The UK’s Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining has awarded the 2016 Ivor Jenkins Medal to John Dunkley of Atomising Systems Limited.
The award is given in recognition of a significant contribution that has improved the scientific, industrial or technological understanding of materials processing or component production using particulate materials. It is named after Welsh metallurgist Ivor Jenkins, who died in 2003.
John is a noted international expert in powder atomization technology with 40 years’ experience in atomising plant technology. Starting initially as an office-based operation, selling atomising plants, his company has grown to become a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of such systems. The company has now built and supplied around 140 plants to customers in 34 countries. These range from major powder suppliers to small in-house operations.
The company has developed many specialist powders, including water atomised stainless steel powders for filter applications, gas atomised Ag-28Cu powder for brazing and gas atomised special Cu alloys for diamond tool manufacture. It has developed technology for the production of satellite-free powders in gas atomization, ultrasonic vibratory atomization used for very narrow size range, perfectly spherical solder powder production for electronics and centrifugal (spinning cup) atomization, which is also used in the latest electronic solder powder plants. John also served for several years as chair of the IOM3 Particulate Engineering Committee.
This story is reprinted from material from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
