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Novelis and Georgia Tech Showcase Technical Leadership at International Aluminum Conference
From airplanes to soda cans, aluminum is a crucial — not to mention, an incredibly sustainable — material in manufacturing. Since 2019, Georgia Tech has partnered with Novelis, a global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, through the Novelis Innovation Hub to advance research and business opportunities in aluminum manufacturing.
Novelis and the Georgia Institute of Technology recently co-hosted the 19th International Conference on Aluminum Alloys (ICAA19). This event, held on Georgia Tech's campus, brought together the brightest minds in aluminum technology for four days of intensive learning and networking.
Since its inception in 1986, ICAA has been the premier global forum for aluminum manufacturing innovations. This year, the conference attracted over 300 participants from 19 countries, including representatives from academia, research organizations, and industry leaders.
“The diverse mix of attendees created a rich tapestry of knowledge and experience, fostering a robust exchange of ideas,” said Naresh Thadhani, conference co-chair and professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.
ICAA19 featured 12 symposia topics and over 250 technical presentations, delving into critical themes such as sustainability, future mobility, and next-generation manufacturing. Keynote addresses from leaders at the Aluminum Association, Airbus, and Coca-Cola set the stage for insightful discussions. Novelis Chief Technology Officer Philippe Meyer and Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research Chaouki Abdallah headlined the event, underscoring the importance of Novelis’ partnership with Georgia Tech.
Marking the fifth anniversary of the Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech, Hub Executive Director Shreyes Melkote says that “ICAA19 represents a prime example of the close collaboration between Novelis and the Institute, enabled by the Novelis Innovation Hub.” Melkote, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, also serves as the associate director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute.
“This unique center for research, development, and technology has been instrumental in advancing aluminum innovations, exemplifying the power of partnerships in driving industry progress,” added Meyer. “As we reflect on the success of ICAA19, we remain committed to strengthening our existing partnerships and forging new alliances to accelerate innovation. The collaborative spirit showcased at the conference is a testament to our dedication to leading the aluminum industry into a more sustainable future.”
Novelis Industry Day 2024
The Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech successfully conducted its Novelis Industry Day event on February 29, 2024. This event was held in-person and virtually at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI). The event saw strong participation from an array of Novelis scientists, and engineers, as well as faculty, students, and administrators from Novelis and Georgia Tech.
The primary focus of the event was review of progress and outcomes of various basic and applied research projects funded by Novelis through the Innovation Hub in 2023. The event also served to introduce the new cohort of Novelis Graduate and Undergraduate Scholars, who represent a diverse range of research specializations of relevance to Novelis.
The event was kicked off by introductory remarks by Dr. Julia Kubanek, Vice President of Interdisciplinary Research at Georgia Tech, and by Dr. Phillipe Meyer, Chief Technology Officer of Novelis. This was followed by an overview of Novelis’ goals and priorities related to their sustainability goals by Dr. Raj Gopalaswamy, Director of New Domains at Novelis. Dr. Shreyes Melkote, Executive Director of the Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech, highlighted key accomplishments of the Innovation Hub since 2019 and introduced the 2024 Novelis Scholars in attendance.
The program featured project presentations by Georgia Tech faculty, who discussed their research in areas including advanced battery materials, innovative heat exchanger design and analysis tools, and sustainable manufacturing processes. Additional topics included novel applications of aluminum in emerging renewable energy technologies, high throughput materials testing and characterization, and experimental efforts to understand molten metal flow behavior in aluminum casting. Ms. Tina Kosmicki, Senior Manager of R&D Ecosystems at Novelis, highlighted internship and co-op opportunities at Novelis for Georgia Tech students.
Furthermore, the Industry Day featured discussions on expanding engagement and collaboration through joint technical workshops, leveraging Georgia Tech's rapidly expanding research infrastructure at the AMPF, and joint organization of the International Conference on Aluminum Alloys (ICAA19) in 2024, and the International Deep Drawing Research Group (IDDRG) conference in 2028.
