Category: Education

Year End Review – 2014 and Greetings for the New Year

Happy New Year!

2014 has been a great year of accomplishments for the STIMS Institute. During the third year of this young company, we have made great strides in a number of areas. Our clients / collaborators now include:

  • Educational institutions (IIT – Chennai, SNHU, MIT, TCE – Madurai)
  • Industrial clients (in India, NA, China, Colombia)
  • Industry Organizations (IMTMA, MassMEP)
  • Industry Sectors (Machine Tools, Auto parts manufacturing, Energy services, Engineering Services)
  • Fellow consulting services
  • Industry Publications.

We thank each and every one of our collaborators for the opportunity to work with them. It is through such collaboration that we can build an eco-system that sustains the development and growth for all. We look forward to your continued support and further opportunities to expand the universe of System Thinkers with Transformational Skills. Please find below a summary of STIMS Institute activities in the year 2014 as we look ahead to the coming New Year.

With best wishes and warm greetings to each of you and every one in your families for a healthy, happy New Year!

Subbu

Dr. K. (Subbu) Subramanian, President, STIMS Institute

Year in Review – 2014

STIMS Institute was founded based on a single identified need:

When computers (in a broader context the DT – Digital Technology) can do everything that a human can do (pick and place, read, write, analyze, decide, direct and control), then humans – professional workers and their companies – have to find ways to be more useful to be relevant and hence be economically viable!

This need, which we have identified as the crisis of the “middle” of any kind – middle class, mid-tier products and services, etc. is an outcome of the “Binary Economy” fostered by DT and this will continue to progress for decades to come. Now, eminent leaders are beginning to speak about the same crisis. For details please see: http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/26/opinion/scoblete-ai-human-threat/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7

Unlike those who identify the problem and the impending concerns, we at STIMS Institute also offer a vision for the future:

System Thinking and Transformational Skills as the core for any education and their use as the basis for sustainable jobs and careers and ultimately their collective use as the driving strategy in all aspects of any company, to develop and implement a stream of New Solutions, relentlessly.

We are now implementing this vision through:

  • Workshops, On-line training and one-to- one mentoring,
  • In-house mentorship programs and projects in our client companies,
  • New models for “Concept to Commercialization” and their incentive programs,
  • Science based manufacturing process solutions and diagnostic tools for them, and
  • Inter-company and Inter – industry collaboration programs.

We have also attempted to disseminate much of this work, through our website. For details, please see:

STRATEGY:

Vision of 21st Century Manufacturing:    https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/12/26/stims-institute-offers-its-vision-of-21st-century-manufacturing/

Message on Manufacturing day: Need for emphasis on “Process Science” : https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/10/04/message-on-manufacturing-day/

High Wage jobs – the engine for middle class growth: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/05/10/tax-the-rich-to-create-new-high-wage-jobs/

With Economic growth, high wage jobs are not a given for all: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/02/16/can-the-economy-continue-to-grow-while-creating-fewer-well-paying-jobs-the-answer-is-yes/

PROCESS INNOVATION:

Diagnostic Tools for Manufacturing Processes: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/12/19/stims-institute-supports-development-and-implementation-of-diagnostic-tools-for-manufacturing-processes/

Future of manufacturing and Core capability development: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/10/22/future-of-manufacturing-and-core-capability-development/

Emotional Intelligence as a business philosophy for collaboration and End to End to Innovation: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/06/26/are-you-a-predator-enslaver-competitor-cooperator-or-collaborator-how-about-your-business-philosohpy/

EDUCATION:

Sector Specific Education: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/12/12/sector-specific-education-offered-successfully-for-third-year-in-a-row/

Higher education – Not just more of the same!: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/04/18/it-may-be-a-mistake-to-get-a-degree-in-chemistry-unless-you-have-also-figured-out-how-to-use-your-knowledge/

Education and Work Force Development: PE Score: https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/03/12/work-shop-for-increasing-the-pe-score/

REVIEWS – on our recent Book on Transformational Skills:

https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/04/29/steering-hr-growth/

https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/04/17/american-ceramic-society-bulletin-review-of-our-recent-book/

https://stimsinstitute.com/2014/06/26/another-positive-review-on-our-recent-book/

Slide1

STIMS Institute Supports Development and Implementation of Diagnostic Tools for Manufacturing Processes

Slide1

We gratefully acknowledge the opportunity to collaborate with the research team at IIT – Madras along with the industrial partner (Micromatic Grinding Technologies – MGTL). This collaboration has resulted in the development of a portable/mobile diagnostic tool for precision grinding processes, in a record time. The tool has been developed at IIT – Madras and has been validated in the industry through MGTL. This tool has also been used as a tool for the past three years, for teaching grinding science for use by practice oriented engineers and managers in leading manufacturing companies in India. We also acknowledge the collaboration with IMTMA – an industry organization. This is an excellent example of Knowledge Integration and development of manufacturing eco-system based on Inter-industry collaboration, promoted by the STIMS Institute as the foundation for Next Generation Manufacturing.

