Developing an ingenious hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing route for producing biomedical implants via metal AM processes and laser post-processing

About the project

About the Project 3 Year Self funded project This PhD project will ignite an exciting new research area involving hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing (AM-SM) routes for the fabrication of biomedical implants economically to meet the growing demand of biomedical industries. In particular, the novel hybrid AM-SM process route will combine laser-based powder bed fusion (LPBF)/binder jetting and laser post-processing techniques, such as laser surface texturing (LST) and laser polishing (LP). LPBF/binder jetting technique will be used to produce porous structures inside the produced implants with a desired porosity level (~30%). An outermost dense structure will also be fabricated using different LPBF settings to emulate human bone structures. Since LPBF-built surfaces typically possess higher surface roughness (~10-20 μm), laser post-processing techniques (LST, LP) will be subsequently employed to achieve sub-micron surface roughness (<0.5 μm) on the outermost layers of the implants. It is further envisaged that the surface cracks, defects would be eliminated by employing LP which would ultimately improve the parts’ surface integrity. The student will be working within the High-Value Manufacturing Group’s two major research labs - Additive Manufacturing and Micro and Nano-manufacturing. The student will receive training in the following experimental techniques: · LPBF/binder jetting of titanium and cobalt-chrome alloys. · LST/LP of LPBF parts. · Surface and mechanical integrity analysis. The High-Value Manufacturing (HVM) Research Group of Cardiff University has recently acquired a state-of-the-art metal binder jetting machine. Through this project, the student will have an exceptional opportunity to gain experience on the novel metal binder jetting AM technology. Throughout the project, the scientific communication skills of the student will be developed through presentation at conferences and preparing scientific articles for publication. Academic Criteria Candidates should hold a good bachelor’s degree (first or upper second-class honours degree) or an MEng/MSc degree in a relevant engineering/science subject. Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent) Contact for further information Dr Debajyoti Bhaduri ( BhaduriD@cardiff.ac.uk ) How to apply Applicants should submit an application for postgraduate study via the Cardiff University webpages ( http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/engineering ) including; · an upload of your CV · a personal statement/covering letter · two references · Current academic transcripts Applicants should select Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering), with a start date of PLEASE CHOOSE - 1 st October 2026. 1st January 2027, 1st April 2027 In the research proposal section of your application, please specify the project title and supervisors of this project and copy the project description in the text box provided. In the funding section, please select "I will be applying for a scholarship / grant" and specify that you are applying for advertised funding, reference DB4-SF-2026 Deadline for applications There is no deadline to apply - We will close this opportunity once a suitable candidate is identified.

Research areas