Images from Industry Day - Feb 29, 2024
Novelis Scholars Day, September 28, 2023
8 am – 3 pm, Novelis Global Research and Technology Center (NGRTC),
Kennesaw, Georgia
The second Novelis Scholars Day was held at the NGRTC in Kennesaw, GA on September 28, 2023. In addition to participation by the second cohort of seven Novelis Graduate Scholars, this year also featured the inaugural group of four Novelis Undergraduate Scholars. At the event, the Novelis Scholars gave presentations of their research projects to Novelis scientists and engineers. The following projects were presented:
• Incorporating Energy Justice in Early-Stage Energy Technology Design, by Bettina Arkhurst, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisor: Professor Katherine Fu
• Hybrid Learning Architectures for Statistical Continuum Mechanics by Conlain Kelly, Ph.D. student in Computational Science & Engineering, Advisor: Professor Surya Kalidindi
• Structure-Property Relationships in Lead Halide Perovskites for Solar Cells by Juanita Hidalgo, Ph.D. student in Materials Science & Engineering, Advisor: Professor Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena
• Thermal Desalination using Polymer Surfaces with Tunable Wettability by Walter Parker, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisor: Professor Akanksha Menon
• Analyzing and Improving Electronic Structure of Catalytic Interfaces using Density Functional Theory and Machine Learning by Sushree Jagriti Sahoo, Ph.D. student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Advisor: Professor Andrew J. Medford
• Build Geometry Control for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing Process by Alexandra (Lexie) Schueller, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisor: Professor Christopher Saldaña
• Bulky Cation Enabled Interfacial Engineering in Perovskite Solar Cells by Sakshi Sharma, B.S./M.S. student in Materials Science & Engineering, Advisor: Professor Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena
• Using Machine Learning to Model WAAM Properties From In-Situ Process Data by Daniel Johnson, B.S. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisor: Professor Christopher Saldaña
• Pro-Environmental Behaviors (PEB) for Equitable Sustainable Development by Suemin Lee, B.S. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Advisor: Professor Joe Bozeman
• Studies on Ti-Glycerol Hybrids for Use in Renewable Organic Hybrid Fuel Cells by Brandon Perry, B.S. student in Materials Science & Engineering, Advisors: Professor Natalie Stingelin and Dr. Marlow Durbin
• Studying the Urban Heat Island Effect in Atlanta by Sarang Pujari, B.S. student in Computer Science, Advisors: Professor Kim Cobb and Dr. Lalith Polepeddi
In addition to interactions with Novelis scientists and engineers, the Novelis Scholars also toured the many research laboratories, and the pilot can manufacture facility at the NGRTC.
The event was hosted by Ms. Tina Kosmicki, Senior Manager of R&D Ecosystems, and Dr. Raj Gopalaswamy, Global Technology Director of New Domains at Novelis. Several Novelis scientists and R&D engineers including Dr. Jim Fekete, Director of R&D for North Americas attended the student presentations and interacted with them. Georgia Tech faculty in attendance included Professor Shreyes Melkote, Executive Director of the Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech, and Professor Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena (MSE). Ms. Kosmicki, Dr. Gopalaswamy, and Professor Melkote delivered opening remarks.
Novelis Donates XRF to Georgia Tech Materials Science Undergraduate Lab-Space
October 2023
Novelis has recently donated a Bruker S2 Ranger XRF system to the Materials Innovation and Learning Laboratory (MILL), Georgia Tech’s open-access, student-run make-and-measure space for materials science and engineering. To pick up the donation, second-year materials science and engineering undergraduate, Blake Moore, was invited on a tour of the Novelis Global Research Center, located in Kennesaw, GA. During the tour, Blake had the opportunity to interact with various Novelis employees and learn about their work and the equipment they use at their facility. The newly donated XRF system will be used by numerous undergraduate and graduate students each semester for undergraduate research projects, entrepreneurial efforts, and lab courses.
Aluminum Materials Show Promising Performance for Safer, Cheaper, More Powerful Batteries
A good battery needs two things: high energy density to power devices, and stability, so it can be safely and reliably recharged thousands of times. For the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries have reigned supreme — proving their performance in smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles.
But battery researchers have begun to approach the limits of lithium-ion. As next-generation long-range vehicles and electric aircraft start to arrive on the market, the search for safer, cheaper, and more powerful battery systems that can outperform lithium-ion is ramping up.
