Professor Ken Swift is the Lucas Professor of Manufacturing Systems Engineering at University of Hull, UK. Following decades of research and collaboration with leading manufacturing groups worldwide, his current research interests include capability analysis and probabilistic design, flexible assembly and inspection systems. He has received numerous awards and prizes in the area of design and manufacturing, including the Donald Julius Groen Prize, awarded for a paper on manufacturing process selection in the IMechE Journal of Engineering Manufacture.
Dr Julian Booker is Reader in Design and Manufacture at University of Bristol, UK, and a recognized expert in product design and process engineering. Working closely with industry, his research interests include the development and industrial implementation of design methods for manufacture, assembly, quality and reliability improvement, and the structural integrity of frictional machine elements using simulation and experimental methods.