RAS Nodes

The award-winning Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) forms part of Cardiff University, which dates back to 1883 and is one of Britain's major civic universities. The 80-strong ISO 9001:2000 accredited Centre has an international reputation for its leading-edge research in advanced manufacturing and information technology spanning a broad spectrum of subjects.

The Institute for Microsystem Technology (IMTEK), founded in 1995, is one of the largest academic institutions in this field. As it was created completely from scratch as part of the new-founded Faculty of Applied Sciences we share a new campus with modern teaching and training facilities together with the Institute of Computer Science. The foundation of a new technical faculty provided the chance not only to use new facilities but also to create a novel engineering course which differs significantly from traditional engineering disciplines. So the basis for the specification of the course has been the questions for the indispensable skills of a ‘universal’ engineer of the 21st century. The curriculum was inaugurated in October 1996 when the first classes started in the course microsystem technology. The first graduations have been in spring 2001. Between 1998 and 2001 about 90 freshmen started studying Microsystem Technology every year. The curriculum has been modified several times since 1996 in order to comply more and more with our initial goals.

K.U.Leuven is one of the three divisions of the department of Mechanical Engineering. PMA is active in the following areas: manufacturing processes, machine and instrument design, structural dynamics, acoustics, CAD/CAM/CIM, robotics, assembly automation, mechatronics, micro- and precision engineering, and metrology. The PMA division work includes original fundamental work as well as successful industry-oriented projects carried out in collaboration with small, medium and large companies and with international organisations like the European Space Agency. An important role of the research activities of the PMA division is based on international collaboration as shown by the participation of the division in more than 40 EC funded projects. The PMA division has also been nominated as Centre of Excellence by the Belgian Government.

Electrical Discharge machine (IT Elektronika), Waterjet and Abrasive Waterjet machine (OMAX), Waterjet Incremental Sheet Metal Forming machine (Hefajst), Contact surface roughness measurement (Perthometer), various metrology equipment.down to 0.1nm

MicroEDM Sarix SX-100-HPM machine
Elf3300 EnduraTec microtesting/microforming machine
Physik Instrumente precision translation stages
Acoustic emission monitoring system
Laboratory hydraulic servo-presses (25 and 100 tons) with precise stroke/force control
Equipment for nanostructuring of metals
Equipment for microindentation (microdimpling) of metallic surfaces
Mitutoyo surface roughness tester
Computing facilities and the Abaqus FEM program