Professor Yusuf Altintas Received “Officer of the Order of Canada” Medal
On April 17, 2024 with the following announcement from Governor General of Canada:
“A professor of mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Yusuf Altintas continues to push the limits of manufacturing. The founder and director of UBC’s Manufacturing Automation Laboratory, he is a world leader in the fields of metal cutting dynamics and the computer control of machine tools. An exceptional mentor, he has also contributed to cultural and educational organizations worldwide.”
UBC announcement: https://mech.ubc.ca/2024/07/02/professor-yusuf-altintas-appointed-to-order-of-canada/
Prof. Altintas Elected Member of National Academy of Engineering
Professor Altintas received Fellow Certificate from Prof. Jan Woreer, the President of ACATECH on October 18, 2022. Source: acatech/David Ausserhofer
Prof. Altintas received the Fellow status of NAE (National Academy of Engineering – USA) from President Prof. John L. Anderson on October 2, 2022, in Washington DC.
Professor Yusuf Altintas has recently been elected a Member of two prestigious engineering organizations, the US’ National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and German National Academy of Science and Engineering, ACATECH.
Dr. Altintas’ membership in the NAE recognizes his leadership in the field of “metal-cutting mechanics and machine tool systems research and industry applications.” The NAE is part of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It has 2698 members of which Dr. Altintas joins as one of the 22 international members elected this year. NAE has a total of 310 international members to be recognized with this prestigious honor.
Membership in the NAE recognizes the contributions of outstanding engineers who have impacted their field through:
…engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature,…the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.
The German academy, ACATECH brings together expertise from various science and engineering fields. With about 600 members, Dr. Altintas appears to be the first member of ACATECH from Canada.
At UBC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Altintas is the NSERC–P&WC-Sandvik Coromant Industrial Research Chair, where he conducts research on the development of the digital models of machining physics integrated with the machine tool’s structural dynamics and computer controller. His publications received about 34,500 citations with an h index (a rating of a scholar’s impact) of 96 on Google Scholar, and his digital manufacturing technology is used by more than 300 companies in the aerospace, machine tool, and machining industry globally. He is also the founding coordinator of the Department’s highly-sought after undergraduate Mechatronics Option.
Prof. Altintas Received “Distinguished University Scholar” for the period of 2022-2027
The Distinguished University Scholar program recognizes members of UBC Faculty who have distinguished themselves as exceptional scholars. The award is conferred by the President on the recommendation of an adjudication panel.
Professor Altintas had received a “Distinguished University Scholar” from the University of British Columbia for the period of 2017-2022. He has been renamed as the Distinguished University Scholar for a second five-year term at The University of British Columbia (2022-2027). The title is permanent but the appointment periods provide research grant support.
Prof. Altintas was elected as member of the European Academy of Engineering in 2021
Announcement: https://eae.edu.eu/members/IndustrialandManufacturingEngineering/YUSUF%20ALTINTAS.html#:~:text=AboutClasses
Prof. Altintas Received William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award in November 2016.
The William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award is presented to an individual or team of individuals for developing or contributing significantly to innovative manufacturing technology, the implementation of which has resulted in substantial economic and/or societal benefits.
The award was established by the Production Engineering Division (now the Manufacturing Engineering Division) in conjunction with the Alcoa Company in 1990 (https://www.asme.org/about-asme/honors-awards/achievement-awards/william-t-ennor-manufacturing-technology-award, retrieved on Jan. 3rd, 2017).
The award is given in every year, and the past awardees are:
| 1991: | Kuo K. Wang | 2004: | Stephen Malkin |
| 1992: | Bei Tse Chao | 2006: | Jyotirmoy Mazumder |
| 1992: | Kenneth J. Trigger | 2008: | Chunghorng R. Liu |
| 1993: | Nam P. Suh | 2009: | Jun Ni |
| 1995: | C. Kumar N. Patel | 2010: | David A. Dornfeld |
| 1996: | Charles W. Hull | 2011: | S.V. Sreenivasan |
| 1997: | J. “George” Tlusty | 2012: | S. Jack Hu |
| 1998: | Taylan Altan | 2013: | John W. Sutherland |
| 1999: | Yoram Koren | 2014: | Placid M. Ferreira |
| 2000: | Inyong Ham | 2015: | Elijah Kannatey-Asibu Jr. |
| 2001: | Robert J. Hocken | 2016: | Yusuf Altintas |
| 1996: | Charles W. Hull | ||
| 2002: | Ranga Komanduri | ||
| 2003: | Richard E. DeVor | ||
| Shiv G. Kapoor |
Prof. Yusuf Altintas received Georg Schlesinger Production Engineering award in Berlin on February 25, 2016.
