Dr Harrison of the College of Engineering will work closely with Crown Holdings Inc. to further advance its capability in design and lightweighting of metal packaging designs. Finite Element Modelling (FEM) is an important computational engineering tool in simulation-driven packaging development and this Crown Lectureship will specialize in using FEM to predict the behaviour of thin sheet metal at high speeds during forming processes.

Dr Cormac Neeson, Director of External Affairs at Crown Technology said:  “This is an exciting opportunity for us to further develop what Crown Technology is already doing in this area and also to deepen our relationship with Swansea University while exploring new ideas and perhaps the next generation of FEM.”

Currently, Crown uses FEM to design new products and advance lightweighting initiatives, but hopes to expand and further improve its FEM capabilities by working with the University. The partnership is expected  to result  in even greater reductions in the amount of material used in its packaging, improving sustainability, as well as speed to market by decreasing the evaluation and testing of new products in the physical world. FEM modelling is a computerized method for predicting how a product will behave in the real world in a virtual environment while enabling researchers to make educated predictions of its behaviour prior to prototyping or manufacture.

Dr Harrison, who has significant expertise using high performance computing, completed a PhD in FEM of metal alloys for Aero-engine applications in 2007 and has since published over 10 international peer-reviewed journal papers, working with companies like Rolls Royce Aircraft Engines. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and has teaching experience on computational engineering and materials-based subjects. Dr Harrison will also teach and publish his findings as a way to garner student interest and further Crown’s development in  FEM.

Dr Harrison said: “I am really looking forward to working with the engineering design team at Crown and combining my experience in both materials science and computational engineering to develop a greater fundamental understanding of how thin sheet metal behaves during high-speed forming.”

Head of Swansea University’s College of Engineering, Professor Steven Brown said: “We at the College are incredibly proud to partner with Crown Packaging and the appointment of a Crown sponsored lecturer highlights our commitment to engaging with the industry. Swansea University has a strong record of research in Finite Element Modelling and this new position opens up exciting opportunities for long-term collaborative research into the modelling of sheet metal forming using FEM.”