Industrial Doctorate Centre
MiNMaT Newsletter
December 2013 / Issue 7
Inside:
•
NewEngDCohort
•
SurreyLearn
•
AnnualEngDConference
WelcoMe
To issue 7 of The NeWsleTTer…
…and a particular welcome to our
new 2013 cohort. The new Research
Engineers have attended a 5 week
induction/scientific training period at the
University and as we go to press they
will be settling in at their sponsor sites.
We extend our welcome to our new
sponsors SSTL, DZP Technologies, Forest
Research and Torr Scientific.
The autumn semester sees final vivas for
our first IDC Research Engineers of 2009
and more confirmation examinations for
those at the 2 year point.
May I take this opportunity to wish you
a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful
and healthy 2014.
Noelle
Manager, IDC in MiNMaT
iDc MiNMaT Newsletter
December/2013
An introduction to our new 2013 cohort...
New Cohort 2013 Top from left: Christos, Harry, Robin, Michael and Dimitrios.
Bottom from the left: Dave S, Andy, Minhaj and David W.
• ChristosMelios(NPL) – ‘Graphene
metrology’
• HarryCronin(DZPTechnologies)
– ‘Investigation of novel inorganic
materials for thin film printable
electronics’
• DimitriosFantanas(M-Solv) – ‘Spray
deposition and laser patterning of
conductive coatings for photovoltaics
manufacture’
• DavidStupple(TorrScientific) – ‘Thin
films for vacuum optics’
• RobinAdey-Johnson(Forest
Research) – ‘Multi-scale MRI / X-ray
CT characterisation and LB modelling
study of wood drying’
• AndyMiller(SSTL)– ‘Technologies
to support the use of metal matrix
composites in satellite optical
assemblies’
• MichaelRix(TISICS) – ‘Silicon carbide
fibre process development’
• MinhajKhan(SSTL) – ‘Analysis
methodology for verification of joints in
composite structures’
• DavidWilliams(TWI)– ‘Use of plasma
pre-treatment in adhesive bonding’
iDc MiNMaT Newsletter
December/2013
Annual engD conference
Prof Bryn James and Till Buchacher
Farai Carter and
Prof Steve Burnage
The Annual engD conference was held at the
holiday inn Guildford on Thursday
3rd october 2013.
The Conference is the high point of the EngD calendar
and one of the few occasions when everyone involved
in the programme has the opportunity to meet up as a
team. Industrial and academic supervisors and guests
associated with the Engineering Doctorate programme
came together at the event to review the work being
undertaken by Research Engineers for their sponsoring
companies.
Nick Brown
Research Engineers in Year 2 and 4 gave oral
presentations each of which was followed by a ‘Q&A’
session, whilst 1st and 3rd Year Research Engineers
displayed posters and answered questions about their
research.
Congratulations to our three prize winners, who
received the Littauer Prizes: for best oral presentation,
Dan Graham (BAE Systems), and for best posters
Simon King (Thomas Swan) and Vimal Gopee (NPL).
Professor Trevor Page, chair of the IDC Steering Group
presented the prizes.
Dan
Vimal
Tom Williams
Simon
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended for taking time out to support the Research
Engineers and we look forward to seeing you all again at next year’s event on Thursday 2nd October 2014.
iDc MiNMaT Newsletter
research engineer
representatives
December/2013
re employment news
Well done to our Research Engineers who are now in
full-time employment – great achievements in such
difficult economic times.
from left: Nick, Weronika, Till and Simon
We are pleased to announce that Weronika Swiech,
Simon King and Till Buchacher volunteered to join
Nick Brown as our new Research Engineer reps.
Souhad and Dan are at the end of their EngD and
will be stepping down to concentrate on their
final programme requirements and final thesis
submissions. Our thanks go to Souhad and Dan for
their contributions as reps on the programme over
the last few years and we wish them well as they join
the employment field.
•
•
•
•
•
Tim Young (NPL) at the National Composites Centre
Souhad Boughanem (Morgan Sindall) now at BRE
David Fishpool stays with his sponsor BAE Systems
Dan Graham (BAE Systems) joins GKN Aerospace
Achilleas Sesis stays with his sponsor NPL
surreylearn
The University has invested in a new VLE, SurreyLearn
as a key element of supporting the University’s
Teaching and Learning Strategy 2010-2017. The
underlying vision is:
“The University of Surrey will be recognised as a
leader in the use of technology for the innovative
delivery of teaching and learning. The VLE will open
up new approaches to teaching and learning by
enabling a wide range of pedagogical techniques
to be embraced. Students will be able to learn in a
manner that suits their learning style, at a time of their
choosing, from any device in any location”.
WhatisSurreyLearn?
SurreyLearn is the University’s new Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE). It is a secure online environment
which can be used in a wide variety of ways to
enhance learning and teaching. Typically it is used
to provide easy access to up to date and relevant
learning materials, module and programme information
and guidance, supplemented by activities such
as discussion forums, quizzes or tests, and online
assignments.
Our Centre Director Prof Julie
Yeomans recently celebrated
25 years at Surrey and we
marked this proud occasion
with an informal gathering,
speeches, tea and cake. On to the next 25 years
Julie…!
Julie continues to Head the MES department and
direct the IDC.