Prof. Guenther Pritschow, a CNC expert and good friend of Prof. Altintas for twenty five years, was the co-recipient of the award.
Prof. Georg-Schlesinger was the leader of The Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) at the TU Berlin in 1920s. Schlesinger established the first scientific principles of machine tool metrology. Berlin Senate created Georg Schlesinger Award to commemorate the 75th anniversary of IWF in 1979. The award is given in every three years, and the past awardees are:
1980: Eugene Merchant
1983 Gotthold Pahlitzsch
1986: Jacques Peters
1988 Janez Peklenik
1991: Toshio Sata
1994: Kurt Lange
1997: Hideaki Kudo and Milton C. Shaw
2000: Günter Spur
2003: Manfred Weck and Hans Kurt Toenshoff
2006: Patrick A. McKeown
2009: Hendrik Van Brussel
2012: Joachim Milberg
2015: Yusuf Altintas and Günter Pritschow
PROF. Y. ALTINTAS RECEIVED THE HIGHEST SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ACADEMIC AWARD FROM TUBITAK ON DECEMBER 03, 2013.
Prof. Y. Altintas received the highest science and engineering academic award from TUBITAK (THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF TURKEYhttp://www.tubitak.gov.tr/tr/kurumsal/oduller/icerik-2013-yilinda-odul-alanlar) for his internationally recognized academic contributions to the field of metal cutting, machine tool vibrations and machine tool control. He received the medal from President of Turkey, and donated 50,000 TL (~$25,000) cash award to needy university students from his home town.
PROF. ALTINTAS RECEIVED DOCTOR HONORIS CAUSA DEGREE FROM BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS ON MAY 25, 2013.
(http://www.bme.hu/node/818?language=en). Ambassadors of Canada (Tamara Guttman) and Turkey (Hasan Kemal Gur) kindly attended the ceremony. 
MAL PAPER RECEIVED THE ASME BLACKALL MACHINE TOOL AND GAGE AWARD
MAL PAPER TITLED “DISCRETE-TIME PREDICTION OF CHATTER STABILITY, CUTTING FORCES, AND SURFACE LOCATION ERRORS IN FLEXIBLE MILLING SYSTEMS” BY C. EKSIOGLU, ZM KILIC, Y ALTINTAS – JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, VOL. 134, PP. 061006, 2012 RECEIVED ASME BLACKALL MACHINE TOOL AND GAGE AWARD (JUNE 10-14, 2013 ASME MSEC CONFERENCE, WISCONSIN, MADISON).
UBC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR YUSUF ALTINTAS AND INDUSTRY PARTNER PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA (P&WC) HAVE WON A SYNERGY
In an industry as competitive as aircraft manufacturing—where the business context is challenging and precision is a must—Pratt & Whitney Canada deeply values its longstanding research partnership with The University of British Columbia’s Yusuf Altintas, winner of an NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation.
The professor of mechanical engineering has worked with the company over the past several decades to develop mathematical models that simulate parts machining, which remove much of the financial risk and minimizes the environmental impact of physical development trials and subsequent part production.
In the past, Pratt & Whitney Canada, like other companies, was challenged by several process limitations, including vibrations that could damage both the cutting tool and the part under development. For example, an impeller is a rotor that regulates pressure and flow of a fluid. It’s a critical performance part in the heart of an aircraft engine. Machining an impeller is a challenging process involving expensive materials and costly manufacturing equipment—with no margin for error. If the machining process fails, you risk scrapping the entire part.
In 1986, the company approached Dr. Altintas, a former employee, to help provide more certainty in the machining of parts. He proposed a modest research investment that could improve process robustness and realize 10-15 percent savings. However, by 1992, exceeding all expectations, Dr. Altintas’ research had achieved up to 85 percent cost savings on some parts.
