Welcome to the Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC)
International R&D Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology
Industrial Services
We offer a professional and efficient ISO 9001-accredited service providing rapid prototyping (SLS, SLA, FDM, casting), tooling and micro/nanofabrication (EDM, wire EDM, milling, laser ablation, FIB machining/deposition, hot embossing, injection moulding, nano-imprinting) to companies in the UK and beyond. Our expert staff are also pleased to assist industry with product development projects and advice on manufacturing best practice.

Our work is underpinned by advanced manufacturing research recognised as world-leading and internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Manufacturing Research
Our advanced and innovative manufacturing research spans a broad spectrum of subjects, from Robotics and Microsystems, Sensor Systems, High-speed Automation and Intelligent Control, Rapid Manufacturing, MicroManufacturing, NanoTechnology, Quality Engineering, Multi-Media, Virtual Reality and Enterprise Information Management.

We offer postgraduate programmes in the areas of Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Systems Engineering leading to MPhil and PhD degrees.
About MEC         Follow us on
The Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) at Cardiff University was founded in 1996, under the directorship of Professor Duc Pham OBE, FREng, FSME, BE, PhD, DEng, CEng, FIET, FIMechE.

The MEC conducts world-class research and development in all major areas of Advanced Manufacturing and uses the output to promote the introduction of new manufacturing technology and practice to industry.

Over 100 industrial partners including Daimler, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Mitutoyo, Parametric Technology, SAP, Silicon Graphics, Siemens and Zeiss have supported research at the Centre which has collaborative projects with more than 22 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. We also actively engage with industry in Wales.

As a Centre of Excellence sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), we focus on helping manufacturing industry, particularly SMEs to develop competitive instruments, machines or products that enjoy increased margins and that compete successfully in existing and new markets. Since 1996, we have completed four thousand projects with local companies.

We have won numerous awards for our innovative manufacturing research and industrial collaboration, including the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's First Prize for success in building lasting research partnerships with industry and the Queen's Anniversary Prize for creating an exceptional programme of support for firms using our research expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. We are the only advanced manufacturing research centre in the UK to have earned both accolades.
Quotes
"We have long recognised the powerful and increasing contribution the MEC makes to the competitiveness of business, I commend the MEC on the impressive work in all departments." (Rt.Hon. Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister (2000-2009))

"I have been very impressed by the wealth of potential here at Cardiff University's MEC and by the way that links between academia and the business community are being so successfully exploited." (Dr Janez Potocnik, EU Commissioner)

"I was impressed by the advanced manufacturing capabilities ranging from laser sintering to nano-machining being developed at the Manufacturing Engineering Centre. There is a world of aerospace development projects that will benefit from partnering with the MEC and applying their expertise to their design challenges." (Dr Scott ‘Doc’ Horowitz, former astronaut and senior Nasa official)

“I was most impressed by this brilliantly equipped centre, with its wide variety of innovative machines and excellent staff." (Mr Atushi Inoue, Director General of Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETRO, London)