Emmanuel Cottanceau defended his thesis in Mechanical Engineering on April 10, 2018, at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille. He looks back on his journey to a doctorate.
From engineering school to doctorate
Emmanuel began his career atthe École Centrale de Marseille in 2012. He quickly realized that he wanted to work in R&D, specifically in industry. So, after graduating with a degree in general engineering in 2015, he decided to pursue a doctorate. Emmanuel says, "Writing a thesis is very helpful professionally for doing research." The young doctor explains, "When you start a thesis, you're no longer at school, you're mainly at work. Doctoral students are independent most of the time and have the opportunity to specialize in the field they like best, just like in the working world."
"Numerical simulation of the assembly process for flexible cables with large displacement"
When Emmanuel expressed his desire to write a thesis, his teachers at the Ecole Centrale de Marseille referred him to Olivier Thomas, a professor and researcher at the Laboratory of Physical and Digital Systems Engineering and thesis supervisor at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille. Thomas was offering a thesis opportunity funded by the Renault group, focusing on the simulation of automotive .. With the rise of on-board electronics, electrical cables have become an important part of automotive components, while space on board has continued to decrease. Their flexibility requires the prediction of their deformation during assembly in order to avoid contact with other parts of the vehicle and damage. Current tools do not allow for a sufficiently realistic and accurate prediction of their behavior, which is necessary in a very limited work volume. The assembly steps are therefore validated through the creation of costly real-life models. Emmanuel's thesis therefore aims to improve the digital simulation of these flexible parts. The results obtained will provide new avenues for the Renault Group's R&D department.
Strong collaboration with industry
During his thesis, Emmanuel benefited from theArts et Métiers network. He noted a strong link between Arts et Métiers industries such as Renault. "The research laboratories are really well established and recognized in the region." He also highlights the quality of the laboratory equipment , which enabled him to set up a test bench. This enabled him to carry out experimental tests to analyze the accuracy of the numerical results obtained during his research.
