Dr. Kakuro Amasaka – Production Engineering – Best Academic Researcher Award

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Dr. Kakuro Amasaka - Production Engineering - Best Academic Researcher Award

Aoyama Gakuin University/Graduate school of Science and Engineering - Japan

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ORCID 

🎓 Early academic pursuits

Dr. Kakuro Amasaka began his academic journey with a bachelor of engineering degree from hachinohe national college of technology, japan, in 1968. later, his passion for precision and quality led him to earn a doctor of engineering degree from hiroshima university in 1997, specializing in precision mechanical and system engineering, statistics, and quality control. his early commitment to scientific rigor and systems thinking laid the foundation for his significant influence on production engineering and power electronics applications.

🏢 Professional endeavors

Dr. Amasaka's illustrious career started at toyota motor corporation in 1968. over nearly three decades, he held diverse roles such as engineer and manager across production engineering, quality assurance, overseas engineering, manufacturing, and total quality management (tqm) promotion divisions. from 1998 to 2000, he served as general manager of the tqm promotion division. in 2000, he transitioned to academia as a professor at aoyama gakuin university's college and graduate school of science and engineering in tokyo, and has been professor emeritus since 2016.

🔬 Contributions and research focus

Dr. Amasaka has contributed significantly to the advancement of modern manufacturing principles. he developed new paradigms such as science sqc (statistical quality control), science tqm, new jit (just-in-time), and the new manufacturing theory, all grounded in deep customer science principles. his research also bridges kansei engineering, numerical simulation, cae, product r&d, and Production Engineering global supply chain management. in his work, innovations in power electronics have been integrated into quality and production system modeling, enhancing precision and efficiency in both theory and practice.

🌍 Impact and influence

His impact extends globally through academic societies and leadership roles. he has been a key figure in organizations like the japanese society for quality control, production and operations management society (poms), and european operations management association (euroma). notably, he served as vice chairman and later president of the japanese operations management Production Engineering and strategy association. his influence in power electronics has informed control systems development and real-time simulation in advanced quality frameworks worldwide.

🏅 Academic citations and honors

Dr. Amasaka’s scholarly output includes numerous influential papers and technical innovations. he has received 72 patents related to production systems and quality control technologies. notable awards include the aichi invention encouragement prize (1991), multiple nikkei quality control literature prizes, statistical quality control prize (1976), and the higashi kuninomiya Production Engineering culture and peace prizes. additionally, he received the albert nelson marquis achievement award (2017) and the best researcher award (2022) from sciencefather, further solidifying his legacy.

🌱 Legacy and future contributions

Dr. Amasaka’s work has created a lasting framework for future engineers and researchers to follow. his integration of systems thinking, quality engineering, and customer-centric design continues to guide modern manufacturing disciplines. the principles he introduced, especially within science tqm and science sqc, remain essential in optimizing not only traditional production systems but also in emerging areas such as sustainable engineering and power electronics-enabled smart manufacturing. as a mentor, researcher, and innovator, he continues to shape the academic and industrial landscapes.

Notable Publications 

  • Title: Revolutionary Automobile Production Systems for Optimal Quality, Efficiency, and Cost
    Author: Kakuro Amasaka
    Journal/Publisher: Book published by IGI Global

  • Title: Examining a New Automobile Global Manufacturing System
    Author: Kakuro Amasaka
    Journal/Publisher: Book published by IGI Global

Dr. HEEJIN SHIM – Manufacturing – Best Researcher Award

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Dr. HEEJIN SHIM - Manufacturing - Best Researcher Award

Korea Institute of Fusion Energy - South Korea

Author Profile

SCOPUS

ORCID

🎓 Early academic pursuits

Hee Jin Shim began her academic journey in mechanical engineering at hanyang university, republic of korea, where she earned her m.s. degree (2003–2005) and ph.d. degree (2005–2010). her graduate research emphasized fatigue, fracture, and reliability, focusing on mechanical system durability. her doctoral thesis, “a study on the durability evaluation with strain-hardening characteristics for cold forged pulley,” showcased advanced understanding in continuum mechanics, vibration fatigue, mechanical testing, and ut inspection, laying a solid foundation for high-level engineering applications, including power electronics systems where structural integrity is paramount.

💼 Professional endeavors

Shim’s career reflects a consistent evolution in the field of nuclear engineering and tokamak technology. from july 2010 to april 2014, she served as a senior researcher at kepco e&c co., inc., contributing to the continued operation and safety of phwr and candu plants, including fatigue assessments and system design for the apr+. since may 2014, she has been a pivotal member of the korea institute of fusion energy (kfe), advancing from the Manufacturing blanket technology team to the diagnostics & codac technology team. her current role as principal researcher within the tokamak engineering department highlights her leadership in fusion device components and system integration.

🔬 Contributions and research focus

Shim’s core research focuses on mechanical integrity assessment, particularly in fusion energy and nuclear systems. she has contributed significantly to manufacturing assessments, non-destructive evaluations (nde), and ultrasonic testing (ut) procedures for high-precision components such as shield blocks and diagnostic shield modules (dsm). her work ensures the reliability and safety of fusion devices, involving complex cad modeling (catia/enovia) and Manufacturing qualification of pic components. shim's cross-disciplinary expertise bridges material science, mechanical testing, and power electronics, particularly in harsh environments where component reliability is essential.

🌐 Impact and influence

Shim’s influence is most evident in her contributions to international fusion collaborations, especially in the iter project. her leadership in the development, supervision, and qualification of blanket shield blocks and dsm prototypes has helped standardize best practices for manufacturing and inspection in fusion engineering. shim’s efforts in integrating structural design with Manufacturing advanced ut procedures and environmental fatigue assessments have enhanced operational safety in both nuclear power plants and fusion reactors—key sectors increasingly integrated with power electronics for system control and diagnostics.

