Scott Smith

Bio

Dr. Scott Smith leads the Precision Manufacturing and Machining Section of the Manufacturing Science Division at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is an internationally recognized manufacturing leader. He has a 30+ year record of research and development, technical innovation, and creation of R&D teams and programs in manufacturing at the University of Florida, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, at the US Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO), and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has been instrumental in founding ORNL’s multi-million-dollar, multi-year machine tool research program that is finding solutions to the nation’s supply chain issues for defense and energy systems.

In 2023, Dr. Smith was named an ORNL Corporate Fellow – the highest recognition ORNL bestows upon members of the lab’s research staff, for his fundamental and translational research including development of leading systems, processes, sensors, and controls. He is one of 18 US Fellows of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP), a Fellow of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He has served as chair of the Manufacturing Engineering Division of ASME and as president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute of SME. Dr. Smith has authored more than 100 technical papers, has co-authored two textbooks on machine dynamics and mechanical vibration, and holds 14 patents. 

Prior to joining ORNL, Dr. Smith was Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. From 2012-2013, he served as the Assistant Director for Technology at the AMNPO. He earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida where his research focused on the dynamics of machine tools, vibrations, and machine design. He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University. 
 

Professional Experience

• 2022 – Present Section Head for Precision Manufacturing and Machining, Oak Ridge National Laboratory:
Responsible for overseeing the Intelligent Machine Tool Group, the Manufacturing Automation and Controls Group, the Manufacturing Systems Design Group, and the Robotics and Intelligent Systems Group.

• 2019 – 2023 Group Leader for Machining and Machine Tool Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory:
Responsible for coordinating, integrating, and transitioning all machining and machine tool design, sensing and control R&D at all scales at ORNL. Responsible for machine tool collaboration leveraging the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility and industrial partners throughout the supply chain. Responsible to contribute significantly to strategic planning, program development, IP management, and scientific publications. Responsible to build and grow the Machining and Machine Tool Research Group, and to build a strong portfolio of people, projects, and equipment.
Notable achievements:
- Creation of a shop floor friendly measurement system for measuring machine tool performance capabilities. The technology is commercially available under the trade name MillMax. More than 100 industrial metalworking specialists have been trained to make the measurement. On average, every time the measurement is made on a particular tool, the metal removal rate is improved by a factor of 4.7. As of August 2023, the technology has generated more than $19M in recurring annual cost savings and more than 200,000 hours of recurring cycle time savings for US manufacturers.
- Creation of a technology for a small machine tool that can manufacture a large-scale part (like an aerospace wing rib). The prototype machine tool was exhibited at the 2022 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS).

• 2009-2019 Professor and Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte:
Responsible for leadership of a department with 50 faculty, 1053 undergraduate students, 168 graduate students, and more than $2.5M in externally funded research.
Notable achievements:                                                                                                                                                   - The department grew approximately 7% per year during this time.
- Built one of the strongest university manufacturing faculties in the world including 6 Fellows of CIRP. Design and build philosophy was woven throughout the undergraduate curriculum. 

- Built an initially small summer program into a full semester (>1800 student credit hours in 2017). 
- Built a strong department sponsored Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. 
- Created undergraduate concentrations in Motorsports, in Energy, in Biomedical, and in Precision

• 2012-2013 Assistant Director for Technology, US Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office:
Notable achievements: 
- Part of the team that wrote the “National Network for Manufacturing Innovation: A Preliminary Design” document. This work built on input from more than 900 individual stakeholders to lay out the plan for a US network of manufacturing
innovation institutes. 
- Led the interagency team that developed the “Draft Institute Performance Metrics for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation." Led workshop discussion in 3 different “Designing for Impact” workshops to solicit public input on the network design, and reported the results in a “Blueprint for Action” workshop. 
- Redesigned the manufacturing.gov website.

• 1997 – 2009 Professor and then Deputy Director of the Center for Precision Metrology at UNC Charlotte
Notable achievements:
- Creation of a chip-breaking technology using machine tool axis motions. This technology is critical to glove box machining at the Y-12 National Security Complex, and is commercially available from machine tool builder Citizen Marubi, and machine tool controller manufacturer Fanuc.
- Creation of a system for improving the precision of existing machine tools, Fiducial Manufacturing. Fiducial manufacturing is used to rapidly correct machine tool thermal errors, and it is particularly useful for machining of large-scale components.

• 1987-1992 Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida
Notable achievements:
- Creation of the technology for manufacturing thin aerospace components as monolithic machined pieces rather than sheet metal assemblies. Boeing estimated that this technology saved billions of dollars in the F/A-18 E/F program alone. The technology is now widely used in commercial aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics fields.
- Creation of a technology to automatically detect machine tool chatter, and to change the spindle speed to make this unwanted vibration stop. The technology is commercially available today under the trade names Harmonizer (Manufacturing Laboratories, Inc.), Machining NAVI (Okuma), Accord-Mill (ELPS), Autonomic Spindle (Makino).
 

