Sponsored by:
U.S. Department of Commerce
Technology Administration
National Institute of Standards and Technology

The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) provides competitive, cost-shared awards for industry to develop high-risk, enabling technologies with broad-based economic benefit. The ATP seeks to help industry fill the gap between basic research and product development, and to invest in technology that wouldn't be developed in a competitive time-frame without government cost-sharing. Along with general competitions which are open to proposals from all technical areas, the ATP is also funding a series of "focused programs" with specific business and technical goals.

Begun in 1995, the ATP Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology (MVMT) program, focuses on technology advances that strengthen manufacturing capabilities along the entire automotive production chain. One of the major business challenges facing the U.S. light vehicle industry is the ability to respond to highly volatile and fragmented market demand by rapidly launching new product models in a manner that is profitable in low volumes.

Fifty percent of the value in American vehicles is added by suppliers, and that percentage is rising. The MVMT program concentrates on developing the technical bases of specific manufacturing processes, thereby leveraging American leadership in engineering and the physical sciences into a position of leadership in manufacturing. A key part of the task is to make processes reconfigurable and easily coupled with other processes in a complete product manufacturing system, thereby providing greater flexibility and higher utilization of plant capacity. This will in turn provide designers with new technical options and an enlarged, but predictable process horizon which will enable innovative product designs, and encourage the effective re-utilization of capital equipment to produce a diverse family of high-quality products, and the rapid and accurate translation of designs into production.

Two MVMT competitions have been held - the first in 1995, and the second in 1997. The purpose of this workshop is to provide the manufacturing community with a technical overview of the progress of the projects awarded in the first competition and several closely-related ATP projects, and introduce the projects selected in the second competition. While the creation and protection of intellectual property is a core value of the Advanced Technology Program, broad-based economic benefits and spill overs can be obtained only if information about the technology is provided to those members of the technical community who could potentially benefit from having it.

The motor vehicle manufacturing sector has long been recognized as a prime mover in the development of manufacturing processes. The same technology is also applicable to many other industrial sectors. For example, improvements in machining, tooling, and assembly are likely to directly impact the metal furniture and fixtures, primary metals, fabricated metal products, electrical and non-electrical machinery, transportation, and precision instrument industries. Hence, the technology developed by this program has the potential for broad diffusion throughout American manufacturing, with ensuing widespread benefits.The MVMT public workshop is intended to be an important step in this technology diffusion effort.

Registration Contact

Melody Harris
MERRA
2901 Hubbard Road, Ste. B106
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105

Telephone: (313) 930-0033
Fax: (313) 930-0145
email: melody@merra.org

Technical Contact

Jack C. Boudreaux
NIST
Bldg. 101, Rm. A231
Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Telephone: (301) 975-3560
Fax: (301) 548-1087
email: jack.boudreaux@nist.gov

ATP General Information

• For general ATP information, or to add your name to the ATP mailing list, contact the ATP Office:
  Telephone: (800) ATP-FUND or (800)287-3863
  Fax: (301) 926-9524
  E-mail: atp@nist.gov.

Location

The workshop will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 610 Hilton Boulevard, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The hotel is 2 minutes north of Ann Arbor Airport, and 25 minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Directions

Commuter Transportation, 1-800-488-7433, offers commercial van service from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to the Crowne Plaza. Blue Cab, (313)213-2222, is available from Ann Arbor Airport to the Crowne Plaza. Call for reservations. If you plan to drive, follow the directions below:

From US-23 North or South: Take I-94 west toward Chicago. Exit at State Street, #177. Turn right on State Street and left at first available left turn.

From I-94 Westbound: Follow above directions.

From I-94 Eastbound: Exit at State Street, #177. Turn left on State and left at first available left turn.

Registration

Regular: $125 - Student: $50

The registration fee includes conference materials, continental breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunches. The enclosed registration form must be received by October 14, 1997, for your name to appear on the preliminary participants' list. All requests for cancellation and refund must be submitted to Melody Harris, in writing, prior to October 14, 1997.

Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1-800-227-6963, with a special room rate of $79, single or double, plus 10% tax. To register for rooms, please send the enclosed hotel reservation form directly to the hotel no later than October 14, 1997. Reservations must be cancelled by 4 p.m. on the arrival date in order to receive a refund.

Coffee Breaks and Lunches

Continental breakfast and coffee will be available and lunches will be provided for attendees each day of the workshop.

Please complete registration form and return by October 14, 1997 to:

MERRA
2901 Hubbard Road, Ste. B106
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105

or

Fax to: Melody Harris
          (313) 930-0145

Workshop Registration

ATP Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology Public Workshop October 28-29, 1997 Workshop Registration Form
last name
first name
title
organization
address
room or mail code
city, state, zip, country
telephone
facsimile
e:mail address
services

Registration Fee: Regular $125 and Student $50

Form of Payment (check or credit card):

• Check enclosed, payable to: MERRA
  Checks from outside the U.S.A. should be written on a U.S.A. bank.
• MasterCard or VISA
  Card No.
  Expiration Date
  Authorized Signature
• Purchase Order No./Training Form: Enclose a copy or provide one on-site at registration; faxed copy unacceptable.

Requests for cancellation and refund must be received in writing by October 14, 1997.

Hotel Reservation

Please complete hotel reservation form and return by October 14, 1997 to:

Crowne Plaza Hotel
610 Hilton Blvd
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108

Telephone: 1-800-344-7829 or 1-800-277-6963 or Fax: (313) 761-1040

ATP Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology Public Workshop October 28-29, 1997 Hotel Reservation Form
Arrival Date:
Departure Date:
last name
first name
title
organization
address
room or mail code
city, state, zip, country
telephone
facsimile
e:mail address
services

Form of Payment (check or credit card):

• Check enclosed, payable to: Crowne Plaza Hotel
  Checks from outside the U.S.A. should be written on a U.S.A. bank.

• Credit Card

  MasterCard or VISA
  Card No.
  Expiration Date
  Authorized Signature

  Date created: August 3, 1997
  Last updated: May 6, 2003