As a further expansion of collaborative outreach and support, IMS International (IMSI) and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday at the NCMS Washington Office. IMSI Chair, Jack Harris, and NCMS President and CEO, Lisa Strama, were present at the event and gave remarks on the opportunity this partnership presents to help small to medium sized (SME) manufacturers. Through this agreement, the IMSI ManuVation program gains a valuable partner to strengthen services to SME manufacturers that provides understanding and integration of new technologies through guidebooks, workshops, and sharing best practices.

NCMS will speak at an upcoming IMSI ManuVation aerospace workshop that will help manufacturers understand current cyber security risks and how to reduce exposure. The two organizations will explore developing tracks of content for joint workshops and in support of the World Manufacturing Forum. The organizations will also cross-promote activities and services in order to help spur manufacturing and innovation throughout communities.

In order to advance manufacturing science and support integration of new materials and technologies by industry to ASM International's 25,000 member organization and the IMS international network, IMS International and ASM International signed a cooperation agreement to explore marketing and services opportunities for manufacturers, researchers, and manufacturing stakeholders including workshops, forums, and innovation hubs. They will also explore publishing and disseminating manufacturing content as well as collaborate to integrate Materials Information into STEP/ISO-10303 standards. The organizations will evaluate opportunities to promote each other’s membership as well as offer incentives or shared benefits in the future. 

Intelligent Manufacturing System International Inc. (IMSI) reconstituted its Board of Directors with leading experts to support the IMS ManuVation and World Manufacturing Forum programs. The new members include Chair of the Board, Jack Harris, Rockwell Collins (Retired), Dean Bartles, Ph.D., National Tooling and Machining Association, Atul Kelkar, Ph.D., Clemson University, William Mahoney, ASM International, Robert E. Mansfield, Jr., Aerospace States Association, and Jack Todd, C.P.A.

IMS was invited as a guest to tour German manufacturing companies and meet with industry, local economic development agencies and research institutions by the Trans-Atlantic Cluster Initiative. The tour was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to promote dialogue and understanding of how industry 4.0 technologies are being integrated into small to large companies, and to expand their network through face-to-face meetings. The tour group included experts from industry and industry-related institutions who exchanged best practices, shared common challenges. The week-long tour visited companies in Hessen (Darmstadt), Baden-Württemberg (Stuttgart), and Niedersachsen (Hannover). Dan Nagy noted that personal highlights of the tour included state-of-the-art manufacturers (Festo, Zeiss), SME’s in the process of integrating new technologies (Nass Magnet), augmented reality labs and holodeck (Fraunhofer, Daimler), a super-computing facility (HLRS), and state-of-the art training labs (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Arena2036, Deutsche Messe). Outcomes from the meeting included expansion if the IMS network and possible support for future collaboration.

IMS will participate in the German American Chamber of Commerce Transatlantic Cluster Initiative from May 14-18, 2018 in Germany. The program will focus on Industry 4.0 Technology and will include a robust schedule of workshops, factory tours, and learning sessions. The program will start in Frankfurt, Germany and conclude in Hanover, Germany. IMS is looking forward to the opportunity to meet with German industry professionals and strengthen working

relationships to further collaboration.

IMS will conduct a project clustering activity and is seeking active participants for 2018. We will announce the date and venue at a later date.

IMS has been successfully linking manufacturing R&D activities using their project clustering methodology. Please note that this is not a traditional information-sharing workshop, but rather a focused activity designed to form productive collaborations between existing projects.

This year the focus is to stimulate international cooperation in the areas of Industry 4.0: Advanced Robotics, and Industrial Internet of Things. If these topics are of interest to you, you are invited to engage with this activity at no charge.

The United States “National Council for Advanced Manufacturing” has invited IMS to sit on their Board of Directors. Mr. Dan Nagy, IMS Managing Director, will be inducted at their annual meeting on 8-9 April, 2015. Mr. Nagy stated “I am pleased to be part of this well-established and distinguished organization and hope to bring an international dimension to the Board”.