Treading on safer ground

Professor Wei Li's breakthrough in the manufacturing of automotives may make vehicles safer for consumers.

His weld-monitoring system design that he developed while studying at the University of Michigan is currently being used at several industrial sites, including those run by automotive giants Chrysler and General Motors.

Because of this, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announced last week that it will honor the UW assistant professor with the Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer award.

The award, presented annually, recognizes the efforts of engineers aged 35 or younger who make valuable contributions to the broad field of manufacturing engineering.

To Li, it comes a pleasant surprise, since in the past the society only handed out awards to engineers that were much older.

"I feel truly honored," he said.

Li joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the UW as an assistant professor in December 2000, thanks largely to his expertise in modeling and control of manufacturing processes. Prior to joining the department, he was a research fellow at the University of Michigan, where he received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 1999.

Li is pleased with the technical environment fostered here at the UW.

"I enjoy working here," he said, adding a note of praise for his colleagues. "When I first came to the UW, many of [my colleagues] took time to share their experience with me. As a new faculty member, I benefited greatly from it."

As a teacher, his current projects continue to improve manufacturing techniques that ensure automotive safety. As a teacher, Li encourages his students to develop skills that will better prepare them for the rapidly changing technical diversity of the engineering profession. He often shares his own work with his students, bringing samples from his laboratory work into the classroom.

Welding 101

The body of the average automobile consists of several thousand welds that join hundreds of sheet-metal parts. A process called "resistance spot welding," in which electrodes join two or more pieces of metal, ensures everything on the car remains intact.

An electrical current is first applied to the metal, with the heat causing the metal to melt. After the current is turned off and the metal cools down, a weld joint is formed. The metal then undergoes changes in its make-up, and at this stage the chances of inferior welds forming are high, which could ultimately result in a defective product.

This precaution is expensive, and engineers had been seeking a way to boost efficiency and cut costs without compromising safety standards. Tests on the efficacy of the welds are conducted periodically in the assembly plants, but a method was needed to better monitor and control resistance spot welding. Li's work offered a solution.

His spot-welding research improved the fundamental understanding of the process within the industry, and his online monitoring and control system can diagnose welding failures more effectively.

When Li learned he was to receive the SME's prestigious award, he saw it as an occasion to outdo his standing accomplishments and continue to make improvements in manufacturing engineering.

"The award challenges me to do more quality work and contribute more to manufacturing research and education," Li said.