Advanced Manufacturing
The future of manufacturing is in higher levels of intelligent automation enabled by a systems-based approach.
McMaster’s research within the manufacturing sector is diverse, spanning high-performance manufacturing processes to additive manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 technologies targeting emerging opportunities in electrified and autonomous vehicles and biomedical devices. It’s this combination of reputation, experience, and scientific discovery that appeals to industry. We have a long tradition of working with industry in the manufacturing sector, dating back to the 1970s.
Our manufacturing research draws together advancements in materials science, traditional manufacturing processes, emerging additive / hybrid technologies and industry internet of things in big data and artificial intelligence to realize practical solutions for industry.
McMaster is labouring hard to dismantle the very idea of the ivory tower. We still revere the value of pure scientific research, but believe strongly that real progress is only made when disparate voices and perspectives gather to work together.
“Research is important for its scientific content, but also for its translational content, which helps our economy and grows the well-being of our society,” says Ishwar K. Puri, McMaster's Dean of Engineering. “It’s very important for universities to work with their local business communities and Canadian industry. We also need to work with other universities and with the government. If we’re going to build prosperity, it has to be a project that includes many players. Collaboration must be our core value.”
Our Mission: To provide advanced, robust and implementable solutions for manufacturers across all industry sectors.
Related People:
Stephen C. Veldhuis
Professor, Director (MMRI) and Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering
Related Faculty
Dr. Thomas Adams
Associate Chair (Graduate)
Department of Chemical Engineering
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
green energy conversion; semicontinuous systems; process design; modeling; simulation and optimization
Dr. Maryam Aramesh
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing; Machining operations; Machining of difficult-to-cut materials; Surface engineering; Lubricants; Coatings; Failure diagnostic models
Dr. John Bandler, OC
Professor Emeritus
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Space mapping and exploitation of surrogates; optimization technologies for engineering modeling and design; modeling and electromagnetics-based design optimization of devices, circuits and systems in the radio-frequency, wireless, and microwave arenas; technical and nontechnical presentation and communication skills; awareness and creativity
Dr. Nabil Bassim
Associate Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Scientific Director, Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Member
Department of Engineering Physics
Structure-Processing-Property Relationships, Electron Microscopy, Focused Ion Beam Microscopy, Nanomaterials, 2-D materials, Image Processing, Beam-Sample interactions, Structural Materials (Concrete, Metallurgical Alloys), Nanofabrication
Dr. Gary M. Bone
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Robotics; Collaborative Robots; Control Systems; Computer Vision; Machine Vision; Computer-Aided Manufacturing; Manufacturing Automation
Dr. Gianluigi Botton
Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Electron Microscopy of Nanoscale Materials (Tier 1)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
nanostructures; energy materials; battery materials; fuel cells; light-emitting diodes; plasmonics; oxides electronics; corrosion; structure of alloys
Dr. Chan Y. Ching
Associate Chair, Graduate
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Heat Transfer; Multi-phase Flow; Turbulence
Dr. Ken Coley
Adjunct Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Reaction Kinetics, materials processing, pyro-metallurgy, slags, oxygen steelmaking, ladle metallurgy.
Dr. Charles de Lannoy
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Functional surfaces and thin films, polymer nanocomposite materials, active membranes for desalination, water and wastewater treatment, fouling, membranes for gas separation, CO2 capture, nanosorbents
Dr. Tohid Didar
Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nano-biomaterials
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Associate Professor
McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical devices; Bio-sensing; Microfluidics; Bio-functional Interfaces, Bio-hybrid micro/nano-robots
Dr. Neslihan Dogan
Associate Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
High temperature materials processing, primary and secondary steelmaking, reaction kinetics
Dr. Ali Emadi
Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Transportation Electrification and Smart Mobility and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Electrified Powertrains
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Transportation Electrification and Smart Mobility and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Electrified Powertrains
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Transportation Electrification; Electrified Vehicles; Autonomous-Capable Vehicles; Electric and Hybrid Powertrains; Power Electronics and Electric Motor Drives; Electric Machines and Energy Conversion Systems; Renewable and Efficient Energy Systems; Energy and Sustainability
Prof. Qiyin Fang
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Biophotonics
Department of Engineering Physics
Associate Member
School of Interdisciplinary Science
Associate Member
McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering
biophotonics, microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy & imaging, intelligent sensing for point-of-care, aging-in-place, & environmental monitoring
Dr. Zhen Gao, LEL.
