WMG to create an International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing

Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) has announced plans to create a £4.1 million International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM) and to develop a building for the new institute.

An artist’s impression of WMG’s planned International Institute of Nanocomposites Manufacturing building; Photo: Warwick University

The IINM is the third new initiative at WMG this year.

The first being the £100 million National Automotive Innovation Campus (NAIC), a research and development facility for the UK automotive industry.

The second being the £2.3 Automotive Composite Research Centre (ACRC), which will help develop the local industry’s manufacturing capability for polymeric composites, useful for lightweight vehicle technologies.

It is also among many of the University’s new developments on campus, such as the Warwick Business School (WBS) extension.

The new IINM building will include state-of-the-art facilities such as characterisation laboratories, a wet chemistry laboratory, processing halls, offices and open plan research spaces.

The IINM will be the first institute in the world to focus on the manufacture of Nanocomposites so that industry can manufacture large scale nanocomposite parts and can commercialise products with added functionality.

Nanocomposites differ from conventional composite materials due to its exceptionally high surface to volume ratio from its nano-dimensional phases in its structure.

Nanocomposite processing means that materials can be manufactured to be lightweight and to have enhanced properties, such as enhanced conductivity, heat resistance and durability.

The research within the Institute will relate closely with other work in the WMG department, particularly those in lightweighting and composites where nanoparticles can be added to polymers to add functionality to structural components.

A team of 50 academics and researchers will also work collaboratively with other academic groups and industrial partners in a wide range of industries.

These include telecommunications, electronics, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, automotive, security and medicine.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, chairman of WMG, said: “These are exciting times for WMG as we invest in another new development.

“The research and development expectations of industry are increasing and we need to be at the forefront of enabling them to develop world class products.

“This is why we are creating the first institute, in the world, that will enable industry to manufacture large scale nanocomposite parts.”

Professor Tony McNally, chair in Nanocomposites at WMG and leader of the IINM development, said: “I am extremely excited to be establishing a world first at WMG.

“Whilst the outputs from the IINM will directly impact industry, the research that will be undertaken will be rooted in fundamental engineering science.”