Connect, no.155, July/August 2008, p.2

TWI buzzes at Technology Awareness Day

Steve Beech of Rolls-Royce plc, the keynote speaker at the Technology Awareness Day

In May 2008 TWI ran another Technology Awareness Day at its headquarters in Cambridge. The event was for the benefit of TWI Members and was devoted to the most recent advances in joining process research and how these developments could reduce manufacturing costs and optimise productivity.

TWI's Chief Executive, Bob John, was very pleased to welcome about 110 attendees from various Member companies who travelled from as far as USA, Canada, China and South Korea. Steve Beech of Rolls-Royce, kindly agreed to be the keynote speaker and set the tone for the day in his presentation 'Exploiting TWI's technologies through the product life cycle' during which his message was:

'Working closely with TWI with a clear focus on customer requirements and application of the knowledge of the key stages of acquiring new technology make it possible to achieve technically demanding programmes rapidly. Examples of projects from different industry sectors with significant technological challenges where the risk of failure can be large have shown how TWI can provide crucial links between suppliers' technology and member companies in developing new processes to the point where they can be used by the Member company or transferred to third parties.'

In two parallel sessions the attendees were then updated on the latest developments in joining processes and in processing of advanced materials. The sessions were complemented by eight related, practical demonstrations. During a networking lunch, there was also the opportunity to discuss questions in more detail with our experts and to have a look at various exhibits and stands in the atrium of TWI's main building.