Roy Geddes

Roy Geddes (1940 in Edinburgh - 25 August 2006 in North Shore City) was a chemist and bio chemist and worked as Dean of Science and Engineering at Auckland Institute of Technology.

University career

He began his career in the Department of Biochemistry of The University of Auckland as a senior lecturer in 1970, after obtaining BSc Hons and PhD degrees in chemistry in Edinburgh and postdoctoral fellowships in physical biochemistry at the Australian National University (1967–69), and at Georgetown University (Washington, DC, 1965–66).

In Auckland he investigated the structure and metabolism of glycogen, an energy storage polysaccharide, by physical biochemistry methods. His work provided evidence for the existence of a protein core, now known as glycogenin, within glycogen.

He was Deputy Dean of Science from 1982 to 1985 at the University of Auckland and subsequently Dean from 1986 to 1993. In 1994, he moved to Auckland Institute of Technology as its Dean of Science and Engineering. During his term as Dean, his faculty acquired a modern and attractive building, and the Institute became Auckland University of Technology, a transformation to which Roy Geddes contributed significantly.

Friction stir welding

Roy Geddes described himself as the catalyst, who had kicked-off the industrialisation of friction stir welding in New Zealand, after obtaining consultancy about the process at TWI (The Welding Institute) during a trip to the United Kingdom. While working at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) he teamed up with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), Marine Industry Association (MIA), ION Automotive NZ, Circa Marine & Industrial and Ullrich Aluminium, to disseminate and utilise the know-how. At this time in 2004 it was announced that a number of 55 metre Protector-class inshore patrol vessels would be procured for use by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal NZ Navy - and now the opportunity existed for both Australia and New Zealand to be involved in building them. The naval architect of these vessels specified that a significant portion of the structure had to be friction stir welded.

The collaborators made a concerted effort on bringing New Zealand up to speed in this field by co-operative technology transfer. In mid-2005, the Donovan Group in Whangarei implemented friction stir welding for the manufacture of these vessels. The Donovan Group has since then modified a large CNC gantry milling machine to be used as a friction stir welding machine for large scale production, which is required for the patrol vessel building.

AUT has also developed the application of friction stir welding in the production of alloy wheel rims and structures using thick aluminium alloy plates. All of the FSW carried out by AUT has been achieved on existing manufacturing equipment that the university has modified, as opposed to custom-built friction stir welding machinery.

Contractually, the industrial uptake of friction stir welding was comparatively easy in New Zealand, since the Australian/New Zealand Standard on 'Welding of aluminium structures' had been issued. This was one of the very first standards that covers friction stir welding, although it actually focuses on arc welding. It includes an innovation clause within its first section, which states that 'The Standard can be applied to other welding processes such as friction welding, including friction stir, […] provided all requirements of the Standard are met, as well as specific constraints of needs, demands and operation of the individual welding processes.'

Private live

He was married to Estelle Geddes, and both of them were known for their hospitality and cultural openmindness as well as their excellent barbecues. Roy Geddes served on UNESCO committees as a New Zealand representative and provided consultancy to Ministry of Research, Science and Technology of New Zealand.

Honours

He obtained the Sesquicentennial Medal in 1990 and the Silver Medal of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1999. In 2002 he became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.