AIMST Mission Statement

The University of Arizona recently initiated a program in Advanced Integration of Manufacturing Systems and Technologies (AIMST). This is an interdisciplinary program dedicated to research and technology transfer for integrated manufacturing. The primary mission of the program is to encourage and facilitate multidisciplinary research on critical technologies related to manufacturing. Manufacturing is defined to include the "lust to dust" cycle of new product concept development through product disposal. Manufacturing of chemical, composite, electronic (semiconductor), and mechanical parts is included.

Administratively, the program is housed within the Department of Systems & Industrial Engineering, but is led by a steering committee consisting of representatives from six departments spanning the Colleges of Engineering and Mines, and Business and Public Administration. The AIMST Program exists to serve its customers. The center's customers and their primary needs include:

• Industry and Government Agencies desiring a skilled labor pool, excellence in operations and technological advancements;
• Students requiring career preparation and financial support opportunities;
• Faculty requiring research opportunities (funding and equipment), particularly for multidisciplinary projects;
• The University of Arizona desiring enhanced student opportunities and national reputation; and
• The State of Arizona desiring improved quality of life and economic growth.

The AIMST Program serves these customers by concentrating on:

• Providing laboratory equipment, space and a supporting environment to allow researchers to perform multidisciplinary research projects;
• Seeking external funding via governmental and industrial grants and research contracts and providing assistance to faculty engaged in acquiring and administering such funds; and
• Technology transfer through center sponsored publications and conferences, assisting and encouraging faculty in generating refereed publications, and in supplying graduates with state-of-the-art, accredited technical preparation and multidisciplinary understanding of manufacturing systems.
• Encouraging research and development in new materials, product innovations, process innovations, system design and control innovations, and scientific description of manufacturing technologies;
• Pursuing cooperative research with industry through faculty and employee exchange programs and joint research projects;
• Developing a reputation for excellence in research, student preparation and technology transfer.

More than 40 U of A faculty have expressed interest in AIMST and have participated in AIMST-sponsored programs. The main areas of expertise of these faculty include:

Management of Factory Systems

• Facility Layout (Traditional, Group Technology)
• Factory Information Systems
• Factory Simulation
• Group Decision Making
• Hierarchical Control Systems for Cells
• Production Planning and Scheduling
• Total Quality Management

• Automated Process Planning
• Computer-Aided Design
• Concurrent Engineering and Design for Manufacture
• Design of Computer Hardware

• Composites Processing
• Laser Processing
• Engineering Process Control
• Environmental Issues in Manufacturing
• Explosive Forming and Joining
• Intelligent Sensors
• Machine Vision
• Microcontamination of Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes
• PCB manufacture
• Robotics
• Statistical Process Control

• Electron Microscopy Characterization of Materials
• In-Sity Processes for Composites
• Solidification of Alloys
• Socio-Technical Issues of Materials and Technology