A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, led by Matthew McDowell, associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is using aluminum foil to create batteries with higher energy density and greater stability. The team’s new battery system, detailed in Nature Communications, could enable electric vehicles to run longer on a single charge and would be cheaper to manufacture — all while having a positive impact on the environment. The project began as a collaboration between the Georgia Tech team and Novelis, a leading manufacturer of aluminum and the world’s largest aluminum recycler, as part of the Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech.
Novelis Scholars Selected for 2022-2023
JAN 18, 2023 — ATLANTA, GA
This year, the Novelis Scholars program review committee at the Georgia Institute of Technology selected seven graduate scholars and four undergraduate scholars. This is the second year of the Novelis scholars program. Read about the winners >>
Novelis Scholars Selected for 2021-2022
DEC 16, 2021 — ATLANTA, GA
The Novelis scholars program review committee at the Georgia Institute of Technology received 34 nominations and selected six graduate students as the inaugural group of Novelis Scholars for the 2021-2022 academic year. Read about the winners >>
Events
ICAA19 Welcome
The International Conference on Aluminum Alloys is the world’s leading conference series relating to science and technology of aluminum alloys. Since its founding in 1986, this bi-annual conference has provided a vibrant forum for exchange and discussion on leading edge research, technology, and applications in aluminum, attracting a diverse mix of participants from universities, research organizations and industry. Georgia Institute of Technology has a place in that history having hosted ICAA4 in 1994. We are honored to be bringing the conference back to Atlanta by hosting ICAA19 in 2024.
At this time, as the global community works to tackle the multiple challenges related to climate change, aluminum alloys are at the forefront as a sustainable solution of choice for wide ranging applications including packaging, automotive and electric vehicles, aerospace and beyond. ICAA19 will comprise the usual exciting mix of technical symposia, ranging from the latest techniques and capabilities, to advances in alloy design and modeling, and emerging markets and applications. The over arching focus however will be the critical role that aluminum will play in enabling the low carbon and circular societies and economies of the future, including a special symposium dedicated to sustainability in design and recycling.
Tentative Symposia and Topics
1. Sustainability in design and recycling
2. Industrial Applications (Aerospace, Automotive and Packaging)
3. Additive Manufacturing and Joining
4. New Directions in alloy and process design
5. Casting and solidification
6. Modelling and simulations (Process and
Product)
7. Microstructure Design - Alloying and Heat treatments
8. Advanced Characterization and Testing
9. Deformation behavior and Mechanical
Properties (Fatigue and Fracture)
10. Corrosion, Surface Treatment, and
Environment Sensitive Fracture
11. Emerging Markets and Applications
Website
International Conference on Aluminium Alloys ICAA 19
https://icaa19.org/
Key Dates
June 2023 - Call for Abstracts
November 2023 - Abstract Deadline
December 2023 - Final Program
June 23 to 27, 2024 - ICAA19 in Atlanta
Organized by:
Novelis – Georgia Tech
AI Applications Workshop - June 8, 2023
The Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech organized the "AI Applications Workshop" on June 8, 2023. This hybrid event took place on the Georgia Tech campus and brought together a diverse group of participants, including over 50 scientists and engineers from Novelis, as well as faculty members, scholars, and administrators from Georgia Tech. The main purpose of the workshop was to identify synergies between the areas of interest and needs within Novelis and the research and capabilities of Georgia Tech faculty in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The aim was to explore how the two organizations could collaborate effectively in leveraging AI/ML technology. Through presentations and discussions, potential areas of interest aligned with Novelis's objectives were identified, focusing on machine learning for system modeling, diagnostics, and prognostics in manufacturing systems, materials informatics, digital engineering including digital twins, model-based system engineering, and the integration of AI/ML. The open discussion session focused on collaboration opportunities to accelerate discovery, development, and optimization of materials and manufacturing processes of relevance to Novelis. The desired outcomes of the event were to define follow-up actions, specifically focusing on developing collaborative proposals and statements of work (SOWs) between Novelis and Georgia Tech. By facilitating this collaborative environment, the workshop aimed to foster meaningful partnerships and to enable the exchange of industry needs and academic research expertise, ultimately paving the way for future collaborations and advancements in AI applications. More photos from the event >>
Novelis Industry Day
February 2, 2023
The Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech hosted an Industry Day on February 2, 2023. The full-day hybrid event was held on the Georgia Tech campus and was attended by over 50 Novelis scientists and engineers and Georgia Tech faculty, students, and administrators. The primary focus of the event was to review accomplishments of ongoing and completed basic and applied research projects funded by Novelis in 2022. The review included presentations by Georgia Tech faculty working on projects in the areas of advanced battery materials, sustainable engineering including modeling of energy and water losses in ingot casting processes, energy management of critical production processes through data analytics, new alloy development, high throughput materials testing, as well as new project launches on fundamental aspects of casting, and aluminum surface functionalization for new applications. The event also included announcement and introduction of the 2022-2023 Novelis Graduate and Undergraduate Scholars supported by the Novelis Innovation Hub. Pictures from the event can be found here. And a few pictures are shown below.
