Optimisation of Manufacturing Processes

Mark Evans - My research interests have led to the publication of over 75 peer reviewed journal papers and two postgraduate textbooks. My research has involved the applications of statistics to three main fields of study: i. the lifeing of materials at high temperatures, ii. process optimisation in manufacturing and ii. techno-economic forecasting.

1. My current research in this field is advancing the Wilshire methodology to life assessment by expressing the Wilshire equations within a statistical hierarchical model so that batch to batch variation is modelled correctly to enable meaningful confidence intervals to be made for the predicted failure times on any material.

2. I have worked with TATA Steel to improve the surface finish of their manufactured strip by applying various data mining techniques. For TIMET my work has involved the computer modelling of their processes to identify optimal production schedules and for Rolls Royce my work has involved combining numerical and statistical techniques to optimize a disc test for determining the remaining life of materials used for generating electricity

3. My research has involved the development and estimation of novel models for providing reliable forecast of short to medium term movements in both the price and the demand of various basic metals.