Performance Analysis of Cylindrical Grinding Process with a Portable Diagnostic Tool

AIMTDR-O0582 Performance Analysis of Cylindrical Grinding Process with a Portable Diagnostic Tool

Authors:  Vairamuthu1, M Brij Bhushan2, R. Srikanth1, N. Ramesh Babu3* — 1Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, — 2Engineer, Micromatic Grinding Technologies Limited, Bangalore; — 3*Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600 036, nrbabu@iitm.ac.in

Abstract:       This paper presents an approach to develop a diagnostic tool that can monitor the power drawn by the spindle motor using a power sensor and infeed of grinding wheel using a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) in cylindrical grinding machine. A combination of spindle power and wheel infeed measurement enables the performance evaluation of grinding process.  This evaluation suggests the possibility of optimizing the grinding cycle in order to enhance the efficiency of grinding process. The effectiveness of the developed in-process, portable diagnostic tool is demonstrated with a case study.

Acknowledgements:     The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India for rendering the financial support to this project. We are extremely grateful to Dr. K. (Subbu), Subramanian, President STIMS Institute Inc., USA, for continuous support through mentoring of team and thought provoking discussions at different stages of this work. We are indeed fortunate to have a strong industrial partnership with Micromatic Grinding Technologies Limited, Bangalore. We are highly indebted to Mr. N K Dhand, Chairman, Micromatic Grinding Technologies Limited for his unrelenting support and encouragement to this activity. We wish to acknowledge the support given by Mr. P J Mohanram, IMTMA, Bangalore during the developmental work.

Sector specific education offered successfully for third year in a row!

We started 2 years ago an initiative in collaboration with  IMTMA (Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers Association).

The purpose is to upgrade the knowledge of  middle & senior level manufacturing engineers with the basic elements of “Systems Thinking of the Manufacturing Processes”, that they deal with every day at the work place. While the “Economics”(OEE or productivity) of these processes is their daily concern, the “Engineering” solutions they work out often lack the “Science”  & science-based fundamentals, which alone can help these engineers “Optimise the Process as a System”.

Encouraged by the success of previous two programs, first one launched in South at Bangalore, India in 2012 & repeated in the North at Delhi in 2013, IMTMA  decided to take this program to the West this time. The 3rd program was scheduled at Pune from 19-22 Nov. as per details attached.

Dr. Subbu Subramanian is PhD from MIT-USA, with working experience of over 30 years. He worked at Ford Motor Co. & was the International Director of R&D at Saint-Gobain Ltd. (earlier Norton USA). Now he is the President of STIMS Institute Inc., USA. Through this company he teaches and trains professionals on System Thinking and Knowledge Integration.  He is collaborating with IMTMA, MGT & also with IIT-M Chennai for helping Indian Industries understand & adopt “Systems Approach to Manufacturing”-starting with the Grinding Process. Details are given in the attached brochure with a link of a video of an “interview with Dr. Subbu”  & another link of last year’s “participants feedback”

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The success of this program can be seen from the participant feed back.

Overall Evaluation:              
      Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor
      -5 -4 -3 -2 -1
Relevance of Topics     67% 19% 15%   –    – 
Contents     59% 30% 11%   –    – 
Information in presentations     44% 44% 11%   –    – 
Usefulness of this program     48% 48% 4%   –    – 
Physical arrangements (Venue, Food, etc.)              
      56% 30% 15%   –    – 
Your views on lab, Exercise/Practical Session(s)               
      37% 41% 22%   –    – 
Name the presentation(s) or aspect of this program you liked :              
1. The presentation involving the microscopic interactions.              
2. Practical Test & Presentation Sessions              
3. Group Exercise, Trouble Shooting, Measure Analysis              
4. Asking – Why?              
5. Dr.Subbu’s Presentation              
6. Introduction about Abrasives              
7. Knowledge & experience shared by Dr.Subbu is excellent.              
8. Approach towards solving problems by scientific and also Technical way.              
9. The system approach for industrial process.              
What percentage of content presented at this training programme were new to you? 
    More than 25%   Less than 25%       
    89%   11%      

Another positive review on our recent book!

Our recently published book on Transformational Skills has received another (and totally unsolicited) review from a professional in France!

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1GSBLVJ09WY4D/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0791860167&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books

The ideas conveyed in this book are:

Steering HR growth

Transformational Skills_Article Based on Book_15 Jan 2014

Slide1

With professionals in technical fields developing strategies for innovation, new business development and globalisation opportunities for their employers, they must also focus on tectonic shift taking place in the nature of their jobs and requirements expected in the 21st century economy. This article provides tools and techniques to make these professionals more relevant and valuable in the workplace.

 The article is based on a recent book by the authors – Thriving in the 21st Century Economy: Transformational Skills for Technical Professionals, ASME Press, 2013.