Awards

• ORNL Corporate Fellow, "for his fundamental and translational research including development of leading systems, processes, sensors and controls"

• ASME/SME M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal, for “providing fundamental and
translational research contributions that have improved the production of highly engineered
components in the automotive and aerospace sectors”
• ASME William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award, for “innovations in the field of
machining dynamics that have been commercially implemented, leading to significant
improvements in machine tool performance and enabling the creation of thin monolithic
machined structures in a variety of industries”
• ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award, for “the best current original paper clearly
demonstrating … a significant contribution to the manufacturing processes and systems for the
design or application of machine tools, gauges, dimensional measuring instruments, or new
manufacturing technologies and metrology approaches”
• NAMRI/SME S.M. Wu Research Implementation Award, for “outstanding original research
that, upon implementation, had a significant commercial and/or societal impact
• SME Education Award
• AMT Charles F. Carter Advancing Manufacturing Award
• American Helicopter Society Pinckney Award, for “a notable achievement in manufacturing
research and development for vertical flight aircraft or components brought to fruition in the
preceding year”,
• Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Impact Award, for “securing domestic
production of N95 masks during coronavirus pandemic”,
• 2 R&D 100 Awards:
     - 2010 - Breaking through the bird's nest -  "Modulated Tool-Path (MTP) Chip Breaking System"
     - 2021 - Improving milling performance - "MSC MillMax"
• University of Florida MAE Outstanding Alumnus Award
• NAMRI/SME Lifetime Service Award

Education

PhD 1987 University of Florida, Mechanical Engineering 
MS 1985 University of Florida, Mechanical Engineering
BS 1983 Tennessee Technological University, Mechanical Engineering
 

Professional Service

International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP)
- Member of the Council (2019 – 2023)
- Member of the Nominations Committee (2019 – present)
- Chair of the US Fellows Group (2019 – 2023)
- Chair of the Editorial Committee (2015 – 2018)
- Vice Chair of the Editorial Committee (2013 -2015)
- Member of the Editorial Committee (2010-2012)
- Chair of the Scientific and Technical Committee on Machines (STC M) (2009-2011)
- Vice-Chair of STC M (2006-2008)
- Secretary of STC M (2003-2005)
- Chair of the Working Group on Tool-Machine Connection (2001-2004)

Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
- Chair of the M. Eugene Merchant Medal Award Committee (2023 – present)
- Member of the M. Eugene Merchant Medal Award Committee (2021 – 2023)
- Chair of the International Awards and Recognition Committee (IARC) (2013 – 2019)
- President of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute (NAMRI) (2008-2009)
- NAMRI Vice-President (2007-2008)
- NAMRI Secretary (2006-2007)
- Chair of the NAMRI Scientific Committee (2005-2006)
- Organizer of the 2004 NAMRI Conference at UNC-Charlotte
- NAMRI Board of Directors (2002-2004)

ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
- Chair of the M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal Committee (2023 – present)
- Milton C. Shaw Manufacturing Medal Committee (2013-2016)
- Member at Large for the Manufacturing Technology Group to the Committee on Divisions
      Operation and Training (2011-2014)
- Blackall Tool and Gage Award Committee (2010-2013 and 2020 - present)
- William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award Committee (2010-2013)
- Manufacturing Engineering Division (MED) Advisory Committee (2008-2009)
- MED Past Chair (2005-2006)
- MED Chair (2004-2005)
- MED Vice Chair (2003-2004)
- MED Executive Committee Member and Student Design Competition Chair (2002-2003)
- MED Secretary (2001-2002)
- MED Executive Committee Member (2000-2001)
- Membership Development Committee (2000-2001)
- Associate Technical Editor ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry (1994-1995)
- Gator Section Chair (1990-1992)
- Tennessee Tech Student Section Chairman (1983-1984)
 

Professional Affiliations

• Fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP)

• Fellow of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

•  Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Trademarks and Patents

1. Stability boundary and optimal stable parameter identification in machining (Pending
US20220161381A1)
2. Manufacturing Methods and Systems Using Sacrificial Structure Preforms (U.S. Patent
#9,375,818)
3. Deformation Machining Systems and Methods (U.S. Patent # 8,545,142)
4. Method and Apparatus for Characterizing and Enhancing the Functional Performance of
Machine Tools (U.S. Patent # 8,432,119)
5. Dynamic Metrology Methods and Systems (U.S. Patent # 8,401,691)
6. Manufacture of Large Parts on Small Machines (U.S. Patent # 8,313,271)
7. Methods and Systems for Chip Breaking in Turning Applications using CNC
Tool Paths (U.S. Patent # 8,240,234)
8. Methods and Systems for Creating Assemblies (U.S. Patent # 8,230,572)
9. Methods for Creating Assemblies and Disassembling (U.S. Patent # 7,770,278)
10. Variable Tuned Holder for Machine Tools (U.S. Patent # 7,730,813)
11. Damping Products and Processes (U.S. Patent # 7,427,179)
12. Method and System for Optimizing Manufacture of Parts (U.S. Patent # 7,177,713)
13. Variable Tuned Holder for Machine Tools (International Patent # WO2006010093A1)
14. Explosive Excitation Device and Method (U.S. Patent # 6,655,189)

Publications