Rob Thornton Email & Phone Number

As Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at WMG, University of Warwick, I have overall responsibility for undergraduate provision that includes specialist degree programmes and degree apprenticeships. For more information on our educational offerings please see: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/education/My research interests include understanding fundamental mechanisms of change in engineering alloys at cryogenic temperatures, development and performance of nano-crystalline and nano-composite coatings, and the use of engineering tools in archaeological studies.

United Kingdom

UK Tribology (UKT) is a multi-institution organisation that provides a focus for tribology in the UK by coordinating existing activities and identifying new initiatives. UK Tribology is supported by the Institutions of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IoM3), Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Engineering & Technology (IET) and the Institute of Physics (IOP).The main aim of UKT is to reach out to the wider community to promote the benefits of tribology to enhance a sustainable, low carbon economy and a better quality of life. In addition to promote and develop the UK strengths in tribology for the benefit of society by advising and informing UK industry, government and educational establishments.Since joining UK Tribology in June 2012, I have been involved in advising UKT on the use of social media for promoting our activities and agenda.

London, United Kingdom

Member of the Tribology Group Committee, also having previously (2010 - 2013) represented tribologists on the Young Members' Board. The Tribology Group seeks to promote a national focus for tribology and its practitioners, encourage greater understanding and sharing of best practice in tribology as well as furthering tribology teaching and research. On behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Tribology Group is also a founding member of UK Tribology.In my role I have been involved with the dissemination of tribological best practice through supporting the re-launch of a series of Tribological Design Guides as well as acting as the Chair of the Tribology Group's annual Mission of Tribology Research.

London, United Kingdom

Member of the Young Members' Board Executive Committee coordinating the international strategy of the Institution with regards to Young Members (those working towards and recently having been Professionally Registered); developing resources and providing guidance for the Institution's Volunteer Network to enable them to engage with members and non-members, raise the profile of mechanical engineering and inspire the next generation to become mechanical engineers.By virtue of my role on the Young Members' Board, I was also an ex-officio member of the Trustee Board who develop the ongoing strategic plan for the entire Institution, decide upon new initiatives and activities, as well as scrutinise new acquisitions for the Institution, in line with it's Royal Charter and By-Laws.During my two terms I presented annual reports from the Young Members' Board, successfully argued for greater investment and support for digital communications and social media, as well as supported efforts to raise the proportion of Associate Members of the Institution voting in its annual elections.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Young Members' Panels are groups of volunteers who act on the behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, organising events and activities that attract and recruit new members to the IMechE, offer them opportunities for soft-skills development and networking, and assist in implementing the strategies of the Institution's Young Members' Board and Regional Strategy Board.During my year in office I successfully revived a committee, growing a group of 3 active members to around a dozen by May 2011. We organised a number of activities in South Yorkshire, including a bicycle design lecture that attracted a record number of delegates (~150) for our Area, and a Get Registered event that lead to several mechanical engineers becoming Chartered (CEng) during 2011.

Leicester, United Kingdom

Sitting within the Engineering Learning and Professional Practice Group, and the Mechanics of Materials Research Group, my core teaching covered engineering design and tribology. Alongside this I was Director of Education in the School of Engineering from 2020-22 and became a Mental Health First Aid Higher Education Champion.My research includes understanding fundamental mechanisms of change in engineering alloys at cryogenic temperatures, long-term corrosion performance of thermally-sprayed aluminium coatings in offshore structures, development and performance of nano-crystalline and nano-composite coatings and friction stir welding.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

An EPSRC funded, 12 month research fellowship awarded under a competitive internal process at The University of Sheffield.During this period my main focus was working on a project with Sandvik Coromant and Cryogenic Treatment Services Ltd., concerning using a range of mechanical and tribological tests and thorough microstructural analyses to determine the effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide tool materials. These sintered materials have shown significant improvements in tool life and wear resistance due to DCT, but the mechanisms for these improvements have yet to be clarified.Alongside my research I tutored a 1st Year group, co-supervised a Final Year Project student, supervised two research interns over the Summer and line managed a part-time student employee aiding me in the development of computational tools for teaching topics in mechanical engineering. During this period I continued conducting consultancy work for major automotive and industrial partners.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Alongside my research I regularly undertake consultancy projects with local and national industrial partners. Recent examples include:- The design and manufacture of an experimental rig to assess the machinability of steels used in gear manufacture, with a particular focus on developing a LabVIEW interface for recording and analysing 3-axis force data.- The design and manufacture of an experimental rig to measure the cutting friction experienced by the flank face of tool inserts during turning operations.- Impact wear testing and analysis of automotive engine valves to provide data for the validation of computational models developed by the University and industry.- Wear testing, analysis and characterisation of a number of materials for use in marine bearings, as well as for crop shears in plate mills.- Friction testing of polymer materials used on railway carriage supports, as well as prototype automotive steering components.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Cryogenic processing is a one-off heat treatment process that can be incorporated into 'conventional' high temperature heat treatment cycles. In ferrous alloys (which form the focus of my investigations) cryogenic processing has been shown to cause significant microstructural changes that can, in certain cases dramatically improve the wear resistance of steel alloys.My research seeks to connect these changes in wear resistance with changes in physical and microstructural properties of commonly used industrial and automotive materials, through a combination of laboratory-based tribological testing, realistic machining trials and microstructural analyses.In an industrial context, cryogenic processing may result in dramatically improved tool-life and therefore reduced machine downtime and greater productivity. However, the exploitation of these benefits is restricted by the lack of scientific understanding over it's specific effects in a range of materials and the microstructural processes involved.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

During my PhD I was involved in supporting the teaching activities of a number of modules at various levels within the Department of Mechanical Engineering.This has included guiding undergraduate students through experimental labs covering fundamental aspects of mechanical engineering, supporting MEng, BEng & MSc Final Year / Individual Project students as well as acting as a mentor to a 3rd Year MEng Group Design Project team and a number of 4th Year MEng business planning groups.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Chairman of the highest elected decision-making body at Sheffield Students' Union; rated as the #1 Students' Union in the UK by the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey in 2009, 2010 and 2011.The responsibilities of Students' Union Council include the representation of all 24,000 students at The University of Sheffield on internal, local and national issues; scrutiny of the 8 elected Students' Union Officers; consideration and recommendation of the Students' Union's £3.5 million annual budget to the Trustee Board; organisation of elections and referenda as well as the review of Policies and the Students' Union Constitution and Bye-Laws.

Capenhurst, Chester, Uk

During my placement I worked in a number of areas within Plant Design & Projects (PD&P). My main responsibilities included aiding in drafting of plant design drawings and the analysis and testing of plant components.To conclude my placement I presented some of my experimental findings to senior engineers including the Managing Director, in doing so securing a £2000 scholarship for my final year of university.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), The Effects Of Cryogenic Processing On The Properties And Performance Of Engineering Materials

Activities and Societies: Students' Union Council, Education Committee

Meng, Mechanical Engineering, Class One Honours

Activities and Societies: Mechanical Engineering Society

Postgraduate Certificate, Academic Practice, Merit

A course designed for staff engaged in teaching and/or supporting learning to engage in initial professional development and gain.