A Scientific Discussion Meeting on Ultra-precision engineering: from physics to manufacturing took place at the Royal Society on 21–22 March 2011. Some 200 people were present and 14 lectures were presented. This meeting highlighted the fact that ultra-precision engineering is a multi-disciplinary subject facilitating the transfer of fundamental physics into technology solutions. Life-enhancing technologies that harness different principles of physics were shown to demand extreme levels of accuracy to enable their effective realization.
This Royal Society discussion meeting brought together leading engineers and scientists from a wide range of disciplines. In combination they highlighted how critical ultra-precision engineering has become and how its successful application to science and advanced manufacturing is based on excellence in fundamental physics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, metrology, materials processing and bioscience.
A comprehensive review of the evolution of ultra-precision engineering was presented that led into specific overviews of the current state of the art. The scientific and economic drivers that drove the advancement of ultra-precision engineering were introduced. Suggestions as to the future drivers were proposed as the world faces new challenges. These included issues such as energy supply, climate change, increasing and ageing population together with the ever constant demand set by our science understanding. The meeting was considered an excellent event, drawing together leading engineers and scientists to discuss topics whose roots can be traced back to the formation of the Royal Society itself.
The organizers would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the speakers for their outstanding lectures, the audience for the lively discussion and the Royal Society’s officers for their support and for providing the opportunity to hold this meeting. We believe this meeting will be identified as an important Royal Society event with regard to drawing together leading engineers and scientists.
Acknowledgements
The organizers sincerely acknowledge the support from euspen, Renishaw, Rolls-Royce and Taylor Hobson.