📚 Academic cites

While her research is deeply embedded in practical engineering applications, shim’s academic contributions are equally notable. her work on strain-hardening characteristics, fatigue monitoring systems, and non-destructive evaluation procedures continues to be cited in both academic and industrial literature. her collaboration in long-term government and energy projects has also led to technical documentation used in Manufacturing regulatory and development frameworks for next-generation reactors and tokamak systems.

🌟 Legacy and future contributions

Shim’s legacy is built on combining mechanical engineering precision with nuclear fusion innovation. as fusion energy moves toward commercialization, her ongoing work in codac technologies, system integration, and component durability will remain essential. her future pursuits likely include the refinement of inspection standards, the integration of smart diagnostics, and the development of components resilient to high-stress operational cycles—especially where power electronics and mechanical systems must seamlessly interact for safe energy conversion.

Notable Publications

  • Title: Manufacturing Assessment of the Simplified Full-Scale Prototype of Diagnostics Shield Module (DSM) for Application of ITER Upper Port 18
    Author(s): [Author information not provided in the available data]
    Journal: Fusion Engineering and Design, August 2025

  • Title: Corrigendum to “Shut-down dose rate analysis for final design of shielding tent in port interspace of ITER UP#18”
    Author(s): [Author information not provided in the available data]
    Journal: Fusion Engineering and Design, 2024

  • Title: Optimization of Processing Parameters in Deep Penetration Electron Beam Welding of Stainless Steel 316L for ITER Diagnostic Shield Module Application
    Author(s): [Author information not provided in the available data]
    Journal: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 2024

  • Title: The Diagnostic Rack Design and the Functional Demonstration of the Locking Mechanism for ITER Diagnostic Lower Port Integrations
    Author(s): [Author information not provided in the available data]
    Journal: Fusion Engineering and Design, 2024

  • Title: A Comparison Study on the Derivation of In-Structure FRS During Seismic Events for Application of ITER Upper Port 18
    Author(s): [Author information not provided in the available data]
    Journal: Fusion Engineering and Design, 2023

Mr. Xiaopeng wang  – Intelligent Manufacturing – Best  Researcher Award 

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Mr. Xiaopeng wang  - Intelligent Manufacturing - Best  Researcher Award 

Hebei University of Science and Technology - China 

Author Profile

ORCID 

GOOGLE SCHOLAR 

🌟 Early academic pursuits

Xiaopeng wang embarked on his academic journey with a keen interest in welding engineering and materials science. he pursued his doctoral studies with a focus on innovative detection methods for welding defects, demonstrating a strong foundation in interdisciplinary research. his early academic work laid the groundwork for integrating deep learning algorithms with traditional welding technologies, showcasing his commitment to advancing this niche field.

🧑‍🏫 Professional endeavors

As an assistant professor at hebei university of science and technology, xiaopeng wang has contributed significantly to academia and industry. his professional career is marked by his expertise as an international welding engineer and his dedication to fostering innovation in welding defect detection. his collaborations with industry and academia reflect his role as a bridge between theoretical advancements and practical applications.

🔬 Contributions and research focus

Xiaopeng wang’s research explores the integration of deep learning with welding defect detection. his groundbreaking investigations on channel and spatial attention mechanisms have enhanced understanding of feature information entropy and improved model accuracy. his work demonstrates how attention mechanisms can amplify the focus on welding defect features, Intelligent Manufacturing leading to more precise detection and clustering of defects.

🏆 Accolades and recognition

Xiaopeng wang's contributions have earned him a respected reputation in his field. his research has been published in prestigious journals such as expert systems with applications and ndt&e international. with over 10 academic papers to his credit and a citation index of 40 on google scholar, Intelligent Manufacturing his work has gained significant acknowledgment from the scientific community.

🌍 Impact and influence

By advancing intelligent detection methods for welding defects, xiaopeng wang’s research has broad implications for both academic research and industrial applications. his insights into deep Intelligent Manufacturing learning and attention mechanisms have set new benchmarks in the field, improving defect detection processes and enhancing the efficiency and reliability of welding operations worldwide.

📚 Legacy and future contributions

Xiaopeng wang continues to push the boundaries of research, focusing on novel applications of deep learning in welding and materials science. his ongoing projects, supported by grants like the national natural science foundation of china (u2141216), reflect his dedication to pioneering advancements in his field. he aspires to mentor future researchers and foster global collaborations to expand the scope of intelligent welding technologies.

Notable Publications 

  • Title: Zoom in on the target network for the prediction of defective images and welding defects' location
    Author(s): Xiaopeng Wang, Baoxin Zhang, Xinghua Yu
    Journal: NDT & E International
  • Title: Image Analysis of the Automatic Welding Defects Detection Based on Deep Learning
    Author(s): Xiaopeng Wang, Baoxin Zhang, Jinhan Cui, Juntao Wu, Yan Li, Jinhang Li, Yunhua Tan, Xiaoming Chen, Wenliang Wu, Xinghua Yu
    Journal: Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation
  • Title: Understanding the effect of transfer learning on the automatic welding defect detection
    Author(s): Xiaopeng Wang, Xinghua Yu
    Journal: NDT & E International
  • Title: Binary classification of welding defect based on deep learning
    Author(s): Xiaopeng Wang, Xu Wang, Baoxin Zhang, Jinhan Cui, Xinpeng Lu, Chuan Ren, Weijia Cai, Xinghua Yu
    Journal: Science and Technology of Welding and Joining
  • Title: X-ray stress measurement process of aluminum alloy by analysis of the full width at half maxima
    Author(s): Xiaoyan Li
    Journal: (Not specified, please verify)