2006-2007 College of Engineering Annual Report

Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology

Ahmed H. ElSawy, Professor and Chairperson; Ismail Fidan, Delbert E. Stone and Fred L. Vondra, Associate Professors; Ahmed K. A. Kamal, Assistant Professor; Barry L. Allison, Engineering Laboratory Technician; and Pauline R. Ward, Secretary III.

The 2006-07 academic year was a very productive academic year for the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology's students, faculty, and staff. Our teamwork led to several successes and recognitions to our students and faculty. It is recognizable this year the remarkable increase in students' enrollment, students' activities through classrooms and professional organizations, faculty activities, laboratories' renovation and development, the amount of scholarships the students received, publications and grants writing, the addition of the ENGR 1020, Connections to Engineering & Technology to the BSIT 120 hours curriculum starting the Fall 2006 semester, faculty receiving grants and publications of their research results in archived publications and professional meetings, offering NSF sponsored Rapid (RP) Prototyping and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) workshops to high school teachers, 2- and 4- years colleges faculty, and undergraduate and graduate students needing to sharpen their job-hunting skills. It is worth mentioning that l ast year the MIT saw a 13% increase and the college saw a 6% growth. The average MIT enrollment increased by 28% which is great in comparison to the college growth.

Manufacturing & Industrial Technology Mission Statement

The Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology offers a four-year baccalaureate degree program designed to prepare competitive individuals to succeed in the technical, managerial and manufacturing-supervisory type positions. Additionally, the Department supports the College, the University and the Community at large through academic activities, extended education courses, research, certification and professional development activities.

Accomplishments

Dr. Ahmed ElSawy

• Dr. ElSawy was nominated as the chairman-elect for TTU's Sigma Xi chapter for the academic year 2006-07. He will serve as the Sigma Xi chapter chair for the academic year 2007-08.
• Dr. ElSawy served as the chair of SME Chapter 200, the Upper Cumberland Plateau, for the last three consecutive years.
• Dr. ElSawy was selected to serve on a committee of seven scholars to review a chapter on Stainless Steel & Heat Resisting Steels for Volume 4 of the new American Welding Society (AWS) Welding Handbook. Dr.
• ElSawy continues to serve as a reviewer for the Technology Interface – The Electronic for Engineering Technology. http://technologyinterface.nmsu.edu/
• Dr. ElSawy continues to serve as a reviewer for the Journal of Materials Processing Technology, published by ELSEVIER.

Dr. Ismail Fidan

• Dr. Fidan served as a reviewer for Robotica Journal, ASEE Journal of Engineering Technology, NAIT Journal of Industrial Technology, SME Journal of Manufacturing System, International Journal for Advanced Manufacturing Technology, ASEE 2006 and 2007 conferences, FIE 2006 and 2007 conferences, IEEE Transactions on Electronics Packaging Manufacturing, and panel of NSF DUE CCLI Phase 2 and 3 proposals.
• Dr. Fidan served as a chair in SME Electronics Manufacturing Technical Community, as a chair in SME's TEEM Award committee, and as a committee member in SME Automated Manufacturing and Assembly Community, served as a program evaluator in an ABET re-accreditation visit to the University of Cincinnati representing SME, and as a program evaluator in an ABET re-accreditation visit to Penn State University representing ASME.

Dr. Ahmed Kamal

• Dr. Kamal was appointed as a Trustee for Epsilon Pi Tau Chapter (The International Honor Society for Professions in Technology) and reactivation of the TTU's Chapter effective December 1, 2006 .

Dr. Fred Vondra

• Dr. Fred Vondra received an award of $6,000 from the Foundry Education Foundation to support his research in metal casting.

NAIT Certification Results

Scholarships

• The MIT student, Mr. Rion Edwards, received the 2007 MITAB $750 scholarship for the Spring 2007 semester. He came to TTU from Greenbrier, TN and graduated from Davidson Academy High School in Madison, TN with a Math Honors degree. Rion would like to work as a manager in industrial setting where he can be around people and deal with complex systems of every kind.
• The Foundry Education Foundation (FEF) selected the MIT students James Droke, Nick Slaven, Eric Damesworth, and ECE doctoral student, Mike Baswell to receive $1,500.00 each. Also, at the annual meeting in Chicago, Mike Baswell received one of two scholarships given to graduate student pursuing a degree related to metal casting in the amount of $4,500.00. Moreover, the FEF gave in May 2007 two more scholarships to the MIT students. This year the recipients were Nick Slaven, the outgoing local president of TTU's FEF and Jim Droke, a senior who has a position with Honda in their Metal Casting Department in Ohio upon graduation.
• The Joe Floyd Scholarship of $1,250 was given to Joshua McGrew; two from the Paul Bonner's Family Scholarships in the amount of $1,250 each were given to MIT students John Langefeld and Michael Poulx. The Lem McSpadden/McNew scholarship in the amount of $1,400/semester for eight semesters was given to Andrew Matthews.

