Remembering Peter Brewin – Powder Metallurgy pioneer and expert
January 22, 2025

It is with great sadness that we announce the death on December 5, 2024, of Peter Brewin, former Technical Director and colleague at the EPMA. Peter, who celebrated his 80th birthday in September last year, died peacefully at his home in Shipbourne, Tonbridge, Kent, after suffering from Motor Neuron Disease for over two years. A Memorial Service to celebrate his life was held in Plaxtol Village Church on January 16.
Peter Brewin obtained his degree in mechanical engineering at Cambridge University and spent the first 6 years of his career in the chemical industry in both research and line management. He then embarked on a career in powder metallurgy first in research and then becoming one of that fraternity of PM pioneers who worked tirelessly to support not only PM research, but also the industrial development in many of the sectors of the PM industry. His PM research started in 1972 when he was invited by Imperial College London to develop technology using the water atomization and vacuum reduction process to produce high alloy steel powders. This research resulted in the establishment of a new company called Powdrex Ltd based in Tonbridge to produce water atomised/vacuum reduced high alloy steel powders.
He became Managing Director of Powdrex Ltd in 1973 and over the next 18 years Peter developed Powdrex Ltd into an internationally recognised company with global patents and licensees. A major application for the high alloy powders produced by the company was in sintered automotive valve seats as well as other applications that utilised the sintered material’s high wear resistance. Peter was given the Institute of Metals Stokowiecz Prize by the Institute of Metals in 1988, for his work on high alloy steel powders. In 1987, following the acquisition of Powdrex by Wilshaw plc, Peter also joined the board of SG Magnets, thereby providing him with an involvement with a further important area of PM technology, the processing of magnetic materials. Peter left Powdrex in 1995 to start his own consultancy.
Peter was very much involved in supporting the development of the British PM industry and in 1986 became President of the British Powder Metal Federation (BPMF). With the changes taking place in Europe and the growing influence of the European Commission in research and development, environment, health and safety legislation, standards, education, and other areas, Peter was very much in favour of the initiative created by Dr Ivor Jenkins at the Institute of Metals to establish a trade association at a European level to work on these areas for the PM industry. The BPMF was wound up in 1988 and in 1989 Peter, together with Lothar Albano-Müller, Per Lindskog, Andre Matre, and Bernard Williams, worked to establish the EPMA with the Secretariat based in Shrewsbury, UK. Peter became a founder member of the EPMA Council, on which he served until 1998.

In 2001 he was appointed the first Technical Director of the EPMA, which included responsibility for collaborative research projects, sectoral working groups for the different sectors of PM, educational activities such as the PM summer schools and technical aspects of the association’s services to members. He had already been actively working for the EPMA as coordinator for the EU-funded Thematic Networks called ‘PM Modnet’ and ‘PM Dienet’ from 1997-2004. These thematic networks were aimed at encouraging the development of computer modelling technology to meet industry requirements for improvements in the die compaction of complex ferrous parts, hardmetals, ceramics and soft magnets. Together with three of his co-workers in the PM Modnet and PM Dienet projects – Olivier Coube, Philippe Doremus and James Tweed, Peter co-edited the book ‘Modelling of powder die compaction’ published by Springer in 2008. The book was designed to capture and transfer the knowledge and expertise generated by the Thematic Networks.
This period also coincided with the introduction of the EU REACH Regulations, and Peter was closely involved in EPMA’s activities to advise and inform the PM industry of developments concerning environmental legislation. He represented the European PM industries in negotiations over REACH with legislators at the European Commission, including chairing Eurometaux’s European Powder and Particulates Group. During this period, he was the co-author, with Mike Morley, of the revised edition of the EPMA’s guide to ‘EU legislation and environmental health and safety in the European PM industry’, published in 2003.
In 2000 the EPMA together with the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF) and the Japan Powder Metallurgy Association (JPMA) had agreed to jointly develop the Global Powder Metallurgy Database (GPMD) – an online searchable database of properties of sintered components. As Technical Director, Peter was closely involved with the development of the GPMD which was primarily aimed at designers and engineers in the industries using PM products. It was felt that the absence of a readily accessible source of properties data was acting as a significant impediment to the wider application of PM products, and the GPMD was therefore designed to provide verified physical, mechanical and fatigue data for a range of commercially available PM materials. The GPMD was launched at the PM World Congress in Vienna in October 2004. It has over the past 20 years been substantially enlarged with updated information on the properties of key PM materials.

