(WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, July 13, 2022) – Scientists, engineers, and academics from the manufacturing world met in West Lafayette, Indiana, recently to discuss industry advances and acknowledge excellence in research and commercial implementation at the 50^th annual North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC). The event, organized this year June 27 – July 1 by Purdue University, is sponsored annually by the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME (NAMRI | SME).

NAMRC is the premier international forum for applied research and industrial applications in manufacturing and design. NAMRI | SME brings together researchers from leading companies, government laboratories, academic institutions and industrial think tanks located around the world for advancing the scientific foundation of discrete-parts manufacturing.

“In this 50^th anniversary year, we’re thrilled to meet in person at our annual NAMRC event to discuss issues and recognize peers who have made substantial innovations in manufacturing,” said Livan Fratini, PhD, 2022-23 NAMRI | SME president. “Advances in manufacturing technology and processes are critical to help industry remain competitive in North America and around the world. We accelerate this by convening the brightest thought and technology leaders who present their scientific research.”

Awards Recognize Advancements from Teams, Individuals

NAMRI | SME S.M. Wu Research Implementation Award

Named after the late University of Michigan professor Shien-Ming Wu, PhD, FSME, this award recognizes outstanding original research presented at NAMRC which subsequently, upon implementation, had a significant commercial and/or societal impact. The 2021 recipient was:

• Jay Lee, PhD, University of Cincinnati

NAMRI | SME Outstanding Lifetime Service Award

This award honors distinguished members for their long-term dedication and contributions to NAMRI | SME. This year’s recipient was:

• Thomas R. Kurfess, PhD, FSME, NAE, PE, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

2021 Outstanding Paper Awards

Three papers were chosen as outstanding from among more than 165 that were submitted:

• “Toward Smart Manufacturing: Analysis and Classification of Cutting Parameters and Energy Consumption Patterns in Turning Processes,” from authors Ihab Ragai, Abdallah Abdallah, Hussein Abdeltawab, Feng Qian and Jeff Ma from Penn State Behrend.
  

  

• “Data-driven prediction of next-layer melt pool temperatures in laser powder bed fusion based on co-axial high-resolution Planck thermometry measurements,” from authors Dominik Kozjek, Fred Carter, Conor Porter, Jon-Erik Mogonye, Kornel Ehmann and Jian Cao of Northwestern University.
• “A control strategy for incremental profile forming,” from authors Ryo Nakahata, Satyanarayana Seetharaman, Krishnaswamy Srinivasan and Erman Tekkaya from Ohio State University.

NSF Blue Sky Award Competitors / David Dornfeld Manufacturing Vision Award Winner

The NSF Blue Sky Awards competition, which culminates in selection of the David Dornfeld Manufacturing Vision Award winner, encourages participants to think big – sometimes even outrageously – in posing grand challenges to be addressed and in thinking transformatively in a manner that may interest government entities in supporting and funding their projects. The winner of the competition, chosen from among eight finalists, was:

• “Feeding the Future through Convergent Manufacturing,” authored by Michael Sealy or Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

NAMRI | SME Board of Directors Sustained by Membership

As part of the NAMRI | SME Member Meeting preceding the awards ceremony, the NAMRI | SME 2022-23 board and directors were ratified by vote from members present. Receiving the confirming vote were:

• President – Livan Fratini, PhD, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
• President-Elect – KC Morris, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.
• Secretary – Ihab Ragai, PhD, PE, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pa.
• Scientific Committee Chair – Robert X. Gao, PhD, FSME, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
• Scientific Committee Chair-Elect – Xun Xu, PhD, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
• Immediate Past-President – Brigid Mullany, PhD, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (N.C.)
• Second Past President – Lihui Wang, PhD, FSME, PE, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

NAMRI Directors:

• Stephania Bruschi, PhD, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
• Dale R. Lombardo – GE Aviation, Niskayuna, New York.
• Patrick Kwon, PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
• Zhijian “ZJ” Pei, PhD, FSME – Texas A & M, College Station, Texas
• Mike Vogler, PhD – Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois
• Winston F. Erevelles, PhD, Ex-Officio, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas

Founders Lecture

Given during the NAMRI | SME Member Meeting, the Founders Lecture which reflected on the first 50 years of NAMRI was delivered by both 2003 NAMRI | SME President Shiv G. Kapoor, PhD, FSME of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and 2004-2005 NAMRI | SME President Kornel F. Ehmann, PhD, FSME of Northwestern University.

NAMRC51 will convene next year at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, June 12-16, 2022.

NAMRC – North American Manufacturing Research Conference of NAMRI | SME

NAMRC is recognized as North America’s preeminent and longest-running international forum for applied research and industrial applications in manufacturing and design with its presentations and publication of original, basic and applied research in advanced manufacturing.

An annual event since 1973, NAMRC advances the scientific foundation of discrete-parts manufacturing leading to next-generation applications of emerging and innovative technology in material removal, forming and additive manufacturing processes and machines, and cyber-physical systems. The conference attracts global academicians, government and industry researchers, engineers, students and leaders in manufacturing to interact with each other and advance the field. NAMRC features peer-reviewed papers, keynotes, special opportunities for networking and collaboration, and recognition of research implementation, service and achievements. Details available at NAMRC.SME.org.