On Friday the 13 May 2005 we were all shocked and deeply saddened by the untimely death of Derek Russell at the age of 68. Despite outward appearances and his keen pursuit of badminton up until a year or so before his death, unknown to most he was fighting a brave battle against cancer. His departure is one that will be mourned by many in the power beam and welding fraternity.
Derek's career spanned almost four decades at TWI, where he built up an outstanding reputation for his contribution to electron beam and laser beam technologies. A graduate of Birmingham University in 1959 he worked at Murex Welding Products, UKAEA Springfields and the CEGB Marchwood, before joining the Metallurgical Laboratory of TWI (then BWRA) in 1965.
In the late sixties he became head of the fledgling Electron Beam section and his vision and project organising skills were instrumental in the launch of the world's first 75kW EB equipment. This, together with his involvement in extensive weldability and R&D studies, for a wide range of Industrial Members, was to become the foundation of the EB Group's success over the following decades. At the same time he headed up a team that was credited with the development of the first fast axial flow laser for cutting and welding for which the team was presented with the AILU-Award 2000.
Derek became the Head of the newly formed Advanced Heavy Section Processes Department which encompassed the friction, EB and diffusion bonding sections. These were sited in the Robert Jenkins Building opened in 1979.
In 1987 he became Head of the Laser Centre where he was very prominent in launching and organising the prestigious EU83, 86 and 194 European Power Beam projects. Subsequently, he turned his attention to Nd:YAG laser developments, which changed the direction of TWI's activities towards fibre delivery, continuous wave lasers. In addition, he successfully managed one of the largest European projects ever undertaken by TWI, aimed at acquiring classification society approval for the use of laser welding in the shipbuilding sector.
For many years, Derek chaired commission IV on Power Beam Processes for the IIW, for which, in 2003 he was presented with the Arthur Smith Award for dedicated service. He also served on several CEN-ISO standard committees and was the author of numerous technical papers and reports. These strongly promoted the wider industrial use of EB, laser and friction welding processes, for pioneering applications in the power generation, nuclear, aerospace and marine sectors.
In 1999, Derek was awarded the Brooker Medal for his contribution to science, technology and industrial exploitation of materials joining. He officially retired from his business development activities in 1999, but continued on at TWI for several years in a consultative capacity during which time he was a valuable source of knowledge and encouragement for many younger engineers.
In summary, Derek was a superb international ambassador for TWI and Power Beam Technologies. There can be few in this field who have not met Derek or worked alongside him. Broad knowledge of his subject, combined with a charismatic, friendly character and dry sense of humour could hold any audience's attention; yet with individual relationships he exhibited modesty, sensitivity, high integrity and wisdom.
Without doubt he will be sadly missed by his many friends and colleagues around the globe, but most especially by his family.
Allan Sanderson and colleagues.
