![[Skip header]](/transdot.gif)
1st Meeting of the 204th Session (2024-2025)
Professor Jonathan Corney
On Monday 30th September 2024, at 7pm
The 18th century Adam Smith used his observations about the process of manufacturing pins to illustrate fundamental concepts of productivity and the benefits of specialisation. Remarkably the ideas embodied in Smith’s pin factory have remained relevant despite the introduction of steam power, electricity, digital control and computer networks to industrial work places. But today, a convergence of artificial intelligence, additive manufacture and robotics appear set to transform manufacturing in such a profound way that Smith’s concepts of productivity could become irrelevant. The lecture will put these new technologies in context and discuss their potential impacts on manufacturing industry and the society it serves.
Jonathan Corney is the Professor of Digital Manufacturing at the University of Edinburgh. His career spans over three decades, including roles as Professor of ‘Design and Manufacture’ at the University of Strathclyde and a mechanical designer of industrial robots. His research primarily focuses on using digital technologies to enhance mechanical design and manufacturing processes. He has led numerous projects funded by the EPSRC and other organizations, contributing significantly to the fields of CAD/CAM and artificial intelligence in manufacturing. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University.