| Professor Chris Cook discusses the importance of engineering in today... Professor Chris Cook discusses the importance of engineering in today’s world as part of the Research Strength Showcase Series |
Engineering Dean delivers latest Research Strength Showcase lecture
16 Apr 2008 | Bernie Goldie
Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Professor Chris Cook today (April 16) l presented the latest lecture in the Research Strength Showcase Series at the University of Wollongong.
Professor Cook discussed the importance of engineering in today’s world and covered current ‘hot’ manufacturing topics at Wollongong, many of them receiving substantial funding from current industry partners.
He discussed how the research challenges for engineers in manufacturing included finding new ways of making things which use less energy, which last longer while costing less, which provide users with greater safety, productivity and efficiency. This included finding ways of using new materials, new ways of joining components together to make finished products, new ways to automate assembly, and new ways to design ‘intelligent’ machine tools.
Research at Wollongong is investigating new ways to manufacture submarines and surface ships, aeroplanes, manufacturing and protecting armoured vehicles, and new ways to use state-of-the-art materials, such as titanium.
The inherently multidisciplinary nature of manufacturing, which brings together physicists, and electrical, computer, mechanical and materials engineers, was illustrated through examples of current research under way in welding, robotics, superconductors, electricity supply and generation, and new automation techniques for major industries as diverse as underground coal mining, fresh food processors and medical supplies.
If variety is the spice of life, then manufacturing research is a rich addition to life, and this presentation illustrated this with many real life examples drawn from existing research projects at Wollongong.
The Research Strength Showcase Series is a new lunchtime lecture series which provides an opportunity to showcase the research conducted within each of UOW’s research strengths. Professor Cook was speaking on behalf of Professor John Norrish from the Faculty of Engineering who was listed earlier to present this lecture.
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