You Are Here: Bulletin > Archive Bulletins > Issue 32 - Summer 2008

Chairman's Corner

Dr Cris Arnold

This issue of the Bulletin is focused on metals processing, which despite rumours to the contrary is very much alive and well withinWales, and contributing significantly to the region’s economy. Alongside coal, the industrial development ofWales was very much based on the extraction and processing of metals. Smelting can be traced back to the Roman times, but expanded dramatically in the eighteenth century, with the production of iron and steel, copper, arsenic, zinc, tin and more recently aluminium. This proceeded to such an extent that the Swansea Valley was colloquially known as “Copperopolis”. Although there has been a significant contraction since the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the articles in this issue should demonstrate thatWales can still claim to be a world-leader in metals processing.

The main change that has occurred is a shift away from simple volumes of production, to high quality and added-value materials, utilising world-leading research and development. This is exemplified by the activities of the companies profiled in this Bulletin, such as TIMET, supplying titanium alloys to the aerospace industry,Vale Inco producing novel nickel products for batteries and fuel cells and Sandvik Osprey producing advanced metal powders. Wales’ largest metals processor, Corus, has successfully changed their focus to high-quality added value products such as functionally-coated steels. There is also a significant research base within Wales, extending to modelling of novel catalyst production in collaboration with the European Space Agency.

One issue that has become significant for this sector of industry is the lack of qualified metallurgists being produced by UK Universities. The main reason for this is the perception amongst school students that the subject is old and low-tech, leading to a shrinking number of jobs in messy heavy industry. In reality, there are many opportunities in increasingly high-tech activities, and there is a need for the University sector, in partnership with Industry and the Professional Bodies to coordinate activities to get this message into schools.

For those interested in gaining first-hand experience of the metal-processing sector, the next site visit takes place on 18th September to Corus in Port Talbot. I’m sure this will be a very informative and interesting visit, although as places are limited, you should sign up as early as you can.

Finally, I would first like to express my thanks and best wishes to our outgoing Chairman, Dr Richard Smith, who has steered the Network very successfully over the last year. His valuable input and enthusiasm will certainly be missed.

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