PMTRAININGCOURSES · PMTrainingCourses

Final Activity Report Summary - PMTRAININGCOURSES (PMTrainingCourses)

Many advanced engineering devices and many objects used in daily life contain parts that began their lives as metal or non-metal powders. The underlying science and its applications in facilitating manufacturing processes and informing the uses of the products are all covered by the term POWDER METALLURGY. It is a rapidly developing area of engineering worldwide. Its processes and products offer challenges and opportunities to manufacturers and engineering designers alike. The industry in Europe is widespread, but includes only a few large companies. There are many small and medium size enterprises, unable to do much training. It is against this background that a series of four PMTrainingCourses was funded under the EU Marie Curie Actions programme and delivered by the European Powder Metallurgy Association [EPMA]. The courses took place during 2005 - 2008. They were held at four venues, chosen because we could draw on local expertise in Universities and Industry; Aachen, 2005; Grenoble, 2006; Košice, 2007 & Acqui Terme, 2008. Altogether, 275 students, typically 28 years of age, attended from 16EU states and 8 non-EU states. Of these 275 were funded. Over the four events, there were 149 expert lecturers from 11 EU states and one from USA. The courses had the following objectives: 1. To provide opportunities for young engineers and scientists to find out about and enhance their basic knowledge and understanding of the field and thereby improve their value to the PM industry in Europe and the wider scientific community. 2. To raise awareness of young engineers and researchers across differing disciplines in the highly interdisciplinary and innovative PM field 3. To contribute to European mobility and integration by bringing together people from across the EU and nearby states. 4. To provide opportunities to extend the expertise of young engineers to more advanced levels. 5. To facilitate propagation of cutting edge technology in the field. 6. To promote personal and institutional interactions leading to collaborative work in Europe on a wider scale than at present. The working language was English. Each event comprised a summer school of 6 days duration, followed by a 2 day short course. Summer Schools provided basic scientific understanding, enabling students to think constructively about the opportunities presented by the PM approach to materials processing, materials development and design and use of engineering artefacts. Each began with a consideration of the fundamental science of: Powders in relation to how they are made. Compaction process, shape capabilities and simulation techniques. Sintering and modelling of sintering responses. Properties of PM products and how these determine operating conditions and designs for applications. Later, students acquired more advanced knowledge in areas of their choice: steels, non -ferrous metals, hard metals, magnets and in topics that took advantage of the expertise residing at the specific venue. Programmes included laboratory work, organised by the local University and meticulously prepared. Visits to industrial plants showed how principles were put into practice. Problem solving sessions focused on how basic principles could be applied to problems arising from industrial experience. Short Courses reinforced and added to the Summer Schools. Students chose between two courses on offer, which changed from venue to venue: local expertise defined the subject matter of one of the two. All emphasised industrial issues and benefitted from input by industrial practitioners. Overall, it was a time of intense study, discussion and social activity. Emphasis was to provoke discussion, in formal sessions and informally, over coffee, at meal times - even over breakfast. Students and tutors found these to be invigorating, stimulating - and hard work! All students said that they valued the opportunity to take part, to enhance their scientific and technical training, to meet world acknowledged experts and one another.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union