Current interests

Dr Gareth McGrath is Group Leader of the Functional Materials Group and Contract Manager of the Innovation Research and Development programme. Gareth is also the elected UK expert on adhesive technology for ISO TC61. His technical expertise covers adhesive technology, thermoplastic composites, plastics joining and laser welding of plastics.

Gareth is a Member of Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and a Chartered Engineer.

Biography

Gareth received his BSc degree in Metallurgy with Engineering and a PhD in Thermoplastic Composites from Sheffield Hallam University. He has an MBA from the Open University. He spent 10 years as Works Metallurgist before returning to Sheffield Hallam University in 1984 to undertake research for his PhD. Gareth then joined the Royal Aerospace Establishment to work on impact damage in composite structures. He then joined TWI, where he worked in plastics joining for 14 years before leaving to join Gentex Corporation where he was responsible for commercialisation of a laser welding patent. Gareth joined NPL in 2010.

He has published four book chapters and more than 60 papers.

Selected publications

• Designing with fibre reinforced composites to provide energy absorption mechanisms in damage tolerant Formula 1 cars
  P. C. Cox (McLaren), G. C. McGrath (TWI) and G. M. Savage (McLaren)
  ICCM-9 (1993)
• Heat Flow Model for Laser Welding of Polymers
  G. C. McGrath (TWI), Y. C. Kennish, H. R. Shercliff (University of Cambridge)
  ANTEC 2002, Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc (2002)
• Latest Developments in the Joining of Polymers for use in Medical Applications
  G. C. McGrath, N. Woosman, L. P. Frieder (Gentex Corporation), I. A. Jones (TWI)
  Medical Polymers Conference (2003)
• Developing Cost Effective Laser Welding Parameters for Weldable Resins and Application to the Medical Segment
  G. C. McGrath, W. H. Cawley
  European Conference on Medical Polymers, Society of Plastics Engineers (2008)
• Infrared Laser Welding of Fuel Cells
  G. C. McGrath, C. D. Robson, W. H. Cawley
  Fuel Cells Science and Technology (2008)
• The Use of Laser Welding to Reduce Costs and Standardise Assembly Procedures
  G. C. McGrath, W. H. Cawley, R. Klein, K. Rushforth
  WJS/DVS Conference on Joining Plastics (2008)

Contact details

E-mail: gareth.mcgrath@npl.co.uk
Tel: +44 20 8943 6625