Bios
Professor David Gethin
Research contribution in the scientific areas that support net shape manufacturing and printing and coating technology.
Net shape manufacturing
This contributed significantly in developing and applying numerical and experimental techniques in casting process variants. Working closely with industry, this has led to documented experimental studies that may be used to benchmark simulation. Recent work has also led for the first time to an integrated system to simulate the direct variant of the squeeze casting process together with an exploration of optimisation techniques that may be used to define process control.
Powder forming
One of the first to develop and apply numerical schemes to simulate the compaction process using a continuum approach and to support this by exploring methods to characterise the mechanical response of powder together with gathering pressing data for validation. Undertaken research to develop and apply the combined discrete and finite element approach to powder forming, with emphasis on tabletting. Uniquely, this uses a discrete scheme to capture gross particle movement and a finite element analysis to compute particle deformation, including the ability to use different material models for each particle.
Work in printing and coating research is undertaken within the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating
During the last ten years, this Centre has undertaken fundamental scientific work on high speed, high volume graphics printing processes. This has revealed the fundamental understanding that is required to develop these processes scientifically (historically these developments were based on craft knowledge). Drawn on knowledge of thin film hydrodynamics to develop simulation methods and experiments to establish the fundamental process understanding. This work is now being taken forward with current application in the field of polymer electronics and with a future emphasis on biopolymers and biosensing devices.
Professor Tim Claypole
Tim Claypole is a founder and director of the WCPC (Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, Swansea University). He is a faculty member of the College of Engineering, Swansea University. His areas of research include colour control, manufacturing systems, quality, maintenance, reliability experimental design, fluid mechanics and process thermodynamics. He is a British Expert on ISO TC130 on standards for the graphic arts. As well as graphics and packaging, he has internationally leading research on the use of volume printing processes for advanced manufacture of a diverse range of products including electronics, sensors and point of care health.
Tim led the ERDF funded DIPLE project won the 2009 Regiostars award for “Research, Technology Development and Innovation”, reflecting the successful transfer of the research into industry. He was awarded an MBE for his services to graphic arts and industry in the 2010 Queens New Year’s Honours.
His contribution to the printing industry has been recognised by the industry with the TAGA Michael Bruno award in 2008 and in 2009 an EFTA special award for outstanding contribution to flexographic printing. The EPSRC, Government and Industry have funded his research that has led to over 170 publications on printing and related topics. He recently finished a prestigious EPSRC Portfolio Grant in “Complex Fluids for Complex flows”, these are only awarded to World leading research groups. He is a co-investigator on the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacture of Large Area Electronics. This major UK award for research is held by the WCPC jointly with the other 3 UK Centres of excellence in Printable Electronics – Cambridge University, Imperial College London and Manchester University.
Ben Clifford MEng PhD
Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Fabian Way, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea, SA1 8EN, Wales, UK
Dr Ben Clifford is a Research Assistant in the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC) within the College of Engineering at Swansea University. Ben is currently working on two funded research projects – Avenues for Commercialisation for Nano and Micro-technologies (ACNM), an ERDF funded operation managed through WEFO aimed to help commercial and industrial organisations access academic research to adopt new processes, increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The second part of his research is looking at applications of 3D printing to develop state-of-the-art scintillator holding structures through an ATTRACT funded project.
Ben’s research interests lie in the field of digital and direct write manufacturing techniques for applications in printed electronics, semiconductor and biological applications. Prior to becoming a researcher, Ben completed his PhD in the WCPC looking at the Optimisation of Aerosol Jet Deposition for the Development of Printed Electronics. This research looked at the formulation of inks specifically for use in aerosol jet deposition as well as an investigation into the effects of process parameters on print quality and electrical performance.
Ben also holds a Master of Engineering (MEng), first class with honours in Electronics and Computer Science from Swansea University. During his undergraduate studies he completed research that looked at the development and implementation of an intelligent monitoring system for point-of-care monitoring for patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy. His Masters level research project looked at the development of a power logging device for photovoltaic systems to maximise power output.
In addition to Ben’s academic studies he has worked in a number of roles in industry including Bluetooth and Electronic Consultant for NextGen Technology and Service Operations Engineer for Vodafone UK.
