NAMRC 37 An International Forum
Thirty-Seventh Annual North American Manufacturing Research Conference

Dear Colleagues:

We are pleased to invite you to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) for the 37th Annual North American Manufacturing Research Conference! NAMRC is the premier international forum for academic research and industrial applications in manufacturing. Global academic and industrial leaders in manufacturing attend this conference to interact with each other and advance the field.

In 2009, the long tradition and manufacturing research excellence of NAMRC will be held in South Carolina for the first time. The industry focus for the conference will be the automotive sector, both OEM’s and suppliers. The event will be held at the new home for the Clemson University Automotive Engineering Program, the Campbell Graduate Engineering Center which is a 90,000 square foot facility dedicated to automotive research and education. We are located on the same campus as BMW’s Information Technology Research Campus and Timken’s Technology Center Greenville.

Your participation in this event focusing on cutting edge research in manufacturing is most welcome. All accepted papers will be published in a strictly peer-reviewed volume, the Transactions of NAMRI/SME. Therefore, this forum will offer wide-reaching access and impact to your research.

South Carolina is the heart of a newly emerging high tech international automotive manufacturing and research sector. Within a 100 mile radius one can find numerous automotive OEM and supplier production facilities, engineering units and research operations. A series of workshops, industry panels and industry tours are planned for NAMRC 37 in the Greenville area, providing a unique opportunity to learn how clusters of companies from the Americas, Europe and Asia interact in order to realize collaborative product development and global manufacturing.

The spouse program for NAMRC 37 will provide participants with the opportunity to experience the beauty and culture of the South, complete with our wonderful spring weather. NAMRC 37 at CU-ICAR will be an exciting event advancing the cutting edge of manufacturing research and providing an atmosphere that promotes international collaboration.

We look forward to seeing you in South Carolina.

Regards,

Thomas R. Kurfess
Professor and BMW Chair of Manufacturing
NAMRC 37 Conference Co-Chair
Clemson University
International Center for Automotive Research
Greenville, South Carolina

John C. Ziegert
Professor and Timken Chair of Automotive Design
NAMRC 37 Conference Co-Chair
Clemson University
International Center for Automotive Research
Greenville, South Carolina