PhD Studentship: Robotics and AI for the Recovery of Critical Material Magnets from End-of-life Products

This project is an exciting opportunity to undertake industrially linked research in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). It is based within the Birmingham Institute for Robotics in the School of Engineering. The Institute brings together multidisciplinary researchers to explore all aspects of robotics, automation, autonomous systems, AI and smart machines. The studentship will support the £35m EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Robotics, AI, Automation & Smart Machine Enabled Sustainable Circular Manufacturing & Materials (RESCu-M2) which is developing new technologies for the circular economy in manufacturing.

The PhD Project

The UK is heavily reliant on critical materials imported from overseas, this means it is susceptible to global supply issues and price volatility. There is therefore an urgent need to recover and reuse critical materials from end-of-life products within the UK. Electric motors, especially high-performance ones, contain potentially large volumes of valuable critical magnet material. To make magnet material and reuse economically viable extracting them must be rapid and this is challenging when the material is embedded with the motors and often encased in adhesives and resins. This PhD will use robotics and smart machine to intelligently plan and undertake pre-cutting and partial disassembly of electric motors to expose the valuable magnet material to allow its removal. This will involve the use an array of sensors to detect and locate the magnet material and then use AI to plan and instruct a robot or automated system to autonomously cut the motor open ready for further downstream magnet recovery processes.

Who we are looking for

• A first or upper-second-class degree in an appropriate discipline such as, robotics, mechatronics, computer science, mechanical engineering or a similar related subject.
• An MSc in robotics or a related field would be desirable.
• A driven individual with an inquisitive mind.
• Ability to produce high-quality presentations and written reports.

The MTC is an independent Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) focused on accelerating disruptive technologies in UK manufacturing. Supported by the government, it partners with industry and research bodies to drive innovation across all UK manufacturing sectors, from SMEs to large global manufacturers. For details, visit the MTC website.

As a researcher at Birmingham, you will benefit from working in an environment in which excellence and innovation are made possible by brilliant people, outstanding facilities and strong collaborative networks. You will be joining a global top 100 university tackling some of the biggest issues the world faces, making a difference to people's lives on a daily basis. Within this nurturing academic community, you will be able to contribute to shaping and changing lives. The University Graduate School supports Birmingham’s postgraduate researcher (PGR) and postgraduate taught (PGT) community. We foster an interdisciplinary community and act as a gateway to support and advice to ensure that our postgraduates have access to a high quality postgraduate experience.

Contact

Informal inquiries, with a detailed CV and academic transcripts, should be sent to Dr. Steve Davis at s.davis.2@bham.ac.uk and Prof. Samia Nefti-Meziani at s.nefti-meziani@bham.ac.uk. Do not apply through through the University system before contacting Dr. Steve Davis

Proposed PhD Start Date: 5th October 2026.

Funding notes:

The successful applicant will receive a generous tax-free annual stipend of £25,000, full-time home tuition fees paid, and £2,000 per year for consumables and travel. Funding from MTC requires passing their security checks before starting the PhD.

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