Professor Davide Deganello
Professor Davide Deganello’s research focuses on the development of Printing as an advanced manufacturing process, promoting its transformative potential for novel functional applications, including electronic, biomedical and energy storage applications. His experience encompasses large scale roll-to-roll printing down to micro scale digital additive manufacturing, with applied research supported by the study of fundamental underlying physics and rheology.
Graduating in Mechanical Engineering from Padova University (Italy, 2003), Prof. Deganello completed his PhD at Swansea University (UK, 2008) on the modelling of gravure printing, going on to conduct research for Fast2light, a FP7 project dedicated to the development of roll-to-roll OLEDs technologies.
Appointed as a lecturer in Swansea in 2011, Professor Deganello has since developed a growing collaborative research program, based on a number of Research Council & industrial awards. As Deputy director at the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating in the College of Engineering, his research has promoted Swansea University as an International leading centre in printing technologies for functional applications.
Recent projects, as Principal Investigator, include an EPSRC award for large-scale energy storage (EP/N013727/1, 2016-19), an EPSRC award on rheology in roll-to-roll printing (EP/M008827/1, 2016), an EPSRC CimLAE Pathfinder project on laser induced forward transfer (SIMLIFT, 2017), an H2020 ATTRACT project on novel solutions for muon detectors through 3D Printing (2019-20). Further, Prof. Deganello has been involved in multiple research & knowledge transfer projects to industry (through ERDF, WG, Innovate UK awards), and interdisciplinary research, such as Co-Investigator in the development of printed diagnostic devices for human cytomegalovirus in new born babies (NIHR, 2018-2021).
Prof. Deganello’s research has led to a number of publications in high impact international journals, to patents and industrial investments. Prof. Deganello is a chartered engineer for the Italian Engineering Association and member of the IOP Printing and Graphics Science group.
Dr Chris Phillips
Chris is a lecturer in chemical engineering in Swansea University and is continuing his research with WCPC with a focus on functional ink development, with emphasis on carbon materials, and energy storage applications.
Dr James Claypole
James graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Civil Engineering. He has recently finished his PhD at Swansea University in advanced rheology of printable materials. He worked as an intern at the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating during his undergraduate study and is now working as a post-doctoral research assistant at Swansea University working on advanced rheology and its impact on the ability to print electronics funded as part of the EPSRC Centre of Innovative of Large Area Electronics based in WCPC.
Dr Tatyana Korochkina
Tatyana Korochkina is a senior researcher at the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating in the College of Engineering, Swansea University. Her research is primarily focused on functional inks and deposition methods for printed electronics, sensors and energy harvesting. She currently works on the EU funded INTERREG Ireland Wales STREAM project developing printed sensors for remote environmental aquatic monitoring.
Sarah-Jane Potts
Sarah-Jane is currently working as a Scale Up Technology Transfer Fellow at Specific, Swansea University. She is also finishing off her EngD in “Advanced manufacture by screen printing” which she partook at the Welsh Centre of Printing and Coating (WCPC), Swansea University, sponsored by icmPrint Consortium. Her EngD focussed on visualising the effect of ink viscosity and parameter settings on how inks and pastes are deposited during screen printing, using high-speed imaging and a custom-made printer. As well as explored the effect of parameter settings and post processing techniques on print quality and performance. She also has a master’s degree (MEng) in Product Design Engineering from Swansea University which she completed in 2015. Her work currently focuses on scaling up printed electronics including perovskite solar cells.
Dr Ian Mabbett
Ian is a senior lecturer in the new chemistry department at Swansea.
Prior to that he was the manager of the Materials and Manufacturing Academy, which incorporates the EPSRC COADTED2 functional coatings centre of doctorate training, of which WCPC is a partner.
Ian has also worked in the SPECIFIC innovation and knowledge centre, with research activities in drying, curing and sintering processes for functional coatings in photovoltaic energy generation and electrochemical energy storage.
Ian has also published papers on rapid sintering of conductive inks for printed electronics with WCPC colleagues.
His background is in the rapid radiative drying and curing of coatings and inks and the study of these processes necessitates expertise in instrumental techniques, particularly spectroscopic techniques, thermal analysis and evolved gas analysis.
Ian holds CChem and CSci status with RSC and CEng status with IOM3, holds FHEA for teaching activities and is a very active STEM ambassador.