CLEMSON — Clemson assistant professor of mechanical engineering Laine Mears has been awarded a $400,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to research model-based control methods for machining processes. Machining processes, where material is removed by high shear-rate cutting, involve changing the shape and surface conditions of workpieces in the most efficient manner.
The research project focuses on real-time modeling and exchange of information among processes in a machining system to maximize efficiency, particularly on the treatment of model uncertainty and abstraction as a system's complexity grows. Results would extend to a wide range of manufacturing processes and systems.
"The broader impact of this work will be more profitable machining and more competitive manufacturing of high-quality parts for automotive, aerospace and consumer products industries," said Mears. "The results should positively impact manufacturing quality and productivity at a national level."
The five-year grant also will fund an educational component with the Gateway to Technology national middle-school program for improving the instruction and experience of young technical thinkers in South Carolina and encourage future potential researchers to pursue an education in manufacturing.
"We hope to educate and positively impact students who are at a critical decision point in their life to consider engineering as a career," Mears said.
Mears joined the Clemson faculty in 2006 after a 10-year industrial career in bearing and automotive part manufacturing. He teaches modeling and analysis of automotive manufacturing processes and has performed research in intelligent machining systems, manufacturing process control and manufacturing equipment diagnostics.
The Faculty Early Career Development Program is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education in the context of the mission of their organizations. The award description states the activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.