Mr Hafiz Ali

Job: PhD student

Faculty: Computing, Engineering and Media

School/department: School of Engineering and Sustainable Development

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: N/A

E: hafiz.ali@dmu.ac.uk

 

Personal profile

I am currently doing PhD in mechanical engineering at DMU. My research interest includes additive manufacturing processes and the design of programable lattice structures. I am also working as a part time lecturer at DMU, teaching subjects like Digital Manufacturing, Theory of Machines and thermodynamics including BSc and MSc student project supervision.
Before joining DMU, I was working in the mechanical engineering industry as a consultant and as a design engineer. Throughout my professional and academic career, I have been learning new skills in CAD & FEA and also playing important role in various innovation activities and sustainability. 

Research group affiliations

Publications and outputs

Published patents

  • Ebike retrofit technology international patent WO 2021/140306 A1
  • Ebike retrofit technology UK patent GB 2590933 A
  • 3D printing (FDM) technology international patent WO 2021/140306 A1

Patents pending

  • Flow battery technology
  • Bicycle free hub technology 
  • Artificial intelligence technology for bikes/e-bikes drive systems.

Research paper pending

  • Investigation of mechanical properties of strut-based 3D printed lattice structures.

Conferences attended

  • CEM PGR conference 2021

Research interests/expertise

  • Additive manufacturing
  • cellular structures
  • 3D Modelling
  • FEA (Finite element analysis)
  • Machine Design
  • Product development
  • sustainable Innovations.
  • Mechanical design

Areas of teaching

  • ENGT5155-Digital Manufacturing
  • ENGD1106-Mechanical Principles-Dynamics
  • ENGD2005-Theory of Machines and Thermodynamics
  • ENGT3000-BSc project supervision
  • ENGT5301-MSc project supervision
  • ENGD3120-Design for 3D printing
  • ENGD3112-Machines and mechanisms
  • ENGT5257-Structural Integrity: Designing against failure (module leader)

Qualifications

  • B.Sc Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan (awarded 2015)
  • M.Sc Mechanical Engineering from DeMontfort University, United Kingdom  (awarded 2019)                                                                                      

PhD project 

Title

Investigation of the mechanical behaviour of a novel programable auxetic metamaterial lattice structure

PhD project abstract

Metamaterials are manmade advanced materials which exhibit physical and mechanical properties that are not usually found in nature. An auxetic metamaterial is one of the kind that shows a characteristic mechanical property called “Negative Poisson’s ratio” or NPR, unlike any other natural materials that have a positive Poisson’s ratio. Auxetic metamaterials also show interesting physical and mechanical properties like vibration isolation, stiffness, impact energy absorption etc. The design and development of the programable auxetic metamaterial lattice structure require advanced CAD techniques and the hybrid manufacturing processes that are also under study during the research. This novel material and hybrid manufacturing process unveils the new possibilities of the fabrication of advanced metamaterials that are not achievable through conventional additive manufacturing processes. The 2D/3D models of novel auxetic metamaterial lattice structures can be produced intuitively, by generative design, by topology optimization or through implicit/explicit mathematical equations.

Awards

  • Best student award 2020 (DMU)
  • Best MSc project award 2020 (DMU)
  • Winner of the Ebike design competition held by PETRONAS (National Petroleum Limited) (2015)
  • Winner of the Innovation project exhibition by University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan (2015)
  • Project innovations awards at Pakistan Auto Show (2014)
Hafiz Ali