News

Once again this year, the Metallurgy Group actively participated in MECSPE, the international trade fair for the manufacturing industry, held at Bologna Fiere from March 5 to 7.

On Friday, March 7, our professor Mattia Merlin was a key speaker in a seminar titled Microstruttura e trattamento termico: una sfida per il futuro della manifattura additiva, which was part of a series of talks promoted by Associazione Meccanica on the theme la sfida della manifattura additiva di materiali metallici: ricerca e innovazione nelle università dell’Emilia-Romagna. Several recent case studies were presented, resulting from collaborations with both the industrial sector and academia, focusing on heat treatment and its consequent effects on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of ferrous and non-ferrous metal alloys produced through additive manufacturing.

The seminar was also an opportunity to highlight the results of two POR FERS projects from the Emilia-Romagna Region, in which Professor Merlin has played and continues to play a key role as a representative of the IN4 laboratory (formerly MECHLAV) at the Ferrara Technopole. Specifically, these projects include RIMMEL “RIvestimenti Multi-funzionali e multi-scala, per componenti MEccanici in acciaio e Leghe di alluminio fabbricati con additive manufacturing”, which concluded in 2022, and ALERT “Leghe di ALluminio per componenti soggetti a fatica E fretting: Rivestimenti e Trattamenti superficiali integrati”, which is currently ongoing.

On the same day, our professor Annalisa Fortini organized an educational visit for students of the Metallografia e Failure Analysis course in the Mechanical Engineering program. The visit included stops at several booths of major suppliers of metallographic preparation equipment and consumables, as well as testing instruments for mechanical evaluations of metallic materials. This experience allowed students to interact directly with industry experts, explore new techniques, and deepen their knowledge in a field of growing importance for companies.

Once again, participation in MECSPE proved to be a valuable opportunity for discussion and development, strengthening the connection between academic research and industrial innovation in the field of Metallurgy.

On Thursday, February 27, the students of the Metallurgy II course, taught by Prof. Mattia Merlin, attended a technical seminar organized in collaboration with IIS – the Italian Institute of Welding.

The seminar, led by Eng. Giovanni Garbarino, explored the topic of metallurgy and weldability of structural steels and austenitic stainless steels, providing students with a valuable learning opportunity and the chance to engage with an industry expert.

A heartfelt thank you to the Italian Institute of Welding for their valuable collaboration and for the insightful presentation.

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Tecnopolo of Ferrara hosted the event ResearcHER on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 18 - a special meeting dedicated to the students of Liceo L. Ariosto in Ferrara.

The event opened with a presentation of the Tecnopolo by Manager Angela Princi, followed by a series of testimonials from female researchers who shared their journeys in science and innovation. Among them, our Associate Professor Annalisa Fortini introduced the Metallurgy Laboratory of the Department of Engineering, offering students a unique opportunity to explore firsthand the practical applications of metallurgy and the research conducted within our group. The enthusiasm and active participation of the students made the event a valuable moment of exchange and reflection, with the goal of sparking their curiosity and guiding them toward informed choices for their future.

A special thanks to the Tecnopolo of Ferrara for organizing this event, which allowed students to engage with the world of research and innovation in a tangible and inspiring way.

We are pleased to announce the publication of the manual 'Principles and applications of thermal analysis for aluminium alloys' an extraordinary achievement resulting from years of study, research, and practical application. 

The work, published by the Italian Metallurgical Association, is signed by Annalisa Fortini, lecturer in our Metallography and Failure Analysis course, alongside Marialaura Tocci and Andrea Manente. This volume represents a fundamental contribution both scientifically and practically, aiming to provide a clear and accessible reference for those wishing to approach or deepen the topic of thermal analysis in the context of aluminum alloys. 

Mr. Davide Maghini, currently a first-year PhD student in Metallurgy in our Department's PhD programme in Engineering Sciences, has won the study grant offered by ASSOFOND for his experimental thesis entitled "Influence of solidification rate on the low cycle fatigue behaviour of a heat treated AlSi7MgCu3 cast alloy: an in-situ investigation".

ASSOFOND study grants are reserved for recent graduates who have defended their Master's thesis on innovative topics in the foundry sector (metallurgy, plant engineering, design, simulation, environmental and energy sustainability).

On Friday, 29 November 2024, at Villa Fenaroli in Rezzato (BS), during the in-person session of the 37th ASSOFOND Technical Foundry Conference, Mr. Davide Maghini was awarded by Professor Giovanni Caironi, president of the AIM-Assofond Foundry Study Centre.

The supervisor, Professor Mattia Merlin, together with the co-supervisors, Engineer Annalisa Fortini and Engineer Toni Bogdanoff, and the entire metallurgy group, congratulate Mr. Davide Maghini on this well-deserved award.