Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/M13879/01
Title:	PROCESSING OF WROUGHT STRUCTURAL ALUMINIUM ALLOYS - NEUROFUZZY MODELLING APPROACHES IN MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Principal Investigator:	Gregson, Professor P
Other Investigators:	Sinclair, Professor I Harris, Professor C Reed, Professor P Brown, Dr M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	British Aluminium Ltd Ministry of Defence (MOD) T & N Technology Ltd
Department:	Faculty of Engineering & the Environment
Organisation:	University of Southampton
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 1998	Ends:	31 March 2002	Value (£):	188,431
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Extensive understanding exists on the processing/performance relationships of Al alloys. Quantitative modelling of commercial systems remains difficult due to the complexity of materials and industrial processing conditions. Current on-line shop floor data systems have led to large production/property databases. Such databases contain important information on processing/performance links (particularly data scatter). Quantitative image analysis (developed at Soton) of two-phase automotive A1 alloys will provide a large microstructural data-base that can be generated swiftly in-house and linked to such commercial databases. Both data-sources are toounwieldy, complex and non-systematic to be interpreted in any detail using standard regression techniques. Neurofuzzy modelling is a proven, powerful and efficient method for complex engineering systems, with advantages over classical neural networks, the ability to combine prior scientific understanding with improved model interrogation and discovered knowledge extraction. By combining extensive production data resources, major Al alloy producers' expert knowledge, quantitative microstructural data, academic microstructure/property understanding, and expertise in neurofuzzy modelling approaches, the present work will produce a highly effective interdisciplinary approach to commercial process modelling, and also illustrate the generic advantages and disadvantages of using such techniques more widely in materials research.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.soton.ac.uk