Dr P Kapranos
BSc, MSc, DMS, PhD, MEd, FIMMM, MWJS, CEng., CEnv
Short Courses Director
Senior University Teacher
Address:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 5509
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5943
Email: p.kapranos@sheffield.ac.uk
Dr. Kapranos is a Senior University Teacher and has been with the department since 1988 as a Senior Research Fellow on `The development of the Thixoforming process´. He has also worked on the `Development of Materials for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Systems – OTECS´ as well as `Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing of Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds´. As a Chartered Environmental Engineer, he is also involved both with the local branch of Engineers without Borders, the flagship of the Faculty, a week long undergraduate ‘Global Engineering Challenge’ as well as the teaching of ‘Environmental Aspects of Materials - from Cradle to?’
His approach to teaching is based on personal continuous improvement through reflection, and on student centered learning. He believes that here at Sheffield we train the ‘complete engineer’ of the future; ‘technically competent, globally aware, environmentally friendly and ethically equipped’.
He is involved in the teaching of ‘Personal & Professional Skills’, Distance Learning, research into `Innovative approaches in teaching and learning´ such as On-line assessment and feedback, Use of classroom electronic response systems, Active Learning, Problem Based Learning (PBL), and the teaching of `Creativity, Innovation, Enterprise and Ethics for Engineers´ both for UG & PG levels, where as part of their enterprise activities, UG students are involved in community based projects as well as raising substantial funds for their preferred charities worldwide.
Short Courses for Industry
The department has well-established expertise in delivering short courses that are tailored to industrial needs. The two-week course on `The technology of Flat Rolling´ covers all aspects of the processing and control of flat products and considers both the theory and practical experience of staff in the industry has been attracting delegates from all over the world. This course is designed to meet the requirements of Managers and Senior Operatives in the industry and imparts both forefront technical information as well as discussing the underlying physical principles. Its `sister´ course `The technology of Rod, Bar and Section Rolling´ it is a week long course that runs on demand and covers all aspects of the processing and control of long products and considers both the theory and practical experience of colleagues in the industry. One of our most popular courses is the one-week course on `The Metallurgy of Iron & Steel – A course for non-specialists´ designed to cater for the needs of personnel in both technical and non-technical functions, with a non-metallurgical background, who are involved in companies producing, processing, fabricating, utilising and selling steel.
More details about these courses can be found in our web site.
Research interests
- Semi-solid processing of alloys and composites
- Innovations in Teaching and Learning in engineering education
Key projects
- Thixoforming of Steel - ‘THIXOSTEEL’ (EU Consortium COST Action 541)
- Collaboration with Osaka Institute of Technology on ‘Semi-solid shaping of 5182 Al-Mg alloy’
- Collaboration with University of Mondragon (Spain) on ‘Semi-solid forming of high strength aluminium alloys’
- Collaboration with the Polytechnic of Turin (Italy) on ‘Damage mechanisms and effective protection systems for Thixosteel Dies and Tools’
- Collaboration with University of Brescia (Italy) on ‘Innovations in semi-solid metal processing’
Professional activities and recognition
- Recipient of a centenary award for outstanding achievement – University of Sheffield
- Manager of Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) funds for COST Action 541
- UK Representative to the Management Committee of COST Action 541 ‘THIXOSTEEL’
- Participant in two ERASMUS exchanges under the Teaching Staff Mobility scheme with Politecnico of Torino (Italy) & University of Mondragon (Spain)
- Member of Focus Group EPSRC/University of Sheffield Strategic Framework Agreement
- Standing member of the International Organising Committee for the 7th , 8th, 9th and 10th Int. Conferences on ‘Semi-Solid Processing of Alloys and Composites’, since 2000.
- Standing member of the Organising Committee of the Int. Conf. in High Tech. Die Casting, HTDC since 2004.
- Visiting Lecturer on the Masters of Innovation in Casting Technology – Mondragon University, Spain, 2006
- Member of the International Advisory Panel , 3rd International Symposium of Engineering Education at University College Cork, Eire, 1st - 2nd July 2010
Referee for:
- International Journal of Cast Metals Research
- Materials Science and Technology
- Metallurgical & Materials Transactions and Composites Part A: applied science and manufacturing
- Acta Materialia & Scripta Materialia
- Journal of Materials Science
- Journal of Alloys and Compounds
Patents:
- An improved method of ultrasonic inspection, Kapranos, Owner Industry, BNFL,1984
- Technique for Characterising Materials used in Thixoforging, Patent, University of Sheffield, P. Kapranos & DH Kirkwood, 1998
Key publications
- DH Kirkwood, P Kapranos, KP Young, M Suery & HV Atkinson,’Semi-Solid Metal Processing’, Springer Series in Materials Science, 124, ISBN 978-3-642-00706-4, January 2010.
- P Kapranos & DH Kirkwood, ‘Thixoforming M2 Tool Steels – A study of Different Feedstock Routes’, Keynote presentation at the Int. Conf. Hot forming of steels & product properties, Grado, Italy, 13-16 September 2009.
- J. Dutkiewicz, ŁRogal1, K Sołek, Z. Mitura, and P. Kapranos, ‘Thixoforming of Sprayformed M2 Tool Steel’, 13th International ESAFORM Conference on Material Forming, ESAFORM 2010, University of Brescia - Brescia - Italy - April 7-9, 2010.
- P. Kapranos, ‘Embedding Learning & Thinking styles into Engineering Materials courses’, 3rd International Symposium for Engineering Education, 2010, University College Cork, 1st-2nd July, 2010, Ireland.
- P. Kapranos, ‘Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Materials Engineering’, 3rd International Symposium for Engineering Education, 2010, University College Cork, 1st-2nd July, 2010, Ireland.
- P. Kapranos, ‘Cradle to? Introducing Environmental Issues into the teaching of Engineering Materials’, 3rd International Symposium for Engineering Education, 2010, University College Cork, 1st-2nd July, 2010, Ireland.