Past Events (2005)



Students’ Seminar, IOM3, London, 22 November 2005

The UK and Ireland Chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE), in collaboration with the Composites Division of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), held their Annual Student Seminar in London on Tuesday 22 November 2005. 

Commenting afterwards the SAMPE UK & Ireland Chapter Student Coordinator, Dr John Summerscales of ACMC, University of Plymouth, expressed great satisfaction with another successful event: “Eight students representing six universities took part.  Each gave an interesting well-presented talk on their respective research project.  The presentations ranged from nanomaterials, through composites and bone cements, to Comeld™ joints. Two students were selected to go forward to the European Student Seminar (prior to and during the SAMPE/JEC Conference to be held in Paris during 27-30 March 2006).  They were Zhujuan Wang from the Department of Materials at Queen Mary University of London who presented ‘Highly oriented nanocomposite fibres’ and Andrew Lamb from the School of Industrial and Manufacturing Science (SIMS) at Cranfield University who presented ‘An investigation into the energy absorbing properties of composite materials used in Formula-1 structure’. The third place (reserve for the Paris meeting) was awarded to Polly Sinnett-Jones (Bioengineering Sciences Research Group, University of Southampton) who presented ‘Fatigue life enhancement of carbon nanotube-based bone cements’.

“As always the judges had a tough job in choosing just two winners from such a high quality field. The range of topics presented was wide and varied illustrating the strength and depth of M&P research in the Chapter area. I am grateful to the IOM3 for the provision of the venue and facilities.  The judges were Andrew Long (University of Nottingham), Denis Cartié (Cranfield University), Emile Greenhalgh (Imperial College), Geoff Gould (Surface Transforms plc), Roy McCarthy (Dowty Propellers) and John Summerscales (University of Plymouth).”

Stairway to success!

SAMPE UK & Ireland Chapter students pictured before the Student Seminar event. The eventual winners, Andrew Lamb and Zhujuan Wang, are pictured second and fourth from the left. The other competitors are Kevin Brown (Nottingham), Polly Sinnett-Jones (Southampton), Dhiren Modi (Nottingham), Wei Tu (QMUL), Ross Pomeroy (Plymouth) and Mohammad Razmara (East London).
 
Prospective contestants (primarily research degree candidates, but outstanding undergraduate projects are not excluded) for the competition next year should contact the organizer, Dr John Summerscales at the University of Plymouth School of Engineering (tel: 01752 23 2650, e-mail: jsummerscales@plymouth.ac.uk).  A call for participants will be sent to key UK academics in composite materials in September 2006. 

SAMPE UK & Ireland Student Co-ordinator, Dr John Summerscales of the University of Plymouth Advanced Composites Manufacturing Centre, explains the background to the competition. “Part of the SAMPE remit is to support and encourage young people at the start of their careers in the field of materials and process (M&P) engineering. We offer low cost membership of the Society, which gives students opportunities for continued professional development through specialist technical meetings and industry briefings, plus career progression via access to a wide-ranging network of industry professionals. One of the key aspects of the programme for younger members is the Annual Student Seminar held in conjunction with IOM3. It is open to post-graduate students from any University or Further Education establishment in the UK and Ireland who are engaged in research into M&P engineering. The applications received are judged by a panel of experts and the best candidates (usually about eight to ten) are invited to the Seminar in London where they are asked to make a twenty minute presentation and demonstrate to the judges the innovative elements of their work and that they are capable of making a significant contribution to the industry. Two winners are selected to represent the UK & Ireland Chapter at the SAMPE Europe International Students Conference held in Paris (April 2006). In Paris they compete with other students from all over Europe and the best student overall wins an all-expenses paid trip to the SAMPE International Meeting in the USA in 2007. It’s a great opportunity for the best UK and Ireland students to show off their capabilities. The trips to Paris and Long Beach are wonderful prizes to win, but in addition there are opportunities for everyone that enters to gain experience and develop career opportunities all the way along.”