Today, Dr. Altintas’s laboratory is among the best-equipped in North America, producing a steady stream of highly qualified graduates and innovative ideas for Pratt & Whitney Canada and other companies.
PROFESSOR YUSUF ALTINTAS HAS BEEN AWARDED SME ALBERT M. SARGENT PROGRESS AWARD
Yusuf Altintas, PhD, FSME
Professor
Manufacturing Automation Laboratory
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Yusuf Altintas is recognized with the SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award for his leadership in research, education and industrial practice in the analysis and prevention of machine tool vibrations, by developing a fundamental understanding of chatter stability and machine tool design. Altintas obtained his bachelor’s from Istanbul Technical University (1975), and his master’s (1980) and PhD (1987) in Canada. He joined the University of British Columbia and founded the Manufacturing Automation Laboratory in 1986. Altintas spent four years in industry as a machine tool and manufacturing engineer. He currently conducts research on metal cutting, machine tool vibrations, control and virtual machining. Altintas has published more than 120 archival journal articles with more than 4,000 citations, and a widely used textbook. He is a fellow of SME, ASME, CIRP, Pratt & Whitney Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Tokyo University and the Royal Society of Canada. Altintas received Pratt & Whitney Canada’s University Partnership, APEG BC’s Meritorious Achievement, R.H. Machlaclan, UBC Killiam Teaching Prize of Engineering awards and the 2011 Gold Medal of Engineers Canada. He holds an honorary doctorate degree from Stuttgart University. Altintas currently directs NSERC CANRIMT Machining Research Network across Canada. He holds the NSERC – P&WC Industrial Research chair professorship to develop next-generation virtual high-performance machining technology.
PROFESSOR YUSUF ALTINTAS AWARDED KILLAM TEACHING PRIZE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Professor Yusuf Altintas has been awarded a Killam Teaching Prize in recognition of his outstanding teaching. Not only does Professor Altintas consistently earn accolades from students for his classroom performance, he has also been very active in curriculum development. Shortly after he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC, Dr. Altintas developed the CAA (Computer-aided Automation) Option which evolved into the prize-winning EMEC (Electro-Mechanical Engineering Co-op) program, a combined B.A.Sc./M.Eng. program. More recently, at the time that “Doubling the Opportunity” was implemented, the EMEC program was expanded and broadened with the assistance of Drs. Croft, Rohling and Lu at UBC, and has become the Mechatronics Option.
For more information: http://blogs.apsc.ubc.ca/engineeringnews/2011/05/31/three-applied-science-educators-receive-ubc%E2%80%99s-highest-teaching-honour/
PROFESSOR YUSUF ALTINTAS RECEIVES ENGINEERS CANADA’S HIGHEST AWARD
Professor Yusuf Altintas has received the Gold Medal Award from Engineers Canada—the highest recognition of its kind in engineering in Canada—bestowed for his exceptional individual achievement and distinction in the field of machining and machine tools.
For more information: http://blogs.apsc.ubc.ca/engineeringnews/2011/05/30/ubc-mechanical-engineer-receives-engineers-canada%E2%80%99s-highest-award/
UBC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR YUSUF ALTINTAS WAS INDUCTED FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA
November 27, 2010
Election to the RSC is the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the arts, humanities and sciences in Canada.
Altintas holds an NSERC-Pratt & Whitney Canada Industrial Research Chair in Virtual High-performance Machining and is the leading scientific authority in machining and machine tool control engineering worldwide. In addition to having highest citation record in his field, his algorithms are used by over 130 companies worldwide in improving the quality and productivity of machining operations.
About the Royal Society of Canada
Founded in 1882, the RSC is Canada’s senior and most prestigious scholarly organization. The society has three primary functions: to recognize outstanding contributions to Canadian intellectual culture; to promote Canadian culture abroad; and to advise governments and organizations.
For more information: www.rsc-src.ca
Mechanical Engineering professor Yusuf Altintas has received APEGBC‘s highest honour-the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award-for his outstanding professional and community service.
