Material Size Reduction

Mike Bradley: Director, The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology and Vice-Chair, IMechE Bulk Materials Handling Committee

Mike is Professor in Particle and Bulk Technology, Director of the Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology and Head of the Greenwich Manufacturing Group at the University of Greenwich. He was awarded both his honours degree and PHD from Thames Polytechnic (now the University of Greenwich) and, as manager/director, provides technical leadership in all aspects of bulk solids handling. His particular areas of interest lie in pneumatic conveying, design of hoppers and silos, dust control, plant integration and maintenance of product quality. He is Chair of Solids Handling and Processing Association (SHAPA), and a member of Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) and of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Bulk Materials Handling Committee (IMechE).  He was awarded a professorship in 2006 and the directorship in 2008.

Ian Hancock: Vice President, Sales and Operations, Bradley Pulverizer and Chair, IMechE Bulk Materials Handling Committee

Ian has over 30 years’ experience in engineering. He is registered as an IEng Engineer in various disciplines including mechanical, electrical and instrumentation and is a member of the IMechE and IET. He studied at Canterbury College of Technology in the Department of Engineering and Mining, followed by a technician apprenticeship in aerospace. He then made a move into heavy engineering in a wide range of industries from paper mills and power generation to quarrying and dredging specialising in bulk material handling with conveyors, size reduction and heavy trommel equipment. He now works for Bradley Pulverizer Company managing projects from quote to commissioning, as well as managing upgrades and modernisation of existing plants. He specialises in fine powders production and size classification for a wide range of industries from power generation, steel manufacturing and fertilizer to specialised small scale milling of unusual materials.

Simon McGhie: Performance Engineer, Lynemouth Power Station

Simon is the Performance Engineer at Lynemouth Power Station and has approaching 25 years of experience in this and operational roles within the electricity generating industry. He was a member of the team which carried out the initial R&D works at Lynemouth to determine the feasibility of the power station conversion.

Eddie McGee: Managing Director, Ajax Equipment Ltd

Eddie is an experienced Managing Director with 3 decades in engineering providing solutions for many, varied solids handling projects in chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, waste, food, confectionery and other industries. Routinely involved in the detailed specification, design and supply of bespoke screw feeders, conveyors, elevators, mixers and lump breakers, as well as ancillary items such as hoppers, intermediate bulk containers etc. Eddie is a member (and past chairman) of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Bulk Materials Handling Committee, the European Federation of Chemical Engineering Working Party on Mechanics of Particulate Solids and the Solids Handling and Processing Association’s technical committee. He has a PhD from Glasgow Caledonian University for his work on characterisation and flow behaviour in hoppers and screw feeders and in 2008 he was presented with the IMechE Bulk Materials Award for Innovation. Eddie has authored papers for conferences and seminars in UK, Germany, Italy, Norway and the USA.

Akif Ayduz: Application Engineer, Rotex Europe Ltd

Akif has been working as an Application Engineer for Rotex since 2015. Rotex is an industrial bulk powder sieving equipment manufacturer. He is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Bolton. During his time at Rotex, he completed a Masters programme in Engineering Management at Arden University with a final thesis on the standardization of screening equipment.

As part of his role at Rotex he has visited a number of plants in a range of sectors; currently he is mainly working with clients in the Middle East and Turkey region.

Steve Clarke: Application and Project Manager, Metso:Outotec

Steve started a Technical Apprenticeship with Brown Engineering, now Parker Plant Ltd, following his leaving school. After completing his apprenticeship he spent several years working in the design office within the crushing and screening division. Finally, he moved moved into the applications department, where he was responsible for sizing and selecting equipment, producing flow sheets and plant layout drawings.

In January 2000 Steve moved to Nordberg UK Ltd, now Metso:Outotec, starting work as an Applications Engineer. Over the years he has had many different roles including Capital Sales & Distribution Management covering various territories throughout the UK and EMEA. In his current role he works as a Capital Business Manager covering North EMEA and RSA, where his responsibilities include application and process management.

Christof Barth: Application and Process Specialist, Minerals and Mining, NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik GmbH

Christof Barth graduated 1989 at the University of Applied Sciences Friedberg / Wetterau in mechanical engineering. He started his career in the field of air classifier design and development at OMYA where he later made a name for himself as product manager and process developer for wet vertical agitator bead mills.

With Omya he gained nineteen years of experience in Austria and France and did numerous trips for commissioning projects.This made him an internationally recognized specialist for wet mills.
In 2010, he moved back to Germany, and joined Husokawa Alpine. He expanded his spectrum to include other minerals and accompanied various large-scale projects at Hosokawa Alpine in Augsburg.  

Since the beginning of 2020, he is now Application & Process Specialist at Netzsch Feinmahltechnik in Selb, Germany, where he took over the responsibility for processing of minerals and ore.

Stefan Mende: Technical and Scientific Communication Manager, NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik GmbH

After Stefan's study of chemical engineering and mechanical engineering at the University in Halle and Freiberg between 1994 and 1999 he did his PhD study in Braunschweig at the Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering. Dr. Mende starts his job with NETZSCH 2004. The title of his PhD thesis is “Mechanical production of nanoparticles by comminution in stirred media mills”. As sales link between the engineering and marketing he supports the sales as specialist for nanotechnology, life science as well as for characterisation of dispersions. Between 2008 and 2015, Dr. Mende was Manager of Research and Development of the NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik GmbH. Since 2015, Dr. Mende is Manager of Technical and Scientific Communications. In this function he is responsible for internal and external laboratory trainings and the performance of NETZSCH seminars worldwide. Furthermore he is in charge for collaborations and networking between NETZSCH and Universities, Institutes or cooperative customers. He is still a consultant for the development department.