Message from the Secretary

Since we gathered at the previous Plansee Seminar, the economic growth particularly in Asia has strongly increased the global demand for raw materials and hence the costs for metal powders. At the same time, responsibility for our environment impels us to critically review the amount of energy consumed in the manufacture of P/M products.

This poses the challenge of further optimizing the overall material efficiency, e.g. by near-net-shape forming and by recycling, and of introducing novel, more energy-efficient processes, in particular for sintering. On the other hand, innovative P/M materials will continue to play a key role in increasing the efficiency of all kinds of machinery, for energy conversion, for transportation etc. Developments in all these directions are well on the way.
  
In this context the Plansee Seminar will once again serve as a global forum to define the current status of the science and technology of powder metals and hard materials. It will also provide a guideline for the direction of the developments that we should embark on.

We cordially invite you to contribute to the Plansee Seminar by presenting novel results of your work, and by bringing your expertise into the discussions, both inside and outside the lecture hall.

Peter Rödhammer
Secretary of the Plansee Seminar