Keynote Speaker Professor Tresa Pollock at the MAPP First International Conference - Keynote Speaker Professor Tresa Pollock at the MAPP First International Conference
MAPP Scientific Advisory Board Chair Professor Tresa Pollock speaking at the conference
MAPP’s First International Conference has been hailed a resounding success attracting 180 delegates and featuring keynotes from world-leading experts - including MAPP Scientific Advisory Board Chair Professor Tresa Pollock. 

The event attracted delegates and speakers from America, France, Germany, Spain and across the UK, with representatives from over 35 companies and 20 universities. 

The conference, on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st January in Sheffield, took place one year after  MAPP’s official launch, and brought together experts in the areas of particulate and powder science across a wide range of manufacturing processes with a particular focus on: in-situ process and performance characterisation; advanced characterisation; and modelling, optimisation and control.

Expert Panel - MAPP First International Conference
The Expert Q&A Panel.

The varied programme included an expert panel, chaired by Sophie Jones, General Manager, Added Scientific, looking at the question ‘From Research to Results: Is powder research responding to industry’s needs?’

The panel featured Dr Kate Black, University of Liverpool, Dr Candice Majewski, University of Sheffield, Dr Hoda Amel, Manufacturing Technology Centre and Dr Nicola Jones, LPW Technology. Delegates took advantage of the opportunity to ask the experts for their opinion on current challenges. The discussion was wide-ranging and included the importance of sharing information about what didn’t work as well as information about successes, the importance of training and the relationship between industry and academia.

MAPP Director and RAEng Chair, Professor Iain Todd, University of Sheffield said: “The talks at the conference were really fantastic - it was a great start to the Year of Engineering.

Conference delegates

“It was brilliant to welcome everyone and to see our community working together and hear the many interesting discussions around the posters and during the networking sessions.

“Together with our partners at the Universities of Leeds, Manchester, Oxford and Imperial College London, we are working towards the application of new technologies to drive right first time manufacturing for advanced powder processes.

“This conference provided a great opportunity to share new insights across both academia and industry to overcome the challenges facing adoption of these advanced processes.”

The conference had a stellar line-up of international experts providing the keynote presentations: 

Delegates and sponsors talking at the MAPP First International Conference
Delegates visiting the sponsor stands

Professor Carolin Körner, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, ‘Towards self-regulating AM systems via combining SEBM and SEM.’

Professor Javier Llorca, IMDEA Materials Institute, Madrid, ‘A roadmap for multiscale modelling of processing and properties of metallic alloys.’

Professor Jin Ooi, University of Edinburgh, ‘Computational modelling of powder processes from model conceptualisation to industrial application.’

Professor Tresa Pollock, University of California, ‘3D analysis of structure and defects at the scale of the melt pool.’

MAPP Scientific Advisory Board - Pictured left to right front row Professor Carolin Körner, Professor Tresa Pollock, Professor Javier Llorca, Professor Iain Todd, Professor Barbara Previtali. Back row, left to right, Professor Jin Ooi, Professor Fabrice Rossignol and Dr Richard France Senior Business Development Manager.
Pictured left to right front row Professor Carolin Körner, Professor Tresa Pollock, Professor Javier Llorca, Professor Iain Todd, Professor Barbara Previtali. Back row, left to right, Professor Jin Ooi, Professor Fabrice Rossignol and Dr Richard France Sen

Professor Barbara Previtali, Polytechnic of Milan, ‘Temporal beam shaping in Selective Laser Melting: molten pool sensing during continuous and pulsed wave laser processing.’

Professor Fabrice Rossignol, French National Centre for Scientific Research, ‘Additive manufacturing of complex microreactors for intensified catalytic processes: the case of H2 production by steam methane reforming.’

Speakers from industry included:

Neil Harrison, LPW Technology Ltd, ‘Measurement, control and prediction of metal powder evolution with serial laser powder bed fusion processing.’

Stefanie Freitag, Carl ZEISS Microscopy GmbH, ‘Advanced 3D Correlative x-ray and FIB-SEM study on selective laser molten gear wheel parts.’

First Place Flash Presentation Felicity Freeman at the MAPP First International Conference - First Place Flash Presentation Felicity Freeman at the MAPP First International Conference
First place Flash Presentation Felicity Freeman, University of Sheffield

In addition to the high-calibre presentations, MAPP announced the details of its new feasibility funding call and there were many networking opportunities around the poster sessions and the sponsor’s area.

The conference also highlighted the work of early career researchers through an impressive selection of Flash Presentations.

The Flash Presentations and the Poster Presentations were independently judged by the delegates and prizes - sponsored by Freeman Technology - were awarded as follows:

First place Flash Presentation Felicity Freeman, University of Sheffield, and runner-up Chu Lun Alex Leung, University of Manchester. 

First place Poster Presentation at the MAPP First International Conference, Luke Fox, University of Sheffield. - First place Poster Presentation at the MAPP First International Conference, Luke Fox, University of Sheffield.
First place Poster Presentation Luke Fox, University of Sheffield,

First place Poster Presentation Luke Fox, University of Sheffield, and runner-up Mozhdeh Mehrabi, University of Leeds. 

The conference was delivered in partnership with Innovate UK’s  Knowledge Transfer Network. The event was generously sponsored by Phoenix, Retsch, BeAM, Materialise, AFRC-University of Strathclyde, The University of Nottingham, Olympus, Sandvik, Freeman Technology, Granu Tools, Inovar Communications and Johnson Matthey.