ERDF project to improve R&D potential in metallurgy and engineering

An ERDF project to improve Malta’s research & development potential in the metallurgy and engineering design fields is being held at the university.

It will be carried out by the Departments of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (DMME) as well as the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (DIME), within the Faculty of Engineering.

The project, “Developing an Interdisciplinary Material Testing and Rapid Prototyping R&D Facility”, draws from an allocation of around €5 million and encompasses two main areas:-

a)Material testing: purchase of new equipment using cutting-edge technology to enable the DMME to perform more rigorous and exhaustive testing on materials. These new facilities enhance the ability of the University and Maltese industry to assess the quality of the imported materials and more importantly to research and innovate.

b)The Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering will be equipped with state of the art rapid manufacturing of design prototypes, known as “Rapid Prototyping” equipment: realising a computer-based drawing in a matter of minutes gives the opportunity to the University and industry to speed up their product design processes, hence sharply reducing time to market and increasing competitiveness.

Through this project, engineering & MCAST students can gain hands-on experience in cutting edge technology and will be in a better position to promote working environments with lower carbon emissions and higher productivity.