Penn State Behrend to host 2019 International Advanced Manufacturing Research Conference

Penn State Behrend said that it would host the 2019 International Advanced Manufacturing Research Conference from June 10 to 14 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie.

The conference combines two major manufacturing events, the North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC) and the ASME International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC), and will showcase next-generation manufacturing innovations and advances in materials processing and cyber-physical systems. More than 600 researchers and manufacturers from more than 30 countries are expected to attend the event.

“The workshops and presentations will plot out the next 10 years of research,” said Ihab Ragai, an assistant professor of engineering at Penn State Behrend and the conference’s organizer. “We’ll see advanced processes, new designs, and new ideas, and all of that innovation will be shared.”

The conference will include more than 400 technical presentations, including sessions focused on smart manufacturing, the industrial internet, polymer and composite recycling, and 3D printing of biological tissue.

The program includes a forum for Women in Advanced Manufacturing, a “Blue Sky Ideas” competition and a panel discussion with representatives from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology and NASA.

This event’s keynote speakers include Shaun Gleason, director of the Cyber and Applied Data Analytics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Michael Molnar, director of the Office of Advanced Manufacturing at the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Susan Smyth, the former chief scientist for global manufacturing at General Motors.

Industry tours also will be offered, including visits to Acutec Precision Aerospace, Berry Global, Eriez Magnetics, McInness Rolled Rings and Modern Industries.

“We are excited for the opportunity to showcase the practical application of so many advanced manufacturing techniques,” Acutec CEO Elisabeth Smith said.