Volume 3,
Issue 2
October 1999
UK Student Ben wins Top
Award in Paris
Nottingham University student Ben Souter won the coveted award for the
best all-round Research Student at the SAMPE International Student
Conference in Paris in April. Held over four days the SAMPE Student
Conference selection looks for excellence over a wide range of aspects
including team working, social skills, marketing and presentation as
well as technical competence and innovation. Ben beat off stiff
competition from 18 other students from Europe and the US, to win an
all-expenses paid trip to the States in Spring 2000. SAMPE Student
Co-ordinator Mike Turner summed up SAMPE Europe's pleasure: "We are
extremely proud of Ben. He is a great credit both to his University and
the UK Chapter and will be a great ambassador for Europe. He has a very
successful future ahead of him."
UK Student Conference Organiser Bob Griffiths was equally enthusiastic:
"It was a super achievement and I'd like to thank Ben and all the other
student participants, with a special mention for Gordon Armstrong of
Strathclyde University, for the tremendous effort they put into the
National and International Student Conferences."
The next UK & Ireland Student Symposium is set for 25 November 1999 at Imperial College, London.
Details are available from Bob Griffiths at GKN Westland Aerospace, Avonmouth Tel: 0117 937 9283
McCarthy’s Lore
UK and Eire Club Chairman, Roy McCarthy writes:
Chapter Chairman, Roy McCarthy writes:
" This has been an outstanding year so far for SAMPE in the UK and
Ireland
. We became a fully fledged Chapter - the first one in Europe; Ben
Souter - our
Research Student won the top prize at the European Student Conference
in April;
our Seminar at Cranfield was an tremendous success and membership is up
by 20%.
Quite a purple patch really!
"Ben Souter's achievement in winning the Best Student Award is a superb reward for him personally, for his tutors at Nottingham University and for the Club.
"Thanks to some fast work by Secretary Dave Carlton we managed to submit our petition for full chapter status to the SAMPE International Board by the April deadline. The Board approved our application in May and I am delighted to report that the Club is now officially the UK and Ireland Chapter - the first independent chapter in Europe.
"The 'Cost Effective
Composites' Seminar at Cranfield was an outstanding success thanks to
Andrew Mills and his team and we are planning a bigger event for next
year. Great Stuff!" Roy McCarthy
- Roy McCarthy -
Student participation in SAMPE is a vital link to future membership development. Special rates are available for full-time students. Contact Secretary David Carlton Tel: 01455 552077 for details.
'Great Mills'
Maestro Andrew Engineers Cranfield Success
The Technical Symposium 'Cost Effectiveness in Composites' held at
Cranfield University on 13 May 1999 was an outstanding success and
exceeded all prior expectations. More than 50 people attended and
twenty three new members were recruited to SAMPE. Conference organiser
Andrew Mills reports: " It was a very successful meeting. We had eight
excellent presentations all based around the theme of cost
effectiveness. The audience response was also excellent with some
lively discussions." Chapter Chairman Roy McCarthy was equally
delighted: "It's a splendid result and great credit to Andrew Mills,
Marion Walls and the Cranfield Team. We have already started planing
another conference for May 2000, so look out for details early next
year."
European Conference
Collaboration with JEC to Continue
More than 250 delegates attended the SAMPE International European
Conference, held alongside JEC in Paris in April, helping to make it
one of the best ever. Chapter Chairman Roy McCarthy was impressed: "The
organisation was very good and the new innovations, such as the keynote
speaker and the tutorial sessions, all worked well."
JEC also had record attendance with more than 14,750 visitors (up 18%)
over the three days; 50% from France, 15% from the UK and 10% from the
US. The Exhibition was much bigger expanding into a third hall, and
attracting 638 participants (up 16%). European President Jean-Claude
Mezzadri said: "Clearly it makes good sense to collaborate with JEC and
we plan to continue to run the European Conference alongside JEC for at
least the next two years."
