Research Infrastructure

Computer facilities to run the following engineering software:

  • FEA – Finite Element Analysis – ANSYS
    Linear and non-linear structural analysis: predict behaviour of structural
    components for a wide range of materials and loadings (e.g. pressure
    vessels, biomechanics, modal analysis / vibration response etc.)
    Thermal and thermo-mechanical analysis: predict the thermal and
    structural response of components or thermally driven processes (e.g.
    welding, laser cutting/forming etc.)

  • CFD – Computational Fluid Dynamics Fluent - FLUENT / ANSYS
    Advanced aerodynamic and hydrodynamic analysis of components (e.g.
    wind turbine blades, offshore wind turbine support structures etc.)

  • Naval Architecture Simulation - Bentley Academic SELECT:
    to design, model, optimise and characterise hull forms
    to perform stability (intact/ damage) and strength calculations, analyse
    sea-keeping performance, resistance and powering prediction, sailing
    performance analysis for yachts
    to perform 3D modelling using linear, non-linear and buckling analysis,
    static and dynamic structural analysis on the ship hull and structure
  • MAXSURF Ultimate
  • Multiframe Advanced
  • SACS Marine Enterprise
  • SACS Offshore Structure Enterprise
  • MOSES Advanced

  • MATLAB/Simulink

  • WindPRO (EMD)

  • GT-POWER

  • LabView

The computer aided engineering laboratory was co-funded by the European Union
through the European Regional Development Fund under the Cohesion Policy
Programme 2007-2013

  • Wind tunnel testing, flow measurements using hot-wire anemometry, wind
    turbine performance and load evaluation.
  • Low wind speed wind tunnel 38 x 38 cm
  • Low wind speed wind tunnel 900 mm diameter
  • Wave tank testing
  • Wave making generator 8 m long and 750 mm wide and 1 m deep
  • Multi-channel hot wire anemometry
  • Fluid mechanics data acquisition systems
  • HighSpeed Camera FPS 4000
  • PIV Dantec
  • Wind turbine siting
  • Strain gauge based experiments:
  • Strain gauging and monitoring of structural components
  • Tensile, compression and impact testing
  • PhotoStress® Plus analysis kit from Vishay Precision Group – Micro-
  • Measurements for experimental stress analysis
  • Vibration and Acoustic Monitoring:
  • Vibration monitoring
  • Human and hand vibration exposure measurements
  • Machine diagnostics using vibration analysis tools
  • Sounds / Noise level monitoring
  • Run-up and run-down vibration testing of rotating machinery
  • Dynamic balancing of machines / rotary systems
  • Monitoring of ground borne vibrations
  • Order analysis
  • Modal analysis
  • INSTRON Tensile testing 150kN
  • INSTRON Tensile testing 100kN plus Oven
  • INSTRON Tensile testing 10kN plus Torsion
  • Dilatometer
  • 3D Printer
  • Impact testing Machine
  • Hot Bonder
  • Heating mats
  • Composite -Vacuum pump and setup
  • Pocket UT NDT
  • Spinning Wheel plus Weaving bed
  • Welding X,Y Table Plotter
  • Laboratory experiments for thermodynamics and heat transfer
  • Testing of internal combustion engines
  • One electrical dynamometer, two water brakes and other smaller dynos
  • Demonstration type gas turbine
  • Testing of air conditioning setups, including variable speed (inverter)
  • Heat transfer in pipe facility
  • Supersonic nozzle setup
  • LabVIEW and Keithley data acquisition systems
  • Stuska water break dyno 100BHP
  • Plint electric dyno 60Kw
  • Froude water brake dyno
  • Dynomite chassis dyno 28”
  • FTIR MKS 2030
  • AVL In Cylinder pressure sensors M10 / M14 spark plug mounted + amplifiers
  • AVL TDC Probe
  • Bosch Automotive Scan Tool
  • Bosch Crash Data retrieval (CDR)
  • Precision Process Calibrator 7526A
  • Mitsubishi RV-8CRL 6-DOF revolute robot, 931mm reach, 7kg payload, with
    tracking capability, adjustable gripper, or vacuum gripper, and RT Toolbox 3
    simulation software. Mounted on a highly reconfigurable table.
  • Mitsubishi RH-6FRH5534N-D 4-DOF SCARA robot, 550mm reach, 6kg
    payload, with tracking capability, adjustable gripper, or vacuum gripper, and RT
    Toolbox 3 simulation software.
  • Franka Emika Panda 7-DOF collaborative robot (cobot), 850mm reach, 3kg
    payload, with 2-jaw electric parallel gripper, and with research app bundle.
  • Machine vision systems: Two National Instruments ISC-1782 smart cameras,
    and two Cognex/DVT smart image sensors.
  • Machine vision lighting (ring light, strobe)
  • Pair of Virtual Motion Labs VMG30 data gloves.
  • Two flat belt conveyors (one with variable speed)
  • Other sundry equipment, components and tools.
  • Various robot hands and glove devices, built in house.
  • Semi-autonomous mobile domestic robot, on 3WD Omni 1006 platform, built inhouse.
  • Ackerman ROS2 mobile robot platform
  • Elephant Robotics myCobot 280-Pi 6-DOF Multi-functional Lightweight
    Robotic Arm

https://www.um.edu.mt/eng/mec/researchinfrastructure/