At the Digital Manufacturing Lab in the University of Manchester, we conduct research in design and manufacturing with a focus on computational technology to generate optimized design and manufacturing process. We combine cutting-edge research with practical applications to drive innovation and excellence in modern manufacturing. Our mission is to bridge the gap between digital and physical realms with pioneering technologies and innovative solutions. Led by Prof. Dr. Charlie C. L. Wang, our team brings together expertise in computational design, manufacturing, robotics, and computer graphics to tackle real-world challenges.
We integrate diverse fields such as computational design, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and computer graphics to create state-of-the-art solutions for modern manufacturing and design. This interdisciplinary approach enables us to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of manufacturing processes, driving innovation and excellence in the industry.
Our team has garnered numerous accolades, including prestigious awards from leading conferences such as SIGGRAPH, ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC/CIE), and other notable events. These recognitions highlight our commitment to excellence and innovation.
We have also successfully collaborated with leading industry partners such as Nikon, Airbus, and Coriolis Composites. Our research has also secured substantial funding from renowned institutions, including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, UK). These collaborations and grants underscore the real-world impact and relevance of our work.
• October 2024
Charlie was invited to give a plenary talk at the SIAM International Meshing Roundtable Workshop, March 3-6, 2025, Fort Worth, Texas
• August 2024
Our papers “Learning based toolpath planner on diverse graphs for 3D printing” and “Motion-driven neural optimizer for prophylactic braces made by distributed microstructures” were accepted by SIGGRAPH Asia, December 3-6, 2024, Tokyo, Japan
• June 2024
We were at TCT 3Sixty!!!
• April 2024
Our paper “Neural slicer for multi-axis 3D printing” was accepted by SIGGRAPH.
• October 2023
Dr. Guoxin Fang, who graduated from our group in 2022, has joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering.
• August 2023
Charlie has received an EPSRC Fellowship Grant for the research project “Field Computation Based Kernel for Vector 3D Printing”.
• August 2023
Our paper “Vector field based volume peeling for multi-axis machining” received the CIE Best Paper Award at ASME IDETC/CIE 2023 Conference, Boston, USA.
• January 2023
Dr. Rob Scharff, who graduated from our group in 2021, has joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as an Assistant Professor at the Division of Integrative Systems and Design.
• December 2022
Our paper “S^3-Slicer- A general slicing framework for multi-axis 3D printing” received the Technical Papers’ Best Paper Award at SIGGRAPH Asia 2022.