Bulk Materials Handling Committee

Operations Manager, Bradley Pulverizer Company 

Ian has over 30 years experience in engineering is registered as an IEng Engineer in  variety of 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 as Operations Manager managing projects from quote to commissioning, as well as managing upgrades and modernisation of existing plants. Specialising 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.

 His role also involves Broadfield acidulation units for the manufacture of super phosphate fertilizer and acidic salts.

Graham has over 49 years in years in a variety of engineering industries including over 39 years in bulk materials handling. Currently running his own consultancy business providing engineering advice and assistance specialising in bulk materials handling.

Following an apprenticeship at BAC, he studied for an honours degree in mechanical engineering at Surrey University. He has worked in many engineering disciplines from shop floor through the drawing office then onto design management and now consultancy.

His bulk materials handling design experience has been in a broad range of industries including open pit and underground mining plant, long overland high powered conveyors, sand and gravel plants, coal handling, domestic waste and biomass handling facilities.

He is a past chairman of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Bulk Materials Handling Committee, vice chair of the IMechE Process Board, sits on the BSI – MHE/9 Committee and is a member of Material Handling Engineers Association.

Engineering Director, C P Spencer Ltd.

Graduating from Trent Polytechnic in 1984 with a degree in mechanical engineering, Ian became a Chartered Engineer in 1993.

Ian’s background is in mining and quarrying, becoming a Member of the Institute of Quarrying (MIQ) in 2003. 

In 2005, Ian joined C Spencer Ltd and was set the task of developing a mechanical handling/process engineering customer base

Since targeting this market, C Spencer Ltd have won over £100 million worth of work in the sector establishing themselves as market leaders in the provision of bio-fuel handling and storage solutions.

Director, The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology, University of Greenwich.

Mike undertook a technician apprenticeship in the aerospace sector then a degree in engineering at Thames Polytechnic.

Following a period working in control systems for aircraft, he switched to bulk solids handling through a PhD in Pneumatic Conveying at Thames Polytechnic, developing a powder characterisation and pipeline design method that is now widely used.

He has subsequently worked on a broad range of bulk solids handling challenges ranging from silo design and wear protection, through segregation, caking, and plant integration, and has designed plants all over the world in industries from aggregates and coal through chemicals and petro-chem to pharmaceuticals and precious metals.  More recently he has developed activities in particle engineering and powder characterisation.

Mike has written over a hundred papers on these subjects and leads the Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology at the University of Greenwich, one of the world’s foremost centres of excellence for research and consultancy in solids handling technologies. However, he retains a strong interest in hands-on engineering and is always happiest in the field with his overalls on, troubleshooting or optimising a system for a customer.

Mike is currently chairman of the Technical Committee of the Solids Handling and Processing Association (SHAPA), a Fellow of the Material Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) and highly active in promoting training, best practice and education in solids handling for both budding and practising engineers, through the Bulk Materials Handling Committee and The Wolfson Centre’s own short courses for industry.

A mechanical engineer with established expertise in bulk materials handling, including bulk storage, extraction and metering of materials; pneumatic pipeline, mechanical and hydraulic conveying.  

Corporate bulk materials handling specialist for Blue Circle Cement Industries/Lafarge Cement until 2001. Track record includes major corporate projects and consultancy work world-wide, for the cement manufacture, quarrying & heavy process industries.

Recent projects have included several large bulk storage, and rail loading/unloading facilities for various bulk materials including; limestone, clay, shale, slate, coal, clinker, gypsum, Portland cement and fly ash.

Highly experienced in trouble-shooting, managing and training on critical issues such as cost, quality, safety and the environment.

Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Bulk Materials Handling Committee since 1986.

Technical Director, Ajax Equipment Limited

Eddie has over 25 years of industrial experience in the technical review and engineering of working solutions for a large number of solids handling projects in chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, waste, food, confectionery and other industries.

Currently Technical Director at Ajax Equipment, he is involved in the detailed specification, design and supply of bespoke mechanical solids handling equipment, generally screw feeders, conveyors, mixers and elevators as well as ancillary items such as hoppers, intermediate bulk containers and chutes.

In 2005 he gained a PhD from Glasgow Caledonian University for his work on characterisation and flow behaviour in hoppers and screw feeders. In 2008 he was awarded the IMechE Bulk Materials Handling Award for Innovation.

He is a past Chairman of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Bulk Materials Handling Committee, where he continues to serve, and is an active participant in the European Federation of Chemical Engineering Working Party on Mechanics of Particulate Solids.