October 2010
Award Citation: Dr. Yusuf Altintas is recognized internationally as a leading engineering researcher in the field of machining and machine tools. Over the past two decades he has made innovative scientific contributions in modeling the mechanics, dynamics, stability and control of machining operations. He has contributed significantly to industry literature—particularly his theory of kinematics and chatter vibration stability in milling. He has authored a popular book and published 120 journal articles. An exemplary engineer and leader, Dr. Altintas is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, International Academy for Production Engineering Research, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and Pratt & Whitney Canada. He is the founder and president of MAL Manufacturing Automation Laboratories, which distributes practical applications of his state-of-the-art research to more than 130 companies and universities worldwide. Inspiring the next generation of engineers, Dr. Altintas is an accomplished professor of mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He pioneered and led the mechatronics engineering option at UBC. He has been an invaluable presence in his community as a tireless advocate for the Turkish Canadian Society. His passion for machining technology, and dedication to research and education make him an outstanding candidate for APEGBC’s highest honour for a professional engineer, the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award.
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
February 24, 2010
Prof. Yusuf Altintas has been elected as a Fellow of the University of Tokyo for his academic contributions in metal cutting mechanics, machine tool vibrations, and control. The graduate students and postdoctoral fellows under Dr. Altintas’ supervision will be able to spend research periods at the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering.
NSERC CANADIAN NETWORK FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN MACHINING TECHNOLOGY (CANRIMT)
Led by Yusuf Altintas, mechanical engineering professor and NSERC-P&WC Industrial Research Chair Professor in Virtual Machining, CANRIMT aims to develop the world’s most advanced Virtual Machining Technology and a five-axis mezzo milling machine. The technology will enable the design and manufacturing of products without first resorting to costly physical trials and will benefit the Canadian aerospace, automotive, power generation, mould-making and automation systems industries.
The CANRIMT team will receive $5 million from NSERC and $400,000 from industry over five years. The network includes 20 researchers from seven universities in B.C., Alberta, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Approximately 100 engineers are expected to be trained through the network.
PROFESSOR ALTINTAS AWARDED HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGART (2009)
Professor Altintas was one of three recipients of an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Stuttgart in 2009 for his outstanding academic contributions in metal cutting, machine tool vibrations, and machine tool control. In addition to having the highest citation record in his field, Professor Altintas’ complex scientific models are licensed by the industry world-wide in the form of CUTPRO© simulation software registered to UBC. He received the honourary doctorate degree from Rector Prof. Dr. Ing. Wolfram Ressel at Stuttgart University on November 13, 2009 at 4:00 pm during a dedicated ceremony. The academic introduction was made by Emeritus Prof. Dr. Ing. Guenther Pritschow, former head of the Control Technology Laboratory at Stuttgart University.
UBC VIRTUAL MACHINING SYSTEM WAS SELECTED AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AT IMTS 2006
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR RECOGNIZED FOR INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
From left: Walter Di Bartolomeo, Yusuf Altintas and Hany Moustapha, senior manager of Pratt & Whitney Canada Technology Programs (photographer: Jean-Claude Belanger).
Pratt and Whitney Canada (P&WC) has recognized Mechanical Engineering professor, Yusuf Altintas, as one of six P&WC Research Fellows across Canada for his academic excellence and outstanding contributions to P&WC’s technology programs in the field of manufacturing.
“Dr. Altintas is playing a vital role in advancing the position of Canada’s aerospace industry through his valuable work in developing new technologies in high-speed manufacturing,” said Walter Di Bartolomeo, Vice President, Engineering at P&WC. “We are proud to recognize his contributions and look forward to continue working with him in breaking new ground in aerospace technologies.”
The award was presented to Altintas during a special ceremony at the Annual General Meeting of the Aerospace Industry Association of Canada in Ottawa on September 17, 2008. View the original PW&C media release.
Earlier in the month, Altintas was also honoured when PW&C chose to renew his NSERC/Pratt & Whitney Chair in Virtual High Performance Machining for an additional five years. Dr. Steve Feng, a UBC Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor, was appointed Associate Chair. Learn more about this Industrial Research Chair.