A significant investment has been made in new
hardware ensuring that SurreyLearn has a robust
platform from which to operate. Also integrations with
a number of other IT systems will bring considerable
benefits, particularly reducing the time spent on
administrative tasks. Additional features include the
ability for staff and students to email each other directly
from SurreyLearn and increased availability from mobile
devices such as iPad, iPhone and other smartphones.
iDc MiNMaT Newsletter
December/2013
New Microscope for Mssu
“The new SEM has been
used by more than 70 users in
its first six months, delivering
high quality analytical and
imaging data with ease. The
new possibilities afforded by
EBSD are benefitting research
in a number of key areas.”
MSSU Director, Dr Mark Whiting (on the left)
May 2013 saw an important addition to the
instrumentation in the University’s MicroStructural
Studies Unit (MSSU), with the installation of a new
analytical scanning electron microscope. The new
SEM, a JEOL JSM-7100F, is a highly versatile, easyto-use analytical field emission SEM with an ultimate
resolution of 1.2 nm at 30 kV.
The MSSU microscope is fitted with a triple analysis
system, provided by Thermo Scientific, featuring an
UltraDry EDX detector, a MagnaRay parallel beam
WDX spectrometer and a QuasOr system for electron
backscattered diffraction (EBSD). All three analytical
functions are integrated into a single Noran System 7
datasytem to allow true complementarity between
these options.
The new microscope has been obtained with University
and industrial support and will provide an important
additional resource in the MSSU, EBSD in particular
represents a new characterisation technique for us. The
7100F will be used across a range of investigations,
from undergraduate final year projects, PhD and
EngD research work to projects being undertaken by
Research Fellows. It will also be available as part of our
well established commercial consultancy service.
Procurement of the SEM was led by Professor
John Watts and Dr Mark Whiting who thoroughly
investigated the wide range of microscopy and analysis
instrumentation available, before choosing the JEOL/
Thermo Scientific combination, which gave the best
combination of performance and value for money.
Prof John Watts (right)
iDc MiNMaT Newsletter
December/2013
launch event for BP centre of Petroleum and
surface chemistry 28th Aug 2013
The BP-sponsored Centre for Petroleum and Surface
Chemistry was officially opened at the University of
Surrey on August 28, 2013 and we are proud to have
EngD student Weronika Swiech based in the centre.
The event included naming the Centre’s laboratory
after Dr Albert Ernest (A.E.) Dunstan, a notable British
petroleum chemist who founded the Research Station
at Sunbury-on-Thames in 1917 for the Anglo-Persian
Oil Company, the forerunner of BP.
During his speech, Professor Spence Taylor, Director
of the BP Centre described the research being
undertaken by the Centre, which focusses on heavy
oil recovery. The guests were shown around the
facilities by the Centre’s staff and students where
more details of the research and BP context were
presented.
Weronika 3rd from the left
25December2013-2January2014ChristmasHoliday–Universityclosed
13-17January
Short Course ‘Introduction to Composite Materials’
3-7February
Short Course ‘Introduction to Physical Metallurgy’
18–19February Short Course ‘Managing the Media’
24-28February
Short Course ‘Polymers’
10-14March
Short Course ‘Materials under Stress’
24-28March
Short Course ‘Nanomaterials’
7-11April
Short Course ‘Structural Ceramics and Hard Coatings’
18-21April
EasterHoliday–Universityclosed
28April-2May
Short Course ‘The Science and Technology of Adhesive Bonding’
12-16May
Short Course ‘Corrosion Engineering’
iDc MiNMaT Newsletter
December/2013
current research engineers
NPL–Monica Saavedra, Achilleas
Sesis, Ravish Rajkumar, Vimal Gopee,
Ana Yong, Till Buchacher,
Christos Melios
Ceram
Adam Healey
Dstl
David Hallam
SSTL
Minhaj Khan,
Andy Miller
ThermoFischer
Robin Simpson
Centronic
Marc Abilama
ScottBader–Jonathan
Chard
BAESystems
David Fishpool, Dan Graham
AkzoNobel
Farai Carter
TISICS
Gerlad Watt,
Craig Blacker
RAL
Steven Bell,
Sion Richards,
Diana Duarte
Corewire
Simon Parker
ThomasSwan
Simon King
Hexcel
Nicola Guest
Indestructible
Chris White
TWI
Andrew Wilson,
Nick Brown,
Damaso De Bono, David Williams
P&G
Duale Mahdi
PlasmaQuest
Hayley Brown
TorrScientific
David Stupple
PallEurope
Emily Smith
ForestResearch–
Robin Adey-Johnson
Twoofour
ResearchEngineers’
sponsoring
companiesarebased
inEurope:
Dstl/Morgan
AdvancedMaterials
Tom Williams
DZPTechnologies
Harry Cronin
Heidelberg–
Germany
Noemi Fischer
ThamesWater
Alex Rainer
AWE
Martyn Staff,
James Tonks
Morganindall
Souhad Boughanem
LockheedMartin
Andrew Harris
BPCentre
(UniversityofSurrey)
Weronika Swiech
M-Solv
Maria Cann,
Dimitrios Fantanas
Lafarge–France
Vadim Yermakou
Cover image
Deformed Copper Grains Copyright © Kevin
Smith, MetPrep Ltd
Industrial Doctorate Centre in Micro and
NanoMaterials and Technologies
University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey
GU2 7XH, UK
For more information please call
01483 683467 or email n.hartley@surrey.ac.uk
www.surrey.ac.uk/minmat