Prof. Dr. Md. Saniat Rahman Zishan, Director, Faculty of Engineering, AIUB; Dr. Chowdhury Akram Hossain, Associate Professor & Department Head, Department of COE, AIUB and Mr. Mahamudul Hassan, Assistant Professor, Department of IPE, AIUB visited the STEAMhouse at Birmingham City University, UK.

During the visit, the delegates were introduced to the mission and vision of the university. The Birmingham City University (BCU) officially became a university in 1992, evolving from the City of Birmingham Polytechnic (1971). Their mission is to develop talent for tomorrow, to create knowledge for good, and to power prosperity.  STEAMhouse being the new home of computing and digital technology of the university, it provides workspace & incubation, innovation services, STEAM skills development, student enterprise, prototyping & experimentation services.

The delegates then visited the Creative Lab in the STEMhouse which was well equipped with 3D printing, filament and resin printing machine, 3D clay printing machine and CNC machine etc. These modern technologies help bringing together industry, students, and academics to turn ideas into impact enabling innovation, enterprise, and inclusive growth for Birmingham and beyond

On first day, the keynote session was delivered by Prof. Javaid Butt, Professor of Manufacturing and Product Design, Birmingham City University. In his presentation he explored four major problem areas of digital manufacturing- SMED operations and lack of standardization for fixture design and manufacture, lack of carbon fiber components usage in the construction sector, with known benefits, lack of standardized equipment for laser making and automated inspection and buckling of equestrian poles due to excess heat and losses due to replacement/ warranty claims.

The next speaker Dr. Noel Perera, Associate professor in Innovation & Enterprise, BCU, talked about some of the research projects regarding thermal management such as net-zero transportation/heat exchanger technology, energy storage technology etc.

Next, a short discussion session on research projects and BCU took place with Professors Maxine Lintern followed by a group photo session and souvenir exchange between the BCU and the delegates of AIUB.

Then a presentation by Mr. Ahmed, a student of BCU delved into the reconfigurable welding fixtures where he pointed out some current manufacturing challenges and technical methodology of DMP (Daventry Metal Products).

Finally on the first day, Dr. Cham Athwal, Professor of Digital Technology at BCU talked about his project named “Smart-SIP and harnessing solar energy for the electrification of agriculture in Bangladesh”.

The first session of the second day, conducted by Mr. Vahid Zal, Composite Materials Researcher at BCU, UK, started with a general discussion on the project. During this discussion he delved into the CFRP Composites in Construction. The extraordinary strength of these thin fiber composites makes the demand to be very high. He also explained the structural design of the material with FEM simulation which shows the structure’s general behavior as well as the load capacity and weakest point.

The next session was conducted by Dr. Md. Ashikul Khan, Program Director, M.Sc. Management Suite, Birmingham City University, UK. The session was on Digital Transformation and Adoption for Process. Here he first introduced the industrial revolution followed by digital transformation problems and challenges for the processes of the project. He also explored the KHB methods for interdependence quantification in the project.

Later on, the delegates visited different facilities at BCU.

Next day, Nelson Iziomo, KTP Associate at BCU, UK, conducted the first session. The session explored the Modular Class 1 Laser Marker & Vision Inspection System where the speaker talked about how this system combines safety, robotics, vision and software into one unified system. He also pointed out the feasibility of the system through structured design, assumptions, layout and simulation.

Then a session was conducted by Dr. Muhammad Adnan, Program Lead- the DL Engineering Management Program, BCU, UK, where he talked about Digital Manufacturing and A Synergy of Industrial Revolution 4.0 to 6.0. He highlighted the limitations of industry 4.0 models and key pillars of Industry 5.0 and 6.0.

The speaker for the third session of the day was Mr. Habib Afsharnia, a student of BCU, UK. In this session he talked about Enhancing EV Reliability with Additively Manufactured Shock & Damage Absorbers. Pointing out the current enclosures problems, he explained the need of a multi-stage absorber.

The closing speech was delivered by Most. Hamida Khatun, First Secretary & Head of Chancery, Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, Birmingham. She also handed over plaques of gratitude to the AIUB delegates and received one from the delegates of BCU.

The extensive training session ended with intentions for future collaborations and prospective involvement of the institutes in different emerging topics. Both institutes’ representatives shared common intention to continue the collaboration for the betterment of both the academic and industrial developments.