Program Lead, M.Eng. Systems and Technology
W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Assistant Professor
W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Automation Engineering Technology
Dr. Kathryn Grandfield
Associate Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Professor
McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Microscopy of Biomaterials and Biointerfaces (Tier 2)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
biomaterials; osseointegration; electron microscopy; mineralized tissues; electron tomography; atom probe tomography
Dr. Drew Higgins
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Electrochemistry; Catalysis; Nanomaterials; Energy Conversion and Storage; Sustainable Energy Technologies; Fuel Cells; Solar Fuels; Artificial Photosynthesis.
Dr. Mukesh K. Jain
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Materials processes and systems; Manufacturing processes and systems; Metal forming; Metallurgy; Microscopy; Plasticity & formability; Process modelling & simulation; Steel research; Automotive applications; Finite element analysis; Materials & microstructural engineering; Product design & manufacturing; Theoretical mechanics; Solid mechanics
Dr. Kamil Khan
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Deterministic global optimization, batch and semi-batch systems, sensitivity analysis and optimization for discrete/continuous systems
Dr. Joey Kish
Professor, Associate Chair - Graduate
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Corrosion prediction and protection of structural materials in the automotive, aerospace, energy generation and chemical processing industries.
Dr. Andy Knights
Director, CEDT
Department of Engineering Physics
Professor
Department of Engineering Physics
silicon optical circuits; silicon integrated optics
Dr. David Latulippe
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
separation processes for water/wastewater treatment, biopartitioning and purification, microscale processing for high-throughput studies,unit operation modeling and optimization
Prof. Allan MacKenzie
Assistant Professor
W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Workplace Ecology; Organizational Strategy; Leadership & Management; Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Dr. Vladimir Mahalec
Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Associate Director of Graduate Programs
W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Optimization of plant operations (production planning, scheduling, real-time optimization) and supply chain management; integration of planning, scheduling, RTO, and control; reduced size hybrid models for optimization; energy recovery from low temperature sources
Dr. Hamidreza Mahyar
Assistant Professor
W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Associate Member
Department of Computing and Software
Machine Learning; Network Science; Natural Language Processing; Graph Neural Networks; AI Drug Discovery; Recommendation Systems
Dr. Peter Mascher
Vice-Provost, International Affairs
McMaster University
Professor
Department of Engineering Physics
William Sinclair Chair in Optoelectronics
Department of Engineering Physics
Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy; Point Defects in Materials; Thin Film Technology; Silicon Nanostructures; Silicon Photonics; Luminescence; Rare Earth Doping; PECVD; Optical Characterization; Ellipsometry
Dr. Joseph McDermid
Professor, Associate Chair - Undergraduate
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Member
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Director, Steel Research Centre
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Director, Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Physical Metallurgy of Advanced High Strength Steels, Microstructure-Property Relationships, High Temperature Oxidation, Continuous Galvanizing of Advanced Steels, Reactive Wetting, Electron Microscopy
Dr. Prashant Mhaskar
Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
process control, nonlinear Lyapunov-based and model predictive control, fault-tolerant control, control of hybrid systems
Dr. Matthew Minnick
Associate Undergraduate Chair
Department of Engineering Physics
Assistant Professor
Department of Engineering Physics
MEMS; Robotics; Micromachining; Resonance; Fluid-Structure Interactions; FEM; Automation
Dr. Eu-Gene Ng
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Program Chair for Manufacturing Engineering Technology Program, Bachelor of Technology
W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Structural Analysis, Manufacturing Processes, Surface Integrity
Dr. Dave Novog
Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair
Department of Engineering Physics
nuclear safety, reactor physics, thermalhydraulics, multiphysics reactor analysis, nuclear fuel and fuel cycles, severe accident modelling, emergency accident response and mitigation
Dr. Tim J. Nye
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing processes and systems; Operations research; Process modelling
Dr. Robert Pelton
Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
polymer colloids, water soluble polymers, interfacial engineering, flocculation, adhesion, cellulose, and pulp and paper technology
Dr. Andre Phillion
Director, Experiential Learning
Solidification of Engineering metals; Mathematical modelling of materials and Processes; X-ray tomographic imaging; 4D materials science
Dr. John Preston
Research, Innovation and External Relations
Pulsed Laser Deposition, Self-Assembly of Epitaxial Nanostructures, Photovoltaics
Dr. P. Ravi Selvaganapathy
Distinguished Engineering Professor, Canada Research Chair in Biomicrofluidics (laureate)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Co-Director (Engineering)
McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering
Professor
McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering
Micro/Nanofabrication; Bioprinting; Biomedical Microdevices; Microelectromechanical Systems; Microfluidics; Medical and Environmental Sensors; Smart Textiles; Biomaterials; Artificial Organs
Dr. Christopher Swartz
Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
operations optimization, integration of design and control, mathematical modeling, scheduling and supply chain optimization
Dr. Leili Tafaghodi
Associate Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sustainable high temperature materials processing, Extraction and refining of metals and alloys, Thermodynamics, Reutilization of waste materials in metals and minerals industries
Dr. Michael Thompson
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies
Particle and polymer processing, manufacturing.