The eight contenders were: 
Highly oriented nanocomposite fibres
Predictive modelling of damage progression in a glass fibre thermoplastic matrix composite material
Finite element modelling of Comeld™ joints
Fatigue life enhancement of carbon nanotube-based bone cements.
An investigation on polyurethane in pipeline application by use of DMTA
Active control of flow progression in the vacuum infusion process using real-time flow simulations
An investigation into the energy absorbing properties of composite materials used in Formula 1 structures (Filesize: 16 MB Approx.)
Preform characterisation for resin transfer moulding

John Summerscales, the SAMPE UK & Ireland Chapter Student activity co-ordinator, can be contacted at jsummerscales@plymouth.ac.uk, tel: 01752 23 2650. Further details of the competition can be viewed at http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/sme/mats324/Student_call_for_papers.doc.

Almost thirty SAMPE UK & Ireland members enjoyed an entertaining industry visit to Airbus UK’s impressive Composite Structures Development facilities at Filton, Bristol on 26 May 2005. Host Alan Kay from Airbus UK welcomed the group highlighting the major role that composites technology now plays in Airbus’ activities in the UK, particularly in light of the demands for the A380 current programmes, the A350 future programmes and the A400M. The facility is the first phase of a new £12 million hi-tech research centre that will lead the way for greater use of 'composite materials' and is the first of several regional centres to open focused on composites for the aerospace and marine sectors. Over the next five years the centre will undertake more than £100 million worth of research and development into composites and will employ around 100 engineers. The new 4,500 square metre facility forms art of the largest of the specialist centres around the UK, focusing on a specific aspect of composite technology that form part of the National Composites Network. 

 
The Annual General Meeting of the Chapter took place following on from the excellent visit round the Airbus composite facilities. The main business of the day was to elect Andrew Long as the new Chairman of the Chapter in succession to Roy McCarthy. The members confirmed Andrew into office and wished him success and satisfaction in his new role.  Bob Griffiths presented Roy with an engraved pen to mark the occasion of his retirement and as a token of the Chapter’s great appreciation for the superb job done over the past twelve years.  After some lively discussion about how SAMPE activities in the UK should be promoted, the Chairman welcomed two new members to the Committee. They are Rob Witik of Smiths Aerospace Dowty Propellers and Nick Tattersall of VT Halmatic (in place of Robin Mableson).


It is supported by Airbus, the South West RDA and the DTI which is supporting the Filton centre through a grant to part-fund the specialist equipment within the centre and for equipment evaluation and capability development.

Post Meeting Note: Rob Witik is now with Airbus UK, Bristol and Antony Dodworth of Bentley Cars has also joined the Committee.




“The rapidly growing interest in ‘Out-of-autoclave’ processing was reflected in the excellent attendance and keen participation in the event,” reports Conference Chairman  Andy Long after the Chapter’s Fifth Annual Technical Conference held, in conjunction with NUCC, at the Hilton Hotel, East Midlands Airport in February 2005. “More than 100 attendees braved the inclement weather and were not disappointed with nine excellent presentations covering a broad range of the technologies involved. The clear message emerging was that ‘Out-of-Autoclave’ techniques are becoming increasingly important as end users seek to simplify composite manufacturing processes and cut costs to improve competitiveness”.


Outgoing Chairman, Roy McCarthy, was delighted with the event. “Progress is accelerating through the availability of materials tailored specifically to process needs and the potential for the technology is being helped considerably by research work at the Universities to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved and develop effective flow modelling.” 

The speakers were David Phipps, Airbus UK, Chris Rudd, Nottingham Univ, Mike Commander, Albany Techniweave, Stefan Voskamp, Eurocarbon, John Summerscales Plymouth ACMC, Nick Tattersall, VT Halmatic, Tom Corden, ACG, Graham Pledger, Huntsman, Andrew Mills, Cranfield Univ., and John Savage, Smiths Aerostructures. Copies of the presentations are available, to all those who attended (and paid!), on request from NUCC.


Past Events (2004 and before)