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 IUT de Nîmes to assist second-year students in their search for further education opportunities. These partners offer promising prospects 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 like the IAE, which sent representatives this year and successfully captured the attention of future graduates. A big thank you to everyone who attended—great opportunities for our students!
A new 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. While the A320 was made up of 13% composite by weight, the A350 is 53% composite. The drive for profitability requires 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 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 a number of 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, making it necessary to drastically increase production rates,
- The need to reduce the environmental impact in the short term,
- Recruitment challenges for companies in the sector. The aerospace industry inspires dreams, but 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 through non-destructive testing
Nîmes is supporting this trend by establishing an aerospace hub at Nîmes Garons Airport and developing a training program that includes vocational high school diplomas, advanced vocational diplomas, and now a professional bachelor’s degree.
All the information about theproE2MCA degree
Entrepreneurial Hackathon at the IUT, 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 addressing a problem presented by the SDIS 30 fire department. Our 120 students worked on the project for 24 hours, guided and supported by about twenty coaches and instructors: collaborative work, creativity, coffee, pizza, and recreational 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 University 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: Materials Are Edible Too!!!
Because it was over hundreds of delicious crepes that no fewer than 130 visitors came to discover our department on Saturday, February 19, during the Open House at the IUT in Nîmes.
The high school students had the opportunity to explore the department and all its facilities, as well as observe 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 innovative 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 helped make it happen!
And if you’re interested and have the opportunity to come study with us, we’ll see you at the start of the next school year!
An escape game about materials used in aerospace
Article published on the Montpellier Academy website / News: Science and Technology Outreach – Aviation Training – February 17, 2019
Now, just like everywhere else in Europe, all of France is getting hooked on indoor escape rooms, with a new twist. The Nîmes University Institute of Technology has caught on to 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 Department of Materials Science and Engineering under the guidance of Mr. Philippe Depeyre, the department head.
Resources should then be reviewed and utilized to overcome the challenges presented, step by step.
Players take on the role of investigators. They must solve a mystery by drawing on their curiosity and ingenuity and using forensic-grade technology, such as decoding clues and black light technology. They develop their own investigative methods and conduct scientific experiments on material strength, all while working together as a team—a crucial factor for success.
Just minutes before the final countdown, after unlocking numerous padlocks, putting their heads together, and working up a sweat, the team solved the puzzle while gaining knowledge and skills about the materials used in aerospace engineering.
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 use it on a loan basis. 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 in relation 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 engage with and acquire knowledge and skills in an active and immersive way, driven by motivation and a desire to learn as a team!
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 Nîmes Airport, in partnership with the Montpellier School District.This fair allows middle and high school students in the region who wish to focus their studies on the field of aeronautics to meet professionals in this sector, which offers promising career opportunities.
The heavy rain that poured down on the Nîmes-Garons airport site did not deter the hundreds of visitors from coming.
A lull in the weather allowed the flight demonstration schedule to proceed as planned, including a water-drop maneuver by a Canadair aircraft, a helicopter winch operation, and aerobatics performed by model aircraft.
The SGM department, which was present at the trade show, invited the public to explore the applications of certain materials, such as fiberglass and carbon fiber, which are used in the design of many aircraft components.It was a special year—and perhaps even a turning point—because, in addition to the traditional materials information booth, the department organized an escape game, thereby taking a step forward in envisioning 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!
The SGM Challenge, an annual competition pitting students from various Materials Science and Engineering departments across France against one another, took place from June 21 to 23.
Organized this year by students from the SGM department at the IUT de Nantes, the event brought together nearly 350 students and 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 group of 40 students and faculty members from the SGM department at the IUT in Nîmes set out early on June 21 and traveled to Nantes for two days of meetings, competitions, and exchanges under sunny skies.
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” challenge! 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 climbing back 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 fully recover until they’d traveled some 800 km on the bus ride home!
Congratulations to the organizers and participants—see you next year!
Topics on the agenda at 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 8th through 12th grade. 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 its insights into composite materials, including carbon, glass, and flax. This year, we introduced something new by showcasing fun physical properties, such as optical illusions created by a Fresnel lens and a rheo-thickening liquid.
The day concluded with two lectures on “Innovation in Plastics 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 be showcasing 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, aiming for the lightest possible design. 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.