International systems conference at CU-ICAR
CLEMSON -- When we turn on the ignition to the car, we expect a perfect start-up and ride. What we don't realize, until things go wrong, is the delicate balance of systems that must work together for a vehicle to perform. And that's just the beginning. The integration of multiple complex systems and the results from their interaction are critical to many industries and to the world.
The 11th International Design Structure Matrix (DSM) Conference at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) Oct. 11-13 will focus on the complexity of systems that exist in various industries. The conference returns to the United States after eight years in Europe and will be hosted by the Clemson University mechanical engineering department.
"The products of today are very complex systems with a high degree of interaction between the elements that make up the system," said Georges Fadel, event coordinator and ExxonMobil Employees chair in mechanical engineering at Clemson. "Because of this, every change in a system, whether it's in an automobile or in a production line is going to have consequences somewhere else. For instance, if we change material at a specific location in a vehicle, the change in properties of that component could affect the vehicle at a seemingly unrelated location."
He added, "Complexity is often seen as an obstacle to designing and developing successful products and services. Yet complexity can provide a major competitive advantage if it's handled the right way. Being able to predict the inter-relationships or interactions accurately is a serious challenge and is of significant importance to the engineering community. The conference will bring together leaders in industry and academia to address this topic."
Along with automotive engineering, the conference will cover architectural engineering, aerospace, information technology, manufactured goods, plant engineering and other areas.
It is for practitioners, academics, researchers and software developers of DSM-related tools to exchange experiences, share development results and discuss trends in all kinds of industries.
Keynote addresses will feature Dan Braha of the New England Complex Systems Institute & University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; Steven Eppinger of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and Sean Callahan of The Boeing Company.
Source: Clemson University
