Brunel University London’s state-of-the-art centre for research into metal solidification technology (BCAST) hosted the 6th Decennial International Conference on Solidification Processing this summer, bringing together the world’s leading scientists, engineers and users in the field.
The event (SP17) was held at the Beaumont Estate, Old Windsor, UK, from 25-28 July.
First established in Brighton in 1967, the conference then moved to Sheffield for 1977, 1987, 1997 and 2007. Over half a century, it has earned itself a well-deserved name, the World Solidification Olympiad.
SP17 brought together solidification scientists, casting engineers and end users from academia and industry to make a fresh and critical examination of the historical approaches to solidification research and casting technology innovation over the last 50 years, and to identify and discuss new approaches to future grand challenges in the field.
The conference provided a forum for both pioneers and emerging leaders to voice their views on future opportunities and challenges and to showcase research successes. Attended by over 275 delegates, SP17 featured some 191 oral presentations and 44 poster presentations.
SP17 also hosted the 2016 John Hunt Memorial Lecture given by Professor Alain Karma (pictured below), winner of the John Hunt Medal presented by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
The conference gala dinner offered the opportunity to thank participants for their contributions, and to honour three long-standing members of the solidification community, who had attended the very first SP conference in 1967.
SP17 ended with a round-table discussion to debate the future direction of solidification science and casting technologies, and to make a strategic assessment of where we are heading for the next 50 years based on a critical examination of what has happened over the last 50 years.
The 2027 SP host is yet to be decided.
(Brunel's Professor Zhongyun Fan, Director of BCAST)
Reported by:
Sarah Cox,
Media Relations
sarah.cox@brunel.ac.uk