CPEng, RPEQ, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering. 

I have over 20 years of industrial design and manufacturing experience in the aerospace and resources industries in Australia, Canada, USA, and Japan. I have the following qualifications: PhD RPEQ FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus).

I enjoy teaching at JCU. I received the Pulse student teaching review of 4.4/5 in 2022 and 2023. I specialise in project based learning and capstone subjects but I also teach traditional subjects. In addition to my 3 assigned JCU internal subjects, this year I am teaching two Xian University of Technology units (our sister institution) - one internal (ME3525 Mechanical Design) and one external (ME3515 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering). 

2022 Project Based Learning tasks with client interaction

• James Cook University - Prof Lin Schwarzkopf
• Design of Cane Toad trap
• James Cook University - Dr Leo Nankervis 
• Design of fish food extruder
• Australian Institute of Marine Science - Dr Paul Rigby 
• Concept design of Diver Navigation System
• Telescoping system with underwater cable management
• Towed body analysis and design:
• Packaging solution for ‘Reefscan’ transom mounted camera system
• Redesign of navigation sensor transom mounted system
• Waterproofing of Robotic Arm
• Underwater housing design
• Conceptual design of gimbal system for underwater camera
• RMIT - Prof Xu Wang
• Design and build a reverse osmosis desalination plant and its optimization

• Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal) - Dr Ricardo Branco 
• Low and high cycle fatigue studies of aerospace materials 
• Universidade de Malaga (Spain) - Dr Pablo Lopez Crespo  
• Fatigue of additively manufactured metal specimens for aerospace application

Available PhD research projects

My primary research focus is on high and low cycle fatigue studies of aerospace materials. The following research projects are currently available in conjuction with Dr Ricardo Branco of Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal):

Environmental effects on constant amplitude or variable amplitude low cycle fatigue life

Notch size effect on constant amplitude and variable amplitude low cycle fatigue of combinations of bar stock material and additively manufactured material

Notch size effect on constant amplitude and variable amplitude low cycle fatigue life

Notch effect on constant amplitude and variable amplitude low cycle fatigue of combinations of bar stock material and additively manufactured material

Notch effect on constant amplitude and variable amplitude low cycle fatigue life

Effect of pre-strain on constant amplitude and variable amplitude low cycle fatigue life

Effect of strain ratio on variable amplitude low cycle fatigue life

Effect of strain ratio on constant amplitude low cycle fatigue life

Three-dimensional simulation of rolling contact fatigue crack of a railway wheel repaired by laser powder deposition

Contributions of grain size and crystal orientation to fatigue crack deflection and branching behaviour in rail steel

Influence of combined impact and cyclic loading on the fatigue life of a pearlitic Grade 900A steel used in railway applications

Environmental media (effects of coatings) on constant amplitude and/or variable amplitude high cycle fatigue life

Environmental effects on constant amplitude and/or variable amplitude high cycle fatigue life

Notch size effect on constant amplitude and/or variable amplitude high cycle fatigue life

Notch effect on constant amplitude and/or variable amplitude high cycle fatigue life

Bimaterial samples (additive manufacture (AM) + conventional)

Effect of heat treatment on high cycle fatigue life

Effect of shot peening on high cycle fatigue life

Effect of pre-strain of high cycle fatigue life

Teaching

• ME3525: Mechanical Design (Level 3; TSV)
• ME4515: Advanced Mechanical Engineering Design (Level 4; TSV)
• ME4521: Bulk Materials Handling (Level 4; TSV)

Interests

Professional

• Consulting to industry directly or through Innovation Connection grants.
• Please note that I regularly take on industry problems as student projects that result in quotes to provide engineered and prototyped solutions.
• I have acted in numerous legal proceedings as an expert witness with funds directed through JCU to be used for research (+$23,000 to date).
• I worked for 8 years in the mining conveyor industry for both Fenner Dunlop and Continental.
• I have 13 years manufacturing experience from high tech, clean room manufacturing to large scale industrial manufacturing.
• I have worked for two ASX listed new technology start-up companies in the resources and aviation industries.
• I have worked as a Lean Process Engineer in large scale manufacturing for the mining industry.
• I completed a 4 year trade as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer in Australia and Canada.

Experience

• 2018 to present - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2014 to 2017 - Global Design Engineer - design of heavy duty mining conveyor belt installation equipment, Continental (Melbourne)
• 2013 to 2014 - Lean Process Engineer Global - Heavy duty mining conveyor belt manufacturing, Continental (Melbourne)
• 2010 to 2013 - Engineering Manager National - Heavy duty mining conveyor optimisation, Fenner Dunlop (Perth/Melbourne)
• 2008 to 2010 - Technology Manager - new technology start up company - oil and gas coring, Coretrack (Perth)
• 2007 to 2008 - Project Manager/Engineer - design of mining infrastructure, Wilshaw Engineering (Perth)
• 2005 to 2006 - Project Manager/Engineer - design of pressure vessels, KJ Beer Consulting (Perth)
• 2000 to 2005 - Project Engineer/Manager - new technology start up company - aerospace structural health monitoring, Structural Monitoring Systems (Perth/USA)
• 2001 to 2002 - Post-doc - fatigue life enhancement of weldments, National Institute for Materials Science (Tsukuba, Japan)
• 1995 to 2000 - PhD candidate/consultant - industry supported by Rio Tinto - fatigue failure of thermite train rail weldments, University of Western Australia (Perth)
• 1991 to 1994 - BE (Hons), University of Western Australia (Perth)
• 1985 to 1990 - Aircraft Maintenance Engineer - de Havilland Beaver, Otter, Cessna 152, 172, Aerostar, Mojave, Lear Jet, Falcon Jet, North Coast Air Services, Airtex, Australian Jet Centre, Royal Aero Club (Canada/Sydney/Perth)
• 1984 to 1987 - 1st & 2nd year student, OK College - UBC (Kelowna, Canada)

