Global Connections: Keeping the International Metallographic Society Truly International

(From left) Frank Mücklich, Dan Dennies, Stefan Klein, Laura Moyer, Dominik Britz, George Vander Voort, Mike Keeble, Michael Engstler, Andreas Neidel, and Gerhard Schneider.

A professional community provides multiple benefits to the individual—the ability to discuss problems, collaborate on projects, meet colleagues, discover new solutions, or determine the right solution to a problem. They help us to maintain awareness of adjacent technologies and industries as well as dive deep on the ones in which we work. Many of us develop a strong individual network through the course of our careers—both close contacts and a wider ranging group of companies and individuals with whom we have become acquainted. This network can often provide us with the solutions that we, or the companies we represent, need in our daily tasks. And we can make good friends!

Professional societies such as the International Metallographic Society (IMS) help create and extend these networks, and truly global membership and collaboration is one of our fundamental goals. This is especially important for those who are early in their career, those who change to new areas of expertise, and those (like me) who relocate to a new country—but the advantage of an extended technical community can be important to all of us.

As part of our goal for increased international collaboration, IMS has been working with members of the German Materials Society—Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde (DGM)—for more than 6 years, including having a member on the IMS Board. We collaborate on committees and Boards, on technical training opportunities, journals and—importantly—joint efforts in organizing technical sessions at conferences.

DGM sponsors an annual conference “Materialography.” This year marked the 56^th anniversary of the conference, which was held at Saarland University in Saarbrucken, Germany from September 21–23. The three-day conference was held in a hybrid format of in-person talks with the added option of online viewing. As the name suggests, the conference is focused on Materials Science and Metallography. There were approximately 220 in-person attendees with more than 100 registered online.

For the first time, IMS and the DGM Expert Committee on Materialography collaborated on a joint in-person Technical Session—after years of discussion and planning, COVID-related delays, and a hybrid model trial run in 2021. The session was attended by more than 100 participants and opened with an inaugural lecture introducing ASM and IMS. This was followed by six technical talks from myself, IMS President Michael Keeble; IMS Vice President Laura Moyer; IMS Past Present Daniel P. Dennies; DGM and IMS Board member Michael Engstler; DGM member Agustina Guitar; and George Vander Voort, long time IMS member and metallography legend. The presentations were selected to represent a wide range of subjects, from fundamental science to failure analysis and from practical methodology to cutting edge techniques.

The conference was a delight to attend. Saarbrucken University itself was a fantastic location, with beautiful countryside and a historic town to visit, as well as a long and interesting industrial history. Next year, the conference will again feature a joint IMS/DGM session and will be held in Leoben, Austria https://www.metallographie-tagung2023.org/.

Special thanks to all the hosts and organizers, but especially Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schneider (DGM President), Prof. Dr. Andreas Neidel (Materialography Committee Chair), Prof. Dr. Frank Mücklich (Materialographie Conference Chair), Dr. Dominik Britz, and Mr. Michael Engstler.

(Back row from left) Michael Engstler, Laura Moyer, Daniel Dennies, Dominik Britz, and Gerhard Schneider. (Front row) Mike Keeble.