Dr. Stephen C. Veldhuis
Professor, Director (MMRI) and Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing; Machine tools; Precision machining; Ultra precision machining; Manufacturing process modeling & simulation; Tribology; Nano indentation; Surface engineering; Hard wear protective coatings; Process optimization
Dr. David Wilkinson
Distinguished University Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Ductile fracture of metals and alloys; lightweight materials for fuel efficient vehicles; advanced high strength steels.
Dr. Peidong Wu
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Metal forming, cutting and removal; Plasticity & formability; Finite element analysis; Materials and microstructural engineering; Mechanics of engineering materials & composites; Robotics; Solid mechanics; Biomechanics
Dr. Li Xi
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
computing in chemical engineering; polymers; fluid mechanics; rheology; molecular simulation; computational fluid dynamics; process modeling
Dr. Bosco Yu
Assistant Professor (CLA)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Member
Department of Engineering Physics
Associate Member
McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering
Solid mechanics, impact mechanics, hybrid materials (cellular lattices, fibre composites, metal/metal hybrids), material selection, finite element methods, and rapid prototyping/additive manufacturing
Dr. Boyang Zhang
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Tissue engineering, biomaterials engineering, microfluidics, organ-on-a-chip engineering, advanced biofabrication, regenerative medicine, high-throughput drug screening
Dr. Shiping Zhu
Professor Emeritus
Department of Chemical Engineering
Distinguished University Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Polymer reaction engineering and materials, polymer synthesis and characterization, polymerization modeling, digitalization of polymerization processes, precision production of polymers, industrial big data, process trouble shooting, smart polymers, polymer biomaterials, polymer microelectronics, surface modification and interfacial engineering
Dr. Samir Ziada
Professor Emeritus (Deceased)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Flow induced vibrations & noise; Aeroacoustics; Turbulent flows
Dr. Hatem Zurob
Professor, Chair
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Microstructural evolution in engineering materials and the effect of microstructure on mechanical properties
January 14, 2022 / Department News
Hamilton virology lab gets a ‘grasp’ on COVID-19 testing
The Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program, together with the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute — directed by Stephen Veldhuis — and Coreprint Patterns, created a grasping tool to confront global supply-chain shortage on forceps and keep up with the demand of COVID-19 tests.
August 24, 2021 / Department News
McMaster researchers team up with Sartorius to advance biomanufacturing processes with next-generation technologies
A four-year partnership between chemical engineering researchers at McMaster and Sartorius, a global leader in biomanufacturing, will improve manufacturing processes of antibody and virus-based treatments for diseases like COVID-19, cancers and genetic disorders.
June 29, 2021 / Department News
In the Media: "Hamilton's Coreprint Patterns receives $860,000 to switch from foundry to creating COVID-19 medical items"
Following a suggestion by Stephen Veldhuis, professor of engineering at McMaster University, the company examined if it could manufacture components for COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction tests for hospitals and labs across the province.
June 28, 2021 / Department News
NSERC awards 14 McMaster Engineering researchers
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded 11 McMaster Engineering researchers through its Discovery research program, and three others have been awarded funding through the Research Tools and Instruments grants program (RTI) and Joint Canada-Germany Projects
June 14, 2021 / Department News
In the Media: "Feds fund initiative to develop electric and energy-efficient vehicles with McMaster"
Researchers with McMaster University’s automotive resource centre are getting a $10-million boost from the federal government to produce an integrated automotive, aerospace and advanced manufacturing network.
