To contact any of the committee members below please email manufacturing@imeche.org  


Graham Tromans, RPMA Chairman

Graham is currently Manager of the Rapid Manufacturing Consortium, which is part of the Rapid Manufacturing Research Group at Loughborough University. He has been involved in Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Manufacturing since 1990. Until the end of 2002 Graham managed the Rapid Prototyping and Tooling facility at Rover Group/Land Rover, this also involved work in conjunction with the BMW facility in Munich. After BMW sold-off Rover Group, he worked with Ford Europe, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Volvo.

During this time, he spent much of his time developing new applications for the technologies, specialising in the application of the technologies for use in the casting of metals. Altogether, he worked for Rover Group/Land Rover for 37 years, all of this time involved in prototyping processes. He has been on Overseas Science and Technology Missions for the Department of Trade and Industry to both USA and Japan, looking at the developments in RP/RM technology and applications. He has presented papers in USA, Japan and Europe.

Richard Rogers

Richard is a Professional Engineer – Rapid Prototyping (SP2) working for Rolls-Royce Aero engines in Filton, Bristol. He joined Rolls-Royce in 1980 as an undergraduate in Derby, moving to Bristol in 1985, initially employed on Automation projects in the Investment Foundry Environment, particularly for Investment Coating, Anodic Etching, writing software for a Voice Recognition System for Ultrasonic measurement of castings.

From 1990 through to the present, Richard’s focus has been to introduce, develop and provide a Rapid Prototyping Bureau for the rest of Rolls Royce. During the mid 1990’s, this facility has been a source of external income to Rolls Royce while RP was in its infancy as well as providing a service for internal customers. During this time, Richard has contributed to many RP conferences and publications.

Currently the facility consists of three stereolithography machines and one ThermoJet system, providing a range of products, including cored Quickcast patterns for direct casting applications, and the use of SLA & Thermojet for Foundry support and tooling applications.

David Wimpenny

David was appointed Chair of Rapid Product Manufacture at De Montfort University in 2001 and heads their Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Group (RPMG). Professor Wimpenny and his team are conducting leading research into the use of layer manufacturing methods across a range of industries. He is a committee member of the UK’s Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Association and has over 15 years experience in research and consultancy in the field of product development and manufacturing technology.

Greg Gibbons

Greg has worked for a number of years within the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Rapid Prototyping and Tooling (RP&T) department of the Department of Engineering, University of Warwick. Having previously gained a Doctorate in Physics at the University of Warwick, he has a thorough knowledge of materials technology, with a proven record in development of materials and processes for industrial applications. His recent research activities have centred around the development of rapid tooling processes, including IMI Spraymould, a £750k tooling development programme, in which a full process route for the manufacture of composite forming tooling for aerospace and other industries was developed.

He currently manages a number of research programmes within RP&T, working closely with a wide range of industrialists, including BAe Systems, Ford, Airbus and Alcoa to develop innovative tooling technologies. Recently, Greg has taken on management of the RP&T department, with responsibility for both business and research strategies and development.

Richard Bibb

Richard is currently Head of Medical Applications at The National Centre for Product Design & Development Research (PDR), which is a research unit of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC). After graduating from Brunel University with a BSc. in Industrial Design, Richard moved to PDR, conducted research into the application of Rapid Prototyping technologies, and gained his doctorate in 1999.

Since 1998, he has concentrated on the application of advanced product development technologies in medicine and established the Medical Applications Group at PDR. His research has been published in many journal articles and been presented in the UK, Belgium, Germany, USA, Canada and Japan. The Group also established the UK’s leading medical modelling service, which has supplied over 400 RP models to more than 50 hospitals, universities, museums and medical companies worldwide.

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