News from the SGM Department
Further Education Day
As they do every year, institutional partners attended the Career Day organized by the SGM department at the Nîmes IUT to assist second-year students in their search for further education opportunities. These partners offer promising opportunities for the students’ professional futures: this includes schools such as ISPA, Seatech, Ensaciet, the Polytech network, Ensait, Pagora, and EEIGM, for example, as well as the professional bachelor’s programs in aerospace composites, MMS, and QHSSE (Nîmes), the MCMC program (Limoges), and dual-track programs such as the IAE, which sent representatives this year and successfully captured the attention of future graduates. A big thank you to everyone who attended—these are great opportunities for our students!
A professional bachelor's degree program in "Composite Materials Expertise and Maintenance" will begin in September 2020 at the IUT in Nîmes.
The aerospace industry continues its shift toward all-composite aircraft. An A320 was made up of 13% composite by weight, while the A350 is 53% composite. The drive for profitability involves making the aircraft lighter to increase payload capacity.
Composite materials are highly complex. They require a thorough understanding of the chemistry of the matrix and the ability to manage the mechanical properties of a heterogeneous and anisotropic part. However, when properly mastered, they allow for the optimization of part shapes and performance.
The aviation industry faces many challenges:
- Increase in air traffic. In 2018, 4.3 billion passengers flew with one of the world’s 1,300 airlines. By 2037, that number is expected to reach 8 billion,
- The global aircraft fleet is expected to double by 2037, which is why production rates must be drastically increased,
- The need to reduce the environmental impact within a short timeframe,
- Recruitment challenges for companies in the sector. The aerospace industry inspires dreams, but it also raises concerns.
To address these various challenges, it is necessary to have technicians trained in the field of composite materials.
The E2MCA training program will therefore be divided into three main areas:
- Knowledge of composite materials,
- Reconstructing a Composite Part: Methodology and Practical Exercises,
- Expertise and Quality Control of a Part Using Non-Destructive Testing
Nîmes is supporting this trend by establishing an aerospace hub at the Nîmes Garons Airport and creating a training program that includes a vocational high school diploma, a BTS, and now a professional bachelor’s degree.
All the information about theproE2MCA degree
Entrepreneurial Hackathon at the IUT, on March 27 and 28
On March 27 and 28, the IUT hosted its first entrepreneurial hackathon. Organized as part of the Entretiens de Nîmes Alès, the event challenged 12 teams of students from the SGM and GEA departments to develop a technical solution and create a business plan to address a problem presented by the SDIS 30 fire department. Our 120 students worked on the challenge for 24 hours, guided and supported by about twenty coaches and faculty members: collaborative work, creativity, coffee, pizza, and fun games were all part of the program. The competition concluded with the teams’ pitches before a jury composed of faculty members, Ms. Catherine Peyroux (representative of PEPITE—student entrepreneurs), Mr. Jean-François Dubé (director of the IUT), representatives from SDIS 30, Mr. Jacky Raymond (Nîmes Métropole), and Mr. Jean-Patrick Respaut (Vice President for Education and Campus Life at the University of Montpellier).
Congratulations to the two winning teams: the Cador’s Crew (Best Project) and the Avengers (Jury’s Choice)
2019 Open House at SGM: You Can Even Eat the Materials!!!
That’s because no fewer than 130 visitors came to discover our department over hundreds of delicious crêpes on Saturday, February 19, during the Open House at the Nîmes IUT.
The high school students had the opportunity to explore the department and all its facilities, as well as observe the students in class and working on projects, as they were guided through the activities organized for them that day. It was a wonderful display of enthusiasm from our students, who shared their passion for materials, their use, and their applications.
And to demonstrate that SGM is also about new teaching methods, they had the opportunity to participate in an escape game centered on the theme of “discovering and characterizing aerospace composite materials.”
So thank you to all the students who took part in this event and to all the teachers who pitched in!
And if you’re interested and have the opportunity to come study with us, we’ll say to you: “See you next semester!!!”
An escape game about materials used in aerospace engineering
Article published on the Montpellier Academy website / News: Science and Technology Outreach – Aeronautics Training – February 17, 2019
Now, just like everywhere else in Europe, all of France is caught up in the craze for indoor escape rooms, with a new venue opening. The Nîmes University Institute of Technology (IUT) has taken note of this trend and has just created an escape game focused on exploring the materials used in aeronautics.
With no game board or controllers, but played with a group, this escape game requires critical thinking and teamwork. The scenario was created by students in the “Materials Science and Engineering” department under the guidance of Mr. Philippe Depeyre, the department chair.
Resources should then be reviewed and used to overcome the challenges presented, step by step.
Players take on the role of investigators. They must solve a mystery by drawing on all their curiosity and ingenuity and using forensic-grade technology, such as decoding messages and black light. They develop their own investigative methods and conduct scientific experiments on the strength of materials, all while working together as a team—a spirit of teamwork that is essential to their success.
