Robert Barber BSc (Hons) Polymer Science and Technology
Scientist

Experience of working with a range of different materials including elastomers, metals and polyurethane foams covering product development & testing and production troubleshooting.

Stephen Bowron MEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering
Senior Engineer

Laboratory Manager with experience developing mechanical tests for composite materials and elastomers. Instrumentation, data acquisition and machine control specialist. Experienced programmer using NI LabVIEW.

Alastair Boyes BEng (Hons) Materials and Automotive Engineering
Scientist

R&D scientist and project manager with dual background in materials science and automotive engineering. Alastair has previous industrial experience of manufacturing and design with Alcoa Howmet for high temperature turbine components. He has worked on bespoke and JIP research projects at MERL. Presently involved with HP/HT testing of materials for the oil and gas industry, CAD design and test rig commissioning

Dr Bob Campion BSc, PhD, CEng, FIMMM
Principal Specialist

Author of more than 50 scientific and technical publications on elastomers, thermoplastics, cured rubber/metal & rubber/rubber bonding, autoadhesive tack, rubber compounding, polymer durability in fluids, and high pressure gas permeation and diffusion. Previously senior member of the scientific staff at Dunlop Research Centre/Technology Division for 25 years, subsequently with a period at MRPRA. Served as Committee member of the Polymer Science Group of the Institute of Materials (IOM) and Chairman of IOM Polymers in Extreme Environments conferences. Special research interests, normally applied to the Offshore Oil Production or Automotive industries, include high pressure gas permeation & diffusion through elastomers and thermoplastics, fuel permeation, fluid/polymer compatibility & ageing issues, polymer structure/property relationships, novel compounding approaches, and adhesion bonding.

Philip Clarke BSc Open
Senior Engineer and Quality System Manager

Senior Engineer with 20 years of material/component testing experience including; test jig/fixture design, elevated temperature and environmental creep, rupture and fatigue testing of metals, mechanical and internal pressure testing of polymeric pipe and fittings. Also has seal failure analysis expertise. Quality Assurance role as ISO9001:2000 Quality System Manager. Graduated in 2004 with BSc (open) achieved through study with the Open University.

Tracy Elms
Senior Technologist

Experience with a wide range of standard tests of rubber. Particular expertise with fatigue testing of rubber materials.

Dr Stefanos Giannis Dipl. Ing., MSc, PhD (Mechanical Engineering), ProfGradIMMM
Senior Scientist

Senior scientist specializing in testing and modelling of composite materials for the aerospace and power generation (wind and tidal turbines) industries. Particular research interests include fracture/delamination behaviour of composites and adhesives, impact and post impact behaviour of composites, damage tolerance methodologies. Project manager responsibilities in commercial/single client and public funded projects. Previously carried out research work under a 3.5 years AIRBUS sponsorship that emphasized on the peel performance of aircraft fuel tank sealants towards optimization of industry testing specifications.

Kim Hansen MSc Engineering (chemical engineering)
Scientist

Scientist with project manager responsibilities in commercial/single client projects. Currently involved in project work on composite materials. Experience in standard mechanical testing of rubber, composites, and adhesives. Previously employed at the Polymer Department at Risø National Laboratory (Denmark) working on single client projects within chemical characterisation and analysis, mechanical testing of polymer materials, as well as an international project on electro active polymer actuators for space applications. Member of the Danish Society for Polymer Technology and the Danish Society for Materials Research and Testing.

Peter Hansen MSc Automotive Engineering Design, Manufacture and Management
Senior Engineer and Technical Marketing Manager

Senior Engineer responsible for marketing and business development. Project Manager for industry and public-funded (UK and EU) consortium projects as well as single client bespoke research and development projects. Expertise in automotive and rail engineering, test development and implementation, mechanical testing of materials and components in single and multi-axis, testing of components using service-load data inputs (CRPC), failure analysis, life extension studies, fatigue and environmental testing and independent production inspections.

Colin Harrison MEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering
Senior Engineer and Deputy Quality Manager

Senior engineer with materials testing and data analysis expertise. Development of novel mechanical testing apparatus for bespoke projects. Development of bond strength test methods for structural adhesives. Responsible for exposure of rubber and plastic materials in MERL toxic gas test facilities. Deputy Quality Manager responsible for achieving and maintaining company registration to BS/EN/ISO 9001 – 2000. Previously 15 years experience as development engineer for new projects, with special experience with instrumentation, vibration testing and analysis at Rolls Royce Aero Engines.

