UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State hosted the 54th annual SME North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC) June 14-18 in State College. The conference was led by Guha Manogharan, professor of mechanical engineering, with co-chairs Jingjing Li, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, and Ilya Kovalenko, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and of industrial and manufacturing engineering.
The conference, known for spotlighting cutting-edge advances across manufacturing systems and processes, additive manufacturing, smart manufacturing, cyber-physical systems and materials processing, was the best attended in its history, with nearly a thousand attendees from academia, industry, national labs and federal programs.
In his opening remarks, Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State, spoke about the broad range of research at Penn State and how it relates to advances in manufacturing and workforce development.
“Penn State is the sixth-largest manufacturing industry in the United States based on employment,” Read said in his remarks. “It is imperative that we can serve the commonwealth through innovative, impactful research and preparation of a workforce ready to support manufacturing in Pennsylvania and the U.S.”
Across five days, there were several notable keynote speakers, including Christopher Saldaña, deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Critical Minerals, Materials and Manufacturing within the Department of Energy, who spoke about the importance of smart manufacturing, as well as how energy and manufacturing industries impact each other.
Manogharan spoke about the conference’s achievements, including the record attendance and significant participation from the Department of Energy.
“Manufacturing is at a pivotal moment, with new technologies rapidly changing how ideas move from research to production,” Manogharan said. “MSEC and NAMRC provide an important platform for connecting academic discovery with industry needs, public-sector priorities and the future workforce pipeline. That exchange helps accelerate practical solutions that can improve competitiveness, strengthen the economy and deliver meaningful benefits to society.”
Manogharan was among the winners at an onsite awards ceremony, as he received the ASME Chao and Trigger Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, which recognizes an manufacturing researcher who is under 40 years old with potential for significant fundamental contributions to manufacturing processes.
The conference showcased Penn State’s role in direct and indirect metal additive manufacturing, with a series of technical sessions, panels and tutorials on the topic. There were also panels focused on upskilling through microcredentials and other methods to support workforce development.
Attendees also visited several state of art Penn State facilities, including the CIMP-3D Lab, Xact Metal, Materials Research Institute, Engineering Design and Innovation and Engineering Collaborative Research and Education Building. These tours gave researchers, federal employees and industry leaders the opportunity to see firsthand the wide variety of research facilities available to manufacturing researchers and students at Penn State.
“Participants saw firsthand how Penn State integrates cutting-edge research, education and industrial engagement to advance the future of manufacturing,” Manogharan said.
The conference also featured record numbers of participants at both poster showcase and technical research talks, allowing students and faculty to showcase their research, and held a Wednesday evening banquet reception on the grounds of The Arboretum at Penn State.
Additionally, finalists in the Blue Sky Competition presented innovative approaches to manufacturing processes, interdisciplinary collaboration ideas, compelling solutions to emerging manufacturing problems, and answered questions from a panel of experts in front of a live audience. The winner was awarded the NAMRI / SME Dornfeld Manufacturing Vision Award, named in honor of the late Professor David Dornfeld.