Novelis Scholars Day,
September 27, 2022
9 am – 3 pm, Novelis Global Research and Technology Center (NGRTC), Kennesaw, GA
The first Novelis Scholars Day was held at the NGRTC in Kennesaw, GA on September 27, 2022. The event was kicked off by Ms. Tina Kosmicki, At the event, the six inaugural group of Novelis Scholars presented their doctoral research projects to Novelis scientists and engineers. The following projects were presented by the Scholars:
- Photovoltaic-Driven Ammonia Production: Interconnections with the Water and Distribution Infrastructures at a Global Scale by Carlos A. Fernandez, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisor: Professor Marta Hatzell
- Thermal Evaporation for Deposition of Metal Halide Perovskite by Andrés Felipe Castro Méndez, Ph.D. student in Materials Science & Engineering, Advisor: Professor Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena
- Bayesian framework for estimation of grain scale elastic-plastic-transformation material properties for NiTi shape memory alloys using spherical indentation measurements and design of experiments strategies by Rupesh Mahendran, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisors: Professor Surya Kalidindi and Professor Aaron Stebner
- Effect of Post Processing on Corrosion and Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured (AM) 7050-based Aerospace Aluminum Alloys by Rupesh Rajendran, Ph.D. student in Materials Science & Engineering, Advisor: Professor Preet Singh
- Few-Shot Cross-Domain Fault Diagnosis using Multi-Sensor Fusion and Metric-based Meta-Learning by Tingli Xie, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Advisor: Professor S.-K. Choi
- Microstructure Analysis using Machine Learning Tools by Wei Yang, Ph.D. student in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Advisor: Professor Kamran Paynabar
In addition to interactions with Novelis scientists and engineers, the Novelis Scholars also toured the many research laboratories and pilot manufacturing facility at the NGRTC.
The event was hosted by Ms. Tina Kosmicki, Senior Manager of R&D Ecosystems, and Dr. Raj Gopalaswamy, Global Technology Director of New Domains. Georgia Tech faculty including Professor Julia Kubanek, Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research at Georgia Tech, Professor Shreyes Melkote, Executive Director of the Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech, Professor Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena (MSE), and Professor Sung-Kyum Choi (ME) participated in the event. Ms. Kosmicki, Professor Kubanek, and Professor Melkote delivered opening remarks.
Four pictures taken at the September 27, 2022 event:
Novelis Participates in WiMSE Connect and Dine Event,
March 31, 2022
Novelis representatives Dr. Raj Gopalaswamy, Global Technology Director of New Domains, Dr. Sarmistha Das (Sr. Scientist, Tribology), Suzanne Haupt (Engineer II R&D Auto), and Cullen Pearson (Materials Engineer I) participated in the Connect and Dine annual event hosted by Women in Material Science and Engineering (WiMSE) on March 31st, 2022 at the Academy of Medicine in midtown Atlanta. Each year, this event works to bring together students, faculty, alumni, and industry representative to foster networking and connection in the world of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). This year’s event honored distinguished students and faculty in the MSE department and brought together speakers and conversations on the theme of “Breaking the Mold”.
August 30, 2021
Novelis and Georgia Tech leadership meeting held at the Georgia Tech campus. Key participants from Novelis included: Steve Fisher, CEO, Philippe Meyer, SVP and CTO. Leadership from Georgia Tech included: President Cabrera, Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president of research, and Julia Kubanek, vice president of interdisciplinary research.
August 31, 2021
November 1, 2021