The next SAMPE International Conference/JEC is on 18-20 April 2000 at CNIT, La Dèfense, Paris. There is already an advanced call for papers. Contact Bob Griffiths on 0117 937 9283 for details.
UK & Ireland Club
Writes New Chapter
For UK and Ireland Club, please read UK and Ireland Chapter. Secretary
David Carlton explains: "Under the changes recommended by SAMPE Europe
Past-President Marke Erath and followed up by current President
Jean-Claude Mezzardri, the larger clubs in Europe were offered the
chance to become chapters in their own right. The UK and Ireland Club
decided to convert and we are now the first independent chapter in
Europe. France and Germany are also going for chapter status but thanks
to some fancy footwork we managed to get our application, a petition
signed by 20 club members, in ahead of the rest - British (Isles)
pragmatism for once holding sway over French panache and German
precision.
"To be honest it doesn't make a fat lot of difference to us in
practical
terms, but it does give us more status within SAMPE International and
strengthens
the European presence on the International Board. Roy McCarthy and Bob
Griffiths,
Chapter Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively, become chapter
directors, each
with a vote at International Board level. Membership fees will still be
collected
centrally via SAMPE Europe and we shall continue to receive SAMPE
Journal and
JAMPE directly as usual."
European President Jean-Claude Mezzadri was one of the first to congratulate the new UK & Ireland Chapter: "C'est manifique! The British Chapter has done an excellent job to be the first one, now France and Germany will follow with their applications for approval by the International Board in November."
Membership Up
Membership of SAMPE in Europe is growing again after declining quite
significantly during the early 90's. Total European strength is now
back up to 653 from the low of 590 in 1996. The UK & Ireland
Chapter with 115 members is the second largest group in Europe, behind
France with 170, and ahead of Germany with 75.
Final Fanfare for the Carbon Man
It's sad to report the demise of a once great company. Courtaulds Plc,
who first successfully commercialised high performance PAN carbon
fibres and paved the way through its acrylic precursor for 'low cost'
large tow, is no more. Merged with Akzo Nobel, the Courtaulds name has
disappeared and, tragically, activities in Coventry, the centre of so
much innovative contribution to fibres and advanced materials, have
dwindled to nothing. Special Acrylic Fibres will carry on through
Acordis, the Akzo fibres subsidiary. On a brighter note Grafil, the
carbon fibres business sold by Courtaulds to Mitsubishi Rayon in 1991,
goes from strength to strength.
Surf's Up at www.sampe.org.uk
On the Net with New UK Web Site
The SAMPE UK web site is up and running in the capable hands of former
committee man Peter Ives.
Peter explains: "Located at www.sampe.org.uk, the web pages contain
news and information about the UK & Ireland Club updated on a
regular basis. Eventually there will be links to other SAMPE web pages
and also to sites such those at Cranfield University and Imperial
College for special events. The intention is to make the web site a
facility for communication and information exchange amongst existing
members. It will also provide an important low-cost means of reaching a
much larger audience with a view to generating wider interest in SAMPE
and increasing membership potential." Peter can be contacted via E-mail
at pjives@compuserve.com with news, views and any other information for
the web site.
The UK SAMPE Diary
European 20th Jubilee International Conference/JEC, CNIT, Paris
13-15 April 1999
“Cost Effectiveness in Composite Components manufacture”
UK Technical Seminar,
Cranfield Univ.
13 May 1999
44th International SAMPE
Symposium & Exhibition, Long Beach, CA, USA
23-27 May 1999
UK & Eire Club
Industry Visit and Social Event
October 1999
UK SAMPE News is produced around twice a year to provide information for UK and Eire members, mainly but not exclusively, about SAMPE happenings and events in the UK and Europe. Comments and contributions are most welcome to:
Ed Trewin,
4 Rushton Close,
Balsall Common,
Coventry, CV7 7PA
Tel/Fax: 01676 534045