Tag Archives: manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing research conference in Madison, June 10-14, 2013
Posted on 01. May, 2013 by perspective.
The largest manufacturing research gathering in the Americas will take place June 10-14, 2013, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison. The event will draw nearly 500 international academic and industrial leaders to two conferences: the 41st North American Manufacturing Research Conference, sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the 2013 [...]
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Five questions with Frank Pfefferkorn about manufacturing systems education
Posted on 01. May, 2013 by perspective.
Frank Pfefferkorn is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program at UW-Madison. Q: What is the Manufacturing Systems Engineering program? A: The Manufacturing Systems Engineering (MSE) program is an interdisciplinary master’s degree-granting program that was founded in 1983. The MSE program is part of the College of [...]
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Video tool could help active workers avoid injury
Posted on 01. May, 2013 by perspective.
Video of workers performing tasks such as assembling a manufactured part or packing boxes could help assess the likelihood that those people will develop common repetitive-motion injuries. Repeatedly performing the same motions and exertions can lead to injuries in which the body suffers strain from even tiny actions—for example, handling small parts, operating a machine [...]
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College of Engineering interdisciplinary degree programs
Posted on 30. Aug, 2012 by perspective.
Environmental Chemistry & Technology Program Marc Anderson (chair) Tel: 608/263-3264 • Fax: 608/262-0454 mcpossin@wisc.edu www.engr.wisc.edu/interd/ect Geological Engineering Program Craig H. Benson (chair) Tel: 608/890-2420 • Fax: 608/890-3718 gle@engr.wisc.edu www.gle.wisc.edu Limnology and Marine Science Program Steve Loheide (chair) Tel: 608/263-3264 • Fax: 608/262-0454 mcpossin@wisc.edu www.engr.wisc.edu/interd/limnology Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program Frank Pfefferkorn (director) Tel: 608/262-0921• Fax: 608/265-4017 [...]
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The science of the assembly line
Posted on 30. Aug, 2012 by perspective.
Once a powerhouse of manufacturing, the United States now faces stiff competition from Asian companies that, with a cheaper workforce, can afford to keep prices low. However, says Industrial and Systems Engineering Associate Professor Jingshan Li, boosting productivity, as well as quality and the flexibility of a manufacturing operation allows profitability even with a well-paid [...]
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A tip that never gets old
Posted on 19. Apr, 2012 by perspective.
With colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, and IBM Research-Zürich, UW-Madison engineers fabricated an extremely sharp nanoscale tip made from silicon carbide. The tip, which wears away at a rate of less than one atom per millimeter of sliding on a silicon dioxide substrate, is thousands of times more wear-resistant than previous designs. The advance [...]
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Nine to five in two
Posted on 09. Dec, 2011 by perspective.
Funded research project lands grad student a full-time job Many College of Engineering students complete internships during their tenure at the college, hoping to gain work experience that will make them better equipped to find jobs in their fields. But, sometimes the benefits are more direct. Take Anshuman Sharma, a materials science graduate student who [...]
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Casting a nano future for the metals industry
Posted on 06. Oct, 2011 by perspective.
Aluminum and magnesium alloys hold great potential for manufacturers, as these alloys are much lighter than traditional high-strength materials such as iron and steel. However, most high-strength aluminum and magnesium alloys are difficult to cast because these materials tend to crack as they solidify in casting molds. This “hot tearing” is a major barrier to [...]
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Bringing best practices to Wisconsin manufacturers
Posted on 06. Oct, 2011 by perspective.
Wisconsin is home to approximately 10,000 small to medium manufacturers, which provide approximately 430,000 jobs. UW-Madison has a long history of manufacturing research, education and outreach, and the UW E-Business Institute (UWEBI) and its corporate membership arm, the UW E-Business Consortium, are especially active with the manufacturing industry. Directed by Robert A. Ratner Undergraduate Chair [...]
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When process equals progress: Building blocks for biotech businesses
Posted on 06. Oct, 2011 by perspective.
You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know where to look,” says Engineering Professional Development Faculty Associate Frank Rath (left). Rath is working to bring the same benefits of industrial engineering enjoyed by traditional manufacturers to the biotech industry. “It’s very fertile ground,” he says. “For the most part, scientists don’t view processes the [...]
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Probing the mysteries of nanoscale wear
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by perspective.
Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Kevin Turner is working with Illinois-based Advanced Diamond Technologies (ADT) andcollaborators at the University of Pennsylvania to design and fabricate high-performance, wear-resistant diamond probes for atomic-force microscopy, or AFM. AFM is a widely used research technique for measuring the nanoscale topography of surfaces. A sharp probe with a point that has [...]
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Get the skinny on lean
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by perspective.
After 10 years of working with various manufacturing firms, Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Leyuan Shi has produced a software tool that will help manufacturers implement quantitative management strategies for significant results. Shi, an optimization expert, says quantitative management is about matching tasks, such as custom orders, with available resources, such as idle machines. She [...]
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CQPI: Celebrating 25 years of quality research
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by perspective.
The offices of the Center for Quality and Productivity (CQPI) are housed in the UW-Madison Engineering Centers Building, but the center’s real work happens in hospitals, intensive care units, nursing stations and other healthcare settings around the country. Founded in 1985 by Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Emeritus George E.P. Box and the late Professor [...]
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Manufacturing a bright future
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by perspective.
In the early 2000s, Milwaukee-based Phoenix Products was facing a host of challenges, including increasingly slow deliveries to customers,out-of-control inventory and high employee turnover. By 2004, the issues had reached a crescendo for the special-purpose lighting equipment manufacturer. “We had been running overtime every Saturday for a year and a half,” recalls Phoenix Chief Executive [...]
