader of the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate programmes at Aston and a co-Director for the Aston STEM Education Centre.

Dr Thomson’s main academic interests are in design and smart systems technology with research interests related to both pedagogy of engineering education and biomedical engineering. He is particularly interested in active learning approaches, workspace design and innovative assessment methodologies.

Dr Michal Konecny will supervise the project’s progress and facilitate the discovery of innovation. Dr Konecny specialises in programming theory, CAD systems and will integrate his knowledge into MIL’s internal system to formulate an optimal software design. His research focuses on the theory and implementation of reliable arbitrary-precision numerical computation and in programming theory, mainly support for static analysis and verification.

Next steps

The KTP is expected to complete in May 2022 – look out for more updates by following us on Twitter and checking our webpage. 

For more information about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships or an informal chat, email ktp@aston.ac.uk or call 0121 204 4242.