Innovations

• Dr. Fidan managed to teach the MIT 3301 - Computer Aided Design on line. Also, Dr. ElSawy taught a new WebCT assisted course: MIT 3401- Machine Elements for Technologists.
• Dr. Fidan developed Rapid Prototyping instructional materials for distance RP courses, developed Rapid Prototyping instructional and practice materials for K12, and organized Rapid Prototyping Workshops for STEM teachers and K12 students. These activities were the results of several NSF grants he received for this purpose.
• The department adopted new active learning techniques by adding the Formula car and Moon buggy design, testing, and manufacturing to the lab portion of the MIT 3401-Machine Elements and MIT 4990- Special projects classes.

Community Outreach

To support the departmental extended missions, The MIT faculty and students conducted several activities. Following are some of these activities:

Dr. Ahmed ElSawy

• Manufacturing and Industrial Technology seniors participated in several industrial projects. These projects are mutually beneficial to the MIT students and industry. The students solve real life industrial problems using the knowledge and skills gained during their course of study at TTU. This mechanism helps solve some of the local industry problems at almost no cost.
• Dr. ElSawy co-organized a trip to Alexandria, Egypt for the Noon Cookeville Rotary Club to visit our sister Alexandria Metrpolitan Rotary Club in March 2007.

Dr. Ismail Fidan

• The SME Education Foundation recognized several SME Chapters who have made a commitment to introducing youth in their communities to the field of manufacturing and its related career opportunities. TTU's Chapter S215 was chosen to receive recognition for its Programs and Future Young Engineers Competition.
• The SME chapter had a booth at homecoming last year, and S ME student members from different departments enjoyed participating, competing and winning in the Engineering Week 2006 activities.

Dr. Ahmed Kamal

• Dr. Ahmed Kamal was invited as a Guest Speaker to Senior Students at Cookeville High School held in October 2006.

• In cooperation with Dr. Delbert Stone, Dr. Vondra organized “Casting Night” for Cub Scout Troop 170 on two occasions.

Dr. Fred Vondra

• Dr. Vondra is working on the following projects: 1) Casting defect analysis and reduction for Cherry-Burell Corp in Waukesha, WI, 2) Casting process evaluation for Cherry-Burell Corp. Delevan, WI. Ongoing, and 3) Working on modeling and process improvements for Harris Metals Company, Cookeville, TN.

Publications

The Manufacturing and Industrial Technology faculty were active in journal and conference publications this academic year. These publications resulted from the MIT faculty collaboration in research activities with colleagues from industry, TTU and other national and international academic institutions. They totaled 3 journal publications and 8 conference publications.

Dr. Ahmed ElSawy

• K. M. Ibrahim and A.H. ElSawy , “ Influence of Graphite Morphology and Matrix Structure on Fatigue Strength and Wear Resistance of Ductile Cast Iron ," Ductile Iron Society annual meeting to be held in Birmingham, Alabama, June 21-23, 2006.
• K. M. Ibrahim and A.H. ElSawy , “Enhancement Abrasion Resistance of Ductile Cast Iron by Applying Two-Step Austempering Process,” Proceedings of the 15 th International Colloquium Tribology, Automotive and Industrial Lubrication, Technishe Akademie Asslingen (TAE), Stuttgart/Ostfildern, Germany, January 17-19, 2006.

Dr. Ismail Fidan

• Ismail Fidan , Nasir Ghani, “ Acquisition Steps of a Remotely Accessible Rapid Prototyping Laboratory,” International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, in press.
• Ismail Fidan , Ken Patton, “Work In Progress: Rapid Prototyping Instructional and Hands-on Delivery for K16,” published and presented in 36 th IEEE/ASEE Frontiers in Education Conference.
• Ismail Fidan , Ismet Anitsal, “ An Overview of International ‘Online Teaching' Success Story,” published and presented in the 2006 ASEE Annual Conference.
• Ismet Anitsal, Ismail Fidan , “Assessment Studies of Globally Delivered Online Courses in Business and Engineering,” 2007 ASEE Annual Conference.
• Ismail Fidan , Nasir Ghani, “Remotely Accessible Laboratory for Rapid Prototyping ,” 2007 ASEE Annual Conference.

