UWindsor Annual Report 2007/2008

The Canadian Association of Physicists honoured University of Windsor Physics Professor Roman Maev with the 2007 CAP Medal of Outstanding Achievement in Industrial and Applied Physics for his work in the field of acoustic microscopy.

Dr. Maev, who holds the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council/DaimlerChrysler/ University of Windsor Industrial Research Chair in Applied Solid State Physics and Material Characterization, developed the Resistance Spot Weld Analyzer (RSWA) to help the automotive industry detect welding flaws during vehicle production. Maev said that, with approximately 4,000 spot welds on an average vehicle, RSWA technology has the potential to save automakers hundreds of millions of quality-control dollars a year.

In October 2005, Maev and his research team used their RSWA technology to partner with DaimlerChrysler in forming Tessonics Inc. The automaker provided the company with start-up capital and DaimlerChrysler held exclusive rights to the Tessonics product for one year. Recently, Dr. Maev and Tessonics won the first Premier’s Award for Best Spin-Off Company from University Research in Ontario.

The CAP medal recognizes and promotes the creativity of scientists working in Canada in the area of industrial and applied physics. The award specifically recognizes the successful application of physical principals to the creation of practical innovations and novel, or commercialized, products, processes, or patents. Dr. Maev was the first physicist from a university east of Alberta to receive the award.