The Centre
The Centre for Micro- and Nanomechanics (CEMINACS) is an international scientific organisation with membership open to academic and industrial institutions and their representatives.
The Centre aims at bringing together researchers interested in various aspects of micro- and nanomechanics, including solid mechanics (stability theory, wave propagation), mechanical engineering (structural mechanics) and material sciences (composite and nanomaterials). The current members of the Centre have international reputation in modelling the behaviour of heterogeneous materials at different length scales.
The work of the Centre is relevant to a wide range of key industrial sectors including aerospace, space, marine, automotive, electronic, defence, security and medicine, leading to improvements in design and reductions of fabrication and manufacturing costs.
In recent years, the members of the Centre attracted over £1,300,000 of external grants. Current financial support comes from The Royal Society, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, EPSRC, The Royal Academy of Engineering, the British Council, the Technology Strategy Board, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Balmoral Sectional Tanks Ltd., and Ziebel UK Ltd., the University of Aberdeen and the Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics. Further funding is actively sought from European and US agencies and from industrial sponsorship.
History
In order to create a critical mass of highly qualified experts for tackling the modern challenges in solid mechanics, mechanical engineering and material sciences, the inter-disciplinary Centre for Micro- and Nanomechanics is established jointly by the College of Physical Sciences of the University of Aberdeen and Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics (TIM), Kiev, Ukraine.
The Collaboration Agreement between the University of Aberdeen and TIM, made on 24 May 2004, declared that the Parties wish to enter into a multi disciplinary collaboration in the field of Mechanics to promote cross-disciplinary convergence and strengthening the UK and Ukraine international standard in the field.
International Advisory Board
- Prof D Gross (Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany)
- Prof KP Herrmann (University of Paderborn, Germany)
- Prof R Kienzler (University of Bremen, Germany)
- Prof RW Ogden, FRS (University of Glasgow, UK)
- Prof FG Rammerstorfer (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
- Prof C Soutis (Honorary Director of NCCEF, University of Manchester, UK)
Mission
Manage an integrated research and post-graduate education in order to generate fundamental knowledge on mechanical phenomena in materials with pronounced microscale and nanoscale heterogeneities.
Strategy
The research topics are selected to be of fundamental long-term interest and of industrial relevance. The scientific innovation in the outcome of the Centre will be beyond the state-of-the-art in this field and it will further understanding of the potential application of composites and nanomaterials.
The Centre is actively involved in making contact with the investment community regarding the potential of nanotechnology through various awareness-raising events with the aim of paving the way to informed investment and thus accelerating a return on research funding.
Objectives
Provide a forum for researchers from different countries in the area of micro- and nanomechanics.
- Identify, study and elucidate the fundamental problems related to the specifics of mechanical behaviour of composites and nanomaterials.
- Become the world reference for quality research in micro- and nanomechanics.
- Promote collaborative research and stimulate closer interaction with British industry and the best international researchers.
- Enable technological breakthroughs by providing a source of expertise on micro- and nanomechanics to industry.
- Generate knowledge required to develop new materials and significantly improve existing materials.
- Educate young engineers and train researchers in the area of micro- and nanomechanics.
- Provide office and laboratory space, computer facilities and a seminar room as a focus for the Centre's activities.
- Invite the distinguished international visitors for short or extended periods.
- Organise international workshops and conferences on the subject.
- Inform the international academic community about the activities of the Centre by publicizing them during major conferences, in the journal papers and in the regular issues of International Applied Mechanics which is the official medium of the Centre.
Publications
Since the foundation of CEMINACS in May 2004, the members of the Centre have published more than 250 journal papers and presented at more than 60 major international meetings. Click to see a list of the Centre's publications.