This project offers agile creative working, and brings science closer to societal impact.

The NXTGEN Hightech program aims to accelerate the development of innovative new equipment and technologies. Responding to the future needs for sustainable mobility, rapid thermoplastic composite processes that can be applied in digital micro-factories powered by increased automation technology will be developed. Here, we focus on zero-defect manufacturing processes for resilient and adaptable data-driven additive manufacturing. We will work with CEAD who have developed an additive manufacturing process combined with fibre reinforcement to drastically enhance the properties of very large printed structures. To fully exploit its potential, there is a need for data science to enable precise monitoring and control of printing processes.

In this project you will develop a data driven approach to model the thermomechanical physics during a large scale additive manufacturing process. This will be achieved through sensor fusion, computer vision and data-driven tools to develop a digital twin of the fabrication process. You will implement reinforcement learning methods and/or graph based neural-networks incorporating process, thermal and optical data to predict the local and global material properties on-the-fly. Within the project we aim to monitor and interact with the printing process in real time. You will work alongside a postdoctoral researcher that will focus on computational design of 3D reinforced printed structures.

• You hold a masters degree in a natural sciences or engineering discipline, with your thesis preferably focused on AI, physics informed processing, additive manufacturing or a related discipline.
• You are creative and proficient in programming.
• You enjoy pioneering new ideas, linking results with physical experiments and thrive in an interactive, collaborative research environment. 
• You have good English communication skills and a strong drive for academic excellence. Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.