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Cranfield University

Centre for life cycle engineering. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Overview

Cranfield University is a distinctive, wholly postgraduate university – a forward-thinking institution where world-class research and innovation leads to world-changing solutions. We are a major contributor in the UK and internationally. Key to our success is our collaboration with industry. We undertake research and consultancy for industrial clients, non-government
and government organisations. We nurture and develop future leaders in competitive global businesses providing them with the expertise and confidence to face up to the challenges of a constantly changing environment. We have an extensive track record in engineering, linking them with business and commerce. An extensive range of facilities underpins the work undertaken.

UKRRIN status

UKRRIN affiliate member

Centre for life cycle engineering. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science - Test facilities

Railway Innovation Test Area - 20m track/ Unmanned vehicle laboratory: rail trolley; robots/ Condition monitoring laboratory: vibration, AE, ultrasonics, IR, friction, enviromental chamber/ Virtual reality suite; digital twins/ Crash investigation/

Research themes

Topic: Centre for Life-cycle Engineering and Management
Summary:

Autonomous systems; non-contact inspection; unmanned vehicles;. Command and Control; 20m track rig facility; crack detection in IR

Project examples: Autonomous systems: Autonom, NEMO, Warthog, cobots; modelling, digital twin; navigation; / S&C whole systems design; self adjusting POE / CBM: track geometry data; analytics; ultrasonics; infra red thermography; modal analysis / TRL management - assessment tool
Topic: Centre for Digital Engineering and Manufacturing
Summary:
  • Digitalisation of through-life manufacturing: data mining, ontologies, knowledge base, NDT, robotics, additive manufacturing, etc.
  • Complex systems and optimisation: data analytics, risk and uncertainty quantification, physics based modelling, adaptive simulation, decision making, multiscale modelling life cycle simulations, factory/process system simulations.
  • Digital twins and AI: digital twins, AI and autonomous systems, IoT, cloud computing, and blockchain.
  • Virtual and augmented reality: adaptive visualisation, dynamic content creation, digital work instructions, and innovative training.

The Centre works actively with industry across sectors such as aerospace, rail, defence, healthcare, pharmaceutical and food manufacturing. The engagement varies from fundamental research (e.g. TRL 1-3) to more practical (e.g. TRL 4-6) and short term solutions.

Project examples: Digital Twin for Plain Line Track in WP4 and S&C in WP2 / Wheel slip / Vehicle fault management – diagnosis
Topic: Cost benefit analysis
Summary:

Whole life costing; cost benefit analysis for innovation; use cases on track and inspection

Project examples: Autonom, Track geometry - localised tamping / CBA tools for innovation - use case on tunnel robot
Topic: Big data interrogation and visualisation
Summary:

Data management; quality assessment; track and vehicle data assessment; visualisation; diagnostics; battery life estimation; fault detection

Project examples: Wheel slip / Engine data / Doors / Track geometry indicators; gauge; twist; cyclic top
Topic: Mapping for asset management
Summary:

Mapping and data exchange repositories through UKCRIC; national infrastructure research database

Project examples: DAFNI - Data & Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure
Topic: Modelling
Summary:

Chassis design, materials

Project examples:

Centre for life cycle engineering. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science – Fact File (2026-27) 

 

4 Research staff

PhD students

19 Masters students

18 Publications

Capability matrix

CAPABILITY
CAPABILITY LEVEL
Easy to use for all
Accurate, accessible and understandable real-time information
Smart fare collection
Accessible to all
Multi-modal integrated journeys
Reliable and fast on-board connectivity
Freight friendly
Increased network access for freight
Safer freight operations and better asset management
Enable greater intermodality and access for freight customers
Greater asset utilisation and reduced freight journey times
Low carbon freight and On Track machines
Low emissions
Efficient new electrificaiton
Zero carbon self-powered vehicles
Low carbon freight and On Track machines
Intelligent energy management
Cleaner air
Quieter railway
Lowering embodied carbon of key material
Optimised train operations
Infrastructure and train capabilities to overcome capacity constraints
Simpler and safer real-time operations and decisions
Improved recovery from incidents and disruptions
Reliable and flexible train planning
More affordable solutions for lower-use lines
Efficient and reliable - infrastructure
“Right-time” actionable insights on infrastructure conditions
Efficient, effective and safe infrastructure maintenance
Improved resilience of infrastructure to climate change and extreme weather events
Speed up and de-risk introduction of infrastructure assets
Proactive management of infrastructure obsolescence
Efficient and reliable - rolling stock
“Right-time” actionable insights on rolling stock conditions
Efficient, effective and safe rolling stock maintenance
Improved resilience of rolling stock to climate change and extreme weather events
Speed up and de-risk introduction of rolling stock assets
Proactive management of rolling stock obsolescence
Efficient and reliable - interfaces
Improved vehicle/track interaction
Improved pantograph/overhead line interaction
Improved utilisation of constrained space
Improved whole system resilience
Data driven
Advanced computing
Advanced data analytics techniques
Data governance and standardisation
Data integration
Effective innovation culture
System and network models
Pro-innovation legal and regulatory frameworks
Testing, homologation, cross acceptance
Technically talented workforce
Job design and human performance
Workforce development and training
Safety and health
Safety assessment and evaluation
Cyber security
Fitness for duty and health assessment
Competitiveness
Demand forecasting
Cost modelling
Social value

Research Group key contacts

Name: Isidro Durazo-Cardenas, Senior Lecturer in Life-cycle Engineering
Email: i.s.durazocardenas@crandfield.ac.uk

Website

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