Peter retired as Technical Director of the EPMA in 2007 and in recognition of his many significant scientific and industrial contributions to the understanding of materials processing or component production in the PM industry, he was awarded the prestigious Ivor Jenkins Medal by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) in 2009. One year later in 2010 the EPMA presented Peter with its Distinguished Service Award at the PM World Congress in Florence, Italy. The award recognised his outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the European powder metallurgy industry.
To further celebrate the contributions made over many years by Peter Brewin to the EPMA, both on its Board and Council, as well as his successful period as Technical Director from 2001 – 2007, the EPMA introduced the Peter Brewin Poster Award in 2014. This award is presented for the best overall poster paper presented at EPMA’s annual Euro PM Congress and will help keep alive in the PM community the name of Peter Brewin.
But what of the man?
The news of Peter’s death came as a shock to many of his friends and colleagues, not least his former colleagues at the EPMA Secretariat. Joan Hallward, who worked with Peter on many of the EU-funded projects involving multiple European partners from both industry and academia, said that Peter was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He could be a stern taskmaster, not averse to cajoling sometimes underperforming partners to put more effort into their tasks. But this was tempered by a dry wit and keen sense of humour, which put everyone at their ease. Frances Holland, also at the EPMA Secretariat, said he was an invaluable member of the team for many years always kind and courteous, and generous with his time and support.
Dr David Whittaker, PM Consultant, who had known Peter since the early 1980s when he was with Powdrex, has always valued his friendship. However, it was in Peter’s EPMA days that they collaborated on securing the funding for the first of the EU Thematic Networks, PM Modnet (the subsequent PM Dienet was entirely Peter’s own work!). This was followed by their collaboration on the Global PM Property Database where David acted as Project Manager and Peter, as EPMA Technical Director, oversaw the activities of the development phase. David confirms that Peter did much to keep him on the straight and narrow, with his customary meticulous organisation coupled with his good humour.
Dr Cesar Molins, past-President of the EPMA, said that he respected Peter as a top gentleman, a dear colleague, an untiring organiser, a pioneer in the European PM Industry and in the birth of the EPMA. “It is impossible for me to forget the many events we shared. Peter’s traditional ‘breakfast meetings’ at 07:00 at PM conferences where everyone invited would show up with that exemplary companionship, are still remembered by many.”
It may come as a surprise to participants in these meetings that, as remembered by his son Simon during the Celebration Service in Plaxtol, it was common practice for Peter to write the minutes of some of these meetings before the event and then to ‘tweak’ them at the time. For those of us who knew him well, however, this was a reminder of his meticulous level of organisation and of his capacity to embrace the unconventional.
After his retirement, Peter trained as a lay-reader and preached at his local village church. His family has confirmed that, even after he lost his own voice 18 months ago due to his illness and had then to communicate through a speaking i-pad, he continued with his preaching activities. Not only would this have been a unique experience for the congregation, it also serves as a reminder of Peter’s well-recognised qualities of tenacity and ingenuity. He also took up a number of hobbies and spent many hours playing music especially his beloved violin which he had played for 73 years.
Peter will be lovingly remembered by Adrienne, his wife, and his children Simon, Anna, Nicola and Caroline.
Funding for Motor Neurone Disease
In memory of Peter, the family is raising money for the MND Association, which provides crucial funds for access to care, research and campaigning for people living with or affected by MND.
This obituary was written by Bernard Williams, founding Executive Director of the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) in collaboration with Dr David Whittaker.