Dr Michael Lewan BSc (Hons) PhD Rubber Blends
Senior Scientist

Mainly involved with work on high pressure gas testing, explosive decompression and failure analysis of seals. Also have twenty years experience of rubber compounding, which includes analysis and formulation of new compounds to produce commercially viable products that adhere to specific requirements. Current interests include the production of processable low temperature cure (LTC) rubber compounds for industry.

Dr Salim Mirza BE, MS, PhD (Mechanical Engineering)
Principal Scientist

Principal finite element analyst with wide ranging experience in high strain-rate and impact analysis of metals, thermo-mechanical processing of metals & polymers and fracture modeling. Advanced user of finite element codes DYNA3D, ABAQUS and ANSYS. Experienced in mechanical testing of metals and polymers. Current interests include developing constitutive models for polymers, modeling of thermo-mechanical processes, crack growth and fatigue analysis of elastomers.

Dr Sabine Munch Dipl. Ing., DIC, PhD (Mechanical Engineering)
Scientist

Materials scientist with a background in fracture mechanics of polymer multilayers. Previous experience in test design and development, modeling of multilayer fracture behaviour, polymer multilayer moulding, adhesion and surface/interface science. Currently involved in bespoke HP/HT, sour and permeation testing and investigating the behaviour of thermoplastics and elastomers in oil and gas environments.

Keith Potterill BTEC (HNC) Chemistry
Senior Technologist

Experience in a range of standard tests for rubber, plastics, composites and adhesives. Performed fatigue tests on rubber and composite materials using servohydraulic test equipment. Previously worked as chemical and physical test analyst at Hexcel Composites.

Jeanne Pouquet MSc Advanced Materials, MEng (Dipl. Ing) Biomechanics / Biomaterials
Scientist

R&D Scientist and project manager with dual background in Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering. Specialised in surface science: wear/friction, corrosion problems and adhesion testing for coatings. Other skills include mechanical, chemical and environmental exposure testing, as well as diffusion/permeation testing. Several years experience working on international projects.

Dr Morris Roseman BSc MSc DIC PhD CEng MIMMM
Senior Scientist

Senior Scientist with a background in the automotive, aerospace and rail industries. Morris specialises in composite materials, structural adhesive bonding and thermoplastics (used in the high volume automotive industry), and has a special interest in nanotechnology. He is active in the wider materials arena having taken part in a European DTI Global Watch Mission to investigate commercialisation of nanotechnology, and has presented papers at numerous conferences. Morris is an ex Board member of the Nanotechnology Industries Association, and currently sits on the organising committee of a lean weight vehicles conference and the HiPerNano nanotechnology group (Nanotechnology KTN). Morris currently manages TSB funded projects relating to composites and elastomers used in the oil and gas sector, and bespoke (cross-industry) single client projects relating to composites and elastomers.

Dr Nickie Smith BSc, PhD Chemical Engineering (Polymers)
Senior Engineer

Senior scientist with a chemical physics background and expertise in structure property relationships in polymer blends.Project manager for wide range of single client commercial projects relating to materials selection, development and evaluation, chemical ageing, life prediction and durability of polymeric materials. Research interests include development of accelerated test methodologies to determine low permeation rates in automotive fuel systems. Collaborated on a wide range of UK government and European Commission funded research projects relating to the development of new materials and their evaluation.

Alex Stoneman BSc Design and Technology
Senior Technician

Senior Technician involved in high pressure testing, rubber moulding, mechanical testing, and all associated jig and fixture design. With 3 years previous experience in the composites industry performing materials testing and evaluation for qualifications and R&D primarily for the Aerospace and Wind Energy sectors.

Dr Keyur Somani BSc, PhD (Polymer Chemistry)
Scientist

Polymer chemist having experience in synthesis and characterization of resins including polyurethanes, epoxies and polyesters. Work has involved the analysis and formulation of new products. Other relevant experiences are in coatings & adhesives and thermal insulation for sub sea applications. Presently involved in HP/HT testing of materials for the oil and gas industry.

Dr Barry Thomson BSc, PhD Polymer Chemistry
Principal Scientist

Senior materials scientist with wide-ranging experience of polymers and their use in demanding applications, particularly in the oil & gas sector. Current interests include evaluation of polymer durability and compatibility in hostile environments, gas decompression effects in elastomers and thermoplastics and the development of custom test equipment and methods for polymer/component characterization.

Richard Ward HND Electronic Engineering
Principal Technologist

Test Engineer with 20 years experience of testing materials, prototype and full size components. Specialising in the use of servohydraulic test machines and design of associated test fixtures. Experience in the design and commissioning of specialised test rigs and the manufacture of specialised components. Has performed on site inspections/witnessing for 3rd parties.