A few minutes before the final countdown, after unlocking numerous padlocks, putting their minds to the task, and working up a sweat, the team solved the puzzle while also gaining knowledge and skills regarding the materials used in aeronautics.
This entire Escape Game set, contained in a suitcase, was donated to the D.A.F.A. in Montpellier so that all aviation teachers and their students in our school district could benefit from it through a loan program. The IUT in Nîmes, and more specifically the students in the “Materials Science and Engineering” department, in partnership with the Gard departmental coordinator for aeronautics and space initiatives for the Montpellier school district and the company AIRBUS, have been developing tools and materials for several years now aimed at introducing students to materials and their properties as they relate to their uses in aeronautics—all, of course, in the service of education.
There is no doubt that the Escape Game—an innovative teaching method that is highly appealing to our middle and high school students—will enable them to actively and enthusiastically engage with and acquire knowledge and skills through teamwork, driven by motivation and a desire to learn!
SGM at the 4th Aviation Careers and Training Fair
The theme of the 4th Aviation Careers and Training Fair in 2018 was “Aviation Serving Local Communities.” This event is organized annually by the Nîmes Airport, in conjunction with the Montpellier School District.This fair allows middle and high school students in the region who wish to pursue a career in aeronautics to meet professionals in this sector, which offers many job opportunities.
The heavy rain that poured down on the Nîmes-Garons airport grounds did not deter hundreds of visitors from coming.
A lull in the weather made it possible to stick to the flight demonstration schedule, which included a Canadair water-drop maneuver, a helicopter winch operation, and aerobatics performed by model airplanes.
The SGM department, which was present at the trade show, invited the public to discover the applications of certain materials, such as fiberglass and carbon fiber—materials used in the design of many aircraft components.It was a special year—and perhaps even a turning point—because, in addition to its traditional materials information booth, the department organized an escape game, thereby taking a step forward in reimagining the future of education and welcoming the next generation of students.
The next aviation events will take place in the spring of 2019 in Pérols (Hérault)
SGM Challenge in Nantes: Competition, Good Vibes, and Total Exhaustion!
From June 21 to 23, the SGM Challenge took place—an annual competition that brings together students from various Materials Science and Engineering departments across France.
Organized this year by students from the SGM department at the IUT in Nantes, the event allowed nearly 350 students, accompanied by 25 teachers, to compete in athletic and intellectual challenges in a friendly atmosphere: a radio-controlled sailboat regatta, soapbox races (also known as “Dévale-Pente”), a game of “uncontrollable boules,” a materials quiz, and a surprise challenge.
A total of 40 students and faculty members from the SGM department at the IUT in Nîmes set out early in the morning on June 21 and traveled to Nantes for two days of meetings, competitions, and exchanges under a bright sun.
Mixed results, but the events were a resounding success!
The soapbox car designed by our students, featuring the colors and emblems of Nîmes—the palm tree and the crocodile—was a huge hit, but unfortunately it didn’t perform well because its aerodynamics were compromised.
Fortunately, we saved face during the “uncontrollable balls” event! In fact, not a single opposing team managed to score a single point on the target… The secret? This year, our students designed a ball that never stops, thanks to an internal mechanism triggered by the throw.
As for the quiz, Nîmes put up a good fight, steadily making a comeback after a slow start during the 40 questions on the topics of materials and eco-design.
After two days of challenges, a canoe race, and two sleepless nights—thanks to parties and other festivities—the SGM students, tired but thrilled, didn’t get back to their usual selves until after traveling some 800 km on the bus ride home!
Congratulations to the organizers and participants—see you next year!
Topics on the Agenda for the IT Careers Fair
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering was present at the Montpellier Aviation Careers Fair. More than 2,400 students registered, ranging from 4ime to terminale. Numerous booths showcased all the careers related to aviation and space. It was an ambitious event, as it took place across three locations: the Emile Zola Media Library, Montpellier Airport, and the Candillargue Airfield.
The department’s booth was highly appreciated for helping visitors understand composite materials such as carbon, glass, and flax. This year, we broke new ground by showcasing fun physical properties, such as the optical illusions created by a Fresnel lens and a rheo-thickening liquid.
The day concluded with two lectures on “Innovation in Plastics Processing and Composites” led by Philippe Depeyre. It was a special opportunity for discussion with high school students in the science (S) and industrial technology (STI) tracks.
HydroContest: The Dream Continues!
The University of Montpellier, which has been participating in the HydroContest—“the laboratory for the boats of tomorrow”—for the past two years, will showcase a high-quality catamaran in Saint-Tropez on September 2 and 3.
The SGM students built two carbon-fiber hulls and four foils. They went to great lengths to shave off every gram in order to make them as light as possible. Mission accomplished: their goal was 2.5 kg, and they built hulls weighing less than 2 kg.
Now it’s up to the students in Montpellier to assemble the two hulls and install the electric motors.
We’ll see them again in September in Saint-Tropez.