About Pratt & Whitney Canada
Based in Longueuil, Quebec, PW&C is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines powering business, general aviation and regional aircraft, and helicopters. The company also offers auxiliary power units and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., USA, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
PROFESSOR ALTINTAS ELECTED AS FELLOW OF CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
(JUNE 2007)
UBC professors Yusuf Altintas (Mechanical Engineering), David Dreisinger (Materials Engineering), Alan Russell (Civil Engineering), and David Wilkinson (Chemical and Biological Engineering) have been inducted as Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) in recognition of their distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession. The ceremony took place in Toronto, in conjunction with the Academy’s 2007 Annual General Meeting on June 1st.
Yusuf Altintas is internationally recognized as a leading engineering researcher in the field of machining. He has contributed significantly to the literature, particularly his theory of kinematics and chatter vibration stability in milling. He has also published the book “Manufacturing Automation: Principles of Metal Cutting, Machine Tool Vibrations and CNC Design”, Cambridge University Press 2000. He holds the prestigious NSERC/Pratt & Whitney Industrial Research Chair in Virtual High-Performance Machining. He is a Fellow of ASME, SME and CIRP, and he is the Founder and President of MAL Manufacturing Automation Laboratories Inc., the UBC spin-off company that markets and distributes practical applications of his state-of-the-art research to more than 90 companies world-wide.
For more information: http://www.acad-eng-gen.ca/
SME MEDAL (2005)
Profesor Altintas received the Fellow Medal from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) on November 6, 2005 in Dearborn from the President of SME.
CIRP TAYLOR MEDAL OF 2003
Dr. Erhan Budak, who received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia’s Manufacturing Automation Laboratory, received the CIRP Taylor Medal of 2003 for his research on chatter vibrations. Dr. Budak studied static and dynamics of milling thin webs under the supervision of Professor Altintas (1989-1994). Dr. Budak contributed a novel chatter vibration stability theory in milling during his Ph.D. Dr. Budak applied the chatter vibration stability theory to a five-axis milling of jet engine compressors when he worked at our main industrial collaborator, Pratt & Whitney Canada, between 1994 and 2000. He is currently an assistant professor at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey. Taylor medal is given to one academic per year after extensive peer review and election by active members of CIRP.
THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA’S 2002 MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (2002)
The NSERC – Pratt & Whitney Industrial Research Chair In Virtual High-Performance Machining at The University of British Columbia
Funding (over 5 years)
-
- NSERC: $675 000
- Pratt & Whitney: $550,000
The work of the Industrial Research Chair
Through this Chair, Dr. Altintas hopes to position UBC as one of the leading machine research centres in the world, allowing the University to train engineers in the design of machine tools and high-performance machining, and enabling industry partners such as Pratt & Whitney Canada to simulate manufacturing operations for optimum process planning.
Virtual high-performance machining uses a highly-detailed computer graphics program to model and predict the machine tool and process behaviour in a virtual environment. It incorporates all the scientific principles of metal cutting, vibrations, solid mechanics and control theory. Dr. Altintas advances in this area is of great interest to automobile and aerospace manufacturing companies, for whom precision equates to cost savings and dramatically increased productivity.
Through additional support from industry partners such as Mori Seiki in Japan, Boeing USA and Sandvik Coromant in Sweden, Dr. Altintas also has secured a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) High Speed Machining Centre to help carry out work planned under the Chair. The new centre will be housed in UBC’s Institute for Robotics and Industrial Systems (IRIS) Building.
The Chairholder Dr. Yusuf Altintas, of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, is one of the world’s leading experts in machining and is particularly well-known for his contributions in the area of milling. He has established productive collaborations around the world within both the academic and industrial communities. His work is highly regarded by industry and has been implemented, with very successful results, by a number of companies.
Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, Innovation Magazine (January/February 2003) issue
MANUFACTURING RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP AWARD BY PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA INC.
The Manufacturing Automation Laboratory was key in developing new control techniques for the machining process. Our laboratory received the Manufacturing Research Partnership Award from Pratt & Whitney Canada for our contributions to the productivity increased in 5-axis milling of jet engine compressors and blisks.
PETER LARKIN (1998) AND ALFRED SCOW (2001) AWARDS PRESENTED TO ELECTRO-MECHANICAL DESIGN PROGRAM
The Electro-Mechanical Design Program has been recognized with the Peter Larkin (1998) and Alfred Scow (2001) awards for its outstanding success.
