SME Introduces The Total Manufacturing Experience

DEARBORN, Mich., June 3 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announces The Total Manufacturing Experience -- a new, one-of- a-kind manufacturing event -- to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on March 27-30, 2006. The Total Manufacturing Experience will draw leaders from key industries, including aerospace and defense, medical, automotive, electronics, high tech and more.

A must-attend event for the world's manufacturers, suppliers, and educators, The Total Manufacturing Experience will present a special focus on automation and assembly. Attendees will be immersed in a complete learning experience that moves from classroom, to exhibit floor, to networking and recognition activities. Participants can immediately apply what they've learned to solve real-world operations and business challenges. This world- class event co-locates:

* WESTEC 2006 Advanced Productivity Exposition, North America's largest annual manufacturing and metalworking event, featuring the latest manufacturing technology and processes. Exhibitors include 600 leading manufacturers and distributors from 150 categories representing 2,500 international product lines. New in 2006 - Automated Manufacturing Cells will be operating on the exhibit floor with live demonstrations of automation and assembly processes. WESTEC's Technology Theater provides technical education to attendees on the exhibit floor. Members of SME's Product and Process Design & Management (PPD&M) technical community will share best practices and run live process simulations in the PPD&M Pavilion. The WESTEC Student Summit will introduce young people to challenging and rewarding manufacturing careers.

* The SME Summit highlights the activities of SME's Technical Community Network, bringing together manufacturers, technologies and innovations in a dynamic forum for information exchange. The SME Summit includes presentations on new applications and developing research on advanced technologies spanning the entire manufacturing discipline. It also provides professional development sessions, to help manufacturing practitioners remain competitive in the market.

* Automation & Assembly Conference & Exhibits builds on the comprehensive WESTEC and SME Summit activities, offering special opportunities for advanced learning. Solution Suites will focus on key process challenges identified by leading aerospace and defense manufacturers. Exhibitors will work together to present integrated solutions. Attendees will move directly from the conference sessions to the exhibit floor, where they will see what they've just learned in the classroom put into real-world action at the Automated Manufacturing Cells.

  Emerging technologies and processes are the focus of the:
  *  Micro-Manufacturing Conference
     Industry experts and leading researchers will discuss advancements in
     micro machining, focusing on processes used to create micro features on
     micro or macro parts.
  *  Nano-Manufacturing Conference
     Focusing on the fast-growing and innovative field of nanotechnology,
     this program explores the development and commercialization of tools,
     instruments, and systems required for nanoscale manufacturing.

During The Total Manufacturing Experience, attendees can earn industry- recognized credentials through:

  *  Metal Working Fluids Certificate Program
     Metalworking fluid microbiology and toxicology are the focus of this
     course, providing a comprehensive overview of the world of metalworking
     fluids.
  *  Lean Certification Exams
     A new world-class Lean Certification exam will be offered for the first
     time exclusively at this event!  This new four-level certification
     program is currently under development through the collaboration of
     SME, the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME), and The Shingo
     Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.  This new Lean Certification is
     being designed to standardize and recognize lean practices within
     global organizations and align entire extended supply chains to the
     common standard and practice of lean.

  Lean Job Shop Conference

Designed for small- to medium-sized manufacturers, this conference provides comprehensive lean manufacturing applications to meet their specialized requirements.

Networking and Recognition activities will include keynotes, SME's prestigious International Honor Awards, scholarship presentations, and SME society meetings.

Additional Information:

Further information about The Total Manufacturing Experience will be available soon at http://www.sme.org/ , or call (800) 733-4763.

About SME:

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing engineers and executives annually. The Society has members in 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of chapters worldwide.