Professor becomes president of prestigious precision engineering society EUSPEN

The distinguished career of a Huddersfield professor who is revered in the fields of surface metrology and precision manufacturing processes has been acclaimed by his peers after they nominated him for the presidency of the prestigious European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen).

Professor Liam Blunt is a Director of the Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT) within the University of Huddersfield’s School of Computing and Engineering and was officially inaugurated as euspen’s President at the Society’s international conference, held this year in Copenhagen.

Euspen is one of just four societies in the world representing the field of precision engineering and nanotechnology with the remaining three societies representing USA, Japan, and Asia.

The presidency will last for a two-year period where Professor Blunt will head an influential community linking industrialists, researchers, respected authorities, new and established players worldwide.

“This prestigious appointment will not only enhance the University of Huddersfield’s profile in this field but will also increase the opportunity for international impact of the University’s engineering and precision technology research.

"One of the goals of my presidency will be to promote the issues of sustainability in precision engineering and to ask how precision engineers can play a key role in the climate challenge.”

Professor Liam Blunt

Euspen also provides an entrepreneurial platform that enables companies and research institutes to promote their latest technology developments, products and services and keep up to date with those in the field and is an area Professor Blunt feels strongly towards.

Professor Blunt’s career at the University of Huddersfield spans 25 years and during that time the Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT) has flourished expanding from just six academics to now recruiting over 70 researchers.

In 2011, the CPT became a national Centre of Excellence for collaborative metrology research, solving real-world manufacturing problems through cutting-edge metrology research in precision engineering.

In 2017, it was announced the CPT was to host one of eight EPSRC-funded Future Manufacturing Hubs located across the UK which is how the University’s Future Metrology Hub was born.

In 2021, world-leading research carried out by the Centre received royal recognition when it was awarded a coveted Queen’s Anniversary Prize for the investigation of advanced measurement in smart manufacturing. 

While the Centre covers a vast array of research areas, Professor Blunt’s own research lies within surface metrology and its applications as well as precision manufacturing processes.  He has also now started to focus on in-process metrology for roll-to-roll manufacture and additive manufacturing.

Throughout his career he has coordinated several large EU funded multi-partner projects in the areas of metrology and its novel applications.  He is on the editorial board for the journal published by the Institute of Physics titled, ‘Surface Topography Metrology and Properties’ and has published more than 350 research papers in the areas of surface metrology and precision processing.

Prior to him fulfilling the role of the Society’s president, Professor Blunt was a member of the euspen council for six years.