Faculty Candidate Seminar

Title:

The Amour of Armor:The Story and Lessons of Up-Armoring a Commercial Vehicle

Speaker:

Dr. Thomas Kurfess

Affiliation:

Clemson University

When:

Friday, March 4, 2011 at 9:00:00 AM   

Where:

Love Building, Room 184

Host:

Bill Singhose
bill.singhose@me.gatech.edu
404-385-0668

Abstract

The automobile is a truly complex consumer product whose design and manufacturing is influenced by national and international policies. Over the last century, the design, manufacture and operation of the automobile have grown into complex system integration paradigms cutting across applications of traditional disciplines in physical sciences, engineering, social and behavioral sciences, and business. For example, strict emissions regulations are driving research and development in advanced engine concepts running on conventional and alternative fuels, and hybrid vehicular powertrains. Conversely, there are a number of issues generated by the automotive industry that drive policy. Such issues must be constantly monitored and integrated into the design and manufacturing decisions for the vehicle systems. One such approach that is used industry wide is the V-model, which provides a conceptual platform for complex system specification, design, manufacture and refinement. This seminar presents elements of the development of an up-armored vehicle within the V-model framework. Under this rubric, several research projects and their integration into the overall product design, development and execution are discussed. In particular, elements related to real-time electronic stability control, light weight / next generation materials and processing, and production system optimization for global companies will be presented in light of present and future capabilities. The development of an up-armored version of a commercial vehicle is an excellent example integrating all of these concepts. Such vehicles are produced by many OEM’s as well as government groups. The work presented in the seminar demonstrates that even some of the most basic assumptions are not valid when pushing the limits of the vehicle’s design and production. The ability to accurately model and simulate vehicle performance is critical to refine the up-armored vehicle design, before production is initiated. To realize cost effective production, integration of the up-armored vehicle into standard commercial production lines must be executed and presents a series of significant problems. Furthermore, the need for specialized components made of difficult to machine materials demands new and innovative approaches to process modeling and outsourcing strategies that lend themselves well to next generation cloud manufacturing concepts. Finally, the extrapolations of best practices for these operations are presented with respect to other market sectors.


Biography

Thomas R. Kurfess received his S.B., S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from M.I.T. in 1986, 1987 and 1989, respectively. He also received an S.M. degree from M.I.T. in electrical engineering and computer science in 1988. Following graduation, he joined Carnegie Mellon University where he rose to the rank of Associate Professor. In 1994 he moved to the Georgia Institute of Technology where he rose to the rank of Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. In 2005 he was named Professor and BMW Chair of Manufacturing in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research. He has served as a special consultant of the United Nations to the Government of Malaysia in the area of applied mechatronics and manufacturing, and as a participating guest at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in their Precision Engineering Program. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. His research focuses on the design and development of advanced systems targeting the automotive sector (OEM and supplier) including vehicle and production systems. He has significant experience in high precision manufacturing and metrology systems. He has received numerous awards including a National Science Foundation (NSF) Young Investigator Award, an NSF Presidential Faculty Fellowship Award, the ASME Pi Tau Sigma Award, SME Young Manufacturing Engineer of the Year Award, the ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award, the ASME Gustus L. Larson Award, and the SME Education Award. He is a Fellow of the AAAS, the SME and the ASME.

Notes

Refreshments will be served.