Prof Tim C Claypole's areas of research include colour control, manufacturing systems, quality, maintenance, reliability experimental design, fluid mechanics and process thermodynamics. He is a British Expert on ISO TC130 on standards for the graphic arts, project leader on process standards for "Screen Printing" and "Flexography". The EPSRC, Government and Industry have funded his research that has led to over 90 publications on printing and related topics. He currently holds a prestigious EPSRC Portfolio Grant in "Complex Fluids for Complex flows", these are only awarded to World leading research groups.

Tim is founder and director of the WCPC (Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, Swansea University). This developed from his fundamental research into Printing and Coating as a manufacturing process. The Centre undertakes research on all aspects of Printing and Coating. As well as all aspects of graphics, the current research activity includes printing for the manufacture of electronics and biotechnology, as well as the environmental impact and occupational health for the printing industry. www.swansea.ac.uk/printing

The WCPC has unique open access Integrated Manufacture by Printing laboratory, constructed with KEF support, with screen, flexo and gravure printing at production scale for product development combined with ink manufacturing capabilities (both liquid and paste inks). These are available for contract research and development projects. It also has expertise in the modelling of the print process using techniques including finite element, finite difference and statistical and neural networks. It has comprehensive analytical facilities in its own laboratories. The laboratories are fully equipped for sample analysis and characterisation of material properties relevant to the print process. Additionally, it undertakes research and development on full-scale print production facilities. The Centre’s activities also encompass multi-roll coating technology.

Tim Claypole is a driving force behind the Printing Forum Wales, www.printforumwales.com .

He is founder and director of Swansea Printing Technology, a spin out company from the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating that provides consultancy, web and journal management for the printing industry www.swanseaprinttech.com .

Tim is on the Advisory Board of the Cambridge University’s Integrated Knowledge Centre within the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (CAPE). He is a member of the board of the European Flexographic Technical Association (EFTA) and on the advisory board of the UK Displays and Lighting KTN.

He is the editor of the TAGA Journal www.TAGAJournal.com and is also on the editorial board of the Journal of Pigment and Resin Technology and Journal of Coating Technology and Research.

Until April 2007 he was Vice President Technical Papers of Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA), the first European to be an officer of TAGA.

Tim Claypole is also at the forefront of the development of education and training with innovative initiatives such as the MSc in Printing and Coating for those in fulltime employment, (an EPSRC IGDS) and development of print training in Wales through the Print training consortium.

Tim Claypole is a native of Cardiff, studying at the Bishop of Llandaff and Howardian High School, before undertaking a first degree in Mechanical Engineering at King’s College London. After a brief spell with GKN, he was for 9 years a member of the research staff at University College Cardiff, where he obtained his PhD. He has been a member of the academic staff at Swansea University since 1986.

Tim is Commodore of Mumbles Yacht Club.