Second edition of 'Physics with Industry' workshop this week!
The FOM Foundation, Technology Foundation STW and the Lorentz Center are organising the second edition of 'Physics with Industry' from 17 to 21 October 2011. During this workshop some fifty physicists will work on five physics problems that companies have hit a dead end with. The aim is to bring industry and researchers closer together and to boost their enthusiasm for further collaboration.
Workshop
In the workshop, young scientists get a glimpse of the companies. They will be split into five groups to tackle a problem, supported by senior researchers and researchers from the companies concerned. A good opportunity for the participants to meet other researchers and gain new knowledge. After five days of discussions, literature searches, modelling and calculations the groups will present their results on Friday to the companies.
Physics with Industry will take place from Monday 17 to Friday 21 October at the Lorentz Center in Leiden. On the website of the Lorentz Center you can find further information about the programme as well as the address details. The press is welcome to attend the final presentations on Friday 21 October: please register in advance with Isabel Poyck +31 30 600 1222, communications adviser at FOM. If you would like to know more about the content of the workshop then please contact Marcel Bartels +31 30 600 1217 or Pieter de Witte +31 30 600 1273, programme coordinators at FOM.
Physics problems
The problems originate from the R&D departments of companies. Two criteria are important: physics must be able to make a contribution to solving the problem and it must be possible to tackle the subject within the timeframe of one week. Avery Dennison, FEI Company, Nano4Imaging, Océ and Unilever submitted the following cases:
Avery Dennison
Multinational Avery Dennison develops many different sizes and types of stickers. Unfortunately, these do not always adhere effectively to damp surfaces. This is a problem in the pharmaceutical industry where labels need to be affixed to cold samples with condensation on them. The participants will search for self-adhesive materials that can absorb moisture or a method to get rid of the condensation during the stickering process.
FEI Company
FEI manufactures electron microscopes which render structures at a molecular scale visible. Such a microscope scans the surface with a beam of electrons. Most of the electrons are reflected by the surface and a small proportion penetrate the sample. Knowledge of the interaction between the electron beam and the sample is essential for a proper interpretation of the microscope's results. The company hopes that a good model for this interaction can be produced during the workshop.
Nano4Imaging
The start-up Nano4Imaging makes products that render medical instruments and implants visible on scans, such as MRI scans and X-rays. The case for Physics with Industry concerns the MagnaFy coating. With this coating, several points on an instrument are marked for MRI. Nano4Imaging is looking for a physics model that predicts the relationship between the size of the marker and the size of the image finally observed. This will enable the markers to be better adjusted for their use.
Océ
One of the problems confronting Océ is that small bubbles arise in their inkjet systems. These lead to an uneven distribution of the ink and consequently a reduction in the print quality. The bubble formation can be counteracted by adjusting certain parameters, such as the viscosity of the ink and the pressure in the system. Océ would like the optimal values for such parameters to be calculated during the workshop.
Unilever
The structure of foodstuffs plays a major role in the taste sensation. Unilever therefore does a lot of research into additives that can make products smoother or firmer. The case for Physics with Industry concerns such an additive. The participants will examine how this additive can be modified to obtain the desired structure in a product.
FOM, Lorentz Center and STW
The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) facilitates fundamental physics research in the Netherlands. One of FOM's objectives is to build bridges between the research world and the commercial sector. The workshop Physics with Industry can increase the enthusiasm of both researchers and companies for this type of collaboration. The Lorentz Center, which organises a wide range of workshops in the natural sciences, and Technology Foundation STW, which realises knowledge dissemination between technical sciences and users, are logical partners for this initiative.