ASME sessions prominent during Manufacturing Week

Emily M. Smith
ASME NEWS

This year's National Manufacturing Week will feature 35 ASME-sponsored sessions during the event, which will take place March 7-10 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

One of those sessions will deal with questions about whether fossil fuels can provide an affordable, secure, zero-emissions energy system. That subject will be addressed by Rita A. Bajura, who is the director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Her presentation is scheduled for March 7 from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

As director, Bajura, an ASME member, oversees the implementation of major science and technology development programs to resolve the environmental, supply and reliability constraints of producing and using fossil resources.

Although fossil fuels will be a major part of the energy mix in the United States, as well as globally for the next 50 years, Bajura's presentation will cover DOE efforts to provide affordable, secure energy options that have a reduced environmental impact. Those efforts include plans for the world's first coal plant to produce electricity and hydrogen with zero carbon emissions, which she will discuss in her presentation.

The future of manufacturing from the industry and government perspectives will be addressed in another session by Michael Molnar, an ASME member who served as an ASME Federal Fellow in the Office of Science and Technology Policy until his term ended last fall.

Now back with employer Cummins Inc., where he is director of the Engine Business Division, quality and capital planning, Molnar will review the macro trends that are reshaping manufacturing. He will also review manufacturing issues that the government has selected to address and detail the initiatives that are underway to deal with those issues.

Molnar will share his view of what manufacturers, particularly small ones, can do not only to remain competitive, but to excel in an increasingly global business environment.

His presentation will take place March 8 from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m.

Registration for the full conference before Feb. 4 is $595. Registration for a workshop is $295; one-day attendance is $195. Admission to a single session costs $75. After Feb. 4, registration will go up $100 except the single session, which will be $20 more. ASME members get a $50 discount on the full-conference registration fee. Non-ASME members who register for the full conference receive a free one-year membership.

For more information and to register, visit www.manufacturingweek.com.

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