Dr. Ahmed Kamal

• Ahmed Kamal and Ali Alouani, “ Pulmonary tumor detection using respiratory lung sound “, submitted to Chest Journal, May 2006.
• Ahmed Kamal , “ Assessment of autonomic function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using spectral analysis and approximate entropy method”, submitted to Neuroscience Journal, June 2006.
• Ahmed Kamal , “Assessment of autonomic function for healthy and diabetic patients using entrainment methods and spectral technique,” IEEE 32 nd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, April 1-2, 2006, p 161-162.
• Ahmed Kama l, “Integral feedback control in system biology: Application to Bacterial Chemotaxis,” IEEE 32nd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, April 1-2, 2006, p129-130.
• Ahmed Kamal and Ali Alouani,“ Pulmonary tumor detection using respiratory lung sound,” IEEE International Biomedical Engineering Conference Proceeding, Cairo, Egypt, December 21-23, 2006, pp.1-4.

Graduate Studies

• Syed Azam Mohiuddin, “A Study of Thermal Behavior of Fibrous Insulation”, Ph.D. Dissertation in Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, May 2007. ( Ahmed ElSawy , Co-advisor) 
• Anil Vazrala, “Development of a Process for Production of Lightweight Aggregate from TVA Fly Ash,” M.S. Thesis in Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technology University, 2006. ( Ahmed ElSawy , Co-Advisor)
• Andrew Edmiston, “Improving Fatigue Properties of Austempered Ductile Iron” Austempering Process,” M.S. Thesis in Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Tech University, in Progress. ( Ahmed ElSawy , Co-Advisor)

Grants and Contracts

The Manufacturing and Industrial Technology faculty were active this academic year and participated in several proposals and grant writings this academic year. These efforts were in collaboration with colleagues from the College of Engineering, the Manufacturing Research Center and the Electric Power Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Dr. Ahmed ElSawy

• Ahmed ElSawy (Faculty Mentor), “TTU's Metal Casting REU Site Project - Methods of Improving the Quality and Cost of Metal Castings” Three years projects, Summer 2006.
• Ahmed ElSawy (Co-PI), “ Manufacturing of Lightweight Aggregate from Fly-ash,” TVA, for Year 1 April 7, 2005 – March 31 - $46,723; and for year 2 May 9, 2005 – October 31, 2007 - $48,534.
  
• Ahmed ElSawy (PI), "Innovative technology for improving wear resistance and fracture toughness of austempered ductile iron used for automotive industry by either thermomechanical or two-step austempering processes,” $51,500.00, NSF 03-559, September 2004-August 2006.

Dr. Ismail Fidan

• Ismail Fidan (PI), The Development of a Remotely Accessible Rapid Prototyping Laboratory, National Science Foundation, $125,000.00, funded.
• Ismail Fidan (Co-PI), Rapid Prototyping Instructional Delivery Support, National Science Foundation, $829,911.00, funded.
• Ismail Fidan (PI), SolidWorks STEM Education Grant, $6,000.00, funded.
• Ismail Fidan (PI), Hands-on Design and Visualization Enhanced Engineering Education, TTU QEP Program, $1,500.00, funded.
• Ismail Fidan (PI), The Development of a Rapid Prototyping Clearinghouse for P16, TTU Research Office, $4,000.00, funded.
• Ismail Fidan (PI), Collaborative Research -Comparative Study of Online versus On-Ground Learning, Total Budget= $38,045.00 ($10.000: Tennessee Tech University-The Office of Research and $28,045.00: Internal Matching from CESR, ISEE, College of Business, Mathematics Department and Distance MBA), July 1, 2007-June 30, 2009, funded.

Dr. Ahmed Kamal

• Ahmed Kamal (PI) and others, “Design of a Novel Tumor Detection System using Respiratory Information,” Submitted to NIH –Exploratory Studies in Cancer Detection, Diagnosis and Prognosis Division through Center for Energy Systems Research, May 2005. ($ 314,296 – revised and under consideration).
• Ahmed Kamal (PI) “ Analysis of Heart Rate Variability Signals in Chronic Kidney Failure Patients Before and After Hemodialysis,” Accepted for Funding by TTU Faculty Research Committee for $ 4,000 starting from fall 2007 and spring 2008.
• Ahmed Kamal (PI) “ Frontiers for Nanotechnology and Manufacturing Technology Program,” Accepted for Funding by TTU Engineering Development Friends Endowment (EDF) for $ 500.00.
• Ahmed Kamal (PI), Teaching/Learning Enhancement proposal, Submitted to Quality Enhancement Plan, TTU, November 2005. $1,500.00, funded.