BECOLD AT THE JUAN LÓPEZ PEÑALVER AWARDS
On 21 November 2023, the Royal Academy of Engineering awarded the outstanding Juan López de Peñalver Prize to Amaia Calleja Ochoa, Industrial Mechanical Engineer at the University of the Basque Country and current full professor at the same institution. This prestigious award, intended for people under the age of 40 who have excelled in Spanish engineering, celebrates the work of Amaia and her team at the Aeronautical Advanced Manufacturing Centre.
Amaia Calleja Ochoa headed the group made up of engineers Haizea González and Izaro Ayesta, as well as engineers Adrián Rodríguez and Octavio Pereira. Their contribution focuses on the development of an innovative cryogenic cooling technology with recycled CO2, used as a cutting fluid in machining processes. This breakthrough, known as BeCold, has managed to replace polluting cutting oils, generating improvements in both productivity and the environment.
Amaia Calleja Ochoa expressed her gratitude to HRE for trusting in the product, highlighting the patent and the team’s research dedication over the years. The BeCold technology has been successfully industrialised and marketed in countries such as Japan, Poland and Canada, demonstrating the commitment of Amaia and her team to innovation and sustainability in engineering.
