Services to business
Process modelling and automation
At the microscopic level, we can model materials at molecular scales. At the other end of the spectrum, we can model complete manufacturing systems, including flowing systems and systems involving hard to process solids.
Our work covers many highly specialised areas. In all of these we can transfer knowledge from our work with other sectors to the food industry, including
- materials modelling
- systems modelling and integration
- geometric modelling and pattern recognition
- micro-systems and machine vision
Modelling can be useful for processes in the food industry.
Materials modelling
Molecular (and higher scale) modelling can predict the flow and deformation of fluids, often crucial to modelling process systems and equipment. Such material properties can model flow-systems including
- three dimensional flows
- time dependency (with chemical reaction)
- mass transfer
- heat transfer
- free surface
- large density difference (as in gas/liquid systems)
Systems and manufacturing
Our work includes the use of discrete even simulation for modelling manufacturing plants using 'what if?' scenarios, lean manufacture and waste elimination within a manufacturing system, and robotics automation, including high speed handling and gripping.
Pattern recognition and machine vision
Our research into pattern recognition and machine vision offers the potential to locate and identify shapes, imperfections and other image-related parameters at high speeds, in complex 3D objects and tracking them in time and space.
