UWTSD Joins Best of Belron® 2024 International Conference & Exhibition in Lisbon
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) proudly supported the Belron® Research Exhibition at the Best of Belron® 2024 event, held at the MEO Arena in Lisbon on June 12-13.
Representing UWTSD’s Wales Automotive Glass Research Centre (WAGRC), Jordan Jenkins, Lecturer in Engineering, and Professor Kelvin Donne showcased their cutting-edge research and advanced diagnostic equipment.
The twelfth Best of Belron event brought together top technicians from across the Belron business to compete for the prestigious title of the ‘Best of Belron’. Thirty competitors from around the world participated, each having already triumphed in their national competitions. For the first time, the competition included three female technicians, representing France, Finland, and South Africa.
Jordan Jenkins, highlighting the event’s significance, said, “Participating in the Best of Belron 2024 has been an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the innovative research we conduct at WAGRC. It’s inspiring to see the global community come together to push the boundaries of automotive glass repair.”
The event also featured a world-class conference with immersive experiences and exhibitions. At the Belron® Research stand, themed “Today’s Repair Prevents Tomorrow’s Replacement,” Jordan and Kelvin demonstrated the advanced diagnostic equipment used at WAGRC. These tools are pivotal in understanding the damage caused by stone impacts on windscreens, emphasising the importance of timely repairs.
Professor Kelvin Donne added, “Our collaboration with Belron® over the past 25 years has been instrumental in advancing our research. Events like these allow us to showcase our findings and contribute to the global dialogue on automotive glass repair and safety.”
Belron®, operating in 39 countries across six continents and employing around 30,000 people, is the world’s leading vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration group. Serving approximately 15 million customers annually, Belron® remains at the forefront of innovation in the industry.
For over two decades, UWTSD has partnered with Belron to conduct groundbreaking research in automotive glass. The Wales Automotive Glass Research Centre at the IQ Building in SA1, a Belron®-commissioned ballistics laboratory, investigates impact damage from road stones on vehicle windscreens. This unique facility, with its temperature-controlled target chamber, is capable of simulating conditions from -10 °C to 50 °C, providing unparalleled insights into the behavior of automotive glass under various environmental conditions.
In addition to supporting Belron®, WAGRC has conducted contract research for international clients, including Corning (US) and AGC (Europe). Prof. Kelvin Donne has also developed sophisticated computational models to simulate high-speed impacts and the subsequent crack-off of initial chips, furthering our understanding of windscreen damage.
For more information about the provision at UWTSD’s Wales Automotive Glass Research Centre (WAGRC), please email Kelvin or Jordan at kelvin.donne@uwtsd.ac.uk or j.jenkins@uwtsd.ac.uk
Further Information
Arwel Lloyd
Principal PR and Communications Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07384 467076