Dr Ramesh Raghavendra holds a PhD in Materials Science from University of Twente, The Netherlands and three master’s degrees (MSc in Materials Sciences, MS in Metallurgical Engineering and an MBA). He worked as Senior Research Fellow in the University of Limerick for five years, then worked as Senior Materials Technologist for Littelfuse/Harris/ECCO for over 10 years, prior to taking up the challenging role of launching and establishing SEAM (South Eastern Applied Materials Research Centre) in May 2008. Within 10 years, he has developed SEAM as the leading Technology Gateway in the country, delivering materials engineering solutions for wide ranging industrial sectors.
Furthermore, he made SEAM a for metal additive manufacturing and X-ray tomography applications. Ramesh also founded ThreeD Designated Activity Centre (trading as 3DWIT) to provide hands-on training in the area of 3D printing. He is currently the Centre Director of SEAM & CEO of 3DWIT. He won the prestigious Knowledge Transfer Ireland Award in 2015 in the industrial services category. He has authored/co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed journal publications and holds two patents.
Dr Raghavendra has a strong materials science background and his early career research was in the areas of ceramic and glass materials and processing of powder materials. More recently his focus has been on 3D metal printing. 3D metal printing technology is changing how manufacturing of complex engineering components will be achieved, not just in future but for applications today. Metal 3D printing allows the manufacture of complex shaped products directly from CAD designs.
Ramesh’s current research focus is on the development of 3D printing techniques for embedding sensors inside product components. This type of research has wide-ranging applications in satellite communication systems, where embedding intelligent sensing devices within metal structures greatly increases the functionality of components and can help reduce the weight of high-value assemblies in those systems. Furthermore, Ramesh and his colleagues are pursuing this novel field of development to bring benefits to other engineering fields, such as biomedical, where sensor elements can be included within the casing of biomedical implants, leading to more accurate patient biotelemetry and thus improved clinical outcomes for patients. This is a rapidly growing disruptive innovative technology, many novel applications of which are only beginning to be understood.