Catherine A Bowers
Position
EngD Candidate
Research Area
Alloy Development
Background
I qualified with my masters in Mechanical Engineering in 2014 and went out to work in industry. I started as a manufacturing engineer on a graduate scheme with PCC airfoils which allowed me to work in both a precision casting facility in Leeds and a special metals producer in Hereford. Over those years I worked my way up up to production manager and enjoyed 4 years in that position.
As I was contemplating what my next steps would be I managed to meet Martin Jackson at Sheffield University who had this fantastic opportunity to study for my PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. Metals processing and forming is something I am passionate about and couldn't pass the chance to research this exciting extrusion forming technology.
Current Research
My PhD research aims to develop a greater understanding of the CONFORM process and then apply this to the development of the next generation of copper-based alloys. CONFORM continuous extrusion is a unique metal forming process that requires no external heat source (i.e. furnace for preheating) and can use either solid or particulate feeds such as metal powders. Because CONFORM extrusion is a low-temperature manufacturing method and bypasses several conventional processing steps, it provides a sustainable and less energy-intensive alternative to traditional extrusion methods.