Professor’s portrait: Digital technology creates customised solutions for the future
Ross Friel, recently appointed Professor of Electronics focusing on advanced digital manufacturing at Halmstad University, is researching how digital systems can enhance manufacturing processes. More precise and customised products are being created using computer-based design and new materials, unlocking new possibilities in areas such as autonomous vehicles and medical technology.
Researchers in this field use computers to create complex structures, often inspired by biological forms, such as the structure of bones. These designs are then manufactured using modern techniques and materials. An example is radar lenses for self-driving cars, where optimising the surface makes radar signals more efficient, helping the vehicle to avoid obstacles.
Ross Friel began his career in Great Britain when 3D printing technology was still in its early stages. During his master’s studies, he worked on customised bone implants – an early form of “mass customisation”, where individual needs drive production rather than the traditional one-size-fits-all approach of mass production. From that point onwards, the interest in mass customisation has continued to motivate Ross Friel in his work.
“We can provide solutions for specific situations, which is a big change for society”, says Ross Friel.
Text and video: Anna-Frida Agardson
About Ross Friel
Ross Friel earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering and Management in 2005 and a Master’s degree in Engineering Design in 2006. In 2011, he completed his PhD at Loughborough University in the UK with a dissertation titled “Investigating the Effect of Ultrasonic Consolidation on Shape Memory Alloy Fibres”. After his PhD, he worked as a research assistant at Loughborough University until 2012 and then as an associate senior lecturer until 2015. He subsequently served as a Research Engineer at the MAX IV Laboratory in Lund. In 2018, he became an Associate Professor at Halmstad University, Docent in 2020 and was promoted to Professor of Electronics, specialising in advanced digital manufacturing, in 2024.
Ross Friel will be inaugurated as Professor at the Academic Ceremony at Halmstad University on 15 November 2024.
