We participated in the 39th ASPE Annual Meeting with a presentation titled

“Hybrid Model for Predictive Maintenance of Z-axis Belt Tension Wear in Wafer Transfer Robots.”

[Korea–U.S. Researcher Technology Exchange and Networking]

We promoted and presented the Lightweight Materials Processing System Research Infrastructure Project to domestic and international experts attending the conference, explained overseas research activities in lightweight materials processing, and gathered their feedback on research engagement. We outlined the types and specifications of equipment already installed or planned, solicited opinions on potential applications, and—drawing on case studies from abroad—received operational feedback for the Research Infrastructure Center to be established at Tech University of Korea.

 [Texas A&M University (TAMU) Lab Tour]

We toured several mechanical engineering research laboratories at Texas A&M University, located near the conference venue. We observed work on quality evaluation of lightweight-material machined parts using optical methods to detect defects and to measure tool wear during processing. In particular, we were impressed by their novel approach for in-process tool-wear measurement—unlike traditional offline inspections, this method allows real-time monitoring of tool degradation as machining proceeds.