June 14, 2021 / Department News
In the Media: "McMaster to launch $28.4M eco-friendly automotive and aerospace hub"
McMaster University will run a new multi-million hub and collaborate with automotive and aerospace giants to test and develop electric, self-driving and energy-efficient technology. IHub will create 170 jobs, training for 200 people and support 230 small and medium enterprises
August 11, 2020 / Department News
McMaster Engineering receives $1.3 million to support job seekers in the automotive and manufacturing sectors
The provincial government has announced $1.3 million in funding for two McMaster programs designed to help job seekers in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
June 29, 2020 / Department News
McMaster opens Centre of Excellence to advance personal protective equipment in Canada
The Centre of Excellence in Protective Equipment and Materials is a network of engineers, clinicians, manufacturers and companies dedicated to improving personal protective equipment products and supply chains in Canada.
April 29, 2020 / Department News
"We want to know we did everything we could": How McMaster's manufacturing experts shifted to respond to COVID-19
When COVID-19 struck Hamilton in March, the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) team rallied to help the community design and manufacture protective gear and medical supplies. A month later, they’re working closer than ever with local hospitals and manufacturers.
April 20, 2020 / Department News
Canadian manufacturers have responded to the pandemic crisis, and need support
Weeks into the COVID-19 crisis, manufacturers across the country are making things they had never considered previously. A month ago, no automotive parts manufacturer was considering shifting production to ventilators; craft brewers were not contemplating producing hand sanitizer.
April 7, 2020 / Department News
MacEng arms the frontlines with ventilators for local hospitals
McMaster engineers, physicians, students and industry partners join forces to create timely solutions to the high demand for critical equipment for frontline workers. In the third part of the MacEng arms the frontlines series, we take a look at ventilators.
April 2, 2020 / Department News
MacEng arms the frontlines with face shields: Using 3D printers and industry collaboration to create protective gear for healthcare workers
McMaster engineers, physicians, students and industry partners join forces to create timely solutions to the high demand for more personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers. In the second part of the MacEng arms the frontlines series, we take a look at face shields.
March 12, 2020 / Department News
This isn’t your grandfather’s factory
In the first year of the Bachelor of Technology program, every student is given the opportunity to get exposed to Industry 4.0 without leaving campus.
August 7, 2019 / Department News
Why Canada leads the way to an autonomous future
At McMaster and other universities across Canada, the future of transportation is taking shape.
May 3, 2019 / Department News
2019 Manufacturing Forum and Industry Open House
What happens when you bring a group of industry leaders passionate about manufacturing into one room? For some, it becomes one of the highlights of the year.
February 25, 2019 / Department News
What makes Mac Eng students stand out? We asked employees of one of the world's best auto makers.
During their latest visit, Tesla shared their thoughts on what skills they look for when recruiting and what makes Mac Eng students unique.
February 11, 2019 / Department News
Fresh Faces: Neslihan Dogan
Neslihan Dogan is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. In her Fresh Faces spotlight, Neslihan talks about her Turkish roots, passions outside of McMaster, pursuing metallurgy and the hidden talents of dessert chefs.
November 26, 2018 / Department News
Fresh Faces: Li Xi
In 2013, Li Xi landed his dream job as Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster. In his Fresh Faces spotlight he discusses his upbringing in Suzhou, China, the rewards of connecting with students and decoding experiments on polymer materials.
November 7, 2018 / Department News
Engineering Tomorrow's Military Successes
As they explore the cutting-edge of materials, microscopy and biomedical engineering, McMaster researchers are making discoveries that promise to keep Canadian troops safer and healthier in years to come.
November 6, 2018 / Department News
Fresh Faces: André Phillion
Welcome to Fresh Faces. In this series, we’re highlighting over 40 engineering faculty members, all hired in the last five years, who are doing interesting and innovative things in the lab and the classroom.
October 22, 2018 / Department News
Materials engineering professor wins prestigious steel industry award
Joseph McDermid, materials science and engineering professor, has won the 2018 Dale CH Nevison Award, which recognizes a person in the galvanizing field who has made a significant contribution to the industry.
September 20, 2018 / Department News
Big Ideas: Thriving in the Materials World
It was the promise of “wow moments” – opportunities for discovery, development and growth – that first attracted Martin Beaton to Materials Engineering.
