On June 22nd and 23rd AFAM was in College Station, TX, visiting TEES-ENSAM International Workshop on Smart Manufacturing for the Factory of the Future (TEES stands for Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station).

This TEES-ENSAM workshop occurred right after the co-located ASME International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC) 2018 and the 46th NAMRI/SME North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC) hosted this year by Texas A&M.

 

On the picture: participants of TEES-ENSAM International Workshop on Smart Manufacturing, College Station, TX

The International workshop on Smart Manufacturing organized on June 22nd and 23rd is one of the illustrations of TEES-ENSAM growing transatlantic collaboration. The workshop was supported by Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the French Consulate in Houston. ENSAM delegation in College Station, TX, consisted of Ivan Iordanoff, Arts et Métiers Deputy Director in charge of Research and Innovation, Mohamed el Mansori, co-director of TEES-ENSAM cluster, Philippe Collot, director of Aix-en-Provence Arts et Métiers campus and Philippe Viot, Director of Innovation.

Arts et Métiers ParisTech and Texas A&M have a long history of research collaboration. For 20 years, the LEM3 laboratory in Metz has been collaborating with researchers from Texas A&M. On November 30, 2017 the MOU was signed between Arts et Métiers ParisTech and Texas A&M giving birth to “Joint Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Research, Innovation and Education Cluster”.

Next steps for this promising joint cluster would be new collaborative research opportunities in partnership with French and American industry leaders such as Airbus Helicopters, STIL as well as offering of summer schools for Texas students and in the future - exchange semesters for both French and American students and dual degrees on the horizon of 2020.

The first day of the workshop visit, AFAM had a chance to see the new Center for Infrastructure Renewal (on Rellis Education and Research campus) enabling Texas A&M and its partners to perform cutting-edge research to provide practical solutions.

 

Pictures: Center for Infrastructure Renewal (Rellis Education and Research campus, Texas A&M)

The second day of the visit was dedicated to presentations of industry engagement in particular Airbus Helicopters and STIL, as well as joint research programs as the workshop participants could learn more about advances in the field of natural fiber composite materials presented by both ENSAM and Texas A&M researchers.

TEES-ENSAM cluster is a promising alliance based on mutual understanding and commitment. AFAM will continue to inform American Friends of Arts et Métiers community about TEES-ENSAM cluster and its actions.

From left to right: Philippe Viot (ENSAM), Philippe Collot (ENSAM), Albina Patou-Chebykina (AFAM), Ivan Iordanoff (ENSAM), Mohamed El Mansori (ENSAM, co-director of TEES-ENSAM cluster), Satish Bukkapatham (Texas A&M, co-director of TEES-ENSAM cluster)

From left to right: Eyad Masad (Texas A&M), Philippe Collot (ENSAM), Ivan Iordanoff (ENSAM), Dimitris Lagoudas (Texas A&M)