Former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski visited the ERC/RMS

Aleksander Kwasniewski's Visit to the ERC/RMS
Mr. Kwasniewski examines the ERC inspection method that detects defects in engine blocks.

The former President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, who led Poland from 1995 to 2005, visited the ERC/RMS on October 27, 2006. Mr. Kwasniewski’s interest was learning how manufacturing technology and manpower skills should adapt to globalization. He heard about the ERC/RM’s remarkable research in advanced manufacturing and wanted to see it first hand.

A system for automatic identification of tiny defects (e.g., pores of 0.5 mm) on engine blocks was demonstrated for him on the ERC Reconfigurable Inspection Machine (RIM). The RIM technology was implemented recently on a General Motors production line in Flint, Michigan. Mr. Kwasniewski and the ERC/RMS director Yoram Koren had a vivid discussion on the necessary skills of factory workers who will be using and maintaining advanced manufacturing technologies, such as the RIM.

Mr. Kwasniewski’s interest was intrigued when he saw students from Pakistan and India working in cooperation on the Reconfigurable Factory Testbed. “People in conflict who are working jointly to solve technology challenges start to appreciate each other,” he said, ““and it is a great technique to create peace.”