The list of speakers for the up-coming conference "HiPerNano 2014" has just been published. The conference takes place this year for the 6th time, on the 13th March in London.
This year, as usual, HiPerNano offers an exhilarating ride through a new and expanding landscape, which will be of great interest to many tribologists working in industry.
Nanotechnology involves the precise creation and application of molecules. Its relevance touches the heart of tribology in two ways. Firstly, the consistent formation and reformation of surfaces with controlled properties is essential for reliable performance over the lifetime of the interface. Tribological surfaces are formed by manufacturing processes involving the precise removal and addition of materials with specific frictional and wear-resisting properties. They are reformed by the release of lubricant additives which protectively coat the asperities with consumable layers only a few atoms thick.
Secondly, nanotechnology brings new ways of measuring, imaging and describing surfaces. The tools and techniques developed to enable the research and application of nanotechnology can often also perform as metrology solutions enabling tribological investigations that do not intentionally apply nanotechnology. The ability to measure and control the position of individual atoms and molecules is emerging.
Developments like these promise to open a new era in tribology. HiPerNano 2014 promises to equip and inspire tribologists to take on the challenges of the coming decades.
The HiPerNano 2014 speakers list is a Who's Who of engineering leaders who can talk from experience in both technical and business fields.
Dick Elsy, the keynote speaker, is the Chief Executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC). He will talk about the progress of the HVMC in driving engineering entrepreneurship and business growth, with the case study of Applied Graphene Materials.
David Rickerby is a Corporate Specialist at Rolls-Royce plc. He will review the latest developments in nano-scale coatings for gas turbine engines and identify future trends.
Steve Hutchings is Technical Director of Keronite. He has a PhD in Surface Physics Technology.
Professor Alan Matthews is Executive Director of the Leonardo Centre for Tribology & Surface Technology, University of Sheffield. He will talk about the special properties of nanocomposite and nanolayered coatings.
John Nunn is a Senior Research Scientist in the Materials Division, National Physical Laboratory. He will present a new type of instrumented tribometer that can image the wear surface and provide accurate friction measurements.
Dr Siva Bohm is a Principal Scientist at Tata Steel Research & Development. He will talk about the potential application of graphene coatings in engineering applications.
Terry McCaul is an Expert in Non Metallic Materials at Airbus Defence & Space. He will talk about the potential role of nanotechnology in the demanding environment of outer space.
HiPerNano 2014 is now only a month away. If you would like to find out more about this event or to register, please look at the Nanotechnology KTN website. The IET Tribology Network is proud to sponsor and support this leading event in the UK's tribology calendar. Why not make a date in your calendar now?