Our experienced technologists and scientists are often in demand at international meetings and seminars to present papers on recent developments at our laboratories. Last year consultancy staff presented papers at prestigious events including the ACS Rubber Division’s International Rubber Conference in Ohio and at K2007, held in Dusseldorf, Germany, our Head of Industrial Support, Dr Marina Fernando presented a paper on rubber injection moulding simulation.

Marina studied at Imperial College, University of London and after the completion of her PhD, she joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering to work on adhesion and adhesives. She spent ten years as a post-doctoral worker and was involved in projects for Dupont, the UK Ministry of Defence and the US Army. She published several papers on the adhesion, fatigue and impact failure of bonded joints.

Marina joined TARRC in 1996 as a senior scientist under the Engineering Design Unit and worked in the area of rubber bonding. Her main objectives were to optimise water-based bonding methods for rubber-metal and rubber-plastic components and to develop polymer coatings for corrosion protection. A new method of measuring bond durability in aggressive environments was developed during this work and is now an approved ASTM standard (ASTM D 429 method H). Marina subsequently transferred to the Industrial Support Unit at TARRC where she has developed considerable expertise in flow simulation and injection moulding of rubber. Marina also is in charge of the technical marketing of MRB’s speciality rubbers DPNR and ENR and has set up ongoing DPNR and ENR evaluation programmes at a number of major international rubber companies.

Contact Marina: mfernando@tarrc.co.uk