It ApPEAREd to be February and finally time to gather the ApPEARS family again, another opportunity to share knowledge and ideas on appearance of 3D printing. This bunch of people (see picture above) has just completed a two weeks training event to learn more about imaging science on one side and material science on the other.
Solving issues on appearance of 3D printed materials is a complex matter that requires people from different backgrounds to work together. Luckily the Early Stage Researchers in ApPEARS do hold various backgrounds and a training event like this allow them to learn from eachother as well as from the many experts in the consortium. The training school hosted by NTNU in Gjøvik provided insights in topics like colour science and elevated printing technology, as well as visits to industrial plants to learn more about the focus of an industry. – “From this training, not only did I learn more new knowledge about material science and additive manufacturing, but also get valuable feedback about my research. Most importantly, it is a great motivation for me to know well about the research process of other ESRs”, says Ruili He, ESR 7.
When hosting an event in Gjøvik during February, there was of course possibilities to try the Norwegian national sport cross-country skiing. Despite the icy conditions all over Gjøvik at that time, most ESRs were not afraid to take on the thin skis and experience even more unstable ground. Very sporty, some of them tried skiing for the very first time in their life – impressive!
After two intense weeks of training school, Tom Gillooly ESR 8 concludes that the event was super worthwhile – “I’ve had more great conversations than I can count in the last two weeks. It’s easy to start to feel isolated in your own research, so the opportunity to speak with colleagues and find opportunities to collaborate is invaluable. And it’s just nice to spend time together as well”, he says.