GALM Manufacturing Innovation Summit 21 February 2020

The GALM Manufacturing Innovation Summit, is North America’s leading event on automotive manufacturing innovation and processes, bringing together senior engineers and technology specialists from major OEMs at the forefront of lightweight multi-material structures, joining and forming, as well as adoption of digitalisation and industry 4.0.

Taking place on 25th – 26th March in Detroit, Michigan, the Innovation Summit will include an all new agenda, which has been designed specifically to address the manufacturability challenges involved with the latest generation of lightweight ICEVs, BEVs and PHEVs – providing solutions to the way forward with advanced manufacturing and engineering innovation to cut costs and reduce process complexity.

The OEM led speaker panel includes:

  • Dr Youssef Ziada, technical specialist, digital manufacturing, CAE, Ford Motor Company.
  • Dr Andrzej Wylezinski, PE structural engineering manager, Wabash National Corporation.
  • Dr Venkat Aitharaju, senior staff researcher, polymer composites, R&D technical center, principal investigator, department of energy project, General Motors.
  • Elie Tohme, director, body engineering, research & development, strategic planning, Karma Automotive.
  • Dr Lei Shi, senior chief engineer and director of vehicle attributes, Qoros Auto.
  • Gregor Eckhard, CEO, MultiMaterial-Welding.
  • Matthias Mitter, category manager, Bossard.
  • Dr Ing Fouad el Khaldi, strategy and innovation general manager, ESI Group.
  • Dr Brandt Ruszkiewicz, lead development engineer, Semblex Corporation.
  • Boris Baeumler, senior applications engineer, DEPRAG.
  • Lauren Wilk, vice-president, policy & international trade, The Aluminum Association.
  • John Catterall, executive director, Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP)
  • Dr Hesham Ezzat, senior technical consultant, automotive program (formerly Engineering group manager, General Motors), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
  • Edwin Pope, global lightweighting principal analyst (formerly vehicle performance engineer), IHS Markit.

Highlights of the 2020 agenda will include ‘High quality, energy efficient approaches in forming, joining and welding’; ‘Application of innovation initiatives from the aerospace and defence industries’; ‘Solving real world challenges in joining and welding dissimilar materials including composites, hybrid, laminated materials, and polycarbonates’; ‘Structural adhesive bonding for optimised lightweighting’; ‘Enhancing manufacturability of high strength metals, stamping and hot forming’; ‘Scaling up additive manufacturing applications for vehicle mass production’; ‘Advances in multi scale simulation for effective modelling of joining processes and lower manufacturing cost’; ‘Reducing costs in ICEV, BEV and PHEV manufacturing with Industry 4.0, AI and digital twin with flexible lines and cells for variable production volumes and vehicle type’; as well as ‘Vehicle development and manufacture for zero emission lifecycle, environmental sustainability and increased adoption of recyclable materials and alternatives to plastics’.

For a full agenda and details of our key speakers visit www.global-lightweight-vehicle-manufacturing.com

Will Lowry Content Director t: +44 (0) 1727 743 888

Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 12 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector – interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe. Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the brand is renowned.