DrAiden Beer

Dr Beer's research is focused on the deformation behavior of light metals and
is primarily concerned with microstructure manipulation and alloy development
for enhanced mechanical properties. His current research interests include the
development of new wrought magnesium alloys, hot deformation and annealing
behaviour (dynamic and meta-dynamic recrystallisation, grain size and texture
modification), using FEM simulation for microstructural prediction and
combining deformation and annealing with electron back-scattering diffraction
for in-situ studies.
Dr Beer leads a team of researchers that have developed a new wrought
magnesium alloy for extrusion, AM-EX1, that can be extruded up to five times
faster than the common magnesium alloy AZ31 (and as fast as common aluminium
alloys) whilst developing enhanced mechanical properties. The alloy will
significantly reduce the cost of the final product and thus open up new
opportunities for "light-weighting" in the automotive and electronics
industry, particularly in the 3C's (cameras, computers and cell phones).
Dr Beer was recently awarded an ARC LIEF grant to establish Australia's only
large scale research-dedicated extrusion facility. The facility is expected to
lead to the development of new light metal alloys, new metal-matrix
composites, new microtruss structures and new powder-base metals for
structural and biomedical applications.
#### Current Project Examples:
1. The development of new wrought magnesium extrusion alloys (CAST CRC)
2. The joining of light metals using laser assisted self-piercing riveting (CAST CRC)
3. The fatigue behaviour of cost effective magnesium and titanium alloys (AutoCRC)
4. The high-rate deformation behaviour of magnesium alloys (CAST CRC)