Name: Benjamin Nicholas
Degree: MEng Materials Science and Engineering in the Department of Materials
Graduation Year: 2019
Current role: Manufacturing Development Engineer
What is your current job?
I am a Manufacturing Development Engineer working within the Manufacturing and Materials Research team at BAE Systems Air.
What do you do in your job?
I develop techniques for applying new and novel materials to production and experimental fast jets, using additive manufacturing, robotics, lasers and more. I also work with our in-house simulation team to devise material specifications and standards for new products, qualify emerging materials for use on operational aircraft and foster relationships with our industrial and academic partners to improve our in-house capabilities, ensuring we remain at the forefront of technology.
Why did you choose a career in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)?
Coming out of university, I wanted to apply what I had learnt in an industry that would allow me to work at the highest levels of technological advancement and play a part in creating a physical product that would make a tangible impact on people’s lives. I have fond memories of going to Air Shows and Expos as a child and seeing all the fantastic examples of engineering on display. Now, I can contribute to the technology of today, and hopefully, in a generation or two, there will be a similar child marvelling at something I have created.
What did you enjoy most about the course at Imperial?
Learning about not only the theory and design of new materials, but their applications in industry and how they affect our day-to-day lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Materials Science is very lightly touched upon at the school level, so the course really opened my eyes to the ways Materials Science has shaped human civilisation and continues to do so today. Materials Science unifies the Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering we learn in school into one multi-disciplinary subject and is therefore, in my opinion, the best way to apply all the knowledge I learnt in school to the fullest extent.
What is the coolest thing you have done in your career so far?
Seeing a Eurofighter Typhoon take off with full afterburners is a good perk!
What is your favourite material (and why)?
Metallic glass has to take the top spot for me. It is a relatively new material but mature enough to have applications outside of the theoretical sphere. I look forward to seeing the potential to create the material in bulk (and additively at that!) and exploit its unique properties.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell myself to make the most of my summer holidays; you don’t get them once you’re working!