What are the
questions currently under investigation in your faculty
sponsor's field?
The question we are trying to answer is whether we can make a tool wear
monitoring system that is capable of accurately operating in reconfigurable
machining systems.
Have the questions of interest changed over the last decade?
The question has evolved from using tool wear monitoring in a particular
operation in a dedicated machining line to tool wear monitoring in
reconfigurable enterprises. Can we make truly adaptive monitoring systems
that have self-organizing properties?
What are the current controversies under debate?
How do scholars, thinkers, professionals working within this discipline share ideas?
Conferences are the most common venue for information exchange. Academic
journals such as the Journal of Manufacturing Systems are also very
informative of various research efforts and academic progress. Not so
rarely, video conferences and internet meetings pave the way for productive
discussions.
Prof. Dornfeld, Prof Shing-Ming Wu(deceased), Prof. Jun Ni, Prof. Muhammed
ElBestawi, Prof. Xiao Li, Prof Yoram Koren, Prof. Braun Lenz.
What is the major meeting your faculty member goes to each year? Can undergraduates be present at this meeting?
He goes to the Annual TAC Technical Advisory Committee meeting where the
project gets presented along with results and industry partners provide
feedback. Generally, undergraduates do not present at the meeting.
How is your
research project supported/funded? What is the major
source of funding, private foundations, government funds, and corporate
funds? Is it hard to fund this type of research?
The National Science Foundation funds us to further the USA's advantage in
the competitive global market. Other sources of funding include Ford, GM and
other manufacturing giants in the Detroit Area. Getting funding has its ups
and downs and it depends on the status of the economy. If there is a lot of
spending, a good portion of revenues of these companies goes towards
research and so forth. Funding also depends on your persuasive abilities and
technical competence...it signifies your sponsor's confidence in your
ability to produce results.
Describe the type of research you are involved
with? Is it field, survey, case study, experimental design? qualitative or quantitative?
Experimental design with a quantitative emphasis.
What are the challenges, strengths, and limitations
of this type of
research?
The challenges involve patience, a deep understanding of the process and
experience. Without these 3 things, it becomes impossible. Applicability
of the techniques in industrial situations could be limited. The economic
value is the strength of the project along with improving quality.
What are the limiting factors in the progress of
this project?
Data collection, computers, choice of appropriate technique for analysis.
Would better facilities or funding for the project
enhance the results
for the research?
No