Research Disciplines

• Automotive engineering (4002)
• Mechanical engineering (4017)
• Aerospace engineering (4001)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Transport equipment (2415)
• Ground transport (2703)

Awards

• 2021 - Engineers Australia Townsville Regional Group committee member
• 2019 - EngExec - Engineering Executive
• 2017 - RPEQ - Registered Practicing Engineer Queensland
• 2017 - CPEng - Chartered Practicing Engineer
• 2016 - NER - National Engineering Register
• 2022 - Pulse student teaching review 4.4/5
• 2021 to 2022 - Engineers Australia Engineering Heritage Qld Branch committee member
• 2021 to 2022 - Engineers Australia Mechanical College Qld Branch committee member
• 2021 to 2022 - Engineers Australia Leadership and Management College Qld Branch committee member
• 2021 to 2022 - Engineers Australia State Infrastructure Strategy (SIS) and Regional Infrastructure Plan (RIP) Working Group member

Fellowships

• 2012 - FIEAust - Fellow Engineers Australia
• 2001 to 2002 - Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Foreign Researchers

Memberships

• 2021 - Engineering Education Technical Society Engineers Australia
• 2021 - Mining Electrical & Mining Mechanical Engineering Technical Society Engineers Australia
• 2021 - Bulk Materials Handling Technical Society Engineers Australia
• 2021 - Sustainable Engineering Society Engineers Australia
• 2021 - Society for Engineering in Agriculture Engineers Australia
• 2019 - IntPE(Aus) - International Practicing Engineer Australia
• 2019 - APEC Engineer - Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Engineer
• 1992 - Member Engineers Australia

Other

• 1996 to 2000 - Australian Post Graduate Award - Industry
• 1996 to 2000 - William Lambden Owen Award
• 1998 - Travel award to the Fourth International Conference of Low Cycle Fatigue and Elasto-plastic Behaviour of Materials, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, 7-11 September 1998
• 1998 - Travel Award for The 35th Annual Technical Meeting of the Society of Engineering Science, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, Sept. 27-30, 1998
• 1997 - Travel award to the Third International Conference on Fracture and Strength of Solids, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, 8-10 December 1997

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Berry L, Wheatley G, Ma W, Masoudi Nejad R and Berto F (2022) The influence of milling induced residual stress on fatigue life of aluminum alloys. Forces in Mechanics, 7.
• Franks J, Wheatley G, Zamani P, Nejad R, Macek W, Branco R and Samadi F (2022) Fatigue life improvement using low transformation temperature weld material with measurement of residual stress. International Journal of Fatigue, 164.
• Majeed M, Khan H, Wheatley G and Situ R (2022) Influence of post-processing on additively manufactured lattice structures. Journal Of The Brazilian Society Of Mechanical Sciences And Engineering, 44.
• Samadi F, Mourya J, Wheatley G, Khan M, Nejad R, Branco R and Macek W (2022) An investigation on residual stress and fatigue life assessment of T-shape welded joints. Engineering Failure Analysis, 141.
• Singh J, Wheatley G, Branco R, Ventura Antunes F, Masoudi Nejad R and Berto F (2022) On the low-cycle fatigue behavior of aluminum alloys under influence of tensile pre-strain histories and strain ratio. International Journal of Fatigue, 158.
• Smith C, Hill B, Wheatley G, Masoudi Nejad R and Sina N (2022) Fatigue reliability assessment of the new design of rear suspension system of the JCU motorsport car. Structures, 36. pp. 473-481
• Sokhandani N, Setoodeh A, Zebarjad S, Nikbin K and Wheatley G (2022) The influence of nano-silica on the wear and mechanical performance of vinyl-ester/glass fiber nanocomposites. Advances in Nano Research, 13 (1). pp. 97-111
• Wheatley G, Babamiri A and Philippa B (2022) Vibration analysis of an Airlie Beach house: a case study in Australia. Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series transport, 114. pp. 179-192
• Wheatley G and Zaeimi M (2022) Front impact attenuator design for a race car. International Journal of Crashworthiness, 27 (2). pp. 466-475
• Babamiri A, Hadian S and Wheatley G (2021) Fatigue and stress analysis of a load carrying car chassis with reinforced joint using finite element method. Revista GEINTEC: gestao, inovacao e tecnologias, 11 (4). pp. 2156-2176
• Doyle T, Wheatley G, Masoudi Nejad R and Sina N (2021) Fatigue reliability assessment of the new design of universal upright for the JCU Formula SAE car. Structures, 34. pp. 4113-4123

Conference Papers

• Wheatley G, Branco R, Correia J, Martins R, Macek W, Marciniak Z and Szala M (2022) Influence of Heat Treatment Temperature on Fatigue Toughness in Medium-Carbon High-Strength Steels. Structural Integrity. In: 20th International Colloquium on Mechanical Fatigue of Metals, 15-17 Sep 2021, Wroclaw, Poland

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 62+ research outputs authored by Dr Greg Wheatley from 1997 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Eco-Friendly approach to the Recovery of Economic Materials from Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs) (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Surface integrity study of the as-fabricated and post-processed SLM Aluminum alloy. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• To obtain Experimental Results of the Cyclic Plastic Behaviour for 3 Strain Ratios (e.g. R=-1; R=0; R=0.5) and study Mean Stress Relaxation Effects (PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.