WMG News - Latest news from WMG
Steering wheel made from carrots goes on display at the Science Museum
A Formula 3 steering wheel made from carrots and created by engineers at WMG, University of Warwick, has gone on display at the London Science Museum.
The Nano-cellulose wheel is the first of its kind and just one of several sustainable and renewable materials that have been used by WMG in the development of this F3 rated vehicle.
Professor Peter Halley to visit WMG for seminar
WMG is pleased to welcome Professor Peter Halley to visit the department in June. Professor Halley is an internationally-recognised leader in the field of starch-based biopolymers and bio-nanocomposites, based at the University of Queensland in Australia.
Professor Halley will be visiting Professor Tony McNally and WMG’s Nanocomposites research team during his visit and will be giving a seminar, which all Warwick staff and students are invited to attend.
Professor Halley’s seminar, entitled ‘Translational Polymer Research for Sustainable Polymers’, will be taking place on Thursday 13th June (from 12 noon) in WMG’s International Digital Laboratory.
Warwick Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biorefining Launched
A new interdisciplinary research centre for industrial biotechnology and biorefining was launched at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) on 21 March. The Warwick Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biorefining (WCIBB) builds on existing strengths in chemistry, life sciences, engineering and manufacturing.
Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy are key research priorities for funding councils. The centre will establish new links with the growing UK biotechnology sector in biorenewables, bioplastics, and renewable materials for manufacturing.
WMG welcomes new academics
WMG is very pleased to welcome a number of new academic appointments this month, who will take a leading role in some of our exciting research areas.
Professor Sridhar Seetharaman has joined WMG to take up the Research Chair in Low Carbon Materials Technologies, sponsored by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Tata Steel. Professor Seetharaman joins us from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he was the POSCO Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Co-Director of Center For Iron and Steel Research. Professor Seetharaman will be leading a new programme in the manufacture and application of advanced steels in low carbon technologies and setting up a new team, within WMG's existing Materials and Manufacturing theme, to work with Tata Steel to address the current international priorities of the low carbon agenda.
Professor Tony McNally has joined WMG to lead our developing research in the area of Nanocomposites. Professor McNally joins from Queen's University Belfast, where he was Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Polymer Processing Research Centre. The Nanocomposites team, based in WMG's International Institute for Product and Service Innovation, will span WMG's work in Digital Technologies, Materials and Manufacturing.
Dr Claire Dancer has also joined WMG this week to develop WMG's work in Nanocomposites. Dr Dancer joins from the University of Oxford, where she worked as a researcher in the Department of Materials, specifically looking at Manufacturing Methods for Metamaterials.
We also welcome Dr Kwabena Agyaping-Kodua who is joining WMG from the University of Nottingham where he has been Senior Research Fellow in Digital Manufacturing and Systems Engineering at the Precision Manufacturing Centre. As part of WMG's Digital Lifecycle Management team, Dr Agyapong-Kodua will be continuing to develop research activities in the digital manufacturing and systems engineering field, particularly within the remit of high value manufacturing.
Flower power to purge poison and produce platinum
A consortium of researchers led by WMG at the University of Warwick are to embark on a £3 million research programme called “Cleaning Land for Wealth” (CL4W), that will use a common class of flower to restore poisoned soils while at the same time producing perfectly sized and shaped nano sized platinum and arsenic nanoparticles for use in catalytic convertors, cancer treatments and a range of other applications.
A “Sandpit” exercise organised by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) allowed researchers from WMG at the University of Warwick, Newcastle University, The University of Birmingham, Cranfield University and the University of Edinburgh to come together and share technologies and skills to come up with an innovative multidisciplinary research project that could help solve major technological and environmental challenges.
WMG official supporter of Motorsport Industry Association Summer Reception
WMG was proud to be an official supporter of the Motorsport Industry Association's (MIA) Summer Reception at the House of Lords on 2 July.
The MIA is the world's leading trade association for the motorsport, performance engineering, services and tuning sectors and the annual Summer Reception features the presentation of the prestigious and unique Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Motorsport Industry.
WMG to host prestigious IET Viscount Nuffield / Mensforth lecture by Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr Ralf Speth
WMG at the University of Warwick is delighted to host the 2012 Viscount Nuffield / Mensforth Lecture, the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s premier manufacturing lecture. This year’s prestigious lecture, ‘Setting Premium Standards in Automotive Manufacturing’, will be given by Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover.
This special event will take place at 18:30 on Thursday 15th March at the International Manufacturing Centre, WMG’s headquarters on the University of Warwick campus. The lecture is free for anyone to attend. Register early at the IET website to avoid disappointment.
NEC unveiling for Drayson electric powered race car built with help from WMG
Drayson Racing Technologies and Lola will unveil an electric prototype racing car the “Lola-Drayson B12/69EV” at the Low Carbon Racing Conference at the NEC, Birmingham on Wednesday. As well as being unveiled in the Midland’s the car drew on specialist materials research by WMG researchers at the University of Warwick in Coventry.
Tata Steel and the Royal Academy of Engineering establish new Chair at the University of Warwick
Tata Steel RD&T and the Royal Academy of Engineering are jointly funding a new Chair for research into Low Carbon Materials Technology at WMG at the University of Warwick.
The two partners will put £600,000 into the new Research Chair.