The Laboratory for Precision and Nano Processing Technologies is leading research in multi-scale manufacturing, cross-disciplinary characterisation of advanced materials, and multi-scale mechanics. The Laboratory has a strong international reputation for its research and innovation. The laboratory has been serving as a hub of research networking, international collaboration, and industry consultation, fostering effective solutions to production problems.  

Achievements 

The laboratory team was the world-first to achieve a quantitative experimental verification of the molecular dynamics prediction of Si-II phase transformation at the scale of a few nanometres. More information can be found at Nanotechnology, Vol 20, 2009, pp 305705. 

The laboratory team was the world-first to develop the damage-free and chemical-free technology for polishing monocrystalline silicon (see: Scripta Materialia, Vol 59, 2008, pp 1178-1181). 

Research Areas 

  • Multi-scale manufacturing from nano to macro-scales: cutting, grinding, polishing, lapping, metal forming, composite forming, moulding, process design, damage-free machining, optical lens, micro-lens arrays, micro-textured surfaces 
  • Bio-manufacturing: biomechanics, biomaterials, design and fabrication of implants and prostheses 
  • Nanotechnology: nanomechanics, nanomaterials, nano-surfaces, thin films, nano-wires, nanotubes, nano-composites, molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics analysis, interfaces 
  • Characterisation of advanced materials: mechanical properties, stress-induced phase transformations, constitutive modelling of materials, interface properties, subsurface damage analysis, characterisation of metals, ceramics, semiconductors and particulate and fibre-reinforced composites 
  • Tribology: wear and friction of materials (from nano to macro-scales including cutting tools, composites and biomedical elements) 
  • Solid mechanics: stress and deformation analysis, elasticity and plasticity, molecular dynamics analysis, analytical modelling, mechanics of anisotropic materials, residual stress analysis, finite element modelling, development of numerical methods and algorithms 

Facilities 

The Laboratory is equipped with:   

  • 5-axis high precision turning centre 
  • 7-axis ultra-precision polishing centre 
  • Nanoindenter 
  • Nanotribometer 
  • Microtribometer 
  • High temperature tribometer (up to 1000 deg C) 
  • X-ray stress analyser and material property analyser (up to 1000 deg C) 

Contact Us

More details including publications, equipment, complete list of facilities, team expertise, research projects, and professional and community activities, can be found on the Precision and Nano Processing Technologies microsite

For more information, contact Professor Ganga Prusty.