September 13, 2018 / Department News
McMaster engineering professor named Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Gianluigi Botton, an engineering professor in the department of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
July 16, 2018 / Department News
The Industry 4.0 experience inside the Learning Factory
The W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology’s new Learning Factory is a world-class facility that simulates the factory of the future.
May 17, 2018 / Department News
McMaster advanced manufacturing forum highlights collaboration
More than 350 industry representatives, academics and students gathered to learn about the latest in advanced manufacturing during the sixth annual McMaster Manufacturing Forum.
May 11, 2018 / Department News
Keeping Canada's Manufacturing Sector Competitive
Stephen Veldhuis, director of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute and a mechanical engineering professor, caught the manufacturing bug early in his engineering career, machining parts at a summer job as an undergraduate.
May 8, 2018 / Department News
Big Ideas: Attention to detail
Professor Gianluigi Botton’s microscopy research shows that little things mean a lot.
February 15, 2018 / Department News
McMaster researchers boost business of Ontario manufacturers
McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute improves productivity of Burlington automotive parts company
December 1, 2017 / Department News
Transforming Technology
Leaders in Artificial Intelligence Gather for McMaster.AI Workshop
November 30, 2017 / Department News
McMaster supports high-tech steel in Hamilton and beyond
How Hamilton, Ont., is an international centre for research into material innovation in steel production because of McMaster Engineering.
November 10, 2017 / Department News
#InsidetheLab: The diverse research areas of advanced manufacturing
Students working at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) are enhancing productivity, improving quality and increasing the lifespan of materials used in various manufacturing industries.
October 2, 2017 / Department News
Shaping the Next Generation of Canadian Manufacturing Excellence
McMaster University understands the importance of connecting academia and the manufacturing industry. Learn about their collaboration.
September 12, 2017 / Department News
Learning Factory at W Booth School Delivers for Edson Packaging
A global leader in high performance packaging equipment has turned to the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology as a select partner in innovation.
August 15, 2017 / Department News
Engineering researchers receive $1.9 million in federal funding
Six McMaster researchers have been awarded more than $1.9 million combined for infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute
JHE 109, 112
The McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) facility is designed to meet the sophisticated research and development needs of leading manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, biomedical and consumer goods industries, along with the manufacturing tooling, coatings-surface engineering, dye and mould support industries. Special focus is placed on tool selection and development as well as process optimization for light weight material casting, machining, metal forming, polymer processing, heat treatment processes, robotics, automation and metrology/inspection.
Director(s)
Dr. Stephen C. Veldhuis
Professor, Director (MMRI) and Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy
ABB B161
The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) provides world-class electron microscopy capabilities and expertise to Canadian researchers and industry working in a broad range of fields. Our vision is to be one of the leading electron microscopy facilities in the world for the quality of the scientific research, to be the go-to provider of electron microscopy services to Canadian industry and to play a leading role in promoting interactions amongst researchers in various fields nationally and internationally.
Director(s)
The Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion
MARC
The Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion's original mandate focused on weight reduction of automotive structures, with a particular emphasis on Mg-alloys. Currently, while the Mg-alloy research does continue, the Centre's current focus is on the deployment and development of Al-based alloys and advanced high-strength steels for automotive weight reduction and safety applications, with an emphasis on corrosion prevention, microstructure-property relationships, metal forming and joining.
McMaster Steel Research Centre
JHE 213/D
The Steel Research Centre develops research leading to commercially relevant new approaches to ironmaking, steelmaking process control, waste processing, steel product design and metal forming technologies. It also trains highly qualified personnel to provide the means of transferring new technology to the steel industry and develops continuing education for steel industry engineers to enhance the receptor capacity for innovation.
Director(s)
Dr. Joseph McDermid
Professor, Associate Chair - Undergraduate
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
McMaster Automotive Resource Centre
McMaster Innovation Park
The McMaster Automotive Resource Centre is one of Canada’s leading research facilities in electric and hybrid vehicles where researchers, students and industry professionals are working to resolve the issues facing the automotive industry. Together, these teams of engineers, scientists, social scientists and their students are developing sustainable solutions for the industry including the development of hybrid and electric powertrains, building highly efficient and cost-effective powertrain components and identifying light materials to make cars more fuel efficient.