Prof Deborah Blaine is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Stellenbosch University. Her research focuses on powder materials and processing, most recently including laser powder bed fusion, and sintering of die-compacted and gel-cast materials. Her research typically evaluates the mechanical behaviour of materials with specific focus on the relationships between processing-property-performance for powder-based materials. Additionally, she is passionate about teaching and learning, and the development of professional teaching practice for academics. She currently holds a Teaching Fellowship at Stellenbosch University where she is exploring how the engineering curriculum can be redesigned to incorporate diverse inputs from students, academics, industry and support staff, in order to develop an approach to teaching and learning that is more suited to the South African context.
She joined Stellenbosch University as a senior lecturer in 2007. Prior to this she was the deputy manager of materials research and development at Bleistahl Produktions, GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. Bleistahl is the second largest global manufacturer of sintered valve seat inserts and valve guides. She holds a PhD (2004) in Engineering Science and Mechanics from the Pennsylvania State University and a BEng (1996) in Mechanical Engineering from Stellenbosch University.

Thorsten Becker is appointed as Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering while holding the role of the director for the Centre of Materials Engineering at the University of Cape Town. Prof Becker is also appointed in an extraordinary position in the Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering department at Stellenbosch University. Prof Becker’s research interest is in structural integrity: fatigue, fracture and creep. His work aims to use advanced techniques such as digital image and volume correlation, high-resolution microscopy and finite element modelling to measure and extract engineering parameters for structural integrity assessments. One of his keen interests lies in the additive manufacturing of metals and high temperature applications. His work closely collaborates with local and international institutions to develop a better understanding of the process inherent attributes and their link to the material’s structural performance. Prof Becker also acts on various professional bodies and consultants to industry, particularly in the field of Fracture Mechanics

I hold the position of Lecturer in the Mechanics division of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University since 2020. My PhD focused on the development of material-efficient damage assessment techniques for service-retrieved high-energy steam piping that were exposed to creep conditions in South African fossil-fuelled power stations. These include non-contact photomechanical techniques, such as Digital Image Correlation (DIC), over non-uniform material, stress and temperature fields. DIC results are compared with conventional and microstructural methods of damage assessment to give a holistic assessment of creep damage. I am currently involved with projects related to small-sample testing in collaboration with the University of Bristol, energetic materials testing and 3D printing as well as combining such methods with DIC available at Stellenbosch University.

Dr Vinay Shekhar is a new lecturer in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Stellenbosch University. He holds a BSc(Eng), MSc, and PhD from the University of Cape Town (UCT). In his PhD, he investigated the response of GFRP and steel V-structures to localised air-blast loads. The study involved the manufacture of GFRP V-structures using vacuum infusion (VI) and the use of high-speed cameras and digital image correlation (DIC) to film and investigate the transient response of these V-structures during the blast loading events. His lecturing background includes teaching Mechanical Vibrations, Engineering Dynamics, and Solid Mechanics at UCT. He is currently involved in lecturing Strength of Materials and Machine Design. His research interests include material testing and characterisation, and numerical modelling and optimisation of structures subjected to impact and blast loads.